As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 10, 2023

Registration No. 333-        

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

____________________________

FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

____________________________

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
____________________________

Nevada

 

3580

 

88-4042082

(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

 

(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 2
Omaha, NE 68137
877-860-3030

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

____________________________

Matthew Atkinson
Chief Executive Officer
5920 South 118
th Circle, Suite 2
Omaha, NE 68137
877-860-3030

(Names, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

____________________________

Copies to:

Louis A. Bevilacqua, Esq.
Bevilacqua PLLC
1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 869-0888

 

Cavas S. Pavri, Esq.
Johnathan C. Duncan, Esq.
ArentFox Schiff LLP
1717 K Street NW
Washington, DC 20006 United States
(202) 857-6000

____________________________

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after 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, 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

 

☐

Non-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 comply with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of 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 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to such Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

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EXPLANATORY NOTE

This registration statement contains two prospectuses, as set forth below.

•        Public Offering Prospectus.    A prospectus to be used for the public offering of class B common stock through the underwriter named on the cover page of this prospectus, which we refer to as Public Offering Prospectus.

•        The Resale Prospectus.    A prospectus to be used for the resale by selling stockholders of 1,741,036 shares of class B common stock, which we refer to as the Resale Prospectus.

The Resale Prospectus is substantively identical to the Public Offering Prospectus, except for the following principal points:

•        they contain different front and back covers;

•        they contain different Offering sections in the Prospectus Summary;

•        they contain different Use of Proceeds sections;

•        the Capitalization and Dilution sections are deleted from the Resale Prospectus;

•        a Selling Stockholders section is included in the Resale Prospectus;

•        the Underwriting section from the Public Offering Prospectus is deleted from the Resale Prospectus and a Plan of Distribution section is inserted in its place; and

•        the Legal Matters section in the Resale Prospectus deletes the reference to counsel for the underwriter.

The registrant has included in this registration statement a set of alternate pages after the back cover page of the Public Offering Prospectus, which we refer to as the Alternate Pages, to reflect the foregoing differences in the Resale Prospectus as compared to the Public Offering Prospectus. The Public Offering Prospectus will exclude the Alternate Pages and will be used for the public offering by the Registrant. The Resale Prospectus will be substantively identical to the Public Offering Prospectus except for the addition or substitution of the Alternate Pages and will be used for the resale offering by the selling stockholders.

 

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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 offers to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 10, 2023

CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

1,500,000 Shares

Class B Common Stock

____________________________

This is an initial public offering of our class B common stock. Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our class B common stock. We expect that the initial public offering price will be between $4.00 and $6.00 per share.

Currently, there is no public market for our class B common stock. We plan to apply to list our class B common stock on NYSE American under the symbol “            ”. We believe that upon the completion of this offering, we will meet the standards for listing, and the closing of this offering is contingent upon such listing.

We have two classes of authorized common stock — class A common stock and class B common stock. The rights of the holders of our class A common stock and class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion. Each share of class A common stock is entitled to ten votes per share and is convertible into one share of class B common stock. Each share of class B common stock is entitled to one vote per share. All of our outstanding class A common stock is currently held by Matthew Atkinson, our Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Mr. Atkinson and a third party, Bethor Limited, also hold all of our outstanding series seed preferred stock, which will automatically convert into class A common stock upon completion of this offering. Upon completion of this offering, these stockholders will collectively be able to exercise approximately 88% of our total voting power, or approximately 87% if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full. However, we will not be a “controlled company” under the rules of NYSE American.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, and as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings. See “Prospectus Summary — Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company” and “Risk Factors — Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock.”

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before buying any securities, you should carefully read the discussion of the material risks of investing in our securities under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 of this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

Per Share

 

Total

Initial public offering price

 

$

 

 

$

 

Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)

 

$

 

 

$

 

Proceeds to us, before expenses(2)

 

$

 

 

$

 

____________

(1)      Does not include a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 1% of the gross proceeds of this offering payable to Boustead Securities, LLC, the representative of the underwriters. We have also agreed to issue to the representative warrants to purchase up to a total number of shares of class B common stock equal to 7% of the total number of shares sold in this offering at an exercise price equal to 125% of the initial public offering price of the shares sold in this offering. See “Underwriting” for a complete description of the compensation arrangements.

(2)      We estimate the total expenses payable by us, excluding the underwriting discount and non-accountable expense allowance, will be approximately $840,000.

We have granted the underwriters an option for a period of 45 days after the closing of this offering to purchase up to 15% of the total number of shares to be offered by us pursuant to this offering (excluding shares subject to this option), solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments, at the initial public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares against payment as set forth under “Underwriting” on or about            , 2023.

BOUSTEAD SECURITIES, LLC

Prospectus dated            , 2023

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

Prospectus Summary

 

1

Risk Factors

 

13

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

27

Use of Proceeds

 

28

Dividend Policy

 

29

Capitalization

 

30

Dilution

 

32

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

34

Business

 

41

Management

 

50

Executive Compensation

 

55

Current Relationships and Related Party Transactions

 

60

Principal Stockholders

 

61

Description of Securities

 

63

Shares Eligible for Future Sale

 

66

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders

 

67

Underwriting

 

71

Legal Matters

 

76

Experts

 

76

Where You Can Find More Information

 

76

Financial Statements

 

F-1

Please read this prospectus carefully. It describes our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, among other things. We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus and in any free-writing prospectus we have authorized. Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with different information, and neither we nor the underwriters take responsibility for any other information others may give you. Neither we nor the underwriters are making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. The information contained in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of securities. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than its date.

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INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

We are responsible for the information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus includes industry and market data that we obtained from periodic industry publications, and third-party studies and surveys. These sources generally state that the information they provide has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but that the accuracy and completeness of the information are not guaranteed. The forecasts and projections included in these sources are based on historical market data, and there is no assurance that any of the forecasts or projected amounts will be achieved. Industry and market data could be wrong because of the method by which sources obtained their data and because information cannot always be verified with complete certainty due to the limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties. The market and industry data used in this prospectus involve risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the estimates made by independent parties and by us. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that a third party using different methods to assemble, analyze or compute industry and market data would obtain the same results.

TRADEMARKS, TRADE NAMES AND SERVICE MARKS

We own or have rights to various trademarks, service marks and trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business. This prospectus may also contain trademarks, service marks and trade names of third parties, which are the property of their respective owners. Our use or display of third parties’ trademarks, service marks and trade names or products in this prospectus is not intended to, and does not imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship by us. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ®, TM or SM symbols, but the omission of such references is not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the right of the applicable owner of these trademarks, service marks and trade names.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding whether to invest in our securities. You should carefully read the entire prospectus, including the risks associated with an investment in our company discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Some of the statements in this prospectus are forward-looking statements. See the section titled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Unless otherwise indicated by the context, reference in this prospectus to “we,” “us,” “our,” “our company” and similar references are to CleanCore Solutions, Inc.; provided that all discussions in this prospectus regarding our business and operations prior to the acquisition described under “— Our Corporate History and Structure” below refer to the business and operations of our predecessor companies described below.

Our Company

Overview

We specialize in the development and manufacturing of cleaning products that produce pure aqueous ozone for professional, industrial, or home use. We have a patented nanobubble technology using aqueous ozone that we believe is highly effective in cleaning, sanitizing, and deodorizing surfaces and high-touch areas.

Our mission is to become a leader in creating safe, clean spaces that are free from any chemical residue or skin irritants. We are currently expanding our distributor network, improving our manufacturing processes, and proving the effectiveness of our products in restaurants, airports, and hotels.

As noted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or the EPA (“Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet: Ozone Disinfection,” September 1999), ozone has been used in water treatment facilities to remove pathogens from water for decades. However, ozone was not safe for traditional cleaning because the gas alone can be harmful when inhaled. In recent years, ozone has been found to become a powerful cleaning solution if infused into tap water, which then creates a solution called aqueous ozone. Once the ozone is added into the water, the resulting solution is safe to handle, yet continues to hold the effective cleaning and oxidizing components of ozone.

Our product offerings utilize a patented technology that we believe produces an enhanced aqueous ozone solution that requires no additives, filters, or advanced chemicals. We believe that we are the only company that has an aqueous ozone solution that is produced in the form of nanobubbles. In a critical review from Environmental Science Nano (“Disinfection applications of ozone micro- and nanobubbles,” November 2, 2021) authors Petroula Seridou and Nicolas Kalogerakis explain that since its discovery in the 1990’s, nanobubbles have been used to remove pollutants in many industries, including biopharma and food processing. Nanobubbles are the nanometer-sized (one billionth of a meter) gaseous cavities in a liquid solution. The common micro sized bubbles have larger diameters which causes them to rise quickly to the surface of an aqueous solution as compared to the smaller bubbles.

Since nanobubbles have no natural buoyancy, they remain underwater, where each tiny, negatively charged bubble is attracted to positively charged pollutants and harmful toxins. In the article, Seridou and Kalogerakis write about how this union causes the nanobubbles to release ozone which extinguishes pathogens and slowly breaks down the cell walls of mold, germs, and other residues. Further, a smaller size of nanobubbles is also more effective as it has a higher density of ozone and is able to provide a more thorough surface coverage, which destroys a higher number of contaminants.

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Our pure aqueous ozone product is a natural cleaner, sanitizer, and deodorizer produced through the infusion of ozone into water using electricity. The use of this ozone solution has been proven effective in eliminating germs, viruses, bacteria, allergens, and molds; and it performs better than bleach according to a research report published by PLoS One (“The microbial killing capacity of aqueous and gaseous ozone on different surfaces contaminated with dairy cattle manure,” May 14, 2018). Aqueous ozone technology has been tested and previously destroyed pathogens including E. Coli, Staphylococcus, Listeria, and Salmonella as described in Catalyst journal (“Ozone and Photocatalytic Processes for Pathogens Removal from Water: A Review,” January 5, 2019). The solution cleans hard surfaces, floors, carpets, upholstery, and food contact surfaces.

In addition, in an independent case study at Cape Coral Hospital in Florida, the aqueous ozone solution worked to significantly deodorize smells. The same internal case study notes that the aqueous ozone does not mask smells, but instead destroys the bacterium causing the smell.

Our aqueous ozone solution is referred to as “pure” because of its ability to keep high concentration of ozone in the solution without needing to use a stabilizer or additive. Depending on the product, the pure aqueous ozone solution contains between 0.5 to 1.5 parts per million, or ppm, of ozone for professional cleaning and up to 20 ppm of ozone for industrial cleaning. At these levels, we believe the concentration of ozone within the solution is strong enough to effectively clean and deodorize better than bleach.

Our Corporate History and Structure

We were incorporated in the State of Nevada on August 23, 2022 under the name CC Acquisition Corp. for the sole purpose of acquiring substantially all of the assets of CleanCore Solutions, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or CleanCore LLC, TetraClean Systems, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or TetraClean, and Food Safety Technology L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company, or Food Safety. On November 21, 2022, we changed our name from CC Acquisition Corp. to CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

On October 17, 2022, we entered into an asset purchase agreement with CleanCore LLC, TetraClean, Food Safety and Burlington Capital, LLC, the majority owner of these entities, pursuant to which we acquired substantially all of the assets of CleanCore LLC, TetraClean and Food Safety for a total purchase price of $5,000,000, consisting of $2,000,000 in cash and the issuance of a promissory note in the principal amount of $3,000,000. In addition, if, and only if, the business acquired generates revenue of $5,565,000 and a net income of $1,607,103 from certain existing customers for the twelve-month period ending on October 31, 2023, then we are required to make a one-time payment of $500,000, which shall be deemed to be an adjustment to the purchase price.

The predecessor of CleanCore LLC was CleanCore Technologies, LLC, which was formed in 2014 and was wholly owned by Center Ridge Holdings, LLC. CleanCore LLC was formed in 2019 by Burlington Solutions, LLC and Walker Water, LLC d/b/a O-Z Tech. In 2019, prior to the formation of CleanCore LLC, Center Ridge Holdings, LLC transferred substantially all of the assets of CleanCore Technologies, LLC to Burlington Solutions, LLC, which then transferred such assets to CleanCore LLC. TetraClean and Food Safety were created to focus on industrial and food safety, respectively. CleanCore LLC, TetraClean, and Food Safety were all under majority control by Burlington Solutions, LLC prior to the acquisition by CC Acquisition Corp. All discussions in this prospectus regarding our business prior to the acquisition reflect the combined business of CleanCore LLC, TetraClean, and Food Safety, our predecessor companies. Prior to the acquisition, we had no operations other than operations relating to our incorporation and organization.

We do not have any subsidiaries.

Dual Class Structure

Under our articles of incorporation, we are authorized to issue two classes of common stock - class A common stock and class B common stock. The holders of class A common stock are entitled to ten (10) votes for each share of class A common stock held of record and the holders of class B common stock are entitled to one (1) vote for each share of class B common stock held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. A share of class A common stock may be voluntarily converted into a share of class B common stock. A transfer of a share of class A common stock will result in its automatic conversion into a share of class B common stock upon such transfer, subject to certain exceptions for (i) transfers to immediate family members, or to trusts for the exclusive benefit of immediate family members, for no consideration, including by will or laws of succession, (ii) a transfer to another holder of class A

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common stock, or (iii) transfers approved by a majority of disinterest directors. Upon the expiration of the lock-up agreements that will be entered into by the holders of all of our class A common stock in connection with this offering, and if our class A common stockholders choose to convert their class A common stock into class B common stock, the shares of class B common stock outstanding will increase. In such event, because the number of shares would increase while the value of our company would remain the same, the value of existing shares of class B common stock may go down. In other words, the class B common stock resulting from the newly converted class A common stock will dilute the value of all class B common stock, which may drive down the share price, give current stockholders fewer votes and less ownership of our company. The class B common stock is not convertible. Other than as to voting and conversion rights, our class A common stock and class B common stock have the same rights and preferences, rank equally in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, share ratably in any dividends declared by our board of directors, and are otherwise identical in all respects as to all matters.

All of our outstanding class A common stock is currently held by Matthew Atkinson, our Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Mr. Atkinson and a third party, Bethor Limited, also hold all of our outstanding series seed preferred stock, which will automatically convert into class A common stock upon completion of this offering. Upon completion of this offering, these stockholders will collectively be able to exercise approximately 88% of our total voting power, or approximately 87% if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full. See “Principal Stockholders” for more information regarding the individual holdings of these stockholders. All of these stockholders will be subject to the lock-up agreements described in “Underwriting — Lock-Up.”

Under our articles of incorporation and bylaws, any corporate action to be taken by vote of stockholders other than for election of directors shall be authorized by the affirmative vote of the majority of votes cast. Directors are elected by a plurality of votes. Accordingly, this concentrated control may have anti-takeover effects preventing change in control transactions that the class B stockholders might otherwise consider to be in their best interest. In addition, subject to NYSE American’s rules, we may issue additional shares of class A common stock or class B common stock without stockholder approval, which such issuances would be dilutive to class B stockholders. We may also issue debt securities or other series of preferred stock without stockholder approval which may have rights with respect to dividends or liquidation that may be superior to our class B common stock. See also “Risk Factors — Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock.”

Our Opportunity

Our market encompasses the global household cleaning market, the global food service market, the global commercial and residential laundry market, and the global health care market. According to Report Linker, the global service cleaning market is expected to reach $92.69 billion by 2027, rising at a 7.80% compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, during the forecast period. The global household cleaners market size was valued at $33.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2022 to 2028. We believe this can be credited to the increasing awareness regarding hygiene among consumers. The constant developments in the household cleaner sector are also likely to boost industry demand.

There is a growing demand for green cleaning and eco-friendly products that are effective, safe, and sanitary. According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global industrial cleaning equipment market amassed revenue of $9.12 billion in 2021, and is expected to hit $14.14 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 4.3% from 2022 to 2031. A market report from Research and Markets noted that the global household green cleaning products market is expected to grow to $27.83 at a CAGR of 6.50% from 2017 to 2024.

There is also a high demand in the food and beverage cleaning industry for effective and eco-friendly cleaning suppliers and cleaning solutions. According to an article by Arizton Advisory and Intelligence (“US Food and Beverage Industry Cleaning Services Market Size to Reach Revenues USD 2.4 Billion by 2026,” March 24, 2021), the U.S. food and beverage industry cleaning services market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 7% from 2020 to 2026. We believe the rising awareness in the food and beverage cleaning industry is also encouraging vendors to rely on green cleaning services, which is expected to generate incremental income. Further, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on customer and provider expectations of cleanliness, the demand for disinfection services in the food and beverage industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6% through 2022.

The cleaning, healthcare and sanitation market is also receiving interest from government agencies, such as British Columbia’s GreenCare Sustainability Strategic Framework, to develop and retain better, environmentally sustainable, and innovative cleaning solutions. Government initiatives have led some transitions into different and alternative

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cleaning technologies, and environmentally conscious institutions are expected to increase their demand for alternative cleaning products. While traditional disinfectants will continue to be routinely used in hospitals to sterilize and remove viruses and pathogens, we believe there is a place for aqueous ozone technology to be introduced in clinical settings. For instance, Cape Coral Hospital in Florida, along with two other hospitals, integrated aqueous ozone as room deodorizes as part of their environmental services program effort.

Based on the above, the demand for alternative environmentally conscious cleaning solutions is increasing, and we believe our aqueous ozone patented technology effectively cleans and reduces environmental impact, and as a result, that the demand for our products and services will continue to grow.

Our Products

We offer products and solutions that are marketed for janitorial and sanitation, ice machine cleaning, laundry, and industrial industries. Our products are used in many types of environments including retail establishments, distribution centers, factories, warehouses, restaurants, schools and universities, airports, healthcare, food service, and commercial buildings such as offices, malls, and stores.

Janitorial and Sanitation

Within the janitorial and sanitation sector, we currently manufacture the following products:

•        Fill Stations:    Wall-mounted units that produce on demand aqueous ozone and can fill up spray bottles or buckets for general cleaning, including our 1.0 Fill Station, which can produce one gallon per minute of aqueous ozone for users with smaller cleaning needs, and our 3.0 Fill Station, which can produce three gallons per minute and is designed for commercial and industrial cleaning requirements.

•        POWERcaddy:    A 12-gallon tank that generates aqueous ozone within it, so users are able to generate on-site, on-demand aqueous ozone as they clean. These units come equipped with a spray gun and vacuum hose to properly clean all locations. The POWERcaddy includes a high-pressure spray gun with a pressure per inch boost over 100 for more intense cleaning.

•        POWER MINIcaddy.    A six-gallon tank that generates aqueous ozone within it, so users are able to generate on-site, on-demand aqueous ozone as they clean. This product comes equipped with a spray gun and vacuum hose to properly clean all locations. The MINIcaddy is a smaller version of the POWERcaddy that is popular in smaller areas such as restaurants.

Ice System

The Ice Treatment System establishes a proactive ice machine cleaning program. Cleaning ice machines is a labor intensive and slow process that needs to happen often to stop the buildup of bacteria and mold in the ice machine, the buildup of which could contaminate the ice supply. Ice machines, like other water systems used within indoor environments, create ideal conditions for fostering the growth of bacteria and mold. Pure aqueous ozone is highly effective in cleaning the inside of ice machines. Our Ice System destroys bacteria by sending 0.50 ppm of aqueous ozone through the ice machine each time it makes more ice. Aqueous ozone proactively prevents the growth of Listeria, Salmonella, E. Coli, Norwalk Virus, and Shigella in the ice and keeps the ice pure while preventing respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.

Commercial and Residential Laundry

We believe that the laundry unit effectively oxidizes and deodorizes to extend the life of your laundry. When the laundry ozone unit is connected to a washing machine, the aqueous ozone is used to clean towels and linens. As a result, by avoiding harsh chemicals, the aqueous ozone may expand the life of the linens, reduce dry time, and eliminate skin irritation. The flow rate of the commercial product is five gallons per minute, or GPM, on each line.

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Industrial Cleaning Products

We also plan to make aqueous ozone available for industrial applications, primarily for the purpose of keeping industrial plants and production lines clean. We believe this industrial product is safe to be used on food-contact surfaces and has been used in meat packing plants to eliminate the need to stop the packaging line for cleaning. Additional applications for this product may include pet food packaging and manufacturing, canning operations, breweries, wineries, distilleries, and consumer health manufacturers.

We build customized cleaning systems to meet the required needs of our clients. Our system’s volume output ranges from 10-250 GPM of our patented solution. The concentration levels of our aqueous ozone solutions can be adjusted to suit our client’s distinctive needs. Multiple units can be placed in tandem for large volume projects. Concentration levels of ozone can be established at up to 20 ppm of ozone.

Sanitizing and Disinfectant Tablets

Branded “GreenKlean,” these chlorinated tablets kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria on a surface. These tablets eliminate odors while disinfecting and can be used on a variety of hard non-porous surfaces. We believe each tablet is easy to use, fast dissolving in water, and each tablet provides a single, standardized cleaning dose. The solution created from the tablet when mixed with water may be applied with a spray device, cloth, wipe, sponge, brush, or mop. Each tablet is effective for up to three days in a closed container and should be prepared daily when used in open containers. Generally, there is no need to rinse off the product after cleaning, the surface just needs to fully air dry, with no remaining residue left nor harm to the surfaces’ finish. The tablets are made according to standards of the National Science Foundation, an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering, under the “D2” classification, which means these tablets may be used as an antimicrobial agent that would not need to be rinsed or qualified as a “no rinse sanitizer.”

Our Competitive Strengths

We believe that the following competitive strengths contribute to our success and differentiate us from our competitors:

•        We have numerous patents for our technology.    We currently have 15 patents for our technology. These patents cover the functions of our products that allow our machines to produce ozone in the form of nanobubbles.

•        We have experience in the cleaning industry.    Our acquisition and subsequent business with acqueous ozone products have led us to maintain and uphold significant and meaningful relationships throughout the service cleaning industry with various providers of cleaning services.

•        We believe that our products eliminate the need for harsh chemicals and reduce costs of labor in janitorial services.    Various chemical solutions for cleaning are costly, but with the aqueous ozone solution, we believe hospitals may reduce expenditures by switching to the aqueous ozone technology. Our customers in janitorial services have reported a reduced time in cleaning and sanitizing, which saves our customers on labor costs.

•        There is no chemical residue left after using our solution, and we believe it causes less irritation compared to typical cleaning agents.    When cleaning with the aqueous ozone solution, it may remove and deodorize surfaces without using harsh caustic chemicals, and only water remains on the surface after cleaning, not any chemical residue that may require additional rinsing. As a result, our clients may report less eye, skin, and respiratory irritation after switching to our cleaning products.

•        Our product is environmentally conscious.    Our goal is to reduce packaging waste when replacing traditional cleaners and their packaging with aqueous ozone dispensers. We believe our product also reduces water consumption while cleaning. A two-year study at a major Vancouver hospital found that clients use 90% less water since the aqueous ozone technology removes the need to flush the cleaning dispensing system between various chemical cleaning agents. Overall, our products may reduce the carbon footprint of a janitorial service business when used in lieu of traditional cleaning methods.

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Our Growth Strategies

The key elements of our strategy to grow our business include:

•        Targeting key industries.    Our team has built relationships throughout the service cleaning industry. Presently, we sell our products mainly through geographic and strategic distributors across the United States and Europe in the janitorial services sector. Our goal is to expand and provide our products to more health care, education, food service, and commercial buildings industries.

•        Deploy marketing strategies that raise awareness for our cleaning products.    We plan to expand our marketing efforts to increase awareness of our products. Our strategy includes attending industry conferences and working with salespeople to start the use of our product in new areas.

•        Create partnerships through exclusive licensing for distributors and a direct sales model.    We currently license our technology overseas and have an exclusive licensing agreement for products sold in Europe. We anticipate evolving the business model into a hybrid of both traditional distributors and a direct sales model with key salespeople penetrating the health care, education, food service, and commercial buildings industries. Our goal is also to create partnerships with some of the largest sports and entertainment arenas in the world, providing end-to-end sales and service.

Our Risks and Challenges

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks summarized below. These risks are discussed more fully in the “Risk Factors” section immediately following this Prospectus Summary. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

•        We are an early-stage company with a limited operating history.

•        We have incurred losses since our inception, and we may not be able to manage our business on a profitable basis.

•        We will require additional financing to accomplish our business strategy.

•        We cannot accurately predict future revenues or profitability in the emerging market for aqueous ozone technology.

•        We may face significant challenges in obtaining market acceptance of our aqueous ozone cleaning products, which could adversely affect our potential sales and revenues.

•        If we do not build brand awareness and brand loyalty for aqueous ozone cleaning products, our business may suffer.

•        We face significant competition.

•        We operate in new and rapidly changing markets, which makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and may increase the risk that we will not be successful.

•        Our major customers account for a significant portion of our revenue and the loss of any major customer could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

•        Increased prices for raw materials could increase our cost of sales and decrease demand for our products, which could adversely affect our revenue or profitability.

•        Interruptions in deliveries of raw materials could adversely affect our revenue or profitability.

•        We depend on third-party delivery services, for both inbound and outbound shipping, to deliver our products to our distribution centers and subsequently to our customers on a timely and consistent basis, and any deterioration in our relationship with any one of these third parties or increases in the fees that they charge could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

•        If commodity prices such as fuel, plastic and steel increase, our margins may be negatively impacted.

•        If our fulfillment operations are interrupted for any significant period of time or are not sufficient to accommodate increased demand, our sales could decline, and our reputation could be harmed.

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•        Business interruptions in our facilities may affect the distribution of our products and/or the stability of our computer systems, which may affect our business.

•        We have historically depended on a limited number of third parties to supply key raw materials to us and the failure to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials in a timely fashion and at reasonable costs could significantly delay our delivery of products.

•        Quality problems with, and product liability claims in connection with, our cleaning products could lead to recalls or safety alerts, harm to our reputation, or adverse verdicts or costly settlements, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

•        We may receive a significant number of warranty claims or our aqueous ozone products may require significant amounts of service after sale.

•        The loss of key personnel, an inability to attract and retain additional personnel or difficulties in the integration of new members of our management team into our company could affect our ability to successfully grow our business.

•        We will face growing regulatory and compliance requirements in a variety of areas, which can be costly and time consuming.

•        We are subject to, and must remain in compliance with, numerous laws and governmental regulations concerning the manufacturing, use, distribution and sale of our products. Some of our customers also require that it complies with their own unique requirements relating to these matters.

•        Once our class B common stock is listed on NYSE American, there can be no assurance that an active market in which investors can resell their shares of our class B common stock will develop.

•        The market price of our stock may be highly volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

•        We may not be able to maintain a listing of our class B common stock on NYSE American.

•        The structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with two stockholders, which will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters. It may also limit the price and liquidity of our class B common stock due to its ineligibility for inclusion in certain stock market indices.

•        Future issuances of our class B common stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our class B common stock, or the expiration of lock-up agreements that restrict the issuance of new class B common stock or the trading of outstanding class B common stock, could cause the market price of our class B common stock to decline and would result in the dilution of your holdings.

•        Future issuances of debt securities, which would rank senior to our common stock upon our bankruptcy or liquidation, and future issuances of preferred stock, which could rank senior to our common stock for the purposes of dividends and liquidating distributions, may adversely affect the level of return you may be able to achieve from an investment in our class B common stock.

•        Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Nevada law could make an acquisition of our company more difficult, and limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. As a result, we will be permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements. For so long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:

•        have an auditor report on our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

•        comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (i.e., an auditor discussion and analysis);

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•        submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes, such as “say-on-pay” and “say-on-frequency;” and

•        disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering, (ii) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our total annual gross revenues are $1.235 billion or more, (iii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our class B common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three year period.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68137 and our telephone number is 877-860-3030. We maintain a website at www.cleancoresol.com. Information available on our website is not incorporated by reference in and is not deemed a part of this prospectus.

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The Offering

Shares offered:

 

1,500,000 shares of class B common stock (or 1,725,000 shares if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment in full).

Offering price:

 

We currently estimate that the initial public offering price will be between $4.00 and $6.00 per share. For purposes of this prospectus, the assumed initial public offering price per share is $5.00, the midpoint of the anticipated price range. The actual offering price per share will be determined between the underwriters and us based on market conditions at the time of pricing and the actual number of shares we will offer will be determined based on the actual initial public offering price. Therefore, the assumed offering price used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the final offering price.

Shares to be outstanding after this offering(1):

 


3,350,000 shares of class A common stock and 4,605,940 shares of class B common stock (or 4,830,940 shares if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full), based on an assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated range of the initial public offering price shown on the cover page of this prospectus. The number of shares of class A common stock outstanding after this offering includes the conversion of 3,000,000 shares of our series seed preferred stock into 3,000,000 shares of class A common stock concurrent with the closing of this offering.

Over-allotment option:

 

We have granted to the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase from us up to an additional 15% of the shares sold in the offering (225,000 additional shares) at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

____________

(1)      The number of shares of class B common stock outstanding immediately following this offering is based on 3,105,940 shares outstanding as of October 10, 2023 and excludes:

•        350,000 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the conversion of 350,000 shares of class A common stock upon a transfer thereof;

•        2,000,000 shares of class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options at an exercise price of $0.25 per share;

•        770,000 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options granted under our 2022 equity incentive plan at a weighted average exercise price of $2.21 per share;

•        966,819 shares of class B common stock that are reserved for future issuance under our 2022 equity incentive plan;

•        46,263 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at an exercise price of $1.74 per share; and

•        up to 105,000 shares of class B common stock (or 120,750 shares issuable if the underwriters exercise the overallotment option in full) issuable upon exercise of the representative’s warrants issued in connection with this offering.

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Representative’s warrants:

 

We have agreed to issue to the representative of the underwriters (or its permitted assignees) warrants to purchase up to a total number of shares of class B common stock equal to 7% of the total number of shares sold in this offering at an exercise price equal to 125% of the initial public offering price of the shares sold in this offering (subject to adjustments). The representative’s warrants will be exercisable at any time, and from time to time, in whole or in part, commencing from the closing of this offering and expiring on the fifth anniversary of the commencement date of sales in this offering. The representative’s warrants will have a cashless exercise provision and will provide for immediate “piggyback” registration rights with respect to the registration of the shares underlying the warrants for a period of seven years from commencement of sales of this offering. The registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part also registers the representative’s warrants and the shares of class B common stock issuable upon exercise of the representative’s warrants. See the “Underwriting” section for more information.

Use of proceeds:

 

We expect to receive net proceeds of approximately $6.1 million from this offering (or $7.1 million if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full), based on an assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated range of the initial public offering price shown on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for the repayment of certain debt, research and development/intellectual property, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not entered into any agreements for such potential mergers and acquisitions. See “Use of Proceeds.”

Risk factors:

 

Investing in our class B common stock involves a high degree of risk. As an investor, you should be able to bear a complete loss of your investment. You should carefully consider the information set forth in the “Risk Factors” section beginning on page 13.

Lock-up:

 

We and our officers, directors and holders of 5% or greater of our outstanding class A common stock and class B common stock have agreed to be locked up for a period of twelve months from the date on which the trading of our class B common stock commences. Holders of 1-4.99% of our outstanding common stock agreed to be locked up for a period of six months from the date on which the trading of our class B common stock commences; provided that if the aggregate of such holders shares were to equal or exceed 20% of our outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis prior to the completing of this offering, then their lock up period shall be for twelve months from the date of trading of our class B common stock commences. Holders of less than 1% of our outstanding common stock are not subject to any lock up; provided that if the aggregate of such holders shares were to equal or exceed 5% of our outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis prior to the completing of this offering, then their lock up period shall be for six months from the date of trading of our class B common stock commences.

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During the lock-up period, without the prior written consent of the underwriters, they shall not, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, assign, encumber, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, any common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock, owned either of record or beneficially by any signatory of the lock-up agreement on the date of the prospectus or thereafter acquired; (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock, whether any such transaction described in clauses (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of common stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing; and (iii) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any common stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock. See “Underwriting” for more information.

Trading market and symbol:

 

We plan to apply to list our class B common stock on NYSE American under the symbol “            ”. The closing of this offering is contingent upon such listing.

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Summary Financial Information

The following tables summarize certain financial data regarding our business and should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere in this prospectus and the information under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Our summary financial data for the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022 is derived from our audited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

All financial statements included in this prospectus are prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. The summary financial information is only a summary and should be read in conjunction with our historical financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere herein. The financial statements contained elsewhere fully represent our financial condition and operations; however, they are not indicative of our future performance.

Statements of Operations Data

 

Period from
October 17,
2022 to
June 30,
2023 (Successor)

 

Period from July 1,
2022 to
October 16,
2022 (Predecessor)

 

Year Ended
June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Revenue

 

$

1,938,366

 

 

$

502,990

 

 

$

2,648,005

 

Cost of sales

 

 

1,359,401

 

 

 

351,740

 

 

 

1,937,105

 

Gross profit

 

 

578,965

 

 

 

151,250

 

 

 

710,900

 

Operating expenses

 

 

5,435,049

 

 

 

345,576

 

 

 

977,450

 

Loss from operations

 

 

(4,856,084

)

 

 

(194,326

)

 

 

(266,550

)

Interest expense

 

 

167,123

 

 

 

125,738

 

 

 

275,061

 

Net loss

 

$

(5,023,207

)

 

$

(320,064

)

 

$

(541,611

)

Balance Sheet Data

 

As of
June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

As of
June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Cash

 

$

393,194

 

$

263,506

Total current assets

 

 

1,737,291

 

 

1,732,046

Total assets

 

 

6,093,418

 

 

1,764,307

Total current liabilities

 

 

3,948,664

 

 

7,772,046

Total liabilities

 

 

4,347,204

 

 

7,773,324

Total liabilities and stockholders/members’ deficit

 

$

6,093,418

 

$

1,764,307

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with the other information contained in this prospectus, before purchasing our securities. We have listed below (not necessarily in order of importance or probability of occurrence) what we believe to be the most significant risk factors applicable to us, but they do not constitute all of the risks that may be applicable to us. Any of the following factors could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects, and could result in a partial or complete loss of your investment. Some statements in this prospectus, including statements in the following risk factors, constitute forward-looking statements. Please refer to the section titled “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements”.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

We are an early-stage company with a limited operating history.

We are an early, startup stage company with a limited history upon which you can evaluate our business and prospects. Our prospects must be considered in light of the risks encountered by companies in the early stages of development in highly competitive markets. You should consider the frequency with which early-stage businesses encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other adverse factors. These risks are described in more detail below.

We have incurred losses since our inception, and we may not be able to manage our business on a profitable basis.

We have generated losses since inception and have relied on cash on hand, sales of securities, external bank lines of credit, and issuance of third-party and related party debt to support our operations. For the year ended June 30, 2023, we generated an operating loss of $5,050,410 and a net loss of $5,343,271. The revenue and income potential of our business and market are unproven. This makes an evaluation of our company and its prospects difficult and highly speculative. There can be no assurances that we will be able to develop products or services on a timely and cost effective basis, that will be able to generate any increase in revenues, that we will have adequate financing or resources to continue operating our business and to provide products to customers, that we will earn a profit, that we can raise sufficient capital to support operations by attaining profitability, or that we can satisfy future liabilities.

We will require additional financing to accomplish our business strategy.

We require substantial working capital to fund our business development plans, and we expect to experience significant negative cash flow from operations. Depending upon sales volume generated by our business during that time, we also anticipate the possibility of having to raise additional funds in order to achieve our plans and accomplish our immediate and longer-term business strategy. These additional funds likely will be raised through the issuance of our securities in debt and/or equity financings. If we are unable to raise these additional funds on terms acceptable to us, we will be required to limit our expenditures for continuing our product development activities and expanding our sales and marketing operations, reduce our work force, or find alternatives to fund our business on terms that are not as favorable to us. Any such actions would impair our product development and expansion plans, reduce potential revenues, increase operating losses, and adversely affect the value of our company.

We cannot accurately predict future revenues or profitability in the emerging market for aqueous ozone technology.

The market for alternative green cleaning supplies is rapidly evolving. As is typical of a rapidly evolving industry, demand, and market acceptance for recently introduced products are subject to a high level of uncertainty. Moreover, since the market for our products is evolving, it is difficult to predict the future growth rate, if any, and size of this market. Because of our limited operating history and the emerging nature of the markets in which we compete, we are unable to accurately forecast our revenues or our profitability. The market for our products and the long-term acceptance of our products are uncertain, and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel with industry expertise, particularly sales and marketing personnel, is uncertain. To the extent we are unsuccessful in increasing revenues, we may be required to appropriately adjust spending to compensate for any unexpected revenue shortfall, or to reduce our operating expenses, causing us to forego potential revenue generating activities, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

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We may face significant challenges in obtaining market acceptance of our products, which could adversely affect our potential sales and revenues.

We do not yet have an established market or customer base for our products. Acceptance of our products in the marketplace by both potential users and potential purchasers, including hospitals, schools, universities, commercial facilities, transportation systems and other healthcare and non-healthcare providers, is uncertain, and our failure to achieve sufficient market acceptance will significantly limit our ability to generate revenue and be profitable. Market acceptance will require substantial marketing efforts and the expenditure of significant funds by us to inform hospitals, schools, universities, commercial facilities, transportation systems, residential spaces and other health care and non-healthcare providers of the benefits of using our products. We may encounter significant clinical and market resistance to our products, and our products may never achieve market acceptance. We may not be able to build key relationships with physicians, education administrators, and government agencies. Product orders may be cancelled or customers that are beginning to use our products may cease their use of our products and customers expected to begin using our products may not do so.

Factors that may affect our ability to achieve acceptance of our products in the marketplace include, but are not limited, to whether:

•        such products will work effectively;

•        the products are cost-effective for our customers;

•        we are able to demonstrate product safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of the products; and

•        we are able to maintain customer relationships and acceptance.

Acceptance of our products in the marketplace is also uncertain, and our failure to achieve sufficient market acceptance and any inability to sell such products at competitive prices will limit our ability to generate revenue and be profitable. Our products and technologies may not achieve expected reliability, performance, and endurance standards. Our products and technologies may also not achieve market acceptance, including among hospitals, or may not be deemed suitable for other commercial applications.

If we do not build brand awareness and brand loyalty, our business may suffer.

Due in part to the substantial resources available to many of our competitors providing aqueous ozone technology, our opportunity to achieve and maintain a significant market share may be limited. The importance of brand recognition will increase as competition in our market increases. Successfully promoting and positioning of our brand will depend largely on the effectiveness of our marketing efforts, our ability to offer reliable and desirable products at competitive rates, and customer perceptions of the value of our products. If our planned marketing efforts are ineffective or if customer perceptions change regarding the effectiveness of our cleaning machines and products, we may need to increase our financial commitment to creating and maintaining brand awareness and loyalty among customers, which could divert financial and management resources from other aspects of our business or cause our operating expenses to increase disproportionately to our revenues. This would cause our business and operating results to suffer.

If we are unable to maintain, train and build an effective international sales and marketing infrastructure, we will not be able to commercialize and grow our brand successfully.

As we grow, we may not be able to secure sales personnel or organizations that are adequate in number or expertise to successfully market and sell our brand and products on a global scale. We presently rely on individual independent sales representatives and an in-house sales team to market and sell our products. If we are unable to expand our sales and marketing capability, train our sales force effectively or provide any other capabilities necessary to commercialize our brand internationally, we will need to contract with third parties to market and sell our brand, which will be an additional expense. If we are unable to establish and maintain compliant and adequate sales and marketing capabilities, we may not be able to increase our revenue, may generate increased expenses, and may not continue to be profitable.

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We operate in new and rapidly changing markets, which makes it difficult to evaluate our future prospects and may increase the risk that we will not be successful.

The market for cleaning products is a rapidly changing market, characterized by changing technologies, intense price competition, the introduction of new competitors and brand name cleaning products, evolving industry standards, changing and diverse regulatory environments, frequent new service announcements, and changing user demands and behaviors. Our inability to anticipate these changes and adapt our business, platform, and offerings could undermine our business strategy. Our business strategy and projections, including those related to our revenue growth and profitability, rely on a number of assumptions about the market for cleaning products, including the size and projected growth of the cleaning product markets over the next several years. Some or all of these assumptions may be incorrect. Our growth strategy is dependent, in part, on our ability to timely and effectively launch new products and services, the development of which is uncertain, complex, and costly. In addition, we may be unable successfully and efficiently to address advancements in distribution technology, marketing and pricing strategies and content breadth and availability in certain or all of these markets, which could materially and adversely affect our growth prospects and results of operations.

The limited history of some of the markets in which we operate makes it difficult to effectively assess our future prospects, and our business and prospects should be considered in light of the risks and difficulties we may encounter in these evolving markets. We cannot accurately predict whether our products and services will achieve significant acceptance by potential users in significantly larger numbers or at the same or higher price points than at present. Our historic growth rates should therefore not be relied upon as an indication of future growth, financial condition, or results of operations.

Our major customers account for a significant portion of our revenue and the loss of any major customer could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

For the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, two customers, Pro-Link and Sanzonate, accounted for 66% and 62% of revenue, respectively, and we had one customer that accounted for 43% of all accounts receivable at June 30, 2023, and two customers that accounted for 32% of the predecessor’s total accounts receivable. Presently, we do not have a long-term contract Pro-Link or Sanzonate, and the loss of any major customer could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations. In addition, our results of operations and ability to service our debt obligations would be impacted negatively to the extent that any major customer is unable to make payments to us or does not make timely payments on outstanding accounts receivable.

We have historically depended on a limited number of third parties to supply key raw materials to us and the failure to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials in a timely fashion and at reasonable costs could significantly delay our delivery of products.

Since our company’s inception, we have historically purchased certain key raw materials, such as chassis, generators, vacuum switches, and head sockets and other components from a limited number of suppliers. We purchased raw materials on the basis of purchase orders. In the absence of firm and long-term contracts, we may not be able to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials from our existing suppliers or alternates in a timely fashion or at a reasonable cost. Although we have not experienced any supply chain disruptions in the past, we cannot guarantee that we will not experience any disruptions in the future. If we fail to secure a sufficient supply of key raw materials in a timely fashion, it would result in a significant delay in our delivery of products. Furthermore, failure to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials at a reasonable cost could also harm our revenue and gross profit margins.

We depend on third-party delivery services, for both inbound and outbound shipping, to deliver our products to our distribution centers and subsequently to our customers on a timely and consistent basis, and any deterioration in our relationship with any one of these third parties or increases in the fees that they charge could harm our reputation and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

We rely on third parties for the shipment of our products, both inbound and outbound shipping logistics, and we cannot be sure that these relationships will continue on terms favorable to us, or at all. Shipping costs have increased from time to time, and may continue to increase, and we may not be able to pass these costs directly to our customers.

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Any increased shipping costs could harm our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations by increasing our costs of doing business and reducing gross margins which could negatively affect our operating results. In addition, we utilize a variety of shipping methods for both inbound and outbound logistics. For inbound logistics, we rely on trucking and ocean carriers and any increases in fees that they charge could adversely affect our business and financial condition. For outbound logistics, we rely on “Less-than-Truckload” and parcel freight based upon the product and quantities being shipped and customer delivery requirements. These outbound freight costs have increased on a year-over-year basis and may continue to increase in the future. We also ship a number of oversized products which may trigger additional shipping costs by third-party delivery services. Any increases in fees or any increased use of “Less-than-Truckload” shipping would increase our shipping costs which could negatively affect our operating results.

In addition, if our relationships with these third parties are terminated or impaired, or if these third parties are unable to deliver products for us, whether due to labor shortage, slow down or stoppage, deteriorating financial or business condition, responses to terrorist attacks or for any other reason, we would be required to use alternative carriers for the shipment of products to our customers. Changing carriers could have a negative effect on our business and operating results due to reduced visibility of order status and package tracking and delays in order processing and product delivery, and we may be unable to engage alternative carriers on a timely basis, upon terms favorable to us, or at all.

If our fulfillment operations are interrupted for any significant period of time or are not sufficient to accommodate increased demand, our sales could decline and our reputation could be harmed.

Our success depends on our ability to successfully receive and fulfill orders and to promptly deliver our products to our customers. Most of the orders for our products are filled from our inventory in our distribution centers, where all our inventory management, packaging, labeling and product return processes are performed. Increased demand and other considerations may require us to expand our distribution centers or transfer our fulfillment operations to larger or other facilities in the future. If we do not successfully expand our fulfillment capabilities in response to increases in demand, our sales could decline.

In addition, our distribution centers are susceptible to damage or interruption from human error, pandemics, fire, flood, power loss, telecommunications failures, terrorist attacks, acts of war, break-ins, earthquakes and similar events. We do not currently maintain back-up power systems at our fulfillment centers. We do not presently have a formal disaster recovery plan and our business interruption insurance may be insufficient to compensate us for losses that may occur in the event operations at our fulfillment center are interrupted. In addition, alternative arrangements may not be available, or if they are available, may increase the cost of fulfillment. Any interruptions in our fulfillment operations for any significant period of time, including interruptions resulting from the expansion of our existing facilities or the transfer of operations to a new facility, could damage our reputation and brand and substantially harm our business and results of operations.

Failure to comply with privacy laws and regulations and failure to adequately protect customer data could harm our business, damage our reputation and result in the loss of customers.

Federal and state regulations may govern the collection, use, sharing and security of data that we receive from our customers. In addition, we have and post on our website our own privacy policies and practices concerning the collection, use and disclosure of customer data. Any failure, or perceived failure, by us to comply with our posted privacy policies or with any data-related consent orders, U.S. Federal Trade Commission requirements or other federal, state or international privacy-related laws and regulations could result in proceedings or actions against us by governmental entities or others, which could potentially harm our business. Further, failure or perceived failure to comply with our policies or applicable requirements related to the collection, use or security of personal information or other privacy-related matters could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers. The regulatory framework for privacy issues is currently evolving and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future.

Quality problems with, and product liability claims in connection with, our aqueous ozone machines could lead to recalls or safety alerts, harm to our reputation, or adverse verdicts or costly settlements, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Quality is extremely important to us and our customers due to the serious and costly consequences of product failure, and our business exposes us to potential product liability risks that are inherent in the design, manufacture and marketing of cleaning devices and services. In addition, our products may be used in intensive care settings with

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immunocompromised and seriously ill patients. Component failures, manufacturing defects or design flaws could result in an unsafe condition or injury to, or death of, a patient or other user of our products. These problems could lead to the recall of, or issuance of a safety alert relating to, our products and could result in unfavorable judicial decisions or settlements arising out of product liability claims and lawsuits, including class actions, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In particular, a material adverse event involving one of our products could result in reduced market acceptance and demand for all products offered under our brand and could harm our reputation and ability to market products in the future.

High quality products are critical to the success of our business. If we fail to meet the high standards that we set for ourselves and that our customers expect, and if our products are the subject of recalls, safety alerts or other material adverse events, our reputation could be damaged, we could lose customers and our revenue could decline.

Any product liability claim brought against us, with or without merit, could be costly to defend and resolve. Any of the foregoing problems, including product liability claims or product recalls in the future, regardless of their ultimate outcome, could harm our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may receive a significant number of warranty claims or our aqueous ozone products may require significant amounts of service after sale.

Sales of our aqueous ozone products include a product limited two-year warranty that covers any issues related to manufacturing defects, specifically relating to the CCS Caddy, POWERcaddy, MINIcaddy, CCS Spotter, CCS 3.0 Fill Station, CCS 1.0 Fill Station, CCS 1000, CCS 2000L, CCS 5000 and the NuClean Pro Residential Fill Station. If a product is provided that has a manufacturing defect, we or an authorized distributor will replace or repair the defective product as long as a claim is submitted to us within the warranty period in writing within 30 days of the failure. This warranty does not cover abuse, misuse of the products, service or unit modifications not authorized by us, or environmental hazards. As the possible number and complexity of the features and functionalities of our products increase, we may experience a higher level of warranty claims. If product returns or warranty claims are significant or exceed our expectations, we could incur unanticipated expenditures for parts and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

We could be subject to litigation.

Product liability claims are common. Even though we have not been subject to such claims in the past, we could be a named defendant in a lawsuit alleging product liability claims including, but not limited to, defects in the design, manufacture or labeling of our aqueous ozone products and machines. Any litigation, regardless of its merit or eventual outcome, could result in significant legal costs and high damage awards or settlements. Although we currently maintain product liability insurance, the coverage is subject to deductibles and limitations, and may not be adequate to cover future claims. Additionally, we may be unable to maintain our existing product liability insurance in the future at satisfactory rates or at adequate amounts.

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, our reputation and brand could be impaired and we could lose customers.

We regard our patents, trademarks, trade secrets and similar intellectual property as important to our success. We rely on patent, trademark and copyright law, and trade secret protection, and confidentiality and/or license agreements with employees, customers, partners and others to protect our proprietary rights. We maintain 15 patents in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. We cannot be certain that we have taken adequate steps to protect our proprietary rights, especially in countries where the laws may not protect our rights as fully as in the United States. In addition, our proprietary rights may be infringed or misappropriated, and we could be required to incur significant expenses to preserve them. We may commence litigation to protect our intellectual property rights. The outcome of such litigation can be uncertain, and the cost of prosecuting such litigation may have an adverse impact on our earnings. We have patent and trademark registrations for several patents and marks. However, any registrations may not adequately cover our intellectual property or protect us against infringement by others. Effective patent, trademark, service mark, copyright and trade secret protection may not be available in every country in which our products and services may be made available online. We also currently own or control a number of Internet domain names and have invested time and money in the purchase of domain names and other intellectual property, which may be impaired if we cannot

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protect such intellectual property. We may be unable to protect these domain names or acquire or maintain relevant domain names in the United States and in other countries. If we are not able to protect our patents, trademarks, domain names or other intellectual property, we may experience difficulties in achieving and maintaining brand recognition and customer loyalty.

The loss of key personnel, an inability to attract and retain additional personnel or difficulties in the integration of new members of our management team into our company could affect our ability to successfully grow our business.

Our future success depends in large part upon the continued service of the members of our executive management team and key employees, including our Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Atkinson. All members of our executive management team are subject to employment agreements. In addition, our success also depends on our ability to attract and retain qualified technical, sales and marketing, product support, financial and accounting, legal and other managerial personnel. The competition for skilled personnel in the industries in which we operate is intense. Our personnel generally may terminate their employment at any time for any reason. We may incur significant costs to attract and retain highly skilled personnel, and we may lose new employees to our competitors before we realize the benefit of our investment in recruiting them. As we move into new geographies, we will need to attract and recruit skilled personnel across functional areas. If we fail to attract new personnel or if we suffer increases in costs or business operations interruptions as a result of a labor dispute, or fail to retain and motivate our current personnel, we might not be able to operate our businesses effectively or efficiently, serve our users properly or maintain the quality of our content and services.

We will face growing regulatory and compliance requirements in a variety of areas, which can be costly and time consuming.

Our business is, and may in the future be, subject to a variety of laws and regulations, including working conditions, labor, immigration and employment laws, and health, safety and sanitation requirements. We are unable to predict the outcome or effects of any potential legislative or regulatory proposals on our business. Any changes to the legal and regulatory framework applicable to our business could have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations. Our failure to comply with applicable governmental laws and regulations, or to maintain necessary permits or licenses, could result in liability that could have a material negative effect on our business and results of operations.

Legislation or government regulations may be adopted which may affect our products and liability.

Nanobubble technology and aqueous ozone are subject to considerable regulatory uncertainty as the law evolves to catch up with the rapidly evolving nature of the technology itself, all of which are beyond our control. Our products also may not achieve the requisite level of compatibility required for certification and rollout to consumers or satisfy changing regulatory requirements which could require us to redesign, modify or update our products.

The industry may become subject to increased legislation and regulation. Further, the legislation or regulations in different countries may impose different standards, which may be conflicting. Any legislation or regulations which impose standards, or which impose liability, is likely to increase our manufacturing cost as well as the cost of compliance.

We are subject to, and must remain in compliance with, numerous laws and governmental regulations concerning the manufacturing, use, distribution and sale of our products. Some of our customers also require that it complies with their own unique requirements relating to these matters.

We manufacture and sell products that contain ozone, and which may be subject to government regulation in the locations where we develop, manufacture, and assemble our products, as well as the locations where we sell our products. Among other things, certain applicable laws and regulations require or may in the future require the submission of annual reports to the certain governmental agencies certifying that such products comply with applicable performance standards, the maintenance of manufacturing, testing, and distribution records, and the reporting of certain product defects to such regulatory agency or consumers. If our products fail to comply with applicable regulations, we and/or our products could be subjected to a variety of enforcement actions or sanctions, such as product recalls, repairs or replacements, warning letters, untitled letters, safety alerts, injunctions, import alerts, administrative product detentions or seizures, or civil penalties. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

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Risks Related to This Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock

Once our class B common stock is listed on NYSE American, there can be no assurance that an active market in which investors can resell their shares of our class B common stock will develop.

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for shares of our common stock. As a condition to consummating this offering, our class B common stock offered in this prospectus must be listed on NYSE American or another national securities exchange. Accordingly, we have applied to list our class B common stock on NYSE American under the symbol “            .” Assuming that our class B common stock is listed and after the consummation of this offering, there can be no assurance any broker will be interested in trading our stock. Therefore, it may be difficult to sell your shares if you desire or need to sell them. Our underwriters are not obligated to make a market in our class B common stock, and even if they make a market, they can discontinue market making at any time without notice. Neither we nor the underwriters can provide any assurance that an active and liquid trading market in our class B common stock will develop or, if developed, that such market will continue.

The market price of our stock may be highly volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

The market for our class B common stock may be characterized by significant price volatility when compared to the shares of larger, more established companies that have large public floats, and we expect that our stock price will be more volatile than the shares of such larger, more established companies for the indefinite future. The stock market in general, and the market for stocks of technology companies in particular, has recently been highly volatile. Furthermore, there have been recent instances of extreme stock price run-ups followed by rapid price declines and stock price volatility following a number of recent initial public offerings, particularly among companies with relatively smaller public floats. We may also experience such volatility, including stock run-ups, upon completion of this offering, which may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance and financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our class B common stock.

The market price of our class B common stock is likely to be volatile due to a number of factors. First, as noted above, our class B common stock is likely to be more sporadically and thinly traded compared to the shares of such larger, more established companies. The price for our class B common stock could, for example, decline precipitously in the event that a large number of shares are sold on the market without commensurate demand. Secondly, we are a speculative or “risky” investment due to our lack of profits to date. As a consequence of this enhanced risk, more risk-adverse investors may, under the fear of losing all or most of their investment in the event of negative news or lack of progress, be more inclined to sell their shares on the market more quickly and at greater discounts than would be the case with the stock of a larger, more established company that has a large public float. Many of these factors are beyond our control and may decrease the market price of our class B common stock regardless of our operating performance. The market price of our class B common stock could also be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a broad and diverse range of factors, including the following:

•        actual or anticipated variations in our periodic operating results;

•        increases in market interest rates that lead investors of our class B common stock to demand a higher investment return;

•        changes in earnings estimates;

•        changes in market valuations of similar companies;

•        actions or announcements by our competitors;

•        adverse market reaction to any increased indebtedness we may incur in the future;

•        additions or departures of key personnel;

•        actions by stockholders;

•        speculation in the media, online forums, or investment community; and

•        our ability to maintain the listing of our class B common stock on NYSE American.

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The public offering price of our class B common stock has been determined by negotiations between us and the underwriters based upon many factors and may not be indicative of prices that will prevail following the closing of this offering. Volatility in the market price of our class B common stock may prevent investors from being able to sell their shares at or above the initial public offering price. As a result, you may suffer a loss on your investment.

We may not be able to maintain a listing of our class B common stock on NYSE American.

If our class B common stock is listed on NYSE American, we must meet certain financial and liquidity criteria to maintain such a listing. If we fail to meet any of NYSE American’s continued listing standards or we violate NYSE American listing requirements, our class B common stock may be delisted. In addition, our board of directors may determine that the cost of maintaining our listing on a national securities exchange outweighs the benefits of such a listing. A delisting of our class B common stock from NYSE American may materially impair our stockholders’ ability to buy and sell our class B common stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of, and the efficiency of the trading market for, our class B common stock. The delisting of our class B common stock could significantly impair our ability to raise capital and the value of your investment.

The structure of our common stock has the effect of concentrating voting control with two stockholders, which will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters. It may also limit the price and liquidity of our class B common stock due to its ineligibility for inclusion in certain stock market indices.

We are authorized to issue two classes of common stock — class A common stock and class B common stock. The class A common stock is entitled to ten votes per share and the class B common stock is entitled to one vote. In this offering, we are offering shares of class B common stock. All of our outstanding class A common stock is currently held by Matthew Atkinson, our Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Mr. Atkinson and a third party, Bethor Limited, also hold all of our outstanding series seed preferred stock, which will automatically convert into class A common stock upon completion of this offering. Accordingly, upon completion of this offering, these stockholders will collectively be able to exercise approximately 88% of our total voting power, or approximately 87% if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full. This concentrated control will limit or preclude your ability to influence corporate matters, including significant business decisions for the foreseeable future and could harm the market value of your class B common stock.

In addition, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multiple-class share structures in certain of their indexes. For example, in July 2017, FTSE Russell and Standard & Poor’s announced that they would cease to allow most newly public companies utilizing dual or multi-class capital structures to be included in their indices. Under the announced policies, our dual class capital structure would make us ineligible for inclusion in any of these indices. Given the sustained flow of investment funds into passive strategies that seek to track certain indexes, exclusion from stock indexes would likely preclude investment by many of these funds and could make our class B common stock less attractive to other investors. As a result, fewer investors may be willing to purchase our class B common stock. In consequence, the market price and liquidity of our class B common stock could be adversely affected.

Our management has broad discretion as to the use of the net proceeds from this offering.

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds of this offering. Accordingly, you will have to rely upon the judgment of our management with respect to the use of these proceeds. Our management may spend a portion or all of the net proceeds from this offering in ways that holders of our class B common stock may not desire or that may not yield a significant return or any return at all. Our management not applying these funds effectively could harm our business. Pending their use, we may also invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value. Please see “Use of Proceeds” below for more information.

You will experience immediate and substantial dilution as a result of this offering.

As of June 30, 2023, our pro forma net tangible book value (deficit) was approximately $(2,132,615), or approximately $(0.69) per share. Since the price per share being offered in this offering is substantially higher than the pro forma net tangible book value per common share, you will suffer substantial dilution with respect to the net tangible book value of the shares you purchase in this offering. Based on the assumed public offering price of $5.00 per share being sold in this offering, which is the midpoint of the estimated range of the public offering price shown on the cover page of

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this prospectus, and our pro forma net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2023, if you purchase shares in this offering, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of $4.82 per share (or $4.61 per share if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full) with respect to the net tangible book value of our common stock. See “Dilution” for a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur if you purchase shares in this offering.

We do not expect to declare or pay dividends in the foreseeable future.

We do not expect to declare or pay dividends in the foreseeable future, as we anticipate that we will invest future earnings in the development and growth of our business. Therefore, holders of our class B common stock will not receive any return on their investment unless they sell their shares, and holders may be unable to sell their shares on favorable terms or at all.

If securities industry analysts do not publish research reports on us, or publish unfavorable reports on us, then the market price and market trading volume of our class B common stock could be negatively affected.

Any trading market for our class B common stock may be influenced in part by any research reports that securities industry analysts publish about us. We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by securities industry analysts. If no securities industry analysts commence coverage of us, the market price and market trading volume of our class B common stock could be negatively affected. In the event we are covered by analysts, and one or more of such analysts downgrade our securities, or otherwise reports on us unfavorably, or discontinues coverage of us, the market price and market trading volume of our class B common stock could be negatively affected.

Future issuances of our class B common stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our class B common stock, or the expiration of lock-up agreements that restrict the issuance of new class B common stock or the trading of outstanding class B common stock, could cause the market price of our class B common stock to decline and would result in the dilution of your holdings.

Future issuances of our class B common stock or securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our class B common stock, or the expiration of lock-up agreements that restrict the issuance of new class B common stock or the trading of outstanding class B common stock, could cause the market price of our class B common stock to decline. We cannot predict the effect, if any, of future issuances of our securities, or the future expirations of lock-up agreements, on the price of our class B common stock. In all events, future issuances of our class B common stock would result in the dilution of your holdings. In addition, the perception that new issuances of our securities could occur, or the perception that locked-up parties will sell their securities when the lock-ups expire, could adversely affect the market price of our class B common stock. In connection with this offering, we and our officers, directors and holders of 5% or greater of our outstanding class A common stock and class B common stock have agreed to be locked up for a period of twelve months from the date on which the trading of our class B common stock commences. Holders of 1-4.99% of our outstanding common stock agreed to be locked up for a period of six months from the date on which the trading of our class B common stock commences; provided that if the aggregate of such holders shares were to equal or exceed 20% of our outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis prior to the completing of this offering, then their lock up period shall be for twelve months from the date of trading of our class B common stock commences. Holders of less than 1% of our outstanding common stock are not subject to any lock up; provided that if the aggregate of such holders shares were to equal or exceed 5% of our outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis prior to the completing of this offering, then their lock up period shall be for six months from the date of trading of our class B common stock commences. See “Underwriting.” In addition to any adverse effects that may arise upon the expiration of these lock-up agreements, the lock-up provisions in these agreements may be waived, at any time and without notice. If the restrictions under the lock-up agreements are waived, our class B common stock may become available for resale, subject to applicable law, including without notice, which could reduce the market price for our class B common stock.

Future issuances of debt securities, which would rank senior to our common stock upon our bankruptcy or liquidation, and future issuances of preferred stock, which could rank senior to our common stock for the purposes of dividends and liquidating distributions, may adversely affect the level of return you may be able to achieve from an investment in our class B common stock.

In the future, we may attempt to increase our capital resources by offering debt securities. Upon bankruptcy or liquidation, holders of our debt securities, and lenders with respect to other borrowings we may make, would receive

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distributions of our available assets prior to any distributions being made to holders of our common stock. Moreover, if we issue preferred stock, the holders of such preferred stock could be entitled to preferences over holders of common stock in respect of the payment of dividends and the payment of liquidating distributions. Because our decision to issue debt or preferred stock in any future offering, or borrow money from lenders, will depend in part on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of any such future offerings or borrowings. Holders of our class B common stock must bear the risk that any future offerings we conduct or borrowings we make may adversely affect the level of return, if any, they may be able to achieve from an investment in our class B common stock.

If our shares of class B common stock become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.

The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not retain a listing on NYSE American or another national securities exchange and if the price of our class B common stock is less than $5.00, our class B common stock could be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our class B common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.

We will be subject to ongoing public reporting requirements that are less rigorous than Exchange Act rules for companies that are not emerging growth companies, and our stockholders could receive less information than they might expect to receive from more mature public companies.

Upon the completion of this offering, we will be required to publicly report on an ongoing basis as an “emerging growth company” (as defined in the JOBS Act) under the reporting rules set forth under the Exchange Act. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other Exchange Act reporting companies that are not emerging growth companies, including but not limited to:

•        not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

•        being permitted to comply with reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements; and

•        being exempt from the requirement to hold a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

We expect to take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, although if the market value of our class B common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31.

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Because we will be subject to ongoing public reporting requirements that are less rigorous than Exchange Act rules for companies that are not emerging growth companies, our stockholders could receive less information than they might expect to receive from more mature public companies. We cannot predict if investors will find our class B common stock less attractive if we elect to rely on these exemptions, or if taking advantage of these exemptions would result in less active trading or more volatility in the price of our class B common stock.

We are also a smaller reporting company within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act defines a “smaller reporting company” as an issuer that is not an investment company, an asset-backed issuer, or a majority-owned subsidiary of a parent that is not a smaller reporting company and that:

•        had a public float of less than $250 million as of the last business day of its most recently completed second fiscal quarter, computed by multiplying the aggregate worldwide number of shares of its voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates by the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average of the bid and asked prices of common equity, in the principal market for the common equity; or

•        in the case of an initial registration statement under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act for shares of its common equity, had a public float of less than $250 million as of a date within 30 days of the date of the filing of the registration statement, computed by multiplying the aggregate worldwide number of such shares held by non-affiliates before the registration plus, in the case of a Securities Act registration statement, the number of such shares included in the registration statement by the estimated public offering price of the shares; or

•        in the case of an issuer whose public float as calculated under paragraph (1) or (2) of this definition was zero or whose public float was less than $700 million, had annual revenues of less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year for which audited financial statements are available.

As a smaller reporting company, we will not be required and may not include a compensation discussion and analysis section in our proxy statements, and we will provide only two years of financial statements. We also will have other “scaled” disclosure requirements that are less comprehensive than issuers that are not smaller reporting companies which could make our class B common stock less attractive to potential investors, which could make it more difficult for our stockholders to sell their shares.

Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Nevada law could make an acquisition of our company more difficult, and limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

Provisions in our articles of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of our company or changes in our management. As described above, we have a dual class structure which concentrates control with two stockholders. Furthermore, neither the holders of our common stock nor the holders of our preferred stock have cumulative voting rights in the election of our directors. The combination of the present ownership by two stockholders of a significant portion of our issued and outstanding common stock and lack of cumulative voting makes it more difficult for other stockholders to replace our board of directors or for a third party to obtain control of our company by replacing its board of directors.

In addition, our authorized but unissued shares of common stock are available for our board of directors to issue without stockholder approval, subject to NYSE American’s rules. We may use these additional shares for a variety of corporate purposes, including raising additional capital, corporate acquisitions and employee stock plans. The existence of our authorized but unissued shares of common stock could render it more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a proxy context, tender offer, merger or other transaction since our board of directors can issue large amounts of capital stock as part of a defense to a take-over challenge. In addition, we have authorized in our articles of incorporation 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our board acting alone and

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without approval of our stockholders, subject to NYSE American’s rules, can designate and issue one or more series of preferred stock containing super-voting provisions, enhanced economic rights, rights to elect directors, or other dilutive features, that could be utilized as part of a defense to a take-over challenge.

In addition, various provisions of our bylaws may also have an anti-takeover effect. These provisions may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt of our company that a stockholder might consider in his or her best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by our stockholders. Our bylaws may be adopted, amended or repealed only by our board of directors. Our bylaws also contain limitations as to who may call special meetings as well as require advance notice of stockholder matters to be brought at a meeting. Additionally, our bylaws also provide that no director may be removed by less than a two-thirds vote of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote on the removal. Our bylaws also permit the board of directors to establish the number of directors and fill any vacancies and newly created directorships. These provisions will prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our board of directors and gaining control of our board of directors by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees.

Our bylaws also establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of our stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to the board of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting will only be able to consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the board of directors or by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has given us timely written notice, in proper form, of the stockholder’s intention to bring that business before the meeting. Although our bylaws do not give the board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual meeting, our bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.

These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management.

General Risk Factors

We face significant competition.

We believe that our success will depend heavily upon achieving market acceptance of our products before our competitors introduce more advanced competing products. Current and new competitors, however, may be able to develop and introduce better or more desirable products in advance of us or at a lower cost. In addition, some of our current and potential competitors have longer and/or more established operating histories, greater industry experience, greater name recognition, established customer bases, and significantly greater financial, technical, marketing, and other resources than we do. To be competitive, we must respond promptly and effectively to the challenges of technological change, evolving standards and regulations, and our competitors’ innovations by continually working to improve the design of our products, enhancing our products, as well as improving and increasing our marketing and distribution channels. Increased competition could result in a decrease in the desirability of our products, a decrease in the use of our products by customers, loss of market share and brand recognition, and a reduction in the projected revenues from our products. We cannot assure you that we will be able to compete successfully against current and future competitors. Competitive pressures faced by us could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Increased prices for raw materials could increase our cost of sales and decrease demand for our products, which could adversely affect our revenue or profitability.

Our profitability is affected by the prices of the raw materials used in the manufacturing and sale of our products. These prices may fluctuate based on a number of factors beyond our control, including, among others, changes in supply and demand, general economic conditions, labor costs, competition, import duties, currency exchange rates and, in some cases, government regulation. Increased prices could adversely affect our profitability or revenues. We

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do not have long-term supply contracts for the raw materials. Significant increases in the prices of raw materials could adversely affect our profit margins, especially if we are not able to recover these costs by increasing the prices we charge our customers for our products.

If commodity prices such as fuel, plastic and steel increase, our margins may be negatively impacted.

Our third-party delivery services have increased fuel surcharges from time to time, and such increases negatively impact our margins, as we are generally unable to pass all of these costs directly to consumers. Increasing prices in the raw materials for the products we sell may impact the availability, the quality and the price of our products, as suppliers search for alternatives to existing materials and increase the prices they charge. We cannot ensure that we can recover all the increased costs through price increases, and our suppliers may not continue to provide the consistent quality of raw materials as they may substitute lower cost materials to maintain pricing levels, all of which may have a negative impact on our business and results of operations.

If we fail to properly manage our anticipated growth, our business could suffer.

The planned growth of our commercial operations may place a significant strain on our management and on our operational and financial resources and systems. To manage growth effectively, we will need to maintain a system of management controls, and attract and retain qualified personnel, as well as develop, train and manage management-level and other employees. Failure to manage our growth effectively could cause us to over-invest or under-invest in infrastructure, and result in losses or weaknesses in our infrastructure, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flow. Any failure by us to manage our growth effectively could have a negative effect on our ability to achieve our development and commercialization goals and strategies.

Business interruptions in our facilities may affect the distribution of our products and/or the stability of our computer systems, which may affect our business.

Weather, terrorist activities, war or other disasters, or the threat of them, may result in the closure of one or more of our facilities, or may adversely affect our ability to timely provide products to our customers, resulting in lost sales or a potential loss of customer loyalty. Most of our raw materials are imported from other countries and these goods could become difficult or impossible to bring into the United States, and we may not be able to obtain such raw materials from other sources at similar prices. Such a disruption in revenue could potentially have a negative impact on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

We rely extensively on our computer systems to manage inventory, process transactions and timely provide products to our customers. Our systems are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, security breaches or other catastrophic events. If our systems are damaged or fail to function properly, we may experience loss of critical data and interruptions or delays in our ability to manage inventories or process customer transactions. Such a disruption of our systems could negatively impact revenue and potentially have a negative impact on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Security threats, such as ransomware attacks, to our IT infrastructure could expose us to liability, and damage our reputation and business.

It is essential to our business strategy that our technology and network infrastructure remain secure and is perceived by our customers to be secure. Despite security measures, however, any network infrastructure may be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Information security risks have significantly increased in recent years in part due to the proliferation of new technologies and the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists and other external parties, including foreign private parties and state actors. We may face cyber-attacks that attempt to penetrate our network security, including our data centers, to sabotage or otherwise disable our website, misappropriate our or our customers’ proprietary information, which may include personally identifiable information, or cause interruptions of our internal systems and services. If successful, any of these attacks could negatively affect our reputation, damage our network infrastructure and our ability to sell our products, harm our relationship with customers that are affected and expose us to financial liability.

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We maintain a comprehensive system of preventive and detective controls through our security programs; however, given the rapidly evolving nature and proliferation of cyber threats, our controls may not prevent or identify all such attacks in a timely manner or otherwise prevent unauthorized access to, damage to, or interruption of our systems and operations, and we cannot eliminate the risk of human error or employee or vendor malfeasance.

In addition, any failure by us to comply with applicable privacy and information security laws and regulations could cause us to incur significant costs to protect any customers whose personal data was compromised and to restore customer confidence in us and to make changes to our information systems and administrative processes to address security issues and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, our customers could lose confidence in our ability to protect their personal information, which could cause them to stop shopping on our sites altogether. Such events could lead to lost sales and adversely affect our results of operations. We also could be exposed to government enforcement actions and private litigation.

Interruptions in deliveries of raw materials could adversely affect our revenue or profitability.

Our dependency upon regular deliveries from particular suppliers means that interruptions or stoppages in such deliveries could adversely affect our operations until arrangements with alternate suppliers could be made. If any of our suppliers were unable to deliver raw materials to us for an extended period of time, as the result of financial difficulties, catastrophic events affecting their facilities or other factors beyond our control, or if we were unable to negotiate acceptable terms for the supply of raw materials with these or alternative suppliers, our business could suffer. We may not be able to find acceptable alternatives, and any such alternatives could result in increased costs for us. Even if acceptable alternatives are found, the process of locating and securing such alternatives might be disruptive to our business. Extended unavailability of a necessary raw material could cause us to cease manufacturing or selling one or more of our products for a period of time.

Assertions by third parties of infringement, misappropriation or other violation by us of their intellectual property rights could result in significant costs and substantially harm our business and operating results.

In recent years, there has been significant litigation involving intellectual property rights. Any infringement, misappropriation or related claims, whether or not meritorious, is time-consuming, diverts technical and management personnel and is costly to resolve. As a result of any such dispute, we may have to develop non-infringing technology, pay damages, enter into royalty or licensing agreements, cease providing our product or take other actions to resolve the claims. These actions, if required, may be costly or unavailable on terms acceptable to us. Any of these events could result in increases in operating expenses, limit our product offerings or result in a loss of business.

Industry and other market data that may be used in our prospectus or in periodic reports that we may in the future file with the SEC and our other materials, including those undertaken by us or our engaged consultants, may not prove to be representative of current and future market conditions or future results.

This prospectus, and periodic reports that we may in the future file with the SEC, includes or may include or refer to statistical and other industry and market data that we obtained from industry publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties and surveys and studies that we may have undertaken ourselves regarding the market potential for our product candidates. Although we believe that such information has been, and will be, obtained from reliable sources, the sources of such data do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. While we believe these industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies are reliable, we do not independently verify such data. The results of this data represent various methodologies, assumptions, research, analysis, projections, estimates, composition of respondent pool, presentation of data and adjustments, each of which may ultimately prove to be incorrect or inaccurate and may cause actual results and market viability information to differ materially from that presented in this prospectus or any such report or other materials that we may prepare.

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are contained principally in, but not limited to, the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business.” These statements relate to future events or to 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 be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

•        our goals and strategies;

•        our future business development, financial condition and results of operations;

•        expected changes in our revenue, costs or expenditures;

•        growth of and competition trends in our industry;

•        our expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, our products and services;

•        our expectations regarding our relationships with investors, institutional funding partners and other parties we collaborate with;

•        our expectation regarding the use of proceeds from this offering;

•        fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in the market in which we operate; and

•        relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry.

In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could materially affect results. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those listed under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual events or results may vary significantly from those implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance.

The forward-looking statements made in this prospectus relate only to events or information as of the date on which the statements are made in this prospectus. Although we will become a public company after this offering and have ongoing disclosure obligations under U.S. federal securities laws, we do not intend to update or otherwise revise the forward-looking statements in this prospectus, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

After deducting the estimated underwriters’ discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by us, we expect to receive net proceeds of approximately $6.1 million from this offering (or approximately $7.1 million if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full), based on an assumed public offering price of $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for the repayment of certain debt, research and development/intellectual property, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. For purposes of calculation of the loan payoff amount, we have used a payoff date of November 10, 2023. Additional interest will accrue at the given rates from November 10, 2023 to the closing date of this offering.

The following table sets forth a breakdown of our estimated use of our net proceeds as we currently expect to use them.

 

Amount
without Over-
Allotment

Option

 

Amount with
Over-
Allotment

Option

Repayment of debt(1)

 

$

3,238,356

 

$

3,238,356

Research and development/intellectual property

 

 

705,411

 

 

964,161

Working capital and general corporate

 

 

2,116,233

 

 

2,892,483

Total use of proceeds

 

$

6,060,000 

 

$

7,095,000

____________

(1)      On October 17, 2022, we issued a promissory note in the principal amount of $3,000,000 to Burlington Capital, LLC as part of the purchase price for the acquisition of CleanCore LLC, TetraClean and Food Safety. The note bore interest at a rate of 7% per annum until September 13, 2023, after which time the rate increased to 10% per annum. The note matures and is due on the earlier of (i) the closing of a firm commitment initial public offering and concurrent listing on a national securities exchange or (ii) December 17, 2023. We may prepay the note at any time at any time without penalty. The note is unsecured and contains customary events of default.

The foregoing represents our current intentions to use and allocate the net proceeds of this offering based upon our present plans and business conditions. Our management, however, will have broad discretion in the way that we use the net proceeds of this offering. Pending the final application of the net proceeds of this offering, we intend to invest the net proceeds of this offering in short-term, interest-bearing, investment-grade securities. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to This Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock — Our management has broad discretion as to the use of the net proceeds from this offering.”

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DIVIDEND POLICY

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings for use in the operation of our business and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the near future. We may also enter into credit agreements or other borrowing arrangements in the future that will restrict our ability to declare or pay cash dividends. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. See also “Risk Factors — Risks Related to This Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock — We do not expect to declare or pay dividends in the foreseeable future.”

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our capitalization as of June 30, 2023:

•        on an actual basis;

•        on a pro forma basis to reflect (i) the conversion of an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock into an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock, and subsequent conversion of such shares into an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of class B common stock, and (ii) the conversion of an aggregate of 650,000 shares of class A common stock into an aggregate of 650,000 shares of class B common stock.

•        on a pro forma as adjusted basis to reflect (i) the sale of 1,500,000 shares of class B common stock by us in this offering at an assumed price to the public of $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, resulting in net proceeds to us of $6,060,000 after deducting underwriter commissions, discounts and non-accountable expenses of $600,000 and our estimated other offering expenses of $840,000 (assuming no exercise of the over-allotment option), and after giving effect to the use of proceeds described herein, and (ii) the conversion of 3,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock into 3,000,000 shares of class A common stock concurrent with the closing of this offering.

The as adjusted information below is illustrative only and our capitalization following the completion of this offering is subject to adjustment based on the public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. You should read this table together with our financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus and the information under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

 

As of June 30, 2023

   

Actual

 

Pro Forma

 

As Adjusted

Cash

 

$

393,194

 

 

$

393,194

 

 

$

3,214,838

 

Stockholders’ equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Series Seed Preferred Stock, $0.0001 par value, 4,000,000 shares authorized; 4,000,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 3,000,000 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; and no shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted

 

 

400

 

 

 

300

 

 

 

—

 

Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 660,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 350,000 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; and 3,350,000 shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted

 

 

66

 

 

 

35

 

 

 

335

 

Class B Common Stock, $0.0001 par value, 250,000,000 shares authorized; 1,795,940 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 3,105,940 shares issued and outstanding, pro forma; and 4,605,940 shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted

 

 

180

 

 

 

311

 

 

 

461

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

6,768,775

 

 

 

6,768,775

 

 

 

12,828,625

 

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(5,023,207

)

 

 

(5,023,207

)

 

 

(5,023,207

) 

Total stockholders’ equity

 

 

1,746,214

 

 

 

1,746,214

 

 

 

7,806,214

 

Total capitalization

 

$

1,746,214

 

 

$

1,746,214

 

 

$

7,806,214

 

The table above excludes the following shares:

•        350,000 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the conversion of 350,000 shares of class A common stock upon a transfer thereof;

•        2,000,000 shares of class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options at an exercise price of $0.25 per share;

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•        770,000 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options granted under our 2022 equity incentive plan at a weighted average exercise price of $2.21 per share;

•        966,819 shares of class B common stock that are reserved for future issuance under our 2022 equity incentive plan;

•        46,263 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at an exercise price of $1.74 per share; and

•        up to 105,000 shares of class B common stock (or 120,750 shares issuable if the underwriters exercise the overallotment option in full) issuable upon exercise of the representative’s warrants issued in connection with this offering.

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DILUTION

If you invest in our class B common stock in this offering, your ownership will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of common stock immediately after this offering. Dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors is the amount by which the offering price paid by the purchasers of the shares sold in this offering exceeds the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering. Net tangible book value per share is determined at any date by subtracting our total liabilities from the total book value of our tangible assets and dividing the difference by the number of shares of class B common stock deemed to be outstanding at that date.

As of June 30, 2023, our net tangible book value (deficit) was approximately $(2,132,615), or approximately $(1.19) per share. After giving effect to (i) the conversion of an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock into an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock, and subsequent conversion of such shares into an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of class B common stock, and (ii) the conversion of an aggregate of 650,000 shares of class A common stock into an aggregate of 650,000 shares of class B common stock, our pro forma net tangible book value (deficit) as of June 30, 2023 was approximately $(2,132,615), or approximately $(0.69) per share.

After giving effect to our sale of 1,500,000 shares of class B common stock in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated range of the public offering price shown on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses, and after giving effect to the use of proceeds described herein, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2023 would have been approximately $834,015, or approximately $0.18 per share. This amount represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.87 per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $4.82 per share to purchasers of our shares in this offering, as illustrated in the following table.

Assumed public offering price per share

 

 

   

$

5.00

Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of June 30, 2023

 

$

(1.19)

 

 

 

Increase per share attributable to the pro forma adjustments described above

 

 

0.50

 

 

 

Pro forma net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2023

 

 

(0.69)

 

 

 

Increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors purchasing shares in this offering

 

$

0.87

 

 

 

Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering

 

 

   

 

0.18

Dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering

 

 

   

$

4.82

If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option in full, the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value would be $0.39 per share, and the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering would be $4.61 per share.

The following table sets forth the total number of shares of common stock previously issued and sold to existing investors, the total consideration paid for the foregoing and the average price per share of common stock paid, or to be paid, by existing owners and by the new investors. The calculation below is based on the assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting estimated underwriter commissions and offering expenses, in each case payable by us, and assumes no exercise of the over-allotment option.

 


Share Purchased

 


Total Consideration

 

Average
Price
Per Share

   

Number

 

Percent

 

Amount

 

Percent

 

Existing stockholders(1)

 

6,455,940

 

81.15%

 

$

3,000,000

 

28.57%

 

$

0.46

New investors

 

1,500,000

 

18.85%

 

$

7,500,000

 

71.43%

 

$

5.00

Total

 

7,955,940

 

100.00%

 

$

10,500,000

 

100.00%

 

 

 

____________

(1)      Includes 3,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock that will be automatically converted into 3,000,000 shares of class A common stock concurrent with the closing of this offering.

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The discussion and tables above exclude the following shares:

•        2,000,000 shares of class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options at an exercise price of $0.25 per share;

•        770,000 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options granted under our 2022 equity incentive plan at a weighted average exercise price of $2.21 per share;

•        966,819 shares of class B common stock that are reserved for future issuance under our 2022 equity incentive plan;

•        46,263 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at an exercise price of $1.74 per share; and

•        up to 105,000 shares of class B common stock (or 120,750 shares issuable if the underwriters exercise the overallotment option in full) issuable upon exercise of the representative’s warrants issued in connection with this offering.

To the extent that outstanding options or other convertible securities have been or may be exercised or other shares issued, including under our stock-based compensation plans, investors participating in this offering may experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
C
ONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis summarizes the significant factors affecting our operating results, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows of our company as of and for the periods presented below. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus. The discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, our management. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in or implied by forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those discussed below and elsewhere in this prospectus, particularly in the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

All periods presented on or prior to October 16, 2022 represent the operations of CleanCore, TetraClean and Food Safety, our predecessors companies, and all references to “predecessor” refer to the combined financial position and results of operations of CleanCore, TetraClean and Food Safety on and before such date. References to “successor” refer to the financial position and results of operations of our company subsequent to October 16, 2022.

Overview

We specialize in the development and manufacturing of cleaning products that produce pure aqueous ozone for professional, industrial, or home use. We have a patented nanobubble technology using aqueous ozone that we believe is highly effective in cleaning, sanitizing, and deodorizing surfaces and high-touch areas.

We offer products and solutions that are marketed for janitorial and sanitation, ice machine cleaning, laundry, and industrial industries. Our products are used in many types of environments including retail establishments, distribution centers, factories, warehouses, restaurants, schools and universities, airports, healthcare, food service, and commercial buildings such as offices, malls, and stores.

Our mission is to become a leader in creating safe, clean spaces that are free from any chemical residue or skin irritants. We are currently expanding our distributor network, improving our manufacturing processes, and proving the effectiveness of our products in restaurants, airports, and hotels.

Recent Developments

On July 27, 2023, we agreed to purchase approximately $105,607 worth of inventory from Nebraska C. Ozone, LLC, a related party business owned by Lisa Roskens, a significant stockholder and the principal officer of Burlington Capital, LLC, due to an open purchase order that our predecessor had with an inventory vendor that was not included in the liabilities assumed from our predecessor per the terms of the acquisition purchase agreement. The inventory is to be purchased as needed, consistent with other inventory purchases. However, if the entire $105,000 amount is not purchased by March 31, 2024, the balance at that date begins accruing interest at a rate of seven percent (7%) per annum until it is paid in full.

On September 7, 2023, we entered into a distribution agreement with Quail Systems, LLC, or Quail, in order for Quail to market and re-sell a newly created produce wash unit, trademarked under the Quail “NanoZONE” name. Quail, as the distributor may market and sell such units to its customers, and, resultingly, will pay our company $2,200 per produce wash unit sold to each individual customer. However, certain rebates may be provided to specific customers and in the event that Quail has a high-volume sales amount to any one customer. On September 18, 2023, we entered into an amendment to the distribution agreement with Quail to modify the list of accounts that Quail could sell and market products to. The distribution agreement also contains customary provisions regarding non-competition, confidentiality of information and assignment of inventions.

On September 13, 2023, we signed an extension agreement with Burlington Capital, LLC for the promissory note described under the section “Liquidity and Capitalization — Promissory Note” below. The extension agreement requires that such promissory note will accrue interest at a rate of 10% from September 13, 2023 and is now due and payable on the earlier of (a) the closing of a firm commitment initial public offering and concurrent listing on a national securities exchange or (b) December 17, 2023. Prior to such extension, the promissory note was due on the earlier of (a) the closing of a firm commitment initial public offering and concurrent listing on a national securities exchange or (b) October 17, 2023.

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Principal Factors Affecting Our Financial Performance

Our operating results are primarily affected by the following factors:

•        our ability to acquire new customers or retain existing customers;

•        our ability to stay ahead of our value-proposition to end consumers;

•        our ability to continue innovating our technology to meet consumer demand;

•        industry demand and competition; and

•        market conditions and our market position.

Emerging Growth Company

Upon the completion of this offering, we will qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. As a result, we will be permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements. For so long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to:

•        have an auditor report on our internal controls over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act;

•        comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements (i.e., an auditor discussion and analysis);

•        submit certain executive compensation matters to stockholder advisory votes, such as “say-on-pay” and “say-on-frequency;” and

•        disclose certain executive compensation related items such as the correlation between executive compensation and performance and comparisons of the chief executive officer’s compensation to median employee compensation.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the benefits of this extended transition period. Our financial statements may therefore not be comparable to those of companies that comply with such new or revised accounting standards.

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of this offering, (ii) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our total annual gross revenues are $1.235 billion or more, (iii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our class B common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or (iv) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three year period.

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Results of Operations

Comparison of Years Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022

The following table sets forth key components of our results of operations for the period from October 17, 2022 to June 30, 2023 (Successor), the period from July 1, 2022 to October 16, 2022 (Predecessor), and for the year ended June 30, 2022 (Predecessor).

 

Period from
October 17, 2022
to 
June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

Period from
July 1, 2022
to October 16,
2022
(Predecessor)

 

For the Year
Ended
June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Revenue

 

$

1,938,366

 

 

$

502,990

 

 

$

2,648,005

 

Cost of sales

 

 

1,359,401

 

 

 

351,740

 

 

 

1,937,105

 

Gross profit

 

 

578,965

 

 

 

151,250

 

 

 

710,900

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General and administrative

 

 

5,420,042

 

 

 

334,812

 

 

 

928,251

 

Advertising expense

 

 

14,944

 

 

 

4,621

 

 

 

30,882

 

Depreciation expense

 

 

63

 

 

 

6,143

 

 

 

18,317

 

Loss from operations

 

 

(4,856,084

)

 

 

(194,326

)

 

 

(266,550

)

Interest expense

 

 

167,123

 

 

 

125,738

 

 

 

275,061

 

Net loss

 

$

(5,023,207

)

 

$

(320,064

)

 

$

(541,611

)

We believe that reviewing our operating results for the year ended June 30, 2023 by combining the results of the successor period (October 17, 2022 to June 30, 2023) and the predecessor period (July 1, 2022 to October 16, 2022) is more useful in discussing our overall operating performance compared to the results of the year ended June 30, 2022 (predecessor). We do not see any potential risks associated with utilizing this combined presentation.

Following are the combined results for the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, both in dollars and as a percentage of our revenues.

 

Period from
October 17,
2022 to
June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

Period from
July 1,
2022 to
October 16,
2022
(Predecessor)

 

Pro Forma Combined
Year Ended
June 30, 2023

 

Year Ended
June 30,
2022

Amount

 

% of Revenue

 

Amount

 

% of Revenue

Revenue

 

$

1,938,366

 

 

$

502,990

 

 

$

2,441,356

 

 

100.00

%

 

$

2,648,005

 

 

100.00

%

Cost of sales

 

 

1,359,401

 

 

 

351,740

 

 

 

1,711,141

 

 

70.09

%

 

 

1,937,105

 

 

73.15

%

Gross profit

 

 

578,965

 

 

 

151,250

 

 

 

730,215

 

 

29.91

%

 

 

710,900

 

 

26.85

%

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

General and administrative

 

 

5,420,042

 

 

 

334,812

 

 

 

5,757,854

 

 

235.72

%

 

 

928,251

 

 

35.05

%

Advertising expense

 

 

14,944

 

 

 

4,621

 

 

 

19,565

 

 

0.80

%

 

 

30,882

 

 

1.17

%

Depreciation expense

 

 

63

 

 

 

6,143

 

 

 

6,206

 

 

0.25

%

 

 

18,317

 

 

0.69

%

Loss from operations

 

 

(4,856,084

)

 

 

(194,326

)

 

 

(5,050,410

)

 

(206.87

)%

 

 

(266,550

)

 

(10.07

)%

Interest expense

 

 

167,123

 

 

 

125,738

 

 

 

292,861

 

 

12.00

%

 

 

275,061

 

 

10.39

%

Net loss

 

$

(5,023,207

)

 

$

(320,064

)

 

$

(5,343,271

)

 

(218.86

)%

 

$

(541,611

)

 

(20.45

)%

Revenue.    We generate revenue from sales of our cleaning products. Our revenue decreased by $206,649, or 7.80%, to $2,441,356 for the year ended June 30, 2023 from $2,648,005 for the year ended June 30, 2022. Such decrease was primarily due to the insolvency of a distributor which did not generate any revenue in the fourth quarter of 2023. For the year ended June 30, 2023, this distributor accounted for approximately 10% of our total revenue, as compared to 17% for the year ended June 30, 2022.

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Cost of sales.    Our cost of sales consists of raw materials, components and labor. Our cost of sales decreased by $225,964, or 11.67%, to $1,711,141 for the year ended June 30, 2023 from $1,937,105 for the year ended June 30, 2022. Such decrease was in line with our decrease in revenue. As a percentage of revenue, cost of sales decreased from 73.15% for the year ended June 30, 2022 to 70.09% for the year ended June 30, 2023 due to price increases and cost adjustments that we made in February 2023 to improve our margins.

Gross profit.    As a result of the foregoing, our gross profit increased by $19,315, or 2.72%, to $730,215 for the year ended June 30, 2023 from $710,900 for the year ended June 30, 2022. As a percentage of revenue, gross profit increased slightly from 26.85% for the year ended June 30, 2022 to 29.91% for the year ended June 30, 2023.

General and administrative expenses.    Our general and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel expenses, including employee salaries and bonuses plus related payroll taxes, professional advisor fees, bad debts, rent expense, insurance and other expenses incurred in connection with general operations. Our general and administrative expenses increased by $4,826,603, or 519.97%, to $5,754,854 for the year ended June 30, 2023 from $928,251 for the year ended June 30, 2022. As a percentage of revenue, our general and administrative expenses increased from 35.05% for the year ended June 30, 2022 to 235.72% for the year ended June 30, 2023. Such increase was primarily due to a stock compensation expense of $4,089,332 relating to stock options and warrants issued in 2023 and an increase in executive compensation and consulting fees following the acquisition.

Advertising expenses.    Our advertising expenses consist of vendor trade shows and various trade publications. Our advertising expenses decreased by $11,317, or 36.65%, to $19,565 for the year ended June 30, 2023 from $30,882 for the year ended June 30, 2022. As a percentage of revenue, our advertising expenses decreased from 1.17% for the year ended June 30, 2022 to 0.80% for the year ended June 30, 2023. Such a decrease was primarily due to a strategic change to reduce advertising spending to ensure a direct return on investment for all expenses incurred in relation to advertising.

Depreciation expense.    We incurred depreciation expense of $6,206, or 0.25% of revenue, for the year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to $18,317, or 0.69% of revenue, for the year ended June 30, 2022.

Interest expense.    We incurred interest expenses of $292,861, or 12.00% of revenue, for the year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to $275,061, or 10.39% of revenue, for the year ended June 30, 2022.

Net loss.    As a result of the cumulative effect of the factors described above, we had a net loss of $5,343,271 for the year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to $541,611 for the year ended June 30, 2022, an increase of $4,801,660, or 886.55%.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of June 30, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $393,194. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through revenue generated from operations, bank borrowings, private placements of our securities and advances from our founder and Chief Executive Officer.

Management has prepared estimates of operations and believes that with the proceeds of this offering sufficient funds will be generated from operations to fund our operations and to service our debt obligations for at least the next twelve months. We may, however, in the future require additional cash resources due to changing business conditions, implementation of our strategy to expand our business, or other investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If our own financial resources are insufficient to satisfy our capital requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or obtain additional credit facilities. The sale of additional equity securities could result in dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increased debt service obligations and could require us to agree to operating and financial covenants that would restrict our operations. Financing may not be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. Any failure by us to raise additional funds on terms favorable to us, or at all, could limit our ability to expand our business operations and could harm our overall business prospects.

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under which we are expected to be able to realize our assets and satisfy our liabilities in the normal course of business.

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Table of Contents

Summary of Cash Flow

The following table provides detailed information about our net cash flow for all financial statement periods presented in this prospectus.

 

Combined Year Ended June 30,

 

Year Ended
June 30,

2022

Period from
October 17,
2022 to
June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

Period from July 1,
2022 to October 16,
2022 (Predecessor)

 

2023
Total

 

Net cash used in operating activities

 

$

(236,870

)

 

$

(117,251

)

 

$

(354,121

)

 

$

(504,304

)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(2,001,260

)

 

 

(7,882

)

 

 

(2,009,142

)

 

 

(35,033

)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

 

 

2,631,324

 

 

 

(125,222

)

 

 

2,506,102

 

 

 

667,406

 

Net increase (decrease) in cash

 

 

393,194

 

 

 

(250,355

)

 

 

142,839

 

 

 

128,069

 

Cash at beginning of period

 

 

—

 

 

 

263,506

 

 

 

263,506

 

 

 

135,437

 

Cash at end of period

 

$

393,194

 

 

$

13,151

 

 

$

406,345

 

 

$

263,506

 

Net cash used in operating activities was $354,121 for the year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to $504,304 for the year ended June 30, 2023. For the year ended June 30, 2023, our net loss of $5,343,271, offset by stock-based compensation of $4,119,321, were the primary drivers of the net cash used in operating activities. For the year ended June 30, 2022, our net loss of $541,611, a decrease in accounts receivable of $187,758 and a decrease in inventory of $170,243, offset by imputed interest of $274,889, were the primary drivers of the net cash used in operating activities.

Net cash used in investing activities was $2,009,142 for the year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to $35,033 for the year ended June 30, 2022. Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended June 30, 2023 consisted of cash used in connection with the acquisition of the assets of CleanCore LLC, TetraClean and Food Safety of $2,007,882 and purchases of property and equipment of $1,260, while the net cash used in operating activities for the year ended June 30, 2022 consisted entirely of purchases of property and equipment.

Net cash provided by financing activities was $2,506,102 for the year ended June 30, 2023, as compared to $667,406 for the year ended June 30, 2022. Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended June 30, 2023 consisted of proceeds from the issuance of class B common stock of $1,650,000, proceeds from the issuance of series seed preferred stock of $1,000,000, proceeds from related party loans of $373,817 and proceeds from the issuance of class A common stock of $100, offset by repayments of related party loans of $288,861, payments for deferred operating costs of $227,676 and repayments of long term debt of $1,278, while net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended June 30, 2023 consisted of proceeds from related party loans of $751,079, offset by repayments of related party loans of $80,000 and repayments of long term debt of $3,673.

Private Placement

Between October 14, 2022 and November 29, 2022, we issued an aggregate of 660,921 shares of class B common stock for total gross proceeds of $1,150,000 and net proceeds of approximately $1,035,000 in a private placement transaction. Boustead Securities, LLC, the representative of the underwriters for this offering, acted as placement agent in connection with this private placement. As compensation for its services, Boustead Securities, LLC received (i) a cash commission equal to 9% of the gross proceeds, (ii) a 1% non-accountable expense allowance and (iii) five-year warrants for the purchase of a number of shares of class B common stock equal to 7% of the number of shares issued in the private placement at an exercise price of $1.74 per share (subject to adjustments), which may be exercised on a cashless basis. Accordingly, we issued warrants for the purchase of 46,263 shares of class B common stock to Boustead Securities, LLC at an initial exercise price of $1.74 per share. Boustead Securities, LLC has agreed to increase the exercise price of the foregoing warrants to 125% of the public offering price per share in this offering. The private placement concluded on December 31, 2022.

Promissory Note

On October 17, 2022, we issued a promissory note in the principal amount of $3,000,000 to Burlington Capital, LLC. The note bears interest at a rate of 7% per annum; provided that upon an event of default (as defined in the note), such interest rate shall increase to 10% per annum. The note is due on the earlier of (a) the closing of a firm commitment initial public offering and concurrent listing on a national securities exchange or (b) October 17, 2023 (see details

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regarding the extension of this note to December 17, 2023 above). We may prepay the note at any time at any time without penalty. The note is unsecured and contains customary events of default. As of June 30, 2023, the outstanding principal balance of this note is $3,000,000 and it has accrued interest of $147,288.

Related Party Demand Notes

On October 4, 2022, we issued a promissory note to each of Matthew Atkinson, our Chief Executive Officer, and Clayton Adam, our President at such time, in the principal amount of $104,450 each for a total of $208,900. These notes bear interest at a rate of 5% per annum beginning on the 30th day after issuance and are due on the 60th day following written demand from the holder. As of June 30, 2023, the outstanding principal balance of these notes is $208,900 and they have accrued interest of $7,698.

Contractual Obligations

Our principal commitments consist mostly of obligations under the loans described above and the operating leases described under “Business — Facilities”. Other than indicated above, at June 30, 2023, we did not have other long-term debt obligations, capital (finance) lease obligations, operating lease obligations, purchase obligations or other long-term liabilities reflected on our statements of financial position.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

Critical Accounting Policies

The following discussion relates to critical accounting policies for our company. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires our management to make assumptions, estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported, including the notes thereto, and related disclosures of commitments and contingencies, if any. We have identified certain accounting policies that are significant to the preparation of our financial statements. These accounting policies are important for an understanding of our financial condition and results of operation. Critical accounting policies are those that are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and require management’s difficult, subjective, or complex judgment, often as a result of the need to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in subsequent periods. Certain accounting estimates are particularly sensitive because of their significance to financial statements and because of the possibility that future events affecting the estimate may differ significantly from management’s current judgments. We believe the following critical accounting policies involve the most significant estimates and judgments used in the preparation of our financial statements:

Revenue Recognition.    We generate revenue from sales of our products and recognize revenue as control of our products is transferred to our customers, which is generally at the time of shipment based on the contractual terms with our customers. We provide customer programs and incentive offerings, including growth incentives and volume-based incentives. These customer programs and incentives are considered variable consideration. We include in revenue variable consideration only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the variable consideration is resolved. This determination is made based upon known customer program and incentive offerings at the time of sale, and expected sales volume forecasts as it relates to our volume-based incentives. This determination is updated every reporting period. For the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, customer growth and volume-based incentives were minimal. Certain product sales include a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty that provides the customer with assurance that the product performs as intended. Such warranties are assurance-type warranties and are accounted for as contingencies under ASC 460-10.

Inventory.    Inventory consists of parts, work in progress and finished goods. We value our parts and finished goods at the lower of the actual costs or net realizable value. We value our work in progress at cost. We periodically review our inventory for obsolete and potentially impaired items. As of June 30, 2023 and 2022, we had an allowance for inventory obsolescence of $14,940 and $94,425, respectively.

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Table of Contents

Accounts Receivable.    Accounts receivable is comprised of trade accounts receivables from our customers. Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. Our company established an allowance for bad debt of accounts receivables based on a percentage assigned to aged days outstanding categories. Our predecessor established the allowance for bad debt based on various factors including credit profiles of customers, historical payments, outstanding balances and current economic trends, and performed this analysis periodically. We recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,419 and $16,045 as of June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets.    Long-lived assets consist primarily of property and equipment and intangible assets. Long-lived assets are tested for impairment when events and circumstances indicate the assets might be impaired by first comparing the estimated future undiscounted cash flows of the asset or asset group to the carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the estimated future undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized based on the amount that the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset or asset group. We did not recognize impairment losses during the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022.

Intangible Assets.    Intangible assets primarily consist of existing technology, customer relationships, and trademarks obtained as a result of the acquisition on October 17, 2022. Intangible assets with definite lives are amortized based on their pattern of economic benefit over their estimated useful lives and reviewed periodically for impairment. Our trademarks are deemed to have an indefinite life. The estimated useful life of the acquired technology is 15 years while the estimated useful life of the customer relationships is 5 years.

Stock-based Compensation.    Compensation expense is recognized for all share-based payments to employees and nonemployees, including stock options and warrants, in the statements of operation based on the fair value of the awards that are granted. Our stock price at the date of grant was estimated using an acceptable valuation technique such as the probability-weighted expected return model. The fair value of stock options is estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Generally, measured compensation cost, net of actual forfeitures, is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the related share-based compensation award. We account for forfeitures of stock-based awards as they occur.

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BUSINESS

Overview

We specialize in the development and manufacturing of cleaning products that produce pure aqueous ozone for professional, industrial, or home use. We have a patented nanobubble technology using aqueous ozone that we believe is highly effective in cleaning, sanitizing, and deodorizing surfaces and high-touch areas.

Our mission is to become a leader in creating safe, clean spaces that are free from any chemical residue or skin irritants. We are currently expanding our distributor network, improving our manufacturing processes, and proving the effectiveness of our products in restaurants, airports, and hotels.

As noted by the EPA (“Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet: Ozone Disinfection,” September 1999), ozone has been used in water treatment facilities to remove pathogens from water for decades. However, ozone was not safe for traditional cleaning because the gas alone can be harmful when inhaled. In recent years, ozone has been found to become a powerful cleaning solution if infused into tap water, which then creates a solution called aqueous ozone. Once the ozone is added into the water, the resulting solution is safe to handle, yet continues to hold the effective cleaning and oxidizing components of ozone.

Our product offerings utilize a patented technology that we believe produces an enhanced aqueous ozone solution that requires no additives, filters, or advanced chemicals. We believe that we are the only company that has an aqueous ozone solution that is produced in the form of nanobubbles. In a critical review from Environmental Science Nano (“Disinfection applications of ozone micro- and nanobubbles,” November 2, 2021) authors Petroula Seridou and Nicolas Kalogerakis explain that since its discovery in the 1990’s, nanobubbles have been used to remove pollutants in many industries, including biopharma and food processing. Nanobubbles are the nanometer-sized (one billionth of a meter) gaseous cavities in a liquid solution. The common micro sized bubbles have larger diameters which causes them to rise quickly to the surface of an aqueous solution as compared to the smaller bubbles.

Since nanobubbles have no natural buoyancy, they remain underwater, where each tiny, negatively charged bubble is attracted to positively charged pollutants and harmful toxins. In the article, Seridou and Kalogerakis write about how this union causes the nanobubbles to release ozone which extinguishes pathogens and slowly breaks down the cell walls of mold, germs, and other residues. Further, a smaller size of nanobubbles is also more effective as it has a higher density of ozone and is able to provide a more thorough surface coverage, which destroys a higher number of contaminants.

Our pure aqueous ozone product is a natural cleaner, sanitizer, and deodorizer produced through the infusion of ozone into water using electricity. The use of this ozone solution has been proven effective in eliminating germs, viruses, bacteria, allergens, and molds; and it performs better than bleach according to a research report published by PLoS One (“The microbial killing capacity of aqueous and gaseous ozone on different surfaces contaminated with dairy cattle manure,” May 14, 2018). Aqueous ozone technology has been tested and previously destroyed pathogens including E. Coli, Staphylococcus, Listeria, and Salmonella as described in Catalyst journal (“Ozone and Photocatalytic Processes for Pathogens Removal from Water: A Review,” January 5, 2019). The solution cleans hard surfaces, floors, carpets, upholstery, and food contact surfaces.

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In addition, in an independent case study at Cape Coral Hospital in Florida, the aqueous ozone solution worked to significantly deodorize smells. The same internal case study notes that the aqueous ozone does not mask smells, but instead destroys the bacterium causing the smell.

Our aqueous ozone solution is referred to as “pure” because of its ability to keep high concentration of ozone in the solution without needing to use a stabilizer or additive. Depending on the product, the pure aqueous ozone solution contains between 0.5 to 1.5 ppm of ozone for professional cleaning and up to 20 ppm of ozone for industrial cleaning. At these levels, we believe the concentration of ozone within the solution is strong enough to effectively clean and deodorize better than bleach.

Corporate History and Structure

We were incorporated in the State of Nevada on August 23, 2022 under the name CC Acquisition Corp. for the sole purpose of acquiring substantially all of the assets of CleanCore LLC, TetraClean and Food Safety. On November 21, 2022, we changed our name from CC Acquisition Corp. to CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

On October 17, 2022, we entered into an asset purchase agreement with CleanCore LLC, TetraClean, Food Safety and Burlington Capital, LLC, the majority owner of these entities, pursuant to which we acquired substantially all of the assets of CleanCore LLC, TetraClean and Food Safety for a total purchase price of $5,000,000, consisting of $2,000,000 in cash and the issuance of a promissory note in the principal amount of $3,000,000. In addition, if, and only if, the business acquired generates revenue of $5,565,000 and a net income of $1,607,103 from certain existing customers for the twelve month period ending on October 31, 2023, then we are required to make a one-time payment of $500,000, which shall be deemed to be an adjustment to the purchase price.

The predecessor of CleanCore LLC was CleanCore Technologies, LLC, which was formed in 2014 and was wholly owned by Center Ridge Holdings, LLC. CleanCore LLC was formed in 2019 by Burlington Solutions, LLC and Walker Water, LLC d/b/a O-Z Tech. In 2019, prior to the formation of CleanCore LLC, Center Ridge Holdings, LLC transferred substantially all of the assets of CleanCore Technologies, LLC to Burlington Solutions, LLC, which then transferred such assets to CleanCore LLC. TetraClean and Food Safety were created to focus on industrial and food safety, respectively. CleanCore LLC, TetraClean, and Food Safety were all under majority control by Burlington Solutions, LLC prior to the acquisition by CC Acquisition Corp. All discussions in this prospectus regarding our business prior to the acquisition reflect the combined business of CleanCore LLC, TetraClean, and Food Safety, our predecessor companies. Prior to the acquisition, we had no operations other than operations relating to our incorporation and organization.

We do not have any subsidiaries.

Industry

Our market encompasses the global household cleaning market, the global food service market, the global commercial and residential laundry market, and the global health care market. According to Report Linker, the global service cleaning market is expected to reach $92.69 billion by 2027, rising at a 7.80% CAGR during the forecast period. The global household cleaners market size was valued at $33.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2022 to 2028. We believe this can be credited to the increasing awareness regarding hygiene among consumers. The constant developments in the household cleaner sector are also likely to boost industry demand.

There is a growing demand for green cleaning and eco-friendly products that are effective, safe, and sanitary. According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global industrial cleaning equipment market amassed revenue of $9.12 billion in 2021, and is expected to hit $14.14 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 4.3% from 2022 to 2031. A market report from Research and Markets noted that the global household green cleaning products market is expected to grow to $27.83 at a CAGR of 6.50% from 2017 to 2024.

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There is also a high demand in the food and beverage cleaning industry for effective and eco-friendly cleaning suppliers and cleaning solutions. According to an article by Arizton Advisory and Intelligence (“US Food and Beverage Industry Cleaning Services Market Size to Reach Revenues USD 2.4 Billion by 2026,” March 24, 2021), the U.S. food and beverage industry cleaning services market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 7% from 2020 to 2026. We believe the rising awareness in the food and beverage cleaning industry is also encouraging vendors to rely on green cleaning services, which is expected to generate incremental income. Further, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on customer and provider expectations of cleanliness, the demand for disinfection services in the food and beverage industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 6% through 2022.

The cleaning, healthcare and sanitation market is also receiving interest from government agencies, such as British Columbia’s GreenCare Sustainability Strategic Framework, to develop and retain better, environmentally sustainable, and innovative cleaning solutions. Government initiatives have led some transitions into different and alternative cleaning technologies, and environmentally conscious institutions are expected to increase their demand for alternative cleaning products. While traditional disinfectants will continue to be routinely used in hospitals to sterilize and remove viruses and pathogens, we believe there is a place for aqueous ozone technology to be introduced in clinical settings. For instance, Cape Coral Hospital in Florida, along with two other hospitals, integrated aqueous ozone as room deodorizes as part of their environmental services program effort.

Based on the above, the demand for alternative environmentally conscious cleaning solutions is increasing, and we believe our aqueous ozone patented technology effectively cleans and reduces environmental impact, and as a result, that the demand for our products and services will continue to grow.

Products

We offer products and solutions that are marketed for janitorial and sanitation, ice machine cleaning, laundry, and industrial industries. Our products are used in many types of environments including retail establishments, distribution centers, factories, warehouses, restaurants, schools and universities, airports, healthcare, food service, and commercial buildings such as offices, malls, and stores.

Janitorial and Sanitation

Within the janitorial and sanitation sector, we currently manufacture the following products:

•        Fill Stations:    Wall-mounted units that produce on demand aqueous ozone and can fill up spray bottles or buckets for general cleaning, including our 1.0 Fill Station, which can produce one gallon per minute of aqueous ozone for users with smaller cleaning needs, and our 3.0 Fill Station, which can produce three gallons per minute and is designed for commercial and industrial cleaning requirements.

•        POWERcaddy:    A 12-gallon tank that generates aqueous ozone within it, so users are able to generate on-site, on-demand aqueous ozone as they clean. These units come equipped with a spray gun and vacuum hose to properly clean all locations. The POWERcaddy includes a high-pressure spray gun with a pressure per inch boost over 100 for more intense cleaning.

•        POWER MINIcaddy.    A six-gallon tank that generates aqueous ozone within it, so users are able to generate on-site, on-demand aqueous ozone as they clean. This product comes equipped with a spray gun and vacuum hose to properly clean all locations. The MINIcaddy is a smaller version of the POWERcaddy that is popular in smaller areas such as restaurants.

Ice System

The Ice Treatment System establishes a proactive ice machine cleaning program. Cleaning ice machines is a labor intensive and slow process that needs to happen often to stop the buildup of bacteria and mold in the ice machine, the buildup of which could contaminate the ice supply. Ice machines, like other water systems used within indoor environments, create ideal conditions for fostering the growth of bacteria and mold. Pure aqueous ozone is highly effective in cleaning the

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inside of ice machines. Our Ice System destroys bacteria by sending 0.50 ppm of aqueous ozone through the ice machine each time it makes more ice. Aqueous ozone proactively prevents the growth of Listeria, Salmonella, E. Coli, Norwalk Virus, and Shigella in the ice and keeps the ice pure while preventing respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses.

Commercial and Residential Laundry

We believe that the laundry unit effectively oxidizes and deodorizes to extend the life of your laundry. When the laundry ozone unit is connected to a washing machine, the aqueous ozone is used to clean towels and linens. As a result, by avoiding harsh chemicals, the aqueous ozone may expand the life of the linens, reduce dry time, and eliminate skin irritation. The flow rate of the commercial product is five GPM on each line.

Industrial Cleaning Products

We also plan to make aqueous ozone available for industrial applications, primarily for the purpose of keeping industrial plants and production lines clean. We believe this industrial product is safe to be used on food-contact surfaces and has been used in meat packing plants to eliminate the need to stop the packaging line for cleaning. Additional applications for this product may include pet food packaging and manufacturing, canning operations, breweries, wineries, distilleries, and consumer health manufacturers.

We build customized cleaning systems to meet the required needs of our clients. Our system’s volume output ranges from 10-250 GPM of our patented solution. The concentration levels of our aqueous ozone solutions can be adjusted to suit our client’s distinctive needs. Multiple units can be placed in tandem for large volume projects. Concentration levels of ozone can be established at up to 20 ppm of ozone.

Sanitizing and Disinfectant Tablets

Branded “GreenKlean,” these chlorinated tablets kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria on a surface. These tablets eliminate odors while disinfecting and can be used on a variety of hard non-porous surfaces. We believe each tablet is easy to use, fast dissolving in water, and each tablet provides a single, standardized cleaning dose. The solution created from the tablet when mixed with water may be applied with a spray device, cloth, wipe, sponge, brush, or mop. Each tablet is effective for up to three days in a closed container and should be prepared daily when used in open containers. Generally, there is no need to rinse off the product after cleaning, the surface just needs to fully air dry, with no remaining residue left nor harm to the surfaces’ finish. The tablets are made according to standards of the National Science Foundation, an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering, under the “D2” classification, which means these tablets may be used as an antimicrobial agent that would not need to be rinsed, or qualified as a “no rinse sanitizer.”

Manufacturing

We currently source components and raw materials both domestically and overseas from vendors. The components and raw materials are shipped to our facility in Omaha, NE and assembled. We have implemented a strict quality control program which is run by our Director of Operations along with our Lead Production Supervisor. We have inventory control systems at our facilities that track each manufacturing and packaging component as we receive it from our

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supply sources through manufacturing and shipment of each product to customers. To facilitate this tracking, most products we sell are bar coded. We believe our distribution capabilities increase our flexibility in responding to our customers’ delivery requirements.

Our manufacturing operations are designed to allow low-cost production of a wide variety of products of different quantities, physical sizes and packaging formats, while maintaining a high level of customer service and quality. Flexible production line changeover capabilities and reduced cycle times allow us to respond quickly to changes in manufacturing schedules and customer demands.

We believe that our manufacturing facilities generally have sufficient capacity to meet our current business requirements and our currently anticipated sales.

Raw Materials and Suppliers

The primary raw materials used in the manufacture of our products are chassis, generators, various sockets, degas cylinders, and a variety of other components. The cost of these raw materials is a key factor in pricing our products.

We source raw materials from multiple regional, national and foreign suppliers. Certain of our materials come from Asian-based suppliers. Raw materials from Asian-based suppliers may be subjected to import duties, depending on various foreign policies of the US government. As such, we continue to explore partnership or supplier opportunities to optimize our costs.

We have historically purchased certain key raw materials from a limited number of suppliers. We purchase raw materials on the basis of purchase orders. While we believe that there is an ample supply of most of the raw materials that we need, in the absence of firm and long-term contracts, we may not be able to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials from our existing suppliers or alternates in a timely fashion or at a reasonable cost. If we fail to secure a sufficient supply of key raw materials in a timely fashion, it would result in a significant delay in delivering our products. Furthermore, failure to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials at a reasonable cost could also harm our revenue and gross profit margins. Please see “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Industry — We have historically depended on a limited number of third parties to supply key raw materials to us and the failure to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials in a timely fashion and at reasonable costs could significantly delay our delivery of products” for a description of the risks related to our supplier relationships.

Sales and Marketing

We will utilize media, websites, email lists, social media to reach industries and new potential clients. We actively participate in a variety of trade shows in health care, food service, commercial real estate, and schools and universities where we demonstrate and market our products to thousands of potential and existing customers. We will also use these marketing tactics to grow awareness for our products that we deploy in various cleaning applications. Finally, we will distribute press releases, attend industry conferences, and leverage our relationships with existing customers to grow our client base.

Customers

The most significant sales and distribution channels for our products are currently through distributors who then sell to the janitorial services industries relating to food services, health care, education, and commercial buildings. These distributors provide sales, marketing, product training, service and maintenance for their respective end customers.

For the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, two customers, Pro-Link and Sanzonate, accounted for 66% and 62% of revenue, respectively, and we had one customer that accounted for 43% of all accounts receivable at June 30, 2023, and two customers that accounted for 32% of the predecessor’s total accounts receivable. We do not have a long-term contract with Pro-Link, Sanzonate, or most of our other customers, and primarily sell products to customers under individual purchase orders placed by them under their standard terms and conditions of sale. These terms and conditions generally include insurance requirements, representations by us with respect to the quality of our products and our manufacturing process, our obligations to comply with law, and indemnifications by us if we breach our representations or obligations. There is no commitment from any of these customers to purchase from us, or from us to sell to them, any minimum amount of products.

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The loss of any major customer could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. See “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business and Industry — Our major customers account for a significant portion of our revenue and the loss of any major customer could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.”

Competition

The janitorial services industry is highly competitive and has many established, large and small global competitors. We compete against a wide range of cleaning-focused businesses. Some of our current competitors may be larger than we are, have larger customer bases, greater brand recognition and operating histories, a dominant or more secure position, broader geographic scope, volume, scale, resources, and more market share than we do, or offer products and services we do not offer. Other competitors are smaller, younger, companies that may be more agile in responding quickly to new products or changes in the market.

Our major competitors for our products are traditional cleaning companies such as Proctor and Gamble and Unilever, which are companies that develop and manufacture traditional chemical cleaning products. However, to the best of our knowledge, none of them have an aqueous ozone technology. We also compete with companies in the aqueous ozone cleaning market such as Tennant Company, Tersano Inc., and Enozo Technologies Inc and O3 Waterworks. Each of these companies also produces devices to make aqueous ozone, and Tersano Inc. and Enozo Technologies Inc. produce aqueous ozone products for both personal and professional use.

We also compete with a multitude of foreign, regional, and local competitors that vary by market. If our existing or future competitors seek to gain or retain market share by reducing prices, we may be required to lower our prices, which would adversely affect our operating results. Similarly, if customers or potential customers perceive the products or services offered by our existing or future competitors to be of higher quality than ours or part of a broader product mix, our revenues may decline, which would adversely affect our operating results.

Competitive Strengths

We believe that the following competitive strengths contribute to our success and differentiate us from our competitors:

•        We have numerous patents for our technology.    We currently have 15 patents for our technology. These patents cover the functions of our products that allow our machines to produce ozone in the form of nanobubbles.

•        We have experience in the cleaning industry.    Our acquisition and subsequent business with aqueous ozone products have led us to maintain and uphold significant and meaningful relationships throughout the service cleaning industry with various providers of cleaning services.

•        We believe that our products eliminate the need for harsh chemicals and reduce costs of labor in janitorial services.    Various chemical solutions for cleaning are costly, but with the aqueous ozone solution, we believe hospitals may reduce expenditures by switching to the aqueous ozone technology. Our customers in janitorial services have reported a reduced time in cleaning and sanitizing, which saves our customers on labor costs.

•        There is no chemical residue left after using our solution, and we believe it causes less irritation compared to typical cleaning agents.    When cleaning with the aqueous ozone solution, it may remove and deodorize surfaces without using harsh caustic chemicals, and only water remains on the surface after cleaning, not any chemical residue that may require additional rinsing. As a result, our clients may report less eye, skin, and respiratory irritation after switching to our cleaning products.

•        Our product is environmentally conscious.    Our goal is to reduce packaging waste when replacing traditional cleaners and their packaging with aqueous ozone dispensers. We believe our product also reduces water consumption while cleaning. A two-year study at a major Vancouver hospital found that clients use 90% less water since the aqueous ozone technology removes the need to flush the cleaning dispensing system between various chemical cleaning agents. Overall, our products may reduce the carbon footprint of a janitorial service business when used in lieu of traditional cleaning methods.

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Growth Strategies

The key elements of our strategy to grow our business include:

•        Targeting key industries.    Our team has built relationships throughout the service cleaning industry, and we have experience. Presently, we sell our products mainly through geographic and strategic distributors across the United States and Europe in the janitorial services sector. Our goal is to expand and provide our products to more health care, education, food service, and commercial buildings industries.

•        Deploy marketing strategies that raise awareness for our cleaning products.    We plan to expand our marketing efforts to increase awareness of our products. Our strategy includes attending industry conferences and working with salespeople to start the use of our product in new areas.

•        Create partnerships through exclusive licensing for distributors and a direct sales model.    We currently license our technology overseas and have an exclusive licensing agreement for products sold in Europe. We anticipate evolving the business model into a hybrid of both traditional distributors and a direct sales model with key salespeople penetrating the health care, education, food service, and commercial buildings industries. Our goal is also to create partnerships with some of the largest sports and entertainment arenas in the world, providing end-to-end sales and service.

Research and Development

We are continuing our research and development into specific product applications across our core janitorial and sanitation product line, specifically aligning our new direct sales and support strategy by evolving the existing product lines to capture new “real time” testing evaluations.

Previously, we had conducted an adenosine triphosphate study on the Clemson University Core buildings to determine the cleaning effect of aqueous ozone and our products.

We are also active in developing consumer-focused products that can be sold and marketed online and in large box retail stores across the country. We are exploring the development of our products for expanded usage in key market segments such as health care, food service, and commercial cleaning industries.

Intellectual Property

Currently, we hold 15 patents and have two patents pending, with one pending in the United States and another pending in Canada. We own 9 patents in the United States, 1 patent in Mexico, 4 patents in Canada, and 1 patent in Australia. These patents cover the functions of our products that allow our machines to produce the ozone in the form of nanobubbles. Each of our United States patents are utility patents, and are owned by us, either under the name “CC Acquisition Corp,” our previous name, or “CleanCore Solutions, Inc.” We do not currently license any patents. We are in the process of transferring each of the patents to our current name, “CleanCore Solutions, Inc.”

Patent Title

 

Patent Number

 

Jurisdiction

 

Expiration
Year

Ozone Cleaning System

 

9068149

 

United States

 

2030

Reaction Vessel for an Ozone Cleaning System

 

8075705

 

United States

 

2029

Aqueous Ozone Solution for Ozone Cleaning System

 

8071526

 

United States

 

2029

Aqueous Ozone Solution for Ozone Cleaning System

 

8735337

 

United States

 

2029

Method and Systems for Controlling Microorganisms

 

9670081

 

United States

 

2035

Ozone Cleaning System

 

2680331

 

Canada

 

2028

Ozone Cleaning System

 

320909

 

Mexico

 

2028

Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit

 

9174845

 

United States

 

2029

Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit

 

9522348

 

United States

 

2030

Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit

 

10479683

 

United States

 

2028

System for Producing and Distributing an Ozonated Fluid

 

2802307

 

Canada

 

2031

Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit

 

2802311

 

Canada

 

2031

Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit

 

2896332

 

Canada

 

2034

Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit

 

2016256691

 

Australia

 

2034

Apparatus for Generating Aqueous Ozone

 

11033647

 

United States

 

2039

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To protect our intellectual property, we rely on a combination of laws and regulations, as well as contractual restrictions. We rely on Federal patent laws to protect our intellectual property, including our patented technology. We also rely on the protection of laws regarding unregistered copyrights for certain content we create and trade secret laws to protect our proprietary technology. To further protect our intellectual property, we enter into confidentiality agreements with our executive officers and directors.

Facilities

Our corporate headquarters are in Omaha, NE, which includes both our corporate offices and the warehouse and assembly functions. Our facilities are approximately 12,420 square feet and include an office bay, a manufacturing and shipping bay, and a warehouse and storage bay. We lease the building, and we are currently on a contract until the end of February 2028. We anticipate continuing assembly, manufacturing, and warehousing at this location, and anticipate a hybrid corporate function at this location and at a possible new location in Minneapolis, MN.

We believe that our property is adequately maintained, is in generally good condition, and adequate for our business.

Employees

We seek to attract and retain quality employees in the areas of sales, marketing, and internal operations. Our salespeople will be selected to continue to identify and develop our client relationships. Our marketing staff will develop brand awareness of our products within the janitorial services market.

As of June 30, 2023, we had ten (10) full time employees, all of whom were in the United States, which did not include Matthew Atkinson, our Chief Executive Officer, or Clayton Adams, our former President. On July 18, 2023, Mr. Atkinson entered into an employment agreement as Chief Executive Officer of our company. None of our employees are represented by labor unions, and we believe that we have an excellent relationship with our employees.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. However, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business. We are currently not aware of any such legal proceedings or claims that we believe will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.

Government Regulation

As a manufacturer of ozone devices, we are subject to regulation by multiple U.S. government agencies, including the EPA. We must also comply with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA, which establishes procedures for registering pesticides and pesticide generating devices with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and following established labeling provisions. FIFRA mandates that the EPA regulates the use and sale of pesticides and pesticide generating devices to protect human health and preserve the environment. Under FIFRA’s definition, ozone is considered a pesticide and manufacturers of ozone generating devices are required to register with the EPA. Our EPA registration establishment number is 090379-NE-001.

We are also subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, for the use of ozone for water treatment as well as its use as an antimicrobial agent for the treatment, storage, and processing of foods. In 1982, the FDA granted “GRAS” approval, meaning it is “generally recognized as safe” status for ozone treatment of bottled water. The FDA and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition announced on June 26, 2001 that ozone may be safely used in the treatment, storage, and processing of foods, including meat and poultry, when used in accordance with the specified conditions; and that ozone is approved as a secondary food additive permitted for human consumption.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food Safety and Inspection Service declared in December 2001 that ozone may be used on food labeled as “organic,” and that there are no special labeling requirements for treated raw and ready-to-eat meat and poultry products if treated with ozone just prior to packaging.

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, or ACGIH, have also issued guidelines and regulations for ozone gas exposure. OSHA regulates ozone gas exposure based on time-weighted averages, and states that ozone levels in ambient air should not exceed 0.10 ppm for an eight-hour exposure period. Similarly, ACGIH guidelines state provide for similar time weighted averages, distinguishing based on the level of exertion starting from 0.10 ppm of ozone exposure for eight hours of light work to 0.05 ppm of ozone exposure for eight hours of during heavy work.

The Hazard Communication Standard provides workers who are exposed to hazardous chemicals or alike with “the right to know’’ the identities and protective measures to be taken to protect themselves from adverse effect of air contaminants. Government recommendations include guidelines that if an employee is exposed to ambient ozone levels higher than permitted, to wear a respirator or other personal protective equipment until such a time when air contaminate levels are in within compliance according to the OSHA standards.

In Canada, Health Canada has issued our company a letter of no-objection to the use of our solution as a sanitizer in Canada for use as a general use sanitizer, hand disinfectant, personal hygiene cleaner, as a drain cleaner, for food packaging materials, and in use with food contacting hard surfaces. Our Health Canada reference numbers are: IS13041201/02, IS13041209 to IS13041216, and IP13101701.

The application, interpretation, and enforcement of these U.S. and foreign laws and regulations are often uncertain, particularly in the rapidly evolving industry in which we operate and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from country to country and inconsistently with our current policies and practices. Any existing or new legislation applicable to our operations could expose us to substantial liability, including significant expenses necessary to comply with such laws and regulations, to respond to regulatory inquiries or investigations, and to defend individual or class litigation. These events could dampen growth in the use of the internet in general, and cause us to divert significant resources and funds to addressing these issues, and possibly require us to change our business practices.

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MANAGEMENT

Directors and Executive Officers

Set forth below is information regarding our directors and executive officers as of the date of this prospectus.

Name

 

Age

 

Position

Matthew Atkinson

 

41

 

Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President

David Enholm

 

58

 

Chief Financial Officer and Director

Gary Hollst

 

37

 

Chief Revenue Officer

James M. Grisham

 

54

 

Director(1)

Daniel D. Nelson

 

60

 

Director(1)

Benjamin VandenWymelenberg

 

33

 

Director(1)

____________

(1)      Appointed to our board of directors effective automatically upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Matthew Atkinson.    Mr. Atkinson has served as our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since September 2022. Mr. Atkinson co-founded our company to bring his expertise in capital markets, sales, marketing, operations, and early-stage company financing. From March 2021 to February 1, 2023, Mr. Atkinson served as an advisor at LegalQ, Inc., where he provided advising services for various areas of a business including operations, business development, investor relations, and finance. Mr. Atkinson also served as a member of the board of directors of Signing Day Sports, Inc. from August 2021 to July 2022. From January 2016 to December 2021, Mr. Atkinson was a managing partner at M2 Equity Partners LLC, a corporate advisory company for early-stage investing. At M2 Equity Partners, he advised companies on corporate, financial, and regulatory issues, helping the companies successfully raise money from equity and debt financing. From 2010 to 2017, Mr. Atkinson was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Elev8 Marketing LLC, where he managed a team of account managers, business analysts, and forecasting analysts to build a comprehensive business strategy for corporate retailers. He received his Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from the University of Minnesota. We believe that Mr. Atkinson is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his experience in company advising, early-stage investing, and his company management skills.

David Enholm.    Mr. Enholm has served as our Chief Financial Officer since March 2023 and was appointed to our board of directors on July 18, 2023. Mr. Enholm is a senior executive with over 35 years of experience in finance, including budgeting, forecasting, treasury and cash flow operations, acquisitions and dispositions, and company restructuring. Mr. Enholm worked with Monroe Capital, a private equity firm located in Chicago, Illinois, to assist their portfolio companies with their financial reporting and accounting needs from October 2018 through September 2022. As a result, from March 2020 to September 2022, Mr. Enholm served as the Interim Chief Financial Officer, and subsequently Chief Financial Officer, at Nelbud Services, a service company specializing in fire protection located in Indianapolis, Indiana. From October 2019 to March 2020, Mr. Enholm was primarily engaged as a consultant for Nelbud Services. During his tenure as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Enholm led two acquisitions and worked with a senior executive team to develop new revenue sources for the company. From October 2018 to August 2021, Mr. Enholm was the Chief Financial Officer at Complete Nutrition, a private company in Omaha, Nebraska, that specialized in the sale of health supplements. As Chief Financial Officer at Complete Nutrition, Mr. Enholm developed a restructuring plan to transition the company from a traditional physical store to an e-commerce retailer. Both Nelbud Services and Complete Nutrition were wholly owned by Monroe Capital. Prior to 2018, Mr. Enholm has also served as Chief Financial Officer at FRGC LLC, Corporate Controller at Cosentry LLC, and Vice President Corporate Controller at Pamida Operating Stores LLC. Mr. Enholm graduated from the University of Nebraska-Omaha with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a major in Accounting. We believe that Mr. Enholm is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his extensive finance experience.

Gary Hollst.    Mr. Hollst has served as our Chief Revenue Officer since November 1, 2022 and previously served as President of CleanCore LLC from April 19, 2019 to October 17, 2023. Mr. Hollst has an extensive background in the janitorial, sanitation and refrigeration industry. From 2015 to April 19, 2021, Mr. Hollst served as the President of Walker Water, LLC d/b/a O-Z Tech, an ice machine and laundry cleaning company based out of Omaha, Nebraska, that also specializes in the usage of aqueous ozone water. Mr. Hollst also serves on the Yutan Board of Education in Yutan, NE. Mr. Hollst earned his high school degree in 2003 from Yutan High School.

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James M. Grisham.    Mr. Grisham will be a member of our board of directors immediately upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Grisham has worked in the telecommunications industry for over 25 years and has almost a decade of experience as an executive officer. Since December 2013, Mr. Grisham has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Shawnee Communications Inc., an Illinois telecommunications company. Prior to his tenure as the President and Chief Executive Officer as Shawnee Communications, Mr. Grisham spent 15 years, from August 1998 to December 2013, as its Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Grisham holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Our board of directors believes Mr. Grisham is qualified to serve on the board due to his financial background and his extensive experience as an executive.

Daniel Nelson.    Mr. Nelson will be a member of our board of directors effective automatically upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Nelson is the Chief Executive Officer of Signing Day Sports, a company focused on digital solutions to help athletes get discovered and recruited by coaches and other recruiters, a position he has held since November 2022. Mr. Nelson was also the President of Signing Day Sports from August 2022 to November 2022, has been a director of Signing Day Sports since July 2022, and the Chairman since March 2023. Mr. Nelson began working in the financial services industry in 1986. In 1997, Mr. Nelson formed, and has since served as Chief Executive Officer of, Nelson Financial Services Inc., which focuses on the employee benefits market. Mr. Nelson formed Nelson Financial Services to provide financial guidance for all individuals. For more than 30 years, Mr. Nelson has acquired extensive knowledge and experience in the financial services arena. We believe that Mr. Nelson is qualified to serve on our board of directors due to his experience in finance and executive leadership, particularly with respect to his involvement and experience as the founder of Nelson Financial Services and in his role as an executive at Signing Day Sports.

Benjamin VandenWymelenberg.    Mr. VandenWymelenberg will be a member of our board of directors effective automatically upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. VandenWymelenberg is an executive with over a decade of experience that excels in creating, founding, and expanding small businesses. In May 2012, Mr. VandenWymelenberg founded Woodchuck USA, a company specializing in the design and manufacture of custom wood products, and since May 2012, he has been its Chief Executive Officer. In August of 2021, he also became a co-founder of Nature Link Resorts, a luxury resort and wedding venue in Minnesota. Since June 2015, Mr. VandenWymelenberg has served as a board member at the University of Minnesota Masonic Childrens Hospital Philanthropic Board. Since August 2011, Mr. VandenWymelenberg founded and has been engaged as the Chief Executive Officer of Workbench Studios, a real estate portfolio of companies. From September 2016 to December 2020, Mr. VandenWymelenberg was the co-founder of North Co. Coworking, a coworking space for startup businesses in Northeast Minneapolis. Mr. VandenWymelenberg holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, and a Bachelor of Landscape Design in Architecture from the University of Minnesota. Our board of directors believes Mr. VandenWymelenberg is qualified to serve on the board due his extensive experience as an executive, as well as his experience as a founder and leader of several successful businesses.

Our directors currently have terms which will end at our next annual meeting of the stockholders or until their successors are elected and qualify, subject to their prior death, resignation or removal. Officers serve at the discretion of the board of directors. There is no arrangement or understanding between any director or executive officer and any other person pursuant to which he was or is to be selected as a director, nominee or officer.

Family Relationships

There are no family relationships among any of our officers or directors.

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

To the best of our knowledge, except as described below, none of our directors or executive officers has, during the past ten years:

•        been convicted in a criminal proceeding or been subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offences);

•        had any bankruptcy petition filed by or against the business or property of the person, or of any partnership, corporation or business association of which he was a general partner or executive officer, either at the time of the bankruptcy filing or within two years prior to that time;

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•        been subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction or federal or state authority, permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting, his involvement in any type of business, securities, futures, commodities, investment, banking, savings and loan, or insurance activities, or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;

•        been found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated a federal or state securities or commodities law, and the judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated;

•        been the subject of, or a party to, any federal or state judicial or administrative order, judgment, decree, or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated (not including any settlement of a civil proceeding among private litigants), relating to an alleged violation of any federal or state securities or commodities law or regulation, any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent cease-and-desist order, or removal or prohibition order, or any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity; or

•        been the subject of, or a party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any self-regulatory organization (as defined in Section 3(a)(26) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(26))), any registered entity (as defined in Section 1(a)(29) of the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1(a)(29))), or any equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member.

Corporate Governance

Governance Structure

Currently, our Chief Executive Officer is also our Chairman of the Board. Our board believes that, at this time, having a combined Chief Executive Officer and Chairman is the appropriate leadership structure for our company. In making this determination, the board considered, among other matters, Mr. Atkinson’s experience and tenure of having founded our company and believed that Mr. Atkinson is highly qualified to act as both Chairman and Chief Executive Officer due to his experience, knowledge, and personality. Among the benefits of a combined Chairman/Chief Executive Officer considered by the board is that such structure promotes clearer leadership and direction for our company and allows for a single, focused chain of command to execute our strategic initiatives and business plans.

The Board’s Role in Risk Oversight

The board of directors oversees that the assets of our company are properly safeguarded, that the appropriate financial and other controls are maintained, and that our business is conducted wisely and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and proper governance. Included in these responsibilities is the board’s oversight of the various risks facing our company. In this regard, our board seeks to understand and oversee critical business risks. Our board does not view risk in isolation. Risks are considered in virtually every business decision and as part of our business strategy. Our board recognizes that it is neither possible nor prudent to eliminate all risk. Indeed, purposeful and appropriate risk-taking is essential for our company to be competitive on a global basis and to achieve its objectives.

While the board oversees risk management, company management is charged with managing risk. Management communicates routinely with the board and individual directors on the significant risks identified and how they are being managed. Directors are free to, and indeed often do, communicate directly with senior management.

Our board administers its risk oversight function as a whole by making risk oversight a matter of collective consideration; however, much of the work will be delegated to committees, which will meet regularly and report back to the full board. We have established a standing audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee of our board of directors. The audit committee will oversee risks related to our financial statements, the financial reporting process, accounting and legal matters, the compensation committee will evaluate the risks and rewards associated with our compensation philosophy and programs, and the nominating and corporate governance committee will evaluate risk associated with management decisions and strategic direction.

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Independent Directors

NYSE American’s rules generally require that a majority of an issuer’s board of directors must consist of independent directors. Our board of directors currently consists of two directors, Messrs. Atkinson and Enholm, who are not independent within the meaning of the NYSE American’s rules. We have entered into independent director agreements with James M. Grisham, Daniel Nelson and Ben VandenWymelenberg, pursuant to which they have been appointed to serve as independent directors effective automatically upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. As a result of these appointments, we anticipate that our board of directors upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part will consist of five (5) directors, three (3) of whom will be independent within the meaning of NYSE American’s rules.

Committees of the Board of Directors

We have established a standing audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee of our board of directors, each with its own charter approved by the board. Upon completion of this offering, we intend to make each committee’s charter available on our website at www.cleancoresol.com.

In addition, our board of directors may, from time to time, designate one or more additional committees, which shall have the duties and powers granted to it by our board of directors.

Audit Committee

James M. Grisham, Daniel Nelson and Ben VandenWymelenberg, each of whom satisfies the “independence” requirements of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and NYSE American’s rules, have been appointed to serve on our audit committee, effective automatically upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, with Mr. Nelson serving as the chair. Mr. Nelson qualifies as “audit committee financial expert.” The audit committee will oversee our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of the financial statements of our company.

The audit committee will be responsible for, among other things: (i) retaining and overseeing our independent accountants; (ii) assisting the board in its oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, the qualifications, independence and performance of our independent auditors and our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; (iii) reviewing and approving the plan and scope of the internal and external audit; (iv) pre-approving any audit and non-audit services provided by our independent auditors; (v) approving the fees to be paid to our independent auditors; (vi) reviewing with our chief executive officer and chief financial officer and independent auditors the adequacy and effectiveness of our internal controls; (vii) reviewing hedging transactions; and (viii) reviewing and approving related party transactions; and (ix) reviewing and assessing annually the audit committee’s performance and the adequacy of its charter.

Compensation Committee

James M. Grisham, Daniel Nelson and Ben VandenWymelenberg, each of whom satisfies the “independence” requirements of NYSE American’s rules, have been appointed to serve on our compensation committee, effective automatically upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, with Mr. Grisham serving as the chair. The members of the compensation committee will also be “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. The compensation committee will assist the board in reviewing and approving the compensation structure, including all forms of compensation relating to our directors and executive officers.

The compensation committee will be responsible for, among other things: (i) reviewing and approving the remuneration of our executive officers; (ii) determining the compensation of our independent directors; (iii) making recommendations to the board regarding equity-based and incentive compensation plans, policies and programs; and (iv) reviewing and assessing annually the compensation committee’s performance and the adequacy of its charter.

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Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

James M. Grisham, Daniel Nelson and Ben VandenWymelenberg, each of whom satisfies the “independence” requirements of NYSE American’s rules, have been appointed to serve on our nominating and corporate governance committee, effective automatically upon the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, with Mr. VandenWymelenberg serving as the chair. The nominating and corporate governance committee will assist the board of directors in selecting individuals qualified to become our directors and in determining the composition of the board and its committees.

The nominating and corporate governance committee will be responsible for, among other things: (i) recommending the number of directors to comprise our board; (ii) identifying and evaluating individuals qualified to become members of the board and soliciting recommendations for director nominees from our Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair; (iii) recommending to the board the director nominees for each annual stockholders’ meeting; (iv) recommending to the board the candidates for filling vacancies that may occur between annual stockholders’ meetings; (v) reviewing independent director compensation and board processes, self-evaluations and policies; (vi) overseeing compliance with our code of ethics; and (vii) monitoring developments in the law and practice of corporate governance.

The nominating and corporate governance committee’s methods for identifying candidates for election to our board of directors (other than those proposed by our stockholders, as discussed below) will include the solicitation of ideas for possible candidates from a number of sources — members of our board of directors, our executives, individuals personally known to the members of our board of directors, and other research. The nominating and corporate governance committee may also, from time-to-time, retain one or more third-party search firms to identify suitable candidates.

In making director recommendations, the nominating and corporate governance committee may consider some or all of the following factors: (i) the candidate’s judgment, skill, experience with other organizations of comparable purpose, complexity and size, and subject to similar legal restrictions and oversight; (ii) the interplay of the candidate’s experience with the experience of other board members; (iii) the extent to which the candidate would be a desirable addition to the board and any committee thereof; (iv) whether or not the person has any relationships that might impair his or her independence; and (v) the candidate’s ability to contribute to the effective management of our company, taking into account the needs of our company and such factors as the individual’s experience, perspective, skills and knowledge of the industry in which we operate.

A stockholder may nominate one or more persons for election as a director at an annual meeting of stockholders if the stockholder complies with the notice and information provisions contained in our bylaws. Such notice must be in writing to our company not less than 120 days and not more than 150 days prior to the anniversary date of the preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders or as otherwise required by the requirements of the Exchange Act. In addition, stockholders furnishing such notice must be a holder of record on both (i) the date of delivering such notice and (ii) the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting.

Code of Ethics

We have adopted a code of ethics that applies to all of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. Such code of ethics addresses, among other things, honesty and ethical conduct, conflicts of interest, compliance with laws, regulations and policies, including disclosure requirements under the federal securities laws, and reporting of violations of the code.

We are required to disclose any amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of our code of ethics applicable to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer, controller, or persons performing similar functions. We intend to use our website as a method of disseminating this disclosure, as permitted by applicable SEC rules. Any such disclosure will be posted to our website within four (4) business days following the date of any such amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of our code of ethics.

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Summary Compensation Table — Years Ended June 30, 2023 and 2022

The following table sets forth information concerning all cash and non-cash compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to the named persons for services rendered in all capacities during the noted periods. No other executive officers received total annual salary and bonus compensation in excess of $100,000.

Name and Principal Position

 

Year

 

Salary
($)

 

Option
Awards
($)(1)

 

All Other
Compensation
($)(2)

 

Total
($)

Matthew Atkinson, Chief Executive Officer

 

2023

 

—

 

1,540,000

 

48,000

 

1,588,000

   

2022

 

—

 

—

 

—

 

—

Clayton Adams, Former President(3)

 

2023

 

—

 

1,540,000

 

48,000

 

1,588,000

   

2022

 

—

 

—

 

—

 

—

____________

(1)      The amount is equal to the aggregate grant-date fair value with respect to the awards, computed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718.

(2)      Other compensation includes the compensation received for consulting services, as described below.

(3)      Mr. Adams served as our President from August 24, 2022 to July 13, 2023.

Employment and Consulting Agreements

On July 18, 2023, we entered into an employment agreement with Matthew Atkinson, our Chief Executive Officer, setting forth the terms of Mr. Atkinson’s employment. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, we agreed to pay Mr. Atkinson an annual base salary of $200,000 and he is eligible for an annual incentive bonus of up to $200,000, as determined by our board of directors. The term of the employment agreement is indefinite and may be terminated by us at any time or by Mr. Atkinson upon 14 days’ written notice. If Mr. Atkinson’s employment is terminated by us without just cause (as defined in the employment agreement), then, subject to Mr. Atkinson’s execution of a release in favor of our company and his compliance with all obligations set forth in the employment agreement, he will be entitled to severance equal to his base salary for a period equal to six (6) months following the date of termination. The employment agreement contains customary confidentiality and invention assignment provisions and restrictive covenants prohibiting Mr. Atkinson from (i) providing services in any capacity (as an employee, consultant, independent contractor, partner, principal, agent or advisor), or having any financial interest in, any business that competes with our company for a period of one (1) year following termination of his employment or (ii) soliciting any person employed or engaged by our company and its affiliates, or any customers, clients or other business relationships of our company and its affiliates, for a period of twelve (12) months following the termination of his employment. Prior to entering into the employment agreement, Mr. Atkinson provided full-time consulting and management services through Elev8 Marketing, LLC, or Elev8.

On October 17, 2022, we entered into a consulting agreement with Elev8, a business consulting company owned by Matthew Atkinson, pursuant to which we engaged Elev8 to provide management services to our company. Pursuant to the consulting agreement, we agreed to pay Elev8 a monthly fee of $6,000 commencing on October 17, 2022. We also agreed to reimburse Elev8 for all pre-approved business expenses.

On October 17, 2022, we also entered into a consulting agreement with Birddog Capital, LLC, or Birddog, a limited liability company owned by Clayton Adams, pursuant to which we engaged Birddog to provide management services to our company. Pursuant to the consulting agreement, we agreed to pay Birddog a monthly fee of $6,000 commencing on October 17, 2022. We also agreed to reimburse Birddog for all pre-approved business expenses. The term of the consulting agreement is for one (1) year. Either party may terminate the agreement upon five (5) days’ notice and Birddog may terminate the consulting agreement upon fifteen (15) days’ notice in the event of non-payment. The consulting agreement contains customary confidentiality and indemnification provisions.

On March 27, 2023, we entered into an employment agreement with David Enholm, our Chief Financial Officer, setting forth the terms of Mr. Enholm’s employment. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, as amended, we agreed to pay Mr. Enholm an annual base salary of $185,000 and he is eligible for an annual incentive bonus of up to $55,000, as determined by our board of directors and subject to certain criteria set forth in the employment

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agreement. Mr. Enholm will also receive 325,000 shares of class B common stock options, with vesting as follows: 10% of the total options granted becoming vested on June 25, 2023, (ii) another 10% of the total options granted vesting on September 23, 2023, and (iii) the remaining amount of the total unvested options vesting in equal amounts monthly over 36 months. The term of the employment agreement is indefinite and may be terminated by us at any time upon fourteen (14) days’ notice or by Mr. Enholm upon thirty (30) days’ written notice. We may also terminate the employment agreement immediately for just cause (as defined in the employment agreement). If we terminate the employment agreement without cause, then Mr. Enholm is entitled to severance in an amount equal to the base salary for three (3) months, payable in a lump sum on the termination date, and all previously earned, accrued, and unpaid benefits. The employment agreement contains customary confidentiality and invention assignment provisions and restrictive covenants prohibiting Mr. Enholm from (i) directly or indirectly, as employee, owner, sole proprietor, partner, director, member, consultant, agent, founder, co-venturer or otherwise, solely or jointly with others, engaging in, or giving advice or lending money to, any business that completes with our company or (ii) soliciting our employees, in each case for a period of twelve (12) months following termination of his employment.

On November 1, 2022, we entered into an employment agreement with Gary Hollst, our Chief Revenue Officer, setting forth the terms of Mr. Hollst’s employment. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, as amended, we agreed to pay Mr. Hollst an annual base salary of $120,000 and he is eligible to be considered for an annual incentive bonus, as determined by our board of directors and subject to certain criteria set forth in the employment agreement. The term of the employment agreement is indefinite and may be terminated by us at any time upon fourteen (14) days’ notice or by Mr. Hollst upon fourteen (14) days’ written notice. We may also terminate the employment agreement immediately for just cause (as defined in the employment agreement). The employment agreement contains customary confidentiality and invention assignment provisions and restrictive covenants prohibiting Mr. Hollst from (i) working as an employee, consultant, contractor or in any other capacity, for a business that competes with our company for a period of two (2) years, and from (ii) soliciting our employees, for period of twelve (12) months, in each case following termination of his employment.

Retirement Benefits

We have not maintained, and do not currently maintain, a defined benefit pension plan, nonqualified deferred compensation plan, defined contribution plan, or other retirement plan.

Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control

As described under “— Employment and Consulting Agreements” above, Messrs. Atkinson and Enholm will be entitled to severance if their employment is terminated without cause.

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

The following table includes certain information with respect to the value of all unexercised options and unvested shares of restricted stock previously awarded to the executive officers named above at the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023.

Name

 

Option Awards

Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable

 

Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable

 

Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Options (#)

 

Option
Exercise
Price ($)

 

Option
Expiration
Date

Matthew Atkinson

 

1,000,000

 

—

 

—

 

$

0.25

 

09/16/2032

Clayton Adams

 

1,000,000

 

—

 

—

 

$

0.25

 

09/16/2032

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Director Compensation

No member of our board of directors received compensation for services as a director the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023.

Upon their appointment to the board, our independent directors will each be granted a total of 150,000 stock options with an exercise price equal to the public offering price of the Company’s class B common stock in this offering. The options will be subject to vesting, with 10% of the option vesting immediately upon its grant and the remaining 90% of the option vesting in equal installments each month over the next twenty-four (24) months. The stock options will be granted under the Plan.

2022 Equity Incentive Plan

On September 16, 2022, our board of directors adopted our 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, or the Plan, which was adopted by stockholders on November 18, 2022. The following is a summary of certain significant features of the Plan. The information which follows is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the Plan document itself, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Purposes of Plan:    The purposes of the Plan are to advance our interests and the interests of our shareholders by providing an incentive to attract, retain and reward persons performing services for us and by motivating such persons to contribute to our growth and profitability.

Types of Awards:    Awards that may be granted include: (a) incentive stock options, (b) non-qualified stock options, (c) stock appreciation rights, (d) restricted awards, (e) performance share awards, and (f) performance compensation awards. These awards offer our officers, employees, consultants and directors the possibility of future value, depending on the long-term price appreciation of our common stock and the award holder’s continuing service with our company.

Administration of the Plan:    The Plan is currently administered by our board of directors and will be administered by our compensation committee upon its establishment. Among other things, the administrator has the authority to select persons who will receive awards, determine the types of awards and the number of shares to be covered by awards, and to establish the terms, conditions, performance criteria, restrictions and other provisions of awards. The administrator has authority to establish, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan.

Eligible Recipients:    Persons eligible to receive awards under the Plan will be those employees, consultants, and directors of our company and its subsidiaries who are selected by the administrator.

Shares Available Under the Plan:    The maximum number of shares of our class B common stock that may be delivered to participants under the Plan is 1,736,819, subject to adjustment for certain corporate changes affecting the shares, such as stock splits. Shares subject to an award under the Plan for which the award is canceled, forfeited or expires again become available for grants under the Plan. Shares subject to an award that is settled in cash will not again be made available for grants under the Plan.

Stock Options:

General.    Stock options give the option holder the right to acquire from us a designated number of shares at a purchase price that is fixed at the time of the grant of the option. Stock options granted may be tax-qualified stock options (so-called “incentive stock options”) or non-qualified stock options. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the administrator has the authority to determine all grants of stock options. That determination will include: (i) the number of shares subject to any option; (ii) the exercise price per share; (iii) the expiration date of the option; (iv) the manner, time and date of permitted exercise; (v) other restrictions, if any, on the option or the shares underlying the option; and (vi) any other terms and conditions as the administrator may determine.

Option Price.    The exercise price for stock options will be determined at the time of grant. Normally, the exercise price will not be less than the fair market value on the date of the grant. As a matter of tax law, the exercise price for any incentive stock option awarded may not be less than the fair market value of the shares on the date of grant. However, incentive stock option grants to any person owning more than 10% of our voting stock must have an exercise price of not less than 110% of the fair market value on the grant date.

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Exercise of Options.    An option may be exercised only in accordance with the terms and conditions for the option agreement as established by the administrator at the time of the grant. The option must be exercised by notice to us, accompanied by payment of the exercise price. Payments may be made in cash or, at the option of the administrator, by actual or constructive delivery of shares of common stock to the holder of the option based upon the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise.

Expiration or Termination.    Options, if not previously exercised, will expire on the expiration date established by the administrator at the time of grant. In the case of incentive stock options, such term cannot exceed ten years provided that in the case of holders of more than 10% of our voting stock, such term cannot exceed five years. Options will terminate before their expiration date if the holder’s service with our company or a subsidiary terminates before the expiration date. The option may remain exercisable for specified periods after certain terminations of employment, including terminations as a result of death, disability or retirement, with the precise period during which the option may be exercised to be established by the administrator and reflected in the grant evidencing the award.

Incentive and Non-Qualified Options.    An incentive stock option is an option that is intended to qualify under certain provisions of the Code for more favorable tax treatment than applies to non-qualified stock options. Any option that does not qualify as an incentive stock option will be a non-qualified stock option. Under the Code, certain restrictions apply to incentive stock options. For example, the exercise price for incentive stock options may not be less than the fair market value of the shares on the grant date and the term of the option may not exceed ten years. In addition, an incentive stock option may not be transferred, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during the holder’s lifetime only by the holder. In addition, no incentive stock options may be granted to a holder that is first exercisable in a single year if that option, together with all incentive stock options previously granted to the holder that also first become exercisable in that year, relate to shares having an aggregate fair market value in excess of $100,000, measured at the grant date.

Stock Appreciation Rights:    Stock appreciation rights, or SARs, which may be granted alone or in tandem with options, have an economic value similar to that of options. When an SAR for a particular number of shares is exercised, the holder receives a payment equal to the difference between the market price of the shares on the date of exercise and the exercise price of the shares under the SAR. Again, the exercise price for SARs normally is the market price of the shares on the date the SAR is granted. Under the Plan, holders of SARs may receive this payment — the appreciation value — either in cash or shares valued at the fair market value on the date of exercise. The form of payment will be determined by us.

Restricted Awards:    Restricted awards are shares awarded to participants at no cost. Restricted awards can take the form of awards of restricted stock, which represent issued and outstanding shares subject to vesting criteria, or restricted stock units, which represent the right to receive shares subject to satisfaction of the vesting criteria. Restricted stock awards are forfeitable and non-transferable until the shares vest. The vesting date or dates and other conditions for vesting are established when the shares are awarded. These awards will be subject to such conditions, restrictions and contingencies as the administrator shall determine at the date of grant. Those may include requirements for continuous service and/or the achievement of specified performance goals.

Performance Awards:    A performance award is an award that may be in the form of cash or shares or a combination, based on the attainment of pre-established performance goals and other conditions, restrictions and contingencies identified by the administrator.

Performance Criteria:    Under the Plan, one or more performance criteria will be used by the administrator in establishing performance goals. Any one or more of the performance criteria may be used on an absolute or relative basis to measure the performance of our company, as the administrator may deem appropriate, or as compared to the performance of a group of comparable companies, or published or special index that the administrator deems appropriate. In determining the actual size of an individual performance compensation award, the administrator may reduce or eliminate the amount of the award through the use of negative discretion if, in its sole judgment, such reduction or elimination is appropriate. The administrator shall not have the discretion to (i) grant or provide payment in respect of performance compensation awards if the performance goals have not been attained or (ii) increase a performance compensation award above the maximum amount payable under the Plan.

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Other Material Provisions:    Awards will be evidenced by a written agreement, in such form as may be approved by the administrator. In the event of various changes to the capitalization of our company, such as stock splits, stock dividends and similar re-capitalizations, an appropriate adjustment will be made by the administrator to the number of shares covered by outstanding awards or to the exercise price of such awards. The administrator is also permitted to include in the written agreement provisions that provide for certain changes in the award in the event of a change of control of our company, including acceleration of vesting. Except as otherwise determined by the administrator at the date of grant, awards will not be transferable, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Prior to any award distribution, we are permitted to deduct or withhold amounts sufficient to satisfy any employee withholding tax requirements. Our board also has the authority, at any time, to discontinue the granting of awards. The board also has the authority to alter or amend the Plan or any outstanding award or may terminate the Plan as to further grants, provided that no amendment will, without the approval of our stockholders, to the extent that such approval is required by law or the rules of an applicable exchange, increase the number of shares available under the Plan, change the persons eligible for awards under the Plan, extend the time within which awards may be made, or amend the provisions of the Plan related to amendments. No amendment that would adversely affect any outstanding award made under the Plan can be made without the consent of the holder of such award.

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CURRENT RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Transactions with Related Persons

The following includes a summary of transactions since the beginning of our 2022 fiscal year, or any currently proposed transaction, in which we were or are to be a participant and the amount involved exceeded or exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years, and in which any related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest (other than compensation described under “Executive Compensation” above). We believe the terms obtained or consideration that we paid or received, as applicable, in connection with the transactions described below were comparable to terms available or the amounts that would be paid or received, as applicable, in arm’s-length transactions.

On October 4, 2022, we issued a promissory note to each of Matthew Atkinson, our Chief Executive Officer, and Clayton Adams, our President at such time, in the principal amount of $104,450 each for a total of $208,900. These notes bear interest at a rate of 5% per annum beginning on the 30th day after issuance and are due on the 60th day following written demand from the holder. As of June 30, 2023, the outstanding principal balance of these notes is $208,900 and they have accrued interest of $7,698.

On July 27, 2023, we agreed to purchase approximately $105,607 worth of inventory from Nebraska C. Ozone, LLC, a related party business owned by Lisa Roskens, a significant stockholder and the principal officer of Burlington Capital, LLC, due to an open purchase order that our predecessor had with an inventory vendor that was not included in the liabilities assumed from our predecessor per the terms of the acquisition purchase agreement. The inventory is to be purchased as needed, consistent with other inventory purchases. However, if the entire $105,000 amount is not purchased by March 31, 2024, the balance at that date begins accruing interest at a rate of seven percent (7%) per annum until it is paid in full.

On September 13, 2023, we signed an extension agreement with Burlington Capital, LLC, a significant stockholder, for the promissory note described above. The extension agreement requires that such promissory note will accrue interest at a rate of 10% from September 13, 2023 and is now due and payable on the earlier of (a) the closing of a firm commitment initial public offering and concurrent listing on a national securities exchange or (b) December 17, 2023.

Promoters and Certain Control Persons

Matthew Atkinson, our founder and Chief Executive Officer, and Clayton Adams, our founder, may each be deemed as a “promoter” as defined by Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

In addition, in connection with the formation of our company, Messrs. Atkinson and Adams each received 500,000 shares of class A common stock, at a purchase price of $0.0001 per share, 1,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock, at a purchase price of $0.25 per share, and stock options for purchase 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock with an exercise price of $0.25.

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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of October 10, 2023 for (i) each of our executive officers and directors; (ii) all of our executive officers and directors as a group; and (iii) each other stockholder known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding common stock. The following table assumes that the underwriters have not exercised the over-allotment option.

Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with SEC rules and generally includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. For purposes of this table, a person or group of persons is deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of any shares of common stock that such person or any member of such group has the right to acquire within sixty (60) days of October 10, 2023. For purposes of computing the percentage of outstanding shares of our common stock held by each person or group of persons named above, any shares that such person or persons has the right to acquire within sixty (60) days of October 10, 2023 are deemed to be outstanding for such person, but not deemed to be outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. The inclusion herein of any shares listed as beneficially owned does not constitute an admission of beneficial ownership by any person. The share ownership numbers after the offering for the beneficial owners indicated below exclude any potential purchases that may be made by such persons in this offering.

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o our company, 5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 2, Omaha, NE 68137.

Name of Beneficial Owner

 

Common Stock Beneficially Owned
Prior to this Offering
(1)

 

Common Stock Beneficially Owned
After this Offering
(2)

Class A
Common
Stock

 

Percent of
Class A
Common
Stock

 

Series
Seed
Preferred
Stock

 

Percent of Series
Seed
Preferred
Stock

 

Class B
Common
Stock

 

Percent of
Class B
Common
Stock

 

Percent of
Total
Voting
Power
(3)

 

Class A
Common
Stock

 

Percent of
Class A
Common
Stock

 

Class B
Common
Stock

 

Percent of
Class B
Common
Stock

 

Percent of
Total
Voting
Power
(3)

Matthew Atkinson, Chairman and CEO(4)

 

1,350,000

 

100.00

%

 

1,000,000

 

33.33

%

 

—

 

—

 

 

50.42

%

 

2,350,000

 

54.02

%

 

—

 

—

 

 

48.85

%

​David Enholm, CFO(5)

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

86,667

 

2.71

%

 

*

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

86,667

 

1.85

%

 

*

 

Gary Hollst, Chief Revenue Officer(6)

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

73,889

 

2.32

%

 

*

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

73,889

 

1.58

%

 

*

 

Benjamin VandenWymelenberg, Director Nominee

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

James M. Grisham, Director Nominee(7)

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

300,000

 

9.66

%

 

*

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

300,000

 

6.51

%

 

*

 

Daniel Nelson, Director Nominee(8)

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

143,678

 

4.63

%

 

*

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

143,678

 

3.12

%

 

*

 

All directors and executive officers as a group (6 persons named above)

 

1,350,000

 

100.00

%

 

1,000,000

 

33.33

%

 

604,234

 

19.32

%

 

52.07

%

 

2,350,000

 

54.02

%

 

604,234

 

13.06

%

 

50.44

%

Mohammad Ansari(9)

 

—

 

—

 

 

2,000,000

 

66.67

%

 

86,207

 

2.78

%

 

54.87

%

 

2,000,000

 

59.70

%

 

86,207

 

1.87

%

 

52.71

%

Clayton Adams(10)

 

1,000,000

 

74.07

%

 

—

 

—

 

 

370,000

 

11.91

%

 

22.25

%

 

1,000,000

 

22.99

%

 

370,000

 

8.03

%

 

21.56

%

Lisa Roskens(11)

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

792,146

 

25.50

%

 

2.16

%

 

—

 

—

 

 

792,146

 

17.20

%

 

2.08

%

​Benjamin Lee Adams(12)

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

470,000

 

15.13

%

 

1.28

%

 

—

 

—

 

 

470,000

 

10.20

%

 

1.23

%

Michael K. Webb(13)

 

—

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

470,000

 

15.13

%

 

1.28

%

 

—

 

—

 

 

470,000

 

10.20

%

 

1.23

%

____________

*        Less than 1%

(1)      Based on 350,000 shares of class A common stock, 3,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock and 3,105,940 shares of class B common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to this offering. The holders of our series seed preferred stock vote with the holders of our common stock on all matters on an as-converted basis, with the shares currently convertible on a 1-for-1 basis.

(2)      Based on 3,350,000 shares of class A common stock and 4,605,940 shares of class B common stock issued and outstanding after this offering, including the 3,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock that will automatically convert into 3,000,000 shares of our class A common stock concurrent with the completion of this offering.

(3)      Percentage of total voting power represents voting power with respect to all shares of our class A common stock, series seed preferred stock, and class B common stock, as a single class. The holders of our class A common stock and series seed preferred stock are entitled to ten votes per share and holders of our class B common stock are entitled to one vote per share.

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(4)      Consists of (i)  350,000 shares of class A common stock held directly, (ii) 1,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock held directly that will automatically convert to class A common stock concurrent with the completion of this offering, and (iii) 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock which Mr. Atkinson has the right to acquire within 60 days through the exercise of a vested stock option.

(5)      Consists of 86,667 shares of class B common stock which Mr. Enholm has the right to acquire within 60 days through the exercise of vested stock options.

(6)      Consists of 73,889 shares of class B common stock which Mr. Hollst has the right to acquire within 60 days through the exercise of vested stock options.

(7)      Consists of (i) 100,000 shares of class B common stock held directly, (ii) 100,000 shares of class B common stock held by Shawnee Communications Inc. and (iii) 100,000 shares of class B common stock held by James T. Coyle Legacy Trust. James M. Grisham is the Chief Executive Officer of Shawnee Communications Inc. and the Trustee of the James T. Coyle Legacy Trust and has voting and investment power over the shares held by them. Mr. Grisham disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest, if any, in such shares.

(8)      Consists of 143,678 shares of class B common stock held by the Nelson Revocable Living Trust. Daniel Nelson is the Trustee of the Nelson Revocable Living Trust and has voting and investment power of the shares held by it. Mr. Nelson disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest, if any, in such shares.

(9)      Consists of (i) 2,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock held by Bethor Limited, which will automatically convert into 2,000,000 shares of class A common stock concurrent with the completion of this offering, and (ii) 86,207 shares of class B common stock held by Basestones, Inc. Mohammad Ansari is the Director and President of Bethor Limited and the President of Basestones, Inc. and has voting and investment power over the shares held by them. Mr. Ansari disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest, if any in such shares. The address of Bethor Limited is Nerine Chamber, P.O. Box 905, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands and the address of Basestones, Inc. is 1901 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

(10)    Consists of (i) 370,000 shares of class B common stock and (ii) 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock which Mr. Adams has the right to acquire within 60 days through the exercise of vested stock options. The address of Mr. Adams is 1904 S. 183rd Circle, Omaha, NE 68130.

(11)    Consists of (i) 14,368 shares of class B common stock held directly and (ii) 777,778 shares of class B common stock held by Burlington Capital, LLC. Lisa Roskens is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Burlington Capital, LLC and has voting and investment power over the shares held by it. Ms. Roskens disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of her pecuniary interest, if any, in such shares. The address of Burlington Capital, LLC is 1004 Farnam Street, Suite 400, Omaha NE 68102.

(12)    The address of Mr. Adams is 724 West 3rd, Maryville, MO 64468.

(13)    The address of Mr. Webb is 1900 Forest Ave., Red Oak, IA 50166.

We do not currently have any arrangements which if consummated may result in a change of control of our company.

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

General

The following description summarizes important terms of the classes of our capital stock. This summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the provisions of our articles of incorporation, the certificate of designation for our series seed preferred stock and our bylaws, which have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Our authorized capital stock currently consists of 350,000,000 shares, consisting of (i) 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 50,000,000 shares are designated class A common stock and 250,000,000 shares are designated as class B common stock; and (ii) 50,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 4,000,000 are designated as series seed preferred stock.

As of the date of this prospectus, there were issued and outstanding 350,000 shares of class A common stock held by one holder of record, 3,105,940 shares of class B common stock held by twenty-two holders of record and 3,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock held by two holders of record. Concurrent with the completion of this offering, 3,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock will automatically convert into 3,000,000 shares of our class A common stock.

Common Stock

The holders of class A common stock are entitled to ten (10) votes for each share of class A common stock held of record and the holders of class B common stock are entitled to one (1) vote for each share of class B common stock held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. A share of class A common stock may be voluntarily converted into a share of class B common stock. A transfer of a share of class A common stock will result in its automatic conversion into a share of class B common stock upon such transfer, subject to certain exceptions for (i) transfers to immediate family members, or to trusts for the exclusive benefit of immediate family members, for no consideration, including by will or laws of succession, (ii) a transfer to another holder of class A common stock, or (iii) transfers approved by a majority of disinterest directors. The class B common stock is not convertible. Other than as to voting and conversion rights, our class A common stock and class B common stock have the same rights and preferences and rank equally, share ratably and are identical in all respects as to all matters.

Under our articles of incorporation and bylaws, any corporate action to be taken by vote of stockholders other than for election of directors shall be authorized by the affirmative vote of the majority of votes cast. Directors are elected by a plurality of votes. Stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights.

Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then-outstanding preferred stock, holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably those dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the board of directors out of legally available funds. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then-outstanding shares of preferred stock.

Holders of common stock have no preemptive, conversion or subscription rights and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock.

Preferred Stock

Our articles of incorporation authorize our board to issue up to 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to determine the designations and the powers, preferences and rights and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, including the dividend rights, conversion or exchange rights, voting rights (including the number of votes per share), redemption rights and terms, liquidation preferences, sinking fund provisions and the number of shares constituting the series. Our board of directors could, without stockholder approval, issue preferred stock with voting and other rights that could adversely affect the voting power and other rights of the holders of common stock and which could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock.

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As noted above, we have designated 4,000,000 shares of our preferred stock as series seed preferred stock, of which 3,000,000 shares are outstanding as of the date of this prospectus. All 3,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock will automatically convert into 3,000,000 shares of our class A common stock upon completion of this offering in accordance with the terms of the certificate of designation for the series seed preferred stock.

Stock Options

As of the date of this prospectus, we have issued options to purchase an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of class A common stock at an exercise price of $0.25 per share and options to purchase 770,000 shares of class B common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $2.21 per share.

Warrants

We have issued warrants for the purchase of 46,263 shares of class B common stock to Boustead Securities, LLC, the representative of the underwriters for this offering, as part of their compensation earned in connection with the private placement described elsewhere in this prospectus. The warrants are exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $1.74 (subject to adjustments for stock dividends, stock splits, mergers, consolidations and similar transactions) and may be exercised on a cashless basis. Boustead Securities, LLC has agreed to increase the exercise price of the foregoing warrants to 125% of the public offering price per share in this offering.

Representative’s Warrants

Upon the closing of this offering, there will be up to 105,000 shares of class B common stock (or 120,750 shares if the underwriters exercise the overallotment option in full) issuable upon exercise of the representative’s warrants. See “Underwriting — Representative’s Warrants” below for a description of the representative’s warrants.

Anti-Takeover Provisions

Provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes, our articles of incorporation and our bylaws could have the effect of delaying or preventing a third-party from acquiring us, even if the acquisition would benefit our stockholders. Such provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes, our articles of incorporation and our bylaws are intended to enhance the likelihood of continuity and stability in the composition of our board of directors and in the policies formulated by the board of directors and to discourage certain types of transactions that may involve an actual or threatened change of control of our company. These provisions are designed to reduce our vulnerability to an unsolicited proposal for a takeover that does not contemplate the acquisition of all of our outstanding shares, or an unsolicited proposal for the restructuring or sale of all or part of our company.

Dual Class Structure

Under our articles of incorporation, we are authorized to issue two classes of common stock — class A common stock and class B common stock. The class A common stock is entitled to ten votes per share and the class B common stock is entitled to one vote per share on any proposals requiring or requesting stockholder approval. All of our outstanding class A common stock is currently held by Matthew Atkinson, our Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Mr. Atkinson and a third party, Bethor Limited, also hold all of our outstanding series seed preferred stock, which will automatically convert into class A common stock upon completion of this offering. Accordingly, upon completion of this offering, these stockholders will collectively be able to exercise approximately 88% of our total voting power, or approximately 87% if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full. This concentrated control may limit or preclude the ability of others to influence corporate matters, including significant business decisions for the foreseeable future.

Authorized but Unissued Shares

Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock are available for our board of directors to issue without stockholder approval, subject to NYSE American’s rules. We may use these additional shares for a variety of corporate purposes, including raising additional capital, corporate acquisitions and employee stock plans. The existence of our authorized but unissued shares of common stock could render it more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a proxy context, tender offer, merger or other transaction since our board of directors can issue large amounts of capital stock as part of a defense to a take-over challenge. In addition, we have authorized in our articles of incorporation 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our board acting alone and without approval of

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our stockholders, subject to NYSE American’s rules, can designate and issue one or more series of preferred stock containing super-voting provisions, enhanced economic rights, rights to elect directors, or other dilutive features, that could be utilized as part of a defense to a take-over challenge.

Bylaws

In addition, various provisions of our bylaws may also have an anti-takeover effect. These provisions may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt of our company that a stockholder might consider in his or her best interest, including attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by our stockholders. Our bylaws may be adopted, amended or repealed only by our board of directors. Our bylaws also contain limitations as to who may call special meetings as well as require advance notice of stockholder matters to be brought at a meeting. Additionally, our bylaws also provide that no director may be removed by less than a two-thirds vote of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote on the removal. Our bylaws also permit the board of directors to establish the number of directors and fill any vacancies and newly created directorships. These provisions will prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our board of directors and gaining control of our board of directors by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees.

Our bylaws also establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of our stockholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to the board of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting will only be able to consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the board of directors or by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has given us timely written notice, in proper form, of the stockholder’s intention to bring that business before the meeting. Although our bylaws do not give the board of directors the power to approve or disapprove stockholder nominations of candidates or proposals regarding other business to be conducted at a special or annual meeting, our bylaws may have the effect of precluding the conduct of certain business at a meeting if the proper procedures are not followed or may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of our company.

Cumulative Voting

Furthermore, neither the holders of our common stock nor the holders of our preferred stock have cumulative voting rights in the election of our directors. The combination of the present ownership by a few stockholders of a significant portion of our issued and outstanding common stock and lack of cumulative voting makes it more difficult for other stockholders to replace our board of directors or for a third party to obtain control of our company by replacing its board of directors.

Nevada Anti-Takeover Statutes

Pursuant to our articles of incorporation, we have elected not to be governed by the terms and provisions of Nevada’s control share acquisition laws (Nevada Revised Statutes 78.378 – 78.3793), which prohibit an acquirer, under certain circumstances, from voting shares of a corporation’s stock after crossing specific threshold ownership percentages, unless the acquirer obtains the approval of the issuing corporation’s stockholders. The first such threshold is the acquisition of at least one-fifth but less than one-third of the outstanding voting power.

Pursuant to our articles of incorporation, we have also elected not to be governed by the terms and provisions of Nevada’s combination with interested stockholders statute (Nevada Revised Statutes 78.411 – 78.444) which prohibits an “interested stockholder” from entering into a “combination” with the corporation, unless certain conditions are met. An “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, beneficially owns (or within the prior two years, did beneficially own) 10% or more of the corporation’s voting stock, or otherwise has the ability to influence or control such corporation’s management or policies.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

We are in the process of appointing Securities Transfer Corporation as the transfer agent for our class B common stock. The address for Securities Transfer Corporation is 2901 N Dallas Parkway, Suite 380, Plano, Texas 75093, and the telephone number is (469) 633-0101.

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

Before this offering, there has not been a public market for shares of our class B common stock. Future sales of substantial amounts of shares of our class B common stock, including shares issued upon the conversion of convertible notes, the exercise of outstanding options and warrants, in the public market after this offering, or the possibility of these sales occurring, could cause the prevailing market price for our class B common stock to fall or impair our ability to raise equity capital in the future.

Immediately following the closing of this offering, we will have 4,605,940 shares of class B common stock issued and outstanding. In the event the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full, we will have 4,830,940 shares of class B common stock issued and outstanding. The class B common stock sold in this offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration or qualification under the Securities Act.

Previously issued shares of common stock that were not offered and sold in this offering, as well as shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants and subject to employee stock options, are or will be upon issuance, “restricted securities,” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act. These restricted securities are eligible for public sale only if such public resale is registered under the Securities Act or if the resale qualifies for an exemption from registration under Rule 144 or Rule 701 under the Securities Act, which are summarized below.

Rule 144

In general, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our class B common stock for at least twelve months, or at least six months in the event we have been a reporting company under the Exchange Act for at least ninety (90) days before the sale, would be entitled to sell such securities, provided that such person is not deemed to be an affiliate of ours at the time of sale or to have been an affiliate of ours at any time during the ninety (90) days preceding the sale. A person who is an affiliate of ours at such time would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of the following:

•        1% of the number of shares of our class B common stock then outstanding; or

•        1% of the average weekly trading volume of our class B common stock during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing by such person of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale;

provided that, in each case, we are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act for at least 90 days before the sale. Rule 144 trades must also comply with the manner of sale, notice and other provisions of Rule 144, to the extent applicable.

Rule 701

In general, Rule 701 allows a stockholder who purchased shares of our capital stock pursuant to a written compensatory plan or contract and who is not deemed to have been an affiliate of ours during the immediately preceding 90 days to sell those shares in reliance upon Rule 144, but without being required to comply with the public information, holding period, volume limitation or notice provisions of Rule 144. All holders of Rule 701 shares, however, are required to wait until ninety (90) days after the date of this prospectus before selling shares pursuant to Rule 701.

Lock-Up Agreements

We and our officers, directors and holders of 5% or greater of our outstanding class A common stock and class B common stock have agreed to be locked up for a period of twelve months from the date on which the trading of our class B common stock commences. Holders of 1-4.99% of our outstanding common stock agreed to be locked up for a period of six months from the date on which the trading of our class B common stock commences; provided that if the aggregate of such holders shares were to equal or exceed 20% of our outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis prior to the completing of this offering, then their lock up period shall be for twelve months from the date of trading of our class B common stock commences. Holders of less than 1% of our outstanding common stock are not subject to any lock up; provided that if the aggregate of such holders shares were to equal or exceed 5% of our outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis prior to the completing of this offering, then their lock up period shall be for six months from the date of trading of our class B common stock commences. See “Underwriting” for more information.

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS

The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock. This summary is limited to Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below) that hold our common stock as a capital asset (generally, property held for investment) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This summary does not discuss all of the aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to a Non-U.S. Holder in light of the Non-U.S. Holder’s particular investment or other circumstances. Accordingly, all prospective Non-U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the U.S. federal, state, local and non-United States tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock.

This summary is based on provisions of the Code, applicable U.S. Treasury regulations and administrative and judicial interpretations, all as in effect or in existence on the date of this prospectus. Subsequent developments in U.S. federal income tax law, including changes in law or differing interpretations, which may be applied retroactively, could alter the U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of our common stock as described in this summary. There can be no assurance that the IRS will not take a contrary position with respect to one or more of the tax consequences described herein and we have not obtained, nor do we intend to obtain, a ruling from the IRS with respect to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership or disposition of our common stock.

As used in this summary, the term “Non-U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of our common stock that is not, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

•        an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;

•        a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia;

•        an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership;

•        an estate whose income is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or

•        a trust, if (1) a United States court is able to exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of the Code) has the authority to control all of the trust’s substantial decisions, or (2) the trust has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a United States person.

If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in such a partnership generally will depend upon the status of the partner, the activities of the partnership and certain determinations made at the partner level. Partnerships, and partners in partnerships, that hold our common stock should consult their own tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of our common stock that are applicable to them.

This summary does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a Non-U.S. Holder, including the impact of the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income and the alternative minimum tax, and does not address any special tax rules that may apply to particular Non-U.S. Holders, including, without limitation:

•        a Non-U.S. Holder that is a financial institution, insurance company, tax-exempt organization, pension plan, broker, dealer or trader in stocks or securities, foreign currency dealer, U.S. covered expatriate, controlled foreign corporation or passive foreign investment company;

•        a Non-U.S. Holder holding our common stock as part of a conversion, constructive sale, wash sale or other integrated transaction or a hedge, straddle or synthetic security;

•        a Non-U.S. Holder that holds or receives our common stock pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation; or

•        a Non-U.S. Holder that at any time owns, directly, indirectly or constructively, 5% or more of our outstanding common stock.

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In addition, this summary does not address any U.S. state or local, or non-U.S. or other tax consequences, or any U.S. federal income tax consequences for beneficial owners of a Non-U.S. Holder, including stockholders of a controlled foreign corporation or passive foreign investment company that holds our common stock. This summary also does not address the effects of other U.S. federal tax laws, such as estate and gift tax laws.

Each Non-U.S. Holder should consult its tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and other tax consequences of owning and disposing of our common stock.

Distributions

We do not currently expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock. If we make distributions of cash or property (other than certain pro rata distributions of our common stock) with respect to our common stock, any such distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a nontaxable return of capital to the extent of the Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our common stock and will reduce (but not below zero) such Non-U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our common stock. Any remaining excess will be treated as gain from a disposition of our common stock subject to the tax treatment described below in “— Dispositions of Our Common Stock.”

Subject to the discussion below on effectively connected income, dividends paid to a Non-U.S. Holder of our common stock will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividends (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty, provided the Non-U.S. Holder furnishes a valid IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable documentation) certifying qualification for the lower treaty rate).

Distributions on our common stock that are treated as dividends and that are effectively connected with a Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States will be taxed on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates and in the manner applicable to U.S. persons. An exception may apply if the Non-U.S. Holder is eligible for, and properly claims, the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty and the dividends are not attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States. In such case, the Non-U.S. Holder may be eligible for a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and its jurisdiction of tax residence. Dividends that are effectively connected with a Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States will not be subject to the United States withholding tax if the Non-U.S. Holder provides to the applicable withholding agent a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI (or other applicable form) in accordance with the applicable certification and disclosure requirements. A Non-U.S. Holder treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes may also be subject to a “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (unless the Non-U.S. Holder is eligible for a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty) on the Non-U.S. Holder’s earnings and profits (attributable to dividends on our common stock or otherwise) that are effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States.

The IRS Forms and other certifications described above must be provided to the applicable withholding agent prior to the payment of dividends and must be updated periodically. A Non-U.S. Holder may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing with the IRS an appropriate claim for a refund in the form of a U.S. tax return. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding their eligibility for benefits under any relevant income tax treaty and the manner of claiming such benefits.

The foregoing discussion is subject to the discussions below under “— Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “— FATCA Withholding.”

Dispositions of Our Common Stock

A Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax (including United States withholding tax) on gain recognized on any sale or other disposition of our common stock 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 required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the United States); in this case, the gain will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at the regular rates and in the manner

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applicable to United States persons (unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise) and, if the Non-U.S. Holder is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the “branch profits tax” described above may also apply;

•        the Non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and meets certain other requirements; in this case, except as otherwise provided by an applicable income tax treaty, the gain, which may be offset by certain United States source capital losses (provided the Non-U.S. Holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses), generally will be subject to a flat 30% U.S. federal income tax, even if the Non-U.S. Holder is not treated as a resident of the United States under the Code; or

•        we are or have been a “United States real property holding corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of (i) the five-year period ending on the date of disposition and (ii) the period that the Non-U.S. Holder held our common stock.

Generally, a corporation is a “United States real property holding corporation” if the fair market value of its “United States real property interests” 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. We believe that we are not currently, and we do not anticipate becoming in the future, a United States real property holding corporation. However, because the determination of whether we are a United States real property holding corporation is made from time to time and depends on the relative fair market values of our assets, there can be no assurance in this regard. If we were a United States real property holding corporation, the tax relating to disposition of stock in a United States real property holding corporation generally will not apply to a Non-U.S. Holder whose holdings, direct, indirect and constructive, constituted 5% or less of our common stock at all times during the applicable period, provided that our common stock is “regularly traded on an established securities market” (as provided in applicable U.S. Treasury regulations) at any time during the calendar year in which the disposition occurs. NYSE American is an “established securities market.” However, no assurance can be provided that our common stock will be regularly traded on an established securities market for the purposes of the rules described above. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to them if we are, or were to become, a United States real property holding corporation.

The foregoing discussion is subject to the discussions below under “— Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “— FATCA Withholding.”

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Backup withholding (currently at a rate of 24%) will not apply to payments of dividends on our common stock to a Non-U.S. Holder if the Non-U.S. Holder provides to the applicable withholding agent a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable form) certifying under penalties of perjury that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person or is otherwise entitled to an exemption. However, the applicable withholding agent generally will be required to report to the IRS (and to such Non-U.S. Holder) payments of distributions on our common stock and the amount of U.S. federal income tax, if any, withheld from those payments, regardless of whether such distributions constitute dividends. In accordance with applicable treaties or agreements, the IRS may provide copies of such information returns to the tax authorities in the country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides.

The gross proceeds from sales or other dispositions of our common stock may be subject, in certain circumstances discussed below, to U.S. backup withholding and information reporting. If a Non-U.S. Holder sells or otherwise disposes of our common stock outside the United States through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker and the disposition proceeds are paid to the Non-U.S. Holder outside the United States, the U.S. backup withholding and information reporting requirements generally will not apply to that payment. However, U.S. information reporting, but not U.S. backup withholding, will apply to a payment of disposition proceeds, even if that payment is made outside the United States, if a Non-U.S. Holder sells our common stock through a non-U.S. office of a broker that is a United States person or has certain enumerated connections with the United States, unless the broker has documentary evidence in its files that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person and certain other conditions are met or the Non-U.S. Holder otherwise qualifies for an exemption.

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If a Non-U.S. Holder receives payments of the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock to or through a United States office of a broker, the payment will be subject to both U.S. backup withholding and information reporting unless the Non-U.S. Holder provides to the broker a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or other applicable form) certifying under penalties of perjury that the Non-U.S. Holder is not a United States person, or the Non-U.S. Holder otherwise qualifies for an exemption.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be credited against the Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability (which may result in the Non-U.S. Holder being entitled to a refund), provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

FATCA Withholding

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act and related U.S. Treasury guidance (commonly referred to as FATCA) impose U.S. federal withholding tax at a rate of 30% on payments to certain foreign entities of (i) U.S. source dividends (including dividends paid on our common stock) and (ii) (subject to the proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations discussed below) the gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of property that produces U.S. source dividends (including sales or other dispositions of our common stock). This withholding tax applies to a foreign entity, whether acting as a beneficial owner or an intermediary, unless such foreign entity complies with (i) certain information reporting requirements regarding its U.S. account holders and its U.S. owners and (ii) certain withholding obligations applicable to certain payments to its account holders and certain other persons. Accordingly, the entity through which a Non-U.S. Holder holds our common stock will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Foreign financial institutions located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules.

Under the applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations and administrative guidance, withholding under FATCA generally will apply to payments of dividends on our common stock. While withholding under FATCA would have applied also to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of stock on or after January 1, 2019, proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations eliminate FATCA withholding on payments of gross proceeds. Taxpayers generally may rely on these proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations until final U.S. Treasury Regulations are issued.

Non-U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding the possible application of FATCA in their particular circumstances.

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UNDERWRITING

In connection with this offering, we expect to enter into an underwriting agreement with Boustead Securities, LLC, as the representative of the underwriters named in this prospectus, with respect to the class B common stock in this offering. Under the terms and subject to the conditions contained in the underwriting agreement, the representative will agree to purchase from us on a firm commitment basis the respective number of shares of class B common stock at the public price less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and each of the underwriters has severally and not jointly agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, at the public offering price per share less the underwriting discounts and commissions set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, the number of shares class B common stock listed next to its name in the following table:

Underwriter

 

Number of
Shares

Boustead Securities, LLC

 

 

Total

 

1,500,000

The shares of class B common stock sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. Any shares of class B common stock sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount from the initial public offering price not to exceed $            per share. After the initial offering, the representative may change the offering price and the other selling terms.

The representative has advised us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts. The underwriting agreement will provide that the obligations of the underwriters to pay for and accept delivery of the shares are subject to the passing upon certain legal matters by counsel and certain conditions such as confirmation of the accuracy of representations and warranties by us about our financial condition and operations and other matters. The obligation of the underwriters to purchase the class B common stock is conditioned upon our receiving approval to list the class B common stock on NYSE American.

Over-Allotment Option

If the underwriters sell more shares of class B common stock than the total number set forth in the table above, we have granted to the representative an option, exercisable for 45 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to 225,000 additional shares of class B common stock at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions, constituting 15% of the total number of shares of class B common stock to be offered in this offering (excluding shares subject to this option). The underwriters may exercise this option solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments in connection with this offering. This offering is being conducted on a firm commitment basis. Any shares of class B common stock issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other shares of class B common stock that are the subject of this offering.

Discounts and Commissions; Expenses

The following table shows the underwriting discounts payable to the underwriters by us in connection with this offering (assuming both the exercise and non-exercise of the over-allotment option that we have granted to the underwriters):

 

Per Share

 

Total Without
Over-Allotment
Option

 

Total With
Entire
Over-Allotment
Option

Initial public offering price

 

$

 

$

 

$

Underwriting discounts and commissions (7%)

 

 

   

 

   

 

 

Non-accountable expense allowance (1%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceeds to us, before expenses

 

$

 

$

 

$

We have agreed to pay the representative a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 1% of the gross proceeds received at the closing of this offering.

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We have agreed to reimburse the representative for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the representative in connection with this offering of up to $280,000. The representative’s reimbursable out-of-pocket expenses include but are not limited to: (i) reasonable fees of representative’s legal counsel up to $125,000, (ii) due diligence and other expenses incurred prior to completion of this offering up to $75,000, (iii) road show, travel, platform on-boarding fees, and other reasonable out-of-pocket accountable expenses up to $75,000, and (iv) $5,000 for background check on our officers, directors and major shareholders. As of the date of this prospectus, we have not paid the representative for any advances of its anticipated out-of-pocket costs.

We estimate that our total expenses of this offering, exclusive of the underwriting discounts and commissions and the non-accountable expense allowance, will be approximately $840,000.

Representative’s Warrants

We have agreed to issue warrants to the representative (or its permitted assignees) to purchase a number of shares of class B common stock equal to 7% of the total number of shares sold in this offering at an exercise price equal to 125% of the initial public offering price of the shares sold in this offering. The representative’s warrants will be exercisable upon issuance, will have a cashless exercise provision and will terminate on the fifth anniversary of the commencement date of sales in this offering. The representative’s warrants are not exercisable or convertible for more than five years from the commencement date of sales in this offering. The representative’s warrants also provide for customary anti-dilution provisions and immediate “piggyback” registration rights with respect to the registration of the shares of class B common stock underlying the warrants for a period not to exceed five years from the commencement of sales in the offering. We have registered the underwriters’ warrants and the shares underlying the underwriters’ warrants in this offering.

The representative’s warrants and the underlying shares may be deemed to be compensation by FINRA, and therefore will be subject to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), neither the representative’s warrants nor any of our shares of class B common stock issued upon exercise of the representative’s warrants may 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 such securities by any person, for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement date of sales in this offering, subject to certain exceptions. The representative’s warrants to be received by the representative and related persons in connection with this offering: (i) fully comply with lock-up restrictions pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1); and (ii) fully comply with transfer restrictions pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2).

Indemnification

We have agreed to indemnify the representative and the other underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. If we are unable to provide this indemnification, we will contribute to payments that the representative and the other underwriters may be required to make for these liabilities.

Right of First Refusal

We have agreed to provide the representative the right of first refusal for two (2) years following the later of the consummation of this offering or the termination or expiration of the engagement with the representative, but not to exceed three years from the commencement date of sales in this offering, to act as sole investment banker, sole book-runner, and/or sole placement agent, at the representative’s sole discretion, for each and every equity or debt transaction, including future public and private equity and/or debt offerings, including all equity linked financings, whether in conjunction with another advisor, or broker-dealer, or on our own volition. In the event that we engage the representative to provide such services, the representative will be compensated consistent with our engagement agreement with the representative, unless we mutually agree otherwise.

To the extent we are approached by a third party to lead any public or private financing (debt or equity), merger, business combination, recapitalization or sale of some or all of our equity or assets, the representative will be notified of the transaction and be granted the right to participate in such transaction under any syndicate formed by such third party.

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Tail Rights

Following the termination or expiration of our engagement agreement with the representative, the representative shall be entitled to success fees in accordance with our engagement agreement if we complete a transaction with a party who was introduced to us by the representative prior to such termination or expiration of the engagement agreement.

No Sales of Similar Securities

We have agreed not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common stock at a price per share that is less than the price per share in this offering, or modify the terms of any existing securities, whether in conjunction with another broker-dealer or on our own volition, for a period of twelve months following date on which our class B common stock is trading on NYSE American, without the prior written consent of the representative.

Lock-Up

We and our officers, directors and holders of 5% or greater of our outstanding class A common stock and class B common stock have agreed to be locked up for a period of twelve months from the date on which the trading of our class B common stock commences. Holders of 1-4.99% of our outstanding common stock agreed to be locked up for a period of six months from the date on which the trading of our class B common stock commences; provided that if the aggregate of such holders shares were to equal or exceed 20% of our outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis prior to the completing of this offering, then their lock up period shall be for twelve months from the date of trading of our class B common stock commences. Holders of less than 1% of our outstanding common stock are not subject to any lock up; provided that if the aggregate of such holders shares were to equal or exceed 5% of our outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis prior to the completing of this offering, then their lock up period shall be for six months from the date of trading of our class B common stock commences. During the lock-up period, without the prior written consent of the underwriters, they shall not, directly or indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, assign, encumber, announce the intention to sell, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, any common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock, owned either of record or beneficially by any signatory of the lock-up agreement on the date of the prospectus or thereafter acquired; (ii) enter into any swap or other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the common stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock, whether any such transaction described in clauses (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of common stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly announce an intention to do any of the foregoing; and (iii) make any demand for or exercise any right with respect to, the registration of any common stock or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock.

Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids

In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in stabilizing transactions, over-allotment transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids in compliance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, as described below:

•        Stabilizing transactions permit bids to purchase class B common stock so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.

•        Over-allotment transactions involve sales by the underwriters of securities in excess of the number of class B common stock the underwriters are obligated to purchase, which creates a syndicate short position. The short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of class B common stock over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of class B common stock that they may purchase in the over-allotment option. In a naked short position, the number of securities involved is greater than the number of class B common stock in the over-allotment option. The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their over-allotment option and/or purchasing securities in the open market.

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•        Syndicate covering transactions involve purchases of class B common stock in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover syndicate short positions. In determining the source of class B common stock to close out the short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of class B common stock available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase class B common stock through the over-allotment option. A naked short position occurs if the underwriters sell more class B common stock than could be covered by the over-allotment option. This position can only be closed out by buying class B common stock in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there could be downward pressure on the price of the class B common stock in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering.

•        Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when class B common stock originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a stabilizing or syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions.

These stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our securities or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the securities. As a result, the price of our shares of class B common stock may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.

Determination of Offering Price

In determining the initial public offering price, we and the representative have considered a number of factors, including:

•        the information set forth in this prospectus and otherwise available to the representative;

•        our prospects and the history and prospects for the industry in which we compete;

•        an assessment of our management;

•        our prospects for future revenues and earnings;

•        the recent prices of, and demand for, shares sold by us prior to this offering;

•        the general condition of the securities markets at the time of this offering;

•        the recent market prices of, and demand for, publicly traded securities of generally comparable companies; and

•        other factors deemed relevant by the representative and us.

The estimated initial public offering price set forth on the cover page of this preliminary prospectus is subject to change as a result of market conditions and other factors. Neither we nor the representative can assure investors that an active trading market will develop for our shares of class B common stock, or that the shares will trade in the public market at or above the initial public offering price.

Electronic Offer, Sale and Distribution of Shares of Common Stock

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the websites maintained by the representative. In addition, shares of class B common stock may be sold by the representative to securities dealers who resell shares of class B common stock to online brokerage account holders. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the representative’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by the representative is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the representative in its capacity as representative and should not be relied upon by investors.

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Offer Restrictions Outside the United States

Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the underwriters that would permit a public offering of the securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by this prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such securities be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.

Other

Between October 14, 2022 and November 29, 2022, we issued an aggregate of 660,921 shares of class B common stock for total gross proceeds of $1,150,000 and net proceeds of approximately $1,035,000 in a private placement transaction. Boustead Securities, LLC, the representative of the underwriters for this offering, acted as placement agent in connection with this private placement. As compensation for its services, Boustead Securities, LLC received (i) a cash commission equal to 9% of the gross proceeds, (ii) a 1% non-accountable expense allowance and (iii) five-year warrants for the purchase of a number of shares of class B common stock equal to 7% of the number of shares issued in the private placement at an exercise price of $1.74 per share (subject to adjustments), which may be exercised on a cashless basis. Accordingly, we issued warrants for the purchase of 46,263 shares of class B common stock to Boustead Securities, LLC at an initial exercise price of $1.74 per share. Boustead Securities, LLC has agreed to increase the exercise price of the foregoing warrants to 125% of the public offering price per share in this offering. The foregoing warrants were issued within 180 days of the original confidential filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The private placement concluded on December 31, 2022.

The warrants and the underlying shares may be deemed to be compensation by FINRA, and therefore will be subject to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1). In accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1), neither the warrants nor any of our shares of common stock issued upon exercise of the warrants may 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 such securities by any person, for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement date of sales in this offering, subject to certain exceptions. In addition, the foregoing warrants may not be exercised more than five years from the date of commencement of sales in this offering.

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LEGAL MATTERS

Bevilacqua PLLC has acted as our counsel in connection with the preparation of this prospectus. The validity of the shares of class B common stock covered by this prospectus will be passed upon by Sherman & Howard L.L.C. The underwriters have been represented in connection with this offering by ArentFox Schiff LLP, Washington, DC.

As of the date of this prospectus, Bevilacqua PLLC owns 17,241 shares of class B common stock, representing less than 1% of our outstanding class B common stock. Bevilacqua PLLC received these securities as partial consideration for legal services previously provided to us.

EXPERTS

The financial statements of our company appearing elsewhere in this prospectus have been included herein in reliance upon the report of TAAD LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, appearing elsewhere herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We have filed a registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, on Form S-1 with the SEC relating to this offering. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information in the registration statement and the exhibits filed with the registration statement. For further information pertaining to us and the securities to be sold in this offering, you should refer to the registration statement and its exhibits. References in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents are not necessarily complete, and you should refer to the exhibits attached to the registration statement for copies of the actual contracts, agreements or documents.

Upon the effectiveness of the registration statement, we will be subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act, and, in accordance with the Exchange Act, will file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains these reports, proxy statements and other information regarding issuers that file with the SEC. The website address is http://www.sec.gov. Additionally, we will make these filings available, free of charge, on our website at www.cleancoresol.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such materials with, or furnish them to, the SEC. The information on our website, other than these filings, is not, and should not be, considered part of this prospectus and is not incorporated by reference into this document.

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F-1

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

JUNE 30, 2023 AND 2022

 

Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and
Stockholders of Cleancore Solutions, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Cleancore Solutions, Inc. (the Company) as of June 30, 2023 and 2022, the related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows for the year ended June 30, 2022 and for the period from July 1, 2022 to October 16, 2022 (Predecessor) and the period from October 17, 2022 to June 30, 2023 (Successor), and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of June 30, 2023 and 2022 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the period ended June 30, 2022, and for the period from July 1, 2022 to October 16, 2022 (Predecessor) and the period from October 17, 2022 to June 30, 2023 (Successor), in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Substantial Doubt About the Company’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company has suffered recurring losses from operations, negative cash flows from operations and has an accumulated deficit. These factors raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters also are described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2022.

Diamond Bar, CA

October 10, 2023

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CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
BALANCE SHEETS

 

As of June 30,

   

2023
(Successor
)

 

2022
(Predecessor)

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash

 

$

393,194

 

 

$

263,506

 

Accounts receivable, net

 

 

233,560

 

 

 

302,638

 

Inventory, net

 

 

672,116

 

 

 

1,000,874

 

Due from related parties

 

 

—

 

 

 

102,804

 

Deferred offering costs

 

 

302,755

 

 

 

—

 

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

 

135,666

 

 

 

62,224

 

Total current assets

 

 

1,737,291

 

 

 

1,732,046

 

Property and equipment, net

 

 

1,197

 

 

 

27,635

 

Right of use assets

 

 

466,661

 

 

 

—

 

Intangibles

 

 

1,640,919

 

 

 

4,626

 

Goodwill

 

 

2,237,910

 

 

 

—

 

Other assets

 

 

9,440

 

 

 

—

 

Total assets

 

$

6,093,418

 

 

$

1,764,307

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

 

$

644,627

 

 

$

248,575

 

Lease liability – current

 

 

87,985

 

 

 

—

 

Note payable

 

 

2,994,750

 

 

 

—

 

Due to related parties

 

 

221,302

 

 

 

7,523,471

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

3,948,664

 

 

 

7,772,046

 

Lease liability – non current

 

 

398,540

 

 

 

—

 

Other liabilities

 

 

—

 

 

 

1,278

 

Total liabilities

 

 

4,347,204

 

 

 

7,773,324

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commitments and contingencies (Note 14)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Members’ capital

 

 

—

 

 

 

2,215,916

 

Series Seed Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 4,000,000 shares authorized; 4,000,000 shares issued and outstanding

 

 

400

 

 

 

—

 

Class A Common stock; $0.0001 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized; 660,000 shares issued and outstanding

 

 

66

 

 

 

—

 

Class B Common stock; $0.0001 par value, 250,000,000 shares authorized; 1,795,940 shares issued and outstanding

 

 

180

 

 

 

—

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

 

6,768,775

 

 

 

—

 

Accumulated deficit

 

 

(5,023,207

)

 

 

(8,224,933

)

Total stockholders’ equity (deficit)

 

 

1,746,214

 

 

 

(6,009,017

)

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity (deficit)

 

$

6,093,418

 

 

$

1,764,307

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

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CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

 

Period from
October 17 to
June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

Period from
July 1,
2022 to
October 16,
2022
(Predecessor)

 

Year ended June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Revenue

 

$

1,938,366

 

 

$

502,990

 

 

$

2,648,005

 

Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation shown separately below)

 

 

1,359,401

 

 

 

351,740

 

 

 

1,937,105

 

Gross profit

 

 

578,965

 

 

 

151,250

 

 

 

710,900

 

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General and administrative

 

 

5,420,042

 

 

 

334,812

 

 

 

928,251

 

Advertising expense

 

 

14,944

 

 

 

4,621

 

 

 

30,882

 

Depreciation expense

 

 

63

 

 

 

6,143

 

 

 

18,317

 

Loss from operations

 

 

(4,856,084

)

 

 

(194,326

)

 

 

(266,550

)

Interest expense

 

 

167,123

 

 

 

125,738

 

 

 

275,061

 

Net loss

 

$

(5,023,207

)

 

$

(320,064

)

 

$

(541,611

)

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss per share Class A and Class B stock, basic and diluted

 

$

(2.18

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average shares used in computing net loss per Class A share, basic and diluted

 

 

967,987

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average shares used in computing net loss per Class B share, basic and diluted

 

 

1,334,414

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

F-5

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)

 


Series Seed
Preferred Stock

 

Class A
Common Stock

 

Class B
Common Stock

 

Additional
Paid
in
Capital

 

Members’
Capital
Amount

 

Accumulated
Deficit

 

Total
Stockholders’
Equity
(Deficit)

   

Shares

 

Amount

 

Shares

 

Amount

 

Shares

 

Amount

 

Predecessor

     

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at July 1, 2021

 

—

 

$

—

 

—

 

 

$

—

 

 

—

 

$

—

 

$

—

 

$

1,941,027

 

$

(7,683,322

)

 

$

(5,742,295

)

Imputed interest

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

274,889

 

 

—

 

 

 

274,889

 

Net loss for the year

 

—

 

$

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

(541,611

)

 

 

(541,611

)

Balance at June 30, 2022

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

$

2,215,916

 

$

(8,224,933

)

 

$

(6,009,017

)

       

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Predecessor

     

 

     

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at July 1, 2022

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

2,215,916

 

 

(8,224,933

)

 

 

(6,009,017

)

Imputed interest

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

125,728

 

 

—

 

 

 

125,728

 

Net loss for the period

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

(320,064

)

 

 

(320,064

)

Balance at October 16, 2022

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

$

—

 

 

—

 

$

—

 

 

—

 

$

2,341,644

 

$

(8,544,997

)

 

$

(6,203,354

)

       

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Successor

     

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance at October 17, 2022

     

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issuance of series seed preferred stock

 

4,000,000

 

$

400

 

—

 

 

$

—

 

 

—

 

$

—

 

 

999,600

 

$

—

 

 

—

 

 

$

1,000,000

 

Issuance of class A common stock

 

—

 

 

—

 

1,000,000

 

 

 

100

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

 

100

 

Issuance of class B common stock

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

660,921

 

 

66

 

 

1,152,156

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

 

1,152,222

 

Conversion of class A common stock into class B common stock

 

—

 

 

—

 

(340,000

)

 

 

(34

)

 

340,000

 

 

34

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

Issuance of class B common stock upon exercise of warrants

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

777,778

 

 

78

 

 

497,700

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

 

497,778

 

Warrants issued to consultants for services

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

857,889

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

 

857,889

 

Stock based compensation – officers

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

3,082,000

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

 

3,082,000

 

Stock based compensation – third party

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

17,241

 

 

2

 

 

29,997

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

 

29,999

 

Sock based compensation – 2022
Equity Incentive Plan

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

149,433

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

 

149,433

 

Net loss for the period

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

(5,023,207

)

 

 

(5,023,207

)

Balance at June 30, 2023

 

4,000,000

 

$

400

 

660,000

 

 

$

66

 

 

1,795,940

 

$

180

 

$

6,768,775

 

$

—

 

$

(5,023,207

)

 

$

1,746,214

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

F-6

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

 

October 17,
2022 to
June 30,
2023
(Successor)
(Predecessor)

 

June 30,
2022 to
October 16,
2022
(Predecessor)

 

June 30,
2021 to
June 30
,
2022
(Predecessor)

Cash flows from operating activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net loss

 

$

(5,023,207

)

 

$

(320,064

)

 

$

(541,611

)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

109,144

 

 

 

6,420

 

 

 

19,425

 

Accretion of note payable discount

 

 

12,750

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

Non cash interest expense

 

 

152,684

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

Stock based compensation

 

 

4,119,321

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

Non cash lease expense

 

 

19,864

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

Imputed interest

 

 

—

 

 

 

125,728

 

 

 

274,889

 

Provision for bad debt and write-off of on uncollectable accounts

 

 

8,641

 

 

 

9,772

 

 

 

36,316

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable

 

 

(107,942

)

 

 

101,423

 

 

 

(187,758

)

Inventory

 

 

475,009

 

 

 

(157,596

)

 

 

(170,243

)

Due from related parties, net

 

 

—

 

 

 

4,686

 

 

 

(1,512

)

Prepaid expenses

 

 

(139,563

)

 

 

4,747

 

 

 

11,777

 

Deferred revenue

 

 

—

 

 

 

63,701

 

 

 

—

 

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

 

 

136,429

 

 

 

43,932

 

 

 

54,413

 

Net cash used in operating activities

 

 

(236,870

)

 

 

(117,251

)

 

 

(504,304

)

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase of property and equipment

 

 

(1,260

)

 

 

—

 

 

 

(35,033

)

Cash used in acquisition

 

 

(2,000,000

)

 

 

(7,882

)

 

 

—

 

Net cash used in investing activities

 

 

(2,001,260

)

 

 

(7,882

)

 

 

(35,033

)

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financing activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from issuance of series seed preferred stock

 

 

1,000,000

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

Proceeds from issuance of class A common stock

 

 

100

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

Proceeds from issuance of class B common stock

 

 

1,650,000

 

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

Payments from issuance of loans from related parties

 

 

208,900

 

 

 

164,917

 

 

 

751,079

 

Payments for deferred offering costs

 

 

(227,676

)

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

Repayments of long term debt

 

 

—

 

 

 

(1,278

)

 

 

(3,673

)

Repayments of loans due to related parties

 

 

—

 

 

 

(288,861

)

 

 

(80,000

)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

 

 

2,631,324

 

 

 

(125,222

)

 

 

667,406

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in cash

 

 

393,194

 

 

 

(250,355

)

 

 

128,069

 

Cash at beginning of year

 

 

—

 

 

 

263,506

 

 

 

135,437

 

Cash at the end of year

 

$

393,194

 

 

$

13,151

 

 

$

263,506

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplementary cash flow disclosure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest paid

 

$

14,438

 

 

$

10

 

 

$

171

 

Unpaid deferred offering costs

 

$

75,079

 

 

$

—

 

 

 

—

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

F-7

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

1.      Organization and Business

CC Acquisition Corp. was incorporated in the State of Nevada on August 23, 2022 for the sole purpose of acquiring substantially all of the assets of CleanCore Solutions, LLC, TetraClean Systems, LLC, and Food Safety Technologies, LLC, pursuant to an asset purchase agreement entered into by CC Acquisition Corp. with these three entities and their owners on October 17, 2022. On November 21, 2022, CC Acquisition Corp. changed its name to CleanCore Solutions, Inc. (“the Company” or “Successor”). Since the Company acquired substantially all of the assets of each of CleanCore Solutions, LLC, TetraClean Systems, LLC, and Food Safety Technologies, LLC, the business of these three entities is now operated by the Company, with no subsidiaries. The combined results of CleanCore Solutions, LLC, TetraClean Systems, LLC and Food Safety Technologies, LLC presented in these financial statements represent the predecessor entity of the Company (“Predecessor”).

The Company specializes in the development and manufacturing of cleaning products that produce pure aqueous ozone products for professional, industrial, or home use. The Company has a patented nanobubble technology using aqueous ozone that it believes is highly effective in cleaning, sanitizing, and deodorizing surfaces and high-touch areas.

The Company offers products and solutions that are marketed for janitorial and sanitation, ice machine cleaning, laundry, and industrial industries. Its products are used in many types of environments including retail establishments, distribution centers, factories, warehouses, restaurants, schools and universities, airports, healthcare, food service, and commercial buildings such as offices, malls, and stores.

The headquarters, principal address and records of the Company are located at 5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 2, Omaha, Nebraska.

Liquidity

The Company has incurred losses and negative cash flows from operations. From acquisition through June 30, 2023, the Company has financed its operations primarily through investor funding. As of June 30, 2023, the Company, excluding Predecessor period July 1, 2022 through October 16, 2022, had cash of $393,194, a net loss of $5,023,207 and used cash of $236,870 for operating activities. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements — Going Concern, management is required to perform a two-step analysis over the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management must first evaluate whether there are conditions and events that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of 12 months from the date the combined financial statements are issued. If management concludes that substantial doubt is raised, management is also required to consider whether its plans alleviate that doubt.

Management has evaluated the adverse conditions noted above and although the adverse conditions were expected due primarily to the fact that the Company is in early stages of growth and transformation, the conditions have raised substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

As noted above, the Company was formed in August 2022 and completed the acquisition in October 2022. Since the acquisition, the Company has invested in further developing the Company’s products, hiring key personnel, and engaging third party experts such as accountants and underwriters with the intention of listing its class B common stock on a national securities exchange, however, there can be no assurances to that effect. Therefore, management’s plan is to raise capital through the offering to alleviate the substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The Company notes that the offering is expected to provide the Company with sufficient funds to meet its obligations as they become due, well beyond the 12-month period from the date the combined financial statements are issued. As such, the Company notes that management’s plans, when implemented, will alleviate the substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The Company may, however, in the future require additional cash resources due to changing business conditions, implementation of its strategy to expand the business, or other investments or acquisitions it may decide to pursue. If the Company’s financial resources are insufficient to satisfy its capital requirements, it may seek to sell additional funding through the issuance of our securities in debt and/or equity financings.

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under which the Company is expected to be able to realize its assets and satisfy its liabilities in the normal course of business.

F-8

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

2.      Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. The financial statements of the Company (Successor) are presented since the date of acquisition (October 17, 2022) through the period ended June 30, 2023.

The results of the Predecessor represent the combined financial statements of the accounts of CleanCore Solutions, LLC, TetraClean Systems, LLC and Food Safety Technologies, LLC. These combined financial statements include the accompanying combined balance sheet, combined statements of operations, combined statement of members’ equity and combined statement of cash flows as of and for the year ended June 30, 2022, and the combined statements of operation, combined statement of members’ equity and combined statement of cash flows for the period July 1, 2022 through October 16, 2022. All intercompany balances and transactions among the combined entities have been eliminated. In the opinion of predecessor management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the Company’s and Predecessor’s financial statements require management to make estimates and assumptions that impact the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and expenses and the disclosure in the Company’s combined financial statements and accompanying notes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. By their nature, estimates are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty and, as such, actual results may differ from management’s estimates. Significant estimates and assumptions made by the Company are allowance for bad debt, useful lives of fixed assets, warranty liabilities, and allowance for inventory obsolescence.

Risks and Uncertainties

The Company is subject to a number of risks similar to other early-stage companies including, but not limited to, profitability, the need for additional financing to achieve its business strategy, ability to obtain regulatory approval, significant competition, and dependence on key individuals.

Cash

Cash consists of cash in readily available checking accounts. Cash is recorded at cost, which approximates fair value. As of June 30, 2023 (Successor) and June 30, 2022 (Predecessor), cash balances were deposited at a major financial institution. Cash balances are subject to minimal credit risk as the balances are with high credit quality financial institutions.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments, which potentially subject the Company to significant concentration of credit risk, consist of cash. The Company maintains deposits in federally insured financial institutions in excess of respective insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts and management believes that the Company is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial position of the depository institutions in which those deposits are held.

The Company had two customers that accounted for a total of 66% of its revenues for the year ended June 30, 2023 and the Predecessor had the same two customers that accounted for a total 62% of its revenue for the year ended June 30, 2022. Collateral is not required for customer accounts receivable balances. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts as described in “Accounts Receivable” below. The Company had one customer that accounted for 43% of total accounts receivable at June 30, 2023. The Predecessor had two customers that accounted for 32% of total accounts receivable at June 30, 2022.

F-9

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

2.      Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable is comprised of trade accounts receivables from the Company’s customers. Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and do not bear interest. The Company established an allowance for bad debt of accounts receivables based on a percentage assigned to aged days outstanding categories. The Predecessor established the allowance for bad debt based on various factors including credit profiles of the Company’s customers, historical payments, outstanding balances and current economic trends, and performed this analysis periodically. The Company and its Predecessor recorded an allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,419 and $16,045 as of June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2022, respectively.

Inventory

Inventory consists of parts, work in progress and finished goods. The Company and its Predecessor value parts and finished goods at the lower of the actual costs or net realizable value. The Company and its Predecessor value work in progress at cost. The Company and Predecessor periodically review inventory for obsolete and potentially impaired items. As of June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2022, the Company and Predecessor had an allowance for inventory obsolescence of $14,940 and $94,425, respectively.

Leases

The Company accounts for leases in accordance with ASC Topic 842 (Topic 842), Leases. Right-of-use assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. The lease liability is measured as the present value of the unpaid lease payments, and the right-of-use asset value is derived from the calculation of the lease liability. Operating leases are included in right-of-use assets, current lease liabilities, and noncurrent lease liabilities in the balance sheet.

Lease payments include fixed and in-substance fixed payments, variable payments based on an index or rate, reasonably certain purchase options, termination penalties, and probable amounts the lessee will owe under a residual value guarantee. Variable lease payments are recognized as lease expenses as incurred, and generally relate to variable payments made based on the level of services provided by the landlords of our leases. Lease expense for operating lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term within general and administrative expenses in the statement of operations.

The Company uses its estimated incremental borrowing rate, which is derived from information available at the lease commencement date, in determining the present value of lease payments because the Company does not have the information necessary to determine the rate implicit in the lease. The Company’s lease term includes any option to extend the lease when it is reasonably certain to be exercised based on consideration of all relevant factors. Leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheets and the Company recognizes lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Business Combinations

Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method. The fair value of total purchase consideration is allocated to the fair values of identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the remaining amount being classified as goodwill. All assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities acquired or assumed in a business combination are recorded at their fair values at the date of acquisition. Determining the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires management to use significant judgment and estimates including the selection of valuation methodologies, estimates of future revenue and cash flows, discount rates, and selection of comparable companies. Estimates of fair value are based on assumptions believed to be reasonable, but are inherently uncertain and unpredictable and, as a result, actual results may differ from those estimates. During the measurement period, not to exceed one year from the date of acquisition, the Company may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with a corresponding offset to goodwill. At the conclusion of the measurement period, any

F-10

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

2.      Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)

subsequent adjustments are reflected in the statements of operations. Transaction costs associated with business combinations are expensed as incurred and are included in general and administrative expenses in the Company’s statements of operations.

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets primarily consist of existing technology, customer relationships, and trademarks obtained as a result of the acquisition on October 17, 2022. Intangible assets with definite lives are amortized based on their pattern of economic benefit over their estimated useful lives and reviewed periodically for impairment. The Company’s trademarks are deemed to have an indefinite life. The estimated useful life of the acquired technology is 15 years while the estimated useful life of the customer relationships is 5 years.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets consist primarily of property and equipment and intangible assets. Long-lived assets are tested for impairment when events and circumstances indicate the assets might be impaired by first comparing the estimated future undiscounted cash flows of the asset or asset group to the carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the estimated future undiscounted cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized based on the amount that the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset or asset group. The Company and its Predecessor did not recognize impairment losses during the periods ended June 30, 2023 and 2022.

Deferred Offering Costs

In accordance with ASC 340-10-S99-1 and SEC Accounting Bulletin Topic 5A, specific incremental costs incurred by the Company directly attributable to a proposed offering of securities have been deferred and will be charged against the gross proceeds of the offering. These offering costs include fees paid to underwriters, attorney, accountants as well as printers and other third parties directly related to the offering. Costs such as management salaries or other general administrative expenses that are not incremental to the offering are not included in the deferred costs. For the period ended June 30, 2023, the Company had $302,755 of deferred offering costs.

Patent Costs

Costs related to filing and pursuing patent applications are expensed as incurred, as recoverability of such expenditures is uncertain. These costs are included in general and administrative expenses.

Advertising Costs

The Company reports as expense the cost of advertising and promoting its services as incurred. Such amounts are included in sales and marketing expenses in the statement of operation and totaled $14,944 for the period ended June 30, 2023, and $4,621 and $31,227 for the period and year ended October 16, 2022 and June 30, 2022, respectively.

Stock-based Compensation

Compensation expense is recognized for all share-based payments to employees and nonemployees, including stock options and warrants, in the statements of operation based on the fair value of the awards that are granted. The Company’s stock price at the date of grant was estimated using an acceptable valuation technique such as the probability-weighted expected return model. The fair value of stock options is estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Generally, measured compensation cost, net of actual forfeitures, is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the related share-based compensation award. The Company accounts for forfeitures of stock-based awards as they occur.

F-11

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

2.      Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)

Revenue Recognition

The Company generates revenues from sales of its products and recognizes revenue as control of its products is transferred to its customers, which is generally at the time of shipment based on the contractual terms with the Company’s customers.

The Company provides customer programs and incentive offerings, including growth incentives and volume-based incentives. These customer programs and incentives are considered variable consideration. The Company includes in revenue variable consideration only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the variable consideration is resolved. This determination is made based upon known customer program and incentive offerings at the time of sale, and expected sales volume forecasts as it relates to the Company’s volume-based incentives. This determination is updated every reporting period. For the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, customer growth and volume-based incentives were minimal.

Certain product sales include a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty that provides the customer with assurance that the product performs as intended. Such warranties are assurance-type warranties and are accounted for as contingencies under ASC 460-10. Refer to Note 9 for warranty reserve.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income tax on the basis of the tax laws enacted at the balance sheet date in accordance with FASB ASC 740, Income Taxes. The income tax accounting guidance results in two components of income tax expense: current and deferred. Current income tax expense reflects taxes to be paid or refunded for the current period by applying the provisions of the enacted tax law to the taxable income or excess of deductions over revenues. The Company determines deferred income taxes using the liability (or balance sheet) method. Under this method, the net deferred tax asset or liability is based on the tax effects of the differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities, and enacted changes in tax rates and laws are recognized in the period in which they occur. Deferred income tax expense results from changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities between periods. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, based on the weight of evidence available, it is more-likely-than-not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized.

Tax positions are recognized if it is more-likely-than-not, based on technical merits, that the tax position will be realized or sustained upon examination. The term “more-likely-than-not” means a likelihood of more than 50%. The terms examined and upon examination also include resolution of the related appeals or litigation processes, if any. A tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is initially and subsequently measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. The determination of whether or not a tax position has met the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold considers the facts, circumstances and information available at the reporting date and is subject to management’s judgment.

Each of the entities of the Predecessor were limited liability companies with pass-through tax status, thus not subject to federal and state taxation.

Net Loss per Share of Common Stock

Basic net loss per class A and class B common share is calculated by dividing the net loss distributed to class A and class B, respectively, by the weighted-average number of common shares of each respective class outstanding during the period, without consideration for potentially dilutive securities. Diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average number of common shares and potentially dilutive securities outstanding for the period. For purposes of the diluted net loss per share calculation, stock options and warrants are considered to be potentially dilutive securities. As of June 30, 2023, the Company has issued options to purchase an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of class A common stock and options to purchase 770,000 shares of class B common stock. Additionally, as of June 30, 2023 the Company has issued warrants for

F-12

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

2.      Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (cont.)

the purchase of a total of 46,263 shares of class B common stock. Because the Company has reported a net loss for the period ended June 30, 2023, diluted net loss per common share is the same as basic net loss per common share for the period.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The standard simplifies the accounting for income taxes, eliminates certain exceptions within ASC 740, Income Taxes, and clarifies certain aspects of the current guidance to promote consistency among reporting entities. The new guidance became effective for the Company as of October 17, 2022, and its adoption has not had a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The standard amends the impairment model by requiring entities to use a forward-looking approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that aren’t measured at fair value through net income. For available-for-sale debt securities, entities will be required to recognize an allowance for credit losses rather than a reduction in carrying value of the asset. Entities will no longer be permitted to consider the length of time that fair value has been less than amortized cost when evaluating when credit losses should be recognized. This new guidance became effective for the Company as of July 1, 2022, and its adoption has not had a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.

3.      Disaggregated Revenue

The following table disaggregates revenue by product category for the following periods ended:

 

October 17,
2022 through
June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

July 1, 2022
through
October 16,
2022
(Predecessor)

 

July 1, 2021
through
June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Janitorial and Sanitation

 

$

1,732,611

 

$

369,089

 

$

2,441,038

Ice System

 

 

30,195

 

 

16,744

 

 

43,348

Commercial and Residential Laundry

 

 

5,016

 

 

6,444

 

 

5,405

Sanitizing and Disinfecting Tablets

 

 

3,140

 

 

160

 

 

5,445

Other

 

 

167,404

 

 

110,553

 

 

152,759

Total revenue

 

$

1,938,366

 

$

502,990

 

$

2,648,005

The “Other” category of revenue consists primarily of sales of parts, accessories, shipping and handling, and equipment rental income.

4.      Accounts Receivable, net

Accounts receivable, net consists of the following at:

 

June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Trade accounts receivable

 

$

237,979

 

 

$

318,682

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

 

(4,419

)

 

 

(16,044

)

Total accounts receivable, net

 

$

233,560

 

 

$

302,638

 

F-13

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

5.      Business Combinations

On October 17, 2022, the Company acquired substantially all of the assets of the Predecessor and accounted for this transaction as a business combination under ASC 805 as it falls under the definition. The purpose of the transaction was to acquire and further develop and manufacture patented cleaning products. Total consideration for the acquisition consisted of a $2,000,000 payment made at closing and a $3,000,000 note payable, bearing interest at 7% per annum, to the seller. In addition, if the Company reaches certain metrics as defined in the purchase agreement, in the 12-month period following the closing date, the Company shall make a one-time payment of $500,000 as an adjustment to the purchase price. However, due to forecasted net income being negative, the contingent consideration was valued at $0.

The following table summarizes the fair value of the consideration paid and the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed on October 17, 2022, the acquisition date.

Consideration

 

 

 

 

Total payments at closing

 

$

2,000,000

 

Note payable to seller at fair value

 

 

2,982,000

 

Contingent consideration at fair value

 

 

—

 

Fair value of total consideration

 

$

4,982,000

 

   

 

 

 

Recognized amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable

 

$

134,259

 

Inventory

 

 

1,204,023

 

Prepaids assets

 

 

5,543

 

Existing technology

 

 

600,000

 

Customer relationships

 

 

570,000

 

Tradenames/trademarks

 

 

580,000

 

Accounts payable and current liabilities

 

 

(349,735

)

Total identifiable net assets

 

$

2,744,090

 

Goodwill

 

 

2,237,910

 

   

$

4,982,000

 

The acquired technology consisted of patented nanobubble technology that produces an aqueous ozone solution that requires no additives, filters, or advanced chemicals. The pure aqueous ozone product is a natural cleaner, sanitizer, and deodorizer produced through the infusion of ozone into water using electricity. The technology was valued using the multi-period excess earnings method. Under this method, the fair value of the asset reflects the present value of the projected stream of net cash flows that will be generated by the asset over the projection period. Key inputs and assumptions in determining the fair value include projected cash flows and the discount rate used to calculate the present value of such cash flows. The developed technology will be amortized over a useful life of 15 years. Customer relationships relate to contracts with distributors that were acquired while the trademarks refer to the predecessor’s trademarks that continue to be used. The trademarks are deemed to have an indefinite life.

The goodwill of $2,237,910 arising from the acquisition consists largely of the synergies, cost savings, and economies of scale expected from combining the operations of the acquired assets and the Company and further developing its products. The goodwill is deductible over 15 years for tax purposes.

The purchase price allocation is preliminary and subject to change. The Company has not yet completed its analysis to determine the fair value of inventory, property and equipment and intangibles, and goodwill on the acquisition date. Once this analysis is complete, the Company will adjust, if necessary, the provisional amounts assigned to inventory, property and equipment and intangibles, and goodwill in the accounting period in which the analysis is completed. The Company incurred $31,676 of acquisition-related costs which have been recorded within general and administrative expenses in the statement of operations for the period ended June 30, 2023.

F-14

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

6.      Fair Value Measurements

ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement, establishes a fair value hierarchy for instruments measured at fair value that distinguishes between assumptions based on market data (observable inputs) and the Company’s own assumptions (unobservable inputs). Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability and are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances.

ASC 820 identifies fair value as the exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. As a basis for considering market participant assumptions in fair value measurements, ASC 820 establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between the following:

 

Level 1 — 

 

Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

   

Level 2 — 

 

Inputs, other than quoted prices in active markets, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly.

   

Level 3 — 

 

Unobservable inputs in which there is little or no market data, which requires the Company to develop its own assumptions.

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires management to make judgments and consider factors specific to the asset or liability. The Company’s financial assets are subject to fair value measurements on a recurring basis. The Company’s remaining carrying amounts reported in the combined balance sheets of these financial assets are a reasonable estimate of fair value due to their short-term nature.

7.      Inventory

Inventory consists of the following at:

 

June 30,
2023 (Successor)

 

June 30,
2022 (Predecessor)

Parts

 

$

551,264

 

 

$

725,576

 

Work in process

 

 

—

 

 

 

76,176

 

Finished goods

 

 

135,792

 

 

 

293,547

 

Inventory reserve

 

 

(14,940

)

 

 

(94,425

)

Total inventory, net

 

$

672,116

 

 

$

1,000,874

 

The Company values inventory at the balance sheet date using the weighted average method. The Company recorded an inventory reserve of $14,940 and $94,425 for the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

F-15

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

8.      Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equipment, net, consist of the following at:

 

June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Equipment

 

$

—

 

 

$

238,464

 

Vehicles

 

 

—

 

 

 

10,623

 

Furniture and fixtures

 

 

1,260

 

 

 

43,033

 

Total

 

 

—

 

 

 

306,720

 

Less: accumulated depreciation

 

 

(63

)

 

 

(279,085

)

Total property and equipment, net

 

$

1,197

 

 

$

27,635

 

Depreciation expense related to property and equipment was $63 and 18,317 for the years ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

9.      Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

Accounts payable and accrued expenses consist of the following at:

 

June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Accounts payable

 

$

266,511

 

$

120,505

Accrued interest

 

 

152,684

 

 

—

Accrued payroll and related expenses

 

 

68,026

 

 

—

Accrued commission

 

 

—

 

 

—

Warranty reserve

 

 

156,333

 

 

85,348

Accrued credit card expenses

 

 

—

 

 

42,722

Other accrued expenses

 

 

1,073

 

 

—

Total accounts payable and other accrued expenses

 

$

644,627

 

$

248,575

10.    Related Party Transactions

The following due from related party balances were outstanding at:

 

June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Due from related party

 

$

—

 

$

102,807

The following due to related party balances were outstanding at:

 

June 30,
2023
(Successor)

 

June 30,
2022
(Predecessor)

Due to Parent

 

$

—

 

$

2,944,292

Due to subsidiary of Parent

 

 

—

 

 

4,579,179

Due to founder – credit card

 

 

12,402

 

 

—

Due to founders

 

 

208,900

 

 

—

Total due to related parties

 

$

221,302

 

$

7,523,471

F-16

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

10.    Related Party Transactions (cont.)

At June 30, 2023, the Company had a short term amount due to Clayton Adams, one of its founders, in the amount of $12,402 for operational expenses paid by a credit card in his name. The Company has a verbal agreement with Mr. Adams to pay the credit card charges directly to the issuing financial institution as they become due and is current on these payments.

On October 4, 2022, the Company issued a promissory note to each of Matthew Atkinson, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, and Clayton Adam, the Company’s President at such time, in the principal amount of $104,450 each for a total of $208,900. These notes bear interest at a rate of 5% per annum beginning on the 30th day after issuance and are due on the 60th day following written demand from the holder. The Company has recorded this as a short-term note payable on the balance sheet, due to the demand terms of the agreement, and recorded related accrued interest of $7,698 as of June 30, 2023. As of June 30, 2023, the holders have not provided written demand to the Company.

The Successor did not assume any of the Predecessor’s liabilities to its parent, Burlington Solutions, LLC (the “Parent”), or the subsidiary of the Parent as part of the acquisition purchase agreement.

Predecessor Due to Parent and subsidiary of Parent represents funding provided to the Predecessor for operating costs and acquisition costs. The funds were unsecured with no formal payment terms. As no formal payment terms existed, the Company calculated and expensed imputed interest on the borrowings, based on Prime rate. For the year ended June 30, 2022, the Predecessor recorded $274,889 in imputed interest. The Predecessor repaid amounts as cash was available. Total amounts repaid to Parent during 2022 were $80,000. No amounts were paid to the Parent’s subsidiary in 2022.

The Predecessor also paid the Parent for use of facilities in Omaha. Nebraska. These amounts are recorded as rent expense by Predecessor in the amounts of $9,632 and $28,936 for the period July 1, 2022 through October 16, 2022 and for the year ended June 30, 2022, respectively.

11.    Stockholders’ Equity

The Company’s authorized capital stock currently consists of 350,000,000 shares, consisting of (i) 300,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 50,000,000 shares are designated class A common stock and 250,000,000 shares are designated as class B common stock; and (ii) 50,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 4,000,000 are designated as series seed preferred stock.

Series Seed Preferred Stock

Below is a summary of the terms of the series seed preferred stock.

Ranking.    The series seed preferred stock ranks, as to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, senior to the common stock.

Liquidation Rights.    In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or any deemed liquidation event (as defined in the certificate of designation), before any payment shall be made to the holders of common stock by reason of their ownership thereof, the holders of shares of series seed preferred stock shall be entitled to be paid out of the funds and assets available for distribution to its stockholders, an amount per share equal to the greater of (a) $0.25 per share, plus any dividends declared but unpaid thereon, or (b) such amount per share as would have been payable had all shares of series seed preferred stock been converted into class A common stock immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution or winding up or deemed liquidation event.

Dividends.    All dividends shall be declared pro rata on the common stock and series seed preferred stock on a pari passu basis according to the number of shares of common stock held by such holders. For this purpose, each holder of shares of series seed preferred stock is to be treated as holding the greatest whole number of shares of common stock then issuable upon conversion of all shares of series seed preferred stock held by such holder.

F-17

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

11.    Stockholders’ Equity (cont.)

Voting Rights.    The holders of series seed preferred stock shall have the right to one vote for each share of class A common stock into which such series seed preferred stock could then be converted, and with respect to such vote, the holders shall have full voting rights and powers equal to the voting rights and powers of the holders of class A common stock, and shall be entitled to vote together with holders of class A common stock with respect to any question upon which holders of class A common stock have the right to vote.

Conversion Rights.    Each share of series seed preferred stock shall be convertible at the option of the holder thereof into such number of shares of class A common stock as is determined by dividing $0.25 per share by the conversion price in effect at the time of conversion. The conversion price is initially $0.25 per share (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination, recapitalization, or merger or consolidation). In addition, all outstanding shares of series seed preferred stock shall automatically be converted into shares of common A common stock upon (a) the closing of the sale of shares of class A common stock to the public in a public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (or a qualified offering statement under Regulation A of the Securities Act, as amended), (b) the date that the Company or a successor to the Company becomes an issuer with a class of securities registered under Section 12 or subject to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”) and is subject to the periodic and current reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or is required to file reports under Regulation A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (c) the date and time, or the occurrence of an event, specified by vote or written consent of holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of series seed preferred stock at the time of such vote or consent, voting as a single class on an as-converted basis.

On September 16, 2022, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock at a purchase price of $0.25 per share.

On September 30, 2022, the Company issued 2,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock at a purchase price of $0.25 per share.

As of June 30, 2023, 4,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock were issued and outstanding.

Common Stock

The Company has two classes of authorized common stock — class A common stock and class B common stock. The rights of the holders of the class A common stock and class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion. Each share of class A common stock is entitled to ten votes per share and is convertible into one share of class B common stock. Each share of class B common stock is entitled to one vote per share. As of June 30, 2023, all of the outstanding class A common stock was held by the Company’s two founders.

On August 26, 2022, the Company issued an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock at a purchase price of $0.0001 per share.

On October 14, 2022, the Company issued an aggregate of 603,450 shares of class B common stock at a purchase price of $1.74 per share.

On November 29, 2022, the Company issued 57,471 shares of class B common stock at a purchase price of $1.74 per share.

On November 29, 2022, the Company issued 777,778 shares of class B common stock upon the exercise of a warrant for an aggregate exercise price of $500,000.

On April 1, 2023, the Company issued 17,241 shares of class B common stock to a professional firm in exchange for services at $1.74 per share. Accordingly, stock compensation expense in the amount of $29,999 was recorded by the Company.

F-18

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

11.    Stockholders’ Equity (cont.)

On June 1, 2023, an aggregate of 340,000 shares of class A common stock were converted into an aggregate of 340,000 shares of class B common stock.

As of June 30, 2023, there were 660,000 shares of class A common stock and 1,795,940 shares of class B common stock issued and outstanding.

2022 Equity Incentive Plan

On September 16, 2022, the Company’s board of directors adopted its 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, which was adopted by stockholders on November 18, 2022, as amended (the “2022 Plan”), which reserved a total of 1,736,819 shares of CleanCore’s class B common stock for issuance. Incentive awards authorized under the 2022 Plan include, but are not limited to, nonqualified stock options, incentive stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, performance grants intended to comply with Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and stock appreciation rights. If an incentive award granted under the 2022 Plan expires, terminates, is unexercised for forfeited, the surrendered shares will become available for future awards under the 2022 Plan.

The Company’s employees and advisors were awarded options under the 2022 Plan. Therefore, an allocation of the share-based compensation was made to the Company.

Stock Options

As of June 30, 2023, the Company has issued options to purchase an aggregate of 2,000,000 shares of class A common stock at an exercise price of $0.25 per share. In addition, the Company issued options to purchase 770,000 shares of class B common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $2.21 per share under the 2022 Plan. The class A options were fully vested as of the grant date and the class B options have a graded vesting term based on continuous service during the vesting period.

Warrants

On October 14, 2022 and November 29, 2022, the Company issued warrants for the purchase of 42,241 and 4,022 shares of class B common stock, respectively, to a third party as part of their compensation earned. The warrants are exercisable for a period of five years at an exercise price of $1.74 (subject to adjustments for stock dividends, stock splits, mergers, consolidations and similar transactions) and may be exercised on a cashless basis. The third party agreed to increase the exercise price of the foregoing warrants to 125% of the potential public offering price per share.

On October 17, 2022, the Company issued a warrant for the purchase of 777,778 shares of class B common stock for an aggregate exercise price of $500,000 to the Parent. On November 29, 2022, the Parent exercised this warrant in full.

Stock-based Compensation

Stock options and warrants are granted at the fair market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant. The Company recognizes compensation expense for these awards using the straight-line recognition method over the vesting period.

The fair value of stock options was estimated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions as of June 30, 2023:

 

June 30,
2023

Risk-free interest rate

 

3.71

%

Dividend yield

 

0.0

%

Expected volatility

 

53.00

%

Expected life of awards

 

4.8 years

 

F-19

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

11.    Stockholders’ Equity (cont.)

The fair value of warrants was estimated at the date of grant using a Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions as of June 30, 2023:

 

June 30,
2023

Risk-free interest rate

 

4.17

%

Dividend yield

 

0.0

%

Expected volatility

 

57.96

%

Expected life of awards

 

0.4 years

 

The risk-free interest rate is based on U.S. government issues with a remaining term equal to the expected life of the awards. The determination of expected volatility is based on historical volatility of an appropriate industry sector index. The weighted average expected term was estimated for options using the average of the vesting term and contractual term of the awards. The term for warrants is based on the contractual term of the warrants. The weighted-average fair value of total awards granted during the period ended June 30, 2023 was $1.35.

The information presented in the following table represents the awards granted and outstanding during the period:

 

Warrants

 

Stock
Options

 

Weighted Average Remaining Life (years)

 

Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price

Beginning balance

 

$

—

 

 

$

—

 

$

—

 

$

—

Granted

 

 

824,041

 

 

 

—

 

 

0.44

 

 

0.69

Granted

 

 

—

 

 

 

2,770,000

 

 

4.77

 

 

0.51

Canceled

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

Forfeited

 

 

—

 

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

Exercised

 

 

(777,778

)

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

0.61

Outstanding, June 30, 2023 (2,125,152 shares exercisable)

 

 

46,263

 

 

 

2,770,000

 

 

5.01

 

$

0.50

The intrinsic value and total cash received of awards exercised for the period ending June 30, 2023 was $855,556 and $500,000, respectively. Total stock compensation expense recognized during the period ended June 30, 2023 consists of $3,231,443 related to stock options and $857,889 of warrants. In addition, $42,835 of warrants issued to underwriters were recorded as an offset to equity as of June 30, 2023. As of June 30, 2033, total unrecognized stock compensation expense was $339,952 with the weighted average period over which it is expected to be recognized of 3.13 years.

12.    Net loss per share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and dilutive net income per share of class A and class B common stock:

 

Period Ended
June 30
, 2023

   

Class A

 

Class B

Basic and diluted net loss per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numerator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allocation of undistributed loss

 

$

(2,111,882

)

 

$

(2,911,325

)

Denominator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average number of shares used in per share computation

 

 

967,987

 

 

 

1,334,414

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share

 

$

(2.18

)

 

$

(2.18

)

F-20

Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June
30, 2023 AND 2022

13.    Income taxes

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal and applicable state jurisdictions.

The Company’s provision for income taxes is comprised of the following components for the year ended June 30, 2023:

 

Years Ended

   

6/30/2023

 

N/A

Current Tax Expense (Benefit)

 

 

   

 

 

Federal

 

 

—

 

 

—

State

 

 

—

 

 

—

Current Tax Expense (Benefit)

 

$

—

 

$

—

   

 

—

 

 

—

Deferred Tax Expense (Benefit)

 

 

   

 

 

Federal

 

 

—

 

 

—

State

 

 

—

 

 

—

Deferred Tax Expense (Benefit)

 

 

—

 

 

—

Total Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

 

$

—

 

$

—

The Company’s income tax expense from continuing operations for the year ended June 30, 2023 differed from the statutory federal rate of 21% as follows:

Pre-Tax Book Income

 

(5,023,207

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Years Ended

   

6/30/2023

 

N/A

   

Amount

 

Percent

 

Amount

 

Percent

Rate Reconciliation

   

 

   

 

       

Federal tax (benefit) at a statutory rate

 

(1,054,873

)

 

21.00

%

 

—

 

—

State tax expense (benefit)

 

(277,654

)

 

5.53

%

 

—

 

—

Other Permanent Differences

 

490

 

 

(0.01

)%

 

—

 

—

Increase (Decrease) in valuation allowance related to current period P&L activity

 

1,332,037

 

 

(26.52

)%

 

—

 

—

Total tax expense

 

—

 

 

—

 

 

—

 

—

Deferred tax assets and liabilities consist of the following at June 30, 2023:

 

Years Ended

   

6/30/2023

 

N/A

Deferred Tax Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accrued Expenses

 

 

55,680

 

 

 

—

Equity Compensation

 

 

1,092,856

 

 

 

—

Lease Liabilities

 

 

129,075

 

 

 

—

NOL Carryforwards

 

 

214,559

 

 

 

—

Valuation Allowance

 

$

(1,332,037

)

 

$

—

Total Deferred Tax Assets

 

 

160,133

 

 

 

—

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

13.    Income taxes (cont.)

 

Years Ended

   

6/30/2023

 

N/A

Deferred Tax Liabilities

   

 

   

Property and equipment

 

(252

)

 

—

Intangible Assets

 

(561

)

 

—

Prepaid Expenses

 

(35,515

)

 

—

ASC 842 Right of Use Asset

 

(123,805

)

 

—

Valuation Allowance

 

—

 

 

—

Total Deferred Tax Liabilities

 

(160,133

)

 

—

Net Deferred Tax Asset (Liability)

 

—

 

 

—

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more-likely-than-not that some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible.

As of June 30, 2023, the Company recognized a full valuation allowance on its net deferred tax asset to reflect the fact it is not more-likely-than-not to realize any portion of the asset.

 

Years Ended

   

6/30/2023

 

N/A

Other Items – All Gross

       

Federal NOL Carryovers

 

808,741

 

—

State NOL Carryovers

 

808,741

 

—

14.    Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, the Company may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. However, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business. The Company is currently not aware of any such legal proceedings or claims that it believes will have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or operating results.

Retirement Plans

The Successor does not maintain a defined contribution plan or any other type of retirement plan for its employees.

For the period ended July 1, 2022 through October 16, 2022 and the year ended June 30, 2022, the Predecessor maintained a defined contribution 401(k) plan available to eligible employees. Employee contributions are voluntary and are determined on an individual basis, limited to the maximum amount allowable under federal tax regulations. Matching contributions to the 401(k) plan are made for certain eligible employees to meet the non-discrimination provisions of the plan. During these respective periods, the Predecessor made a contributions of $1,512 and $6,694, respectively.

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Table of Contents

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

14.    Commitments and Contingencies (cont.)

Leases

The Company has a non-cancellable operating lease commitment for its office facility expiring in 2028. Rent expense totaled $57,626 for the year ended June 30, 2023.

The following table discloses the lease cost, discount rate, and remaining lease term for operating leases as of June 30, 2023:

 

June 30,
2023

Operating lease cost

 

$

57,626

 

Remaining lease term

 

 

4.7 years

 

Discount rate

 

 

6.00

%

The discount rate was determined using the Company’s external debt and was adjusted for collateralization, term and lease amount.

The following table discloses the undiscounted cash flows on an annual basis and a reconciliation of the undiscounted cash flows of operating lease liabilities recognized in the balance sheet as of June 30, 2023:

Year Ended June 30, 2023

 

$

 

2024

 

 

114,230

 

2025

 

 

117,086

 

2026

 

 

120,013

 

2027

 

 

123,014

 

2028

 

 

83,365

 

   

 

557,708

 

Less amount representing interest

 

 

(71,183

)

Present value of lease liabilities

 

 

486,525

 

Less current portion

 

 

(87,985

)

Noncurrent lease liabilities

 

$

398,540

 

15.    Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated events subsequent to June 30, 2023, to assess the need for potential recognition or disclosure. Such events were evaluated through October 10, 2023, the date the combined financial statements were available to be issued. The following were noted:

On July 16, 2023, the Company issued 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock upon the conversion of 1,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock.

On July 17, 2023, the Company issued 940,000 shares of class B common stock upon the conversion of 940,000 shares of class A common stock.

On July 21, 2023, the Company hired an officer whose employment agreement included a grant for 75,000 stock options, with vesting as follows: ten percent (10%) on the 90th day following the employment agreement date (“vesting date”), 10% on the 180th day following the vesting date, and the balance vesting monthly over the following 36 months.

On July 24, 2023, the Company issued 370,000 shares of class B common stock upon the conversion of 370,000 shares of class A common stock.

F-23

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CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
June 30, 2023 AND 2022

15.    Subsequent Events (cont.)

On July 27, 2023, the Company agreed to purchase approximately $105,607 worth of inventory from a related party business owned by Lisa Roskens, a significant stockholder and the principal officer of the Parent, due to an open purchase order the Predecessor had with an inventory vendor that was not included in the liabilities assumed of the Predecessor per the terms of the acquisition purchase agreement. The inventory is to be purchased as needed, consistent with other inventory purchases. Therefore, the Company has not recorded a liability on the books related to this agreement. However, if the entire $105,000 amount is not purchased by March 31, 2024, the balance at that date begins accruing interest at a rate of seven percent (7%) per annum until the Predecessor is paid in full. As of October 10, 2023, the entire $105,000 has yet to be purchased by the Successor.

On September 13, 2023, the Company signed an Extension Agreement with the Parent for the $3,000,000 note payable due to it on October 17, 2023 per the original purchase agreement in connection with the acquisition. The extension requires the note to accrue interest at a rate of 10% per annum as of the date of the signed extension. The maturity of the note was extended to the earlier of (i) the closing of a firm commitment initial public offering and concurrent listing on a national securities exchange or (ii) December 17, 2023, at which point the final payment of all unpaid principal and all accrued interest shall be due and payable.

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Table of Contents

1,500,000 Shares
Class B Common Stock

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, inc.

________________

PROSPECTUS

________________

Underwriter

BOUSTEAD SECURITIES, LLC

            , 2023

Until        , 2023, 25 days after the date of this prospectus, all dealers that buy, sell or trade our securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

Table of Contents

[Alternate Page for Resale Prospectus]

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED OCTOBER 10, 2023

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

1,741,036 Shares

Class B Common Stock

This prospectus relates to 1,741,036 shares of class B common stock of CleanCore Solutions, Inc. that may be sold from time to time by the selling stockholders named in this prospectus.

We will not receive any proceeds from the sales of outstanding class B common stock by the selling stockholders.

Currently, there is no public market for our class B common stock. We plan to apply to list our class B common stock on NYSE American under the symbol “            ”. We believe that upon the completion of this offering, we will meet the standards for listing, and the closing of this offering is contingent upon such listing.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as that term is used in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, and as such, have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings. See “Prospectus Summary — Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company.”

The selling stockholders may offer and sell the class B common stock being offered by this prospectus from time to time in public or private transactions, or both. These sales will occur at a fixed price of $5.00 per share until our class B common stock are quoted on the OTCQB or OTCQX marketplace, or listed on a national securities exchange. Thereafter, these sales will occur at fixed prices, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices, or at negotiated prices. The selling stockholders may sell shares to or through underwriters, broker-dealers or agents, who may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholders, the purchasers of the shares, or both. Any participating broker-dealers and any selling stockholders who are affiliates of broker-dealers may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any commissions or discounts given to any such broker-dealer or affiliates of a broker-dealer may be regarded as underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The selling stockholders have informed us that they do not have any agreement or understanding, directly or indirectly, with any person to distribute their class B common stock. See “Plan of Distribution” for a more complete description of the ways in which the shares may be sold.

Investing in our class B common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before buying any shares, you should carefully read the discussion of the material risks of investing in our class B common stock under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 of this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is             , 2023

 

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[Alternate Page for Resale Prospectus]

The Offering

Shares offered by the selling stockholders:

 

This prospectus relates to 1,741,036 shares of class B common stock that may be sold from time to time by the selling stockholders named in this prospectus.

Shares outstanding(1):

 

3,350,000 shares of class A common stock and 4,605,940 shares of class B common stock (or 4,830,940 shares of class B common stock if the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full). The number of shares of class A common stock outstanding after this offering includes the conversion of 3,000,000 shares of our series seed preferred stock into 3,000,000 shares of class A common stock concurrent with the closing of this offering.

Use of proceeds:

 

We will not receive any proceeds from the sales of outstanding class B common stock by the selling stockholders.

Risk factors:

 

Investing in our class B common stock involves a high degree of risk. As an investor, you should be able to bear a complete loss of your investment. You should carefully consider the information set forth in the “Risk Factors” section beginning on page 13.

Trading market and symbol:

 

We plan to apply to list our class B common stock on NYSE American under the symbol “    ”. The closing of our initial public offering is contingent upon such listing.

____________

(1)      The number of class B common stock outstanding assumes the issuance by us of class B common stock pursuant to the Public Offering Prospectus filed contemporaneously herewith and excludes:

•        350,000 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the conversion of 350,000 shares of class A common stock upon a transfer thereof;

•        2,000,000 shares of class A common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options at an exercise price of $0.25 per share;

•        770,000 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options granted under our 2022 equity incentive plan at a weighted average exercise price of $2.21 per share;

•        966,819 shares of class B common stock that are reserved for future issuance under our 2022 equity incentive plan;

•        46,263 shares of class B common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants at an exercise price of $1.74 per share; and

•        up to 105,000 shares of class B common stock (or 120,750 shares issuable if the underwriters exercise the overallotment option in full) issuable upon exercise of the representative’s warrants issued in connection with the initial public offering.

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[Alternate Page for Resale Prospectus]

USE OF PROCEEDS

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of class B common stock by the selling stockholders.

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[Alternate Page for Resale Prospectus]

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

The class B common stock being offered by the selling stockholders are those restricted shares previously issued to the selling stockholders. We are registering the shares in order to permit the selling stockholders to offer the shares for resale from time to time. Except for the ownership of these shares or as indicated in the footnotes to the table below, the selling stockholders have not had any material relationship with us within the past three years and based on the information provided to us by the selling stockholders, no selling shareholder is a broker-dealer or an affiliate of a broker-dealer.

The table below lists the selling stockholders and other information regarding the ownership of the class B common stock by each of the selling stockholders. The second column lists the number of class B common stock owned by each selling shareholder. The third column lists the class B common stock being offered by this prospectus by the selling stockholders. The fourth column assumes the sale of all of the class B common stock offered by the selling stockholders pursuant to this prospectus.

The selling stockholders may sell all, some or none of their shares in this offering. See “Plan of Distribution.”

Name of Selling Stockholder

 

Class B
Common Stock
Beneficially
Owned Prior to
this Offering

 

Number of
Shares Being
Offered

 


Class B Common Stock
Beneficially Owned
After this Offering

Shares

 

Percent(1)

Clayton Adams(2)

 

1,370,000

 

370,000

 

1,000,000

 

17.84

%

Benjamin Lee Adams

 

470,000

 

470,000

 

—

 

—

 

Varkes Churukian

 

14,368

 

14,368

 

—

 

—

 

Eternal Horizon International Company Limited(3)

 

71,840

 

71,840

 

—

 

—

 

Chris Etherington(5)

 

100,575

 

14,368

 

—

 

—

 

Pamela Finn

 

57,471

 

57,471

 

—

 

—

 

Daniel Hutt

 

14,368

 

14,368

 

—

 

—

 

George Krauss

 

57,471

 

57,471

 

—

 

—

 

Kevin McKeon

 

28,736

 

28,736

 

—

 

—

 

MSBD, LLC(4)

 

57,471

 

57,471

 

—

 

—

 

Oleta Investments, LLC(5)

 

86,207

 

86,207

 

—

 

—

 

Mark Olivier

 

14,368

 

14,368

 

—

 

—

 

Lisa Roskens(6)

 

792,146

 

14,368

 

777,778

 

16.89

%

Michael K. Webb

 

470,000

 

470,000

 

—

 

—

 

____________

(1)      Applicable percentage ownership after this offering is based on 4,605,940 shares of class B common stock outstanding after the offering. As noted above, for purposes of computing percentage ownership after this offering, we have assumed that all class B common stock offered by the selling stockholders will be sold in this offering.

(2)      The number of shares being offered includes 370,000 shares of class B common stock held directly and the number of shares held after this offering represents 1,000,000 shares of class B common stock issuable upon conversion of 1,000,000 of class A common stock that are issuable within 60 days upon the exercise of a stock option. Mr. Adams previously served as our Chief Financial Officer from August 24, 2022 to March 9, 2023 and as our President and a member of our board of directors from August 24, 2022 to July 13, 2023.

(3)      Jie Xu is the Director of Eternal Horizon International Company Limited, and has sole voting and investment power over the shares held by it. Jie Xu disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of a pecuniary interest, if any, in such shares.

(4)      Shane Lanphere is the Managing Member of MSBD, LLC, and has sole voting and investment power over the shares held by it. Mr. Lanphere disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest, if any, in such shares.

(5)      Chris Etherington is the Managing Director of Oleta Investments, LLC, and has sole voting and investment power over the shares held by it. Mr. Etherington disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest, if any, in such shares.

(6)      The number of shares being offered includes 14,368 shares held directly and the number of shares held after this offering includes 777,778 shares held indirectly through Burlington Capital, LLC. Lisa Roskens is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Burlington Capital, LLC and has voting and investment power over the shares held by it. Ms. Roskens disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of her pecuniary interest, if any, in such shares.

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[Alternate Page for Resale Prospectus]

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Each selling shareholder and any of their pledgees, assignees and successors-in-interest may, from time to time, sell any or all of their shares covered hereby on any stock exchange, market or trading facility on which the class B common stock are traded or in private transactions. These sales will occur at a fixed price of $5.00 per share until our class B common stock are quoted on the OTCQB or OTCQX marketplace, or listed on a national securities exchange. Thereafter, these sales will occur at fixed prices, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices, or at negotiated prices. A selling shareholder may use any one or more of the following methods when selling the shares:

•        ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

•        block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

•        purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

•        an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

•        privately negotiated transactions;

•        settlement of short sales;

•        in transactions through broker-dealers that agree with the selling stockholders to sell a specified number of such securities at a stipulated price per security;

•        through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;

•        a combination of any such methods of sale; or

•        any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

The selling stockholders may also sell shares under Rule 144 of the Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus. The selling stockholders shall have the sole and absolute discretion not to accept any purchase offer or make any sale of shares if it deems the purchase price to be unsatisfactory at any particular time.

The selling stockholders or their respective pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors in interest, may also sell the shares directly to market makers acting as principals and/or broker-dealers acting as agents for themselves or their customers. Such broker-dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholders and/or the purchasers of shares for whom such broker-dealers may act as agents or to whom they sell as principal or both, which compensation as to a particular broker-dealer might be in excess of customary commissions. Market makers and block purchasers purchasing the shares will do so for their own account and at their own risk. It is possible that a selling shareholder will attempt to sell shares in block transactions to market makers or other purchasers at a price per share which may be below the then existing market price. We cannot assure that all or any of the shares offered in this prospectus will be issued to, or sold by, the selling stockholders. The selling stockholders and any brokers, dealers or agents, upon effecting the sale of any of the shares offered in this prospectus, may be deemed to be “underwriters” as that term is defined under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of such acts. In such event, any commissions received by such broker-dealers or agents and any profit on the resale of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act.

We are required to pay all fees and expenses incident to the registration of the shares, including fees and disbursements of counsel to the selling stockholders, but excluding brokerage commissions or underwriter discounts.

The selling stockholders, alternatively, may sell all or any part of the shares offered in this prospectus through an underwriter. The selling stockholders have not entered into any agreement with a prospective underwriter and there is no assurance that any such agreement will be entered into.

The selling stockholders may pledge their shares to their brokers under the margin provisions of customer agreements. If a selling shareholder defaults on a margin loan, the broker may, from time to time, offer and sell the pledged shares.

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[Alternate Page for Resale Prospectus]

The selling stockholders and any other persons participating in the sale or distribution of the shares will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations under such act, including, without limitation, Regulation M. These provisions may restrict certain activities of, and limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the shares by, the selling stockholders or any other such person. In the event that any of the selling stockholders are deemed an affiliated purchaser or distribution participant within the meaning of Regulation M, then the selling stockholders will not be permitted to engage in short sales of common shares. Furthermore, under Regulation M, persons engaged in a distribution of securities are prohibited from simultaneously engaging in market making and certain other activities with respect to such securities for a specified period of time prior to the commencement of such distributions, subject to specified exceptions or exemptions. In addition, if a short sale is deemed to be a stabilizing activity, then the selling stockholders will not be permitted to engage in a short sale of our shares. All of these limitations may affect the marketability of the shares.

If a selling shareholder notifies us that it has a material arrangement with a broker-dealer for the resale of the shares, then we would be required to amend the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and file a prospectus supplement to describe the agreements between the selling shareholder and the broker-dealer.

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[Alternate Page for Resale Prospectus]

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the class B common stock covered by this prospectus will be passed upon by Sherman & Howard L.L.C.

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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, payable by us in connection with the sale of class B common stock being registered. All amounts, other than the SEC registration fee, NYSE American listing fee and FINRA filing fee, are estimates. We will pay all these expenses.

 

Amount

SEC registration fee

 

$

2,926.30

NYSE American listing fee

 

 

75,000.00

FINRA filing fee

 

 

1,884.31

Accounting fees and expenses

 

 

140,000.00

Legal fees and expenses

 

 

312,500.00

Transfer agent fees and expenses

 

 

10,000.00

Printing and related fees and expenses

 

 

10,000.00

Miscellaneous fees and expenses

 

 

7,689.39

Total

 

$

560,000.00

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

We are a Nevada corporation. The Nevada Revised Statutes and certain provisions of our bylaws under certain circumstances provide for indemnification of our officers, directors and controlling persons against liabilities which they may incur in such capacities. A summary of the circumstances in which such indemnification is provided for is contained herein, but this description is qualified in its entirety by reference to our bylaws and to the statutory provisions.

In general, any officer, director, employee or agent may be indemnified against expenses, fines, settlements or judgments arising in connection with a legal proceeding to which such person is a party, if that person’s actions were in good faith, were believed to be in our best interest, and were not unlawful. Unless such person is successful upon the merits in such an action, indemnification may be awarded only after a determination by independent decision of our board of directors, by legal counsel, or by a vote of our stockholders, that the applicable standard of conduct was met by the person to be indemnified.

The circumstances under which indemnification is granted in connection with an action brought on our behalf is generally the same as those set forth above; however, with respect to such actions, indemnification is granted only with respect to expenses actually incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of the action. In such actions, the person to be indemnified must have acted in good faith and in a manner believed to have been in our best interest, and have not been adjudged liable for negligence or misconduct.

Indemnification may also be granted pursuant to the terms of agreements which may be entered into in the future or pursuant to a vote of stockholders or directors. The Nevada Revised Statutes also grant us the power to purchase and maintain insurance which protects our officers and directors against any liabilities incurred in connection with their service in such a position, and such a policy may be obtained by us.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our articles of incorporation eliminate or limit the liability of our directors to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of a director’s fiduciary duty as a director.

We have entered or intend to enter into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and officers. Each indemnification agreement will provide, among other things, for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws against any and all expenses, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of any claim. The indemnification agreements will provide for the advancement or payment of all expenses to the indemnitee and for reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws.

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Table of Contents

We are in the process of obtaining standard policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (a) to our directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act, and (b) to us with respect to payments which we may make to such officers and directors pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law.

The underwriting agreement, filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this registration statement, will provide for indemnification, under certain circumstances, by the underwriter of us and our officers and directors for certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act or otherwise.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, 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.

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

During the past three years, we issued the following securities, which were not registered under the Securities Act.

On August 26, 2022, we issued 500,000 shares of class A common stock, at a purchase price of $0.0001 per share, to each of Matthew Atkinson and Clayton Adams, our founders.

On September 16, 2022, we issued 1,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock, at a purchase price of $0.25 per share, to each of Matthew Atkinson and Clayton Adams, our founders, of which 1,000,000 shares were subsequently converted into 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock and further converted into 1,000,000 shares of class B common stock. On September 30, 2022, we issued 2,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock, at a purchase price of $0.25 per share, to Bethor Limited. These shares will be automatically converted into 3,000,000 shares of class A common stock upon the closing of this offering.

On September 16, 2022, we issued options for the purchase of 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock, at an exercise price of $0.25, to each of Matthew Atkinson and Clayton Adams, our founders.

Between October 14, 2022 and November 29, 2022, we issued an aggregate of 660,921 shares of class B common stock for total gross proceeds of $1,150,000 and net proceeds of approximately $1,035,000 in a private placement transaction. Boustead Securities, LLC, the representative of the underwriters for this offering, acted as placement agent in connection with this private placement. As compensation for its services, Boustead Securities, LLC received (i) a cash commission equal to 9% of the gross proceeds, (ii) a 1% non-accountable expense allowance and (iii) five-year warrants for the purchase of a number of shares of class B common stock equal to 7% of the number of shares issued in the private placement at an exercise price of $1.74 per share (subject to adjustments), which may be exercised on a cashless basis. Accordingly, we issued warrants for the purchase of 46,263 shares of class B common stock to Boustead Securities, LLC at an initial exercise price of $1.74 per share. Boustead Securities, LLC has agreed to increase the exercise price of the foregoing warrants to 125% of the public offering price per share in this offering. The private placement concluded on December 31, 2022.

On October 17, 2022, we issued a warrant for the purchase of 777,778 shares of class B common stock for an aggregate exercise price of $500,000 to Burlington Capital, LLC. On November 29, 2022, Burlington Capital, LLC exercised this warrant in full.

On February 1, 2023, we issued options for the purchase of an aggregate of 295,000 shares of class B common stock, at an exercise price of $1.74, to two consultants under our 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.

On March 27, 2023, we issued an option for the purchase of 325,000 shares of class B common stock, at an exercise price of $2.50, to David Enholm, our Chief Financial Officer, under our 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.

On April 1, 2023, we issued 17,241 shares of class B common stock to Bevilacqua PLLC as partial compensation for legal services.

On April 4, 2023, we issued options for the purchase of an aggregate of 150,000 shares of class B common stock, at an exercise price of $2.50, to a consultant under our 2022 Equity Incentive Plan.

On June 1, 2023, we issued 340,000 shares of class B common stock upon the conversion of 340,000 shares of class A common stock.

On July 16, 2023, we issued 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock upon the conversion of 1,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock.

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Table of Contents

On July 17, 2023, we issued 940,000 shares of class B common stock upon the conversion of 940,000 shares of class A common stock.

On July 24, 2023, we issued 370,000 shares of class B common stock upon the conversion of 370,000 shares of class A common stock.

No underwriters were involved in these issuances. We believe that each of the above issuances was exempt from registration under the Securities Act in reliance on Section 4(2) of the Securities Act regarding transactions not involving a public offering.

Item 16. Exhibits.

(a) Exhibits.

Exhibit No.

 

Description

1.1*

 

Form of Underwriting Agreement

3.1

 

Articles of Incorporation of CleanCore Solutions, Inc., as amended

3.2

 

Bylaws of CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

4.1*

 

Form of Representative’s Warrant (included in Exhibit 1.1)

4.2

 

Warrant issued by CleanCore Solutions, Inc. to Boustead Securities, LLC on October 14, 2022

4.3

 

Warrant issued by CleanCore Solutions, Inc. to Boustead Securities, LLC on November 29, 2022

5.1*

 

Opinion of Sherman & Howard L.L.C. as to the legality of the shares

10.1

 

Form of Subscription Agreement relating to 2022 private placement

10.2

 

Asset Purchase Agreement, dated October 17, 2022, among CleanCore Solutions, Inc., CleanCore Solutions, LLC, TetraClean Systems, LLC, Food Safety Technology L.L.C. and Burlington Capital, LLC

10.3

 

Promissory Note issued by CleanCore Solutions, Inc. to Burlington Capital, LLC on October 17, 2022

10.4

 

Extension Agreement, dated September 13, 2023, between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and Burlington Capital, LLC

10.5

 

Transition Assistance Agreement, dated October 17, 2022, between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and Burlington Capital, LLC

10.6

 

Patent Assignment Agreement, dated September 29, 2022, by Food Safety Technology L.L.C. in favor of CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

10.7

 

Patent Assignment Agreement, dated September 29, 2022, by CleanCore Solutions, LLC in favor of CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

10.8

 

Trademark Assignment Agreement, dated October 17, 2023, by Food Safety Technology, L.L.C. in favor of CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

10.9

 

Trademark Assignment Agreement, dated October 17, 2023, by CleanCore Solutions, LLC in favor of CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

10.10

 

Promissory Note issued by CleanCore Solutions, Inc. to Matthew Atkinson on October 4, 2022

10.11

 

Promissory Note issued by CleanCore Solutions, Inc. to Clayton Adams on October 4, 2022

10.12

 

Business Property Lease, dated November 9, 2022, between RMR Mercury I-80, LLC and CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

10.13

 

Business Property Lease Amendment, dated October 3, 2023, between RMR Mercury I-80, LLC and CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

10.14

 

Distribution Agreement, dated September 7, 2023, between Quail Systems, LLC and CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

10.15

 

Amendment to the Distribution Agreement, dated September 18, 2023, between Quail Systems, LLC and CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

10.16

 

Agreement, dated July 27, 2023, between Nebraska C. Ozone, LLC and CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

10.17†

 

Employment Agreement, dated July 18, 2023, between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and Matthew Atkinson

10.18†

 

Employment Agreement, dated March 27, 2023, between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and David Enholm

10.19†

 

Employment Agreement, dated November 1, 2022, between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and Gary Hollst

10.20†

 

Consulting Agreement, dated October 17, 2023, between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and Elev8 Marketing, LLC

10.21†

 

Consulting Agreement, dated October 17, 2023, between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and Birddog Capital, LLC

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Table of Contents

Exhibit No.

 

Description

10.22†

 

CleanCore Solutions, Inc. Stock Option Agreement, dated September 16, 2022, between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and Matthew Atkinson

10.23†

 

CleanCore Solutions, Inc. Stock Option Agreement, dated September 16, 2022, between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and Clayton Adams

10.24

 

Form of Independent Director Agreement between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and each independent director and each director nominee.

10.25

 

Form of Indemnification Agreement between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. and each independent director and each director nominee.

10.26†

 

CleanCore Solutions, Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan

10.27†

 

Form of Stock Option Agreement

10.28†

 

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement

10.29†

 

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement

23.1

 

Consent of TAAD LLP

23.2*

 

Consent of Sherman & Howard L.L.C. (included in Exhibit 5.1)

24.1

 

Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this registration statement)

99.1

 

Consent of Daniel Nelson (director nominee)

99.2

 

Consent of James M. Grisham (director nominee)

99.3

 

Consent of Benjamin VandenWymelenberg (director nominee)

107

 

Exhibit Filing Fees

____________

*        To be filed by amendment

†        Executive compensation plan or arrangement

(b)      Financial Statement Schedules.

All financial statement schedules are omitted because the information called for is not required or is shown either in the financial statements or in the notes thereto.

Item 17. Undertakings

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement, certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

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.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

(1)    For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

(2)    For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus 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.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Omaha, State of Nebraska, on October 10, 2023.

 

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.

   

By:

 

/s/ Matthew Atkinson

       

Matthew Atkinson

       

Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Matthew Atkinson and David Enholm, and each of them, his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, to this registration statement, and any registration statement relating to the offering covered by this registration statement and filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys in fact and agents or their substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

SIGNATURE

 

TITLE

 

DATE

/s/ Matthew Atkinson

 

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

 

October 10, 2023

Matthew Atkinson

 

(principal executive officer)

   

/s/ David Enholm

 

Chief Financial Officer and Director

 

October 10, 2023

David Enholm

 

(principal financial and accounting officer)

   

II-5

Exhibit 3.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.2

 

BYLAWS

OF

CC Acquisition corp.

 

Adopted on August 24, 2022

 

 

 

article I

OFFICES

 

1.1  Registered Office. The registered office and registered agent of CC Acquisition Corp. (the “Corporation”) shall be as from time to time set forth in the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation.

 

1.2  Other Offices. The Corporation may also have offices at such other places, both within and without the State of Nevada, as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

 

article II 

STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS

 

2.1  Place of Meetings. Meetings of stockholders may be held at such time and place, within or without the State of Nevada, as shall be stated in the notice of the meeting or in a duly executed waiver of notice thereof. Stockholders and certain other persons permitted by the Corporation to attend a meeting of stockholders may participate in the meeting through remote communication, including, without limitation, electronic communications, videoconferencing, teleconferencing or other available technology, if the Corporation has implemented reasonable measures to (a) verify the identity of each person participating through such means as a stockholder or permitted person and (b) provide the stockholders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the stockholders, including an opportunity to communicate, and to read or hear the proceedings of the meetings in a substantially concurrent manner with such proceedings.

 

2.2  Annual Meeting.

 

(a)  The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, for the purpose of election of directors and for such other business as may lawfully come before it, shall be held on such date and at such time as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation and the proposal of business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders: (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting of stockholders; (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors; or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in the following paragraph, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section.

 

 

 

 

(b)  At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (a) of this Section, (i) the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation, (ii) such other business must be a proper matter for stockholder action under the Nevada Revised Statues, (iii) if the stockholder, or the beneficial owner on whose behalf any such proposal or nomination is made, has provided the Corporation with a Solicitation Notice (as defined in this Section), such stockholder or beneficial owner must, in the case of a proposal, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s voting shares required under applicable law to carry any such proposal, or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, have delivered a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of a percentage of the Corporation’s voting shares reasonably believed by such stockholder or beneficial owner to be sufficient to elect the nominee or nominees proposed to be nominated by such stockholder, and must, in either case, have included in such materials the Solicitation Notice, and (iv) if no Solicitation Notice relating thereto has been timely provided pursuant to this Section, the stockholder or beneficial owner proposing such business or nomination must not have solicited a number of proxies sufficient to have required the delivery of such a Solicitation Notice under this Section. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary by registered mail at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day nor earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced more than thirty (30) days prior to or delayed by more than thirty (30) days after the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so received (i) not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) day prior to the currently proposed annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or (ii) by the tenth (10th) business day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made, whichever of (i) or (ii) occurs first. In the event that an annual meeting has not been previously held, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) business day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment of an annual meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth: (A) as to each person whom the stockholder proposed to nominate for election or reelection as a director all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) and Rule 14a-4(d) thereunder (including such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected); (B) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made; and (C) as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made (i) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, and of such beneficial owner, (ii) the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such beneficial owner, and (iii) whether either such stockholder or beneficial owner intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of, in the case of the proposal, at least the percentage of the Corporation’s voting shares required under applicable law to carry the proposal or, in the case of a nomination or nominations, a sufficient number of holders of the Corporation’s voting shares to elect such nominee or nominees (an affirmative statement of such intent, a “Solicitation Notice”).

 

(c)  Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of paragraph (b) of this Section to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Corporation is increased and there is no public announcement naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors made by the Corporation at least one hundred (100) days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

 

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(d)  Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section. Except as otherwise provided by law, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made, or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in these Bylaws and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with these Bylaws, to declare that such defective proposal or nomination shall not be presented for stockholder action at the meeting and shall be disregarded.

 

(e)  Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, in order to include information with respect to a stockholder proposal in the proxy statement and form of proxy for a stockholders’ meeting, stockholders must provide notice as required by the regulations promulgated under the 1934 Act. Nothing in these Bylaws shall be deemed to affect any rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the 1934 Act.

 

(f)  For purposes of this Section, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Accesswire, Market Wire or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

 

2.3  Special Meetings. Special meetings of the stockholders, for any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by law, by the Articles of Incorporation or by these Bylaws, may be called by the Chief Executive Officer or the President, or shall be called by the President or Secretary at the request in writing of a majority of the Board of Directors or at the request in writing of the holders of at least 30% of all the shares issued, outstanding and entitled to vote. Such request shall state the purpose or purposes of the proposed meeting. Business transacted at all special meetings shall be confined to the purposes stated in the notice of the meeting unless all stockholders entitled to vote are present and consent.

 

2.4  Notice of Meetings. Written or printed notice stating (a) the date and time of the meeting, (b) the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxies shall be deemed to be present in person and vote at the meeting, (c) unless the meeting is to be held solely by remote communications, the physical location of the meeting, and (d) except in the case of the annual meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, must be delivered personally, mailed postage prepaid or delivered as provided in Section 7.1 to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the meeting. If mailed, it must be directed to the stockholders at his or her address as it appears upon the records of the Corporation.

 

2.5  Quorum; Adjournment. At all meetings of the stockholders, the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of a majority of the shares issued and outstanding and entitled to vote shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except as otherwise provided by law, by the Articles of Incorporation or by these Bylaws. If a meeting of stockholders is adjourned, notice of the following information need not be delivered if the information is announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken: (a) the date and time of the adjourned meeting; (b) the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxies shall be deemed to be present in person and vote at the adjourned meeting; and (c) unless the adjourned meeting is to be held solely by remote communication, the physical location of the adjourned meeting. If a new record date is fixed for an adjourned or postponed meeting, notice of the adjourned or postponed meeting must be delivered to each stockholder of record as of the new record date. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

 

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2.6  Voting. Each outstanding share of the Corporation’s capital stock shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders, except to the extent that the voting rights of the shares of any class or classes are otherwise provided by applicable law or the Articles of Incorporation. When a quorum is present at any meeting of the Corporation’s stockholders, action by the stockholders on a matter other than the election of directors is approved if the number of votes cast in favor of the action exceeds the number of votes cast in opposition to the action, unless the question is one upon which, by express provision of law, the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a different vote is required, in which case such express provision shall govern and control the decision of such question. Voting for directors shall be in accordance with Section 3.2 of these Bylaws.

 

2.7  Proxies. Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent or dissent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy. Without limiting the manner in which a stockholder may authorize another person or persons to act for him or her as proxy, a stockholder may sign a writing authorizing another person or persons to act for him or her as proxy. Any copy, communication by electronic transmission or other reliable reproduction of the writing may be substituted for the original writing for any purpose for which the original writing could be used, if the copy, communication by electronic transmission or other reproduction is a complete reproduction of the entire original writing. Except as otherwise provided below, no such proxy is valid after the expiration of six (6) months from the date of its creation unless the stockholder specifies in it the length of time for which it is to continue in force, which may not exceed seven (7) years from the date of its creation. A proxy shall be deemed irrevocable if the written authorization states that the proxy is irrevocable, but is irrevocable only for as long as it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. Unless otherwise provided in the proxy, a proxy made irrevocable is revoked when the interest with which it is coupled is extinguished, but the Corporation may honor the proxy until notice of the extinguishment of the proxy is received by the Corporation.

 

2.8  Record Date; Closing Transfer Books. The Board of Directors may fix in advance a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders, such record date to be not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days prior to such meeting. If a record date for a meeting of stockholders is not fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date is at the close of business on the day before the day on which the first notice is given or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day before the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders applies to any adjournment or postponement of the meeting unless the Board of Directors fixes a new record date for the adjourned or postponed meeting. The Board of Directors must fix a new record date if the meeting is adjourned or postponed to a date more than 60 days later than the meeting date set for the original meeting.

 

2.9  Action by Consent. Any action required or permitted by law, the Articles of Incorporation, or these Bylaws to be taken at a meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by stockholders holding at least a majority of the voting power; provided that if a different proportion of voting power is required for such an action at a meeting, then that proportion of written consents is required.

 

article III 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

3.1  Management. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors, who may exercise all such powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by law, the Articles of Incorporation, a stockholders’ agreement or these Bylaws directed or required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.

 

3.2  Qualification; Election; Term. None of the directors need be a stockholder of the Corporation or a resident of the State of Nevada. The directors shall be elected by plurality vote at the annual meeting of the stockholders, except as hereinafter provided, and each director elected shall hold office until his successor shall be elected and qualified.

 

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3.3  Number. The initial number of directors of the Corporation shall be two (2). Thereafter, the number of directors of the Corporation shall be fixed as the Board of Directors may from time to time designate. No decrease in the number of directors shall have the effect of shortening the term of any incumbent director.

 

3.4  Resignation. Any director may resign at any time by delivering his or her notice in writing to the Secretary, such resignation to specify whether it will be effective at a particular time, upon receipt by the Secretary or at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

 

3.5  Removal. Any director may be removed either for or without cause only by the affirmative vote of stockholders representing not less than two-thirds of the voting power of the issued and outstanding stock entitled to vote.

 

3.6  Vacancies. All vacancies on the Board of Directors, including those caused by an increase in the number of directors, may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors, through less than a quorum. A director elected to fill a vacancy shall be elected for the unexpired term of his predecessor in office.

 

3.7  Place of Meetings. Meetings of the Board of Directors, regular or special, may be held at such place within or without the State of Nevada as may be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors. The members of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of the Board or committee through electronic communications, videoconferencing, teleconferencing or other available technology if the Corporation has implemented reasonable measures to (a) verify the identity of each person participating through such means as a director or committee member, as the case may be, and (b) provide the directors or committee members a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the directors or committee members, as the case may be, including an opportunity to communicate and to read or hear the proceedings of the meeting in a substantially concurrent manner with such proceedings.

 

3.8  Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held without notice at such time and place as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

3.9  Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the President on oral or written notice to each director, given either personally, by telephone, by telegram, by mail, by facsimile or by e-mail at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the time of the meeting. Special meetings shall be called by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Secretary in like manner and on like notice on the written request of any director. Except as may be otherwise expressly provided by law, the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws, neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any special meeting need to be specified in a notice or waiver of notice.

 

3.10  Quorum and Voting. At all meetings of the Board of Directors the presence of a majority of the number of directors then in office shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by law, the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws. If a quorum shall not be present at any meeting of directors, the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum shall be present.

 

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3.11  Interested Directors. No contract or transaction between the Corporation and one or more of its directors or officers, or between the Corporation and any other corporation, partnership, association, or other organization in which one or more of its directors or officers are directors or officers or have a financial interest, shall be void or voidable solely for this reason, solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in the meeting of the Board of Directors or committee thereof which authorizes the contract or transaction, or solely because his or their votes are counted for such purpose, if: (1) the fact as to his relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction is known to the Board of Directors or the committee, and the Board of Directors or committee in good faith authorizes the contract or transaction by the affirmative vote of a majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested directors be less than a quorum; or (2) the fact as to his relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction is known to the stockholders entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or transaction is specifically approved in good faith by vote of the stockholders; or (3) the contract or transaction is fair as to the Corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved, or ratified by the Board of Directors, a committee thereof, or the stockholders. Common or interested directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the Board of Directors or of a committee which authorizes the contract or transaction.

 

3.12  Compensation of Directors. Directors shall receive such compensation for their services, and reimbursement for their expenses as the Board of Directors, by resolution, shall establish; provided that nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

 

3.13  Committees. The Board of Directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board, designate committees, each committee to consist of one or more directors of the Corporation, which committees shall have such power and authority and shall perform such functions as may be provided in such resolution. Each committee, to the extent provided in such resolution, shall have and may exercise all of the authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, except where action of the full Board of Directors is required by statute or by the Articles of Incorporation. Unless the Board of Directors shall otherwise provide, regular meetings of the committee appointed pursuant to this Section shall be held at such times and places as are determined by the Board of Directors, or by any such committee, and when notice thereof has been given to each member of such committee, no further notice of such regular meetings need be given thereafter. Special meetings of any such committee may be held at any place which has been determined from time to time by such committee, and may be called by any director who is a member of such committee, upon notice to the members of such committee of the time and place of such special meeting given in the manner provided for the giving of notice to members of the Board of Directors of the time and place of special meetings of the Board of Directors. Notice of any special meeting of any committee may be waived in writing at any time before or after the meeting and will be waived by any director by attendance thereat, except when the director attends such special meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors in the resolutions authorizing the creation of the committee, a majority of the authorized number of members of any such committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the act of a majority of those present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of such committee.

 

article IV 

OFFICERS

 

4.1  In General. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected by the Board of Directors and shall be a President, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. The Board of Directors may also elect a Chairman of the Board, a Chief Executive Officer, one or more Vice Presidents, Assistant Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.

 

4.2  Subordinate Officers. The Board of Directors may appoint, or may empower the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer or the President to appoint, such other officers as the business of the Corporation may require, each of whom shall hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as are provided in these Bylaws or as the Board of Directors or such delegate may from time to time determine.

 

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4.3  Election and Term. The Board of Directors, at its first meeting after each annual meeting of stockholders, shall elect the officers, none of whom need be a member of the Board of Directors. Each officer of the Corporation shall hold office until his death, or his resignation or removal from office, or the election and qualification of his successor, whichever shall first occur.

 

4.4  Resignation. Any officer may resign at any time by giving notice in writing or by electronic transmission notice to the Board of Directors or to the President or to the Secretary. Any such resignation shall be effective when received by the person or persons to whom such notice is given, unless a later time is specified therein, in which event the resignation shall become effective at such later time. Unless otherwise specified in such notice, the acceptance of any such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation shall be without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract with the resigning officer.

 

4.5  Removal. Any officer or agent elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed at any time, for or without cause, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board of Directors, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. If the office of any officer becomes vacant for any reason, the vacancy may be filled by the Board of Directors.

 

4.6  Duties of Officers.

 

(a)  Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors, when present, shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall perform other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time.

 

(b)  Chief Executive Officer. The powers and duties of the Chief Executive Officer are: (a) to act as the general manager and chief executive officer of the Corporation and, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, to have general supervision, direction and control of the business and affairs of the Corporation; (b) to preside at all meetings of the stockholders and, in the absence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors or if there is no Chairman of the Board of Directors, at all meetings of the Board of Directors; (c) to call meetings of the stockholders and meetings of the Board of Directors to be held at such times and, subject to the limitations prescribed by law or by these Bylaws, at such places as he or she shall deem proper; and (d) to affix the signature of the Corporation to all deeds, conveyances, mortgages, leases, obligations, bonds, certificates and other papers and instruments in writing which have been authorized by the Board of Directors or which, in the judgment of the Chief Executive Officer, should be executed on behalf of the Corporation, to sign certificates for shares of stock of the Corporation, and, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, to have general charge of the property of the Corporation and to supervise and control all officers, agents and employees of the Corporation.

 

(c)  President. The powers and duties of the President are: (a) subject to the authority granted to the Chief Executive Officer, if any, to act as the general manager of the Corporation and, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, to have general supervision, direction and control of the business and affairs of the Corporation; (b) to preside at all meetings of the stockholders and Board of Directors in the absence of the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer or if there be no Chairman of the Board of Directors or Chief Executive Officer; and (c) to affix the signature of the Corporation to all deeds, conveyances, mortgages, leases, obligations, bonds, certificates and other papers and instruments in writing which have been authorized by the Board of Directors or which, in the judgment of the President, should be executed on behalf of the Corporation, to sign certificates for shares of stock of the Corporation, and, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, to have general charge of the property of the Corporation and to supervise and control all officers, agents and employees of the Corporation. The President shall perform other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time.

 

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(d)  Vice Presidents. The Vice Presidents may assume and perform the duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President or whenever the office of President is vacant. The Vice Presidents shall perform other duties commonly incident to their office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time.

 

(e)  Treasurer. The powers and duties of the Treasurer are: (a) to supervise and control the keeping and maintaining of adequate and correct accounts of the Corporation’s properties and business transactions, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital, surplus and shares; (b) to have the custody of all funds, securities, evidences of indebtedness and other valuable documents of the Corporation and, at his or her discretion, to cause any or all thereof to be deposited for the account of the Corporation with such depository as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors; (c) to receive or cause to be received, and to give or cause to be given, receipts and acquittances for moneys paid in for the account of the Corporation; (d) to disburse, or cause to be disbursed, all funds of the Corporation as may be directed by the Chief Executive Officer, the President or the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements; (e) to render to the Chief Executive Officer, the President or to the Board of Directors, whenever either may require, accounts of all transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation; and (f) generally to do and perform all such duties as pertain to such office and as may be required by the Board of Directors or these Bylaws. The Treasurer may direct any Assistant Treasurer, or the Controller or any Assistant Controller to assume and perform the duties of the Treasurer in the absence or disability of the Treasurer, and each Assistant Treasurer and each Controller and Assistant Controller shall perform other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer shall designate from time to time.

 

(f)  Secretary. The powers and duties of the Secretary are: (a) to keep a book of minutes at the principal executive office of the Corporation, or such other place as the Board of Directors may order, of all meetings of its directors and stockholders, whether regular or special, the notice thereof given, the names of those present at directors’ meetings, the number of shares present or represented at stockholders’ meetings and the proceedings thereof; (b) to keep the seal of the Corporation and to affix the same to all instruments which may require it; (c) to keep or cause to be kept at the principal executive office of the Corporation, or at the office of the transfer agent or agents, a record of the stockholders of the Corporation; (d) to keep a supply of certificates for shares of the Corporation, to fill in and sign all certificates issued or prepare the initial transaction statement or written statements for uncertificated shares, and to make a proper record of each such issuance, provided that so long as the Corporation shall have one or more duly appointed and acting transfer agents of the shares, or any class or series of shares, of the Corporation, such duties with respect to such shares shall be performed by such transfer agent or transfer agents; (e) to transfer upon the share books of the Corporation any and all shares of the Corporation, provided that so long as the Corporation shall have one or more duly appointed and acting transfer agents of the shares, or any class or series of shares, of the Corporation, such duties with respect to such shares shall be performed by such transfer agent or transfer agents; and (f) to make service and publication of all notices that may be necessary or proper and without command or direction from anyone. The Secretary shall perform all other duties provided for in these Bylaws and other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time. The Chief Executive Officer may direct any Assistant Secretary to assume and perform the duties of the Secretary in the absence or disability of the Secretary, and each Assistant Secretary shall perform other duties commonly incident to the office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer shall designate from time to time.

 

4.7  Divisional and Other Officers Appointed by the Chief Executive Officer or President. The Chief Executive Officer, or President if there is no Chief Executive Officer, shall have the power, in the exercise of his or her discretion, to appoint additional persons to hold positions and titles such as vice president of a division of the Corporation or president of a division of the Corporation, or similar such titles, as the business of the Corporation may require, subject to such limits in appointment power as the Board of Directors may determine. The Board of Directors shall be advised of any such appointment at a meeting of the Board of Directors, and the appointment shall be noted in the minutes of the meeting. The minutes shall clearly state that such persons are non-corporate officers appointed pursuant to this Section. Each such appointee shall have such title, shall serve in such capacity, and shall have such authority and perform such duties as the Chief Executive Officer or President shall determine. Appointees may hold titles such as “president” of a division or other group within the Corporation, or “vice president” of a division or other group within the Corporation. However, any such appointee, absent specific election by the Board of Directors as an elected corporate officer, (a) shall not be considered an officer elected by the Board of Directors pursuant to this Article IV and shall not have the executive powers or authority of corporate officers elected pursuant to this Article IV and (b) shall be empowered to represent himself or herself to third parties as a divisional or group vice president or other title permitted, as applicable, only, and shall be empowered to execute documents, bind the Corporation or otherwise act on behalf of the Corporation only as authorized by the Chief Executive Officer or the President or by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

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4.8  Salaries. The salaries of all officers and agents of the Corporation shall be fixed by the Board of Directors or any committee of the Board, if so authorized by the Board.

 

4.9  Employment and Other Contracts. The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or officers or agent or agents to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name or on behalf of the Corporation, and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. The Board of Directors may, when it believes the interest of the Corporation will best be served thereby, authorize executive employment contracts which will contain such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.

 

article V 

SHARES OF STOCK

 

5.1  Form of Certificates. The Corporation may, but is not required to, deliver to each stockholder a certificate or certificates, in such form as may be determined by the Board of Directors, representing shares to which the stockholder is entitled. Such certificates shall be consecutively numbered and shall be registered on the books and records the Corporation or its transfer agent as they are issued. Each certificate shall state on the face thereof the holder’s name, the number, class of shares, and the par value of such shares or a statement that such shares are without par value.

 

5.2  Shares without Certificates. The Board of Directors may authorize the issuance of uncertificated shares of some or all of the shares of any or all of its classes or series. The issuance of uncertificated shares has no effect on existing certificates for shares until surrendered to the Corporation, or on the respective rights and obligations of the stockholders. Unless otherwise provided by the Nevada Revised Statutes, the rights and obligations of stockholders are identical whether or not their shares of stock are represented by certificates. Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated shares, the Corporation shall send the stockholder a written statement containing the information required on the certificates pursuant to Section 5.1. At least annually thereafter, the Corporation shall provide to its stockholders of record, a written statement confirming the information contained in the informational statement previously sent pursuant to this Section.

 

5.3  Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates. The Board of Directors may direct that a new certificate be issued, or that uncertificated shares be issued, in place of any certificate theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost or destroyed. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or uncertificated shares, the Board of Directors, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, may require the owner of such lost or destroyed certificate, or his legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as it shall require and/or to give the Corporation a bond, in such form, in such sum, and with such surety or sureties as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost or destroyed. When a certificate has been lost, apparently destroyed or wrongfully taken, and the holder of record fails to notify the Corporation within a reasonable time after he has notice of it, and the Corporation registers a transfer of the shares represented by the certificate before receiving such notification, the holder of record is precluded from making any claim against the Corporation for the transfer or a new certificate or uncertificated shares.

 

5.4  Restrictions on Transfer. The Corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes of stock of the Corporation to restrict the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, or other disposal of or encumbering of any of the shares of stock of the Corporation or any right or interest therein, whether voluntarily or by operation of law, or by gift or otherwise of shares of stock of the Corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the Nevada Revised Statutes. Transfers of record of shares of stock of the Corporation shall be made only upon its books by the holders thereof, in person or by attorney duly authorized, and, in the case of stock represented by certificate, upon the surrender of a properly endorsed certificate or certificates for a like number of shares.

 

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5.5  Right of First Refusal. No stockholder shall Transfer any of the shares of stock of the Corporation, except by a Transfer which meets the requirements set forth below:

 

(a)  If a stockholder desires to sell or otherwise Transfer any of his shares of stock, then the stockholder shall first give written notice thereof to the Corporation. The notice shall name the proposed transferee and state the number of shares to be transferred, the proposed consideration, and all other terms and conditions of the proposed Transfer.

 

(b)  For thirty (30) days following receipt of such notice, the Corporation shall have the option to purchase the shares specified in the notice at the price and upon the terms set forth in such notice; provided, however, that, with the consent of the stockholder, the Corporation shall have the option to purchase a lesser portion of the shares specified in said notice at the price and upon the terms set forth therein. In the event of a gift, property settlement or other Transfer in which the proposed transferee is not paying the full price for the shares, and that is not otherwise exempted from the provisions of this Section, the price shall be deemed to be the fair market value of the stock at such time as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors. In the event the Corporation elects to purchase all of the shares or, with consent of the stockholder, a lesser portion of the shares, it shall give written notice to the transferring stockholder of its election and settlement for said shares shall be made as provided below in paragraph (d) of this Section.

 

(c)  The Corporation may assign its rights hereunder.

 

(d)  In the event the Corporation and/or its assignee(s) elect to acquire any of the shares of the transferring stockholder as specified in said transferring stockholder’s notice, the Secretary of the Corporation shall so notify the transferring stockholder and settlement thereof shall be made in cash within thirty (30) days after the Secretary of the Corporation receives said transferring stockholder’s notice; provided that if the terms of payment set forth in said transferring stockholder’s notice were other than cash against delivery, the Corporation and/or its assignee(s) shall pay for said shares on the same terms and conditions set forth in said transferring stockholder’s notice.

 

(e)  In the event the Corporation and/or its assignees(s) do not elect to acquire all of the shares specified in the transferring stockholder’s notice, said transferring stockholder may, subject to the Corporation’s approval and all other restrictions on Transfer located in Section 5.4 of these Bylaws, within the sixty (60) day period following the expiration or waiver of the option rights granted to the Corporation and/or its assignees(s) herein, Transfer the shares specified in said transferring stockholder’s notice which were not acquired by the Corporation and/or its assignees(s) as specified in said transferring stockholder’s notice. All shares so sold by said transferring stockholder shall continue to be subject to the provisions of this bylaw in the same manner as before said Transfer.

 

(f)  Anything to the contrary contained herein notwithstanding, the following transactions shall be exempt from the right of first refusal in paragraph (a) of this Section:

 

(i)  A stockholder’s Transfer of any or all shares held either during such stockholder’s lifetime or on death by will or intestacy to such stockholder’s immediate family or to any custodian or trustee for the account of such stockholder or such stockholder’s immediate family or to any limited partnership of which the stockholder, members of such stockholder’s immediate family or any trust for the account of such stockholder or such stockholder’s immediate family will be the general or limited partner(s) of such partnership. “Immediate family” as used herein shall mean spouse, lineal descendant, father, mother, brother, or sister of the stockholder making such Transfer;

 

(ii)  A stockholder’s bona fide pledge or mortgage of any shares with a commercial lending institution, provided that any subsequent Transfer of said shares by said institution shall be conducted in the manner set forth in this bylaw;

 

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(iii)  A stockholder’s Transfer of any or all of such stockholder’s shares to the Corporation or to any other stockholder of the Corporation;

 

(iv)  A stockholder’s Transfer of any or all of such stockholder’s shares to a person who, at the time of such Transfer, is an officer or director of the Corporation;

 

(v)  A corporate stockholder’s Transfer of any or all of its shares pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of any merger, consolidation, reclassification of shares or capital reorganization of the corporate stockholder, or pursuant to a sale of all or substantially all of the stock or assets of a corporate stockholder;

 

(vi)  A corporate stockholder’s Transfer of any or all of its shares to any or all of its stockholders; or

 

(vii)  A Transfer by a stockholder which is a limited or general partnership to any or all of its partners or former partners in accordance with partnership interests.

 

In any such case, the transferee, assignee, or other recipient shall receive and hold such stock subject to the provisions of this Section and the transfer restrictions in Section 5.4, and there shall be no further Transfer of such stock except in accord with this Section and the transfer restrictions in Section 5.4.

 

(g)  The provisions of this bylaw may be waived with respect to any Transfer either by the Corporation, upon duly authorized action of its Board of Directors, or by the stockholders, upon the express written consent of the owners of a majority of the voting power of the Corporation (excluding the votes represented by those shares to be transferred by the transferring stockholder). This bylaw may be amended or repealed either by a duly authorized action of the Board of Directors or by the stockholders, upon the express written consent of the owners of a majority of the voting power of the Corporation.

 

(h)  Any Transfer, or purported Transfer, of securities of the Corporation shall be null and void unless the terms, conditions, and provisions of this bylaw are strictly observed and followed.

 

(i)  The foregoing right of first refusal shall terminate upon the date securities of the Corporation are first offered to the public pursuant to a registration statement or offering statement filed with, and declared effective or qualified by, as applicable, the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(j)  The certificates representing shares of stock of the Corporation shall bear on their face the following legend so long as the foregoing right of first refusal remains in effect:

 

“THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL OPTION IN FAVOR OF THE CORPORATION AND/OR ITS ASSIGNEE(S), AS PROVIDED IN THE BYLAWS OF THE CORPORATION.”

 

(k)  To the extent this Section conflicts with any written agreements between the Corporation and the stockholder attempting to Transfer shares, such agreement shall control.

 

5.6  Registered Stockholders. The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share or shares of stock as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by law.

 

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article VI 

indemnification

 

6.1  The Corporation shall indemnify its directors and executive officers (for the purposes of this Article, “executive officers” shall have the meaning defined in Rule 3b-7 promulgated under the 1934 Act) to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Nevada Revised Statutes or any other applicable law; provided, however, that the Corporation may modify the extent of such indemnification by individual contracts with its directors and executive officers; and, provided, further, that the Corporation shall not be required to indemnify any director or executive officer in connection with any proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless (a) such indemnification is expressly required to be made by law, (b) the proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, (c) such indemnification is provided by the Corporation, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Corporation under the Nevada Revised Statutes or any other applicable law or (d) such indemnification is required to be made under Section 6.4.

 

6.2  Other Officers, Employees and Other Agents. The Corporation shall have power to indemnify its other officers, employees and other agents as set forth in the Nevada Revised Statutes or any other applicable law. The Board of Directors shall have the power to delegate the determination of whether indemnification shall be given to any such person except such executive officers to officers or other persons as the Board of Directors shall determine.

 

6.3  Expenses. The Corporation shall advance to 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, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or executive officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director or executive officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, prior to the final disposition of the proceeding, promptly following request therefor, all expenses incurred by any director or executive officer in connection with such proceeding, provided, however, that, if the Nevada Revised Statutes requires, an advancement of expenses incurred by a director or officer in his or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such indemnitee, including, without limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking, by or on behalf of such indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right to appeal that such indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Section or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise determined pursuant to Section 6.5, no advance shall be made by the Corporation to an executive officer of the Corporation (except by reason of the fact that such executive officer is or was a director of the Corporation, in which event this paragraph shall not apply) in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, if a determination is reasonably and promptly made (a) by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to the proceeding, even if not a quorum, or (b) by a committee of such directors designated by a majority of such directors, even though less than a quorum, or (c) if there are no such directors, or such directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, that the facts known to the decision-making party at the time such determination is made demonstrate clearly and convincingly that such person acted in bad faith or in a manner that such person did not believe to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation.

 

6.4  Enforcement. Without the necessity of entering into an express contract, all rights to indemnification and advances to directors and executive officers under this Article VI shall be deemed to be contractual rights and be effective to the same extent and as if provided for in a contract between the Corporation and the director or executive officer. Any right to indemnification or advances granted by this Article VI to a director or executive officer shall be enforceable by or on behalf of the person holding such right in any court of competent jurisdiction if (a) the claim for indemnification or advances is denied, in whole or in part, or (b) no disposition of such claim is made within ninety (90) days of request therefor. The claimant in such enforcement action, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting the claim. In connection with any claim for indemnification, the Corporation shall be entitled to raise as a defense to any such action that the claimant has not met the standards of conduct that make it permissible under the Nevada Revised Statutes or any other applicable law for the Corporation to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed. In connection with any claim by an executive officer of the Corporation (except in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such executive officer is or was a director of the Corporation) for advances, the Corporation shall be entitled to raise as a defense as to any such action clear and convincing evidence that such person acted in bad faith or in a manner that such person did not believe to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, or with respect to any criminal action or proceeding that such person acted without reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was lawful. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel or its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the Nevada Revised Statutes or any other applicable law, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counsel or its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

 

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6.5  Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Article VI shall not be exclusive of any other right which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any applicable statute, provision of the Articles of Incorporation, these Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding office. The Corporation is specifically authorized to enter into individual contracts with any or all of its directors, officers, employees or agents respecting indemnification and advances, to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Nevada Revised Statutes or any other applicable law.

 

6.6  Survival of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Article VI shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or executive officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

 

6.7  Insurance. To the fullest extent permitted by the Nevada Revised Statutes, or any other applicable law, the Corporation, upon approval by the Board of Directors, may purchase insurance on behalf of any person required or permitted to be indemnified pursuant to this Article VI.

 

6.8  Amendments. Any repeal or modification of this Article VI shall only be prospective and shall not affect the rights under this Bylaw in effect at the time of the alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that is the cause of any proceeding against any agent of the Corporation.

 

6.9  Saving Clause. If this Article VI or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each director and executive officer to the full extent not prohibited by any applicable portion of this Article that shall not have been invalidated, or by any other applicable law. If this Article VI shall be invalid due to the application of the indemnification provisions of another jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall indemnify each director and executive officer to the full extent under applicable law.

 

6.10  Certain Definitions. For the purposes of this Article VI, the following definitions shall apply:

 

(a)  The term “proceeding” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, the investigation, preparation, prosecution, defense, settlement, arbitration and appeal of, and the giving of testimony in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative.

 

(b)  The term “expenses” shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, court costs, attorneys’ fees, witness fees, fines, amounts paid in settlement or judgment and any other costs and expenses of any nature or kind incurred in connection with any proceeding.

 

(c)  The term the “Corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting Corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article with respect to the resulting or surviving Corporation as he would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(d)  References to a “director,” “executive officer,” “officer,” “employee,” or “agent” of the Corporation shall include, without limitation, situations where such person is serving at the request of the Corporation as, respectively, a director, executive officer, officer, employee, trustee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.

 

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(e)  References to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation” as referred to in this Article.

 

article VII 

NOTICES

 

7.1  Form of Notice. Whenever required by law, the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws, notice is to be given to any director or stockholder, and no provision is made as to how such notice shall be given, such notice may be given in writing, by mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such director or stockholder at such address as appears on the books and records of the Corporation or its transfer agent. A notice or other communication may also be delivered by electronic transmission if the electronic transmission contains or is accompanied by information from which the recipient can determine the date of the transmission. Unless otherwise agreed between sender and recipient, an electronic transmission is received when it enters an information processing system that the recipient has designated or uses for the purpose of receiving electronic transmissions or information of the type sent and it is in a form ordinarily capable of being processed by that system. Except as otherwise provided by these Bylaws or specific statute, any notice or other communication, if in a comprehensible form or manner, is effective at the earliest of the following: (a) if in a physical form, when it is left at the address of a director or stockholder as it appears upon the records of the Corporation, the residence or usual place of business of a director or stockholder or the stockholder’s principal place of business; (b) if mailed by United States mail postage prepaid and correctly addressed to a director or stockholder, upon deposit in the United States mail; or (c) if oral, when communicated.

 

7.2  Waiver. Whenever any notice is required to be given to any stockholder or director of the Corporation as required by law, the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a waiver thereof in writing signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated in such notice, shall be equivalent to the giving of such notice. Attendance of a stockholder or director at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such stockholder or director attends for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

 

7.3  Affidavit of Mailing. An affidavit of mailing, executed by a duly authorized and competent employee of the Corporation or its transfer agent appointed with respect to the class of stock affected or other agent, specifying the name and address or the names and addresses of the stockholder or stockholders, or director or directors, to whom any such notice or notices was or were given, and the time and method of giving the same, shall in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts therein contained.

 

7.4  Methods of Notice. It shall not be necessary that the same method of giving notice be employed in respect of all recipients of notice, but one permissible method may be employed in respect of any one or more, and any other permissible method or methods may be employed in respect of any other or others.

 

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article VIII 

GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

8.1  Execution of Corporate Instruments. The Board of Directors may, in its discretion, determine the method and designate the signatory officer or officers, or other person or persons, to execute on behalf of the Corporation any corporate instrument or document, or to sign on behalf of the Corporation the corporate name without limitation, or to enter into contracts on behalf of the Corporation, except where otherwise provided by law or these Bylaws, and such execution or signature shall be binding upon the Corporation. All checks and drafts drawn on banks or other depositaries on funds to the credit of the Corporation or in special accounts of the Corporation shall be signed by such person or persons as the Board of Directors shall authorize so to do. Unless authorized or ratified by the Board of Directors or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the Corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.

 

8.2  Execution of Other Securities. All bonds, debentures and other corporate securities of the Corporation, other than stock certificates (covered in Section 5.1 of these Bylaws), may be signed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or any Vice President, or such other person as may be authorized by the Board of Directors, and the corporate seal impressed thereon or a facsimile of such seal imprinted thereon and attested by the signature of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, or the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer; provided, however, that where any such bond, debenture or other corporate security shall be authenticated by the manual signature, or where permissible facsimile signature, of a trustee under an indenture pursuant to which such bond, debenture or other corporate security shall be issued, the signatures of the persons signing and attesting the corporate seal on such bond, debenture or other corporate security may be the imprinted facsimile of the signatures of such persons. Interest coupons appertaining to any such bond, debenture or other corporate security, authenticated by a trustee as aforesaid, shall be signed by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the Corporation or such other person as may be authorized by the Board of Directors, or bear imprinted thereon the facsimile signature of such person. In case any officer who shall have signed or attested any bond, debenture or other corporate security, or whose facsimile signature shall appear thereon or on any such interest coupon, shall have ceased to be such officer before the bond, debenture or other corporate security so signed or attested shall have been delivered, such bond, debenture or other corporate security nevertheless may be adopted by the Corporation and issued and delivered as though the person who signed the same or whose facsimile signature shall have been used thereon had not ceased to be such officer of the Corporation.

 

8.3  Voting of Securities Owned by the Corporation. All stock and other securities of other corporations owned or held by the Corporation for itself, or for other parties in any capacity, shall be voted, and all proxies with respect thereto shall be executed, by the person authorized so to do by resolution of the Board of Directors, or, in the absence of such authorization, by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, or any Vice President.

 

8.4  Dividends. Dividends upon the outstanding shares of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting. Dividends may be declared and paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes and the Articles of Incorporation. The Board of Directors may fix in advance a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend, such record date to be not more than sixty (60) days prior to the payment date of such dividend, or the Board of Directors may close the stock transfer books for such purpose for a period of not more than sixty (60) days prior to the payment date of such dividend. In the absence of any action by the Board of Directors, the date upon which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution declaring such dividend shall be the record date.

 

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8.5  Reserves. There may be created by resolution of the Board of Directors out of the surplus of the Corporation such reserve or reserves as the directors from time to time, in their discretion, think proper to provide for contingencies, or to equalize dividends, or to repair or maintain any property of the Corporation, or for such other purpose as the directors shall think beneficial to the Corporation, and the directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created. Surplus of the Corporation to the extent so reserved shall not be available for the payment of dividends or other distributions by the Corporation.

 

8.6  Books and Records. The Corporation shall keep correct and complete books and records of account and minutes of the proceedings of its stockholders and Board of Directors, and shall keep at its registered office or principal place of business, or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar, a record of its stockholders, giving the names and addresses of all stockholders and the number and class of the shares held by each.

 

8.7  Corporate Seal. The Board of Directors may adopt a corporate seal. The corporate seal shall consist of a die bearing the name of the Corporation and the inscription, “Corporate Seal-Nevada.” Said seal may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or reproduced or otherwise.

 

8.8  Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

 

8.9  Interpretation and Construction. Reference in these Bylaws to any provision of the Nevada Revised Statutes shall be deemed to include all amendments thereof. Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction and definitions in the Nevada Revised Statutes shall govern the construction of these Bylaws. Without limiting the generality of the provision, the singular number includes the plural, the plural number includes the singular, and the term “person” includes both a corporation and a natural person. All restrictions, limitations, requirements and other provisions of these Bylaws shall be construed, insofar as possible, as supplemental and additional to all provisions of law applicable to the subject matter thereof and shall be fully complied with in addition to the said provisions of law unless such compliance shall be illegal. Any article, section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause or phrase of these Bylaws which, upon being construed in the manner provided in this Section 8.9, shall be contrary to or inconsistent with any applicable provision of law, shall not apply so long as said provisions of law shall remain in effect, but such result shall not affect the validity or applicability of any other portions of these Bylaws, it being hereby declared that these Bylaws, and each article, section, subsection, subdivision, sentence, clause, or phrase thereof, would have been adopted irrespective of the fact that any one or more articles, sections, subsections, subdivisions, sentences, clauses or phrases is or are illegal.

 

article IX
ADOPTION, AMENDMENT OR REPEAL OF BYLAWS

 

9.1  By the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is expressly empowered to amend, modify or repeal these Bylaws, or adopt any new provision.

 

9.2  By the Stockholders. The stockholders of the Corporation shall also have the power to amend, modify or repeal these Bylaws, or adopt any new provision, at a duly called meeting of the stockholders; provided, that notice of the proposed amendment, modification or repeal was given in the notice of the meeting.

 

* * *

 

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CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION OF BYLAWS

 

OF

 

CC ACQUISITION CORP.

 

The undersigned hereby certifies that he is the duly elected, qualified and acting Secretary of CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Corporation”), and that the foregoing Bylaws were adopted as the Corporation’s bylaws as of the date hereof by the Corporation’s Board of Directors.

 

The undersigned has executed this Certificate as of August 24, 2022.

 

 

/s/Matthew Atkinson

  Matthew Atkinson
  Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.2

 

THESE WARRANTS AND ANY SHARES ACQUIRED UPON THE EXERCISE HEREOF HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THESE WARRANTS AND SUCH SHARES AND ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN OR THEREIN MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM UNDER SUCH ACT AND UNDER ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THESE WARRANTS AND SUCH SHARES MAY NOT BE EXERCISED OR TRANSFERRED EXCEPT UPON THE CONDITIONS SPECIFIED IN THIS WARRANT CERTIFICATE, AND NO EXERCISE OR TRANSFER OF THESE WARRANTS OR TRANSFER OF SUCH SHARES SHALL BE VALID OR EFFECTIVE UNLESS AND UNTIL SUCH CONDITIONS SHALL HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH.

 

CC Acquisition Corp.

 

Warrant To Purchase Class B Common Stock

 

Warrant No.: PA-1

Date of Issuance: October 14, 2022 (“Issuance Date”)

 

CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Boustead Securities, LLC, the registered holder hereof or its permitted assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company, at the Exercise Price (as defined below) then in effect, Company Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001 (“Common Stock”) (including any Warrants to purchase shares issued in exchange, transfer or replacement hereof, the “Warrant”), at any time or times on or after the date hereof, to the extent permitted by the applicable SEC and FINRA rules, but not after 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Expiration Date (as defined below), 42,241 (subject to adjustment as provided herein) fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”).

 

1. EXERCISE OF WARRANT.

 

(a) Mechanics of Exercise. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, this Warrant may be exercised by the Holder on any day on or after the date hereof, to the extent permitted by the applicable SEC and FINRA rules, in whole or in part, by delivery (whether via facsimile, email, or otherwise) of a written notice, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Exercise Notice”), of the Holder’s election to exercise this Warrant, by submitting information including the then- applicable Exercise Price, number of Warrant Shares purchased equal to or lower than the then- applicable number of Warrant Shares and the FMV (collectively, the “Exercise Information”). Within one (1) Trading Day following an exercise of this Warrant as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver payment to the Company of an amount equal to the Exercise Price in effect on the date of such exercise multiplied by the number of Warrant Shares as to which this Warrant was so exercised (the “Aggregate Exercise Price”) in cash or via wire transfer of immediately available funds if, subject to the provisions of Section 1(d), the Holder has not notified the Company in such Exercise Notice that such exercise is made pursuant to a Cashless Exercise (as defined in Section 1(d)) at a time and under circumstances which permit a Cashless Exercise. The Holder shall not be required to deliver the original of this Warrant in order to effect an exercise hereunder. Execution and delivery of an Exercise Notice with respect to less than all of the Warrant Shares shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original of this Warrant and issuance of a new Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Warrant Shares. Execution and delivery of an Exercise Notice for all of the then-remaining Warrant Shares shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original of this Warrant after delivery of the Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms hereof. On or before the first (1st) Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received an Exercise Notice, upon checking that the Exercise Information supplied by the Holder is accurate, the Company shall transmit by facsimile or email an acknowledgment of confirmation of receipt of such Exercise Notice, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, to the Holder and the Company’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”). On or before the third (3rd) Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received such Exercise Notice and, in the event that the Holder has chosen to exercise in cash, the receipt of the payment of the Aggregate Exercise Price, the Company shall instruct the Transfer Agent to issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise and to, at the sole direction of the Holder pursuant to the Exercise Notice, hold such Warrant Shares in electronic form at the Transfer Agent registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee (as indicated in the applicable Exercise Notice), or mail to the Holder or, at the Holder’s instruction pursuant to the Exercise Notice, the Holder’s agent or designee, in each case, sent by reputable overnight courier to the address as specified in the applicable Exercise Notice, a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee (as indicated in the applicable Exercise Notice). Upon delivery of an Exercise Notice and in the event that the Holder has chosen to exercise in cash, the Company’s receipt of the payment of the Aggregate Exercise Price, 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 certificates evidencing such Warrant Shares (as the case may be). If this Warrant is submitted in connection with any exercise pursuant to this Section 1(a) and the total number of Warrant Shares represented by this Warrant is greater than the number of Warrant Shares being acquired by the Holder upon an exercise, then, at the request of the Holder, the Company shall as soon as practicable and in no event later than three (3) Business Days after any exercise and at its own expense, issue and deliver to the Holder (or its designee) a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares purchasable immediately prior to such exercise under this Warrant, less the number of Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant is exercised. No fractional Warrant Shares are to be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant, but rather the number of Warrant Shares to be issued shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number. The Company will from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company in respect of the issuance or delivery of Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of this Warrant or such shares.

 

 

 

(b) Exercise Price. For purposes of this Warrant, “Exercise Price” initially means$ 1.74, subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

 

(c) Company’s Failure to Timely Deliver Securities. If the Company shall fail, for any reason or for no reason, to issue to the Holder within three (3) Trading Days after receipt of the applicable Exercise Notice, a certificate for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled (or, at the option of the Holders, a book-entry confirmation of the issuance of such Warrant Shares) and register such Warrant Shares on the Company’s share register, the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company shall fail, for any reason or for no reason, to issue to the Holder within three (3) Trading Days after receipt of the applicable Exercise Notice, a certificate for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled (or, at the option of the Holders, a book-entry confirmation of the issuance of such Warrant Shares) and register such Warrant Shares on the Company’s share register and if on or after such third (3rd) Trading Day the Holder (or any other Person in respect, or on behalf, of the Holder) purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of all or any portion of the number of Warrant Shares, or a sale of a number of Warrant Shares equal to all or any portion of the number of Warrant Shares, issuable upon such exercise that the Holder so anticipated receiving from the Company, then, in addition to all other remedies available to the Holder, the Company shall, within three (3) Business Days after the Holder’s request and in the Holder’s discretion, either (i) pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the Holder’s total purchase price (including reasonable brokerage commissions and other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, if any) for the Warrant Shares so purchased (including, without limitation, by any other Person in respect, or on behalf, of the Holder) (the “Buy-In Price”), at which point the Company’s obligation to so issue and deliver such certificate or credit the Holder’s balance account with DTC for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled upon the Holder’s exercise hereunder (as the case may be) (and to issue such Warrant Shares) shall terminate, or (ii) promptly honor its obligation to so issue and deliver to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing such Warrant Shares or credit the Holder’s balance account with DTC for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled upon the Holder’s exercise hereunder (as the case may be) and pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Buy-In Price over the product of (A) such number of Warrant Shares multiplied by (B) the lowest Closing Sale Price of the Common Stock on any Trading Day during the period commencing on the date of the applicable Exercise Notice and ending on the date of such issuance and payment under this clause (ii).

 

(d) Cashless Exercise. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Holder may, in its sole discretion, exercise this Warrant in whole or in part and, in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to the Company upon such exercise in payment of the Aggregate Exercise Price, elect instead to receive upon such exercise the “Net Number” of Warrant Shares determined according to the following formula (a “Cashless Exercise”), provided that the Holder may elect to cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 1(d) only if B as set forth in the following formula is higher than C as set forth in the following formula:

 

Net Number = (A x B) - (A x C)

 

B

 

For purposes of the foregoing formula:

 

A= the total number of shares with respect to which this Warrant is then being exercised.

 

B= the FMV

 

C= the Exercise Price then in effect for the applicable Warrant Shares at the time of such exercise.

 

(e) Disputes. In the case of a dispute as to the determination of the Exercise Price or the arithmetic calculation of the number of Warrant Shares to be issued pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company shall promptly issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares that are not disputed and resolve such dispute in accordance with Section 14.

 

2

 

 

(f) Intentionally Left Blank.

 

(g) Insufficient Authorized Shares. The Company shall at all times keep reserved for issuance under this Warrant a number of shares of Common Stock as shall be necessary to satisfy the Company’s obligation to issue Warrant Shares hereunder (without regard to any limitation otherwise contained herein with respect to the number of Warrant Shares that may be acquirable upon exercise of this Warrant). If, notwithstanding the foregoing, and not in limitation thereof, at any time while the Warrant remains outstanding the Company does not have a sufficient number of authorized and unreserved shares of Common Stock to satisfy its obligation to reserve for issuance upon exercise of the Warrant at least a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be necessary to effect the exercise of the Warrant then outstanding (the “Required Reserve Amount”) (an “Authorized Share Failure”), then the Company shall immediately take all action necessary to increase the Company’s authorized shares of Common Stock to an amount sufficient to allow the Company to reserve the Required Reserve Amount for the Warrant then outstanding. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, as soon as practicable after the date of the occurrence of an Authorized Share Failure, but in no event later than sixty (60) days after the occurrence of such Authorized Share Failure, the Company shall hold a meeting of its stockholders for the approval of an increase in the number of authorized shares of Common Stock. In connection with such meeting, the Company shall provide each stockholder with a proxy statement and shall use its best efforts to solicit its stockholders’ approval of such increase in authorized shares of Common Stock and to cause its board of directors to recommend to the stockholders that they approve such proposal.

 

2. ADJUSTMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE AND NUMBER OF WARRANT SHARES. The Exercise Price and number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant are subject to adjustment from time to time as set forth in this Section 2.

 

(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. Without limiting any provision of Section 4, if the Company, at any time on or after the date hereof, (i) pays a stock dividend on one or more classes of its then outstanding shares of Common Stock or otherwise makes a distribution on any class of capital stock that is payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivides (by any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization or otherwise) one or more classes of its then outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares or (iii) combines (by combination, reverse stock split or otherwise) one or more classes of its then outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution, and any adjustment pursuant to clause (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the effective date of such subdivision or combination. If any event requiring an adjustment under this paragraph occurs during the period that an Exercise Price is calculated hereunder, then the calculation of such Exercise Price shall be adjusted appropriately to reflect such event.

 

(b) Intentionally Left Blank.

 

(c) Number of Warrant Shares. Simultaneously with any adjustment to the Exercise Price pursuant to only paragraph (a) of this Section 2, the number of Warrant Shares that may be purchased upon exercise of this Warrant shall be increased or decreased proportionately, so that after such adjustment the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder for the adjusted number of Warrant Shares shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment (without regard to any limitations on exercise contained herein).

 

3

 

 

(d) Other Events. In the event that the Company (or any subsidiary) shall take any action to which the provisions hereof are not strictly applicable, or, if applicable, would not operate to protect the Holder from dilution or if any event occurs of the type contemplated by the provisions of this Section 2 but not expressly provided for by such provisions (including, without limitation, the granting of stock appreciation rights, phantom stock rights or other rights with equity features), then the Company’s board of directors shall in good faith determine and implement an appropriate adjustment in the Exercise Price and the number of Warrant Shares (if applicable) so as to protect the rights of the Holder, provided that no such adjustment pursuant to this Section 2(d) will increase the Exercise Price or decrease the number of Warrant Shares as otherwise determined pursuant to this Section 2, provided further that if the Holder does not accept such adjustments as appropriately protecting its interests hereunder against such dilution, then the Company’s board of directors and the Holder shall agree, in good faith, upon an independent investment bank of nationally recognized standing to make such appropriate adjustments, whose determination shall be final and binding and whose fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company.

 

(e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 2 shall be made by rounding to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as applicable. The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any given time shall not include shares owned or held by or for the account of the Company, and the disposition of any such shares shall be considered an issue or sale of Common Stock.

 

3. RIGHTS UPON DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 2 above, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to 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 a complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof) immediately before the date on 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.

 

4. PURCHASE RIGHTS; FUNDAMENTAL TRANSACTIONS.

 

(a) Purchase Rights. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 2 above, if at any time while the Warrant remains outstanding and before the Expiration Date, the Company grants, issues or sells any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to 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 a complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof) 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.

 

4

 

 

(b) Fundamental Transactions. During the term of this Warrant, the Company shall not enter into or be party to a Fundamental Transaction unless the Successor Entity assumes in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4(b) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder prior to such Fundamental Transaction, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, including agreements to 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, including, without limitation, which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock 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 adjustments to the 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). Upon the consummation of each Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein. Upon consummation of each Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall deliver to the Holder confirmation that there shall be issued upon exercise of this Warrant at any time after the consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, in lieu of the shares of Common Stock (or other securities, cash, assets or other property (except such items still issuable under Sections 3 and 4(a) above, which shall continue to be receivable thereafter)) issuable upon the exercise of this Warrant prior to the applicable Fundamental Transaction, such shares of publicly traded Common Stock (or its equivalent) of the Successor Entity (including its Parent Entity) which the Holder would have been entitled to receive upon the happening of the applicable Fundamental Transaction had this Warrant been exercised immediately prior to the applicable Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant), as adjusted in accordance with the provisions of this Warrant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Holder may elect, at its sole option, by delivery of written notice to the Company to waive this Section 4(b) to permit the Fundamental Transaction without the assumption of this Warrant. In addition to and not in substitution for any other rights hereunder, prior to the consummation of each Fundamental Transaction pursuant to which holders of shares of Common Stock are entitled to receive securities or other assets with respect to or in exchange for shares of Common Stock (a “Corporate Event”), the Company shall make appropriate provision to insure that the Holder will thereafter have the right to receive upon an exercise of this Warrant at any time after the consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction but prior to the Expiration Date, in lieu of the shares of the Common Stock Shares (or other securities, cash, assets or other property (except such items still issuable under Sections 3 and 4(a) above, which shall continue to be receivable thereafter)) issuable upon the exercise of the Warrant prior to such Fundamental Transaction, such shares of stock, securities, cash, assets or any other property whatsoever (including warrants or other purchase or subscription rights) which the Holder would have been entitled to receive upon the happening of the applicable Fundamental Transaction had this Warrant been exercised immediately prior to the applicable Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant). Provision made pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder.

 

(c) Application. The provisions of this Section 4 shall apply similarly and equally to successive Fundamental Transactions and Corporate Events and shall be applied as if this Warrant (and any such subsequent warrants) were fully exercisable and without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant.

 

5. NONCIRCUMVENTION. The Company hereby covenants and agrees that the Company will not, by amendment of its certificate of incorporation, bylaws or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, scheme of arrangement, 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, and will at all times in good faith carry out all the provisions of this Warrant and take all action as may be required to protect the rights of the Holder. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company (a) shall not increase the par value of the Common Stock receivable upon the exercise of this Warrant above the Exercise Price then in effect, (b) shall take all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of this Warrant, and (c) shall, so long as the Warrant is outstanding, take all action necessary to reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock, solely for the purpose of effecting the exercise of the Warrant, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be necessary to effect the exercise of the Warrant then outstanding (without regard to any limitations on exercise).

 

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6. WARRANT HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER. Except as otherwises pecifically provided herein, the Holder, solely in its capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in its capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, conveyance or  otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Warrant Shares which it is then entitled to receive upon the due exercise of this Warrant. In addition, nothing contained in this Warrant shall be construed as imposing any liabilities on the Holder to purchase any securities (upon exercise of this Warrant or otherwise) or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liabilities are asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company. Notwithstanding this Section 6, the Company shall provide the Holder with copies of the same notices and other information given to the stockholders of the Company generally, contemporaneously with the giving thereof to the stockholders.

 

7. REISSUANCE OF WARRANTS.

 

(a) Transfer of Warrant. If this Warrant is to be transferred, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company, whereupon the Company will forthwith issue and deliver upon the order of the Holder a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)), registered as the Holder may request, representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares being transferred by the Holder and, if less than the total number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant is being transferred, a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) to the Holder representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares not being transferred.

 

(b) Lost, Stolen or Mutilated Warrant. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant (as to which a written certification and the indemnification contemplated below shall suffice as such evidence), and, in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of any indemnification undertaking by the Holder to the Company in customary and reasonable form and, in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation of this Warrant, the Company shall execute and deliver to the Holder a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing the right to purchase the Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant.

 

(c) Exchangeable for Multiple Warrants. This Warrant is exchangeable, upon the surrender hereof by the Holder at the principal office of the Company, for a new Warrant or Warrants (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing in the aggregate the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant, and each such new Warrant will represent the right to purchase such portion of such Warrant Shares as is designated by the Holder at the time of such surrender; provided, however, no warrants for fractional shares of Common Stock shall be given.

 

(d) Issuance of New Warrants. Whenever the Company is required to issue a new Warrant pursuant to the terms of this Warrant, such new Warrant (i) shall be of like tenor with this Warrant, (ii) shall represent, as indicated on the face of such new Warrant, the right to purchase the Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant (or in the case of a new Warrant being issued pursuant to Section 7(a) or Section 7(c), the Warrant Shares designated by the Holder which, when added to the number of shares of Common Stock underlying the other new Warrants issued in connection with such issuance, does not exceed the number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant), (iii) shall have an issuance date, as indicated on the face of such new Warrant which is the same as the Issuance Date, and (iv) shall have the same rights and conditions as this Warrant.

 

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8. NOTICES;PAYMENTS.

 

(a) The Company shall provide the Holder with prompt written notice of all actions taken pursuant to this Warrant, including in reasonable detail a description of such action and the reason therefor. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will give written notice to the Holder (i) immediately upon each adjustment of the Exercise Price and the number of Warrant Shares, setting forth in reasonable detail, and certifying, the calculation of such adjustment(s) and (ii) at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date on which the Company closes its books or takes a record (A) with respect to any dividend or distribution upon the shares of Common Stock, (B) with respect to any grants, issuances or sales of any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property to holders of shares of Common Stock or (C) for determining rights to vote with respect to any Fundamental Transaction, dissolution or liquidation, provided in each case that such information shall be made known to the public prior to or in conjunction with such notice being provided to the Holder and (iii) at least ten (10) Trading Days prior to the consummation of any Fundamental Transaction. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the SEC pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. It is expressly understood and agreed that the time of execution specified by the Holder in each Exercise Notice shall be definitive and may not be disputed or challenged by the Company.

 

(b) Payments. Whenever any payment is to be made by the Company to any Person pursuant to this Warrant, such payment shall be made in lawful money of the United States of America via wire transfer of U.S. Dollars in immediately available funds in accordance with the Holder’s wire transfer instructions delivered to the Company on or prior to such payment date or, in the absence of such instructions, by a certified check drawn on the account of the Company and sent via overnight courier service to such Person at such address as previously provided to the Company in writing.

 

9. AMENDMENT AND WAIVER. Except as otherwise provided herein, the provisions of this Warrant may be amended and the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Holder. No waiver shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the waiving party.

 

10. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Warrant is prohibited by law or otherwise determined to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the provision that would otherwise be prohibited, invalid or unenforceable shall be deemed amended to apply to the broadest extent that it would be valid and enforceable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Warrant so long as this Warrant as so modified continues to express, without material change, the original intentions of the parties as to the subject matter hereof and the prohibited nature, invalidity or unenforceability of the provision(s) in question does not substantially impair the respective expectations or reciprocal obligations of the parties or the practical realization of the benefits that would otherwise be conferred upon the parties. The parties will endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the prohibited, invalid or unenforceable provision(s) with a valid provision(s), the effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the prohibited, invalid or unenforceable provision(s).

 

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11. GOVERNING LAW. This Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with, and all questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and performance of this Warrant shall be governed by, the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York. The Company hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the 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 brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed or operate to preclude the Holder from bringing suit or taking other legal action against the Company in any other jurisdiction to collect on the Company’s obligations to the Holder or to enforce a judgment or other court ruling in favor of the Holder. If service of process is effected pursuant to the above sentence, such service will be deemed sufficient under New York law and the Company shall not assert otherwise. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. THE COMPANY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS WARRANT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

12. Reserved.

 

13. CONSTRUCTION; HEADINGS. This Warrant shall be deemed to be jointly drafted by the Company and the Holder and shall not be construed against any Person as the drafter hereof. The headings of this Warrant are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Warrant. Terms used in this Warrant but defined in the other Transaction Documents shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms on the Closing Date in such other Transaction Documents unless otherwise consented to in writing by the Holder.

 

14. DISPUTE RESOLUTION. In the case of a dispute as to the determination of the Exercise Price or FMV or the arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares (as the case may be), the Company or the Holder (as the case may be) shall submit the disputed determinations or arithmetic calculations (as the case may be) via facsimile (a) within two (2) Business Days after receipt of the applicable notice giving rise to such dispute to the Company or the Holder (as the case may be) or (b) if no notice gave rise to such dispute, at any time after the Holder learned of the circumstances giving rise to such dispute (including, without limitation, as to whether any issuance or sale or deemed issuance or sale was an issuance or sale or deemed issuance or sale of Excluded Securities). If the Holder and the Company are unable to agree upon such determination or calculation (as the case may be) of the Exercise Price, or FMV or the number of Warrant Shares (as the case may be) within three (3) Business Days of such disputed determination or arithmetic calculation being submitted to the Company or the Holder (as the case may be), then the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days submit via facsimile (i) the disputed determination of the Exercise Price or FMV (as the case may be) to an independent, reputable investment bank selected by the Holder or (ii) the disputed arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares to the Company’s independent, outside accountant. The Company shall cause at its expense the investment bank or the accountant (as the case may be) to perform the determinations or calculations (as the case may be) and notify the Company and the Holder of the results no later than ten (10) Business Days from the time it receives such disputed determinations or calculations (as the case may be). Such investment bank’s or accountant’s determination or calculation (as the case may be) shall be binding upon all parties absent demonstrable error.

 

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15. REMEDIES, CHARACTERIZATION, OTHER OBLIGATIONS, BREACHES ANDI NJUNCTIVE RELIEF. The remedies provided in this Warrant shall be cumulative and in addition to all other remedies available under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents, at law or in equity (including a decree of specific performance and/or other injunctive relief), and nothing herein shall limit the right of the Holder to pursue actual damages for any failure by the Company to comply with the terms of this Warrant. The Company covenants to the Holder that there shall be no characterization concerning this instrument other than as expressly provided herein. Amounts set forth or provided for herein with respect to payments, exercises and the like (and the computation thereof) shall be the amounts to be received by the Holder and shall not, except as expressly provided herein, be subject to any other obligation of the Company (or the performance thereof). The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to the Holder and that the remedy at law for any such breach may be inadequate. The Company therefore agrees that, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach, the holder of this Warrant shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an injunction restraining any breach, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required. The Company shall provide all information and documentation to the Holder that is requested by the Holder to enable the Holder to confirm the Company’s compliance with the terms and conditions of this Warrant (including, without limitation, compliance with Section 2 hereof). The issuance of shares and certificates for shares as contemplated hereby upon the exercise of this Warrant shall be made without charge to the Holder or such shares for any issuance tax or other costs in respect thereof, provided that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any certificate in a name other than the Holder or its agent on its behalf.

 

16. TRANSFER. This Warrant may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without the consent of the Company.

 

17. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Warrant, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

(a)

 

(b) “Bloomberg” means Bloomberg, L.P.

 

(c) “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.

 

(d) “Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last closing trade price for such security on the Eligible Market, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Eligible Market begins to operate on an extended hours basis and does not designate the closing trade price, then the last trade price of such security prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Eligible Market is not the principal securities exchange or trading market for such security, the last trade price of such security on the principal securities exchange or trading market where such security is listed or traded as reported by Bloomberg, or if the foregoing does not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no last trade price is reported for such security by Bloomberg, the average of the ask prices of any market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by Pink Sheets LLC (formerly the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.). If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then such dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures in Section 14. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during such period.

 

(e) “Convertible Securities” means any stock or other security (other than Options) that is at any time and under any circumstances, directly or indirectly, convertible into, exercisable or exchangeable for, or which otherwise entitles the holder thereof to acquire, any shares of Common Stock.

 

(f) “Eligible Market” means The New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Nasdaq Global Market or the Nasdaq Capital Market.

 

(g) “Expiration Date” means the date that is five years from the Issuance Date, or, if such date falls on a day other than a Business Day or on which trading does not take place on the Eligible Market (a “Holiday”), the next date that is not a Holiday.

 

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(h) “FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. in the UnitedS tates.

 

(i) “Fundamental Transaction” means that (i) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions, (A) consolidate or merge with or into (whether or not the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the surviving corporation) any other Person, or (B) sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its respective properties or assets to any other Person, or (C) allow any other Person to make a purchase, tender or exchange offer that is accepted by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Voting Stock of the Company (not including any shares of Voting Stock of the Company held by the Person or Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the Persons making or party to, such purchase, tender or exchange offer), or (D) consummate a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with any other Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Voting Stock of the Company (not including any shares of Voting Stock of the Company held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination), or (E) (1) reorganize, recapitalize or reclassify the Common Stock, (2) effect or consummate a stock combination, reverse stock split or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock or (3) make any public announcement or disclosure with respect to any stock combination, reverse stock split or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock (including, without limitation, any public announcement or disclosure of (a) any potential, possible or actual stock combination, reverse stock split or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock or (b) board or stockholder approval thereof, or the intention of the Company to seek board or stockholder approval of any stock combination, reverse stock split or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock), or (ii) any “person” or “group” (as these terms are used for purposes of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) is or shall become the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the 1934 Act), directly or indirectly, of 50% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by issued and outstanding Voting Stock of the Company.

 

(j) “Options” means any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities.

 

(k) “Parent Entity” of a Person means an entity that, directly or indirectly, controls the applicable Person and whose Common Stock or equivalent equity security is quoted or listed on an Eligible Market, or, if there is more than one such Person or Parent Entity, the Person or Parent Entity with the largest public market capitalization as of the date of consummation of the Fundamental Transaction.

 

(l) “Person” means an individual, a limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture, a corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization, any other entity or a government or any department or agency thereof.

 

(m) “SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

(n) “Successor Entity” means the Person (or, if so elected by the Holder, the Parent Entity) formed by, resulting from or surviving any Fundamental Transaction or the Person (or, if so elected by the Holder, the Parent Entity) with which such Fundamental Transaction shall have been entered into.

 

(o) “Trading Day” means any day on which the Common Stock is traded on the Eligible Market, or, if the Eligible Market is not the principal trading market for the Common Stock, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which the Common Stock is then traded, provided that “Trading Day” shall not include any day on which the Common Stock is scheduled to trade on such exchange or market for less than 4.5 hours or any day that the Common Stock is suspended from trading during the final hour of trading on such exchange or market (or if such exchange or market does not designate in advance the closing time of trading on such exchange or market, then during the hour ending at 4:00 p.m., New York time) unless such day is otherwise designated as a Trading Day in writing by the Holder.

 

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(p) “Voting Stock” of a Person means capital stock of such Person of the class or classes pursuant to which the holders thereof have the general voting power to elect, or the general power to appoint, at least a majority of the board of directors, managers or trustees of such Person (irrespective of whether or not at the time capital stock of any other class or classes shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency).

 

(q) “FMV” 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 Eligible Market, the value shall be deemed to be the highest intra-day or closing price on any trading day on such Eligible 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)) during the five trading days preceding the exercise, (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not an Eligible Market, the value shall be deemed to be the highest intra-day or closing price on any trading day on the OTCQB or OTCQX on which the Common Stock is then 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)) during the five trading days preceding the exercise, 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 in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the “OTC Markets Group”, the value shall be deemed to be the highest intra-day or closing price on any trading day on the Pink Sheets on which the Common Stock is then quoted as reported by OTC Markets Group (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)) during the five trading days preceding the exercise, 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 Holder and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

[signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to Purchase Common Stock to be duly executed as of the Issuance Date set out above.

 

CC Acquisition Corp.

 

By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson  
Name:  Matthew Atkinson  
Title: CEO

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

EXERCISE NOTICE

 

TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER TO EXERCISE THIS WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

 

CC Acquisition Corp.

 

The undersigned holder hereby exercises the right to purchase_______________Class B Common Stock (“Warrant Shares”) of CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), evidenced by Warrant to Purchase Common Stock No. _______________(the “Warrant”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Warrant.

 

1. Form of Exercise Price. The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as:

 

_______________a “Cash Exercise” with respect to _______________Warrant Shares; and/or

 

_______________a “Cashless Exercise” with respect to _______________ Warrant Shares.

 

In the event that the Holder has elected a Cashless Exercise with respect to some or all of the Warrant Shares to be issued pursuant hereto, the Holder hereby represents and warrants that (i) this Exercise Notice was executed by the Holder on the date set forth below and (ii) if applicable, the FMV as of the date prior to the date of the Exercise Notice was $ _______________ .

 

1. Form of Exercise Price. The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as a “Cash Exercise”.

 

2.Payment of Exercise Price. In the event that the Holder has elected a Cash Exercise with respect to some or all of the Warrant Shares to be issued pursuant hereto, the Holder shall pay the Aggregate Exercise Price in the sum of $________to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Warrant.

 

3.Delivery of Warrant Shares. The Company shall deliver to Holder, or its designee or agent as specified below,_______________Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms of the Warrant. Delivery shall be made to Holder, or for its benefit, as follows:

 

☐ Check here if requesting delivery as a certificate to the following name and to the following address:

 

Issue to: ____________________________________________________________________________________

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

☐ Check here if requesting delivery by Deposit/Withdrawal at Custodian as follows:

 

DTC Participant:_____________________________________________________________________

 

DTC Number: _______________________________________________________________________

 

Account Number: ____________________________________________________________________

 

Date: ______________, ________

 

____________________________

Name of Registered Holder

 

By:    
  Name:    
  Title:    

 

Tax ID: __________________

 

Facsimile: ________________

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

 

The Company hereby acknowledges this Exercise Notice and hereby directs_______________to issue the above indicated number of shares of Common Stock in accordance with the Transfer Agent Instructions dated _______________, 20___, from the Company and acknowledged and agreed to by _______________.

 

  CC Acquisition Corp.
   
  By:  
  Name:       
  Title:  

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.3

 

THESE WARRANTS AND ANY SHARES ACQUIRED UPON THE EXERCISE HEREOF HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THESE WARRANTS AND SUCH SHARES AND ANY INTEREST OR PARTICIPATION HEREIN OR THEREIN MAY NOT BE SOLD OR TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM UNDER SUCH ACT AND UNDER ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THESE WARRANTS AND SUCH SHARES MAY NOT BE EXERCISED OR TRANSFERRED EXCEPT UPON THE CONDITIONS SPECIFIED IN THIS WARRANT CERTIFICATE, AND NO EXERCISE OR TRANSFER OF THESE WARRANTS OR TRANSFER OF SUCH SHARES SHALL BE VALID OR EFFECTIVE UNLESS AND UNTIL SUCH CONDITIONS SHALL HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH.

 

CC Acquisition Corp.

 

Warrant To Purchase Class B Common Stock

 

Warrant No.: PA-2

Date of Issuance: November 29, 2022 (“Issuance Date”)

 

CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Boustead Securities, LLC, the registered holder hereof or its permitted assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company, at the Exercise Price (as defined below) then in effect, Company Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001 (“Common Stock”) (including any Warrants to purchase shares issued in exchange, transfer or replacement hereof, the “Warrant”), at any time or times on or after the date hereof, to the extent permitted by the applicable SEC and FINRA rules, but not after 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the Expiration Date (as defined below), 4,022 (subject to adjustment as provided herein) fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”).

 

1. EXERCISE OF WARRANT.

 

(a) Mechanics of Exercise. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, this Warrant may be exercised by the Holder on any day on or after the date hereof, to the extent permitted by the applicable SEC and FINRA rules, in whole or in part, by delivery (whether via facsimile, email, or otherwise) of a written notice, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Exercise Notice”), of the Holder’s election to exercise this Warrant, by submitting information including the then- applicable Exercise Price, number of Warrant Shares purchased equal to or lower than the then- applicable number of Warrant Shares and the FMV (collectively, the “Exercise Information”). Within one (1) Trading Day following an exercise of this Warrant as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver payment to the Company of an amount equal to the Exercise Price in effect on the date of such exercise multiplied by the number of Warrant Shares as to which this Warrant was so exercised (the “Aggregate Exercise Price”) in cash or via wire transfer of immediately available funds if, subject to the provisions of Section 1(d), the Holder has not notified the Company in such Exercise Notice that such exercise is made pursuant to a Cashless Exercise (as defined in Section 1(d)) at a time and under circumstances which permit a Cashless Exercise. The Holder shall not be required to deliver the original of this Warrant in order to effect an exercise hereunder. Execution and delivery of an Exercise Notice with respect to less than all of the Warrant Shares shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original of this Warrant and issuance of a new Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Warrant Shares. Execution and delivery of an Exercise Notice for all of the then-remaining Warrant Shares shall have the same effect as cancellation of the original of this Warrant after delivery of the Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms hereof. On or before the first (1st) Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received an Exercise Notice, upon checking that the Exercise Information supplied by the Holder is accurate, the Company shall transmit by facsimile or email an acknowledgment of confirmation of receipt of such Exercise Notice, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, to the Holder and the Company’s transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”). On or before the third (3rd) Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received such Exercise Notice and, in the event that the Holder has chosen to exercise in cash, the receipt of the payment of the Aggregate Exercise Price, the Company shall instruct the Transfer Agent to issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise and to, at the sole direction of the Holder pursuant to the Exercise Notice, hold such Warrant Shares in electronic form at the Transfer Agent registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee (as indicated in the applicable Exercise Notice), or mail to the Holder or, at the Holder’s instruction pursuant to the Exercise Notice, the Holder’s agent or designee, in each case, sent by reputable overnight courier to the address as specified in the applicable Exercise Notice, a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee (as indicated in the applicable Exercise Notice). Upon delivery of an Exercise Notice and in the event that the Holder has chosen to exercise in cash, the Company’s receipt of the payment of the Aggregate Exercise Price, 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 certificates evidencing such Warrant Shares (as the case may be). If this Warrant is submitted in connection with any exercise pursuant to this Section 1(a) and the total number of Warrant Shares represented by this Warrant is greater than the number of Warrant Shares being acquired by the Holder upon an exercise, then, at the request of the Holder, the Company shall as soon as practicable and in no event later than three (3) Business Days after any exercise and at its own expense, issue and deliver to the Holder (or its designee) a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares purchasable immediately prior to such exercise under this Warrant, less the number of Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant is exercised. No fractional Warrant Shares are to be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant, but rather the number of Warrant Shares to be issued shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number. The Company will from time to time promptly pay all taxes and charges that may be imposed upon the Company in respect of the issuance or delivery of Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant, but the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes in respect of this Warrant or such shares.

 

 

 

(b) Exercise Price. For purposes of this Warrant, “Exercise Price” initially means $1.74, subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

 

(c) Company’s Failure to Timely Deliver Securities. If the Company shall fail, for any reason or for no reason, to issue to the Holder within three (3) Trading Days after receipt of the applicable Exercise Notice, a certificate for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled (or, at the option of the Holders, a book-entry confirmation of the issuance of such Warrant Shares) and register such Warrant Shares on the Company’s share register, the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company shall fail, for any reason or for no reason, to issue to the Holder within three (3) Trading Days after receipt of the applicable Exercise Notice, a certificate for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled (or, at the option of the Holders, a book-entry confirmation of the issuance of such Warrant Shares) and register such Warrant Shares on the Company’s share register and if on or after such third (3rd) Trading Day the Holder (or any other Person in respect, or on behalf, of the Holder) purchases (in an open market transaction or otherwise) Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of all or any portion of the number of Warrant Shares, or a sale of a number of Warrant Shares equal to all or any portion of the number of Warrant Shares, issuable upon such exercise that the Holder so anticipated receiving from the Company, then, in addition to all other remedies available to the Holder, the Company shall, within three (3) Business Days after the Holder’s request and in the Holder’s discretion, either (i) pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the Holder’s total purchase price (including reasonable brokerage commissions and other reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, if any) for the Warrant Shares so purchased (including, without limitation, by any other Person in respect, or on behalf, of the Holder) (the “Buy-In Price”), at which point the Company’s obligation to so issue and deliver such certificate or credit the Holder’s balance account with DTC for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled upon the Holder’s exercise hereunder (as the case may be) (and to issue such Warrant Shares) shall terminate, or (ii) promptly honor its obligation to so issue and deliver to the Holder a certificate or certificates representing such Warrant Shares or credit the Holder’s balance account with DTC for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled upon the Holder’s exercise hereunder (as the case may be) and pay cash to the Holder in an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the Buy-In Price over the product of (A) such number of Warrant Shares multiplied by (B) the lowest Closing Sale Price of the Common Stock on any Trading Day during the period commencing on the date of the applicable Exercise Notice and ending on the date of such issuance and payment under this clause (ii).

 

(d) Cashless Exercise. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, the Holder may, in its sole discretion, exercise this Warrant in whole or in part and, in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to the Company upon such exercise in payment of the Aggregate Exercise Price, elect instead to receive upon such exercise the “Net Number” of Warrant Shares determined according to the following formula (a “Cashless Exercise”), provided that the Holder may elect to cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 1(d) only if B as set forth in the following formula is higher than C as set forth in the following formula:

 

Net Number = (A x B) - (A x C)

 

B

 

For purposes of the foregoing formula:

 

A= the total number of shares with respect to which this Warrant is then being exercised.

 

B= the FMV

 

C= the Exercise Price then in effect for the applicable Warrant Shares at the time of such exercise.

 

(e) Disputes. In the case of a dispute as to the determination of the Exercise Price or the arithmetic calculation of the number of Warrant Shares to be issued pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company shall promptly issue to the Holder the number of Warrant Shares that are not disputed and resolve such dispute in accordance with Section 14.

 

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(f) Intentionally Left Blank.

 

(g) Insufficient Authorized Shares. The Company shall at all times keep reserved for issuance under this Warrant a number of shares of Common Stock as shall be necessary to satisfy the Company’s obligation to issue Warrant Shares hereunder (without regard to any limitation otherwise contained herein with respect to the number of Warrant Shares that may be acquirable upon exercise of this Warrant). If, notwithstanding the foregoing, and not in limitation thereof, at any time while the Warrant remains outstanding the Company does not have a sufficient number of authorized and unreserved shares of Common Stock to satisfy its obligation to reserve for issuance upon exercise of the Warrant at least a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be necessary to effect the exercise of the Warrant then outstanding (the “Required Reserve Amount”) (an “Authorized Share Failure”), then the Company shall immediately take all action necessary to increase the Company’s authorized shares of Common Stock to an amount sufficient to allow the Company to reserve the Required Reserve Amount for the Warrant then outstanding. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing sentence, as soon as practicable after the date of the occurrence of an Authorized Share Failure, but in no event later than sixty (60) days after the occurrence of such Authorized Share Failure, the Company shall hold a meeting of its stockholders for the approval of an increase in the number of authorized shares of Common Stock. In connection with such meeting, the Company shall provide each stockholder with a proxy statement and shall use its best efforts to solicit its stockholders’ approval of such increase in authorized shares of Common Stock and to cause its board of directors to recommend to the stockholders that they approve such proposal.

 

2. ADJUSTMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE AND NUMBER OF WARRANT SHARES. The Exercise Price and number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant are subject to adjustment from time to time as set forth in this Section 2.

 

(a) Stock Dividends and Splits. Without limiting any provision of Section 4, if the Company, at any time on or after the date hereof, (i) pays a stock dividend on one or more classes of its then outstanding shares of Common Stock or otherwise makes a distribution on any class of capital stock that is payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivides (by any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization or otherwise) one or more classes of its then outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares or (iii) combines (by combination, reverse stock split or otherwise) one or more classes of its then outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to clause (i) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution, and any adjustment pursuant to clause (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph shall become effective immediately after the effective date of such subdivision or combination. If any event requiring an adjustment under this paragraph occurs during the period that an Exercise Price is calculated hereunder, then the calculation of such Exercise Price shall be adjusted appropriately to reflect such event.

 

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(b) Intentionally Left Blank.

 

(c) Number of Warrant Shares. Simultaneously with any adjustment to the Exercise Price pursuant to only paragraph (a) of this Section 2, the number of Warrant Shares that may be purchased upon exercise of this Warrant shall be increased or decreased proportionately, so that after such adjustment the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder for the adjusted number of Warrant Shares shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment (without regard to any limitations on exercise contained herein).

 

(d) Other Events. In the event that the Company (or any subsidiary) shall take any action to which the provisions hereof are not strictly applicable, or, if applicable, would not operate to protect the Holder from dilution or if any event occurs of the type contemplated by the provisions of this Section 2 but not expressly provided for by such provisions (including, without limitation, the granting of stock appreciation rights, phantom stock rights or other rights with equity features), then the Company’s board of directors shall in good faith determine and implement an appropriate adjustment in the Exercise Price and the number of Warrant Shares (if applicable) so as to protect the rights of the Holder, provided that no such adjustment pursuant to this Section 2(d) will increase the Exercise Price or decrease the number of Warrant Shares as otherwise determined pursuant to this Section 2, provided further that if the Holder does not accept such adjustments as appropriately protecting its interests hereunder against such dilution, then the Company’s board of directors and the Holder shall agree, in good faith, upon an independent investment bank of nationally recognized standing to make such appropriate adjustments, whose determination shall be final and binding and whose fees and expenses shall be borne by the Company.

 

(e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 2 shall be made by rounding to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as applicable. The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any given time shall not include shares owned or held by or for the account of the Company, and the disposition of any such shares shall be considered an issue or sale of Common Stock.

 

3. RIGHTS UPON DISTRIBUTION OF ASSETS. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 2 above, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to 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 a complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof) immediately before the date on 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.

 

4. PURCHASE RIGHTS; FUNDAMENTAL TRANSACTIONS.

 

(a) Purchase Rights. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 2 above, if at any time while the Warrant remains outstanding and before the Expiration Date, the Company grants, issues or sells any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to 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 a complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof) 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.

 

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(b) Fundamental Transactions. During the term of this Warrant, the Company shall not enter into or be party to a Fundamental Transaction unless the Successor Entity assumes in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 4(b) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder prior to such Fundamental Transaction, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, including agreements to 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, including, without limitation, which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock 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 adjustments to the 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). Upon the consummation of each Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein. Upon consummation of each Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall deliver to the Holder confirmation that there shall be issued upon exercise of this Warrant at any time after the consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, in lieu of the shares of Common Stock (or other securities, cash, assets or other property (except such items still issuable under Sections 3 and 4(a) above, which shall continue to be receivable thereafter)) issuable upon the exercise of this Warrant prior to the applicable Fundamental Transaction, such shares of publicly traded Common Stock (or its equivalent) of the Successor Entity (including its Parent Entity) which the Holder would have been entitled to receive upon the happening of the applicable Fundamental Transaction had this Warrant been exercised immediately prior to the applicable Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant), as adjusted in accordance with the provisions of this Warrant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Holder may elect, at its sole option, by delivery of written notice to the Company to waive this Section 4(b) to permit the Fundamental Transaction without the assumption of this Warrant. In addition to and not in substitution for any other rights hereunder, prior to the consummation of each Fundamental Transaction pursuant to which holders of shares of Common Stock are entitled to receive securities or other assets with respect to or in exchange for shares of Common Stock (a “Corporate Event”), the Company shall make appropriate provision to insure that the Holder will thereafter have the right to receive upon an exercise of this Warrant at any time after the consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction but prior to the Expiration Date, in lieu of the shares of the Common Stock Shares (or other securities, cash, assets or other property (except such items still issuable under Sections 3 and 4(a) above, which shall continue to be receivable thereafter)) issuable upon the exercise of the Warrant prior to such Fundamental Transaction, such shares of stock, securities, cash, assets or any other property whatsoever (including warrants or other purchase or subscription rights) which the Holder would have been entitled to receive upon the happening of the applicable Fundamental Transaction had this Warrant been exercised immediately prior to the applicable Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant). Provision made pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be in a form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder.

 

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(c) Application. The provisions of this Section 4 shall apply similarly and equally to successive Fundamental Transactions and Corporate Events and shall be applied as if this Warrant (and any such subsequent warrants) were fully exercisable and without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant.

 

5. NONCIRCUMVENTION. The Company hereby covenants and agrees that the Company will not, by amendment of its certificate of incorporation, bylaws or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, scheme of arrangement, 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, and will at all times in good faith carry out all the provisions of this Warrant and take all action as may be required to protect the rights of the Holder. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company (a) shall not increase the par value of the Common Stock receivable upon the exercise of this Warrant above the Exercise Price then in effect, (b) shall take all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of this Warrant, and (c) shall, so long as the Warrant is outstanding, take all action necessary to reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock, solely for the purpose of effecting the exercise of the Warrant, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be necessary to effect the exercise of the Warrant then outstanding (without regard to any limitations on exercise).

 

6. WARRANT HOLDER NOT DEEMED A STOCKHOLDER. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Holder, solely in its capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in its capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, conveyance or otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Warrant Shares which it is then entitled to receive upon the due exercise of this Warrant. In addition, nothing contained in this Warrant shall be construed as imposing any liabilities on the Holder to purchase any securities (upon exercise of this Warrant or otherwise) or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liabilities are asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company. Notwithstanding this Section 6, the Company shall provide the Holder with copies of the same notices and other information given to the stockholders of the Company generally, contemporaneously with the giving thereof to the stockholders.

 

7. REISSUANCE OF WARRANTS.

 

(a) Transfer of Warrant. If this Warrant is to be transferred, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company, whereupon the Company will forthwith issue and deliver upon the order of the Holder a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)), registered as the Holder may request, representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares being transferred by the Holder and, if less than the total number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant is being transferred, a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) to the Holder representing the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares not being transferred.

 

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(b) Lost, Stolen or Mutilated Warrant. Upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant (as to which a written certification and the indemnification contemplated below shall suffice as such evidence), and, in the case of loss, theft or destruction, of any indemnification undertaking by the Holder to the Company in customary and reasonable form and, in the case of mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation of this Warrant, the Company shall execute and deliver to the Holder a new Warrant (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing the right to purchase the Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant.

 

(c) Exchangeable for Multiple Warrants. This Warrant is exchangeable, upon the surrender hereof by the Holder at the principal office of the Company, for a new Warrant or Warrants (in accordance with Section 7(d)) representing in the aggregate the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant, and each such new Warrant will represent the right to purchase such portion of such Warrant Shares as is designated by the Holder at the time of such surrender; provided, however, no warrants for fractional shares of Common Stock shall be given.

 

(d) Issuance of New Warrants. Whenever the Company is required to issue a new Warrant pursuant to the terms of this Warrant, such new Warrant (i) shall be of like tenor with this Warrant, (ii) shall represent, as indicated on the face of such new Warrant, the right to purchase the Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant (or in the case of a new Warrant being issued pursuant to Section 7(a) or Section 7(c), the Warrant Shares designated by the Holder which, when added to the number of shares of Common Stock underlying the other new Warrants issued in connection with such issuance, does not exceed the number of Warrant Shares then underlying this Warrant), (iii) shall have an issuance date, as indicated on the face of such new Warrant which is the same as the Issuance Date, and (iv) shall have the same rights and conditions as this Warrant.

 

8. NOTICES;PAYMENTS.

 

(a) The Company shall provide the Holder with prompt written notice of all actions taken pursuant to this Warrant, including in reasonable detail a description of such action and the reason therefor. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will give written notice to the Holder (i) immediately upon each adjustment of the Exercise Price and the number of Warrant Shares, setting forth in reasonable detail, and certifying, the calculation of such adjustment(s) and (ii) at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date on which the Company closes its books or takes a record (A) with respect to any dividend or distribution upon the shares of Common Stock, (B) with respect to any grants, issuances or sales of any Options, Convertible Securities or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property to holders of shares of Common Stock or (C) for determining rights to vote with respect to any Fundamental Transaction, dissolution or liquidation, provided in each case that such information shall be made known to the public prior to or in conjunction with such notice being provided to the Holder and (iii) at least ten (10) Trading Days prior to the consummation of any Fundamental Transaction. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of its subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the SEC pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. It is expressly understood and agreed that the time of execution specified by the Holder in each Exercise Notice shall be definitive and may not be disputed or challenged by the Company.

 

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(b) Payments. Whenever any payment is to be made by the Company to any Person pursuant to this Warrant, such payment shall be made in lawful money of the United States of America via wire transfer of U.S. Dollars in immediately available funds in accordance with the Holder’s wire transfer instructions delivered to the Company on or prior to such payment date or, in the absence of such instructions, by a certified check drawn on the account of the Company and sent via overnight courier service to such Person at such address as previously provided to the Company in writing.

 

9. AMENDMENT AND WAIVER. Except as otherwise provided herein, the provisions of this Warrant may be amended and the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or omit to perform any act herein required to be performed by it, only if the Company has obtained the written consent of the Holder. No waiver shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by an authorized representative of the waiving party.

 

10. SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Warrant is prohibited by law or otherwise determined to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the provision that would otherwise be prohibited, invalid or unenforceable shall be deemed amended to apply to the broadest extent that it would be valid and enforceable, and the invalidity or unenforceability of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Warrant so long as this Warrant as so modified continues to express, without material change, the original intentions of the parties as to the subject matter hereof and the prohibited nature, invalidity or unenforceability of the provision(s) in question does not substantially impair the respective expectations or reciprocal obligations of the parties or the practical realization of the benefits that would otherwise be conferred upon the parties. The parties will endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the prohibited, invalid or unenforceable provision(s) with a valid provision(s), the effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the prohibited, invalid or unenforceable provision(s).

 

11. GOVERNING LAW. This Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with, and all questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and performance of this Warrant shall be governed by, the internal laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdictions) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York. The Company hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the 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 brought in an inconvenient forum or that the venue of such suit, action or proceeding is improper. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed or operate to preclude the Holder from bringing suit or taking other legal action against the Company in any other jurisdiction to collect on the Company’s obligations to the Holder or to enforce a judgment or other court ruling in favor of the Holder. If service of process is effected pursuant to the above sentence, such service will be deemed sufficient under New York law and the Company shall not assert otherwise. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any manner permitted by law. THE COMPANY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS WARRANT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

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12. Reserved.

 

13. CONSTRUCTION; HEADINGS. This Warrant shall be deemed to be jointly drafted by the Company and the Holder and shall not be construed against any Person as the drafter hereof. The headings of this Warrant are for convenience of reference and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Warrant. Terms used in this Warrant but defined in the other Transaction Documents shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms on the Closing Date in such other Transaction Documents unless otherwise consented to in writing by the Holder.

 

14. DISPUTE RESOLUTION. In the case of a dispute as to the determination of the Exercise Price or FMV or the arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares (as the case may be), the Company or the Holder (as the case may be) shall submit the disputed determinations or arithmetic calculations (as the case may be) via facsimile (a) within two (2) Business Days after receipt of the applicable notice giving rise to such dispute to the Company or the Holder (as the case may be) or (b) if no notice gave rise to such dispute, at any time after the Holder learned of the circumstances giving rise to such dispute (including, without limitation, as to whether any issuance or sale or deemed issuance or sale was an issuance or sale or deemed issuance or sale of Excluded Securities). If the Holder and the Company are unable to agree upon such determination or calculation (as the case may be) of the Exercise Price, or FMV or the number of Warrant Shares (as the case may be) within three (3) Business Days of such disputed determination or arithmetic calculation being submitted to the Company or the Holder (as the case may be), then the Company shall, within two (2) Business Days submit via facsimile (i) the disputed determination of the Exercise Price or FMV (as the case may be) to an independent, reputable investment bank selected by the Holder or (ii) the disputed arithmetic calculation of the Warrant Shares to the Company’s independent, outside accountant. The Company shall cause at its expense the investment bank or the accountant (as the case may be) to perform the determinations or calculations (as the case may be) and notify the Company and the Holder of the results no later than ten (10) Business Days from the time it receives such disputed determinations or calculations (as the case may be). Such investment bank’s or accountant’s determination or calculation (as the case may be) shall be binding upon all parties absent demonstrable error.

 

15. REMEDIES, CHARACTERIZATION, OTHER OBLIGATIONS, BREACHES AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. The remedies provided in this Warrant shall be cumulative and in addition to all other remedies available under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents, at law or in equity (including a decree of specific performance and/or other injunctive relief), and nothing herein shall limit the right of the Holder to pursue actual damages for any failure by the Company to comply with the terms of this Warrant. The Company covenants to the Holder that there shall be no characterization concerning this instrument other than as expressly provided herein. Amounts set forth or provided for herein with respect to payments, exercises and the like (and the computation thereof) shall be the amounts to be received by the Holder and shall not, except as expressly provided herein, be subject to any other obligation of the Company (or the performance thereof). The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to the Holder and that the remedy at law for any such breach may be inadequate. The Company therefore agrees that, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach, the holder of this Warrant shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an injunction restraining any breach, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required. The Company shall provide all information and documentation to the Holder that is requested by the Holder to enable the Holder to confirm the Company’s compliance with the terms and conditions of this Warrant (including, without limitation, compliance with Section 2 hereof). The issuance of shares and certificates for shares as contemplated hereby upon the exercise of this Warrant shall be made without charge to the Holder or such shares for any issuance tax or other costs in respect thereof, provided that the Company shall not be required to pay any tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issuance and delivery of any certificate in a name other than the Holder or its agent on its behalf.

 

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16. TRANSFER. This Warrant may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without the consent of the Company.

 

17. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Warrant, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

(a)

 

(b) “Bloomberg” means Bloomberg, L.P.

 

(c) “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.

 

(d) “Closing Sale Price” means, for any security as of any date, the last closing trade price for such security on the Eligible Market, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Eligible Market begins to operate on an extended hours basis and does not designate the closing trade price, then the last trade price of such security prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if the Eligible Market is not the principal securities exchange or trading market for such security, the last trade price of such security on the principal securities exchange or trading market where such security is listed or traded as reported by Bloomberg, or if the foregoing does not apply, the last trade price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no last trade price is reported for such security by Bloomberg, the average of the ask prices of any market makers for such security as reported in the “pink sheets” by Pink Sheets LLC (formerly the National Quotation Bureau, Inc.). If the Closing Sale Price cannot be calculated for a security on a particular date on any of the foregoing bases, the Closing Sale Price of such security on such date shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Company and the Holder. If the Company and the Holder are unable to agree upon the fair market value of such security, then such dispute shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures in Section 14. All such determinations shall be appropriately adjusted for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination or other similar transaction during such period.

 

(e) “Convertible Securities” means any stock or other security (other than Options) that is at any time and under any circumstances, directly or indirectly, convertible into, exercisable or exchangeable for, or which otherwise entitles the holder thereof to acquire, any shares of Common Stock.

 

(f) “Eligible Market” means The New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Nasdaq Global Market or the Nasdaq Capital Market.

 

(g) “Expiration Date” means the date that is five years from the Issuance Date, or, if such date falls on a day other than a Business Day or on which trading does not take place on the Eligible Market (a “Holiday”), the next date that is not a Holiday.

 

(h) “FINRA” means the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. in the United States.

 

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(i) “Fundamental Transaction” means that (i) the Company or any of its Subsidiaries shall, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions, (A) consolidate or merge with or into (whether or not the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is the surviving corporation) any other Person, or (B) sell, lease, license, assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its respective properties or assets to any other Person, or (C) allow any other Person to make a purchase, tender or exchange offer that is accepted by the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Voting Stock of the Company (not including any shares of Voting Stock of the Company held by the Person or Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the Persons making or party to, such purchase, tender or exchange offer), or (D) consummate a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with any other Person whereby such other Person acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Voting Stock of the Company (not including any shares of Voting Stock of the Company held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination), or (E) (1) reorganize, recapitalize or reclassify the Common Stock, (2) effect or consummate a stock combination, reverse stock split or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock or (3) make any public announcement or disclosure with respect to any stock combination, reverse stock split or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock (including, without limitation, any public announcement or disclosure of (a) any potential, possible or actual stock combination, reverse stock split or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock or (b) board or stockholder approval thereof, or the intention of the Company to seek board or stockholder approval of any stock combination, reverse stock split or other similar transaction involving the Common Stock), or (ii) any “person” or “group” (as these terms are used for purposes of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) is or shall become the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the 1934 Act), directly or indirectly, of 50% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by issued and outstanding Voting Stock of the Company.

 

(j) “Options” means any rights, warrants or options to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities.

 

(k) “Parent Entity” of a Person means an entity that, directly or indirectly, controls the applicable Person and whose Common Stock or equivalent equity security is quoted or listed on an Eligible Market, or, if there is more than one such Person or Parent Entity, the Person or Parent Entity with the largest public market capitalization as of the date of consummation of the Fundamental Transaction.

 

(l) “Person” means an individual, a limited liability company, a partnership, a joint venture, a corporation, a trust, an unincorporated organization, any other entity or a government or any department or agency thereof.

 

(m) “SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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(n) “Successor Entity” means the Person (or, if so elected by the Holder, the Parent Entity) formed by, resulting from or surviving any Fundamental Transaction or the Person (or, if so elected by the Holder, the Parent Entity) with which such Fundamental Transaction shall have been entered into.

 

(o) “Trading Day” means any day on which the Common Stock is traded on the Eligible Market, or, if the Eligible Market is not the principal trading market for the Common Stock, then on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which the Common Stock is then traded, provided that “Trading Day” shall not include any day on which the Common Stock is scheduled to trade on such exchange or market for less than 4.5 hours or any day that the Common Stock is suspended from trading during the final hour of trading on such exchange or market (or if such exchange or market does not designate in advance the closing time of trading on such exchange or market, then during the hour ending at 4:00 p.m., New York time) unless such day is otherwise designated as a Trading Day in writing by the Holder.

 

(p) “Voting Stock” of a Person means capital stock of such Person of the class or classes pursuant to which the holders thereof have the general voting power to elect, or the general power to appoint, at least a majority of the board of directors, managers or trustees of such Person (irrespective of whether or not at the time capital stock of any other class or classes shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency).

 

(q) “FMV” 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 Eligible Market, the value shall be deemed to be the highest intra-day or closing price on any trading day on such Eligible 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)) during the five trading days preceding the exercise, (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not an Eligible Market, the value shall be deemed to be the highest intra-day or closing price on any trading day on the OTCQB or OTCQX on which the Common Stock is then 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)) during the five trading days preceding the exercise, 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 in the “Pink Sheets” published by OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the “OTC Markets Group”, the value shall be deemed to be the highest intra-day or closing price on any trading day on the Pink Sheets on which the Common Stock is then quoted as reported by OTC Markets Group (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)) during the five trading days preceding the exercise, 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 Holder and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.

 

[signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to Purchase Common Stock to be duly executed as of the Issuance Date set out above.

 

CC Acquisition Corp.  
     
By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson  
Name:  Matthew Atkinson  
Title: CEO  

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

EXERCISE NOTICE

 

TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER TO EXERCISE THIS WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

 

CC Acquisition Corp.

 

The undersigned holder hereby exercises the right to purchase         Common Stock (“Warrant Shares”) of CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), evidenced by Warrant to Purchase Common Stock No.         (the “Warrant”). Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Warrant.

 

1. Form of Exercise Price. The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as:

 

____________________  a “Cash Exercise” with respect to __________________________
Warrant Shares; and/or

 

____________________  a “Cashless Exercise” with respect to _______________________
Warrant Shares.

 

In the event that the Holder has elected a Cashless Exercise with respect to some or all of the Warrant Shares to be issued pursuant hereto, the Holder hereby represents and warrants that (i) this Exercise Notice was executed by the Holder on the date set forth below and (ii) if applicable, the FMV as of the date prior to the date of the Exercise Notice was $_________.

 

1. Form of Exercise Price. The Holder intends that payment of the Exercise Price shall be made as a “Cash Exercise”.

 

2. Payment of Exercise Price. In the event that the Holder has elected a Cash Exercise with respect to some or all of the Warrant Shares to be issued pursuant hereto, the Holder shall pay the Aggregate Exercise Price in the sum of $__________to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Warrant.

 

3. Delivery of Warrant Shares. The Company shall deliver to Holder, or its designee or agent as specified below, __________Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms of the Warrant. Delivery shall be made to Holder, or for its benefit, as follows:

 

☐ Check here if requesting delivery as a certificate to the following name and to the following address:

 

  Issue to:  
      
      

 

 

 

 

☐ Check here if requesting delivery by Deposit/Withdrawal at Custodian as follows:

 

  DTC Participant:    
  DTC Number:    
  Account Number:    

 

Date: ___________, ____  
______________________  
Name of Registered Holder  

 

 

By:       
Name:                             
Title:    

 

 

  Tax ID:                 
  Facsimile:    

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

 

The Company hereby acknowledges this Exercise Notice and hereby directs __________ to issue the above indicated number of shares of Common Stock in accordance with the Transfer Agent Instructions dated _______ , 20__ , from the Company and acknowledged and agreed to by ___________.

 

  CC Acquisition Corp.
     
  By:  
  Name:                      
  Title:  

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

THE SECURITIES TO BE ISSUED PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (“SECURITIES ACT”), OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD UNLESS REGISTERED THEREUNDER OR UNLESS AN EXEMPTION FROM SUCH REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE.

 

SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT

(This “Agreement”)

 

CC Acquisition Corp.

255 Calamus Circle

Medina, MN 55340

Attn: Matthew Atkinson, CEO

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

1. Subscription. The undersigned (sometimes referred to herein as the “Investor” or “I” or “me”) hereby subscribes for and agrees to purchase the Securities (as defined below) of CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), for the purchase price (the “Purchase Price”) set forth on the signature page hereto, on the terms and conditions described herein, in the investor package of which this Agreement forms a part (the “Investor Package”) and in the other exhibits to the Investor Package (collectively, the “Offering Documents”). Terms not defined herein are as defined elsewhere in the Offering Documents. The Company is seeking to raise a minimum of $249,999.72 (the “Minimum Offering Amount”) and maximum of $1,503,704.52 (the “Maximum Offering Amount”) in this Offering. The minimum amount of investment required from any one subscriber to participate in this Offering is $100,000, however, the Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to accept subscriptions in an amount less than this amount. Boustead Securities, LLC (“Boustead”) and the Company, in their sole discretion, may accept subscriptions in excess of the Maximum Offering Amount. The undersigned acknowledges that the Company has engaged Boustead as its exclusive placement agent in connection with this Offering. All references to $ mean United States dollars.

 

2. Description of Securities; Risk Factors.

 

a. The Company is offering (the “Offering”) to the Investor class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company (the “Shares” or the “Securities”) at a purchase price of $1.74 per Share. For a more detailed description of the Securities, see the Term Sheet attached as Exhibit C to the Subscription Package.

 

b. This Offering and is being conducted in advance of the Company’s intended initial public offering (“IPO”) of its class B common stock and listing its class B common stock for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market or other national securities exchange.

 

c. Under the Company’s engagement letter with Boustead, dated September 21, 2022, Boustead has been engaged as our exclusive financial advisor for the 18-month term of such engagement letter. In addition, Boustead has expressed its intent to enter into an Underwriting Agreement with the Company to act as the lead underwriter for the proposed IPO on a “firm commitment” basis. There can be no assurance that we and Boustead will be able to agree on the terms of such Underwriting Agreement or that our proposed IPO will be successfully consummated.

 

d. Investing in the Securities involves a high degree of risk. Before investing, Investors should carefully consider the Business Summary of the Company (Exhibit D to the Investor Package), the Risk Factors related to the Company’s business (Exhibit E to the Investor Package), and the Company Investor Presentation (Exhibit F to the Investor Package), together with the other information contained in Offering Documents.

 

3. Purchase.

 

a. I hereby agree to tender to Sutter Securities Inc. (the “Escrow Agent”) (i) by check or wire transfer of immediately available funds (to a bank account and related wire instructions provided in the Investor Package or otherwise provided to me upon my request) made payable to “Sutter Securities Inc., as Agent for the Investors in CC Acquisition Corp.”, for such number of Shares indicated on the signature page hereto, (ii) an executed copy of this Agreement, and (iii) an executed copy of my Investor Representation and Suitability Questionnaire, attached as Exhibit B to the Investor Package. Funds will be held in an escrow account maintained by the Escrow Agent (the “Escrow Account”), as set forth in more detail below pending the initial Closing of the Offering.

 

 

 

 

b. The Offering is for a minimum offering amount of $249,999.72 (the “Minimum Offering Amount”) and a maximum offering of $1,503,704.52 (the “Maximum Offering Amount”). All subscriptions to purchase Securities will be held in the Escrow Account, which is a noninterest-bearing account maintained by the Escrow Agent. The subscriptions will remain in the Escrow Account until subscriptions for the Minimum Offering Amount are raised. Boustead and the Company, in their sole discretion, may accept subscriptions in excess of the Maximum Offering Amount.

 

c. This Offering will continue until the earlier of (a) the sale of 864,198 Shares for $1,503,704.52 of gross proceeds being the Maximum Offering Amount, or (b) December 31, 2022, unless such date is extended by the Company and Boustead in their sole discretion (the “Termination Date”). Upon the earlier of a Closing (defined below) on my subscription or completion of the Offering, I will be notified promptly by the Company as to whether my subscription has been accepted by the Company.

 

4. Acceptance or Rejection of Subscription.

 

a. I understand and agree that the Company reserves the right to reject this subscription for the Securities, in whole or in part, for any reason and at any time prior to the Closing (defined below) of my subscription.

 

b. In the event the Company rejects this subscription, my subscription payment will be promptly returned to me without interest or deduction and this Subscription Agreement shall be of no force or effect. In the event my subscription is accepted and the Offering is completed, the subscription funds submitted by me shall be released to the Company.

 

5. Closing. The closing (“Closing”) of this Offering may occur at any time and from time to time on or before the Termination Date subject to the satisfaction of the closing conditions set forth in this Agreement. The Company must (a) achieve the Minimum Offering Amount and (b) complete the acquisition of CleanCore Solutions, LLC and TertraClean Systems, LLC (the “CleanCore Acquisition”) prior to conducting an initial Closing (the “Initial Closing”) of the Offering. Upon receipt of the Minimum Offering Amount and upon the completion of the CleanCore Acquisition, an Initial Closing will be held, and all funds will be released from the Escrow Account and paid to the Company, less professional fees and compensation paid to Boustead and syndicate members, if any. Thereafter, additional Closings will be held as funds are received up to the earlier to occur of receipt of the Maximum Offering Amount (or increased amount agreed to by the Company and Boustead) or the Termination Date. Boustead and the Company, in their sole discretion, may accept subscriptions in excess of the Maximum Offering Amount. Pending receipt of the Minimum Offering Amount, all subscription funds will be placed in escrow with the Escrow Agent. If, for any reason, the Minimum Offering Amount of subscriptions are not received by the Termination Date (as the same may be extended by Boustead and the Company), all escrowed funds will be returned to subscribers, without interest or deduction. The Securities subscribed for herein shall not be deemed issued to or owned by me until one copy of this Agreement has been executed by me and countersigned by the Company and the Closing with respect to such Securities has occurred and I have received the Securities from the Company. Affiliates of the Company or Boustead, including officers, directors and existing stockholders of the Company and representatives of Boustead, may invest in this Offering and their funds will be counted toward the Company achieving the Minimum Offering Amount. In addition, the Company may allow affiliates of the Company, Boustead or other investors to pay the subscription price through the cancellation of indebtedness or other liquidated sums owed to such investors by the Company and such investment amount would also be counted toward achieving the Minimum Offering Amount. I acknowledge and agree that Boustead and the Company may unilaterally, without my consent, agree to extend the Termination Date by which the Minimum Offering Amount must be raised for an Initial Closing to occur and Boustead and the Company shall not be required to return the escrowed funds to me if there is any such extension.

 

6. Disclosure. Because this Offering is limited to accredited investors as defined in Section 2(15) of the Securities Act, and Rule 501 promulgated thereunder, in reliance upon the exemption contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D thereunder and applicable state securities laws, the Securities are being sold without registration under the Securities Act. I acknowledge receipt of the Offering Documents and represent that I have carefully reviewed and understand the Offering Documents, including all exhibits attached hereto.

 

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I have received all information and materials regarding the Company that I have requested. I fully understand that the Company has a limited financial and operating history and that the Securities are speculative investments which involve a high degree of risk, including the potential loss of my entire investment. I fully understand the nature of the risks involved in purchasing the Securities and I am qualified to make such investment based on my knowledge of and experience in investing in securities of this type. I have carefully considered the potential risks relating to the Company and purchase of its Securities and have, in particular, reviewed each of the risks set forth in the Offering Documents. Both my advisors and I have had the opportunity to ask questions of and receive answers from representatives of the Company or persons acting on its behalf concerning the Company and the terms and conditions of a proposed investment in the Company and my advisors and I have also had the opportunity to obtain additional information necessary to verify the accuracy of information furnished about the Company. Accordingly, I have independently evaluated the risks of purchasing the Securities.

 

7. Investor Representations and Warranties. I acknowledge, represent and warrant to, and agree with, the Company as follows:

 

a. I am aware that my investment involves a high degree of risk as disclosed in the Offering Documents and have carefully read the Offering Documents, and I understand that by signing this Agreement I am agreeing to be bound by all of the terms and conditions of the Offering Documents.

 

b. I acknowledge and am aware that there is no assurance as to the future performance of the Company.

 

c. I acknowledge that there may be certain adverse tax consequences to me in connection with my purchase of Securities, and the Company has advised me to seek the advice of experts in such areas prior to making this investment.

 

d. I am purchasing the Securities for my own account for investment purposes only and not with a view to or for sale in connection with the distribution of the Securities, nor with any present intention of selling or otherwise disposing of all or any part of the foregoing securities. I agree that I must bear the entire economic risk of my investment for an indefinite period of time because, among other reasons, the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act or under the securities laws of any state and, therefore, cannot be resold, pledged, assigned or otherwise disposed of unless they are subsequently registered under the Securities Act and under applicable securities laws of certain states or an exemption from such registration is available. I hereby authorize the Company to place a restrictive legend on the Securities that are issued to me.

 

e. I recognize that the Securities, as an investment, involve a high degree of risk including, but not limited to, the risk of economic losses from operations of the Company and the total loss of my investment. I believe that the investment in the Securities is suitable for me based upon my investment objectives and financial needs, and I have adequate means for providing for my current financial needs and contingencies and have no need for liquidity with respect to my investment in the Company.

 

f. I have been given access to full and complete information regarding the Company and have utilized such access to my satisfaction for the purpose of obtaining information in addition to, or verifying information included in, the Offering Documents, and I have either met with or been given reasonable opportunity to meet with officers of the Company for the purpose of asking questions of, and receiving answers from, such officers concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Securities and the business and operations of the Company and to obtain any additional information, to the extent reasonably available.

 

g. I have such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Securities and have obtained, in my judgment, sufficient information from the Company to evaluate the merits and risks of an investment in the Company. I have not utilized any person as my purchaser representative as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act in connection with evaluating such merits and risks.

 

h. I have relied solely upon my own investigation in deciding to invest in the Company.

 

i. I have received no representation or warranty from the Company or any of its officers, directors, employees or agents in respect of my investment in the Company and I have received no information (written or otherwise) from them relating to the Company or its business other than as set forth in the Offering Documents. I am not participating in the offer as a result of or subsequent to: (i) any advertisement, article, notice or other communication published in any newspaper, magazine or similar media or broadcast over television or radio or (ii) any seminar or meeting whose attendees have been invited by any general solicitation or general advertising.

 

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j. I have had full opportunity to ask questions and to receive satisfactory answers concerning the Offering and other matters pertaining to my investment and all such questions have been answered to my full satisfaction.

 

k. I have been provided an opportunity to obtain any additional information concerning the Offering and the Company and all other information to the extent the Company possesses such information or can acquire it without unreasonable effort or expense.

 

l. I am an “accredited investor” as defined in Section 2(15) of the Securities Act and in Rule 501 promulgated thereunder and have attached the completed Investor Representation and Suitability Questionnaire to indicate my “accredited investor” status. I can bear the entire economic risk of the investment in the Securities for an indefinite period of time and I am knowledgeable about and experienced in making investments in the equity securities of non-publicly traded companies, including early stage companies. I am not acting as an underwriter or a conduit for sale to the public or to others of unregistered securities, directly or indirectly, on behalf of the Company or any person with respect to such securities.

 

m. I understand that (i) the Securities have not been registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of certain states, in reliance on specific exemptions from registration, (ii) no securities administrator of any state or the federal government has recommended or endorsed this Offering or made any finding or determination relating to the fairness of an investment in the Company, and (iii) the Company is relying on my representations and agreements for the purpose of determining whether this transaction meets the requirements of certain exemptions from registration afforded by the Securities Act and certain state securities laws.

 

n. I understand that since neither the offer nor sale of the Securities has been registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any state, the Securities may not be sold, assigned, pledged or otherwise disposed of unless they are so registered or an exemption from such registration is available.

 

o. I have had the opportunity to seek independent advice from my professional advisors relating to the suitability of an investment in the Company in view of my overall financial needs and with respect to the legal and tax implications of such investment.

 

p. If the Investor is a corporation, company, trust, employee benefit plan, individual retirement account, Keogh Plan, or other tax-exempt entity, it is authorized and qualified to become an Investor in the Company and the person signing this Agreement on behalf of such entity has been duly authorized by such entity to do so.

 

q. The information contained in my Investor Representation and Suitability Questionnaire, as well as any information which I have furnished to the Company with respect to my financial position and business experience, is correct and complete as of the date of this Agreement and, if there should be any material change in such information prior to the Closing of the Offering, I will furnish such revised or corrected information to the Company. I hereby acknowledge and am aware that except for any rescission rights that may be provided under applicable laws, I am not entitled to cancel, terminate or revoke this subscription and any agreements made in connection herewith shall survive my death or disability.

 

8. Placement Agent. The Company has engaged Boustead, a broker-dealer licensed with FINRA, as placement agent for the Offering on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The Company anticipates that Boustead and its sub-agents or syndicate members will be paid at each Closing from the proceeds in the Escrow Account, fees including and not to exceed: a cash commission of nine percent (9%) of the aggregate gross Purchase Price paid by Investors in the Offering and a non-accountable expense allowance equal to one percent (1%) of the aggregate gross Purchase Price paid by Investors in the Offering. In addition, at each Closing, Boustead and its sub-agents or syndicate members, if any, will receive five-year warrants to purchase a number of shares of class B common stock of the Company equal to seven percent (7%) of the Shares sold at such Closing at an exercise price of $1.74 per share (subject to adjustment), which such warrants will also be exercisable on a cashless basis. Any sub-agent or syndicate member of Boustead that introduces investors to the Offering will be entitled to share in the cash fees and warrants attributable to those investors as described above, pursuant to the terms of an executed sub-agent or selected dealer agreement. The Company will also pay certain expenses of Boustead.

 

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9. Representations and Warranties of the Company. When used in this Section 9, unless the context indicates otherwise, all references to the “Company” also mean and include the direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Company. The Company hereby represents and warrants to the Investor, as of the date hereof and on each Closing Date, the following:

 

a. Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of its subsidiaries, if any, is a company or other business entity duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation (to the extent such concept exists in such jurisdiction) and has the requisite corporate power to own its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted. The Company and each of its subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the assets, business, financial condition, results of operations or future prospects of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”).

 

b. Authorization, Enforcement, Compliance with Other Instruments. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, and each of the Offering Documents and to issue the Securities in accordance with the terms hereof. The execution and delivery by the Company of each of the Offering Documents and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including, without limitation, the issuance of the Securities have been, or will be at the time of execution of such Offering Document, duly authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors, and no further consent or authorization is, or will be at the time of execution of such Offering Document, required by the Company, its respective Board of Directors or its stockholders. Each of the Offering Documents will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Offering Documents, when executed and delivered by the Company and each other party thereto, will constitute the valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of creditors’ rights and remedies.

 

c. Capitalization. The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 350,000,000 shares of common stock, of which 50,000,000 shares are class A common stock and 250,000,000 shares are class B common stock, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, of which of which 4,000,000 shares of preferred stock are designated as series seed preferred stock. The holders of class A common stock are entitled to ten (10) votes per share and the holders of class B common stock are entitled to one (1) vote per share. A share of class A common stock may be voluntarily converted into a share of class B common stock. In addition, a transfer of a share of class A common stock will result in its automatic conversion into a share of class B common stock upon such transfer, subject to certain exceptions, including that the transfer to another holder of class A common stock will not result in such automatic conversion. The class B common stock is not convertible. Other than as to voting and conversion rights, class A common stock and class B common stock have the same rights and preferences and rank equally, share ratably and are identical in all respects as to all matters. The series seed preferred stock is convertible into class A common stock on a 1:1 basis and votes with the common stock on an as-converted basis. Immediately prior to the Initial Closing, there are 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock, no shares of class B common stock, and 4,000,000 shares of series seed preferred stock issued and outstanding. The Company has also reserved 1,736,819 shares of class B common stock for issuance to officers, directors, employees and consultants of the Company pursuant to the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), of which 1,736,819 shares remain available for future issuance. Additionally, the Company has granted two stock options for an aggregate amount of 1,000,000 shares of class A common stock, which may be exercised at $0.25 per share and are fully vested. Except as aforesaid, there are no outstanding options, warrants, script 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 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 securities or rights convertible or exchangeable into shares of common stock. All of the outstanding shares of common stock and series seed preferred stock and all of the share capital of each of the Company’s subsidiaries have been or will be, as of the Initial Closing, duly authorized, validly issued and are fully paid (nonassessable). At the Initial Closing, (i) no shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its subsidiaries will be subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights or any liens or encumbrances suffered or permitted by the Company; (ii) there will be no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is obligated to register the sale of any of their securities under the Securities Act, and (iii) there are no securities or instruments of the Company or any of its subsidiaries containing anti-dilution or similar provisions, including the right to adjust the exercise, exchange or reset price under such securities, that will be triggered by the issuance of the Securities as described in this Agreement. Upon request, the Company will make available to the Investor true and correct copies of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the “Articles of Incorporation”), and the Company’s Bylaws, as amended and as in effect on the date hereof (the “Bylaws”), and the terms of all securities exercisable for common stock and the material rights of the holders thereof in respect thereto other than stock options issued to officers, directors, employees and consultants.

 

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d. Subsidiaries. The Company does not currently own or control, directly or indirectly, any interest in any other corporation, partnership, trust, joint venture, limited liability company, association, or other business entity. The Company is not a participant in any joint venture, partnership or similar arrangement.

 

e. Issuance of Securities. The Securities are duly authorized and, upon issuance in accordance with the terms hereof, shall be duly issued and fully paid (nonassessable), and will be free and clear of all taxes, liens and charges with respect to the issue thereof.

 

f. No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of each of the Offering Documents by the Company, and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not (i) result in a violation of the Articles of Incorporation or the Bylaws (or equivalent constitutive document) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or (ii) violate or conflict with, or result in a breach of any provision of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party, except for those which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including U.S. federal and state securities laws and regulations) applicable to the Company or any subsidiary or by which any property or asset of the Company or any subsidiary is bound or affected except for those which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except those which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in violation of any term of or in default under its constitutive documents. Except those which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any subsidiary is in violation of any term of or in default under any material contract, agreement, mortgage, indebtedness, indenture, instrument, judgment, decree or order or any statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Company or any subsidiary. The business of the Company and its subsidiaries is not being conducted and shall not be conducted in violation of any law, ordinance, or regulation of any governmental entity, except for any violation which could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as specifically contemplated by this Agreement and as required under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is required to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court or governmental agency in order for it to execute, deliver or perform any of its obligations under or contemplated by this Agreement or the other Offering Documents in accordance with the terms hereof or thereof. Neither the execution and delivery by the Company of the Offering Documents, nor the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, will require any notice, consent or waiver under any contract or instrument to which the Company or any subsidiary is a party or by which the Company or any subsidiary is bound or to which any of their assets is subject, except for any notice, consent or waiver the absence of which would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect and would not adversely affect the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby. All consents, authorizations, orders, filings and registrations which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is required to obtain pursuant to the preceding two sentences have been or will be obtained or effected on or prior to the Closing.

 

g. Absence of Litigation. There is no action, suit, claim, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding (including any partial proceeding such as a deposition) or investigation before or by any court, public board, governmental or administrative agency, self-regulatory organization, arbitrator, regulatory authority, stock market, stock exchange or trading facility now pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened, against or affecting the Company or any of its subsidiaries, wherein an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding would (i) adversely affect the validity or enforceability of, or the authority or ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement or any of the other Offering Documents, or (ii) have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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h. Acknowledgment Regarding Subscriber’s Purchase of the Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each Subscriber is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Offering Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The Company further acknowledges that each Subscriber is not acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Offering Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and any advice given by such Subscriber or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Offering Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby is merely incidental to such Subscriber’s purchase of the Securities.

 

i. No General Solicitation. Neither the Company, nor any of its “affiliates” (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act), nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any person acting on its or their behalf, has engaged in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities.

 

j. No Integrated Offering. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor to the knowledge of the Company, 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 require registration of the Securities under the Securities Act or cause this Offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of the Securities Act.

 

k. Employee Relations. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is involved in any labor dispute nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is any such dispute threatened. Neither the Company nor any subsidiary is party to any collective bargaining agreement. The Company’s and/or its subsidiaries’ employees are not members of any union, and the Company believes that its and its subsidiaries’ relationship with their respective employees is good.

 

l. Permits. The Company and its subsidiaries have all authorizations, approvals, clearances, licenses, permits, certificates or exemptions issued by any regulatory authority or governmental agency (collectively, “Permits”) required to conduct their respective businesses as currently conducted except to the extent that the failure to have such Permits would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company or its subsidiaries have fulfilled and performed in all material respects their obligations under each Permit, and, as of the date hereof, to the knowledge of the Company, no event has occurred or condition or state of facts exists which would constitute a breach or default or would cause revocation or termination of any such Permit except to the extent that such breach, default, revocation or termination would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

m. Title. Each of the Company and its subsidiaries has good and marketable title to all of its real and personal property and assets, free and clear of any material restriction, mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, lien, security interest or other charge, claim or encumbrance which would have a Material Adverse Effect. With respect to properties and assets it leases, each of the Company and its subsidiaries is in material compliance with such leases and holds a valid leasehold interest free of any liens, claims or encumbrances which would have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

n. Rights of First Refusal. The Company is not obligated to offer the Securities offered hereunder on a right of first refusal basis or otherwise to any third parties including, but not limited to, current or former stockholders of the Company, underwriters, brokers, agents or other third parties.

 

o. Brokers’ Fees. The Company does not have any liability or obligation to pay any fees or commissions to any broker, finder or agent with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the payment of fees to Boustead as described above.

 

p. Investment Company. The Company is not required to be registered as, and is not an affiliate of, and immediately following the Closing will not be required to register as, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

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q. Patents and Trademarks. The Company and its subsidiaries, if any, have, or have rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, copyrights, licenses and other similar rights that are necessary or material for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the Investor Package and which the failure to so have could have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). Neither the Company nor any subsidiary has received a written notice that the Intellectual Property Rights used by the Company or any subsidiary violates or infringes upon the rights of any person. 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.

 

r. Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the Investor Package, none of the executive officers or directors of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company 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, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any executive officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any executive officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000.

 

s. Investor Package; Disclosure. The Company has made available to each Investor the Investor Package. As of the date set forth on the Investor Package, the Investor Package did 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, not misleading. The Company has made available to you all the information reasonably available to the Company that you have requested for deciding whether to acquire the Securities. No representation or warranty of the Company contained in this Agreement and no certificate furnished or to be furnished to you at the Closing contains any untrue statement of a material fact or, to the Company’s knowledge, omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements contained herein or therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made.

 

t. Reliance. The Company acknowledges that the Investor is relying on the representations and warranties made by the Company hereunder and that such representations and warranties are a material inducement to the Investor purchasing the Securities. The Company further acknowledges that without such representations and warranties of the Company made hereunder, the Investors would not enter into this Agreement.

 

10. Other Covenants and Agreements of the Parties.

 

a. Indemnification. I hereby agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Company and its officers, directors, stockholders, employees, agents, advisors and counsel, and Boustead and its officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents, advisors and counsel, against any and all losses, claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable legal or other expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees) incurred by each such person in connection with defending or investigating any such claims or liabilities, whether or not resulting in any liability to such person, to which any such indemnified party may become subject under the Securities Act, under any other statute, at common law or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, demands, liabilities and expenses (i) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact made by me and contained in this Agreement or my Investor Representation and Suitability Questionnaire, or (ii) arise out of or are based upon any breach by me of any representation, warranty, or agreement made by me contained herein or therein.

 

b. Lock-Up. In connection with this Offering, the Investor agrees to the following lock-up agreement with respect to the Securities:

 

(i) From and after the date hereof and until the 180th day after the date the Company’s common stock is first listed for trading on a national securities exchange (such first trading day, the “Lock-Up Trigger Date”), the Investor agrees not to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of the Securities.

 

(ii) Between the 181st and 270th day after the Lock-Up Trigger Date, the Investor agrees not to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of more than one-third of the Securities, subject to a maximum sale on any trading day of 3% of the daily volume.

 

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(iii) Between the 271st and 365th day after the Lock-Up Trigger Date, the Investor agrees not to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of more than one-third of the Securities, subject to a maximum sale on any trading day of 3% of the daily volume.

 

(iv) After the 365th day after the Lock-Up Trigger Date, the Investor will be entitled to sell the remaining Securities purchased hereunder without contractual restriction, but subject to any restrictions arising under applicable law, including the Securities Act.

 

(v) Notwithstanding the above, commencing 90 days after the Lock-Up Trigger Date, (1) if the price per share of the Company’s common stock is at least 50% higher than the IPO Price (as defined below) per share and trades at least 100,000 shares daily, both for ten (10) consecutive trading days, the Investor may sell one-third of its Securities, subject to a maximum sale on any trading day of 3% of the daily volume; (2) if the price per share of the Company’s common stock is at least 100% higher than the IPO Price per share and trades at least 100,000 shares daily, both for ten (10) consecutive trading days, the Investor may sell up to an additional one-third of its Securities, subject to a maximum sale on any trading day of 3% of the daily volume; and (3) if the price per share of the Company’s common stock is at least 150% higher than the IPO Price per share and trades at least 100,000 shares daily, both for ten (10) consecutive trading days, the Investor may sell an additional one-third constituting a maximum total of all of its Securities, subject to a maximum sale on any trading day of 3% of the daily volume. For purpose of this term, the “IPO Price” shall mean the price that the Company’s common stock is first sold to the public pursuant to an underwritten registered offering resulting in a listing of its common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market or another national stock exchange.

 

(vi) In connection with the foregoing lockup, the Investor agrees that the Company may direct the Company’s transfer agent to issue the Shares in certificated form and deposit the same in an escrow account with an escrow agent to be selected by the Company and Boustead. The escrow account would be governed by an escrow agreement among the Company such escrow agent and Boustead. The Shares would remain in the escrow account as and to the extent that they are locked up hereunder.

 

11. Severability. In the event any parts of this Agreement are found to be void, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless be binding with the same effect as though the void parts were deleted.

 

12. Choice of Law and Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Nevada as applied to contracts entered into and to be performed entirely within the State of Nevada. Any action arising out of this Agreement shall be brought exclusively in a court of competent jurisdiction in Nevada and the parties hereby irrevocably waive any objections they may have to venue in Nevada.

 

13. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. The execution of this Agreement may be by actual, electronic, or facsimile signature.

 

14. Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto. Boustead is an intended third-party beneficiary of this Agreement, including the representations and warranties made by both the Company and the Investor herein and the indemnification provided by the Investor herein and may directly enforce this Agreement and its rights hereunder.

 

15. Notices and Addresses. All notices, offers, acceptance and any other acts under this Agreement (except payment) shall be in writing, and shall be sufficiently given if delivered to the addresses in person, by Federal Express or similar courier delivery, as follows:

 

  Investor: At the address designated on the signature page of this Agreement.
     
  The Company:  

Matthew Atkinson

CEO CC Acquisition Corp.

255 Calamus Circle

Medina, MN 55340

 

or to such other address as any of them, by notice to the others may designate from time to time. The transmission confirmation receipt from the sender’s facsimile machine shall be conclusive evidence of successful facsimile delivery. Time shall be counted to, or from, as the case may be, the delivery in person or by mailing.

 

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16. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may not be changed, waived, discharged, or terminated orally but, rather, only by a statement in writing signed by the Company the party or parties against which enforcement of the change, waiver, discharge, or termination is sought.

 

17. Section Headings. Section headings herein have been inserted for reference only and shall not be deemed to limit or otherwise affect, in any matter, or be deemed to interpret in whole or in part, any of the terms or provisions of this Agreement.

 

18. Survival of Representations, Warranties and Agreements. The representations, warranties and agreements contained herein shall survive the delivery of, and the payment for, the Securities.

 

19. Acceptance of Subscription. The Company may accept this Agreement at any time for all or any portion of the Securities subscribed for by executing a copy hereof as provided and notifying me within a reasonable time thereafter.

 

RESIDENTS OF ALL STATES: THE SECURITIES OFFERED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION AND ARE BEING OFFERED AND SOLD IN RELIANCE ON EXEMPTIONS FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF SAID ACT AND SUCH LAWS. THE SECURITIES ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERABILITY AND RESALE AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED OR RESOLD EXCEPT AS PERMITTED UNDER SAID ACT AND SUCH LAWS PURSUANT TO REGISTRATION OR EXEMPTION THEREFROM. INVESTORS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO BEAR THE FINANCIAL RISKS OF THIS INVESTMENT FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME. THE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY, NOR HAVE ANY OF THE FOREGOING AUTHORITIES PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THIS OFFERING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE OFFERING DOCUMENTS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS UNLAWFUL.

 

SALES IN FLORIDA: THE SECURITIES OFFERED HEREBY WILL BE SOLD, AND ACQUIRED, IN A TRANSACTION EXEMPT UNDER SECTION 517.061(11) OF THE FLORIDA SECURITIES AND INVESTOR PROTECTION ACT. THE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER SAID ACT IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. PURSUANT TO SECTION 517.061(11) OF THE FLORIDA SECURITIES AND INVESTOR PROTECTION ACT, WHEN SALES ARE MADE TO FIVE (5) OR MORE PERSONS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, ANY SALE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA MADE PURSUANT TO SECTION 517.061(11) OF SUCH ACT IS VOIDABLE BY THE PURCHASER IN SUCH SALE (WITHOUT INCURRING ANY LIABILITY TO THE COMPANY OR TO ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY) EITHER WITHIN THREE (3) DAYS AFTER THE FIRST TENDER OF CONSIDERATION IS MADE BY SUCH PURCHASER TO THE ISSUER, AN AGENT OF THE ISSUER, OR AN ESCROW AGENT OR WITHIN THREE (3) DAYS AFTER THE AVAILABILITY OF THAT PRIVILEGE IS COMMUNICATED TO SUCH PURCHASER, WHICHEVER OCCURS LATER. TO VOID HIS OR HER PURCHASE, THE PURCHASER NEED ONLY SEND A LETTER OR TELEGRAM TO THE COMPANY AT THE ADDRESS INDICATED HEREIN. ANY SUCH LETTER OR TELEGRAM SHOULD BE SENT AND POSTMARKED PRIOR TO THE END OF THE AFOREMENTIONED THREE (3) DAY PERIOD. IT IS PRUDENT TO SEND ANY SUCH LETTER BY CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED, TO ASSURE THAT IT IS RECEIVED AND ALSO TO HAVE EVIDENCE OF THE TIME THAT IT WAS MAILED. SHOULD A PURCHASER MAKE THIS REQUEST ORALLY, THAT PURCHASER MUST ASK FOR WRITTEN CONFIRMATION THAT THE REQUEST HAS BEEN RECEIVED. IF NOTICE IS NOT RECEIVED WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT SPECIFIED HEREIN, THE FOREGOING RIGHT TO VOID THE PURCHASE SHALL BE NULL AND VOID.

 

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THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT SUBSCRIBED FOR HEREBY IS:

 

__________ Shares at a per Share Purchase Price of $1.74 per share

 

Manner in Which Title is to be Held. (check one)

 

— Individual Ownership — Community Property
— Joint Tenant with Right of Survivorship (both parties must sign)
— Partnership — Tenants in common
— Corporation or Trust — IRA or Keogh
— Other (please indicate)  

 

INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS   ENTITY INVESTORS
     
    By:                  
Signature (Individual)     *Signature
     
    Its:  
Signature (Joint)    
(all record holders must sign)   Title:
     
     
Name(s) Typed or Printed   Entity Name Typed or Printed
     
Address to Which Correspondence Should be Directed   Address to Which Correspondence Should be Directed
     
     
Street   Street
     
City, State and Zip Code   City, State and Zip Code
     
Email Address for Notification   Email Address for Notification
     
Name(s) Typed or Tax Identification or
Social Security Number
  Name(s) Typed or Tax Identification or
Social Security Number

 

*If Securities are being subscribed for by any entity, the Certificate of Signatory on the next page must also be completed

 

The foregoing subscription is accepted and the Company hereby agrees to be bound by its terms on _____ day of _______, 2022.

 

  CC Acquisition Corp.
       
  By:  
    Name:  Matthew Atkinson
    Its: Chief Executive Officer

 

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CERTIFICATE OF SIGNATORY

 

(To be completed if Securities are being subscribed for by an entity)

 

I, _____________________________, the _____________________________________

(name of signatory)(title)

 

of______________________________________________(“Entity”), a _____________________________  

(name of entity)   (type of entity)  

 

Organized under the laws of _______________, hereby certify that I am empowered and duly authorized by the Entity to execute the Subscription Agreement and to purchase the Securities, and certify further that the Subscription Agreement has been duly and validly executed on behalf of the Entity and constitutes a legal and binding obligation of the Entity.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand this ______ day of ___________, 2022.

 

 
  (Signature)

 

 

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Exhibit 10.2

 

PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT

 

This Purchase and Sale Agreement, is dated as of the 17th day of October, 2022 (hereinafter “Agreement”), by and between CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (hereinafter “Purchaser”), CleanCore Solutions, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“CleanCore”), TetraClean Systems, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“TetraClean”) and Food Safety Technology, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Food Safety” and, together with CleanCore and TetraClean, the “Sellers” and each a “Seller”), and Burlington Capital, LLC (“Burlington”). Seller, Purchaser, and Burlington shall individually be referred to as a “Party”, and collectively as the “Parties”.

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, the Sellers are engaged in the business of developing, manufacturing and supplying aqueous ozone and other solutions for all-purpose cleaning (the “Business”).

 

WHEREAS, Purchaser agrees to purchase from Sellers, and Sellers agrees to sell to Purchaser, substantially all of the assets used in connection with the Business.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, mutual covenants set forth herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
Closing, Closing Date, Assets and Purchase Price

 

1.1 Closing Date. The consummation of the purchase of the transactions contemplated herein (collectively, the “Closing”) shall take place September 30, 2022 or (or such other date as mutually agreed to by the Parties) at such time and place mutually agreed to by the Parties (hereinafter referred to as the “Closing Date”).

 

1.2 Assets To Be Sold Hereunder. Each Seller agrees upon the terms and conditions set forth herein to grant, convey, sell, assign and transfer to Purchaser, free and clear of any charge, claim, equitable interest, lien, option, pledge, security interest, mortgage, right of way, right of first option or first refusal or similar restriction (each an “Encumbrance”), all of its tangible and intangible assets, excluding the Excluded Assets (as defined below), of every kind and description wherever located (“Transferred Assets”) including, but not limited to:

 

a. Equipment and Tooling. Any and all personal property, equipment, machinery, tooling, computers, software, furniture and fixtures utilized in the Business, including but not limited to those assets listed on Schedule 1.2(a) attached hereto (the “Equipment”).

 

b. Inventory and Raw Materials. Saleable inventory, wherever located, whether raw materials, work in process or finished goods, including but not limited to the inventory listed on Schedule 1.2(b) attached hereto (the “Inventory”).

 

 

 

 

c. Contract Rights With Customers. All contract rights with customers, including under the contracts listed on Schedule 1.2(c) attached hereto (the “Customer Contracts”).

 

d. Contract Rights With Vendors and Suppliers. All contract rights with vendors and suppliers, including under the contracts listed on Schedule 1.2(d) attached hereto (“Vendor and Supplier Contracts”).

 

e. Distributor and Manufacturer’s Sales Representative Agreements. All contract rights with distributors and manufacturers’ representatives, including the contracts listed on Schedule 1.2(e) attached hereto (“Distributor and Rep Agreements”)

 

f. Other Contracts. Any other contracts pertaining to the Business or the Transferred Assets, including the leases listed on Schedule 3.5 (the “Leases”), entered into by the Sellers, including the contracts listed on Schedule 1.2(f) (the “Other Contracts” and, together with the Distributor and Rep Agreements, Customer Contracts and the Vendor and Supplier Contracts collectively the “Assumed Contracts”).

 

g. Goodwill, Intangibles and Client and Customer Lists. All goodwill, intangibles and client and customer lists utilized by or in conjunction with the Business.

 

h. Intellectual Property. All intellectual property, including but not limited to the patents, patent applications, trade secrets, proprietary knowledge, names utilized by the Business and all variants thereof, trade names, trademarks and copyrights, including but not limited to, the intellectual property listed on Schedule 1.2(h) attached hereto (the “Intellectual Property”).

 

i. Governmental Authorizations. All governmental authorizations and all pending applications therefor or renewals thereof, in each case to the extent transferable to Purchaser, including those listed in Schedule 1.2(i).

 

j. Data and Records. To the extent used in the Business as of the Closing Date, all data and records, referral sources, research and development reports and records, production reports and records, service and warranty records, equipment logs, operating guides and manuals, studies, reports and other similar documents and records.

 

k. Claims. Any claims of the Sellers against third parties arising from the Business prior to the Closing, and relating to the Transferred Assets, including those listed in Schedule 1.2(k).

 

l. Prepaid Expenses. Any rights of the Sellers arising from the Business and relating to the Transferred Assets, including deposits and prepaid expenses, claims for refunds and rights to offset in respect thereof (that are not Excluded) Assets listed in Schedule 1.2(l).

 

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m. Names, Addresses, Listings. Telephone numbers and listings, email and internet addresses and website names.

 

n. Marketing Materials. Seller’s creative advertising, promotional and marketing materials related to the Business and to the extent used in the Business as of the closing date, pricing and cost data.

 

o. Case Studies. The case studies compiled by Seller prior to the Closing Date.

 

p. Demo Units and Consignment Inventory. The demo units and consignment inventory listed on Exhibit 1.2(p) attached hereto (“Demo and Consignment Inventory”).

 

q. Accounts. All (i) trade accounts receivable and other rights to payment from customers of Sellers in existence as of the Closing Date and the full benefit of all security for such accounts or rights to payment, including all trade accounts receivable representing amounts receivable in respect of goods shipped or products sold or services rendered to customers of Sellers prior to the Closing Date, (ii) other accounts or notes receivable of Sellers in existence as of the Closing Date and the full benefit of all security for such accounts or notes and (iii) any claim, remedy or other right related to any of the foregoing

 

The following are excluded from the Transferred Assets conveyed to Purchaser: (a) cash in banks and cash equivalents; (b) insurance policies (including pre-paid premiums) maintained by Seller or its affiliates as well as all insurance claims, rights, benefits and proceeds related thereto except to the extent specified in Schedule 1.2; (c) any rights to tax refunds with respect to periods ending on or prior to the Closing Date; (d) personal property not used in the operation of the Business; and (e) financial and accounting records, provided, however, Seller shall provide access to such financial and accounting records after Closing (collectively the “Excluded Assets”).

 

1.3 Assumption of Liabilities. On the Closing Date, Purchaser shall assume and agree to discharge only the following liabilities of Seller (“Assumed Liabilities”):

 

a. all obligations arising on or after the Closing Date under or relating to any Assumed Contract, in each case only to the extent arising from and after the Closing Date and not arising from or relating to any breach, default or failure by a Seller to perform any covenants or obligations required to be performed by such Seller prior to the Closing Date;

 

b. all obligations of the Seller under the terms of the Leases, copies of which are attached to Schedule 3.5 but only to the extent arising from and after the Closing Date and not arising from or relating to any breach, default or failure by a Seller to perform any covenants or obligations required to be performed by such Seller prior to the Closing Date.

 

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c. accounts payable, and other indebtedness, including any interest bearing liabilities of any Seller existing as of the Closing Date;

 

d. all other liabilities arising out of or relating to the Transferred Assets, including the use, ownership, possession or operations of the Transferred Assets, but only to the extent arising from and after the Closing Date and not arising from or relating to any breach, default or failure by a Seller to perform any covenants or obligations required to be performed by such Seller prior to the Closing Date.

 

1.4 Excluded Liabilities. Except as and to the extent specifically set forth under Section 1.3, Purchaser is not assuming, or agreeing to otherwise become liable for any debts, liabilities, claims, lawsuits, or obligations of any nature of Seller (the “Excluded Liabilities”). Seller hereby agrees to be responsible for all Excluded Liabilities, and pursuant and subject to Article VIII, to indemnify Purchaser from all Excluded Liabilities. The Excluded Liabilities shall include without limitation:

 

a. any liability for taxes arising as a result of Seller’s operation of the Business or ownership of the Transferred Assets prior to the Closing Date, including but not limited to any sales or use tax related to the Equipment, (b) any taxes imposed on the sale and transfer of the Transferred Assets pursuant to this Agreement, and (c) any deferred taxes of any nature relating to the operation of the Business prior to the Closing Date;

 

b. all liabilities relating to or arising in respect of any of the Excluded Assets;

 

c. all liabilities arising out of the conduct of the Business or ownership of the Transferred Assets by any Seller prior to the Closing Date;

 

d. to the extent they exist, any fees, expenses and other costs, incurred by Sellers or Burlington in connection with negotiating, preparing, closing and carrying out the provisions of this Agreement;

 

e. to the extent arising prior to the Closing Date or relating to any breach, default or failure by a Seller to perform any covenants or obligations required to be performed by such Seller prior to the Closing Date, all liabilities relating to the Assumed Contracts, including the Leases;

 

f. any liability arising out of or resulting from any Sellers’ compliance or non-compliance with any legal requirement or order of any governmental body prior to the Closing Date;

 

g. any liability, fee, expense or other costs arising out of or related to any and all litigation related to the operation of Business prior to the Closing Date and any liability, fee, expense or other costs arising prior to the Closing Date related to the Transferred Assets, including the litigation and other items described on Schedule 3.1;

 

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h. any liability arising out of or relating to products of Sellers to the extent manufactured or sold prior to the Closing, provided, however, Seller’s liability shall be limited to the three-year period immediately following the Closing Date;

 

i. any environmental, health and safety liabilities arising out of or relating to the operation of Sellers’ business or Sellers’ obligations under the Leases listed on Schedule 3.5, but specifically not including any not known or unknown environmental liabilities associated with ozone;

 

j. any liability under the employee benefit and similar plans, entered into prior to the Closing Date, or relating to payroll, vacation, sick leave, workers’ compensation, unemployment benefits, pension benefits, employee stock option or profit-sharing plans, health care plans or benefits or any other employee plans or benefits of any kind for Sellers’ employees or former employees or both;

 

k. any liability under any employment, severance, retention or termination agreement entered into prior to the Closing Date with any employee of Sellers or any of their affiliates;

 

l. any liability of Sellers to any member, unitholder, shareholder or equity holder or affiliate of any Seller;

 

m. any liability to indemnify, reimburse or advance amounts to any officer, director, employee or agent of Sellers;

 

n. any liability to distribute to any of Sellers’ members, unitholders, equity holders, shareholders or otherwise apply all or any part of the consideration received hereunder;

 

o. any liability arising out of or relating to any employee grievance related to any employment prior to the Closing whether or not the affected employees are hired by Purchaser;

 

p. any liability of Sellers under this Agreement or any other document executed in connection with herewith; and

 

q. any liability of Seller based upon Sellers’ acts or omissions occurring after the Closing.

 

1.5 Purchase Price. The purchase price for the Transferred Assets (hereinafter referred to as the “Purchase Price”) is $5,000,000, to be payable as follows:

 

a. Purchaser shall deliver to Burlington on the Closing Date, by electronic wire transfer of cash funds to such account as shall be designated by Burlington, in an amount equal to Two Million and 00/100 Dollars ($2,000,000) less the aggregate amount of the payments to be made by Purchaser pursuant to sections 3.7 and 7.1 (the “Cash Portion”);

 

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b. Purchaser shall execute a promissory note in the amount of Three Million and 00/100 Dollars ($3,000,000), which shall accrue interest at a rate of 7% per annum (the “Seller Note”). The Seller Note shall be due and payable upon the earlier of (i) the closing of a firm commitment initial public offering and concurrent listing on a national securities exchange or (ii) the first anniversary of the Closing. A copy of the form of the promissory note is attached hereto as Exhibit A;

 

c. Personal property taxes, real estate taxes (if any) and prepaid service contracts shall be prorated to the Closing Date and the payment of the Purchase Price shall be adjusted if necessary in accordance with Section 7.1 hereof.

 

d. In addition to the $5,000,000, if, and only if, the Business hits the Target Metrics for the twelve month period ending on the last day of the month of the 12 complete months following the Closing Date (the “Measurement Period”), Purchaser shall deliver to Burlington for payment to Sellers a one-time payment of $500,000 upon Such payment shall be made by wire transfer within ten (10) days after the audit is completed for the three month period that includes the last day of the Measurement Period and shall be deemed to be an adjustment to the Purchase Price. For the avoidance of doubt, the one-time payment is “all or nothing” and no payment under this Section 1.5(d) shall be made to the Seller if any Target Metrics is not achieved. For purposes hereof the Target Metrics shall be both (a) revenue for the Measurement Period from Existing Accounts (as defined below) of at least %5,565,000 and (b) net income with respect to Existing Accounts during the Measurement Period of at least %1,607,103 and “Existing Accounts” shall mean those customers [listed on Schedule 1.5(d)]

 

1.6 Allocation of the Purchase Price.

 

a. Burlington and Purchaser agree to allocate the Purchase Price and the Assumed Liabilities among the Transferred Assets in accordance with Schedule 1.6 (the “Allocation”).

 

b. Except to the extent otherwise required pursuant to a “determination” within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and the accompanying regulations, Seller, Burlington, Purchaser and their respective affiliates shall not take any tax position in regard to taxes of any kind (on a tax return) that is inconsistent with the Allocation unless required to do so as part of a tax audit.

 

1.7 Payments. Any and all payments to be made to Sellers pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be made to Burlington on behalf of the Sellers and their respective members, unitholders, equity holders and affiliates.

 

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ARTICLE II
DOCUMENTS

 

2.1 Documents To Be Delivered By Sellers and Burlington. On the Closing Date or such other time as specified below, each Seller shall deliver to Purchaser (the extent not previously provided to Purchaser) the following:

 

a. All Transferred Assets (including Assumed Contracts) which are capable of transfer by delivery except as explicitly set forth otherwise in this Agreement;

 

b. Duly executed assignments of the Intellectual Property in forms which are reasonably acceptable to Purchaser;

 

c. Bill of Sale for the Transferred Assets with warranties of title in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B duly executed by each Seller;

 

d. Assignment of Leases in the forms attached hereto as Exhibit C, duly executed by the Parties.

 

e. Copies of the Financial Statements pursuant to Section 3.2;

 

f. Copies of all Assumed Contracts;

 

g. Any pay-off letters, signed termination of debt statements and releases evidencing the release of all Encumbrances set forth on Schedule 3.7, in a form acceptable to Purchaser;

 

h. Documentation evidencing the payment in full of all creditors set forth on Schedule 3.10(a) in a form acceptable to Purchaser;

 

i. Certificates required pursuant to Section 6.1 hereof;

 

j. Copies of a resolution of the Board of Managers of Seller, unanimously approving and adopting the form and substances of this Agreement, and authorizing and directing its execution and delivery;

 

k. Certificate of good standing from the State of Delaware for each Seller and Burlington; and

 

l. Copies of the employment agreements required pursuant to Section 11.2 hereof.

 

m. such other deeds, bills of sale, assignments, certificates of title, documents and other instruments of transfer and conveyance as may reasonably be requested by Purchaser, each in form and substance satisfactory to Purchaser and its legal counsel and executed by Sellers;

 

n. At least 48 hours prior to the Closing the Sellers shall deliver to Purchaser an estimated Profit and Loss Statement for the nine month period ended September 30, 2022 of each Seller, and an estimated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2022 of each Seller,

 

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2.2 Documents to be Delivered by Purchaser. On the Closing Date, Purchaser shall deliver to Seller the following:

 

a. Cash payment required on the Closing Date.

 

b. Seller Note in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, duly executed by Purchaser.

 

c. Such instruments of assumption as Burlington may reasonably request to effectuate assumption of the Assumed Liabilities.

 

d. Copies of the resolutions of the Board of Directors of Purchaser, unanimously approving and adopting the form and substance of this Agreement, and authorizing and directing its execution and delivery.

 

e. Purchaser’s certificate of good standing from the State of Delaware.

 

f. Purchaser’s certificate required pursuant to Section 4.1 hereof.

 

All documents to be delivered by Purchaser pursuant to the terms of this Agreement shall be delivered to Burlington.

 

ARTICLE III
REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS OF SELLER

 

Each Seller and Burlington jointly and severally represents, warrants and covenants that the following are true and correct on the date hereof, and shall remain true and correct on each day up to and including the Closing Date:

 

3.1 No Litigation. Except as listed on Schedule 3.1, no suit, action, or legal, administrative, arbitration, or other proceeding or governmental investigation is pending or to Seller’s knowledge is threatened against Seller which might adversely affect the Business.

 

3.2 Financial Statements; Affiliate Transactions; Absence of Changes or Events.

 

a. The Sellers have provided to Purchaser a copy of the following financial statements: (a) Profit and Loss Statement for the eight months ending August 31, 2022 of each Seller, (b) Balance Sheet as of August 31, 2022 of each Seller, (c) Profit and Loss Statement for the period January 1, 2022 – September 15, 2022 of each Seller, and (d) Balance Sheet as of September 15, 2022 of each Seller (the “Financial Statements”). Each Seller represents that the Financial Statements: (i) have been or will have been prepared from the books and records of Sellers, and (ii) accurately represent the financial condition of the Business and the Sellers as of the date specified in all material respects. The Sellers do not have any liability or obligation, other than (a) liabilities set forth on the liabilities side of the most recent balance sheet included in the Financial Statements, (b) liabilities and obligations which have arisen after the date of the most recent balance sheet included in the Financial Statements in the ordinary course of business or (c) liabilities or obligations which are not material to Seller, the Business or the Transferred Assets. All accounts and notes receivable reflected on most recent balance sheet included in the Financial Statements are bona fide receivables arising in the ordinary course of business and neither the Seller nor Burlington has any knowledge that any such accounts receivable are not collectible.

 

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b. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.2(b), no employee, officer, director or unitholder of Seller or affiliate of Seller, or any person in the immediate family group of any of the foregoing (each, a “Seller Affiliate”) (i) is a party to any agreement, contract, commitment, arrangement, or transaction with Seller or that pertains to the Business or Transferred Assets other than any employment, non-competition, confidentiality or other similar agreements between Seller and any person who is an officer, director or employee of Seller (each, an “Affiliate Agreement”); or (ii) owns, leases, or has any economic or other interest in any asset, tangible or intangible (including Intellectual Property Rights), that is used in, held for use in, or necessary for the operation of the Business as currently conducted (together with the Affiliate Agreements, collectively the “Affiliate Transactions”).

 

c. Since the date of the latest Financial Statements, the Business of the Sellers has been operated in the ordinary course and there has not been any material adverse change in the financial condition, results of operations, business, assets or prospects of the Sellers or the value or condition of the Transferred Assets.

 

3.3 Contracts. Except as listed on Schedule 1.2(d) attached hereto, Seller is not and shall not be, through and including the Closing Date, a party to any written or oral contract pertaining to the Business and Transferred Assets

 

True and complete copies of all written contracts pertaining to the Business and Transferred Assets have been provided to Purchaser (including all attachments and amendments thereto), and the material terms of all verbal contracts pertaining to the Business and Transferred Assets have been disclosed to Purchaser in writing. The Assumed Contracts attached hereto are valid, binding, and in full force and effect and are enforceable by Seller in accordance with their terms. As of the date of this Agreement and through the Closing Date, there are no contracts (other than the Assumed Contracts and the Leases) of any nature to which Seller is a party or by which it or any of its properties are bound, under which Purchaser will in any way become obligated at any time as a result of the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

There are no disputes or proceedings pending or, to the best of Seller’s knowledge, threatened, in connection with any of the Assumed Contracts, and Seller has no knowledge of the occurrence of any events which are likely to give rise to any such dispute or proceeding in the future. Seller has duly performed all of Seller’s obligations under all Assumed Contracts required to be performed prior to the date hereof, and will continue to perform all of Seller’s obligations through, but not including, the Closing Date. Unless otherwise provided herein, all Assumed Contracts are in the name of a Seller.

 

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3.4 Taxes.

 

a. All tax returns required by law to be filed by Seller for all periods prior to the Closing Date and all taxes shown to be due thereon have been timely filed and paid and said returns accurately reflect the total tax liability due from Seller as a result of the ownership and/or operation of the Business. Seller is not currently the beneficiary of any extension of time within which to file any tax return. No claim has ever been made by an authority in a jurisdiction where Seller does not file tax returns that Seller is or may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction.

 

b. Except as disclosed on Schedule 3.7, there are no federal, state or local tax liens filed against Seller or the Business.

 

c. Any and all sales tax, bulk transfer tax, or any other similar tax, regardless of the designation, that may be or become due and owing by reason of the transfer of the Transferred Assets to Purchaser shall be the responsibility and liability of Seller and will be paid by Seller without contribution from Purchaser. The preparation and filing of the appropriate tax return will be the responsibility of Seller.

 

3.5 Leases. Except for the Leases listed on Schedule 3.5, no Seller is a party to any written or oral lease or sublease of real or personal property used in connection with the Business. No security deposit or portion thereof deposited with respect to the Leases has been applied in respect of a breach or default under such Leases which has not been redeposited in full; (ii) Seller does not owe or will owe in the future, any brokerage commissions or finder’s fees with respect to such Leases; and (iii) Seller has not subleased, licensed or otherwise granted any person the right to use or occupy such leased real property or any portion thereof.

 

3.6 Binding Obligation; No Breach Of Other Agreements. The Sellers and Burlington have all requisite corporate, limited liability or other power and authority to enter into and perform its respective obligations under this Agreement and to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby. The Sellers and Burlington have duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other transactions contemplated hereby and, no other corporate proceedings on the part of the Sellers or Burlington are necessary to authorize this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and consummation of the transactions herein provided does not: (i) conflict with or result in a breach of the terms and conditions of, accelerate any provision of, or constitute a default under, any contract, promissory note or agreement to which Seller is a party or is bound; (ii) violate any judgment, order, injunction, decree or award against or binding upon Seller or the Transferred Assets; (iii) result in the creation of any material lien, charge or Encumbrance upon the Transferred Assets; or (iv) violate any law or regulation of any jurisdiction relating to the Business or the Transferred Assets. No consent, approval, order or authorization of, or registration, declaration or filing with, any court, administrative agency or commission or other governmental authority or instrumentality, domestic or foreign, is required by or with respect to the Sellers or Burlington in connection with its execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement.

 

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3.7 Title to Transferred Assets. Except as listed on Schedule 3.7 attached hereto, the Sellers presently have, and shall continue to have through the Closing Date, good and marketable title to all of the Transferred Assets, and the Transferred Assets are not subject to any Encumbrance. The amount of each and every indebtedness resulting from any Encumbrance of any nature is listed on Schedule 3.7, which amount shall be deducted from the Purchase Price and be remitted by Purchaser directly to said designated creditors upon the submission to Purchaser of payoff letters, termination of debt statements and releases.

 

3.8 Broker’s Fee. Sellers are not and shall not be a party to, or in any way obligated under, any contract or agreement, oral or written, for the payment of fees or expenses, other than legal or accounting fees and expenses, to any broker or other party in connection with the origin, negotiation, execution or consummation of this Agreement.

 

3.9 Compliance With Laws. Each Seller has complied, and shall be in compliance, in all material respects with all laws, regulations and orders to the Business and Transferred Assets, including all laws and regulations to Sellers’ employees, and has obtained all governmental permits, licenses, franchises or the like required in order to operate the Business, and the present uses of the Transferred Assets and the operation of the Business do not violate in any material respect any law, regulation, ordinance or order. Seller has not received any notice or warning from any governmental authority with respect to any failure or alleged failure of Seller to comply with any law, regulation or order and no such notice or warning has been proposed or threatened.

 

3.10 Liabilities/Creditors/Employees.

 

a. Schedule 3.10(a) sets forth a complete and accurate list of all creditors associated directly or indirectly with a Seller’s possession, operation and/or ownership of the Business and the Transferred Assets as of the Closing Date, including, without limitation, contingent creditors and disputed claims. Except as disclosed on Schedule 3.10(a) and as reflected in the Preliminary Closing Statement, Seller has no liability or obligation of any kind related to the Business or the Transferred Assets. Seller shall pay all creditors as provided in Section 1.7(a) and Article VIII hereof.

 

b. There are no plans of the Seller in effect for pension, profit sharing, deferred compensation, severance pay, bonuses, stock options, stock purchases, or any other form of retirement or deferred benefit, or for any health, accident or other welfare plan, as to which the Purchaser will become liable as a result of the transactions contemplated hereby. No Seller nor any affiliate of Seller (to the extent related to the Business) have been a party to or otherwise bound by any collective bargaining agreement or relationship with any labor union, works council, trade association, or other such employee representative, have not committed any material unfair labor practice and have, within the past three years, implemented any plant closing or layoff of employees that could implicate the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, as amended, or any similar foreign, state, provincial or local plant closing or mass layoff Law (collectively, the “WARN Act”).

 

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c. Schedule 3.10(c) sets forth a true, complete and correct list of (i) all employees and contractors of any Seller (collectively, the “Employees”) with the name of the employing company of each and the country and state in which the employee normally works, (ii) the position, date of hire, current annual rate of compensation (or with respect to employees compensated on an hourly or per diem basis, the hourly or per diem rate of compensation), including any bonus, contingent or deferred compensation, and estimated or target annual incentive compensation of each such person, (iii) the exempt or non-exempt classification of such person on the Fair Labor Standards Act and any other applicable law regarding the payment of wages; and (iv) the total compensation for each executive and key employee during the fiscal years ending December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, in each case including any bonus, contingent or deferred compensation. Current and complete copies of all employment contracts or, where oral, written summaries of the terms thereof, have been delivered or made available to Purchaser. Sellers and any affiliates of Sellers (to the extent related to the Business) have not been a party to or otherwise bound by any collective bargaining agreement or relationship with any labor union, works council, trade association, or other such employee representative, have not committed any material unfair labor practice and have not, within the past three years, implemented any plant closing or layoff of employees that could implicate the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, as amended, or any similar foreign, state, provincial or local plant closing or mass layoff Law.

 

3.11 Organization. Each Seller is duly organized, existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Seller does not currently own or control, directly or indirectly, any interest in any other corporation, partnership, trust, joint venture, limited liability company, association or other business entity, except as otherwise disclosed herein. Such Seller is not a participant in any joint venture partnership or other arrangement, except as otherwise disclosed herein.

 

3.12 Authorization. Such Seller and Burlington each has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby. Such Seller and Burlington each has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other transactions contemplated hereby and, no other corporate proceedings on the part of such Seller or Burlington are necessary to authorize this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by such Seller or Burlington and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of such Seller or Burlington enforceable in accordance with its terms.

 

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3.13 Intellectual Property.

 

a. Schedule 1.2(h) sets forth a list that includes all Intellectual Property owned by the Sellers (the “Seller-Owned Intellectual Property”) (including the jurisdictions where such Seller-Owned Intellectual Property is registered or where applications have been filed, and all registration or application numbers, as appropriate). For purposes of this Section 3.13, “Intellectual Property” means all intellectual property and other similar proprietary rights in any jurisdiction worldwide, whether registered or unregistered, including such rights in and to: (i) patents (including all reissues, divisions, provisionals, continuations and continuations-in-part, re-examinations, renewals and extensions thereof), patent applications, patent disclosures or other patent rights; (ii) copyrights, design, design registration, and all registrations, applications for registration, and renewals for any of the foregoing, and any “moral” rights; (iii) trademarks, service marks, trade names, business names, logos, trade dress, certification marks and other indicia of commercial source or origin together with all goodwill associated with the foregoing, and all registrations, applications and renewals for any of the foregoing; (iv) trade secrets and business, technical and know-how information, databases, data collections and other confidential and proprietary information and all rights therein; (v) software, including data files, source code, object code, application programming interfaces, architecture, files, records, schematics, computerized databases and other software-related specifications and documentation; and (vi) Internet domain name registrations.

 

b. All necessary registration, maintenance and renewal fees have been paid and all necessary documents have been filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or foreign patent and trademark office in the relevant foreign jurisdiction for the purposes of maintaining the registered Seller-Owned Intellectual Property.

 

c. Except as set forth in Schedule 1.2(h), (i) the Sellers are the exclusive owner of the Seller-Owned Intellectual Property free and clear of all Encumbrances; (ii) to the knowledge of the Sellers, no proceedings have been instituted, are pending or are threatened that challenge the rights of the Sellers in or the validity or enforceability of the Seller-Owned Intellectual Property; (iii) to the knowledge of the Sellers, neither the use of the Seller-Owned Intellectual Property as currently used by the Sellers in the conduct of the Business, nor the conduct of the business as presently conducted by the Sellers infringes, dilutes, misappropriates or otherwise violates in any material respect the Intellectual Property rights of any person; and (iv) as of the date of this Agreement, the Sellers have not made any claim of a violation, infringement, misuse or misappropriation by any Person, of their rights to, or in connection with, the Seller-Owned Intellectual Property.

 

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d. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.13(d), the Sellers have not permitted or granted a license to any person to use any Seller-Owned Intellectual Property.

 

e. Schedule 3.14(e) sets forth a complete and accurate list of all licenses, other than “off the shelf” commercially available software programs, pursuant to which the Sellers have been granted a license to use Intellectual Property that is material to and used in the conduct of the Business.

 

f. To the knowledge of the Sellers, the Sellers are not in default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any obligation, covenant or condition contained in any contract pursuant to which any third party is authorized to use any Seller-Owned Intellectual Property or pursuant to which the Sellers are licensed to use Intellectual Property owned by a third party.

 

3.14 Inventory and Equipment. The Inventory consists of raw materials, manufactured and purchased parts and finished goods saleable or usable in the ordinary course of business. The Inventory is fit and sufficient for the purposes for which it was provided or manufactured and is normal and reasonable in kind and amount in light of the normal needs of the Business as presently conducted. The Equipment is usable in the ordinary course of business and are fit and sufficient for the purposes for which they were provided or manufactured and are normal and reasonable in kind and amount in light of the normal needs of the Business as presently conducted.

 

3.15 Customers, Distributors and Vendors. Schedule 3.15 sets forth a complete and accurate list of: (a) all customers of the Business during the 12-month period ended August 31, 2022, showing the approximate total sales to each such customer during such 12-month period and the percentage of the total sales represented by such sales;(b) the twenty (20) largest vendors of the Business (measured by the aggregate amount purchased by the Sellers) during the 12-month period ended August 31, 2022 (each a “Material Vendor”, and collectively, the “Material Vendors”), showing the approximate total spend by the Sellers from each such vendor during such 12-month period and the percentage of total spend of Seller represented by such spend; (c) open purchase orders by vendor as of September [23], 2022 and (d) open orders by customer as of September [23], 2022,.  No customer and no such Material Vendor within the last twelve (12) months has canceled or otherwise terminated, or threatened to cancel, or to the knowledge of such Seller or Burlington, intends to cancel or terminate, its relationship with Sellers. No customer within the last twelve (12) months has decreased materially or threatened to decrease or limit materially its business with Seller, or to the knowledge of Seller or Burlington, intends to modify materially its relationship with Seller (including changing the terms, whether related to payment, price or otherwise). The relationship of Seller with each customer and Material Vendor is, to the knowledge of Seller and Burlington, satisfactory and there are no unresolved material disputes with any customer or Material Vendor. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.15, the Seller has not accelerated the collection of any accounts receivable or delayed the payment of any account payable after the date of the Financial Statements.

 

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3.16 Business in the Ordinary Course. For the past twelve (12) months, Sellers have engaged in the development, manufacture, sale and distribution of its products in the ordinary course of business.

 

3.17 Employee Benefit Plans. There are no plans of the Sellers in effect for pension, profit sharing, deferred compensation, severance pay, bonuses, stock options, stock purchases, or any other form of retirement or deferred benefit, or for any health, accident or other welfare plan, as to which the Purchaser will become liable as a result of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

3.18 Environmental Matters. Sellers have not received notice of any private or governmental claims, citations, complaints, notices of violation, letters or threatened actions made, issued to or threatened against the Sellers by any governmental entity or private or other party for the impairment or diminution of, or damage, injury or other adverse effects to, the environment or public health resulting, in whole or in part, from the ownership, use or operation of any of the Sellers’ facilities (whether owned or leased) which may l be occupied or operated by Purchaser as a result of the transactions contemplated hereby (the “Property”). The Sellers have duly complied with, and, to the Sellers’, and Burlington’s knowledge, without inquiry, the Property is in compliance with, the provisions of all federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws, codes and ordinances and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

3.19 Warranty Claims. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.19, Sellers do not provide any express warranties, guaranties or assurances of products and services. For the past five (5) years, (a) there have not been (and there is no basis for alleging) any product recalls, withdrawals or seizures with respect to any of the products marketed, sold or delivered by Seller, and (b) there have not been (and there is no basis for alleging) any material claims against Seller alleging any defects or other deficiency (whether of design, materials, workmanship, labeling instructions or otherwise) in Seller’s services or products, or alleging any failure of the products or services of Seller to meet applicable specifications, warranties or contractual commitments.

 

3.20 Credit Cards. All credit cards issued to or in the name of any Seller, and the balances thereof, are set forth on Schedule 3.20.

 

3.21 Full Disclosure. To the best knowledge of each Seller, and Burlington, no representation or warranty by Seller or Burlington, in this Agreement and no statement contained in the Schedules to this Agreement or any certificate or other document furnished or to be furnished to Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement contains any untrue statement of a material fact, or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading.

 

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ARTICLE IV
CONDITIONS TO OBLIGATIONS OF SELLERS

 

The obligations of Seller to consummate the transactions provided for herein are subject to the following conditions which Seller may in its sole discretion waive:

 

4.1 Representations. All of the representations, warranties and covenants made herein by Purchaser shall be true and correct on the Closing Date and all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement to be complied with and performed by Purchaser on or prior to the Closing Date shall have been timely complied with and performed. A certificate to that effect shall be delivered by Purchaser to Seller on the Closing Date (Exhibit D).

 

4.2 Challenge To This Agreement. There shall be no pending or threatened claim and/or suit by any third party challenging this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein.

 

4.3 Approval of Instruments. Counsel for Seller shall review and approve, if appropriate, the form, substance and sufficiency of all instruments to be delivered by Purchaser on or before the Closing Date, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

4.4 Documents. Purchaser shall have delivered all documents required in Section 2.2 hereof.

 

ARTICLE V
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PURCHASER

 

Purchaser represents, warrants and agrees that the following are true and correct on the date hereof and shall remain true and correct on each day up to and including the Closing Date:

 

5.1 Organization. Purchaser is duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada, and has full power and authority to carry on its current business and to own, use and purchase its assets and properties.

 

5.2  Authorization. Purchaser has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and to carry out the transactions contemplated hereby. Purchaser has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other transactions contemplated hereby and, no other corporate proceedings on the part of Purchaser are necessary to authorize this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Purchaser and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Purchaser enforceable in accordance with its terms.

 

5.3 No Litigation. No suit, action, or legal, administrative, arbitration, or other proceeding or governmental investigation is pending or to Purchaser’s knowledge is threatened against Purchaser which might materially or adversely affect Purchaser’s ability or right to perform all of its obligations hereunder.

 

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5.4 Brokers. Purchaser is not a party to, or in any way obligated under, any contract or agreement, oral or written, for payment of fees or expenses, other than legal and accounting fees and expenses, to any broker or other party in connection with the origin, negotiation, execution or consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

5.5 Other Agreements. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions provided for herein will not result in a breach of any terms or provisions of, or constitute a default or permit acceleration of maturity under, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement to which Purchaser is a party or is bound.

 

5.6 Full Disclosure. To the best knowledge of Purchaser, no representation or warranty by Purchaser in this Agreement and no statement contained in the Schedules to this Agreement or any certificate or other document furnished or to be furnished by Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement contains any untrue statement of a material fact, or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein, in light of the circumstances in which they are made, not misleading.

 

ARTICLE VI
CONDITIONS TO OBLIGATIONS OF PURCHASER

 

The obligations of Purchaser to consummate the transactions provided for herein are subject to the following conditions which Purchaser may in its sole discretion waive:

 

6.1 Representations. All of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements made herein by a Seller or Burlington individually and collectively, shall be true and correct on the Closing Date, and all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement to be complied with and performed by such Seller or Burlington on or prior to the Closing Date shall have been timely complied with and performed. A certificate to that effect shall be delivered by each Seller and Burlington to Purchaser on the Closing Date (Exhibit E).

 

6.2 Challenge To This Agreement. There shall be no pending or threatened claim and/or suit by any party challenging this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein.

 

6.3 Approval of Instruments. Counsel for Purchaser shall review and approve, if appropriate, the form, substance and sufficiency of all instruments to be delivered by each Seller and Burlington on or before the Closing Date, including, without limitation payoff letters and related releases with respect to the indebtedness listed on Schedule 3.7, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

6.4 Consents. Each Seller shall have furnished Purchaser with consent or licenses from every landlord, tenant, mortgagee, lender, secured creditor and public authority from whom consent is required for consummation of the transactions contemplated herein.

 

6.5 Documents. Each Seller and Burlington shall have delivered all documents required in Section 2.1 hereof.

 

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ARTICLE VII
PAYMENT OF CREDITORS AND PRORATIONS

 

7.1 Prorations. All real estate taxes (if any), personal property taxes, common area maintenance utilities, and other shopping center, office building or mall charge prorations shall be based on the most current tax bills and landlord invoices.

 

ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNITIES

 

8.1 Matters Covered by Seller Indemnification. Each Seller and Burlington (each a “Seller Indemnifying Party”) jointly and severally covenant and agree that they shall defend and indemnify and hold harmless Purchaser and its affiliates, successors, and assigns, and its and their members, managers, directors, officers, employees and agents (“Purchaser Indemnified Parties”) at all times after the Closing Date from and against and in respect to any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, costs (including, without limitation, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees), damages, expenses or deficiencies (“Purchaser Covered Liabilities”) arising out of or due to:

 

a. Any inaccuracy in, or breach of any representation or warranty of a Seller Indemnifying Party contained in this Agreement;

 

b. Any breach of any covenant or obligation contained in this Agreement by a Seller Indemnifying Party;

 

c. A Seller Indemnifying Party ’s use, ownership and possession or sale of its products on or prior to the Closing Date or the operation or conduct of the Business prior to the Closing; and

 

d. Any Excluded Liability and Excluded Assets.

 

8.2 Procedure for Indemnification. A Purchaser Indemnified Party shall assert any claim or claims for indemnification under the provisions of Section 8.1 above by giving written notice of such claim or claims to a Seller Indemnifying Party within the applicable statute of limitations for the Purchaser Covered Liability (the “Purchaser Indemnification Period”). Each such notice shall set forth in reasonable detail the factual basis giving rise to the claim or claims and the amount of the damages and expenses incurred by a Purchaser Indemnified Party as a result of such claim or claims.

 

8.3 Matters Covered by Purchaser Indemnification. Purchaser hereby covenants and agrees that they shall defend and indemnify and hold harmless each Seller and Burlington and its affiliates, successors, and assigns, and their respective members, managers, directors, officers, employees and agents (“Seller Indemnified Parties”) at all times after the Closing Date from and against and in respect to any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, costs (including, without limitation, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees), damages, expenses or deficiencies (“Seller Covered Liabilities”) arising out of or due to:

 

a. Any inaccuracy in, or breach of any representation or warranty of Purchaser contained in this Agreement;

 

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b. Any breach of any covenant or obligation contained in this Agreement by Purchaser; and

 

c. Purchaser’s operation or conduct of the Business after the Closing Date or Purchaser’s ownership or possession of the Transferred Assets after the Closing Date.

 

8.4 Procedure for Indemnification. A Seller Indemnified Party shall assert any claim or claims for indemnification under the provisions of Section 8.3 above by giving written notice of such claim or claims to Purchaser within the applicable statute of limitations for the Seller Covered Liability (the “Seller Indemnification Period”). Each such notice shall set forth in reasonable detail the factual basis giving rise to the claim or claims and the amount of the damages and expenses incurred by the Seller Indemnified Party as a result of such claim or claims.

 

8.5 Certain Limitations.

 

a. Seller Indemnifying Parties shall not be liable to the Purchaser Indemnified Parties for indemnification under Section 8.1(a) until the aggregate amount of all Losses in respect of indemnification under Section 8.1(a) exceeds $50,000 (the “Basket Amount”), in which event the Seller Indemnifying Parties shall be required to pay or be liable for all such Losses from the first dollar. The aggregate amount of all Losses for which Seller shall be liable pursuant to Section 8.1(a) shall not exceed $500,000 (the “Cap”).

 

b. Purchaser shall not be liable to the Seller Indemnified Parties for indemnification under Section 8.3(a) until the aggregate amount of all Losses in respect of indemnification under Section 8.3(a) exceeds the Basket Amount, in which event Purchaser shall be required to pay or be liable for all such Losses from the first dollar. The aggregate amount of all Losses for which Purchaser shall be liable pursuant to Section 8.3(a) shall not exceed the Cap.

 

c. The amount of any Losses for which indemnification is provided under this Section 8 shall be net of (a) any amount actually recovered by the Indemnified Party pursuant to any indemnification by or indemnification agreement with any third-party and (b) any insurance proceeds actually received as an offset against such Losses (other than from any self-insurance).

 

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d. For the avoidance of doubt, the term “Loss” includes any and all claims, actions, suits, demands, assessments, interest, penalties, fines, judgments, losses, liabilities (including strict liabilities), damages, costs and expenses (including without limitation, reasonable attorney’s fees, advisors’ and consultants’ fees and expenses, accounting fees, and defense and investigation costs) and of any settlement, of whatever kind or nature, contingent or otherwise, matured or unmatured, foreseeable or unforeseeable (including without limitation, fees and expenses incurred in enforcing this indemnity).

 

8.6 Notice of Claims. The Party making a claim under this Section 8 is referred to as the “Indemnified Party”, and the Party against whom such claims are asserted under this Section 8 is referred to as the “Indemnifying Party”.

 

a. Third Party Claims. Following the assertion by any third party of any claim against any Indemnified Party (a “Third Party Claim”) that, in the judgment of such Indemnified Party, may result in the incurrence by such Indemnified Party of Losses for which such Indemnified Party would be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this Agreement, the Indemnified Party shall give the Indemnifying Party reasonably prompt written notice thereof, but in any event not later than 30 calendar days after receipt of such notice of such Third Party Claim. The failure to give such prompt written notice shall not, however, relieve the Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations, except and only to the extent that the Indemnifying Party forfeits rights or defenses by reason of such failure. Such notice by the Indemnified Party shall describe the Third Party Claim in reasonable detail, shall include copies of all material written evidence thereof and shall indicate the estimated amount, if reasonably practicable, of the Loss that has been or may be sustained by the Indemnified Party. The Indemnifying Party shall have the right to participate in, or by giving written notice to the Indemnified Party, to assume the defense of any Third Party Claim at the Indemnifying Party’s expense and by the Indemnifying Party’s own counsel, and the Indemnified Party shall cooperate in good faith in such defense; provided, that if the Indemnifying Party is a Seller Indemnifying Party, such Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to defend or direct the defense of any such Third Party Claim that seeks an injunction or other equitable relief against the Indemnified Party. In the event that the Indemnifying Party assumes the defense of any Third Party Claim, subject to Section 8.6(b), it shall have the right to take such action as it deems necessary to avoid, dispute, defend, appeal or make counterclaims pertaining to any such Third Party Claim in the name and on behalf of the Indemnified Party. The Indemnified Party shall have the right to participate in the defense of any Third Party Claim with counsel selected by it subject to the Indemnifying Party’s right to control the defense thereof. The fees and disbursements of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnified Party. If the Indemnifying Party elects not to compromise or defend such Third Party Claim, fails to promptly notify the Indemnified Party in writing of its election to defend as provided in this Agreement, or fails to diligently prosecute the defense of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Party may, subject to Section 8.6(b), pay, compromise, defend such Third Party Claim and seek indemnification for any and all Losses based upon, arising from or relating to such Third Party Claim. Seller and Purchaser shall cooperate with each other in all reasonable respects in connection with the defense of any Third Party Claim, including making available records relating to such Third Party Claim and furnishing, without expense (other than reimbursement of actual out-of-pocket expenses) to the defending party, management employees of the non-defending party as may be reasonably necessary for the preparation of the defense of such Third Party Claim.

 

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b. Settlement of Third Party Claims. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Indemnifying Party shall not enter into settlement of any Third Party Claim without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, except as provided in this Section 8.6. If a firm offer is made to settle a Third Party Claim without leading to liability or the creation of a financial or other obligation on the part of the Indemnified Party and provides, in customary form, for the unconditional release of each Indemnified Party from all liabilities and obligations in connection with such Third Party Claim and the Indemnifying Party desires to accept and agree to such offer, the Indemnifying Party shall give written notice to that effect to the Indemnified Party. If the Indemnified Party fails to consent to such firm offer within ten (10) days after its receipt of such notice, the Indemnified Party may continue to contest or defend such Third Party Claim and in such event, the maximum liability of the Indemnifying Party as to such Third Party Claim shall not exceed the amount of such settlement offer. If the Indemnified Party fails to consent to such firm offer and also fails to assume defense of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnifying Party may settle the Third Party Claim upon the terms set forth in such firm offer to settle such Third Party Claim. If the Indemnified Party has assumed the defense pursuant to Section 8.6, it shall not agree to any settlement without the written consent of the Indemnifying Party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

 

c. Direct Claims. Any claim by an Indemnified Party on account of Losses which do not result from a Third Party Claim (a “Direct Claim”) shall be asserted by the Indemnified Party giving the Indemnifying Party reasonably prompt written notice thereof, but in any event not later than 30 days after the Indemnified Party becomes aware of such Direct Claim. The failure to give such prompt written notice shall not, however, relieve the Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations, except and only to the extent that the Indemnifying Party forfeits rights or defenses by reason of such failure. Such notice by the Indemnified Party shall describe the Direct Claim in reasonable detail, shall include copies of all material written evidence thereof and shall indicate the estimated amount, if reasonably practicable, of the Loss that has been or may be sustained by the Indemnified Party. The Indemnifying Party shall have 30 days after its receipt of such notice to respond in writing to such Direct Claim. The Indemnified Party shall allow the Indemnifying Party and its professional advisors to investigate the matter or circumstance alleged to give rise to the Direct Claim, and whether and to what extent any amount is payable in respect of the Direct Claim and the Indemnified Party shall assist the Indemnifying Party’s investigation by giving such information and assistance (including access to the Indemnified Party’s premises and personnel and the right to examine and copy any accounts, documents or records) as the Indemnifying Party or any of its professional advisors may reasonably request. If the Indemnifying Party does not so respond within such 30 day period, the Indemnifying Party shall be deemed to have rejected such claim, in which case the Indemnified Party shall be free to pursue such remedies as may be available to the Indemnified Party on the terms and subject to the provisions of this Agreement.

 

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d. Payments. Once an indemnifiable Loss is agreed to by the Indemnifying Party or finally adjudicated to be payable pursuant to this Section 8, the Indemnifying Party shall satisfy its obligations within ten (10) Business Days of such final, non-appealable adjudication by wire transfer of immediately available funds. All indemnification payments pursuant to this Article VIII shall be deemed to be adjustments to the Purchase Price.

 

e. Right to Offset. The Purchaser shall have the option of offsetting any Purchaser Covered Liabilities that it may suffer by notifying the Sellers and Burlington that the Purchaser is reducing the Principal Amount of the Seller Note by the amount of such Purchaser Covered Liabilities.

 

8.7 Jurisdiction.

 

a. The Parties hereby irrevocably and unconditionally consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of Delaware for any action, suit or proceeding (other than appeals therefrom) arising out of or relating to this Agreement, and agree not to commence any action, suit or proceeding (other than appeals therefrom) related thereto except in such courts.

 

b. The Parties further hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the venue of any action, suit or proceeding (other than appeals therefrom) arising out of or relating to this Agreement being in the state and federal courts located in the State of Delaware, and hereby further irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such action, suit or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

 

ARTICLE IX
TERMINATION

 

9.1 Right of Termination. This Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing Date:

 

a. By mutual written consent of Purchaser and Seller; or

 

b. By Seller in the event that any of the conditions set forth in Article IV of this Agreement shall not have been satisfied or waived before the sixtieth (60th) day following the date of this Agreement (the “Outside Date”), or such later date as the Purchaser and Seller shall mutually agree in writing; or

 

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c. By Purchaser in the event that any of the conditions set forth in Article VI of this Agreement shall not have been satisfied or waived before the sixtieth (60th) day following the Outside Date or such later date as the Purchaser and Seller shall mutually agree in writing.

 

9.2 Notice of Termination. Notice of termination of this Agreement as provided for in this Article 9 shall be given by the Party or Parties so terminating to the other Parties hereto in accordance with the provisions of Section 12.3 of this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE X
COVenants and other agreements

 

10.1 Confidential Information. The Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that on and after the date hereof, and provided that the Party seeking to enforce the provisions of this Section 10.1 is not then in default of its obligations hereunder, each Party shall hold in the strictest confidence, and shall not use or disclose to any person, firm or corporation (other than on a need-to-know basis), without the written authorization of the other Party, any Confidential Information in its possession pertaining to the other Party or to any of the Transferred Assets, except as may be ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction of a claim involving the subject matter of such Confidential Information or except as otherwise required by applicable law or regulation. As used in this Agreement, “Confidential Information” means the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement, including the consideration payable hereunder, and all information, documents and materials not generally available to the public which have been provided by one Party to the other in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or which otherwise relate to, any of the Transferred Assets. Seller and Purchaser each acknowledge and agree that any breach of this section would cause the other Party irreparable harm. Accordingly, the non-breaching Party may seek and obtain injunctive relief against the breach or threatened breach of this Section 10.1, in addition to any other remedies to which such Party may be entitled at law or in equity. If the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated, then Purchaser shall be free to disclose or utilize the confidential information included in the Transferred Assets as it deems appropriate and if the transactions contemplated hereby shall not be consummated, such confidence shall be maintained and such information shall not be used in competition with Seller.

 

10.2 Public Knowledge. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no Party hereto shall be under any obligation to maintain in confidence any portion of the information it has received in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby which (a) is now, or which hereafter, through no act or failure to act on the part of the recipient Party, becomes generally known or available to the public, (b) is known by the recipient Party at the time of the disclosure of such information, (c) is furnished to the other without restriction on disclosure, or (d) is hereafter furnished to a Party by a third party, as a matter of right and without restriction of disclosure.

 

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10.3 Post Term Restrictions

 

a. Each of Seller and Burlington shall not, for a period of five (5) years following the Closing Date (the “Noncompetition Period”), for any reason, directly or indirectly, engage in or acquire any financial or beneficial interest (including any interest in corporations, partnerships or trusts, unincorporated associations and joint ventures) in, or become a landlord of any business which is similar to, or competes in any way, with the Business. During the Noncompetition Period, none of the Sellers or Burlington shall induce or attempt to induce any customer, or supplier of the Purchaser or any affiliate of the Purchaser to terminate its relationship with the Purchaser or any affiliate of the Purchaser.

 

b. Each of Seller and Burlington hereby covenants and agrees that such Seller shall not during the Noncompetition Period employ or retain or seek to employ or retain, in any capacity any person who is, or was at any time during the preceding twelve (12) months, an employee or officer of the Purchaser or an affiliate of the Purchaser. any person who is currently or has been within the past twelve (12) months employed at or engaged by the Business or otherwise induce, directly or indirectly, such person to leave such employment, except as otherwise agreed in writing by Purchaser.

 

c. If the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction declares that any term or provision of this Section 10.3 is invalid or unenforceable, the Parties agree that the court making the determination of invalidity or unenforceability shall have the power to reduce the scope, duration, or area of the term or provision, to delete specific words or phrases, or to replace any invalid or unenforceable term or provision with a term or provision that is valid and enforceable and that comes closest to expressing the intention of the invalid or unenforceable term or provision, and this Agreement shall be enforceable as so modified after the expiration of the time within which the judgment may be appealed.

 

10.4  Taxes

 

a. Each Seller shall pay, without contribution from Purchaser, all taxes, whether federal, state, or local, including, but not limited to, real estate, personal property, sales, use, payroll and/or income taxes, which may be or become due and owing in connection with the operation and/or ownership of the Transferred Assets or Business up to, but not including, the Closing Date.

 

b. Each Seller further agrees to timely file any required tax returns required by law to be filed subsequent to the Closing Date and timely pay all tax liabilities with respect to the Transferred Assets or Business for the period up to, but not including, the Closing Date. Upon Purchaser’s request, Seller shall deliver to Purchaser proof satisfactory to Purchaser of Seller’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 10.4.

 

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10.5 Creditors and Unclaimed Property. Seller shall pay all creditors as provided in Article VIII hereof. Further, to the extent that the Business becomes subject to an unclaimed property audit at any time after the Closing Date (or as to any unclaimed property audit pending as of the Closing Date) for any period of time prior to the Closing Date, any amounts determined to be due and owing resulting from such unclaimed property audits that relate to periods of time prior to the Closing Date shall be the obligation of Seller.  In addition, Seller shall be obligated to pay any interest and penalties applicable to any amounts due from such unclaimed property audits to the extent such interest and penalties apply to amounts that are due from Seller under the terms hereof.

 

10.6 Employee Benefit Matters. Sellers shall be responsible for and shall, as of the Closing Date, have fully paid and satisfied in full all other amounts owed to any employee of any Seller as of the Closing Date (including, without limitation, all amounts owed through the most recent pay date prior to the Closing Date and all amounts owed to any employee from and after such most recent pay date through the Closing Date), including payroll, wages, salaries, severance pay, accrued vacation, any employment, incentive, compensation or bonus agreements or other benefits or payments (including without limitation all payments, obligations and other entitlements associated with any employee benefit plan) relating to the period of employment by Seller, or any affiliate of Seller (to the extent related to the Business) or on account of the termination thereof, and Sellers and Burlington shall jointly and severally indemnify Purchaser and hold Purchaser harmless from any liabilities or liens thereunder.

 

10.7 Expenses. Whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated, all costs and expenses incurred by the Purchaser, a Seller or Burlington in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be paid by the party incurring such costs.

 

10.8 Interim Covenants. During the period from the date of this Agreement and continuing until the Closing Date, the Sellers and Burlington each agree (except as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or to the extent that Purchaser shall otherwise consents in writing) that:

 

a. The Sellers shall carry on the Business in the usual, regular and ordinary course in substantially the same manner as heretofore conducted and, to the extent consistent with the Business, use commercially reasonable efforts consistent with past practice and policies to preserve intact its present business organization, keep available the services of its present officers and key employees, preserve its relationships with customers, suppliers and others having business dealings with it to the end that its goodwill and ongoing business shall be unimpaired as a result of the transactions contemplated hereby and refrain from making any distributions of cash or other portions of the Transferred Assets other than normal expense reimbursements consistent with past practice and without material increase in levels.

 

b. Sellers shall afford to Purchaser and to Purchaser’s accountants, counsel and other representatives reasonable access during normal business hours during the period prior to the Closing to all its books and records, and, during such period, Seller shall furnish promptly to Purchaser all information concerning its business, properties and personnel as Purchaser may reasonably request. The Sellers will also grant the Purchaser access to sales representatives and support staff at a mutually agreeable time.

 

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c. In consideration of the substantial investment of time and resources that the Purchaser will make in connection with its due diligence investigation of the Transferred Assets and the Sellers, and Burlington agree, that, for a period ending on the Closing Date (the “Exclusivity Period”), none of the Seller or Burlington shall and shall cause their respective employees, affiliates, directors, or representatives not to, directly or indirectly, provide information regarding the Business to, or initiate, negotiate, or hold any discussions or enter into any understanding or agreement with, any party other than the Purchaser with respect to any Competitive Transaction (as defined below). For purposes of hereof, a “Competitive Transaction” is a transaction involving, directly or indirectly, the acquisition of all or any material portion of the Business or the capital stock of the Sellers regardless of the structure of any such acquisition, the taking of any other action that is materially inconsistent with the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or the authorization of any advisors to take any action for the purposes of advancing any such acquisition with any party other than the Purchaser.

 

ARTICLE XI

EMPLOYEES

 

11.1 Employment. In connection with the transactions outlined herein, Purchaser shall extend offers of employment of all of Seller’s employees with the exception of _____________________. Any such employees initially hired by Purchaser shall be at-will employees. Seller shall not be responsible for any severance pay, termination or discharge bonus, subsidy, benefit, compensation, or any other payment of any sort with respect to such employees’ termination from employment with Purchaser after the Closing Date.

 

11.2 Employment Offer Letters. Notwithstanding the above, Purchaser shall make written offers of employment to Gary Hollst and Nathan Tomasello, acceptable to Purchaser, Hollst and Tomasello, prior to the Closing Date. Employment of each such person shall be subject to execution and delivery of a standard confidential information and invention assignment agreement and noncompetition agreement.

 

ARTICLE XII
MISCELLANEOUS

 

12.1 Survival of Terms of Agreement. All agreements, representations, covenants, warranties, terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions provided for herein.

 

12.2 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and permitted assigns of the Parties. No Party may assign this Agreement or their rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Parties, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

 

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12.3 Notices. All notices and other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given (i) when delivered by hand or mail, (ii) when transmitted by facsimile, with confirmation of receipt; provided that a copy is sent at the same time by priority mail, (iii) when delivered via electronic mail in PDF format, provided that receipt is confirmed or a copy is sent at the same time by priority mail, or (iv) three (3) days after being sent by overnight express delivery service, to the addressee at the following addresses (or to such other address as a Party may specify from time to time by notice hereunder):

 

If to Purchaser:

 

CC Acquisition Corp.

255 Calamus Circle

Medina, Minnesota 55340

Phone: 612-327-0919

Email: matt@elev8marketing.com

Attention: Matthew Atkinson

 

with a copy to:

 

BEVILACQUA PLLC

1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20036

Attn: Louis A. Bevilacqua, Esq.

Email: lou@bevilacquapllc.com

 

If to a Seller or Burlington:

 

Lisa Roskens

Chairman and CEO

Burlington Capital, LLC

1004 Farnam Street, Suite 400

Omaha, NE 68102

Phone: (402) 444-1630

Email: lroskens@burlingtoncapital.com

 

with a copy to:

 

Richard E. Putnam

Baird Holm LLP

1700 Farnam Street, Suite 1500

Omaha, NE 68102

Phone: (402) 636-8285

Email: rputnam@bairdholm.com

 

or to such other address as is stated in a notice given in compliance herewith.

 

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12.4 Headings. The various headings used in this Agreement as headings of sections, articles or otherwise are for convenience only and shall not be used in interpreting or limiting the text in which they appear.

 

12.5 Severability. The invalidity of any provision of this Agreement shall not impair the validity of any other provision. If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be deemed severable and the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall be enforced.

 

12.6 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with, and the validity of this Agreement shall be judged by, the laws of the State of Delaware, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of this Agreement to the substantive law or another jurisdiction.

 

12.7 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including the documents referred to herein) sets forth the entire agreement and understanding of the Parties hereto and supersedes any and all written or oral agreements or representations between Parties hereto relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or related documents. This Agreement may only be amended, modified, or terminated, and any of its terms, covenants, representations, warranties, or conditions may be waived, only by the written consent of all of the Parties hereto, duly executed by each Party’s authorized representatives (or in the case of a waiver, the Party waiving compliance).

 

12.8 Exhibits. All exhibits and schedules attached hereto are hereby incorporated herein by reference, with the same effect as if set forth fully herein.

 

12.9 Further Cooperation. The Parties agree to cooperate with one another on and after the Closing Date by furnishing any additional information and by executing and delivering any additional documents, as may be reasonably required by their respective counsel, in order to transfer or further perfect title to the Transferred Assets in Purchaser and to otherwise effect and complete all transactions contemplated by the Agreement.

 

12.10 Specific Performance. In the event of a breach of this Agreement, the Parties acknowledge and agree that each of them shall, in addition to any other remedies available at law or in equity, have the right to seek specific performance by the other Parties of their respective obligations hereunder.

 

12.11 Public Announcements. No Party shall issue any press release or public announcement concerning the transaction contemplated in this Agreement or the terms of this Agreement without the prior written approval of the other Parties, which shall not be unreasonably delayed or withheld; provided that nothing in this Section 12.11 will prevent the disclosure of information which is necessary to comply with any applicable laws and US securities laws.

 

12.12 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in separate counterparts, all of which executed counterparts shall constitute one complete document.

 

12.13 Electronic Execution. The exchange of copies of this Agreement and of signature pages by facsimile transmission or by electronic transmission in PDF format shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Agreement as to the Parties and may be used in lieu of the original Agreement for all purposes. Signatures of the Parties transmitted by facsimile transmission or by electronic transmission in PDF format shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes. At the request of any Party, any facsimile or electronic document shall be re-executed in original form by the Parties who executed the facsimile or electronic document.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

  SELLERS:
   
  CleanCore Solutions, LLC
       
  By: /s/ Lisa Roskens
    Name: Lisa Roskens
    Title: President
       
  TetraClean Systems, LLC
       
  By: /s/ Michael B. Yanney
    Name: Michael B. Yanney
    Title: Manager
       
  Food Safety Technology, LLC
       
  By: /s/ Michael B. Yanney
    Name: Michael B. Yanney
    Title: Manager
       
  BURLINGTON:
   
  Burlington Capital, LLC
       
  By: /s/ Lisa Roskens
    Name: Lisa Roskens
    Title: Chairman and CEO
       
  PURCHASER:
   
  CC Acquisition Corp.
       
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
    Name: Matthew Atkinson
    Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.3

 

Execution Version

 

PROMISSORY NOTE

 

Principal Amount Effective Date of Note: October 17, 2022
$3,000,000.00 Omaha, Nebraska

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (“Maker”), hereby promises to pay to the order of Burlington Capital, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (on behalf of CleanCore Solutions, LLC, TetraClean Systems, LLC and Food Safety Technology, L.L.C.) (“Payee”, which term includes any future holder hereof) the principal sum of Three Million and no/100 Dollars ($3,000,000.00 ) (the “Principal Amount”).

 

1. Interest and Payment. Interest on the Principal Amount shall accrue at the rate of 7.0% per annum (“Interest”) from the effective date. Payment of the Principal Amount, plus accrued interest shall be made on the earlier of (a) the closing of a firm commitment initial public offering and concurrent listing on a national securities exchange or (b) October 17, 2023.

 

2. Prepayment. Maker shall have the right to prepay the Principal Amount of this Promissory Note, together with any additional sums which may become due and owing pursuant to the terms and provisions of this Promissory Note.

 

3. Events of Default. Upon the occurrence of any one of the events of default (herein an “Event of Default”) described below, the payments of the Principal Amount and accrued interest shall, at the option of the Payee, be accelerated, and such remaining Principal Amount, interest and all other such sums shall immediately be due and payable without notice or demand.

 

The following shall constitute an Event of Default:

 

(a) Maker fails to pay the Principal Amount or accrued interest required hereunder when due; or

 

(b) Maker fails to perform or observe any material covenant, condition or agreement to be performed or observed by Maker hereunder; or

 

(c) Maker:

 

(i) Shall be adjudicated insolvent or a bankrupt, or ceases, is unable, or admits in writing the inability to pay debts as they mature, makes a general assignment for the benefit of, or enters into any composition or arrangement with its creditors; or

 

(ii) Applies for or consents to the appointment of a receiver, trustee or liquidator of a substantial part of the property of Maker, or authorizes such application or consent, or proceedings seeking such appointment shall be instituted against Maker without such authorization, consent or application and shall continue undismissed for a period of thirty (30) days; or

 

 

 

(iii) Authorizes or files a voluntary petition in bankruptcy or applies for or consents to the application of any bankruptcy, reorganization in bankruptcy, arrangement, readjustment of debt, insolvency, dissolution, moratorium or other similar proceeding, or authorizes such application or consent, or proceedings to such end shall be instituted against Maker without such authorization, application or consent, and such proceedings instituted against Maker shall continue undismissed for a period of thirty (30) days; or

 

Upon the occurrence of any such Event of Default, the Principal Amount shall thereafter bear interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per annum.

 

Payee’s failure at any time to require strict performance by Maker of any provision of this Promissory Note shall not constitute a waiver or diminish Payee’s rights hereunder. No waiver by Payee of any breach or default shall constitute a waiver of any other breach or default by Maker or a waiver of any of Payee’s rights hereunder. None of the provisions of this Promissory Note shall be held to have been waived by any act or knowledge of Payee except by written instrument executed by Payee and delivered to Maker.

 

4. Waiver. Maker waives presentment for payment, protest, notice of protest, demand and all diligence in enforcing collection, and Maker hereby expressly agrees that Payee may, from time to time, defer or postpone payment of principal or interest, or may extend or renew the whole or any part thereof, and such deferment, postponement, renewal, extension shall not, in any manner, affect, alter or impair the obligation of any person now or hereafter becoming liable for the payment of this Promissory Note.

 

5. Costs and Fees. Maker agrees, to the extent permitted by law, to pay all reasonable costs incurred by Payee of collecting, or attempting to collect, this Promissory Note, whether by suit or otherwise, including a reasonable attorney’s fee.

 

6. Governing Law. This Promissory Note shall, in all respects, be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, including all matters of construction, validity, and performance.

 

7. Usury. Notwithstanding any provision contained herein to the contrary, in no event shall interest accrue or be payable upon any sums due and owing hereunder or to become due and owing hereunder, in excess of the highest lawful rate allowable for the times such sums, or portions thereof, shall be outstanding and unpaid, and if, by reason of the acceleration of the maturity or the payment of interest in advance, the imposition of a delinquency charge, or if, for any other reason or reasons, interest in excess of such highest lawful rate for such period of time has been paid, then the amount due Payee on account of such sums shall be reduced by such excess, except that, if such sums are less than such excess, then, at the option of Payee, Payee shall either refund such excess to Maker, or shall reduce such sums due to zero and refund to Maker the remainder of such excess.

 

8. Notice. Any notices required or permitted to be given to the Maker of this Promissory Note shall be deemed given when hand-delivered, transmitted via facsimile transmission, or deposited in the United States mails, postage prepaid.

 

[Remainder of Page Blank; Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned Maker, has executed this Promissory Note on the date shown below, and caused this Promissory Note to be effective on the day and year first written above.

 

Dated effective as of the 17th day of October, 2022.

 

  CC Acquisition Corp.
     
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
  Name:  Matthew Atkinson
  Title: CEO

 

 

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Exhibit 10.4 

 

EXTENSION AGREEMENT

 

This Extension Agreement is entered into this 13th day of September, 2023 by and between CleanCore Solutions, Inc., its successors and assigns, (referred to as “Maker”) and Burlington Capital, LLC (hereinafter referred to as “Burlington”).

 

By mutual agreement, the attached Promissory Note (the “Note”) is hereby modified and extended as follows:

 

1. As of October 17, 2023, pursuant to the terms of the Note, Maker shall owe to Burlington the principal sum of Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00) and accrued interest in the amount of $210,000.00, resulting in a total unpaid balance of $3,210,000.00.

 

2. The total unpaid balance due under the Note shall bear interest from the date hereof until paid in full at the rate of ten percent (10%) per annum.

 

3. The maturity date of the Note shall be extended from October 17, 2023 until December 17, 2023, or upon the closing of the IPO, whichever is sooner, when a final payment of all unpaid principal and all accrued and unpaid interest shall be due and payable.

 

4. This Extension Agreement does not in any way satisfy or cancel the Note. Except as specifically amended hereby, all other terms of the Note remain in full force and effect.

 

5. Borrower and Burlington acknowledge and agree that in exchange for Burlington agreeing to extend the term of the Note, Maker agrees to extend the Measurement Period described in Section 1.5(d) of the CC Acquisition Corp. Asset Purchase Agreement dated October 17, 2022 to the date the total unpaid principal and interest due and owing under the Note is paid in full.

 

CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.   BURLINGTON CAPITAL, LLC
       
By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson   By: /s/ Lisa Roskens
  Matthew Atkinson   Lisa Roskens
  Chief Executive Officer   President and Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 10.5

 

TRANSITION Assistance AGREEMENT

 

This Transition Assistance Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into effective as of October 17, 2022 (the “Effective Date”), by and between CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (“Buyer”) and Burlington Capital, LLC (“Burlington”). Burlington and Buyer are from time to time referred to in this Agreement separately as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement by and between the Buyer, Burlington, CleanCore Solutions, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“CleanCore”), TetraClean Systems, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“TetraClean”) and Food Safety Technologies, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Food Safety” and, together with CleanCore and TetraClean, the “Sellers” and each a “Seller”), dated October 17, 2022 (the “Purchase Agreement”).

 

RECITALS

 

A. On October 17, 2022, Burlington, Buyer and the Sellers entered into the Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which Sellers agreed to sell to Buyer, and Buyer agreed to purchase from Sellers the Transferred Assets based on the terms and conditions provided therein.

 

B. On the date hereof, parties are consummating the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement.

 

C. Prior to the date hereof, certain functions of the Business have been supported by services provided or arranged by Burlington and certain of its Affiliates, and Buyer has the need for certain services as described on Exhibit A hereto to be performed for the benefit of the Buyer from time to time to continue the ordinary course of such Business (as more fully described in ‎Section 1.1(a) below, collectively, the “Services”).

 

D. Burlington is able and willing to provide the Services to Buyer, and Buyer desires to engage Burlington on an arm’s length basis as an independent contractor to provide the Services in accordance with the terms set forth in this Agreement.

 

 

 

  

AGREEMENT

 

For and in consideration of the mutual promises, representations and covenants contained in this Agreement and in the Purchase Agreement, the Parties agree as follows:

 

Article I
RETENTION OF BURLINGTON

 

Section 1.1 Performance of Services.

 

(a) Buyer hereby engages and retains Burlington to perform the Services and Burlington hereby accepts and agrees to provide such Services to Buyer, in each case upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement (including Exhibit A). All Services to be provided by Seller hereunder shall be performed under the direction of Buyer for the 30 day period beginning as of the Effective Date (the “Service Period”); provided, however, that Buyer may extend the Service Period for additional 30 day periods to the extent it determines it is reasonably necessary to do so long as Buyer notifies Seller of its determination to extend such Service Period at least 10 days prior to the expiration of the then scheduled termination of the Service Period, provided that unless otherwise agreed by Seller, in no event will Buyer extend the Service Period of any specific Service beyond March 31, 2023. The Parties understand that Buyer will immediately commence a 2-year PCAOB audit on the business. Timely responses to questions relating to this audit is in the best interest of the Parties. Burlington will be available to answer and assist with any questions surrounding the business, including but not limited to, the financials and bookkeeping, and to provide any history and institutional knowledge as requested by Buyer. Burlington will also assist in providing social media transitional support as well as IT support (the “Services”).

 

(b) Burlington shall determine the corporate facilities, personnel and resources to be used in rendering the Services and, except as specifically provided in Exhibit A, the individuals who will render such Services; provided, however, that unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, Burlington will use commercially reasonable efforts to use corporate facilities, personnel and resources that are consistent with the manner in which the Services were performed prior to and as of the date of the Purchase Agreement.

 

(c) Burlington will assist Buyer in the transition of the Services to Buyer, one of Buyer’s Affiliates or another third party provider, provided, that each of the Parties acknowledges and agrees that neither Burlington nor any of its Affiliates shall be responsible for any costs, expenses, losses or other consequences arising from the inability or failure on the part of Buyer or any of its Affiliates to provide the Services for itself or to arrange for replacement services to be provided by third parties, in either case, from and after the expiration of Burlington’s obligations hereunder to provide such Services.

 

Section 1.2 Outside Services and Expenses. Except to the extent set forth in Exhibit A , each Party will bear all costs and expenses incurred by it in connection with the negotiation, preparation, execution and performance of this Agreement and the provision of Services.

 

Section 1.3 Disclaimer

 

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN SECTION 1.1, (A) BURLINGTON MAKES NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES OF THE SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED HEREUNDER, (B) THE SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” AND “WITH ALL FAULTS” BASIS AND (C) THERE ARE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES OR GUARANTEES, INCLUDING IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NONINFRINGEMENT OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, RELATING TO THE SERVICES OR THE QUALITY OR RESULTS OF THE SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, AND ALL SUCH WARRANTIES ARE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. BURLINGTON MAKES NO GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY OF THE CORRECTNESS, COMPLETENESS, CURRENTNESS, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OF ANY DATA PROVIDED TO BUYER.

 

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Section 1.4 Systems Access. To the extent that a Party and/or its Affiliates will be given access to the computer system(s), infrastructure, databases, software, facilities or networks of the other Party or of any third-party provider (“Systems”), such access shall be limited to access reasonably required in connection with performance or receipt of the Services. Each Party shall cause its personnel and any personnel of its Affiliates with such access to comply with the system security policies, standards, procedures and requirements of the other Party or any third-party provider, as reasonably revised from time to time, with regard to the Systems or in any applicable license agreement or lease agreement in effect with regard to the Systems (the “Security Regulations”), and will not tamper with, compromise or circumvent any security or audit measures employed by the other Party or any third-party provider, as applicable; provided, in either case, that such Party has prior notice of the applicable Security Regulations or security or audit measures.

 

Section 1.5 Representatives. Each Party will designate on Exhibit A an employee, officer, or authorized representative, of which maintains sufficient authority to contractually bind the respective Party to be the primary point of operational contact with respect to the Services and to coordinate access to financial information related to the Business and retained by Burlington. Burlington warrants that its designee will be empowered to cause the performance and delivery of the Services. Burlington’s designee will have overall responsibility for coordinating on behalf of Burlington the performance and delivery of the Services and for coordinating the performance of the Services with the designee of Buyer. Subject to the other provisions hereof, each Party will make commercially reasonable efforts to channel all communications to the other Party regarding the Services and this Agreement through their respective designee.

 

Article II
COMPENSATION

 

Section 2.1 Compensation for Services. The fee to be paid the Services is set forth in Exhibit A (collectively, the “Fees”). Subject to and in accordance with Exhibit A, the Fees will constitute full payment by Buyer for the Services, including any and all amounts due to any Subcontractors, which will be the sole responsibility of Burlington. During the Service Period, Burlington will invoice Buyer for the Fees in arrears on a monthly basis. Unless otherwise provided in Exhibit A, payment terms will be net 30 days from the date of invoice, and payments will be made in U.S. dollars.

 

Section 2.2 Taxes. Each Party shall be responsible for (a) any real or personal property taxes on property it owns or leases, (b) franchise and similar taxes on its business, (c) the employment taxes of its employees and (d) taxes based on its net income. Except as provided in the immediately preceding sentence, Buyer shall be responsible for all taxes in connection with this Agreement, including any sales, use, excise, value added, services, consumption and other taxes assessed on the provision of Services by Burlington, on the fees and expenses paid by Buyer pursuant to this Agreement, and on any goods or Services used or consumed in connection with the provision of Services under this Agreement. Burlington shall be responsible for filing all tax returns with respect to the taxes specified in the preceding sentence and paying all such taxes on a timely basis, only except where the law imposes such obligations directly on Buyer, and Buyer shall promptly reimburse Burlington for all taxes (but not interest or penalties) paid by it that are to be borne by Buyer pursuant to this Section 2.5.

 

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Article III
CONFIDENTIALITY; OWNERSHIP OF DATA AND NO GRANT OF LICENSE

 

Section 3.1 Confidentiality.

 

(a) Each Party agrees that all proprietary, secret or confidential information (including the Buyer Data) concerning the other Party acquired in the course of the Services being provided or received, as applicable, hereunder shall only be used in accordance with this Agreement and only for the purposes of performing its obligations or exercising its rights under this Agreement and, except as expressly set forth in this Agreement or in any other written agreement or instrument between the Parties, will not be disclosed by the other Party, its agents or employees without the prior written consent of the first Party. Each Party shall hold and shall cause its Representatives to hold in strict confidence all such proprietary, secret or confidential information unless (i) such Party is compelled to disclose such information by judicial or administrative process or, in the opinion of its counsel, by other requirements of law or (ii) such information can be shown to have been (A) in the public domain through no fault of such Party or (B) lawfully acquired on a non-confidential basis from other sources.

 

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, such Party may disclose such information to its Representatives on a need to know basis so long as such persons are informed by such Party of the confidential nature of such information, are directed by such Party to treat such information confidentially in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and agree to do so. If such Party or any of its Representatives becomes legally compelled to disclose any documents or information subject to this Section 3.1, such Party will promptly notify the other Party so that the other Party may seek a protective order or other remedy or waive such Party’s compliance with this Section 3.1. If no such protective order or other remedy is obtained or waiver granted, such Party will furnish only that portion of the information that it is advised by legal counsel is legally required and will exercise its reasonable efforts to obtain adequate assurance that confidential treatment will be accorded such information. Such Party agrees to be responsible for any breach of this Section 3.1 by it and its Representatives.

 

(c) Each Party will use the same care and discretion as it uses to protect its own proprietary, secret or confidential information from undesired disclosure, publication and dissemination, and in any event reasonable care and discretion, to protect the proprietary, secret or confidential information of the other Party that is in its possession or under its control from disclosure, publication, and dissemination. Except as otherwise agreed upon in writing by the Parties, Burlington shall not make use of any proprietary, secret or confidential information (including the Buyer Data (as defined below)) for its own benefit or for the benefit of any third party.

 

Section 3.2 Ownership of Data; No Grant of License. All records, data files (and the data contained therein, including personally identifiable data), input materials, reports and other materials received, computed, developed, processed or stored for or on behalf of Buyer by or at the direction of Burlington (collectively the “Buyer Data”) pursuant to this Agreement following the Closing will be the exclusive property of Buyer. Neither Burlington nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates nor any of their respective Representatives will possess any interest, title, lien or right in connection therewith. Burlington will not, and will cause its Subsidiaries, Affiliates and Representatives not to, sell, assign, lease, commercially exploit Buyer Data or otherwise use Buyer Data for any purpose other than in support of Burlington’s obligations hereunder. Upon termination of any Service provided hereunder, Burlington will promptly provide Buyer reasonable access to retained Buyer Data, whereupon such Buyer Data will be transferred to Buyer, deleted, or otherwise made available to Buyer as Buyer may request, of which such request may be made by Buyer at any time. Such access to, deletion, and/or transfer of Buyer Data will be provided by Burlington to Buyer and its Representatives at no charge to Buyer. Nothing contained in this Section 3.2 shall reduce, terminate or otherwise affect Burlington’s rights under the Purchase Agreement and other transactional documents related thereto.

 

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Section 3.3 Data Protection. While carrying out its duties under this Agreement, Burlington shall only process personal data received from Buyer (a) in such a manner as is necessary to carry out the Services, (b) in accordance with the instructions of Buyer, (c) in accordance with Applicable Laws relating to the protection of information commonly known as “sensitive personal information,” “personally identifiable information,” “personal information,” “personal data” or similar terms, and (d) using appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect the security of personal data in accordance with Applicable Laws and to prevent the unauthorized or unlawful processing of such personal data and/or the accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, such personal data.  If Burlington becomes aware of, or reasonably suspects, a breach of the security of personal data, Burlington shall notify Buyer without undue delay and shall reasonably cooperate with Buyer with regard to such incident in order to assist Buyer in its investigation and response to the incident.

 

Section 3.4 No Grant of License. The Parties acknowledge that the other party is not by this Agreement granting any right or license whatsoever, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, to the other party to utilize any information, know-how, proprietary data, trademarks, copyrights or patent rights that a Party may have or may secure in the future.

 

Article IV
MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 4.1 Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall made in accordance with Section 12.3 of the Purchase Agreement.

 

Section 4.2 Term and Termination.

 

(a) The term of this Agreement shall commence as of the Effective Date. Subject to this Section 4.2, Burlington will provide the Services until the end of the Service Period, subject to any extension of the Service Period as provided in Section 1.1.

 

(b) Upon termination of this Agreement, all rights and obligations of each Party hereunder (other than as to any payments due hereunder), shall cease as of the effective date of such termination, and any amounts owed by either Party hereunder shall be paid in full. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Articles II, III and IV and 1.3 shall survive termination of this Agreement.

 

(c) If this Agreement or any Service is terminated, Burlington will continue to provide Buyer with reasonable access to all relevant records and other information as is reasonably necessary or requested by Buyer.

 

Section 4.3 Independent Contractor. Burlington shall be an independent contractor and not an employee of, or partner or joint venturer with, Buyer. The Parties are not joint employers for any purpose, and Burlington will have the sole right to exercise all authority with respect to the employment (including termination of employment), assignment and compensation of its employees and Representatives providing Services hereunder.

 

5

 

 

Section 4.4 Entire Agreement. and the Purchase Agreement constitute the sole and entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matter contained herein, and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous understandings and agreements, both oral or written, with respect to such subject matter. In case of conflict between the terms and conditions of this Agreement and Exhibit A, the terms and conditions of Exhibit A will control and govern as it relates to the Services to which those terms and conditions apply. In the event of any inconsistency between the terms of this Agreement and the Purchase Agreement, the terms of the Purchase Agreement will control.

 

Section 4.5 Amendment; Waiver. This Agreement may only be amended, modified or supplemented by an agreement in writing signed by the Parties at any time. Any failure of Buyer, on the one hand, or Burlington, on the other hand, to comply with any obligation, covenant, agreement or condition herein may be waived by Burlington (with respect to any failure by Buyer) or by Buyer (with respect to any failure by Burlington), respectively, only by a written instrument signed by the Party granting such waiver, but such waiver or failure to insist upon strict compliance with such obligation, covenant, agreement or condition shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any subsequent or other failure.

 

Section 4.6 Severability. If any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement or invalidate or render unenforceable such term or provision in any other jurisdiction. Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the Parties hereto shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the Parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible.

 

Section 4.7 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall be deemed to be one and the same agreement. A signed copy of this Agreement delivered by facsimile, e-mail or other means of electronic transmission shall be deemed to have the same legal effect as delivery of an original signed copy of this Agreement.

 

Section 4.8 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Neither Party may assign its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No assignment shall relieve the assigning party of any of its obligations hereunder.

 

Section 4.9 Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial. This Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with, and the validity of this Agreement shall be judged by, the laws of the State of Delaware, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of this Agreement to the substantive law or another jurisdiction.

 

Section 4.10 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is for the sole benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns and nothing herein, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any other Person or entity any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

Section 4.11 Headings. The headings in this Agreement are for reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Transition Assistance Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the duly authorized officer of each Party as of the date first above written.

 

BURLINGTON:  
   
Burlington Capital, LLC  
     
By: /s/ Lisa Roskens  
  Lisa Roskens  
  Chairman and CEO  
     
BUYER:  
   
CC Acquisition Corp.  
     
By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson  
  Matthew Atkinson  
  Chief Executive Officer  

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

SERVICES

 

Buyer Representative – Matthew Atkinson

Burlington Representative – Pam Finn

 

Services - any and all services provided by Burlington to the Sellers prior to the Closing, including without limitation, bookkeeping, billing, collections, IT, office space, (collectively “General Services” and payroll and employee benefits (“Personnel Expenses”).

 

Fees - In exchange for the General Services, Buyer shall issue to Burlington a warrant for the purchase of 777,778 shares of Class B Common Stock of the Buyer at an exercise price of $0.642856 per share of for a gross exercise price of $500,000 with such option to be exercisable within ninety (90) days of the date of issuance. The warrant shall not be exercisable on a cashless basis.

 

In addition, Burlington shall invoice Buyer for its actual out of pocket costs for any 30-day Service Period with respect to the Personnel Services agreed by Burlington and Buyer.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.6

 

PATENT ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT

 

This PATENT ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT (“Patent Assignment”), dated as of September 29, 2022, is made by Food Safety Technology, L.L.C. (“Seller”), a Delaware limited liability company, located at 1004 Farnam Street, Suite 400, Omaha, Nebraska 68102 (“Assignor”), in favor of CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (“Assignee”), the purchaser of certain assets of Assignor pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreement between Assignee and Assignor dated as of October 17, 2022 (the “Purchase Agreement”).

 

WHEREAS, under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, Assignor has conveyed, transferred, and assigned to Assignee, among other assets, certain intellectual property of Assignor, and has agreed to execute and deliver this Patent Assignment, for recording with the United States Patent and Trademark Office;

 

NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

 

Assignment. For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Assignor hereby irrevocably conveys, transfers, and assigns to Assignee, and Assignee hereby accepts, all of Assignor’s right, title, and interest in and to the following (the “Assigned IP”):

 

the patent applications set forth on Schedule 1 hereto and all issuances, divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, reissues, extensions, reexaminations, and renewals thereof (the “Patents”);

 

all rights of any kind whatsoever of Assignor accruing under any of the foregoing provided by applicable law of any jurisdiction, by international treaties and conventions, and otherwise throughout the world;

 

any and all royalties, fees, income, payments, and other proceeds now or hereafter due or payable with respect to any and all of the foregoing; and

 

any and all claims and causes of action, with respect to any of the foregoing, whether accruing before, on, or after the date hereof, including all rights to and claims for damages, restitution, and injunctive and other legal and equitable relief for past, present, and future infringement, dilution, misappropriation, violation, misuse, breach, or default, with the right but no obligation to sue for such legal and equitable relief and to collect, or otherwise recover, any such damages.

 

Recordation and Further Actions. Assignor hereby authorizes the Commissioner for Patents in the United States Patent and Trademark Office to record and register this Patent Assignment upon request by Assignee. Following the date hereof, Assignor shall take such steps and actions, and provide such cooperation and assistance to Assignee and its successors, assigns, and legal representatives, including the execution and delivery of any affidavits, declarations, oaths, exhibits, assignments, powers of attorney, or other documents, as may be necessary to effect, evidence, or perfect the assignment of the Assigned IP to Assignee, or any assignee or successor thereto.

 

 

 

 

Terms of the Purchase Agreement. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that this Patent Assignment is entered into pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, to which reference is made for a further statement of the rights and obligations of Assignor and Assignee with respect to the Assigned IP. The representations, warranties, covenants, agreements, and indemnities contained in the Purchase Agreement shall not be superseded hereby but shall remain in full force and effect to the full extent provided therein. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the terms of the Purchase Agreement and the terms hereof, the terms of the Purchase Agreement shall govern.

 

Counterparts. This Patent Assignment may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall be deemed one and the same agreement. A signed copy of this Patent Assignment delivered by facsimile, e-mail, or other means of electronic transmission shall be deemed to have the same legal effect as delivery of an original signed copy of this Patent Assignment.

 

Successors and Assigns. This Patent Assignment shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

 

Governing Law. This Patent Assignment and any claim, controversy, dispute, or cause of action (whether in contract, tort, or otherwise) based upon, arising out of, or relating to this Patent Assignment and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the United States and the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction).

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Assignor has duly executed and delivered this Patent Assignment as of the date first above written.

 

  Food Safety Technology, LLC
     
  By: /s/ Lisa Roskens
  Name:  Lisa Roskens
  Title: President

 

  Address for Notices: 1004 Farnam Street,
    Suite 400 Omaha, NE
    68102

 

 

 

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AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED: CC Acquisition Corp.
     
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
  Name:  Matthew Atkinson
  Title: CEO

 

 

 

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SCHEDULE 1

 

ASSIGNED PATENTS

 

Patent Applications

 

Title   Jurisdiction   Status   Application/
Publication
Number
  Filing Date
Ozone Cleaning System   US   Issued   9,068,149   13-Mar-2008
Ozone Cleaning System   MX   Issued   320909   20-Nov-2009
Ozone Cleaning System   CA   Issued   2,680,331   08-Sep-2009
Reaction Vessel For An Ozone Cleaning System   US   Issued   8,075,705   13-Mar-2008
Aqueous Ozone Solution for Ozone Cleaning System   US   Issued   8,071,526   13-Mar-2008
Aqueous Ozone Solution for Ozone Cleaning System   US   Issued   8,735,337   20-May-2009
System for Producing and Distributing an Ozonated Fluid   CA   Issued   2,802,307   11-Dec-2012
Method and Systems for Controlling Microorganisms and Turbidity in Retort Cooling Water Using an Aqueous Ozone Solution   US   Issued   9,670,081   14-Mar-2014

 

 

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Exhibit 10.7

 

PATENT ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT

 

This PATENT ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT (“Patent Assignment”), dated as of September 29, 2022, is made by CleanCore Solutions, LLC (“Seller”), a Delaware limited liability company, located at 1004 Farnam Street, Suite 400, Omaha, Nebraska 68102 (“Assignor”), in favor of CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (“Assignee”), the purchaser of certain assets of Assignor pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreement between Assignee and Assignor dated as of October 17, 2022 (the “Purchase Agreement”).

 

WHEREAS, under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, Assignor has conveyed, transferred, and assigned to Assignee, among other assets, certain intellectual property of Assignor, and has agreed to execute and deliver this Patent Assignment, for recording with the United States Patent and Trademark Office;

 

NOW THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:

 

1. Assignment. For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Assignor hereby irrevocably conveys, transfers, and assigns to Assignee, and Assignee hereby accepts, all of Assignor's right, title, and interest in and to the following (the “Assigned IP”):

 

(a) the patent applications set forth on Schedule 1 hereto and all issuances, divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, reissues, extensions, reexaminations, and renewals thereof (the “Patents”);

 

(b) all rights of any kind whatsoever of Assignor accruing under any of the foregoing provided by applicable law of any jurisdiction, by international treaties and conventions, and otherwise throughout the world;

 

(c) any and all royalties, fees, income, payments, and other proceeds now or hereafter due or payable with respect to any and all of the foregoing; and

 

(d) any and all claims and causes of action, with respect to any of the foregoing, whether accruing before, on, or after the date hereof, including all rights to and claims for damages, restitution, and injunctive and _other legal and equitable relief for past, present, and future infringement, dilution, misappropriation, violation, misuse, breach, or default, with the right but no obligation to sue for such legal and equitable relief and to collect, or otherwise recover, any such damages.

 

2. Recordation and Further Actions. Assignor hereby authorizes the Commissioner for Patents in the United States Patent and Trademark Office to record and register this Patent Assignment upon request by Assignee. Following the date hereof, Assignor shall take such steps and actions, and provide such cooperation and assistance to Assignee and its successors, assigns, and legal representatives, including the execution and delivery of any affidavits, declarations, oaths, exhibits, assignments, powers of attorney, or other documents, as may be necessary to effect, evidence, or perfect the assignment of the Assigned IP to Assignee, or any assignee or successor thereto.

 

3. Terms of the Purchase Agreement. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that this Patent Assignment is entered into pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, to which reference is made for a further statement of the rights and obligations of Assignor and Assignee with respect to the Assigned IP. The representations, warranties, covenants, agreements, and indemnities contained in the Purchase Agreement shall not be superseded hereby but shall remain in full force and effect to the full extent provided therein. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between the terms of the Purchase Agreement and the terms hereof, the terms of the Purchase Agreement shall govern.

 

4. Counterparts. This Patent Assignment may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall be deemed one and the same agreement. A signed copy of this Patent Assignment delivered by facsimile, e-mail, or other means of electronic transmission shall be deemed to have the same legal effect as delivery of an original signed copy of this Patent Assignment.

 

5. Successors and Assigns. This Patent Assignment shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.

 

6. Governing Law. This Patent Assignment and any claim, controversy, dispute, or cause of action (whether in contract, tort, or otherwise) based upon, arising out of, or relating to this Patent Assignment and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the United States and the State of Delaware, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the State of Delaware or any other jurisdiction).

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Assignor has duly executed and delivered this Patent Assignment as of the date first above written.

 

  CleanCore Solutions, LLC
   
  By: /s/ Lisa Roskens
  Name: Lisa Roskens
  Title: President

 

  Address for Notices: 1004 Farnam Street,
    Suite 400 Omaha, NE  
    68102

 

 

 

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AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED: CC Acquisition Corp.
     
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
  Name: Matthew Atkinson
  Title: CEO

 

 

 

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SCHEDULE 1 ASSIGNED PATENTS

 

Patent Applications

 

Title  Jurisdiction  Status  Application/
Publication Number
   Filing Date
Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit  US  Issued   9,174,845   16-Jun-2010
Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit  US  Issued   9,522,348   17-Jan-2013
Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit  CA  Issued   2,802,311   11-Dec-2012
Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit  CA  Issued   2,896,332   23-Jun-2015
Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit  AU  Issued   2016256691   17-Jan-2014
Ozonated Liquid Dispensing Unit  US  Issued   10,479,683   19-Dec-2016
Apparatus for Generating Aqueous Ozone  US  Issued   11,033,647   10-May-2018
Apparatus for Generating Aqueous Ozone  CA  Pending   3087323   31-Dec-2018
Apparatus for Generating Aqueous Ozone  US  Published   17/347,364  14-Jun-2021

 

 

 

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Exhibit 10.8

 

TRADEMARK ASSIGNMENT

 

THIS TRADEMARK ASSIGNMENT is made as of October 17, 2022 by Food Safety Technology, L.L.C., a Delaware corporation (“Assignor”), to CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (“Assignee”).

 

WHEREAS, Assignor owns all right, title, and interest in and to following marks which are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office:

 

Mark

 

Registration No.

 

Registration Date

VIRIDITEC   TMA854,842   10-Jul-2013

 

(the “Marks”).

 

WHEREAS, Assignee wishes to acquire said Marks and the registration thereof;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, Assignor does hereby assign to Assignee all right, title and interest in and to the Marks, together with the goodwill associated with the Marks, and the above identified registrations thereof. Assignor hereby authorizes Assignee to file all necessary documentation with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to evidence such assignment.

 

  Food Safety Technology, L.L.C.
     
  By: /s/ Lisa Roskens
  Name:  Lisa Roskens
  Title: President

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.9

 

TRADEMARK ASSIGNMENT

 

THIS TRADEMARK ASSIGNMENT is made as of October 17, 2022 by CleanCore Technologies, LLC, a Delaware corporation (“Assignor”), to CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (“Assignee”).

 

WHEREAS, Assignor owns all right, title, and interest in and to following marks which are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office:

 

Mark   Registration No.   Registration Date
CLEANCORE   5559861   11-Sep-2018
CLEAN CORE   5584320   16-0ct-2018
CLEANCORE   TMA1090987   06-Jan-2021
C CLEAN CORE   TMA1090991   06-Jan-2021

 

(the “Marks”).

 

WHEREAS, Assignee wishes to acquire said Marks and the registration thereof;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, Assignor does hereby assign to Assignee all right, title and interest in and to the Marks, together with the goodwill associated with the Marks, and the above identified registrations thereof. Assignor hereby authorizes Assignee to file all necessary documentation with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to evidence such assignment.

 

  CleanCore Technologies, LLC
     
  By: Center Ride Holdings, LLC
     
  By: /s/ Lisa Roskens
  Name:  Lisa Roskens
  Title: President

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.10

 

PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$104,450 October 4, 2022

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation having a mailing address at 5920 South 118th Circle, Omaha, NE 68137 (the “Maker”), unconditionally promises to pay to the order of Clayton Adams, an individual having a mailing address at 1904 S 183rd Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68130 (the “Lender”), the principal sum of One Hundred Four Thousand Four Hundred Fifty Dollars ($104,450), at an interest rate of five percent 5% computed on the basis of a 360 day year with interest beginning to accrue only after the thirtieth (30th) day following the issuance of this promissory note (this “Note”). The Maker further agrees to pay all costs of collection, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Lender or by any other holder of this Note in any action to collect this Note, whether or not suit is brought.

 

Principal and accrued interest shall be payable on the sixtieth day (60) following WRITTEN DEMAND.

 

Maker shall have the right at any time to prepay, in whole or in part, the principal without penalty, subject to the qualification, however, that no partial prepayment of the original sum shall in any way release, discharge or affect the obligation of the Maker to make full payment in the amount of the balance of said principal sum plus accrued interest thereon at the time of demand.

 

The amounts due hereunder are payable in lawful money of the United States of America to the Lender at is address as specified above or at such other place as the holder of this Note shall from time to time designate, in immediately available funds.

 

No failure on the part of the Lender or any other holder of this Note to exercise and no delay in exercising any right, remedy or power hereunder or under any other document or agreement executed in connection herewith shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise by the Lender or any other holder of this Note of any right, remedy or power hereunder preclude any other or future exercise of any other right, remedy or power.

 

This Note shall be binding upon the Maker and the Maker’s successors and assigns.

 

This Note is executed and delivered in the State of Nevada and is to be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada.

 

In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Note shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part, or in any respect, or in the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Note shall operate, or would prospectively operate, to invalidate this Note, then, and in any such event, such provision or provisions only shall be deemed null and void and of no force or effect and shall not affect any other provision of this Note, and the remaining provisions of this Note shall remain operative and in full force and effect, shall be valid, legal and enforceable, and shall in no way be affected, prejudiced or disturbed thereby.

 

  CC Acquisition Corp.
     
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
  Name:  Matthew Atkinson
  Title: Director and Chief Executive Officer

 

Exhibit 10.11

 

PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$104,450 October 4, 2022

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation having a mailing address at 5920 South 118th Circle, Omaha, NE 68137 (the “Maker”), unconditionally promises to pay to the order of Matthew Atkinson, an individual having a mailing address at 255 Calamus Circle, Medina MN 55340 (the “Lender”), the principal sum of One Hundred Four Thousand Four Hundred Fifty Dollars ($104,450), at an interest rate of five percent 5% computed on the basis of a 360 day year with interest beginning to accrue only after the thirtieth (30th) day following the issuance of this promissory note (this “Note”). The Maker further agrees to pay all costs of collection, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Lender or by any other holder of this Note in any action to collect this Note, whether or not suit is brought.

 

Principal and accrued interest shall be payable on the sixtieth day (60) following WRITTEN DEMAND.

 

Maker shall have the right at any time to prepay, in whole or in part, the principal without penalty, subject to the qualification, however, that no partial prepayment of the original sum shall in any way release, discharge or affect the obligation of the Maker to make full payment in the amount of the balance of said principal sum plus accrued interest thereon at the time of demand.

 

The amounts due hereunder are payable in lawful money of the United States of America to the Lender at is address as specified above or at such other place as the holder of this Note shall from time to time designate, in immediately available funds.

 

No failure on the part of the Lender or any other holder of this Note to exercise and no delay in exercising any right, remedy or power hereunder or under any other document or agreement executed in connection herewith shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise by the Lender or any other holder of this Note of any right, remedy or power hereunder preclude any other or future exercise of any other right, remedy or power.

 

This Note shall be binding upon the Maker and the Maker’s successors and assigns.

 

This Note is executed and delivered in the State of Nevada and is to be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada.

 

In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Note shall for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, in whole or in part, or in any respect, or in the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Note shall operate, or would prospectively operate, to invalidate this Note, then, and in any such event, such provision or provisions only shall be deemed null and void and of no force or effect and shall not affect any other provision of this Note, and the remaining provisions of this Note shall remain operative and in full force and effect, shall be valid, legal and enforceable, and shall in no way be affected, prejudiced or disturbed thereby.

 

  CC Acquisition Corp.
     
  By: /s/ Clayton Adams
  Name:  Clayton Adams
  Title: Director and President

 

Exhibit 10.12

 

Business Property Lease

 

THIS LEASE is entered into this 9th day of November 2022, between RMR Mercury I-80, LLC, a Nebraska Corporation, hereinafter referred to as “Landlord”, and CleanCore Solutions, Inc, a Nebraska corporation, hereinafter referred to as “Tenant”.

 

PREMISES

 

1. Landlord leases to Tenant at 5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 2, Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska, 68137 (the “Premises”), containing approximately 9,136 square feet of floor area, on the following terms and conditions. The exact square footage has been determined in accordance with BOMA standards by a licensed architect and shown in Exhibit “B”. The premises leased pursuant to this Lease will hereinafter be referred to as the “Premises” as shown on Exhibit “A” attached hereto and by this reference incorporated herein.

 

TERM

 

2. This Lease shall be for a term of sixty-two months beginning on January 1, 2023, or upon substantial completion of the Premises, whichever is later and ending on February 29, 2028 unless terminated earlier as provided in this Lease.

 

If for any reason the Premises are delivered to Tenant on any date before or after the term commencement date, rental for the period between the date of possession and the term commencement date shall be adjusted on a pro rata basis. If Tenant takes possession of the Premises prior to the commencement of the term of this Lease, Tenant’s possession and use of the Premises shall be subject to all of the obligations, terms and conditions set forth in this Lease. Such earlier or later taking of possession shall not change the termination date of this Lease. This Lease shall not be void or voidable in the event of a late delivery by Landlord, nor shall Landlord be liable to Tenant for any resulting loss or damage.

 

USE OF PREMISES

 

3. The Premises are leased to Tenant, and are to be used by Tenant, for the purpose of general and administrative office, assembly, disassembly of cleaning products Tenant agrees to use the Premises in such a manner as to not interfere with the rights of other tenants in the Real Estate, to comply with all applicable governmental laws, ordinances, and regulations in connection with its use of the Premises, to keep the Premises in a clean and sanitary condition, to keep the Premises and all sidewalks and approaches thereto in a safe condition free and clear of all matter which may be dangerous to the public and free of all obstructions, and to use all reasonable precaution to prevent waste, damage, or injury to the Premises.

 

RENT

 

4. (a) Base Rent. The total Base Rent under this Lease is five hundred ninety-five thousand four hundred seventy Dollars and 53/100’s ($595,470.53). Tenant agrees to pay rent to Landlord at 5920 South 118th Circle, Omaha, NE 68137, or at any other place Landlord may designate in writing, in lawful money of the United States, in monthly installments in advance, on the first day of each month, as follows:

 

  For the period from January 1, 2023 to February 28, 2023: $00.00 per month.
  For the period from March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024: $9,440.53 per month
  For the period from March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025: $9,676.55 per month.
  For the period from March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026: $9,918.46 per month.
  For the period from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027: $10,166.42 per month.
  For the period from March 1, 2027 to February 29, 2028: $10,420.58 per month.

 

Page 1

 

 

(b) Operating Expenses. In addition to the Base Rent, effective the earlier of January 1, 2023 or upon Tenant occupying the Premises, Tenant shall pay as additional rent Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses of the real estate of which the Premises are part, parking areas, and grounds (“Real Estate”). “Operating Expenses” shall mean all costs of maintaining and operating the Real Estate, including but not limited to all taxes and special assessments levied upon the Real Estate, fixtures, and personal property used by Landlord at the Real Estate, all insurance costs, all costs of labor, material and supplies for maintenance, repair, replacement, and operation of the Real Estate, including but not limited to line painting, lighting, snow removal, landscaping, cleaning, depreciation of machinery and equipment used for such maintenance, repair and replacement, and management costs, including building superintendents. Operating Expenses shall not include property additions and capital improvements to the Real Estate, alterations made for specific tenants, depreciation of the Real Estate, debt service on any debt or income taxes paid by Landlord.

 

“Tenant’s Pro Rata Share” shall mean the percentage determined from time to time by dividing the square feet of the Premises set forth in paragraph 1 by the total number of square feet of floor area of the buildings on the Real Estate, which at the date hereof is agreed to be 12,240 square feet, and multiplying the resulting quotient by 100. Accordingly, Tenant’s Prorata Share shall be 74.60%, subject to adjustment if the square footage of the Premises or the total square footage of floor area of the buildings on the Real Estate changes. Tenant’s prorata share shall be confirmed by a licensed architect in accordance with BOMA standards.

 

Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of the Operating Expenses shall be determined on an annual basis for each calendar year ending December 31, and shall be pro rated for the number of months Tenant occupied the Premises if Tenant did not occupy the Premises the full year. Tenant shall pay $1,911.46 per month, on the first of each month in advance with Base Rent for Tenant’s estimated pro rata share of the Operating Expenses. Landlord may change this amount at any time upon written notice to Tenant. As the end of each year, an analysis of the total year’s Operating Expenses shall be presented to Tenant and Tenant shall pay the amount, if any, by which the Tenant’s pro rata share of the Operating Expenses for the year exceeded the amount of the Operating Expenses paid by Tenant. Tenant shall pay any such excess charge to the Landlord within thirty (30) days after receiving the statement. In the event this Lease terminates at any time other than the last day of the year, the excess Operating Expenses shall be determined as of the date of termination. Upon termination of this Lease, any overpayment of Operating Expenses by Tenant shall be applied to the amounts due Landlord from Tenant under this Lease and any remaining overpayment shall be refunded to Tenant.

 

(c) Payment of Rent. Tenant agrees to pay the Base Rent when due, together with Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Operating Expenses and all other amounts as required to be paid by Tenant under this Lease (collectively referred to herein as “Rent”). In the event of nonpayment of any amounts due under this Lease, whether or not designated as rent, Landlord shall have all the rights and remedies provided in this Lease or by law for failure to pay rent.

 

(d) Late Charge. If the Tenant fails to pay the Base Rent together with the Tenant’s Pro Rata Share of Tenant’s Operating Expenses and all other amounts required to be paid by Tenant under this Lease, on or before the third day after such payments are due, Tenant agrees to pay Landlord a late charge of ten percent (10%).

 

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(e) Security Deposit. As partial consideration for the execution of this Lease, the Tenant has delivered to Landlord the sum of $9,440.53 as a Security Deposit. If Tenant fails to perform any of its obligations under this Lease, including without limitation payment of any Rent due, Landlord may use, apply, or retain all or any part of the Security Deposit for the payment of Rent or any other sum due, or for the payment of any amount Landlord may spend by reason of Tenant’s default. If any portion of the Security Deposit is so used, applied or retained, Tenant will within ten (10) days after written demand deposit cash with Landlord in an amount sufficient to restore the Security Deposit to its original amount. The Security Deposit will be returned to Tenant at the expiration of this Lease if Tenant has fully complied with all covenants and conditions of this Lease.

 

SERVICES

 

5. Landlord shall furnish the following services to the Premises during normal business hours, and at such other times as Landlord may deem necessary or desirable, in the manner customary to the Real Estate: none. The costs of such services shall be included in Operating Expenses unless separately metered and paid directly by Tenant. Landlord shall have the right to discontinue any service during any period for which Rent is not promptly paid by Tenant. Landlord shall not be liable for damages, nor shall the rental be abated, for failure to furnish, or delay in furnishing, any service when failure to furnish, or delay in furnishing, is occasioned in whole or in part by needful repairs, renewals, or improvements, or by any strike or labor controversy, or by any accident or casualty whatsoever, or by any unauthorized act or default of any employee of Landlord, or for any other cause or causes beyond the control of Landlord. Tenant shall pay when due, all water, gas, electricity, and sewer use fees, and fees for any other utility services furnished to the Premises, including without limitation all initial utility deposits and fees. If any such services are not separately metered or billed to Tenant but are billed to and paid by Landlord, Tenant will pay to Landlord “Tenant’s Pro Rata Share” of the cost of such services (as defined in Article 4). and sewer use fees, and fees for any other utility services furnished to the Premises, including without limitation all initial utility deposits and fees.

 

ASSIGNMENT OR SUBLEASE

 

6. Tenant shall not assign this Lease or sublet the whole or any part of the Premises, transfer this Lease by operation of law or otherwise, or permit any other person except agents and employees of Tenant to occupy the Premises, or any part thereof, without the prior written consent of Landlord. Landlord shall not unreasonably withhold consent. Landlord may consider, among other things, the following in determining whether to withhold consent: (a) financial responsibility of the new tenant, (b) identity and business character of the new tenant, (c) nature and legality of the proposed use of the Premises. If Landlord wrongfully withholds its consent to any proposed assignment or sublease, Tenant’s sole remedy therefore shall be to seek specific performance of Landlord’s obligation to consent thereto.

 

Landlord shall have the right to assign its interest under this Lease or the Rent reserved hereunder.

 

TENANT’S IMPROVEMENTS

 

7. Tenant shall have the right to place partitions and fixtures and make improvements or other alterations in the interior of the Premises at its own expense. Prior to commencing any such work, Tenant shall first obtain the written consent of Landlord for the proposed work. Without limiting Landlord’s right to withhold its consent for any proposed alteration, addition or improvement for any reason Landlord deems appropriate, Landlord may withhold its consent for any alteration, addition, or improvement that requires work which does not comply with any applicable laws (including, without limitation, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and all regulations issued thereunder) or requires other alterations, additions or improvements of the Premises or common areas of the Real Estate in order to comply with applicable laws.

 

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Landlord may, as a condition to its consent, require that the work be done by Landlord’s own employees and/or under Landlord’s supervision, but at the expense of Tenant, and that Tenant give sufficient security that the Premises will be completed free and clean of liens and in a manner satisfactory to Landlord. Upon termination of this Lease, at Landlord’s option, Tenant will repair and restore the Premises to its former condition, at Tenant’s expense, or any such improvements, additions, or alterations installed or made by Tenant, except Tenant’s trade fixtures, shall become part of the Premises and the property of the Landlord. Tenant may remove its trade fixtures at the termination of this Lease provided Tenant is not then in default and provided further that Tenant repairs any damage caused by such removal.

 

REPAIRS

 

8. Landlord agrees to maintain in good condition, and repair as necessary the foundations, exterior walls and the roof of the Premises.

 

Tenant agrees that it will make, at its own cost and expense, all repairs and replacements to the Premises not required to be made by Landlord, including, but not limited to, all interior repairs, and the heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems servicing the Premises. Tenant agrees to do all redecorating, remodeling, alteration, and painting required by it during the term of the Lease at its own cost and expense, to pay for any repairs to the Premises or the Real Estate made necessary by any negligence or carelessness of Tenant or any of its agents or employees or persons permitted on the Real Estate by Tenant, and to maintain the Premises in a safe, clean, neat, and sanitary condition. Tenant shall be entitled to no compensation for inconvenience, injury, or loss of business arising from the making of any repairs by Landlord, Tenant, or other tenants to the Premises or the Real Estate

 

Tenant agrees to keep the heating, ventilating, and conditioning (HVAC) system covered under a preventive maintenance contract at Tenant’s expense through the entire Lease Term and any renewal or extension terms of this Lease. Tenant shall enter into a standard maintenance contract, annually written at normal and customary rates, for the servicing of the HVAC system serving the entire Premises that provides for, at a minimum, (i) inspection, cleaning and testing at least quarterly, (ii) any servicing, maintenance repair or replacement of filters, belts or other items covered by such a standard contract, and (iii) an annual service report at the end of each calendar year. Such annual report shall be provided to Landlord within three (3) days of request; time being of the essence. Tenant shall deliver a copy of the service contract to Landlord within ten (10) days after request. If Tenant fails to maintain the service contract, Landlord may do so and pass these costs along to Tenant. Tenant shall pay the cost thereof within ten (10) days after receipt of same.

 

CONDITION OF PREMISES

 

9. Except as provided herein, Tenant agrees that no promises, representations, statements, or warranties have been made on behalf of Landlord to Tenant respecting the condition of the Premises, or the manner of operating the Real Estate, or the making of any repairs to the Premises. By taking possession of the Premises, Tenant acknowledges that the Premises were in good and satisfactory condition when possession was taken. Tenant shall, at the termination of this Lease, by lapse of time or otherwise, remove all of Tenant’s property and surrender the Premises to Landlord in as good condition as when Tenant took possession, normal wear excepted. Landlord will construct or install in the Premises the improvements to be constructed or installed by Landlord according to the Work Letter attached hereto, marked Exhibit “C”, and by this reference made a part hereof.

 

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PERSONAL PROPERTY AT RISK OF TENANT

 

10. All personal property in the Premises shall be at the risk of Tenant only. Landlord shall not be liable for any damage to any property of Tenant or its agents or employees in or on the Premises caused by steam, electricity, sewage, gas or odors, or from water, rain, or snow which may leak into, issue or flow into the Premises from any part of the Real Estate, or from any other place, or for any damage done to Tenant’s property in moving same to or from the Real Estate or the Premises. Tenant shall give Landlord, or its agents, prompt written notice of any damage to or defects in water pipes, gas or warming or cooling apparatus in the Premises.

 

LANDLORD’S RESERVED RIGHTS

 

11. With one day notice to Tenant, without liability to Tenant for damages or injury to property, person, or business, and without effecting an eviction of Tenant or a disturbance of Tenant’s use or possession or giving rise to any claim for setoff or abatement of rent, Landlord shall have the right to:

 

(a) Change the name or street address of the Real Estate.

 

(b) Install and maintain signs on the Real Estate.

 

(c) At reasonable times, to decorate, and to make, at its own expense, repairs, alterations, additions, and improvements, structural or otherwise, in or to the Premises, the Real Estate, or part thereof, and any adjacent building, land, street, or alley, and during such operations to take into and through the Premises or any part of the Real Estate all materials required, and to temporarily close or suspend operation of entrances, doors, corridors, elevators, or other facilities to do so.

 

(d) Possess passkeys to the Premises.

 

(e) Show the Premises to lenders, prospective tenants and purchasers at reasonable times.

 

(f) Take any and all reasonable measures, including inspections or the making of repairs, alterations, and additions and improvements to the Premises or to the Real Estate, which Landlord deems necessary or desirable for the safety, protection, operation, or preservation of the Premises or the Real Estate.

 

(g) Approve all sources furnishing signs, painting, and/or lettering to the Premises, and approve all signs on the Premises prior to installation thereof.

 

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INSURANCE

 

12. Tenant’s Insurance. Tenant shall maintain the following insurance (“Tenant’s Insurance”), at its sole cost and expense: (1) commercial general liability insurance applicable to the Premises and its appurtenances providing, on an occurrence basis, a per occurrence limit of no less than $1,000,000; (2) causes of loss-special form (formerly “all risk”) property insurance covering all leasehold improvements made by Tenant and Tenant’s trade fixtures, equipment, furniture and other personal property within the Premises (“Tenant’s Property”) in the amount of the full replacement cost thereof; (3) business income (formerly “business interruption”) insurance written on an actual loss sustained form or with sufficient limits to address reasonably anticipated business interruption losses sustained by Tenant; (4) business automobile liability insurance to cover all owned, hired and nonowned automobiles owned or operated by Tenant providing a minimum combined single limit of $1,000,000; (5) workers’ compensation insurance as required by the state in which the Premises is located and in amounts as may be required by applicable statute (provided, however, if no workers’ compensation insurance is statutorily required, Tenant shall carry workers’ compensation insurance in a minimum amount of $500,000); (6) employer’s liability insurance in an amount of at least $500,000 per accident, $500,000 disease each employee, $500,000 disease policy limit; and (7) umbrella liability insurance that follows form in excess of the limits specified in (1), (4) and (6) above, of no less than $2,000,000 per occurrence and in the aggregate. Any company underwriting any of Tenant’s Insurance shall have, according to A.M. Best Insurance Guide, a Best’s rating of not less than A- and a Financial Size Category of not less than VIII. All commercial general liability, business automobile liability and umbrella liability insurance policies shall name Landlord (or any successor), Landlord’s property manager, Landlord’s mortgagee (including the beneficiary under a deed of trust), if any, and their respective members, principals, beneficiaries, partners, officers, directors, employees, and agents, and other designees of Landlord as the interest of such designees shall appear, as “additional insureds” and shall be primary with Landlord’s policy being secondary and noncontributory. If any aggregate limit is reduced because of losses paid to below 75% of the limit required by this Lease, Tenant will notify Landlord in writing within 10 days of the date of reduction. All policies of Tenant’s Insurance shall contain endorsements that the insurer(s) shall give Landlord and its designees at least 30 days’ advance written notice of any change, cancellation, termination or lapse of insurance. Tenant shall provide Landlord with a certificate of insurance and all required endorsements evidencing Tenant’s Insurance prior to the earlier to occur of the commencement date of the term of this Lease or the date Tenant is provided access to the Premises for any reason, and upon renewals at least 10 days prior to the expiration of the insurance coverage. All of Tenant’s Insurance policies, endorsements and certificates will be on forms and with deductibles and self-insured retention, if any, reasonably acceptable to Landlord. The limits of Tenant’s insurance shall not limit Tenant’s liability under this Lease.

 

Landlord’s Insurance. Landlord shall maintain: (1) commercial general liability insurance applicable to the Real Estate which provides, on an occurrence basis, a minimum combined single limit of no less than $1,000,000 (coverage in excess of $1,000,000, if any, may be provided by way of an umbrella/excess liability policy); and (2) causes of loss-special form (formerly “all risk”) property insurance on the Real Estate improvements in the amount of the replacement cost thereof, as reasonably estimated by Landlord. The foregoing insurance and any other insurance carried by Landlord may be effected by a policy or policies of blanket insurance and shall be for the sole benefit of Landlord and under Landlord’s sole control. Consequently, Tenant shall have no right or claim to any proceeds thereof or any other rights thereunder.

 

INDEMNITY

 

13. Subject to Mutual Waiver of Subrogation Section, Tenant shall hold Landlord, its trustees, Affiliates, subsidiaries, members, principals, beneficiaries, partners, officers, directors, shareholders, employees, mortgagee(s) (including beneficiaries under deeds of trust) and agents (including the manager of the Real Estate) (collectively, “Landlord Parties”) harmless from, and indemnify and defend such parties against, all liabilities, obligations, damages, penalties, claims, actions, costs, charges and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and other professional fees that may be imposed upon, incurred by or asserted against any of such indemnified parties (each a “Claim” and collectively “Claims”) that arise out of or in connection with any damage or injury occurring in the Premises. Provided Landlord Parties are properly named as additional insureds in the policies required to be carried under this Lease, and except as otherwise expressly provided in this Lease, the indemnity set forth in the preceding sentence shall be limited to the greater of (A) $2,000,000, and (B) the aggregate amount of general/umbrella liability insurance actually carried by Tenant. Subject to Mutual Waiver of Subrogation and Limitation of Recourse Sections, Landlord shall hold Tenant, its trustees, members, principals, beneficiaries, partners, officers, directors, shareholders, employees and agents (collectively, “Tenant Parties”) harmless from, and indemnify and defend such parties against, all Claims that arise out of or in connection with any damage or injury occurring in or on the Real Estate, excluding the Premises, to the same extent the Tenant Parties would have been covered had they been named as additional insureds on the commercial general liability insurance policy required to be carried by Landlord under this Lease. The term “Affiliate” means any person or entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with Tenant or Landlord, as applicable.

 

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Landlord agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Tenant against and from any and all claims or demands of any third party arising from or based upon any alleged act, omission, or negligence of Landlord’s or Landlord’s contractors, concessionaires, licensees, agents, servants, invitees, employees, or anyone else for whom Landlord may be responsible, including, but not limited to, any breach of Landlord of its obligations under this Lease, except to the extent caused by any act, omission, or negligence of Tenant or Tenant’s contractors, concessionaires, licensees, agents, servants, invitees, employees, or anyone else for whom Tenant may be responsible. In the event that Tenant shall be made a party to any litigation commenced by any third party against Landlord, for which there is no liability on Tenant’s part, then Landlord shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Tenant against and from such litigation and shall pay all costs, expenses, and reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred or paid by Tenant in connection with such litigation.

 

MUTUAL WAIVER OF SUBROGATION

 

14. Notwithstanding anything in this Lease to the contrary, Tenant waives, and shall cause its insurance carrier(s) and any other party claiming through or under such carrier(s), by way of subrogation or otherwise, to waive any and all rights of recovery, Claim, action or causes of action against all Landlord Parties for any loss or damage to Tenant’s business, any loss of use of the Premises, and any loss, theft or damage to Tenant’s Property (including Tenant’s automobiles or the contents thereof), including all rights (by way of subrogation or otherwise) of recovery, Claims, actions or causes of action arising out of the negligence of any Landlord Party, which loss or damage is (or would have been, had the insurance required by this Lease been maintained) covered by insurance. In addition, Landlord shall cause its insurance carrier(s) and any other party claiming through or under such carrier(s), by way of subrogation or otherwise, to waive any and all rights of recovery, Claim, action or causes of action against all Tenant Parties for any loss of or damage to or loss of use of the building in which the Premises are located, any additions or improvements to such building, or any contents thereof, including all rights (by way of subrogation or otherwise) of recovery, Claims, actions or causes of action arising out of the negligence of any Tenant Party, which loss or damage is (or would have been, had the insurance required by this Lease been maintained) covered by insurance.

 

DAMAGE BY FIRE OR OTHER CASUALTY

 

15. If, during the term of this Lease, the Premises shall be so damaged by fire or any other cause except Tenant’s negligent or intentional act so as to render the Premises untenantable, the rent shall be abated while the Premises remain untenantable; and in the event of such damage, Landlord shall elect whether to repair the Premises or to cancel this Lease, and shall notify Tenant in writing of its election within sixty (60) days after such damage. In the event Landlord elects to repair the Premises, the work or repair shall begin promptly and shall be carried on without unnecessary delay. In the event Landlord elects not to repair the Premises, the Lease shall be deemed canceled as of the date of the damage. Such damage shall not extend the Lease term.

 

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CONDEMNATION

 

16. If the whole or any part of the Premises shall be taken by public authority under the power of eminent domain, then the term of this Lease shall cease on that portion of the Premises so taken, from the date of possession, and the rent shall be paid to that date, with a proportionate refund by Landlord to Tenant of such rent as may have been paid by Tenant in advance. If the portion of the Premises taken is such that it prevents the practical use of the Premises for Tenant’s purposes, then Tenant shall have the right either (a) to terminate this Lease by giving written notice of such termination to Landlord not later than thirty (30) days after the taking; or (b) to continue in possession of the remainder of the Premises, except that the rent shall be reduced in proportion to the area of the Premises taken. In the event of any taking or condemnation of the Premises, in whole or in part, the entire resulting award of damages shall be the exclusive property of the Landlord, including all damages awarded as compensation for diminution in value to the leasehold, without any deduction for the value of any unexpired term of this Lease, or for any other estate or interest in the Premises now or hereafter vested in Tenant.

 

DEFAULT OR BREACH

 

17. Each of the following events shall constitute a default or a breach of this Lease by Tenant:

 

(a) If Tenant fails to pay Landlord any rent or other payments when due hereunder;

 

(b) If Tenant vacates or abandons the Premises;

 

(c) If Tenant files a petition in bankruptcy or insolvency or for reorganization under any bankruptcy act, or voluntarily takes advantage of any such act by answer or otherwise, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors;

 

(d) If involuntary proceedings under any bankruptcy or insolvency act shall be instituted against Tenant, or if a receiver or trustee shall be appointed of all or substantially all of the property of Tenant, and such proceedings shall not be dismissed or the receivership or trusteeship vacated within thirty (30) days after the institution or appointment; or

 

(e) If Tenant fails to perform or comply with any other term or condition of this Lease and if such nonperformance shall continue for a period of ten (10) days after notice thereof by Landlord to Tenant, time being of the essence.

 

EFFECT OF DEFAULT

 

18. In the event of any default or breach hereunder, in addition to any other right or remedy available to Landlord, either at law or in equity, Landlord may exert any one or more of the following rights:

 

(a) Landlord may re-enter the Premises immediately and remove the property and personnel of Tenant, and shall have the right, but not the obligation, to store such property in a public warehouse or at a place selected by Landlord, at the risk and expense of Tenant.

 

(b) Landlord may retake the Premises with or without terminating the Lease. Landlord may terminate this Lease by giving written notice of termination to Tenant. Without such notice, Landlord’s retaking will not terminate the Lease. On termination, Landlord may recover from Tenant all damages proximately resulting from the breach, including the cost of recovering the Premises and the difference between the rent due for the balance of the Lease term, as though the Lease had not been terminated, and the reasonable rental value of the Premises, which sum shall be immediately due Landlord from Tenant.

 

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(c) Landlord may relet the Premises or any part thereof for any term without terminating this Lease, at such rent and on such terms as it may choose. Landlord may make alterations and repairs to the Premises. In addition to Tenant’s liability to Landlord for breach of this Lease, Tenant shall be liable for all expenses of the reletting, including, without limitation, all brokerage commissions and costs of alterations and repairs made, and for the rent due for the balance of the Lease term, which sum shall be immediately due Landlord from Tenant. The amount due Landlord will be reduced by the net rent received by Landlord during the remaining term of this Lease from reletting the Premises or any part thereof. If during the remaining term of this Lease, Landlord receives more than the amount due Landlord under this subparagraph, the Landlord shall pay such excess to Tenant, but only to the extent Tenant has actually made payment pursuant to this subparagraph.

 

SURRENDER - HOLDING OVER

 

19. Tenant shall, upon termination of this Lease, whether by lapse of time or otherwise, peaceably and promptly surrender the Premises to Landlord. If Tenant remains in possession after the termination of this Lease, without a written lease duly executed by the parties, Tenant shall be deemed a trespasser. If Tenant pays, and Landlord accepts, rent for a period after termination of this Lease, Tenant shall be deemed to be occupying the Premises only as a tenant from month to month, subject to all the terms, conditions, and agreements of this Lease, except that the rent shall be 150% of the monthly rent specified in this Lease immediately before termination.

 

SUBORDINATION AND ATTORNMENT

 

20. This Lease, and all rights of Tenant hereunder, shall be subject and subordinate to any liens and encumbrances now or hereafter imposed by Landlord upon the Premises or the Real Estate or any part thereof. This provision shall be self-operative and no further instrument of subordination shall be required in order to effect it. Nevertheless, Tenant agrees to execute, acknowledge, and deliver to Landlord, within ten (10) days after Landlord’s request, any and all instruments requested by Landlord to confirm the subordination of this Lease and all rights herein to any such lien or encumbrance. If Tenant fails or refuses to execute and deliver such document within such ten (10) day period, Landlord shall be entitled to execute and deliver such documents for and on behalf of Tenant as attorney-in-fact.

 

In the event any proceedings are brought for the foreclosure of any mortgage or deed of trust on the Premises, Tenant will attorn to the purchaser at the foreclosure sale and recognize such purchaser as the Landlord under this Lease. Such purchaser will not be bound by (a) any payment of monthly Base Rent or additional Rent for more than one (1) month in advance, (b) any claims or setoffs on account of any defaults made by the prior landlord.

 

Tenant agrees to execute and deliver such further assurances and other documents, including a new lease upon the same terms and conditions contained herein, confirming the foregoing, as such purchaser may reasonably request. Tenant waives any right of election to terminate this Lease because of any such foreclosure proceedings.

 

NOTICES

 

21. Any notice or other communication to be given hereunder shall be given in writing and hand delivered or sent by regular first class, US mail to Landlord at 5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 1A, Omaha, NE 68137, and to Tenant at 5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 1B Omaha, NE 68137, or at such other address as either party may from time to time designate in writing. Each such notice shall be deemed to have been given at the time it shall be personally delivered to such address or deposited in the United States mail in the manner prescribed herein.

 

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RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

22. Tenant and Tenant’s agents, employees and invitees shall fully comply with all rules and regulations of the Real Estate, as amended from time to time, which are made a part of this Lease as if fully set forth herein. Landlord shall have the right to amend such rules and regulations as Landlord deems necessary or desirable for the safety, care, cleanliness, or proper operation of the Premises and the Real Estate.

 

NET LEASE

 

23. This is a net-net-net Lease and all parties agree and understand that Tenant shall pay Tenant’s proportionate share of the real estate taxes, special assessments, insurance and all other Operating Expenses as described in subparagraph 4(b) of this Lease.

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

24.     (a) Binding on Assigns. All terms, conditions, and agreements of this Lease shall be binding upon, apply, and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, representatives, successors, and assigns.

 

(b) Amendment in Writing. This Lease contains the entire agreement between the parties and may be amended only by subsequent written agreement.

 

(c) Waiver-None. The failure of Landlord to insist upon strict performance of any of the terms, conditions and agreements of this Lease shall not be deemed a waiver of any of its rights or remedies hereunder and shall not be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach or default of any of such terms, conditions, and agreements. The doing of anything by Landlord which Landlord is not obligated to do hereunder shall not impose any future obligation on Landlord nor otherwise amend any provisions of this Lease.

 

(d) No Surrender. No surrender of the Premises by Tenant shall be effected by Landlord’s acceptance of the keys to the Premises or of the rent due hereunder, or by any other means whatsoever, without Landlord’s written acknowledgment that such acceptance constitutes a surrender.

 

(e) Limitation on Recourse. Tenant specifically agrees to look solely to the interest in the Real Estate of Landlord, and any successor to the interest of Landlord, for the recovery of any judgments from Landlord, and Landlord’s successor, it being agreed that Landlord and its successor (and their shareholders, members, venturers, partners and their officers, directors and employees) will never be personally liable for any such judgments. Tenant will not have any right to satisfy any judgment which it may have against Landlord, or any successor, from any other assets of Landlord, or any successor.

 

(f) Landlord Means Owner. The term “Landlord” as used in this Lease, so far as covenants or obligations on the part of Landlord are concerned, shall be limited to mean and include only the owner or owners at the time in questions of the Building and the real estate on which the Building is situated, and in the event of any transfer or transfers of the title to such fee, Landlord herein named (and in case of any subsequent transfer or conveyance, the then grantor) shall be automatically freed and relieved, from and after the date of such transfer or conveyance, of all liability as respects the performance of any covenants or obligations on the part of Landlord contained in this Lease thereafter to be performed; provided, that any funds in the hands of such Landlord or the then grantor at the time of such transfer, in which Tenant has an interest, shall be turned over to the grantee, and any amount then due and payable to Tenant by landlord or the then grantor under any provisions of this Lease, shall be paid to Tenant.

 

(g) Estoppel Certificates. At any time and from time to time but within 10 days after prior written request by Landlord, Tenant will execute, acknowledge, and deliver to Landlord, promptly upon request, a certificate certifying (a) that this Lease is unmodified and in full force and effect or, if there have been modifications, that this Lease is in full force and effect, as modified, and stating the date and nature of each modification; (b) the date, if any, to which Rent and other sums payable under this Lease have been paid; (c) that no written notice of any default has been delivered to Landlord which default has not been cured, except as to defaults specified in said certificate; (d) that there is no event of default under this Lease or an event which, with notice or the passage of time, or both, would result in an event of default under this Lease, except for defaults specified in said certificate; and (e) such other matters as may be reasonably requested by Landlord. Any such certificate may be relied upon by any prospective purchaser or existing or prospective mortgagee or beneficiary under any deed of trust of the Building or any part of the Project. Tenant’s failure to deliver such a certificate within such time will be conclusive evidence of the matters set forth in it.

 

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(h) No Construction Against Drafting Party. Landlord and Tenant acknowledge that each of them and their respective counsel have had an opportunity to review this Lease and that this Lease will not be construed against Landlord merely because Landlord’s counsel has prepared it.

 

(i) Sale. The term “Landlord” shall mean the owner of the Premises. In the event the original Landlord hereunder, or any successor owner of the Premises, shall sell or convey the Premises, all liabilities and obligations on the part of the original Landlord, or such successor owner under this Lease accruing thereafter shall terminate, and thereafter all such liabilities and obligations shall be binding upon the new owner. Tenant agrees to attorn and pay rent to such new owner.

 

(j) Severability. If any of the provisions of this Lease shall at any time be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid, or unenforceable for any reason, such illegality, invalidity, or unenforceability shall not affect the remaining provisions of this Lease, and this Lease shall be construed and enforced as if all such illegal, invalid, or unenforceable provisions had never been included herein.

 

(k) Anti-Terrorism Statute Compliance. Tenant hereby represents and warrants to Landlord that Tenant is not: (1) in violation of any Anti-Terrorism Law; (2) conducting any business or engaging in any transaction or dealing with any Prohibited Person, including the making or receiving or any contribution of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit of any Prohibited Person; (3) dealing in, or otherwise engaging in any transaction relating to, any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224; (4) engaging in or conspiring to engage in any transaction that evades or avoids, or had the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in any Anti-Terrorism Law; or (5) a Prohibited Person, nor are any of its partners, members, managers, officers or directors a Prohibited Person. As used herein, “Antiterrorism Law” is defined as any law relating to terrorism, anti-terrorism, money laundering or anti-money laundering activities, including Executive Order No. 13224 and Title 3 of the USA Patriot Act. As used herein “Executive Order No. 13224” is defined as Executive Order No. 13224 on Terrorist Financing effective September 24, 2001, and relating to “Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, or Support Terrorism” “Prohibited Person” is defined as (1) a person or entity that is listed in the Annex to Executive Order 13224; (ii) a person or entity with whom Tenant or Landlord is prohibited from dealing or otherwise engaging in any transaction by any Anti Terrorism Law, or (iii) a person or entity that is named as a “specially designated national and blocked person” on the most current list published by the U.S. Treasury Department Office Of Foreign Assets Control as its official website, http://www.treas.gov/ofac/t11sdn.pdf or at any replacement website or other official publication of such list. “USA Patriot Act” is defined as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001” (Public Law 107-56).

 

(l) Captions. The captions of the various paragraphs in this Lease are for convenience only and do not define, limit, describe, or construe the contents of such paragraphs.

 

(m) Brokers. Tenant hereby warrants that no real estate broker has or will represent it in this transaction and that no finder’s fees have been earned by a third party, except OMNE Partners. All commission fees will be paid by Landlord in accordance with exclusive listing agreement.

 

(n) Applicable Law. This Lease shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nebraska.

 

ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

 

25. Parking. Tenant shall cause all persons authorized by Tenant to use Tenant’s parking stalls to strictly comply, with all terms, rules and regulation applicable to parking in such parking stalls imposed by the owner or manager of the applicable parking facility, as well as any reasonable rules and regulations imposed by Landlord with respect thereto. Tenant will have the right to park in the parking stalls in line with their premises, from south interior demising wall to north exterior building wall.

 

26. Right of first Refusal. If at any time throughout the lease term the. Tenant shall have a right of first refusal (“Refusal Right”) to purchase the Premises throughout the term of the lease. In the event Landlord receives a bona fide offer to purchase the Premises or any portion thereof , Landlord shall provide Tenant notice and terms of the offer. Tenant will have fifteen (15) business days from receipt of notice to exercise their right of first refusal.

 

Until this Lease is executed on behalf of all parties hereto, it shall be construed as an offer to lease of Tenant to Landlord.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Lease by day and year first above written.

 

LANDLORD: RMR Mercury I-80, LLC      
       
By: /s/ Robert M Ryan   By: /s/ Jeff Gebrins
Title: President   Title: Vice President
Date: 11/10/2022   Date: 11/10/2022
         
TENANT: CleanCore Solutions, Inc      
       
By: /s /Matthew Atkinson   By: /s/ Clayton Adams
Title: Co-Founder   Title: Co-Founder
Date: 11/10/2022   Date: 11/09/2022

 

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RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

(a) Tenant shall not affix or maintain outside the Premises including the exterior of the glass panes and supports of the show windows (and within the twenty-four (24) inches of any window), doors and the exterior walls of the Premises, or any place within the Premises if intended to be seen from the exterior of the Premises, any signs, advertising placards, names, insignia, notices, trademarks, descriptive material or any other such like item or items except such as shall have first received written approval of Landlord as to size, type, color, location, copy, nature, and display qualities. No symbol, design, name, mark or insignia adopted by Landlord for the Property shall be used without the prior written consent of Landlord. No illuminated signs in the interior of the Premises which are visible from outside the Premises shall advertise any product. All signs located in the interior of the Premises shall be in good taste so as not to detract from the general appearance of the Premises or the Property. Tenant shall not use handbills for advertising at the Property;

 

(b) No awnings or other projections shall be attached to the exterior walls of the Premises or the building of which they form a part;

 

(c) All loading and unloading of goods shall be done only at such times, in the areas and through the entrances designated for such purpose by Landlord. Trailers and trucks shall deliver merchandise to the Premises only through the access road or roads designated for such purposes and such motor vehicles shall not be permitted to park in or drive through such areas, and said vehicles will be expeditiously loaded and unloaded and not permitted to park in the Property at the designated places for periods longer than are reasonably necessary for loading and/or unloading;

 

(d) All garbage and refuse shall be kept in the kind of container specified by Landlord, shall be stored in the Premises and prepared for collection in the manner and at the time and places specified by Landlord. If Landlord shall provide or designate a service for picking up refuse and garbage, Tenant shall use such service and pay the cost therefore;

 

(e) No loudspeakers, television sets, phonographs, radios or other devices shall be used in a manner so as to be heard or seen outside of the Premises without the prior written consent of Landlord;

 

(f) Sales using the auction method of selling and/or fire sales, shall not be conducted on or about the Premises without the prior written consent of Landlord;

 

(g) Tenant shall keep the Premises at a temperature sufficiently high to prevent freezing of water in pipes and fixtures;

 

(h) Tenant shall not leave merchandise in the service corridors, sidewalks, entrances, passages, courts, corridors or stairways;

 

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(i) Tenant’s right to use the common areas at the Property shall be limited to ingress and egress, and the parking of automobiles for Tenants, invitees and guests. Tenant and Tenant’s employees shall park their cars only in those portions of the parking area designated for employee parking by Landlord.

 

(j) Tenant shall use at Tenant’s cost such pest extermination contractor as Landlord may direct and at such intervals as Landlord may reasonably require;

 

(k) Tenant will cooperate and participate in all security programs affecting the Property;

 

(l) Tenant shall not make or permit any noise or odor which Landlord deems objectionable to emanate from the Premises and no person shall use the Premises or any part thereof as a sleeping quarter, sleeping apartment or lodging room;

 

(m) Tenant shall not make noises, cause disturbances or vibrations or use or operate any electrical or electronic devices or other devices that emit sound or other waves or disturbances, or create odors, any of which may be offensive to other tenants and occupants of the Property or that would interfere with the operation of any device or equipment or radio or television broadcasting or reception from or within the Property or elsewhere; and

 

(n) The plumbing facilities in the Leased Premises shall not be used for any purpose other than that for which they are constructed, and no foreign substance of any kind shall be thrown therein, and the expenses of any breakage, stoppage or damage resulting from a violation of this provision shall be borne by Tenant, who shall, or whose employees, agents or invitees shall, have caused it.

 

Landlord may amend, modify, and delete the Rules and Regulations or add new and additional reasonable rules and regulations for the use and care of the Premises, the building of which the Premises are a part and the Common Areas. Tenant understands and agrees that such rules and regulations are necessary in order to maintain a high quality property although they may affect Tenant’s method of operation and merchandising its store at the Premises and Tenant agrees to comply with all such rules and regulations upon notice to Tenant from Landlord or upon the posting of same in such place within the Property as Landlord may designate.

 

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EXHIBIT “A”

Premises

 

 

 

Page 15

 

 

EXHIBIT “B”

 

 

 

Page 16

 

 

EXHIBIT “C”

 

Work Letter

 

RECITALS:

 

A.This Work Letter is attached to and forms a part of that certain Lease (the “Lease”) pursuant to which Landlord has leased to Tenant approximately 9,175 square feet of space in the Building located at 5920 South 118th Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68137.

 

B.Landlord desires to make certain improvements to the Premises and Tenant desires to have Landlord make such initial improvements, prior to occupancy, upon the terms and conditions contained in this Work Letter.

 

C.Landlord shall provide following Leasehold Improvements to the Premises at Landlord’s expense:.

 

1.All demising walls to code.

 

2.Demo shop wall between suit 1b & 2.

 

3.Install key card access to shared common areas (bathrooms in suite 1A/1B)

 

4.Poured concrete floor.

 

5.At least One additional ADA restroom to be located within Suite 2.

 

6.One (1) 50 Gallon Water heater.

 

7.One (1) Utility Sink.

 

8.One (1) water hose bib.

 

9.One (1) water drain.

 

10.Paint all interior warehouse/shop walls.

 

 

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Exhibit 10.13

 

FIRST LEASE AMENDMENT

 

This Agreement, made and entered into between RMR Mercury I-80, LLC a Nebraska limited liability company, (“Landlord”) and CleanCore Solutions, Inc a Nebraska Corporation, (“Tenant”), pertains to that certain FLEX BUILDING LEASE made and entered into November 10th, 2022 (collectively the “Lease”), located at 5920 South 118th Circle, Omaha, Nebraska 68137.

 

Whereas, the parties agree to modify the Lease as follows:

 

1.SQUARE FEET:

 

The total square feet of the Premises shall be 12,420 square feet of floor area.

 

2.BASE RENT:

 

The Base Rent for the Premises shall be as follows:

 

December 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023: $9,440.53 per month, NNN

January 1, 2024 to February 29, 2024: $13,247.25 per month, NNN

March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025: $13,483.25 per month, NNN

March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026: $13,820.33 per month, NNN

March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027: $14,165.84 per month, NNN

March 1, 2027 to February 29, 2028: $14,519.99 per month, NNN

 

3.OPERATING EXPENSES:

 

“Tenant’s Pro Rata Share” shall be adjusted to 100% and will be responsible for 100% of the Operating Expenses.

 

All other terms and conditions within the lease will remain the same and in full force and effect.

 

  Tenant:
   
  CleanCore Solutions, Inc.
     
  By: /s/ David Enholm
  Name:  David Enholm
  Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

Landlord:
 
Mercury RMR I-80, LLC
     
By: /s/ Jeff Gehring   By: /s/ Robert M. Ryan
Name:  Jeff Gehring   Name:  Robert M. Ryan
Title: Vice President   Title: President

 

Exhibit 10.14

 

DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT

 

This Distribution Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of September 7th, 2023 (the “Effective Date”), is entered into between Quail Systems, LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company (“Distributor”) and CleanCore Solutions, Inc., a Nevada corporation (“Seller”, and together with Distributor, the “Parties,” and each, a “Party”).

 

RECITALS

 

A. Distributor is in the business of marketing and reselling Goods (as defined below).

 

B. Seller is in the business of manufacturing, producing, marketing and selling the Goods.

 

C. Distributor desires to purchase the Goods from Seller and resell the Goods to customers, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

D. Seller desires to sell the Goods to Distributor and appoint Distributor as a distributor under the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants, terms, and conditions set out herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1. Definitions.

 

“Agreement” has the meaning set out in the preamble.

 

“Confidential Information” has the meaning set out under Section 10.

 

“Distributor” has the meaning set out in the preamble.

 

“Effective Date” has the meaning set out in the preamble.

 

“Good” means a newly created produce wash unit in which distributor intends to market and sale under their trademarked NanoZONE name

 

“Party” has the meaning set out in the preamble.

 

“Seller” has the meaning set out in the preamble.

 

“Term” has the meaning set out under Section 9.

 

 

 

 

2. Appointment.

 

2.1 Appointment. Seller hereby appoints Distributor to act as a distributor of Goods to customers listed in Exhibit B during the Term in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Nothing contained herein shall restrict the Distributor from having the right to obtain or retain the rights to resell any other goods, including goods that may compete with the Goods and nothing contained herein shall restrict Seller from appointing other Distributors.

 

2.2 Subdistributors. Distributor may appoint subdistributors as it determines appropriate for the effective distribution of Goods under this Agreement; provided that:

 

(a) the subdistributor expressly acknowledges that it is familiar with and will comply with all applicable terms of this Agreement; and

 

(b) Seller gives its prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

 

3. Promotion and Marketing.

 

3.1 Distributor Obligations. Distributor shall:

 

(a) use commercially reasonable efforts to further the promotion, marketing, sale, and distribution of the Goods to customers listed in Exhibit B, including building brand awareness and value;

 

(b) establish and maintain a sales and marketing organization sufficient to develop the market potential for the sale of the Goods;

 

(c) establish and maintain independent sales representatives, a distribution organization, and facilities sufficient to make the Goods available for shipment by Distributor to each of its customers; and

 

(d) not make any materially misleading or untrue statements concerning the Goods.

 

3.2 Seller Obligations.

 

(a) Cooperation. Seller shall, at no cost to Distributor, provide any reasonably necessary cooperation, information, material, and support (including sales literature and a reasonable number of samples of Goods) as Distributor may request regarding the marketing, advertising, promotion, and sale of Goods and shall notify Distributor promptly in the event of any material changes in such information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Seller shall not be responsible for the installation or maintenance of the Goods.

 

(b) Warranty. Seller shall provide a standard manufacturer’s warranty on the Goods, with its standard exceptions. Pursuant to the terms of any Warranty, Seller will use commercially reasonable efforts to provide replacement parts or replacement units to the Distributor in accordance with the terms of the warranty. The Distributor, in turn, is responsible for coordination and delivery of any such parts or Goods covered by the Warranty and any third-party customers.

 

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4. Agreement to Purchase and Sell Goods.

 

4.1 Terms of Sale; Orders. Seller shall make available and sell Goods to Distributor at the prices under Section 4.2 and on the terms and conditions set out in this Agreement.

 

4.2 Pricing. Subject to applicable law, during the Term, Seller will offer its Goods to Distributor at the prices set forth on Exhibit A.

 

4.3 Payment Terms.

 

(a) Distributor Orders. 30-50% down at Purchase Order Receipt. Remaining 50% - 70% due on Net 30 day payment terms from possession of goods. Upon the Seller’s receipt of a purchase order of Goods from the Distributor, the Seller shall remit an invoice to the Distributor for the full price of the Goods, in accordance with the pricing set forth on Exhibit A. The Distributor shall pay the invoice in accordance with Section 5.2, and the invoice shall be paid in full within 30 days of delivery of the Goods. Distributor shall pay interest on all late payments, calculated daily, and compounded monthly, at the lesser rate of 1% per month or the highest rate permissible under applicable law.

 

Distributor shall make all payments in US dollars by check, wire transfer, or automated clearing house, in accordance with the following wire instructions:

 

ABA Number: 104014138

 

Account Number: 16025181

 

Bank Name/Address: Access Bank FFC: CleanCore Solutions, Inc. 8712 West Dodge, Omaha, NE 68114

 

Attn: Matthew Atkinson/CEO

 

4.4 Availability/Changes in Goods. Seller shall:

 

(a) provide Distributor with 60 days’ notice before discontinuing a Good, and

 

(b) notify Distributor at least 60 days’ before the date that Seller introduces any new Good or replacement of a Good and make such Good available for resale by Distributor on or before the date it is first introduced in the marketplace.

 

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5. Orders Procedure.

 

5.1 Orders. Seller and Distributor will agree on the selection of a joint database for customer records that will track orders, units sold, quality control documents, dates, contact information, and addresses. Such joint database will be maintained and updated on a regular basis. Seller shall fill promptly and to the best of its ability all orders received from Distributor through this joint database, and both the Seller and Distributor will adhere to the limitations, primarily that Distributor agrees to market and sell only to the customers outlined in Exhibit B.

 

5.2 Acceptance and Rejection of Purchase Orders. Seller shall confirm to Distributor the receipt and estimated shipment date of each purchase order issued hereunder within 5 business days following Seller’s receipt thereof and receipt of deposit to begin processing the order, which may vary among orders, but range from 30-50% of the order price, and shall fill promptly and to the best of its ability all orders received. If Seller fails to issue a confirmation within the time set forth in the first sentence of this Section 5.2, or commences performance under such purchase order without providing confirmation, Seller will be deemed to have accepted the purchase order.

 

6. Shipment and Delivery.

 

6.1 Shipment and Delivery Requirements. Freight terms shall be FOB Omaha, Nebraska with Distributor arranging for freight pick up from Seller warehouse. Seller shall deliver the Goods in the quantities and on the date(s) specified in the relevant purchase order or as otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties. Delivery shall be made in accordance with the terms on the face of the purchase order. Subject to Section 27, timely delivery of the Goods is of the essence.

 

6.2 Title and Risk of Loss. Title passes to Distributor upon pickup of the Goods by Distributor as specified under the purchase order. Distributor bears all risk of loss or damage to the Goods after pickup of the Goods as specified under the purchase order.

 

6.3 Acceptance of Goods. If Distributor determines, in its sole discretion, that Goods delivered under this Agreement:

 

(a) are damaged, defective, do not conform to specifications, or otherwise do not conform to the specifications listed in the applicable purchase order; or

 

(b) were delivered to Distributor as a result of Seller’s error, Distributor may either:

 

(i) reject such Goods for a refund plus any inspection, test, shipping, handling, and transportation charges paid by Distributor; or

 

(ii) require prompt correction or replacement of such Goods.

 

In each case the exercise by Distributor of any other rights available to Distributor under this Agreement or pursuant to applicable law shall not be limited.

 

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7. Use of Seller’s Name and Trademarks.

 

7.1 Distributor and its authorized independent sales representatives, subdistributors, successors, and assigns are hereby authorized to:

 

(a) use Trademarks, service marks, and trade names of Seller and, to the extent Seller can grant such authorization, any third party licensed to Seller in connection with advertising, promoting, or reselling the Goods; and

 

(b) refer to and advertise itself as an authorized distributor of the Goods.

 

8. Resale Prices. Distributor shall discuss with the Seller, and agree in writing to any changes to proposed resale or advertised prices, in the event that they differ from the pricing on Exhibit A.

 

9. Term; Termination.

 

9.1 Term. The term of this Agreement commences on the Effective Date and terminates on December 31, 2024, unless earlier terminated by written notice of either Party, as provided for in Section 9.2 of this Agreement (the “Initial Term”). This Agreement shall automatically renew after the expiration of the Initial Term for successive one (1) year periods thereafter (each a “Renewal Term” and, together with the Initial Term, the “Term”) unless either Party provides the other Party with at least thirty (30) days advance written notice of its intent not to renew this Agreement prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any Renewal Term in which case this Agreement will terminate on the expiration of the then-current Initial Term or Renewal Term, as applicable.

 

9.2 Termination Rights. Either Party may terminate this Agreement (including all related purchase orders pursuant to Section 9.3(a)), upon notice to the other:

 

(a) except as otherwise specifically provided under this Section 9.2, if the other Party is in breach of this Agreement and either the breach cannot be cured or, if the breach can be cured, it is not cured within 10 days following the other Party’s receipt of notice of such breach;

 

(b) if the other Party:

 

(i) becomes insolvent or is generally unable to pay, or fails to pay, its debts as they become due;

 

(ii) files or has filed against it, a petition for voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy or otherwise becomes subject, voluntarily or involuntarily, to any proceeding under any domestic or foreign bankruptcy or insolvency law;

 

(iii) seeks reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, winding-up, liquidation, dissolution, composition, or other relief with respect to it or its debts;

 

5

 

 

(iv) makes or seeks to make a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or

 

(v) applies for or has a receiver, trustee, custodian, or similar agent appointed by order of any court of competent jurisdiction to take charge of or sell any material portion of its property or business.

 

(c) Either party may terminate this Agreement without Cause upon 90 days written notice.

 

Except for termination under Section 9.2(c), any termination under this Section 9.2 is effective on receipt notice of termination.

 

9.3 Effect of Expiration or Termination. Upon the expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement:

 

(a) All related purchase orders are automatically terminated; and

 

(b) Each Party shall promptly return or destroy all documents and tangible materials (and any copies) containing, reflecting, incorporating, or based on the other Party’s Confidential Information.

 

10. Confidential Information. From time to time during the Term, either Party may disclose or make available to the other Party information about its business affairs, products, confidential intellectual property, trade secrets, third-party confidential information, and other sensitive or proprietary information (collectively, “Confidential Information”). Confidential Information shall not include information that, at the time of disclosure is: (a) in the public domain; (b) known to the receiving Party at the time of disclosure; or (c) rightfully obtained by receiving Party on a non-confidential basis from a third party.

 

The receiving Party shall not disclose any such Confidential Information to any person or entity, except to the receiving Party’s employees who have a need to know the Confidential Information for the receiving Party to perform its obligations hereunder. On the expiration or termination of the Agreement, the receiving Party shall promptly return to the disclosing Party all copies, whether in written, electronic, or other form or media, of the disclosing party’s Confidential Information, or destroy all such copies and certify in writing to the disclosing Party that such Confidential Information has been destroyed.

 

11. Seller’s Compliance with Laws; Warranties.

 

11.1 Compliance with Laws. Seller is in compliance with and shall comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. Seller has and shall maintain in effect all the licenses, permissions, authorizations, consents, and permits that it needs to carry out its obligations under this Agreement.

 

11.2 Warranties. Seller warrants to Distributor that for a period of 24 months from the date of delivery, all Goods delivered on that date will: (a) be free from any defects in workmanship, material, and design; (b) conform to applicable specifications and other requirements specified by Distributor; (c) be fit for their intended purpose and operate as intended; (d) be merchantable; (e) be free and clear of all liens, security interests, or other encumbrances; and (f) not infringe or misappropriate any third party’s patent or other intellectual property rights. These warranties survive any delivery, inspection, acceptance, or payment of or for the Goods by Distributor. These warranties are cumulative and in addition to any other warranty provided by law or equity. Any applicable statute of limitations runs from the date of the Distributor’s discovery of the noncompliance of the Goods with the foregoing warranties. The warranties described above are not applicable to any components of the Goods that are consumable and are not expected to last more than twenty-four (24) months.

 

Distributor may pass through to its customers all warranties granted by Seller under this Agreement and Seller agrees to assist Distributor in processing any warranty claims relating to the Goods.

 

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12. Limitation of Liability. NEITHER PARTY IS LIABLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR ENHANCED DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO ANY BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT, WHETHER OR NOT THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES HAD BEEN DISCLOSED IN ADVANCE BY THE OTHER PARTY OR WAS FORESEEABLE, REGARDLESS OF THE LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY (CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE) UPON WHICH THE CLAIM IS BASED, AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE FAILURE OF ANY AGREED OR OTHER REMEDY OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

 

13. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including and together with any related exhibits, schedules, attachments, and appendices, constitutes the sole and entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matter contained herein, and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, and warranties, both written and oral, regarding such subject matter. In the event of conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of any purchase order or other document submitted by one Party to the other, this Agreement shall control unless the Parties specifically otherwise agree in writing pursuant to Section 17.

 

14. Survival. Subject to the limitations and other provisions of this Agreement: (a) the representations and warranties of the Parties contained herein shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement; and (b) Section 9.4 of this Agreement, as well as any other provision that, in order to give proper effect to its intent, should survive such expiration or termination, shall survive the expiration or earlier termination of this Agreement.

 

15. Notices. All notices, requests, consents, claims, demands, waivers, and other communications under this Agreement must be in writing and addressed to the other Party at its address set forth below (or to such other address that the receiving Party may designate from time to time in accordance with this Section). Unless otherwise agreed herein, all notices must be delivered by personal delivery, nationally recognized overnight courier or certified or registered mail (in each case, return receipt requested, postage prepaid). Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, a notice is effective only (a) on receipt by the receiving Party, and (b) if the Party giving the notice has complied with the requirements of this Section.

 

  Notice to Distributor:  P.O. Box 269, Adamsville, TN 38310
    Attention: CEO
     
  Notice to Seller: 5920 S. 118th Circle, Omaha, NE 68137
    Attention: CEO

 

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16. Severability. If any term or provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other term or provision of this Agreement or invalidate or render unenforceable such term or provision in any other jurisdiction. Upon a determination that any term or provision is invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement to effect the original intent of the Parties as closely as possible in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible.

 

17. Amendments. No amendment to this Agreement is effective unless it is in writing and signed by an authorized representative of each Party.

 

18. Waiver. No waiver by any Party of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be effective unless explicitly set forth in writing and signed by the Party so waiving. Except as otherwise set forth in this Agreement, no failure to exercise, or delay in exercising, any rights, remedy, power, or privilege arising from this Agreement shall operate or be construed as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power, or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power, or privilege.

 

19. Cumulative Remedies. All rights and remedies provided in this Agreement are cumulative and not exclusive, and the exercise by either Party of any right or remedy does not preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies that may now or subsequently be available at law, in equity, by statute, in any other agreement between the Parties or otherwise.

 

20. Assignment. Except as otherwise set forth in Section 2.2, neither Party may assign any of its rights under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other Party. The other Party shall not unreasonably withhold or delay its consent. Any purported assignment or delegation in violation of this Section shall be null and void.

 

21. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement is binding on and inures to the benefit of the Parties to this Agreement and their respective permitted successors and permitted assigns.

 

22. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. Subject to the next sentence, this Agreement benefits solely the Parties to this Agreement and their respective permitted successors and assigns and nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, confers on any other Person any legal or equitable right, benefit, or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

23. Choice of Law. This Agreement, including all exhibits, schedules, attachments and appendices attached to this Agreement and thereto, and all matters arising out of or relating to this Agreement, are governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Nebraska, United States of America, without regard to the conflict of laws provisions thereof to the extent such principles or rules would require or permit the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than those of the State of Nebraska.

 

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24. Jurisdiction and Venue. Exclusive jurisdiction and venue over and all disputes between the Parties arising under this Agreement shall be in, and for such purpose each Party hereby submits to the jurisdiction of, the state and federal courts serving the State of Nebraska.

 

25. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY THAT MAY ARISE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING EXHIBITS, SCHEDULES, ATTACHMENTS, AND APPENDICES ATTACHED TO THIS AGREEMENT, IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES AND, THEREFORE, EACH SUCH PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LEGAL ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, INCLUDING ANY EXHIBITS, SCHEDULES, ATTACHMENTS OR APPENDICES ATTACHED TO THIS AGREEMENT, OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY.

 

26. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which is deemed an original, but all of which together are deemed to be one and the same agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 15, a signed copy of this Agreement delivered by facsimile, email, or other means of electronic transmission is deemed to have the same legal effect as delivery of an original signed copy of this Agreement.

 

27. Force Majeure. No Party shall be liable or responsible to the other Party, or be deemed to have defaulted under or breached this Agreement, for any failure or delay in fulfilling or performing any term of this Agreement, when and to the extent such Party’s (the “Impacted Party”) failure or delay is caused by or results from the following force majeure events (“Force Majeure Event(s)”): (a) acts of God; (b) flood, fire, earthquake, or explosion; (c) war, invasion, hostilities (whether war is declared or not), terrorist threats or acts, riot or other civil unrest; (d) government order, law, or action; (e) embargoes or blockades in effect on or after the date of this Agreement; (f) national or regional emergency; (g) strikes, labor stoppages or slowdowns or other industrial disturbances; (h) telecommunication breakdowns, power outages or shortages, lack of warehouse or storage space, inadequate transportation services, or inability or delay in obtaining supplies of adequate or suitable materials; and (i) other similar events beyond the control of the Impacted Party.

 

The Impacted Party shall give notice within 10 days of the Force Majeure Event to the other Party, stating the period of time the occurrence is expected to continue. The Impacted Party shall use diligent efforts to end the failure or delay and ensure the effects of such Force Majeure Event are minimized. The Impacted Party shall resume the performance of its obligations as soon as reasonably practicable after the removal of the cause. In the event that the Impacted Party’s failure or delay remains uncured for a period of 10 days following written notice given by it under this Section 27, the other Party may thereafter terminate this Agreement upon 10 days’ written notice.

 

28. Relationship of the Parties. The relationship between the Parties is that of independent contractors. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as creating any agency, partnership, franchise, business opportunity, joint venture, or other form of joint enterprise, employment or fiduciary relationship between the Parties, and neither Party shall have authority to contract for or bind the other Party in any manner whatsoever. No relationship of exclusivity shall be construed from this Agreement.

 

[signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this agreement to be executed as of the date first written above by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized.

 

  Quail Systems, LLC
   
  By: /s/ Robert W. Smith
  Name: Robert W. Smith
  Title: President & Chief Executive Officer
   
  CleanCore Solutions, Inc.
   
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
  Name:  Matthew Atkinson
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Distribution Agreement]

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.15

 

Amendment to Distribution Agreement

 

Date: 9/18/2023

 

This document, dated September 18, 2023, is an amendment to the Distribution Agreement dated September 7, 2023 (Agreement) between Quail Systems, LLC (Distributor) and CleanCore Solutions, Inc. (Seller)

 

WHEREBY, Seller desires to amend Exhibit B, as follows:

 

●Adding “Subway” to the list of accounts Distributor can hereby sell to; and

 

WHEREBY, Seller and Distributor desire to amend Exhibit A and Exhibit B ONLY for In-N-Out Burger, as follows:

 

●Adding In-N-Out Burger to the list of accounts Distributor can hereby sell to, with the following special circumstance:
   
○Distributor and Seller will jointly market the NANOzone to In-N-Out Burger and shall share 50/50 n the revenue as follows:
   
■Seller and Distributor agree that Seller’s cost on the unit based off current components is $1,147.12 per unit.
   
●Example: If the price to In-N-Out Burger is $3,000.00 USD, the Parties shall split the difference of $1,852.88 or $926.44 per unit to Seller and $926.44 to Distributor.
   

●All other terms and conditions shall remain in place.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Amendment to the Distribution Agreement as of the Effective Date

 

“Seller”   “Distributor”
     
CleanCore Solutions, Inc.   Quail Systems, LLC
         
By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson   By: /s/ Robert Smith
Name: Matthew Atkinson   Name: Robert Smith
Title: Chief Executive Officer   Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.16

 

AGREEMENT

 

This Agreement is entered into this 27th day July, 2023, by and between CleanCore Solutions, Inc. (“Solutions”) and Nebraska C. Ozone, LLC (“NCO”).

 

WHEREAS, the parties have entered into a three-party Settlement Agreement and General Release (the “Settlement Agreement”), a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit “A”;

 

WHEREAS, in conjunction with the Settlement Agreement, NCO has agreed to pay EDM One Hundred Five Thousand Six Hundred Seven and 40/100 Dollars ($105,607.40) in exchange for 890 220V units (the “Units”);

 

WHEREAS, Solutions has agreed to purchase the Units on consignment from NCO; and

 

WHEREAS, the parties desire to establish the terms and conditions for the payments by Solutions.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the above premises and other good and valuable consideration, the parties agree as follows:

 

1.  Solutions shall pay NCO One Hundred Five Thousand Six Hundred Seven and 40/100 Dollars ($105,607.40) in exchange for the Units.

 

2.  Solutions shall sell such Units on consignment, and reimburse NCO $118.66 per Unit at the end of each quarter in which they are sold. Such payments shall be made to NCO within ten (10) days of the end of each quarter by Solutions.

 

3.  If any Units remain unsold by Solutions on March 31, 2024, the amount remaining owed to NCO for unsold Units shall accrue interest at a rate of seven percent (7%) per annum until NCO is paid in full.

 

4.  Any changes or modifications to the terms hereof must be in writing and signed by both parties.

 

  CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

 

  By: /s/ Matt Atkinson
  Name: Matt Atkinson
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

  Nebraska C. Ozone, LLC

 

  By: /s/ Lisa Roskens
  Name: Lisa Roskens
  Title: Chairman and CEO

Exhibit 10.17

 

EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Employment Agreement”) is made and entered into as of July 18, 2023, by and between CleanCore Solutions, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and Matthew Atkinson, an individual (the “Executive”). The Company and the Executive are referred to herein from time to time on a collective basis as the “Parties” and each on individual basis as a “Party.”

 

Recitals:

 

The Company wishes to secure the services of the Executive as Chief Executive Officer of the Company upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, and the Executive wishes to render such services to the Company upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

 

Agreement:

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

1. Executive’s Position; Duties. During the Term (as hereinafter defined), the Company shall employ Executive in the position of Chief Executive Officer. The Executive accepts such employment and have such duties and responsibilities as are reasonably assigned, delegated and determined as are customarily assigned to individuals serving in such position and such other duties consistent with Executive’s title (with such other duties and/or offices in the Company and its affiliates as may be assigned from time to time by the Company, its Board of Directors, or Chief Executive Officer and as agreed to by Executive) and the Executive accepts such employment and agrees to perform such duties. The Executive agrees to devote his or her full customary business time and energies to the business of the Company and/or its affiliates and subsidiaries to perform his/her duties hereunder.

 

2. Term of Employment; Employment at Will. The term (“Term”) of this Employment Agreement shall commence on the Start Date (defined below) and continue until the Employment Agreement, and thus the Executive’s employment, is terminated by either the Company or the Executive. The Executive is employed “at-will” which means that the Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated by either the Executive or the Company at any time, with or without cause, for any or no reason, subject to the notice provisions in this Employment Agreement. As used in this Agreement, “Start Date” means the first date on which the Executive reports to the Company to begin work under this Agreement, which shall be July 18, 2023.

 

3. Location. Executive will perform his or her work duties for the Company primarily in Omaha, Nebraska. However, Executive shall undertake such occasional travel, within or outside the United States, as is reasonably necessary in the interests of the Company.

 

 

 

4. Compensation.

 

(a) Base Salary. The Company shall pay to the Executive a base salary for all services to be rendered by the Executive under this Employment Agreement at the rate of $200,000 per year (the “Base Salary”), which Base Salary shall be paid in approximately equal installments (less applicable payroll deductions and taxes) in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll schedule, procedures and policies (which schedules, procedures and policies may be modified from time to time in the Company’s sole discretion), but not less frequently than monthly. The Company shall have no obligation to pay the Executive’s Base Salary following the date of the termination of this Employment Agreement whether by the Company, the Executive, or otherwise. 

 

(b) Bonus. In addition to the Base Salary, the Executive may be eligible to be considered for an annual bonus, in an amount up to 100% of the Executive’s base salary, based upon the performance of the Executive and of the Company. The eligibility criteria to be a considered for annual bonus, whether to award the Executive any such bonus, the amount of any such bonus, and when any such bonus is paid are in the Company’s absolute discretion. The Executive must be actively employed at the time of payment to receive an annual bonus.

 

(c) Participation in Executive Benefit Plans; Other Benefits.

 

(i) During the Term, the Executive shall be entitled to participate in such medical, life, disability, and other benefits plans as are generally afforded to other Company Executives at a similar level and to participate in all other company-wide employee benefits plans, including a defined contribution pension plan and 401(k) plan, as may be made available generally to Company employees from time to time, subject to the Executive satisfying waiting periods, eligibility criteria, and other terms and conditions, if any, that may be applicable to each such benefit plan.

 

(ii) During the Term, the Executive may be eligible to be considered from time to time for an award under the Company’s Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”), in the Company’s sole discretion. The eligibility criteria for an award under the Plan and whether the Executive is provided with an award under the Plan are in the Company’s sole discretion.

 

(iii) Except as prohibited by law, the Company may amend, terminate, reduce or otherwise change any of benefits or plans described above in this Section 4(c).

 

(d) Expenses. The Company shall pay or reimburse the Executive for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred or paid by the Executive during the Term in the performance of the Executive’s job duties under this Employment Agreement, upon submission and approval of expense statements, vouchers, or other supporting information in accordance with the then customary practices of the Company. In addition to meeting the conditions of the immediately preceding sentence, any expenses in excess of $10,000 require advance approval by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer before being incurred in order to be eligible for payment or reimbursement by the Company.

 

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(e) Vacation and Sick Leave. The Executive shall be entitled to receive three weeks of paid vacation per calendar year and 40 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year. The Executive’s vacation and sick leave, how it is accrued, and how the Executive may use it may be subject to employment and other policies the Company may adopt and/or change from time to time in its sole discretion and with or without notice to the Executive. Unless required by applicable state or local law, the Executive is not entitled to receive compensation for accrued but used paid sick leave or paid vacation leave upon separation from the Company.

 

(f) Withholding of Taxes. The Company may withhold from any Base Salary, bonuses, benefits, or other compensation payable under this Employment Agreement all federal, state, city and other taxes as shall be required pursuant to any law or governmental regulation or ruling.

 

5. Termination.

 

(a) Termination by the Executive.

 

(i) Termination upon Death. If the Executive dies during the Term, this Employment Agreement and the Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate as of the date of his/her death and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Executive’s estate shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of death.

 

(ii) Termination other than for Death. The Executive may terminate this Employment Agreement, and thus his/her employment with the Company, for any reason or no reason at any time during the Term upon 14 days’ written notice by the Executive to the Company and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Executive shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of such termination.

 

(b) Termination by the Company.

 

(i) Termination for Cause. During the Term, The Company may at any time by written notice to the Executive terminate this Employment Agreement, and thus the Executive’s employment, immediately if an event of Cause (as defined below) occurs, and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Executive shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of such termination. For purposes of this Employment Agreement, “Cause” shall mean:

 

(A) any willful breach by the Executive of any material term of this Employment Agreement, if the Executive fails to reasonably cure such breach within 14 days after the receipt of written notice from the Company of such breach, which notice shall state in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to be a failure or willful breach and of the intent of the Company to terminate the Executive’s employment upon the failure of the Executive to reasonably cure such failure or breach; or

 

(B) Executive has committed an intentional act of fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, or theft or a breach of fiduciary duty involving personal profit; or

 

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(C) the Executive is indicted for any criminal offense constituting a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or

 

(D) the Executive intentionally breaches any of the provisions of Section 7 of this Employment Agreement.

 

For purposes of this Employment Agreement, an act, or a failure to act, shall not be deemed willful or intentional, as those terms are used herein, unless it is done, or admitted to be done, by Executive in bad faith or without a reasonable belief that Executive’s action or omission was in the interest of the Company.

 

(ii) Termination other than for Cause. The Company may terminate this Employment Agreement, and thus the Executive’s employment, for any reason or no reason at any time without Cause upon 14 days’ written notice by the Company to the Executive and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Executive shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of such termination.

 

(c) If during the Term, this Employment Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 5(a) or 5(b), all compensation (including, without limitation, Base Salary) payable to Executive under Section 4 hereof shall cease as of the date of termination specified in the notice of termination from the Company or the Executive, as the case may be, or, if the termination is due to the Executive’s death, on the date of the Executive’s death, and the Company shall pay to the Executive (or if the Executive has died, to his/her estate) all previously earned, accrued, and unpaid benefits from the Company and its employee benefit plans, including any such benefits under the Company’s pension, disability, and life insurance plans, policies, and programs.

 

6. Severance Payments.

 

(a) Certain Severance Payments. If during the Term the Company terminates this Agreement pursuant to Section 5(b)(ii) hereof, all compensation payable to the Executive under Section 4 hereof shall cease as of the date of termination specified in the Company’s notice (the “Termination Date”), and the Company shall pay to the Executive, subject to Section 6 hereof, an amount equal to the Base Salary for six (6) months, payable in a lump sum on the Termination Date, and all previously earned, accrued, and unpaid benefits from the Company and its employee benefit plans, including any such benefits under the Company’s pension, disability, and life insurance plans, policies, and programs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Executive has violated Section 6 hereof, then the Company shall have no obligation to make the foregoing payments. The payment of severance as required by this Section 5(a) may be conditioned by the Company on the delivery by the Employee of a release of any and all claims that the Employee may have against the Company which release shall be in form and substance satisfactory to the Company.

 

(b) No Other Severance Payments. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Sections 5(a), 5(b) or 5(c) hereof, all compensation (including, without limitation, Base Salary) payable to the Executive under Section 4 hereof shall cease as of the date of termination specified in the notice of termination from the Company or the Executive, as the case may be, or, if the termination is due to the Executive’s death, on the date of the Executive’s death, and the Company shall pay to the Executive (or if the Executive has died, to his/her estate) all previously earned, accrued, and unpaid benefits from the Company and its employee benefit plans, including any such benefits under the Company’s pension, disability, and life insurance plans, policies, and programs.

 

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7. Certain Covenants of the Executive.

 

(a) The Executive acknowledges that: (i) he is one of the limited number of persons who will assist with developing the Company’s business, which consists of his work for the Company will bring the Employee into close contact with many confidential affairs not readily available to the public and the covenants contained in this Section 7 will not involve a substantial hardship upon the Employee’s future livelihood (the “Company’s Business”); (ii) the Executive’s work for the Company will bring Executive into close contact with many confidential affairs not readily available to the public; and (iii) the covenants contained in this Section 7 will not involve a substantial hardship upon Executive’s future livelihood. In order to induce the Company to enter into this Employment Agreement, the Executive covenants and agrees that:

 

(i) Confidential Information. During the Term and for a period of three years thereafter (the “Non-Disclosure/Non-Use Period”), the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly: (A) disclose CleanCore Confidential Information (defined below) to any entity that is not authorized by the Company or to receive such CleanCore Confidential Information or (B) use or appropriate CleanCore Confidential Information for his/her own benefit or for the benefit of any entity other than the Company or its authorized subsidiary or affiliate, except as required in the course of the Executive’s performance of his job duties with the Company under this Employment Agreement or with the express written consent of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or its Board of Directors. The provisions of this Section 7(a)(i) do not prohibit the Executive from disclosing CleanCore Confidential Information as may be necessary to report unlawful sexual harassment or assault, unlawful discrimination, or unlawful activity at the Company or by the Company or any of its directors, officers, or Executives (collectively, “Unlawful Activity”), provided that the Executive makes such disclosure solely to the appropriate federal, state or local government official or appropriate person within the Executive with responsibility for investigating or addressing reports of any such Unlawful Activity.

 

(ii) As used in this Employment Agreement, “CleanCore Confidential Information” means all documents, files, papers or information relating to trade secrets of the Company or any Company subsidiary or affiliate and all confidential documents, files, papers, or information relating to the Company’s Business, including, without limitation, the customers, business relationships, accounts, pricing policies, customer lists, computer software and hardware, of the Company or any Company subsidiary or affiliate, any of the Company’s, or Company affiliate or subsidiary’s, business or operational methods, drawings, sketches, designs or product concepts, know-how, marketing plans or strategies, product development techniques or plans, business acquisition plans, financial or other performance data, personnel policies and other policies, whether generated by the Executive or by any other person, provided, however, that CleanCore Confidential Information does not include information that the Executive can document: (A) is or becomes generally and freely publicly available through no fault of the Executive, (B) the Executive has otherwise rightfully obtained from a third-party who is not under any restriction to maintain its confidentiality, or (C) was lawfully known or obtained by the Executive prior to his/her receipt of it during the course of his/her employment with the Company.

 

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(iii) Covenant Not to Compete. During the Term and for a period of one year thereafter (the “Restricted Period”), the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly: (A) work, as an employee, consultant, contractor, or in any other capacity, for a Competitive Business (as defined below) in a position or role having a Restricted Duty (as defined below); (B) be an individual proprietor, partner, member, stockholder, officer, director, joint venturer, investor, lender, or owner (other than a holder of not more than two percent of the combined voting power of the outstanding stock of a publicly held company) in or of a Competitive Business; or (C) develop any property for use in the Company’s Business on behalf of any entity other than the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates.

 

(iv) Covenant Not to Solicit. During the Restricted Period, the Executive shall not directly or indirectly (other than in furtherance of the business of the Company): (A) initiate communications with, solicit, persuade, entice, induce or encourage any individual who is then or who has been within the preceding 12-month period, an employee, consultant, or contractor of, to, or with the Company or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries to terminate his/her/its employment or consulting or contractor relationship with the Company or any its subsidiaries or affiliates, as the case may be, or to become employed by or to enter into a consultant or contractor relationship with any entity, and the Executive shall not approach any such employee, contractor, or consultant for any such purpose or authorize or knowingly approve the taking of any such actions by any other person; or (B) solicit, for the purpose of selling, renting or leasing or attempting to sell, rent, or lease a Restricted Product (as defined below), to any of the clients, customers or accounts, or prospective clients, customers or accounts of the Company that the Executive contacted, solicited, or served, or that the Executive knew had been contacted, solicited, or served by the Company, at any time in the preceding twelve month period of the Executive’s employment with the Company.

 

(b) Rights and Remedies Upon Breach. If the Executive breaches any of the provisions of Section 7(a) hereof (collectively, the “Restrictive Covenants”), the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates shall, in addition to the rights set forth in Section 7(a) hereof, have the right and remedy to seek from any court of competent jurisdiction specific performance of the Restrictive Covenants or injunctive relief against any act which would violate any of the Restrictive Covenants, it being acknowledged and agreed that any such breach may cause irreparable injury to the Company and its affiliates and that money damages will not provide an adequate remedy to the Company and its affiliates. The right to obtain such specific performance or injunction in addition to, and without prejudice to, any other rights or remedies available to the Company, its subsidiaries, and affiliates under this Employment Agreement, at law, or in equity.

 

(c) Severability of Covenants. If any of the Restrictive Covenants, or any part thereof, is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or any foreign, federal, state, county or local government or other governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or authority to be invalid, void, unenforceable or against public policy for any reason, the remainder of the Restrictive Covenants shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and such court, government, agency or authority shall be empowered to substitute, to the extent enforceable, provisions similar thereto or other provisions so as to provide to the Company and its affiliates, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the benefits intended by such provisions.

 

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8. Other Provisions.

 

(a) Notices. Any notice or other communication required or which may be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally, telecopied, telegraphed or telexed, or sent by certified, registered or express mail, postage prepaid, or emailed to the Parties at the addresses specified on the signature page hereto, or at such other addresses as shall be specified by the parties by like notice, and shall be deemed given so long as such provides a receipt of delivery, when so delivered personally, telecopied, telegraphed or telexed, mailed, or emailed.

 

(b) Governing Law; Forum for Resolution of Disputes.

 

(i) This Employment Agreement shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Nebraska without regard to the choice of law principles thereof. The Parties hereby agree that all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Employment Agreement, and any disputes arising thereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of Nebraska without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule, notwithstanding that public policy in any other forum or jurisdiction might indicate that the laws of that or any other jurisdiction should otherwise apply based on contacts within such state or otherwise. Each Party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (including both subject matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction over each of the Parties) and the venue of the state and federal courts whose jurisdictional territory includes Douglas County, Nebraska for the purpose of any suit, action, proceeding, or judgment relating to or arising out of this Employment Agreement or Executive’s employment with the Company. Each of the Parties waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety, or other security that might be required of any other Party with respect thereto. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EACH PARTY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ITS RIGHT TO HAVE A TRIAL BY JURY FOR ANY PROCEEDING SO BROUGH. Each of the parties agrees that a final, non-appealable judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court shall be conclusive and binding on such Party and may be enforced in any court to the jurisdiction of which such Party is subject by a suit upon such judgment.

 

(ii) As a condition precedent to a Party’s ability to commence a lawsuit against the other Party relating to or arising out of this Employment Agreement or Executive’s employment with the Company, the Party that wishes to commence such lawsuit shall first give written notice to the other Party of the dispute arising out of or related to Employment Agreement or Executive’s employment with the Company, and, no later than twenty-one (21) days after such notice is delivered, a representative of each Party with authority to settle that dispute for each Party shall confer in good faith in an effort to resolve that dispute. The notice of such dispute for each Party shall include a reasonable description of the basis therefor. Only after the Parties have conferred, or made a good faith effort to confer, in accordance with this Section 8(b)(ii) may a party commence a lawsuit pertaining to the dispute.

 

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(c) Entire Agreement. This Employment Agreement represents the complete understanding between the Executive and the Company concerning the subject matter of this Employment Agreement, and no other promises or agreements concerning the subject matter of this Separation Agreement shall be binding unless reduced to writing and signed by the Executive and the Company. The Executive and the Company agree that this Employment Agreement supersedes any prior agreements or understandings of the Parties, whether oral or written, concerning the subject matter of this Employment Agreement.

 

(d) Waivers and Amendments. This Employment Agreement may be amended, modified, superseded, cancelled, renewed or extended, and the terms and conditions hereof may be waived, only by a written instrument signed by the parties or, in the case of a waiver, by the party waiving compliance. No delay on the part of any Party in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any waiver on the part of any Party of any right, power or privilege hereunder, nor any single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege hereunder.

 

(e) Binding Effect; Benefit. This Employment Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and any successors and assigns permitted or required by Section 8(f) hereof. Nothing in this Employment Agreement, expressed or implied, is intended to confer on any person other than the parties hereto or such successors and assigns, any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Employment Agreement.

 

(f) Assignment. This Employment Agreement, and the Executive’s rights and obligations hereunder, may not be assigned by the Executive. The Company may assign this Employment Agreement and its rights, together with its obligations, hereunder in connection with any sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets or business, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise.

 

(g) Drafting. Should any provision of this Separation Agreement require interpretation or construction, it is agreed by the Executive and the Company that the person interpreting or construing this Separation Agreement shall not apply a presumption against one Party by reason of the rule of construction that a document is to be construed more strictly against the party who prepared the document.

 

(h) Interpretation. (i) Should any provision of this Employment Agreement require interpretation or construction, it is agreed by the Executive and the Company that the person interpreting or construing this Employment Agreement shall not apply a presumption against one Party by reason of the rule of construction that a document is to be construed more strictly against the party who prepared the document. (ii) The headings and sub-headings in this Employment Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this Employment Agreement.

 

(i) Survival. Sections 5(c), 6, and 7 of this Employment Agreement shall survive the termination of this Employment Agreement.

 

(j) Counterparts. This Employment Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may be executed manually or by facsimile, scan, or other electronic means (e.g., DocuSign).

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Employment Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  CleanCore Solutions, Inc.
     
  By: /s/ David Enholm
  Name: David Enholm
  Title: Chief Financial Officer
     
    Address: 5920 S. 118th Circle Suite 2, Omaha NE 68137
     
    Email: denholm@cleancoresol.com
     
  EXECUTIVE:
     
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
  Name: Matthew Atkinson
     
    Email: matkinson@cleancoresol.com

 

 

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Exhibit 10.18

 

EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This EXECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Employment Agreement”) is made and entered into as of March 27, 2023, by and between CleanCore Solutions, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and David Enholm, an individual (the “Executive”). The Company and the Executive are referred to herein from time to time on a collective basis as the “Parties” and each on individual basis as a “Party.”

 

Recitals:

 

The Company wishes to secure the services of the Executive as Chief Executive Officer of the Company upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, and the Executive wishes to render such services to the Company upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

 

Agreement:

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

1. Executive’s Position; Duties. During the Term (as hereinafter defined), the Company shall employ Executive in the position of Chief Executive Officer. The Executive accepts such employment and have such duties and responsibilities as are reasonably assigned, delegated and determined as are customarily assigned to individuals serving in such position and such other duties consistent with Executive’s title (with such other duties and/or offices in the Company and its affiliates as may be assigned from time to time by the Company, its Board of Directors, or Chief Executive Officer and as agreed to by Executive) and the Executive accepts such employment and agrees to perform such duties. The Executive agrees to devote his or her full customary business time and energies to the business of the Company and/or its affiliates and subsidiaries to perform his/her duties hereunder.

 

2. Term of Employment; Employment at Will. The term (“Term”) of this Employment Agreement shall commence on the Start Date (defined below) and continue until the Employment Agreement, and thus the Executive’s employment, is terminated by either the Company or the Executive. The Executive is employed “at-will” which means that the Executive’s employment with the Company may be terminated by either the Executive or the Company at any time, with or without cause, for any or no reason, subject to the notice provisions in this Employment Agreement. As used in this Agreement, “Start Date” means the first date on which the Executive reports to the Company to begin work under this Agreement, which shall be March 27, 2023.

 

3. Location. Executive will perform his or her work duties for the Company primarily in 5920 South 118th Circle, Omaha, NE 68137. However, Executive shall undertake such occasional travel, within or outside the United States, as is reasonably necessary in the interests of the Company.

 

 

 

 

4. Compensation.

 

(a) Base Salary. The Company shall pay to the Executive a base salary for all services to be rendered by the Executive under this Employment Agreement at the rate of $185,000 per year (the “Base Salary”), which Base Salary shall be paid in approximately equal installments (less applicable payroll deductions and taxes) in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll schedule, procedures and policies (which schedules, procedures and policies may be modified from time to time in the Company’s sole discretion), but not less frequently than monthly. The Company shall have no obligation to pay the Executive’s Base Salary following the date of the termination of this Employment Agreement whether by the Company, the Executive, or otherwise. 

 

(b) Bonus. In addition to the Base Salary, the Executive may be eligible to be considered for an annual bonus based upon the performance of the Executive and of the Company, for up to 30% of the Executive’s Base Salary. The eligibility criteria to be a considered for annual bonus, whether to award the Executive any such bonus, the amount of any such bonus, and when any such bonus is paid are in the Company’s absolute discretion. The Executive must be actively employed at the time of payment to receive an annual bonus.

 

(c) Equity. The Company will offer the Executive a total of 325,000 incentive stock options to purchase shares of the Company’s class B common stock, par value $0.0001 (the “Class B Common Stock”) pursuant to the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Option”) with an exercise price equal to the public offering price of the Company’s Class B Common Stock at its initial public offering (the “Offering”). The options will be granted on the date of the closing of the Offering but will begin their vesting on the date of this Agreement. The vesting schedule of the options will be: (i) 10% of the total options granted becoming vested on the 90th day following the Start Date, (ii) another 10% of the total options granted vesting on the 180th day after the Start Date, and (iii) the remaining amount of the total unvested options vesting in equal amounts monthly over 36 months. If the Offering does not occur on or before May 15, 2023 (the “Outside Date”), then the option will be granted on the Outside Date and the exercise price will be equal to the fair market value of a share of the Company’s Class B Common Stock on the Outside Date, as determined by the board of directors (the “Board”) in good faith.

 

(d) Participation in Executive Benefit Plans; Other Benefits.

 

(i) During the Term, the Executive shall be entitled to participate in such medical, life, disability, and other benefits plans as are generally afforded to other Company Executives at a similar level and to participate in all other company-wide employee benefits plans, including a defined contribution pension plan and 401(k) plan, as may be made available generally to Company employees from time to time, subject to the Executive satisfying waiting periods, eligibility criteria, and other terms and conditions, if any, that may be applicable to each such benefit plan.

 

(ii) During the Term, the Executive may be eligible to be considered from time to time for an award under the Company’s Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”), in the Company’s sole discretion. The eligibility criteria for an award under the Plan and whether the Executive is provided with an award under the Plan are in the Company’s sole discretion.

 

(iii) Except as prohibited by law, the Company may amend, terminate, reduce or otherwise change any of benefits or plans described above in this Section 4(b).

 

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(e) Expenses. The Company shall pay or reimburse the Executive for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred or paid by the Executive during the Term in the performance of the Executive’s job duties under this Employment Agreement, upon submission and approval of expense statements, vouchers, or other supporting information in accordance with the then customary practices of the Company. In addition to meeting the conditions of the immediately preceding sentence, any expenses in excess of $500.00 require advance approval by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer before being incurred in order to be eligible for payment or reimbursement by the Company.

 

(f) Vacation and Sick Leave. The Executive shall be entitled to receive three weeks of paid vacation per calendar year and 40 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year. The Executive’s vacation and sick leave, how it is accrued, and how the Executive may use it may be subject to employment and other policies the Company may adopt and/or change from time to time in its sole discretion and with or without notice to the Executive. The Executive shall be entitled to an additional week of paid vacation per calendar year for each additional year worked after his Start Date, with no more than five weeks of paid vacation available, regardless of tenure. Unless required by applicable state or local law, the Executive is not entitled to receive compensation for accrued but used paid sick leave or paid vacation leave upon separation from the Company.

 

(g) Withholding of Taxes. The Company may withhold from any Base Salary, bonuses, benefits, or other compensation payable under this Employment Agreement all federal, state, city and other taxes as shall be required pursuant to any law or governmental regulation or ruling.

 

5. Termination.

 

(a) Termination by the Executive.

 

(i) Termination upon Death. If the Executive dies during the Term, this Employment Agreement and the Executive’s employment with the Company shall terminate as of the date of his/her death and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Executive’s estate shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of death.

 

(ii) Termination other than for Death. The Executive may terminate this Employment Agreement, and thus his/her employment with the Company, for any reason or no reason at any time during the Term upon 14 days’ written notice by the Executive to the Company and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Executive shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of such termination.

 

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(b) Termination by the Company.

 

(i) Termination for Cause. During the Term, The Company may at any time by written notice to the Executive terminate this Employment Agreement, and thus the Executive’s employment, immediately if an event of Cause (as defined below) occurs, and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Executive shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of such termination. For purposes of this Employment Agreement, “Cause” shall mean:

 

(A) any willful breach by the Executive of any material term of this Employment Agreement, if the Executive fails to reasonably cure such breach within 14 days after the receipt of written notice from the Company of such breach, which notice shall state in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to be a failure or willful breach and of the intent of the Company to terminate the Executive’s employment upon the failure of the Executive to reasonably cure such failure or breach; or

 

(B) Executive has committed an intentional act of fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, or theft or a breach of fiduciary duty involving personal profit; or

 

(C) the Executive is indicted for any criminal offense constituting a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or

 

(D) the Executive intentionally breaches any of the provisions of Section 6 of this Employment Agreement.

 

For purposes of this Employment Agreement, an act, or a failure to act, shall not be deemed willful or intentional, as those terms are used herein, unless it is done, or admitted to be done, by Executive in bad faith or without a reasonable belief that Executive’s action or omission was in the interest of the Company.

 

(ii) Termination other than for Cause. The Company may terminate this Employment Agreement, and thus the Executive’s employment, for any reason or no reason at any time without Cause upon 14 days’ written notice by the Company to the Executive and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Executive shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of such termination.

 

(c) If during the Term, this Employment Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 5(a) or 5(b), all compensation (including, without limitation, Base Salary) payable to Executive under Section 4 hereof shall cease as of the date of termination specified in the notice of termination from the Company or the Executive, as the case may be, or, if the termination is due to the Executive’s death, on the date of the Executive’s death, and the Company shall pay to the Executive (or if the Executive has died, to his/her estate) all previously earned, accrued, and unpaid benefits from the Company and its employee benefit plans, including any such benefits under the Company’s pension, disability, and life insurance plans, policies, and programs.

 

6. Severance Payments.

 

(a) Certain Severance Payments. If during the Term the Company terminates this Agreement pursuant to Section 4(b)(ii) hereof, all compensation payable to the Executive under Section 3 hereof shall cease as of the date of termination specified in the Company’s notice (the “Termination Date”), and the Company shall pay to the Executive, subject to Section 6 hereof, an amount equal to the Base Salary for three (3) months, payable in a lump sum on the Termination Date, and all previously earned, accrued, and unpaid benefits from the Company and its employee benefit plans, including any such benefits under the Company’s pension, disability, and life insurance plans, policies, and programs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Executive has violated Section 6 hereof, then the Company shall have no obligation to make the foregoing payments. The payment of severance as required by this Section 5(a) may be conditioned by the Company on the delivery by the Employee of a release of any and all claims that the Employee may have against the Company which release shall be in form and substance satisfactory to the Company.

 

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(b) No Other Severance Payments. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Sections 4(a), 4(b) or 4(c) hereof, all compensation (including, without limitation, Base Salary) payable to the Executive under Section 3 hereof shall cease as of the date of termination specified in the notice of termination from the Company or the Executive, as the case may be, or, if the termination is due to the Executive’s death, on the date of the Executive’s death, and the Company shall pay to the Executive (or if the Executive has died, to his/her estate) all previously earned, accrued, and unpaid benefits from the Company and its employee benefit plans, including any such benefits under the Company’s pension, disability, and life insurance plans, policies, and programs.

 

7. Certain Covenants of the Executive.

 

(a) The Executive acknowledges that: (i) he is one of the limited number of persons who will assist with developing the Company’s business, which consists of his work for the Company will bring the Employee into close contact with many confidential affairs not readily available to the public and the covenants contained in this Section 7 will not involve a substantial hardship upon the Employee’s future livelihood (the “Company’s Business”); (ii) the Executive’s work for the Company will bring Executive into close contact with many confidential affairs not readily available to the public; and (iii) the covenants contained in this Section 6 will not involve a substantial hardship upon Executive’s future livelihood. In order to induce the Company to enter into this Employment Agreement, the Executive covenants and agrees that:

 

(i) Confidential Information. During the Term and for a period of three years thereafter (the “Non-Disclosure/Non-Use Period”), the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly: (A) disclose CleanCore Confidential Information (defined below) to any entity that is not authorized by the Company or to receive such CleanCore Confidential Information or (B) use or appropriate CleanCore Confidential Information for his/her own benefit or for the benefit of any entity other than the Company or its authorized subsidiary or affiliate, except as required in the course of the Executive’s performance of his job duties with the Company under this Employment Agreement or with the express written consent of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or its Board of Directors. The provisions of this Section 6(a)(i) do not prohibit the Executive from disclosing CleanCore Confidential Information as may be necessary to report unlawful sexual harassment or assault, unlawful discrimination, or unlawful activity at the Company or by the Company or any of its directors, officers, or Executives (collectively, “Unlawful Activity”), provided that the Executive makes such disclosure solely to the appropriate federal, state or local government official or appropriate person within the Executive with responsibility for investigating or addressing reports of any such Unlawful Activity.

 

(ii) As used in this Employment Agreement, “CleanCore Confidential Information” means all documents, files, papers or information relating to trade secrets of the Company or any Company subsidiary or affiliate and all confidential documents, files, papers, or information relating to the Company’s Business, including, without limitation, the customers, business relationships, accounts, pricing policies, customer lists, computer software and hardware, of the Company or any Company subsidiary or affiliate, any of the Company’s, or Company affiliate or subsidiary’s, business or operational methods, drawings, sketches, designs or product concepts, know-how, marketing plans or strategies, product development techniques or plans, business acquisition plans, financial or other performance data, personnel policies and other policies, whether generated by the Executive or by any other person, provided, however, that CleanCore Confidential Information does not include information that the Executive can document: (A) is or becomes generally and freely publicly available through no fault of the Executive, (B) the Executive has otherwise rightfully obtained from a third-party who is not under any restriction to maintain its confidentiality, or (C) was lawfully known or obtained by the Executive prior to his/her receipt of it during the course of his/her employment with the Company.

 

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(iii) Covenant Not to Compete. During the Term and for a period of one year thereafter (the “Restricted Period”), the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly: (A) work, as an employee, consultant, contractor, or in any other capacity, for a Competitive Business (as defined below) in a position or role having a Restricted Duty (as defined below); (B) be an individual proprietor, partner, member, stockholder, officer, director, joint venturer, investor, lender, or owner (other than a holder of not more than two percent of the combined voting power of the outstanding stock of a publicly held company) in or of a Competitive Business; or (C) develop any property for use in the Company’s Business on behalf of any entity other than the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates.

 

(iv) Covenant Not to Solicit. During the Restricted Period, the Executive shall not directly or indirectly (other than in furtherance of the business of the Company): (A) initiate communications with, solicit, persuade, entice, induce or encourage any individual who is then or who has been within the preceding 12-month period, an employee, consultant, or contractor of, to, or with the Company or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries to terminate his/her/its employment or consulting or contractor relationship with the Company or any its subsidiaries or affiliates, as the case may be, or to become employed by or to enter into a consultant or contractor relationship with any entity, and the Executive shall not approach any such employee, contractor, or consultant for any such purpose or authorize or knowingly approve the taking of any such actions by any other person; or (B) solicit, for the purpose of selling, renting or leasing or attempting to sell, rent, or lease a Restricted Product (as defined below), to any of the clients, customers or accounts, or prospective clients, customers or accounts of the Company that the Executive contacted, solicited, or served, or that the Executive knew had been contacted, solicited, or served by the Company, at any time in the preceding twelve month period of the Executive’s employment with the Company.

 

(b) Rights and Remedies Upon Breach. If the Executive breaches any of the provisions of Section 6(a) hereof (collectively, the “Restrictive Covenants”), the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates shall, in addition to the rights set forth in Section 6(a) hereof, have the right and remedy to seek from any court of competent jurisdiction specific performance of the Restrictive Covenants or injunctive relief against any act which would violate any of the Restrictive Covenants, it being acknowledged and agreed that any such breach may cause irreparable injury to the Company and its affiliates and that money damages will not provide an adequate remedy to the Company and its affiliates. The right to obtain such specific performance or injunction in addition to, and without prejudice to, any other rights or remedies available to the Company, its subsidiaries, and affiliates under this Employment Agreement, at law, or in equity.

 

(c) Severability of Covenants. If any of the Restrictive Covenants, or any part thereof, is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or any foreign, federal, state, county or local government or other governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or authority to be invalid, void, unenforceable or against public policy for any reason, the remainder of the Restrictive Covenants shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and such court, government, agency or authority shall be empowered to substitute, to the extent enforceable, provisions similar thereto or other provisions so as to provide to the Company and its affiliates, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the benefits intended by such provisions.

 

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8. Other Provisions.

 

(a) Notices. Any notice or other communication required or which may be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally, telecopied, telegraphed or telexed, or sent by certified, registered or express mail, postage prepaid, or emailed to the Parties at the addresses specified on the signature page hereto, or at such other addresses as shall be specified by the parties by like notice, and shall be deemed given so long as such provides a receipt of delivery, when so delivered personally, telecopied, telegraphed or telexed, mailed, or emailed.

 

(b) Governing Law; Forum for Resolution of Disputes.

 

(i) This Employment Agreement shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Nebraska without regard to the choice of law principles thereof. The Parties hereby agree that all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Employment Agreement, and any disputes arising thereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of Nebraska without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule, notwithstanding that public policy in any other forum or jurisdiction might indicate that the laws of that or any other jurisdiction should otherwise apply based on contacts within such state or otherwise. Each Party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (including both subject matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction over each of the Parties) and the venue of the state and federal courts whose jurisdictional territory includes Douglas County, Nebraska for the purpose of any suit, action, proceeding, or judgment relating to or arising out of this Employment Agreement or Executive’s employment with the Company. Each of the Parties waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety, or other security that might be required of any other Party with respect thereto. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EACH PARTY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ITS RIGHT TO HAVE A TRIAL BY JURY FOR ANY PROCEEDING SO BROUGH. Each of the parties agrees that a final, non-appealable judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court shall be conclusive and binding on such Party and may be enforced in any court to the jurisdiction of which such Party is subject by a suit upon such judgment.

 

(ii) As a condition precedent to a Party’s ability to commence a lawsuit against the other Party relating to or arising out of this Employment Agreement or Executive’s employment with the Company, the Party that wishes to commence such lawsuit shall first give written notice to the other Party of the dispute arising out of or related to Employment Agreement or Executive’s employment with the Company, and, no later than twenty-one (21) days after such notice is delivered, a representative of each Party with authority to settle that dispute for each Party shall confer in good faith in an effort to resolve that dispute. The notice of such dispute for each Party shall include a reasonable description of the basis therefor. Only after the Parties have conferred, or made a good faith effort to confer, in accordance with this Section 7(b)(ii) may a party commence a lawsuit pertaining to the dispute.

 

(c) Entire Agreement. This Employment Agreement represents the complete understanding between the Executive and the Company concerning the subject matter of this Employment Agreement, and no other promises or agreements concerning the subject matter of this Separation Agreement shall be binding unless reduced to writing and signed by the Executive and the Company. The Executive and the Company agree that this Employment Agreement supersedes any prior agreements or understandings of the Parties, whether oral or written, concerning the subject matter of this Employment Agreement.

 

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(d) Waivers and Amendments. This Employment Agreement may be amended, modified, superseded, cancelled, renewed or extended, and the terms and conditions hereof may be waived, only by a written instrument signed by the parties or, in the case of a waiver, by the party waiving compliance. No delay on the part of any Party in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any waiver on the part of any Party of any right, power or privilege hereunder, nor any single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege hereunder.

 

(e) Binding Effect; Benefit. This Employment Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and any successors and assigns permitted or required by Section 7(f) hereof. Nothing in this Employment Agreement, expressed or implied, is intended to confer on any person other than the parties hereto or such successors and assigns, any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Employment Agreement.

 

(f) Assignment. This Employment Agreement, and the Executive’s rights and obligations hereunder, may not be assigned by the Executive. The Company may assign this Employment Agreement and its rights, together with its obligations, hereunder in connection with any sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets or business, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise.

 

(g) Drafting. Should any provision of this Separation Agreement require interpretation or construction, it is agreed by the Executive and the Company that the person interpreting or construing this Separation Agreement shall not apply a presumption against one Party by reason of the rule of construction that a document is to be construed more strictly against the party who prepared the document.

 

(h) Interpretation. (i) Should any provision of this Employment Agreement require interpretation or construction, it is agreed by the Executive and the Company that the person interpreting or construing this Employment Agreement shall not apply a presumption against one Party by reason of the rule of construction that a document is to be construed more strictly against the party who prepared the document. (ii) The headings and sub-headings in this Employment Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this Employment Agreement.

 

(i) Survival. Sections 5(c), 6, and 7 of this Employment Agreement shall survive the termination of this Employment Agreement.

 

(j) Counterparts. This Employment Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may be executed manually or by facsimile, scan, or other electronic means (e.g., DocuSign).

 

[Signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Employment Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
       
  CleanCore Solutions, Inc.
       
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
    Name: Matthew Atkinson
    Title: Chief Executive Officer
       
    Address:  5920 South 118th Circle, Omaha, NE 68137
       
    Email: matkinson@cleancoresol.com

 

EXECUTIVE:
     
  By: /s/ David Enholm
  Name:   David Enholm

 

 

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Exhibit 10.19

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

This EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Employment Agreement”) is made and entered into as of Nov. 1, 2022, by and between CleanCore Solutions, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and Gary Hollst, an individual (the “Employee”). The Company and the Employee are referred to herein from time to time on a collective basis as the “Parties” and each on individual basis as a “Party”.

 

Recitals:

 

The Company wishes to secure the services of the Employee as Chief Revenue Officer of the Company with such duties as are set forth on Exhibit A upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, and the Employee wishes to render such services to the Company upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

 

Agreement:

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants herein contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

I. Employee’s Position; Duties. During the Term (as hereinafter defined), the Company shall employ Employee in the position of Chief Revenue Officer. The Employee accepts such employment and agrees to perform such duties as outlined in Exhibit A, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The Employee agrees to devote his or her time and energies to the business of the Company and/or its affiliates and subsidiaries to perform his/her duties hereunder.

 

2. Term of Employment; Employment at Will. The term (“Term”) of this Employment Agreement shall commence on the Start Date (defined below) and continue until the Employment Agreement, and thus the Employee’s employment, is terminated by either the Company or the Employee. The Employee is employed “at-will” which means that the Employee’s employment with the Company may be terminated by either the Employee or the Company at any time, with or without cause, for any or no reason, subject to the notice provisions in this Employment Agreement. As used in this Agreement, “Start Date” means the first date on which the Employee reports to the Company to begin work under this Agreement, which shall be November 1, 2022.

 

3. Location. Employee will perform his or her work duties for the Company primarily in Corporate Office. However, Employee shall undertake such occasional travel, within or outside the United States, as is reasonably necessary in the interests of the Company.

 

4. Compensation.

 

(a) Base Salary. The Company shall pay to the Employee a base salary for all services to be rendered by the Employee under this Employment Agreement at the rate of $110,000.00 per year (the “Base Salary”), which Base Salary shall be paid in approximately equal installments (less applicable payroll deductions and taxes) in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll schedule, procedures, and policies (which schedules, procedures and policies may be modified from time to time in the Company’s sole discretion), but not less frequently than monthly. The Company shall have no obligation to pay the Employee’s Base Salary following the date of the termination of this Employment Agreement whether by the Company, the Employee, or otherwise.

 

(b) Bonus. In addition to the Base Salary, the Employee may be eligible to be considered for an annual bonus based upon the performance of the Employee and of the Company. The eligibility criteria to be a considered for annual bonus, whether to award the Employee any such bonus, the amount of any such bonus, and when any such bonus is paid are in the Company’s absolute discretion. The Employee must be actively employed at the time of payment to receive an annual bonus.

 

 

 

(c) Participation in Employee Benefit Plans; Other Benefits.

 

(i) During the Term, the Employee shall be entitled to participate in such medical, life, disability, and other benefits plans as are generally afforded to other Company employees at a similar level and to participate in all other company-wide employee benefits plans, including a defined contribution pension plan and 401(k) plan, as may be made available generally to Company employees from time to time, subject to the Employee satisfying waiting periods, eligibility criteria, and other terms and conditions, if any, that may be applicable to each such benefit plan.

 

(ii) During the Term, the Employee may be eligible to be considered from time to time for an award under the Company’s Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”), in the Company’s sole discretion. The eligibility criteria for an award under the Plan and whether the Employee is provided with an award under the Plan are in the Company’s sole discretion.

 

(iii) Except as prohibited by law, the Company may amend, terminate, reduce or otherwise change any of benefits or plans described above in this Section 4(b).

 

(d) Expenses. The Company shall pay or reimburse the Employee for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred or paid by the Employee during the Term in the performance of the Employee’s job duties under this Employment Agreement, upon submission and approval of expense statements, vouchers, or other supporting information in accordance with the then customary practices of the Company. In addition to meeting the conditions of the immediately preceding sentence, any expenses in excess of $ 1000.00 require advance approval by the Company’s Chief Financial Officer before being incurred in order to be eligible for payment or reimbursement by the Company.

 

(e) Vacation and Sick Leave. The Employee shall be entitled to receive 4 weeks of paid vacation per calendar year and 40 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year. The Employee’s vacation and sick leave, how it is accrued, and how the Employee may use it may be subject to employment and other policies the Company may adopt and/or change from time to time in its sole discretion and with or without notice to the Employee. Unless required by applicable state or local law, the Employee is not entitled to receive compensation for accrued but used paid sick leave or paid vacation leave upon separation from the Company.

 

(f) Withholding of Taxes. The Company may withhold from any Base Salary, bonuses, benefits, or other compensation payable under this Employment Agreement all federal, state, city and other taxes as shall be required pursuant to any law or governmental regulation or ruling.

 

5. Termination.

 

(a) Termination by the Employee.

 

(i) Termination upon Death. If the Employee dies during the Term, this Employment Agreement and the Employee’s employment with the Company shall terminate as of the date of his/her death and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Employee’s estate shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of death.

 

(ii) Termination other than for Death. The Employee may terminate this Employment Agreement, and thus his/her employment with the Company, for any reason or no reason at any time during the Term upon 14 days’ written notice by the Employee to the Company and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Employee shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of such termination.

 

(b) Termination by the Company.

 

(i) Termination for Cause. During the Term, The Company may at any time by written notice to the Employee terminate this Employment Agreement, and thus the Employee’s employment, immediately if an event of Cause (as defined below) occurs, and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Employee shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of such termination. For purposes of this Employment Agreement, “Cause” shall mean:

 

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(A) any willful breach by the Employee of any material term of this Employment Agreement, if the Employee fails to reasonably cure such breach within 14 days after the receipt of written notice from the Company of such breach, which notice shall state in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed to be a failure or willful breach and of the intent of the Company to terminate the Employee’s employment upon the failure of the Employee to reasonably cure such failure or breach; or

 

(B) Employee has committed an intentional act of fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, or theft or a breach of fiduciary duty involving personal profit; or

 

(C) the Employee is indicted for any criminal offense constituting a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or

 

(D) the Employee intentionally breaches any of the provisions of Section 6 of this Employment Agreement.

 

For purposes of this Employment Agreement, an act, or a failure to act, shall not be deemed willful or intentional, as those terms are used herein, unless it is done, or admitted to be done, by Employee in bad faith or without a reasonable belief that Employee’s action or omission was in the interest of the Company.

 

(ii) Termination other than for Cause. The Company may terminate this Employment Agreement, and thus the Employee’s employment, for any reason or no reason at any time without Cause upon 14 days written notice by the Company to the Employee and, except as provided in Section 5(c) hereof, the Employee shall have no right to receive any compensation hereunder (including, without limitation, Base Salary, bonus, or benefit) on and after the date of such termination.

 

(c) If during the Term, this Employment Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 5(a) or 5(b), all compensation (including, without limitation, Base Salary) payable to Executive under Section 4 hereof shall cease as of the date of termination specified in the notice of termination from the Company or the Employee, as the case may be, or, if the termination is due to the Employee’s death, on the date of the Employee’s death, and the Company shall pay to the Employee (or if the Employee has died, to his/her estate) all previously earned, accrued, and unpaid benefits from the Company and its employee benefit plans, including any such benefits under the Company’s pension, disability, and life insurance plans, policies, and programs.

 

6. Certain Covenants of the Employee.

 

(a) The Employee acknowledges that: (i) s/he is one of the limited number of persons who will assist with developing the Company’s business, which consists of developing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling cleaning solutions and cleaning products (the “Company’s Business”); (ii) the Employee’s work for the Company will bring Employee into close contact with many confidential affairs not readily available to the public; and (iii) the covenants contained in this Section 6 will not involve a substantial hardship upon Employee’s future livelihood. In order to induce the Company to enter into this Employment Agreement, the Employee covenants and agrees that:

 

(i) Confidential Information. During the Term and for a period of three years thereafter (the “Non-Disclosure/Non-Use Period”), the Employee shall not, directly or indirectly: (A) disclose CleanCore Confidential Information (defined below) to any entity that is not authorized by the Company or to receive such CleanCore Confidential Information or (B) use or appropriate CleanCore Confidential Information for his/her own benefit or for the benefit of any entity other than the Company or its authorized subsidiary or affiliate, except as required in the course of the Employee’s performance of his job duties with the Company under this Employment Agreement or with the express written consent of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or its Board of Directors. The provisions of this Section 6(a)(i) do not prohibit the Employee from disclosing CleanCore Confidential Information as may be necessary to report unlawful sexual harassment or assault, unlawful discrimination, or unlawful activity at the Company or by the Company or any of its directors, officers, or employees (collectively, “Unlawful Activity”), provided that the Employee makes such disclosure solely to the appropriate federal, state or local government official or appropriate person within the Employee with responsibility for investigating or addressing reports of any such Unlawful Activity.

 

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(ii) As used in this Employment Agreement, “CleanCore Confidential Information” means all documents, files, papers or information relating to trade secrets of the Company or any Company subsidiary or affiliate and all confidential documents, files, papers, or information relating to the Company’s Business, including, without limitation, the customers, business relationships, accounts, pricing policies, customer lists, computer software and hardware, of the Company or any Company subsidiary or affiliate, any of the Company’s, or Company affiliate or subsidiary’s, business or operational methods, drawings, sketches, designs or product concepts, know-how, marketing plans or strategies, product development techniques or plans, business acquisition plans, financial or other performance data, personnel policies and other policies, whether generated by the Employee or by any other person, provided, however, that CleanCore Confidential Information does not include information that the Employee can document: (A) is or becomes generally and freely publicly available through no fault of the Employee, (B) the Employee has otherwise rightfully obtained from a third-party who is not under any restriction to maintain its confidentiality, or (C) was lawfully known or obtained by the Employee prior to his/her receipt of it during the course of his/her employment with the Company.

 

(iii) Covenant Not to Compete. During the Term and for a period of two year thereafter (the “Restricted Period”), the Employee shall not, directly or indirectly: (A) work, as an employee, consultant, contractor, or in any other capacity, for a Competitive Business (as defined below) in a position or role having a Restricted Duty (as defined below); (B) be an individual proprietor, partner, member, stockholder, officer, director, joint venturer, investor, lender, or owner (other than a holder of not more than two percent of the combined voting power of the outstanding stock of a publicly held company) in or of a Competitive Business; or (C) develop any property for use in the Company’s Business on behalf of any entity other than the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates.

 

(iv) Covenant Not to Solicit. During the Restricted Period, the Employee shall not directly or indirectly (other than in furtherance of the business of the Company): (A) initiate communications with, solicit, persuade, entice, induce or encourage any individual who is then or who has been within the preceding 12-month period, an employee, consultant, or contractor of, to, or with the Company or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries to terminate his/her/its employment or consulting or contractor relationship with the Company or any its subsidiaries or affiliates, as the case may be, or to become employed by or to enter into a consultant or contractor relationship with any entity, and the Employee shall not approach any such employee, contractor, or consultant for any such purpose or authorize or knowingly approve the taking of any such actions by any other person; or (B) solicit, for the purpose of selling, renting or leasing or attempting to sell, rent, or lease a Restricted Product (as defined below), to any of the clients, customers or accounts, or prospective clients, customers or accounts of the Company that the Employee contacted, solicited, or served, or that the Employee knew had been contacted, solicited, or served by the Company, at any time in the preceding twelve month period of the Employee’s employment with the Company.

 

As used in this Section 6: The term “Competitive Business” means any business engaged in the United States, worldwide] in developing, manufacturing, marketing, or selling cleaning solutions. The term “Restricted Duty” means any sales, purchasing, operational management, marketing, competitive-planning, strategic-planning, or executive responsibility or duty. The terms “Restricted Product” and “Restricted Products” refer to Any ozone products developed at CleanCore.

 

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(b) Rights and Remedies Upon Breach. If the Employee breaches any of the provisions of Section 6(a) hereof (collectively, the “Restrictive Covenants”), the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates shall, in addition to the rights set forth in Section 6(a) hereof, have the right and remedy to seek from any court of competent jurisdiction specific performance of the Restrictive Covenants or injunctive relief against any act which would violate any of the Restrictive Covenants, it being acknowledged and agreed that any such breach may cause irreparable injury to the Company and its affiliates and that money damages will not provide an adequate remedy to the Company and its affiliates. The right to obtain such specific performance or injunction in addition to, and without prejudice to, any other rights or remedies available to the Company, its subsidiaries, and affiliates under this Employment Agreement, at law, or in equity.

 

(c) Severability of Covenants. If any of the Restrictive Covenants, or any part thereof, is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or any foreign, federal, state, county or local government or other governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or authority to be invalid, void, unenforceable or against public policy for any reason, the remainder of the Restrictive Covenants shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and such court, government, agency or authority shall be empowered to substitute, to the extent enforceable, provisions similar thereto or other provisions so as to provide to the Company and its affiliates, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the benefits intended by such provisions.

 

7. Other Provisions.

 

(a) Notices. Any notice or other communication required or which may be given hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally, telecopied, telegraphed or telexed, or sent by certified, registered or express mail, postage prepaid, or emailed to the Parties at the addresses specified on the signature page hereto, or at such other addresses as shall be specified by the parties by like notice, and shall be deemed given so long as such provides a receipt of delivery, when so delivered personally, telecopied, telegraphed or telexed, mailed, or emailed.

 

(b) Governing Law; Forum for Resolution of Disputes.

 

(i) This Employment Agreement shall be governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Nebraska without regard to the choice of law principles thereof. The Parties hereby agree that all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Employment Agreement, and any disputes arising thereunder shall be governed by the laws of the State of Nebraska without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law provision or rule, notwithstanding that public policy in any other forum or jurisdiction might indicate that the laws of that or any other jurisdiction should otherwise apply based on contacts within such state or otherwise. Each Party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction (including both subject matter jurisdiction and personal jurisdiction over each of the Parties) and the venue of the state and federal courts whose jurisdictional territory includes Douglas County, Nebraska for the purpose of any suit, action, proceeding, or judgment relating to or arising out of this Employment Agreement or Employee’s employment with the Company. Each of the Parties waives any defense of inconvenient forum to the maintenance of any action or proceeding so brought and waives any bond, surety, or other security that might be required of any other Party with respect thereto. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, EACH PARTY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ITS RIGHTTO HAVE A TRIAL BY JURY FOR ANY PROCEEDING SO BROUGHT. Each of the parties agrees that a final, non-appealable judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding brought in such a court shall be conclusive and binding on such Party and may be enforced in any court to the jurisdiction of which such Party is subject by a suit upon such judgment.

 

(ii) As a condition precedent to a Party’s ability to commence a lawsuit against the other Party relating to or arising out of this Employment Agreement or Employee’s employment with the Company, the Party that wishes to commence such lawsuit shall first give written notice to the other Party of the dispute arising out of or related to Employment Agreement or Employee’s employment with the Company, and, no later than twenty-one (21) days after such notice is delivered, a representative of each Party with authority to settle that dispute for each Party shall confer in good faith in an effort to resolve that dispute. The notice of such dispute for each Party shall include a reasonable description of the basis therefor. Only after the Parties have conferred, or made a good faith effort to confer, in accordance with this Section 7(b)(ii) may a party commence a lawsuit pertaining to the dispute.

 

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(c) Entire Agreement. This Employment Agreement represents the complete understanding between the Employee and the Company concerning the subject matter of this Employment Agreement, and no other promises or agreements concerning the subject matter of this Separation Agreement shall be binding unless reduced to writing and signed by the Employee and the Company. The Employee and the Company agree that this Employment Agreement supersedes any prior agreements or understandings of the Parties, whether oral or written, concerning the subject matter of this Employment Agreement.

 

(d) Waivers and Amendments. This Employment Agreement may be amended, modified, superseded, cancelled, renewed or extended, and the terms and conditions hereof may be waived, only by a written instrument signed by the parties or, in the case of a waiver, by the party waiving compliance. No delay on the part of any Party in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any waiver on the part of any Party of any right, power or privilege hereunder, nor any single or partial exercise of any right, power or privilege hereunder preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege hereunder.

 

(e) Binding Effect: Benefit. This Employment Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and any successors and assigns permitted or required by Section 7(f) hereof. Nothing in this Employment Agreement, expressed or implied, is intended to confer on any person other than the parties hereto or such successors and assigns, any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Employment Agreement.

 

(f) Assignment. This Employment Agreement, and the Employee’s rights and obligations hereunder, may not be assigned by the Employee. The Company may assign this Employment Agreement and its rights, together with its obligations, hereunder in connection with any sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets or business, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise.

 

(g) Drafting. Should any provision of this Separation Agreement require interpretation or construction, it is agreed by the Employee and the Company that the person interpreting or construing this Separation Agreement shall not apply a presumption against one Party by reason of the rule of construction that a document is to be construed more strictly against the party who prepared the document.

 

(h) Interpretation. (i) Should any provision of this Employment Agreement require interpretation or construction, it is agreed by the Employee and the Company that the person interpreting or construing this Employment Agreement shall not apply a presumption against one Party by reason of the rule of construction that a document is to be construed more strictly against the party who prepared the document. (ii) The headings and sub-headings in this Employment Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this Employment Agreement.

 

(i) Survival. Sections 5(c), 6, and 7 of this Employment Agreement shall survive the termination of this Employment Agreement.

 

(j) Counterparts. This Employment Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. This Agreement may be executed manually or by facsimile, scan, or other electronic means (e.g., DocuSign).

 

[Signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Employment Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

COMPANY:
   
  CleanCore Solutions, Inc.
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
  Name:  Matthew Atkinson
  Title: Chief Executive Officer
  Address: 5920 South 118th Circle, Omaha, NE, 68137
    Email: matkinson@cleancoresol.com

 

EMPLOYEE:
   
  By: /s/ Gary Hollst
  Name:  Gary Hollst
    Address: 5920 South 118th Circle, Omaha, NE 68137
    Email: ghollst@cleancoresol.com

 

 

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Exhibit 10.20

 

CONSULTING AGREEMENT

 

Effective Date: October 17, 2022

 

This Consulting Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made as of the Effective Date set forth above by and between CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (“Client”) and the entity on the signature page hereto (“Consultant”).

 

1. Engagement of Services. In connection with the goal of advancing the Client’s aqueous ozone products in healthcare settings for Client, the Consultant will provide services to the Client and from and after the date hereof and subject to the terms of this Agreement, Consultant will render the following additional services to Client relating to the goal of advancing the use and adoption of aqueous ozone. The Consultant will provide necessary management services and insight on the day-to-day operations of the business in order to acquire new healthcare clients, and advise the Client on sales of the aqueous ozone products in the healthcare sector, assist and work on public company accounting functions, and strategic goals (all of such services, including those rendered prior to the date hereof are referred to herein as the “Services”). Consultant will have exclusive control over the manner and means of performing the Services, including the choice of place and time. Consultant will provide, at Consultant’s own expense, a place of work and all equipment, tools and other materials necessary to complete the Services; however, to the extent necessary to facilitate performance of the Services, Client may, in its discretion, make its equipment or facilities available to Consultant at Consultant’s request. While on the Client’s premises, Consultant agrees to comply with Client’s then-current access rules and procedures, including those related to safety, security and confidentiality. Consultant agrees and acknowledges that Consultant has no expectation of privacy with respect to Client’s telecommunications, networking or information processing systems (including stored computer files, email messages and voice messages) and that Consultant’s activities, including the sending or receiving of any files or messages, on or using those systems may be monitored, and the contents of such files and messages may be reviewed and disclosed, at any time, without notice.

 

2. Compensation. Client will pay the Consultant Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000) in compensation for each month of service until the Consultant enters into a formal employment agreement or terminates this agreement. The Consultant will be reimbursed only for its reasonable and documented expenses that are preapproved in writing (including by email) by the Client.

 

3. Ownership of Work Product. Consultant agrees that any and all Work Product, other than Preexisting IP (as defined below), shall be the sole and exclusive property of Client. Consultant hereby irrevocably assigns to Client all right, title and interest worldwide in and to any deliverables arising from the provision of the Services (“Deliverables”), and to any ideas, concepts, processes, discoveries, developments, formulae, information, materials, improvements, designs, artwork, content, software programs, other copyrightable works, and any other work product created, conceived or developed by Consultant (whether alone or jointly with others) for Client during or before the term of this Agreement, including all copyrights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other intellectual property rights therein (the “Work Product”). Consultant retains no rights to use the Work Product other than rights to Preexisting IP and agrees not to challenge the validity of Client’s ownership of the Work Product. Consultant agrees to execute, at Client’s request and expense, all documents and other instruments necessary or desirable to confirm such assignment. In the event that Consultant does not, for any reason, execute such documents within a reasonable time after Client’s request, Consultant hereby irrevocably appoints Client as Consultant’s attorney-in-fact for the purpose of executing such documents on Consultant’s behalf, which appointment is coupled with an interest.

 

 

 

 

4. Other Rights. If Consultant has any rights, including without limitation “artist’s rights” or “moral rights,” in the Work Product other than Preexisting IP which cannot be assigned, Consultant hereby unconditionally and irrevocably grants to Client an exclusive (even as to Consultant), worldwide, fully paid and royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual license, with rights to sublicense through multiple tiers of sublicensees, to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, publicly perform and publicly display the Work Product in any medium or format, whether now known of later developed. In the event that Consultant has any rights in the Work Product that cannot be assigned or licensed, Consultant unconditionally and irrevocably waives the enforcement of such rights, and all claims and causes of action of any kind against Client or Client’s customers.

 

5. License to Preexisting IP. Client acknowledges that Consultant may incorporate into Work Product intellectual property developed by a third party or by Consultant other than in the course of performing services for Client (“Preexisting IP”). To the extent that Consultant uses or incorporates Preexisting IP into Work Product, Consultant hereby grants to Client a non-exclusive, perpetual, fully-paid and royalty-free, irrevocable and worldwide right, with the right to sublicense through multiple levels of sublicensees, to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, publicly perform and publicly display in any medium or format, whether now known of later developed, such Preexisting IP incorporated or used in Work Product. However, in no event will Consultant incorporate into the Work Product any software code licensed under the GNU GPL or LGPL or any similar “open source” license. Consultant represents and warrants that Consultant has an unqualified right to license to Client all Preexisting IP as provided in this section.

 

6. Representations and Warranties. Consultant represents and warrants that: (a) the Services shall be performed in a professional manner and in accordance with the industry standards, (b) Work Product will be an original work of Consultant, (c) Consultant has the right and unrestricted ability to assign the ownership of Work Product to Client as set forth in Section 3 (including without limitation the right to assign the ownership of any Work Product created by Consultant’s employees or contractors), (d) the Work Product nor any element thereof will infringe upon or misappropriate any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, right of publicity or privacy, or any other proprietary right of any person, whether contractual, statutory or common law, (e) Consultant has an unqualified right to grant to Client the license to Preexisting IP set forth in Section 5, and (f) Consultant will comply with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws governing self-employed individuals, including laws requiring the payment of taxes, such as income and employment taxes, and social security, disability, and other contributions. Consultant agrees to indemnify and hold Client harmless from any and all damages, costs, claims, expenses or other liability (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from or relating to the breach or alleged breach by Consultant of the representations and warranties set forth in this Section 6.

 

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7. Independent Contractor Relationship. Consultant’s relationship with Client is that of an independent contractor, and nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or should be construed to, create a partnership, agency, joint venture or employment relationship between Client and any of Consultant’s employees or agents. Consultant is not authorized to make any representation, contract or commitment on behalf of Client. Consultant (if Consultant is an individual) and Consultant’s employees will not be entitled to any of the benefits that Client may make available to its employees, including, but not limited to, group health or life insurance, profit-sharing or retirement benefits. Because Consultant is an independent contractor, Client will not withhold or make payments for social security, make unemployment insurance or disability insurance contributions, or obtain workers’ compensation insurance on behalf of Consultant. Consultant is solely responsible for, and will file, on a timely basis, all tax returns and payments required to be filed with, or made to, any federal, state or local tax authority with respect to the performance of Services and receipt of fees under this Agreement. Consultant is solely responsible for, and must maintain adequate records of, expenses incurred in the course of performing Services under this Agreement. No part of Consultant’s compensation will be subject to withholding by Client for the payment of any social security, federal, state or any other employee payroll taxes. Client will regularly report amounts paid to Consultant by filing Form 1099-MISC with the Internal Revenue Service as required by law. If, notwithstanding the foregoing, Consultant is reclassified as an employee of Client, or any affiliate of Client, by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, or any other federal or state or foreign agency as the result of any administrative or judicial proceeding, Consultant agrees that Consultant will not, as the result of such reclassification, be entitled to or eligible for, on either a prospective or retrospective basis, any employee benefits under any plans or programs established or maintained by Client.

 

8. Confidential Information. Consultant agrees that during the term of this Agreement and thereafter it will not use or permit the use of Client’s Confidential Information in any manner or for any purpose not expressly set forth in this Agreement, will hold such Confidential Information in confidence and protect it from unauthorized use and disclosure, and will not disclose such Confidential Information to any third parties except as set forth in Section 9 below. “Confidential Information” as used in this Agreement shall mean all information disclosed by Client to Consultant, whether during or before the term of this Agreement, that is not generally known in the Client’s trade or industry and shall include, without limitation: (a) concepts and ideas relating to the development and distribution of content in any medium or to the current, future and proposed products or services of Client or its subsidiaries or affiliates; (b) trade secrets, drawings, inventions, know-how, software programs, and software source documents; (c) information regarding plans for research, development, new service offerings or products, marketing and selling, business plans, business forecasts, budgets and unpublished financial statements, licenses and distribution arrangements, prices and costs, suppliers and customers; (d) existence of any business discussions, negotiations or agreements between the parties; and (e) any information regarding the skills and compensation of employees, contractors or other agents of Client or its subsidiaries or affiliates. Confidential Information also includes proprietary or confidential information of any third party who may disclose such information to Client or Consultant in the course of Client’s business. Confidential Information does not include information that (x) is or becomes a part of the public domain through no act or omission of Consultant, (y) is disclosed to Consultant by a third party without restrictions on disclosure, or (z) was in Consultant’s lawful possession prior to the disclosure and was not obtained by Consultant either directly or indirectly from Client. In addition, this section will not be construed to prohibit disclosure of Confidential Information to the extent that such disclosure is required by law or valid order of a court or other governmental authority; provided, however, that Consultant shall first have given notice to Client and shall have made a reasonable effort to obtain a protective order requiring that the Confidential Information so disclosed be used only for the purposes for which the order was issued. All Confidential Information furnished to Consultant by Client is the sole and exclusive property of Client or its suppliers or customers. Upon request by Client, Consultant agrees to promptly deliver to Client the original and any copies of the Confidential Information.

 

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9. Consultant’s Employees. Consultant will ensure that each of its employees and agents who will have access to any Confidential Information or perform any Services has entered into a binding written agreement that is expressly for the benefit of Client and protects Client’s rights and interests to at least the same degree as Section 8. Client reserves the right to refuse or limit Consultant’s use of any employee or consultant or to require Consultant to remove any employee or consultant already engaged in the performance of the Services. Client’s exercise of such right will in no way limit Consultant’s obligations under this Agreement.

 

10. No Conflict of Interest. During the term of this Agreement, Consultant will not accept work, enter into a contract, or accept an obligation from any third party, inconsistent or incompatible with Consultant’s obligations, or the scope of Services rendered for Client, under this Agreement. Consultant warrants that there is no other contract or duty on its part inconsistent with this Agreement. Consultant agrees to indemnify Client from any and all loss or liability incurred by reason of the alleged breach by Consultant of any services agreement with any third party.

 

11. Term and Termination.

 

11.1 Term. The initial term of this Agreement is through October 16, 2023.

 

11.2 Termination Without Cause. Client may terminate this Agreement with or without cause, at any time upon five (5) days prior written notice to Consultant. Consultant may terminate this Agreement with or without cause, at any time upon five (5) days prior written notice to Client.

 

11.3 Termination for Cause. Either party may terminate this Agreement immediately in the event the other party has materially breached the Agreement and failed to cure such breach within fifteen (15) days of receipt of notice by the non-breaching party.

 

11.4 Survival. The rights and obligations contained in Sections 3 (“Ownership of Work Product”), 4 (“Other Rights”), 5 (“License to Preexisting IP”), 6 (“Representations and Warranties”), 8 (“Confidential Information”) and 12 (“Noninterference with Business”) will survive any termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

12. Noninterference with Business. During this Agreement, and for a period of one (1) year immediately following its termination, Consultant agrees not to interfere with the business of Client in any manner. By way of example and not of limitation, Consultant agrees not to solicit or induce any employee, independent contractor, or Client customer to terminate or breach an employment, contractual or other relationship with Client.

 

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13. Successors and Assigns. Consultant may not subcontract or otherwise delegate or assign this Agreement or any of its obligations under this Agreement without Client’s prior written consent. Any attempted assignment in violation of the foregoing shall be null and void. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement will be for the benefit of Client’s successors and assigns, and will be binding on Consultant’s assignees.

 

14. Notices. Any notice required or permitted by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered as follows with notice deemed given as indicated: (i) by personal delivery when delivered personally; (ii) by overnight courier upon written verification of receipt; (iii) by telecopy or facsimile transmission upon acknowledgment of receipt of electronic transmission; or (iv) by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, upon verification of receipt. Notice shall be sent to the addresses set forth below or such other address as either party may specify in writing.

 

15. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the United States of America and by the laws of the State of Nebraska, without giving effect to any conflicts of laws principles that require the application of the law of a different jurisdiction.

 

16. Severability. Should any provisions of this Agreement be held by a court of law to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected or impaired thereby.

 

17. Waiver. The waiver by Client of a breach of any provision of this Agreement by Consultant shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other or subsequent breach by Consultant.

 

18. Injunctive Relief for Breach. Consultant’s obligations under this Agreement are of a unique character that gives them particular value; breach of any of such obligations will result in irreparable and continuing damage to Client for which there will be no adequate remedy at law; and, in the event of such breach, Client will be entitled to injunctive relief and/or a decree for specific performance, and such other and further relief as may be proper (including monetary damages if appropriate).

 

19. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties relating to this subject matter and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous oral or written agreements concerning such subject matter. The terms of this Agreement will govern all services undertaken by Consultant for Client. This Agreement may only be changed or amended by mutual agreement of authorized representatives of the parties in writing. The Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which shall be taken together and deemed to be one instrument.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

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In Witness Whereof, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date.

 

  CLIENT:
   
  CC Acquisition Corp.
   
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
    Name:  Matthew Atkinson
    Title: Chief Executive Officer
   
  Address: 255 Calamus Circle
    Medina, MN 55340

 

  CONSULTANT:
   
  Birddog Capital, LLC
   
  By: /s/ Clayton Adams
    Name:  Clayton Adams
    Title: N/A
   
  Address: 1904 s 183rd Circle
    Omaha, NE
    68130

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.21

 

CONSULTING AGREEMENT

 

Effective Date: October 17, 2022

 

This Consulting Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made as of the Effective Date set forth above by and between CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (“Client”) and the entity on the signature page hereto (“Consultant”).

 

1. Engagement of Services. In connection with the goal of advancing the Client’s aqueous ozone products in healthcare settings for Client, the Consultant will provide services to the Client and from and after the date hereof and subject to the terms of this Agreement, Consultant will render the following additional services to Client relating to the goal of advancing the use and adoption of aqueous ozone. The Consultant will provide necessary management services and insight on the day-to-day operations of the business in order to acquire new healthcare clients, and advise the Client on sales of the aqueous ozone products in the healthcare sector, assist and work on public company accounting functions, and strategic goals (all of such services, including those rendered prior to the date hereof are referred to herein as the “Services”). Consultant will have exclusive control over the manner and means of performing the Services, including the choice of place and time. Consultant will provide, at Consultant’s own expense, a place of work and all equipment, tools and other materials necessary to complete the Services; however, to the extent necessary to facilitate performance of the Services, Client may, in its discretion, make its equipment or facilities available to Consultant at Consultant’s request. While on the Client’s premises, Consultant agrees to comply with Client’s then-current access rules and procedures, including those related to safety, security and confidentiality. Consultant agrees and acknowledges that Consultant has no expectation of privacy with respect to Client’s telecommunications, networking or information processing systems (including stored computer files, email messages and voice messages) and that Consultant’s activities, including the sending or receiving of any files or messages, on or using those systems may be monitored, and the contents of such files and messages may be reviewed and disclosed, at any time, without notice.

 

2. Compensation. Client will pay the Consultant Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000) in compensation for each month of service until the Consultant enters into a formal employment agreement or terminates this agreement. The Consultant will be reimbursed only for its reasonable and documented expenses that are preapproved in writing (including by email) by the Client.

 

3. Ownership of Work Product. Consultant agrees that any and all Work Product, other than Preexisting IP (as defined below), shall be the sole and exclusive property of Client. Consultant hereby irrevocably assigns to Client all right, title and interest worldwide in and to any deliverables arising from the provision of the Services (“Deliverables”), and to any ideas, concepts, processes, discoveries, developments, formulae, information, materials, improvements, designs, artwork, content, software programs, other copyrightable works, and any other work product created, conceived or developed by Consultant (whether alone or jointly with others) for Client during or before the term of this Agreement, including all copyrights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and other intellectual property rights therein (the “Work Product”). Consultant retains no rights to use the Work Product other than rights to Preexisting IP and agrees not to challenge the validity of Client’s ownership of the Work Product. Consultant agrees to execute, at Client’s request and expense, all documents and other instruments necessary or desirable to confirm such assignment. In the event that Consultant does not, for any reason, execute such documents within a reasonable time after Client’s request, Consultant hereby irrevocably appoints Client as Consultant’s attorney-in-fact for the purpose of executing such documents on Consultant’s behalf, which appointment is coupled with an interest.

 

 

 

4. Other Rights. If Consultant has any rights, including without limitation “artist’s rights” or “moral rights,” in the Work Product other than Preexisting IP which cannot be assigned, Consultant hereby unconditionally and irrevocably grants to Client an exclusive (even as to Consultant), worldwide, fully paid and royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual license, with rights to sublicense through multiple tiers of sublicensees, to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, publicly perform and publicly display the Work Product in any medium or format, whether now known of later developed. In the event that Consultant has any rights in the Work Product that cannot be assigned or licensed, Consultant unconditionally and irrevocably waives the enforcement of such rights, and all claims and causes of action of any kind against Client or Client’s customers.

 

5. License to Preexisting IP. Client acknowledges that Consultant may incorporate into Work Product intellectual property developed by a third party or by Consultant other than in the course of performing services for Client (“Preexisting IP”). To the extent that Consultant uses or incorporates Preexisting IP into Work Product, Consultant hereby grants to Client a non-exclusive, perpetual, fully-paid and royalty-free, irrevocable and worldwide right, with the right to sublicense through multiple levels of sublicensees, to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, publicly perform and publicly display in any medium or format, whether now known of later developed, such Preexisting IP incorporated or used in Work Product. However, in no event will Consultant incorporate into the Work Product any software code licensed under the GNU GPL or LGPL or any similar “open source” license. Consultant represents and warrants that Consultant has an unqualified right to license to Client all Preexisting IP as provided in this section.

 

6. Representations and Warranties. Consultant represents and warrants that: (a) the Services shall be performed in a professional manner and in accordance with the industry standards, (b) Work Product will be an original work of Consultant, (c) Consultant has the right and unrestricted ability to assign the ownership of Work Product to Client as set forth in Section 3 (including without limitation the right to assign the ownership of any Work Product created by Consultant’s employees or contractors), (d) the Work Product nor any element thereof will infringe upon or misappropriate any copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, right of publicity or privacy, or any other proprietary right of any person, whether contractual, statutory or common law, (e) Consultant has an unqualified right to grant to Client the license to Preexisting IP set forth in Section 5, and (f) Consultant will comply with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws governing self-employed individuals, including laws requiring the payment of taxes, such as income and employment taxes, and social security, disability, and other contributions. Consultant agrees to indemnify and hold Client harmless from any and all damages, costs, claims, expenses or other liability (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from or relating to the breach or alleged breach by Consultant of the representations and warranties set forth in this Section 6.

 

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7. Independent Contractor Relationship. Consultant’s relationship with Client is that of an independent contractor, and nothing in this Agreement is intended to, or should be construed to, create a partnership, agency, joint venture or employment relationship between Client and any of Consultant’s employees or agents. Consultant is not authorized to make any representation, contract or commitment on behalf of Client. Consultant (if Consultant is an individual) and Consultant’s employees will not be entitled to any of the benefits that Client may make available to its employees, including, but not limited to, group health or life insurance, profit-sharing or retirement benefits. Because Consultant is an independent contractor, Client will not withhold or make payments for social security, make unemployment insurance or disability insurance contributions, or obtain workers’ compensation insurance on behalf of Consultant. Consultant is solely responsible for, and will file, on a timely basis, all tax returns and payments required to be filed with, or made to, any federal, state or local tax authority with respect to the performance of Services and receipt of fees under this Agreement. Consultant is solely responsible for, and must maintain adequate records of, expenses incurred in the course of performing Services under this Agreement. No part of Consultant’s compensation will be subject to withholding by Client for the payment of any social security, federal, state or any other employee payroll taxes. Client will regularly report amounts paid to Consultant by filing Form 1099-MISC with the Internal Revenue Service as required by law. If, notwithstanding the foregoing, Consultant is reclassified as an employee of Client, or any affiliate of Client, by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Department of Labor, or any other federal or state or foreign agency as the result of any administrative or judicial proceeding, Consultant agrees that Consultant will not, as the result of such reclassification, be entitled to or eligible for, on either a prospective or retrospective basis, any employee benefits under any plans or programs established or maintained by Client.

 

8. Confidential Information. Consultant agrees that during the term of this Agreement and thereafter it will not use or permit the use of Client’s Confidential Information in any manner or for any purpose not expressly set forth in this Agreement, will hold such Confidential Information in confidence and protect it from unauthorized use and disclosure, and will not disclose such Confidential Information to any third parties except as set forth in Section 9 below. “Confidential Information” as used in this Agreement shall mean all information disclosed by Client to Consultant, whether during or before the term of this Agreement, that is not generally known in the Client’s trade or industry and shall include, without limitation: (a) concepts and ideas relating to the development and distribution of content in any medium or to the current, future and proposed products or services of Client or its subsidiaries or affiliates; (b) trade secrets, drawings, inventions, know-how, software programs, and software source documents; (c) information regarding plans for research, development, new service offerings or products, marketing and selling, business plans, business forecasts, budgets and unpublished financial statements, licenses and distribution arrangements, prices and costs, suppliers and customers; (d) existence of any business discussions, negotiations or agreements between the parties; and (e) any information regarding the skills and compensation of employees, contractors or other agents of Client or its subsidiaries or affiliates. Confidential Information also includes proprietary or confidential information of any third party who may disclose such information to Client or Consultant in the course of Client’s business. Confidential Information does not include information that (x) is or becomes a part of the public domain through no act or omission of Consultant, (y) is disclosed to Consultant by a third party without restrictions on disclosure, or (z) was in Consultant’s lawful possession prior to the disclosure and was not obtained by Consultant either directly or indirectly from Client. In addition, this section will not be construed to prohibit disclosure of Confidential Information to the extent that such disclosure is required by law or valid order of a court or other governmental authority; provided, however, that Consultant shall first have given notice to Client and shall have made a reasonable effort to obtain a protective order requiring that the Confidential Information so disclosed be used only for the purposes for which the order was issued. All Confidential Information furnished to Consultant by Client is the sole and exclusive property of Client or its suppliers or customers. Upon request by Client, Consultant agrees to promptly deliver to Client the original and any copies of the Confidential Information.

 

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9. Consultant’s Employees. Consultant will ensure that each of its employees and agents who will have access to any Confidential Information or perform any Services has entered into a binding written agreement that is expressly for the benefit of Client and protects Client’s rights and interests to at least the same degree as Section 8. Client reserves the right to refuse or limit Consultant’s use of any employee or consultant or to require Consultant to remove any employee or consultant already engaged in the performance of the Services. Client’s exercise of such right will in no way limit Consultant’s obligations under this Agreement.

 

10. No Conflict of Interest. During the term of this Agreement, Consultant will not accept work, enter into a contract, or accept an obligation from any third party, inconsistent or incompatible with Consultant’s obligations, or the scope of Services rendered for Client, under this Agreement. Consultant warrants that there is no other contract or duty on its part inconsistent with this Agreement. Consultant agrees to indemnify Client from any and all loss or liability incurred by reason of the alleged breach by Consultant of any services agreement with any third party.

 

11. Term and Termination.

 

11.1 Term. The initial term of this Agreement is through October 16, 2023.

 

11.2 Termination Without Cause. Client may terminate this Agreement with or without cause, at any time upon five (5) days prior written notice to Consultant. Consultant may terminate this Agreement with or without cause, at any time upon five (5) days prior written notice to Client.

 

11.3 Termination for Cause. Either party may terminate this Agreement immediately in the event the other party has materially breached the Agreement and failed to cure such breach within fifteen (15) days of receipt of notice by the non-breaching party.

 

11.4 Survival. The rights and obligations contained in Sections 3 (“Ownership of Work Product”), 4 (“Other Rights”), 5 (“License to Preexisting IP”), 6 (“Representations and Warranties”), 8 (“Confidential Information”) and 12 (“Noninterference with Business”) will survive any termination or expiration of this Agreement.

 

12. Noninterference with Business. During this Agreement, and for a period of one (1) year immediately following its termination, Consultant agrees not to interfere with the business of Client in any manner. By way of example and not of limitation, Consultant agrees not to solicit or induce any employee, independent contractor, or Client customer to terminate or breach an employment, contractual or other relationship with Client.

 

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13. Successors and Assigns. Consultant may not subcontract or otherwise delegate or assign this Agreement or any of its obligations under this Agreement without Client’s prior written consent. Any attempted assignment in violation of the foregoing shall be null and void. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement will be for the benefit of Client’s successors and assigns, and will be binding on Consultant’s assignees.

 

14. Notices. Any notice required or permitted by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered as follows with notice deemed given as indicated: (i) by personal delivery when delivered personally; (ii) by overnight courier upon written verification of receipt; (iii) by telecopy or facsimile transmission upon acknowledgment of receipt of electronic transmission; or (iv) by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, upon verification of receipt. Notice shall be sent to the addresses set forth below or such other address as either party may specify in writing.

 

15. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the United States of America and by the laws of the State of Nebraska, without giving effect to any conflicts of laws principles that require the application of the law of a different jurisdiction.

 

16. Severability. Should any provisions of this Agreement be held by a court of law to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall not be affected or impaired thereby.

 

17. Waiver. The waiver by Client of a breach of any provision of this Agreement by Consultant shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other or subsequent breach by Consultant.

 

18. Injunctive Relief for Breach. Consultant’s obligations under this Agreement are of a unique character that gives them particular value; breach of any of such obligations will result in irreparable and continuing damage to Client for which there will be no adequate remedy at law; and, in the event of such breach, Client will be entitled to injunctive relief and/or a decree for specific performance, and such other and further relief as may be proper (including monetary damages if appropriate).

 

19. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties relating to this subject matter and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous oral or written agreements concerning such subject matter. The terms of this Agreement will govern all services undertaken by Consultant for Client. This Agreement may only be changed or amended by mutual agreement of authorized representatives of the parties in writing. The Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which shall be taken together and deemed to be one instrument.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

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In Witness Whereof, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the Effective Date.

 

CLIENT:
   
  CC Acquisition Corp.
   
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
    Name: Matthew Atkinson
    Title: Chief Executive Officer
   
  Address: 255 Calamus Circle
    Medina, MN 55340

 

  CONSULTANT:
   
  Birddog Capital, LLC
   
  By: /s/ Clayton Adams
    Name:  Clayton Adams
    Title: N/A
   
  Address: 1904 s 183rd Circle
    Omaha, NE
    68130

 

 

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Exhibit 10.22

 

CC ACQUISITION CORP.

 

OPTION AGREEMENT

 

OPTION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated September 16, 2022, by and between CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and Matthew Atkinson with his home address at 255 Calamus Circle, Medina MN 55340 (the “Option Holder”).

 

RECITAL

 

Pursuant to an agreement between the Company and the Option Holder, the Company agreed to grant an option to the Option Holder for the purchase of 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value (the “Class A Common Stock”).

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises herein contained, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

1.Grant of Option.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions herein, the Company hereby grants to the Option Holder an option (the “Option”) to purchase one million (1,000,000) shares of its Class A Common Stock (the “Option Shares”), at an exercise price of $0.25 per share (the “Exercise Price”), as may be adjusted from time to time as provided in this Agreement.

 

2.Exercise of the Option.

 

Subject to adjustments as provided in Section 5 herein, the Option may be exercised by the Option Holder on any day on or after the date of this Agreement, in whole or in part, until September 16, 2032.

 

3.Rights of Holder.

 

The Option Holder shall not have any rights to dividends or any other rights of a stockholder with respect to any Option Shares until such shares shall have been issued to him (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the transfer books of the Company) upon purchase of such shares upon exercise of the Option. Furthermore, nothing contained in this Agreement shall confer upon the Option Holder any right to continued engagement as a service provider for any period, or at all, and will not interfere in any way with the Option Holder’s right or the right of the Company to terminate the Option Holder’s relationship as a service provider at any time, with or without cause.

 

 

 

4.Transfer.

 

This Option shall not be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

5.Adjustments.

 

(a) Adjustments by the Company. In the event of a stock dividend, stock split-up, share combination, exchange of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, acquisition or disposition of property or shares, reorganization, liquidation or other similar changes or transactions, by the Company during the term of the Option, the Board of Directors of the Company shall make such equitable adjustments of the number and class of shares then covered by the Option, or of the Exercise Price, or both, whose determination shall be conclusive. To the extent practicable, the Company shall give the Option Holder prior notice of any such event, provided that the failure by the Company to give such notice shall not subject the Company to any liability herein.

 

(b) Adjustments Due to Merger, Consolidation, Reorganization, Asset Sale, Liquidation, etc.

 

(i) If the Company shall be the surviving corporation in any reorganization, merger, consolidation, etc. of the Company with one or more other corporations, any then outstanding Option shall pertain to and apply to the securities to which a holder of the number of shares of Class A Common Stock subject to such Option would have been entitled immediately following such reorganization, merger, consolidation, etc. with a corresponding proportionate adjustment of the Exercise Price as to which such Option may be exercised so that the aggregate Exercise Price as to which such Option may be exercised shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price as to which such Option may be exercised for the shares remaining subject to the Option immediately prior to such reorganization, merger, consolidation, etc.

 

(ii) In the event of a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in which outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock are exchanged for securities, cash or other property of any other corporation or business entity or in the event of a liquidation of the Company (collectively, a “Corporate Transaction”), the Board of Directors of the Company, or the board of directors of any corporation assuming the obligations of the Company, may, in its discretion, take any one or more of the following actions, as to outstanding Options: (A) provide that such Options shall be assumed, or equivalent Options shall be substituted, by the acquiring or succeeding corporation (or an affiliate thereof); (B) upon written notice to the Option Holder, provide that all unexercised Options will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such transaction unless exercised by the Option Holder within a specified period following the date of such notice; or (C) in the event of a Corporate Transaction under the terms of which holders of the Class A Common Stock of the Company will receive upon consummation thereof a cash payment for each share surrendered in the Corporate Transaction (the “Transaction Price”), make or provide for a cash payment to the Option Holder equal to the difference between the Transaction Price times the number of shares of Class A Common Stock subject to such outstanding Options (to the extent then exercisable at prices not in excess of the Transaction Price) and the aggregate Exercise Price of all such outstanding Options in exchange for the termination of such Options.

 

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6.Reservation of Shares.

 

The Company shall at all times during the term of the Option reserve and keep available such number of shares of Class A Common Stock or such other class of stock then subject to the Option as shall be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Agreement.

 

7.Exercise Procedure.

 

(a) Procedure. The Option Holder may exercise the Option, at any time or from time to time as provided herein, by delivering to the Company a written notice duly signed by the Option Holder instructing the Company either (i) that it is exercising the Option and paying the Exercise Price and delivering to the Company along with the notice funds equal to the Exercise Price or (ii) that it desires to exercise the Option on a cashless basis and instructing the Company to withhold from the purchased Option Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Option the number of whole shares of Class A Common Stock having a Fair Market Value (defined below), as determined by the Company, that is equal to the Exercise Price;

 

(b) The notice may be in form of the “Exercise of Option to Purchase Shares” attached hereto. Following receipt by the Company of such notice of exercise or full payment of the Exercise Price, the Company shall issue, as soon as practicable, the purchased Option Shares in certificated or uncertificated form, subject to Section 7(a), in the name as designated by the Option Holder and deliver the same to the Option Holder.

 

(c) For purposes of this Section 7, “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of a share of Class A Common Stock or other property as determined by the Company, in its discretion, subject to the following:

 

(i) If, on such date, the Class A Common Stock is listed or traded on a national or regional securities exchange or market system, constituting the primary market for the Class A Common Stock, the Fair Market Value of a share of Class A Common Stock shall be the closing sale price of a share of Class A Common Stock (or the mean of the closing bid and asked prices of a share of Class A Common Stock if the Class A Common Stock is so quoted instead) on the determination date (or, if no sales occur on such date, on the last preceding date on which such sales of Class A Common Stock are so reported) as quoted on such exchange and as reported in The Wall Street Journal, pink sheets or such other source as the Company deems reliable.

 

(ii) If, on such date, the Class A Common Stock is not listed or traded on a national or regional securities exchange or market system, the Fair Market Value of a share of Class A Common Stock shall be as determined by the Company in its discretion using a reasonable method exercised in good faith without regard to any restriction other than a restriction which, by its terms, will never lapse, and if it is determined by the Company to be applicable, in any other manner permitted in accordance with Sections 409A or 422(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any applicable notices, rulings and regulations promulgated thereunder, if applicable.

 

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(d) Compliance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver the purchased Option Shares pursuant to Section 7(a) hereof until it has complied with all requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Company’s Class A Common Stock may then be listed, and all applicable state laws in connection with the issuance of the Option Shares or their listing on said securities exchange or system. When the Option Holder exercises any portion of this Option, the Option Holder shall execute and deliver to the Company an investment letter in a form satisfactory to the Company containing such representations of as may be requested by the Company in order for it to comply with the applicable requirements of federal and state securities laws. This requirement shall not apply if the Company has registered the issuance of the Option Shares under federal and state securities laws.

 

(e) Legend. Each certificate for the purchased Option Shares shall bear the following legend:

 

“THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED. SUCH SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS THE REGISTRATION PROVISIONS OF SAID ACT HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH OR UNLESS THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF ITS COUNSEL THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.”

 

8.Representations of the Option Holder.

 

The Option Holder hereby represents and warrants (a) that the Option Holder has been furnished with all information that the Option Holder has requested for the purpose of evaluating the Option and potential exercise of the Option in the Company’s securities, (b) that the Option Holder is acquiring the Option and, upon exercise of the Option, the Class A Common Stock, for its own account and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution in any manner that would violate applicable securities laws, but without prejudice to Option Holder’s rights to dispose of the Option and/or the underlying Class A Common Stock to be purchased by the Option Holder to a transferee or transferees, in accordance with such laws if at some future time the Option Holder deems it advisable to do so, (c) the Option Holder has the financial capability of assuming the economic risk of an investment in the Company, and (d) the Option Holder is an “Accredited Investor” as that term is defined in Section 501(a) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

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9.Market Standoff.

 

In connection with any underwritten public offering by the Company of its equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including the Company’s initial public offering, Option Holder shall not directly or indirectly sell, make any short sale of, loan, hypothecate, pledge, offer, grant or sell any option or other contract for the purchase of, purchase any option or other contract for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or agree to engage in any of the foregoing transactions with respect to, any Option Shares without the prior written consent of the Company or its managing underwriter. Such restriction (the “Market Stand-Off”) shall be in effect for such period of time following the date of the final prospectus for the offering as may be requested by Company or such underwriter. In no event, however, shall such period exceed one hundred eighty (180) days plus such additional period as may reasonably be requested by Company or such underwriter to accommodate regulatory restrictions on (i) the publication or other distribution of research reports or (ii) analyst recommendations and opinions. The Market Stand-Off shall in any event terminate two years after the date of Company’s initial public offering. For consideration received and acknowledged, Option Holder, in its capacity as a securityholder of Company, hereby appoints the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Jaeson Bang, to act as its true and lawful attorney with full power and authority on its behalf to execute and deliver all documents and instruments and take all other actions necessary in connection with the matters covered by this Section and any lock-up agreement required to be executed pursuant to an underwriting agreement in connection with any initial public offering of the Company. Such appointment shall be for the limited purposes set forth above.

 

10.Notices.

 

Each notice relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered in person or by facsimile, e-mail or certified mail to the following addresses:

 

If to the Company:

 

255 Calamus Circle

Medina, MN 55340

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

Matthew Atkinson

 

If the Option Holder:

 

Matthew Atkinson

255 Calamus Circle

Medina, MN 55340

 

Email: matt@elev8marketing.com

 

or to such other address as either party hereto may hereinafter duly give to the other.

 

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11.Binding.

 

This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and their successors, assigns, heirs and administrators.

 

12.Entire Agreement.

 

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the matters herein, and cannot be amended, modified or terminated except by an agreement in writing executed by the parties hereto.

 

13.Governing Law.

 

This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Nevada.

 

14.Counterparts.

 

This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the date first set forth above.

 

  CC Acquisition Corp.
     
  By: /s/ Clayton Adams
  Name:  Clayton Adams
  Title: President
     
  Option Holder
   
  /s/ Matthew Atkinson
  Matthew Atkinson

 

 

 

Exercise of Option to Purchase Shares

 

To: CC Acquisition Corp.

 

Pursuant to the terms Section 7(b) of the Option Agreement, dated September ___, 2022 (the “Option Agreement”), the undersigned hereby exercises the within Option to acquire in a cashless exercise ______ shares (the “Shares”) of the Class A Common Stock of CC Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) granted under the Option Agreement.

 

In the event the Shares are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned shall provide such representations as may be required by the Company to fulfill any exemptions that may be sought under said Act. Kindly issue the Shares in [certificated / book entry] form in accordance with the instructions given below:

 

   
Signature  
   
Instructions for issuance of common stock:  
   
   
Name  
   
   
Address  
   
   
I.R.S. Employer Identification Number / Social Security Number

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.23

 

CC ACQUISITION CORP.

 

OPTION AGREEMENT

 

OPTION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated September 16, 2022, by and between CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and Clayton Adams with his home address at 1904 S. 183rd Circle, Omaha, NE 68130 (the “Option Holder”).

 

RECITAL

 

Pursuant to an agreement between the Company and the Option Holder, the Company agreed to grant an option to the Option Holder for the purchase of 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value (the “Class A Common Stock”).

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises herein contained, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

1.Grant of Option.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions herein, the Company hereby grants to the Option Holder an option (the “Option”) to purchase one million (1,000,000) shares of its Class A Common Stock (the “Option Shares”), at an exercise price of $0.25 per share (the “Exercise Price”), as may be adjusted from time to time as provided in this Agreement.

 

2.Exercise of the Option.

 

Subject to adjustments as provided in Section 5 herein, the Option may be exercised by the Option Holder on any day on or after the date of this Agreement, in whole or in part, until September 16, 2032.

 

3.Rights of Holder.

 

The Option Holder shall not have any rights to dividends or any other rights of a stockholder with respect to any Option Shares until such shares shall have been issued to him (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the transfer books of the Company) upon purchase of such shares upon exercise of the Option. Furthermore, nothing contained in this Agreement shall confer upon the Option Holder any right to continued engagement as a service provider for any period, or at all, and will not interfere in any way with the Option Holder’s right or the right of the Company to terminate the Option Holder’s relationship as a service provider at any time, with or without cause.

 

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4.Transfer.

 

This Option shall not be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

5.Adjustments.

 

(a) Adjustments by the Company. In the event of a stock dividend, stock split-up, share combination, exchange of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, acquisition or disposition of property or shares, reorganization, liquidation or other similar changes or transactions, by the Company during the term of the Option, the Board of Directors of the Company shall make such equitable adjustments of the number and class of shares then covered by the Option, or of the Exercise Price, or both, whose determination shall be conclusive. To the extent practicable, the Company shall give the Option Holder prior notice of any such event, provided that the failure by the Company to give such notice shall not subject the Company to any liability herein.

 

(b) Adjustments Due to Merger, Consolidation, Reorganization, Asset Sale, Liquidation, etc.

 

(i) If the Company shall be the surviving corporation in any reorganization, merger, consolidation, etc. of the Company with one or more other corporations, any then outstanding Option shall pertain to and apply to the securities to which a holder of the number of shares of Class A Common Stock subject to such Option would have been entitled immediately following such reorganization, merger, consolidation, etc. with a corresponding proportionate adjustment of the Exercise Price as to which such Option may be exercised so that the aggregate Exercise Price as to which such Option may be exercised shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price as to which such Option may be exercised for the shares remaining subject to the Option immediately prior to such reorganization, merger, consolidation, etc.

 

(ii) In the event of a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company in which outstanding shares of Class A Common Stock are exchanged for securities, cash or other property of any other corporation or business entity or in the event of a liquidation of the Company (collectively, a “Corporate Transaction”), the Board of Directors of the Company, or the board of directors of any corporation assuming the obligations of the Company, may, in its discretion, take any one or more of the following actions, as to outstanding Options: (A) provide that such Options shall be assumed, or equivalent Options shall be substituted, by the acquiring or succeeding corporation (or an affiliate thereof); (B) upon written notice to the Option Holder, provide that all unexercised Options will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such transaction unless exercised by the Option Holder within a specified period following the date of such notice; or (C) in the event of a Corporate Transaction under the terms of which holders of the Class A Common Stock of the Company will receive upon consummation thereof a cash payment for each share surrendered in the Corporate Transaction (the “Transaction Price”), make or provide for a cash payment to the Option Holder equal to the difference between the Transaction Price times the number of shares of Class A Common Stock subject to such outstanding Options (to the extent then exercisable at prices not in excess of the Transaction Price) and the aggregate Exercise Price of all such outstanding Options in exchange for the termination of such Options.

 

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6.Reservation of Shares.

 

The Company shall at all times during the term of the Option reserve and keep available such number of shares of Class A Common Stock or such other class of stock then subject to the Option as shall be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Agreement.

 

7.Exercise Procedure.

 

(a) Procedure. The Option Holder may exercise the Option, at any time or from time to time as provided herein, by delivering to the Company a written notice duly signed by the Option Holder instructing the Company either (i) that it is exercising the Option and paying the Exercise Price and delivering to the Company along with the notice funds equal to the Exercise Price or (ii) that it desires to exercise the Option on a cashless basis and instructing the Company to withhold from the purchased Option Shares issuable upon the exercise of the Option the number of whole shares of Class A Common Stock having a Fair Market Value (defined below), as determined by the Company, that is equal to the Exercise Price;

 

(b) The notice may be in form of the “Exercise of Option to Purchase Shares” attached hereto. Following receipt by the Company of such notice of exercise or full payment of the Exercise Price, the Company shall issue, as soon as practicable, the purchased Option Shares in certificated or uncertificated form, subject to Section 7(a), in the name as designated by the Option Holder and deliver the same to the Option Holder.

 

(c) For purposes of this Section 7, “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of a share of Class A Common Stock or other property as determined by the Company, in its discretion, subject to the following:

 

(i) If, on such date, the Class A Common Stock is listed or traded on a national or regional securities exchange or market system, constituting the primary market for the Class A Common Stock, the Fair Market Value of a share of Class A Common Stock shall be the closing sale price of a share of Class A Common Stock (or the mean of the closing bid and asked prices of a share of Class A Common Stock if the Class A Common Stock is so quoted instead) on the determination date (or, if no sales occur on such date, on the last preceding date on which such sales of Class A Common Stock are so reported) as quoted on such exchange and as reported in The Wall Street Journal, pink sheets or such other source as the Company deems reliable.

 

(ii) If, on such date, the Class A Common Stock is not listed or traded on a national or regional securities exchange or market system, the Fair Market Value of a share of Class A Common Stock shall be as determined by the Company in its discretion using a reasonable method exercised in good faith without regard to any restriction other than a restriction which, by its terms, will never lapse, and if it is determined by the Company to be applicable, in any other manner permitted in accordance with Sections 409A or 422(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any applicable notices, rulings and regulations promulgated thereunder, if applicable.

 

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(d) Compliance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver the purchased Option Shares pursuant to Section 7(a) hereof until it has complied with all requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Company’s Class A Common Stock may then be listed, and all applicable state laws in connection with the issuance of the Option Shares or their listing on said securities exchange or system. When the Option Holder exercises any portion of this Option, the Option Holder shall execute and deliver to the Company an investment letter in a form satisfactory to the Company containing such representations of as may be requested by the Company in order for it to comply with the applicable requirements of federal and state securities laws. This requirement shall not apply if the Company has registered the issuance of the Option Shares under federal and state securities laws.

 

(e) Legend. Each certificate for the purchased Option Shares shall bear the following legend:

 

“THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED. SUCH SECURITIES MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS THE REGISTRATION PROVISIONS OF SAID ACT HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH OR UNLESS THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF ITS COUNSEL THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.”

 

8.Representations of the Option Holder.

 

The Option Holder hereby represents and warrants (a) that the Option Holder has been furnished with all information that the Option Holder has requested for the purpose of evaluating the Option and potential exercise of the Option in the Company’s securities, (b) that the Option Holder is acquiring the Option and, upon exercise of the Option, the Class A Common Stock, for its own account and not with a view to or for sale in connection with any distribution in any manner that would violate applicable securities laws, but without prejudice to Option Holder’s rights to dispose of the Option and/or the underlying Class A Common Stock to be purchased by the Option Holder to a transferee or transferees, in accordance with such laws if at some future time the Option Holder deems it advisable to do so, (c) the Option Holder has the financial capability of assuming the economic risk of an investment in the Company, and (d) the Option Holder is an “Accredited Investor” as that term is defined in Section 501(a) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

9.Market Standoff.

 

In connection with any underwritten public offering by the Company of its equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including the Company’s initial public offering, Option Holder shall not directly or indirectly sell, make any short sale of, loan, hypothecate, pledge, offer, grant or sell any option or other contract for the purchase of, purchase any option or other contract for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of or transfer, or agree to engage in any of the foregoing transactions with respect to, any Option Shares without the prior written consent of the Company or its managing underwriter. Such restriction (the “Market Stand-Off”) shall be in effect for such period of time following the date of the final prospectus for the offering as may be requested by Company or such underwriter. In no event, however, shall such period exceed one hundred eighty (180) days plus such additional period as may reasonably be requested by Company or such underwriter to accommodate regulatory restrictions on (i) the publication or other distribution of research reports or (ii) analyst recommendations and opinions. The Market Stand-Off shall in any event terminate two years after the date of Company’s initial public offering. For consideration received and acknowledged, Option Holder, in its capacity as a securityholder of Company, hereby appoints the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Jaeson Bang, to act as its true and lawful attorney with full power and authority on its behalf to execute and deliver all documents and instruments and take all other actions necessary in connection with the matters covered by this Section and any lock-up agreement required to be executed pursuant to an underwriting agreement in connection with any initial public offering of the Company. Such appointment shall be for the limited purposes set forth above.

 

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10.Notices.

 

Each notice relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered in person or by facsimile, e-mail or certified mail to the following addresses:

 

If to the Company:

 

255 Calamus Circle

Medina, MN 55340

Attention: Chief Executive Officer

Matthew Atkinson

 

If the Option Holder:

 

Clayton Adams

1904 S. 183rd Circle

Omaha NE 68130

 

Email: claytonadams13@gmail.com

 

or to such other address as either party hereto may hereinafter duly give to the other.

 

11.Binding.

 

This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, and their successors, assigns, heirs and administrators.

 

12.Entire Agreement.

 

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the matters herein, and cannot be amended, modified or terminated except by an agreement in writing executed by the parties hereto.

 

13.Governing Law.

 

This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Nevada.

 

14.Counterparts.

 

This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and delivered as of the date first set forth above.

 

  CC Acquisition Corp.
   
  By: /s/ Matthew Atkinson
  Name:  Matthew Atkinson
  Title: Chief Executive Officer
   
  Option Holder
   
  /s/ Clayton Adams
  Clayton Adams

 

 

 

 

Exercise of Option to Purchase Shares

 

To: CC Acquisition Corp.

 

Pursuant to the terms Section 7(b) of the Option Agreement, dated September ___, 2022 (the “Option Agreement”), the undersigned hereby exercises the within Option to acquire in a cashless exercise ______ shares (the “Shares”) of the Class A Common Stock of CC Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) granted under the Option Agreement.

 

In the event the Shares are not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned shall provide such representations as may be required by the Company to fulfill any exemptions that may be sought under said Act. Kindly issue the Shares in [certificated / book entry] form in accordance with the instructions given below:

 

__________________________________

Signature

 

Instructions for issuance of common stock:

 

_____________________________________

Name

_____________________________________

 

_____________________________________

Address

 

_____________________________________

I.R.S. Employer Identification Number / Social Security Number

 

 

Exhibit 10.24

 

INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT

 

INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated ________, by and between CleanCore Solutions, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and the undersigned (the “Director”).

 

RECITALS

 

The Company desires to appoint the Director to serve on the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), which may include membership on one or more committees of the Board, and the Director desires to accept such appointment to serve on the Board, effective as of the Effective Date (as defined below).

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein, the adequacy and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the Company and the Director hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Duties. The Company requires that the Director be available to perform the duties of an independent director customarily related to this function as may be determined and assigned by the Board and as may be required by the Company’s constituent instruments, including its certificate of formation and operating agreement, as amended, and its corporate governance and board committee charters, each as amended or modified from time to time, and by applicable law. The Director agrees to devote as much time as is necessary to perform completely the duties as a Director of the Company, including duties as a member of one or more committees of the Board to which the Director may hereafter be appointed. The Director will perform such duties described herein in accordance with the general fiduciary duty of directors.

 

2. Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence as of the effective date of the Director’s appointment to the Board (the “Effective Date”) and shall continue until the Director’s resignation or removal.

 

3. Compensation. For all services to be rendered by the Director in any capacity hereunder, the Company agrees to grant the Director a stock option of 150,000 shares of the Company’s Class B Common Stock to vest 10% immediately upon the Effective Date, and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments for twenty-four (24) months following the date of his appointment provided that he or she remains in Continuous Service over the vesting period. Such compensation shall be subject to adjustment from time to time by the Board. The Director shall be responsible for his or her own individual income tax payment on such compensation in jurisdictions where the Director resides.

 

4. Expenses. The Company shall reimburse the Director for pre-approved reasonable business related expenses incurred in good faith in connection with the performance of the Director’s duties for the Company. Such reimbursement shall be made by the Company upon submission by the Director of a signed statement itemizing the expenses incurred, which shall be accompanied by sufficient documentation to support the expenditures.

 

 

 

 

5. Independence. The Director acknowledges that his appointment hereunder is contingent upon the Board’s determination that he is “independent” with respect to the Company, in accordance with the listing requirements of the Nasdaq and NYSE stock exchanges, and that his appointment may be terminated by the Company in the event that the Director does not maintain such independence standard.

 

6. Other Agreements.

 

(a) Confidential Information and Insider Trading. The Company and the Director each acknowledge that, in order for the intentions and purposes of this Agreement to be accomplished, the Director shall necessarily be obtaining access to certain confidential information concerning the Company and its affairs, including, but not limited to, business methods, information systems, financial data and strategic plans which are unique assets of the Company (as further defined below, the “Confidential Information”) and that the communication of such Confidential Information to third parties could irreparably injure the Company and its business. Accordingly, the Director agrees that, during his association with the Company and thereafter, he will treat and safeguard as confidential and secret all Confidential Information received by him at any time and that, without the prior written consent of the Company, he will not disclose or reveal any of the Confidential Information to any third party whatsoever or use the same in any manner except in connection with the business of the Company and in any event in no way harmful to or competitive with the Company or its business. For purposes of this Agreement, “Confidential Information” includes any information not generally known to the public or recognized as confidential according to standard industry practice, any trade secrets, know-how, development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution plans and information, inventions, formulas, methods or processes, whether or not patented or patentable, pricing policies and records of the Company (and such other information normally understood to be confidential or otherwise designated as such in writing by the Company), all of which the Director expressly acknowledges and agrees shall be confidential and proprietary information belonging to the Company. Upon termination of his association with the Company, the Director shall return to the Company all documents and papers relating to the Company, including any Confidential Information, together with any copies thereof, or certify that he or she has destroyed all such documents and papers. Furthermore, the Director recognizes that the Company has received and in the future will receive confidential or proprietary information from third parties subject to a duty on the Company’s part to maintain the confidentiality of such information and, in some cases, to use it only for certain limited purposes. The Director agrees that the Director owes the Company and such third parties, both during the term of the Director’s association with the Company and thereafter, a duty to hold all such confidential or proprietary information in the strictest confidence and not to, except as is consistent with the Company’s agreement with the third party, disclose it to any person or entity or use it for the benefit of anyone other than the Company or such third party, unless expressly authorized to act otherwise by an officer of the Company. In addition, the Director acknowledges and agrees that the Director may have access to “material non-public information” for purposes of the federal securities laws and that the Director will abide by all securities laws relating to the handling of and acting upon such information.

 

(b) Disparaging Statements. At all times during and after the period in which the Director is a member of the Board and at all times thereafter, the Director shall not either verbally, in writing, electronically or otherwise: (i) make any derogatory or disparaging statements about the Company, any of its affiliates, any of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees and agents, or any of the Company’s current or past customers or employees, or (ii) make any public statement or perform or do any other act prejudicial or injurious to the reputation or goodwill of the Company or any of its affiliates or otherwise interfere with the business of the Company or any of its affiliates; provided, however, that nothing in this paragraph shall preclude the Director from complying with all obligations imposed by law or legal compulsion, and provided, further, however, that nothing in this paragraph shall be deemed applicable to any testimony given by the Director in any legal or administrative proceedings.

 

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(c) Enforcement. The Director acknowledges and agrees that the covenants contained herein are reasonable, that valid consideration has been and will be received and that the agreements set forth herein are the result of arms-length negotiations between the parties hereto. The Director recognizes that the provisions of this Section 6 are vitally important to the continuing welfare of the Company and its affiliates and that any violation of this Section 6 could result in irreparable harm to the Company and its affiliates for which money damages would constitute a totally inadequate remedy. Accordingly, in the event of any such violation by the Director, the Company and its affiliates, in addition to any other remedies they may have, shall have the right to institute and maintain a proceeding to compel specific performance thereof or to obtain an injunction or other equitable relief restraining any action by the Director in violation of this Section 6 without posting any bond therefore or demonstrating actual damages, and the Director will not claim as a defense thereto that the Company has an adequate remedy at law or require the posting of a bond. If any of the restrictions or activities contained in this Section 6 shall for any reason be held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, such restrictions shall be construed so as thereafter to be limited or reduced to be enforceable to the extent compatible with the applicable law; it being understood that by the execution of this Agreement the parties hereto regard such restrictions as reasonable and compatible with their respective rights. The Director acknowledges that injunctive relief may be granted immediately upon the commencement of any such action without notice to the Director and in addition Company may recover monetary damages.

 

(d) Separate Agreement. The parties hereto further agree that the provisions of Section 6 are separate from and independent of the remainder of this Agreement and that Section 6 is specifically enforceable by the Company notwithstanding any claim made by the Director against the Company. The terms of this Section 6 shall survive termination of this Agreement.

 

7. Market Stand-Off Agreement. In the event of a public or private offering of the Company’s securities and upon request of the Company, the underwriters or placement agents placing the offering of the Company’s securities, the Director agrees not to sell, make any short sale of, loan, grant any option for the purchase of, or otherwise dispose of any securities of the Company that the Director may own, other than those included in the registration, without the prior written consent of the Company or such underwriters, as the case may be, for such period of time from the effective date of such registration as may be requested by the Company or such placement agent or underwriter.

 

8. Termination. With or without cause, the Company and the Director may each terminate this Agreement at any time upon ten (10) days written notice, and the Company shall be obligated to pay to the Director the compensation and expenses due up to the date of the termination. Nothing contained herein or omitted herefrom shall prevent the shareholder(s) of the Company from removing the Director with immediate effect at any time for any reason.

 

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9. Indemnification. The Company shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Director, to the full extent allowed by the law of the State of Nevada, and as provided by, or granted pursuant to, any charter provision, bylaw provision, agreement (including, without limitation, the Indemnification Agreement executed herewith), vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in the Director’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. The Company and the Director are executing an indemnification agreement in the Company’s standard form.

 

10. Effect Of Waiver. The waiver by either party of the breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not operate as or be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach thereof.

 

11. Notice. Any and all notices referred to herein shall be sufficient if furnished in writing at the addresses specified on the signature page hereto or, if to the Company, to the Company’s address as specified in filings made by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

12. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with, and the rights of the parties hereto shall be determined by, the laws of the State of Nevada without reference to that state’s conflicts of laws principles.

 

13. Assignment. The rights and benefits of the Company under this Agreement shall be transferable, and all the covenants and agreements hereunder shall inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by or against, its successors and assigns. The duties and obligations of the Director under this Agreement are personal and therefore the Director may not assign any right or duty under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

14. Miscellaneous. If any provision of this Agreement shall be declared invalid or illegal, for any reason whatsoever, then, notwithstanding such invalidity or illegality, the remaining terms and provisions of the this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in the same manner as if the invalid or illegal provision had not been contained herein. The article headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes. Except as provided elsewhere herein, this Agreement sets forth the entire agreement of the parties with respect to its subject matter and supersedes all prior agreements, promises, covenants, arrangements, communications, representations or warranties, whether oral or written, by any officer, employee or representative of any party to this Agreement with respect to such subject matter.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Independent Director Agreement to be duly executed and signed as of the day and year first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
     
  CleanCore Solutions, Inc.
     
  By:   
  Name:   Matthew Atkinson
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

  DIRECTOR:
   
     
  Address:       
     
     

 

 

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Exhibit 10.25

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated _________, by and between CleanCore Solutions, Inc., a Nevada Corporation (the “Company”), and the undersigned (the “Indemnitee”).

 

RECITALS

 

A. The Company desires to attract and retain the services of highly qualified individuals as directors, officers, employees and agents.

 

B. In order to induce and encourage highly experienced and capable persons such as the Indemnitee to serve as directors and officers of the Company, the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) has determined that it is reasonably prudent and necessary for the Company contractually to obligate itself to indemnify, and to advance expenses on behalf of, such persons.

 

C. The Indemnitee may not regard the protection currently provided by applicable law, the Company’s governing documents and available insurance, if any, as adequate under the present circumstances, and the Company has determined that the Indemnitee may not be willing to serve the Company without additional protection.

 

D. The Company desires and has requested the Indemnitee to serve as a director and/or executive officer of the Company and has proffered this Agreement to the Indemnitee as an additional inducement to serve in such capacity.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth herein, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Indemnity of Indemnitee. The Company hereby agrees to hold harmless and indemnify the Indemnitee to the fullest extent permitted by law, as such may be amended from time to time. In furtherance of the foregoing indemnification, and without limiting the generality thereof:

 

(a)  Proceedings Other Than Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this Section 1(a) if, by reason of the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status (as hereinafter defined), the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding (as hereinafter defined) other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company. Pursuant to this Section 1(a), the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses (as hereinafter defined), judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee, or on the Indemnitee’s behalf, in connection with such Proceeding or any claim, issue or matter therein, if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company, and with respect to any criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.

 

 

 

 

(b)  Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. The Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this Section 1(b) if, by reason of the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company. Pursuant to this Section 1(b), the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee, or on the Indemnitee’s behalf, in connection with such Proceeding if the Indemnitee acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company; provided, however, if applicable law so provides, no indemnification against such Expenses shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter in such Proceeding as to which the Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company unless and to the extent that the Court of the State of Nevada shall determine that such indemnification may be made.

 

(c) Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that the Indemnitee is, by reason of the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a party to and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in any Proceeding, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified to the maximum extent permitted by law, as such may be amended from time to time, against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee or on the Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith. If the Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee or on the Indemnitee’s behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter. For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.

 

(d) Indemnification of Appointing Shareholder. If (i) the Indemnitee is or was affiliated with one or more venture capital funds that has invested in the Company (an “Appointing Shareholder”), and (ii) the Appointing Shareholder is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or a participant in any Proceeding, and (iii) the Appointing Shareholder’s involvement in the Proceeding (A) arises primarily out of, or relates to, any action taken by the Company that was approved by the Company’s board of directors (the “Board), and (B) arises out of facts or circumstances that are the same or substantially similar to the facts and circumstances that form the basis of claims that have been, could have been or could be brought against the Indemnitee in a Proceeding, regardless of whether the legal basis of the claims against the Indemnitee and the Appointing Shareholder are the same or similar, then the Appointing Shareholder shall be entitled to all of the indemnification rights and remedies under this Agreement pursuant to this Agreement as if the Appointing Shareholder were the Indemnitee.

 

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2. Additional Indemnity. In addition to, and without regard to any limitations on, the indemnification provided for in Section 1 of this Agreement, the Company shall and hereby does indemnify and hold harmless the Indemnitee against all Expenses, judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee or on the Indemnitee’s behalf if, by reason of the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be made, a party to or participant in any Proceeding (including a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company), including, without limitation, all liability arising out of the negligence or active or passive wrongdoing of Indemnitee. The only limitation that shall exist upon the Company’s obligations pursuant to this Agreement shall be that the Company shall not be obligated to make any payment to the Indemnitee that is finally determined (under the procedures, and subject to the presumptions, set forth in Sections 6 and 7 hereof) to be unlawful.

 

3. Contribution.

 

(a) Whether or not the indemnification provided in Sections 1 and 2 hereof is available, in respect of any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), the Company shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount of any judgment or settlement of such action, suit or proceeding without requiring Indemnitee to contribute to such payment and the Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution it may have against the Indemnitee. The Company shall not enter into any settlement of any action, suit or proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against the Indemnitee.

 

(b) Without diminishing or impairing the obligations of the Company set forth in the preceding subsection, if, for any reason, the Indemnitee shall elect or be required to pay all or any portion of any judgment or settlement in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), the Company shall contribute to the amount of Expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred and paid or payable by the Indemnitee in proportion to the relative benefits received by the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company, other than the Indemnitee, who are jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and the Indemnitee, on the other hand, from the transaction or events from which such action, suit or proceeding arose; provided, however, that the proportion determined on the basis of relative benefit may, to the extent necessary to conform to law, be further adjusted by reference to the relative fault of the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company other than the Indemnitee who are jointly liable with Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and the Indemnitee, on the other hand, in connection with the transaction or events that resulted in such expenses, judgments, fines or settlement amounts, as well as any other equitable considerations which applicable law may require to be considered. The relative fault of the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company, other than the Indemnitee, who are jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and the Indemnitee, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, the degree to which their actions were motivated by intent to gain personal profit or advantage, the degree to which their liability is primary or secondary and the degree to which their conduct is active or passive.

 

(c) The Company hereby agrees to fully indemnify and hold the Indemnitee harmless from any claims of contribution which may be brought by officers, directors, or employees of the Company, other than the Indemnitee, who may be jointly liable with the Indemnitee.

 

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(d) To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to the Indemnitee for any reason whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying the Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount incurred by the Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating to an indemnifiable event under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the Company and the Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving cause to such Proceeding and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees and agents) and the Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s).

 

4. Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that the Indemnitee is, by reason of the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, a witness, or is made (or asked) to respond to discovery requests, in any Proceeding to which the Indemnitee is not a party, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee or on the Indemnitee’s behalf in connection therewith.

 

5. Advancement of Expenses. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company shall advance all Expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding by reason of the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status within thirty (30) days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from the Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by the Indemnitee and shall include or be preceded or accompanied by a written undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay any Expenses advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses. Any advances and undertakings to repay pursuant to this Section 5 shall be unsecured and interest free.

 

6. Procedures and Presumptions for Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification. It is the intent of this Agreement to secure for the Indemnitee rights of indemnity that are as favorable as may be permitted under public policy of the State of Nevada. Accordingly, the parties agree that the following procedures and presumptions shall apply in the event of any question as to whether the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement:

 

(a) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to the Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board in writing that the Indemnitee has requested indemnification. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any failure of the Indemnitee to provide such a request to the Company, or to provide such a request in a timely fashion, shall not relieve the Company of any liability that it may have to the Indemnitee unless, and to the extent that, such failure actually and materially prejudices the interests of the Company.

 

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(b) Upon written request by the Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to the first sentence of Section 6(a) hereof, a determination with respect to the Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto shall be made in the specific case by one of the following four methods, which shall be at the election of the Board (1) by a majority vote of the Disinterested Directors, even though less than a quorum, (2) by a committee of Disinterested Directors designated by a majority vote of the disinterested directors, even though less than a quorum, (3) if there are no Disinterested Directors or if the Disinterested Directors so direct, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee, or (4) if so directed by the Board, by the shareholders of the Company.

 

(c) If the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof, the Independent Counsel shall be selected as provided in this Section 6(c). The Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board. The Indemnitee may, within ten (10) days after such written notice of selection shall have been given, deliver to the Company a written objection to such selection; provided, however, that such objection may be asserted only on the ground that the Independent Counsel so selected does not meet the requirements of “Independent Counsel” as defined in Section 13 of this Agreement, and the objection shall set forth with particularity the factual basis of such assertion. Absent a proper and timely objection, the person so selected shall act as Independent Counsel. If a written objection is made and substantiated, the Independent Counsel selected may not serve as Independent Counsel unless and until such objection is withdrawn or a court has determined that such objection is without merit. If, within twenty (20) days after submission by the Indemnitee of a written request for indemnification pursuant to Section 6(a) hereof, no Independent Counsel shall have been selected and not objected to, either the Company or Indemnitee may petition the Court of the State of Nevada or other court of competent jurisdiction for resolution of any objection which shall have been made by the Indemnitee to the Company’s selection of Independent Counsel and/or for the appointment as Independent Counsel of a person selected by the court or by such other person as the court shall designate, and the person with respect to whom all objections are so resolved or the person so appointed shall act as Independent Counsel under Section 6(b) hereof. The Company shall pay any and all reasonable fees and expenses of Independent Counsel incurred by such Independent Counsel in connection with acting pursuant to Section 6(b) hereof, and the Company shall pay all reasonable fees and expenses incident to the procedures of this Section 6(c), regardless of the manner in which such Independent Counsel was selected or appointed.

 

(d) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person or persons or entity making such determination shall presume that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence. Neither the failure of the Company (including by its directors or independent legal counsel) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because the Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors or independent legal counsel) that Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that the Indemnitee has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

 

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(e) The Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if the Indemnitee’s action is based on the records or books of account of the Enterprise (as hereinafter defined), including financial statements, or on information supplied to the Indemnitee by the officers of the Enterprise in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Enterprise or on information or records given or reports made to the Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Enterprise. In addition, the knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of the Enterprise shall not be imputed to the Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement. Whether or not the foregoing provisions of this Section 6(e) are satisfied, it shall in any event be presumed that the Indemnitee has at all times acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence.

 

(f) If the person, persons or entity empowered or selected under Section 6 to determine whether the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification shall not have made a determination within sixty (60) days after receipt by the Company of the request therefor, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and the Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification absent (i) a misstatement by the Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make the Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law; provided, however, that such sixty (60) day period may be extended for a reasonable time, not to exceed an additional thirty (30) days, if the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification in good faith requires such additional time to obtain or evaluate documentation and/or information relating thereto; and provided further, that the foregoing provisions of this Section 6(f) shall not apply if the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by the shareholders pursuant to Section 6(b) of this Agreement and if (A) within fifteen (15) days after receipt by the Company of the request for such determination, the Board or the Disinterested Directors, if appropriate, resolve to submit such determination to the shareholders for their consideration at an annual meeting thereof to be held within seventy five (75) days after such receipt and such determination is made thereat, or (B) a special meeting of shareholders is called within fifteen (15) days after such receipt for the purpose of making such determination, such meeting is held for such purpose within sixty (60) days after having been so called and such determination is made thereat.

 

(g) The Indemnitee shall cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any Independent Counsel, member of the Board or shareholder of the Company shall act reasonably and in good faith in making a determination regarding the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement. Any costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred by the Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.

 

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(h) The Company acknowledges that a settlement or other disposition short of final judgment may be successful if it permits a party to avoid expense, delay, distraction, disruption and uncertainty. In the event that any action, claim or proceeding to which the Indemnitee is a party is resolved in any manner other than by adverse judgment against Indemnitee (including, without limitation, settlement of such action, claim or proceeding with or without payment of money or other consideration) it shall be presumed that the Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in such action, suit or proceeding. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion by clear and convincing evidence.

 

(i) The termination of any Proceeding or of any claim, issue or matter therein, by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not (except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement) of itself adversely affect the right of the Indemnitee to indemnification or create a presumption that the Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner which the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that the Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that the Indemnitee’s conduct was unlawful.

 

7. Remedies of Indemnitee.

 

(a) In the event that (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advancement of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification is made pursuant to Section 6(b) of this Agreement within ninety (90) days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to this Agreement within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, or (v) payment of indemnification is not made within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification or such determination is deemed to have been made pursuant to Section 6 of this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication in an appropriate court of the State of Nevada, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction, of the Indemnitee’s entitlement to such indemnification. The Indemnitee shall commence such proceeding seeking an adjudication within one hundred eighty (180) days following the date on which the Indemnitee first has the right to commence such proceeding pursuant to this Section 7(a). The Company shall not oppose the Indemnitee’s right to seek any such adjudication.

 

(b) In the event that a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 6(b) of this Agreement that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification, any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 7 shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial on the merits, and the Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of the adverse determination under Section 6(b).

 

(c) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 6(b) of this Agreement that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 7, absent (i) a misstatement by the Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make the Indemnitee’s misstatement not materially misleading in connection with the application for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

 

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(d) In the event that the Indemnitee, pursuant to this Section 7, seeks a judicial adjudication of the Indemnitee’s rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement, or to recover under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, the Company shall pay on the Indemnitee’s behalf, in advance, any and all expenses (of the types described in the definition of Expenses in Section 13 of this Agreement) actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in such judicial adjudication, regardless of whether the Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement of expenses or insurance recovery.

 

(e) The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to this Section 7 that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any such court that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against any and all Expenses and, if requested by Indemnitee, shall (within ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefore) advance, to the extent not prohibited by law, such expenses to Indemnitee, which are incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with any action brought by the Indemnitee for indemnification or advance of Expenses from the Company under this Agreement or under any directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies maintained by the Company, regardless of whether the Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, advancement of Expenses or insurance recovery, as the case may be.

 

(f) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, no determination as to entitlement to indemnification under this Agreement shall be required to be made prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding.

 

8. Non-Exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Insurance; Primacy of Indemnification; Subrogation.

 

(a) The rights of indemnification as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Company’s certificate of formation, any agreement, a vote of shareholders, a resolution of directors of the Company, or otherwise. No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of the Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. To the extent that a change in the applicable law, whether by statute or judicial decision, permits greater indemnification than would be afforded currently under the Company’s certificate of formation and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that the Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. No right or remedy herein conferred is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every other right and remedy shall be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other right or remedy.

 

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(b) To the extent that the Company maintains an insurance policy or policies providing liability insurance for directors, officers, employees, or agents or fiduciaries of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that such person serves at the request of the Company, the Indemnitee shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage available for any director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary under such policy or policies. If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company has directors’ and officers’ liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such proceeding to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies. The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such proceeding in accordance with the terms of such policies.

 

(c) In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

(d) The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder if and to the extent that the Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise.

 

(e) The Company’s obligation to indemnify or advance Expenses hereunder to Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be reduced by any amount Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or advancement of expenses from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise.

 

9. Exception to Right of Indemnification. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement, the Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any indemnity in connection with any claim made against the Indemnitee:

 

(a) for which payment has actually been made to or on behalf of the Indemnitee under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid under any insurance policy or other indemnity provision;

 

(b) for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by the Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law; or

 

(c) in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by the Indemnitee, including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by the Indemnitee against the Company or its directors, officers, employees or other indemnitees, unless (i) the Board authorized the Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) prior to its initiation, or (ii) the Company provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law.

 

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10. Duration of Agreement. All agreements and obligations of the Company contained herein shall continue during the period the Indemnitee is an officer or director of the Company (or is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise) and shall continue thereafter so long as the Indemnitee shall be subject to any Proceeding (or any proceeding commenced under Section 7 hereof) by reason of the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, whether or not the Indemnitee is acting or serving in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification can be provided under this Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company), assigns, spouses, heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives.

 

11. Security. To the extent requested by Indemnitee and approved by the Board, the Company may at any time and from time to time provide security to the Indemnitee for the Company’s obligations hereunder through an irrevocable bank line of credit, funded trust or other collateral. Any such security, once provided to the Indemnitee, may not be revoked or released without the prior written consent of the Indemnitee.

 

12. Enforcement.

 

(a) The Company expressly confirms and agrees that it has entered into this Agreement and assumes the obligations imposed on it hereby in order to induce the Indemnitee to serve as an officer or director of the Company, and the Company acknowledges that the Indemnitee is relying upon this Agreement in serving as an officer or director of the Company.

 

(b) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, oral, written and implied, between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

(c) The Company shall not seek from a court, or agree to, a “bar order” which would have the effect of prohibiting or limiting the Indemnitee’s rights to receive advancement of expenses under this Agreement.

 

13. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

 

(a) “Corporate Status” describes the status of a person who is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that such person is or was serving at the express written request of the Company.

 

(b) “Disinterested Director” means a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.

 

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(c) “Enterprise” shall mean the Company and any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise that Indemnitee is or was serving at the express written request of the Company as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary.

 

(d) “Expenses” shall include all 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 and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, participating, or being or preparing to be a witness in a Proceeding, or responding to, or objecting to, a request to provide discovery in any Proceeding. Expenses also shall include Expenses incurred in connection with any appeal resulting from any Proceeding, including without limitation the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any cost bond, supersede as bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent. Expenses, however, shall not include amounts paid in settlement by the Indemnitee or the amount of judgments or fines against Indemnitee.

 

(e) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporation law and neither presently is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent (i) the Company or the Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning Indemnitee under this Agreement, or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements), or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or the Indemnitee in an action to determine the Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees of the Independent Counsel referred to above and to fully indemnify such counsel against any and all Expenses, claims, liabilities and damages arising out of or relating to this Agreement or its engagement pursuant hereto.

 

(f) “Proceeding” includes any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, inquiry, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed proceeding, whether brought by or in the right of the Company or otherwise and whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, in which the Indemnitee was, is or will be involved as a party or otherwise, by reason of the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, by reason of any action taken by the Indemnitee or of any inaction on the part of the Indemnitee while acting in the Indemnitee’s Corporate Status; in each case whether or not the Indemnitee is acting or serving in any such capacity at the time any liability or expense is incurred for which indemnification can be provided under this Agreement; including one pending on or before the date of this Agreement, but excluding one initiated by the Indemnitee pursuant to Section 7 of this Agreement to enforce the Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.

 

14. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. Further, the invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof as to either the Indemnitee or Appointing Shareholder shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any provision hereof as to the other. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this Agreement is intended to confer upon the Indemnitee and Appointing Shareholder indemnification rights to the fullest extent permitted by applicable laws. In the event any provision hereof conflicts with any applicable law, such provision shall be deemed modified, consistent with the aforementioned intent, to the extent necessary to resolve such conflict.

 

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15. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification, termination or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both of the parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

 

16. Notice By Indemnitee. The Indemnitee agrees promptly to notify the Company in writing upon being served with or otherwise receiving any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information or other document relating to any Proceeding or matter which may be subject to indemnification covered hereunder. The failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise unless and only to the extent that such failure or delay materially prejudices the Company.

 

17. Notices. All notices and other communications given or made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given (a) upon personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) when sent by confirmed electronic mail or facsimile if sent during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not so confirmed, then on the next business day, (c) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (d) one (1) day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, specifying next day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to the addresses specified on the signature page hereto, or to such other address as may have been furnished to the Company by Indemnitee, or, if to the Company, to the Company’s address as specified in filings made by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two (2) or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same the same instrument. Counterparts may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

 

19. Headings. The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

 

20. Governing Law and Consent to Jurisdiction. This Agreement and the legal relations among the parties shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Nevada, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. The Company and the Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (a) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in Courts of the State of Nevada (the “Nevada Court”), and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (b) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Nevada Court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (c) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in the Nevada Court, and (d) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in the Nevada Court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

 

[Signature Page to Follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Indemnification Agreement on and as of the day and year first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
     
  CleanCore Solutions, Inc.
     
  By:
  Name:  Matthew Atkinson
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

  INDEMNITEE:
   
   

 

  Address: 
   
   

 

 

  

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Exhibit 10.26

 

CC ACQUISITION CORP.

 

2022 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1. Purpose; Eligibility.

 

1.1. General Purpose. The name of this plan is the CC Acquisition Corp. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The purposes of the Plan are to (a) enable CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and any Affiliate to attract and retain the types of Employees, Consultants and Directors who will contribute to the Company’s long-term success; (b) provide incentives that align the interests of Employees, Consultants and Directors with those of the stockholders of the Company; and (c) promote the success of the Company’s business.

 

1.2. Eligible Award Recipients. The persons eligible to receive Awards are the Employees, Consultants and Directors of the Company and its Affiliates and such other individuals designated by the Committee who are reasonably expected to become Employees, Consultants and Directors after the receipt of Awards.

 

1.3. Available Awards. Awards that may be granted under the Plan include: (a) Incentive Stock Options, (b) Non-qualified Stock Options, (c) Stock Appreciation Rights, (d) Restricted Awards, (e) Performance Share Awards, and (f) Performance Compensation Awards.

 

2. Definitions.

 

“Affiliate” means a corporation or other entity that, directly or through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Company, including, without limitation, any corporation that is a “parent corporation” or a “subsidiary corporation” with respect to the Company, and any other non-corporate entity that would be such a subsidiary corporation if such entity were a corporation.

 

“Applicable Laws” means the requirements related to or implicated by the administration of the Plan under applicable state corporate law, United States federal and state securities laws, the Code, any stock exchange or quotation system on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or quoted, and the applicable laws of any foreign country or jurisdiction where Awards are granted under the Plan.

 

“Award” means any right granted under the Plan, including an Incentive Stock Option, a Non-qualified Stock Option, a Stock Appreciation Right, a Restricted Award, a Performance Share Award or a Performance Compensation Award.

 

“Award Agreement” means a written agreement, contract, certificate or other instrument or document evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Award granted under the Plan which may, in the discretion of the Company, be transmitted electronically to any Participant. Each Award Agreement shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

“Beneficial Owner” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), such “person” shall be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such “person” has the right to acquire by conversion or exercise of other securities, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only after the passage of time. The terms “Beneficially Owns” and “Beneficially Owned” have a corresponding meaning.

 

“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company, as constituted at any time.

 

 

 

 

“Cause” means:

 

 With respect to any Employee or Consultant: (a) if the Employee or Consultant is a party to an employment or service agreement with the Company or its Affiliates and such agreement provides for a definition of Cause, the definition contained therein; or (b) if no such agreement exists, or if such agreement does not define Cause: (i) the commission of, or plea of guilty or no contest to, a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude or the commission of any other act involving willful malfeasance or material fiduciary breach with respect to the Company or an Affiliate; (ii) conduct that results in or is reasonably likely to result in harm to the reputation or business of the Company or any of its Affiliates; (iii) gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Company or an Affiliate; or (iv) material violation of state or federal securities laws.

 

With respect to any Director, a determination by a majority of the disinterested Board members that the Director has engaged in any of the following: (a) malfeasance in office; (b) gross misconduct or neglect; (c) false or fraudulent misrepresentation inducing the director’s appointment; (d) willful conversion of corporate funds; or (e) repeated failure to participate in Board meetings on a regular basis despite having received proper notice of the meetings in advance.

 

The Committee, in its absolute discretion, shall determine the effect of all matters and questions relating to whether a Participant has been discharged for Cause.

 

“Change in Control” means (a) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person that is not a subsidiary of the Company; (b) the Incumbent Directors cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; (c) the date which is 10 business days prior to the consummation of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company; (d) the acquisition by any Person of Beneficial Ownership of more than 50% (on a fully diluted basis) of either (i) the then outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, taking into account as outstanding for this purpose such Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or warrants, the conversion of convertible stock or debt, and the exercise of any similar right to acquire such Common Stock (the “Outstanding Company Common Stock”) or (ii) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this Plan, the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (A) any acquisition by the Company or any Affiliate, (B) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or any subsidiary, (C) any acquisition which complies with clauses, (i), (ii) and (iii) of subsection (e) of this definition or (D) in respect of an Award held by a particular Participant, any acquisition by the Participant or any group of persons including the Participant (or any entity controlled by the Participant or any group of persons including the Participant); or (e) the consummation of a reorganization, merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company that requires the approval of the Company’s stockholders, whether for such transaction or the issuance of securities in the transaction (a “Business Combination”), unless immediately following such Business Combination: (i) more than 50% of the total voting power of (A) the entity resulting from such Business Combination (the “Surviving Company”), or (B) if applicable, the ultimate parent entity that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of sufficient voting securities eligible to elect a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Surviving Company (the “Parent Company”), is represented by the Outstanding Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Combination (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which the Outstanding Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Combination), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Combination; (ii) no Person (other than any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Company or the Parent Company) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect members of the board of directors of the Parent Company (or the analogous governing body) (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company); and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company) following the consummation of the Business Combination were Board members at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business Combination. The foregoing notwithstanding, if the Award constitutes non-qualified deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code, in no event shall a Change in Control be deemed to have occurred unless such change shall satisfy the definition of a change in control under Section 409A of the Code.

 

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“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as it may be amended from time to time. Any reference to a section of the Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Committee” means the compensation committee of the Board, or if no such committee has been established, the full Board, or a committee of one or more members appointed to administer the Plan in accordance with Section 3.3 and Section 3.4.

 

“Common Stock” means the class B common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, of the Company, or such other securities of the Company as may be designated by the Committee from time to time in substitution thereof.

 

“Consultant” means any individual who is engaged by the Company or any Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services.

 

“Continuous Service” means that the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, whether as an Employee, Consultant or Director, is not interrupted or terminated. The Participant’s Continuous Service shall not be deemed to have terminated merely because of a change in the capacity in which the Participant renders service to the Company or an Affiliate as an Employee, Consultant or Director or a change in the entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service; provided further that if any Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, this sentence shall only be given effect to the extent consistent with Section 409A of the Code. For example, a change in status from an Employee of the Company to a Director of an Affiliate will not constitute an interruption of Continuous Service unless otherwise required by Section 409A of the Code. The Committee or its delegate, in its sole discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service shall be considered interrupted in the case of any leave of absence approved by that party, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal or family leave of absence.

 

“Director” means a member of the Board.

 

“Disability” means that the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment; provided, however, for purposes of determining the term of an Incentive Stock Option pursuant to Section 6.10 hereof, the term Disability shall have the meaning ascribed to it under Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. The determination of whether an individual has a Disability shall be determined under procedures established by the Committee. Except in situations where the Committee is determining Disability for purposes of the term of an Incentive Stock Option pursuant to Section 6.10 hereof within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, the Committee may rely on any determination that a Participant is disabled for purposes of benefits under any long-term disability plan maintained by the Company or any Affiliate in which a Participant participates. The foregoing notwithstanding, if the Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, in no event shall a Disability be deemed to have occurred unless such disability satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

 

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“Effective Date” shall mean July 17, 2023.

 

“Employee” means any person, including an Officer or Director, employed by the Company or an Affiliate; provided, that, for purposes of determining eligibility to receive Incentive Stock Options, an Employee shall mean an employee of the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation within the meaning of Section 424 of the Code. Mere service as a Director or payment of a director’s fee by the Company or an Affiliate shall not be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Company or an Affiliate.

 

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

“Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of the Common Stock as determined below. If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system, including without limitation, the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market, the Fair Market Value shall be the closing price of a share of Common Stock (or if no sales were reported the closing price on the date immediately preceding such date) as quoted on such exchange or system on the day of determination, as reported in the Wall Street Journal or similar publication. In the absence of an established market for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value shall be determined in good faith by the Committee and such determination shall be conclusive and binding on all persons; provided that if an Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, then the Fair Market Value shall be determined in accordance with Section 409A of the Code.

 

“Grant Date” means the date on which the Committee adopts a resolution, or takes other appropriate action, expressly granting an Award to a Participant that specifies the key terms and conditions of the Award or, if a later date is set forth in such resolution, then such date as is set forth in such resolution.

 

“Incentive Stock Option” means an Option intended to qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

 

“Incumbent Directors” means individuals who, on the Effective Date, constitute the Board, provided that any individual becoming a Director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election or nomination for election to the Board was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for Director without objection to such nomination) shall be an Incumbent Director. No individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to Directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be an Incumbent Director.

 

“Non-qualified Stock Option” means an Option that by its terms does not qualify or is not intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

“Officer” means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

“Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-qualified Stock Option granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

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“Optionholder” means a person to whom an Option is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Option.

 

“Option Exercise Price” means the price at which a share of Common Stock may be purchased upon the exercise of an Option.

 

“Participant” means an eligible person to whom an Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Award.

 

“Performance Compensation Award” means any Award designated by the Committee as a Performance Compensation Award pursuant to Section 7.4 of the Plan.

 

“Performance Criteria” means the criterion or criteria that the Committee shall select for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal(s) for a Performance Period with respect to any Performance Compensation Award under the Plan. The Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s) shall be based on the attainment of specific levels of performance of the Company (or Affiliate, division, business unit or operational unit of the Company) and may include the following: (a) net earnings or net income (before or after taxes); (b) basic or diluted earnings per share (before or after taxes); (c) net revenue or net revenue growth; (d) gross revenue; (e) gross profit or gross profit growth; (f) net operating profit (before or after taxes); (g) return on assets, capital, invested capital, equity, or sales; (h) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow, free cash flow, and cash flow return on capital); (i) earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation and/or amortization; (j) gross or operating margins; (k) improvements in capital structure; (l) budget and expense management; (m) productivity ratios; (n) economic value added or other value added measurements; (o) share price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total stockholder return); (p) expense targets; (q) margins; (r) operating efficiency; (s) working capital targets; (t) enterprise value; (u) safety record; (v) completion of acquisitions or business expansion; (w) achieving research and development goals and milestones; (x) achieving product commercialization goals; and (y) other criteria as may be set by the Committee from time to time.

 

Any one or more of the Performance Criteria may be used on an absolute or relative basis to measure the performance of the Company and/or an Affiliate as a whole or any division, business unit or operational unit of the Company and/or an Affiliate or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate, or as compared to the performance of a group of comparable companies, or published or special index that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, or the Committee may select Performance Criterion (o) above as compared to various stock market indices. The Committee also has the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Award based on the achievement of Performance Goals pursuant to the Performance Criteria specified in this paragraph, provided that if the Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, such accelerated vesting does not violate the rules of Code Section 409A. The Committee shall, within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, such longer or shorter time period as the Committee shall determine) define in an objective fashion the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for such Performance Period. In the event that applicable tax and/or securities laws change to permit the Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Criteria without obtaining stockholder approval of such changes, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such changes without obtaining stockholder approval.

 

“Performance Formula” means, for a Performance Period, the one or more objective formulas applied against the relevant Performance Goal to determine, with regard to the Performance Compensation Award of a particular Participant, whether all, some portion but less than all, or none of the Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period.

 

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“Performance Goals” means, for a Performance Period, the one or more goals established by the Committee for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria. The Committee is authorized at any time during the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or such longer or shorter time period as the Committee shall determine) or at any time thereafter, in its sole and absolute discretion, to adjust or modify the calculation of a Performance Goal for such Performance Period in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants based on the following events: (a) asset write-downs; (b) litigation or claim judgments or settlements; (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles, or other laws or regulatory rules affecting reported results; (d) any reorganization and restructuring programs; (e) extraordinary nonrecurring items as described in Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 (or any successor or pronouncement thereto) and/or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to stockholders for the applicable year; (f) acquisitions or divestitures; (g) any other specific unusual or nonrecurring events, or objectively determinable category thereof; (h) foreign exchange gains and losses; and (i) a change in the Company’s fiscal year.

 

“Performance Period” means the one or more periods of time not less than one fiscal quarter in duration, as the Committee may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to and the payment of a Performance Compensation Award.

 

“Performance Share” means the grant of a right to receive a number of actual shares of Common Stock or share units based upon the performance of the Company during a Performance Period, as determined by the Committee.

 

“Permitted Transferee” means: (a) a member of the Optionholder’s immediate family (child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships), any person sharing the Optionholder’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons have more than 50% of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the Optionholder) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the Optionholder) own more than 50% of the voting interests; (b) third parties designated by the Committee in connection with a program established and approved by the Committee pursuant to which Participants may receive a cash payment or other consideration in consideration for the transfer of a Non-qualified Stock Option; and (c) such other transferees as may be permitted by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

“Restricted Award” means any Award granted pursuant to Section 7.2(a).

 

“Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or any successor to Rule 16b-3, as in effect from time to time.

 

“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

“Stock Appreciation Right” means the right pursuant to an Award granted under Section 7.1 to receive, upon exercise, an amount payable in cash or shares equal to the number of shares subject to the Stock Appreciation Right that is being exercised multiplied by the excess of (a) the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date the Award is exercised, over (b) the exercise price specified in the Stock Appreciation Right Award Agreement.

 

“Ten Percent Stockholder” means a person who owns (or is deemed to own pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any of its Affiliates.

 

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3. Administration.

 

3.1. Authority of Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee or, in the Board’s sole discretion, by the Board. Subject to the terms of the Plan and the provisions of Section 409A of the Code (if applicable), the Committee’s charter and Applicable Laws, and in addition to other express powers and authorization conferred by the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority:

 

(a) to construe and interpret the Plan and apply its provisions;

 

(b) to promulgate, amend, and rescind rules and regulations relating to the administration of the Plan;

 

(c) to authorize any person to execute, on behalf of the Company, any instrument required to carry out the purposes of the Plan;

 

(d) to delegate its authority to one or more Officers of the Company with respect to Awards that do not involve “insiders” within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act;

 

(e) to determine when Awards are to be granted under the Plan and the applicable Grant Date;

 

(f) from time to time to select, subject to the limitations set forth in this Plan, those Participants to whom Awards shall be granted;

 

(g) to determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be made subject to each Award;

 

(h) to determine whether each Option is to be an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-qualified Stock Option;

 

(i) to prescribe the terms and conditions of each Award, including, without limitation, the exercise price and medium of payment and vesting provisions, and to specify the provisions of the Award Agreement relating to such grant;

 

(j) to determine the target number of Performance Shares to be granted pursuant to a Performance Share Award, the performance measures that will be used to establish the performance goals, the performance period(s) and the number of Performance Shares earned by a Participant;

 

(k) to designate an Award (including a cash bonus) as a Performance Compensation Award and to select the Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goals;

 

(l) to amend any outstanding Awards, including for the purpose of modifying the time or manner of vesting, or the term of any outstanding Award; provided, however, that if any such amendment impairs a Participant’s rights or increases a Participant’s obligations under his or her Award or creates or increases a Participant’s federal income tax liability with respect to an Award, such amendment shall also be subject to the Participant’s consent;

 

(m)   to determine the duration and purpose of leaves of absences which may be granted to a Participant without constituting termination of their employment for purposes of the Plan, which periods shall be no shorter than the periods generally applicable to Employees under the Company’s employment policies;

 

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(n) to make decisions with respect to outstanding Awards that may become necessary upon a change in corporate control or an event that triggers anti-dilution adjustments;

 

(o) to interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any defect in and/or supply any omission in the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to, or Award granted under, the Plan; and

 

(p) to exercise discretion to make any and all other determinations which it determines to be necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.

 

The Committee also may modify the purchase price or the exercise price of any outstanding Award, provided that if the modification effects a repricing, stockholder approval shall be required before the repricing is effective.

 

3.2. Committee Decisions Final. All decisions made by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be final and binding on the Company and the Participants, unless such decisions are determined by a court having jurisdiction to be arbitrary and capricious.

 

3.3. Delegation. The Committee may delegate administration of the Plan to a subcommittee or subcommittees of one or more members of the Committee, and the term “Committee” shall apply to any person or persons to whom such authority has been delegated. The Committee shall have the power to delegate to a subcommittee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and references in this Plan to the Board or the Committee shall thereafter be to the committee or subcommittee), subject, however, to such resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board. The Board may abolish the Committee at any time and re-vest in the Board the administration of the Plan. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Board. From time to time, the Board may increase or decrease the size of the Committee, add additional members to, remove members (with or without cause) from, appoint new members in substitution therefor, and fill vacancies, however caused, in the Committee. The Committee shall act pursuant to a vote of the majority of its members or, in the case of a Committee comprised of only two members, the unanimous consent of its members, whether present or not, or by the written consent of the majority of its members and minutes shall be kept of all of its meetings and copies thereof shall be provided to the Board. Subject to the limitations prescribed by the Plan and the Board, the Committee may establish and follow such rules and regulations for the conduct of its business as it may determine to be advisable.

 

3.4. Committee Composition. Except as otherwise determined by the Board, the Committee shall consist solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors. The Board shall have discretion to determine whether or not it intends to comply with the exemption requirements of Rule 16b-3. However, if the Board intends to satisfy such exemption requirements, with respect to Awards to any insider subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Committee shall be a compensation committee of the Board that at all times consists solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors. Within the scope of such authority, the Board or the Committee may delegate to a committee of one or more members of the Board who are not Non-Employee Directors the authority to grant Awards to eligible persons who are not then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Nothing herein shall create an inference that an Award is not validly granted under the Plan in the event Awards are granted under the Plan by a compensation committee of the Board that does not at all times consist solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors.

 

3.5. Indemnification. In addition to such other rights of indemnification as they may have as Directors or members of the Committee, and to the extent allowed by Applicable Laws, the Committee shall be indemnified by the Company against the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, actually incurred in connection with any action, suit or proceeding or in connection with any appeal therein, to which the Committee may be party by reason of any action taken or failure to act under or in connection with the Plan or any Award granted under the Plan, and against all amounts paid by the Committee in settlement thereof (provided, however, that the settlement has been approved by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) or paid by the Committee in satisfaction of a judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding, except in relation to matters as to which it shall be adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding that such Committee did not act in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Company, or in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reason to believe that the conduct complained of was unlawful; provided, however, that within 60 days after institution of any such action, suit or proceeding, such Committee shall, in writing, offer the Company the opportunity at its own expense to handle and defend such action, suit or proceeding.

 

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4. Shares Subject to the Plan.

 

4.1. Subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 11, a total of 1,736,819 shares of Class B Common Stock shall be available for the grant of Awards under the Plan. Shares of Common Stock granted in connection with all Awards under the Plan shall be counted against this limit as one (1) share of Common Stock for every one (1) share of Common Stock granted in connection with such Award. During the terms of the Awards, the Company shall keep available at all times the number of shares of Common Stock required to satisfy such Awards.

 

4.2. Shares of Common Stock available for distribution under the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued shares, treasury shares or shares reacquired by the Company in any manner.

 

4.3. Any shares of Common Stock subject to an Award that is canceled, forfeited or expires prior to exercise or realization, either in full or in part, shall again become available for issuance under the Plan. Any shares of Common Stock that again become available for future grants pursuant to this Section 4.3 shall be added back as one (1) share. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein: shares subject to an Award under the Plan shall not again be made available for issuance or delivery under the Plan if such shares are (a) shares tendered in payment of an Option, (b) shares delivered or withheld by the Company to satisfy any tax withholding obligation, or (c) shares covered by a stock-settled Stock Appreciation Right or other Awards that were not issued upon the settlement of the Award.

 

5. Eligibility.

 

5.1. Eligibility for Specific Awards. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to Employees. Awards other than Incentive Stock Options may be granted to Employees, Consultants and Directors and those individuals whom the Committee determines are reasonably expected to become Employees, Consultants and Directors following the Grant Date.

 

5.2. Ten Percent Stockholders. A Ten Percent Stockholder shall not be granted an Incentive Stock Option unless the Option Exercise Price is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the Grant Date and the Option is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the Grant Date.

 

6. Option Provisions. Each Option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Option so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 6, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. All Options shall be separately designated Incentive Stock Options or Non-qualified Stock Options at the time of grant, and, if certificates are issued, a separate certificate or certificates will be issued for shares of Common Stock purchased on exercise of each type of Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have no liability to any Participant or any other person if an Option designated as an Incentive Stock Option fails to qualify as such at any time or if an Option is determined to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the terms of such Option do not satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. The provisions of separate Options need not be identical, but each Option shall include (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the Option or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

6.1. Term. Subject to the provisions of Section 5.2 regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, no Incentive Stock Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the Grant Date. The term of a Non-qualified Stock Option granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however, no Non-qualified Stock Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the Grant Date.

 

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6.2. Exercise Price of An Incentive Stock Option. Subject to the provisions of Section 5.2 regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, the Option Exercise Price of each Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Option on the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Incentive Stock Option may be granted with an Option Exercise Price lower than that set forth in the preceding sentence if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner satisfying the provisions of Section 424(a) of the Code.

 

6.3. Exercise Price of a Non-qualified Stock Option. The Option Exercise Price of each Non-qualified Stock Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Option on the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Non-qualified Stock Option may be granted with an Option Exercise Price lower than that set forth in the preceding sentence if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner satisfying the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

6.4. Consideration. The Option Exercise Price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Option shall be paid, to the extent permitted by applicable statutes and regulations, either (a) in cash or by certified or bank check at the time the Option is exercised or (b) in the discretion of the Committee, upon such terms as the Committee shall approve, the Option Exercise Price may be paid: (i) by delivery to the Company of other Common Stock, duly endorsed for transfer to the Company, with a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the Option Exercise Price (or portion thereof) due for the number of shares being acquired, or by means of attestation whereby the Participant identifies for delivery specific shares of Common Stock that have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of attestation equal to the Option Exercise Price (or portion thereof) and receives a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the difference between the number of shares thereby purchased and the number of identified attestation shares of Common Stock (a “Stock for Stock Exchange”); (ii) a “cashless” exercise program established with a broker; (iii) by reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock otherwise deliverable upon exercise of such Option with a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Exercise Price at the time of exercise; (iv) any combination of the foregoing methods; or (v) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Committee. Unless otherwise specifically provided in the Option, the exercise price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Option that is paid by delivery (or attestation) to the Company of other Common Stock acquired, directly or indirectly from the Company, shall be paid only by shares of the Common Stock of the Company that have been held for more than six months (or such longer or shorter period of time required to avoid a charge to earnings for financial accounting purposes). Notwithstanding the foregoing, during any period for which the Common Stock is publicly traded (i.e., the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system) an exercise by a Director or Officer that involves or may involve a direct or indirect extension of credit or arrangement of an extension of credit by the Company, directly or indirectly, in violation of Section 402(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 shall be prohibited with respect to any Award under this Plan.

 

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6.5. Transferability of An Incentive Stock Option. An Incentive Stock Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionholder may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, designate a third party who, in the event of the death of the Optionholder, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option.

 

6.6. Transferability of a Non-qualified Stock Option. A Non-qualified Stock Option may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, be transferable to a Permitted Transferee, upon written approval by the Committee to the extent provided in the Award Agreement. If the Non-qualified Stock Option does not provide for transferability, then the Non-qualified Stock Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionholder may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, designate a third party who, in the event of the death of the Optionholder, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option.

 

6.7. Vesting of Options. Each Option may, but need not, vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may, but need not, be equal. The Option may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may be exercised (which may be based on performance or other criteria) as the Committee may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Options may vary. No Option may be exercised for a fraction of a share of Common Stock. The Committee may, but shall not be required to, provide for an acceleration of vesting and exercisability in the terms of any Award Agreement upon the occurrence of a specified event, provided that if such Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, such acceleration of vesting and exercisability complies with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

6.8. Termination of Continuous Service. Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or in an employment agreement the terms of which have been approved by the Committee, in the event an Optionholder’s Continuous Service terminates (other than upon the Optionholder’s death or Disability), the Optionholder may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of termination) but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date three months following the termination of the Optionholder’s Continuous Service or (b) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Award Agreement; provided that, if the termination of Continuous Service is by the Company for Cause, all outstanding Options (whether or not vested) shall immediately terminate and cease to be exercisable. If, after termination, the Optionholder does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified in the Award Agreement, the Option shall terminate.

 

6.9. Extension of Termination Date. An Optionholder’s Award Agreement may also provide that if the exercise of the Option following the termination of the Optionholder’s Continuous Service for any reason would be prohibited at any time because the issuance of shares of Common Stock would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act or any other state or federal securities law or the rules of any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system, then the Option shall terminate on the earlier of (a) the expiration of the term of the Option in accordance with Section 6.1 or (b) the expiration of a period after termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service that is three months after the end of the period during which the exercise of the Option would be in violation of such registration or other securities law requirements.

 

6.10. Disability of Optionholder. Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, in the event that an Optionholder’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Optionholder’s Disability, the Optionholder may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of termination), but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date 12 months following such termination or (b) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after termination, the Optionholder does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified herein or in the Award Agreement, the Option shall terminate.

 

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6.11. Death of Optionholder. Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, in the event an Optionholder’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Optionholder’s death, then the Option may be exercised (to the extent the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of death) by the Optionholder’s estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance or by a person designated to exercise the Option upon the Optionholder’s death, but only within the period ending on the earlier of (a) the date 12 months following the date of death or (b) the expiration of the term of such Option as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after the Optionholder’s death, the Option is not exercised within the time specified herein or in the Award Agreement, the Option shall terminate.

 

6.12. Incentive Stock Option $100,000 Limitation. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time of grant) of Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Optionholder during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and its Affiliates) exceeds $100,000, the Options or portions thereof which exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) shall be treated as Non-qualified Stock Options.

 

7. Provisions of Awards Other Than Options.

 

7.1. Stock Appreciation Rights.  

 

(a) General. Each Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Stock Appreciation Right so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.1, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted alone (“Free Standing Rights”) or in tandem with an Option granted under the Plan (“Related Rights”). All such grants shall be exempt from, or comply with, the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

(b) Grant Requirements. Any Related Right that relates to a Non-qualified Stock Option may be granted at the same time the Option is granted or at any time thereafter but before the exercise or expiration of the Option. Any Related Right that relates to an Incentive Stock Option must be granted at the same time the Incentive Stock Option is granted.

 

(c) Term of Stock Appreciation Rights. The term of a Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however, no Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable later than the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.

 

(d) Vesting of Stock Appreciation Rights. Each Stock Appreciation Right may, but need not, vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may, but need not, be equal. The Stock Appreciation Right may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may be exercised as the Committee may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Stock Appreciation Rights may vary. No Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised for a fraction of a share of Common Stock. The Committee may, but shall not be required to, provide for an acceleration of vesting and exercisability in the terms of any Stock Appreciation Right upon the occurrence of a specified event, provided that if such Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, such acceleration of vesting and exercisability complies with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

(e) Exercise and Payment. Upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, the holder shall be entitled to receive from the Company an amount equal to the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Stock Appreciation Right that is being exercised multiplied by the excess of (i) the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date the Award is exercised, over (ii) the exercise price specified in the Stock Appreciation Right or related Option. Payment with respect to the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right shall be made on the date of exercise. Payment shall be made in the form of shares of Common Stock (with or without restrictions as to substantial risk of forfeiture and transferability, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion), cash or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee.

 

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(f) Exercise Price. The exercise price of a Free Standing Stock Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Committee, but shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date of such Stock Appreciation Right. A Related Right granted simultaneously with or subsequent to the grant of an Option and in conjunction therewith or in the alternative thereto shall have the same exercise price as the related Option, shall be transferable only upon the same terms and conditions as the related Option, and shall be exercisable only to the same extent as the related Option; provided, however, that a Stock Appreciation Right, by its terms, shall be exercisable only when the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock subject to the Stock Appreciation Right and related Option exceeds the exercise price per share thereof and no Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted in tandem with an Option unless the Committee determines that the requirements of Section 7.1(b) are satisfied.

 

(g) Reduction in the Underlying Option Shares. Upon any exercise of a Related Right, the number of shares of Common Stock for which any related Option shall be exercisable shall be reduced by the number of shares for which the Stock Appreciation Right has been exercised. The number of shares of Common Stock for which a Related Right shall be exercisable shall be reduced upon any exercise of any related Option by the number of shares of Common Stock for which such Option has been exercised.

 

7.2. Restricted Awards.  

 

(a) General. A Restricted Award is an Award of actual shares of Common Stock (“Restricted Stock”) or hypothetical Common Stock units (“Restricted Stock Units”) having a value equal to the Fair Market Value of an identical number of shares of Common Stock, which may, but need not, provide that such Restricted Award may not be sold, assigned, transferred or otherwise disposed of, pledged or hypothecated as collateral for a loan or as security for the performance of any obligation or for any other purpose for such period (the “Restricted Period”) as the Committee shall determine. Each Restricted Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Restricted Award so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.2, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(b) Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.

 

(i) Each Participant granted Restricted Stock shall execute and deliver to the Company an Award Agreement with respect to the Restricted Stock setting forth the restrictions and other terms and conditions applicable to such Restricted Stock. If the Committee determines that the Restricted Stock shall be held by the Company or in escrow rather than delivered to the Participant pending the release of the applicable restrictions, the Committee may require the Participant to additionally execute and deliver to the Company (A) an escrow agreement satisfactory to the Committee, if applicable and (B) the appropriate blank stock power with respect to the Restricted Stock covered by such agreement. If a Participant fails to execute an agreement evidencing an Award of Restricted Stock and, if applicable, an escrow agreement and stock power, the Award shall be null and void. Subject to the restrictions set forth in the Award, the Participant generally shall have the rights and privileges of a stockholder as to such Restricted Stock, including the right to vote such Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends; provided that, any cash dividends and stock dividends with respect to the Restricted Stock shall similarly be held in escrow by the Company for the Participant’s account, and interest may be credited on the amount of the cash dividends so placed in escrow at a rate and subject to such terms as determined by the Committee. The cash dividends or stock dividends so placed in escrow by the Committee and attributable to any particular share of Restricted Stock (and earnings thereon, if applicable) shall be distributed to the Participant in cash or, at the discretion of the Committee, in shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, if applicable, upon the release of restrictions on such share and, if such share is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such dividends.

 

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(ii) The terms and conditions of a grant of Restricted Stock Units shall be reflected in an Award Agreement. No shares of Common Stock shall be issued at the time a Restricted Stock Unit is granted, and the Company will not be required to set aside a fund for the payment of any such Award. A Participant shall have no voting rights with respect to any Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder. The Committee may also grant Restricted Stock Units with a deferral feature, if permitted in Section 409A of the Code, whereby settlement is deferred beyond the vesting date until the occurrence of a future payment date or event set forth in an Award Agreement (“Deferred Stock Units”). At the discretion of the Committee, each Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit (representing one share of Common Stock) may be credited with cash and stock dividends paid by the Company in respect of one share of Common Stock (“Dividend Equivalents”). Dividend Equivalents shall not be paid but shall be credited to the Participant’s account, and interest may be credited on the amount of cash Dividend Equivalents credited to the Participant’s account at a rate and subject to such terms as determined by the Committee. Dividend Equivalents credited to a Participant’s account and attributable to any particular Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit (and earnings thereon, if applicable) shall be distributed in cash or, at the discretion of the Committee, in shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such Dividend Equivalents and earnings, if applicable, to the Participant upon settlement of such Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit and, if such Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such Dividend Equivalents.

 

(c) Restrictions.

 

(i) Restricted Stock awarded to a Participant shall be subject to the following restrictions until the expiration of the Restricted Period, and to such other terms and conditions as may be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement: (A) if an escrow arrangement is used, the Participant shall not be entitled to delivery of the stock certificate; (B) the shares shall be subject to the restrictions on transferability set forth in the Award Agreement; (C) the shares shall be subject to forfeiture to the extent provided in the applicable Award Agreement; and (D) to the extent such shares are forfeited, the stock certificates shall be returned to the Company, and all rights of the Participant to such shares and as a stockholder with respect to such shares shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company.

 

(ii) Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units awarded to any Participant shall be subject to (A) forfeiture until the expiration of the Restricted Period, and satisfaction of any applicable Performance Goals during such period, to the extent provided in the applicable Award Agreement, and to the extent such Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units are forfeited, all rights of the Participant to such Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company and (B) such other terms and conditions as may be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(iii) The Committee shall have the authority to remove any or all of the restrictions on the Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units whenever it may determine that, by reason of changes in Applicable Laws or other changes in circumstances arising after the date the Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units are granted, such action is appropriate.

 

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(d) Restricted Period. With respect to Restricted Awards, the Restricted Period shall commence on the Grant Date and end at the time or times set forth on a schedule established by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement. No Restricted Award may be granted or settled for a fraction of a share of Common Stock. The Committee may, but shall not be required to, provide for an acceleration of vesting in the terms of any Award Agreement upon the occurrence of a specified event, provided that if such Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, such acceleration is consistent with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

(e) Delivery of Restricted Stock and Settlement of Restricted Stock Units. Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any shares of Restricted Stock, the restrictions set forth in Section 7.2(c) and the applicable Award Agreement shall be of no further force or effect with respect to such shares, except as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If an escrow arrangement is used, upon such expiration, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his or her beneficiary, without charge, the stock certificate evidencing the shares of Restricted Stock which have not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (to the nearest full share) and any cash dividends or stock dividends credited to the Participant’s account with respect to such Restricted Stock and the interest thereon, if any. Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any outstanding Restricted Stock Units, or at the expiration of the deferral period with respect to any outstanding Deferred Stock Units, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his or her beneficiary, without charge, one share of Common Stock for each such outstanding vested Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit (“Vested Unit”) and cash equal to any Dividend Equivalents credited with respect to each such Vested Unit in accordance with Section 7.2(b)(ii) hereof and the interest thereon or, at the discretion of the Committee, in shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to such Dividend Equivalents and the interest thereon, if any; provided, however, that, if explicitly provided in the applicable Award Agreement, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, elect to pay cash or part cash and part Common Stock in lieu of delivering only shares of Common Stock for Vested Units. If a cash payment is made in lieu of delivering shares of Common Stock, the amount of such payment shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock as of the date on which the Restricted Period lapsed in the case of Restricted Stock Units, or the delivery date in the case of Deferred Stock Units, with respect to each Vested Unit.

 

(f) Stock Restrictions. Each certificate representing Restricted Stock awarded under the Plan shall bear a legend in such form as the Company deems appropriate.

 

7.3. Performance Share Awards.  

 

(a) Grant of Performance Share Awards. Each Performance Share Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Performance Share Award so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.3, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. The Committee shall have the discretion to determine: (i) the number of shares of Common Stock or stock-denominated units subject to a Performance Share Award granted to any Participant; (ii) the performance period applicable to any Award; (iii) the conditions that must be satisfied for a Participant to earn an Award; and (iv) the other terms, conditions and restrictions of the Award.

 

(b) Earning Performance Share Awards. The number of Performance Shares earned by a Participant will depend on the extent to which the performance goals established by the Committee are attained within the applicable Performance Period, as determined by the Committee. No payout shall be made with respect to any Performance Share Award except upon written certification by the Committee that the minimum threshold performance goal(s) have been achieved.

 

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7.4. Performance Compensation Awards.  

 

(a) General. The Committee shall have the authority, at the time of grant of any Award described in this Plan (other than Options and Stock Appreciation Rights granted with an exercise price equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on the Grant Date), to designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award. In addition, the Committee shall have the authority to make an Award of a cash bonus to any Participant and designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award.

 

(b) Eligibility. The Committee will, in its sole discretion, designate within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or such shorter or longer time period as the Committee shall determine) which Participants will be eligible to receive Performance Compensation Awards in respect of such Performance Period. However, designation of a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder for a Performance Period shall not in any manner entitle the Participant to receive payment in respect of any Performance Compensation Award for such Performance Period. The determination as to whether or not such Participant becomes entitled to payment in respect of any Performance Compensation Award shall be decided solely in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.4. Moreover, designation of a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder for a particular Performance Period shall not require designation of such Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder in any subsequent Performance Period and designation of one person as a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder shall not require designation of any other person as a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder in such period or in any other period.

 

(c) Discretion of Committee with Respect to Performance Compensation Awards. With regard to a particular Performance Period, the Committee shall have full discretion to select the length of such Performance Period (provided any such Performance Period shall be not less than one fiscal quarter in duration), the type(s) of Performance Compensation Awards to be issued, the Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s), the kind(s) and/or level(s) of the Performance Goal(s) that is (are) to apply to the Company and the Performance Formula. Within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or such shorter or longer time period as the Committee shall determine), the Committee shall, with regard to the Performance Compensation Awards to be issued for such Performance Period, exercise its discretion with respect to each of the matters enumerated in the immediately preceding sentence of this Section 7.4(c) and record the same in writing.

 

(d) Payment of Performance Compensation Awards.

 

(i) Condition to Receipt of Payment. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a Participant must be employed by the Company on the last day of a Performance Period to be eligible for payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award for such Performance Period.

 

(ii) Limitation. A Participant shall be eligible to receive payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award only to the extent that: (A) the Performance Goals for such period are achieved; and (B) the Performance Formula as applied against such Performance Goals determines that all or some portion of such Participant’s Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period.

 

(iii) Certification. Following the completion of a Performance Period, the Committee shall review and certify in writing whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the Performance Period have been achieved and, if so, calculate and certify in writing the amount of the Performance Compensation Awards earned for the period based upon the Performance Formula. The Committee shall then determine the actual size of each Participant’s Performance Compensation Award for the Performance Period.

 

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(iv) Use of Discretion. The Committee shall not have the discretion to grant or provide payment in respect of Performance Compensation Awards for a Performance Period if the Performance Goals for such Performance Period have not been attained.

 

(v) Timing of Award Payments. Performance Compensation Awards granted for a Performance Period shall be paid to Participants as soon as administratively practicable following completion of the certifications required by this Section 7.4 but in no event later than 2 1/2 months following the end of the fiscal year during which the Performance Period is completed.

 

8. Securities Law Compliance. Each Award Agreement shall provide that no shares of Common Stock shall be purchased or sold thereunder unless and until (a) any then applicable requirements of state or federal laws and regulatory agencies have been fully complied with to the satisfaction of the Company and its counsel and (b) if required to do so by the Company, the Participant has executed and delivered to the Company a letter of investment intent in such form and containing such provisions as the Committee may require. The Company shall use reasonable efforts to seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to grant Awards and to issue and sell shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Awards; provided, however, that this undertaking shall not require the Company to register under the Securities Act the Plan, any Award or any Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to any such Award. If, after reasonable efforts, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority which counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of Common Stock under the Plan, the Company shall be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Common Stock upon exercise of such Awards unless and until such authority is obtained.

 

9. Use of Proceeds from Stock. Proceeds from the sale of Common Stock pursuant to Awards, or upon exercise thereof, shall constitute general funds of the Company.

 

10. Miscellaneous.

 

10.1. Acceleration of Exercisability and Vesting. The Committee shall have the power to accelerate the time at which an Award may first be exercised or the time during which an Award or any part thereof will vest in accordance with the Plan, notwithstanding the provisions in the Award stating the time at which it may first be exercised or the time during which it will vest, provided that if such Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, any such acceleration or exercisability or vesting is in compliance with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

10.2. Stockholder Rights. Except as provided in the Plan or an Award Agreement, no Participant shall be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Common Stock subject to such Award unless and until such Participant has satisfied all requirements for exercise of the Award pursuant to its terms and no adjustment shall be made for dividends (ordinary or extraordinary, whether in cash, securities or other property) or distributions of other rights for which the record date is prior to the date such Common Stock certificate is issued, except as provided in Section 11 hereof.

 

10.3. No Employment or Other Service Rights. Nothing in the Plan or any instrument executed or Award granted pursuant thereto shall confer upon any Participant any right to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Award was granted or shall affect the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate (a) the employment of an Employee with or without notice and with or without Cause or (b) the service of a Director pursuant to the By-laws of the Company or an Affiliate, and any applicable provisions of the corporate law of the state in which the Company or the Affiliate is incorporated, as the case may be.

 

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10.4. Transfer; Approved Leave of Absence. For purposes of the Plan, no termination of employment by an Employee shall be deemed to result from either (a) a transfer of employment to the Company from an Affiliate or from the Company to an Affiliate, or from one Affiliate to another, or (b) an approved leave of absence for military service or sickness, or for any other purpose approved by the Company, if the Employee’s right to reemployment is guaranteed either by a statute or by contract or under the policy pursuant to which the leave of absence was granted or if the Committee otherwise so provides in writing, in either case, except to the extent inconsistent with Section 409A of the Code if the applicable Award is subject thereto.

 

10.5. Withholding Obligations. To the extent provided by the terms of an Award Agreement and subject to the discretion of the Committee, the Participant may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under an Award by any of the following means (in addition to the Company’s right to withhold from any compensation paid to the Participant by the Company) or by a combination of such means: (a) tendering a cash payment; (b) authorizing the Company to withhold shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to the Participant as a result of the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under the Award, provided, however, that no shares of Common Stock are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (c) delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered shares of Common Stock of the Company.

 

11. Adjustments Upon Changes in Stock. In the event of changes in the outstanding Common Stock or in the capital structure of the Company by reason of any stock or extraordinary cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, an extraordinary corporate transaction such as any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, exchange, or other relevant change in capitalization occurring after the Grant Date of any Award, Awards granted under the Plan and any Award Agreements, the exercise price of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock subject to all Awards stated in Section 4 and the maximum number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which any one person may be granted Awards during any period stated in Section 4 will be equitably adjusted or substituted, as to the number, price or kind of a share of Common Stock or other consideration subject to such Awards to the extent necessary to preserve the economic intent of such Award. In the case of adjustments made pursuant to this Section 11, unless the Committee specifically determines that such adjustment is in the best interests of the Company or its Affiliates, the Committee shall, in the case of Incentive Stock Options, ensure that any adjustments under this Section 11 will not constitute a modification, extension or renewal of the Incentive Stock Options within the meaning of Section 424(h)(3) of the Code and in the case of Non-qualified Stock Options, ensure that any adjustments under this Section 11 will not constitute a modification of such Non-qualified Stock Options within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. Any adjustments made under this Section 11 shall be made in a manner which does not adversely affect the exemption provided pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. The Company shall give each Participant notice of an adjustment hereunder and, upon notice, such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes.

 

12. Effect of Change in Control.

 

12.1. In the discretion of the Board and the Committee, any Award Agreement may provide, or the Board or the Committee may provide by amendment of any Award Agreement or otherwise, notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, that in the event of a Change in Control, Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights shall become immediately exercisable with respect to all or a specified portion of the shares subject to such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, and/or the Restricted Period shall expire immediately with respect to all or a specified portion of the shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units.

 

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12.2. In addition, in the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may in its discretion and upon at least 10 days’ advance notice to the affected persons, cancel any outstanding Awards and pay to the holders thereof, in cash or stock, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards based upon the price per share of Common Stock received or to be received by other stockholders of the Company in the event. In the case of any Option or Stock Appreciation Right with an exercise price that equals or exceeds the price paid for a share of Common Stock in connection with the Change in Control, the Committee may cancel the Option or Stock Appreciation Right without the payment of consideration therefor.

 

12.3. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon any successor corporation or organization resulting from the merger, consolidation or other reorganization of the Company, or upon any successor corporation or organization succeeding to all or substantially all of the assets and business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

13. Amendment of the Plan and Awards.

 

13.1. Amendment of Plan. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate this Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided that (a) no amendment to the persons eligible to receive Awards set forth in Section 1.2 or to the maximum number of shares as to which Awards may be granted set forth in Section 4.1 (except for adjustments pursuant to Section 11), shall be made without stockholder approval, and (b) no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without stockholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any Applicable Laws (including, without limitation, as necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory requirement applicable to this Plan or to prevent the Company from being denied a tax deduction under Section 162(m) of the Code); and provided further, that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the prior written consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary.

 

13.2. Contemplated Amendments. It is expressly contemplated that the Board may amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable to provide eligible Employees, Consultants and Directors with the maximum benefits provided or to be provided under the provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder relating to Incentive Stock Options or to the nonqualified deferred compensation provisions of Section 409A of the Code and/or to bring the Plan and/or Awards granted under it into compliance therewith.

 

13.3. No Impairment of Rights. Rights under any Award granted before amendment of the Plan shall not be impaired by any amendment of the Plan unless (a) the Company requests the consent of the Participant and (b) the Participant consents in writing.

 

13.4. Amendment of Awards. The Committee may, to the extent consistent with the terms of any applicable Award Agreement, waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, any Award theretofore granted or the associated Award Agreement, prospectively or retroactively; provided, however that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant with respect to any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant.

 

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14. General Provisions.

 

14.1. Forfeiture Events. The Committee may specify in an Award Agreement that the Participant’s rights, payments and benefits with respect to an Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain events, in addition to applicable vesting conditions of an Award. Such events may include, without limitation, breach of non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenants that are contained in the Award Agreement or otherwise applicable to the Participant, a termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service for Cause, or other conduct by the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company and/or its Affiliates.

 

14.2. Clawback. Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Plan, any Award which is subject to recovery under any law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement, will be subject to such deductions and clawback as may be required to be made pursuant to such law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement (or any policy adopted by the Company pursuant to any such law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement).

 

14.3. Other Compensation Arrangements. Nothing contained in this Plan shall prevent the Board from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements, subject to stockholder approval if such approval is required; and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.

 

14.4. Sub-plans. The Committee may from time to time establish sub-plans under the Plan for purposes of satisfying blue sky, securities, tax or other laws of various jurisdictions in which the Company intends to grant Awards. Any sub-plans shall contain such limitations and other terms and conditions as the Committee determines are necessary or desirable. All sub-plans shall be deemed a part of the Plan, but each sub-plan shall apply only to the Participants in the jurisdiction for which the sub-plan was designed.

 

14.5. Deferral of Awards. The Committee may establish one or more programs under the Plan to permit selected Participants the opportunity to elect to defer receipt of consideration upon exercise of an Award, satisfaction of performance criteria, or other event that absent the election would entitle the Participant to payment or receipt of shares of Common Stock or other consideration under an Award. The Committee may establish the election procedures, the timing of such elections, the mechanisms for payments of, and accrual of interest or other earnings, if any, on amounts, shares or other consideration so deferred, and such other terms, conditions, rules and procedures that the Committee deems advisable for the administration of any such deferral program. All of such programs and procedures shall be consistent with the rules of Section 409A of the Code.

 

14.6. Unfunded Plan. The Plan shall be unfunded. Neither the Company, the Board nor the Committee shall be required to establish any special or separate fund or to segregate any assets to assure the performance of its obligations under the Plan.

 

14.7. Recapitalizations. Each Award Agreement shall contain provisions required to reflect the provisions of Section 11.

 

14.8. Delivery. Upon exercise of a right granted under this Plan, the Company shall issue Common Stock or pay any amounts due within a reasonable period of time thereafter. Subject to any statutory or regulatory obligations the Company may otherwise have, for purposes of this Plan, thirty (30) days shall be considered a reasonable period of time.

 

14.9. No Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan. The Committee shall determine whether cash, additional Awards or other securities or property shall be issued or paid in lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock or whether any fractional shares should be rounded, forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

 

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14.10. Other Provisions. The Award Agreements authorized under the Plan may contain such other provisions not inconsistent with this Plan, including, without limitation, restrictions upon the exercise of the Awards, as the Committee may deem advisable.

 

14.11. Section 409A. The Plan and all Awards granted under the Plan are intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code to the extent subject thereto, and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, the Plan and all Awards Agreements shall be interpreted and administered to be in compliance therewith. Any payments described in the Plan that are due within the “short-term deferral period” as defined in Section 409A of the Code shall not be treated as deferred compensation unless Applicable Laws require otherwise. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or any Award Agreement, to the extent required to avoid accelerated taxation and tax penalties under Section 409A of the Code, amounts that would otherwise be payable and benefits that would otherwise be provided pursuant to the Plan or Award Agreement during the six (6) month period immediately following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service shall instead be paid on the first payroll date after the six-month anniversary of the Participant’s separation from service (or the Participant’s death, if earlier). Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Company nor the Committee shall have any obligation to take any action to prevent the assessment of any excise tax or penalty on any Participant under Section 409A of the Code and neither the Company nor the Committee will have any liability to any Participant for such tax or penalty.

 

14.12. Disqualifying Dispositions. Any Participant who shall make a “disposition” (as defined in Section 424 of the Code) of all or any portion of shares of Common Stock acquired upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option within two years from the Grant Date of such Incentive Stock Option or within one year after the issuance of the shares of Common Stock acquired upon exercise of such Incentive Stock Option (a “Disqualifying Disposition”) shall be required to immediately advise the Company in writing as to the occurrence of the sale and the price realized upon the sale of such shares of Common Stock.

 

14.13. Section 16. It is the intent of the Company that the Plan satisfy, and be interpreted in a manner that satisfies, the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3 as promulgated under Section 16 of the Exchange Act so that Participants will be entitled to the benefit of Rule 16b-3, or any other rule promulgated under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and will not be subject to short-swing liability under Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, if the operation of any provision of the Plan would conflict with the intent expressed in this Section 14.13, such provision to the extent possible shall be interpreted and/or deemed amended so as to avoid such conflict.

 

14.14. Beneficiary Designation. Each Participant under the Plan may from time to time name any beneficiary or beneficiaries by whom any right under the Plan is to be exercised in case of such Participant’s death. Each designation will revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form reasonably prescribed by the Committee and shall be effective only when filed by the Participant in writing with the Company during the Participant’s lifetime.

 

14.15. Expenses. The costs of administering the Plan shall be paid by the Company.

 

14.16. Severability. If any of the provisions of the Plan or any Award Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, whether in whole or in part, such provision shall be deemed modified to the extent, but only to the extent, of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability and the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby.

 

14.17. Plan Headings. The headings in the Plan are for purposes of convenience only and are not intended to define or limit the construction of the provisions hereof.

 

21

 

 

14.18. Non-Uniform Treatment. The Committee’s determinations under the Plan need not be uniform and may be made by it selectively among persons who are eligible to receive, or actually receive, Awards. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee shall be entitled to make non-uniform and selective determinations, amendments and adjustments, and to enter into non-uniform and selective Award Agreements.

 

15. Effective Date of Plan. The Plan shall become effective as of the Effective Date, but no Award shall be exercised (or, in the case of a stock Award, shall be granted) unless and until the Plan has been approved by the stockholders of the Company, which approval shall be within twelve (12) months before or after the date the Plan is adopted by the Board.

 

16. Termination or Suspension of the Plan. The Plan shall terminate automatically on August ___, 2032. No Award shall be granted pursuant to the Plan after such date, but Awards theretofore granted may extend beyond that date. The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any earlier date pursuant to Section 13.1 hereof, provided any such suspension or termination is consistent with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated.

 

17. Choice of Law. Except to the extent governed by Federal law, the law of the State of Nevada shall govern all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Plan, without regard to such state’s conflict of law rules.

 

 

22

 

Exhibit 10.27

 

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

 

This Stock Option Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of the Grant Date specified below by and between CleanCore Solutions, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and the participant named below (the “Participant”).

 

Name of Participant:  
Grant Date:  
Expiration Date:  
Exercise Price:  
Number of Option Shares:  
Type of Option:  
Vesting Start Date:  
Vesting Schedule:  

 

1. Grant of Option.

 

1.1. Grant. The Company hereby grants to the Participant an option (the “Option”) to purchase the total number of shares of Common Stock of the Company equal to the number of Option Shares set forth above, at the Exercise Price set forth above. The Option is being granted pursuant to the terms of the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein will have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.

 

1.2. Type of Option. The Option is intended to be either a Non-qualified Stock Option (i.e., not an Incentive Stock Option) or an Incentive Stock Option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, as indicated above, although the Company makes no representation or guarantee that the Option will qualify as an Incentive Stock Option. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined on the Grant Date) of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by the Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and its Affiliates) exceeds $100,000, the Option or portion thereof which exceeds such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) shall be treated as a Non-qualified Stock Option.

 

1.3. Consideration. The grant of the Option is made in consideration of the services to be rendered by the Participant to the Company and is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

2. Exercise Period; Vesting.

 

2.1. Vesting Schedule. The Option will become vested and exercisable in accordance with the Vesting Schedule specified above until the Option is 100% vested. The unvested portion of the Option will not be exercisable on or after the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service.

 

2.2. Expiration. The Option will expire on the Expiration Date set forth above, or earlier as provided in this Agreement or the Plan.

 

3. Termination of Continuous Service.

 

3.1. Termination for Reasons Other Than Cause, Death or Disability. If the Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated for any reason other than Cause, death or Disability, the Participant may exercise the vested portion of the Option, but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date that is three months following the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service or (b) the Expiration Date.

 

3.2. Termination for Cause. If the Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated for Cause, the Option (whether vested or unvested) shall immediately terminate and cease to be exercisable.

 

 

 

3.3. Termination Due to Disability. If the Participant’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s Disability, the Participant may exercise the vested portion of the Option, but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date that is 12 months following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service or (b) the Expiration Date.

 

3.4. Termination Due to Death. If the Participant’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s death, or the Participant dies within a period following termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service during which the vested portion of the Option remains exercisable, the vested portion of the Option may be exercised by the Participant’s estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance or by the person designated to exercise the Option upon the Participant’s death, but only within the time period ending on the earlier of (a) the date that is 12 months following the Participant’s death or (b) the Expiration Date.

 

3.5. Extension of Termination Date. If following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service for any reason the exercise of the Option is prohibited because the exercise of the Option would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act or any other state or federal securities law or the rules of any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system, then the expiration of the Option shall be tolled until the date that is thirty (30) days after the end of the period during which the exercise of the Option would be in violation of such registration or other securities requirements.

 

4. Manner of Exercise.

 

4.1. Election to Exercise. To exercise the Option, the Participant (or in the case of exercise after the Participant’s death or incapacity, the Participant’s executor, administrator, heir or legatee, as the case may be) must deliver to the Company an executed stock option exercise agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, or as is approved by the Committee from time to time (the “Exercise Agreement”), which shall set forth, inter alia: (a) the Participant’s election to exercise the Option; (b) the number of shares of Common Stock being purchased; (c) any restrictions imposed on the shares; and (d) any representations, warranties and agreements regarding the Participant’s investment intent and access to information as may be required by the Company to comply with applicable securities laws. If someone other than the Participant exercises the Option, then such person must submit documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company verifying that such person has the legal right to exercise the Option.

 

4.2. Payment of Exercise Price. The entire Exercise Price of the Option shall be payable in full at the time of exercise to the extent permitted by applicable statutes and regulations, either: (a) in cash or by certified or bank check at the time the Option is exercised; (b) by delivery to the Company of other shares of Common Stock, duly endorsed for transfer to the Company, with a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the Exercise Price (or portion thereof) due for the number of shares being acquired, or by means of attestation whereby the Participant identifies for delivery specific shares that have a Fair Market Value on the date of attestation equal to the Exercise Price (or portion thereof) and receives a number of shares equal to the difference between the number of shares thereby purchased and the number of identified attestation shares (a “Stock for Stock Exchange”); (c) through a “cashless exercise program” established with a broker; (d) by reduction in the number of shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise of such Option with a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Exercise Price at the time of exercise; (e) by any combination of the foregoing methods; or (f) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Committee.

 

2

 

 

4.3. Withholding. Prior to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of the Option, the Participant must make arrangements satisfactory to the Company to pay or provide for any applicable federal, state and local withholding obligations of the Company. The Participant may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise of the Option by any of the following means: (a) tendering a cash payment; (b) authorizing the Company to withhold shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to the Participant as a result of the exercise of the Option; provided, however, that no shares of Common Stock are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (c) delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered shares of Common Stock. The Company has the right to withhold from any compensation paid to a Participant.

 

4.4. Issuance of Shares. Provided that the Exercise Agreement and payment are in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, the Company shall issue the shares of Common Stock registered in the name of the Participant, the Participant’s authorized assignee, or the Participant’s legal representative which shall be evidenced by stock certificates representing the shares with the appropriate legends affixed thereto, appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent, or other appropriate means as determined by the Company.

 

5. No Right to Continued Service; No Rights as Stockholder. Neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall confer upon the Participant any right to be retained in any position, as an Employee, Consultant or Director of the Company. Further, nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall be construed to limit the discretion of the Company to terminate the Participant’s Continuous Service at any time, with or without Cause. The Participant shall not have any rights as a stockholder with respect to any shares of Common Stock subject to the Option prior to the date of exercise of the Option.

 

6. Transferability. The Option is not transferable by the Participant other than to a designated beneficiary upon the Participant’s death or by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by him or her. No assignment or transfer of the Option, or the rights represented thereby, whether voluntary or involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise (except to a designated beneficiary upon death by will or the laws of descent or distribution) will vest in the assignee or transferee any interest or right herein whatsoever, but immediately upon such assignment or transfer the Option will terminate and become of no further effect.

 

7. Change in Control. In the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may, in its discretion and upon at least ten (10) days’ advance notice to the Participant, cancel the Option and pay to the Participant the value of the Option based upon the price per share of Common Stock received or to be received by other stockholders of the Company in the event. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at the time of a Change in Control the Exercise Price of the Option equals or exceeds the price paid for a share of Common Stock in connection with the Change in Control, the Committee may cancel the Option without the payment of consideration therefor.

 

8. Adjustments. The shares of Common Stock subject to the Option may be adjusted or terminated in any manner as contemplated by Section 11 of the Plan.

 

9. Tax Liability and Withholding. Notwithstanding any action the Company takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, or other tax-related withholding (“Tax-Related Items”), the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains the Participant’s responsibility and the Company (a) makes no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with the grant, vesting, or exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of any shares acquired on exercise; and (b) does not commit to structure the Option to reduce or eliminate the Participant’s liability for Tax-Related Items.

 

3

 

 

10. Qualification as an Incentive Stock Option. If this Option is an Incentive Stock Option, the Participant understands that in order to obtain the benefits of an Incentive Stock Option, no sale or other disposition may be made of shares for which incentive stock option treatment is desired within one (1) year following the date of exercise of the Option or within two (2) years from the Grant Date. The Participant understands and agrees that the Company shall not be liable or responsible for any additional tax liability the Participant incurs in the event that the Internal Revenue Service for any reason determines that this Option does not qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of the Code.

 

11. Disqualifying Disposition. If this Option is an Incentive Stock Option and the Participant disposes of the shares of Common Stock prior to the expiration of either two (2) years from the Grant Date or one (1) year from the date the shares are transferred to the Participant pursuant to the exercise of the Option, the Participant shall notify the Company in writing within thirty (30) days after such disposition of the date and terms of such disposition. The Participant also agrees to provide the Company with any information concerning any such dispositions as the Company requires for tax purposes.

 

12. Compliance with Law. The exercise of the Option and the issuance and transfer of shares of Common Stock shall be subject to compliance by the Company and the Participant with all applicable requirements of federal and state securities laws and with all applicable requirements of any stock exchange on which the Company’s shares of Common Stock may be listed. No shares of Common Stock shall be issued pursuant to this Option unless and until any then applicable requirements of state or federal laws and regulatory agencies have been fully complied with to the satisfaction of the Company and its counsel. The Participant understands that the Company is under no obligation to register the shares of Common Stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or any stock exchange to effect such compliance.

 

13. Notices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Company under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Secretary of the Company at the Company’s principal corporate offices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Participant under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Participant at the Participant’s address as shown in the records of the Company. Either party may designate another address in writing (or by such other method approved by the Company) from time to time.

 

14. Governing Law. This Agreement will be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

15. Interpretation. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement shall be submitted by the Participant or the Company to the Committee for review. The resolution of such dispute by the Committee shall be final and binding on the Participant and the Company.

 

16. Options Subject to Plan. This Agreement is subject to the Plan as approved by the Company’s stockholders. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.

 

17. Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement. This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth herein, this Agreement will be binding upon the Participant and the Participant’s beneficiaries, executors, administrators and the person(s) to whom the Option may be transferred by will or the laws of descent or distribution.

 

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18. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, and each provision of the Plan and this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.

 

19. Discretionary Nature of Plan. The Plan is discretionary and may be amended, cancelled or terminated by the Company at any time, in its discretion. The grant of the Option in this Agreement does not create any contractual right or other right to receive any Options or other Awards in the future. Future Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company. Any amendment, modification, or termination of the Plan shall not constitute a change or impairment of the terms and conditions of the Participant’s employment with the Company.

 

20. Amendment. The Committee has the right to amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or cancel the Option, prospectively or retroactively; provided, that, no such amendment shall adversely affect the Participant’s material rights under this Agreement without the Participant’s consent.

 

21. No Impact on Other Benefits. The value of the Participant’s Option is not part of his or her normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, retirement, welfare, insurance or similar employee benefit.

 

22. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. Counterpart signature pages to this Agreement transmitted by facsimile transmission, by electronic mail in portable document format (.pdf), or by any other electronic means intended to preserve the original graphic and pictorial appearance of a document, will have the same effect as physical delivery of the paper document bearing an original signature.

 

23. Acceptance. The Participant hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and this Agreement. The Participant has read and understands the terms and provisions thereof, and accepts the Option subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement. The Participant acknowledges that there may be adverse tax consequences upon exercise of the Option or disposition of the underlying shares and that the Participant should consult a tax advisor prior to such exercise or disposition.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

5

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the Grant Date set forth above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
   
  By:  
    Name: Matthew Atkinson
    Title: Chief Executive Officer
   
  Address:   
     
     
   
  PARTICIPANT:
   
   
  (Signature)
   
   
  (Name)
   
  Address:  
     
     

 

6

 

 

Exhibit A

 

STOCK OPTION EXERCISE AGREEMENT

 

This Stock Option Exercise Agreement (this “Exercise Agreement”) is made and entered into as of _______________ by and between CleanCore Solutions, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and the purchaser named below (the “Purchaser”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the CleanCore Solutions, Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

 

  Purchaser Name:  
     
  Address:  
     
  Social Security Number:  

 

1. Option. The Purchaser was granted an option (the “Option”) to purchase shares of Common Stock pursuant to the terms of the Plan and the Stock Option Agreement between the Company and the Purchaser dated ________________, as follows:

 

Type of Option (check one):

 

____ Incentive Stock Option

 

____ Non-qualified Stock Option

 

  Grant Date:  
     
  Number of Option shares:  
     
  Exercise Price per share:  
     
  Expiration Date:  

 

2. Exercise of Option. The Purchaser hereby elects to exercise the Option to purchase __________ shares of Common Stock (“Shares”), all of which are vested pursuant to the terms of the Stock Option Agreement. The total Exercise Price for all of the Shares is ________ (Total Shares times Exercise Price per Share).

 

3. Payment of the Exercise Price; Delivery of Required Documents. The Purchaser encloses payment in full of the total Exercise Price for the Shares in the following form(s), as authorized by the Stock Option Agreement (check and complete as appropriate):

 

____ In cash (by certified or bank check) in the amount of $_____, receipt of which is acknowledged by the Company.

 

____ By delivery of ______ previously acquired shares of Common Stock duly endorsed for transfer to the Company.

 

____ Through a Stock for Stock Exchange (Contact Company CFO).

 

____ By a broker-assisted cashless exercise (Contact Company CFO).

 

____ By reduction in the number of Shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise with a Fair Market Value equal to the total Exercise Price (Contact Company CFO).

 

The Purchaser will deliver any other documents that the Company requires.

 

A-1

 

 

4. Tax Withholding. The Purchaser authorizes payroll withholding and will make arrangements satisfactory to the Company to pay or provide for any applicable federal, state and local withholding obligations of the Company. The Purchaser may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise of the Option by any of the methods set forth in the Plan or Stock Option Agreement. The Purchaser understands that ownership of the Shares will not be transferred to the Purchaser until the total Exercise Price and all applicable withholding taxes have been paid.

 

5. Notice of Disqualifying Disposition. If the Option is an Incentive Stock Option, the Purchaser agrees to promptly notify the Secretary at the Company if he or she transfers any of the Shares purchased pursuant to this Exercise Agreement within one (1) year from the date of exercise of the Option or within two (2) years from the Grant Date.

 

6. Tax Consequences. The Purchaser understands that there may be adverse federal or state tax consequences as a result of his or her purchase or disposition of the Shares. The Purchaser also acknowledges that he or she has been advised to consult with a tax advisor in connection with the purchase or disposition of the Shares. The Purchaser is not relying on the Company for tax advice.

 

7. Compliance with Law. The issuance and transfer of the Shares will be subject to, and conditioned upon compliance by the Company and the Purchaser with, all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and all applicable requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares may be listed or quoted at the time of such issuance or transfer.

 

8. Successors and Assigns; Binding Effect. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Exercise Agreement. This Exercise Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. This Exercise Agreement will be binding upon the Purchaser and the Purchaser’s heirs, executors, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

9. Governing Law. This Exercise Agreement will be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

10. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Exercise Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision, and each provision of this Exercise Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.

 

11. Counterparts. This Exercise Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.

 

12. Notice. Any notice required to be delivered to the Company under this Exercise Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Secretary of the Company at the Company’s principal corporate offices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Purchaser under this Exercise Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Purchaser at the Purchaser’s address as set forth above. Either party may designate another address in writing (or by such other method approved by the Company) from time to time.

 

13. Acknowledgement. The Purchaser understands that he or she is purchasing the Shares pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Stock Option Agreement, copies of which the Purchaser has read and understands.

 

A-2

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Exercise Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
     
  CLEANCORE SOLUTIONS, INC.
     
  By:
  Name:  Matthew Atkinson
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

  PURCHASER:
     
   
  [Name]

 

 

A-3

 

Exhibit 10.28

 

RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT

 

This Restricted Stock Award Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of _______________ (the “Grant Date”) by and between CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and ______________ (the “Grantee”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the CC Acquisition Corp. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to which awards of Restricted Stock may be granted; and

 

WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to grant the award of Restricted Stock provided for herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

1. Grant of Restricted Stock. Pursuant to Section 7.2 of the Plan, the Company hereby issues to the Grantee on the Grant Date a Restricted Stock Award consisting of, in the aggregate, _________ shares of Common Stock of the Company (the “Restricted Stock”), on the terms and conditions and subject to the restrictions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan. Capitalized terms that are used but not defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Plan.

 

2. Consideration. The grant of the Restricted Stock is made in consideration of the services to be rendered by the Grantee to the Company.

 

3. Restricted Period; Vesting.

 

3.1. Except as otherwise provided herein, provided that the Grantee remains in Continuous Service through the applicable vesting date, and further provided that any additional conditions and performance goals set forth in Schedule I have been satisfied, the Restricted Stock will vest in accordance with the following schedule:

 

Vesting Date   Shares of Common Stock
[VESTING DATE]   [NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF SHARES THAT VEST ON THE VESTING DATE]
     
[VESTING DATE]   [NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF SHARES THAT VEST ON THE VESTING DATE]

 

The period over which the Restricted Stock vests is referred to as the “Restricted Period”.

 

3.2. The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, if the Grantee’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason at any time before all of his or her Restricted Stock has vested other than death or retirement (in the case of a Director), termination of the Grantee’s Continuous Service is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate for Disability, the Grantee’s unvested Restricted Stock shall be automatically forfeited upon such termination of Continuous Service and neither the Company nor any Affiliate shall have any further obligations to the Grantee under this Agreement.

 

3.3. The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, in the event of the Grantee’s death or if the Grantee’s Continuous Service is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate for Disability, 100% of the unvested Restricted Stock shall vest as of the date of such termination.

 

 

 

 

4. Restrictions. Subject to any exceptions set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, during the Restricted Period, the Restricted Stock or the rights relating thereto may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Grantee. Any attempt to assign, alienate, pledge, attach, sell or otherwise transfer or encumber the Restricted Stock or the rights relating thereto during the Restricted Period shall be wholly ineffective and, if any such attempt is made, the Restricted Stock will be forfeited by the Grantee and all of the Grantee’s rights to such shares shall immediately terminate without any payment or consideration by the Company.

 

5. Rights as Stockholder; Dividends.

 

5.1. The Grantee shall be the record owner of the Restricted Stock until the shares of Common Stock are sold or otherwise disposed of, and shall be entitled to all of the rights of a stockholder of the Company including, without limitation, the right to vote such shares and receive all dividends or other distributions paid with respect to such shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any dividends or other distributions shall be subject to the same restrictions on transferability as the shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid.

 

5.2. The Company may issue stock certificates or evidence the Grantee’s interest by using a restricted book entry account with the Company’s transfer agent. Physical possession or custody of any stock certificates that are issued may be retained by the Company until such time as the Restricted Stock vests.

 

5.3. If the Grantee forfeits any rights he or she has under this Agreement in accordance with Section 3, the Grantee shall, on the date of such forfeiture, no longer have any rights as a stockholder with respect to the Restricted Stock and shall no longer be entitled to vote or receive dividends on such shares.

 

6. No Right to Continued Service. Neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall confer upon the Grantee any right to be retained in any position, as an Employee, Consultant or Director of the Company. Further, nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall be construed to limit the discretion of the Company to terminate the Grantee’s Continuous Service at any time, with or without Cause.

 

7. Adjustments. If any change is made to the outstanding Common Stock or the capital structure of the Company, if required, the shares of Common Stock shall be adjusted or terminated in any manner as contemplated by Section 11 of the Plan.

 

8. Tax Liability and Withholding.

 

8.1. The Grantee shall be required to pay to the Company, and the Company shall have the right to deduct from any compensation paid to the Grantee pursuant to the Plan, the amount of any required withholding taxes in respect of the Restricted Stock and to take all such other action as the Committee deems necessary to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes. The Committee may permit the Grantee to satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation by any of the following means, or by a combination of such means: (a) tendering a cash payment; (b) authorizing the Company to withhold shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable or deliverable to the Grantee as a result of the vesting of the Restricted Stock; provided, however, that no shares of Common Stock shall be withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (c) delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered shares of Common Stock.

 

8.2. Notwithstanding any action the Company takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, or other tax-related withholding (“Tax-Related Items”), the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains the Grantee’s responsibility and the Company (a) makes no representation or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with the grant or vesting of the Restricted Stock or the subsequent sale of any shares; and (b) does not commit to structure the Restricted Stock to reduce or eliminate the Grantee’s liability for Tax-Related Items.

 

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9. Section 83(b) Election. The Grantee may make an election under Code Section 83(b) (a “Section 83(b) Election”) with respect to the Restricted Stock. Any such election must be made within thirty (30) days after the Grant Date. If the Grantee elects to make a Section 83(b) Election, the Grantee shall provide the Company with a copy of an executed version and satisfactory evidence of the filing of the executed Section 83(b) Election with the US Internal Revenue Service. The Grantee agrees to assume full responsibility for ensuring that the Section 83(b) Election is actually and timely filed with the US Internal Revenue Service and for all tax consequences resulting from the Section 83(b) Election.

 

10. Compliance with Law. The issuance and transfer of shares of Common Stock shall be subject to compliance by the Company and the Grantee with all applicable requirements of federal and state securities laws and with all applicable requirements of any stock exchange on which the Company’s shares of Common Stock may be listed. No shares of Common Stock shall be issued or transferred unless and until any then applicable requirements of state and federal laws and regulatory agencies have been fully complied with to the satisfaction of the Company and its counsel. The Grantee understands that the Company is under no obligation to register the shares of Common Stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or any stock exchange to effect such compliance.

 

11. Legends. A legend may be placed on any certificate(s) or other document(s) delivered to the Grantee indicating restrictions on transferability of the shares of Restricted Stock pursuant to this Agreement or any other restrictions that the Committee may deem advisable under the rules, regulations and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any applicable federal or state securities laws or any stock exchange on which the shares of Common Stock are then listed or quoted.

 

12. Notices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Company under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Secretary of the Company at the Company’s principal corporate offices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Grantee under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Grantee at the Grantee’s address as shown in the records of the Company. Either party may designate another address in writing (or by such other method approved by the Company) from time to time.

 

13. Governing Law. This Agreement will be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

14. Interpretation. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement shall be submitted by the Grantee or the Company to the Committee for review. The resolution of such dispute by the Committee shall be final and binding on the Grantee and the Company.

 

15. Restricted Stock Subject to Plan. This Agreement is subject to the Plan as approved by the Company’s stockholders. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.

 

16. Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement. This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth herein, this Agreement will be binding upon the Grantee and the Grantee’s beneficiaries, executors, administrators and the person(s) to whom the Restricted Stock may be transferred by will or the laws of descent or distribution.

 

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17. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, and each provision of the Plan and this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.

 

18. Discretionary Nature of Plan. The Plan is discretionary and may be amended, cancelled or terminated by the Company at any time, in its discretion. The grant of the Restricted Stock in this Agreement does not create any contractual right or other right to receive any Restricted Stock or other Awards in the future. Future Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company. Any amendment, modification, or termination of the Plan shall not constitute a change or impairment of the terms and conditions of the Grantee’s employment with the Company.

 

19. Amendment. The Committee has the right to amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or cancel the Restricted Stock, prospectively or retroactively; provided, that, no such amendment shall adversely affect the Grantee’s material rights under this Agreement without the Grantee’s consent.

 

20. No Impact on Other Benefits. The value of the Grantee’s Restricted Stock is not part of his normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, retirement, welfare, insurance or similar employee benefit.

 

21. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. Counterpart signature pages to this Agreement transmitted by facsimile transmission, by electronic mail in portable document format (.pdf), or by any other electronic means intended to preserve the original graphic and pictorial appearance of a document, will have the same effect as physical delivery of the paper document bearing an original signature.

 

22. Acceptance. The Grantee hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and this Agreement. The Grantee has read and understands the terms and provisions thereof, and accepts the Restricted Stock subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement. The Grantee acknowledges that there may be adverse tax consequences upon the grant or vesting of the Restricted Stock or disposition of the shares and that the Grantee has been advised to consult a tax advisor prior to such grant, vesting or disposition.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
     
  CC Acquisition Corp.
     
  By:          
    Name: Matthew Atkinson
    Title: Chief Executive Officer
     
  Address:          
     
     
     

 

  GRANTEE:
   
        
  (Signature)
   
   
  (Name)

 

  Address:       
     
     
     
  SSN:  

 

 

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Exhibit 10.29

 

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT

 

This Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of _______________ (the “Grant Date”) by and between CC Acquisition Corp., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and ______________ (the “Grantee”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the CC Acquisition Corp. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to which awards of Restricted Stock Units may be granted; and

 

WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to grant the award of Restricted Stock Units provided for herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

1. Grant of Restricted Stock Units. Pursuant to Section 7.2 of the Plan, the Company hereby issues to the Grantee on the Grant Date a Restricted Award for _________ Restricted Stock Units (the “RSUs”), on the terms and conditions and subject to the restrictions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan. Capitalized terms that are used but not defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Plan. Each RSU represents the right to receive one share of Common Stock upon vesting of such RSU.

 

2. Consideration. The grant of the RSUs is made in consideration of the services to be rendered by the Grantee to the Company.

 

3. Vesting.

 

3.1. The RSUs will vest and become nonforfeitable with respect to the applicable portion thereof according to the vesting schedule set forth below, subject to the Grantee’s Continuous Service through the applicable vesting dates, as a condition to the vesting of the applicable installment of the RSUs and the rights and benefits under this Agreement. The RSUs which have vested and are no longer subject to forfeiture are referred to as “Vested RSUs.” All RSUs which have not become Vested RSUs are referred to as “Nonvested RSUs.”

 

Vesting Date   Number of RSUs
[VESTING DATE]   [NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF SHARES THAT VEST ON THE VESTING DATE]
     
[VESTING DATE]   [NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF SHARES THAT VEST ON THE VESTING DATE]

 

3.2. Except as otherwise provided herein, if the Grantee’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason other than the Grantee’s (a) death, (b) Disability, (c) retirement, or (d) termination by the Company without Cause, any Nonvested RSUs will be automatically forfeited, terminated and cancelled as of the applicable termination date without payment of any consideration by the Company, and the Grantee, or the Grantee’s beneficiary or personal representative, as the case may be, shall have no further rights hereunder.

 

3.3. In the event of the Grantee’s death, Disability, retirement, or termination by the Company without Cause, all Nonvested RSUs shall become fully vested and no longer such just to forfeiture upon the date of such event.

 

 

 

 

4. Payment Upon Vesting.

 

4.1. As soon as administratively practicable following the vesting of any RSUs pursuant to Section 3 hereof, but in no event later than sixty (60) days after such vesting date (for the avoidance of doubt, this deadline is intended to comply with the “short-term deferral” exemption from Section 409A of the Code), the Company shall deliver to the Grantee (or any transferee permitted under Section 5 hereof) a number of shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”), either by delivering one or more certificates for such shares or by entering such Shares in book entry form, as determined by the Company in its sole discretion, equal to the number of RSUs subject to this award that vest on the applicable vesting date, unless such RSUs terminate prior to the given vesting date pursuant to Section 3 hereof.

 

4.2. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be entitled to require payment by the Grantee of any sums required by applicable law to be withheld with respect to the grant of RSUs or the issuance of Shares. Such payment shall be made by deduction from other compensation payable to the Grantee or in such other form of consideration acceptable to the Company which may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, include:

 

(a) cash or check;

 

(b) surrender of Shares (including, without limitation, shares otherwise issuable under the RSUs) held for such period of time as may be required by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting consequences and having a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the minimum amount required to be withheld by statute; or

 

(c) other property acceptable to the Committee (including, without limitation, through the delivery of a notice that the Grantee has placed a market sell order with a broker with respect to Shares then issuable under the RSUs, and that the broker has been directed to pay a sufficient portion of the net proceeds of the sale to the Company in satisfaction of its withholding obligations; provided that payment of such proceeds is then made to the Company at such time as may be required by the Company, but in any event not later than the settlement of such sale).

 

The Company shall not be obligated to deliver any new certificate representing Shares to the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative or enter such share in book entry form unless and until the Grantee or the Grantee’s legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state, local or foreign taxes applicable to the taxable income of the Grantee resulting from the grant or vesting of the RSUs or the issuance of shares.

 

5. Conditions to Delivery of Shares.

 

5.1. Subject to Section 3, the Shares deliverable hereunder, or any portion thereof, may be either previously authorized but unissued Shares or issued Shares which have then been reacquired by the Company. Such Shares shall be fully paid and nonassessable. The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any Shares deliverable hereunder or portion thereof prior to fulfillment of all of the following conditions:

 

(a) The admission of such Shares to listing on all stock exchanges on which such Shares are then listed;

 

(b) The completion of any registration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or federal law or under rulings or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission or of any other governmental regulatory body, which the Committee shall, in its absolute discretion, deem necessary or advisable;

 

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(c) The obtaining of any approval or other clearance from any state or federal governmental agency which the Committee shall, in its absolute discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable;

 

(d) The receipt by the Company of full payment for such Shares, including payment of any applicable withholding tax, which may be in one or more of the forms of consideration permitted under Section 4 hereof; and

 

(e) The lapse of such reasonable period of time following the vesting of any RSUs as the Committee may from time to time establish for reasons of administrative convenience.

 

6. No Rights as Stockholder. The holder of the RSUs shall not be, nor have any of the rights or privileges of, a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation, voting rights and rights to dividends, in respect of the RSUs and any Shares underlying the RSUs and deliverable hereunder unless and until such Shares shall have been issued by the Company and held of record by such holder. No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date of such entry.

 

7. Grant is Not Transferable. During the lifetime of Grantee, the RSUs may not be sold, pledged, assigned or transferred in any manner other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, unless and until the Shares underlying the RSUs have been issued, and all restrictions applicable to such Shares have lapsed. Neither the RSUs nor any interest or right therein shall be liable for the debts, contracts or engagements of the Grantee or his or her successors in interest or shall be subject to disposition by transfer, alienation, anticipation, pledge, encumbrance, assignment or any other means whether such disposition be voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or any other legal or equitable proceedings (including bankruptcy), and any attempted disposition thereof shall be null and void and of no effect, except to the extent that such disposition is permitted by the preceding sentence.

 

8. No Right to Continued Service. Neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall confer upon the Grantee any right to be retained in any position, as an Employee, Consultant or Director of the Company. Further, nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall be construed to limit the discretion of the Company to terminate the Grantee’s Continuous Service at any time, with or without Cause.

 

9. Compliance with Law. The Grantee acknowledges that the Plan and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and any and all regulations and rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, state and applicable foreign securities laws and regulations. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan shall be administered, and the RSUs are granted, only in such a manner as to conform to such laws, rules and regulations. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Plan and this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such laws, rules and regulations.

 

10. Governing Law. This Agreement will be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

11. Interpretation. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement shall be submitted by the Grantee or the Company to the Committee for review. The resolution of such dispute by the Committee shall be final and binding on the Grantee and the Company.

 

12. RSUs Subject to Plan. This Agreement is subject to the Plan as approved by the Company’s stockholders. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.

 

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13. Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement. This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth herein, this Agreement will be binding upon the Grantee and the Grantee’s beneficiaries, executors, administrators and the person(s) to whom the RSUs may be transferred by will or the laws of descent or distribution.

 

14. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, and each provision of the Plan and this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.

 

15. Discretionary Nature of Plan. The Plan is discretionary and may be amended, cancelled or terminated by the Company at any time, in its discretion. The grant of the RSUs in this Agreement does not create any contractual right or other right to receive any RSUs or other Awards in the future. Future Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company. Any amendment, modification, or termination of the Plan shall not constitute a change or impairment of the terms and conditions of the Grantee’s employment with the Company.

 

16. Amendment. The Committee has the right to amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or cancel the RSUs, prospectively or retroactively; provided, that, no such amendment shall adversely affect the Grantee’s material rights under this Agreement without the Grantee’s consent.

 

17. No Impact on Other Benefits. The value of the Grantee’s RSUs is not part of his or her normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, retirement, welfare, insurance or similar employee benefit.

 

18. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. Counterpart signature pages to this Agreement transmitted by facsimile transmission, by electronic mail in portable document format (.pdf), or by any other electronic means intended to preserve the original graphic and pictorial appearance of a document, will have the same effect as physical delivery of the paper document bearing an original signature.

 

19. Acceptance. The Grantee hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and this Agreement. The Grantee has read and understands the terms and provisions thereof, and accepts the RSUs subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement. The Grantee acknowledges that there may be adverse tax consequences upon the grant or vesting of the RSUs or disposition of the Shares and that the Grantee has been advised to consult a tax advisor prior to such grant, vesting or disposition.

 

20. Grantee Undertaking. The Grantee hereby agrees to take whatever additional actions and execute whatever additional documents the Company may in its reasonable judgment deem necessary or advisable in order to carry out or effect one or more of the obligations or restrictions imposed on the Grantee pursuant to the express provisions of this Agreement.

 

21. Section 409A. The RSUs are intended to be exempt from Section 409A of the Code and this Agreement shall be administered and interpreted in accordance with such intent. The Committee reserves the right to unilaterally amend this Agreement without the consent of the Grantee in order to maintain an exclusion from the application of, or to maintain compliance with, Section 409A of the Code; and the Grantee hereby acknowledges and consents to such rights of the Committee.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  CC Acquisition Corp.
   
  By:     
    Name:
    Title:
  Address:        
     
     
   
  GRANTEE:
   
  (Signature)
   
   
  (Name)
   
  Address:   
     
     
   
  SSN:  

 

 

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Exhibit 23.1

 

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

To the Board of Directors of Cleancore Solutions, Inc.

 

We hereby consent to the inclusion in this Registration Statement of Cleancore Solutions, Inc. (f/k/a CC Acquisition Corp.) (the “Company”) on Form S-1 of our report dated October 10, 2023, related to the Form S-1with respect to our audits of the Company’s financial statements as of June 30, 2023 and 2022 and for the period from October 17, 2022 to June 30, 2023 (successor) and period from July 1, 2022 to October 16, 2022 (predecessor) and for the year ended June 30, 2022 (predecessor) which appears in this Registration Statement on Form S-1. Our report dated October 10, 2023, relating to the financial statements includes an emphasis paragraph relating to an uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

 

We also consent to the reference to our Firm under the caption “Experts” in such Prospectus.

 

/s/ TAAD LLP

 

Diamond Bar, California

 

October 10, 2023

Exhibit 99.1

 

October 10, 2023

 

CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 2

Omaha, NE 68137

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Pursuant to Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, I hereby consent to the references to my name in the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of CleanCore Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”), and any amendments thereto, which indicate that I have accepted the nomination to become a director of the Company.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

/s/ Daniel Nelson  
Daniel Nelson  

Exhibit 99.2

 

October 10, 2023

 

CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 2

Omaha, NE 68137

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Pursuant to Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, I hereby consent to the references to my name in the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of CleanCore Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”), and any amendments thereto, which indicate that I have accepted the nomination to become a director of the Company.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

/s/ James M. Grisham  
James M. Grisham  

Exhibit 99.3

 

October 10, 2023

 

CleanCore Solutions, Inc.

5920 South 118th Circle, Suite 2

Omaha, NE 68137

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Pursuant to Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, I hereby consent to the references to my name in the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of CleanCore Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”), and any amendments thereto, which indicate that I have accepted the nomination to become a director of the Company.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

/s/ Benjamin VandenWymelenberg  
Benjamin VandenWymelenberg