Kartoon Studios, Inc S-1/A, filed Nov 22, 2024
Kartoon Studios, Inc. (TOON)
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 22, 2024
Registration No. 333-282385
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
AMENDMENT NO. 2
TO
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| 7812 | ||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
(Address, including zip code and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Andy Heyward
Chief Executive Officer
190 N. Canon Drive, 4th Fl
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 273-4222
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
|
Leslie Marlow, Esq. Melissa Palat Murawsky, Esq. Blank Rome LLP 1271 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10020 (212) 885-5000 |
Charles Phillips, Esq. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10105 (212) 370-1300 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the date this registration statement becomes effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☒
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
| ☒ | Smaller reporting company | |||||
| Emerging growth company | ||||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
| PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | SUBJECT TO COMPLETION | DATED NOVEMBER 22, 2024 |
Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock
Common Warrants to Purchase Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock Underlying the Common Warrants
Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock Underlying the Pre-Funded Warrants
Placement Agent Warrants to Purchase Up to 1,454,545 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 1,454,545 Shares of Common Stock Underlying the Placement Agent Warrants
We are offering on a best efforts basis up to 10,389,610 shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 (the “Common Stock”), together with warrants to purchase up to 10,389,610 shares of our Common Stock. Each share of Common Stock, or a pre-funded warrant in lieu thereof, is being sold together with a common warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “Common Warrant”). The shares of Common Stock and Common Warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering, but must be purchased together in this offering. The assumed public offering price for each share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant is $0.77, which was the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American LLC (“NYSE American”) on November 21, 2024. Each Common Warrant will have an exercise price per share of 100% of the offering price per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant and will be immediately exercisable. The Common Warrants will expire on the 5-year anniversary of the original issuance date.
We are also offering to certain purchasers whose purchase of shares of Common Stock in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding Common Stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if any such purchaser so chooses, pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”), in lieu of shares of Common Stock that would otherwise result in such purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding Common Stock. The public offering price of each Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrant will be equal to the price at which one share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant is sold to the public in this offering, minus $0.001, and the exercise price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will be $0.001 per share. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. The Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering, but must be purchased together in this offering. For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of shares of Common Stock we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. This prospectus also covers the shares of Common Stock issuable from time to time upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants and placement agent warrants.
We have engaged Roth Capital Partners, LLC (“Roth” or the “Placement Agent”), to act as our exclusive placement agent, to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus. The Placement Agent is not purchasing or selling any of the securities we are offering, and the Placement Agent is not required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities.
The securities will be offered at a fixed price and are expected to be issued in a single closing. The offering will terminate on December 31, 2024, unless (i) the closing occurs prior thereto or (ii) we decide to terminate the offering prior thereto (which we may do at any time in our discretion). Investors purchasing securities offered hereby will have the option to execute a securities purchase agreement with us. We expect that the closing of the offering will occur one trading day after we price the securities offered hereby. When we price the securities, we will simultaneously enter into securities purchase agreements relating to the offering with those investors who so choose. The offering will settle delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”). That is, on the closing date, we will issue the shares of Common Stock 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 us.
Since we will deliver the securities to be issued in this offering upon our receipt of investor funds, we and the Placement Agent have not made any arrangements to place investor funds in an escrow account or trust account. Because this is a best-efforts offering, the Placement Agent does not have an obligation to purchase any securities, and, as a result, there is a possibility that we may not be able to sell the securities. There is no minimum offering requirement as a condition of closing of this offering. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing this offering, we may sell fewer than all of the securities offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us, and investors in this offering will not receive a refund in the event that we do not sell an amount of securities sufficient to pursue our business goals described in this prospectus. In addition, because there is no escrow account and no minimum offering amount, investors could be in a position where they have invested in our company, but we are unable to fulfill all of our contemplated objectives due to a lack of interest in this offering. Further, any proceeds from the sale of securities offered by us will be available for our immediate use, despite uncertainty about whether we would be able to use such funds to effectively implement our business plan. See the section entitled “Risk Factors” for more information.
Our Common Stock is listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “TOON.” On November 21, 2024, the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American was $0.77 per share. The actual public offering price per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant, and per Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrant, will be determined between us, the Placement Agent and the investors in this offering at the time of pricing, and may be at a discount to the current market price for the Common Stock. Therefore, the recent market price used throughout this preliminary prospectus as an assumed offering price per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant may not be indicative of the final offering price. There is no established public trading market for the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants, and we do not expect such a market to develop. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants will be limited. In addition, we do not intend to list the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants on NYSE American, any other national securities exchange or any other trading system.
Investing in our securities involves risks. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as described beginning on page 7 of this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities to be issued under this prospectus or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Per Share of Common Stock and Accompanying Common Warrant |
Per Pre-Funded Warrant |
Total | ||||||||||
| Public offering price | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Placement agent fees(1) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Proceeds to us, before expenses(2) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| (1) | We have agreed to pay to the Placement Agent a cash fee equal to 7% of the aggregate purchase price paid by investors in this offering. See “Plan of Distribution” for additional disclosure regarding compensation payable to the Placement Agent. |
| (2) | Does not include proceeds from the exercise of the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants in cash, if any. Because there is no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds required as a condition to closing in this offering, the actual public offering amount, placement agent fees and proceeds to us, if any, are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the total maximum offering amounts set forth above. |
Delivery of the securities to the purchasers is expected to be made on or about , 2024.
Roth Capital Partners
The date of this prospectus is , 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
You should rely only on the information that we have provided or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it. You should assume that the information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the cover of the document and that any information we have incorporated by reference is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of a security. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
We urge you to carefully read this prospectus, together with the information incorporated herein by reference as described under the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
In this prospectus, unless otherwise specified or the context requires otherwise, we use the terms “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” or similar references to refer to Kartoon Studios, Inc., a Nevada corporation, together with its consolidated subsidiaries.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Words such as, but not limited to, “anticipate,” “aim,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “poise,” “project,” “potential,” “suggest,” “should,” “strategy,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions or phrases, or the negative of those expressions or phrases, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this prospectus and incorporated by reference into this prospectus, we caution you that these statements are based on our projections of the future that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, to differ. The section in this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” and the sections in our periodic reports, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 9, 2024 entitled “Business,” “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on May 15, 2024, the Quarterly Report for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 filed with the SEC on August 14, 2024, and the Quarterly Report for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 filed with the SEC on November 14, 2024, as well as other sections in this prospectus and the documents or reports incorporated by reference into this prospectus, discuss some of the factors that could contribute to these differences.
Please consider our forward-looking statements in light of those risks as you read this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than as of the date of this prospectus, or that any information incorporated by reference into this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of the document so incorporated by reference. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Thus, you should not assume that our silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.
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If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materializes, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from what we anticipate. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or individuals acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this Note. Before purchasing any securities, you should consider carefully all of the factors set forth or referred to in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference that could cause actual results to differ.
We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as our current plans, estimates and beliefs. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this document, particularly in the section entitled “Risk Factors” of this prospectus that we believe could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make. You should read this prospectus and the documents that we have filed as exhibits to this prospectus and incorporated by reference herein completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are made as of the date of this prospectus and we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary contains basic information about us and this offering. Because it is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding to invest in our securities. Before you decide to invest in our securities, you should read this entire prospectus carefully and the documents incorporated by reference herein, including the information included under the heading titled “Risk Factors.”
The Company
Overview
Kartoon Studios, Inc. (formerly known as Genius Brands International, Inc.) (the “Company” or “we,” “us” or “our”) is a global content and brand management company that creates, produces, licenses, and broadcasts timeless and educational, multimedia animated content for children. Led by experienced industry personnel, we distribute our content primarily on streaming platforms and television and license our properties for a broad range of consumer products based on our characters. We are a “work for hire” producer for many of the streaming outlets and animated content intellectual property (“IP”) holders. In the children’s media sector, our portfolio features “content with a purpose” for toddlers to tweens, providing enrichment as well as entertainment. With the exception of selected WOW Unlimited Media Inc. (“Wow”) titles, our programs, along with licensed programs, are being broadcast in the United States on our wholly-owned advertisement supported video on demand (“AVOD”) service, its free ad supported TV channels and subscription video on demand (“SVOD”) outlets, Kartoon Channel! and Ameba TV (as defined below), as well as linear streaming platforms. These streaming platforms include Comcast, Cox, DISH, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Fire, Roku, Apple TV, Apple iOS, Android TV, Android mobile, Pluto TV, Xumo, Tubi, Youtube, and Youtube Kids and KartoonChannel.com, as well as Samsung and LG smart TVs. Our in-house owned and produced animated shows include Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Llama starring Jennifer Garner, Rainbow Rangers, KC Pop Quiz and Shaq’s Garage starring Shaquille O’Neal. Our library titles include the award-winning Baby Genius, adventure comedy Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab®, and Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club, created with and starring iconic investor Warren Buffett, Team Zenko Go!, Reboot, Bee & PuppyCat: Lazy in Space and Castlevania.
We also license our programs to other services worldwide, in addition to the operation of our own channels, including but not limited to Netflix, Paramount+, Max, Samsung TV Plus, LG Smart TVs, Amazon, Nickelodeon, and satellite, cable and terrestrial broadcasters around the world.
Through our investments in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment AG (“YFE”), a publicly traded company on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (RTV-Frankfurt), we have gained access to a leading producer and distributor of high-quality children’s and family programming. YFE owns and operates one of Europe’s largest channel-independent libraries of around 150 titles and 3,500 half-hour episodes.
Through the ownership of Wow, we established an affiliate relationship with Mainframe Studios, which is one of the largest animation producers in the world. In addition, Wow owns Frederator Networks Inc. (“Frederator”) (together with Kartoon Channel! and Ameba TV (the “TOON Media Networks”), the largest animation focused creator network on YouTube with over 2,500 channels. Frederator also owns Frederator Studios, focused on developing and producing shorts and series for and with partners, including Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Netflix, Sony Pictures Animation and Amazon.
We have rights to a select amount of valuable IP, including among them a controlling interest in Stan Lee Universe, LLC (“SLU”), through which we control the name, likeness, signature, and all consumer product and IP rights to Stan Lee (the “Stan Lee Assets”).
We also own Beacon Media Group, LLC (“Beacon Media Group”) and Beacon Communications, Ltd. (“Beacon Communications,” together with Beacon Media Group, “Beacon”), a North American marketing and media agency and its first-class media research, planning and buying division. Beacon represents over 20 major toy companies, including Bandai Namco, Bazooka Candy Brands, and Moose Toys.
In addition, we own the Canadian company Ameba Inc., which distributes SVOD service for kids (“Ameba TV”) and has become the focal point of revenue growth for our TOON Media Networks’ subscription offering.
We and our affiliates provide world class animation production studios a catalogue representing thousands of hours of premium global content for children, a broadcast system for delivering that content and an in-house consumer products licensing infrastructure to fully exploit the content.
On June 23, 2023, we were renamed Kartoon Studios, Inc. On June 26, 2023, we transferred our listing to NYSE American LLC (“NYSE American”). In connection with listing on NYSE American, we voluntarily delisted from the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”). Our common stock began trading on NYSE American under the new symbol “TOON” on June 26, 2023.
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Historically, we have incurred net losses. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we reported net losses of $77.1 million and $45.6 million, respectively and for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, we reported net losses of $15.1 million and $51.8 million, respectively. We reported net cash used in operating activities of $16.1 million and $25.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively and $1.1 million and $20.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of September 30, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $733.5 and total stockholders’ equity of $42.8 million. As of September 30, 2024, we had current assets of $37.2 million, including cash of $4.6 million and marketable securities of $4.1 million, and current liabilities of $33.7 million. We had working capital of $3.5 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to working capital of $11.5 million as of December 31, 2023.
Based on our current expected level of operating expenditures and the cash and cash equivalents on hand at September 30, 2024, management concludes that there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months. Historically, the Company has financed its operations primarily through revenue generated from operations, loans and sales of its securities, and the Company expects to continue to seek and obtain additional capital in a similar manner. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to raise funds by selling additional shares of common stock or other securities convertible into common stock, the ownership interest of its existing shareholders will be diluted. The issuance of debt can result in restrictive covenants that limit operations. If funding is not available or not available at terms acceptable to the Company, the Company will seek to reduce overhead costs and reduce its weekly cash obligations in the short term as needed. In addition, the Company can look to divest or bring in equity partners for our various divisions and bring in near term capital.
Company Information
We were incorporated in California on January 3, 2006 and reincorporated in Nevada in October 2011. We commenced operations in January 2006, assuming all of the rights and obligations of our then Chief Executive Officer, under an Asset Purchase Agreement between us and Genius Products, Inc., in which we obtained all rights, copyrights, and trademarks to the brands “Baby Genius,” “Kid Genius,” “123 Favorite Music” and “Wee Worship,” and all then existing productions under those titles. In October 2011, we (i) changed our domicile to Nevada from California, and (ii) changed our name to Genius Brands International, Inc. from Pacific Entertainment Corporation (the “Reincorporation”). In connection with the Reincorporation, we changed our trading symbol from “PENT” to “GNUS.” In June 2023, we changed our name to Kartoon Studios, Inc. from Genius Brands International, Inc. along with our trading symbol “GNUS” to “TOON.”
Our principal executive offices are located at 190 N Canon Drive, 4th Floor, Beverly Hills, California 90210. Our telephone number is 310-273-4222. We maintain an Internet website at www.kartoonstudios.com. The information contained on, connected to or that can be accessed via our website is not part of this prospectus.
Smaller Reporting Company
We are a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). As a result, we may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations available to smaller reporting companies, including the exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirements pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2022, reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements and the requirements to provide only two years of audited financial statements in our annual reports and registration statements. We will continue to be a “smaller reporting company” as long as (1) we have a public float (i.e., the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates) less than $250 million calculated as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or (2) our annual revenues are less than $100 million for our previous fiscal year and we have either no public float or a public float of less than $700 million as of the end of that fiscal year’s second fiscal quarter. Decreased disclosures in our SEC filings due to our status as a “smaller reporting company” may make it harder for investors to analyze our results of operations and financial prospects.
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THE OFFERING
| Securities offered by us: | Up to 10,389,610 shares of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrants to purchase up to 10,389,610 shares of Common Stock, or Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase up to 10,389,610 shares of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrants to purchase up to 10,389,610 shares of Common Stock on a reasonable “best efforts” basis. The shares of Common Stock, or the Pre-Funded Warrants, and accompanying Common Warrants are immediately separable and will be issued separately in this offering, but must initially be purchased together in this offering. The Common Warrants are exercisable immediately, have an exercise price per share equal to 100% of the offering price per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant, and will expire five years after the date of issuance. This prospectus also relates to the offering of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants. For more information regarding the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants, you should carefully read the section titled “Description of Securities to be Registered” in this prospectus. |
| Pre-Funded Warrants offered by us in this offering | We are also offering to each purchaser whose purchase of shares of Common Stock in this offering would otherwise result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding Common Stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase, if the purchaser so chooses, Pre-Funded Warrants (each Pre-Funded Warrant to purchase one share of our Common Stock) in lieu of shares that would otherwise result in the purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% of our outstanding Common Stock (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%). The purchase price of each Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrant will equal the price at which one share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant are being sold to the public in this offering, minus $0.001, and the exercise price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will be $0.001 per share. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be exercisable immediately and may be exercised at any time until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of shares of Common Stock we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. This prospectus also covers the shares of Common Stock issuable from time to time upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants. |
| Reasonable Best Efforts Offering | We have agreed to issue and sell the securities offered hereby to the purchasers through the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent is not required to buy or sell any specific number or dollar amount of the securities offered hereby, but will use its reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 34 of this prospectus. |
| Common Stock outstanding before this offering | 39,568,887 shares |
| Common Stock to be outstanding after this offering |
49,958,497 shares (assuming all of the Shares of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrants we are offering under this prospectus are sold, and assuming no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants, which, if sold, would reduce the number of shares of Common Stock that we are offering on a one-for-one basis, and no exercise of the Common Warrants issued in this offering).
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| Use of proceeds |
Assuming all of the Shares of Common Stock we are offering under this prospectus are sold at an assumed public offering price of $0.77 per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant, we estimate that we will receive approximately $7.0 million in net proceeds from this offering, after deducting the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses. However, this is a reasonable best efforts offering with no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds as a condition to closing, and we may not sell all or any of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus; as a result, we may receive significantly less in net proceeds.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering primarily for working capital and general corporate purposes, including for research and development. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to invest in or acquire other products, businesses or technologies, although we have no commitments or agreements with respect to any such investments or acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus. See “Use of Proceeds” for additional information. |
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| Lock-Up |
We and each of our directors and officers have agreed with the Placement Agent, subject to certain exceptions, not to sell, transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any of the Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for the Common Stock for a period of 90 days after the closing of this offering. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information. |
| Risk Factors | You should carefully read and consider the information set forth under “Risk Factors,” together with all of the other information set forth in this prospectus, before deciding to invest in shares of the Common Stock. |
| NYSE American symbol |
Our Common Stock is listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “TOON.” |
| Placement Agent Warrants | We have agreed to issue to the Placement Agent warrants to purchase up to 1,454,545 shares of Common Stock as part of the compensation payable to the Placement Agent in connection with this offering (the “Placement Agent Warrants”), which number of shares is equal to seven percent (7%) of the number of shares of Common Stock, Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants sold in the offering (assuming the sale of the maximum number of securities offered hereby). See “Plan of Distribution.” This prospectus also covers the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants. |
Except as otherwise indicated, the number of shares of Common Stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 39,568,887 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of November 14, 2024 and excludes:
| · | 977,500 shares of Common Stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units outstanding; | |
| · | 953,640 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options, at a weighted average exercise price of $12.75 per share; | |
| · | 6,925,385 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants, at a weighted average exercise price of $6.98 per share; | |
| · | 1,736,923 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under our 2020 Incentive Plan; and | |
| · | 126,904 shares of restricted Common Stock that we intend to gift to a charitable organization with a value of $100,000, based upon the closing sale price per share of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on October 15, 2024 of $0.79 per share. |
Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus assumes no exercise of the outstanding options or warrants described above, no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering and no exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants.
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RISK FACTORS
Our business, results of operations and financial condition and the industry in which we operate are subject to various risks. Accordingly, investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. This prospectus does not describe all of those risks. You should consider the risk factors described in this prospectus below, as well as those described under the caption “Risk Factors” in the documents incorporated by reference herein, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, together with the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
We have described below and in the documents incorporated by reference herein the most significant risk factors applicable to us, but they do not constitute all of the risks that may be applicable to us. New risks may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all potential risks or to assess the likely impact of all risks. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider these risks as well as other information we include or incorporate by reference in this prospectus. This prospectus also contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including the risks described below. See the section titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”
Risks Related to this Offering
We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.
We will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of the Common Stock. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, cause the price of our shares of Common Stock to decline and delay the development of our product candidates. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.
This is a reasonable best efforts offering, with no minimum amount of securities required to be sold, and we may sell fewer than all of the securities offered hereby.
The Placement Agent has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the securities in this offering. The Placement Agent has no obligation to buy any of the securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of the securities. There is no required minimum number of securities that must be sold as a condition to completion of this offering, and there can be no assurance that the offering contemplated hereby will ultimately be consummated. Even if we sell securities offered hereby, because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to closing of this offering, the actual offering amount is not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amount set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. We may sell fewer than all of the securities offered hereby, which may significantly reduce the amount of proceeds received by us. Thus, we may not raise the amount of capital we believe is required for our operations in the short-term and may need to raise additional funds, which may not be available or available on terms acceptable to us.
Because there is no minimum required for the offering to close, investors in this offering will not receive a refund in the event that we do not sell an amount of securities sufficient to pursue the business goals outlined in this prospectus.
We have not specified a minimum offering amount nor have or will we establish an escrow account in connection with this offering. Because there is no escrow account and no minimum offering amount, investors could be in a position where they have invested in our company, but we are unable to fulfill our objectives due to a lack of interest in this offering. Further, because there is no escrow account in operation and no minimum investment amount, any proceeds from the sale of securities offered by us will be available for our immediate use, despite uncertainty about whether we would be able to use such funds to effectively implement our business plan. Investor funds will not be returned under any circumstances whether during or after the offering.
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Our stock price may be subject to substantial volatility, and stockholders may lose all or a substantial part of their investment.
Our Common Stock currently trades on NYSE American. There is limited public float, and trading volume historically has been low and sporadic. As a result, the market price for our Common Stock may not necessarily be a reliable indicator of our fair market value. The price at which our Common Stock trades may fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, including the number of shares available for sale in the market, quarterly variations in our operating results, actual or anticipated announcements of new releases by us or competitors, the gain or loss of significant customers, changes in the estimates of our operating performance, market conditions in our industry and the economy as a whole.
We do not intend to pay dividends on the Common Stock, so any returns will be limited to increases, if any, in the Common Stock’s value. Your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation, if any, in the price of the Common Stock.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other factors, our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to the appreciation in the value of their stock, if any.
There is no public market for the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase shares of the Common Stock being offered by us in this offering.
There is no established public trading market for the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase shares of the Common Stock that are being offered as part of this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system, including the NYSE American. Without an active market, the liquidity of the Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants will be limited.
The Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants are speculative in nature.
The Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants offered hereby do not confer any rights of Common Stock ownership on their holders, such as voting rights, except as specified therein, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of the Common Stock at a fixed price. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants may exercise their right to acquire the shares of the Common Stock upon the payment of an exercise price per share of 100% of the offering price per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant in the case of the Common Warrants and an exercise price of $0.001 per share in the case of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Moreover, following this offering, the market values of the Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants is uncertain and there can be no assurance that the market value of the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants, as applicable, will equal or exceed their respective imputed public offering prices. Furthermore, each Common Warrant will expire five years from the original issuance date and each Pre-Funded Warrant will not expire until it has been exercised in full. In the event the price of the Common Stock does not exceed the exercise price of the Common Warrants during the period when such Common Warrants are exercisable, the Common Warrants may not have any value. There is no established public trading market for the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system, including NYSE American. Without an active market, the liquidity of the Pre-Funded Warrants will be limited.
Holders of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will have no rights as a common stockholder until they acquire shares of the Common Stock.
The Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering do not confer any rights of share ownership on their holders, except as specified therein, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of the Common Stock at a fixed price. Until holders of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants acquire shares of the Common Stock upon exercise of the Common Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants, as applicable, holders of Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will have no rights with respect to our shares of Common Stock underlying such Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants, except as specified therein.
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Provisions of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants offered by this prospectus could discourage an acquisition of us by a third party.
In addition to the provisions of our articles of incorporation, as amended (the “Articles of Incorporation”), and our bylaws, as amended (the “Bylaws”), certain provisions of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants offered by this prospectus could make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire us. The Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants prohibit us from engaging in certain transactions constituting “fundamental transactions” unless, among other things, the surviving entity assumes our obligations under the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants, as applicable. These and other provisions of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants offered by this prospectus could prevent or deter a third party from acquiring us even where the acquisition could be beneficial to you.
We may not receive any meaningful amount of additional funds upon the exercise of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants.
Each Common Warrant and each Pre-Funded Warrant may be exercised by way of a cashless exercise under certain circumstances, meaning that the holder may not pay a cash purchase price upon exercise, but instead would receive upon such exercise the net number of shares of Common Stock determined according to the formula set forth in the Common Warrant or Pre-Funded Warrant, respectively. Accordingly, we may not receive any additional funds upon the exercise of the Common Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants.
You will experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the shares you purchase in this offering and may experience additional dilution in the future.
The public offering price per share of Common Stock and Common Warrant, and the public offering price of each Pre-Funded Warrant and Common Warrant, will be substantially higher than the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our Common Stock after giving effect to this offering. Assuming the sale of 10,389,610 shares of our Common Stock at an assumed public offering price of $0.77 per share (which is based on the closing sale price per share of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 21, 2024) and Common Warrant, assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering and no exercise of the Common Warrants issued in this offering, and after deducting the Placement Agent fees and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, you will incur immediate dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of approximately $0.20 per share. As a result of the dilution to investors purchasing securities in this offering, investors may receive significantly less than the purchase price paid in this offering, if anything, in the event of the liquidation of our company. See the section entitled “Dilution” below for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you participate in this offering. To the extent shares are issued under outstanding options and warrants at exercise prices lower than the public offering price of our Common Stock in this offering, you will incur further dilution.
Purchasers who purchase our securities in this offering pursuant to a securities purchase agreement may have rights not available to purchasers that purchase without the benefit of a securities purchase agreement.
In addition to rights and remedies available to all purchasers in this offering under federal securities and state law, the purchasers that enter into a securities purchase agreement will also be able to bring claims of breach of contract against us. The ability to pursue a claim for breach of contract provides those investors with the means to enforce the covenants uniquely available to them under the securities purchase agreement including, but not limited to: (i) timely delivery of securities; (ii) agreement to not enter into any financings for 90 days from closing of this offering; and (iii) indemnification for breach of contract.
The offering could cause an adjustment to the exercise price of our outstanding warrants which could effect our stock price and the market for our stock.
We currently have outstanding Common Stock purchase warrants (the “New Warrants”) to purchase up to 4,784,909 shares of our Common Stock. The New Warrants provide for a reduction of the exercise price of the New Warrants if we, at any time while the New Warrants are outstanding, sell our Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, at an effective price per share less than the exercise price then in effect for the New Warrants (a “Dilutive Issuance”). The New Warrants currently have an exercise price of $1.00 per share as a result of a prior Dilutive Issuance. If the actual offering price per share of our Common Stock sold in this offering is less than $1.00 per share, the exercise price of the New Warrants would adjust to such lower exercise price. The dilutive effect of the exercise price adjustments to the New Warrants would likely have a negative impact on the trading price of our Common Stock.
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Risks Related to Our Common Stock
There is uncertainty regarding our ability to maintain liquidity sufficient to operate our business effectively, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
In our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 we disclosed that our management had concluded that there was substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least 12 months.
Historically, we have financed our operations primarily through revenue generated from operations, loans and sales of our securities, and we expect to continue to seek and obtain additional capital in a similar manner. We have filed a registration statement on Form S-3 on December 22, 2023, as amended, registering the sale of up to $75 million of our securities pursuant to a shelf registration statement, and this registration statement on Form S-1 on September 27, 2024, as amended, in connection with a best efforts public offering of up to $8 million of our securities. However, we do not have any committed sources of financing at this time, and it is uncertain whether additional funding will be available when we need it on terms that will be acceptable to us, or at all. Our ability sell securities registered on our registration statement on Form S-3 is limited until such time the market value of our voting securities held by non-affiliates is $75 million or more. In addition, the number of shares of common stock and securities convertible or exercisable for common stock that we can sell, under certain circumstances, will be limited by the NYSE American rules and regulations. There can be no assurance that we will be able to continue to raise funds through the sale of shares of common stock or issuance of debt. If we raise funds by selling additional shares of common stock or other securities convertible into common stock, the ownership interest of its existing stockholders will be diluted. The issuance of debt can result in restrictive covenants that limit operations. If funding is not available or not available at terms acceptable to us, we will seek to reduce overhead costs and reduce its weekly cash obligations in the short term as needed. In addition, we can look to divest or bring in equity partners for our various divisions and bring in near term capital. No adjustments have been made to the presented condensed consolidated financial statements as a result of this uncertainty.
If we sell Common Stock or preferred stock in the future, stockholders may experience immediate dilution and, as a result, our stock price may decline.
We may from time-to-time issue additional shares of Common Stock or preferred stock at a discount from the current trading price of the Common Stock. As a result, our stockholders could experience immediate dilution upon the purchase of any shares sold at such discount. In addition, as opportunities present themselves, we may enter into financing or similar arrangements in the future, including the issuance of debt securities, Common Stock or preferred stock. If we issue Common Stock or securities convertible into Common Stock, the holders of the Common Stock could experience additional dilution and, as a result, our stock price may decline.
In addition, to the extent that any Common Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrants or options are exercised, new options or restricted stock units are issued under our equity incentive plans, or we otherwise issue additional shares of Common Stock in the future, at a price less than the public offering price, our stockholders could experience dilution.
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We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. As a result of such material weaknesses, our management has concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e), were not effective at the reasonable assurance level. Failure to remediate the material weaknesses or any other material weaknesses that we identify in the future could result in material misstatements in our financial statements.
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, our management is required to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The rules governing the standards that must be met for management to assess our internal control over financial reporting are complex and require significant documentation, testing and possible remediation. Annually, we perform activities that include reviewing, documenting and testing our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal control over financial reporting, we will not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could result in significant expenses to remediate any internal control deficiencies and lead to a decline in our stock price.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, including inadequate design of user access provisioning/deprovisioning controls and inadequate segregation of duties on certain controls or processes; lack of specialized experts related to income tax areas; and inappropriate application of accounting standards related to warrant modifications.
During the course of our financial reporting close for the 2023 financial statements, we identified various errors associated with our 2022 annual and 2023 previously reported unaudited consolidated financial statements. Our consolidated financial statements, including the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets as of June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022 and the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2023, as of and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023 and as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, were restated in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 to correct such errors related to deferred tax liabilities and a warrant modification.
Additionally, we maintain disclosure controls and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms and accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. We carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) Exchange Act. Based upon our evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that that as September 30, 2024, our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e), were not effective at the reasonable assurance level due to material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting which were disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has also concluded that as of December 31, 2023, March 31, 2024, and June 30, 2024, our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rule 13a-15(e), were not effective at the reasonable assurance level due to material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting which were disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
We cannot provide assurance that we have identified all, or that we will not in the future have additional, material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. As a result, we may be required to implement further remedial measures and to design enhanced processes and controls to address deficiencies. If we do not effectively remediate the material weaknesses identified by management and maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting in the future, we may not be able to prepare reliable financial reports and comply with our reporting obligations under the Exchange Act on a timely basis. Any such delays in the preparation of financial reports and the filing of our periodic reports may result in a loss of public confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our business, the market value of our common stock and our access to capital markets.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $7.0 million (assuming the sale of the maximum number of securities offered hereby), based upon an assumed public offering price of $0.77 per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant (which is the last reported sale price of the Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 21, 2024), after deducting the estimated Placement Agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of the Common Warrants. However, because this is a reasonable best efforts offering with no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds as a condition to closing, the actual offering amount, Placement Agent fees, and net proceeds to us are not presently determinable and may be substantially less than the maximum amounts set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and we may not sell all or any of the securities we are offering. As a result, we may receive significantly less in net proceeds. Based on the assumed offering price set forth above, we estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of 75%, 50%, and 25% of the securities offered in this offering would be approximately $5.2 million, $3.3 million, and $1.5 million, respectively, after deducting the estimated Placement Agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, and assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and assuming no exercise of any Common Warrants. We will only receive additional proceeds from the exercise of the Common Warrants we are selling in this offering if the Common Warrants are exercised for cash. We cannot predict when or if these Common Warrants will be exercised. It is possible that these Common Warrant may expire and may never be exercised.
Each $0.10 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $0.77 per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant (which is the last reported sale price of the Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 21, 2024) would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $1.0 million, assuming the number of securities offered, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of any Common Warrants.
Each 1,000,000 share increase (decrease) in the number of securities offered by us in this offering would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $0.7 million, assuming that the price per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant for the offering remains at $0.77 (which is the last reported sale price of the Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 21, 2024), and after deducting the estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of any Common Warrants included in the securities in the offering.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering primarily for working capital and general corporate purposes, including for research and development. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to invest in or acquire other products, businesses or technologies, although we have no commitments or agreements with respect to any such investments or acquisitions as of the date of this prospectus.
These estimates exclude the proceeds, if any, from the exercise of Common Warrants offered hereby. If all of the Common Warrants offered hereby were to be exercised in cash at the exercise price per share equal to 100% of the offering price per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant, we would receive additional gross proceeds of approximately $8.0 million. We cannot predict when or if these Common Warrants will be exercised. It is possible that these Common Warrants may expire and may never be exercised. Additionally, these Common Warrants contain a cashless exercise provision that permit exercise of such Common Warrants on a cashless basis at any time when there is no effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the underlying shares.
The amounts and timing of any expenditures will vary depending on the amount of cash generated by our operations, and the rate of growth, if any, of our business, and our plans and business conditions. The foregoing represents our intentions as of the date of this prospectus based upon our current plans and business conditions to use and allocate the net proceeds of the offering. However, our management will have significant flexibility and discretion in the timing and application of the net proceeds of the offering. Unforeseen events or changed business conditions may result in application of the proceeds of the offering in a manner other than as described in this prospectus.
To the extent that the net proceeds we receive from the offering are not immediately applied for the above purposes, we plan to invest the net proceeds in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing instruments and U.S. government securities.
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DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on the Common Stock and we do not currently intend to pay any cash dividends on the Common Stock in the foreseeable future. We expect to retain all available funds and future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends, if any, on the Common Stock will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other factors, the terms of any outstanding preferred stock, our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements and contractual restrictions.
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CAPITALIZATION
The following table sets forth our cash and our capitalization as of September 30, 2024:
| · | on an actual basis; | |
| · | on a pro forma basis, giving effect to the issuance of 13,726 shares of Common Stock upon vesting of restricted stock units; and | |
| · | on a pro forma as adjusted basis, giving effect to the pro forma adjustments set forth above and our issuance and sale of 10,389,610 shares of our Common Stock in this offering based on an assumed public offering price of $0.77 per share of Common Stock and Common Warrant (which is the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 21, 2024) and assuming no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants or exercise of any Common Warrants, after deducting estimated Placement Agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. |
The pro forma as adjusted information set forth in the table below is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering as determined at pricing. You should read the information in this table together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
| September 30, 2024 (in thousands, except for shares and par value data) |
||||||||||||
| Actual | Pro Forma(1) | Pro Forma As Adjusted | ||||||||||
| Cash | $ | 4,581 | $ | 4,581 | $ | 11,621 | ||||||
| Stockholder’s equity | ||||||||||||
| Common Stock, $0.001 par value, 190,000,000 shares authorized, 39,630,851 shares issued and 39,555,161 outstanding, actual; 190,000,000 shares authorized, and 39,644,577 shares issued and 39,568,887 outstanding, pro forma; 190,000,000 shares authorized, and 50,034,187 shares issued and 49,958,497 outstanding, pro forma as adjusted | 40 | 40 | 50 | |||||||||
| Additional paid-in capital | 778,439 | 778,438 | 785,468 | |||||||||
| Treasury Stock at Cost, 75,877 shares actual, pro forma and pro forma as adjusted | (339 | ) | (339 | ) | (339 | ) | ||||||
| Accumulated deficit | (733,521 | ) | (733,521 | ) | (733,521 | ) | ||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (3,376 | ) | (3,376 | ) | (3,376 | ) | ||||||
| Total Kartoon Studios’ Stockholder’s Equity | 41,242 | 41,242 | 48,282 | |||||||||
| Non-Controlling Interests in Consolidated Subsidiaries | 1,558 | 1,558 | 1,558 | |||||||||
| Total Stockholder’s Equity | 42,800 | 42,800 | 49,840 | |||||||||
| Total Capitalization | $ | 42,800 | $ | 42,800 | $ | 49,840 | ||||||
| (1) | Offsetting adjustments have been made to the Common Stock and Additional paid-in capital in the pro forma column to adjust for a calculation to the par value of Common stock included in the balance sheet as of September 30, 2024 contained in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. |
A $0.10 increase or decrease in the assumed public offering price of $0.77 per share of Common Stock and Common Warrant (which is the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on NYSE American on November 21, 2024) and assuming no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants or exercise of any Common Warrants, would increase or decrease the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization by approximately $1.0 million, assuming that the number of shares of Common Stock offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting the estimated Placement Agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants or exercise of any Common Warrants.
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An increase or decrease of 1,000,000 shares in the number of shares of Common Stock and Common Warrants offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease the pro forma as adjusted amount of each of cash and cash equivalents, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization by approximately $0.7 million, assuming no change in the assumed public offering price per share of Common Stock and Common Warrant and after deducting the estimated Placement Agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us and assuming no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants or exercise of any Common Warrants.
The table above is based on 39,555,161 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of September 30, 2024 and gives effect to the pro forma adjustments described above and excludes as September 30, 2024 the following:
| · | 977,500 shares of Common Stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units outstanding; | |
| · | 953,640 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options, at a weighted average exercise price of $12.75 per share; | |
| · | 6,926,952 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants, at a weighted average exercise price of $6.98 per share; | |
| · | 1,746,256 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under our 2020 Incentive Plan; and | |
| · | 126,904 shares of restricted Common Stock that we intend to gift to a charitable organization with a value of $100,000, based upon the closing sale price per share of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on October 15, 2024 of $0.79 per share. |
| 15 |
DILUTION
If you invest in our securities in this offering, your interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the public offering price paid by the purchasers of the shares of Common Stock and Common Warrants sold in this offering and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per shares of Common Stock after this offering.
Our historical net tangible book value of our Common Stock as of September 30, 2024, was approximately $21.7 million, or approximately $0.55 per share of Common Stock. Net tangible book value per share represents the amount of our total tangible assets less total liabilities divided by the total number of our shares of Common Stock outstanding as of September 30, 2024.
Our pro forma net tangible book value as of September 30, 2024 was approximately $21.7 million, or approximately $0.55 per share of Common Stock. Pro forma net tangible book value represents the amount of our tangible book value as adjusted to take into account the issuance of 13,726 shares of Common Stock upon vesting of restricted stock units subsequent to September 30, 2024.
After giving effect to the pro forma adjustments set forth above and the sale by us in this offering of 10,389,610 shares of Common Stock, or up to 10,389,610 Pre-Funded Warrants in lieu of shares of Common Stock, at an assumed public offering price of $0.77 per share of Common Stock and Common Warrant and assuming the exercise in full of Pre-Funded Warrants issued in this offering and no exercise of any Common Warrants, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2024, would have been approximately $28.7 million, or approximately $0.57 per share of Common Stock. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of approximately $0.02 per share of Common Stock to our existing security holders and an immediate dilution in as adjusted net tangible book value of approximately $0.20 per share of Common Stock to purchasers of Common Stock and Common Warrants in this offering. The final public offering price will be determined through negotiation between us, the Placement Agent, and prospective investors in the offering and may be at a discount to the current market price. Therefore, the assumed public offering price used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the final public offering price. The following table illustrates this per share dilution:
| Assumed public offering price per share of Common Stock and Common Warrant | $ | 0.77 | ||||||||||
| Historical net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2024 | $ | 0.55 | ||||||||||
| Pro Forma net tangible book value per share | $ | 0.55 | ||||||||||
| Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per share attributable to this offering | $ | 0.02 | ||||||||||
| Pro Forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering | $ | 0.57 | ||||||||||
| Dilution per share to new investors in this offering | $ | 0.20 |
Each $0.10 increase or decrease in the assumed public offering price of $0.77 per share of Common Stock and Common Warrant, which was the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 21, 2024, would increase or decrease the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share by $0.02 per share and the dilution per share to investors participating in this offering by $0.08 per share, assuming that the number of shares of Common Stock offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants or exercise of any Common Warrants and after deducting the Placement Agent fees and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
We may also increase or decrease the number of shares we are offering. A 1,000,000 increase or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would have no change in the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share and no change in the dilution per share to new investors participating in this offering, based on an assumed public offering price of $0.77 per share of Common Stock and Common Warrant, which was the last reported sale price of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on November 21, 2024, remaining the same and assuming no sale of any Pre-Funded Warrants or exercise of any Common Warrants and after deducting the Placement Agent fees and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
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The table and discussion above are based on 39,555,161 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of September 30, 2024, and excludes, as of that date, the following:
| · | 977,500 shares of Common Stock issuable upon vesting of restricted stock units outstanding; | |
| · | 953,640 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding options, at a weighted average exercise price of $12.75 per share; | |
| · | 6,926,952 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants, at a weighted average exercise price of $6.98 per share; | |
| · | 1,746,256 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under our 2020 Incentive Plan; and | |
| · | 126,904 shares of restricted Common Stock that we intend to gift to a charitable organization with a value of $100,000, based upon the closing sale price per share of our Common Stock on the NYSE American on October 15, 2024 of $0.79 per share. |
The information discussed above is illustrative only and will adjust based on the actual public offering price, the actual number of shares of Common Stock that we offer in this offering, and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. Except as indicated otherwise, the discussion and table above assumes no sale of Pre-Funded Warrants, which, if sold, would reduce the number of shares of Common Stock that we are offering on a one-for-one basis.
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DESCRIPTION OF OUR CAPITAL STOCK
The following is a description of the material terms of our capital stock. This is a summary only and does not purport to be complete. It is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to our Articles of Incorporation and our Bylaws, each of which are incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We encourage you to read our Articles of Incorporation, our Bylaws, and the applicable provisions of the Nevada Revised Statute (the “NRS”), for additional information.
Authorized Capital Stock
Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of capital stock, of which 190,000,000 are shares of Common Stock, and 10,000,000 are shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.
Capital Stock Issued and Outstanding
As of November 14, 2024, we have issued and outstanding:
| · | 39,568,887 shares of Common Stock; | |
| · | 977,500 unvested restricted stock units; | |
| · | options to purchase 953,640 shares of Common Stock, at a weighted average exercise price of $12.75 per share; and | |
| · | warrants to purchase 6,925,385 shares of Common Stock, at a weighted average exercise price of $6.98 per share. |
Common Stock
The holders of our Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share. In addition, the holders of our Common Stock will be entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared by our Board of Directors out of legally available funds; however, the current policy of our Board of Directors is to retain earnings, if any, for operations and growth. Upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, the holders of our Common Stock will be entitled to share ratably in all assets that are legally available for distribution. The holders of our Common Stock will have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our Common Stock will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of any series of preferred stock, which may be designated solely by action of our board of directors and issued in the future.
Preferred Stock
Our Board of Directors is authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by law, without further vote or action by our stockholders, to issue from time to time shares of preferred stock in one or more series. Each series of preferred stock will have such number of shares, designations, preferences, voting powers, qualifications and special or relative rights or privileges as shall be determined by our Board of Directors, which may include, among others, dividend rights, voting rights, liquidation preferences, conversion rights and preemptive rights.
The Board of Directors’ authority to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire control of our company and could discourage such attempt. We have 6,000 shares of preferred stock designated as 0% Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, 1 share of preferred stock designated as Series B Preferred Stock, and 50,000 shares of preferred stock designated as Series C Preferred Stock. We currently do not have any shares of preferred stock outstanding and have no present plans to issue any additional shares of preferred stock.
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Nevada Anti-Takeover Law and Certain Charter and Bylaw Provisions
Some features of the Nevada Revised Statutes, which are further described below, may have the effect of deterring third parties from making takeover bids for control of our company or may be used to hinder or delay a takeover bid. This would decrease the chance that our stockholders would realize a premium over market price for their shares of Common Stock as a result of a takeover bid.
Acquisition of Controlling Interest
The Nevada Revised Statutes contain provisions governing acquisition of a controlling interest of a Nevada corporation. These provisions provide generally that any person or entity that acquires a certain percentage of the outstanding voting shares of a Nevada corporation may be denied voting rights with respect to the acquired shares, unless the holders of a majority of the voting power of the corporation, excluding shares as to which any of such acquiring person or entity, an officer or a director of the corporation, or an employee of the corporation exercises voting rights, elect to restore such voting rights in whole or in part. These provisions apply whenever a person or entity acquires shares that, but for the operation of these provisions, would bring voting power of such person or entity in the election of directors within any of the following three ranges:
| · | 20% or more but less than 33 1/3%; | |
| · | 33 1/3% or more but less than or equal to 50%; or | |
| · | more than 50%. |
The stockholders or board of directors of a corporation may elect to exempt the stock of the corporation from these provisions through adoption of a provision to that effect in the articles of incorporation or bylaws of the corporation.
These provisions are applicable only to a Nevada corporation, which:
| · | has 200 or more stockholders of record, at least 100 of whom have addresses in Nevada appearing on the stock ledger of the corporation; and | |
| · | does business in Nevada directly or through an affiliated corporation. |
Our Bylaws, as amended in November 2013, provide that the provisions of NRS 78.378 and 78.3793 (“Acquisition of a Controlling Interest”) shall not apply to the Company or to any acquisition of a controlling interest in the Company by any existing or future stockholder.
Combination with Interested Stockholder
The Nevada Revised Statutes contain provisions governing combination of a Nevada corporation that has 200 or more stockholders of record with an interested stockholder. As of November 14, 2024, we had 188 stockholders of record, not including persons or entities that hold our stock in nominee or “street name” through various brokerage firms.
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A corporation affected by these provisions may not engage in a combination within two years after the interested stockholder first became an interested stockholder, unless either (i) the combination or transaction by which the interested stockholder first became an interested stockholder is approved by the board of directors before the interested stockholder first became an interested stockholder, or (ii) the combination is approved by the board of directors and by the affirmative vote of the corporation’s stockholders representing at least 60% of the outstanding voting power of the corporation not beneficially owned by the interested stockholder or the interested stockholder’s affiliates. Generally, if approval is not obtained, then after the expiration of the two-year period, the business combination may be consummated with the approval of the board of directors of the combination or transaction by which the interested stockholder first became an interested stockholder before the person became an interested stockholder, or a majority of the voting power held by disinterested stockholders, or if the consideration to be received per share by disinterested stockholders is at least equal to the highest of:
| · | the highest price per share paid by the interested stockholder within the two years immediately preceding the date of the announcement of the combination or within two years immediately before, or in the transaction in which he, she or it became an interested stockholder, whichever is higher; | |
| · | the market value per share on the date of announcement of the combination or the date the person became an interested stockholder, whichever is higher; or | |
| · | if higher for the holders of preferred stock, the highest liquidation value of the preferred stock, if any. |
Generally, these provisions define an interested stockholder as a person who is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting shares of a corporation. Generally, these provisions define combination to include any merger or consolidation with an interested stockholder, or any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition, in one transaction or a series of transactions, with an interested stockholder of assets of the corporation having:
| · | an aggregate market value equal to 5% or more of the aggregate market value of the assets of the corporation; | |
| · | an aggregate market value equal to 5% or more of the aggregate market value of all outstanding shares of the corporation; or | |
| · | representing 10% or more of the earning power or net income of the corporation. |
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
Pursuant to our Articles of Incorporation, the existence of authorized but unissued Common Stock and undesignated preferred stock may enable our board of directors to make more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of our Company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, and thereby to protect the continuity of management. If, in the due exercise of its fiduciary obligations, the board of directors were to determine that a takeover proposal was not in our best interest, such shares could be issued by the board of directors without stockholder approval in one or more transactions that might prevent or render more difficult or costly the completion of the takeover transaction by diluting the voting or other rights of the proposed acquirer or insurgent stockholder group, by putting a substantial voting block in institutional or other hands that might undertake to support the position of the incumbent board of directors, by effecting an acquisition that might complicate or preclude the takeover, or otherwise.
In addition, our Articles of Incorporation grants our board of directors broad power to establish the rights and preferences of authorized and unissued shares of preferred stock. The issuance of shares of preferred stock could decrease the amount of earnings and assets available for distribution to holders of shares of Common Stock. The issuance also may adversely affect the rights and powers, including voting rights, of those holders and may have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control of our Company.
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Limitations of Director Liability and Indemnification of Directors, Officers and Employees
NRS 78.138 provides that directors of a corporation is not individually liable to the corporation or its stockholders or creditors for any damages as a result of any act or failure to act in his or her capacity as a director or officer unless: (a) the presumption that directors and officers acted in good faith on an informed basis with a view toward the best interest of the corporation has been rebutted and (b) it is proven that:
| · | The director’s or officer’s act or failure to act constituted a breach of his or her fiduciary duties as a director or officer; and | |
| · | such breach involved intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law. |
Our articles of incorporation provide that every person who was or is a party to, or is threatened to be made a party to, or is involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he, or a person of whom he is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of our company, or is or was serving at our request as a director or officer of another corporation, or as our representative in a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall be indemnified and held harmless to the fullest extent legally permissible under the laws of the State of Nevada from time to time against all expenses, liability and loss (including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by him in connection therewith. The expenses of officers and directors incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding must be paid by us as they are incurred and in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding, upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that he is not entitled to be indemnified by us.
Our Bylaws provide that our directors and officers shall have no personal liability to us or our stockholders for damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, except for damages for breach of fiduciary duty resulting from (a) acts or omissions which involve intentional misconduct, fraud, or a knowing violation of law, or (b) the payment of dividends in violation of section 78.3900 of the Nevada Revised Statutes as it may from time to time be amended or any successor provision thereto.
We have obtained a policy of directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.
We have entered into separate indemnification agreements with certain of our directors and officers. These agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify our directors and officers for any and all expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees) judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such directors or officers or on his or her behalf in connection with any action or proceeding arising out of their services as one of our directors or officers, or any of our subsidiaries or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request provided that such person follows the procedures for determining entitlement to indemnification and advancement of expenses set forth in the indemnification agreement. We believe that these bylaw provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.
The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might provide a benefit to us and our stockholders. Our results of operations and financial condition may be harmed to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
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Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors or officers as to which indemnification is required or permitted, and we are not aware of any threatened litigation or proceeding that may result in a claim for indemnification.
Listing of the Common Stock on the NYSE American LLC
The Common Stock is listed for trading on the NYSE American LLC under the symbol “TOON.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for the Common Stock is VStock Transfer LLC.
Stock Options
As of November 14, 2024, we had options outstanding to purchase an aggregate of 953,640 shares of Common Stock that were issued under our equity compensation plans. As of November 14, 2024, there were 1,736,923 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under our 2020 Incentive Plan
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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES WE ARE OFFERING
We are offering up to 10,389,610 shares of Common Stock, or Pre-Funded Warrants in lieu of shares of Common Stock, along with Common Warrants to purchase up to 10,389,610 shares of Common Stock. For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of shares of Common Stock we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. Each share of Common Stock or Pre-Funded Warrant is being sold together with a Common Warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock. The shares of Common Stock or Pre-Funded Warrants and accompanying Common Warrants will be issued separately. We are also registering the shares of Common Stock issuable from time to time upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants offered hereby and the Common Warrants offered hereby.
Common Stock. See the description above under “Description of our Capital Stock- Common Stock.”
Common Warrants to be Issued in this Offering
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the Common Warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the Common Warrant, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to our registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of Common Warrant for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the Common Warrants.
Duration, Exercise Price and Form
Each Common Warrant offered hereby will have an initial exercise price per share equal to 100% of the offering price per share of Common Stock and accompanying Common Warrant. The Common Warrants will be immediately exercisable and will expire five years from the date of issuance. The exercise price and number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our shares of Common Stock and the exercise price. The Common Warrants will be issued in certificated form only.
Exercisability
The Common Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of Common Stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the Common Warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of beneficial ownership of outstanding shares after exercising the holder’s Common Warrants up to 9.99% of the number of our shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Common Warrants. Purchasers of Common Warrants in this offering may also elect prior to the issuance of the Common Warrants to have the initial exercise limitation set at 9.99% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock.
Cashless Exercise
If, at the time a holder exercises its Common Warrants, a registration statement registering the issuance of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Common Warrants under the Securities Act is not then effective or available for the issuance of such shares, then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price and subject to the nominal value of the shares being paid up as described below, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares determined according to a formula set forth in the Common Warrants.
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Fractional Shares
No fractional shares of Common Stock or scrip representing fractional shares will be issued upon the exercise of the Common Warrants. Rather, the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued will, at our election, either be rounded up to the next whole share or we will pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, a Common Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Common Warrant to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon such transfer.
Trading Market
There is no trading market available for the Common Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system, and we do not expect a trading market to develop. We do not intend to list the Common Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading market. Without a trading market, the liquidity of the Common Warrants will be extremely limited. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants are currently traded on the NYSE American.
Right as a Stockholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Common Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of Common Stock, the holders of the Common Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of shares of Common Stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Common Warrants. The Common Warrants will provide that holders have the right to participate in distributions or dividends paid on Common Stock.
Fundamental Transaction
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Common Warrants and generally including (i) our merger or consolidation with or into another person, (ii) the sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, (iii) any purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer pursuant to which holders of our Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of our outstanding Common Stock or 50% or more of the voting power of our common equity, (iv) any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of our shares of Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange or (v) any stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination with another person or group of persons whereby such other person or group acquires 50% or more of our outstanding shares of Common Stock or 50% or more of the voting power of our common equity, the holders will be entitled to receive the number of shares of the Common Stock for which the Common Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to the occurrence of such fundamental transaction on a net exercise basis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a fundamental transaction, the holders of the Common Warrants have the right to require us or a successor entity to redeem the Common Warrants for cash in the amount of the Black Scholes Value (as defined in each warrant) of the unexercised portion of the Common Warrants concurrently with or within 30 days following the consummation of a fundamental transaction.
However, in the event of a fundamental transaction which is not in our control, including a fundamental transaction not approved by our board of directors, the holders of the Common Warrants will only be entitled to receive from us or our successor entity, as of the date of consummation of such fundamental transaction the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of the Common Warrant that is being offered and paid to the holders of the Common Stock in connection with the fundamental transaction, whether that consideration is in the form of cash, stock or any combination of cash and stock, or whether the holders of the Common Stock are given the choice to receive alternative forms of consideration in connection with the fundamental transaction.
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Exercise Price Adjustments
If while the Common Warrants are outstanding, the Company issues or sells, or is deemed to have issued or sold, any common stock and/or common stock equivalents other than in connection with certain exempt issuances, with a purchase price per share less than the exercise price in effect immediately prior to such issuance or sale or deemed issuance or sale, then immediately after such issuance or sale or deemed issuance or sale, the exercise price then in effect will be reduced to an amount equal to the new issuance price.
Waivers and Amendments
The Common Warrants may be modified or amended or the provisions of the Common Warrants waived with the written consent of us and the holder.
Pre-Funded Warrants to be Issued in this Offering
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the Pre-Funded Warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the Pre-Funded Warrant, the form of which is filed as an exhibit to our registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of Pre-Funded Warrant for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
Duration, Exercise Price and Form
Each Pre-Funded Warrant offered hereby will have an initial exercise price per share equal to $0.001. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable and will expire when exercised in full. The exercise price and number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our shares of Common Stock and the exercise price. Subject to the rules and regulations of the applicable trading market, we may at any time during the term of the Pre-Funded Warrant, subject to the prior written consent of the holders, reduce the then current exercise price to any amount and for any period of time deemed appropriate by our board of directors. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be issued in certificated form only.
Exercisability
The Pre-Funded Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of Common Stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the Pre-Funded Warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of the Common Stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of beneficial ownership of outstanding shares after exercising the holder’s Pre-Funded Warrants up to 9.99% of the number of our shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Purchasers of Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering may also elect prior to the issuance of the Pre-Funded Warrants to have the initial exercise limitation set at 9.99% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock.
Cashless Exercise
In lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares of Common Stock determined according to a formula set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrants.
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Fractional Shares
No fractional shares of Common Stock or scrip representing fractional shares will be issued upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Rather, the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued will, at our election, either be rounded up to the next whole share or we will pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, a Pre-Funded Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Pre-Funded Warrant to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon such transfer.
Trading Market
There is no trading market available for the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system, and we do not expect a trading market to develop. We do not intend to list the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading market. Without a trading market, the liquidity of Pre-Funded Warrants will be extremely limited. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants are currently traded on the NYSE American.
Right as a Stockholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Pre-Funded Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of Common Stock, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of the Common Stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Pre-Funded Warrants. The Pre-Funded Warrants will provide that holders have the right to participate in distributions or dividends paid on Common Stock.
Fundamental Transaction
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Pre-Funded Warrants and generally including (i) our merger or consolidation with or into another person, (ii) the sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, (iii) any purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer pursuant to which holders of the Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of our outstanding Common Stock or 50% or more of the voting power of our common equity, (iv) any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of our shares of Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange or (v) any stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination with another person or group of persons whereby such other person or group acquires 50% or more of our outstanding shares of Common Stock or 50% or more of the voting power of our common equity, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the Pre-Funded Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction on a net exercise basis.
Waivers and Amendments
The Pre-Funded Warrants may be modified or amended or the provisions of the Pre-Funded Warrants waived with the written consent of us and the holder.
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MATERIAL UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion describes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of the shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants acquired in this offering. This discussion is based on the current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, referred to as the Code, existing and proposed U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, and administrative rulings and court decisions in effect as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change at any time, possibly with retroactive effect. No ruling has been or will be sought from the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, with respect to the matters discussed below, and there can be no assurance the IRS will not take a contrary position regarding the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership or disposition of the shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, or that any such contrary position would not be sustained by a court.
We assume in this discussion that the shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants will be held as capital assets (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxes, does not discuss the potential application of the Medicare contribution tax or the alternative minimum tax and does not address state or local taxes or U.S. federal gift and estate tax laws, except as specifically provided below with respect to non-U.S. holders, or any non-U.S. tax consequences that may be relevant to holders in light of their particular circumstances. This discussion also does not address the special tax rules applicable to particular holders, such as:
| · | persons who acquired shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants as compensation for services; | |
| · | traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings; | |
| · | persons that own, or are deemed to own, more than 5% of our common stock (except to the extent specifically set forth below); | |
| · | persons required for U.S. federal income tax purposes to conform the timing of income accruals to their financial statements under Section 451(b) of the Code (except to the extent specifically set forth below); | |
| · | persons for whom our common stock constitutes “qualified small business stock” within the meaning of Section 1202 of the Code or “Section 1244 stock” for purposes of Section 1244 of the Code; | |
| · | persons deemed to sell our Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants under the constructive sale provisions of the Code; | |
| · | banks or other financial institutions; | |
| · | brokers or dealers in securities or currencies; | |
| · | tax-exempt organizations or tax-qualified retirement plans; | |
| · | pension plans; | |
| · | regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts; | |
| · | persons that hold shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction, synthetic security or other integrated investment; | |
| · | insurance companies; | |
| · | controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies, or corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; and | |
| · | certain U.S. expatriates, former citizens, or long-term residents of the United States. |
In addition, this discussion does not address the tax treatment of partnerships (including any entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or other pass-through entities or persons who hold shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants through such partnerships or other entities which are pass-through entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If such a partnership or other pass-through entity holds shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, the treatment of a partner in such partnership or investor in such other pass-through entity generally will depend on the status of the partner or investor and upon the activities of the partnership or other pass-through entity. A partner in such a partnership and an investor in such other pass-through entity that will hold shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants through such partnership or other pass-through entity, as applicable.
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This discussion of U.S. federal income tax considerations is for general information purposes only and is not tax advice. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and other tax considerations of acquiring, holding and disposing of our Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants.
For the purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a) an individual citizen or resident of the United States, (b) a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes), created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (c) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source, or (d) a trust if it (1) is subject to the primary supervision of a court within the United States and one or more U.S. persons (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) has the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a domestic trust. A “Non-U.S. Holder” is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a beneficial owner of shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants that is not a U.S. Holder or a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Potential Acceleration of Income
Under tax legislation signed into law in December 2017 commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, U.S. Holders that use an accrual method of accounting for tax purposes and have certain financial statements generally will be required to include certain amounts in income no later than the time such amounts are taken into account as revenue in such financial statements.
In addition, under the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law on August 16, 2022, certain large corporations (generally, corporations reporting at least $1 billion average adjusted pre-tax net income on their consolidated financial statements) are potentially subject to a 15% alternative minimum tax on the “adjusted financial statement income” of such large corporations for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. The U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies are expected to issue guidance on how the alternative minimum tax provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act will be applied or otherwise administered.
The application of these rules thus may require the accrual of income earlier than would be the case under the general tax rules described below, although the precise application of these rules is unclear at this time. U.S. Holders that use an accrual method of accounting should consult with their tax advisors regarding the potential applicability of this legislation to their particular situation.
Treatment of Pre-Funded Warrants
Although it is not entirely free from doubt, a pre-funded warrant should be treated as a share of common stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes and a holder of Pre-Funded Warrants should generally be taxed in the same manner as a holder of common stock, as described below. Accordingly, no gain or loss should be recognized upon the exercise of a Pre-Funded Warrant and, upon exercise, the holding period of a Pre-Funded Warrant should carry over to the share of common stock received. Similarly, the tax basis of the Pre-Funded Warrant should carry over to the share of common stock received upon exercise, increased by the exercise price of $0.0002 per share. Each holder should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the risks associated with the acquisition of Pre-Funded Warrants pursuant to this offering (including potential alternative characterizations). The balance of this discussion generally assumes that the characterization described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Allocation of Purchase Price
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each share of Common Stock (or, in lieu of Common Stock, each Pre-Funded Warrant) and the accompanying Common Warrant issued pursuant to this offering will be treated as an “investment unit” each of which consisting of one share of Common Stock or one Pre-Funded Warrant (which, as described above, should generally be treated as a share of Common Stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes), as applicable and the accompanying Common Warrant to acquire one share of Common Stock. The purchase price for each investment unit will be allocated between these components in proportion to their relative fair market values at the time the unit is purchased by the holder. This allocation of the purchase price for each unit will establish the holder’s initial tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the share of Common Stock (or, in lieu of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrant) and the common warrant included in each unit. The separation of the share of Common Stock (or, in lieu of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrant) and the Common Warrant included in a unit should not be a taxable event for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each holder should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the allocation of the purchase price between the Common Stock (or, in lieu of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants) and the Common Warrants.
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Tax Considerations Applicable to U.S. Holders
Exercise and Expiration of Common Warrants
Except as discussed below with respect to the cashless exercise of a Common Warrant, a U.S. Holder generally will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon exercise of a Common Warrant. The U.S. Holder will take a tax basis in the shares acquired on the exercise of a Common Warrant equal to the exercise price of the Common Warrant, increased by the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Common Warrant exercised (as determined pursuant to the rules discussed above). The U.S. Holder’s holding period in the shares of Common Stock acquired on the exercise of a Common Warrant will begin on the date of exercise or possibly the day after such exercise, and will not include any period for which the U.S. Holder held the Common Warrant.
The lapse or expiration of a Common Warrant will be treated as if the U.S. Holder sold or exchanged the Common Warrant and recognized a capital loss equal to the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Common Warrant. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
The tax consequences of a cashless exercise of a Common Warrant are not clear under current tax law. A cashless exercise may be tax-free, either because the exercise is not a realization event or because the exercise is treated as a recapitalization for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In either tax-free situation, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Common Stock received generally would equal the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Common Warrants. If the cashless exercise was not a realization event, it is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Common Stock would be treated as commencing on the date of exercise of the Common Warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the Common Warrant. If the cashless exercise were treated as a recapitalization, the holding period of the Common Stock would include the holding period of the Common Warrants.
It is also possible that a cashless exercise could be treated as a taxable exchange in which gain or loss would be recognized. In such event, a U.S. Holder could be deemed to have surrendered Common Warrants having an aggregate fair market value equal to the exercise price for the total number of Common Warrants to be exercised. The U.S. Holder would recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the Common Stock received in respect of the Common Warrants deemed surrendered and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in such Common Warrants. Such gain or loss would be long-term or short-term, depending on the U.S. Holder’s holding period in the Common Warrants deemed surrendered. In this case, a U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the Common Stock received would equal the sum of the U.S. Holder’s initial investment in the exercised Common Warrants (i.e., the portion of the U.S. Holder’s purchase price for the investment unit that is allocated to the common warrants, as described above under “Allocation of Purchase Price”) and the exercise price of such Common Warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Common Stock would commence on the date of exercise of the Common Warrant or the day following the date of exercise of the Common Warrant. There may also be alternative characterizations of any such taxable exchange that would result in similar tax consequences, except that a U.S. Holder’s gain or loss would be short-term.
Distributions
As discussed above, we currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business and do not intend to pay cash dividends in respect of shares of common stock in the foreseeable future. In the event that we do make distributions on our common stock to a U.S. Holder, those distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. tax purposes to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles). Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will constitute a return of capital that is applied against and reduces, but not below zero, a U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain realized on the sale or exchange of shares of common stock as described below under the section titled “—Disposition of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants.”
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Certain Adjustments to Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants
The number of shares of common stock issued upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants and the exercise price of Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants are subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. Adjustments (or failure to make adjustments) that have the effect of increasing a U.S. Holder’s proportionate interest in our assets or earnings and profits may, in some circumstances, result in a constructive distribution to the U.S. Holder. Adjustments to the conversion rate made pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula which has the effect of preventing the dilution of the interest of the holders of Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants generally should not be deemed to result in a constructive distribution. If an adjustment is made that does not qualify as being made pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula, a U.S. Holder of Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants may be deemed to have received a constructive distribution from us, even though such U.S. Holder has not received any cash or property as a result of such adjustment. The tax consequences of the receipt of a distribution from us are described above under “Distributions.”
Disposition of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants
Upon a sale or other taxable disposition (other than a redemption treated as a distribution, which will be taxed as described above under “Distributions”) of shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants sold. Capital gain or loss will constitute long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants exceeds one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to certain limitations. U.S. Holders who recognize losses with respect to a disposition of shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax treatment of such losses.
Information Reporting and Backup Reporting
Information reporting requirements generally will apply to payments of distributions (including constructive distributions) on the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants, and to the proceeds of a sale or other disposition of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants paid by us to a U.S. Holder unless such U.S. Holder is an exempt recipient, such as a corporation. Backup withholding will apply to those payments if the U.S. Holder fails to provide the holder’s taxpayer identification number, or certification of exempt status, or if the holder otherwise fails to comply with applicable requirements to establish an exemption.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against the U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their qualification for exemption from information reporting and backup withholding and the procedure for obtaining such exemption.
Tax Considerations Applicable to Non-U.S. Holders
Exercise and Expiration of Common Warrants
In general, a Non-U.S. Holder will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the exercise of Common Warrants into shares of Common Stock, however, to the extent a cashless exercise results in a taxable exchange, the consequences would be similar to those described in the discussion below under “Disposition of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants.”
The expiration of a Common Warrant will be treated as if the Non-U.S. Holder sold or exchanged Common Warrant and recognized a capital loss equal to the Non-U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the common warrants. However, a Non-U.S. Holder will not be able to utilize a loss recognized upon expiration of a Common Warrant against the Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability unless the loss is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if an income tax treaty applies, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States) or is treated as a U.S.-source loss and the Non-U.S. Holder is present 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and certain other conditions are met.
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Certain Adjustments to Warrants
As described under “—U.S. Holders—Certain Adjustments to Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants,” an adjustment to the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants could result in a constructive distribution to a Non-U.S. Holder, which would be treated as described under “Distributions” below. Any resulting withholding tax attributable to deemed dividends would be collected from other amounts payable or distributable to the Non-U.S. Holder. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the proper treatment of any adjustments to the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants.
In addition, regulations governing “dividend equivalents” under Section 871(m) of the Code may apply to the Pre-Funded Warrants. Under those regulations, an implicit or explicit payment under Pre-Funded Warrants that references a dividend distribution on our common stock would possibly be taxable to a Non-U.S. Holder as described under “Distributions” below. Such dividend equivalent amount would be taxable and subject to withholding whether or not there is actual payment of cash or other property, and the Company may satisfy any withholding obligations it has in respect of the Pre-Funded Warrants by withholding from other amounts due to the Non-U.S. Holder. Non-U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of Section 871(m) of the Code to the Pre-Funded Warrants.
Distributions
As discussed above, we currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business and do not intend to pay cash dividends in respect of our common stock in the foreseeable future. In the event that we do make distributions on our common stock to a Non-U.S. Holder, those distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes as described in “—U.S. Holders—Distributions.” To the extent those distributions do not constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes (i.e., the amount of such distributions exceeds both our current and our accumulated earnings and profits), they will constitute a return of capital and will first reduce a Non-U.S. Holder’s basis in our common stock (determined separately with respect to each share of common stock), but not below zero, and then will be treated as gain from the sale of that share of common stock as described below under the section titled “—Disposition of Common Stock or Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants.”
Any distribution (including constructive distributions) on shares of common stock that is treated as a dividend paid to a Non-U.S. Holder that is not effectively connected with the holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States will generally be subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and the Non-U.S. Holder’s country of residence. To obtain a reduced rate of withholding under a treaty, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will be required to provide the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or other appropriate form, certifying the Non-U.S. Holder’s entitlement to benefits under that treaty. Such form must be provided prior to the payment of dividends and must be updated periodically. If a Non-U.S. Holder holds stock through a financial institution or other agent acting on the holder’s behalf, the holder will be required to provide appropriate documentation to such agent. The holder’s agent may then be required to provide certification to the applicable withholding agent, either directly or through other intermediaries. If you are eligible for a reduced rate holding tax under an income tax treaty, you should consult with your own tax advisor to determine if you are able to obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for a refund with the IRS.
We generally are not required to withhold tax on dividends paid (or constructive dividends deemed paid) to a Non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with the holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base that the holder maintains in the United States) if a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI, stating that the dividends are so connected, is furnished to us (or, if stock is held through a financial institution or other agent, to the applicable withholding agent). In general, such effectively connected dividends will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular tax rates applicable to U.S. persons. A corporate Non-U.S. Holder receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax,” which is imposed, under certain circumstances, at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable treaty) on the corporate Non-U.S. Holder’s effectively connected earnings and profits, subject to certain adjustments.
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See also the sections below titled “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—Foreign Accounts” for additional withholding rules that may apply to dividends paid to certain foreign financial institutions or non-financial foreign entities.
Disposition of Common Stock or Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants
Subject to the discussions below under the sections titled “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—Foreign Accounts,” a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax with respect to gain recognized on a sale or other disposition (other than a redemption treated as a distribution, which will be taxable as described above under “Distributions”) of shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants unless:
| · | the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States, and if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States; in these cases, the Non-U.S. Holder will be taxed on a net income basis at the regular tax rates and in the manner applicable to U.S. persons, and if the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, an additional branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, or a lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty, may also apply; | |
| · | the Non-U.S. Holder is a nonresident alien present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met, in which case the Non-U.S. Holder will be subject to a 30% tax (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence) on the net gain derived from the disposition, which may be offset by certain U.S.-source capital losses of the Non-U.S. Holder, if any; or | |
| · | the common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest because we are, or have been at any time during the five-year period preceding such disposition (or the Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period of the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, if shorter), a “U.S. real property holding corporation,” unless the common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market, as defined by applicable Treasury Regulations, and the Non-U.S. Holder held no more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, directly or indirectly, during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the date of the disposition or the period that the Non-U.S. Holder held the common stock. Special rules may apply to the determination of the 5% threshold in the case of a holder of Pre-Funded Warrants or Commons Warrants. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect of holding Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants on the calculation of such 5% threshold. Generally, a corporation is a “U.S. real property holding corporation” if the fair market value of its “U.S. real property interests” (as defined in the Code and applicable regulations) equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. Although there can be no assurance, we believe that we are not currently, and we do not anticipate becoming, a “U.S. real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. No assurance can be provided that the common stock will be regularly traded on an established securities market for purposes of the rules described above. Non-U.S. Holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax considerations that could result if we are, or become a “U.S. real property holding corporation.” |
See the sections titled “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—Foreign Accounts” for additional information regarding withholding rules that may apply to proceeds of a disposition of the common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants paid to foreign financial institutions or non-financial foreign entities.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
We must report annually to the IRS and to each Non-U.S. Holder the gross amount of the distributions (including constructive distributions) on the common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants paid to such holder and the tax withheld, if any, with respect to such distributions. Non-U.S. Holders may have to comply with specific certification procedures to establish that the holder is not a U.S. person (as defined in the Code) in order to avoid backup withholding at the applicable rate, currently 24%, with respect to dividends (or constructive dividends) on the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants. Generally, a holder will comply with such procedures if it provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable Form W-8) or otherwise meets documentary evidence requirements for establishing that it is a Non-U.S. Holder, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Dividends paid to Non-U.S. Holders subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax, as described above under the heading “Distributions,” will generally be exempt from U.S. backup withholding.
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Information reporting and backup withholding generally will apply to the proceeds of a disposition of the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants by a Non-U.S. Holder effected by or through the U.S. office of any broker, U.S. or foreign, unless the holder certifies its status as a Non-U.S. Holder and satisfies certain other requirements, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds to a Non-U.S. Holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a broker. However, for information reporting purposes, dispositions effected through a non-U.S. office of a broker with substantial U.S. ownership or operations generally will be treated in a manner similar to dispositions effected through a U.S. office of a broker. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them.
Copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a Non-U.S. Holder can be refunded or credited against the Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that an appropriate claim is timely filed with the IRS.
Foreign Accounts
The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, or FATCA, generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on dividends (including constructive dividends) on the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants if paid to a non-U.S. entity unless (i) if the non-U.S. entity is a “foreign financial institution,” the non-U.S. entity undertakes certain due diligence, reporting, withholding, and certification obligations, (ii) if the non-U.S. entity is not a “foreign financial institution,” the non-U.S. entity identifies certain of its U.S. investors, if any, or (iii) the non-U.S. entity is otherwise exempt under FATCA.
Withholding under FATCA generally will apply to payments of dividends (including constructive dividends) on our Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants. While withholding under FATCA would have also applied to payments of gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, under proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations withholding on payments of gross proceeds is currently not required. Although such regulations are not final, applicable withholding agents may rely on the proposed regulations until final regulations are issued.
An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this section. Under certain circumstances, a holder may be eligible for refunds or credits of the tax. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants.
Federal Estate Tax
Common stock owned or treated as owned by an individual who is not a citizen or resident of the United States (as specially defined for U.S. federal estate tax purposes) at the time of death will be included in the individual’s gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes and, therefore, may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax, unless an applicable estate tax or other treaty provides otherwise. The foregoing may also apply to Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants. A Non-U.S. Holder should consult his, her, or its own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of the ownership or disposition of shares of the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants.
The preceding discussion of material U.S. federal tax considerations is for information only. It is not tax advice. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the particular U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of the Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, including the consequences of any proposed changes in applicable laws.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Roth Capital Partners, LLC has agreed to act as our exclusive Placement Agent in connection with this offering on a reasonable best efforts basis subject to the terms and conditions of the placement agency agreement dated [●], 2024. The Placement Agent is not purchasing or selling any of the securities offered by this prospectus, nor is it required to arrange for the purchase and sale of any specific number or dollar amount of such securities, other than to use its reasonable “best efforts” to arrange for the sale of such securities by us. Therefore, we may not sell all of the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus. The securities will be offered at a fixed price and are expected to be issued in a single closing. We will enter into a securities purchase agreement directly with certain investors, at the investor’s option, who purchase our securities in this offering. Investors who do not enter into a securities purchase agreement shall rely solely on this prospectus in connection with the purchase of our securities in this offering.
This offering will terminate no later than December 31, 2024, unless we decide to terminate the offering (which we may do at any time in our discretion) prior to that date. We will have one closing for all the securities purchased in this offering. We will deliver the securities being issued to the investors upon receipt of investor funds for the purchase of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. We expect to deliver the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus on or about [●], 2024.
Fees and Expenses
We have agreed to pay the Placement Agent an aggregate fee equal to seven percent (7%) of the purchase price paid by all purchasers in this offering. In addition, we have agreed to reimburse the Placement Agent for its legal fees in an amount up to $75,000.
We estimate the total expenses of this offering paid or payable by us, exclusive of the Placement Agent fee, will be approximately $400,000. After deducting the fees due to the Placement Agent and our estimated expenses in connection with this offering, we expect the net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $7.0 million.
The following table shows the per share and total cash fees we will pay to the Placement Agent in connection with the sale of the securities pursuant to this prospectus.
Per Share of Common
Stock and Accompanying Common Warrant |
Per Pre- Warrant
and Accompanying Common Warrant |
Total | ||||||||||
| Offering price (1) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Placement Agent fees | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| Proceeds before expenses to us (2) | $ | $ | $ | |||||||||
| (1) | We have agreed to pay to the Placement Agent a cash fee equal to seven percent (7%) of the aggregate gross proceeds raised in this offering. |
| (2) | Does not include proceeds from the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, if any. |
Placement Agent Warrants
The Placement Agent will receive warrants to purchase up to seven percent (7%) of the number of shares of Common Stock, Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants sold in the offering, which Placement Agent Warrants are exercisable at an exercise price equal to 125% of the public offering price and will terminate five (5) years from the date of the commencement of sales in this offering. The Placement Agent warrants will be registered as part of this registration statement, along with the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants. Such warrants will be subject to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1) in that, except as otherwise permitted by FINRA rules, for a period of 180 days from the commencement of sales of this offering, the warrant shall not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or hypothecated, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put, or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of the securities by any person except as permitted by FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2). The Placement Agent does not hold any piggyback or demand registration rights.
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Tail
We have also agreed to pay the Placement Agent a tail fee equal to the compensation in this offering, if any investor, who was introduced to us by the Placement Agent or who had discussions or negotiations regarding a transaction with us during the term of the Placement Agent’s engagement, provides us with capital in any offering of our securities during the six (6) month period following expiration or termination of our engagement of the Placement Agent. If the Company terminates such engagement of the Placement Agent for cause, in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(5)(B), then no tail fee will be owed to the Placement Agent.
Right of First Refusal
Provided the Placement Agent secures a bona fide offer from an investor or investors of at least $7 million in the aggregate related to this offering that is accepted by us in our sole discretion, then during the period of engagement of the Placement Agent and for a period of nine (9) months thereafter if we decide to use a placement agent to pursue any private placement or pursue any public offering of debt, equity, equity-linked or an at-the-market offering, then we shall offer the Placement Agent the right to act as the exclusive placement agent or lead underwriter and sole book-runner, as applicable, for such offering. If the Company terminates the engagement of the Placement Agent for cause, in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(5)(B), then no such right of first refusal will be granted to the Placement Agent.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the Placement Agent and specified other persons against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments the Placement Agent may be required to make in respect thereof.
Lock-Up Agreements
We and each of our directors and officers have agreed with the Placement Agent to be subject to a period of 90 days following the closing of this offering. During the applicable lock-up period, we and such individuals agreed, subject to specified exceptions, not to sell or transfer any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into, or exchangeable or exercisable for, Common Stock. Specifically, we and such individuals agreed, in part, subject to certain exceptions, not to:
| · | offer for sale, sell, pledge, or otherwise transfer or dispose of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the transfer or disposition by any person at any time in the future of) any shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock; | |
| · | enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of Common Stock; or | |
| · | make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any of our securities. |
In addition, we have agreed to not issue any new securities that are subject to a price reset based on the trading prices of our Common Stock or upon a specified or contingent event in the future, or enter into any agreement to issue securities at a future determined price for a period of 180 days following the closing date of this offering, subject to certain exceptions. The Placement Agent may waive this prohibition in its sole discretion and without notice.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our Common Stock is VStock Transfer LLC.
Determination of Offering Price
Our Common Stock is currently listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “TOON.” On November 21, 2024, the reported closing price per share of our Common Stock was $0.77. The final public offering price will be determined between us, the Placement Agent and the investors in the offering, and may be at a discount to the current market price of our Common Stock. Therefore, the assumed public offering price used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the final public offering price. There is no established public trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, and we do not expect such markets to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply for a listing of the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system.
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No Sales of Similar Securities
We have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of, any shares of Common Stock (or securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock) or, subject to certain exceptions, file any registration statement, including any amendments or supplements thereto (other than the registration statement or amendment to the registration statement relating to the securities offered hereunder and a registration statement on Form S-8), until 90 days after the completion of this offering. We have also agreed not to enter into a variable rate transaction (as defined in the securities purchase agreement) for six months after the completion of this offering.
Regulation M
The Placement Agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by it and any profit realized on the resale of the shares sold by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As an underwriter, the Placement Agent would be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of shares by the Placement Agent acting as principal. Under these rules and regulations, the placement agents:
| · | may not engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities; and | |
| · | may not bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the Exchange Act, until it has completed its participation in the distribution. |
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on a website maintained by the Placement Agent and the Placement Agent may distribute prospectuses electronically. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on these websites is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the Placement Agent and should not be relied upon by investors.
Discretionary Accounts
The Placement Agent does not intend to confirm sales of the securities offered hereby to any accounts over which it has discretionary authority.
Other Activities and Relationships
The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates may in the future perform, various commercial and investment banking and financial advisory services for us and our affiliates, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses, but have performed no such services for us or our affiliates prior to this offering.
In the ordinary course of its various business activities, the Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for its own account and for the accounts of its customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments issued by us and our affiliates. If the Placement Agent or its affiliates have a lending relationship with us, they routinely hedge their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. The Placement Agent and its affiliates may hedge such exposure by entering into transactions that consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities or the securities of our affiliates, including potentially the Common Stock offered hereby. Any such short positions could adversely affect future trading prices of the Common Stock offered hereby. The Placement Agent and certain of its affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
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LEGAL MATTERS
Blank Rome LLP, New York, New York will pass upon certain legal matters relating to the sale of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants, offered hereby on our behalf and Flangas Law Group, Nevada will pass on certain legal matters related to the issuance of the Common Stock and Pre-Funded Warrants offered hereby on our behalf.
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel to the Placement Agent in connection with certain legal matters related to this offering.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of Kartoon Studios, Inc. as of December 31, 2023, and for the year ended December 31, 2023, incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in the registration statement have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of WithumSmith+Brown, PC, independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
Baker Tilly US, LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 (which report expresses an unqualified opinion), which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in this Registration Statement. Our financial statements are incorporated by reference in reliance on Baker Tilly US, LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act for the securities offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules filed therewith. For further information about us and the securities offered hereby, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed thereto. Any statements made in this prospectus concerning legal documents are not necessarily complete and you should read the documents that are filed as exhibits to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the SEC for a more complete understanding of the document or matter.
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. We are subject to the information and periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and we file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These periodic reports, proxy statements and other information are available at the website of the SEC referred to above. We maintain a website at www.kartoonstudios.com. You may access our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act with the SEC free of charge at our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference in, and is not part of, this prospectus.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC (Commission File No. 001-37950):
| · | Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on April 9, 2024; | |
| · | Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on May 15, 2024 | |
| · | Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 filed with the SEC on August 14, 2024. | |
| · | Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 filed with the SEC on November 14, 2024. | |
| · | Our Current Reports on Form 8-K (other than information furnished rather than filed) filed on January 30, 2024, February 13, 2024, as amended by Current Report on Form 8-K/A on February 13, 2024, April 9, 2024 (Item 4.02), April 19, 2024, April 24, 2024, and May 29, 2024; and | |
| · | Our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for our Annual Meeting of Stockholders filed on April 5, 2024. |
We also incorporate by reference any future filings (other than current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary) made with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, including those made (i) on or after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to effectiveness of such registration statement, and (ii) on or after the date of this prospectus but prior to the termination of the offering (i.e., until the earlier of the date on which all of the securities registered hereunder have been sold or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part has been withdrawn). Information in such future filings updates and supplements the information provided in this prospectus. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.
We will furnish without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom a prospectus is delivered, upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus, including exhibits that are specifically incorporated by reference into such documents. You should direct any requests for documents to:
Kartoon Studios, Inc.
190 N. Canon Drive, 4th Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Attn: Brian Parisi
You may also access these documents, free of charge, on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or on our website at www.kartoonstudios.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference in, and is not part of, this prospectus.
In accordance with Rule 412 of the Securities Act, any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed modified or superseded to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement.
You should rely only on information contained in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus and any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information different from that contained in this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus. We are not making offers to sell the securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation.
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Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock
Common Warrants to Purchase Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock Underlying the Common Warrants
Pre-Funded Warrants to Purchase Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 10,389,610 Shares of Common Stock Underlying Pre-Funded Warrants
Placement Agent Warrants to Purchase Up to 1,454,545 Shares of Common Stock
Up to 1,454,545 Shares of Common Stock Underlying the Placement Agent Warrants
PROSPECTUS
Roth Capital Partners
, 2024
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth all expenses to be paid by the registrant, other than any Placement Agent fees, in connection with the offering and sale of the shares of Common Stock being registered. All amounts shown are estimates except for the SEC registration fee.
| Amount | ||||
| SEC registration fee | $ | 2,619 | ||
| FINRA filing fee | 3,110 | |||
| Accounting fees and expenses | 60,000 | |||
| Legal fees and expenses | 200,000 | |||
| Other miscellaneous expenses | 59,271 | |||
| Total expenses | $ | 325,000 | ||
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
The Nevada Revised Statutes provide that:
| · | a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, except an action by or in the right of the corporation, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the action, suit or proceeding if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful; | |
| · | a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses, including amounts paid in settlement and attorneys’ fees actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with the defense or settlement of the action or suit if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation. Indemnification may not be made for any claim, issue or matter as to which such a person has been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction, after exhaustion of all appeals therefrom, to be liable to the corporation or for amounts paid in settlement to the corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court in which the action or suit was brought or other court of competent jurisdiction determines upon application that in view of all the circumstances of the case, the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the court deems proper; and | |
| · | to the extent that a director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the corporation must indemnify him or her against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, actually and reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with the defense. |
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The Nevada Revised Statutes provide that we may make any discretionary indemnification only as authorized in the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of the director, officer, employee or agent is proper in the circumstances. The determination must be made:
| · | by our stockholders; | |
| · | by our board of directors by majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to the action, suit or proceeding; | |
| · | if a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to the action, suit or proceeding so orders, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion; | |
| · | if a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to the action, suit or proceeding cannot be obtained, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion; or | |
| · | by court order. |
Our articles of incorporation provide that every person who was or is a party to, or is threatened to be made a party to, or is involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he, or a person of whom he is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of our company, or is or was serving at our request as a director or officer of another corporation, or as our representative in a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall be indemnified and held harmless to the fullest extent legally permissible under the laws of the State of Nevada from time to time against all expenses, liability and loss (including attorneys' fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by him in connection therewith. The expenses of officers and directors incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding must be paid by us as they are incurred and in advance of the final disposition of the action, suit or proceeding, upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer to repay the amount if it is ultimately determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that he is not entitled to be indemnified by us.
Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.
During the last three years, we have issued unregistered securities to the persons described below. None of these transactions involved any underwriters, underwriting discounts or commissions, or any public offering. We believe that each transaction was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act by virtue of Section 4(a)(2) thereof and/or Regulation S thereof or Rule 506(b) of Regulation D thereunder as a transaction not involving a public offering other than exchanges of securities that were exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act by virtue of Section 3(a)(9) and Section 3(a)(10). The recipients both had access, through their relationship with us, to information about us. All number and share prices have been adjusted for the 1-for-10 reverse stock split effected on February 10, 2023.
On October 3, 2023, we issued 1,683 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.39 per share for production services.
On October 16, 2023, we issued 4,545 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.32 per share for production services.
On October 23, 2023, we issued 2,340 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.00 per share for production services.
On October 31, 2023, we issued 9,218 shares of Common Stock valued at $0.99 per share for production services.
On November 6, 2023, we issued 4,239 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.12 per share for production services.
On November 15, 2023, we issued 5,505 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.09 per share for production services.
On November 16, 2023, we issued 2,867 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.09 per share for production services.
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On November 20, 2023, we issued 4,263 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.09 per share for production services.
On November 30, 2023, we issued 5,563 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.64 per share for production services.
On December 1, 2023, we issued 2,792 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.64 per share for production services.
On December 15, 2023, we issued 8,432 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.52 per share for production services.
On May 17, 2023, we issued 450 shares of Common Stock valued at $2.78 per share for production services.
On May 24, 2023, we issued 490 shares of Common Stock valued at $2.55 per share for production services.
On June 6, 2023, we issued 400,000 shares of Common Stock valued at $2.47 per share for consulting services.
On June 12, 2023, we issued 1,037 shares of Common Stock valued at $2.41 per share for production services.
On June 27, 2023, we issued a total of 2,311,550 shares of Common Stock to existing institutional and accredited investors who exercised their outstanding common stock purchase warrants in connection with a warrant exchange. The exercising holders received new unregistered common stock purchase warrants to purchase up to 4,623,100 shares of common stock issued pursuant to the exercise of their warrants. The Special Equities Group, a division of Dawson James, acted as warrant solicitation agent and was issued unregistered common stock purchase warrants to purchase up to 161,809 shares of Common Stock.
On June 30, 2023, we issued 2,274 shares of Common Stock valued at $1.91 per share for production services.
On February 18, 2022, we issued 35,000 shares of Common Stock valued at $8.90 per share to a consultant for advisory services.
On February 24, 2022, we issued 3,620 shares of Common Stock valued at $18.10 per share, which were held in escrow as part of the ChizComm acquisition.
On October 26, 2021, we and Wow Exchange Co. Inc. (formerly, 1326919 B.C. Ltd.), a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia and, then, a wholly owned subsidiary of ours (“Purchaser” or “Exchangeco”), entered into an Arrangement Agreement (the “Arrangement Agreement”) to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Wow Unlimited Media Inc., a corporation existing under the laws of the Province of British Columbia (“Wow”) such that Exchangeco will own 100% of the shares of Wow (the “Arrangement”). Pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement, on April 6, 2022, we, through Exchangeco, acquired all of the shares of Wow not already owned by Genius for an aggregate purchase price, which included the issuance of 1,036,582 shares of Common Stock.
On October 27, 2021, we issued 1,761 shares of Common Stock valued at $15.90 per share for production services.
On December 1, 2021, we issued 228,127 shares of common stock valued at $14.90 as partial consideration for 3,000,000 shares in YFE.
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Item 16. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
The exhibits to this registration statement are listed in the Exhibit Index to this registration statement, which immediately precedes the Signature Page and which Exhibit Index is hereby incorporated by reference.
Item 17. Undertakings.
| (a) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
| (1) | To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement: |
| (i) | To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act; |
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement.
provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is a part of the registration statement;
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
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(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser: (i) any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424; (ii) any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant; (iii) the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and (iv) any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(6) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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EXHIBIT INDEX
The following is a list of exhibits filed as a part of this registration statement:
The exhibits listed in the accompanying Exhibit Index are filed or incorporated by reference as part of this registration statement.
| 1.1* | Form of Placement Agency Agreement |
| 2.1 | Arrangement Agreement dated as of October 26, 2021 among the Company, 1326919 B.C. LTD. and Wow Unlimited Media Inc. (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on November 1, 2021) |
| 2.2 | Agreement and Plan of Merger dated June 21, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 27, 2023) |
| 3.1 | Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on March 31, 2021) |
| 3.2 | Certificate of Change to the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada on February 9, 2023 (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on February 10, 2023) |
| 3.3 | Bylaws of the Company, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on August 19, 2019) |
| 3.4 | Amended and Restated Certificate of Designations, Preferences and Rights of the 0% Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, filed with the Secretary of State of Nevada on November 21, 2019 (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on November 21, 2019) |
| 3.5 | Certificate of Designation of Series B Preferred Stock (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on April 12, 2022) |
| 3.6 | Articles of Merger of Kartoon Studios, Inc. into the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 27, 2023). |
| 3.7 | Certificate of Designation of Series C Preferred Stock of the Company, dated September 25, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed on September 25, 2023) |
| 3.8 | First Amendment to the Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on September 25, 2023) |
| 3.9 | Certificate of Change to the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada on November 9, 2023 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on November 14, 2023) |
| 4.1 | Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 17, 2018) |
| 4.2 | Form of Waiver Warrant (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 15, 2019) |
| 4.3 | Form of Investor Warrant (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 28, 2019) |
| 4.4 | Form of Reload Warrant (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 16, 2019) |
| 4.5 | Form of New Warrant (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 28, 2021) |
| 4.6 | Form of New Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 27, 2023) |
| 4.7 | Form of Indenture for Senior Debt Securities (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the Company’s Form S-3, filed with the SEC on December 22, 2023) |
| 4.8 | Form of Indenture for Subordinated Debt Securities (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the Company’s Form S-3, filed with the SEC on December 22, 2023) |
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| 4.9 | Form of Pre-Funded Warrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 19, 2024) |
| 4.10# | Form of Pre-Funded Warrant |
| 4.11# | Form of Placement Agent Warrant |
| 4.12* | Form of Common Warrant |
| 5.1(a)* | Opinion of Flangas Law Group |
| 5.1(b)* | Opinion of Blank Rome LLP |
| 10.1† | Form of Stock Option Grant Notice Pursuant to the Company's 2020 Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 11, 2020) |
| 10.2† | Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement Pursuant to the Company's 2020 Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 11, 2020) |
| 10.3† | 2015 Incentive Plan of the Company, as amended (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 14, 2017) |
| 10.4 | Subscription Agreement dated January 17, 2017 between the Company and Sony DADC USA, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 20, 2017) |
| 10.5 | Registration Rights Agreement dated August 17, 2018 (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 17, 2018) |
| 10.6† | 2020 Incentive Plan of the Company (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Form S-8 filed with the SEC on November 16, 2020) |
| 10.7† | Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael Jaffa, dated November 7, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 11, 2020) |
| 10.8† | Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Andrew Heyward, dated December 7, 2020 (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 11, 2020) |
| 10.9† | Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Andrew Heyward dated February 22, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.27 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on April 13, 2023) |
| 10.10† | Amendment No. 2 to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Andrew Heyward dated June 23, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.28 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on April 13, 2023) |
| 10.11† | Amendment No. 3 to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Andrew Heyward dated November 22, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on April 13, 2023) |
| 10.12 | Share Purchase Agreement, dated of December 1, 2021, by and the Company and F&M Film-und Medien Beteiligungs GmbH (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 6, 2021) |
| 10.13 | Shareholder Agreement, dated as of December 1, 2021 among the Company and F&M Film-und Medien Beteiligungs GmbH (Incorporated by reference to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 6, 2021) |
| 10.14† | Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael Jaffa dated December 16, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.33 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on April 13, 2023) |
| 10.15† | Employment Agreement between Wow Unlimited Media Inc. and Michael Hirsh dated April 7, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.34 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on April 13, 2023) |
| 10.16† | Amendment No. 4 to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Andrew Heyward dated August 25, 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.35 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on April 13, 2023) |
| 10.17† | Amendment No. 2 to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael Jaffa dated January 8, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.36 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on April 13, 2023) |
| 10.18† | Amendment No. 5 to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Andrew Heyward dated February 27, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.37 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on April 13, 2023) |
| 10.19 | Form of Letter Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 27, 2023). |
| 46 |
| 10.20 | Termination of Lease Agreement, dated July 26, 2023 by and between Lyndhurst Investments, LLC. and Beacon Media Group (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 10-Q, filed with the SEC on August 14, 2023) |
| 10.21† | Employment Agreement between Kartoon Studios, Inc. and Brian Parisi, effective as of September 27, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 3, 2023) |
| 10.22†# | Amendment No. 3 to the Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Company and Michael Jaffa dated November 13, 2023 |
| 10.23 | Placement Agent Agreement, dated as of April 18, 2024, by and between Kartoon Studios, Inc. and EF Hutton LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 19, 2024) |
| 10.24 | Securities Purchase Agreement, dated April 18, 2024, by and between Kartoon Studios, Inc. and each purchaser identified therein (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 24, 2024) |
| 10.25* | Form of Securities Purchase Agreement |
| 16.1 | Letter from Baker Tilly US, LLP, dated October 27, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 16.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 27, 2023) |
| 16.2 | Letter from Mazars USA LLP, dated January 30, 2024 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 16.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 30, 2024) |
| 21.1 | List of Subsidiaries of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 21.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on April 9, 2024) |
| 23.1* | Consent of WithumSmith+Brown, PC |
| 23.2* | Consent of Baker Tilly US LLP |
| 23.3* | Consent of Flangas Law Group (included in Exhibit 5.1(a)) |
| 23.4* | Consent of Blank Rome LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1(b)) |
| 24.1# | Power of Attorney (included in signature page of initial registration statement) |
| 107* | Filing Fee Table |
__________
| * | Filed herewith. | |
| # | Previously filed. | |
| ^ | To be filed by amendment. | |
| † | Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement. |
| 47 |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this Amendment No. 2 to registration statement on Form S-1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized, in the City of Beverly Hills, State of California, on this 22nd day of November, 2024.
| KARTOON STUDIOS, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Andy Heyward | |
| Name: | Andy Heyward | |
| Title: | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment No. 2 to registration statement on Form S-1 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Andy Heyward | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | November 22, 2024 | ||
| Andy Heyward | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
| /s/ Brian Parisi | Chief Financial Officer | November 22, 2024 | ||
| Brian Parisi | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
| * | Director | November 22, 2024 | ||
| Joseph “Gray” Davis | ||||
| * | Director | November 22, 2024 | ||
| Anthony Thomopoulos | ||||
| * | Director | November 22, 2024 | ||
| Margaret Loesch | ||||
| * | Director | November 22, 2024 | ||
| Lynne Segall | ||||
| * | Director | November 22, 2024 | ||
| Cynthia Turner-Graham | ||||
| * | Director | November 22, 2024 | ||
| Stefan Piech | ||||
| * | Director | November 22, 2024 | ||
| Henry Sicignano III | ||||
* By: /s/ Andy Heyward
Andy Heyward, Attorney-In-Fact
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Exhibit 1.1
PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
________, 2024
Roth Capital Partners, LLC
888 San Clemente Drive, Suite 400
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Introduction. Subject to the terms and conditions herein (this “Agreement”), Kartoon Studios, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), hereby agrees to sell up to an aggregate of $_______ of registered securities (the “Securities”) of the Company, including, but not limited to, shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), pre-funded common stock purchase warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of ______ shares of Common Stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”), and common stock purchase warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of _____ shares of Common Stock (the “Common Warrants” and together with the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Common Warrants (the “Common Warrant Shares”), the Shares, Pre-Funded Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, the “Securities”) directly to various investors (each, an “Investor” and, collectively, the “Investors”) through Roth Capital Partners, LLC (the “Placement Agent”) as placement agent. The documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Investors in connection with the Offering (as defined below), including, without limitation, a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.” The purchase price to the Investors for each Share and accompanying Common Warrant is $____ and the purchase price to the Investors for each Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrant is $____. The Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected-dealers on its behalf in connection with the Offering.
The Company hereby confirms its agreement with the Placement Agent as follows:
Section 1. Agreement to Act as Placement Agent.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Placement Agent shall be the exclusive placement agent in connection with the offering and sale by the Company of the Securities pursuant to the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-282385) (the “Registration Statement”), with the terms of such offering (the “Offering”) to be subject to market conditions and negotiations between the Company, the Placement Agent and the prospective Investors. The Placement Agent will act on a reasonable best efforts basis and the Company agrees and acknowledges that there is no guarantee of the successful placement of the Securities, or any portion thereof, in the prospective Offering. Under no circumstances will the Placement Agent or any of its “Affiliates” (as defined below) be obligated to underwrite or purchase any of the Securities for its own account or otherwise provide any financing. The Placement Agent shall act solely as the Company’s agent and not as principal. The Placement Agent shall have no authority to bind the Company with respect to any prospective offer to purchase Securities and the Company shall have the sole right to accept offers to purchase Securities and may reject any such offer, in whole or in part. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Securities shall be made at one closings (the “Closing” and the date on which the Closing occurs, the “Closing Date”). As compensation for services rendered, on the Closing Date, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent the fees and expenses set forth below:
(i) A cash fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Securities at the Closing of the Offering.
(ii) Such number of Common Stock purchase warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants”) to Placement Agent or its designees at the Closing to purchase shares of Common Stock equal to 7.0% of the aggregate number of Shares, Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants sold in the Offering. The Placement Agent Warrants exercise price shall be 125% of the public offering price per share and shall have an expiration date of 5 years from the effective date of the Offering. The Placement Agent Warrants shall not be transferable for six months from the date of the Offering except as permitted by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Rule 5110(g)(1).
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(iii) The Company also agrees to reimburse Placement Agent’s reasonable expenses (with supporting invoices/receipts) of $75,000 payable immediately upon the Closing of the Offering.
(b) The term of the Placement Agent's exclusive engagement will be until the completion of the Offering (the “Exclusive Term”); provided, however, that a party hereto may terminate the engagement with respect to itself at any time upon written notice to the other parties. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and contribution contained herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the indemnification provisions will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement, and the Company’s obligation to pay fees actually earned and payable and to reimburse expenses actually incurred and reimbursable pursuant to Section 1 hereof and which are permitted to be reimbursed under FINRA Rule 5110(g), will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to limit the ability of the Placement Agent or its Affiliates to pursue, investigate, analyze, invest in, or engage in investment banking, financial advisory or any other business relationship with Persons (as defined below) other than the Company. As used herein (i) “Persons” 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 and (ii) “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 of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
Section 2. Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Placement Agent as of the date hereof, and as of the Closing Date, as follows:
(a) Securities Law Filings. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) the Registration Statement under the Securities Act, which was initially filed on September 27, 2024 and declared effective on ______, 2024 for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act. Following the determination of pricing among the Company and the prospective Investors introduced to the Company by Placement Agent, the Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and 424(b) under the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission promulgated thereunder, a final prospectus relating to the placement of the Securities, their respective pricings and the plan of distribution thereof and will advise the Placement Agent of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein. Such registration statement, at any given time, including the exhibits thereto filed at such time, as amended at such time, is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement”; such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness is hereinafter called the “Preliminary Prospectus”; and the final prospectus, in the form in which it will be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 430A and/or Rule 424(b) (including the Preliminary Prospectus as it may be amended or supplemented) is hereinafter called the “Final Prospectus.” The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is hereinafter called the “Original Registration Statement.” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Original Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”), if any, which were or are filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), at any given time, 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 Original Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus 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 Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, 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 Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus (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 Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be. As used in this paragraph and elsewhere in this Agreement, “Time of Sale Disclosure Package” means the Preliminary Prospectus, any subscription agreement between the Company and the Investors, and any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 of the Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package. The term “any Prospectus” shall mean, as the context requires, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus, and any supplement to either thereof. The Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to issue a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus or intends to commence a proceeding for any such purpose.
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(b) Assurances. The Original Registration Statement, as amended, (and any further documents to be filed with the Commission) contains, in all material respects. 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 applicable Rules and Regulations and did 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 Preliminary Prospectus, and the Final Prospectus, each as of its respective date, comply or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations. Each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, 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 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 promulgated thereunder, 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 Preliminary Prospectus or Final Prospectus), in 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, 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. Except for this Agreement, there are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Preliminary Prospectus or Final Prospectus, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which have not been described or filed as required.
(c) Offering Materials. 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 other than the Time of Sale Disclosure Package.
(d) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Time of Sale Disclosure Package and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of each of this Agreement by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and under the Preliminary Prospectus have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) or the Company’s stockholders in connection therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals (as defined below). This Agreement has been duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, 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.
(e) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby to which it is a party do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s or any Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, 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, 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.
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(f) Certificates. Any certificate signed by an officer of the Company and delivered to the Placement Agent or to counsel for the Placement Agent shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Company to the Placement Agent as to the matters set forth therein.
(g) Reliance. The Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent will rely upon the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and warranties and hereby consents to such reliance.
(h) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(i) Statistical or Market-Related Data. Any statistical, industry-related and market-related data included or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes to be reliable and accurate, and such data agree with the sources from which they are derived.
(j) FINRA Affiliations. There are no affiliations with any FINRA member firm that is participating in the Offering among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any ten percent (10%) or greater stockholder of the Company.
(k) Representations and Warranties Incorporated by Reference. Each of the representations and warranties (together with any related disclosure schedules thereto) made to the Investors in the Purchase Agreement is hereby incorporated herein by reference (as though fully restated herein) and is hereby made to, and in favor of, the Placement Agent.
Section 3. Representations of the Placement Agent. The Placement Agent represents and warrants and covenants to the Company as of the date hereof, and as of the Closing Date, as follows that it (i) is a member in good standing of FINRA, (ii) is a broker/dealer registered under the Exchange Act, (iii) is licensed as a broker/dealer under the laws of the United States of America, applicable to the offers and sales of the Securities by the Placement Agent, (iv) is and will be a corporate body validly existing under the law of its place of incorporation, 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 with respect to subsections (i) through (v) above. The Placement Agent covenants that it will use its reasonable best efforts to conduct the Offering hereunder in compliance with the provisions of this Agreement and the requirements of applicable law.
Section 4. Delivery and Payment. The Closing shall occur at the offices of the Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105 (“Placement Agent Counsel”) (or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Placement Agent and the Company). Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, at the Closing payment of the purchase price for the Securities sold on such Closing Date shall be made by Federal Funds wire transfer, against delivery of such Securities, and such Securities shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in such denominations, as the Placement Agent may request at least one business day before the time of purchase (as defined below).
Deliveries of the documents with respect to the purchase of the Securities, if any, shall be made at the offices of Placement Agent Counsel. All actions taken at the Closing shall be deemed to have occurred simultaneously.
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Section 5. Covenants and Agreements of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the Placement Agent as follows:
(a) Registration Statement Matters. 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 Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus has been filed and will furnish the Placement Agent with copies thereof. 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 any Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the Offering except in the case of a sale of all of substantially all of the assets of the Company, a merger or reorganization of the Company with one or more other entities in which the Company is not the surviving entity or any transaction or series of related transactions as a result of which any Person (together with its Affiliates) acquires then outstanding securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting control of the Company, which occurs at least one year after the Closing. 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 Preliminary 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 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 reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) are received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(b) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will cooperate with the Placement Agent and the Investors 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 Investors 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.
(c) Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus and Other Matters. 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 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 Offering, 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.
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(d) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus. The Company will furnish the Placement Agent, without charge, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the later of the last Closing Date of the Offering, as many copies of any Prospectus or prospectus supplement and any amendments and supplements thereto, as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.
(e) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company covenants that it will not, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Company Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act. In the event that the Placement Agent expressly consents in writing to any such free writing prospectus (a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”), the Company covenants that it shall (i) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as a Company Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) comply with the requirements of Rule 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
(f) Transfer Agent. The Company will maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock for a period of one year after the Closing Date.
(g) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable and in accordance with applicable requirements under the Securities Act, but in any event not later than 18 months after the last Closing Date, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Placement Agent an earnings statement, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the last Closing Date, that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.
(h) Periodic Reporting Obligations. 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.
(i) Additional Documents. The Company will enter into any subscription, purchase or other customary agreements as the Placement Agent or the Investors deem necessary or appropriate to consummate the Offering, all of which will be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Company, Placement Agent and the Investors. The Company agrees that the Placement Agent may rely upon, and each is a third party beneficiary of, the representations and warranties, and applicable covenants, set forth in any such purchase, subscription or other agreement with Investors in the Offering.
(j) No Manipulation of Price. 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.
(k) Acknowledgment. The Company acknowledges that any advice given by the Placement Agent to the Company is solely for the benefit and use of the Board of Directors of the Company and may not be used, reproduced, disseminated, quoted or referred to, without the Placement Agent's prior written consent.
(l) Announcement of Offering. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent may, subsequent to the Closing, make public its involvement with the Offering.
(m) Reliance on Others. The Company confirms that it will rely on its own counsel and accountants for legal and accounting advice.
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(n) Research Matters. By entering into this Agreement, the Placement Agent does not provide any promise, either explicitly or implicitly, of favorable or continued research coverage of the Company and the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent’s selection as a placement agent for the Offering was in no way conditioned, explicitly or implicitly, on the Placement Agent providing favorable or any research coverage of the Company. In accordance with FINRA Rule 2711(e), the parties acknowledge and agree that the Placement Agent has not directly or indirectly offered favorable research, a specific rating or a specific price target, or threatened to change research, a rating or a price target, to the Company or inducement for the receipt of business or compensation.
Section 6. Conditions of the Obligations of the Placement Agent. The obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof, in each case as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by each of the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder on and as of such dates, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. On the date hereof, the Placement Agent shall have received, and the Company shall have caused to be delivered to the Placement Agent, a letter from WithumSmith+Brown PC (the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company), addressed to the Placement Agent, dated as of the date hereof, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent. The letter shall not disclose any change in the condition (financial or other), earnings, operations, business or prospects of the Company from that set forth in the Incorporated Documents or the applicable Prospectus or prospectus supplement, which, in the Placement Agent's sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Placement Agent's sole judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Offering of the Securities as contemplated by such Prospectus.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from the FINRA. Each Prospectus (in accordance with Rule 424(b)) and “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act), if any, shall have been duly filed with the Commission, as appropriate; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order preventing or suspending the use of any Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the Commission; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company shall have been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange; all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with; and the FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the placement terms and arrangements.
(c) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters in connection with this Agreement, the Registration Statement and each Prospectus, and the registration, sale and delivery of the Securities, shall have been completed or resolved in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent's counsel, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information as it may reasonably have requested to enable such counsel to pass upon the matters referred to in this Section 5.
(d) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, in the Placement Agent's sole judgment after consultation with the Company, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect or any material adverse change or development involving a prospective material adverse change in the condition or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus (“Material Adverse Change”).
(e) Opinions of Counsel for the Company. The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date the favorable opinions of (i) US legal counsel to the Company and (ii) Nevada legal counsel to the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
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(f) Officers’ Certificate. The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect that, and the Placement Agent shall be satisfied that, the signers of such certificate have reviewed the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents, the Prospectus, and this Agreement and to the further effect that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects, as if made on and as of the Closing Date, and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of any Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened under the Securities Act; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company has been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States;
(iii) When the Registration Statement became effective, at the time of sale, and at all times subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, when such documents became effective or were filed with the Commission, and any Prospectus, contained all material information required to be included therein by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, and any Prospectus, did not and do not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (provided, however, that the preceding representations and warranties contained in this paragraph (iii) shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for use therein) and, since the effective date of the Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder to be set forth in the Incorporated Documents which has not been so set forth; and
(iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus, there has not been: (a) any Material Adverse Change; (b) any transaction that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business; (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company and the Subsidiaries taken as a whole, incurred by the Company or any Subsidiary, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business; (d) any material change in the capital stock (except changes thereto resulting from the exercise of outstanding stock options or warrants) or outstanding indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary; (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company; or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company or any Subsidiary which has been sustained or will have been sustained which has a Material Adverse Effect.
(g) Bring-down Comfort Letter. On the Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received from WithumSmith+Brown PC, or such other independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, a letter dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent, to the effect that they reaffirm the statements made in the letter furnished pursuant to subsection (a) of this Section 6, except that the specified date referred to therein for the carrying out of procedures shall be no more than three business days prior to the Closing Date.
(h) Lock-Up Agreements. On the date hereof, the Placement Agent shall have received the executed lock-up agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, from each of the directors and officers of the Company.
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(i) Stock Exchange Listing. The Common Stock shall be registered under the Exchange Act and shall be listed on the Trading Market, and the Company shall not have taken any action designed to terminate, or likely to have the effect of terminating, the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Common Stock from the Trading Market, nor shall the Company have received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing.
(j) Additional Documents. On or before the Closing Date, the Placement Agent and counsel for the Placement Agent shall have received such information and documents as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
If any condition specified in this Section 6 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Placement Agent by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to the Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Section 7 (Payment of Expenses), Section 8 (Indemnification and Contribution) and Section 9 (Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery) shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
Section 7. Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees to pay all costs, fees and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the performance of its obligations hereunder and in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, including, without limitation: (i) all expenses incident to the issuance, delivery and qualification of the Securities (including all printing and engraving costs); (ii) all fees and expenses of the registrar and transfer agent of the Common Stock; (iii) all necessary issue, transfer and other stamp taxes in connection with the issuance and sale of the Securities; (iv) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel, independent public or certified public accountants and other advisors; (v) all costs and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation, printing, filing, shipping and distribution of the Registration Statement (including financial statements, exhibits, schedules, consents and certificates of experts), the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements thereto, and this Agreement; (vi) all filing fees, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Placement Agent in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) all or any part of the Securities for offer and sale under the state securities or blue sky laws or the securities laws of any other country, and, if requested by the Placement Agent, preparing and printing a “Blue Sky Survey,” an “International Blue Sky Survey” or other memorandum, and any supplements thereto, advising the Placement Agent of such qualifications, registrations and exemptions; (vii) if applicable, the filing fees incident to the review and approval by the FINRA of the Placement Agent's participation in the offering and distribution of the Securities; (viii) the fees and expenses associated with including the Shares, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares and Common Warrants Shares on the Trading Market; (ix) all reasonable and documented costs and expenses incident to the travel and accommodation of the Company’s and the Placement Agent's employees on the “roadshow,” if any; and (x) all other fees, costs and expenses referred to in Part II of the Registration Statement. Excluding the expenses under Section 7(vi)-(vii), the Company agrees to pay up to a maximum of $75,000 in costs, fees and expenses under this Section 7.
Section 8. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each person controlling the Placement Agent (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act), and the directors, officers, agents and employees of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each such controlling person (the Placement Agent, and each such entity or person. an “Indemnified Person”) from and against any losses, claims, damages, judgments, assessments, costs and other liabilities (collectively, the “Liabilities”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all fees and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of one counsel for all Indemnified Persons, except as otherwise expressly provided herein) (collectively, the “Expenses”) as they are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any Actions, whether or not any Indemnified Person is a party thereto, (i) caused by, or arising out of or in connection with, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Incorporated Document, or any 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 an Indemnified Person furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person expressly for use in the Incorporated Documents) or (ii) otherwise arising out of or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person's actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions; provided, however, that, the Company shall not be responsible for any Liabilities or Expenses of any Indemnified Person that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person's (x) gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any of the advice, actions, inactions or services referred to above or (y) use of any offering materials or information concerning the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities in the Offering which were not authorized for such use by the Company and which use constitutes gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Company also agrees to reimburse each Indemnified Person for all Expenses as they are incurred in connection with enforcing such Indemnified Person's rights under this Agreement.
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(b) Upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of actual notice of an Action against such Indemnified Person with respect to which indemnity may be sought under this Agreement, such Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Company in writing; provided that failure by any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have on account of this indemnity or otherwise to such Indemnified Person, except to the extent the Company shall have been prejudiced by such failure. The Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, assume the defense of any such Action including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, which counsel may also be counsel to the Company. Any Indemnified Person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless: (i) the Company has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such Action (including any impeded parties) include such Indemnified Person and the Company, and such Indemnified Person shall have been advised in the reasonable opinion of counsel that there is an actual conflict of interest that prevents the counsel selected by the Company from representing both the Company (or another client of such counsel) and any Indemnified Person; provided that the Company shall not in such event be responsible hereunder for the fees and expenses of more than one firm of separate counsel for all Indemnified Persons in connection with any Action or related Actions, in addition to one local counsel. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any Action effected without its written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld). In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened Action in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Indemnified Person is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination includes an unconditional release of each Indemnified Person from all Liabilities arising out of such Action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder. The indemnification required hereby shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred and is due and payable.
(c) In the event that the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to an Indemnified Person other than in accordance with this Agreement, the Company shall contribute to the Liabilities and Expenses paid or payable by such Indemnified Person in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by the immediately preceding clause is not permitted by applicable law, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, in connection with the matters as to which such Liabilities or Expenses relate, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided that in no event shall the Company contribute less than the amount necessary to ensure that all Indemnified Persons, in the aggregate, are not liable for any Liabilities and Expenses in excess of the amount of fees actually received by the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement. For purposes of this paragraph, the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (a) the total value paid or contemplated to be paid to or received or contemplated to be received by the Company in the transaction or transactions that are within the scope of this Agreement, whether or not any such transaction is consummated, bears to (b) the fees paid to the Placement Agent under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act, as amended, shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.
(d) The Company also agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person's actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions except for Liabilities (and related Expenses) of the Company that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person's gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any such advice, actions, inactions or services.
(e) The reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations of the Company set forth herein shall apply to any modification of this Agreement and shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any Indemnified Person's services under or in connection with, this Agreement.
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Section 9. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or any person controlling the Company, of its officers, and of the Placement Agent set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the Company, or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement. A successor to a Placement Agent, or to the Company, its directors or officers or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Agreement.
Section 10. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered or e-mailed and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Placement Agent to the address set forth above, attention: _______, email: ecm@roth.com
With a copy to:
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor
New York, New York 10105
E-mail: capmkts@egsllp.com
If to the Company:
Kartoon Studios, Inc.
190 N. Canon Drive, Floor 4
Beverly Hills CA 90210 e-mail: Brian@kartoonstudios.com
Attention: Brian Parisi
With a copy to:
Blank Rome LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020 e-mail: leslie.marlow@blankrome.com
Attention: Leslie Marlow
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
Section 11. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and to their respective successors, and personal representative, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
Section 12. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any Section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
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Section 13. Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been made and delivered in New York City and both this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed as to validity, interpretation, construction, effect and in all other respects by the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company: (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted exclusively in New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, (ii) waives any objection which it may have or hereafter to the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in any such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company, in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon the Placement Agent mailed by certified mail to the Placement Agent’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service process upon the Placement Agent, in any such suit, action or proceeding. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor its affiliates, and the respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each other person, if any, controlling the Placement Agent or any of its affiliates, shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with the engagement and transaction described herein except for any such liability for losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred by us that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of such individuals or entities. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provision of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
Section 14. General Provisions.
(a) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Engagement Agreement, dated September 4, 2024 (“Engagement Agreement”), between the Company and Roth Capital Partners, LLC shall continue to be effective and the terms therein shall continue to survive and be enforceable by the Placement Agent in accordance with its terms, including without limitation Section 2 therein, provided that, in the event of a conflict between the terms of the Engagement Agreement and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Placement Agent has acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to the Company or any other person, (ii) the Placement Agent owes the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and (iii) the Placement Agent may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Placement Agent arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign below whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, KARTOON STUDIOS, INC., a Nevada corporation | ||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
The foregoing Placement Agency Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.
|
ROTH CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC |
||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
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Exhibit 4.12
COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
Kartoon studios, inc.
| Warrant Shares: _______ | Initial Exercise Date: _______, 2024 |
THIS COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, _____________ or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on _____ (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Kartoon Studios, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), up to ______ shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).
Section 1. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day 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; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
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“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Registration Statement” means the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333- 282385).
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, and the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 18 Lafayette Pl, Woodmere, NY 11598 and an email address of regina@vstocktransfer.com, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Warrants” means this Warrant and other Common Stock purchase warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement.
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Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed 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 shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise on the Trading Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $_____, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
| (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) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) 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. |
If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
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| d) | Mechanics of Exercise. |
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or the resale of the Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earlier of (i) one (1) Trading Day after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) one (1) Trading Day 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 provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received by the Company by such date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the third Trading Day after the Warrant Share Delivery Date) 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 (including no Trading Days if the settlement date is the trade date), on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise.
ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
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 by delivering written notice to the Company at any time prior to delivery of such Warrant Shares (in which case any liquidated damages payable under Section 2(d)(i) shall no longer be payable).
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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 (other than any such failure that is solely due to any action or inaction by the Holder with respect to such exercise), and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.
vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that, in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
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e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
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Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time while this Warrant is outstanding the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to all of the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, 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 shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
c) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to all of the holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, 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 shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
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d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of greater than 50% of the outstanding Common Stock or greater than 50% of the voting power of the common equity of the Company, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires greater than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or greater than 50% of the voting power of the common equity of the Company (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value (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, the 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 Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction; provided, further, that if holders of Common Stock of the Company are not offered or paid any consideration in such Fundamental Transaction, such holders of Common Stock will be deemed to have received common stock of the Successor Entity (which Successor 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, L.P. (“Bloomberg”) determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of (1) the 30 day volatility, (2) the 100 day volatility or (3) the 365 day volatility, each of clauses (1)-(3) as obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg (determined utilizing a 365 day annualization factor) as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the greater of (i) the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction and (ii) the VWAP immediately preceding the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction (or the consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, if earlier), (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 in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(d) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall be added to the term “Company” under this Warrant (so that from and after the occurrence or consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, each and every provision of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to each of the Company and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally), and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally with the Company, may exercise every right and power of the Company prior thereto and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities shall assume all of the obligations of the Company prior thereto under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if the Company and such Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally, had been named as the Company herein. For the avoidance of doubt, the Holder shall be entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this Section 3(d) regardless of (i) whether the Company has sufficient authorized shares of Common Stock for the issuance of Warrant Shares and/or (ii) whether a Fundamental Transaction occurs prior to the Initial Exercise Date.
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e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
f) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company (or any of its Subsidiaries) is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of its assets, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by email to the Holder at its last email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 4 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
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g) Adjustment Upon Issuance of Shares of Common Stock. If and whenever on or after the date of issuance (the “Issuance Date”), the Company issues or sells (or enters into any agreement to grant, issue or sell), or in accordance with this Section 3(g) is deemed to have issued or sold, any shares of Common Stock and/or Common Stock Equivalents (including the issuance or sale of shares of Common Stock owned or held by or for the account of the Company, but excluding any Exempt Issuance issued or sold or deemed to have been issued or sold) for a consideration per share (the “New Issuance Price”) less than a price equal to the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such issuance or sale or deemed issuance or sale (such Exercise Price then in effect is referred to herein as the “Applicable Price”) (the foregoing a “Dilutive Issuance”), then simultaneously with the consummation (or, if earlier, the announcement) of each such Dilutive Issuance, the Exercise Price then in effect shall be reduced to an amount equal to the New Issuance Price. For all purposes of the foregoing (including, without limitation, determining the adjusted Exercise Price and the New Issuance Price under this Section 3(g)), the following shall be applicable:
i. Issuance of Options. If the Company in any manner grants or sells any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase shares of preferred stock and/or Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents which does not include any Exempt Issuances (“Options”) and the lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is at any time issuable upon the exercise of any such Option or upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Common Stock Equivalents issuable upon exercise of any such Option or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof is less than the Applicable Price, then such share of Common Stock shall be deemed to be outstanding and to have been issued and sold by the Company at the time of the granting or sale of such Option for such price per share. For purposes of this Section 3(g)(i), the “lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is issuable upon the exercise of any such Options or upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Common Stock Equivalents issuable upon exercise of any such Option or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof” shall be equal to (1) the lower of (x) the sum of the lowest amounts of consideration (if any) received or receivable by the Company with respect to any one share of Common Stock upon the granting or sale of such Option, upon exercise of such Option and upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Common Stock Equivalents issuable upon exercise of such Option or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof and (y) the lowest exercise price set forth in such Option for which one share of Common Stock is issuable upon the exercise of any such Options or upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Common Stock Equivalents issuable upon exercise of any such Option or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof minus (2) the sum of all amounts paid or payable to the holder of such Option (or any other Person) upon the granting, issuance or sale of such Option, upon exercise of such Option and upon conversion, exercise or exchange of any Common Stock Equivalents issuable upon exercise of such Option or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof plus the value of any other consideration received or receivable by, or benefit conferred on, the holder of such Option (or any other Person). Except as contemplated below, no further adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be made upon the actual issuance of such shares of Common Stock or of such Common Stock Equivalents upon the exercise of such Options or otherwise pursuant to the terms of or upon the actual issuance of such shares of Common Stock upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Common Stock Equivalents. This Section 3(g)(i) shall not apply to any Exempt Issuance.
ii. Issuance of Common Stock Equivalents. If the Company in any manner issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents and the lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is at any time issuable upon the conversion, exercise or exchange thereof or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof is less than the Exercise Price, then such share of Common Stock shall be deemed to be outstanding and to have been issued and sold by the Company at the time of the issuance or sale of such Common Stock Equivalents for such price per share. For the purposes of this Section 3(g)(ii), the “lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is issuable upon the conversion, exercise or exchange thereof or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof” shall be equal to (1) the lower of (x) the sum of the lowest amounts of consideration (if any) received or receivable by the Company with respect to one share of Common Stock upon the issuance or sale of the Common Stock Equivalent and upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Common Stock Equivalent or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof and (y) the lowest conversion price set forth in such Common Stock Equivalent for which one share of Common Stock is issuable upon conversion, exercise or exchange thereof or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof minus (2) the sum of all amounts paid or payable to the holder of such Common Stock Equivalent (or any other Person) upon the issuance or sale of such Common Stock Equivalent plus the value of any other consideration received or receivable by, or benefit conferred on, the holder of such Common Stock Equivalent (or any other Person). Except as contemplated below, no further adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be made upon the actual issuance of such shares of Common Stock upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Common Stock Equivalents or otherwise pursuant to the terms thereof, and if any such issuance or sale of such Common Stock Equivalents is made upon exercise of any Options for which adjustment of the Warrant has been or is to be made pursuant to other provisions of this Section 3(g), except as contemplated below, no further adjustment of the Exercise Price shall be made by reason of such issuance or sale. This Section 3(g)(ii) shall not apply to any Exempt Issuance.
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iii. Change in Option Price or Rate of Conversion. If the purchase or exercise price provided for in any Options, the additional consideration, if any, payable upon the issue, conversion, exercise or exchange of any Common Stock Equivalents, or the rate at which any Common Stock Equivalents are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock increases or decreases at any time (other than proportional changes in conversion or exercise prices, as applicable, in connection with an event referred to in Section 3(a)), the Exercise Price in effect at the time of such increase or decrease shall be adjusted to the Exercise Price which would have been in effect at such time had such Options or Common Stock Equivalents provided for such increased or decreased purchase price, additional consideration or increased or decreased conversion rate, as the case may be, at the time initially granted, issued or sold. For purposes of this Section 3(g)(iii), if the terms of any Option or Common Stock Equivalents that was outstanding as of the Issuance Date are increased or decreased in the manner described in the immediately preceding sentence, then such Option or Common Stock Equivalents and the shares of Common Stock deemed issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange thereof shall be deemed to have been issued as of the date of such increase or decrease. No adjustment pursuant to this Section 3(g) shall be made if such adjustment would result in an increase of the Exercise Price then in effect. This Section 3(g)(iii) shall not apply to any Exempt Issuance.
iv. Calculation of Consideration Received. If any Option and/or Common Stock Equivalent and/or Adjustment Right is issued in connection with the issuance or sale or deemed issuance or sale of any other securities of the Company (as determined by the Holder, the “Primary Security”, and such Option and/or Common Stock Equivalent and/or Adjustment Right, the “Secondary Securities” and together with the Primary Security, each a “Unit”), together comprising one integrated transaction, the aggregate consideration per share of Common Stock with respect to such Primary Security shall be deemed to be the lowest of (x) the purchase price of such Unit, (y) if such Primary Security is an Option and/or Common Stock Equivalent, the lowest price per share for which one share of Common Stock is at any time issuable upon the exercise or conversion of the Primary Security in accordance with Section 3(g)(i) or 3(g)(ii) above and (z) the lowest VWAP on any Trading Day during the five (5) Trading Day period (the “Adjustment Period”) immediately following the public announcement of such Dilutive Issuance (for the avoidance of doubt, if such public announcement is released prior to the opening of the applicable Trading Market on a Trading Day, such Trading Day shall be the first Trading Day in such five Trading Day period and if this Warrant is exercised, on any given Exercise Date during any such Adjustment Period, solely with respect to such portion of this Warrant converted on such applicable Exercise Date, such applicable Adjustment Period shall be deemed to have ended on, and included, the Trading Day immediately prior to such Exercise Date). If any shares of Common Stock, Options or Common Stock Equivalents are issued or sold or deemed to have been issued or sold for cash, the consideration received therefor will be deemed to be the net amount of consideration received by the Company therefor. If any shares of Common Stock, Options or Common Stock Equivalents are issued or sold for a consideration other than cash, the amount of such consideration received by the Company will be the fair value of such consideration, except where such consideration consists of publicly traded securities, in which case the amount of consideration received by the Company for such securities will be the lowest VWAP on any Trading Day during the five (5) Trading Day period immediately preceding the date of receipt. If any shares of Common Stock, Options or Common Stock Equivalents are issued to the owners of the non-surviving entity in connection with any merger in which the Company is the surviving entity, the amount of consideration therefor will be deemed to be the fair value of such portion of the net assets and business of the non-surviving entity as is attributable to such shares of Common Stock, Options or Common Stock Equivalents (as the case may be). The fair value of any consideration other than cash or publicly traded securities will be determined jointly by the Company and the Holder. If such parties are unable to reach agreement within ten (10) days after the occurrence of an event requiring valuation (the “Valuation Event”), the fair value of such consideration will be determined within five (5) Trading Days after the tenth (10th) day following such Valuation Event by an independent, reputable appraiser jointly selected by the Company and the Holder. The determination of such appraiser shall be final and binding upon all parties absent manifest error and the fees and expenses of such appraiser shall be borne by the Company. For purposes of hereof, “Adjustment Right” means any right granted with respect to any securities issued in connection with, or with respect to, any issuance or sale (or deemed issuance or sale in accordance with this Section 3(g)) of shares of Common Stock (other than rights of the type described in Section 3(b) and Section 3(c) hereof) that could result in a decrease in the net consideration received by the Company in connection with, or with respect to, such securities (including, without limitation, any cash settlement rights, cash adjustment or other similar rights).
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v. Record Date. If the Company takes a record of the holders of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of entitling them (A) to receive a dividend or other distribution payable in shares of Common Stock, Options or in Common Stock Equivalents or (B) to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock, Options or Common Stock Equivalents, then such record date will be deemed to be the date of the issuance or sale of the shares of Common Stock deemed to have been issued or sold upon the declaration of such dividend or the making of such other distribution or the date of the granting of such right of subscription or purchase (as the case may be).
Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
a) Transferability. Subject to compliance with applicable laws, this Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Warrant Register. The 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 Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” pursuant to Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) and Section 2(d)(iv) herein, in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.
b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
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c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant (it being understood that this provisions shall not prevent the Company from effecting any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities), but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
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e) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or their respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Warrant and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
h) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Exercise, shall be in writing and delivered personally, by e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at 190 N. Canon Drive, Floor 4
Beverly Hills CA 90210, Attention: Brian Parisi, email address: Brian@kartoonstudios.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 (i) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section
prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication
is delivered via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New
York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized
overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. To the extent that any
notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company
shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.
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i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder or the beneficial owner of this Warrant, on the other hand.
m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
********************
(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.
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KARTOON STUDIOS, INC.
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By: __________________________________________ Name: Title: |
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NOTICE OF EXERCISE
To: KARTOON STUDIOS, INC.
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
[ ] in lawful money of the United States; or
[ ] if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c).
(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
_______________________________
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: _______________________________________________________________________
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: _________________________________________________
Name of Authorized Signatory: ___________________________________________________________________
Title of Authorized Signatory: ____________________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________________________________________________
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information. Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
| Name: | ______________________________________ |
| (Please Print) | |
| Address: | ______________________________________ |
|
Phone Number:
Email Address:
|
(Please Print)
______________________________________
______________________________________
|
| Dated: _______________ __, ______ | |
| Holder’s Signature: ______________________________ | |
| Holder’s Address: _______________________________ |
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Exhibit 5.1(a)
Flangas Law Group
Writer's email: kps@fdlawlv.com
November 22, 2024
Board of Directors
Kartoon Studios, Inc.
190 N. Canon Drive, 4th Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
| Re: |
Kartoon Studios, Inc. Registration Statement on Form S-1/A |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special Nevada counsel to Kartoon Studios, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”) and have examined the Amended Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (as it may be amended from time to time, the “Registration Statement”) and prospectus contained therein (the “Prospectus”), to be filed on or about the date hereof with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) relating to the registration of (i) up to 10,389,610 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Shares”) together with warrants (the “Warrants”) to purchase up to 10,389,610 shares of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”) issuable on the exercise of warrants; or, in lieu of Shares, pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase up to 10,389,610 shares (“Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”); and (ii) placement agent warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants” to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Placement Agent Warrant Shares”). This opinion is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or related Prospectus, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issue of the Securities.
In rendering this opinion, we have examined such matters of fact as we have deemed necessary in order to render the opinions set forth herein.
We render this opinion only with respect to, and we express no opinion herein concerning the application or effect of the laws of any jurisdiction other than, the existing laws of the state of Nevada. We express no opinion with respect to any other laws or with respect to the “blue sky” securities laws of any state.
In our examination of documents for purposes of this opinion, we have relied on the accuracy of representations to us by officers of the Company with respect to all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as reproduced or certified copies, and the authenticity of the originals of those latter documents. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have, to the extent deemed appropriate, relied upon certain representations of certain officers of the Company.
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November 22, 2024
Page 2
For purposes of the opinion expressed below, we have assumed that a sufficient number of authorized but unissued shares of the Company’s common stock will be available for issuance when the Securities are issued.
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the assumptions, exceptions, limitations and qualifications set forth herein, we are of the opinion that:
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The Company is a corporation validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of Nevada. |
| 2. | The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and sold in accordance with, and in the manner described in the Registration Statement, such Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. |
| 3. | The Warrants have been duly authorized. |
| 4. | The Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and sold by the Company and delivered by the Company upon valid exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants and against receipt of the exercise price therefor, in accordance with and in the manner described in the Pre-Funded Warrants, such Pre-Funded Warrant Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 5. | The Pre-Funded Warrants have been duly authorized. |
| 6. | The Pre-Funded Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and sold by the Company and delivered by the Company upon valid exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants and against receipt of the exercise price therefor, in accordance with and in the manner described in the Pre-Funded Warrants, such Pre-Funded Warrant Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
| 7. | The Placement Agent Warrants have been duly authorized. |
| 8. | The Placement Agent Warrant Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and sold by the Company and delivered by the Company upon valid exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants and against receipt of the exercise price therefor, in accordance with and in the manner described in the Placement Agent Warrants, such Placement Agent Warrant Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. |
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement, to the use of our name as your counsel and to all references made to us in the Registration Statement and in the Prospectus forming a part thereof. In giving this consent, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act, or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/FLANGAS LAW GROUP
FLANGAS LAW GROUP
Exhibit 5.1(b)
1271 Avenue of the Americas | New York, NY 10020
blankrome.com
November 22, 2024
The Board of Directors
Kartoon Studios, Inc.
190 N. Canon Drive, 4th Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
| Re: | Registration Statement on Form S-1 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Kartoon Studios, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of a Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-282385) (the “Registration Statement”) relating to the offering by the Company of shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”) or, in lieu thereof, pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”), warrants (the “Common Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Common Warrant Shares”) as well as placement agent warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants” and, together with the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Common Warrants, the “Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Placement Agent Warrant Shares”). The Shares, Pre-Funded Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, Common Warrants, Common Warrant Shares, Placement Agent Warrants and Placement Agent Warrant Shares are collectively referred to as the “Securities.” The proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the Securities is $17,400,000. This opinion is being delivered at the request of the Company and in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the Commission.
In rendering the opinions set forth herein, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of (i) the Registration Statement, (ii) resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) and the Pricing Committee of the Board, (iii) the articles of incorporation of the Company, as amended, (iv) the bylaws of the Company, as amended (v) the form of the Pre-Funded Warrant, (vi) the form of the Common Warrant, (vii) the form of the Placement Agent Warrant, and (viii) such other corporate records, agreements, certificates, including, but not limited to, certificates or comparable documents of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company, statutes and other instruments and documents as we considered relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinions hereinafter expressed.
In rendering this opinion, we have assumed, without inquiry, (i) the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals; (ii) the conformity to the original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies; (iii) the legal capacity of all natural persons and the genuineness of all signatures on the Registration Statement and all documents submitted to us; and (iv) that the books and records of the Company are maintained in accordance with proper corporate procedures. As to various questions of fact material to such opinions, we have relied upon statements or certificates of officials and representatives of the Company and others. We have also relied upon the opinion, dated November 22, 2024, of Flangas Law Group, that the Company is a corporation validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of Nevada and that the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Common Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants have been duly authorized.
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Based on the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications, exceptions and assumptions stated herein, we are of the opinion that:
1.When the Pre-Funded Warrants are issued, delivered and paid for, as contemplated in the Registration Statement and prospectus, the Pre-Funded Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
2.When the Common Warrants are issued, delivered and paid for, as contemplated in the Registration Statement and prospectus, the Common Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
3.When the Placement Agent Warrants are issued, delivered and paid for, as contemplated in the Registration Statement and prospectus, the Placement Agent Warrants will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company.
This opinion is limited the applicable laws of the State of New York in effect on the date hereof that, in our experience, are normally applicable to transactions of the type contemplated by the Warrants. We express no opinion with respect to the laws of any other jurisdiction.
With regard to our opinions concerning the Warrants constituting valid and binding obligations of the Company:
1. Our opinions are subject to, and may be limited by, (a) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, conservatorship, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer, and similar laws and court decisions affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and secured parties generally, and (b) general principles of equity (including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, impossibility of performance, good faith and fair dealing) regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.
2. Our opinions are subject to the qualification that the availability of specific performance, an injunction or other equitable remedies is subject to the discretion of the court before which the request is brought.
3. We express no opinion as to any provision of the Warrants that: (a) provide for liquidated damages, buy-in damages, monetary penalties, prepayment or make-whole payments or other economic remedies to the extent such provisions may constitute unlawful penalties, (b) relate to advance waivers of claims, defenses, rights granted by law, or notice, opportunity for hearing, evidentiary requirements, statutes of limitations, trial by jury, or procedural rights, (c) restrict non-written modifications and waivers, (d) provides for the payment of legal and other professional fees where such payment is contrary to law or public policy, (e) relate to exclusivity, election or accumulation of rights or remedies, (f) authorize or validate conclusive or discretionary determinations, or (g) provide that provisions of the Warrants are severable to the extent an essential part of the agreed exchange is determined to be invalid and unenforceable.
4. We express no opinion as to whether a state court outside of the State of New York or a federal court of the United States would give effect to the choice of New York law or jurisdiction provided for in the Warrants.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement. We also hereby consent to the use of our name as your counsel under “Legal Matters” in the prospectus constituting part of the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby concede that we come within the categories of persons whose consent is required by the Securities Act or the General Rules and Regulations promulgated thereunder. This opinion is strictly limited to the matters stated herein and no other or more extensive opinion is intended, implied or to be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated herein. This opinion letter is not a guaranty nor may one be inferred or implied.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Blank Rome LLP
BLANK ROME LLP
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Exhibit 10.25
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of ____, 2024, between Kartoon Studios, Inc., a Nevada corporation (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 (as defined below), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described 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 adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following 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.
“Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).
“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.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“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; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York are generally open for use by customers on such day.
“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 City time) and before midnight (New York City time) on a Trading Day).
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
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“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Common Warrants” means, collectively, the Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Common Warrants shall be exercisable at any time on or after the Closing Date, shall have a term of exercise equal to five (5) years from the initial exercise date, in the form of Exhibit C attached hereto.
“Common Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants.
“Company Nevada Counsel” means Flangas Law Group, with offices located at 3275 South Jones Blvd., Suite 105, Las Vegas, Nevada 89146.
“Company Securities Counsel” means Blank Rome LLP, with offices located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
“Disclosure Schedules” means the Disclosure Schedules of the Company delivered concurrently herewith.
“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 City time) and before midnight (New York City time) on any Trading Day, 9:01 a.m. (New York City 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 City time) and 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent.
“EGS” means Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, with offices located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105-0302.
“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(s).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) shares of Common Stock, restricted stock units or options, including the shares of Common Stock underlying the restricted stock units or options, to employees, officers, directors or consultants of the Company pursuant to any stock 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, with the exception of the issuances set forth in subsection (e) below which shall constitute Exempt Issuances, such securities issued to consultants 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, (b) securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of any Securities issued hereunder, warrants to the Placement Agent in connection with the transactions pursuant to this Agreement and any securities upon exercise of warrants to the Placement Agent and/or other securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock 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 stock splits or combinations or anti-dilution provisions contained therein as of the date hereof) or to extend the term of such securities, (c) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the prohibition period in Section 4.11(a) herein, and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities, (d) up to $100,000 of restricted stock to a certain charitable organization pursuant to a prior commitment of the Company; (e) $100,000 worth of securities to be issued to certain consultants pursuant to pre-existing agreements between the Company and such consultants as of the date of this Agreement, pursuant to the Company’s equity incentive plan, and (f) up to $______ of Shares and Warrants issued to other purchasers pursuant to the Prospectus concurrently with the Closing at the Per Share and Accompanying Common Warrant Purchase Price, less the aggregate Subscription Amount pursuant to this Agreement.
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“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
“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(aa).
“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(p).
“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 Company and the directors, and officers of the Company, 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(n).
“Per Share and Accompanying Common Warrant Purchase Price” equals $[_______], subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement, provided that the purchase price per Pre-Funded Warrant and accompanying Common Warrant shall be the Per Share and Accompanying Common Warrant Purchase Price minus $0.001.
“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.
“Placement Agent” means Roth Capital Partners, LLC.
“Pre-Funded Warrant” means, collectively, the Pre-Funded Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Pre-Funded Warrants shall be exercisable immediately and shall expire when exercised in full, in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto.
“Pre-Funded Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
“Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement, as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto, or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Securities Act.
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or threatened.
“Prospectus” means the final prospectus filed for the Registration Statement.
“Prospectus Supplement” means any supplement to the Prospectus complying with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act that is filed with the Commission and delivered by the Company to each Purchaser at the Closing.
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.
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“Registration Statement” means the effective registration statement with Commission File No. 333-282385 which registers the sale of the Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares to the Purchasers, and includes any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement.
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission 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 Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission 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 Commission 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 Commission on or prior to the date hereof and became automatically effective pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act.
“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.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement.
“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 shares of Common Stock).
“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for 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 (minus, if applicable, the aggregate exercise price of a Purchaser’s Pre-Funded Warrants, which amount shall be paid as and when such Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised).
“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Company as set forth on Schedule 3.1(a), and shall, where applicable, also include any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company formed or acquired after the date hereof.
“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 Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Lock-Up Agreement, the Warrants, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
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“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 18 Lafayette Pl, Woodmere, NY 11598 and an email address of regina@vstocktransfer.com, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“Variable Rate Transaction” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.11(b).
“Warrants” means, collectively, the Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants.
“Warrant Shares” means, collectively, the Common Warrant Shares and the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares.
ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell, and each of the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, up to an aggregate of $_______ of Shares and Common Warrants as set forth on the signature page; provided, however, that, to the extent that a Purchaser determines, in its sole discretion, that such Purchaser (together with such Purchaser’s Affiliates, and any Person acting as a group together with such Purchaser or any of such Purchaser’s Affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, or as such Purchaser may otherwise choose, in lieu of purchasing Shares such Purchaser may elect to purchase Pre-Funded Warrants in lieu of Shares in such manner to result in the same aggregate purchase price being paid by such Purchaser to the Company. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, at the election of the Purchaser at Closing, 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of the Securities on the Closing Date. 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” settlement with the Company or its designee. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares, Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants as determined pursuant to Section 2.2(a), 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 take place remotely by electronic transfer of the Closing documentation. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, settlement of the Shares shall occur via “Delivery Versus Payment” (“DVP”) (i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Shares registered in the Purchasers’ names and addresses and 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). 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 the 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, such Pre-Settlement Shares 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 of Common Stock to any Person and that any such decision to sell any shares of Common Stock by such Purchaser shall solely be made at the time such Purchaser elects to effect any such sale, if any. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein and a Purchaser’s Subscription Amount set forth on the signature pages attached hereto, the number of Shares purchased by a Purchaser (and its Affiliates) hereunder shall not, when aggregated with all other shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such Purchaser (and its Affiliates) at such time, result in such Purchaser beneficially owning (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) in excess of 9.99% of the then issued and outstanding Common Stock outstanding at the Closing (the “Beneficial Ownership Maximum”), and such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, to the extent it would otherwise exceed the Beneficial Ownership Maximum immediately prior to the Closing, shall be conditioned upon the issuance of Shares at the Closing to the other Purchasers signatory hereto. To the extent that a Purchaser’s beneficial ownership of the Shares would otherwise be deemed to exceed the Beneficial Ownership Maximum, such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount shall automatically be reduced as necessary in order to comply with this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise of a Pre-Funded Warrant (as defined in the Pre-Funded Warrants) delivered on or prior to 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Closing Date, which may be delivered at any time after the time of execution of this Agreement, the Company agrees to deliver the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Closing Date and the Closing Date shall be the Warrant Share Delivery Date (as defined in the Pre-Funded Warrants) for purposes hereunder. Each Purchaser acknowledges that, concurrently with the Closing and pursuant to the Prospectus, the Company may sell up to $_____ of additional Shares and Warrants to purchasers not party to this Agreement, and will issue to each such purchaser such additional Shares and Warrants in the same form and at the same Per Share and Accompanying Common Warrant Purchase Price.
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2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date (except as indicated below), the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) a legal opinion of each of (x) Company Securities Counsel and (y) Company Nevada Counsel, directed to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers, in the form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers;
(iii) subject to Section 2.1, the Company shall have provided each Purchaser with the Company’s wire instructions, on Company letterhead and executed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;
(iv) subject to 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 and Accompanying Common Warrant Purchase Price, registered in the name of such Purchaser;
(v) for each Purchaser of Pre-Funded Warrants pursuant to Section 2.1, a Pre-Funded Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the portion of such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount applicable to Pre-Funded Warrants divided by the Per Share and Accompanying Common Warrant Purchase Price minus $0.001, with an exercise price equal to $0.001, subject to adjustment therein;
(vi) a Common Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to ___% of the sum of such Purchaser’s Shares and Pre-Funded Warrant Shares initially issuable upon exercise of such Purchaser’s Pre-Funded Warrants, with an exercise price equal to $____, subject to adjustment therein;
(vii) on the date hereof, the duly executed Lock-Up Agreements; and
(viii) the Preliminary Prospectus and Prospectus (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, as applicable, the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(ii) such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, which shall be made available for “Delivery Versus Payment” settlement with the Company or its designee.
2.3 Closing Conditions.
(a) 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) on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects));
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(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) 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 as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects));
(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; and
(v) from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s principal 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 Securities at the Closing.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the Disclosure Schedules, which Disclosure Schedules shall be deemed a part hereof and shall qualify any representation made herein to the extent of the disclosure contained in the corresponding section of the Disclosure Schedules, the Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. All of the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company are set forth on Schedule 3.1(a). The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary free and clear of any Liens, and all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock 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. If the Company has no subsidiaries, all other references to the Subsidiaries or any of them in the Transaction Documents shall be disregarded.
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(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise organized, validly existing and 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. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents that would constitute a Material Adverse Effect (as defined below). 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”) and 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 stockholders 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.
(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 certificate or articles of incorporation, 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 Commission of the Prospectus, (iii) application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Shares and Warrant Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, and (iv) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
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(f) Issuance of the Securities; Registration. The Securities 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 nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Agreement and the Warrants. The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, which became effective on [_________, 2024 (the “Effective Date”), 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 Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, shall file the Prospectus with the Commission 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.
(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company as of the date hereof is substantially as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), which Schedule 3.1(g) shall also include the number of shares of Common Stock owned beneficially, and of record, by Affiliates of the Company as of the date hereof. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed report under the Exchange Act, other than pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options under the Company’s stock option plans, the issuance of shares of Common Stock to employees pursuant to the Company’s employee stock purchase plans and pursuant to the conversion and/or exercise of Common Stock Equivalents outstanding as of the date of the most recently filed report under the Exchange Act. 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 shares of Common Stock or the capital stock of any Subsidiary, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or capital stock of any Subsidiary. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company or any Subsidiary to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers). Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(g), there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company or any Subsidiary with any provision that adjusts the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of such security or instrument 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 stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” 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, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
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(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 years preceding the date hereof (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 Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, 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 Commission 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.
(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 on 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 Commission, (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 stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company stock option plans. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth on 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 would 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 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made.
(j) Litigation. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(j), there is no action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation 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) (collectively, an “Action”). None of the Actions set forth on Schedule 3.1(j), (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) would, 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 Action 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 not pending or threatened, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. The Commission 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.
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(k) Labor Relations. 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. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company or any Subsidiary, 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. 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 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.
(m) 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.
(n) 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.
(o) 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.
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(p) 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.
(q) 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 at least equal to the aggregate Subscription Amount. 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.
(r) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(r), none of the 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, 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 officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, 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 or a Subsidiary and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any stock option plan of the Company.
(s) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1(s), the Company and the Subsidiaries are in compliance in all material respects with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. 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 provide reasonable assurance 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 Commission’s rules and forms. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company and the Subsidiaries as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, 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.
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(t) 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. 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.
(u) 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.
(v) Registration Rights. 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.
(w) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock is 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 Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has 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 Common Stock 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.
(x) 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 certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of 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.
(y) 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 Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus. 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, including the Disclosure Schedules to this Agreement, 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 the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve 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 the 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.
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(z) 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.
(aa) Solvency. 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). 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 year from the Closing Date. Schedule 3.1(aa) sets forth as of the date hereof all outstanding secured and unsecured Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary, or for which the Company or any Subsidiary has commitments. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $100,000 (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 $50,000 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.
(bb) 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, the Company and its Subsidiaries each (i) has made or filed all United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company or of any Subsidiary know of no basis for any such claim.
(cc) 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.
(dd) Accountants. The Company’s accounting firm is set forth on Schedule 3.1(dd) of the Disclosure Schedules. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm (i) is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and (ii) shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.
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(ee) 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.
(ff) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(f) and 4.12 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 Common Stock, 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 Securities are being determined, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders' 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.
(gg) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf 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.
(hh) Cybersecurity. (i)(x) 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”) and (y) 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 security breach or other compromise to its IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries are presently in compliance in all material respects 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 designed 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 procedures consistent with industry standards and practices.
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(ii) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. (i) The Company and the Subsidiaries are, and at all times during the last three (3) years were, in compliance in all material respects with all applicable state, federal and foreign data privacy and security laws and regulations, including, without limitation, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) (EU 2016/679) (collectively, “Privacy Laws”); (ii) the Company and the Subsidiaries have in place, comply with, and take appropriate steps reasonably designed to comply in all material respects 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 (a) a natural person’s name, street address, telephone number, email address, photograph, social security number, bank information, or customer or account number; (b) any information which would qualify as “personally identifying information” under the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended; (c) any information that qualifies as “personal data,” “personal information,” or similar term under Privacy Laws. (v) 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 (vi) 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 request or demand from a regulatory authority 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.
(jj) Stock Option Plans. Each stock option granted by the Company under the Company’s stock option plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date such stock option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Company’s stock 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, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its Subsidiaries or their financial results or prospects.
(kk) 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”).
(ll) 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.
(mm) 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 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.
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(nn) 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 money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no Action or 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.
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 hereof 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) 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.
(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) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, and on each date on which it exercises any Warrants, it will be an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7), (a)(8), (a)(9), (a)(12), or (a)(13) under the Securities Act.
(d) 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.
(e) 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 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.
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(f) 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.
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.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Warrant Shares. If all or any portion of a Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance or resale of the Warrant Shares or if the Warrant is 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 reasonable 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 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 except in the event that the Company consummates: (a) any transaction or series of related transactions as a result of which any Person (together with its Affiliates) acquires then outstanding securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting control of the Company; (b) a merger or reorganization of the Company with one or more other entities in which the Company is not the surviving entity; or (c) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, which occurs at least one year after the Closing.
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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 8-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the Commission 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, 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 Commission 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 Commission 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 in writing to the receipt of such information and agreed in writing 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, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or Affiliates 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, employees, Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, or a duty to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, 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 with the delivery of such notice file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. 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. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.7 attached hereto, the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital 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 Common Stock or Common Stock 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 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 (a) any material breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against the Purchaser Parties in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is solely based upon a material breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which is finally judicially determined to constitute fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct. If any action 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, 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 action 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 action there is, in the reasonable opinion of 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 actual and documented fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations made by a Purchaser Party in this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents. The indemnification required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred, provided however, that if it is subsequently determined by a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction that such Purchaser Party was not entitled to receive such periodic payments, such Purchaser Party shall promptly (but in no event later than five (5) Business Days) return such payments to the Company. 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 Common Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue Shares pursuant to this Agreement and Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Warrants.
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4.10 Listing of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use reasonable efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is 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 Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the Shares and Warrant Shares on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock 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 Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all 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 Common Stock 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4.10 shall not apply in the event that the Company consummates, at least one year after the Closing: (a) any transaction or series of related transactions as a result of which any Person (together with its Affiliates) acquires then outstanding securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting control of the Company; (b) a merger or reorganization of the Company with one or more other entities in which the Company is not the surviving entity; or (c) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.
4.11 Subsequent Equity Sales.
(a) From the date hereof until 90 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 shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or (ii) file any registration statement or amendment or supplement thereto, other than the Prospectus or supplement or amendments to registration statements or supplements previously filed.
(b) From the date hereof until 180 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 Common Stock or Common Stock 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 shares of Common Stock 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 shares of Common Stock 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 or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events directly or indirectly related to the business of the Company or the market for the Common Stock 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. Any 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. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the reset of the exercise price of the warrants outstanding on the date hereof in accordance with their terms shall not be a Variable Rate Transaction.
(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.
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4.13 Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, 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 with the other Purchasers, 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 and the information included in the Disclosure Schedules (other than as disclosed to its legal and other representatives). 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 Capital Changes. Until the one year anniversary of the Closing Date, the Company shall not undertake a reverse or forward stock split or reclassification of the Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Purchasers holding a majority in interest of the Shares and Warrants other than a reverse stock split that is required or recommended, in the good faith determination of the Board of Directors, to maintain the listing of the Common Stock on the Trading Market.
4.15 Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise included in the Warrants set 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.
4.16 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 reasonable efforts to seek specific performance of the terms of such Lock-Up Agreement.
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated: (a) 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, or (b) by the Company upon written notice to the Purchasers and the Placement Agent, 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 to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).
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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, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, 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: (a) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via 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 City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via 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 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. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto.
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 sum of (i) the Shares and (ii) the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares initially issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, if any, based on the initial 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 multiple Purchasers), the consent of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or at least 50.1% in interest of such multiple 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 proposed amendment or waiver that disproportionately, materially and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Purchaser relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Purchasers shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Purchaser. 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 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Placement Agent shall be the third party beneficiary of the representations, warranties, and covenants of the Company in this Agreement and the representations, warranties, and covenants of the Purchasers in this Agreement. 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 Action or Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such 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 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 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 Action or 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 Action or 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 Action or Proceeding.
5.10 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities.
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 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 “.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 a Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any shares of Common Stock subject to any such rescinded exercise notice concurrently 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).
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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 Action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
5.16 Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
5.17 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. For reasons of administrative convenience only, each Purchaser and its respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through EGS. EGS does not represent any of the Purchasers and only represents The Placement Agent. 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.
5.18 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.
5.19 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.
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5.20 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 shares of Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
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.
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Kartoon Studios, Inc.
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Address for Notice: |
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By:__________________________________________ Name: Title:
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice): |
E-Mail: |
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[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
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[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO Kartoon studios, inc.
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: ________________________________________
Address for Notice to Purchaser:
Address for Delivery of Securities to Purchaser (if not same as address for notice):
Subscription Amount: $_________________
Shares: _________________
Pre-Funded Warrant Shares: ___________ Beneficial Ownership Blocker o 4.99% or o 9.99%
Common Warrant Shares: ___________ Beneficial Ownership Blocker o 4.99% or o 9.99%
EIN Number: ____________________
o Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, by checking this box (i) the obligations of the above-signed to purchase the securities set forth in this Agreement to be purchased from the Company by the above-signed, and the obligations of the Company to sell such securities to the above-signed, shall be unconditional and all conditions to Closing shall be disregarded, (ii) the Closing shall occur on the first (1st) Trading Day following the date of this Agreement and (iii) any condition to Closing contemplated by this Agreement (but prior to being disregarded by clause (i) above) that required delivery by the Company or the above-signed of any agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) shall no longer be a condition and shall instead be an unconditional obligation of the Company or the above-signed (as applicable) to deliver such agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) to such other party on the Closing Date.
[SIGNATURE PAGES CONTINUE]
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Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Prospectus constituting a part of this Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form S-1, of our report dated April 5, 2024, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Kartoon Studios, Inc. as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in such Registration Statement.
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
| Whippany, New Jersey |
| November 22, 2024 |
Exhibit 23.2
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Prospectus included in this Amendment No. 2 to Registration Statement on Form S-1, of Kartoon Studios, Inc. of our report dated April 12, 2023, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Genius Brands International, Inc. (n/k/a Kartoon Studios, Inc.) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement.
/s/ Baker Tilly US, LLP
Irvine, California
November 22, 2024