Stardust Power Inc 8-K, filed Jan 30, 2026
Stardust Power Inc. (SDST)
About this 8-K
Stardust Power Inc filed this 8-K on January 30, 2026, reporting on events of January 26, 2026.
Items reported
- Item 5.02: Director or officer change, or executive pay
- Item 7.01: Regulation FD disclosure
- Item 9.01: Financial statements and exhibits
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
CURRENT REPORT
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Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
Appointment of General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary of the Company
On January 26, 2026, Stardust Power Inc. (the “Company”) appointed Bruce Czachor as the Company’s General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary, effective immediately.
Mr. Czachor, 64 years old, brings over 35 years of legal and corporate experience, and has served in executive and legal leadership roles at public companies and international law firms. During the past five years, Mr. Czachor has served as Executive Vice President – Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of Piedmont Lithium Inc., a U.S. public company, and its predecessor Australian company since December 2018. Prior to that, he served as a partner and associate in major international law firms in New York, Toronto, and Silicon Valley from 1988 through 2017. Mr. Czachor holds a Juris Doctorate degree from New York Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Binghamton University. Mr. Czachor is also a director of Vinland Lithium Inc., a public company listed on the TSXV under the symbol “VLD”.
In connection with Mr. Czachor’s appointment, the Company and Mr. Czachor entered into an Executive Employment Agreement dated January 26, 2026 (the “Employment Agreement”). Under the Employment Agreement, Mr. Czachor’s employment term commenced on January 26, 2026, and provides for (i) an annualized base salary of $400,000, payable in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll practices, (ii) a discretionary annual bonus targeted at 75% of base salary (the “Target Bonus”), with a maximum annual bonus opportunity equal to 200% of the Target Bonus, in each case as determined by the Board (or a committee thereof), and (iii) a sign-on award of 40,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The Employment Agreement further provides for Mr. Czachor’s participation in the Company’s benefit plans on the same basis as other similarly situated executives, reimbursement of reasonable business expenses, and eligibility to receive additional equity incentive grants as determined by the Board (or a committee thereof) in its discretion.
The Employment Agreement provides that, upon a “Covered Termination” (as defined in the Employment Agreement), and subject to Mr. Czachor’s timely execution and non-revocation of a release of claims (and continued compliance with the Employment Agreement’s restrictive covenants, subject to the cure mechanics set forth therein), Mr. Czachor will be eligible to receive certain severance benefits, as follow: (1) if the Covered Termination occurs outside the period beginning three months prior to a change in control and ending 12 months following a change in control (the “CIC Protection Period”), the severance benefits include a lump sum cash payment equal to 12 months of base salary and Company-paid or reimbursed COBRA premiums for up to 12 months, and full acceleration of outstanding unvested equity awards (with performance-based awards vesting at target); and (2) if the covered termination occurs during the CIC Protection Period, the severance benefits include a lump sum cash payment equal to two times the sum of (i) base salary and (ii) the Target Bonus in effect for the year of termination, Company-paid or reimbursed COBRA premiums for up to 12 months (subject to the conditions set forth in the Employment Agreement), and full acceleration of outstanding unvested equity awards (with performance-based awards vesting at target). The Employment Agreement also includes a Section 280G cutback provision under which payments may be reduced to the extent necessary to avoid excise taxes, if such reduction would result in a greater after-tax amount to Mr. Czachor, as determined in accordance with the Employment Agreement.
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The Employment Agreement includes restrictive covenants and related enforcement provisions, including confidentiality obligations, a one-year non-competition covenant, and other post-termination restrictions, in each case as set forth in the Employment Agreement.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Czachor and any other persons, pursuant to which he was appointed as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary of the Company, and there are no family relationships among any of the Company’s directors or executive officers and Mr. Czachor, and he has no direct or indirect material interest in any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
The foregoing description of the Employment Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Employment Agreement, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On January 26, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Bruce Czachor as the Company’s General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
The information in this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K and Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 10.1 | Executive Employment Agreement, dated January 26, 2026, by and between Stardust Power Inc. and Bruce Czachor | |
| 99.1 | Press Release, dated January 26, 2026 | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
| 3 |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| STARDUST POWER INC. | ||
| Date: January 30, 2026 | By: | /s/ Roshan Pujari |
| Name: | Roshan Pujari | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| 4 |
Exhibit 10.1
Exhibit 99.1
Stardust Power Hires Mr. Bruce Czachor as General Counsel
Greenwich, Conn. – January 26, 2026 — Stardust Power Inc. (NASDAQ: SDST) (“Stardust Power” or the “Company”), an American developer of battery-grade lithium carbonate, today announced the appointment of Mr. Bruce Czachor as General Counsel, effective immediately. In this role, Mr. Czachor will oversee legal, regulatory, and corporate governance matters for the Company and will report directly to Founder and CEO, Roshan Pujari.
Mr. Czachor brings more than 30 years of legal, corporate governance, and executive leadership experience across publicly listed energy and mining companies. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Piedmont Lithium Inc., where he was a key advisor to the Board and executive leadership on corporate strategy, governance, securities, financing, regulatory compliance, and M&A. In that role, he led the successful cross-border public merger between Piedmont Lithium and Elevera Mining (formerly Sayona Mining), navigating complex regulatory, capital markets, and jurisdictional considerations.
Mr. Czachor brings deep, hands-on experience in the lithium sector, including direct involvement in the development of a lithium refinery project with Piedmont. His combination of technical industry knowledge, public company governance expertise, and established global network further strengthens Stardust Power’s leadership team as the Company advances into execution and capital formation.
Prior roles include Vice President and General Counsel at Paringa Resources Limited, and partner-level positions at A&O Shearman, Orrick, and Duane Morris, advising on capital markets, M&A, project and bank finance, and complex cross-border transactions. Mr. Czachor has represented Fortune 500 companies, startups, and global investment banks across sectors including clean energy, metals and mining, refining, biotech, telecommunications, software, entertainment, and oil & gas.
Mr. Czachor earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from New York Law School, where he served as Executive Editor of the Law Review, and his B.A. in Political Science from Binghamton University. He completed a Wharton School Corporate Governance certification in 2023 and is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, and California.
Roshan Pujari commented, “Bruce’s experience and deep expertise in corporate governance and capital markets make him an ideal addition to our leadership team, and his appointment strengthens our legal and governance framework as we advance the Muskogee refinery toward construction. We are delighted to add his sector specific experience to our company’s management team.”
“I am thrilled to join Roshan and the team at Stardust Power at such an exciting stage in the company’s growth. The team’s focus and expertise in delivering one of the largest lithium refineries in the U.S. is inspiring, and I look forward to contributing to its success” noted Mr. Czachor.
About Stardust Power Inc.
Stardust Power is a developer of battery-grade lithium carbonate designed to bolster America’s energy security by building resilient supply chains. Stardust Power is developing a strategically central lithium processing facility in Muskogee, Oklahoma with the anticipated capacity of producing up to 50,000 metric tons per annum of battery-grade lithium carbonate. The Company is committed to sustainability at each point in the process. Stardust Power trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “SDST.”
Forward-Looking Statements
The foregoing material may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts, including without limitation statements regarding the Company’s product development and business prospects, and can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “project,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “should,” “continue” or the negative versions of those words or other comparable words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future actions or performance. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and its current plans or expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect current plans, including but not limited to: whether or not the Company will be able to raise capital through the sale of securities or consummate the offering; the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and prevailing market conditions. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. Except as required by applicable law, including the security laws of the United States, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.
For Investors:
Johanna Gonzalez
investor.relations@stardust-power.com
For Media:
Michael Thompson
media@stardust-power.com