ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc 6-K, filed Sep 18, 2026
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (RETO)
About this 6-K
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc filed this 6-K on September 18, 2026.
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 September 2026
Commission file number: 001-38307
RETO ECO-SOLUTIONS, INC.
(Registrant’s name)
X-702, 60 Anli Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
People’s Republic of China 100101
(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 ☒ Form 40-F ☐
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
Entry into Material Agreement
On September 17, 2026, ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”) with certain investors in connection with a registered direct offering for the offer and sale of 10,000,000 Class A share of the Company, no par value per share (“Class A Share”) at a purchase price of $1.50 per share, and 10,000,000 Class A share purchase warrant (“Warrants”), at an exercise price of $2.75, in a registered direct offering (such offering, the “Offering”). The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company from the Offering were $15,000,000, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses and excluding any proceeds that may be received upon the exercise of the Warrants.
Each of the Warrants has an initial exercise price of $2.75 and is exercisable beginning on the date of the issuance date and ending on the one-year anniversary of the issuance date. The Warrants include provisions for cashless exercise if, at the time of exercise, there is no effective registration statement for the issuance of the underlying Class A Shares. Additionally, holders of Warrants may, at any time and in its sole discretion, exercise its Warrants in whole or in part by means of a “zero exercise price” option, under which up to 90,000,000 Class A Shares may be issuable in aggregate under all Warrants subject to the terms and conditions therein.
Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, during the ten (10) calendar-day period immediately following the date of the Securities Purchase Agreement, each investor has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase additional Class A Shares and Warrants on the same terms and conditions, including the same purchase price and security composition, as the Class A Shares and Warrants purchased in the Offering, subject to an aggregate cap of $15,000,000 for all such additional purchases by all investors, pro rata allocation based on each investor’s initial purchase at the closing of the Offering, and a per-investor limit of $1,000,000 in aggregate purchase price on any single trading day.
The Company entered into a placement agency agreement (the “Placement Agency Agreement”) dated September 17, 2026, with Univest Securities, LLC (the “Placement Agent”). Pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement, the Company engaged the Placement Agent to act as the Company’s placement agent in connection with the Offering on a reasonable best efforts basis. Pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement, the Company agreed to pay the Placement Agent a cash fee equal to seven percent (7.0%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Offering, and a non-accountable expense reimbursement and out-of-pocket expenses, including legal counsel fees and disbursements, in an amount not to exceed an aggregate of $50,000.
The Offering closed on September 18, 2026.
The securities were offered and issued pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated September 18, 2026 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5), supplementing the prospectus included in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form F-3 (Registration No. 333-297016), which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on June 25, 2026 and became effective on July 8, 2026.
Appleby, British Virgin Islands counsel to the Company, has issued an opinion to the Company regarding the validity of the securities. A copy of the opinion is furnished as Exhibit 5.1 to this Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K.
The foregoing descriptions of the Securities Purchase Agreement, the Placement Agency Agreement and the Warrants do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by copies of such documents filed as Exhibits 10.1, 10.2, and 4.1, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 6-K (“Form 6-K”) and are incorporated herein by reference.
The Company issued a press release announcing the Offering on September 17, 2026. A copy of the press release is filed herein as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference.
This Current Report on Form 6-K does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, and these securities cannot be sold in any state or jurisdiction in which this offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any state or jurisdiction.
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EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 4.1 | Form of Warrant | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Appleby | |
| 10.1 | Form of Securities Purchase Agreement | |
| 10.2 | Placement Agency Agreement | |
| 99.1 | Press Release dated September 17, 2026 |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| RETO ECO-SOLUTIONS, INC. | ||
| Date: September 18, 2026 | By: | /s/ JOHNNY TIONG SIE WEI |
| Name: | JOHNNY TIONG SIE WEI | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
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Exhibit 4.1
CLASS A SHARE PURCHASE WARRANT
| Warrants: 2,000,000 | Issue Date: September 18, 2026 |
THIS CLASS A SHARE PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, [●] or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after September 18, 2026 (the “Initial Exercise Date”), and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on September 17, 2027 (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc., a BVI business company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (the “Company”), up to 2,000,000 Class A shares (the “Class A Shares”) of no par value each of the Company (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”). The purchase price of one Class A Share under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).
Section 1. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1:
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Class A Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Class A Shares for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Class A Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Class A Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Class A Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Class A Shares are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per Class A Share so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of one Class A Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
“Class A Share Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or of the Company’s subsidiaries that would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Class A Shares, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Class A Shares.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market for the Class A Shares is open for trading.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Class A Shares are listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange or the Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer, LLC or such other Person or any successor transfer agent of the Company in respect of the Class A Shares.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Class A Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Class A Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Class A Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Class A Shares for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Class A Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Class A Shares are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per Class A Share so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of one Class A Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
Section 2. Exercise.
(a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed a PDF copy submitted by e-mail (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) one (1) Trading Day and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the Warrant Shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares issuable hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares issuable hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares issuable hereunder in an amount equal to the corresponding number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such exercises of Warrant and purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. By the Holder’s acceptance of this Warrant, the Holder and any of its assigns acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
(b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per Class A Share under this Warrant shall be US$2.75, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”), provided at no time shall any adjustment be made if the adjustment would result in the Exercise Price being reduced to below the par value of the Class A Shares and at no time shall the Exercise Price be lower than the Floor Price (as defined in Section 2(c) herein).
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(c) Cashless Exercise. If at any time of exercise hereof, there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for, the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A) where:
| (A) = | as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Class A Shares on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day; |
| (B) = | the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and |
| (X) = | the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. |
In addition to the rights with respect to Cashless Exercise set forth above, the Holder may, at any time and in its sole discretion, exercise this Warrant in whole or in part by means of a “zero price exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the product of (a) the aggregate number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise; and (b) the quotient obtained by dividing (i) the Exercise Price minus the lowest VWAP of the Class A Shares over the 10 Trading Days immediately prior to the exercise date (such VWAP, the “Low Price”) by (ii) 50% of the Low Price. This “zero price exercise” shall only be available at a time when the Low Price is lower than the then applicable Exercise Price. At no time shall the Low Price be lower than the Floor Price. “Floor Price” means US$0.5, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward share splits, recapitalizations and similar transactions.
If Warrant Shares are issued in either a “cashless exercise” or a “zero price exercise” option, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c). Without limiting any rights of the Holder to receive Warrant Shares in a “cashless exercise” pursuant to this Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) or Section 2(d)(iv), there is no circumstance that would require the Company to net-cash settle this Warrant.
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(d) Mechanics of Exercise.
(i) Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) the Warrant is being exercise via cashless exercise, and otherwise by entering in the Company’s register of members the name of the Holder or its designee as the holder of the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise and physical delivery of a certificate in respect of such Warrant Shares (if required) to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the instance of a cashless exercise or a “zero price exercise” option) is received by the Company one (1) Trading Day prior to such second Trading Day after the delivery of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the instance of a cashless exercise or a “zero price exercise” option) is received by the Company prior to the end of the Standard Settlement Period (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon the delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for purposes of Regulation SHO to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Class A Shares on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Class A Shares as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise.
(ii) Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to subscribe for and purchase the updated number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant to the unexercised portion of this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
(iii) Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
(iv) Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, Class A Shares to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the Class A Shares so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of Class A Shares that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Class A Shares having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of Class A Shares with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver Class A Shares upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
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(v) No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.
(vi) Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
(vii) Closing of Books. The Company will not close its shareholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
(e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of Class A Shares beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of Class A Shares which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, non-exercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or non-converted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Class A Share Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding Class A Shares, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding Class A Shares as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of Class A Shares outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one (1) Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of Class A Shares then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding Class A Shares shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding Class A Shares was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by the Holder prior to the issuance of this Warrant, 9.99%) of the number of Class A Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of Class A Shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of Class A Shares upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
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Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
(a) Share Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a share dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on its Class A Shares or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in Class A Shares (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any Class A Shares issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides its outstanding Class A Shares into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse share split) its outstanding Class A Shares into a smaller number of shares or (iv) issues by reclassification of its Class A Shares any capital shares of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of Class A Shares (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of Class A Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
(b) Intentionally Omitted.
(c) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Class A Share Equivalents or rights to purchase shares, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of Class A Shares (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of Class A Shares acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of Class A Shares are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such Class A Shares as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation). To the extent that this Warrant has not been partially or completely exercised at the time of such grant, issuance or sale of the Purchase Rights, such Purchase Rights shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until the Holder has exercised this Warrant; provided, however, that to the extent such Purchase Rights expire for the shareholders of the Company if not exercised, the Purchase Rights will also expire for the Holder as of such date.
(d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of Class A Shares, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, shares or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of Class A Shares acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of Class A Shares are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any Class A Shares as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation). To the extent that this Warrant has not been partially or completely exercised at the time of such Distribution, such portion of the Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until the Holder has exercised this Warrant.
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(e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Class A Shares are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding Class A Shares, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Class A Shares or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Class A Shares are effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding Class A Shares (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of Class A Shares of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of Class A Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one Class A Share in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Class A Shares are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction; provided, however, that, if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company’s control, including not approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of this Warrant, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Class A Shares of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, shares or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Class A Shares are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction; provided, further, that if holders of Class A Shares of the Company are not offered or paid any consideration in such Fundamental Transaction, such holders of Class A Shares will be deemed to have received common equity (or Class A shares) of the Successor Entity (which Entity may be the Company following such Fundamental Transaction) in such Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of 100%, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction, (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, and (E) a zero cost of borrow. The payment of the Black Scholes Value will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds (or such other consideration) within the later of (i) five Business Days of the Holder’s election and (ii) the date of consummation of the Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the Class A Shares acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the Class A Shares pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.
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(f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of Class A Shares deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of Class A Shares (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
(g) Notice to Holder.
(i) Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
(ii) Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Class A Shares, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Class A Shares, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Class A Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any shareholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Class A Shares, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Class A Shares are converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by email to the Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least twenty (20) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of Class A Shares of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of Class A Shares of record shall be entitled to exchange their Class A Shares for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
(a) Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary and subject to Sections 2(a) and 2(d)(ii), the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
(b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the original Issue Date and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
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(c) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
(a) No Rights as Shareholder Until Exercise. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a shareholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i).
(b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any share certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or share certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or share certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or share certificate.
(c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Trading Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Trading Day.
(d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized share capital a sufficient number of unissued Class A Shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of completing the issuance of the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Class A Shares may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its amended and restated memorandum and articles of association or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
(e) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or their respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Warrant and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this paragraph shall limit or restrict the federal district court in which a Holder may bring a claim under the federal securities law.
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(f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
(g) Non-waiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
(h) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Exercise, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at X-702, Tower A, 60 Anli Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China 100101 Attention: Johnny Tiong Sie Wei, Chief Executive Officer; e-mail address: ir@retoeco.com, or such other email address or address as the Company may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Company hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the e-mail address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Company. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via e-mail attachment at the email address set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via e-mail attachment at the e-mail address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Report of Foreign Private Issuer on Form 6-K.
(i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Class A Shares or as a shareholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
(j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
(k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of the Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or a holder of Warrant Shares.
(l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.
(m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
(n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
********************
(Signature Page Follows)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
| RETO ECO-SOLUTIONS, INC. | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
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NOTICE OF EXERCISE
| TO: | ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. |
| X-702, Tower A, 60 Anli Road, Chaoyang District | |
| Beijing, People’s Republic of China 100101 (the “Company”) |
Reference is made to the Class A Share Purchase Warrant issued as of [___] by the Company in favor of the undersigned (the “Warrant”).
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to subscribe for and purchase ________ Class A shares of no par value each of the Company (the “Exercised Warrant Shares”) pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant, and tenders herewith payment of the relevant aggregate Exercise Price (as defined in the Warrant) in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
| ☐ | in lawful money of the United States; | |
| ☐ | if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in the Warrant, to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in the Warrant; or | |
| ☐ | if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the provisions of subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant pursuant to the “zero price exercise” option procedure set forth in subsection 2(c). |
(3) Please issue the Exercised Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
_______________________________
The undersigned hereby agrees and confirms to hold the Exercised Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms of the Company’s articles of association.
The Exercised Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: ____________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: ______________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: _________________________________________________________
Date: _____________________________________________________________________________
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
| Name: | ______________________________________ |
| (Please Print) | |
| Address: | ______________________________________ |
Phone Number:
Email Address:
|
(Please Print)
______________________________________
______________________________________
|
| Dated: _______________ __, ______ | |
| Holder’s Signature:______________ | |
| Holder’s Address:______________ |
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Exhibit 5.1
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. Vistra Corporate Services Centre, Wickhams Cay II, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands |
Email kchan@applebyglobal.com
Direct Dial +852 2905 5722 Tel +852 2523 8123
| |
Appleby Ref 476069.0003 | ||
| Attn: The Board of Directors | ||
18 September 2026 |
Suites 3504B-06 35/F, Two Taikoo Place 979 King’s Road Quarry Bay Hong Kong
Tel +852 2523 8123
applebyglobal.com
Managing Partner David Bulley
Partners Fiona Chan Kitty Chan Vincent Chan Chris Cheng Richard Grasby Judy Lee Michael Makridakis John McCarroll SC Lorinda Peasland Eliot Simpson Freya Xu
|
Dear Sirs
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (Company)
We act as counsel as to British Virgin Islands law to the Company, and this legal opinion as to British Virgin Islands law is addressed to you in connection with the Company’s current report on Form 6-K (Form 6-K), to be filed on or about the date of this opinion with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to:
(a) the offering and issuance of 10,000,000 class A shares of no par value of the Company (Offer Class A Shares) and the offering of 10,000,000 class A shares purchase warrants of the Company (the Warrants), with an aggregate purchase price up to US$15,000,000 (together, the Offering);
(b) the issuance of the class A shares of the Company (Class A Shares) upon exercise of the Warrants (the Warrant Shares, together with the Offer Class A Shares, the Offer Shares).
We are furnishing this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Form 6-K (as defined below).
OUR REVIEW
For the purposes of giving this opinion we have examined and relied upon the Documents and the documents listed in Part 1 of Schedule 1 (Documents). We have not examined any other documents, even if they are referred to in the Documents.
We have not made any other enquiries concerning the Company and in particular we have not investigated or verified any matter of fact or opinion (whether set out in any of the Documents or elsewhere) other than as expressly stated in this opinion.
Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms have the meanings assigned to them in Schedule 1.
LIMITATIONS
Our opinion is limited to, and should be construed in accordance with, the laws of the British Virgin Islands at the date of this opinion. We express no opinion on the laws of any other jurisdiction.
This opinion is limited to the matters stated in it and does not extend, and is not to be extended by implication, to any other matters.
| |
| Bermuda ■ British Virgin Islands ■ Cayman Islands ■ Guernsey ■ Hong Kong ■ Isle of Man ■ Jersey ■ Mauritius ■ Seychelles ■ Shanghai ■ Shenzhen |
ASSUMPTIONS AND RESERVATIONS
We give the following opinions on the basis of the assumptions set out in Schedule 2 (Assumptions), which we have not verified, and subject to the reservations set out in Schedule 3 (Reservations).
OPINIONS
| 1. | Incorporation and Status: The Company is a company limited by shares incorporated under the BVI Business Companies Act (as amended) (BCA) and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands and is separate legal entities capable of suing or being sued in its respective own name. The Company is in good standing with the Registrar of Corporate Affairs of the British Virgin Islands (BVI Registrar). |
| 2. | Authorized Share Capital: Based solely on our review of the Constitutional Documents, the Company is authorized to issue an unlimited number of Shares (as defined in the Constitutional Documents) designated as follows: |
| (a) | an unlimited number of Class A Shares; and |
| (b) | up to a maximum of 2,000,000 class B shares of the Company (Class B Shares, together with Class A Shares, the Shares), |
or any combination of the above classes of Shares.
| 3. | Authorisation: The Company has taken all necessary corporate action to authorise the issuance of the Offer Shares under the Prospectus Supplement. |
| 4. | Issue of Shares: The Offer Shares to be allotted and issued by the Company have been duly authorized, and when fully paid, allotted and issued by the Company in the manner set out in the Prospectus Supplement and in accordance with the Resolutions, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. The reference in this opinion to Shares being non-assessable shall mean solely that no further sums of money are required to be paid by the holders of such Shares in connection with the issuance thereof. |
| 5. | Disclosure: The statements under the heading [“Enforceability of Civil Liabilities”] in the Prospectus Supplement, insofar as such statements constitute statements of British Virgin Islands law and only to the extent governed by the laws of the British Virgin Islands, are accurate in all material respects. |
| 6. | Withholding Taxes: No stamp duties or similar documentary taxes imposed by or in the British Virgin Islands are payable in respect of the Offering and the Company will not be required by any laws of the British Virgin Islands to make any deduction or withholding from any payment it may make under the Offering. |
Bermuda ■ British Virgin Islands ■ Cayman Islands ■ Guernsey ■ Hong Kong ■ Isle of Man ■ Jersey ■ Mauritius ■ Seychelles ■ Shanghai ■ Shenzhen
2
CONSENT
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Prospectus Supplement and to the reference to our firm in the Prospectus Supplement. In providing our consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities the Securities Act of 1933 of the United States of America (as amended) or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.
Yours faithfully
| /s/ Appleby | |
| Appleby |
Bermuda ■ British Virgin Islands ■ Cayman Islands ■ Guernsey ■ Hong Kong ■ Isle of Man ■ Jersey ■ Mauritius ■ Seychelles ■ Shanghai ■ Shenzhen
3
Schedule 1
Documents Examined
| 1. | A scanned copy of the certificate of incorporation of the Company dated 7 August 2015 (Certificate of Incorporation). |
| 2. | Scanned copies of the amended and restated memorandum of association and articles of association of the Company adopted on 13 May 2025 (Constitutional Documents). |
| 3. | A scanned copy of the certificate of good standing dated 17 September 2026 issued by the Registrar of Companies in respect of the Company (Certificate of Good Standing). |
| 4. | A scanned copy of the written resolutions by all the directors of the Company dated 17 September 2026 (Resolutions). |
| 5. | A scanned copy of the register of directors of the Company as of 27 May 2026 (Register of Directors). |
| 6. | A scanned copy of the draft Prospectus Supplement to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the issuance and sale of Class A Shares of no par value of the Company of an aggregate principal amount of up to US$38,160,000, which has been furnished to us on [18] September 2026 (Prospectus Supplement). |
| 7. | A scanned copy of the draft current report on Form 6-K relating to the Offering (Form 6-K). |
Bermuda ■ British Virgin Islands ■ Cayman Islands ■ Guernsey ■ Hong Kong ■ Isle of Man ■ Jersey ■ Mauritius ■ Seychelles ■ Shanghai ■ Shenzhen
4
Schedule 2
Assumptions
We have assumed:
| 1. | (i) that the originals of all documents examined in connection with this opinion are authentic, accurate and complete; and (ii) the authenticity, accuracy, completeness and conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies; |
| 2. | that there has been no change to the information contained in the Certificate of Incorporation, the Certificate of Incumbency, the Certificate of Good Standing and the Register of Directors and that the Constitutional Documents remain in full force and effect and are unamended; |
| 3. | that the signatures, initials and seals on all documents and certificates submitted to us as originals or copies of executed originals are authentic, and the signatures and initials on all such documents the signatures and initials of a person or persons authorised to execute such document; |
| 4. | that where incomplete documents, drafts or signature pages only have been supplied to us for the purposes of issuing this opinion, the original documents have been duly completed and correspond in all material respects with the last version of the relevant documents examined by us prior to giving our opinion; |
| 5. | that none of the Company’s directors or its registered office have received any notice of any litigation or threatened litigation to which the Company is or may be party; |
| 6. | that the Company is not a land owning company for the purposes of section 242 of the BCA, meaning that neither it nor any of its subsidiaries has an interest in any land in the British Virgin Islands; |
| 7. | that the Company does not carry on any activities which would require it to be licensed under any of the British Virgin Islands financial services legislation in force from time to time; |
| 8. | that (i) the Resolutions were duly passed in accordance with the Constitutional Documents, (ii) all interests of the directors of the Company on the subject matter of the Resolutions, if any, were declared and disclosed in accordance with the law and Constitutional Documents, (iii) the Resolutions have not been revoked, amended or superseded, in whole or in part, and remain in full force and effect at the date of this opinion, and (iv) the directors of the Company have concluded that documents approved by the Resolutions and the transactions contemplated thereby are bona fide in the best interests of the Company and for a proper purpose of the Company; |
| 9. | that the Register of Directors accurately reflect the names of all directors of the Company as at the date the Resolutions were passed or adopted and as at the date of this opinion; |
| 10. | that there are no records of the Company, agreements, documents or arrangements other than the Constitutional Documents, the Resolutions and the documents expressly referred to herein as having been examined by us which materially affect, amend or vary the transactions contemplated in the documents or the Resolutions or restrict the powers and authority of the directors of the Company in any way which would affect opinions expressed in this opinion; |
| 11. | that the Offering, the entry into any documents and carrying out each of the transactions referred to herein will not conflict with or breach any applicable economic, anti-money laundering, anti-terrorist financing or other sanctions; |
| 12. | that any applicable escrow conditions have been met; and |
| 13. | that no resolutions to voluntarily wind up the Company have been adopted by the respective directors and no event of a type which is specified in the Constitutional Documents as giving rise to the winding up of the Company (if any) has in fact occurred. |
Bermuda ■ British Virgin Islands ■ Cayman Islands ■ Guernsey ■ Hong Kong ■ Isle of Man ■ Jersey ■ Mauritius ■ Seychelles ■ Shanghai ■ Shenzhen
5
Schedule 3
Reservations
Our opinion is subject to the following:
| 1. | Currency of Court Judgments: It is our view that, in the event of proceedings being brought in the British Virgin Islands in respect of a monetary obligation in connection with the Documents, it is likely to be expressed in the currency in which such claim is made, since the courts have power to grant a monetary judgment expressed otherwise than in the currency of the British Virgin Islands. With respect to winding up proceedings, British Virgin Islands law may require that all debts and claims are converted into U.S. Dollars (the currency of the British Virgin Islands) at an exchange rate prevailing on the date of the winding up. Currency indemnity provisions have not been tested, so far as we are aware, in the courts of the British Virgin Islands. |
| 2. | Modification of documents: We express no view on any provision in any of the Documents requiring written amendments and waivers of any of the provisions of such Documents insofar as it suggests that oral or other modification, amendments or waivers could not be effectively agreed upon or granted by or between the parties or implied by the course of conduct of the parties. |
| 3. | Limitations on liability: The effectiveness of any terms releasing or limiting a party from a liability or duty owed is limited by law. |
| 4. | Foreign law: Relevant foreign law will not be applied by the British Virgin Islands courts if it is not pleaded and proved, is not a bona fide and lawful choice of law, or it would be contrary to public policy in the British Virgin Islands for that law to be applied. |
| 5. | Fettering of Statutory Powers: We express no opinion as to the validity or binding effect of any provision in the Resolutions which provides that the Company will not exercise its respective statutory powers. This may constitute an unlawful fetter on the statutory powers of the respective Company. |
| 6. | Financial Capacity: We express no opinion upon the financial capacity of the Company to perform any obligations under the Offering. |
| 7. | Good Standing: The term good standing as used in this opinion means solely that a Company has received a Certificate of Good Standing from the BVI Registrar because it has paid all fees, annual fees and penalties due and payable under the BCA; has filed with the BVI Registrar in accordance with regulation 25 of the BVI Business Companies Regulations (as amended): |
| (a) | a copy of its register of directors (or the Company is not yet due to file that register); and |
| (b) | a declaration in the approved form attesting that the Company has filed with its registered agent the Company’s annual financial return in accordance with section 98A of the BCA (unless exempted from that requirement or the Company is not yet due to file such annual financial return), |
and the Company is on the Register of Companies. Failure to (a) pay such fees, annual fees or penalties; (b) file with the BVI Registrar a copy of its register of directors that is due; or (c) file with the BVI Registrar such declaration in respect of any annual financial return that is due, would in each case make the Company not in good standing and liable to be struck off the Register of Companies and cease to exist under the laws of the British Virgin Islands if any such default is not remedied before the BVI Registrar publishes a notice of striking off in the British Virgin Islands Gazette.
| 14. | Register of Directors: This opinion is subject to the Register of Directors not containing any manifest error and the absence of fraud or other extraordinary circumstances which may lead to the Register of Directors being rectified pursuant to an order of the competent court. |
| 15. | Issue of Shares: Based on the decision in the English case of Houldsworth v City of Glasgow Bank (1880) 5 App Cas 317 HL, in the event of a misrepresentation by a Company on which a shareholder relied in agreeing to subscribe for shares in such Company, the shareholder may be entitled to rescind the share subscription agreement and thereafter claim damages against such Company for any additional loss suffered as a result of the misrepresentation. Such a claim for damages will not arise unless and until the shareholder has successfully rescinded the share subscription agreement. A shareholder may be barred from rescinding on the grounds of delay or affirmation and if such Company is wound up (whether voluntarily or compulsorily), such shareholder will lose the right to rescind the share subscription agreement. |
Bermuda ■ British Virgin Islands ■ Cayman Islands ■ Guernsey ■ Hong Kong ■ Isle of Man ■ Jersey ■ Mauritius ■ Seychelles ■ Shanghai ■ Shenzhen
6
Exhibit 10.1
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
THIS SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into and made effective as of September 17, 2026, between ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc., a BVI business company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, the Shares and the Warrants (as defined below) of the Company as provided in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:
ARTICLE
I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the words and terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following words and terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:
“Acquiring Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.5.
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Agreement” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble.
“Auditors” means Assentsure PAC, the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company.
“BHCA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(ii).
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“BSA/PATRIOT Act” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.2(g).
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed.
“BVI Counsel” means Appleby (BVI) Limited, with offices located at Jayla Place, Wickham’s Cay I, PO Box 3190, Road Town, Tortola, VG1110, British Virgin Islands.
“Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
“Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the first (1st) Trading Day following the date hereof (or the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date hereof if this Agreement is signed on a day that is not a Trading Day or after 4:00 p.m. (New York, NY time) and before midnight (New York, NY time) on a Trading Day).
“Company” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble.
“Company Counsel” means Loeb & Loeb LLP, with offices located at 10100 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 2200, Los Angeles, California 90067, U.S. counsel to the Company.
“Control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”) means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee or executor, by contract or otherwise, including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such person or securities that represent a majority of the outstanding voting securities of such person.
“Disclosure Time” means, (i) if this Agreement is signed on a day that is not a Trading Day or after 9:00 a.m. (New York, NY time) and before midnight (New York, NY time) on any Trading Day, 9:01 a.m. (New York, NY time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent, and (ii) if this Agreement is signed between midnight (New York, NY time) and 9:00 a.m. (New York, NY time) on any Trading Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. (New York, NY time) on the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent.
“DVP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1.
“DWAC” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(a)(ii).
“EDGAR” means the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval System.
“ERISA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.2(i).
“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(r).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (i) Class A Shares, restricted share units, or options, including the Class A Shares underlying the restricted share units or options, to employees, officers, directors, or consultants of the Company pursuant to any share or option plan duly adopted for such purpose, by a majority of the non-employee members of the Board of Directors or a majority of the members of a committee of non-employee directors established for such purpose for services rendered to the Company, provided that any issuances to consultants of the Company are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period in Section 4.11(a) herein, (ii) Class A Shares issued upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any Warrants issued hereunder and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into Class A Shares issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price, or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection with share splits or combinations) or to extend the term of such securities, (iii) securities (including Class A Shares and Class A Share Equivalents) issued pursuant to merger, acquisition, or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period in Section 4.11(a) herein, and provided, further that any such issuance shall only be to a Person that (or to the equity holders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company, or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with or relates to the business of the Company and in which the Company receives benefits in addition to any investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities, and (iv) securities (including Class A Shares and Class A Share Equivalents) for settlement of outstanding payables or liabilities, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period in Section 4.11(a) herein.
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“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
“Federal Reserve” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.2(a)(ii).
“FTC” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(l).
“GAAP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Indebtedness” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(z).
“Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(f).
“IT Systems and Data” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(mm).
“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(o).
“Liens” means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“Lock-Up Agreement” means the Lock-Up Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Placement Agent and the directors, officers, and 5% shareholders of the Company, substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
“Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).
“Material Permits” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(m).
“Misconduct” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(k).
“Money Laundering Laws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(jj).
“Non-cooperative Jurisdiction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.2(h).
“OFAC” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(gg).
“Offering” shall mean the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents.
“Class A Shares” means the Class A shares of the Company, no par value per share.
“Class A Share Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Class A Shares, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred shares, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Class A Shares.
“Per Share Purchase Price” equals $1.50, subject to adjustment for reverse and forward share splits, share dividends, share combinations and other similar events with respect to Class A Shares that occur after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Closing.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint share company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
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“Personal Data” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(nn).
“Placement Agency Agreement” means the Placement Agency Agreement by and between the Company and the Placement Agent dated as of September 17, 2026, as it may be amended from time to time.
“Placement Agent” means Univest Securities, LLC.
“Policies” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(nn).
“PRC Counsel” means Yuan Tai Law Offices, PRC counsel to the Company.
“Pre-Settlement Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.21.
“Pre-Settlement Shares” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.21.
“Privacy Laws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(nn).
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, a preliminary inquiry, an informal investigation or a partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus” means the final prospectus filed for the Registration Statement.
“Prospectus Supplement” means the supplement to the Prospectus complying with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act that is filed with the SEC and delivered by the Company to each Purchaser at the Closing.
“Purchaser” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble.
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.
“Registration Statement” means the effective registration statement on Form F-3 filed with the SEC, as amended (File No. 333-297016), which registers the sale of the Securities to the Purchasers, and shall include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, if applicable.
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the SEC having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 462(b) Registration Statement” means any registration statement prepared by the Company registering additional Securities, which was filed with the SEC on or prior to the date hereof and became automatically effective pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act, if applicable.
“SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares.
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“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shares” means the Class A Shares issued or issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement.
“Shell Bank” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.2(g).
“Short Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to include locating and/or borrowing Class A Shares).
“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for the Shares and Warrants purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Subsidiary” of any person means any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint stock company, joint venture or other organization or entity, whether incorporated or unincorporated, which is Controlled by such Person, and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date of this Agreement.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Class A Shares are listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE American (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreements, the Warrants, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer, LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“Variable Rate Transaction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.11(b).
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (i) if the Class A Shares are then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of an Class A Share for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Class A Shares are then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York, NY time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York, NY time)), (ii) if the OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of an Class A Share for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the OTCQB or OTCQX, (iii) if Class A Shares are not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for Class A Shares are then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per Class A Share so reported, or (iv) in all other cases, the fair market value per Class A Share as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Warrants” means the Class A Share Purchase Warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a)(iii) hereof, which shall be exercisable into Class A Shares and shall be in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto, which the Common Warrants shall be exercisable beginning on the Initial Exercise Date (as defined therein), have a term of one (1) year from the Warrants’ Initial Exercise Date, and shall be exercisable at an exercise price of $2.75 per share, subject to adjustment as set forth therein.
“Warrant Shares” means the Class A Shares issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
| 5 |
ARTICLE
II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, up to an aggregate of $15,000,000 Shares and Warrants subscribed for by such Purchaser. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, each Purchaser shall deliver, via wire transfer, immediately available funds equal to its Subscription Amount pursuant to Section 2.2(b)(ii). Each Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser shall be made available for “Delivery Versus Payment” (“DVP”) settlement with the Company or its designee. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares and Warrants to such Purchaser and as indicated on such Purchaser’s signature page hereto and determined based on its respective Subscription Amount and election for Shares, and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur remotely by electronic transfer of the Transaction Documents and other items deliverable hereunder. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, settlement of the Shares shall occur via DVP (i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Securities registered in the Purchasers’ names and addresses, and the Shares shall be released by the Transfer Agent directly to the account(s) at the Placement Agent identified by each Purchaser; upon receipt of such Shares, the Placement Agent shall promptly electronically deliver such Shares to the applicable Purchaser, and payment therefor shall be made by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire transfer to the Company).
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) subject to the last sentence of Section 2.1, a copy of the irrevocable instructions to the Transfer Agent instructing the Transfer Agent to deliver on an expedited basis via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) Shares equal to such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price registered in the name of such Purchaser;
(iii) a duly executed Warrant issued and registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of Class A Shares equal to 100% of such Purchaser’s Shares, with an exercise price equal to $2.75, subject to adjustment therein;
(iv) legal opinions of Company Counsel, BVI Counsel and PRC Counsel, each in a form reasonably acceptable to the Placement Agent;
(v) a good standing certificate or its equivalent of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries in each such entity’s jurisdiction of incorporation or formation issued by the relevant competent state or local government authority or registrar of companies or entities as applicable, dated as of a date within ten (10) days of the Closing Date;
(vi) a certificate executed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent;
(vii) a certificate executed by the secretary of the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent;
(viii) a certificate executed by the chief financial officer of the Company, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent ;
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(ix) Lock-up Agreements, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Placement Agent, executed by the Company and each officer, director and greater than five percent (5%) shareholders of the Company;
(x) the Company’s wire instructions, on Company letterhead and executed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer; and
(xi) the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement (which may be delivered in accordance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act).
(b) On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(ii) such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, which shall be made available for DVP settlement with the Company or its designees.
2.3 Closing Conditions.
(a) Subject to Section 5.21 below, as applicable, the obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless such representation or warranty is as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and
(iii) the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.
(b) Subject to Section 5.21 below, as applicable, the respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless such representation or warranty is as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;
(iii) the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;
(iv) there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date of this Agreement and to the Closing Date;
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(v) the Shares and Warrant Shares shall have been approved for listing on the Trading Market, subject to official notice of issuance, from the date of this Agreement to the Closing Date, trading in the Class A Shares shall not have been suspended by the SEC or any Trading Market, and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Shares and Warrants at the Closing; and
(vi) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been issued under the Securities Act.
2.4 Additional Allocation. During the ten (10) calendar-day period immediately following the date of this Agreement (the “Additional Purchase Period”), each Investor shall have the right, but not the obligation, to purchase from the Company, in one or more additional closings, additional Securities on the same terms and conditions, including the same purchase price and security composition, as the Securities purchased under this Agreement; provided, however, that (i) the aggregate purchase price of all additional Securities purchased by all Investors pursuant to this Section shall not exceed $15,000,000, (ii) each Investor’s right to purchase additional Securities shall be allocated on a pro rata basis in proportion to the aggregate purchase price of the Securities purchased by such Investor at the initial Closing relative to the aggregate purchase price of the Securities purchased by all Investors at the initial Closing, (iii) no Investor may purchase additional Securities in excess of its pro rata allocation, and (iv) no Investor may purchase additional Securities having an aggregate purchase price exceeding $1,000,000 on any single Trading Day. Each Investor may exercise its additional purchase right by delivering written notice to the Company during the Additional Purchase Period specifying the aggregate purchase price of the additional Securities it elects to purchase (which aggregate purchase price shall not exceed such Investor’s pro rata allocation).
ARTICLE
III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate as of such date):
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect Subsidiaries of the Company are set forth in the Registration Statement. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the share capital or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares capital of each Subsidiary are validly issued and are fully paid, non-assessable and free of preemptive and similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities.
(b) Incorporation, Organization and Qualification. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and, if applicable under the laws of the jurisdiction in which they are formed, in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries 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 of this Agreement to conduct its business purpose in all material respects as described in the Registration Statement and SEC Reports and to own or lease its properties. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective memorandum and articles of association, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. Each of the Company and the Subsidiaries is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, could not have or reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”); provided that a change in the market price or trading volume of the Class A Shares alone shall not be deemed, in and of itself, to constitute a Material Adverse Effect. No Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors, or the Company’s shareholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
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(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s memorandum and articles of association, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company or any Subsidiary, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, anti-dilution or similar adjustments, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company or Subsidiary debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company or any Subsidiary is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company or any Subsidiary is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company or a Subsidiary is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company or a Subsidiary is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) the filing with the SEC of the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, (iii) application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Shares and the Warrant Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, (iv) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws, and (v) filing pursuant to the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies promulgated by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
(f) Issuance of the Securities; Registration. The Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Warrants are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms. The Warrant Shares are duly authorized and, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants against payment therefor as provided therein, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized share capital the maximum number of Class A Shares issuable pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrants (without taking into account any limitations on the exercise of the Warrants set forth therein). The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, which became effective on July 8, 2026, including the Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the SEC and no Proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the SEC. The Company, if required by the rules and regulations of the SEC, shall file the Prospectus with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b). At the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company was at the time of the filing of the Registration Statement eligible to use Form F-3. The Company is eligible to use Form F-3 under the Securities Act and it meets the transaction requirements with respect to the aggregate market value of securities being sold pursuant to this offering and during the twelve (12) months prior to this offering, as set forth in General Instruction I.B.1 of Form F-3.
Any “issuer free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) relating to the Securities is hereafter referred to as an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.” Any reference herein to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of filing thereof; and any reference herein to any “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include (i) the filing of any document with the SEC incorporated or deemed to be incorporated therein by reference after the date of filing of such Prospectus and (ii) any such document so filed.
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All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing, shall be deemed to include any copy thereof filed with the SEC on EDGAR.
(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of the date hereof is as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g) which Schedule 3.1(g) shall also include the number of Class A Shares owned beneficially, and of record, by Affiliates of the Company as of the date hereof. The Company has not issued any share capital or Class A Share Equivalents since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to (i) the exercise of employee share options or vesting and settlement of restricted share units under the Company’s share option or equity incentive plans, (ii) the issuance of Class A Shares to employees pursuant to any employee share purchase plans or stock award plans, (iii) pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Class A Share Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, and (iv) pursuant to certain securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investor dated August 7, 2026. No Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Except as a result of the purchase and sale of the Securities and set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any Class A Shares or Class A Share Equivalents or the share capital of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional Class A Shares or Class A Share Equivalents or share capital of any Subsidiary. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to issue Class A Shares or Class A Share Equivalents or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers). Other than certain securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investor dated August 7, 2026, there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary with any provision that adjusts, and the issuance and sale of the Securities will not result in a right of any holder of Company securities or instruments to adjust, the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price under any of such securities or instruments upon an issuance of securities by the Company or any Subsidiary. There are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company or such Subsidiary. The Company does not have any share appreciation rights or “phantom share” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws where applicable, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. Except for the Required Approvals, no further approval or authorization of any shareholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no shareholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s share capital to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s shareholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for the two (2) years preceding the date of this Agreement (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports conform in all material aspects to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder to be described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the SEC Reports or to be filed with the SEC 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 or the SEC Reports, or (ii) is material to the Company’s business, has been duly authorized and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefore may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in default thereunder and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default thereunder. To the 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, including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations.
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(i) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(i), (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the SEC, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its shareholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any share or its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company share option or equity incentive plans. The Company does not have pending before the SEC any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth in Schedule 3.1(i), no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that could be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least one Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.
(j) Litigation. There is no Proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company, any Subsidiary or any of their respective properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) which (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Proceeding involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. There has not been, and to the knowledge of the Company, there is no pending or contemplated, any investigation by the SEC or its Staff involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The SEC has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company or any Subsidiary under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
(k) Labor Relations. (1) No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company or such Subsidiary, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company and its Subsidiaries believe that their relationships with their employees are good. (2) No executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, to the knowledge of the Company, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters. (3) To the Company’s knowledge, (i) no allegation of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct or discrimination, whether such discrimination arises from race, ethnic background, sex, gender status, age or otherwise (“Misconduct”) have been made involving any current or former director, officer, employee or independent contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries have entered into any settlement agreements related to allegations of Misconduct by any current or former director, officer, employee, or independent contractor of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. (4) The Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary: (i) is in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company or any Subsidiary under), nor has the Company or any Subsidiary received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is or has been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to the cybersecurity and data security, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), state unfair trade practice laws and rules and foreign equivalents, taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters, except in each case as could not have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
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(m) Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries possess all certificates, authorizations and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports, except where the failure to possess such permits could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (“Material Permits”), and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of Proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Material Permit. The disclosures in the Registration Statement concerning the effects of federal, state, local and all foreign regulation on the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects. The Company is and has been in material compliance with any term of any such Material Permits, except for any violations which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not received notice of any Proceeding from any governmental authority or third party alleging that any product, operation or activity is in violation of any applicable laws or regulations or Material Permits or has any knowledge that any such entity or third party is considering any such Proceeding, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, has there been any material noncompliance with or violation of any applicable laws or regulations by the Company that could reasonably be expected to require the issuance of any such communication or result in an investigation, corrective action, or enforcement action by any governmental authority.
(n) Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property owned by them and good and marketable title in all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company and the Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and the Subsidiaries and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and the Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance.
(o) Intellectual Property. The Company and the Subsidiaries have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). None of, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the Intellectual Property Rights violate or infringe upon the rights of any Person, except as could not have or reasonably be expected to not have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) Insurance. The Company and the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.
(q) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(q), none of the executive officers or directors of the Company or any Subsidiary and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company or any Subsidiary is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any Subsidiary (other than for services as employees, executive officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any executive officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any executive officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, shareholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for: (i) payment of salary or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including equity award or option agreements under any equity incentive plan of the Company.
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(r) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, that are effective as of the date of this Agreement and applicable to the Company and the Subsidiaries, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder that are effective as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date and applicable to the Company and the Subsidiaries. The Company and the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company and the Subsidiaries have established disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the Company and the Subsidiaries and designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (“Form 20-F”) (such date December 31, 2025, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company and its Subsidiaries.
(s) Certain Fees. Except for fees payable by the Company to the Placement Agent, no brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Other than for Persons directly engaged by a Purchaser, if any, the Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(t) Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be or be an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(u) Registration Rights. Other than the shareholders listed on Schedule 3.1(u), no Person has any right to cause the Company or any Subsidiary to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company or any Subsidiary.
(v) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Class A Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Class A Shares under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the SEC is contemplating terminating such registration. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(v), the Company has not, in the twelve (12) months preceding the date of this Agreement, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Class A Shares are or have been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company is, and has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Class A Share is currently eligible for electronic transfer through The Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to The Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.
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(w) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association (or similar charter documents) or the laws of the jurisdiction of the incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.
(x) Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the Prospectus Supplement. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company and its Subsidiaries, their respective businesses and the transactions contemplated hereby is true and correct in all material respects and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve (12) months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made and when made, not misleading. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(y) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this Offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(z) Solvency. Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). Except as disclosed in the Prospectus, the Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one (1) year from the Closing Date. The Prospectus sets forth as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, respectively, all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments, except as set forth in Schedule 3.1(z). For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000) (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
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(aa) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and franchise taxes and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.
(bb) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary, nor to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company or any Subsidiary (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of FCPA. The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the FCPA.
(cc) Accountants. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firms are set forth in the Prospectus. To the knowledge of the Company, each such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) Assentsure PAC is the Company’s current independent registered public accounting firm.
(dd) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.
(ee) Acknowledgement Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(f) and 4.13 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future private placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Class A Shares, and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, including, without limitation, during the periods that the value of the Warrant Shares deliverable with respect to the Securities are being determined, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing shareholders’ equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.
(ff) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf (other than the Placement Agent, as to which no representation is made) has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Placement Agent in connection with the placement of the Securities.
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(gg) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or Affiliate of the Company or any Subsidiary is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”), the United Nations Security Council (“UNSC”), the European Union (“EU”), His Majesty’s Treasury (“HMT”), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”), nor located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject of Sanctions (including, without limitation, the Russian Federation, Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria). The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any Subsidiary or affiliated entity, joint venture partner or other Person to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject of Sanctions; or in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the Offering, whether as placement agent, advisor, investor or otherwise).
(hh) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon Purchaser’s request.
(ii) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(jj) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable United States federal and state and foreign money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no Proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any Subsidiary with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any Subsidiary, threatened.
(kk) Environmental Laws. The Company and its Subsidiaries (i) are in compliance with all federal, state, local and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands, or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations, issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) have received all permits licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply could be reasonably expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
(ll) Share Option Plans. Each share option granted by the Company under the Company’s share option plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s share option plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Class A Shares on the date such share option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No share option granted under the Company’s share option plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, share options or awards prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of share options or awards with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.
(mm) Cybersecurity. There has been no security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of its respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained by or on behalf of it), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) that would reasonably be expected to result in, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect and (i) the Company and the Subsidiaries have not been notified of, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any material security breach or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; (iii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented and maintained commercially reasonable safeguards to maintain and protect its material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and Data; and (iv) the Company and the Subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent with industry standards and practices.
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(nn) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. (i) The Company and the Subsidiaries are, and at all times during the last three (3) years were, in material compliance with all applicable state, federal and foreign data privacy and security laws and regulations, (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”); (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take appropriate steps reasonably designed to ensure compliance with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling and analysis of Personal Data (as defined below) (the “Policies”); (iii) the Company provides accurate notice of its applicable Policies to its customers, employees, third party vendors and representatives as required by the Privacy Laws; and (iv) applicable Policies provide accurate and sufficient notice of the Company’s then-current privacy practices relating to its subject matter, and do not contain any material omissions of the Company’s then-current privacy practices, as required by Privacy Laws. “Personal Data” means (i) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, email address, photograph, social security number, bank information, or customer or account number; any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the FTC, as amended; (iii) “personal data” as defined by Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021); and (iv)any other piece of information that allows the identification of such natural person, or his or her family, or permits the collection or analysis of any identifiable data related to an identified person’s health or sexual orientation. (i) None of such disclosures made or contained in any of the Policies have been inaccurate, misleading, or deceptive in violation of any Privacy Laws and (ii) the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents will not result in a breach of any Privacy Laws or Policies. Neither the Company nor the Subsidiaries (i) to the knowledge of the Company, has received written notice of any actual or potential liability of the Company or the Subsidiaries under, or actual or potential violation by the Company or the Subsidiaries of, any of the Privacy Laws; (ii) is currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation or other corrective action pursuant to any regulatory request or demand pursuant to any Privacy Law; or (iii) is a party to any order, decree, or agreement by or with any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority that imposed any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law.
(oo) Foreign Issuer. The Company is a “foreign private issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(pp) PFIC Status. Based on the past and projected composition of its income and assets, and the valuation of its assets, including goodwill, the Company does not expect to be a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”) as defined in Section 1297 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for its current taxable year or in the foreseeable future.
(qq) Payments in Foreign Currency. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, under the laws and regulations of the British Virgin Islands and the PRC, (i) subject to solvency, none of the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is prohibited, directly or indirectly, from (A) paying any dividends or making any other distributions on its share capital, (B) making or repaying any loan or advance to the Company or any other Subsidiary or (C) transferring any of its properties or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary; and (ii) all dividends and other distributions declared and payable upon the share capital of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (A) may be converted into United States dollars, that may be freely transferred out of such entity’s jurisdiction of incorporation, without the consent, approval, authorization or order of, or qualification with, any court or governmental agency or body in such entity’s jurisdiction of incorporation or tax residence; and (B) are not and will not be subject to withholding, value added or other taxes under the currently effective laws and regulations of such entity’s jurisdiction of incorporation, without the necessity of obtaining any consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, registrations, clearances or qualifications of or with any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over such entity, except as, in each case, disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus.
(rr) Critical Accounting Policies. The statements set forth under the heading “Critical Accounting Estimates” contained in the Form 20-F and incorporated by reference to the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contained in or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fully describes in all material respects: (A) accounting policies which the Company believes are the most important in the portrayal of the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis and which require management’s most difficult, subjective or complex judgments (“Critical Accounting Policies”); (B) judgments and uncertainties affecting the application of Critical Accounting Policies; and (C) explanation of the likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions. Senior management has reviewed and agreed with the selection, application and disclosure of Critical Accounting Policies. The section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, accurately and fully describes: (x) all material trends, demands, commitments, events, uncertainties and risks, and the potential effects thereof, that the Company believes would materially affect liquidity and are reasonably likely to occur; and (y) all material off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on the financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources of the Company and the Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis. There are no outstanding guarantees or other contingent obligations of the Company or the Subsidiaries that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. All governmental tax waivers from national and local governments of the PRC and other local and national PRC tax relief, concession and preferential treatment obtained by the Company or the Subsidiaries are valid, binding and enforceable.
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(ss) Open Source Software. Except as described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, or as would not reasonably be expected to, singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect: (i) the Company and the Subsidiaries use and have used any and all software and other materials distributed under a “free,” “open source,” or similar licensing model (including but not limited to the MIT License, Apache License, GNU General Public License, GNU Lesser General Public License and GNU Affero General Public License) (“Open Source Software”) in compliance with all license terms applicable to such Open Source Software; and (ii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries uses or distributes or has used or distributed any Open Source Software in any manner that requires or has required (A) the Company or any of Subsidiaries to permit reverse engineering of any software code or other technology owned by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or (B) any software code or other technology owned by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to be (1) disclosed or distributed in source code form, (2) licensed for the purpose of making derivative works or (3) redistributed at no charge.
(tt) Foreign Tax Compliance. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, no transaction, stamp, capital or other issuance, registration, transaction, transfer or withholding taxes or duties are payable in the PRC, Hong Kong, the British Virgin Islands or the Cayman Islands to any PRC, Hong Kong or British Virgin Islands taxing authority in connection with the issuance, sale and delivery of the Shares and Warrants, and the delivery of the Shares and Warrants to or for the account of the Investors; provided that, in respect of the British Virgin Islands, the documents in connection therewith remain outside of the British Virgin Islands.
(uu) Compliance with PRC Oversea Investment and Listing Rules and Regulations. Except as otherwise disclosed in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the Company and Subsidiaries have taken reasonable steps to cause the Company’s shareholders, directors and officers that is, or directly or indirectly controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen, to comply with any applicable rules and regulations of relevant PRC government agencies (including but not limited to the Ministry of Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) , and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) relating to such persons’ shareholding with the Company (collectively, the “PRC Oversea Investment and Listing Rules and Regulations”), including, without limitation, taking reasonable steps to require each such person that is, or is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by, a PRC resident or citizen to complete any registration, to timely report material changes, and other procedures required under any applicable PRC Oversea Investment and Listing Rules and Regulations.
(vv) 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, the CSRC and SAFE on August 8, 2006 and amended in 2009 (the “M&A Rules”), in particular the relevant provisions thereof that purport to require offshore special purpose vehicles formed for the purpose of obtaining a stock exchange listing outside of the PRC and controlled directly or indirectly by companies or natural persons of the PRC, to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of their securities on a stock exchange located outside of the PRC; the Company has received legal advice specifically with respect to the M&A Rules from its PRC counsel and based on such legal advice, the Company confirms with the Placement Agent:
(i) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, the issuance and sale of the Securities, the listing and trading of the Securities on the Trading Market, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are not and will not be, as of the date hereof, at the Closing Date, materially affected by the M&A Rules or any official clarifications, guidance, interpretations or implementation rules in connection with or related to the M&A Rules as amended as of the date hereof (collectively, the “M&A Rules and Related Clarifications”).
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(ii) Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, and the Prospectus, as of the date hereof, the M&A Rules and Related Classifications did not and do not require the Company to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the issuance and sale of the Securities, the listing and trading of the Securities on the Trading Market, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(ww) Securities Offering and Listing Rules. For the purposes of this Agreement, “CAC” means the Cyberspace Administration of China; “CSRC Archive Rules” means the Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (关于加强境内企业境外发行证券和上市相关保密和档案管理工作的规定) issued by the CSRC, Ministry of Finance of the PRC, National Administration of State Secrets Protection of the PRC, and National Archives Administration of the PRC (effective from March 31, 2023), as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time; “CSRC Filing Rules” means the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (境内企业境外发行证券和上市管理试行办法) and supporting guidelines issued by the CSRC (effective from March 31, 2023), as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time; “CSRC Filings” means any letters, filings, correspondences, communications, documents, responses, undertakings and submissions in any form, including any amendments, supplements and/or modifications thereof, made or to be made to the CSRC, relating to or in connection with the offering pursuant to the CSRC Filing Rules and other applicable rules and requirements of the CSRC; “CSRC Rules” means the CSRC Filing Rules and the CSRC Archive Rules; “Revised Cybersecurity Review Measures” means the Cybersecurity Review Measures, effective from February 15, 2022, promulgated by the CAC, together with certain other PRC governmental authorities (《网络安全审查办法》). The Company represents and warrants to the Placement Agent that the Offering or the listing of the Class A Shares on the Trading Market has fully complied with the requirements of the CSRC Rules and the Revised Cybersecurity Review Measures.
(xx) Compliance with Rules of Trading Market. On or prior to the date hereof, the Company has taken all actions required pursuant to Nasdaq Rule 5615(a)(3) to duly and validly rely on the exemption for foreign private issuers from applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq by adopting the home country practice in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder (including an exemption from any Nasdaq rules that would otherwise require seeking shareholder approval in respect of such transactions). The Company’s practices in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder are not prohibited by its home country’s laws and the Company has elected to be governed by home country rules, such that Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d) will not apply to the Company.
(yy) Outbound Investment Representations and Warranties. The Company is not a “covered foreign person” under 31 C.F.R. § 850.209. Furthermore, the Company does not currently engage, and has no intention to engage, in any “covered activity” or “covered transaction” (as defined in 31 C.F.R. §§ 850.208 and 850.210) that would result in a “notifiable transaction” or a “prohibited transaction” (as defined in 31 C.F.R. § 850.217 and 850.224), or that would otherwise violate, or cause Purchaser to violate, any “Outbound Investment Law.” For purposes of this Agreement, “Outbound Investment Law” refers to any legal requirement related to the “Outbound Investment Regulations” (31 C.F.R. §§ 850.101–850.904) and Executive Order 14105.
3.2 Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate as of such date):
(a) Incorporation, Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
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(b) Understandings or Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities as principal for its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell the Securities pursuant to the Registration Statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business.
(c) Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.
(d) Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including all exhibits and schedules thereto), and the SEC Reports including the Prospectus and, has been afforded, (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Securities and the merits and risks of investing in the Securities; (ii) access to information about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment. Such Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate of the Placement Agent has provided such Purchaser with any information or advice with respect to the Securities nor is such information or advice necessary or desired. Neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate has made or makes any representation as to the Company or the quality of the Securities and the Placement Agent and any Affiliate may have acquired non-public information with respect to the Company which such Purchaser agrees need not be provided to it. In connection with the issuance of the Securities to such Purchaser, neither the Placement Agent nor any of its Affiliates has acted as a financial advisor or fiduciary to such Purchaser.
(e) Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that such Purchaser first received a term sheet (written or oral) from the Company or any other Person representing the Company setting forth the material pricing terms of the transactions contemplated hereunder and ending immediately prior to the execution hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement or to such Purchaser’s representatives, including, without limitation, its officers, directors, partners, legal and other advisors, employees, agents and Affiliates, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
(f) Ownership of Company Securities. Except as disclosed in writing to the Company as of the date of this Agreement, no Purchaser, any of its Affiliates, or any other Persons whose beneficial ownership of Class A Shares would be aggregated with the Purchaser’s for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, including any “group” of which the Purchaser is a member, directly or indirectly owns, beneficially or otherwise (including solely with respect to an economic interest), any of the outstanding Class A Shares, or any other share capital, options, warrants, derivative securities, rights or any other securities (including any securities convertible into, exchangeable for or that represent the right to receive securities) of the Company.
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(g) Sanctioned Persons; BSA/PATRIOT Act. Purchaser is not owned or controlled by or acting on behalf of (in connection with this Agreement), a Sanctioned Person. Purchaser is not an institution that accepts currency for deposit and that (i) has no physical presence in the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated or in which it is operating and (ii) is unaffiliated with a regulated financial group that is subject to consolidated supervision (a “Shell Bank”) or providing banking services to a Shell Bank. Purchaser represents that if it is a financial institution subject to the Bank Secrecy Act (31 U.S.C. Section 5311 et seq.), as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and its implementing regulations (collectively, the “BSA/PATRIOT Act”), that Purchaser maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to comply with applicable obligations under the BSA/PATRIOT Act. Purchaser also represents that, to the extent required by applicable law, it maintains, either directly or through the use of a third-party administrator, policies, and procedures reasonably designed for the screening of any investors in the Purchaser against Sanctions-related lists of blocked or restricted persons. Purchaser further represents and warrants that (A) the funds held by Purchaser and used to purchase the Securities were not directly or indirectly derived from or related to any activities that may contravene U.S. federal, state, or non-U.S. anti-money laundering, anti-corruption, or Sanctions laws and regulations or activities that may otherwise be deemed criminal and (B) any returns from the Purchaser’s investment will not be used to finance any illegal activities. For purposes of this Agreement, “Sanctioned Person” means at any time any person or entity with whom dealings are restricted, prohibited, or sanctionable under any Sanctions (as defined below), including as a result of being: (I) listed on any Sanctions-related list of designated or blocked or restricted persons; (II) that is a national of, the government of, or any agency or instrumentality of the government of, or resident in, or organized under the laws of, a country or territory that is the target of comprehensive Sanctions from time to time (as of the date of this Agreement, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea region); or (III) a relationship of ownership, control, or agency with any of the foregoing. “Sanctions” means those trade, economic and financial sanctions laws, regulations, embargoes, and restrictive measures (in each case having the force of law) administered, enacted, or enforced from time to time by (1) the United States (including without limitation the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Commerce), (2) the European Union and enforced by its member states, (3) the United Nations, and (4) the United Kingdom.
(h) Non-cooperative Jurisdiction. Purchaser is not owned or controlled by or acting on behalf of (in connection with this Agreement), a person or entity resident in, or whose funds used to purchase the Securities are transferred from or through, a country, territory, or entity that (i) has been designated as non-cooperative with international anti-money laundering or counter terrorist financing principles or procedures by the United States or by an intergovernmental group or organization, such as the Financial Action Task Force, of which the United States is a member; (ii) is the subject of an advisory issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury; or (iii) has been designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act as warranting special measures due to money laundering concerns (any such country or territory, a “Non-cooperative Jurisdiction”), or an entity or individual that resides or has a place of business in, or is organized under the laws of, a Non-cooperative Jurisdiction.
(i) ERISA. If Purchaser is an employee benefit plan that is subject to Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), a plan, an individual retirement account or other arrangement that is subject to section 4975 of the Code or an employee benefit plan that is a governmental plan (as defined in section 3(32) of ERISA), a church plan (as defined in section 3(33) of ERISA), a non-U.S. plan (as described in section 4(b)(4) of ERISA), or other plan that is not subject to the foregoing but may be subject to provisions under any other federal, state, local, non-U.S., or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of ERISA or the Code, or an entity whose underlying assets are considered to include “plan assets” of any such plan, account or arrangement subject to the fiduciary or prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA or section 4975 of the Code, Purchaser represents and warrants that the acquisition and holding of the Securities will not result in a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
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ARTICLE
IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Warrant Shares. If all or any portion of the Warrants are exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance or resale of the Warrant Shares or if the Warrants are exercised via cashless exercise, the Warrant Shares issued pursuant to any such exercise shall be issued free of all legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement (or any subsequent registration statement registering the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares) is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Warrants in writing that such registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and available for the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any Purchaser to sell, any of the Warrant Shares in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). The Company shall use best efforts to keep a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) registering the issuance or resale of the Warrant Shares effective during the term of the Warrants.
4.2 Furnishing of Information. Until the earliest of the time that (i) no Purchaser owns Securities or (ii) the Warrants have expired, the Company covenants to use its best efforts to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.
4.3 Integration. The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.
4.4 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall (a) by the Disclosure Time, issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) file a Current Report on Form 6-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the SEC within the time required by the Exchange Act. From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company represents to the Purchasers that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. In addition, effective upon the issuance of such press release, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees, Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, on the one hand, and any of the Purchasers or any of their Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate and be of no further force or effect. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, or without the prior consent of each Purchaser, with respect to any press release of the Company, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the SEC or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents with the SEC and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b) and reasonably cooperate with such Purchaser regarding such disclosure.
4.5 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers.
4.6 Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, which shall be disclosed pursuant to Section 4.4, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have consented to the receipt of such information and agreed with the Company to keep such information confidential. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company delivers any material, non-public information to a Purchaser without such Purchaser’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Purchaser shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates, or a duty to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the SEC on a Current Report on Form 6-K or shall issue a press release containing such material non-public information. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
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4.7 Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital purposes and other general corporate purposes, and shall not use such proceeds: (a) for the satisfaction of any portion of the Company’s debt (other than payment of trade payables in the ordinary course of the Company’s business and prior practices), (b) for the redemption of any Class A Shares or Class A Share Equivalents, (c) for the settlement of any outstanding litigation or (d) in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations.
4.8 Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.8, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (i) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or Prospectus or by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (other than untrue statements or alleged untrue statements in, or omissions or alleged omissions from, information relating to a Purchaser Party furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Purchaser Party expressly for use in the Registration Statement or Prospectus), or (iii) any Proceeding instituted against the Purchaser Parties in any capacity (including a Purchaser Party’s status as an investor), or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by the Company or any shareholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, arising out of or relating to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. For avoidance of doubt, the indemnification provided herein is intended to and shall also cover, direct claims brought by the Company against the Purchaser Parties; provided, however, that such indemnification shall not cover any loss, claim, damage or liability to the extent it is finally judicially determined to be attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in any Transaction Document or any conduct by a Purchaser Party which is finally judicially determined to constitute fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct. If any Proceeding shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and, except with respect to direct claims brought by the Company, the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such Proceeding and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such Proceeding there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel to the applicable Purchaser Party (which may be internal counsel), a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. In addition, if any Purchaser Party takes actions to collect amounts due under any Transaction Documents or to enforce the provisions of any Transaction Documents, then the Company shall pay the cost incurred by such Purchaser Party for such collection, enforcement or action, including, but not limited to, attorney’s fees and disbursements. The indemnification and other payment obligations required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation, defense, collection, enforcement or action, as and when bills are received or are incurred; provided, that if any Purchaser Party is finally judicially determined not to be entitled to indemnification or payment under this Section 4.8, such Purchaser Party shall promptly reimburse the Company for any payments that are advanced under this sentence. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.
4.9 Reservation of Class A Shares. As of the date of this Agreement, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, in its authorized and unissued share capital a sufficient number of Class A Shares for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue the Shares pursuant to this Agreement and Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Warrants, including but not limited to, a number of Class A Shares sufficient to honor the issuance of the maximum number of Class A Shares issuable assuming exercise in full of the Common Warrants via an “zero price exercise” pursuant to section 2(c) of the Common Warrants.
4.10 Listing of Shares. The Company hereby agrees to use best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Shares and Warrant Shares on each Trading Market on which any Class A Shares are currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall apply to list or quote all of the Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Markets and promptly secure the listing of all of the Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Markets. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Class A Shares traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Shares and Warrant Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Shares and Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Class A Shares on a Trading Market and will comply in all material respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Class A Shares for electronic transfer through The Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to The Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.
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4.11 Subsequent Equity Sales.
(a) From the date hereof until thirty (30) days after the Closing Date, neither the Company nor any Subsidiary shall (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any Class A Shares or Class A Share Equivalents, or (ii) file any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, other than with respect to the Registration Statement or a registration statement on Form S-8 and private placement offering with non-US persons, except for the Securities issued pursuant hereto or otherwise in connection with the Offering.
(b) From the date hereof until thirty (30) days after the Closing Date, the Company shall be prohibited from effecting or entering into an agreement to effect any issuance by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of Class A Shares or Class A Share Equivalents (or a combination of units thereof) involving a Variable Rate Transaction. “Variable Rate Transaction” means a transaction in which the Company (i) issues or sells any debt or equity securities that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive additional Class A Shares either (A) at a conversion price, exercise price or exchange rate or other price that is based upon and/or varies with the trading prices of or quotations for the Class A Shares at any time after the initial issuance of such debt or equity securities, or (B) with a conversion, exercise or exchange price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt or equity security (other than in connection with a share split or share dividend or similar event) or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Class A Shares or (ii) enters into, or effects a transaction under, any agreement, including, but not limited to, an equity line of credit or an “at-the-market offering”, whereby the Company may issue securities at a future determined price regardless of whether shares pursuant to such agreement have actually been issued and regardless of whether such agreement is subsequently canceled. The Purchaser shall be entitled to obtain injunctive relief against the Company to preclude any such issuance, which remedy shall be in addition to any right to collect damages.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.11 shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance, except that no Variable Rate Transaction shall be an Exempt Issuance.
4.12 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of any Transaction Document) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of the Transaction Documents unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to the Transaction Documents. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.
4.13 Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, covenants that neither it nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality or duty not to trade in the securities of the Company to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, Affiliates, or agent, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent after the issuance of the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.
4.14 Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise included in the Warrants sets forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise the Warrants. No additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Warrants. Without limiting the preceding sentences, no ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise form be required in order to exercise the Warrants. The Company shall honor exercises of the Warrants and shall deliver Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.
4.15 Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall not amend, modify, waive or terminate any provision of any of the Lock-Up Agreements except to extend the term of the lock-up period and shall enforce the provisions of each Lock-Up Agreement in accordance with its terms. If any party to a Lock-Up Agreement breaches any provision of a Lock-Up Agreement, the Company shall promptly use its best efforts to seek specific performance of the terms of such Lock-Up Agreement.
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ARTICLE
V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before the fifth (5th) Trading Day following the date hereof; provided, however, that no such termination will affect the right of any party hereto to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).
5.2 Fees and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company and any exercise notice delivered by a Purchaser), stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
5.3 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, and the Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
5.4 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York, NY time) on a Trading Day, (ii) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York, NY time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the SEC pursuant to a Report on Form 6-K or by issuing a press release containing such material non-public information.
5.5 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and Purchasers which purchased at least 50.1% in interest of the Shares based on the Subscription Amounts hereunder (or, prior to the Closing, the Company and each Purchaser) or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought, provided that if any amendment, modification or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Purchaser (or group of Purchasers), the consent of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or group of Purchasers) shall also be required. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right. Any amendment effected in accordance with this Section 5.5 shall be binding upon each Purchaser and holder of Securities and the Company.
5.6 Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
5.7 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”
5.8 Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Placement Agent shall be a third-party beneficiary of the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3.1 and the representations and warranties of the Purchasers in Section 3.2. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.8 and this Section 5.8.
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5.9 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal Proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such Proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such Proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such Proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If any party shall commence an Proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.8, the prevailing party in such Proceeding shall be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such Proceeding. The Company hereby appoints Vcorp Agent Services, Inc., 25 Robert Pitt Drive, Suite 204, Monsey, New York 10952, (888) 528-2677 as its agent for service of process in New York.
5.10 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities for the applicable statute of limitations.
5.11 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
5.13 Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided, however, that in the case of a rescission of an exercise of an Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any Class A Shares subject to any such rescinded exercise notice concurrently (if such shares were delivered to the applicable Purchaser) with the return to such Purchaser of the aggregate exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such Purchaser’s right to acquire such shares pursuant to such Purchaser’s Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right).
5.14 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.15 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any Proceeding for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
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5.16 Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any Proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any of the Purchasers. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers.
5.17 Liquidated Damages. The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.
5.18 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
5.19 Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and Class A Shares in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward share splits, share dividends, share combinations and other similar events with respect to the Class A Shares and Warrants that occur after the date of this Agreement.
5.20 Sales During Pre-Settlement Period. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any time on or after the time of execution of this Agreement by the Company and an applicable Purchaser, through, and including the time immediately prior to the Closing (the “Pre-Settlement Period”), such Purchaser sells to any Person all, or any portion, of any Shares to be issued hereunder to such Purchaser at the Closing (collectively, the “Pre-Settlement Shares”), such Purchaser shall, automatically hereunder (without any additional required actions by such Purchaser or the Company), be deemed to be unconditionally bound to purchase, and the Company shall be deemed unconditionally bound to sell, such Pre-Settlement Shares to such Purchaser at the Closing; provided, that the Company shall not be required to deliver any Pre-Settlement Shares to such Purchaser prior to the Company’s receipt of the purchase price of such Pre-Settlement Shares hereunder; and provided further that the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the forgoing shall not constitute a representation or covenant by such Purchaser as to whether or not during the Pre-Settlement Period such Purchaser shall sell any Shares to any Person and that any such decision to sell any Shares by such Purchaser shall be made, in the sole discretion of such Purchaser, at the time such Purchaser elects to effect any such sale, if any.
5.21 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
| ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. | Address for Notice: | ||
X-702, Tower A, 60 Anli Road, Chaoyang District Beijing, People’s Republic of China 100101 | |||
| By: | |||
| Name: | Johnny Tiong Sie Wei | E-Mail: | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | Telephone Number: +86-10-64827328
| |
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
Name of Purchaser: ________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser: _________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: _______________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: ________________________________________________
Email Address of Authorized Signatory: _________________________________________
Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory: __________________________________________
Address for Notice to Purchaser (and delivery of the Warrants):
__________________________________________
Address for Delivery of Applicable Securities to Purchaser (if not same as address for notice):
Subscription Amount: $_________________
Shares: (if applicable) _________________
Warrants: __________________ Beneficial Ownership Blocker ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99%
EIN Number: _______________________
EXHIBIT A
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
(see attached)
EXHIBIT B
Form of Warrant
(see attached)
Exhibit 10.2
PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
September 17, 2026
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc.
X-702, Tower A, 60 Anli Road, Chaoyang District
Beijing, People’s Republic of China 100101
Johnny Tiong Sie Wei, Chief Executive Officer
Dear Mr. Tiong
This letter (the “Agreement”) constitutes the agreement by and between Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest” or the “Placement Agent”) and ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc., a BVI business company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (the “Company”), pursuant to which the Placement Agent shall serve as the placement agent for the Company, on a “reasonable best efforts” basis, in connection with the proposed placements (the “Placements”) via a registered direct offering of Class A shares of the Company, no par value per share, of the Company (“Class A Share”), and the Warrants to purchase Class A Shares (the “Securities”). The terms of the Placements and the Securities shall be mutually agreed upon by the Company and the purchasers (each, a “Purchaser” and collectively, the “Purchasers”) and nothing herein shall be deemed to mean that the Placement Agent would have the power or authority to bind the Company or any Purchaser or an obligation for the Company to issue any Securities or complete the Placements. This Agreement and the documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Purchasers in connection with the Placements, including but not limited to the Purchase Agreement (as defined below), shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.” The date of the closing of the Placements shall be referred to herein as the “Closing Date.” The Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that the obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder are on a reasonable best efforts basis only and that the execution of this Agreement does not constitute a commitment by the Placement Agent to purchase the Securities and does not ensure the successful placement of the Securities or any portion thereof or the success of the Placement Agent with respect to securing any other financing on behalf of the Company. Following the prior written consent of the Company, the Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected-dealers on its behalf in connection with the Placements. The sale of the Securities to any Purchaser will be evidenced by a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) between the Company and such Purchaser in a form mutually agreed upon by the Company and the Placement Agent. Capitalized terms that are not otherwise defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Purchase Agreement. Prior to the signing of any Purchase Agreement, executive officers of the Company will be available upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours to answer inquiries from prospective Purchasers.
SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY; COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.
A. Representations of the Company. Each of the representations and warranties (together with any related disclosure schedules thereto) and covenants made by the Company to the Purchasers in the Purchase Agreement in connection with the Placements is hereby incorporated herein by reference into this Agreement (as though fully restated herein) and is, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, hereby made to, and in favor of, the Placement Agent. In addition to the foregoing, the Company represents and warrants that:
1. The Company has prepared and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-297016) for the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of the Securities, which registration statement became effective on July 8, 2026. At the time of such filing, the Company met the requirements of Form F-3 under the Securities Act. Such registration statement meets the requirements set forth in Rule 415(a)(1)(x) under the Securities Act and complies with said Rule. The Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission promulgated thereunder, a supplement to the form of prospectus included in such registration statement relating to the placement of the Securities and the plan of distribution thereof and has advised the Placement Agent of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein. Such registration statement, including the exhibits thereto, as amended at the date of this Agreement, is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement”; such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement is hereinafter called the “Base Prospectus”; and the supplemented form of prospectus, in the form in which it will be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) (including the Base Prospectus as so supplemented) is hereinafter called the “Prospectus Supplement.” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”) pursuant to Item 6 of Form F-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on or before the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be; and any reference in this Agreement to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “described,” “referenced,” “set forth” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement has been issued, and no proceeding for any such purpose is pending or has been initiated or, to the Company’s knowledge, is threatened by the Commission. For purposes of this Agreement, “Free Writing Prospectus” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
2. The Registration Statement (and any further documents to be filed with the Commission) contains all exhibits and schedules as required by the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and did not and, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, each as of its respective date, complied or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations. Each of the Base Prospectus, and the Prospectus Supplement, as amended or supplemented, did not and will not contain as of the date thereof any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Incorporated Documents, when they were filed with the Commission, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations, and none of such documents, when they were filed with the Commission, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein (with respect to Incorporated Documents incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement), in the light of the circumstances under which they were made not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Base Prospectus, or Prospectus Supplement, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations, as applicable, and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or events arising after the date thereof which represent, individually or in the aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required to be filed with the Commission. Except for this Agreement and the Transaction Documents, there are no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby that (x) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Base Prospectus, or Prospectus Supplement, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which (x) have not been described or filed as required or (y) will not be filed within the requisite time period.
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3. The Company is eligible to use Free Writing Prospectuses in connection with the Placement pursuant to Rules 164 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any Free Writing Prospectus that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. Each Free Writing Prospectus that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or behalf of or used by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. The Company will not, without the prior consent of the Placement Agent, prepare, use or refer to, any Free Writing Prospectus.
4. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements or other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, during the three years preceding the date hereof (the foregoing materials filed during such three-year period, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, the “SEC Reports”). For the twelve months preceding the date hereof, the Company has filed the SEC Reports on a timely basis (including any valid extension of such time of filing provided under Rule 12b-5 or under coronavirus-related relief by the SEC) and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective filing or amendment dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder; and as of their respective filing or amendment dates, the SEC Reports did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
5. There are no affiliations with any Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) member firm among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any ten percent (10%) or greater shareholder of the Company, except as set forth in the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports.
B. Covenants of the Company.
1. The Company has delivered or made available, or will as promptly as practicable deliver or make available, to the Placement Agent complete conformed copies of the Registration Statement and of each consent and certificate of experts, as applicable, filed as a part thereof, and conformed copies of the Registration Statement (without exhibits), the Base Prospectus, and the Prospectus Supplement, as amended or supplemented, in such quantities and at such places as the Placement Agent reasonably requests. Neither the Company nor any of its directors and officers has distributed and none of them will distribute, prior to the Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities pursuant to the Placements other than the Transaction Documents, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, the Registration Statement, copies of the documents incorporated by reference therein and any other materials permitted by the Securities Act.
2. The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly after it receives notice thereof of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement has been filed and will furnish the Placement Agent with copies thereof, the parties acknowledging that such obligation is satisfied by filing such materials on the EDGAR system of the SEC. The Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of the Prospectus Supplement and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the Placement. The Company will advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof (i) of any request by the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement any Prospectus or for additional information, and (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any order directed at any Incorporated Document, if any, or any amendment or supplement thereto or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Base Prospectus or the final Prospectus or any prospectus supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of any of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the institution or threatened institution of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or a Prospectus or for additional information. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or prevention or suspension of such use. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or order or notice of prevention or suspension at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment, or will file a new registration statement and use its best efforts to have such new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B and 430C, as applicable, under the Securities Act, including with respect to the timely filing of documents thereunder, and will use its best efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) are received in a timely manner by the Commission.
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3. The Company will cooperate with the Placement Agent and the Purchasers in endeavoring to qualify the Securities for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions (United States and foreign) as the Placement Agent and the Purchasers may reasonably request and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent, and provided further that the Company shall not be required to produce any new disclosure document. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports and other documents as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Placement Agent may reasonably request for distribution of the Securities. The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.
4. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with the distribution of any Securities contemplated by the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the opinion of the Placement Agent or counsel for the Placement Agent, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any Incorporated Document to comply with any law, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own expense to the Placement Agent and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus that is necessary in order to make the statements in the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or so that the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented, will comply with law. Before amending the Registration Statement or supplementing the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in connection with the Placement, the Company will furnish the Placement Agent with a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement and will not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Placement Agent reasonably objects.
5. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will duly file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the Trading Market all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act within the time periods and in the manner required by the Exchange Act.
6. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
7. [Intentionally Omitted]
8. If any of the conditions specified in this Section 1(B) shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Placement Agent and its counsel, this Agreement and all obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Placement Agent. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.
SECTION 2. REPRESENTATIONS OF THE PLACEMENT AGENT. The Placement Agent represents and warrants that it (i) is a member in good standing of FINRA, (ii) is registered as a broker/dealer under the Exchange Act, (iii) is licensed as a broker/dealer under the laws of the States applicable to the offers and sales of the Securities by the Placement Agent, (iv) is and will be a corporate entity validly existing under the laws of its place of formation, and (v) has full power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Placement Agent will immediately notify the Company in writing of any change in its status as such. The Placement Agent covenants that it will use its reasonable best efforts to conduct the Placement hereunder in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement and the requirements of applicable law.
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SECTION 3. COMPENSATION; OTHER ARRANGEMENTS. In consideration of the services to be provided for hereunder by the Placement Agent, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent the following compensation with respect to the Securities which the Placement Agent is placing:
A. A cash fee (the “Cash Fee”) equal to seven percent (7.0%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Placement. The Cash Fee shall be paid at the closing of the Placements (the “Closing”).
B. A non-accountable expense reimbursement equal to half percent (0.5%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in the Placement.
C. Subject to compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(D), the Company also agrees to reimburse the Placement Agent for all reasonable travel and other out-of-pocket expenses, including the reasonable fees, costs and disbursements of its legal counsel, in an amount not to exceed an aggregate of $50,000. The Company will reimburse the Placement Agent directly as soon as applicable once requested.
D. Reserved
E. The Placement Agent reserves the right to reduce any item of its compensation or adjust (in the Company’s favor) the terms thereof as specified herein in the event that a determination shall be made by FINRA to the effect that the Placement Agent’s aggregate compensation is in excess of FINRA’s rules and regulations or that the terms thereof require adjustment.
SECTION 4. INDEMNIFICATION. The Company agrees to the indemnification and other agreements set forth in the Indemnification Provisions (the “Indemnification”) attached hereto as Addendum A, the provisions of which are incorporated herein by reference and shall survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement.
SECTION 5. ENGAGEMENT TERM. The Placement Agent’s engagement hereunder shall be until the final Closing Date of the Placement (such date, the “Termination Date” and the period of time during which this Agreement remains in effect is referred to herein as the “Term”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning the Company’s obligation to pay any fees actually earned pursuant to Section 3 hereof and the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and contribution contained herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the Indemnification Provisions attached hereto as Addendum A will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. If this Agreement is terminated prior to the completion of the Placement, all fees and expense reimbursements due to the Placement Agent shall be paid by the Company to the Placement Agent on or before the Termination Date (in the event such fees are earned or owed as of the Termination Date). The Placement Agent agrees not to use any confidential information concerning the Company provided to the Placement Agent by the Company for any purposes other than those contemplated under this Agreement.
SECTION 6. PLACEMENT AGENT’S INFORMATION. The Company agrees that any information or advice rendered by the Placement Agent in connection with this engagement is for the confidential use of the Company only in its evaluation of the Placement and, except as otherwise required by law, the Company will not disclose or otherwise refer to the advice or information in any manner without the Placement Agent’s prior written consent.
SECTION 7. NO FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP. This Agreement does not create, and shall not be construed as creating rights enforceable by any person or entity not a party hereto, except those entitled hereto by virtue of the Indemnification Provisions attached hereto as Addendum A hereof. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent is not nor shall it be construed as a fiduciary of the Company and the Placement Agent shall not have any duties or liabilities to the equity holders or the creditors of the Company or any other person by virtue of this Agreement or the retention of the Placement Agent hereunder, all of which are hereby expressly waived.
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SECTION 8. CLOSING. The obligations of the Placement Agent, and the Closing of the sale of the Securities hereunder are subject to the accuracy, when made and on the Closing Date, of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company contained herein and in the Purchase Agreement, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of their obligations hereunder, and to each of the following additional terms and conditions, except as otherwise disclosed to and acknowledged and waived by the Placement Agent.
A. No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request for additional information on the part of the Commission (to be included in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or otherwise) shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Placement Agent. Any filings required to be made by the Company in connection with the Placement shall have been timely filed with the Commission.
B. The Placement Agent shall not have discovered and disclosed to the Company on or prior to the Closing Date that the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto contains an untrue statement of a fact which, in the opinion of counsel for the Placement Agent, is material or omits to state any fact which, in the opinion of such counsel, is material and is required to be stated therein or is necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.
C. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters incident to the authorization, form, execution, delivery and validity of each of this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents, the Securities, the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement and all other legal matters relating to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby shall be reasonably satisfactory in all material respects to counsel for the Placement Agent and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel all documents and information that they may reasonably request to enable them to pass upon such matters.
D. The Placement Agent shall have completed its due diligence investigation of the Company to the satisfaction of the Placement Agent and its counsel.
E. The Placement Agent shall have received from outside counsels to the Company such counsels’ written opinions, addressed to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers and dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
F. On the Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received a certificate of the chief financial officer of the Company, as of each such date, addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to the Placement Agent, providing a customary certification as to such accounting or financial matters that are included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus Supplement.
G. On the Closing Date, Placement Agent shall have received a certificate of signed by the chief executive officer of the Company, dated, as applicable, as of the date of such Closing, to the effect that, as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein and in the Purchase Agreement were and are accurate in all material respects, except for such changes as are contemplated by this Agreement and except as to representations and warranties that were expressly limited to a state of facts existing at a time prior to the applicable Closing Date, and that, as of the applicable date, the obligations to be performed by the Company hereunder on or prior thereto have been fully performed in all material respects.
H. On the Closing Date, Placement Agent shall have received from the Company a certificate of the corporate secretary of the Company, dated, as applicable, as of the date of such Closing, certifying to the organizational documents of the Company, good standing in the jurisdiction of formation of the Company and board resolutions authorizing the Placement of the Securities.
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I. The Company (i) shall not have sustained since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, any loss or interference with its business as a result of any fire, explosion, flood, terrorist act, epidemic or pandemic (including as a result of the coronavirus known as COVID-19), any change in general economic, political or financial conditions in the United States or elsewhere, act of war or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree, otherwise than as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, and (ii) since such date there shall not have been any change in the capital stock, except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, or long-term debt of the Company or any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in or affecting the business, general affairs, management, financial position, shareholders’ equity, results of operations or prospects of the Company, otherwise than as set forth in or contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, the effect of which, in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), is, in the judgment of the Placement Agent, so material and adverse as to make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the sale or delivery of the Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated by the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the Purchase Agreement.
J. The Class A Share is registered under the Exchange Act and, as of the Closing Date, the Company has submitted the notification of listing of additional shares of Class A Share, including the Securities to the Trading Market or other U.S. applicable national exchange, and the Securities shall be listed for trading on the Trading Market or other applicable U.S. national exchange and reasonable evidence of such action, if available, shall have been provided to the Placement Agent. The Company shall have taken no action designed to terminate, or likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Class A Share under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Class A Share from the Trading Market or other applicable U.S. national exchange, nor has the Company received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market or other U.S. applicable national exchange is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.
K. No action shall have been taken and no statute, rule, regulation or order shall have been enacted, adopted or issued by any governmental agency or body which would, as of the Closing Date, prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company; and no injunction, restraining order or order of any other nature by any federal or state court of competent jurisdiction shall have been issued as of the Closing Date which would prevent the issuance or sale of the Securities or materially and adversely affect or potentially and adversely affect the business or operations of the Company.
L. The Company shall have prepared and filed with the Commission a Current Report on Form 6-K with respect to the Placement, including as an exhibit thereto this Agreement.
M. The Company shall have entered into a Purchase Agreement with each of the Purchasers and such agreements shall be in full force and effect and shall contain representations, warranties and covenants of the Company as agreed between the Company and the Purchasers.
N. FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the terms and arrangements of this Agreement. In addition, the Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, make or authorize Placement Agent’s counsel to make on the Company’s behalf, any filing with the FINRA Corporate Financing Department pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110 with respect to the Placement and pay all filing fees required in connection therewith.
O. The Company shall apply the net proceeds from the Placement received by it in a manner consistent with the application thereof described under the caption or heading “Use of Proceeds” in the Registration Statement, the Base Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement and the Purchase Agreement.
P. Prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall have furnished to the Placement Agent such further information, certificates and documents as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.
If any of the conditions specified in this Section 8 shall not have been fulfilled when and as required by this Agreement, or if any of the certificates, opinions, written statements or letters furnished to the Placement Agent or to Placement Agent’s counsel pursuant to this Section 8 shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Placement Agent and to Placement Agent’s counsel, all obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder may be cancelled by the Placement Agent at, or at any time prior to, the consummation of the Closing. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company in writing or orally. Any such oral notice shall be confirmed promptly thereafter in writing.
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SECTION 9. FUTURE SERVICES. The Company and the Placement Agent agree that for a period of six (6) months from the closing date of the Placement, the Company grants the Placement Agent the right to provide investment banking services to the Company on an exclusive basis in the matters below, for which investment banking services are sought by the Company (such right, the “Right of First Refusal”), which right is exercisable in the Placement Agent’s sole discretion. For these purposes, investment banking services shall include, (a) acting as lead or joint-lead manager for any underwritten public offering; however the at-the-market offering shall be excluded (b) acting as lead or joint book-runner and/or lead or joint placement agent, initial purchaser in connection with any private offering of securities of the Company; however the private offering of securities without a placement agent or an underwriter shall be excluded and (c) acting as financial advisor in connection with any sale or other transfer by the Company, directly or indirectly, of a majority or controlling portion of its capital stock or assets to another entity, any purchase or other transfer by another entity, directly or indirectly, of a majority or controlling portion of the capital stock or assets of the Company, and any merger or consolidation of the Company with another entity. The Placement Agent shall notify the Company of its intention to exercise the Right of First Refusal within 15 business days following notice in writing by the Company. Any decision by the Placement Agent to act in any such capacity shall be contained in separate agreements, which agreements would contain, among other matters, provisions for customary fees for transactions of similar size and nature, as may be mutually agreed upon, and indemnification of the Placement Agent and shall be subject to general market conditions. In compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(6)(A), in no circumstances the Right of First Refusal shall have a duration of more than three years from the commencement of sales of the public offering or the termination date of the engagement between the Company and the Placement Agent. If Univest declines to exercise the Right of First Refusal, the Company shall have the right to retain any other person or persons to provide such services on terms and conditions which are not more favorable to such other person or persons than the terms declined by Univest. The Right of First Refusal granted hereunder may be terminated by the Company for “Cause,” which shall mean a material breach by the Placement Agent of this Agreement or a material failure by the Placement Agent to provide the services as contemplated by this Agreement. The services provided by the Placement Agent hereunder are solely for the benefit of the Company and are not intended to confer any rights upon any persons or entities not a party hereto (including, without limitation, securityholders, employees or creditors of the Company) as against Univest or its directors, officers, agents and employees.
SECTION 10. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed entirely in such State. This Agreement may not be assigned by either party without the prior written consent of the other party. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Any right to trial by jury with respect to any dispute arising under this Agreement or any transaction or conduct in connection herewith is waived. Any dispute arising under this Agreement may be brought into the courts of the State of New York or into the Federal Court located in New York, New York and, by execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company hereby accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of aforesaid courts. Each party hereto hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by delivering a copy thereof via overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of a Transaction Document, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
SECTION 11. ENTIRE AGREEMENT/MISC. This Agreement (including the Indemnification Provisions attached hereto as Addendum A) embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the parties hereto with respect to this Placement, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, relating to the subject matter hereof. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, such determination will not affect such provision in any other respect or any other provision of this Agreement, which will remain in full force and effect. This Agreement may not be amended or otherwise modified or waived except by an instrument in writing signed by both the Placement Agent and the Company. The representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained herein shall survive the Closing of the Placement and delivery of the Securities. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party hereto and delivered to the other party hereto, it being understood that both parties hereto need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or a .pdf format file, such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or .pdf signature page were an original thereof.
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SECTION 12. CONFIDENTIALITY. The Placement Agent (i) will keep the Confidential Information (as such term is defined below) confidential and will not (except as required by applicable law or Trading Market or other stock exchange requirement, regulation or legal process (“Legal Requirement”)), without the Company’s prior written consent, disclose to any person any Confidential Information, and (ii) will not use any Confidential Information other than in connection with the Placement. The Placement Agent further agrees to disclose the Confidential Information only to its Representatives (as such term is defined below) who need to know the Confidential Information for the purpose of the Placement, and who are informed by the Placement Agent of the confidential nature of the Confidential Information. The term “Confidential Information” shall mean, all confidential, proprietary and non-public information (whether written, oral or electronic communications) furnished by the Company to the Placement Agent or its Representatives in connection with such Placement Agent’s evaluation of the Placement. The term “Confidential Information” will not, however, include information which (i) is or becomes publicly available other than as a result of a disclosure by the Placement Agent or its Representatives in violation of this Agreement, (ii) is or becomes available to the Placement Agent or any of its Representatives on a non-confidential basis from a third-party, (iii) is known to the Placement Agent or any of its Representatives prior to disclosure by the Company or any of its Representatives, or (iv) is or has been independently developed by the Placement Agent and/or the Representatives without use of any Confidential Information furnished to it by the Company. The term “Representatives” shall mean with respect to the Placement Agent, its directors, board committees, officers, employees, financial advisors, attorneys and accountants. This provision shall be in full force until the earlier of (a) the date on which the Confidential Information ceases to be confidential and (b) two years from the date hereof. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, in the event that the Placement Agent or any of its Representatives are required by Legal Requirement to disclose any of the Confidential Information, the Placement Agent and its Representatives will furnish only that portion of the Confidential Information which the Placement Agent or its Representative, as applicable, is required to disclose by Legal Requirement as advised by counsel, and will use reasonable efforts to obtain reliable assurance that confidential treatment will be accorded the Confidential Information so disclosed.
SECTION 13. NOTICES. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address specified on the signature pages attached hereto prior to 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a business day, (b) the next business day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is sent to the email address on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a business day or later than 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any business day, (c) the third business day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. internationally recognized air courier service, or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages hereto.
SECTION 14. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS. The Company agrees that the Placement Agent shall, from and after any Closing, have the right to reference the Placement and the Placement Agent’s role in connection therewith in the Placement Agent’s marketing materials and on its website and to place advertisements in financial and other newspapers and journals, in each case at its own expense.
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Please confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth our agreement by signing and returning to Univest the enclosed copy of this Agreement.
| Very truly yours, | |||
| UNIVEST SECURITIES, LLC | |||
| By: | /s/ Edric Yi Guo | ||
| Name: | Edric Yi Guo | ||
| Title: | CEO and Head of Investment Banking | ||
| Address for notice: | |||
| 75 Rockefeller Plaza #25A | |||
| New York, New York 10019 | |||
| Attention: Edric Guo | |||
| Email: yguo@univest.us | |||
Accepted and Agreed to as of
the date first written above:
| RETO ECO-SOLUTIONS, INC. | |||
| By: | /s/ Johnny Tiong Sie Wei | ||
| Name: | Johnny Tiong Sie Wei | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Address for notice: | |||
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. X-702, Tower A, 60 Anli Road, Chaoyang District |
|||
| Beijing, People’s Republic of China 100101 | |||
| Johnny Tiong Sie Wei, Chief Executive Officer | |||
[Signature Page to Placement Agency Agreement Between ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. and Univest Securities, LLC]
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ADDENDUM A
INDEMNIFICATION PROVISIONS
In connection with the engagement of Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest” or the “Lead Manager”) or together with other broker dealers registered with FINRA and caused by Univest to also act as a manager in connection with the Placements of the Securities (the “Lead Managers”) to be issued by ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”) pursuant to the Placement Agency Agreement, dated September 17, 2026, by and between the Company and the Lead Manager(s), as it may be amended from time to time in writing (the “Agreement”), the Company hereby agrees as follows (capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Agreement):
1. To the extent permitted by law, the Company shall indemnify the Lead Manager(s) and each of their respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents and controlling persons (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) against all joint or several losses, claims, damages, expenses and liabilities (or actions, including shareholder actions, in respect thereof), as the same are incurred (including the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel), relating to or arising out of its activities hereunder or pursuant to the Agreement, including, without limitation, those which arise out of or are based on (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto), including the information deemed to be a part of the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness and at any subsequent time pursuant to Rules 430A and 430B of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, as applicable, or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Prospectus or Prospectus Supplement (or any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (iii) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any materials or information provided to investors by, or with the approval of, the Company in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Securities, including any roadshow or investor presentations made to investors by the Company (whether in person or electronically) or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (iv) in whole or in part any inaccuracy in any material respect in the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein or in the Purchase Agreement; provided however, with regard to the Lead Managers, the Company shall not be obligated to indemnify the Lead Manager(s) or such other person or entities under this Section 1 to the extent that any losses, claims, damages, expenses or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) are found in a final judgment (not subject to appeal) by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted primarily and directly from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Lead Manager(s) in performing the services described herein, as the case may be. The Company also agrees that no Lead Manager shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company or its security holders or creditors related to or arising out of the engagement of the Lead Manager(s) pursuant to, or the performance by the Lead Manager(s) of the services contemplated by, this Agreement except to the extent that any loss, claim, damage or liability is found in a final, non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted primarily from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Lead Manager(s).
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2. Promptly after receipt by the Lead Manager(s) of notice of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding with respect to which the Lead Manager(s) are entitled to indemnity hereunder, the Lead Manager(s) will notify the Company in writing of such claim or of the commencement of such action or proceeding, and the Company will assume the defense of such action or proceeding and will employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Lead Manager(s) and will pay the fees and expenses of such counsel. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the Lead Manager(s) will be entitled to employ counsel separate from counsel for the Company and from any other party in such action if counsel for the Lead Manager(s) reasonably determines that it would be inappropriate under the applicable rules of professional responsibility for the same counsel to represent both the Company and the Lead Manager(s). In such event, the reasonable fees and disbursements of no more than one such separate counsel will be paid by the Company. The Company will have the exclusive right to settle the claim or proceeding provided that the Company will not settle any such claim, action or proceeding without the prior written consent of the Lead Manager(s), which will not be unreasonably withheld.
3. The Company agrees to notify the Lead Manager(s) promptly of the assertion against it or any other person of any claim or the commencement of any action or proceeding relating to a transaction contemplated by the Agreement.
4. If for any reason the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to the Lead Manager(s) or insufficient to hold such Lead Manager(s) harmless, then the Company shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the Lead Manager(s), as the case may be, as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand, and the Lead Manager(s) on the other, but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Lead Manager(s) on the other that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any relevant equitable considerations. The amounts paid or payable by a party in respect of losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include any legal or other fees and expenses incurred in defending any litigation, proceeding or other action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions hereof, the share of the liability of the Lead Manager(s) hereunder shall not be in excess of the amount of fees actually received, or to be received, by the Lead Manager(s) under the Agreement (excluding any amounts received as reimbursement of expenses incurred by the Lead Manager(s) t).
5. These Indemnification Provisions shall remain in full force and effect whether or not the transactions contemplated by the Agreement are completed and shall survive the termination of the Agreement, and shall be in addition to any liability that the Company might otherwise have to any indemnified party under the Agreement or otherwise.
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| Very truly yours, | |||
| UNIVEST SECURITIES, LLC | |||
| By: | /s/ Edric Yi Guo | ||
| Name: | Edric Yi Guo | ||
| Title: | CEO and Head of Investment Banking | ||
| Address for notice: | |||
| 75 Rockefeller Plaza #25A | |||
| New York, New York 10019 | |||
| Attention: Edric Guo | |||
| Email: yguo@univest.us | |||
Accepted and Agreed to as of
the date first written above:
| RETO ECO-SOLUTIONS, INC. | |||
| By: | /s/ Johnny Tiong Sie Wei | ||
| Name: | Johnny Tiong Sie Wei | ||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
| Address for notice: | |||
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. X-702, Tower A, 60 Anli Road, Chaoyang District |
|||
| Beijing, People’s Republic of China 100101 | |||
| Johnny Tiong Sie Wei, Chief Executive Officer | |||
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Exhibit 99.1
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. Announces Pricing of $15 Million Registered Direct Offering
BEIJING, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: RETO) (“ReTo” or the “Company”), a manufacturer and distributor of eco-friendly construction materials and intelligent equipment in China, today announced that it has entered into securities purchase agreements with certain institutional investors an aggregate of 10,000,000 of the Company’s Class A shares, no par value each, (the “Shares”) at a purchase price of $1.5 per share in a registered direct offering.
The Company also agreed to issue to the same investors 10,000,000 warrants (the “Warrants”) with an exercise price of $2.75 per share. The Warrants will be immediately exercisable upon issuance and have a 1-year term from the date of issuance. Each warrant has a zero cash exercise option permitting the holder to acquire up to 9 Class A shares.
The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of this offering are expected to be approximately $15 million, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company. Investors will have an additional purchase right to acquire up to $15 million of securities on the same terms and conditions for during the 10 day period after pricing. The offering is expected to close on or about September 18, 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Univest Securities, LLC is acting as the sole placement agent.
The registered direct offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3, as amended (File No. 333-297016) previously filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and became effective on July 8, 2026. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the proposed offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained, when available, by contacting Univest Securities, LLC at info@univest.us, or by calling +1 (212) 343-8888.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sales of such securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the registered direct offering, together with the accompanying base prospectus will be filed by the Company and, upon filing, can be obtained at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
About ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc.
ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: RETO) is a Nasdaq-listed company focused on the research, development, manufacturing, and sales of eco-friendly construction materials (using mining waste and fly-ash), environmental protection equipment, and intelligent equipment. The Company also provides consultation, design, implementation, installation, engineering support, and technical services. For more information, please visit: http://en.retoeco.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements 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. 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
CONTACT: ReTo Eco-Solutions, Inc., Tel: +86-10-64827328, Email: ir_reto@reit.cc