UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10

 

GENERAL FORM FOR REGISTRATION OF SECURITIES

Pursuant to Section 12(b) or (g) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

__________________

New York

14-1462255

State or other jurisdiction

(IRS Employer

of incorporation or organization

Identification No.)

 

325 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, New York 12205

(Address of principal executive offices)                                    (Zip Code)

 

(518) 218-2550

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

 

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class to be so registered

Name of each exchange on which each class is to be registered

None

None

 

Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

Common Stock

($0.01 par value)

(Title of class)

 

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 complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☑

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 


 

INDEX TO FORM 10

 

Page

Item 1:                         Business 

3

   

Item1A:                       Risk Factors 

 8

   

Item 2:                         Financial Information  

 8

   

Item 3:                         Properties  

15

   

Item 4:                         Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management  

15

   

Item 5:                         Directors and Executive Officers   

17

   

Item 6:                         Executive Compensation  

18

   

Item 7:                         Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence  

23

   

Item 8:                         Legal Proceedings  

23

   

Item 9:                         Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant's Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters 

23

   

Item 10:                       Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities  

25

   

Item 11:                       Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered  

25

   

Item 12:                       Indemnification of Directors and Officers  

26

   

Item 13:                       Financial Statements and Supplementary Data  

27

   

Item 14:                       Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 

 27

   

Item 15:                       Financial Statements and Exhibits 

27

 

 

2


 

Item 1:          Business

Unless the context requires otherwise in this Form 10, the terms "MTI," the "Company," "we," "us," and "our" refer to Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, "MTI Instruments" refers to MTI Instruments, Inc. and "EcoChain" refers to EcoChain, Inc. Other trademarks, trade names, and service marks used in this Form 10 are the property of their respective owners.

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, a New York corporation, was incorporated in 1961. The Company's core business is conducted through MTI Instruments, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary incorporated in New York on March 8, 2000. The Company has also recently both formed EcoChain, Inc. ("EcoChain"), a wholly-owned subsidiary incorporated in Delaware, to conduct a new line of business associated with cryptocurrency mining operations, and purchased Class A Preferred Shares of Soluna Technologies, Ltd. ("Soluna"), a Canadian company that develops vertically-integrated, utility-scale computing facilities focused on cryptocurrency mining and cutting-edge blockchain applications, as further discussed below. The Company's operations are headquartered in Albany, New York, where it designs, manufactures, and markets its products.

The Company also owns a 47.5% interest, which as of December 31, 2019 has a fair value of $0, in MeOH Power, Inc. (formerly MTI MicroFuel Cells, Inc.), which the Company operated as a subsidiary until December 31, 2013, at which time the majority interest was transferred to one of our directors. We do not expect our current interest in MeOH Power, Inc. to have a material impact on our results of operations or financial condition going forward.

MTI Instruments engages in the design, manufacture, sale, marketing, and support of metrology, or measurement, products that provide analytical data to help customers monitor and analyze processes in areas including research and development, manufacturing, process control, quality control, and troubleshooting of third-party equipment. In research and development, our products can help customers collect empirical data that they can use to develop new products or processes. In manufacturing, our sensors can help engineers understand whether or not a process is under control. In the quality control area, our products can help determine if parts in a manufacturing line pass or fail an applicable quality test. With respect to troubleshooting, our products can provide diagnostic, and potential solution, information. 

 

Because of the large number of applications and uses for our products, MTI Instruments' product mix varies from a single sensor to a large multi-channel system that contains many different sensors and software, we can provide our customers a complete solution. In addition, MTI Instruments sells components to original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs") who, in turn, incorporate our components into their own products. 

 

Our Products

 

MTI Instruments specializes in non-contact (our sensors do not touch the object they are trying to measure) highly-accurate metrology products. The measurements are carried from a distance while the sensor is tracking the object's movement. These types of measurement sensors are commonly referred to in the industry as non-contact, linear displacement measurement sensors. In addition, MTI Instruments manufactures quality control tools for the semiconductor industry as well as a line of products capable of performing the diagnosis of vibration and balancing problems of an aircraft engine and generating a visual map of where metal weights should be placed for the customer to balance the engine, also known as "trim balancing."

Precision Instruments' Products: MTI Instruments' precision instruments products are designed to address the needs of process engineers, researchers, designers, product developers, and others who need to measure and monitor what they are working on with precisions down to a nanometer or 1 billionth of a meter - essential to some industries like the semiconductor market, which uses such precision in the manufacturing of products including computer chips and smartphones. These products are also used in general industrial manufacturing applications including measuring dimensions, monitoring thickness, and the vibration of products.    

Listed below are selected MTI Instruments' precision instruments product offerings and technologies:

 

Product

 

Description

 

Accumeasure HD

 

Ultra-high precision capacitive boards and systems offering nanometer accuracy

 

Accumeasure Series

 

High precision capacitive boards and systems offering great stability

 

Microtrak 3/4

 

Single spot laser sensor equipped with the latest complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor technology with higher sensitivity than previous generation

MTI-2100 Fotonic Sensor Series

 

 

Fiber-optic based vibration sensor systems with high frequency response

 

 

 

3


Semiconductor and Solar Metrology Systems:  MTI Instruments has developed a family of products that can assist in early defect detection in the manufacturing process of semiconductors products. Some of these semiconductor products include microchips, which are the basis for building the sophisticated electronic devices we use today, including computers and smartphones. MTI Instruments' semiconductor products help to find irregularities early on in the manufacturing process, at the wafer stage, resulting in the detection of bad chips. The wafer is the surface, usually made of silicon, a chemical element, which microchips are built from. Our quality control tools help customers decide earlier than otherwise in the process whether to discard or keep the wafers, saving the customer time and money.

 

Listed below are MTI Instruments' semiconductor and solar metrology systems product offerings and technologies:

 

Product

 

Description

 

Proforma 300iSA

 

Semi-automated, non-contact full wafer surface scanning system for thickness, total thickness variation ("TTV"), bow, warp, site and global flatness

 

Proforma 300i

 

Manual, non-contact measurement of wafer thickness, TTV, and bow

 

PV 1000

 

In process tool for measuring thickness and bow of solar wafers

 

 

Balancing Systems: MTI Instruments manufactures computer-based portable balancing systems ("PBS") products that automatically collect and record aircraft engine vibration data, identify vibration or balance trouble in an engine, and calculate a solution to the problem on-wing, which means that customers do not have to disassemble the engine off the plane to perform this test and correct for the problem, resulting in a significant reduction of downtime. Major aircraft engine manufacturers and the U.S. Air Force, other military and commercial airlines, and gas turbine manufacturers use these products. MTI instruments also manufactures a product with similar characteristics for test cells. Test cells are dedicated engine facilities outfitted with instruments to test aircraft engines off-wing or when taken off aircrafts. 

  

Listed below are selected MTI Instruments' Balancing Systems product offerings and technologies:

 

Product

 

Description

PBS-4100+ Portable Balancing System

 

Provides easy-to-follow solutions for engine vibration and trim balancing

 

 

 

PBS-4100R Test Cell Vibration Analysis and Trim Balance System

 

Advanced trim balancing and diagnostics for engine test cells

 

 

 

TSC-4800A Tachometer Signal Conditioner

 

Signal conditioner detects and conditions signals for monitoring, measuring, and indicating engine speeds

 

Diagnostic Equipment: MTI Instruments has developed its 1510 Calibrator, which is a portable signal generator. A signal, or function, generator is a product that delivers an electronic signal simulating other pieces of equipment or sensors to help the user easily isolate potential problems when testing and calibrating electronic equipment. While the product was originally designed to help customers calibrate PBS products in the field, MTI Instruments now markets this product worldwide to different markets.

 

Marketing and Sales

MTI Instruments markets its products and services using selected and specific channels of distribution.  In the Americas, MTI Instruments uses a combination of direct sales and representatives. Overseas, particularly in Europe and Asia, MTI Instruments uses distributors and agents specific to our targeted end markets and has our sales staff frequently visit distributors and customers in these territories to increase our exposure and sales. For axial turbo machinery, MTI Instruments primarily sells directly to end users.

MTI Instruments supplements sales efforts with marketing activities across different media including search engines, targeted newsletters, and purchased customer lists, and participates in trade shows related to our business in hopes to increase lead generation, resulting in new customer sales. The Company also maintains strong working relationships with our existing key customers to continually promote new product sales.

In addition, the Company works with existing OEMs and seeks to work with new OEMs to incorporate our products into their own products or retrofit existing components with our products. In most cases, these OEMs are looking for a semi-custom sensor using our products and technologies as the base for development. While the sales cycle of a new MTI Instruments' product at an OEM can be long, so is the potential for recurring revenue once an OEM adopts our product.

 

4


Product Development

MTI Instruments conducts research and development efforts to support its existing products and develop new ones according to its sales and marketing plans. Management believes that our success in our current business depends to a large extent upon innovation, technological expertise, and new product development, and in some cases, seeking a technological advantage in the market. In addition, MTI Instruments seeks to work with OEMs to develop semi-custom product solutions.  Below are our most recent product development efforts:

 

Product Manufacturing & Operations

While many companies in the sensor, instrument, and systems markets have manufacturing operations overseas, MTI is and has always been a U.S.-based manufacturing company. Products are conceived, developed, tested, and shipped out from our headquarters in Albany, New York.

Our management believes that there are inherent advantages in maintaining our operations in the United States, including reducing the risk of inadvertent technology transfer, the ability to control manufacturing quality, and a much more effective customer management and satisfaction process. We have long-term vendor relationships and believe that most raw materials that we use in our products are readily available from a variety of vendors.

We employ a flexible approach to manufacturing. While cross-training our employees in operations in different functional areas, management also implemented and has kept up-to-date lean principles on the manufacturing floor to increase capacity and productivity when experiencing high sales volumes. 

In April 2017, the Company received ISO certification 9001:2015. The certification was authorized by TÜVRheinland®, an independent agency. To obtain this certification, we underwent a rigorous five-step process including preparation, documentation, implementation, internal audit, and final certification. We believe that the changes we implemented that resulted in the ISO 9001:2015 certification confirms our commitment to an effective management system and continuous improvement, a practice that management believes is important for continuous growth.

Competition

We compete with a number of companies, several of which are substantially larger than MTI Instruments.

In the precision automated manufacturing market, MTI Instruments faces competition from companies including Omron, Turck, Pepperl Fuchs, Keyence, Micro Epsilon, Schmitt Industries, Capacitec, Microsense, and Motion Tech Automation.

In the axial turbo machinery market, MTI Instruments' PBS product line competes with products from companies including ACES Systems and Meggitt Sensing Systems (Vibrometer) in the diagnostics of engine vibration and trim balancing.

 

5


In the R&D and semiconductor markets, we compete with companies involved in wafer inspection including KLA, Micro Epsilon, and E+H Metrology GmbH. Competitors in precision linear displacement include Keyence, Micro Epsilon, Schmitt Industries, Capacitec, Microsense, and Motion Tech Automation.

The primary competitive considerations in MTI Instruments' markets are product quality, performance, price, timely delivery, responsiveness, and the ability to identify, pursue, and obtain new customers. MTI Instruments believes that its employees, product development skills, sales and marketing systems, and reputation are competitive advantages.

Raw Materials

Our products are made from a wide variety of raw materials and certain subassemblies that are generally available from multiple sources. While we seek to have several sources of supply for our raw materials and subassemblies, however, we do obtain certain materials from a single source or a limited group of suppliers or from suppliers in a single country. While we believe that we have established strong vendor relationships to mitigate the risks associated with single source suppliers, disruptions in supply could result in delays, increased costs, or reduced operating profits or cash flows.

Significant Customers

All of our revenues during 2019, 2018, and 2017 were earned through MTI Instruments. MTI Instruments' largest customer is the U.S. Air Force. We also have strong relationships with companies in the electronics, aircraft, aerospace, automotive, and semiconductor industries. The U.S. Air Force accounted for 20.8%, 28.0%, and 20.1%, respectively, of our total product revenues during 2019, 2018, and 2017. Our largest commercial customer in 2019 was a U.S. manufacturer of test equipment and constructed service facilities to the aerospace and energy markets, which accounted for 11.0% of total product revenue. Our largest commercial customer in 2018 was a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment in Asia, which accounted for 11.1% of total product revenue, and our largest commercial customer in 2017 was a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment located in Asia, which accounted for 10.0% of total product revenue.

Intellectual Property and Proprietary Rights

We rely on trade secret and copyright laws to establish and protect the proprietary rights of our products. In addition, we enter into standard confidentiality agreements with our employees and consultants and seek to control access to and distribution of our proprietary information. Even with these precautions, however, it may be possible for a third party to copy or otherwise obtain and use our products or technology without authorization or to develop similar technology independently. In addition, effective copyright and trade secret protection may be unavailable or limited in certain foreign countries.

Royalty Agreement; Sale of Business

Pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement by and between MTI Instruments and 5 Twenty-Two Systems, LLC, dated as of May 10, 2019, we sold all assets related to our former tensile stage product line to 5 Twenty-Two Systems for a purchase price of $27,500 plus $9,048.20 for certain inventory, future royalty payments, and 5 Twenty-Two Systems' assumption of certain liabilities.  Pursuant to the agreement, 5 Twenty-Two Systems' is required to pay us a royalty equal to 3% of its gross sales from its sale of products, equipment, or other assets containing, incorporating, or making use of the assets purchased from us under the agreement as arising from its ownership or operation of its business or use of such assets through May 10, 2022.

Existing or Probable Governmental Regulations

Current Operations

Under the current federal administration, there has been ongoing discussions and activities regarding changes to other U.S. trade policies and treaties, including threats by the United States to withdraw from certain treaties and other countries signing new trade agreements without U.S. participation. These developments may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and may significantly reduce global trade and, in particular, trade between the impacted nations and the United States. Any of these factors could depress economic activity and restrict our access to suppliers or customers and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. 

In particular, while there has been no impact on MTI to date from recent tariffs, new tariffs are still being considered and, if implemented, could negatively impact MTI in a number of ways. While any steel and aluminum we use in our products is produced solely in the United States, the new tariffs may provide domestic steel and aluminum producers the flexibility to increase their prices, at least to a level where their products would still be priced below foreign competitors once the tariffs are taken into account. Any such price increases, to the extent we did not pass such increases on to our customers, would likely increase our cost of product revenue and, as a result, decrease our gross margins, operating income, and net income, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. On the other hand, if we attempt to pass any such increases on to our customers, that may result in lower sales, which would likely decrease our net income, and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. In addition, in response to the new tariffs, a number of other countries are threatening to impose tariffs on U.S. imports that, if implemented, could increase the price of our products in these countries and may result in our customers looking to alternative sources for our products. This would result in decreased sales, which could have a negative impact on our gross margins, net income, and financial condition.

 

6


We anticipate possible further changes to current policies by the U.S. government that could affect our business, including changes in U.S. trade relations with other countries (e.g., China). Our suppliers source some of their raw materials from foreign countries, so any new tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on imports into the United States may increase our cost of product revenue to the extent our suppliers pass some or all of the costs of such tariffs on to their customers and, as a result, decrease our gross margins, operating income, and net income, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. Further, the imposition of such tariffs, and other recent and potential actions of the U.S. government with respect to other countries, may generate negative views of the United States in other countries and make persons in those countries less inclined to purchase products from U.S. companies like us.

The ultimate reaction of other countries to recent and potential additional tariffs, and the impact of these tariffs on the United States, the global economy, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations, cannot be predicted at this time, nor can we predict the impact of any other actions, including U.S. withdrawal from or attempted renegotiation of trade treaties, that may be undertaken by the current administration with respect to global trade and the impact this may ultimately have on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

 

Planned Business - Cryptocurrency

While the United States and a number of other countries are considering how to regulate cryptocurrencies, very little action has been taken in that regard to date. While we expect that regulation, particularly in the United States, governing the cryptocurrency arena will be adopted at some point, there is no certainty at this time when such regulations may be adopted, what form such regulation will take, or the parts of the cryptocurrency sector that such regulations will impact. As a result, we cannot at this time determine or even estimate what the impact of such regulations may be on EcoChain's intended business or EcoChain's and, as a result, the Company's, financial condition or results of operations.

 

EcoChain; Soluna

On January 8, 2020, the Company formed EcoChain as a wholly-owned subsidiary. EcoChain is establishing a new business line focused on cryptocurrency and the blockchain ecosystem. In connection with the creation of the new business line, EcoChain is constructing a pilot cryptocurrency mining facility that it intends to integrate with the bitcoin blockchain network. Pursuant to an Operating and Management Agreement dated January 13, 2020, by and between EcoChain and Soluna, Soluna is assisting us in developing the pilot cryptocurrency mining facility, which Soluna will operate upon its completion. The Operating and Management Agreement requires, among other things, that Soluna provide developmental and operational services, as directed by EcoChain, with respect to the pilot cryptocurrency mining facility in exchange for EcoChain's payment to Soluna of a one-time fee of $65,000 and revenue-based success payments in the event EcoChain achieves profitability. Pursuant to the Operating and Management Agreement, during the developmental phase of the pilot cryptocurrency mining facility, Soluna will gather and analyze information with respect to EcoChain's cryptocurrency mining efforts and otherwise produce budgets, financial models, and technical and operational plans for delivery to EcoChain (the "Deliverables"), that can assist with the efficient construction of a pilot cryptocurrency mine. Following the conclusion of the developmental phase of the project, which is scheduled to end on March 20, 2020, and EcoChain's acceptance of the Deliverables, the agreement provides that Soluna, on behalf of EcoChain, will construct and commence operations of the pilot cryptocurrency mine in a manner that will allow EcoChain to mine and sell cryptocurrency. EcoChain plans to sell for U.S. dollars all cryptocurrency it mines and will not be in the business of accumulating cryptocurrency on its balance sheet for speculative gains.   

Simultaneously with the entering into of the Operating and Management Agreement, the Company made a strategic investment in Soluna by purchasing 158,730 Class A Preferred Shares of Soluna for an aggregate purchase price of $500,000. In connection with that investment, the Company is obligated to purchase an additional $250,000 of Class A Preferred Shares of Soluna in the event certain development milestones are achieved with respect to EcoChain and EcoChain's pilot cryptocurrency mining facility. The Company also has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase additional equity securities of Soluna and its subsidiaries (including additional Class A Preferred Shares of Soluna) if Soluna secures certain levels or types of project financing with respect to its own wind power generation facilities. The Company has additionally entered into a Side Letter Agreement, dated January 13, 2020, with Soluna Technologies Investment I, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company that owns, on a fully diluted basis, 62.5% of Soluna and is controlled by a Brookstone Partners-affiliated director of the Company. The Side Letter Agreement provides for the transfer to the Company of additional Class A Preferred Shares of Soluna in the event Soluna issues additional equity below agreed-upon valuation thresholds.

Several of Soluna's equityholders are affiliated with Brookstone Partners, the investment firm that holds an equity interest in the Company through Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXIV, LLC. Our two Brookstone-affiliated directors also serve as directors and, in one case, as an officer, of Soluna and also have ownership interest in Soluna (See "Item 7. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence" for additional information on these relationships). In light of these relationships, the various transactions by and between the Company and EcoChain, on the one hand, and Soluna, on the other hand, were negotiated on behalf of the Company and EcoChain via an independent investment committee of the Company's board of directors and separate legal representation. The transactions were subsequently unanimously approved by both the independent investment committee and the full board of directors of the Company.

 

7


Employees

As of December 31, 2019, we had 29 employees including 26 full-time employees.

Item1A:       Risk Factors

Not required due to the Company's status as a smaller reporting company.

Item 2:          Financial Information

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

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This registration statement, including the discussion in this section, contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"). Any statements herein that are not statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. When we use the words "anticipate," "estimate," "plans," "projects," "continuing," "ongoing," "expects," "management believes," "we believe," "we intend," "should," "could," "may," "will" and similar words or phrases, we are identifying forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding:

 

 

Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, estimates, and assumptions that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause these differences include the following:

8


 

Except as may be required by applicable law, we do not undertake or intend to update or revise our forward-looking statements and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this registration statement. Thus, assumptions should not be made that our silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.

Overview

MTI's core business is conducted through our wholly-owned subsidiary, MTI Instruments. MTI Instruments is a supplier of precision linear displacement sensors, instruments and system solutions, vibration measurement and system balancing solutions, precision tensile measurement systems, and wafer inspection tools, serving markets that require 1) the precise measurements and control of products and processes in automated manufacturing, assembly, and consistent operation of complex machinery, 2) engine balancing and vibration analysis systems for both military and commercial aircraft, and 3) metrology tools for semiconductor and solar wafer characterization. We are continuously working on ways to increase our sales reach, including expanded worldwide sales coverage and enhanced internet marketing.

 

9


Results of Operations

Results of Operations for the Year Ended December 31, 2019 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2018.

The following table summarizes changes in the various components of our net income during the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018.

(Dollars in thousands)

Year Ended
December 31,
2019

 

Year Ended
December 31,
2018

 

$
Change

 

%
Change

Product revenue

$

6,571

   

$

8,062

   

$

(1,491)

   

(18.5)%

Operating costs and expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of product revenue

$

2,205

 

$

2,327

 

$

(122)

 

(5.2)%

Research and product development expenses

$

1,381

 

$

1,236

 

$

145

 

11.7%

Selling, general and administrative expenses

$

2,726

 

$

2,976

 

$

(250)

 

(8.4)%

Operating income (loss)

$

259

 

$

1,523

 

$

(1,264)

 

(83.0)%

Other income, net

$

36

 

$

21

 

$

15

 

71.4%

Income before income taxes

$

295

 

$

1,544

 

$

(1,249)

 

(80.9)%

Income tax benefit (expense)

$

28

 

$

392

 

$

(364)

 

(92.9)%

Net income (loss)

$

323

 

$

1,936

 

$

(1,613)

 

(83.3)%

 

Product Revenue: Product revenue consists of revenue recognized from sales of MTI Instruments' products.

Product revenue during the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to 2018 decreased by $1.5 million, or 18.5%, to $6.6 million from $8.1 million. The primary reasons for the decrease in product revenue was a $0.9 million decline in U.S. Air Force purchases caused by federal resources not being apportioned to funded delivery orders under its existing multi-year contract with us, a 12% sales decline in the semiconductor industry, per the Semiconductor Industry Association, which translated into a $0.3 million drop in sales to a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment in Asia, and international trade conditions that made it difficult to ship U.S. products to Asia because of delays in export approvals and Asian customers unwillingness to purchase U.S. products, which resulted in a $0.3 million decline in sales to our Asian distributors. As further discussed in "Item 1. Business," we are dependent on a limited number of customers for a significant portion of our sales, including the U.S. Air Force, which accounted for 20.8% and 28.0% of our annual product revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.  This can cause significant fluctuations in our product sales, and as a result, revenue, from one fiscal period to the next.  We may sell a significant amount of our products to one or a few customers for various short-term projects in one period, and then have markedly decreased sales in following periods as these projects end or customers have the products they require for the foreseeable future. The fact that we sell a significant amount of our products to a limited number of customers also results in a customer concentration risk. The loss of any significant portion of such customers or a material adverse change in the financial condition of any one of these customers could have a material adverse effect on our revenues.  Further, Air Force sales can change as a result of a potential redeployment of, or cuts in, government funding, as was the case in 2019.

Information regarding government contracts included in product revenue is as follows:

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

Revenues for the
Year Ended
December 31,

 

Contract
Revenues
to Date
December 31,

 

Total Contract
Orders Received
to Date
December 31,

Contract

 

Expiration

  

2019

  

2018

  

2019

  

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$9.35 million U.S. Air Force Systems, Accessories and Maintenance

 

06/30/2021

 

$

1,286

 

$

2,069

 

$

5,497

 

$

5,497

 

 

 

 

(1)  Contract values represent maximum potential values at time of contract placement and may not be representative of actual results.

(2)  Date represents expiration of contract, including the exercise of option extensions.

 

Cost of Product Revenue; Gross Margin: Cost of product revenue includes the direct material and labor cost as well as an allocation of overhead costs that relate to the manufacturing of the products we sell. Cost of product revenue also includes the labor and material costs incurred for product maintenance, replacement parts, and service under our contractual obligations.

Cost of product revenue decreased by $122 thousand, or 5.2%, to $2.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2019, from $2.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2018. The primary reason for the decrease in the cost of product revenue was the reduction in sales of our products during 2019, as discussed above in "Product Revenue." Gross profit as a percentage of product revenue decreased from 71.1% during the year ended December 31, 2018 to 66.4% during the year ended December 31, 2019 due primarily to changes in the product mix, which in 2019 was more concentrated on vibration system accessories and repairs (27% versus 22%) and our capacitance based systems (27% vs 25%), both of which have higher labor and material costs, and, to a lesser extent, $76 thousand in obsolete/slow moving inventory write-offs primarily associated with first generation digital capacitance systems that have been replaced by newer products such that we can no longer sell them and excessive quantities of laser components. 

 

10


Research and Product Development Expenses: Research and product development expenses includes the costs of materials to build development and prototype units, cash and non-cash compensation and benefits for the engineering and related staff, expenses for contract engineers, fees paid to outside suppliers for subcontracted components and services, fees paid to consultants for services provided, materials and supplies consumed, facility related costs such as computer and network services, and other general overhead costs associated with our research and development activities, to the extent not reimbursed by our customers.

Research and product development expenses increased $145 thousand during the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to increased staffing driving the current development of our next generation capacitance and engine vibration balancing systems. This work is expected to continue at similar spending levels throughout 2020 and into 2021 as we introduce these next generation products to the market.

The Company expects to periodically fund EcoChain with respect to its development and construction of the pilot cryptocurrency mining facility pursuant to budgets agreed upon with Soluna under the Operating and Management Agreement. The Company expects to spend approximately $750 thousand on such funding of EcoChain during 2020. This initial funding will be a combination of fixed assets and operating expenses pursuant to an investment, operations and management plan that Soluna will deliver to EcoChain. As a result, we are unable to predict at this time the extent to which this anticipated funding will be reflected as research and product development expenses or selling, general and administrative expenses during 2020.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses: Selling, general and administrative expenses includes cash and non-cash compensation, benefits, and related costs in support of our general corporate functions, including general management, finance and accounting, human resources, selling and marketing, information technology, and legal services.

Selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2019 decreased by $250 thousand, or 8.4%, to $2.7 million in 2019 from $3.0 million in 2018. This decrease is primarily the result of a $77 thousand decrease in the variable portion of executive compensation due to the drop in revenue and profitability during 2019 compared to the prior year, $65 thousand of sales staff resources being allocated to product development initiatives, a $45 thousand reduction in legal fees, which were higher in 2018 due to the de-registration of the Company’s common stock under Section 12 of the Exchange Act and the attendant cessation of the filing of periodic and current reports and annual proxy statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and $40 thousand lower sales commission expense consistent with the decrease in product sales during 2019. We expect selling, general and administrative expenses to increase in 2020 and generally going forward as a result of the re-registration of our common stock under the Exchange Act and the resulting resumption of reports and filings with the SEC.

In addition, as discussed above a portion of our expected funding of EcoChain may be reflected as selling, general and administrative expenses during 2020.

Operating Income (Loss): Operating income was $259 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to operating income of $1.5 million in 2018. This $1.3 million decrease was a result of the factors noted above, that is, reductions in revenue and gross margins, along with an increase in research and development which was partially offset by a decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Other Income: Other income was $36 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2019 and was primarily related to the disposal of the tensile product line and related three-year royalty agreement and interest income on operating cash balances. Other income was $21 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2018 and primarily consisted of interest income on operating cash balances.

Income Tax Benefit (Expense): Income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $28 thousand and was primarily a result of a $33 thousand income tax benefit due to a refund associated with the repeal of the federal alternative minimum tax for C corporation. Our effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2019 was (9)%. Income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2018 was $392 thousand and was primarily a result of the release of a portion of our valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. The partial release of the valuation allowance caused us to recognize an incremental tax benefit of $395 thousand in the fourth quarter of 2018. Our effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2018 was (26)%.

Net Income (Loss): Net income for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $323 thousand compared to net income of $1.9 million in 2018. The decrease in net income during 2019 was attributable to reductions in revenue and gross margins, along with an increase in research and development, partially offset by a decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses.

 

11


 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Several key indicators of our liquidity are summarized in the following table:

(Dollars in thousands)

Years Ended December 31,

 

2019

 

2018

Cash

$

2,510

 

$

5,771

Working capital

$

3,093

 

$

6,370

Net income (loss)

$

323

 

$

1,936

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

289

 

$

1,996

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

$

(83)

 

$

(93)

Cash dividends on common stock

$

(3,541)

 

$

-

 

The Company has historically incurred significant losses primarily due to its past efforts to fund direct methanol fuel cell product development and commercialization programs and had a consolidated accumulated deficit of approximately $119.7 million as of December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had working capital of approximately $3.1 million, no debt, $6 thousand in outstanding commitments for capital expenditures, and approximately $2.5 million of cash available to fund its operations.

Based on business developments, including changes in production levels, staffing requirements, and network infrastructure improvements, additional capital equipment may be required in the foreseeable future. We expect to spend approximately $150 thousand on capital equipment and $1.6 million in research and development on MTI Instruments' products during 2020. We expect to finance any future expenditures and continue funding our operations from our current cash position and our projected 2020 cash flows pursuant to management's plans. We may also seek to supplement our resources by obtaining credit facilities to fund operational working capital and capital expenditure requirements. Any additional financing, if required, may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.

The Company is obligated to purchase an additional $250 thousand of Class A Preferred Shares of Soluna in the event certain development milestones are achieved with respect to EcoChain and EcoChain's pilot cryptocurrency mining facility. The Company expects these development milestones to be achieved during 2020. Furthermore, the Company expects to periodically fund EcoChain with respect to its development and construction of the pilot cryptocurrency mining facility pursuant to budgets agreed upon with Soluna under the Operating and Management Agreement. The Company expects to spend approximately $750 thousand on such funding of EcoChain during 2020. This initial funding will be a combination of fixed assets and operating expenses pursuant to an investment, operations and management plan that Soluna will deliver to EcoChain. Funding of the $750 thousand will come from MTI's currently available cash resources and will be reflected in the consolidated balance sheet and income statement beginning in the first quarter of 2020.

While it cannot be assured, management believes that, due in part to our current working capital level, projected cash requirements for operations and capital expenditures, its current available cash of approximately $2.5 million, and its projected 2020 cash flow pursuant to management's plans, management believes we will have adequate resources to fund operations and capital expenditures for the year ending December 31, 2020 and through at least the end of the first quarter of 2021.

However, if our revenue estimates are off either in timing or amount, or if cash generated from operations is insufficient to satisfy the Company's operational working capital and capital expenditure requirements, the Company may need to implement additional steps to ensure liquidity including, but not limited to, the deferral of planned capital spending and/or delaying existing or pending product development initiatives, or the Company may be required to obtain credit facilities, if available, to fund these initiatives. The Company has no other formal commitments for funding future needs of the organization at this time and any additional financing during 2020, if required, may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. Such steps, if required, could potentially have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

No Debt

We had no credit facilities available or debt outstanding at either December 31, 2019 or December 31, 2018.

Backlog, Inventory, and Accounts Receivable

At December 31, 2019, the Company's order backlog was $721 thousand, compared to $621 thousand at December 31, 2018. The increase in backlog was due to orders from our largest European customer with scheduled deliveries throughout 2020 and into 2021.

 

12


 

 

 

Our inventory turnover ratios and average accounts receivable days outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 and their changes are as follows:

 

Years Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

2018

 

Change

Inventory turnover

2.3

 

3.0

 

(0.7)

Average accounts receivable days outstanding

40

 

43

 

(3)

 

The decrease in inventory turns is due to a 15% increase in average inventory balances on an 18% decline in comparable annual sales volume due to accelerated inventory purchases made in 2019 for orders that are delayed until 2020.

The average accounts receivable days' outstanding decreased three days during 2019 compared to the prior year due to improved internal collection efforts.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates

The prior discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Note 2 of the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10 includes a summary of our most significant accounting policies. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses, and related disclosure of assets and liabilities. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments, including those related to revenue recognition, inventories, income taxes, and share-based compensation. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Periodically, our management reviews our critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors.

The significant accounting policies that we believe are most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our consolidated financial statements include the following:

Revenue Recognition, Accounts Receivable, and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. Product revenue consists of revenue recognized from MTI Instruments' product lines. Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for those products or services. We enter into contracts that can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. Revenue is recognized net of allowances for returns and any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities.

If a customer requires that that we provide installation of a purchased product, all revenue related to the product is deferred and recognized upon the completion of the installation. If the terms of our contract with the customer or the customer's purchase order requires specific customer acceptance criteria with respect to a product, such as on-site customer acceptance and/or acceptance after install, then revenue is deferred until customer acceptance occurs or the acceptance provisions lapse, unless we can objectively and reliably demonstrate that the criteria specified in the acceptance provisions is satisfied. We may also record unearned revenues, which include payments for other offerings for which we have been paid in advance. The resulting revenue would be earned when we transfer control of the product or service.

MTI Instruments currently has distributor agreements in place for the international sale of general instrument and semiconductor products in certain global regions. Such agreements grant a distributor the right of first refusal to act as distributor for such products in the distributor's territory. In return, the distributor agrees to not market products that are considered by MTI Instruments to be in direct competition with MTI Instruments' products. The distributor is allowed to purchase MTI Instruments' equipment at a price that is discounted off the published domestic/international list prices. Such list prices can be adjusted by MTI Instruments during the term of the distributor agreement. Generally, payment terms with the distributor are standard net 30 days, but, on occasion, we have granted extended payment terms. Title and risk of loss of the product passes to the distributor upon delivery to the independent carrier (standard "free-on-board" factory), and the distributor is responsible for any required training and/or service with the end-user. The sale of products to our distributors (and their subsequent payment to us) is completed upon delivery and is not contingent upon the distributors' resale of the products. Distributor sales are covered by MTI Instruments' standard one-year warranty and there are no special return policies for distributors.

Our contracts with customers often include promises to transfer multiple products and services to a customer. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together may require significant judgment. We determine the standalone selling price ("SSP") for each distinct performance obligation. Since we sell products and services separately, the SSP is directly observable.

 

13


Trade accounts receivable are stated at the invoiced amount billed to customers and do not bear interest. An allowance for doubtful accounts, if necessary, represents our best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in our existing accounts receivable. We determine the allowance based on historical write-off experience and current exposures identified. We review our allowance for doubtful accounts monthly. We review past due balances over 90 days and over a specified amount individually for collectability. We review all other balances on a pooled basis by type of receivable. We charge off account balances against the allowance when we believe it is probable the receivable will not be recovered. We do not have any off-balance-sheet credit exposure related to our customers.

Inventories. We value inventories at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or net realizable value. We periodically review inventory quantities on hand and record a provision for excess, slow moving, and obsolete inventory based primarily on our estimated forecast of product demand, as well as based on historical usage. We also provide estimated inventory allowances for inventory whose carrying value is in excess of net realizable value. Demand and usage for products and materials can fluctuate significantly. A significant decrease in demand for our products could result in a short-term increase in the cost of inventory purchases and an increase of excess inventory quantities on hand. Although we make every effort to assure the accuracy of our forecasts of future product demand, any significant unanticipated changes in demand could have a significant impact on the value of our inventory and our reported operating results. If changes in market conditions result in reductions in the estimated net realizable value of our inventory below our previous estimate, we would increase our reserve in the period in which we made such a determination and record a charge to cost of product revenue.

Share-Based Payments. We grant options to purchase our common stock and award restricted stock to our employees and directors under our equity incentive plans. The benefits provided under these plans are share-based payments and we account for stock-based awards exchanged for employee service in accordance with the appropriate share-based payment accounting guidance. Stock-based compensation represents the cost related to stock-based awards granted to employees and directors. We measure stock-based compensation cost at grant date based on the estimated fair value of the award, and recognize the cost as expense on a straight-line basis in accordance with the vesting of the options (net of estimated forfeitures) over the option's requisite service period. We estimate the fair value of stock-based awards on the grant date using a Black-Scholes valuation model. We use the fair value method of accounting with the modified prospective application, which provides for certain changes to the method for valuing share-based compensation. The valuation provisions apply to new awards and to awards that are outstanding on the effective date and subsequently modified.

The determination of the fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model is affected by our stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables. These variables include our expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividends.

Theoretical valuation models and market-based methods are evolving and may result in lower or higher fair value estimates for share-based compensation. The timing, readiness, adoption, general acceptance, reliability, and testing of these methods is uncertain. Sophisticated mathematical models may require voluminous historical information, modeling expertise, financial analyses, correlation analyses, integrated software and databases, consulting fees, customization, and testing for adequacy of internal controls.

For purposes of estimating the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes model, we use the historical volatility of our stock for the expected volatility assumption input to the Black-Scholes model, consistent with the accounting guidance. The risk-free interest rate is based on the risk-free zero-coupon rate for a period consistent with the expected option term at the time of grant. We paid a special dividend during the year ended December 31, 2019 and did not pay any dividends during the year ended December 31, 2018. We are required to assume a dividend yield as an input to the Black-Scholes model. Since the 2019 dividend was a special dividend and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future, we therefore use an expected dividend yield of zero in the option valuation model. The expected option term is calculated based on our historical forfeitures and cancellation rates.

Income Taxes. We are subject to income taxes in the U.S. (federal and state). As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we calculate income taxes for each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This involves estimating actual current taxes due together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatment for tax and accounting purposes that are recorded as deferred tax assets and liabilities, loss carryforwards, and tax credit carryforwards, for which income tax benefits are expected to be realized in future years. Deferred tax assets are reported net of a valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in the period that includes the enactment date.

Significant management judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes, our deferred tax assets and liabilities, and any valuation allowance recorded against our net deferred tax assets. We considered all available evidence, both positive and negative, such as historical levels of income and future forecasts of taxable income amongst other items in determining our valuation allowance. In addition, our assessment requires us to schedule future taxable income in accordance with accounting standards that address income taxes to assess the appropriateness of a valuation allowance, which further requires the exercise of significant management judgment.

 

14


We account for taxes in accordance with the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, we must recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. The impact of our reassessment of our tax positions for these standards did not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.

We are also currently subject to audit in various jurisdictions, and these jurisdictions may assess additional income tax liabilities against us. Developments in an audit, litigation, or in applicable laws, regulations, administrative practices, principles, and interpretations could have a material effect on our operating results or cash flows in the period or periods in which such developments occur, as well as for prior and in subsequent periods.

Tax laws, regulations, and administrative practices in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change, with or without notice, due to economic, political, and other conditions, and significant judgment is required in evaluating and estimating our provision and accruals for these taxes. There are many transactions that occur during the ordinary course of business for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. Our effective tax rates could be affected by numerous factors, such as intercompany transactions, earnings being lower than anticipated in jurisdictions where we have lower statutory rates and higher than anticipated in jurisdictions where we have higher statutory rates, the applicability of special tax regimes, losses incurred in jurisdictions for which we are not able to realize the related tax benefit, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, entry into new businesses and geographies, changes to our existing businesses and operations, acquisitions and investments and how they are financed, changes in our stock price, changes in our deferred tax assets and liabilities and their valuation, and changes in the relevant tax, accounting, and other laws, regulations, administrative practices, principles, and interpretations.

Item 3:          Properties

We lease approximately 17,400 square feet of office, manufacturing and research and development space at 325 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY 12205. The current lease agreement expires on November 30, 2024. We believe our facilities are generally well-maintained and adequate for our current needs and for expansion, if required.

Item 4:          Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock at December 31, 2019 by each of our directors and our executive officer and by our executive officer and all of our directors as a group. We have also included information with respect to persons or groups that, to our knowledge, beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock at December 31, 2019.

 

  Shares Beneficially Owned 
       
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner  (1) Number  (2)  

Percent of
Class 

Executive Officers         
Frederick W. Jones (3)  174,918   1.8 %
         
Non-Employee Directors         
Edward R. Hirshfield (7)  1,875   *  
Matthew E. Lipman (7),(9)  3,751,975   39.2 %
Thomas J. Marusak (4)  192,185   2.0 %
David C. Michaels (5)  111,762   1.2 %
William P. Phelan (6)  214,125   2.2 %
Michael Toporek (7),(9)  3,751,875   39.2 %
         
All current directors and executive officers as a group (8 persons) (8)  4,448,715   45.3 %
         
Persons or Groups Holding More than 5% of the Common Stock         
Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXIV, LLC (9) 3,750,000   39.2 %
   * Less than 1%         

 

(1)          Unless otherwise indicated, each of the stockholders has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the stockholder.

(2)          The number of shares beneficially owned by each stockholder is determined under rules promulgated by the SEC and includes voting or investment power with respect to securities. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes any shares as to which the individual or entity has sole or shared voting power or investment power and includes any shares as to which the individual or entity has the right to acquire beneficial ownership within 60 days after December 31, 2019 through the exercise of any warrant, stock option, or other right. The inclusion in this schedule of such shares, however, does not constitute an admission that the named stockholder is a direct or indirect beneficial owner of such shares. The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding used in calculating the percentage for each listed person includes the shares of Common Stock underlying options held by such person that are exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2019, but excludes shares of Common Stock underlying options held by any other person.

 

15


 

(3)          Includes 82,250 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2019.

(4)          Includes 35,125 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2019.

(5)          Includes 31,750 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2019.

(6)          Includes 89,125 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2019.

(7)          Includes 1,875 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2019.

(8)          Includes 243,875 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options exercisable within 60 days of December 31, 2019.

(9)          Representatives of Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXIV, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Brookstone XXIV”), have provided us the following information: As the Manager of Brookstone XXIV, Brookstone Partners I.A.C. may be deemed to beneficially own the shares of common stock owned directly by Brookstone. Michael Toporek is President of Brookstone Partners I.A.C. and Matthew Lipman is Secretary of Brookstone Partners I.A.C. and share voting and dispositive power over the shares of common stock owned by Brookstone XXIV. The address of each of Brookstone XXIV, Brookstone Partners I.A.C., Michael Toporek and Matthew Lipman is 232 Madison Avenue, Suite 600, New York, New York 10016.

 

16


Item 5:          Directors and Executive Officers

 

Information about Our Directors

Set forth below is certain information about our directors.

Name

 

Age

 

Current Term Ends in:

 

 

 

 

 

Edward R. Hirshfield

 

47

 

2021

Matthew E. Lipman

 

41

 

2022

Thomas J. Marusak

 

69

 

2020

David C. Michaels

 

64

 

2022

William P. Phelan

 

63

 

2021

Michael Toporek

 

55

 

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edward R. Hirshfield has served as a director since October 2016. In 2018, Mr. Hirshfield joined the restructuring group at B Riley FBR, Inc. where he advises stressed and distressed companies and their constituencies. From 2015 until 2018, Mr. Hirshfield served as a partner at Steppingstone Group, LLC, a special situations private equity fund located in New York. Mr. Hirshfield's responsibilities in this role included business development activities, conducting extensive credit analysis on target companies, as well as portfolio management. Mr. Hirshfield began his career as a loan officer at CIT Group Inc. and then became a restructuring advisor at a boutique investment bank, CDG Group. In 2003, Mr. Hirshfield moved over to the buy side and joined Longacre Fund Management, LLC, a $2.5 billion distressed debt fund. Mr. Hirshfield continued as a distressed investor at Del Mar Asset Management, LP, Ramius LLC and most recently CRG, LLC from 2012 through 2014. At CRG, LLC, Mr. Hirshfield was responsible for identifying and managing investments in distressed situations and conducting extensive research on potential investments. Mr. Hirshfield has a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Union College and an M.B.A. from Fordham University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Hirshfield brings over 20 years of experience understanding and analyzing public and private companies. He has an expertise in providing operational and investment recommendations as well as providing extensive valuation and credit analysis, which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director.

Matthew E. Lipman has served as a director since October 2016. Since 2004, Mr. Lipman has served as Managing Director of Brookstone Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm based in New York and an affiliate of Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXIV, LLC. Mr. Lipman's responsibilities at Brookstone Partners include identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, performing transaction due diligence, managing the capital structure of portfolio companies and working with management teams to implement operational and growth strategies. In addition, Mr. Lipman is responsible for executing add-on acquisitions and other portfolio company-related strategic projects. From July 2001 through June 2004, Mr. Lipman was an analyst in the mergers and acquisitions group at UBS Financial Services Inc. responsible for formulating and executing on complex merger, acquisition and financing strategies for Fortune 500 companies in the industrial, consumer products and healthcare sectors. Mr. Lipman currently serves on the Board of Directors of Instone, LLC, Denison Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Virginia Abrasives Corporation, and Capstone Therapeutics Corp. Mr. Lipman has a B.S. in Business Administration from Babson College. Mr. Lipman brings over 18 years of experience working with companies to establish growth strategies and execute acquisitions, is proficient in reading and understanding financial statements, generally accepted accounting principles and internal controls as a direct result of his investment experience evaluating companies for potential investments, the management of financial reporting and capital structure for three portfolio companies, as well as relevant experience in board service, which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director.

Thomas J. Marusak has served as a director since December 2004. Since 1986, Mr. Marusak has served as President of Comfortex Corporation, a manufacturer of window blinds and specialty shades. He was a member of the Advisory Board of Directors for Key Bank of New York from 1996 through 2004. In 2019, Mr. Marusak retired from the Board of Directors of the Capital District Physician's Health Plan, Inc., in Albany, where he had served for the prior eight years and had participated as a member of the board's Finance, Compensation, Audit, Investment, and Executive Committees. Mr. Marusak received a B.S. in Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. in Engineering from Stanford University. Mr. Marusak brings technical development, manufacturing experience, product development and introduction, financial accounting, and human resources expertise to the Board, as well as relevant experience in committee and board service, which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director.

David C. Michaels has served as our Chairman of the Board since January 2017, and as a director since August 2013. Mr. Michaels served as the Chief Financial Officer of the American Institute for Economic Research, Inc., an internationally recognized economics research and education organization, from October 2008 to May 2018. Mr. Michaels served as Chief Financial Officer at Starfire Systems, Inc. from December 2006 to September 2008. Mr. Michaels worked at Albany International Corp. from March 1987 to December 2006 as Vice President, Treasury and Tax and Chief Risk Officer. Mr. Michaels also worked at Veeco Instruments from May 1979 to March 1987 in various roles including Controller and Tax Manager. Mr. Michaels is a member of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee of Iverson Genetic Diagnostics, Inc. Mr. Michaels also serves as a member of the Board of Governors and Treasurer of the Country Club of Troy. Mr. Michaels served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Starfire Systems, Inc. from January 2009 through December 2009. Mr. Michaels has a Bachelor of Science degree with dual majors in Accounting and Finance and a minor in Economics from the University at Albany. Mr. Michaels completed graduate-level coursework at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University. Mr. Michaels also completed the Leadership Institute Program at the Lally School of Management & Technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Mr. Michaels contributes more than 30 years of international financial and operating experience in a wide variety of roles in both public and private organizations to the Board, which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director.

 

17


 

William P. Phelan has served as a director since December 2004 and as Special Vice-President, Strategic Transactions since December 2019. Mr. Phelan is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bright Hub, Inc., a software company founded in 2005, which focuses on the development of online software for commerce. In May 1999, Mr. Phelan founded OneMade, Inc., an electronic commerce marketplace technology systems and tools provider. Mr. Phelan served as Chief Executive Officer of OneMade, Inc. from May 1999 to May 2004, including for a year after it was sold to, and remained a subsidiary of, America Online. Mr. Phelan serves on the Board of Trustees and is a Finance Committee member and an Investment Committee Chair for Capital District Physician's Health Plan, Inc. Mr. Phelan also serves on the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Paradigm Mutual Fund Family. He has also held numerous executive positions at Fleet Equity Partners, Cowen & Company, First Albany Corporation, and UHY Advisors Inc., formerly Urbach Kahn & Werlin, PC. Mr. Phelan has a B.A. in Accounting and Finance from Siena College, an M.S. in Taxation from City College of New York, and is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Phelan contributes leadership, capital markets experience, strategic insight as well as innovation in technology to the Board, which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director.

Michael Toporek has served as a director since October 2016. Since 2003, Mr. Toporek has served as the Managing General Partner of Brookstone Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm based in New York and an affiliate of Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXIV, LLC. Prior to founding Brookstone Partners in 2003, Mr. Toporek was both an active principal investor and an investment banker. Mr. Toporek began his career in Chemical Bank's Investment Banking Group, later joined Dillon, Read and Co., which became UBS Warburg Securities Ltd. during his tenure, and SG Cowen and Company. Mr. Toporek currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Harlem Academy and on the Board of Directors of Capstone Therapeutics Corp. Mr. Toporek has a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Mr. Toporek brings strategic and financial expertise to the Board as a result of his experience with Brookstone Partners, which the Board believes qualifies him to serve as a director.

Information about Our Executive Officer

Frederick W. Jones, age 52, was appointed our President and Chief Executive Officer in January 2017 and has also served as our Chief Financial Officer since June 2009. In addition, Mr. Jones was appointed our Secretary in June 2009. He was promoted to Vice President of Finance and Operations of MTI Instruments, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, in April 2010, from the Senior Director of Finance and Operations at MTI Instruments, which position he had held since May 2007. Since joining the Company in 1993, Mr. Jones has held a variety of roles at MTI and its subsidiaries, including Staff Accountant, Controller, and Director of Finance and Administration. In his current capacity, Mr. Jones supervises the financial reporting, treasury, human resources, and risk management for MTI. Prior to his employment with MTI, Mr. Jones served as Controller for both Hobbs Management Corporation and Galesi Management Corporation. Mr. Jones received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Accounting from Siena College.

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

Item 6:          Executive Compensation

Compensation Philosophy

The primary objectives of our compensation policies are to attract, retain, motivate, develop, and reward our management team for executing our strategic business plan, thereby enhancing stockholder value, while recognizing and rewarding individual and Company performance. These compensation policies include: (i) an overall management compensation program that is competitive with companies of similar size or within our industry; and (ii) long-term incentive compensation in the form of stock-based compensation that is aimed towards encouraging management to continue to focus on stockholder returns. Our executive compensation program ties a substantial portion of our executive's overall compensation to key strategic, financial, and operational goals, including: establishing and maintaining customer relationships; signing original equipment manufacturer agreements; meeting revenue targets and profit and expense targets; introducing new products; progressing products towards manufacturing; and improving operational efficiency.

We believe that potential equity ownership in our Company is important to provide executive officers with incentives to build value for our stockholders. We believe that equity awards provide executives with a strong link to our short-term and long-term performance while creating an ownership culture to maintain the alignment of interests between our executives and our stockholders. When implemented responsibly, we also believe these equity incentives can function as a powerful executive retention tool.

Our Compensation Committee, consisting entirely of independent directors, administers our compensation plans and policies, including the establishment of policies that govern base salary as well as short-term and long-term incentives for our executive management team.

 

18


 

Summary of Cash and Other Compensation

The following table sets forth the total compensation received for services rendered in all capacities to the Company during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 by our "named executive officers," namely Frederick W. Jones, who served as our Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer during 2019 and 2018. We had no other executive officers during these years.

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

Name and Principal Position

 

Year

 

Salary

 

Option
Awards
(1)

 

Non-Equity
Incentive
Plan
Compensation ($) (2)

 

All Other
Compensation
(3)

 

Total

Frederick W. Jones

 

2019

 

192,995

 

-

 

25,000

 

7,720

 

225,715

Chief Executive, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

 

2018

 

187,400

 

18,500

 

100,000

 

7,496

 

313,396

 

(1)         The amounts shown in this column represent the grant date fair values of any stock option awards awarded in each of the past two years. The assumptions we used in calculating these amounts are discussed in Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements in this Form 10.

(2)          The amounts shown in this column represent accruals made pursuant to the successful completion of certain performance objectives.

(3)          "All Other Compensation" consists of matching contributions to our 401(k) plan.

Base Salary and Cash Incentives of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

On May 5, 2017, the Company entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Jones to serve as its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The agreement provides for an initial term ending December 31, 2018, and, unless either party provides written notice that the agreement will not be renewed, is renewed for an additional year on December 31, 2018 and each subsequent December 31; such non-renewal may be for any or for no stated reason.

The agreement provides that Mr. Jones will receive an annual base salary of $182,310 or such higher figure as may be agreed upon from time to time by the Board. Mr. Jones is also eligible to receive an annual bonus in accordance with MTI's executive bonus program, which is established annually by the Board at its sole discretion, and may also receive, at MTI's sole discretion, an additional, discretionary bonus in connection with his annual evaluation by the Board. Mr. Jones is also eligible to receive options to purchase MTI's common stock or other equity awards under MTI's equity incentive plans in such amounts as may be determined by the Board, and is entitled to such employee benefits, if any, as are generally provided to MTI's full-time employees.

Under the agreement, Mr. Jones' employment terminates immediately upon his death. In addition, MTI may terminate Mr. Jones' employment for Cause or upon his Disability, both as defined in the agreement, and Mr. Jones may terminate his employment for Good Reason, as defined in the agreement. If Mr. Jones' employment is terminated pursuant to his death or Disability, then he, his beneficiary or his estate, as applicable, will receive a bonus in the amount corresponding to the milestone targets achieved, if any, under MTI's executive bonus program in effect as of the date of his termination. If MTI terminates Mr. Jones' employment other than for Cause or Disability or Mr. Jones terminates his employment for Good Reason, then, assuming Mr. Jones has, within 21 days of termination, signed the release agreement attached as an exhibit to the agreement and not revoked such release agreement within seven days thereafter, then Mr. Jones will receive: (i) his then-current base salary for a period of 12 months from the date of termination, regardless of whether he obtains alternative employment; (ii) a bonus in the amount corresponding to the milestone targets achieved, if any, under MTI's executive bonus program in effect as of the date of his termination; and (iii) if he elects continuation coverage pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended ("COBRA"), reimbursement of his COBRA premiums for health, dental and optical coverage, for a period of 12 months from the earlier of his date of termination or until he becomes eligible to obtain health insurance coverage elsewhere. If Mr. Jones' employment is involuntarily terminated other than for Cause or Disability, or he terminates his employment for Good Reason, in anticipation of, in connection with, or during the 12 months following a Change in Control, as defined in the Agreement, then Mr. Jones will receive the payments provided for in (i) and (ii) of the prior sentence.

The agreement also contains non-disparagement, non-solicitation, and confidentiality provisions.

In January 2019, the Compensation Committee increased Mr. Jones' annual base salary to $193,125. The Compensation Committee approved a $25,000 payment for Mr. Jones for his additional responsibilities and duties relative to the Company's initiative to establish another operating subsidiary and associated investment in the field of vertically integrated energy production and crypto mining. As such, we accrued for Mr. Jones, as of December 31, 2019, a $25,000 payment. This accrual was paid in full during January 2020.

 

19


 

In January 2018, the Compensation Committee increased Mr. Jones' annual base salary to $187,500. The Compensation Committee approved a $100,000 payment for Mr. Jones under our executive bonus program based on the criteria the Board established under this program for 2018. As such, we accrued for Mr. Jones, as of December 31, 2018, a $100,000 payment. This accrual was paid in full during February 2019.

In addition to base salary compensation, we consider short-term cash incentives to be an important tool in motivating and rewarding near-term performance against established short-term goals. We do not utilize a specific formula, but executive management is eligible for cash awards contingent upon achievement of individual, financial, or Company-wide performance criteria. The criteria are established to ensure that a reasonable portion of an executive's total annual compensation is performance-based.

We believe that the higher an executive's level of responsibility, the greater the portion of that executive's total earnings potential should be tied to the achievement of critical technological, operational and financial goals. We believe this strategy places the desired proportionate level of risk and reward on performance by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer and, when applicable, our other executive officers.

While performance targets are established at levels that are intended to be achievable, we believe that we have structured these incentives so that maximum bonus payouts would require a substantial level of both individual and Company performance.

Long-Term Equity Incentive Compensation

Equity awards typically take the form of stock options, although the Company has the ability to award restricted stock grants under its equity compensation plan and did so in January 2020. Authority to make equity awards to executive officers rests with our Compensation Committee. In determining the size of awards for new or current executives, we consider the competitive market, strategic plan performance, contribution to future initiatives, benchmarking of comparative equity ownership for executives in comparable positions at similar companies, individual option history, and recommendations of our Chief Executive Officer and Chairman.

We generally base our criteria for performance-based equity awards on one or more of the following long-term measurements:

These performance measurements support various initiatives identified by the Board as critical to our future success, and are either expressed as absolute in terms of success or failure, or will be measured in more qualitative terms.

The timing of all equity awards for our named executive officers have coincided with either employment anniversary dates or our annual meeting dates, or such equity awards are granted at the next scheduled meeting of the Compensation Committee following the completion or assignment of the applicable objectives. We do not time option grants to our executives in coordination with the release of material non-public information, nor do we impose any equity ownership guidelines on our executives.

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the options held and value of our named executive officer's unexercised options as of December 31, 2019.

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END 2019

Name

 

Option Grant Date

 

Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable

 

Number of Securities
Underlying Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable

 

Option
Exercise
Price ($)

 

Option
Expiration
Date

Frederick W. Jones

 

03/12/2014

 

25,000

 

-

 

1.08

 

03/12/2024

 

 

03/05/2015

 

25,000

 

-

 

1.20

 

03/04/2025

 

 

01/14/2016

 

26,000

 

-

 

0.78

 

01/14/2026

 

 

12/12/2018

 

3,125

 

9,375 (1)

 

0.90

 

12/12/2028

 

 

12/12/2018

 

3,125

 

9,375 (1)

 

0.90

 

12/12/2028

 

 (1)         The options vest at the rate of 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of the award, with first vest occurring on December 12, 2019, becoming fully exercisable on December 12, 2022.

At December 31, 2019, there were no unvested stock awards held by our named executive officer.

 

20


Equity Awards to Officers

Equity awards were not granted during 2019.

MTI Equity Incentive Plans

As of December 31, 2019, we had three equity compensation plans: 1) the Amended and Restated 2006 Equity Incentive Plan; 2) the Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan; and 3) the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan. The Compensation Committee administers all of our equity compensation plans and has the authority to determine the terms and conditions of the awards granted under equity plans.

2006 Equity Incentive Plan

The 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, or 2006 Plan, was adopted by the Board on March 16, 2006 and approved by our stockholders on May 18, 2006. The 2006 Plan was amended and restated by the Board in 2009 to increase the number of shares of Common Stock issuable under the 2006 Plan from 250,000 shares to 600,000 shares, in 2011 to increase such number of shares issuable under thereunder to 1,200,000, and in 2016 to allow for the award agreement or another agreement entered into between the Company and the award grantee to vary the method of exercise of options issued under the 2006 Plan. The number of shares that could be awarded under the 2006 Plan and any outstanding awards has been adjusted for stock splits and other similar events. In connection with seeking stockholder approval of the 2012 Plan, the Company agreed not to make further awards under the 2006 Plan. As of December 31, 2019, options to purchase 23,000 shares of Common Stock were outstanding under the 2006 Plan, all of which were exercisable, with no shares reserved for future grants under the 2006 Plan.

2012 Equity Incentive Plan

The 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, or 2012 Plan, was adopted by the Board on April 14, 2012 and approved by our stockholders on June 14, 2012. The 2012 Plan was amended and restated by the Board effective October 20, 2016 to (i) permit the award agreement or another agreement entered into between the Company and the award grantee to vary the method of exercise of options issued under the 2012 Plan and (ii) permit another agreement entered into between the Company and the award grantee, in addition to the award agreement, to vary the provisions governing expiration of options or other awards under the 2012 Plan following termination of the award recipient's service with the Company. The 2012 Plan provides an aggregate of 600,000 shares of Common Stock that may be awarded or issued pursuant to the 2012 Plan. The number of shares that may be awarded under the 2012 Plan and awards outstanding may be subject to adjustment on account of any recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split and other dilutive changes in Common Stock. Under the 2012 Plan, the Board is authorized to issue stock options (incentive and nonqualified), stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards to employees, officers, directors, consultants and advisors of the Company and its subsidiaries. Incentive stock options may only be granted to employees of the Company and its subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2019, options to purchase 203,375 shares of Common Stock were outstanding under the 2012 Plan, of which 146,625 were exercisable, with 67,930 shares reserved for future grants of equity awards under the 2012 Plan.

2014 Equity Incentive Plan

The 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, or 2014 Plan, was adopted by the Board on March 12, 2014 and approved by our stockholders on June 11, 2014. The 2014 Plan provides an aggregate number of 500,000 shares of Common Stock that may be awarded or issued under the 2014 Plan. The number of shares that may be awarded under the 2014 Plan and awards outstanding may be subject to adjustment on account of any stock dividend, spin-off, stock split, reverse stock split, split-up, recapitalization, reclassification, reorganization, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation, liquidation, business combination, exchange of shares or the like. Under the 2014 Plan, the Board-appointed administrator of the 2014 Plan is authorized to issue stock options (incentive and nonqualified), stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, phantom stock, performance awards and other stock-based awards to employees, officers and directors of, and other individuals providing bona fide services to or for, the Company or any affiliate of the Company. Incentive stock options may only be granted to employees of the Company and its subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2019, options to purchase 301,500 shares of Common Stock were outstanding under the 2014 Plan, of which 222,750 were exercisable, with 1,000 shares reserved for future grants of equity awards under the 2014 Plan.

Perquisites and Other Benefits

Our executive officers are eligible to participate in similar benefit plans available to all our other employees including medical, dental, vision, group life, disability, accidental death and dismemberment, paid time off, and 401(k) plan benefits.

We also maintain a standard directors and officers liability insurance policy with coverage similar to the coverage typically provided by other small publicly held technology companies.

 

21


 

Severance, Change in Control and Non-Compete Arrangements

The terms of Mr. Jones' employment agreement that provide for certain payments and other benefits upon his termination of employment, including in conjunction with a change in control, are described above under "-Base Salary and Cash Incentives of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

In addition, a change in control will accelerate the vesting of outstanding stock options issued under the 2012 and 2014 Plans; vesting of options outstanding under the 2006 Plan, however, will not be automatically accelerated upon a change in control unless provided for in an employment agreement.

We believe these severance and change in control arrangements are reasonable and mitigate some of the risk that exists for executives working in small technology companies by maintaining employee engagement and encouraging retention in an environment with substantial challenges and changes. This is especially true considering that Mr. Jones has signed a Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement limiting future opportunities in the event his employment is terminated for any reason. This agreement specifies that Mr. Jones will not compete with our businesses for a period of one year following such termination.

Potential Payments upon Termination

The following table sets forth a breakdown of termination payments and the net realizable value of stock options if Mr. Jones' employment with MTI Instruments had been terminated without cause and in connection with a change of control as of December 31, 2019. The information assumes a price of $0.67 per share of our common stock as of December 31, 2019. Severance payments are made either on a salary continuation basis paid over the severance period or on a lump sum basis payable upon a fixed date subsequent to termination of employment.

Name

 

Severance
Term

 

Salary

 

Accrued
Vacation

 

Total
Potential
Payment

Frederick W. Jones

 

Twelve months salary & benefits

 

$193,125

 

$18,941

 

$212,066

 

Directors' Compensation

Directors who are also our employees, if any, are not compensated for serving on the Board.

On January 14, 2019, the Compensation Committee authorized non-employee directors to continue to receive cash compensation of $10,000 per year, with additional consideration for the Lead Independent Director of $15,000 per year. The Committee reviewed and reaffirmed the Board's prior approval of stock option compensation for board members, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and select professional staff.

Future director compensation will be determined by the Compensation Committee.

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019

Name

Fees Earned or Paid in Cash/Total

Edward R. Hirshfield (1)

$10,000

Matthew E. Lipman (2)

$10,000

Thomas J. Marusak (3)

$10,000

David C. Michaels (4)

$15,000

William P. Phelan (5)

$10,000

Michael Toporek (6)

$10,000

 

(1)     As of December 31, 2019, Mr. Hirshfield had 7,500 options outstanding, 1,875 of which were exercisable.

(2)     As of December 31, 2019, Mr. Lipman had 7,500 options outstanding, 1,875 of which were exercisable.

(3)     As of December 31, 2019, Mr. Marusak had 44,500 options outstanding, 35,125 of which were exercisable.

(4)     As of December 31, 2019, Mr. Michaels had 43,000 options outstanding, 31,750 of which were exercisable.

(5)     As of December 31, 2019, Mr. Phelan had 98,500 options outstanding, 89,125 of which were exercisable.

(6)     As of December 31, 2019, Mr. Toporek had 7,500 options outstanding, 1,875 of which were exercisable.

 

22


Item 7:          Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

The following is a summary of transactions among related parties that occurred since January 1, 2019, and any ongoing related party relationships:

Legal Services

During the years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company incurred $54 thousand and $10 thousand, respectively, to Couch White, LLP for legal services associated with contract review. A partner at Couch White, LLP is an immediate family member of Thomas J. Marusak, one of our Directors. We expect to continue using Couch White for certain legal services during 2020 as well.

Soluna Transactions

     We have entered into relationships with Soluna and a Soluna-affiliated entity, as discussed in the Business section of this Form 10. Two of our directors have various affiliations with Soluna.

     Director Michael Toporek (i) owns 90% of the equity of Soluna Technologies Investment I, LLC, which owns 62.5% of Soluna and (ii) owns 100% of the equity of MJT Park Investors, Inc., which owns 3.2% of Soluna, in each case on a fully-diluted basis. Mr. Toporek does not own directly, or indirectly, equity interest in Tera Joule, LLC, which owns 3.2% of Soluna; however, as a result of his 100% ownership of Brookstone IAC, Inc., which is the manager of Tera Joule, LLC, he has dispositive power over the equity interests Tera Joule owns in Soluna.

     Director Matthew E. Lipman serves as a director and as acting Secretary and Treasurer of Soluna. Mr. Lipman does not own directly, or indirectly, equity interest in Tera Joule, LLC, which owns 3.2% of Soluna; however, as a result of his 100% ownership of Brookstone IAC, Inc., which is the manager of Tera Joule, LLC, he has dispositive power over the equity interests Tera Joule owns in Soluna.

     As a result, the approximate dollar value of the amount of Mr. Toporek’s and Mr. Lipman’s interest in the Company’s transactions with Soluna are $485 thousand and $0, respectively.

Director Independence

The Board has determined that Messrs. Hirshfield, Marusak, and Michaels are "independent directors," as defined by the listing standards of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.

Item 8:          Legal Proceedings

At any point in time, we may be involved in various lawsuits or other legal proceedings. Such lawsuits could arise from the sale of products or services or from other matters relating to our regular business activities, compliance with various governmental regulations and requirements, or other transactions or circumstances.

We have been named as a party in the December 19, 2019 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Demand Letter regarding the Malta Rocket Fuel Area Superfund Site ("Site") located in Malta and Stillwater, New York, in connection with an alleged release of hazardous materials into the environment. The EPA is seeking reimbursement of response costs from all named parties in the amount of approximately $358,000 plus interest in connection with the investigation and disposal activities associated with the various drum caches discovered at the Site, issuance of the Explanation of Significant Differences ("ESD") of the Site, and implementation of the work contemplated by the ESD. We consider the likelihood of a material adverse outcome with respect to this matter to be remote and do not currently anticipate that any expense or liability that we may incur as a result of this matter in the future will be material to the Company's business or financial condition.

Item 9:          Market Price of and Dividends on the Registrant's Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

Market Information

Our common stock is quoted on the OTC Markets Group quotation system on the OTC Pink - Current Information tier under the symbol "MKTY"; prior to March 20, 2018, our common stock quoted on the OTC Markets' OTCQB venture stage marketplace for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies. Investors can find Real-Time quotes and market information for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. The following table sets forth the high and low bid information for our common stock as reported on the OTC Market Group quotation system for the periods indicated:

 

23


 

High

Low

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2019

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

$

1.56

$

0.80

Second Quarter

 

1.30

 

0.95

Third Quarter

 

1.08

 

0.74

Fourth Quarter

 

0.90

 

0.64

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2018

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

$

1.01

$

0.66

Second Quarter

 

-

 

-

Third Quarter

 

-

 

-

Fourth Quarter

 

-

 

-

 

The bid information set forth above was obtained from OTC Markets Group and reflects inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down, or commission, and may not represent actual transactions.

Holders

We have one class of common stock, par value $.01, and are authorized to issue 75,000,000 shares of common stock. At December 31, 2019, there were 9,570,677 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. At December 31, 2019, there were approximately 271 shareholders of record of the Company's common stock. The number of shareholders of record does not reflect the number of persons whose shares are held in nominee or "street" name accounts through brokers.

Dividends

Dividends are recorded when declared by our Board of Directors. During 2019, we declared and paid a special dividend of $3.4 million or $0.37 per common share. A portion of dividends were charged against paid in capital because the Company does not have sufficient retained earnings.

Other than 2019, we have never declared or paid dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate or contemplate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to use all available funds to develop our business. We can give no assurance that we will ever have excess funds available to pay dividends. Any future determination as to the payment of dividends will depend upon critical requirements and limitations imposed by our credit agreements, if any, and such other factors as our Board of Directors may consider.

Equity Compensation Plans

As of December 31, 2019, we have three equity compensation plans, each of which was originally approved by our stockholders; the Mechanical Technology Incorporated 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2006 Plan"), the Mechanical Technology Incorporated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan and the Mechanical Technology Incorporated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (collectively, the "Plans"). The 2006 Plan was amended and restated and approved by our Board of Directors in 2011 and 2009. See "Item 6. Executive Compensation - MTI Equity Incentive Plans" and Note 11 of our Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10 for a description of the Plans.

 

24


 

The following table presents information regarding these plans as of December 31, 2019:

Plan Category

Number of securities to be
issued upon exercise of outstanding
options, warrants and rights(1)
(a)

Weighted average exercise
price of outstanding
options, warrants and rights
(b)

Number of securities remaining
available for future issuance
under
equity compensation plans
(excluding securities reflected in
column (a))(2)
(c)

Equity compensation plans
approved by security holders

504,875

$              0.90

68,930

 

 

 

 

Equity compensation plans
not approved by security holders(3)

23,000

0.59

-0-

 

 

 

 

Total

527,875

 

68,930

___________________

(1)      The securities available under the Plans for issuance and issuable pursuant to exercises of outstanding options may be adjusted in the event of a change in outstanding stock by reason of stock dividend, stock splits, reverse stock splits, etc.

(2)      No awards can currently be made out of the 2006 Plan.

(3)      Includes options outstanding under the 2006 Plan, which was amended by our Board of Directors without stockholder approval in 2009 and 2011 to increase the number of shares available for issuance thereunder. Under the 2006 Plan, the Board of Directors is authorized to issue stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, and other stock-based incentives to officers, employees, and others.

Item 10:       Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

Not applicable.

Item 11:       Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered

General

The Company is authorized to issue up to 75,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had outstanding 9,570,677 shares of common stock. The holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote per share held and have the right and power to vote on all matters on which a vote of shareholders is taken. Shareholders do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. The election of the board of directors of the Company is decided by plurality vote and all other questions are decided by majority vote of shareholders present in person or by proxy, except as otherwise required by the New York Business Corporation Law (“NYBCL”) or the Company’s certificate of incorporation. The Company’s certificate of incorporation provides that, except in instances of removal for cause, the shareholders of the Corporation may only remove a director of the Company from service as a director after the affirmative vote of 75% or more of outstanding shares of stock. The NYBCL provides, among other things, that (1) the above discussed provision regarding removal of Company directors may only be altered, amended, or repealed by the affirmative vote of more than 75% of the outstanding shares of stock, (2) a plan of merger or consolidation involving the Company must be approved by two-thirds of all the outstanding shares of stock, (3) a sale or disposition of substantially all of the assets of the Company must be approved by two-thirds of all the outstanding shares of stock, and (4) any dissolution of the Company must be approved by two-thirds of all the outstanding shares of stock.

The board of directors of the Company is divided into three classes, with each class consisting, as nearly as may be possible, of one-third of the total number of directors, with the terms of the classes scheduled to expire in successive years. At each annual meeting of the shareholders of the Company, the shareholders elect the members of a single class of directors for three-year terms.

Holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to receive dividends when, as, and if declared by the board of directors of the Company, out of funds legally available therefore. Upon liquidation, dissolution, or the winding up of the Company, common shareholders are entitled to receive any remaining assets of the Company in proportion to the respective number of shares held after payment of and reservation for Company liabilities. The holders of common shares do not have any preemptive right to subscribe for or purchase any shares of any class of stock of the Company. The outstanding shares of common stock are not subject to redemption by the Company and are fully paid and non-assessable. To the extent that the Company issues additional shares of common stock, the relative interest in the Company of existing shareholders will likely be diluted.

25


Certain Provisions of Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Amended and Restated By-Laws

Our certificate of incorporation, our By-Laws, and a Section 382 Rights Plan of the Company, dated October 6, 2016 (“Rights Plan”), contain provisions and terms that may delay, defer, or prevent a tender offer or change in control of the Company that a shareholder might consider to be in its best interests, including attempts that might result in a premium being paid over the market price for the shares held by shareholders. The Company expects that such provisions and terms will operate to discourage extraordinary corporate transactions with respect to the Company, such as takeover bids, and will instead encourage any potential acquiror of the Company to first correspond with the Company’s board of directors. The Rights Plan is additionally intended to preserve the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) and to act as a deterrent to any person (together with all affiliates and associates of such person) acquiring beneficial ownership of 4.99% or more of outstanding shares of common stock of the Company without approval of the board of directors of the Company (such person, an “Acquiring Person”). These provisions and terms include:

Item 12:       Indemnification of Directors and Officers

The NYBCL generally provides that a New York corporation may indemnify any person made, or threatened to be made, a party to an action or proceeding by reason of the fact that such person was a director or officer of the corporation against judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement, and reasonable expenses, including attorneys’ fees actually and necessarily incurred, if such director or officer acted in good faith, for a purpose which he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and, in criminal actions or proceedings, in addition, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. In connection with actions by or in right of a corporation, the NYBCL prohibits such indemnification for (1) pending or threatened actions that are settled or otherwise disposed of and (2) any claim, issue, or matter for which the applicable person is adjudged to be liable to the corporation (in each case, unless a court of competent jurisdiction determines such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification). The NYBCL further provides that any such indemnifiable person who has been successful on the merits in the defense of an applicable action or proceeding shall be affirmatively entitled to the foregoing indemnity. The NYBCL additionally permits a corporation to advance expenses incurred by a director or officer in defending an action or proceeding prior to final disposition upon receipt of an undertaking by the applicable person to repay such advanced amount if the advancement is ultimately found to not be permitted by law or otherwise.

In addition to the above, the Company, pursuant to its certificate of incorporation, has determined to indemnify any person made, or threatened to be made, a party to an action or proceeding (including if in the right of the Company) by reason of the fact that such person was a director or officer of the corporation against judgments, fines, amounts paid in settlement, and expenses, including attorneys’ fees actually incurred, if such director or officer acted in good faith for a purpose which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company and, in criminal actions or proceedings, in addition, had no reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. Despite the foregoing, this specific indemnity from the Company is not available to such a director or officer if a judgment or other final adjudication adverse to the director or officer establishes that his or her acts were in bad faith or were the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and were material to the applicable cause of action, or that he or she personally gained a financial profit or other advantage to which he or she was not legally entitled. The Company’s certificate of incorporation also states that director of the Company shall not be liable to the Company or its shareholders for any breach of duty unless (1) a judgement or other final adjudication establishes that his or her acts or omissions involved bad faith, intentional misconduct, a knowing violation of law, or the personal gain of a financial profit or other advantage to which he or she was not legally entitled or (2) the acts involved certain declaration of dividends, purchase of Company shares, distribution of Company assets, or making of loans prohibited by the NYBCL.

 

26


Item 13:       Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Our Consolidated Financial Statements begin on page F-1 and are incorporated in this Item 13 by reference.

Item 14:       Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

Not applicable.

Item 15:       Financial Statements and Exhibits

15(a) Financial Statements: The financial statements filed herewith are set forth on the Index to Consolidated Financial Statements on page F-1 of the separate financial section which accompanies this Form 10, which is incorporated herein by reference.

15(b) Exhibits: The exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index below are filed as part of this Form 10.

Exhibit
Number      

Description

3.1

Certificate of Incorporation of the registrant, as amended and restated (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 3.1 of the Company's Form 10-K Report for the year ended December 31, 2007).

3.2

Certificate of Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation of the registrant (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 3.2 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed May 15, 2008).

3.3

Certificate of Correction of Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated as of October 17, 2016 and Certificate of Correction of Certificate of Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation of Mechanical Technology Incorporated, as of October 17, 2016 (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 3.1 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed October 21, 2016).

3.4

Amended and Restated By-Laws of the registrant (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 3.3 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed December 14, 2007).

4.1

Rights Agreement, dated as of October 6, 2016, between Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Rights Agent (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.1 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed October 6, 2016).

4.2

Amendment No. 1 dated as of October 20, 2016, to the Rights Agreement, dated as of October 6, 2016, between Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, as Rights Agent (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.2 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed October 21, 2016).

10.1

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated Amended and Restated 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Form 10-K Report for the year ended December 31, 2016).*

10.2

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement for Mechanical Technology, Incorporated Amended and Restated 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.2 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed July 11, 2011).*

10.3

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.3 of the Company's Form 10-K Report for the year ended December 31, 2016).*

10.4

Form of Restricted Stock Agreement Notice for Board of Directors and Employees for Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.2 of the Company's Form 10-Q Report for the quarter ended June 30, 2012).*

10.5

Form of Incentive Stock Option Notice for Employees for Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.3 of the Company's Form 10-Q Report for the quarter ended June 30, 2012).*

10.6

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Notice for Employees for Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.4 of the Company's Form 10-Q Report for the quarter ended June 30, 2012).*

10.7

Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Notice for Board of Directors for Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.5 of the Company's Form 10-Q Report for the quarter ended June 30, 2012).*

10.8

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the Mechanical Technology, Incorporated Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan.*

10.9

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit A to the Registrant's Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Commission on April 25, 2014). *

10.10

Form of Restricted Stock Grant Agreement under the Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan. *

10.11

Form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Grant Agreement under the Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.3 of the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-196989) filed with the Commission on June 24, 2014). *

 

 

27


10.12      

Form of Incentive Stock Option Grant Agreement under the Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 4.4 of the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-196989) filed with the Commission on June 24, 2014). *

10.13

Lease dated August 10, 1999 between Carl E. Touhey and Mechanical Technology, Inc. (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.38 of the Company's Form 10-K Report for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999).

10.14

Amendment No. 1 to Lease Agreement Between Mechanical Technology Inc. and Carl E. Touhey dated September 29, 2009 (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.166 of the Company's Form 10-K Report for the year ended December 31, 2009).

10.15

Amendment No. 2 to Lease Agreement Between MTI Instruments Inc. and Carl E. Touhey dated May 2, 2014 (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Form 10-Q Report for the quarter ended March 31, 2014).

10.16#

Contract dated July 1, 2016 between Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and the U.S. Air Force (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Form 10-Q Report for the quarter ended June 30, 2016).

10.17

Securities Purchase Agreement dated as of October 21, 2016, by and between Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXIV, LLC (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.22 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed October 21, 2016).

10.18

Registration Rights Agreement dated as of October 21, 2016, by and between Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXIV, LLC (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.23 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed October 21, 2016).

10.19

Form of Option Exercise and Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement between the Company and its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Non-Employee Directors (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.24 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed October 21, 2016).

10.20

Operating and Management Agreement between Soluna Technologies, Ltd. and EcoChain, Inc. dated January 13, 2020.

10.21

Class A Preferred Share Purchase Agreement dated January 13, 2020, among Soluna Technologies, Ltd., Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, and the other investors set forth on Exhibit A thereto.

10.22

Contingent Rights Agreement dated January 13, 2020, by and between Soluna Technologies, Ltd. and Mechanical Technology, Incorporated.

10.23

Side Letter Agreement dated January 13, 2020, by and between Soluna Technologies, Ltd. and Mechanical Technology, Incorporated.

10.24

Executive Employment Agreement, dated May 5, 2017, by and between Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Frederick Jones (Incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.1 of the Company's Form 8-K Report filed May 5, 2017). *

21

Subsidiaries of the Registrant.

All exhibits for which no other filing information is given are filed herewith.
 
# Certain portions of this exhibit have been omitted based upon a request for confidential treatment. The omitted portions have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to our application for confidential treatment. The items are identified in the exhibit with "**".
 
*    Represents management contract or compensation plan or arrangement.

 

 

28


 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY, INCORPORATED

 

 

 

Date: March 4, 2020

By:     

/s/ Frederick W. Jones

 

 

Frederick W. Jones

 

 

Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29


 

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY, INCORPORATED AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
INDEX


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

F-2

   

Consolidated Balance Sheets
As of December 31, 2019 and 2018

F-3

   

Consolidated Statements of Operations
For the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018

F-4

   

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity
For the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018

F-5

   

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018

F-6

   

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

F-7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-1


 

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT

 

 

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Subsidiaries

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated financial statements of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Subsidiaries (the "Company"), which comprise the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders' equity, and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements. 

 

Management's Responsibility for the Financial Statements

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. 

Auditor's Responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit.  We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement. 

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements.  The procedures selected depend on the auditor's judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error.  In making those assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Company's preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control.  Accordingly, we express no such opinion.  An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. 

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion. 

Opinion

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. 

 

/s/ Wojeski & Company CPAs, P.C.

 

Albany, New York

February 18, 2020

 

 

 

 

F-2


 

 

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018

 

 

(Dollars in thousands, except per share)

December 31,

 

December 31,

 

 

2019

 

2018

 

Assets

 

Current Assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Cash

$

2,510

    

$

5,771

 

   Accounts receivable - less allowances of $0 in 2019 and $2 in 2018

 

745

 

 

871

 

   Inventories

 

924

 

 

863

 

   Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

56

 

 

57

 

   Total Current Assets

 

4,235

 

 

7,562

 

Deferred income taxes, net

 

395

 

 

395

 

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

174

 

 

181

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

947

 

 

-

 

   Total Assets

$

5,751

 

$

8,138

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

 

Current Liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Accounts payable

$

210

 

$

201

 

   Accrued liabilities

 

761

 

 

991

 

   Operating lease liability

 

171

 

 

-

 

      Total Current Liabilities

 

1,142

 

 

1,192

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating lease liability

 

776

 

 

-

 

      Total Liabilities

 

1,918

 

 

1,192

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commitments and Contingencies (Note 8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders' Equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, authorized 75,000,000; 10,586,170 issued in 2019

       and 10,452,670 issued in 2018

 

106

 

 

105

 

  Additional paid-in capital

 

137,230

 

 

139,067

 

  Accumulated deficit

 

(119,739

)

 

(118,462

)

  Common stock in treasury, at cost, 1,015,493 shares in both 2019 and 2018

 

(13,764

)

 

(13,764

)

   Total Stockholders' Equity

 

3,833

 

 

6,946

 

   Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

$

5,751

 

$

8,138

 

 

 

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

 

F-3


Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

For the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018

 

 

(Dollars in thousands, except per share)

Years Ended

 

 

December 31,

 

 

2019

 

2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Product revenue

$

6,571

  

$

8,062

 

Operating costs and expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Cost of product revenue

 

2,205

 

 

2,327

 

     Research and product development expenses

 

1,381

 

 

1,236

 

     Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

2,726

 

 

2,976

 

Operating income

 

259

 

 

1,523

 

Other income (expense), net

 

36

 

 

21

 

Income before income taxes

 

295

 

 

1,544

 

Income tax benefit   

28

   

392

 
      Net income $

323

  $

1,936

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income per share (Basic)

$

.03

 

$

.21

 

Income per share (Diluted)

$

.03

 

$

.20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average shares outstanding (Basic)

 

9,548,460

 

 

9,382,017

 

Weighted average shares outstanding (Diluted)

 

9,602,548

 

 

9,449,852

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-4


 

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity
For the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018

 

(Dollars in thousands,

except per share)

 

Common Stock

 

 

 

Treasury Stock

 

 

 

 

 

Shares

 

 

 

Amount

 

Additional Paid-

in Capital

 

 

Accumulated

Deficit

 

 

 

Shares

 

 

 

Amount

Total  
Stockholders'
Equity
(Deficit)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 1, 2018

10,378,975

$

104

 

$

139,022

 

$

(120,398

)

1,015,493

$

(13,764

)

$

4,964

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

-

 

-

 

 

-

 

 

1,936

 

-

 

-

 

 

1,936

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock based compensation

-

 

-

 

 

6

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

 

6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issuance of shares - option exercises

73,695

 

1

 

 

39

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

 

40

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2018

10,452,670

$

105

 

$

139,067

 

$

(118,462

)

1,015,493

$

(13,764

)

$

6,946

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

-

 

-

 

 

-

 

 

323

 

-

 

-

 

 

323

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock based compensation

-

 

-

 

 

31

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

 

31

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issuance of shares - option exercises

133,500

 

1

 

 

73

 

 

-

 

-

 

-

 

 

74

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash dividends

-

 

-

 

 

(1,941

)

 

(1,600

)

-

 

-

 

 

(3,541

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 31, 2019

10,586,170

$

106

 

$

137,230

 

$

(119,739

)

1,015,493

$

(13,764

)

$

3,833

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

F-5


 

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the Years Ended December 31, 2019 and 2018

(Dollars in thousands)

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2019

 

2018

 

Operating Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

$

323

 

$

1,936

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation

 

87

 

 

96

 

Provision (recovery) for bad debts

 

1

 

 

-

 

Deferred income taxes

 

-

 

 

(395

)

Stock based compensation

 

31

 

 

6

 

Provision (recovery) for excess and obsolete inventories

 

33

 

 

(82

)

Loss on disposal of equipment

 

3

 

 

-

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable

 

125

 

 

535

 

Inventories

 

(94

)

 

(87

)

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

 

1

 

 

33

 

Accounts payable

 

9

 

 

(124

)

Accrued liabilities

 

(230

)

 

78

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

289

 

 

1,996

 

Investing Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purchases of equipment

 

(83

)

 

(93

)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(83

)

 

(93

)

Financing Activities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash dividends on common stock

 

(3,541

)

 

-

 

Proceeds from stock option exercises

 

74

 

 

40

 

Net cash (used) provided by financing activities

 

(3,467

)

 

40

 

(Decrease) increase in cash

 

(3,261

)

 

1,943

 

Cash - beginning of period

 

5,771

 

 

3,828

 

Cash - end of period

$

2,510

 

$

5,771

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

F-6


 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

1.                   Nature of Operations

Description of Business

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated (MTI or the Company), a New York corporation, was incorporated in 1961. The Company's core business is conducted through MTI Instruments, Inc. (MTI Instruments), a wholly-owned subsidiary.

MTI Instruments was incorporated in New York on March 8, 2000 and is a supplier of precision linear displacement solutions, vibration measurement and balancing systems, and wafer inspection tools. Our products consist of electronic gauging instruments for position, displacement and vibration application within the industrial manufacturing markets, as well as in the research, design and process development markets, and engine vibration analysis systems for both military and commercial aircraft. These tools, systems and solutions are developed for markets and applications that require the precise measurements and control of products, processes, and the development and implementation of automated manufacturing, assembly, and consistent operation of complex machinery.

Liquidity

The Company has historically incurred significant losses primarily due to its past efforts to fund direct methanol fuel cell product development and commercialization programs and had a consolidated accumulated deficit of approximately $119.7 million as of December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had working capital of approximately $3.1 million, no debt, $6 thousand in outstanding commitments for capital expenditures, and approximately $2.5 million of cash available to fund our operations.

Based on the Company's projected cash requirements for operations and capital expenditures, its current available cash of approximately $2.5 million and its projected 2020 cash flow pursuant to management's plans, management believes it will have adequate resources to fund operations and capital expenditures for the year ending December 31, 2020 and through the end of the first quarter of 2021. If cash generated from operations is insufficient to satisfy the Company's operational working capital and capital expenditure requirements, the Company may be required to obtain credit facilities, if available, to fund these initiatives. The Company has no other formal commitments for funding future needs of the organization at this time and any additional financing during 2020, if required, may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.

2.                   Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, MTI Instruments. All intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The consolidated financial statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with United States of America Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP), which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Inventories

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or net realizable value. The Company periodically reviews inventory quantities on hand and records a provision for excess, slow moving and obsolete inventory based primarily on our estimated forecast of product demand, as well as based on historical usage. The Company also provides estimated inventory allowances for inventory whose carrying value is in excess of net realizable value. Demand and usage for products and materials can fluctuate significantly. A significant decrease in demand for our products could result in a short-term increase in the cost of inventory purchases and an increase of excess inventory quantities on hand. Although the Company makes every effort to assure the accuracy of our forecasts of future product demand, any significant unanticipated changes in demand could have a significant impact on the value of our inventory and our reported operating results. If changes in market conditions result in reductions in the estimated net realizable value of our inventory below our previous estimate, the Company would increase our reserve in the period in which we made such a determination and record a charge to cost of product revenue.

 

F-7


Property, Plant, and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives as follows:

Leasehold improvements

Lesser of the life of the lease or the useful life of the improvement

Computers and related software

3 to 5 years

Machinery and equipment

3 to 10 years

Office furniture, equipment and fixtures

2 to 10 years

 

Significant additions or improvements extending assets' useful lives are capitalized; normal maintenance and repair costs are expensed as incurred. The costs of fully depreciated assets remaining in use are included in the respective asset and accumulated depreciation accounts. When items are sold or retired, related gains or losses are included in net (loss) income.

Income Taxes

The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. (federal and state). As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, the Company calculates income taxes for each of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates. This involves estimating actual current taxes due together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatment for tax and accounting purposes that are recorded as deferred tax assets and liabilities, loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards, for which income tax benefits are expected to be realized in future years. A valuation allowance has been established to reduce deferred tax assets, if it is more likely than not that all, or some portion, of such deferred tax assets will not be realized. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in the period that includes the enactment date.

Significant management judgment is required in determining the Company's provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and any valuation allowance recorded against the Company's net deferred tax assets. The Company considers all available evidence, both positive and negative, such as historical levels of income and future forecasts of taxable income amongst other items in determining the Company's valuation allowance. In addition, the Company's assessment requires the Company to schedule future taxable income in accordance with accounting standards that address income taxes to assess the appropriateness of a valuation allowance, which further requires the exercise of significant management judgment.

The Company accounts for taxes in accordance with the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Under this method, the Company must recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. The impact of the Company's reassessment of its tax positions for these standards did not have a material impact on its results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.

The Company is currently subject to audit in various jurisdictions, and these jurisdictions may assess additional income tax liabilities against us. Developments in an audit, litigation, or in applicable laws, regulations, administrative practices, principles, and interpretations could have a material effect on the Company's operating results or cash flows in the period or periods in which such developments occur, as well as for prior and in subsequent periods.

Tax laws, regulations, and administrative practices in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change, with or without notice, due to economic, political, and other conditions, and significant judgment is required in evaluating and estimating the Company's provision and accruals for these taxes. There are many transactions that occur during the ordinary course of business for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. The Company's effective tax rates could be affected by numerous factors, such as intercompany transactions, earnings being lower than anticipated in jurisdictions where the Company has lower statutory rates and higher than anticipated in jurisdictions where the Company has higher statutory rates, the applicability of special tax regimes, losses incurred in jurisdictions for which the Company is not able to realize the related tax benefit, changes in foreign currency exchange rates, entry into new businesses and geographies, changes to its existing businesses and operations, acquisitions and investments and how they are financed, changes in the Company's stock price, changes in its deferred tax assets and liabilities and their valuation, and changes in the relevant tax, accounting, and other laws, regulations, administrative practices, principles, and interpretations.

 

F-8


 

Equity Method Investments

The Company's consolidated net income (loss) will include our proportionate share, if any, of the net income or loss of our equity method investee. When the Company records its proportionate share of net income, it increases equity income (loss), net in our consolidated statements of operations and our carrying value in that investment. Conversely, when the Company records its proportionate share of a net loss, it decreases equity income (loss), net in our consolidated statements of operations and our carrying value in that investment. When the Company's carrying value in an equity method investee company has been reduced to zero, no further losses are recorded in the Company's financial statements unless the Company guaranteed obligations of the investee company or has committed additional funding. When the investee company subsequently reports income, the Company will not record its share of such income until it equals the amount of its share of losses not previously recognized.

The Company records its investment in MeOH Power, Inc. using the equity method of accounting. The fair value of the Company's interest in MeOH Power, Inc. has been determined to be $0 as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, based on MeOH Power, Inc.'s net position and expected cash flows. As of December 31, 2019, the Company retained its ownership of approximately 47.5% of MeOH Power, Inc.'s outstanding common stock, or 75,049,937 shares. The number of shares of MeOH Power, Inc.'s common stock authorized for issuance is 240,000,000 as of December 31, 2019.

Fair Value Measurement

The estimated fair value of certain financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable and short-term debt approximates their carrying value due to their short maturities and varying interest rates. "Fair value" is the price that would be received to sell an asset or transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company utilizes valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. Based on the observability of the inputs used in the valuation methods, the Company is required to provide the following information according to the fair value accounting standards. These standards established a fair value hierarchy as specified that ranks the quality and reliability of the information used to determine fair values. Financial assets and liabilities are classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:

Level 1:        Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, which includes listed equities.

Level 2:        Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. These items are typically priced using models or other valuation techniques. These models are primarily financial industry-standard models that consider various assumptions, including the time value of money, yield curves, volatility factors, as well as other relevant economic measures.

Level 3:        These use unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data. These values are generally estimated based upon methodologies utilizing significant inputs that are generally less observable from objective sources.

Revenue Recognition, Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

Product revenue consists of revenue recognized from MTI Instruments' product lines. Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for those products or services. The Company enters into contracts that can include various combinations of products and services, which are generally capable of being distinct and accounted for as separate performance obligations. Revenue is recognized net of allowances for returns and any taxes collected from customers, which are subsequently remitted to governmental authorities.

If the product requires that the Company provide installation, all revenue related to the product is deferred and recognized upon the completion of the installation. If the product requires specific customer acceptance criteria, such as on-site customer acceptance and/or acceptance after install, then revenue is deferred until customer acceptance occurs or the acceptance provisions lapse, unless the Company can objectively and reliably demonstrate that the criteria specified in the acceptance provisions is satisfied. The Company may also record unearned revenues, which include payments for other offerings for which we have been paid in advance. The resulting revenue would be earned when we transfer control of the product or service. As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company had no deferred or unearned revenue.

 

 

F-9


 

MTI Instruments currently has distributor agreements in place for the international sale of general instrument and semiconductor products in certain global regions. Such agreements grant a distributor the right of first refusal to act as distributor for such products in the distributor's territory. In return, the distributor agrees to not market other products which are considered by MTI Instruments to be in direct competition with MTI Instruments' products. The distributor is allowed to purchase MTI Instruments' equipment at a price which is discounted off the published domestic/international list prices. Such list prices can be adjusted by MTI Instruments during the term of the distributor agreement. Generally, payment terms with the distributor are standard net 30 days; however, on occasion, extended payment terms have been granted. Title and risk of loss of the product passes to the distributor upon delivery to the independent carrier (standard "free-on-board" factory), and the distributor is responsible for any required training and/or service with the end-user. The sale (and subsequent payment) between MTI Instruments and the distributor is not contingent upon the successful resale of the product by the distributor. Distributor sales are covered by MTI Instruments' standard one-year warranty and there are no special return policies for distributors.

The Company's contracts with customers often include promises to transfer multiple products and services to a customer. Determining whether products and services are considered distinct performance obligations that should be accounted for separately versus together may require significant judgment. The Company determines the standalone selling price (SSP) for each distinct performance obligation. Since the Company sells products and services separately, the SSP is directly observable.

Trade accounts receivable are stated at the invoiced amount billed to customers and do not bear interest. An allowance for doubtful accounts, if necessary, represents the Company's best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in its existing accounts receivable. The Company determines the allowance based on historical write-off experience and current exposures identified. The Company reviews its allowance for doubtful accounts monthly. Past due balances over 90 days and over a specified amount are reviewed individually for collectability. All other balances are reviewed on a pooled basis by type of receivable. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when the Company believes it is probable the receivable will not be recovered. The Company does not have any off-balance-sheet credit exposure related to its customers. The Company's allowance for doubtful accounts was $0 at December 31, 2019 and $2 thousand December 31, 2018.

Payment terms and conditions vary by contract type, although terms generally include a requirement of payment within 30 days. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, we have determined our contracts generally do not include a significant financing component. The primary purpose of the Company's invoicing terms is to provide customers with simplified and predictable ways of purchasing our products and services, not to receive financing from its customers.

The Company recognizes an asset for the incremental costs of obtaining a contract with a customer, if the Company expects the benefit of those costs to be longer than one year. As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company has recorded no capitalized costs to obtain a contract.

The Company applies the practical expedient to expense costs as incurred for costs to obtain a contract when the amortization period would have been one year or less. These costs include our internal sales force compensation programs as we have determined annual compensation is commensurate with annual sales activities.

Cost of Product Revenue

Cost of product revenue includes material, labor, overhead and shipping and handling costs.

Warranty

The Company accrues a warranty liability at the time product revenue is recorded based on historical experience. The liability is reviewed during the year and is adjusted, if appropriate, to reflect new product offerings or changes in experience. Actual warranty claims are tracked by product line. Warranty liability was $16 thousand and $24 thousand at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Warranty expense was $1 thousand and $33 thousand for 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Long-Lived Assets

The Company accounts for impairment or disposal of long-lived assets in accordance with accounting standards that address the financial accounting and reporting for the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets, specify how impairment will be measured, and how impaired assets will be classified in the consolidated financial statements. On a quarterly basis, the Company analyzes the status of its long-lived assets at each subsidiary for potential impairment. As of December 31, 2019, the Company does not believe that any of its long-lived assets have suffered any type of impairment that would require an adjustment to that asset's recorded value.

 

F-10


 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and highly liquid short-term investments with original maturities of less than three months.

Net Income (Loss) per Share

The Company computes basic income (loss) per common share by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted income (loss) per share reflects the potential dilution, if any, computed by dividing income (loss) by the combination of dilutive common share equivalents, comprised of shares issuable under outstanding investment rights, warrants and the Company's share-based compensation plans, and the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. Dilutive common share equivalents include the dilutive effect of in-the-money stock options, which are calculated based on the average share price for each period using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, the exercise price of a stock option and the amount of compensation cost, if any, for future service that the Company has not yet recognized are assumed to be used to repurchase shares in the current period.

Share-Based Payments

The Company grants options to purchase our common stock and award restricted stock to our employees and directors under our equity incentive plans. The benefits provided under these plans are share-based payments and the Company accounts for stock-based awards exchanged for employee service in accordance with the appropriate share-based payment accounting guidance. Stock-based compensation represents the cost related to stock-based awards granted to employees and directors. The Company measures stock-based compensation cost at grant date based on the estimated fair value of the award, and recognizes the cost as expense on a straight-line basis in accordance with the vesting of the options (net of estimated forfeitures) over the option's requisite service period. The Company estimates the fair value of stock-based awards on the grant date using a Black- Scholes valuation model. The Company uses the fair value method of accounting with the modified prospective application, which provides for certain changes to the method for valuing share-based compensation. The valuation provisions apply to new awards and to awards that are outstanding on the effective date and subsequently modified. Under the modified prospective application, prior periods are not revised for comparative purposes. Stock-based compensation expense is recorded in the lines titled "Cost of product revenue," "Selling, general and administrative expenses" and "Research and product development expenses" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations based on the employees' respective functions.

The Company records deferred tax assets for awards that potentially can result in deductions on the Company's income tax returns based on the amount of compensation cost that would be recognized upon issuance of the award and the Company's statutory tax rate. All income tax effects of awards, including excess tax benefits, recognized on stock-based compensation expense are reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations as a component of the provision for income taxes on a prospective basis.

The determination of the fair value of share-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model is affected by the Company's stock price as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables. These variables include the Company's expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors, risk-free interest rate, and expected dividends.

Theoretical valuation models and market-based methods are evolving and may result in lower or higher fair value estimates for share-based compensation. The timing, readiness, adoption, general acceptance, reliability, and testing of these methods is uncertain. Sophisticated mathematical models may require voluminous historical information, modeling expertise, financial analyses, correlation analyses, integrated software and databases, consulting fees, customization, and testing for adequacy of internal controls.

For purposes of estimating the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes model, the Company uses the historical volatility of its stock for the expected volatility assumption input to the Black-Scholes model, consistent with the accounting guidance. The risk-free interest rate is based on the risk-free zero-coupon rate for a period consistent with the expected option term at the time of grant. The Company paid a special dividend during the year ended December 31, 2019 and did not pay any dividends during the year ended December 31, 2018. The Company is required to assume a dividend yield as an input to the Black-Scholes model. Since the 2019 dividend was a special dividend and the Company does not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future, the Company therefore uses an expected dividend yield of zero in the option valuation model. The expected option term is calculated based on our historical forfeitures and cancellation rates.

 

 

F-11


Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk principally consist of cash equivalents and trade accounts receivable. The Company's trade accounts receivable are primarily from sales to commercial customers, the U.S. government and state agencies. The Company does not require collateral and has not historically experienced significant credit losses related to receivables from individual customers or groups of customers in any particular industry or geographic area.

The Company has cash deposits in excess of federally insured limits but does not believe them to be at risk.

Research and Development Costs

The Company expenses research and development costs as incurred. The Company incurred research and development costs of approximately $1.4 million and $1.2 million, which was entirely related to MTI Instruments, for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Advertising Costs

The Company expenses advertising costs as incurred. The Company incurred advertising costs of approximately $45 and $33 thousand, which was entirely related to MTI Instruments, for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Other Comprehensive Income

The Company had no other comprehensive income (loss) items for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use ("ROU") assets and operating lease liability on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company did not have any finance leases as of December 31, 2019 or December 31, 2018.

Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. As most of the Company's leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of future payments. The operating lease ROU assets also include any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives and initial direct costs incurred. The Company's lease terms may include options to extend or terminate its leases when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise those options. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. For real estate leases, the Company accounts for lease components together with non-lease components (e.g. common-area maintenance).

Accounting Updates Not Yet Effective

Changes to U.S. GAAP are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the FASB) in the form of accounting standard updates (ASUs) to the FASB's Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). The Company considered the applicability and impact of all ASUs. ASUs not mentioned below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are expected to have minimal impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13 (Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326)) and its subsequent amendments to the initial guidance within ASU 2018-19, ASU 2019-04, ASU 2019-05, ASU 2019-10 and ASU 2019-11, respectively (collectively, Topic 326). Topic 326 changes how entities will measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not accounted for at fair value through net income. This standard replaces the existing incurred credit loss model and establishes a single credit loss framework based on a current expected credit loss model for financial assets carried at amortized cost, including loans and held-to- maturity debt securities. The current expected loss model requires an entity to estimate credit losses expected over the life of the credit exposure upon initial recognition of that exposure when the financial asset is originated or acquired, which will generally result in earlier recognition of credit losses. This standard also requires expanded credit quality disclosures. For available-for-sale debt securities, entities will be required to record allowances rather than reduce the carrying amount, as they do today under the other-than-temporary impairment model. This standard also simplifies the accounting model for purchased credit-impaired debt securities and loans. This standard will affect loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off balance sheet credit exposures, reinsurance receivables, and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope that have the contractual right to receive cash. ASU 2018-19 clarifies that receivables arising from operating leases are accounted for using lease guidance and not as financial instruments. ASU 2019-04 clarifies that equity instruments without readily determinable fair values for which an entity has elected the measurement alternative should be remeasured to fair value as of the date that an observable transaction occurred. ASU 2019-05 provides an option to irrevocably elect to measure certain individual financial assets at fair value instead of amortized cost. This standard should be applied on either a prospective transition or modified-retrospective approach depending on the subtopic. This standard will be effective for the Company for annual and interim reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2022, and while early adoption is permitted, the Company does not expect to elect that option. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements, including assessing and evaluating assumptions and models to estimate losses. Upon adoption of this standard on January 1, 2023, the Company will be required to record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings for the impact as of the date of adoption. The impact will depend on the Company's portfolio composition and credit quality at the date of adoption, as well as forecasts at that time.

 

F-12


 

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12 (Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes). This standard removes exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740 for allocating tax expense between financial statement components, accounting basis differences stemming from an ownership change in foreign investments and interim period income tax accounting for year-to-date losses that exceed projected losses. The standard will be effective for the Company for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years, and while early adoption is permitted, the Company does not expect to elect that option. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its consolidated financial statements. At this time, the Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Updates Recently Adopted by the Company

On January 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02 (Leases (Topic 842)) and its subsequent amendments to the initial guidance within ASU 2018-01, ASU 2018-10, ASU 2018-11 and ASU 2018-20, ASU 2019-01, respectively (collectively, Topic 842). Topic 842 was issued to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring lessees to recognize most leases on the balance sheet (other than leases that meet the definition of a short-term lease). Most prominent among the changes in the standard is the recognition of ROU assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases. For income statement purposes, this standard retains a dual model similar to ASC 840, requiring leases to be classified as either operating or finance. For lessees, operating leases will result in straight-line expense (similar to current accounting by lessees for operating leases under ASC 840) while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern (similar to current accounting by lessees for capital leases under ASC 840). Topic 842 includes disclosures that are required to meet the objective of enabling users of financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The Company elected the available practical expedients and adopted this standard on a cumulative effect adjustment approach, which required prospective application at the adoption date. As of January 1, 2019, the impact on the consolidated balance sheet was the recognition of operating ROU asset of $198 thousand and operating lease liabilities of $198 thousand. The adoption of this standard did not change the recognition, measurement or presentation of lease expense within the Company's consolidated statements of operations or the consolidated statements of cash flows.

The Company did not have any finance leases as of December 31, 2019 or December 31, 2018. See Note 12 for further information.

There have been no other significant changes in the Company's reported financial position or results of operations and cash flows as a result of its adoption of new accounting pronouncements or changes to its significant accounting policies that were disclosed in its consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

3.                   Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivables consist of the following at:

(Dollars in thousands)  

December 31, 2019

   

December 31, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. and State Government

$

57

     

$

69

 

Commercial

 

653

 

 

804

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

-

 

 

(2

)

Other

 

35

 

 

-

 

  Total

$

745

 

$

871

 

 

 

 

 

F-13


4.                   Inventories

Inventories consist of the following at:

(Dollars in thousands)  

December 31, 2019

   

December 31, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finished goods

$

302

 

$

285

 

Work in process

 

279

 

 

241

 

Raw materials

 

343

 

 

337

 

  Total

$

924

 

$

863

 

 

5.                   Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment consist of the following at:

 

 

(Dollars in thousands)  

December 31, 2019

   

December 31, 2018

           

Leasehold improvements

$

39

 

$

39

Computers and related software

 

1,026

 

 

1,025

Machinery and equipment

 

915

 

 

912

Office furniture and fixtures

 

40

 

 

34

 

 

2,020

 

 

2,010

Less: Accumulated depreciation

 

1,846

 

 

1,829

 

$

174

 

$

181

 

 

Depreciation expense was $87 thousand and $96 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Repairs and maintenance expense was $18 thousand and $21 thousand for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

6.                   Income Taxes

Income tax benefit (expense) for each of the years ended December 31 consists of the following:

 

 (Dollars in thousands)

 

2019

     

 

2018

 

 

Federal

$

33

 

 

$

-

 

State

 

(5

)

 

 

(3

)

Deferred

 

-

 

 

 

395

 

Total

$

28

 

 

$

392

 

The significant components of deferred income tax benefit (expense) from operations for each of the years ended December 31 consists

 

(Dollars in thousands)

    

2019

     

 

2018

 

 

Deferred tax (expense) benefit

$

(101

 

$

(420

Net operating loss carry forward

 

(74

 

 

(320

Valuation allowance

 

175

 

 

 

1,135

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

395

 

 

 

F-14


 

The Company's effective income tax rate from operations differed from the Federal statutory rate for each of the years ended December 31 as follows:

   

2019

   

2018

Federal statutory tax rate

 

21

%

 

 

21

%

Change in valuation allowance

 

(54

)

 

 

(74

)

State taxes, net of federal benefit

 

1

 

 

 

-

 

Expiration of stock option

 

14

 

 

 

2

 

Federal tax benefits, R&D

 

9

 

 

 

25

 

Tax rate

 

(9

)%

 

 

(26

)%

 

Deferred Tax Assets:

Deferred tax assets are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities as measured by the enacted tax rates. Temporary differences, net operating loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities are summarized as follows as of December 31:

 

(Dollars in thousands)

 

2019

     

 

2018

 

 

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Inventory valuation

$

43

 

 

$

49

 

     Inventory capitalization

 

-

 

 

 

1

 

     Vacation pay

 

 22

 

 

 

18

 

     Warranty and other sale obligations

 

3

 

 

 

5

 

     Deferred revenue

 

10

 

 

 

-

 

     Allowance for related party note receivable

 

65

 

 

 

63

 

     Net operating loss

 

10,518

 

 

 

10,592

 

     Property, plant and equipment

 

(10

 

 

(18

     Stock options

 

72

 

 

 

106

 

     Research and development tax credit

 

32

 

 

 

60

 

     Alternative minimum tax credit

 

-

 

 

 

54

 

 

 

10,755 

 

 

 

10,930

 

Valuation allowance

 

(10,360

)

 

 

(10,535

)

Net deferred tax assets

$

395

 

 

$

395

 

 

Valuation Allowance:

The Company believes that the accounting estimate for the valuation of deferred tax assets is a critical accounting estimate, because judgment is required in assessing the likely future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns. The Company based the estimate of deferred tax assets and liabilities on current tax laws and rates and, in certain cases, business plans and other expectations about future outcomes.

As a result of its assessment in 2018, the Company released a portion of its valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets. The partial release of the valuation allowance caused an incremental tax benefit of $395 thousand to be recognized in the fourth quarter of 2018. The release of a portion of the valuation allowance was based upon the Company's recent cumulative income history causing the Company to evaluate what portion of the Company's deferred tax assets it believes are more likely than not to be realized. The Company has determined that it will generate sufficient levels of pre-tax earnings in the future to realize the net deferred tax assets recorded on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2019. The Company has projected such pre-tax earnings utilizing a combination of historical and projected results, taking into consideration existing levels of permanent differences, non-deductible expense and the reversal of significant temporary differences.

 

 

F-15


 

 

The valuation allowance at December 31, 2019 and 2018 was $10.4 million and $10.5 million, respectively. Activity in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is as follows as of December 31:

 

(Dollars in thousands) 

 

2019

     

 

2018

 

 

Valuation allowance, beginning of year

$

10,535

 

 

$

11,670

 

Allowance for related party note receivable

 

 3

 

 

 

3

 

Inventory

 

(7

)

 

 

(12

)

Net operating (loss) income

 

(74

)

 

 

(323

)

Property, plant and equipment

 

7

 

 

 

-

Stock options

 

(35

)

 

 

(20

)

Research and development credit carryforward

 

(82

)

 

 

(390

)

Deductions resulting in income tax benefit

 

-

 

 

(395

)

Warranty and other sales obligations

 

(2

)

 

 

-

 

Deferred revenue

 

10

 

 

 

-

 

Accrued compensation

 

5

 

 

 

2

Valuation allowance, end of year

$

10,360

 

 

$

10,535

 

 

Net operating losses:

At December 31, 2019, the Company has unused Federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $50 million. Of these, approximately $300 thousand will expire in 2020, with the remainder expiring through 2035.

The Company's and/or its subsidiaries' ability to utilize their net operating loss carryforwards may be significantly limited by Section 382 of the IRC of 1986, as amended, if the Company or any of its subsidiaries undergoes an "ownership change" as a result of changes in the ownership of the Company's or its subsidiaries' outstanding stock pursuant to the exercise of the warrants or otherwise.

Unrecognized tax benefits:

The Company has $824 thousand unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2019 and 2018. These unrecognized tax benefits relate to former subsidiaries of the Company and a prior investment in a partnership.

In future periods, if these unrecognized benefits become supportable, the Company may not recognize a change in its effective tax rate as long as it remains in a partial valuation allowance position. Additionally, the Company does not have uncertain tax positions that it expects will increase or decrease within twelve months of this reporting date. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of tax expense. The Company did not recognize any interest or penalties in 2019 and 2018.

The Company files income tax returns, including returns for its subsidiaries, with federal and state jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to IRS or state examinations for any periods prior to 2016, although carryforward attributes that were generated prior to 2016 may still be adjusted upon examination by the IRS if they either have been or will be used in a future period.

7.                   Accrued Liabilities

Accrued liabilities consist of the following at:

 

(Dollars in thousands)

December 31, 2019

 

December 31, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salaries, wages and related expenses

$

238

   

$

334

 

Liability to shareholders for previous acquisition

 

                    363

 

 

                    363

 

Legal and professional fees

 

65

 

 

53

 

Warranty and other sale obligations

 

16

 

 

24

 

Commissions

 

3

 

 

40

 

Other

 

76

 

 

177

 

  Total

$

                  761

 

$

                  991

 

 

F-16


 

8.                   Stockholders' Equity

Common Stock

The Company has one class of common stock, par value $.01. Each share of the Company's common stock is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to stockholders. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, there were 9,570,677 and 9,437,177 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, respectively.

Dividends

Dividends are recorded when declared by the Company's Board of Directors. During 2019, the Company declared and paid a special dividend of $3.4 million or $0.37 per common share. A portion of dividends are charged against paid in capital because the Company does not have sufficient retained earnings.

Reservation of Shares

The Company had reserved common shares for future issuance as follows as of December 31, 2019:

Stock options outstanding

527,875

 

Common stock available for future equity awards or issuance of options

68,930

 

Number of common shares reserved

596,805

 

 

9.                   Retirement Plan

The Company maintains a voluntary savings and retirement plan under IRC Section 401(k) covering substantially all employees. Employees must complete six months of service and have attained the age of twenty-one prior to becoming eligible for participation in the plan. The Company plan allows eligible employees to contribute a percentage of their compensation on a pre-tax basis and the Company matches employee contributions, on a discretionary basis, currently in an amount equal to 100% of the first 3% and 50% of the next 2% of the employee's salary, subject to annual tax deduction limitations. Effective January 1, 2017, Company matching contributions are vested immediately. Company matching contributions were $81 thousand and $83 thousand for 2019 and 2018, respectively. The Company may also make additional discretionary contributions in amounts as determined by management and the Board of Directors. There were no additional discretionary contributions by the Company for the years 2019 or 2018.

10.                Income (Loss) per Share

The following table sets forth the reconciliation of the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted per share computations for continuing operations for the years ended December 31:

(Dollars in thousands, except shares)

 

2019

 

 

2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numerator:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

$

323

 

$

1,936

 

Denominator:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic EPS:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common shares outstanding, beginning of period

 

9,437,177

 

 

9,363,482

 

Weighted average common shares issued during the period

 

111,283

 

 

18,535

 

Denominator for basic earnings per common shares -

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average common shares

 

9,548,460

 

 

9,382,017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diluted EPS:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common shares outstanding, beginning of period

 

9,437,177

 

 

9,363,482

 

Common stock equivalents - options

 

54,088

 

 

67,835

 

Weighted average common shares issued during the period

 

111,283

 

 

18,535

 

Denominator for diluted earnings per common shares -

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weighted average common shares

 

9,602,548

 

 

9,449,582

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-17


 

Not included in the computation of earnings per share, assuming dilution, for the year ended December 31, 2019, were options to purchase 313,000 shares of the Company's common stock. These potentially dilutive items were excluded even though the average market price of the common stock exceeded the exercise prices for a portion of the options because the calculation of incremental shares resulted in an anti-dilutive effect.

Not included in the computation of earnings per share, assuming dilution, for the year ended December 31, 2018, were options to purchase 430,749 shares of the Company's common stock. These potentially dilutive items were excluded even though the average market price of the common stock exceeded the exercise prices for a portion of the options because the calculation of incremental shares resulted in an anti-dilutive effect.

11.                Stock Based Compensation

Stock-based incentive awards are provided to employees and directors under the terms of the Company's 2006 Equity Incentive Plan (2006 Plan), which was amended and restated effective June 30, 2011, September 16, 2009 and October 20, 2016, 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2012 Plan), which was amended and restated as of October 20, 2016, and 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (the 2014 Plan) (collectively, the Plans). Awards under the Plans have generally included at-the-money options and restricted stock grants.

Stock options are awards which allow holders to purchase shares of the Company's common stock at a fixed price. Stock options issued to employees and non-employee members of the MTI Board of Directors generally vest at a rate of 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of the award. Certain options granted may be fully or partially exercisable immediately, may vest on other than a four year schedule or vest upon attainment of specific performance criteria. Restricted stock awards generally vest one year after the date of grant; however, certain awards may vest immediately or vest upon attainment of specific performance criteria. Option exercise prices are generally equivalent to the closing market price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. Unexercised options generally terminate either seven or ten years after date of grant.

The 2006 Plan was adopted by the Company's Board of Directors on March 16, 2006 and approved by stockholders on May 18, 2006. The 2006 Plan was amended and restated by the Board of Directors effective September 16, 2009, June 30, 2011 and October 20, 2016. The September 16, 2009 amendment increased the initial aggregate number of 250,000 shares of common stock that may be awarded or issued to 600,000, the June 30, 2011 amendment increased the aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be awarded or issued under the 2006 Plan to 1,200,000, and the October 2016 amendment allowed for the award agreement or another agreement entered into between the Company and the award grantee to vary the method of exercise of options issued under the 2006 Plan and the provisions governing expiration of options or other awards under the 2006 Plan following termination of the award recipient. The number of shares that may be awarded under the 2006 Plan and awards outstanding has been adjusted for stock splits and other similar events. Under the 2006 Plan, the Board of Directors is authorized to issue stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, and other stock-based incentives to officers, employees and others. In connection with seeking stockholder approval of the 2012 Plan, the Company agreed not to make further awards under the 2006 Plan.

The 2012 Plan was adopted by the Company's Board of Directors on April 14, 2012 and approved by its stockholders on June 14, 2012. The 2012 Plan was amended and restated by the Board of Directors effective October 20, 2016. The October 2016 amendment allowed for the award agreement or another agreement entered into between the Company and the award grantee to vary the method of exercise of options issued under the 2012 Plan and an agreement entered into between the Company and the award grantee to vary the provisions governing expiration of options or other awards under the 2012 Plan following termination of the award recipient. The 2012 Plan provides an initial aggregate number of 600,000 shares of common stock that may be awarded or issued. The number of shares that may be awarded under the 2012 Plan and awards outstanding may be subject to adjustment on account of any recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split and other dilutive changes in our common stock. Under the 2012 Plan, the Board of Directors is authorized to issue stock options (incentive and nonqualified), stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units and other stock-based awards to employees, officers, directors, consultants and advisors of the Company and its subsidiaries. Incentive stock options may only be granted to employees of the Company and its subsidiaries.

The 2014 Plan was adopted by the Company's Board of Directors on March 12, 2014 and approved by its stockholders on June 11, 2014. The 2014 Plan provides an initial aggregate number of 500,000 shares of common stock that may be awarded or issued. The number of shares that may be awarded under the 2014 Plan and awards outstanding may be subject to adjustment on account of any stock dividend, spin-off, stock split, reverse stock split, split-up, recapitalization, reclassification, reorganization, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation, liquidation, business combination, exchange of shares or the like. Under the 2014 Plan, the Board-appointed administrator of the 2014 Plan is authorized to issue stock options (incentive and nonqualified), stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, phantom stock, performance awards and other stock-based awards to employees, officers and directors of, and other individuals providing bona fide services to or for, the Company or any affiliate of the Company. Incentive stock options may only be granted to employees of the Company and its subsidiaries.

 

 

F-18


 

 

In connection with the sale of shares of common stock to Brookstone, the Company entered into an Option Exercise and Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement (collectively, the Option and Transfer Agreements) with its Chief Executive Officer, its Chief Financial Officer and each of its non-employee directors (collectively, the Insiders). The Option and Transfer Agreements amend the stock option grant agreements between the Company and each Insider with respect to an option granted under, and modify the terms of any option to purchase Common Stock held by each such Insider (collectively, Options) granted under, the Plans. The Option and Transfer Agreements restrict the aggregate amount of shares of Common Stock for which the Insiders may exercise Options during calendar years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, and provide for a modified procedure for exercising Options in order to ensure the limit on the aggregate amount of Options that may be exercised in any such year is not exceeded. Such amendments and modifications also operate to, except with respect to the termination of Options in connection with an Insider's termination of employment or service in connection with misconduct as described in the Option and Transfer Agreements, (i) remove all references to an expiration of the exercisability of such Options within a special, delineated time period following the termination of service to or employment by the Company, and (ii) provide that all vested Options are exercisable by the Insider until default expiration under the applicable Plan (i.e., ten years from the date of grant). If an Option and Transfer Agreement is terminated, the limitations on Option exercises described above will terminate, but the exercisability of the Insider's vested Options until default expiration under the applicable Plan and stock option agreement (i.e., ten years from the date of grant) will survive indefinitely.

During 2019, the Company granted options to purchase 15,000 shares of the Company's common stock from the 2014 Plan, which generally vest 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of the award. The exercise price of these options is $0.83 per share and was based on the closing market price of the Company's common stock on the day prior to the date of grant. Using a Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model, the weighted average fair value of these options is $0.66 per share and was estimated at the date of grant.

During 2018, the Company granted options to purchase 85,000 shares of the Company's common stock from the 2014 Plan, which generally vest 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of the award. The exercise price of these options is $0.90 per share and was based on the closing market price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. Using a Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model, the weighted average fair value of these options is $0.74 per share and was estimated at the date of grant.

During 2018, the Company granted options to purchase 75,000 shares of the Company's common stock from the 2012 Plan, which generally vest 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of the award. The exercise price of these options is $0.90 per share and was based on the closing market price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. Using a Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model, the weighted average fair value of these options is $0.74 per share and was estimated at the date of grant.

Stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 was generated from stock option awards. Stock options are awards that allow holders to purchase shares of the Company's common stock at a fixed price. Under the 2014 and 2012 Plans, stock options issued to employees generally vest 25% over four years. Options issued to non-employee members of the MTI Board of Directors generally vest 25% over four years. Certain options granted may be fully or partially exercisable immediately, may vest on other than a four year schedule or vest upon attainment of specific performance criteria. Restricted stock awards generally vest one year after the date of grant, although certain awards may vest immediately or vest upon attainment of specific performance criteria. Option exercise prices are generally equivalent to the closing market value price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. Unexercised options generally terminate ten years after date of grant.

The following table presents the weighted-average assumptions used for options granted under the 2014 Plan:

 

2019

 

2018

Option term (years)

 

6.26

 

 

 

6.25

 

Volatility

 

99.99

%

 

 

102.79

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

1.37

%

 

 

2.77

%

Dividend yield

 

0

%

 

 

0

%

Weighted-average fair value per option granted

$

0.66

 

 

$

0.74

 

 

The following table presents the weighted-average assumptions used for options granted under the 2012 Plan:

 

2018

Option term (years)

 

6.25

 

Volatility

 

102.79

%

Risk-free interest rate

 

2.77

%

Dividend yield

 

0

%

Weighted-average fair value per option granted

$

0.74

 

 

Share-based compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations is based on awards ultimately expected to vest, therefore, awards are reduced for estimated forfeitures. The revised accounting standard requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.

 

F-19


 

 

Total share-based compensation expense, related to all of the Company's share-based awards, recognized for the years ended December 31, was comprised as follows:

 

 

2019

 

 

2018

(Dollars in thousands, except eps)

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of product revenue

$

1

 

$

-

Research and product development

 

4

 

 

1

Selling, general and administrative

 

26

 

 

5

Share-based compensation expense

$

31

 

$

6

Impact on basic EPS

$

0.00

 

$

0.00

Impact on diluted EPS

$

0.00

 

$

0.00

 

Total unrecognized compensation costs related to non-vested awards as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 is $96 thousand and $93 thousand, respectively, and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average remaining vesting period of approximately 3.02 years and 3.94 years, respectively.

Presented below is a summary of the Company's stock option plans' activity for the years ended December 31:

 

2019

    

2018

Shares under option, beginning

720,624

 

 

766,339

 

Granted

15,000

 

 

160,000

 

Exercised

(133,500

)

 

(73,695

)

Forfeited

-

 

 

-

Expired/canceled

(74,249

)

 

(132,020

)

Shares under option, ending

527,875

 

 

720,624

 

Options exercisable

392,375

 

 

559,624

 

Remaining shares available for granting of options

 

68,930

 

 

24,681

 

 

The weighted average exercise price for the Plans is as follows for each of the years ended December 31:

 

2019

    

2018

    

Shares under option, beginning

$ 0.86

 

$ 0.82

 

Granted

$ 0.83

$ 0.90

 

Exercised

$ 0.56

 

$ 0.54

 

Forfeited

-

 

-

 

Expired/canceled

$ 1.15

 

$ 0.90

 

Shares under option, ending

$ 0.89

 

$ 0.86

 

Options exercisable, ending

$ 0.89

 

$ 0.84

 

 

The following table summarizes information for options outstanding and exercisable for the Plans as of December 31, 2019:

                                                  Outstanding Options

 

Options Exercisable

 

 

 

 

Weighted Average

 

Weighted

 

 

 

Weighted

Exercise

 

 

 

Remaining

 

Average

 

 

 

Average

Price Range

    

Number

    

Contractual Life

    

Exercise Price

    

Number 

    

Exercise Price

$0.29 - $1.08

 

453,875

 

6.17

 

$

0.84

 

     318,375

 

            $

0.81

$1.09 - $1.20

 

74,000

 

5.17

 

$

1.20

 

       74,000

 

              $

1.20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

527,875

 

6.03

 

$

0.89

 

     392,375

 

              $

0.89

 

The aggregate intrinsic value (i.e. the difference between the closing stock price and the price to be paid by the option holder to exercise the option) is $10 thousand for the Company's outstanding options and $10 thousand for the exercisable options as of December 31, 2019. The amounts are based on the Company's closing stock price of $.67 as of December 31, 2019.

There were no unvested restricted stock grants for the year ended December 31, 2019 and 2018.

 

F-20


 

Non-vested options activity is as follows for the year ended December 31:

 

 

2019

Options

 

 

2019 Weighted
Average Exercise
Price

 

Non-vested options balance, beginning January 1

161,000

 

 

                  $0.90

 

Non-vested options granted

15,000

 

 

$0.83

 

Vested options

(40,500

 

                  $0.90

 

Non-vested options forfeited

-

 

 

             -

 

Non-vested options balance, ending December 31

135,500

 

 

                  $0.89

 

 

12.                Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments:

Leases

The Company determines whether an arrangement is a lease at inception. The Company and its subsidiary have operating leases for certain manufacturing, laboratory, office facilities and certain equipment. The leases have remaining lease terms of less than one year to less than five years. Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company has no assets recorded under finance leases.

Lease expense for these leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, total lease costs is comprised of the following:

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

2019

Operating lease cost

$

222

Short-term lease cost

 

-

Total net lease cost

$

222

 

Short-term lease cost represents leases that were not capitalized as the lease term as of January 1, 2019 was less than 12 months.

Other information related to leases for the twelve months ended December 31 was as follows: 

 (Dollars in thousands, except lease term and discount rate)

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

Supplemental Balance Sheet Information:

 

 

 

 Operating leases:

 

 

 

     Operating lease ROU asset

947

 

 

 

 

 

     Current operating lease liabilities

$

171

 

     Non-current operating lease liabilities

 

776

 

       Total operating lease liabilities

$

947

 

 

 

 

 

 Operating leases:

 

 

 

      ROU assets

$

1,164

 

      Asset lease expense

 

(217

)

        ROU assets, net

$

947

 

 

 

 

 

 Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term (in years):

 

 

 

      Operating leases

 

                 4.92

 

 

 

 

 

 Weighted Average Discount Rate:

 

 

 

      Operating leases

 

5.85

%

 

 

 

 

Supplemental Cash Flows Information:

 

 

 

 Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:

 

 

 

Operating cash flows from operating leases

$

222

 

 

 

 

 

 Non-Cash Activity Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations:

 

 

 

Operating leases

 

966

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-21


 

 

Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows for the year ending December 31:

 (Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

$

 222

 

 

2021

 

222

 

 

2022

 

222

 

 

2023 

 

222

 

 

2024

 

 204

 

 

Total lease payments

 

1,092

 

 

  Less: imputed interest

 

(145

)

 

     Total lease obligations

 

947

 

 

  Less: current obligations

 

171

 

 

     Long-term lease obligations

776 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2019, there were no additional operating lease commitments that had not yet commenced.

Future minimum lease payments under leases that had initial or remaining non-cancelable lease terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2018, based on the former accounting guidance for leases, were: $5 thousand in 2019 and $3 thousand in 2020. The Company incurred operating lease expense of $226 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Warranties

Product warranty liabilities are included in "Accrued liabilities" in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Below is a reconciliation of changes in product warranty liabilities:

(Dollars in thousands)

 

Twelve Months Ended

December 31,

 

 

2019

 

2018

 

Balance, January 1

 

$

24

 

$

14

 

Accruals for warranties issued

 

 

16

 

 

33

 

Accruals for pre-existing warranties

 

 

(15

)

 

-

Settlements made (in cash or in kind)

 

 

(9

)

 

(23

)

Balance, end of period

 

$

16

 

$

24

 

 

Employment Agreement

On May 5, 2017, the Company entered into an employment agreement with one employee. The agreement provides for an initial term ending December 31, 2018, and, unless either party provides written notice that the agreement will not be renewed, is renewed for an additional year on December 31, 2018 and each subsequent December 31; such non-renewal may be for any or for no stated reason. The agreement provides for certain payments upon termination of employment under certain circumstances. As of December 31, 2019, the Company's potential minimum obligation to this employee was approximately $212 thousand.

Contingencies:

Legal

We are subject to legal proceedings, claims and liabilities which arise in the ordinary course of business. When applicable, we accrue for losses associated with legal claims when such losses are probable and can be reasonably estimated. These accruals are adjusted as additional information becomes available or circumstances change. Legal fees are charged to expense as they are incurred.

The Company has been named as a party in the December 19, 2019 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Demand Letter regarding the Malta Rocket Fuel Area Superfund Site (Site) located in Malta and Stillwater, New York in connection with an alleged release of hazardous materials into the environment. The EPA is seeking reimbursement of response costs from all named parties in the amount of approximately $358,000 plus interest in connection with the investigation and disposal activities associated with the various drum caches discovered at the Site, issuance of the Explanation of Significant Differences ("ESD") of the Site, and implementation of the work contemplated by the ESD. The Company considers the likelihood of a material adverse outcome to be remote and does not currently anticipate that any expense or liability it may incur as a result of these matters in the future will be material to the Company's financial condition.

 

F-22


 

13.                Related Party Transactions

MeOH Power, Inc.

On December 18, 2013, MeOH Power, Inc. and the Company executed a Senior Demand Promissory Note (the Note) in the amount of $380 thousand to secure the intercompany amounts due to the Company from MeOH Power, Inc. upon the deconsolidation of MeOH Power, Inc. Interest accrues on the Note at the Prime Rate in effect on the first business day of the month, as published in the Wall Street Journal. At the Company's option, all or part of the principal and interest due on this Note may be converted to shares of common stock of MeOH Power, Inc. at a rate of $0.07 per share. Interest began accruing on January 1, 2014. The Company recorded a full allowance against the Note. As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, $312 thousand and $298 thousand, respectively, of principal and interest are available to convert into shares of common stock of MeOH Power, Inc. Any adjustments to the allowance are recorded as miscellaneous expense during the period incurred.

Legal Services

During the years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company incurred $54 thousand and $10 thousand, respectively, to Couch White, LLP for legal services associated with contract review. A partner at Couch White, LLP is an immediate family member of one of our Directors.

14.                Geographic and Segment Information

The Company sells its products on a worldwide basis with its principal markets listed in the table below where information on product revenue is summarized by geographic area for the Company as a whole for each of the years ended December 31:

(Dollars in thousands) 

2019

    

2018

    

 

 

Product revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

United States

$

4,248

 

$

5,540

 

Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)

 

1,714

 

 

2,015

 

Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

 

463

 

 

384

 

North America

 

129

 

 

120

 

South America

 

17

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total product revenue

$

6,571

 

$

8,062

 

 

Revenues are attributed to regions based on the location of customers. In 2019 and 2018, approximately 35.3% and 31.3%, respectively, of our product revenues was from customers outside of the United States.

Long-lived assets of $174 thousand and $181 thousand at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively consist of property, plant and equipment all located within the United States.

At MTI Instruments, the largest commercial customer in 2019 was U.S. manufacturer of support solutions to the aerospace and energy markets, which accounted for 11.0% of total product revenue. At MTI Instruments, the largest commercial customer in 2018 was a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment in Asia, which accounted for 11.1% of total product revenue. The U.S. Air Force continues to be the largest government customer, accounting for 20.8% and 28.0% of total product revenue in 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The Company operates in one segment and therefore segment information is not presented.

15.                Subsequent Events

In accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company has evaluated subsequent events for disclosure between the consolidated balance sheet date of December 31, 2019 and February 18, 2020, the date the financial statements were available to be issued.

On January 17, 2020, the Company announced the formation of a new wholly-owned subsidiary named EcoChain and its entry into the cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystem. The Company is forming a new business line focusing on cryptocurrency mining and in connection with that has entered into a long-term strategic relationship with Soluna Technologies, Ltd. ("Soluna"), a Canadian company focused on powering the blockchain economy with clean, low-cost renewable energy. Soluna develops vertically integrated, utility-scale computing facilities focused on cryptocurrency mining and cutting-edge blockchain applications. The Company made a strategic investment in Soluna and formed EcoChain as a wholly-owned subsidiary to own and operate the Company's renewable-energy powered cryptocurrency mining operations. Soluna will construct and operate EcoChain's facilities. The Company will also have the ability to elect to make additional equity investments in Soluna and its projects on a go-forward basis. In addition, William P. Phelan, a member of the Company's Board of Directors, will join Soluna's Board of Directors.

 

F-23


 

Effective January 13, 2020, EcoChain and Soluna entered into an Operating and Management Agreement providing that, in exchange for a one-time fee and revenue-based payments, Soluna will assist EcoChain with developing means to efficiently and effectively mine cryptocurrency.

The Company invested $500,000 in Soluna through the purchase of Class A Preferred Shares of Soluna. The Company also entered into a Contingent Rights Agreement with Soluna pursuant to which the Company (i) is obligated to purchase an additional $250,000 worth of Soluna Class A Preferred Shares following Soluna's achievement of certain development milestones with respect to EcoChain, and (ii) has the option to purchase additional Class A Preferred Shares following Soluna's securing of certain levels of project financing with respect to wind power generation facilities it is developing.

Several of Soluna's equityholders are affiliated with Brookstone Partners, the investment firm that holds an equity interest in the Company through Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXIV, LLC. Certain Brookstone-affiliated directors that serve on the board of directors of the Company also serve as directors or officers of Soluna. The various transactions described above were negotiated on behalf of the Company and EcoChain via an independent investment committee of the Company's board of directors and the separate legal representation of Couch White, LLP, a New York-based law firm, and Dentons, an international law firm with offices in Canada. The transactions were subsequently unanimously approved by both the independent investment committee and the full board of directors of the Company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

F-24

 

 

EXHIBIT 10.8

 

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY, INCORPORATED

RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT

 

This RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT (this "Agreement") is dated as of _______ __, ____ ("Grant Date"), and is made by and between Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, a New York corporation (the "Company"), and ______________, an individual resident of the State of New York and [officer] [director] of the Company ("Grantee").   Company and Grantee are sometimes referred to herein, individually, as a "party" and, collectively, as the "parties".

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (Effective June 14, 2012 and amended and restated on October 20, 2016) (the "Plan"), under which awards of restricted shares of the Company's common stock may be granted; and

WHEREAS, the Compensation Committee of the board of directors of the Company (the "Compensation Committee"), in its capacity as administrator under the Plan ("Administrator"), has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to grant the award of Restricted Stock (as defined below) provided for herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

1.         Grant and Issuance of Restricted Stock

(a)               Pursuant to the Plan, the Company hereby issues to 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.

(b)               The grant of Restricted Stock pursuant to this Agreement is being made in consideration for the performance of past services provided, and/or future services to be provided, by Grantee to or for the benefit of the Company and its affiliates.

(c)               As of the Grant Date, the Fair Market Value of each share of common stock of the Company underlying the Restricted Stock is $____ per share. 

2.         Vesting

(a)               Subject to Grantee's continuous employment by or continued relationship as an individual services provider or director of the Company and/or its affiliates ("Continuous Service") through the applicable vesting date, the Restricted Stock granted and issued hereby shall become vested as follows: [____________________________].  The period over which applicable shares of Restricted Stock remain unvested is referred to as the "Restricted Period" with respect to solely such applicable shares of unvested Restricted Stock (such that, for the avoidance of doubt, upon vesting any Vested Stock shall no longer be considered within the Restricted Period).  Shares of Restricted Stock that have vested in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2 are referred to as "Vested Stock".  Shares of Restricted Stock that have not vested in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2 are referred to as "Unvested Stock". 


(b)               If Grantee's Continuous Service terminates for any reason, other than death or disability (as defined in the Plan), at any time before all of his or her Restricted Stock has vested, Grantee's Unvested Stock shall be automatically forfeited upon such termination of Continuous Service and neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company shall have any further obligations to Grantee under this Agreement with respect to such Unvested Stock.

(c)               The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, if Grantee's Continuous Service terminates due to Grantee's death, 100% of the Unvested Stock shall vest as of the date of such termination.

(d)               The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, if Grantee's Continuous Service is terminated by the Company or an affiliate of the Company due to a disability (as defined in the Plan), 100% of the Unvested Stock shall vest as of the date of such termination.

(e)               The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, upon the occurrence of a Substantial Corporate Change, 100% of the Unvested Stock shall vest as of the date of the Substantial Corporate Change.

3.         Restrictions.  Notwithstanding the section of the Plan entitled "Transfers, Assignments, And Pledges", but subject to any other exceptions set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, following the Restricted Period, the applicable shares of Vested Stock or the rights relating thereto may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by Grantee.  During the Restricted Period, the applicable shares of Restricted Stock or the rights relating thereto may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by Grantee.  Any attempt to assign, alienate, pledge, attach, sell or otherwise transfer or encumber the applicable shares of Restricted Stock or the rights relating thereto during the Restricted Period shall be wholly ineffective and, if any such attempt is made, the applicable shares of Restricted Stock will be forfeited by Grantee and all of Grantee's rights to such shares shall immediately terminate without any payment or consideration by the Company. 

4.          Rights as a Shareholder; Dividends.

(a)               Grantee shall be the record owner of the Restricted Stock until the applicable underlying shares of common stock of the Company are sold or otherwise disposed of, and shall be entitled to all of the rights of a shareholder 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 that are not in the form of cash shall be subject to the same restrictions on transferability as the shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid.

 

2


(b)               The Company may issue stock certificates or evidence Grantee's interest by using a restricted book entry account with the Company's transfer agent, in the Company's sole discretion.

(c)               If Grantee forfeits any rights he or she has under this Agreement in accordance with Section 2 of this Agreement, Grantee shall, on the date of such forfeiture, no longer have any rights as a shareholder with respect to the applicable Restricted Stock so forfeited and shall no longer be entitled to vote or receive dividends on such shares.

5.         No Right to Continued Employment or Service.  Neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall confer upon Grantee any right to be employed or retained by the Company or its affiliates as a director, employee, consultant or in any other capacity.  Further, nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall be construed to limit the discretion of the Company or its affiliates to terminate Grantee's Continuous Service at any time.

6.          Adjustments. If any change is made to the outstanding common stock of the Company or the capital structure of the Company, the shares of common stock of the Company underlying the Restricted Stock shall, if required, be adjusted in any manner as contemplated by the Plan.

7.          Tax.  Grantee agrees that, within 30 days after the date hereof, Grantee shall give notice to the Company on the form attached hereto as Exhibit A as to the making of an election pursuant to section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the Restricted Stock acquired as of the Grant Date.  Grantee acknowledges that Grantee will be solely responsible for any and all tax liabilities payable by Grantee in connection with Grantee's acquisition of the Restricted Stock or attributable to Grantee's making or failing to make such an election.  The form for making the section 83(b) election is attached hereto as Exhibit B.  Grantee agrees to consult with his or her tax advisor to determine the tax consequences of acquiring the Restricted Stock and the advantages and disadvantages of filing the section 83(b) election.  The Company (i) makes no representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any income tax, social insurance, payroll tax or other tax-related withholding ("Tax-Related Items") in connection with the grant or vesting of the Restricted Stock or the subsequent sale of any shares underlying the Restricted Stock and (ii) does not commit to structure the Restricted Stock to reduce or eliminate Grantee's liability for any Tax-Related Items.

8.           Compliance with Law.  The issuance and transfer of the Restricted Stock, and the shares of common stock underlying such Restricted Stock, shall be subject to compliance by the Company and 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 Restricted Stock or common stock of the Company underlying the Restricted 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.  Grantee understands that the Company is under no obligation to register the Restricted Stock or shares of common stock of the Company underlying the Restricted Stock with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or any stock exchange to effect such compliance.

3


 

9.         Miscellaneous.

(a)               Legends. A legend may be placed on any certificate(s) or other document(s) delivered to 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any applicable federal or state securities laws or any stock exchange on which the shares of common stock of the Company are then listed or quoted.

(b)               Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice or conflicts of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.

(c)               Interpretation; Jurisdiction.  The Committee shall have full authority to interpret, construe and administer this Agreement, and the Committee's reasonable interpretation and construction hereof, and reasonable actions hereunder, shall be final, binding and conclusive on all persons for all purposes; provided, that, if any such interpretation, construction or administration of this Agreement involves a director of the Company then-serving on the Committee as Grantee hereunder, such director shall be recused from the Committee for the purposes of such interpretation, construction or administration.  Subject to the foregoing, in the event of a judicial proceeding involving any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, Grantee and the Company unconditionally accept the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of any federal or state located in or for the State of New York.  In any such judicial proceeding, Grantee and the Company agree that in addition to any method for the service of process permitted or required by such courts, to the fullest extent permitted by law, service of process may be made by prepaid certified mail with a proof of mailing receipt validated by the U.S. Postal Service constituting evidence of valid service.  GRANTEE AND THE COMPANY HEREBY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING INVOLVING ANY DISPUTE, CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT.

(d)               Withholding Taxes.  All Restricted Stock acquired pursuant hereto and allocations or distributions with respect to such Restricted Stock and the common stock of the Company underlying such Restricted Stock shall be subject to withholding as required by applicable federal, state and local laws, and the Company may make such arrangements for the payment of any withholding taxes with respect to such Restricted Stock and the common stock of the Company underlying such Restricted Stock as the Company deems satisfactory.

(e)               Severability.  In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be or become invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected thereby.

(f)                Binding Effect; Assignment.  This Agreement shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the Company and its respective successors and permitted assigns.  This Agreement shall also be binding on and inure to the benefit of Grantee and Grantee's heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives.  This Agreement shall not be assignable by any party hereto without the prior written consent of the other party hereto, except as provided pursuant to this Section 9(f).  The Company may effect such an assignment without prior written approval of Grantee upon a Substantial Corporate Change or any other sale of the Company or the transfer of all or substantially all of its business and/or assets (by whatever means).

4


(g)               Discretionary Nature of Plan. The Plan is discretionary and may be amended, cancelled or terminated by the Company in the manner provided for in the Plan.  The grant of the Restricted Stock in this Agreement does not create any contractual right or other right to receive additional restricted stock or other Awards in the future.  Future Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company.

(h)               Notice.  Any notice required to be delivered to the Company under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company at the Company's principal corporate offices.  Any notice required to be delivered to Grantee under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to Grantee at 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.

(i)                 Entire Agreement.  This Agreement and Plan constitute the entire agreement between the parties, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.

(j)                 Amendments; Waiver.  No provision of this Agreement may be modified, waived or discharged unless such modification, waiver or discharge is approved in writing by an authorized officer of the Company (that is not Grantee) and is either agreed to in writing by Grantee or otherwise authorized by the Plan.  No waiver by any party hereto at any time of any breach by any other party hereto of, or compliance with, any condition or provision of this Agreement to be performed by such other party shall be deemed a waiver of similar or dissimilar provisions or conditions at the same or at any prior or subsequent time.  No waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be implied from any course of dealing between or among the parties hereto or from any failure by any party hereto to assert its rights hereunder on any occasion or series of occasions.

(k)               Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including by means of a facsimile or portable document format), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

(l)                 Headings.  The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference only and shall not under any circumstances be deemed to affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

[signature page follows]

 

5


 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY, INCORPORATED

 

 

By:                                                                             

      Name:

      Title:

 

 

Grantee:

 

 

 

                                                                                   

[Name]

 



[Signature Page to Restricted Stock Award Agreement]


 

Exhibit A

 

[DATE]

 

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated

325 Washington Avenue, Extension

Albany, New York 12205

Attention:  Chief Executive Officer

Email:  rjones@mtiinstruments.com

          

    Notification of Section 83(b) Election

 

To whom it may concern:

 

    On _________ __, ____, I acquired ___________ (_____) restricted common stock shares (the "Restricted Stock") of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award Agreement, dated as of such date (the "Agreement").  Pursuant to Section 7 of the Agreement, I hereby notify you that:

    [  ]        I have made an election under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") with respect to the Restricted Stock.

    [  ]        I have not yet made an election under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to the Restricted Stock, but I intend to do so no later than the date which is 30 days after the acquisition of the Restricted Stock.

    [  ]        I do not intend to make an election under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to the Restricted Stock.

    I also acknowledge pursuant to Section 7 of the Agreement that I am solely responsible for any and all tax liabilities payable in connection with the Restricted Stock or attributable to my decision regarding the election under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

Signature:_______________________

Printed Name____________________

Date___________________________

 

A-1


 

Exhibit B

 

Section 83(b) Election

The undersigned taxpayer hereby makes this election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and Treasury Regulations Section 1.83-2 promulgated thereunder.

 

1.         The name, taxpayer identification number, address of the undersigned, and the taxable year for which this election is being made are:

                                               

      Taxpayer's Name:  ________________________________
      Taxpayer's Social Security Number:___________________

      Address: _______________________________________

_________________________ _____________

Taxable Year:  Calendar Year ____

2.         The property which is the subject of this election is __________________ restricted shares of common stock of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, a New York corporation (the "Company").

 

3.         The restricted shares of common stock were transferred to the undersigned on ________ __, ____.  This election is being made with respect to the calendar year ____.

 

4.         The restricted shares of common stock are subject to the following restrictions:  the restricted shares of common stock are subject to time based vesting conditions and restrictions on transferability during a restricted period with respect thereto.

 

5.         The fair market value of the restricted shares of common stock at the date of transfer (determined without regard to any restriction other than a nonlapse restriction, as defined in Section 1.83-3(h) of the Income Tax Regulations) was $________________________, based on a fair market value of $____ per share.

 

6.         The amount paid for the restricted shares of common stock was $______.

 

7.         The amount to include in gross income is $___________________ (the result of the amount reported in Item 5 minus the amount reported in Item 6).

 

The undersigned taxpayer will file this election with the Internal Revenue Service office with which taxpayer files his or her annual income tax return not later than 30 days after the date of transfer of the property.  A copy of the election will also be furnished to the person for whom the services were performed.  Additionally, the undersigned will include a copy of the election with his or her income tax return for the taxable year in which the property is transferred.  The undersigned is the person performing the services in connection with which the property was transferred.  The undersigned understands that the foregoing election may not be revoked except with the consent of the Internal Revenue Commissioner.

 

Dated:_______________________                           ___________________________________

                                                                                    Taxpayer

 

 

 

 

B-1

EXHIBIT 10.10

 

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY, INCORPORATED

RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT

 

This RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT (this "Agreement") is dated as of _________ __, ____ ("Grant Date"), and is made by and between Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, a New York corporation (the "Company"), and ______________, an individual resident of the State of New York and [officer] [director] of the Company ("Grantee").   Company and Grantee are sometimes referred to herein, individually, as a "party" and, collectively, as the "parties".

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the Mechanical Technology, Incorporated 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), under which awards of restricted shares of the Company's common stock may be granted; and

WHEREAS, the Compensation Committee of the board of directors of the Company (the "Compensation Committee"), in its capacity as administrator under the Plan ("Administrator"), has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to grant the award of Restricted Stock (as defined below) provided for herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, receipt of which is acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

1.         Grant and Issuance of Restricted Stock

(a)               Pursuant to the Plan, the Company hereby issues to Grantee, on the Grant Date, an Award of restricted stock 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.

(b)               The grant of Restricted Stock pursuant to this Agreement is being made in consideration for the performance of past services provided, and/or future services to be provided, by Grantee to or for the benefit of the Company and its affiliates.

(c)               As of the Grant Date, the Fair Market Value of each share of common stock of the Company underlying the Restricted Stock is $_____ per share. 

2.         Vesting

(a)               Subject to Grantee's continuous employment by or continued relationship as an individual services provider or director of the Company and/or its affiliates ("Continuous Service") through the applicable vesting date, the Restricted Stock granted and issued hereby shall become vested as follows: [_____________________________].  The period over which applicable shares of Restricted Stock remain unvested is referred to as the "Restricted Period" with respect to solely such applicable shares of unvested Restricted Stock (such that, for the avoidance of doubt, upon vesting any Vested Stock shall no longer be considered within the Restricted Period).  Shares of Restricted Stock that have vested in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2 are referred to as "Vested Stock".  Shares of Restricted Stock that have not vested in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2 are referred to as "Unvested Stock". 

 


(b)               If Grantee's Continuous Service terminates for any reason, other than death or Disability, at any time before all of his or her Restricted Stock has vested, Grantee's Unvested Stock shall be automatically forfeited upon such termination of Continuous Service and neither the Company nor any affiliate of the Company shall have any further obligations to Grantee under this Agreement with respect to such Unvested Stock.

(c)               The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, if Grantee's Continuous Service terminates due to Grantee's death, 100% of the Unvested Stock shall vest as of the date of such termination.

(d)               The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, if Grantee's Continuous Service is terminated by the Company or an affiliate of the Company due to a Disability, 100% of the Unvested Stock shall vest as of the date of such termination.

(e)               The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, upon the occurrence of a Substantial Corporate Change, 100% of the Unvested Stock shall vest as of the date of the Substantial Corporate Change.

3.         Restrictions.  Notwithstanding Section 7(e) of the Plan, but subject to any other exceptions set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, following the Restricted Period, the applicable shares of Vested Stock or the rights relating thereto may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by Grantee.  During the Restricted Period, the applicable shares of Restricted Stock or the rights relating thereto may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by Grantee.  Any attempt to assign, alienate, pledge, attach, sell or otherwise transfer or encumber the applicable shares of Restricted Stock or the rights relating thereto during the Restricted Period shall be wholly ineffective and, if any such attempt is made, the applicable shares of Restricted Stock will be forfeited by Grantee and all of Grantee's rights to such shares shall immediately terminate without any payment or consideration by the Company. 

4.          Rights as a Shareholder; Dividends.

(a)               Grantee shall be the record owner of the Restricted Stock until the applicable underlying shares of common stock of the Company are sold or otherwise disposed of, and shall be entitled to all of the rights of a shareholder 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 that are not in the form of cash shall be subject to the same restrictions on transferability as the shares of Restricted Stock with respect to which they were paid.

2


(b)               The Company may issue stock certificates or evidence Grantee's interest by using a restricted book entry account with the Company's transfer agent, in the Company's sole discretion.

(c)               If Grantee forfeits any rights he or she has under this Agreement in accordance with Section 2 of this Agreement, Grantee shall, on the date of such forfeiture, no longer have any rights as a shareholder with respect to the applicable Restricted Stock so forfeited and shall no longer be entitled to vote or receive dividends on such shares.

5.         No Right to Continued Employment or Service.  Neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall confer upon Grantee any right to be employed or retained by the Company or its affiliates as a director, employee, consultant or in any other capacity.  Further, nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall be construed to limit the discretion of the Company or its affiliates to terminate Grantee's Continuous Service at any time.

6.          Adjustments. If any change is made to the outstanding common stock of the Company or the capital structure of the Company, the shares of common stock of the Company underlying the Restricted Stock shall, if required, be adjusted in any manner as contemplated by the Plan.

7.          Tax.  Grantee agrees that, within 30 days after the date hereof, Grantee shall give notice to the Company on the form attached hereto as Exhibit A as to the making of an election pursuant to section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the Restricted Stock acquired as of the Grant Date.  Grantee acknowledges that Grantee will be solely responsible for any and all tax liabilities payable by Grantee in connection with Grantee's acquisition of the Restricted Stock or attributable to Grantee's making or failing to make such an election.  The form for making the section 83(b) election is attached hereto as Exhibit B.  Grantee agrees to consult with his or her tax advisor to determine the tax consequences of acquiring the Restricted Stock and the advantages and disadvantages of filing the section 83(b) election.  The Company (i) makes no representation or undertaking regarding the treatment of any income tax, social insurance, payroll tax or other tax-related withholding ("Tax-Related Items") in connection with the grant or vesting of the Restricted Stock or the subsequent sale of any shares underlying the Restricted Stock and (ii) does not commit to structure the Restricted Stock to reduce or eliminate Grantee's liability for any Tax-Related Items.

8.           Compliance with Law.  The issuance and transfer of the Restricted Stock, and the shares of common stock underlying such Restricted Stock, shall be subject to compliance by the Company and 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 Restricted Stock or common stock of the Company underlying the Restricted 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.  Grantee understands that the Company is under no obligation to register the Restricted Stock or shares of common stock of the Company underlying the Restricted Stock with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or any stock exchange to effect such compliance.

3


9.         Miscellaneous.

(a)               Legends. A legend may be placed on any certificate(s) or other document(s) delivered to 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any applicable federal or state securities laws or any stock exchange on which the shares of common stock of the Company are then listed or quoted.

(b)               Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to any choice or conflicts of law provision or rule (whether of the State of New York or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.

(c)               Interpretation; Jurisdiction.  The Committee shall have full authority to interpret, construe and administer this Agreement, and the Committee's reasonable interpretation and construction hereof, and reasonable actions hereunder, shall be final, binding and conclusive on all persons for all purposes; provided, that, if any such interpretation, construction or administration of this Agreement involves a director of the Company then-serving on the Committee as Grantee hereunder, such director shall be recused from the Committee for the purposes of such interpretation, construction or administration.  Subject to the foregoing, in the event of a judicial proceeding involving any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, Grantee and the Company unconditionally accept the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of any federal or state located in or for the State of New York.  In any such judicial proceeding, Grantee and the Company agree that in addition to any method for the service of process permitted or required by such courts, to the fullest extent permitted by law, service of process may be made by prepaid certified mail with a proof of mailing receipt validated by the U.S. Postal Service constituting evidence of valid service.  GRANTEE AND THE COMPANY HEREBY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING INVOLVING ANY DISPUTE, CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT.

(d)               Withholding Taxes.  All Restricted Stock acquired pursuant hereto and allocations or distributions with respect to such Restricted Stock and the common stock of the Company underlying such Restricted Stock shall be subject to withholding as required by applicable federal, state and local laws, and the Company may make such arrangements for the payment of any withholding taxes with respect to such Restricted Stock and the common stock of the Company underlying such Restricted Stock as the Company deems satisfactory.

(e)               Severability.  In the event that any one or more of the provisions of this Agreement shall be or become invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected thereby.

(f)                Binding Effect; Assignment.  This Agreement shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the Company and its respective successors and permitted assigns.  This Agreement shall also be binding on and inure to the benefit of Grantee and Grantee's heirs, executors, administrators and legal representatives.  This Agreement shall not be assignable by any party hereto without the prior written consent of the other party hereto, except as provided pursuant to this Section 9(f).  The Company may effect such an assignment without prior written approval of Grantee upon a Substantial Corporate Change or any other sale of the Company or the transfer of all or substantially all of its business and/or assets (by whatever means).

4


(g)               Discretionary Nature of Plan. The Plan is discretionary and may be amended, cancelled or terminated by the Company in the manner provided for in the Plan.  The grant of the Restricted Stock in this Agreement does not create any contractual right or other right to receive additional restricted stock or other Awards in the future.  Future Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company.

(h)               Notice.  Any notice required to be delivered to the Company under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company at the Company's principal corporate offices.  Any notice required to be delivered to Grantee under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to Grantee at 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.

(i)                 Entire Agreement.  This Agreement and Plan constitute the entire agreement between the parties, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings relating to the subject matter of this Agreement.  The terms of the Plan are deemed incorporated into this Agreement pursuant to this Section 9(i).

(j)                 Amendments; Waiver.  No provision of this Agreement may be modified, waived or discharged unless such modification, waiver or discharge is approved in writing by an authorized officer of the Company (that is not Grantee) and is either agreed to in writing by Grantee or otherwise authorized by the Plan.  No waiver by any party hereto at any time of any breach by any other party hereto of, or compliance with, any condition or provision of this Agreement to be performed by such other party shall be deemed a waiver of similar or dissimilar provisions or conditions at the same or at any prior or subsequent time.  No waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be implied from any course of dealing between or among the parties hereto or from any failure by any party hereto to assert its rights hereunder on any occasion or series of occasions.

(k)               Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including by means of a facsimile or portable document format), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

(l)                 Headings.  The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference only and shall not under any circumstances be deemed to affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

[signature page follows]

 

5


 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY,
INCORPORATED

 

 

By:                                                                             

      Name:

      Title:

 

 

Grantee:

 

 

 

                                                                                   

[Name]



 

[Signature Page to Restricted Stock Award Agreement]

 


Exhibit A

 

 

[DATE]

 

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated

325 Washington Avenue, Extension

Albany, New York 12205

Attention:  Chief Executive Officer

Email:  rjones@mtiinstruments.com

          

Notification of Section 83(b) Election

 

To whom it may concern:

 

On _______ __, ____, I acquired __________ (______) restricted common stock shares (the "Restricted Stock") of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award Agreement, dated as of such date (the "Agreement").  Pursuant to Section 7 of the Agreement, I hereby notify you that:

[  ]        I have made an election under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") with respect to the Restricted Stock.

[  ]        I have not yet made an election under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to the Restricted Stock, but I intend to do so no later than the date which is 30 days after the acquisition of the Restricted Stock.

[  ]        I do not intend to make an election under Section 83(b) of the Code with respect to the Restricted Stock.

I also acknowledge pursuant to Section 7 of the Agreement that I am solely responsible for any and all tax liabilities payable in connection with the Restricted Stock or attributable to my decision regarding the election under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

Signature:_______________________

Printed Name____________________

Date___________________________

 

A-1


Exhibit B

 

Section 83(b) Election

The undersigned taxpayer hereby makes this election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and Treasury Regulations Section 1.83-2 promulgated thereunder.

 

1.         The name, taxpayer identification number, address of the undersigned, and the taxable year for which this election is being made are:

 

      Taxpayer's Name:  ________________________________
      Taxpayer's Social Security Number:___________________

      Address: _________________________________________

_________________________________________

Taxable Year:  Calendar Year ____

2.         The property which is the subject of this election is __________________ restricted shares of common stock of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, a New York corporation (the "Company").

 

3.         The restricted shares of common stock were transferred to the undersigned on _________ __, ___.  This election is being made with respect to the calendar year ____.

 

4.         The restricted shares of common stock are subject to the following restrictions:  the restricted shares of common stock are subject to time based vesting conditions and restrictions on transferability during a restricted period with respect thereto.

 

5.         The fair market value of the restricted shares of common stock at the date of transfer (determined without regard to any restriction other than a nonlapse restriction, as defined in Section 1.83-3(h) of the Income Tax Regulations) was $________________________, based on a fair market value of $_____ per share.

 

6.         The amount paid for the restricted shares of common stock was $_______.

 

7.         The amount to include in gross income is $___________________ (the result of the amount reported in Item 5 minus the amount reported in Item 6).

 

The undersigned taxpayer will file this election with the Internal Revenue Service office with which taxpayer files his or her annual income tax return not later than 30 days after the date of transfer of the property.  A copy of the election will also be furnished to the person for whom the services were performed.  Additionally, the undersigned will include a copy of the election with his or her income tax return for the taxable year in which the property is transferred.  The undersigned is the person performing the services in connection with which the property was transferred.  The undersigned understands that the foregoing election may not be revoked except with the consent of the Internal Revenue Commissioner.

 

Dated:_______________________                           ___________________________________

                                                                                    Taxpayer

 

B-1

 

Execution copy

 

EXHIBIT 10.20

 

 

OPERATING AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
AND

ECOCHAIN, INC.

Dated: January 13, 2020

 

 


OPERATING AND MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

 

This OPERATING AND  MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT (this "Agreement"), dated January 13, 2020 (the "Effective Date"), is entered into by and between Soluna Technologies, Ltd., a private limited company incorporated under the laws of British Columbia (the "Operator"), and EcoChain, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company").  The Operator and the Company are sometimes referred to herein, individually, as a "party" and, collectively, as the "parties".

 

R E C I T A L S:

 

WHEREAS, simultaneous with the entering into of this Agreement, an Affiliate of the Company is consummating an investment pursuant to which such Affiliate of the Company is becoming the holder of Class A Preferred Stock of the Operator;

 

WHEREAS the Company proposes to create, develop, assemble and construct, as applicable, a pilot cryptocurrency mining facility to be composed of tangible and intangible assets that interact to integrate with the bitcoin blockchain network physically located in North America or another geographic location mutually agreed to by the parties (all such assets currently and in the future owned by the Company, collectively, the "Pilot Mine Program"); and

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain the Operator to assist with and carry out the design, specification, construction and assembly of the Pilot Mine Program, perform physical operations and otherwise maintain the Pilot Mine Program as set forth herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, and intending hereby to be legally bound, the Company and the Operator hereby agree and stipulate as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS; INTERPRETATION

 

            1.1        Definitions.  As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below or set forth in the Sections referred to below.

 

"AAA" has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2 (Selection of Arbitrator).

 

"Accounts" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses).

 

"Affiliate" means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, such Person.  For the purposes of this Agreement, "control," when used with respect to any specified Person, means the power, direct or indirect, to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through ownership of voting securities or partnership or other ownership interests, by contract or otherwise; and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" shall have correlative meanings.

 

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"Agreement" has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

"Annual Compensation Statement" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(b) (Management Fee).

 

 "Applicable Law" means, as to any Person, any federal, state, municipal and local law, statute, ordinance, regulation, order, directive, policy and decision rendered by any Governmental Authority, in each case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its property or to which such Person or any of its property is subject or pertaining to any or all of the transactions contemplated or referred to herein, including, in the case of the Company, any requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder which shall be in effect from time to time.

 

"Arbitration Notice" has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1 (Submission Requirement).

 

"Arms-Length Contract" means a contract or agreement entered into by the Company (or Operator, as agent for the Company), on the one hand, and Operator or any Affiliate of Operator, on the other hand, the terms and conditions of which are not less favorable to the Company (or Operator, as agent for the Company) than could be obtained on an arms-length basis from unrelated third parties.

 

"Bankrupt" means, with respect to any Person, (a) that such Person has made an assignment for the benefit of creditors or applied for the appointment of a trustee, liquidator or receiver of any substantial part of its assets, or commenced any proceeding relating to itself under any bankruptcy, reorganization or similar laws (including the Federal Bankruptcy Code of 1978, Title 11 of the United States Code and any state insolvency act), or any such application has been filed or proceeding is commenced against such Person and such Person indicates its consent thereto or does not diligently oppose such proceedings within thirty (30) days of receipt of notice of filing or the commencement of such proceeding; or (b) an order, judgment or decree has been entered by any court of competent jurisdiction, appointing a trustee, liquidator or receiver for that Person or for all or a substantial part of that Person's assets and such order, judgment or decree has continued unstayed and in effect for any period of sixty (60) consecutive days.

 

"Budget Ceiling" has the meaning set forth in Section 4.5(b) (Authorization; Expenditure Cap).

 

"Business Day" means a day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day that is a nationally recognized holiday in the United States.

 

"Capital Budget" has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1 (Submittal).

 

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"Capital Report" has the meaning set forth in Section 5.4 (Capital Project Reports).

 

"Cloud Provider" has the meaning set forth in Section 11.5 (Hosting of Software; Passwords).

 

"Cloud Services" has the meaning set forth in Section 11.5 (Hosting of Software; Passwords).

 

"Commissioning" means the delivery of a Pilot Mine Program that is designed, installed, operated and maintained in a manner that permits complete integration of the Pilot Mine Program with the bitcoin blockchain network in accordance with Prudent Industry Practice.

 

"Company" has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

"Company Parties" has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1 (Limitation of Liability).

 

"Confidential Information" has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6 (Confidentiality; Press Releases).

 

"Cost of Services" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses).

 

"Default Term" means that period of time that is five (5) years from the date hereof.

 

"Dispute" has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1 (Submission Requirement).

 

"Disputing Parties" has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1 (Submission Requirement).

 

"EBITDA" means, with respect to any applicable period of calculation, the net income before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization of and with respect to solely the Pilot Mine Program for such period, determined in the reasonable discretion of the Company in accordance with GAAP, but applied and calculated in a manner consistent with historical accounting practices of the Company and its Affiliates.

 

"Effective Date" means the date set forth in the Preamble.

 

"Financial Report" has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1 (Books and Records; Operating Reports).

 

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"Financing Source" means any Person that has committed to provide or has otherwise entered into agreements providing for debt financing or equity financing of the Pilot Mine Program, the Company or its Affiliates, together with Affiliates and direct or indirect officers, employees, directors, general or limited partners, members, advisors, agents and representatives and the respective successors and assigns of any of the foregoing involved in the foregoing debt financing and/or equity financing.

 

"Force Majeure" means any cause beyond the reasonable control of a party, including, without limitation, the following causes: acts of God, strikes, lockouts or other industrial disturbances, sabotage, wars, blockades, insurrections, riots, epidemics, landslides, lightning, earthquakes, fires, storms, floods, civil disturbances, explosions, uncontrollable breakage or accident to platforms, equipment or machinery, and any other similar causes, whether of the kind herein enumerated or otherwise, which by the exercise of reasonable diligence the party claiming Force Majeure would not be able to prevent or overcome.

 

"GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied.

 

"General Manager" has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8 (General Manager).

 

"Governmental Authority" means the government of any nation, state, city, locality or other political subdivision thereof, and any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government.

 

"Initial Budget" has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1 (Submittal).

 

"Licensed Operator IP" has the meaning set forth in Section 11.2 (License to the Company).

 

"Listing Requirements" means any ordinance, regulation, order, directive, policy and decision promulgated or rendered by regulatory process by any public securities exchange, including, without limitation the New York Stock Exchange, The Nasdaq Stock Market or the OTC Markets Group.

 

"Losses" means losses, liabilities, claims (including third party claims), demands, suits, causes of action, judgments, awards, damages, interest, fines, fees, penalties, costs and expenses (including all attorneys' fees and other costs and expenses incurred in defending any such claims or other matters or in asserting or enforcing any indemnity obligation under Article 6 (INDEMNITY)) of whatsoever kind and nature.

 

"Management Fee" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(b) (Management Fee).

 

"Material Contracts" means the agreements, contracts, documents or other instruments binding upon the Company, whether entered into pursuant to Section 2.5 (Contracting Authority) or otherwise, that apply to or affect the Pilot Mine Program and are material to its current or ongoing operation.

 

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"One-Time Payment" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(a) (Management Fee).

 

"Operating Budget" has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1 (Submittal).

 

"Operating Report" has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1 (Books and Records; Operating Reports).

 

"Operator" has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

"Operator Parties" has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1 (Limitation of Liability).

 

"Person" means any individual, joint venture, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, business trust, cooperative, association or other incorporated or unincorporated entity, and the heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors and assigns of that person where the context so admits.

 

"Pilot Mine Program" has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

"Prudent Industry Practice" means those practices, standards, procedures and acts engaged in or approved by a significant portion of the cryptocurrency mining industry in the United States during the relevant time period and accepted as good, safe and prudent practices in connection with the design, construction, testing, commissioning, engineering, equipping, operation and maintenance of cryptocurrency mining projects in the United States and with due regard for the requirements of all Applicable Laws and Material Contracts. "Prudent Industry Practice" as defined herein does not necessarily mean one particular practice, standard, procedure or act in all cases, but is instead intended to encompass a broad range of acceptable practices, standards, procedures and acts.

 

"Quarterly Compensation Statement" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(b) (Management Fee).

 

"Services" has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2 (Scope of Services).

 

"Term" has the meaning set forth in Section 8.1 (Term).

 

"Third Party IP Rights" has the meaning set forth in Section 11.3 (Third Party Intellectual Property).

 

"Threshold" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(b) (Management Fee).

 

"Works" has the meaning set forth in Section 11.11 (Ownership of Intellectual Property).

 

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                   1.2        Interpretation.  Unless the context requires otherwise: (a) the gender (or lack of gender) of all words used in this Agreement includes the masculine, feminine and neuter; (b) references to "Articles" and "Sections" refer to articles and sections of this Agreement; (c) references to "Exhibits" refer to the exhibits attached to this Agreement, each of which is made a part hereof for all purposes; (d) references to laws or agreements refer to such laws or agreements as they may be amended from time to time, and references to particular provisions of a law include any corresponding provisions of any succeeding law; (e) the terms defined herein include the plural as well as the singular and vice versa; (f) references to money refer to legal currency of the United States of America; and (g) the word "including" or similar derivations thereof shall be deemed to mean "including, but without restricting the generality of the foregoing".

 

ARTICLE II

DUTIES AND POWERS OF OPERATOR

 

                   2.1        Retention of Operator.  The Company hereby retains the Operator to perform the Services.  The Operator hereby accepts such retention and agrees to perform the Services in accordance with this Agreement.

 

                   2.2        Scope of Services.  The "Services" shall consist of (a) the services specified in Exhibit A, attached hereto and (b) any services related to the Pilot Mine Program that the Company and the Operator may agree, from time to time, that the Operator is to perform under this Agreement.

 

                   2.3        Standard of Care; Performance of Obligations.  Subject to the other provisions hereof, the Operator shall perform the Services and carry out its responsibilities under this Agreement: (a) as a reasonable and prudent operator; (b) consistent with the Operator's business practices and policies and Prudent Industry Practices; (c) in a manner consistent with the Material Contracts disclosed to Operator or of which Operator has knowledge; and (d) in compliance with all Applicable Law.  The Operator has or shall timely obtain, at its expense, all licenses and permits necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement and shall pay all taxes, fees or charges imposed on the business of the Operator hereunder (except for licenses, permits and taxes required by Applicable Law to be obtained by or imposed on Operator for solely the operation of the Pilot Mine Program which shall be obtained by the Operator at the Company's expense).

 

                   2.4        Independent Contractor. In performing the Services, the Operator shall be an independent contractor, and the Operator shall not be deemed for any purpose to be a servant, employee or representative of the Company.  The Operator shall have full legal charge and control of its employees, agents and equipment engaged in the performance of the Services. The assets and business of the Pilot Mine Program shall, however, be owned solely by the Company.

 

                   2.5        Contracting Authority. The Company engages the Operator, upon the terms and conditions of this Agreement, to perform certain actions on behalf of and as agent for the Company, specifically including those actions contemplated by Section 2.2 (Scope of Services) related to the Pilot Mine Program and any other actions consistent with the Services specified from time to time in writing by a duly authorized officer of the Company and agreed by the Operator to be done by the Operator on behalf of the Company pursuant to this Agreement.

 

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(a)        Dealing with Company Assets. Without limiting any other powers or duties of the Operator provided in this Agreement, the Operator is hereby authorized, subject to obtaining the prior written consent of the Company and further subject always to Section 4.5(b) (Authorization; Expenditure Cap) to, in the Company's name and on its behalf, execute, deliver, accept, assign, amend, extend, terminate, license or release, in the normal course of the Company's business and solely for the purposes of carrying out the Services:

 

(i)        for the Company, contracts for the purchase of goods or services related to the Pilot Mine Program, including (without limitation) master agreements, purchase contracts, purchase orders, releases for goods or services, licensing agreements or letters of intent or memoranda of understanding associated with negotiations for contracts for such purchase of goods or services; and

 

(ii)       certificates, licenses, reports and permits and other governmental authorizations of any kind required to carry out or establish the Pilot Mine Program.

 

(b)        Delegation of Authority.  Any delegation of authority to an employee of the Operator to deal with assets, rights or liabilities of the Operator shall be considered an authorization for such employee to deal with assets, rights or liabilities of the Company, within the limits of this Article 2 (DUTIES AND POWERS OF OPERATOR), to the same extent, except as may be expressly provided in such delegation.

 

(c)         Instruments in the Name of Operator.  Except as otherwise provided herein, any instrument or document entered into by the Operator pursuant to and in compliance with this Agreement, to the extent that it deals with assets, liabilities or other rights or obligations of the Company directly related to the Pilot Mine Program, complies with Section 4.5(b) (Authorization; Expenditure Cap) and states it is entered into in the name of the Operator as agent of the Company, shall be considered an instrument or document entered into by the Operator as agent for the Company.  Any such instrument or document shall be valid and binding upon the Company as if it had been signed in the name of the Company.  The Company shall have the right, either in its own name or through the Operator, to enforce any performance due under such instruments or documents from any third party.  Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Article 2 (DUTIES AND POWERS OF OPERATOR), the rights and obligations of the Operator under the following instruments and documents shall remain with the Operator:

 

(i)        this Agreement;

 

(ii)       any instrument or document which primarily deals with the relationship between the Operator and its employees;

 

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(iii)      any instrument or document related to the Pilot Mine Program which fails to state that the Operator is entering into such instrument or document as agent for the Company; and

 

(iv)      any instrument or document entered into by the Operator that does not directly relate to the Pilot Mine Program.

 

(d)        Transactions with Affiliates. In connection with the performance of its duties and responsibilities under this Agreement for and on behalf of the Company, the Operator shall not (i) purchase goods, supplies and services from or through any of its Affiliates, other than at standard market rates or (ii) enter into contractual arrangements with Affiliates, other than pursuant to an Arms-Length Contract.  The Operator shall provide the Company with copies of all proposed contracts or arrangements involving the Company (acting through the Operator, as agent for the Company), on the one hand, and the Operator or any Affiliate of the Operator, on the other hand, at least ten(10) days prior to the Company (or the Operator, as agent for the Company) executing any such contract or arrangement.

 

             2.6       Confidentiality; Press Releases

 

(a)         The parties acknowledge that, from time to time, they may receive information from or regarding the other party, its customers or any of its Affiliates in the nature of trade secrets or secret or proprietary information or information that is otherwise confidential ("Confidential Information"), the release of which may be damaging to or otherwise contrary to the interests of the other party, its Affiliates or Persons with which it does business.  Without restricting the foregoing, "Confidential Information" shall include the following information and materials containing such information (whether or not reduced to writing and whether or not patentable or protected by copyright) to the extent provided by one party to the other party:

 

(i)        any and all versions of the disclosing party's business products (whether software or hardware) and services and related documentation;

 

(ii)       all methods, processes, procedures, systems, inventions (whether patentable or not), devices, discoveries, concepts, know-how, data, databases, technology, products, software (in executable and source code formats), templates, documentation, specifications, compilations, designs, reports, trade-marks, and any enhancements, modifications, or additions to the foregoing which relate, directly or indirectly, to the disclosing party's present or reasonably foreseeable business and which are developed, created, generated or reduced to practice;

 

(iii)       information regarding the disclosing party's business operations, methods and practices, recruiting and training policies, including marketing strategies, product plans (including unannounced products), product pricing, margins, hourly rates, per diems and information regarding the financial affairs of the disclosing party;

 

(iv)       customer lists, quotations or proposals given to customers, requirements of specific customers and the names of the suppliers;

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(v)        technical and business information of or regarding the clients or customers of the disclosing party, including information regarding the business operations, methods and practices and product plans of such clients; and

 

(vi)       any other trade secrets, confidential or proprietary information received by the disclosing party from third parties and in the possession or control of the disclosing party.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Confidential Information shall not include any of the following (t) information which is generally known or in the public domain at the time of disclosure, (u) information which, although originally Confidential Information, becomes generally available to the public through no fault of the receiving party as of the date of its becoming part of the public knowledge, (v) information that was or is developed by the receiving party without the use of Confidential Information, (w) information which is approved for disclosure or release by the disclosing party, (x) subject to and as contemplated by Section 2.6(c) (Confidentiality; Press Releases) information which is requested or required to be disclosed by Applicable Law or Listing Requirements, (y) information which constitutes a Work hereunder pursuant to Section 11.1 (Ownership of Intellectual Property) or (z) information which is licensed to the receiving party pursuant to Article 11 (INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY), provided that, in the case of this clause (z), solely with respect to the receiving party's use of such information in connection with the carrying out of such party's business.

 

The absence of any notice indicating confidentiality on any material will not imply that same is not Confidential Information.

 

(b)        Each party shall use the Confidential Information solely for the purposes of conducting the business of the Company, carrying out the Services and fulfilling such party's obligations under this Agreement.  Each party shall hold in strict confidence any Confidential Information it receives and may not disclose such Confidential Information to any Person, except for disclosures to (i) its Affiliates or (ii) any consultant, auditor, accountant, contractor, agent, professional adviser, director, officer and/or employee of such party; provided, that, in each case, such recipient agrees in writing to keep such information confidential or is bound by provisions of confidentiality not less restrictive than the provisions of this Section 2.6 (Confidentiality, Press Releases).

 

(c)         The parties acknowledge that breach of the provisions of this Section 2.6 (Confidentiality; Press Releases) may cause irreparable injury for which monetary damages are inadequate, difficult to compute or both.  Accordingly, the parties agree that the provisions of this Section 2.6 (Confidentiality; Press Releases) may be enforced by specific performance.

 

(d)          Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the confidentiality obligations provided in this Section 2.6 (Confidentiality; Press Releases) shall not apply to disclosures (i) required by Applicable Law or Listing Requirements or (ii) to advisers, employees, consultants or representatives of the party, but only if such recipients have agreed in writing to be bound by the provisions of this Section 2.6 (Confidentiality; Press Releases) or is bound by confidentiality provisions not less restrictive than such provisions.  Except for any disclosure by the Company with respect to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, if a party is required by Applicable Law to disclose any information that would otherwise be confidential under this Agreement, such party shall notify the other party of such requirements as soon as legally permissible and provide the other party the opportunity to resist such disclosure by appropriate proceedings; provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing requirement with respect to notice to the other party shall not apply with respect to any disclosure by the Company required by Listing Requirements.

 

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(e)        Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, nothing shall prohibit the Company from (i) delivering to any Financing Source or any of its direct or indirect equityholders any reports, financial statements or other information (including any Confidential Information) relating to the Pilot Mine Program received pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise or (ii) making any public disclosures with respect to any reports, financial statements or other information (including any Confidential Information) received in connection with this Agreement relating to the Pilot Mine Program pursuant to the public disclosure requirements of Applicable Law or Listing Requirements.

 

(f)         No press release or other public announcement related to the Pilot Mine Program or the business of the Company or its Affiliates shall be made without the prior written consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

2.7       Operator cooperation with Auditors.         Upon request of the Company, the Operator shall, from time-to-time, attend in-person or telephonic meetings with the Company's auditors pursuant to which the Operator shall discuss with such auditors the Financial Report(s), Operating Report(s) and/or Capital Report(s) and any other matters which the auditors determine to be reasonably required to prepare financial statements and reports of the Company in accordance with the then-current accounting practices of the Company and its Affiliates.

 

2.8       General Manager.  Subject to each of the other terms and conditions hereof, the Operator shall appoint an experienced and competent general manager (the "General Manager") who shall devote his or her business time to the business of the Company and the Pilot Mine Program as follows: (a) until Commissioning of the Pilot Mine Program, at least eighty percent (80%) of his or her of overall time to the business of the Company and the Pilot Mine Program; and (b) following Commissioning of the Pilot Mine Program, approximately five (5) hours per week of business time to the Company and the Pilot Mine Program.  The appointment and/or replacement of any General Manager shall require the consent of the Company.

 

2.9       Insurance.  At all times during the Term, the Operator shall maintain in force, with reputable insurers, the insurance requirements set forth and described on Exhibit B.

 

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ARTICLE 3

PAYMENT FOR COST OF SERVICES; MANAGEMENT FEE

 

3.1          Payment for Costs and Expenses.  Subject to the provisions of this Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses) and Section 4.5(b) (Authorization; Expenditure Cap) and unless otherwise agreed by the parties to the contrary, the Operator shall pay all reasonable, direct costs and expenses and other financial obligations of the Company that may be due and owing with respect to the contracts, certificates, licenses, reports, permits and governmental authorizations contemplated by and consented to by the Company pursuant to Section 2.5(a) (Dealing with Company Assets) (collectively, the "Cost of Services") out of, in the Company's discretion, either the Company's bank account(s) established for the Pilot Mine Program (the "Accounts") or the Operator's own funds; provided, that, unless the Company provides express written notice to the Operator to the contrary, all such Cost of Services shall be paid out of the Accounts; provided, further, that in the event the Company determines that the Operator should fund spending out of its own funds, the Company shall fully reimburse the Operator for any and all Cost of Services the Operator pays out of its own funds.  Notwithstanding anything else herein, nothing in this Agreement shall abrogate or diminish the ability of the Company to enter into or obtain contracts, certificates, licenses, reports, permits and governmental authorizations related to the Pilot Mine Program and to pay for the same on the Company's own behalf.  Any payment made by the Operator under this Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses) shall not be deemed to be a waiver by the Company of the Company's right to audit any related invoice in accordance with Section 5.2 (Audits).  If the Company pays for the Cost of Services out of the Accounts, the Company shall ensure that the Operator is duly authorized to draw upon the Accounts (and shall make all necessary arrangements with its financial institution(s)) for purposes of permitting the Operator to pay the Cost of Services therefrom.  If the Company pays for the Cost of Services out of the Accounts and the Operator reasonably anticipates that the funds in the Accounts will not be sufficient to pay the Cost of Services due for any month, then the Operator shall notify the Company to permit the Company to deposit sufficient funds (taking account of any funding milestones established by the parties) in the Accounts to cover all such anticipated Cost of Services and shall provide the Company with reasonable documentation to support such request; it being understood that (a) the Company and the Operator shall establish a milestone based funding schedule in accordance with Operating Budgets and Capital Budgets approved by the parties each calendar year and (b) if the Company fails to make deposits sufficient to pay the Cost of Services, the Operator shall not be obliged to pay the amount of such Cost of Service and shall not be liable in any manner for any costs, expenses or other liabilities the Company may incur as a result of the Company's failure to timely deposit such funds.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses), (x) the Company must affirmatively, pursuant to express written notice to Operator, determine that the Operator shall pay the Cost of Services out of the Operator's own funds before the Operator may seek reimbursement from the Company following such expenditure of funds and (y) this Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses) shall be, unless mutually approved in writing by the parties to the contrary, subject to the Budget Ceiling with respect to the Pilot Mine Program established by Section 4.5(b) (Authorization; Expenditure Cap).

 

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3.2           Cost Allocation. The parties recognize that the Services to be performed hereunder may, with the prior written consent of the Company, be performed by the Operator in conjunction with the operation of other cryptocurrency mining systems, platforms and facilities owned or operated by the Operator or its Affiliates, and that certain resources, services and mobilizations may be shared between the Company, the Operator and potentially other Persons in order to gain operational efficiencies.  In the event of any such conjunctive performance of the Services, the costs associated with the activities mentioned above will be allocated between the Services and each other project or initiative on an equitable basis benefit based upon actual costs incurred by each project or initiative, actual employee time dedicated to each project or initiative and actual usage of shared services by each project or initiative.  The portion of the costs so allocated to the Services shall be deemed Cost of Services.  Any such allocation shall be subject to the prior written consent in advance by the Company and details of any such allocation shall be made available to the Company as reasonably requested by the Company and subject to the audit provisions set forth herein.

 

3.3            Payment of Operator's Employees.  The Company shall not be responsible for any claims brought by Persons employed or contracted with by the Operator for non-payment of any and all salaries, wages, payments, compensation, withholding deductions or taxes.  Further, for the avoidance of doubt and notwithstanding anything in Section 3.2 (Cost Allocation) to the contrary, in no event shall any salaries, wages, payments, compensation, withholding deductions or taxes due to employees or independent contractors of the Operator be included in the Cost of Services contemplated by this Agreement without the prior written consent of the Company.

 

3.4            Management Fee.  In addition to any payments made by the Company to the Operator as Cost of Services pursuant to Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses), the Company shall, in further consideration for the Services rendered by the Operator hereunder, pay the Operator:

 

(a)       simultaneous with or reasonably promptly following the entering into of this Agreement, a one-time payment of Sixty-Five Thousand United States Dollars ($65,000) (the "One-Time Payment"); and

 

(b)       following such time as aggregate EBITDA of the Pilot Mine Program exceeds the total amount of funding provided by the Company to the Operator (whether pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise) for the purposes of creating, developing, assembling and constructing the Pilot Mine Program (the "Threshold"), twenty percent (20.0%) of the EBITDA of the Pilot Mine Program in excess of the Threshold, calculated on an annual basis (the "Management Fee").  The Management Fee shall be paid to the Operator pursuant to interim payments as provided immediately below.  Within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar quarter during each fiscal year composing the Term, the Company shall deliver to the Operator a written statement (the "Quarterly Compensation Statement") setting forth the applicable EBITDA of the Pilot Mine Program calculated at the conclusion of such calendar quarter based on the EBITDA of the Pilot Mine Program over the calendar quarter just concluded, and shall pay the Company the amount of the quarterly Management Fee at such time.  Within ninety (90) days of the end of each fiscal year composing the Term, the Company shall deliver to the Operator a written statement (the "Annual Compensation Statement") setting forth the applicable EBITDA of the Pilot Mine Program for the fiscal year just concluded (prorated in the event of any partial fiscal year during the Term) together with a reconciliation of the Management Fee paid during the past year to the Management Fee actually payable in respect of such past year.  In the event the reconciliation carried out by the Company results in the Company owing the Operator additional amounts of Management Fee, such amount shall be paid to the Operator simultaneous with the Company's delivery of the Annual Compensation Statement.  In the event the reconciliation carried out by the Company results in the Operator having been overpaid with respect to amounts of Management Fee previously received during the applicable past fiscal year, such overpaid amount shall be remitted back to the Company within thirty (30) days of the Company's delivery of the Annual Compensation Statement.

 

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3.5            Total Consideration.  Subject to Section 4.5(b) (Authorization; Expenditure Cap), Operator and Company agree that as payment for the performance of the Services, Company shall only be obligated to pay, and Operator shall only be entitled to receive, the Cost of Services, the One-Time Payment and the Management Fee.  For the avoidance of doubt, the Cost of Services and the One-Time Payment, but not the Management Fee, shall be included in all calculations and aggregations with respect to the Budget Ceiling established by Section 4.5(b) (Authorization; Expenditure Cap).

 

ARTICLE 4

OPERATING BUDGET AND CAPITAL BUDGET

 

4.1             Submittal.  Within sixty (60) days of the Effective Date, the Operator will prepare and deliver to the Company an initial budget for the construction and commencement of initial operation of the Pilot Mine Program (the "Initial Budget").  In respect of each year following the delivery of the Initial Budget, a formal and reasonably detailed operating budget with respect to the ongoing, day-to-day maintenance and operation of the Pilot Mine Program (to the extent applicable) (the "Operating Budget") and capital budget with respect to the development and carrying out of capital projects with respect to the Pilot Mine Program (the "Capital Budget") will be prepared by the Operator and submitted to the Company, along with reasonable supporting documentation, including economic or other justification for capital projects.  Such Operating Budget and Capital Budget may be updated, modified, amended or otherwise revised at any time by the mutual written agreement of the parties.  The updated Operating Budgets and Capital Budgets to be prepared and delivered by the Operator pursuant to this Section 4.1 (Submittal) shall be delivered to Company by October 31st of the year prior to the applicable year to which such budgets relate, along with reasonable supporting documentation, including economic or other justification for capital projects.  The Initial Budget, Operating Budget and the Capital Budget shall each reflect costs and expenses, on a monthly basis, consistent with the Services and standard of care stipulated in this Agreement and shall set forth (a) in each year following the year in which the Effective Date occurs, the sums actually expended during the previous calendar year; (b) an updated forecast of the sums to be expended during the current calendar year; (c) the sums the Operator proposes to expend with respect to the Services during the next calendar year; and (d) such other information as is reasonably requested by the Company.

 

4.2            Operating Budget Format.  The Operating Budget shall, with monthly allocations (to the extent feasible) and taking account of the Budget Ceiling established by Section 4.5(b) (Authorization; Expenditure Cap): (a) specifically itemize labor costs; (b) specifically itemize each operating item (including, without limitation, each maintenance and repair project), which is reasonably estimated to exceed Ten Thousand United States Dollars ($10,000); (c) group operating items, including, without limitation, maintenance and repair projects, reasonably estimated to be less than Ten Thousand United States Dollars ($10,000) per item or project by major expense category; (d) make reasonable provisions for unforeseen costs and contingencies agreed between the Operator and the Company; and (e) establish a milestone based funding schedule for the applicable upcoming calendar year that permits the Company to adequately fund Cost of Services pursuant to Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses).

 

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4.3           Capital Budget and Initial Budget Format.  The Initial Budget and Capital Budget shall, taking account of the Budget Ceiling established by Section 4.5(b) (Authorization; Expenditure Cap): (a) specifically itemize each capital project which is reasonably estimated to exceed Ten Thousand United States Dollars ($10,000); (b) group capital projects reasonably estimated to be less than Ten Thousand United States Dollars ($10,000) per project by major expense category; (c) make reasonable provisions for unforeseen costs and contingencies agreed between the Operator and the Company; and (d) establish a milestone based funding schedule for the applicable upcoming calendar year that permits the Company to adequately fund Cost of Services pursuant to Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses).

 

4.4          Approval.  Within forty-five (45) days of the submission by the Operator to the Company of the Initial Budget, the Operating Budget and the Capital Budget as set forth in Section 4.1 (Submittal), the Company shall notify the Operator in writing of its approval of such budgets in their entirety or, if applicable, the budgeted line items it approves and the budgeted line items with which it disagrees; it being understood that any item not approved by the Company shall be deemed an item with which  the Company disagrees.  Any item with which the Company does not agree shall be considered a Dispute to be resolved in accordance with Article 10 (ARBITRATION).  Until such time as such Dispute is resolved, the last approved budget (as it pertains to routine, operational matters and not capital projects), increased by five percent (5%) per category or line item, shall govern expenditures until a new budget has been approved by the Company.

 

4.5          Authorization; Expenditure Cap.  

 

(a)        That portion of the then-current Initial Budget, Operating Budget and the Capital Budget approved by the Company hereunder shall, specifically subject to Sections 2.2 (Scope of Services), 2.3 (Standard of Care; Performance of Obligations) and 2.5 (Contracting Authority), constitute general authorization for the Operator to perform the Services contemplated therein.

 

(b)        The Operator is authorized to expend only approved amounts under the Initial Budget, Operating Budget and the Capital Budget.  The Operator shall obtain the Company's approval prior to the expenditure of any amounts not included in those amounts described in the immediately preceding sentence.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the parties expressly covenant and agree that, unless agreed in a separate written instrument duly executed by authorized officers of the Operator and the Company, the maximum amount of the funds or payments that will be provided by the Company to the Operator with respect to constructing and operating the Pilot Mine Program pursuant to this Agreement shall be Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand United States Dollars ($750,000) (the "Budget Ceiling"); provided, that, as contemplated by Section 3.5 (Total Consideration) the Management Fee shall not be included in the funds or payments aggregated for purposes of the Budget Ceiling.  Such Budget Ceiling shall include any and all payments, reimbursements or other amounts that may be due from the Company hereunder, including, without limitation, the Cost of Services and the One-Time Payment, but excluding the Management Fee.  In the event that the Company's applicable funding and payments hereunder have, or are reasonably expected to, exceed the Budget Ceiling, the parties shall meet in good faith to analyze the Pilot Mine Program and determine if, in the Company's sole and complete discretion, the Budget Ceiling should be increased by any amount.

           

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ARTICLE 5

BOOKS, RECORDS AND AUDITING

 

5.1          Books and Records; Operating Reports.  The Operator shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, maintain full, complete, true and accurate books and records of transactions with respect to the business and operations of the Pilot Mine Program such that the Company is able, following review of such books and records to accurately and completely report the financial position and results of operations of the Pilot Mine Program in accordance with GAAP and then-current accounting and financial reporting procedures and practices employed by the Company and its Affiliates.  The Operator's maintenance of such books and records, production of Financial Report(s), Operating  Report(s) and Capital Report(s) and overall carrying out of the Services shall in all instances be subject to compliance with and comport with the Company's and its Affiliates' then-current reasonable accounting and financial reporting procedures and practices, and the Operator hereby covenants and agrees, upon request by the Company therefore, to modify its carrying out of the Services to fully comply and comport with such reasonable procedures and practices.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Operator shall, within ten (10) Business Days of the conclusion of each month, deliver to the Company reports setting forth the Operator's (a) financial position of the Pilot Mine Program ("Financial Report") and (b)  accounts of operations, capital projects and expenditures with respect to the Pilot Mine Program that enable the Company to analyze the operational productivity, general progress of capital projects and expenditures of the Pilot Mine Program over the applicable period ("Operating Report"), all of the foregoing in form and substance reasonably consented to by the Company. The Operator shall, upon request by the Company from time-to-time, attend in-person or telephonic meetings with the Company pursuant to which the Operator and the Company discuss and analyze the Financial Report and/or the Operating Report or Capital Report.

 

5.2           Audits.  The Company shall have the right, upon thirty (30) days' prior written notice to the Operator, and at reasonable times during usual business hours of the Operator or its Affiliates to audit, examine and make copies of the books and records referred to in Section 5.1 (Books and Records); provided, that such audit does not unreasonably interfere with the operations of the Operator or its Affiliates. The Company may exercise such right through any agent or employee of the Company designated in writing by the Company or by an independent public accountant, engineer, attorney or other consultant or representative so designated.  The Company shall bear all costs and expenses of the Company incurred in connection with any inspection, examination or audit.  The Operator shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, review and respond in a timely manner to any requests or inquiries made by the Company regarding matters revealed by any such inspection, examination or audit.  If the Company does not challenge any financial statement/report or invoice submitted by the Operator to the Company within one (1) calendar year after the end of the calendar year of the date of such financial statement/report or invoice, such financial statement/report or invoice shall be presumed to be accurate.  If any audit reveals an error in any invoice paid by the Company resulting in an overpayment or underpayment by the Company, the Operator shall reimburse the Company or the Company shall pay the Operator, as the case may be,  for the amount of such overpayment or underpayment, together with interest thereon during the period from the date such invoice was paid until the date of such reimbursement or payment.

 

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5.3           Physical Inspection.  The Company shall have the right, upon reasonable prior written notice to the Operator, and at reasonable times during usual business hours of the Operator to inspect any physical assets held or operated by the Operator that comprise the Pilot Mine Program or otherwise belong to the Company; it being understood that such inspection shall not unreasonably interfere with the operations of the Operator or its Affiliates.  The Company may exercise such right through any agent or employee of the Company designated in writing by the Company or by an independent public accountant, engineer, attorney or other consultant or representative so designated.  The Company shall bear all costs, risks, liabilities and expenses of the Company incurred in connection with such inspection.  The Operator shall review and respond in a timely manner to any claims or inquiries made by the Company regarding matters revealed by such inspection.

 

5.4           Capital Project Reports.  In the event the Operator is developing and carrying out capital projects with respect to the Pilot Mine Program, the Operator shall prepare and submit to the Company, not later than ten (10) days after the conclusion of each month during the carrying out of such capital project(s), construction and development reports, in form and substance reasonably consented to by the Company and the Operator, that set forth and detail stage-by-stage progress with respect to the completion of the applicable capital project(s) and the Operator's financial record of funds used and future funds reasonably required to complete the applicable capital project(s) ("Capital Report").

 

ARTICLE 6

INDEMNITY

 

6.1           Limitation of Liability.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE OPERATOR, ITS REPRESENTATIVES, ITS AFFILIATES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS (THE "OPERATOR PARTIES") BE LIABLE TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES (THE "COMPANY PARTIES") FOR ANY LOSSES THAT ARISE OUT OF, RELATE TO OR ARE OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTABLE TO, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, THE PERFORMANCE OR NON-PERFORMANCE OF THE SERVICES, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE CAUSED BY BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT BY THE OPERATOR OR THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF ANY OF THE OPERATOR PARTIES.

 

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6.2          Indemnification of Operator.  SUBJECT TO SECTION 3.3 (PAYMENT OF OPERATOR'S EMPLOYEES) AND SECTION 6.4 (DISCLAIMER OF CERTAIN DAMAGES), DURING THE TERM, THE COMPANY SHALL INDEMNIFY, PROTECT, DEFEND, RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE OPERATOR FROM AND AGAINST ANY LOSSES ASSERTED BY OR ON BEHALF OF ANY PERSON THAT ARISE OUT OF, RELATE TO OR ARE OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTABLE TO, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT BY THE COMPANY OR THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF ANY OF THE COMPANY PARTIES, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THEY ARE CAUSED BY BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT BY THE OPERATOR OR THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF ANY OF THE OPERATOR PARTIES.

 

6.3           Indemnification of Company. SUBJECT TO SECTION 6.4 (DISCLAIMER OF CERTAIN DAMAGES), THE OPERATOR SHALL INDEMNIFY, PROTECT, DEFEND, RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS EACH COMPANY PARTY FROM AND AGAINST ANY LOSSES ASSERTED BY OR ON BEHALF OF ANY PERSON THAT ARISE OUT OF, RELATE TO OR ARE OTHERWISE  ATTRIBUTABLE TO, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT BY THE OPERATOR OR THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF ANY OF THE OPERATOR PARTIES,  EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THEY ARE CAUSED BY BREACH OF THIS AGREEMENT BY THE COMPANY OR THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OF ANY OF THE ANY COMPANY PARTIES.

 

6.4            Disclaimer of Certain Damages.  IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY FOR ANY LOST OR PROSPECTIVE PROFITS OR ANY OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY LOSSES OR DAMAGES THAT ARISE OUT OF, RELATE TO OR ARE OTHERWISE ATTRIBUTABLE TO, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, THE PERFORMANCE OR NON-PERFORMANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT.  NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY IN THIS SECTION 6.4  (DISCLAIMER OF CERTAIN DAMAGES), IF ANY PARTY OR THEIR INDEMNITEES IS HELD LIABLE TO A THIRD PARTY FOR ANY OF SUCH DAMAGES AND THE OTHER PARTY IS OBLIGATED TO INDEMNIFY SUCH PARTY OR THEIR INDEMNITEES FOR THE MATTER THAT GAVE RISE TO SUCH DAMAGES PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT, THEN THE INDEMNIFYING PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR, AND OBLIGATED TO REIMBURSE SUCH PARTY AND THEIR INDEMNITEES FOR, SUCH DAMAGES.

 

6.5             Warranties by Vendors and Subcontractors. With respect to agreements with vendors, suppliers and subcontractors entered into after the Effective Date, the Operator shall use commercially reasonable efforts, as agent for the Company, to secure from vendors, suppliers and subcontractors, for the Company's benefit, such warranties and guarantees as may be available on commercially reasonable terms regarding supplies, materials, equipment and services purchased for the Pilot Mine Program and to enforce such warranties and guarantees on behalf of the Company.

 

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6.6            Indemnities by Vendors and Subcontractors.  With respect to agreements with vendors, suppliers and subcontractors entered into after the Effective Date, the Operator shall  use reasonable efforts, as agent for the Company, to secure from vendors, suppliers and subcontractors, for the Company's benefit, such indemnities as may be available on commercially reasonable terms regarding supplies, materials, equipment and services purchased for the Pilot Mine Program and to enforce such indemnities on behalf of the Company.

 

ARTICLE 7

FORCE MAJEURE

 

7.1           Force Majeure.  A party's obligation under this Agreement shall be excused when and to the extent its performance of that obligation is prevented due to Force Majeure; provided, that a party shall not be excused by Force Majeure from any obligation to pay money due under this Agreement that arose prior to such event of Force Majeure.  The party that is prevented from performing its obligation by reason of Force Majeure shall promptly notify the other party of that fact and shall exercise all commercially reasonable efforts to end its inability to perform as promptly as practicable.

 

ARTICLE 8

TERM AND TERMINATION

 

8.1          Term.  This Agreement shall become effective on the Effective Date and shall remain in full force and effect until its termination pursuant to either Section 8.2 (Termination by the Company) or Section 8.3 (Termination by the Operator) (the period of time during which this Agreement is in full force and effect, the "Term").

 

8.2          Termination by the Company.

 

(a)        Upon the occurrence of the following events, the Company may terminate this Agreement by giving written notice of such termination to the Operator:

 

(i)        the Operator becomes Bankrupt;

 

(ii)       the Operator dissolves or commences liquidation or winding-up; or

 

(iii)      the Operator fails to cure a material breach of any provision of this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receiving written notice from the Company of such breach; provided, if such breach is not capable of being cured within such thirty (30) day period, such cure period shall be extended solely to the extent that the Operator promptly commences efforts to cure such breach and prosecutes such curative efforts to completion within a reasonable time, as determined by the Company, not to exceed an additional thirty (30) day period.

 

(b)        Any termination under Section 8.2(a) (Termination by the Company) shall become effective immediately upon delivery of the notice first described therein or such later time (not to exceed the first anniversary of the delivery of such notice) as may be specified by the Company.

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(c)        Following the completion of the Default Term, the Company may terminate this Agreement for any reason by giving at least one hundred twenty (120) days' prior written notice of such termination to the Operator.

 

8.3          Termination by the Operator.

 

(a)       Upon the occurrence of the following events, the Operator may terminate this Agreement by giving written notice of such termination to the Company:

 

(i)        the Company becomes Bankrupt;

 

(ii)       the Company dissolves or commences liquidation or winding-up; or

 

(iii)     the Company fails to cure a material breach of any provision of this Agreement within thirty (30) days after receiving written notice from the Operator of such breach; provided, if such breach is not capable of being cured within such thirty (30) day period, such cure period shall be extended solely to the extent that the Company promptly commences efforts to cure such breach and prosecutes such curative efforts to completion within a reasonable time, as determined by the Operator, not to exceed an additional thirty (30) day period.

 

(b)        Any termination under Section 8.3(a) (Termination by the Operator) shall become effective immediately upon delivery of the notice first described therein or such later time (not to exceed the first anniversary of the delivery of such notice) as may be specified by the Operator.

 

(c)        Following the completion of the Default Term, the Operator may terminate this Agreement for any reason by giving at least one-hundred and twenty (120) days' prior written notice of such termination to the Company; provided, that during such one-hundred and twenty (120) day period the Operator shall use reasonable efforts to assist the Company in identifying a replacement Operator and assist the Company transitioning the new Operator into its role as Operator hereunder.

 

8.4          Effect of Termination.  If this Agreement is terminated in accordance with this Article 8 (TERM AND TERMINATION), all rights and obligations under this Agreement shall cease except for:

 

(a)        obligations that expressly survive termination of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the obligations set forth in Section 8.5 (Operator's Continued Performance) and Article 11 (INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY);

 

(b)        liabilities and obligations that have been incurred prior to such termination, including the obligation to pay any amounts that have become due and payable prior to such termination; and

 

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(c)        the obligation to pay any portion of the Cost of Services that have been incurred prior to such termination, even if such portion has not become due and payable at that time; provided, that any payment obligation disputed by the Company in accordance with Article 10 (ARBITRATION) shall not become due and payable until settled or otherwise resolved pursuant to Article 10 (ARBITRATION).

 

Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, the Operator shall deliver to the Company (x) any and all books and records, design drawings, engineering specs and other records of the Company and all other material(s) related to the operation and administration of the Pilot Mine Program and (ii) originals of any permits, licenses and other authorizations related to the operation of the Pilot Mine Program to the extent the Operator was ever provided with such originals.

 

8.5           Operator's Continued Performance. If the Company elects to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.2(a) (Termination by the Company), the Company may require that the effective date of such termination be delayed for up to thirty (30) days after the date specified in the Company's termination notice as the termination date of this Agreement, in which case the Operator shall continue to perform all of the duties, responsibilities and obligations of the Operator hereunder for a reasonable period of time not to exceed thirty (30) days from the date specified in such termination notice or until such time as the successor operator takes over such duties, responsibilities and obligations, if earlier. The Company shall reimburse the Operator in accordance with Section 3.1 (Payment for Costs and Expenses) for any and all costs and expenses incurred by the Operator pursuant to this Section 8.5 (Operator's Continued Performance).

 

ARTICLE 9

NOTICES AND REPORTS

 

9.1         Notices and Reports.

 

(a)        Any notice, notification, demand or request provided or permitted to be given under this Agreement by either party to the other must be in writing and shall have been deemed to have been properly given, unless explicitly stated otherwise, if sent by (i) FedEx or other comparable overnight courier, (ii) registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or (iii) email transmission, confirmation of receipt requested, provided that such confirmation of receipt is given (electronic "read receipt" being deemed sufficient).

 

(b)        For purposes of all notices, the physical and email addresses of the parties shall be as follows; provided, that either party may designate any other address in substitution for the address set forth below by five (5) Business Days' notice duly given hereunder to the other party:

 

(i)     if to the Company:

 

EcoChain, Inc.

Address:  325 Washington Avenue Extension

                Albany, New York 12205

Email:     rjones@mtiinstruments.com

 

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(ii)  if to the Operator:

 

Soluna Technologies, Ltd.

Address:  232 Madison Avenue, Suite 600

                New York, NY 10016

Email:     john@soluna.io

 

(c)        All notices, notifications, demands or requests so given shall be deemed given and received (i) if sent via FedEx or other comparable overnight courier, the next business day after being deposited with such courier, (ii) if mailed, five (5) Business Days after being deposited in the mail, or (iii) if sent via email, the next Business Day after being so transmitted.

 

ARTICLE 10

ARBITRATION

 

10.1        Submission Requirement.  Any dispute between the parties (the "Disputing Parties") arising out of or relating to this Agreement (a "Dispute"), whether based on contract, tort, statute or other legal or equitable theory (including but not limited to any claim of fraud, misrepresentation or fraudulent inducement or any question of validity or effect of this Agreement), shall be settled in accordance with this Article 10 (ARBITRATION) which shall be the exclusive method of resolving Disputes. The Disputing Party submitting the claim or issue shall notify in writing other Disputing Party(ies) or other Persons against whom redress is sought or who would be affected by the interpretation, to offer those Disputing Parties an opportunity to participate in the proceeding.  The notice shall describe the nature of the claim or issue submitted, the provision or provisions of this Agreement which is or are the basis of the claim or issue submitted, and the material facts surrounding the claim or issue for interpretation. On delivery of the notice (the "Arbitration Notice"), the parties shall attempt, in good faith and for a period of thirty (30) days to resolve and informally mediate the claim between the parties, after which period the claim or issue shall be deemed to have been submitted to arbitration.

 

10.2        Selection of Arbitrator. The Disputing Party that submits a Dispute to arbitration shall designate a proposed arbitrator in its Arbitration Notice. If the other Disputing Party(ies) objects for any reason to such proposed arbitrator, it/they may, on or before the fifteenth (15th) day following delivery of the Arbitration Notice, notify the other Disputing Party(ies) of such objection. The Disputing Parties shall attempt to agree upon a mutually acceptable arbitrator. If they are unable to do so within ten (10) days following delivery of such notice of objection, any Disputing Party may request the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") to designate the arbitrator who shall be qualified by his or her education, experience and training to resolve the disputed matters. If the arbitrator so chosen shall die, resign or otherwise fail or become unable to serve as arbitrator, a replacement arbitrator shall be chosen in accordance with this Section 10.2 (Selection of Arbitrator). Each Disputing Party and each proposed arbitrator shall promptly disclose to the other Disputing Party(ies) any business, personal or other relationship or affiliation that may exist between such Disputing Party and such proposed arbitrator.

 

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10.3        Arbitration Proceeding. Within thirty (30) days after the appointment of the foregoing described arbitrator, the Disputing Parties shall hold an arbitration proceeding before the arbitrator at a time and place selected by the Disputing Parties. If the Disputing Parties cannot agree on a time and place for the arbitration, then the arbitration shall be held at the place selected by the arbitrator. At the arbitration proceeding, the AAA's rules and procedures for commercial arbitration shall govern. Any arbitration proceeding hereunder shall be conducted on a confidential basis. The arbitration shall be held in New York, New York.

 

10.4        Binding Decision. Within twenty (20) days after the conclusion of the arbitration proceeding, the arbitrator shall render a written decision of the arbitration to each Disputing Party in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York. The arbitrator may award costs, including attorneys' fees, to the prevailing party. The decision of the arbitrator is binding on the Disputing Parties, and, after the completion of the arbitration, a Disputing Party to the arbitration may not institute litigation to reverse the decision of the arbitrators. It may, however, institute litigation in any appropriate venue to enforce the claim or issue determined by the arbitration proceeding or to seek such protective order as may be necessary or desirable to address any ongoing breach of the provisions of this Agreement or otherwise preserve its rights pending any such decision. Neither Disputing Party may institute litigation regarding any claim or issue under this Agreement, except to enforce that arbitration decision. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY THIS AGREEMENT, THE ARBITRATOR AND ANY COURT ENFORCING THE AWARD OF THE ARBITRATOR SHALL NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OR AUTHORITY TO AWARD CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES TO ANY DISPUTING PARTY.

 

10.5        Costs of Arbitration.  The responsibility for paying the costs and expenses of the arbitration, including compensation to the arbitrator, shall be allocated among the Disputing Parties in a manner determined by the arbitrator to be fair and reasonable under the circumstances. Each Disputing Party shall be responsible for the fees and expenses of its respective counsel, consultants and witnesses, unless the arbitrator determines that compelling reasons exist for allocating all or a portion of such costs and expenses to one or the other Disputing Party(ies).

 

 

 

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ARTICLE 11

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 

11.1        Ownership of Intellectual Property.  Any work product resulting from the Operator's carrying out of the Services after the Effective Date and delivered to the Company in connection with the creation, development, assembly and construction of the Pilot Mine Program that is specified by the parties as a "work for hire" whether pursuant to Exhibit A hereto or a separate scope of services or written agreement between the parties, including all such designated ideas, inventions, know-how, patents, copyrights, trademarks, proprietary rights or information, software (including both object and source code), data (including data resulting from the use or optimization of the Pilot Mine Program) and other intellectual property rights (the "Works"), shall be deemed the property of the Company and "works made for hire" under Applicable Law, including as defined in 17 U.S.C. § 101.  The Operator agrees that, upon request, the Operator will promptly make all disclosures, execute all assignments, instruments, patent applications and papers and perform all acts whatsoever necessary or desired by the Company to vest and confirm in the Company and its successors, assigns and nominees all rights in the Works.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties understand that the Operator is in the business of developing renewable energy generation facilities and related data processing facilities and the Operator accordingly will retain ownership of, without limitation, inventions or software and related intellectual property that have general application to its business and any related data processing facilities and the management of data mining facilities for third parties which it has developed or will develop other than the "Works" contemplated by this Agreement.

 

11.2        License to the Company.  In addition to the Company's right to the Works contemplated by Section 11.1 (Ownership of Intellectual Property), the Operator and its Affiliates hereby grant the Company a perpetual, non-exclusive, worldwide, transferable (subject to the proviso below), sublicensable (subject to the proviso below), fully paid-up and royalty free right and license to access and use all patents, copyrights, trademarks, proprietary rights or information, software (including both object and source code), data (including data resulting from the use or optimization of the Pilot Mine Program) and other intellectual property rights used or employed by the Operator in connection with the operation of (a) the Pilot Mine Program and (b) any additional cryptocurrency mining facility owned or serviced by the Operator that utilizes technology or intellectual property similar to that utilized by the Pilot Mine Program (collectively, the "Licensed Operator IP"), such Licensed Operator IP to include, without limitation, (i) all such above described intellectual property created or developed by Operator pursuant to the carrying out of the Services, (ii) any changes, upgrades, modifications, improvements, fixes or patches to or new versions of software (in any form including both object and source code) or data constituting Licensed Operator IP to the extent developed, written, generated, provided, installed, obtained or implemented by Operator, and (iii) any deliverables, technical or functional descriptions, requirements, plans or reports that describe or detail Licensed Operator IP; provided, that the foregoing license granted by the Operator and its Affiliates may only be assigned or sublicensed by the Company (x) without the consent of the Operator and/or its Affiliates, to Affiliates of the Company and (y) with the prior written consent of the Operator and/or its Affiliates (which consent they may grant or refuse in their reasonable discretion), to any other Person.  As set forth above, the license granted to the Company pursuant to this Section 11.2 (License to the Company) shall expressly survive following the expiration of the Term hereunder and expressly contemplates, and is intended to include, the license to the Company of software and data that constitutes a change, upgrade, modification, improvement, fix or patch to pre-existing Works or intellectual property previously licensed to the Company hereunder (including as licensed pursuant to this Section 11.2 (License to the Company)) so as to permit the ongoing operation of the Pilot Mine Program and any such additional cryptocurrency mining facility that utilizes technology or intellectual property similar to that utilized by the Pilot Mine Program in accordance with Prudent Industry Practice.

 

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11.3        Third Party Intellectual Property.  The Operator shall use all commercially reasonable efforts to procure the right to sublicense to or to utilize for and on behalf of the Company, as applicable, all patents, copyrights, trademarks, information, licenses and any other intellectual property or proprietary rights of any third party obtained by the Operator for use in connection with the Pilot Mine Program ("Third Party IP Rights"), with the expectation that such Third Party IP Rights shall be further licensed or sublicensed, as applicable, to the Company pursuant to Section 11.2 (License to the Company).

 

11.4        License to the Operator.  Unless agreed in writing by the parties to the contrary, the Company gives and grants to the Operator a perpetual, non-exclusive, worldwide, non-transferable, non-sublicensable fully paid-up and royalty free right and license to use the Works for the purposes of carrying out business of the Operator and its Affiliates.

 

11.5        Hosting of Software; Passwords.  The Operator shall cause any Works and Licensed Operator IP that are or contain object code or source code to be hosted via an applicable website or domain by one or more suitable third parties ("Cloud Provider").  The services provided by the Cloud Providers, including their contractors, pursuant to any Cloud Provider terms of services are referred to herein as the "Cloud Services".  Following the date hereof, the parties shall mutually agree to engage an acceptable Cloud Provider that is capable of providing the Cloud Services in accordance with Prudent Industry Practice.  The Operator shall provide the Company with updated passwords or access codes required to access, review, analyze and use such Works and Licensed Operator IP hosted by the Cloud Provider and the Company shall have the right to access, review, analyze and use such hosted Works and Licensed Operator IP at all times on a 24/7, 365 day per year basis (reasonable maintenance periods excepted).  Upon request of the Company, the Operator shall execute any agreements or documentation requested by the Cloud Provider to provide Company with the access rights contemplated by this Section 11.5 (Hosting of Software; Passwords).  Further, upon written request of the Company, the Operator shall provide the Company with access, at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, to any Works or Licensed Operator IP that is not hosted by the Cloud Provider via standards and methodologies that accord with Prudent Industry Practice and enable the Company to review, analyze and use the same.  The access rights (but not the Cloud Services hosting obligations) set forth in this Section 11.5 (Hosting of Software; Passwords) shall expressly survive following the expiration of the Term.  Upon any termination of this Agreement, access to the Cloud Services and control over the terms of service with respect thereto shall be immediately transferred to the Company.

 

 

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ARTICLE 12

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

12.1        Governing Law; Severability. THIS AGREEMENT IS GOVERNED BY AND SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, EXCLUDING ANY CONFLICT-OF-LAWS RULE OR PRINCIPLE THAT MIGHT REFER THE GOVERNANCE OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS AGREEMENT TO THE LAW OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION.  If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to either party or any circumstance is held invalid or unenforceable to any extent, (a) the remainder of this Agreement and the application of that provision to the other party or other circumstances is not affected thereby, and (b) the parties shall negotiate in good faith to replace that provision with a new provision that is valid and enforceable and that puts the parties in substantially the same economic, business and legal position as they would have been in if the original provision had been valid and enforceable.

 

12.2         Binding Effect.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective heirs, legal representatives, permitted successors and assigns.

 

12.3         Waiver. No waiver by either party of any default by the other party in the performance of any provision, condition or requirement herein shall be deemed to be a waiver of, or in any manner a release of the other party from, performance of any other provision, condition or requirement herein, nor deemed to be a waiver of, or in any manner a release of the other party from, future performance of the same provision, condition or requirement; nor shall any delay or omission of either party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right or any like right accruing to it thereafter.

 

12.4         Amendment. This Agreement may not be modified or amended except by written agreement of the parties.

 

12.5         Headings. The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and do not constitute part of this Agreement.

 

12.6        Further Assurances.  Each of the parties agrees to use all reasonable efforts to take, or to cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or to cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable under Applicable Law to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

12.7                Liens and Encumbrances. The Operator shall not create, suffer or permit to exist, and shall promptly remove and discharge, any lien, charge, security interest or other encumbrance against any property of the Company in connection with this Agreement other than liens for amounts not yet due or amounts being contested in good faith by the Operator; provided, that it is expressly understood that the Operator shall not be responsible for removing or discharging any such lien, charge, security interest or other encumbrance associated with any work performed or materials furnished pursuant to agreements entered into by the Company or by the Operator on behalf of the Company directly with third parties.

 

25

 


12.8        Assignment.  Neither party shall assign its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, that the Company may transfer its rights and obligations hereunder to an Affiliate upon written notice to the Operator, without the prior written consent of the Operator.

 

12.9         Energy Service Right.  In the event the Pilot Mine Program is moved to or otherwise located in a geographic area within which the Operator or its Affiliates provides the supply of energy, then the Company shall have the right to demand receipt of the supply of energy from the Operator and/or its Affiliates at a price (for both supply and delivery charges) that is equal to the lowest price for such supply and delivery of energy provided to any other customer (including Affiliated customers) of the Operator and/or its Affiliates in such geographic area.

 

12.10        Entire Agreement.  This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties relating to the relationship hereunder and supersede all provisions and concepts contained in all prior contracts or agreements between the parties with respect to such relationship, whether oral or written.

 

12.11        Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed by electronic signature in multiple counterparts, each of which, when executed, shall be deemed an original, and all of which shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

12.12        Remedies.  Except as expressly provided herein, the remedies created by this Agreement are cumulative and in addition to any other remedies otherwise available at law or in equity.

 

12.13        Survival.         The provisions contained in Section 5.2 (Audits), Article 6 (INDEMNITY), Section 8.5 (Operator's Continued Performance), Article 9 (NOTICES AND REPORTS), Article 10 (ARBITRATION), Article 11 (INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY), Section 12.1 (Governing Law; Severability), and Section 12.12 (Remedies) shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

[signature page follows]

 

 

 

 

26


            IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Agreement as of the date first set forth in this Agreement.

 

 

Company:

 

ECOCHAIN, INC.

 

 

By: /s/ Frederick W. Jones_____________

Name: Frederick W. Jones

Title:   Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

Operator:

 

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.

 

 

By: /s/ John Belizaire__________________

Name: John Belizaire

Title:   CEO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Signature Page to O&M Agreement]


EXHIBIT A

 

Scope of Development, Operating and Support Services

Capitalized terms used, but not defined, herein shall have their respective meaning(s) set forth in the Operating and Management Agreement, dated January 9, 2020, by and between Soluna Technologies, Ltd. and EcoChain, Inc. (the "O&M Agreement") to which this Exhibit is attached.

Introduction:

 

Operator will perform the below described Development Services and Build and Operations Services in connection with the Pilot Mine Program. The scope of the Services and the deliverables, budgets and timelines associated therewith as contemplated by the O&M Agreement are outlined in this Exhibit A.

Development Services:

Operator will undertake business development and planning activities to identify, source, and secure a location for a pilot cryptocurrency mine.  Operator will also to develop a detailed Initial Budget and Operating Budgets and Capital Budgets with respect to the construction and operation of the Pilot Mine Program as contemplated by the O&M Agreement.

Upon conclusion of the development phase of the Pilot Mine Program, Operator will deliver a detailed business plan to the Company, which will include the following deliverables (together referred to as "Deliverables"):

 

A-1

 


Timeline

The Development Services contemplated hereby will begin being provided by Operator to Company on the Effective Date and be completed within sixty (60) days of the Effective Date. The current projected date for the Deliverables is March 14, 2020.

Acceptance

It is expressly understood that the Company will be the sole determiner of the adequacy acceptance of the Deliverables and will be prompt in its review of all materials both in early draft and final form. Company will have three (3) Business Days to accept (or reject) the Deliverables in writing.

Purchase Order(s) will be accepted or rejected by the Company within three (3) Business Days of presentation by Operator to the Company.  Acceptable Purchase Order(s) will be executed within seven (7) Business Days of acceptance by the Company or within any shorter time reasonably required by the vendor(s) (whichever is sooner).  The Company's acceptance of the Development Services related deliverables will not be unreasonably withheld.

Build and Operations Services:

Operator will undertake activities to procure, install, and operate all capital equipment, software, and related technology to commence the operations of the Pilot Mine Program.  Once, in operation, Operator will perform ongoing maintenance and support operations to keep the Pilot Mine Program operating according to pre-determined specifications.

A-1

 


These services will include, but not be limited to:

  1. Procurement: use funds (in line with approved budgets) from the Company to procure all necessary equipment to bring the Pilot Mine Program to full operational status.
     
  2. Build: setup of site hosting, cryptocurrency miners setup, and installation of remote hardware and systems monitoring, and all necessary support services to cause the Pilot Mine Program to become operational based an agreed upon timeline.
     
  3. Operate: ensure adequate and reasonable ongoing operations and monitoring of the Pilot Mine Program including required software updates, cryptocurrency miner repairs as required, systems maintenance, thermal monitoring, and optimization.

Timeline

Build and Operations Services will begin once the Purchase Orders for equipment identified in the Deliverables from the Development Services have been approved and signed by Company or Operator as agent of the Company pursuant to the O&M Agreement. 

General:

 

In the event of an inconsistency between the terms and conditions of this Exhibit and the O&M Agreement, the terms and conditions of the O&M Agreement shall control.

 

 

 

 

A-1


EXHIBIT B

 

Operator Insurance Requirements

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B-1

Execution copy

 

 

 

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.

CLASS A PREFERRED SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

January 13, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

1.         Purchase and Sale of Preferred Shares

1

1.1.      Sale and Issuance of Class A Preferred Shares

1

1.2.      Closing; Delivery

1

1.3.      Sale of Additional Preferred Shares

1

1.4.      Use of Proceeds

2

1.5.      Defined Terms Used in this Agreement

2
   

2.         Representations and Warranties of the Corporation

3

2.1.      Organization, Good Standing, Corporate Power and Qualification

4

2.2.      Capitalization

4

2.3.      Subsidiaries

5

2.4.      Authorization

5

2.5.      Valid Issuance of Shares

5

2.6.      Governmental Consents and Filings

6

2.7.      Litigation

6

2.8.      Intellectual Property

6

2.9.      Compliance with Other Instruments

7

2.10.    Agreements; Actions

7

2.12.    Rights of Registration and Voting Rights

8

2.13.    Property

9

2.14.    Financial Statements

9

2.15.    Changes

9

2.16.    Employee Matters

10

2.17.    Tax Returns and Payments

12

2.18.    Employee Agreements

12

2.19.    Permits

12

2.20.    Corporate Documents

13

2.21.    Disclosure

13

2.22.    Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act

13
   

3.         Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers

14

3.1.      Authorization

14

3.2.      Purchase Entirely for Own Account, as principal

14

3.3.      Disclosure of Information

14

3.4.      Restricted Securities

14

3.5.      Risks of Investment

15

3.6.      Foreign Investors

15

3.7.      No General Solicitation

15

3.8.      Exculpation Among Purchasers

15

3.9.      Residence

16

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4.        Conditions to the Purchasers' Obligations at Closing

16

4.1.       Representations and Warranties

16

4.2.       Performance

16

4.3.       Compliance Certificate

16

4.4.       Indemnification Agreement

16

4.5.       Unanimous Shareholders Agreement

16

4.6.       Registration Rights Agreement

16

4.7.       Restated Articles

16

4.8.       Secretary's Certificate

16

4.9.       Proceedings and Documents

17

4.10.     Preemptive Rights

17

4.11.     Contingent Rights Agreement

17

4.12.     Operating and Management Agreement

17
   

5.        Conditions of the Corporation's Obligations at Closing

 17

5.1.       Representations and Warranties

 17

5.3.       [Reserved]

17

5.5.      Registration Rights Agreement

18
   

6.        Miscellaneous

18

6.1.       Survival of Warranties

18

6.2.       Successors and Assigns

18

6.3.       Governing Law

18

6.4.       Counterparts

18

6.6.       Notices

18

6.7.       No Finder's Fees

19

6.8.       Amendments and Waivers

19

6.9.       Severability

19

6.10.     Delays or Omissions

19

6.11.     Entire Agreement

19

6.12.     Dispute Resolution

20

 

 

ii


CLASS A PREFERRED SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT

THIS CLASS A PREFERRED SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this "Agreement"), is made as of the 13th day of January, 2020 among Soluna Technologies, Ltd, a corporation incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "Corporation") and the investors listed on Exhibit A attached to this Agreement (each a "Purchaser" and together the "Purchasers").

The parties hereby agree as follows:

1.          Purchase and Sale of Preferred Shares.

1.1.       Sale and Issuance of Class A Preferred Shares.

(a)               The Corporation shall adopt and file with the Province of British Columbia Registrar of Companies on or before the Initial Closing (as defined below) the Notice of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation in the form of Exhibit B attached to this Agreement (the "Restated Articles").

(b)               Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each Purchaser agrees to purchase at the Closing and the Corporation agrees to sell and issue to each Purchaser at the Closing that number of Class A Preferred Shares, no par value (the "Class A Preferred Shares"), set forth opposite each Purchaser's name on Exhibit A, at a purchase price of U.S. $3.15 per share. The Class A Preferred Shares issued to the Purchasers pursuant to this Agreement (including any shares issued at the Initial Closing and any Additional Shares, as defined below) are referred to in this Agreement as the "Shares."

1.2.       Closing; Delivery.

(a)               The initial purchase and sale of the Shares shall take place remotely via the exchange of documents and signatures, at 2:00 p.m., on January 9, 2020, or at such other time and place as the Corporation and the Purchasers mutually agree upon, orally or in writing (which time and place are designated as the "Initial Closing"). If there is more than one closing, the term "Closing" applies to each such closing unless otherwise specified.

(b)               At each Closing, the Corporation shall deliver to each Purchaser a certificate representing the Shares being purchased by such Purchaser at such Closing against payment of the purchase price therefor by wire transfer to a bank account designated by the Corporation.

1.3.       Sale of Additional Preferred Shares.

(a)         After the Initial Closing, the Corporation may sell, on the same terms and conditions as those contained in this Agreement, up to 3,015,873 additional shares (subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or similar recapitalization affecting such shares) of Class A Preferred Shares (the "Additional Shares"), to one or more purchasers (the "Additional Purchasers"), provided that (i) such


subsequent sale is consummated prior to 365 days after the Initial Closing and (ii) each Additional Purchaser shall become a party to the Transaction Agreements (as defined below) (other than the Management Rights Letter), by executing and delivering a counterpart signature page to each of the Transaction Agreements. Exhibit A to this Agreement shall be updated to reflect the number of Additional Shares purchased at each such Closing and the parties purchasing such Additional Shares. The offering of Shares provided herein and the Additional Shares are referred to as the "Offering".

1.4.      Use of Proceeds. In accordance with the directions of the Corporation's Board of Directors, as constituted in accordance with the Unanimous Shareholders Agreement, the Corporation will use the proceeds from the sale of the Shares to fund working capital and the development activities related to (a) the Company's Dakhla, Morocco wind project including government permits, turbine acquisition and engineering, (b) the design and development of the vertically-integrated computing facility to be co-located with the wind projects, and (c) other development goals and objectives approved by the Board of Directors.

1.5.       Defined Terms Used in this Agreement. In addition to the terms defined above, the following terms used in this Agreement have the meanings set forth or referenced below.

(a)             "Affiliate" means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person who, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Person, including, without limitation, any general partner, managing member, officer or director of such Person or any venture capital fund now or hereafter existing that is controlled by one or more general partners or managing members of, or shares the same management company with, such Person.

(b)            "Corporation Intellectual Property" means all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, service mark applications, tradenames, copyrights, trade secrets, domain names, mask works, information and proprietary rights and processes, similar or other intellectual property rights, subject matter of any of the foregoing, tangible embodiments of any of the foregoing, licenses in, to and under any of the foregoing, and any and all such cases that are owned or used by the Corporation in the conduct of the Corporation's business as now conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted.

(c)             "Indemnification Agreement" means the agreement between the Corporation and the director designated by any Purchaser entitled to designate a member of the Board of Directors pursuant to the Voting Agreement, dated as of the date of the Initial Closing, in the form of Exhibit D attached to this Agreement.

(d)            "Key Employee" means John Belizaire, Phillip Ng and Dipul Patel.

(e)             "Knowledge" including the phrase "to the Corporation's knowledge" means the actual knowledge of the following officers: John Belizaire, Phillip Ng and Dipul Patel.

 

2


(f)              [Reserved].

(g)            "Material Adverse Effect" means a material adverse effect on the business, assets (including intangible assets), liabilities, financial condition, property or results of operations of the Corporation.

(h)            [Reserved].

(i)              "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company, association or other entity.

(j)              "Purchaser" means each of the Purchasers who is initially a party to this Agreement and any Additional Purchaser who becomes a party to this Agreement at a subsequent Closing under Subsection 1.2(b).

(k)            "Securities Laws" means the Securities Act of 1933 (United States), the Securities Act (British Columbia), each as amended, and the policies, orders, instructions, rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(l)              "Shares" means the Class A Preferred Shares issued at the Initial Closing and any Additional Shares issued at a subsequent Closing under Subsection 1.2(b).

(m)          "Tax Act" means the Income Tax Act (Canada), as amended.

(n)            "Transaction Agreements" means this Agreement, the Unanimous Shareholder Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement.

(o)            "Unanimous Shareholders Agreement" means the Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement among the Corporation and all of its shareholders dated as of the date of the Initial Closing, in the form of Exhibit E attached to this Agreement.

2.         Representations and Warranties of the Corporation. The Corporation hereby represents and warrants to each Purchaser that, except as set forth on the Disclosure Schedule attached as Exhibit C to this Agreement, which exceptions are deemed to be part of the representations and warranties made hereunder, the following representations are true and complete as of the date of the Initial Closing, except as otherwise indicated. The Disclosure Schedule shall be arranged in sections corresponding to the numbered and lettered sections and subsections contained in this Section 2, and the disclosures in any section or subsection of the Disclosure Schedule shall qualify other sections and subsections in this Section 2 only if it is readily apparent from a reading of the disclosure that such disclosure is applicable to such other sections and subsections.

For purposes of these representations and warranties (other than those in Subsections 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, and 2.6), the term the "Corporation" includes any subsidiaries of the Corporation, unless otherwise noted.

3


2.1. Organization, Good Standing, Corporate Power and Qualification. The Corporation is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and has all requisite corporate power and authority to carry on its business as presently conducted and as proposed to be conducted. The Corporation is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify would have a Material Adverse Effect.

2.2.       Capitalization.  

(a)         The authorized capital of the Corporation consists, immediately prior to the Initial Closing, of:

(i)              An unlimited number of common shares without par value (the "Common Shares"), 9,608,108 shares of which are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Initial Closing. All of the outstanding Common Shares have been duly authorized, are fully paid and non-assessable and were issued in compliance with all Securities Laws.

(ii)             An unlimited number of Class Seed Preferred Shares without par value ("Class Seed Preferred Shares"), of which 1,794,998 shares have been issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Initial Closing. All of the outstanding Class Seed Preferred Shares have been duly authorized, are fully paid and non-assessable and were issued in compliance with all Securities Laws.

(iii)            An unlimited number of Class A Preferred Shares, issuable in series, none of which are issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Initial Closing. The rights, privileges and preferences of the Preferred Shares are as stated in the Restated Articles and as provided by the Corporations Act (British Columbia).

(b)         The Corporation has reserved 1,067,568 Common Shares for issuance to officers, directors, employees and consultants of the Corporation pursuant to its 2018 Stock Option Plan duly adopted by the Board of Directors and approved by the Corporation shareholders (the "Stock Plan"). Of such reserved Common Shares, 0 shares have been issued pursuant to restricted share purchase agreements, options to purchase 147,438 shares have been granted and are currently outstanding, and 920,130 options to purchase shares remain available for issuance to officers, directors, employees and consultants pursuant to the Stock Plan. The Corporation has furnished to the Purchasers complete and accurate copies of the Stock Plan and forms of agreements used thereunder.

(c)         Subsection 2.2(b) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth the capitalization of the Corporation immediately following the Initial Closing including the number of shares of the following: (i) issued and outstanding Common Shares, including, with respect to restricted Common Shares, vesting schedule and repurchase price; (ii) granted share options, including vesting schedule and exercise price; (iii) Common Shares reserved for future award grants under the Stock Plan; (iv) each class of Preferred Shares; and (v) warrants or share purchase rights, if any. Except for (A) the conversion privileges of the Shares to be issued under this Agreement, (B) the rights provided in Section 5.2 of the Unanimous Shareholders Agreement, and

4


(C) the securities and rights described in Subsection 2.2(a)(iii) of this Agreement and Subsection 2.2(b) of the Disclosure Schedule, there are no outstanding options, warrants, rights (including conversion or preemptive rights and rights of first refusal or similar rights) or agreements, orally or in writing, to purchase or acquire from the Corporation any Common Shares, Class Seed Preferred Shares or Class A Preferred Shares, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for Common Shares, Class Seed Preferred Shares or Class A Preferred Shares.

(d)            None of the Corporation's share purchase agreements or share option documents contains a provision for acceleration of vesting (or lapse of a repurchase right) or other changes in the vesting provisions or other terms of such agreement or understanding upon the occurrence of any event or combination of events, including without limitation in the case where the Corporation's Stock Plan is not assumed in an acquisition. The Corporation has never adjusted or amended the exercise price of any share options previously awarded, whether through amendment, cancellation, replacement grant, repricing, or any other means. Except as set forth in the Restated Articles and the Unanimous Shareholders Agreement, the Corporation has no obligation (contingent or otherwise) to purchase or redeem any of its share capital.

(e)             To the Corporation's Knowledge the Corporation has obtained valid waivers of any rights by other parties to purchase any material number of the Shares covered by this Agreement, except for the rights provided under the Contingent Rights Agreement (as defined in Section 4.11).

    2.3.   Subsidiaries. Other than as set forth in Section 2.3 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Corporation 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 Corporation is not a participant in any joint venture, partnership or similar arrangement.

2.4. Authorization. All corporate action required to be taken by the Corporation's Board of Directors and shareholders in order to authorize the Corporation to enter into the Transaction Agreements, and to issue the Shares at the Closing and the Common Shares issuable upon conversion of the Shares, has been taken or will be taken prior to the Closing. The Transaction Agreements, when executed and delivered by the Corporation, shall constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Corporation, enforceable against the Corporation in accordance with their respective terms except (i) as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance, or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief, or other equitable remedies, or (iii) to the extent the indemnification provisions contained in the Unanimous Shareholders Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Indemnification Agreement may be limited by applicable Securities Laws.

    2.5.   Valid Issuance of Shares.

(a)        The Shares, when issued, sold and delivered in accordance with the terms and for the consideration set forth in this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and

5


non-assessable and free of restrictions on transfer other than restrictions on transfer under the Transaction Agreements, the Restated Articles, Securities Laws and liens or encumbrances created by or imposed by a Purchaser. Assuming the accuracy of the representations of the Purchasers in Section 3 of this Agreement and subject to the filings described in Subsection 2.5(b) below, the Shares will be issued in compliance with all Securities Laws. The Common Shares issuable upon conversion of the Shares have been duly reserved for issuance, and upon issuance in accordance with the terms of the Restated Articles, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free of restrictions on transfer other than restrictions on transfer under the Transaction Agreements, the Restated Articles, Securities Laws and liens or encumbrances created by or imposed by a Purchaser. Based in part upon the representations of the Purchasers in Section 3 of this Agreement, and subject to Subsection 2.5(b) below, the Common Shares issuable upon conversion of the Shares will be issued in compliance with all Securities Laws.

(b)        The Corporation is a "private issuer" as that term is defined in National Instrument 45-106 of the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 45-106").

2.6. Governmental Consents and Filings. Assuming the accuracy of the representations made by the Purchasers in Section 3 of this Agreement, no consent, approval, order or authorization of, or registration, qualification, designation, declaration or filing with, any federal or provincial governmental authority is required on the part of the Corporation in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except for the filing of the Restated Articles, which will have been filed as of the Initial Closing.

2.7.   Litigation. There is no claim, action, suit, proceeding, arbitration, complaint, charge or (to the Corporation's knowledge) investigation pending or to the Corporation's knowledge, currently threatened (i) against the Corporation or any officer, director or Key Employee of the Corporation arising out of their employment or board relationship with the Corporation; or (ii) that questions the validity of the Transaction Agreements or the right of the Corporation to enter into them, or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreements. Neither the Corporation nor, to the Corporation's knowledge, any of its officers, directors or Key Employees is a party or is named as subject to the provisions of any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree of any court or government agency or instrumentality (in the case of officers, directors or Key Employees, such as would affect the Corporation). There is no action, suit, proceeding or investigation by the Corporation pending or which the Corporation intends to initiate. The foregoing includes, without limitation, actions, suits, proceedings or investigations pending or threatened in writing (or any basis therefor known to the Corporation) involving the prior employment of any of the Corporation's employees, their services provided in connection with the Corporation's business, any information or techniques allegedly proprietary to any of their former employers or their obligations under any agreements with prior employers.

2.8.   Intellectual Property. To the Corporation's knowledge, no product or service marketed or sold (or proposed to be marketed or sold) by the Corporation violates or will violate any license or infringes or will infringe any intellectual property rights of any other party. Other than with respect to commercially available software products under standard end-user object code license agreements, there are no outstanding options, licenses, agreements, claims, encumbrances or shared ownership interests of any kind relating to the Corporation Intellectual

6


Property, nor is the Corporation bound by or a party to any options, licenses or agreements of any kind with respect to the patents, trademarks, service marks, trade names, copyrights, trade secrets, licenses, information, proprietary rights and processes of any other Person. The Corporation has not received any communications alleging that the Corporation has violated, or by conducting its business, would violate any of the patents, trademarks, service marks, tradenames, copyrights, trade secrets, mask works or other proprietary rights or processes of any other Person. The Corporation has obtained and possesses valid licenses to use all of the software programs present on the computers and other software-enabled electronic devices that it owns or leases or that it has otherwise provided to its employees for their use in connection with the Corporation's business. To the Corporation's knowledge, it will not be necessary to use any inventions of any of its employees or consultants (or Persons it currently intends to hire) made prior to their employment by the Corporation. Each employee and consultant has assigned to the Corporation all intellectual property rights he or she owns that are related to the Corporation's business as now conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted. Subsection 2.8 of the Disclosure Schedule lists all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, service mark applications, tradenames, registered copyrights, and licenses to and under any of the foregoing included in the Corporation Intellectual Property. The Corporation has not, to the Corporation's knowledge, embedded any open source, copyleft or community source code in any of its products generally available or in development, including but not limited to any libraries or code licensed under any General Public License, Lesser General Public License or similar license arrangement.

2.9. Compliance with Other Instruments. Except as disclosed in the Disclosure Schedule, the Corporation is not in violation or default (i) of any provisions of its Restated Articles or Bylaws, (ii) of any instrument, judgment, order, writ or decree, (iii) under any note, indenture, mortgage or hypothec, or (iv) under any lease, agreement, contract or purchase order to which it is a party or by which it is bound that is material to the ongoing operation of the business of the Corporation, or (v) to its knowledge, of any provision of federal or provincial statute, rule or regulation applicable to the Corporation, in each case the violation of which would have a Material Adverse Effect. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Agreements and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Agreements will not result in any such violation or be in conflict with or constitute, with or without the passage of time and giving of notice, either (i) a default under any such provision, instrument, judgment, order, writ, decree, contract or agreement; or (ii) an event that results in the creation of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any assets of the Corporation or the suspension, revocation, forfeiture, or nonrenewal of any material permit or license applicable to the Corporation.

2.10. Agreements; Actions.

(a)        Except for the Transaction Agreements and the agreements listed in Section 2.10 of the Disclosure Schedule, there are no agreements, understandings, instruments, contracts or proposed transactions to which the Corporation is a party or by which it is bound that involve (i) obligations (contingent or otherwise) of, or payments to, the Corporation in excess of USD$500,000, (ii) the license of any patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary right to or from the Corporation, (iii) the grant of rights to manufacture, produce, assemble, license, market, or sell its products to any other Person that limit the Corporation's exclusive right to

7


develop, manufacture, assemble, distribute, market or sell its products, or (iv) indemnification by the Corporation with respect to infringements of proprietary rights.

(b)               Except as disclosed in Section 2.10 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Corporation has not (i) declared or paid any dividends, or authorized or made any distribution upon or with respect to any class or series of its share capital, (ii) incurred any indebtedness for money borrowed or incurred any other liabilities individually in excess of USD$50,000 or in excess of USD$250,000 in the aggregate, (iii) made any loans or advances to any Person, other than ordinary advances for travel expenses, or (iv) sold, exchanged or otherwise disposed of any of its assets or rights, other than the sale of its inventory in the ordinary course of business. For the purposes of (a) and (b) of this Subsection 2.10, all indebtedness, liabilities, agreements, understandings, instruments, contracts and proposed transactions involving the same Person (including Persons the Corporation has reason to believe are affiliated with each other) shall be aggregated for the purpose of meeting the individual minimum dollar amounts of such subsection.

(c)                The Corporation is not a guarantor or indemnitor of any indebtedness of any other Person.

2.11. Certain Transactions.

(a)               Other than (i) standard employee agreements and benefits generally made available to all employees, (ii) standard director and officer indemnification agreements approved by the Board of Directors, and (iii) the purchase of shares of the Corporation's share capital and the issuance of options to purchase shares of the Corporation's Common Shares, in each instance, approved in the written minutes of the Board of Directors (previously provided to the Purchasers or their counsel), there are no agreements, understandings or proposed transactions between the Corporation and any of its officers, directors, consultants or Key Employees, or any Affiliate thereof.

(b)               Except as disclosed in Section 2.11 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Corporation is not indebted, directly or indirectly, to any of its directors, officers or employees or to their respective spouses or children or to any Affiliate of any of the foregoing, other than in connection with expenses or advances of expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business or employee relocation expenses and for other customary employee benefits made generally available to all employees. To the Corporation's knowledge and other than as disclosed in Section 2.11 of the Disclosure Schedule, none of the Corporation's directors, officers or employees, or any members of their immediate families, or any Affiliate of the foregoing are, directly or indirectly, indebted to the Corporation or have any direct or indirect ownership interest in any firm or corporation with which the Corporation is affiliated or with which the Corporation has a business relationship, or any firm or corporation which competes with the Corporation except that directors, officers, employees or shareholders of the Corporation may own shares in (but not exceeding two percent of the outstanding capital stock of publicly traded companies that may compete with the Corporation.

2.12. Rights of Registration and Voting Rights. Except as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement, the Corporation is not under the obligation to file one or more

8


prospectuses under Securities Laws in order to permit the distribution of any of its currently outstanding securities or any securities issuable upon exercise or conversion of its currently outstanding securities. To the Corporation's knowledge, except as contemplated in the Unanimous Shareholders Agreement, no shareholder of the Corporation has entered into any agreements with respect to the voting of capital shares of the Corporation.

2.13. Property. The property and assets that the Corporation owns are free and clear of all mortgages, hypothecs, deeds of trust, liens, loans and encumbrances, except for statutory liens for the payment of current taxes that are not yet delinquent and encumbrances and liens that arise in the ordinary course of business and do not materially impair the Corporation's ownership or use of such property or assets. With respect to the property and assets it leases, the Corporation is in compliance with such leases and to its knowledge, holds a valid leasehold interest free of any liens, claims or encumbrances other than those of the lessors of such property or assets. The Corporation does not own any real or immovable property.

2.14. Financial Statements. The Corporation has delivered to each Purchaser its unaudited financial statements as of December 31, 2018 and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 and its unaudited financial statements (including balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows) as of September 30, 2019 and for the 9-month period ended September 30, 2019 (collectively, the "Financial Statements"). The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles applicable to private enterprises of the CPA Canada Handbook of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods indicated, except that the unaudited Financial Statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP. The Financial Statements fairly present in all material respects the financial condition and operating results of the Corporation as of the dates, and for the periods, indicated therein, subject in the case of the unaudited Financial Statements to normal year-end audit adjustments. Except as set forth in the Financial Statements and as set forth in the Disclosure Schedule, the Corporation has no material liabilities or obligations, contingent or otherwise, other than (i) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business subsequent to September 30, 2019; (ii) obligations under contracts and commitments incurred in the ordinary course of business; and (iii) liabilities and obligations of a type or nature not required under GAAP to be reflected in the Financial Statements. The Corporation maintains and will continue to maintain a standard system of accounting established and administered in accordance with GAAP.

2.15. Changes. Since date of most recent financial statements, and except as disclosed in Section 2.15 of the Disclosure Schedule, there has not been:

(a)               any change in the assets, liabilities, financial condition or operating results of the Corporation from that reflected in the Financial Statements, except changes in the ordinary course of business that have not caused, in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect;

(b)               any damage, destruction or loss, whether or not covered by insurance, that is material to the ongoing operation of the business of the Corporation;


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(c)        any waiver or compromise by the Corporation of a valuable right or of a material debt owed to it;

(d)        any satisfaction or discharge of any lien, claim, or encumbrance or payment of any obligation by the Corporation, except in the ordinary course of business and the satisfaction or discharge of which would not have a Material Adverse Effect;

(e)        any material change to a material contract or agreement by which the Corporation or any of its assets is bound or subject;

(f)         any material change in any compensation arrangement or agreement with any employee, officer, director or shareholder;

(g)        any resignation or termination of employment of any officer or Key Employee of the Corporation;

(h)        any mortgage, hypothec, pledge, transfer of a security interest in, or lien, created by the Corporation, with respect to any of its material properties or assets, except liens for taxes not yet due or payable and liens that arise in the ordinary course of business and do not materially impair the Corporation's ownership or use of such property or assets;

(i)         any loans or guarantees made by the Corporation to or for the benefit of its employees, officers or directors, or any members of their immediate families, other than travel advances and other advances made in the ordinary course of its business;

(j)         any declaration, setting aside or payment or other distribution in respect of any of the Corporation's share capital, or any direct or indirect redemption, purchase, or other acquisition of any of such shares by the Corporation;

(k)        any sale, assignment or transfer of any Corporation Intellectual Property;

(l)         receipt of notice that there has been a loss of, or material order cancellation by, any major customer of the Corporation;

(m)       to the Corporation's knowledge, any other event or condition of any character, other than events affecting the economy or the Corporation's industry generally, that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; or

(n)        any arrangement or commitment by the Corporation to do any of the things described in this Subsection 2.15.

2.16. Employee Matters.

(a)         As of this date, the Corporation employs three full-time employees and no part-time employees and engages four consultants or independent contractors.

 

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(b)               To the Corporation's knowledge, none of its employees is obligated under any contract (including licenses, covenants or commitments of any nature) or other agreement, or subject to any judgment, decree or order of any court or administrative agency, that would materially interfere with such employee's ability to promote the interest of the Corporation or that would conflict with the Corporation's business. Neither the execution or delivery of the Transaction Agreements, nor the carrying on of the Corporation's business by the employees of the Corporation, nor the conduct of the Corporation's business as now conducted and as presently proposed to be conducted, will, to the Corporation's knowledge, conflict with or result in a breach of the terms, conditions, or provisions of, or constitute a default under, any contract, covenant or instrument under which any such employee is now obligated.

(c)                Except as disclosed in Section 2.16 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Corporation is not delinquent in payments to any of its employees, consultants, or independent contractors for any wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, or other direct compensation for any service performed for it to this date or amounts required to be reimbursed to such employees, consultants or independent contractors. The Corporation has complied in all material respects with all applicable provincial and federal human rights and employment equity laws and with other laws related to employment, including those related to wages, hours, worker classification and collective bargaining. Except as disclosed in Section 2.16 of the Disclosure Schedule, The Corporation has withheld and paid to the appropriate governmental entity or is holding for payment not yet due to such governmental entity all amounts required to be withheld from employees of the Corporation and is not liable for any arrears of wages, taxes, penalties or other sums for failure to comply with any of the foregoing.

(d)               To the Corporation's knowledge, no Key Employee intends to terminate employment with the Corporation or is otherwise likely to become unavailable to continue as a Key Employee, nor does the Corporation have a present intention to terminate the employment of any of the foregoing. The employment of each employee of the Corporation is terminable by the Corporation in accordance with applicable laws. Except as set forth in Subsection 2.12(n) of the Disclosure Schedule or as required by law, upon termination of the employment of any such employees, no severance or other payments will become due. Except as set forth in Subsection 2.12(n) of the Disclosure Schedule, the Corporation has no policy, practice, plan or program of paying severance pay or any form of severance compensation in connection with the termination of employment services.

(e)                To the Corporation's Knowledge, the Corporation has not made any representations regarding a material amount of equity incentives to any officer, employee, director or consultant that are inconsistent with the share amounts and terms set forth in the minutes of meetings of the Corporation's board of directors.

(f)                Each former Key Employee whose employment was terminated by the Corporation has entered into an agreement with the Corporation providing for the full release of any claims against the Corporation or any related party arising out of such employment.

(g)               Subsection 2.12(n) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth each employee benefit plan maintained, established or sponsored by the Corporation, or which the

11


Corporation participates in or contributes to. The Corporation has made all required contributions and has no liability to any such employee benefit plan and has complied in all material respects with all applicable laws for any such employee benefit plan.

(h)              To the Corporation's knowledge, none of the Key Employees or directors of the Corporation has been (a) subject to voluntary or involuntary petition under the federal bankruptcy laws or any provincial insolvency law or the appointment of a receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer by a court for his business or property; (b) convicted in a criminal proceeding or named as a subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses); (c) subject to any order, judgment or decree (not subsequently reversed, suspended, or vacated) of any court of competent jurisdiction permanently or temporarily enjoining him from engaging, or otherwise imposing limits or conditions on his engagement in any securities, investment advisory, banking, insurance, or other type of business or acting as an officer or director of a public Corporation; or (d) found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by a Canadian securities regulator to have violated any securities laws, commodities, or unfair trade practices law, which such judgment or finding has not been subsequently reversed, suspended, or vacated.

2.17. Tax Returns and Payments. There are no federal, provincial, state, county, local or foreign taxes, including taxes the Corporation is required by applicable laws to deduct, withhold or collect, due and payable by the Corporation that have not been timely paid or deducted, withheld, collected and remitted. There are no accrued and unpaid federal, provincial, state, county, local or foreign taxes of the Corporation, including taxes the Corporation is required by applicable laws to deduct, withhold or collect, that are due, whether or not assessed or disputed. There have been no examinations or audits of any tax returns or reports by any applicable federal, provincial, state, local or foreign governmental agency. The Corporation has duly and timely filed all federal, provincial, state, county, local and foreign tax returns required to have been filed by it and there are in effect no waivers of applicable limitation periods with respect to taxes for any year.

2.18. Employee Agreements. Each current and former employee, consultant and officer of the Corporation has executed an agreement with the Corporation regarding confidentiality and proprietary information substantially in the form or forms delivered to the counsel for the Purchasers (the "Confidential Information Agreements"). No current or former Key Employee has excluded works or inventions from his or her assignment of inventions pursuant to such Key Employee's Confidential Information Agreement. Each current and former Key Employee has executed a non-solicitation agreement substantially in the form or forms delivered to counsel for the Purchasers. The Corporation is not aware that any of its Key Employees is in violation of any agreement covered by this Subsection 2.18.

2.19. Permits. Other than as set forth in Section 2.19 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Corporation has all franchises, permits, licenses and any similar authority necessary for the

 

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conduct of its business. The Corporation is not in default in any material respect under any of such franchises, permits, licenses or other similar authority.

2.20. Corporate Documents. The Restated Articles and Bylaws of the Corporation are in the form provided to the Purchasers. The copy of the minute books of the Corporation provided to the Purchasers contains minutes of all meetings of directors and shareholders and all actions by written consent without a meeting by the directors and shareholders since the date of incorporation and accurately reflects in all material respects all actions by the directors (and any committee of directors) and shareholders with respect to all transactions referred to in such minutes.

2.21. Disclosure. The Corporation has made available to the Purchasers all the information reasonably available to the Corporation that the Purchasers have requested for deciding whether to acquire the Shares, including certain of the Corporation's projections describing its proposed business plan (the "Business Plan"). The Business Plan was prepared in good faith; however, the Corporation does not warrant that it will achieve any results projected in the Business Plan. It is understood that this representation is qualified by the fact that the Corporation has not delivered to the Purchasers, and has not been requested to deliver, a private placement or similar memorandum or any written disclosure of the types of information customarily furnished to purchasers of securities.

2.22. Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act. Neither the Corporation nor any of the Corporation's directors, officers, employees or agents have, directly or indirectly, made, offered, promised or authorized any payment or gift of any money or anything of value to or for the benefit of any "foreign public official" (as such term is defined in the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act, as amended (the "CFPO")), foreign political party or official thereof or candidate for foreign political office for the purpose of (i) influencing any official act or decision of such official, party or candidate, (ii) inducing such official, party or candidate to use his, her or its influence to affect any act or decision of a foreign governmental authority, or (iii) securing any improper advantage, in the case of (i), (ii) and (iii) above in order to assist the Corporation or any of its affiliates in obtaining or retaining business for or with, or directing business to, any person. Neither the Corporation nor any of its directors, officers, employees, agents or attorneys have made or authorized any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment of funds or received or retained any funds in violation of any law, rule or regulation. The Corporation further represents that it has maintained, and has caused each of its subsidiaries and affiliates to maintain, systems of internal controls (including, but not limited to, accounting systems, purchasing systems and billing systems) to ensure compliance with the CFPO or any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption law. Neither the Corporation, or, to the Corporation's knowledge, any of its officers, directors or employees are the subject of any allegation, voluntary

 

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disclosure, investigation, prosecution or other enforcement action related to the CFPO or any other anti-corruption law (collectively, "Enforcement Action").

3.         Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser hereby represents and warrants to the Corporation, severally and not jointly, that:

3.1. Authorization. The Purchaser has full power and authority to enter into the Transaction Agreements. The Transaction Agreements to which the Purchaser is a party, when executed and delivered by the Purchaser, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Purchaser, enforceable in accordance with their terms, except (a) as limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent conveyance and any other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors' rights generally, and as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies, or (b) to the extent the indemnification provisions contained in the Unanimous Shareholders Agreement and the Registration Rights Agreement may be limited by Securities Laws.

3.2. Purchase Entirely for Own Account, as principal. This Agreement is made with the Purchaser in reliance upon the Purchaser's representation to the Corporation, which by the Purchaser's execution of this Agreement, the Purchaser hereby confirms, that the Shares to be acquired by the Purchaser will be acquired for investment for the Purchaser's own account as principal, not as a nominee or agent, and not with a view to the resale or distribution of any part thereof, and that the Purchaser has no present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing the same. By executing this Agreement, the Purchaser further represents that the Purchaser does not presently have any contract, undertaking, agreement or arrangement with any Person to sell, transfer or grant participations to such Person or to any third Person, with respect to any of the Shares. The Purchaser has not been formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Shares. Furthermore, the Purchaser is purchasing the shares, as principal, and is an "accredited investor" as set out at section 2.4(2) of NI 45-106. Moreover, the Purchaser is delivering with this Agreement a completed and signed Private Issuer Exemption Certificate (attached as Exhibit H) and Accredited Investor Certificate (attached as Exhibit I).

3.3. Disclosure of Information. The Purchaser has had an opportunity to discuss the Corporation's business, management, financial affairs and the terms and conditions of the offering of the Shares with the Corporation's management and has had an opportunity to review the Corporation's facilities. The foregoing, however, does not limit or modify the representations and warranties of the Corporation in Section 2 of this Agreement or the right of the Purchasers to rely thereon.

3.4.      Restricted Securities. The Purchaser is aware that:

(a)             the Corporation is not a "reporting issuer" or the equivalent in any jurisdiction and, accordingly, the Shares will be subject to an indefinite hold period under Securities Laws;

(b)            the Shares are not listed on any stock exchange and no public market exists for the Shares;

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(c)               the Shares are subject to transfer restrictions contained in the Corporation's constating documents and the Unanimous Shareholders Agreement; and

(d)               the Purchaser may not be able to resell the Shares except in accordance with limited exemptions under Securities Laws.

3.5.   Risks of Investment.  The Purchaser is aware that:

(a)               the Corporation is relying on exemptions from the requirements under Securities Laws to provide the Purchaser with a prospectus and/or file a registration statement, and no prospectus or registration statement has been filed by the Corporation with any stock exchange or regulatory authority in connection with the issuance of the Shares;

(b)               no stock exchange, governmental agency, securities commission or similar regulatory authority has reviewed or passed on or made any finding or determination as to the merits of, or made any recommendation or endorsement with respect to, the Shares;

(c)               there is no government or other insurance covering the Shares; and

(d)               there are risks associated with the purchase of the Shares.

The Purchaser is aware of the characteristics of the Shares and the risks relating to an investment in the Shares, and has the sophistication and experience in business and financial matters (or has received appropriate independent advice) to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the investment in the Shares. The Purchaser is able, without impairing the Purchaser's financial condition, to bear the economic risk of, and withstand a complete loss of, the investment in the Shares.

3.6.   Foreign Investors. If the Purchaser is not a resident of Canada, the Purchaser hereby represents that it has satisfied itself as to the full observance of the laws of its jurisdiction in connection with any invitation to subscribe for shares in its jurisdiction, its subscription for the Shares or any use of this Agreement, including (i) the legal requirements within its jurisdiction for the purchase of the Shares, (ii) any foreign exchange restrictions applicable to such purchase, (iii) any governmental or other consents that may need to be obtained, and (iv) the income tax and other tax consequences, if any, that may be relevant to the purchase, holding, redemption, sale, or transfer of the Shares. The Purchaser's subscription and payment for and continued beneficial ownership of the Shares will not violate any applicable Securities Laws or other laws of the Purchaser's jurisdiction.

3.7.   No General Solicitation. Neither the Purchaser, nor any of its officers, directors, employees, agents, attorneys, shareholders or partners has either directly or indirectly, including, through a broker or finder (a) engaged in any general solicitation, or (b) published any advertisement in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.

3.8. Exculpation Among Purchasers. The Purchaser acknowledges that it is not relying upon any Person, other than the Corporation and its officers and directors, in making its investment or decision to invest in the Corporation. The Purchaser agrees that neither any

15


Purchaser nor the respective controlling Persons, officers, directors, partners, agents, attorneys or employees of any Purchaser shall be liable to any other Purchaser for any action heretofore taken or omitted to be taken by any of them in connection with the purchase of the Shares.

3.9.     Residence. If the Purchaser is an individual, then the Purchaser resides in the province, territory or country identified in the address of the Purchaser set forth on Exhibit A; if the Purchaser is a partnership, corporation, limited liability company or other entity, then the Purchaser resides in the province, territory or country in which the office or offices of the Purchaser's principal place of business is located as set out in Exhibit A.

4.          Conditions to the Purchasers' Obligations at Closing. The obligations of each Purchaser to purchase Shares at the Initial Closing or any subsequent Closing are subject to the fulfillment, on or before such Closing, of each of the following conditions, unless otherwise waived:

4.1.     Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Corporation contained in Section 2 will be true and correct in all respects as of such Closing.

4.2.     Performance. The Corporation will have performed and complied with all covenants, agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by the Corporation on or before such Closing.

4.3.    Compliance Certificate. The President of the Corporation will deliver to the Purchasers at such Closing a certificate certifying that the conditions specified in Subsections 4.1 and 4.2 have been fulfilled.

4.4.     Indemnification Agreement. The Corporation will have executed and delivered the Indemnification Agreements.

4.5.     Unanimous Shareholders Agreement. The Corporation and each Purchaser (other than the Purchaser relying upon this condition to excuse such Purchaser's performance hereunder) and the other shareholders of the Corporation will have executed and delivered the Unanimous Shareholders Agreement.

4.6.     Registration Rights Agreement. The Corporation, each Purchaser (other than the Purchaser relying upon this condition to excuse such Purchaser's performance hereunder), and the other shareholders of the Corporation named as parties thereto will have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement.

4.7.     Restated Articles. The Corporation will have filed the Restated Articles with the director of Industry Canada on or prior to the Closing, which will continue to be in full force and effect as of the Closing.

4.8.     Secretary's Certificate. The Secretary of the Corporation will have delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing a certificate certifying (i) the Bylaws of the Corporation, (ii) resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Corporation approving the Transaction Agreements

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and the transactions contemplated under the Transaction Agreements, and (iii) resolutions of the shareholders of the Corporation approving the Restated Articles.

4.9.      Proceedings and Documents. All corporate and other proceedings in connection with the transactions contemplated at the Closing and all documents incident thereto shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser (or its counsel) will have received all such counterpart original and certified or other copies of such documents as reasonably requested. Such documents may include good standing certificates.

4.10.    Preemptive Rights. The Corporation will have fully satisfied (including with respect to rights of timely notification) or obtained enforceable waivers in respect of any preemptive or similar rights directly or indirectly affecting any of its securities.

4.11.    Contingent Rights Agreement. With respect to solely the Initial Closing, the Corporation will have executed and delivered to the Purchaser in such Initial Closing that certain Contingent Rights Agreement, dated even date herewith, by and between such Purchaser and the Corporation that sets forth certain contingent future investment rights of such Purchaser with respect to the Corporation (the "Contingent Rights Agreement").

4.12.    Operating and Management Agreement. With respect to solely the Initial Closing, the Corporation will have executed and delivered to the Purchaser in such Initial Closing that certain Operating and Management Agreement, dated even date herewith, by and between such Purchaser and the Corporation that sets forth certain rights and obligations of such Purchaser and the Corporation with respect to services to be provided by the Corporation to Purchaser or its Affiliates with respect to a pilot cryptocurrency mining program (the "O&M Agreement").

5.         Conditions of the Corporation's Obligations at Closing. The obligations of the Corporation to sell Shares to the Purchasers at the Initial Closing or any subsequent Closing are subject to the fulfillment, on or before the Closing, of each of the following conditions, unless otherwise waived:

5.1.      Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of each Purchaser contained in Section 3 will be true and correct in all respects as of such Closing.

5.2.     Performance. The Purchasers will have performed and complied with all covenants, agreements, obligations and conditions contained in this Agreement that are required to be performed or complied with by them on or before such Closing.

5.3.      Indemnification Agreement. The Corporation will have executed and delivered the Indemnification Agreement.

5.4.     Unanimous Shareholders Agreement. The Corporation and each Purchaser (other than the Purchaser relying upon this condition to excuse such Purchaser's performance hereunder) and the other shareholders of the Corporation will have executed and delivered the Unanimous Shareholders Agreement.

 

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5.5.     Registration Rights Agreement. The Corporation, each Purchaser (other than the Purchaser relying upon this condition to excuse such Purchaser's performance hereunder), and the other shareholders of the Corporation named as parties thereto will have executed and delivered the Registration Rights Agreement.

5.6.      Contingent Rights Agreement. With respect to solely the Initial Closing, the Purchaser in such Initial Closing will have executed and delivered to Corporation the Contingent Rights Agreement.

5.7.      Operating and Management Agreement. With respect to solely the Initial Closing, the Purchaser in such Initial Closing will have executed and delivered to Corporation the O&M Agreement.

6.       Miscellaneous.  

6.1.     Survival of Warranties. Unless otherwise set forth in this Agreement, the representations and warranties of the Corporation and the Purchasers contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Closing and shall in no way be affected by any investigation or knowledge of the subject matter thereof made by or on behalf of the Purchasers or the Corporation.

6.2.     Successors and Assigns. The terms and conditions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided in this Agreement.

6.3.      Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein.

6.4.     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 applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com) or other transmission method and any counterpart so delivered is deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes.

6.5.      Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are used for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.

6.6.      Notices. All notices and other communications given or made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and are deemed effectively given upon the earlier of actual receipt, or (a) personal delivery to the party to be notified, (b) when sent, if sent by electronic mail or facsimile during normal business hours of the recipient, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient's next business day, (c) five days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, or (d) one business day after deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next business day

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delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to the respective parties at their address as set forth on the signature page or Exhibit A, or to such e-mail address, facsimile number or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Subsection 6.6. If notice is given to the Corporation, a copy shall also be sent to Edward B. Claxton, Aust Legal Inc, 1010 De la Gauchetière St. W, Suite 1350, Montreal, Quebec H3B 2N2 and if notice is given to the Purchasers, a copy shall also be given to the Purchaser's counsel identified in Exhibit "A", if any.

    6.7.   No Finder's Fees. Each party represents that it neither is nor will be obligated for any finder's fee or commission in connection with this transaction. Each Purchaser agrees to indemnify and to hold harmless the Corporation from any liability for any commission or compensation in the nature of a finder's or broker's fee arising out of this transaction (and the costs and expenses of defending against such liability or asserted liability) for which each Purchaser or any of its officers, employees or representatives is responsible. The Corporation agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Purchaser from any liability for any commission or compensation in the nature of a finder's or broker's fee arising out of this transaction (and the costs and expenses of defending against such liability or asserted liability) for which the Corporation or any of its officers, employees or representatives is responsible.

6.8.      Amendments and Waivers. Except as set forth in Subsection 1.2(b) of this Agreement, any term of this Agreement may be amended, terminated or waived only with the written consent of the Corporation, and (i) the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding Shares, or (ii) for an amendment, termination or waiver effected prior to the Initial Closing, Purchasers obligated to purchase all of the Shares to be issued at the Initial Closing. Any amendment or waiver effected in accordance with this Subsection 6.8 shall be binding upon the Purchasers and each transferee of the Shares (or the Common Shares issuable upon conversion thereof), each future holder of all such securities, and the Corporation.

6.9.      Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision hereof shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.

6.10.    Delays or Omissions. No delay or omission to exercise any right, power or remedy accruing to any party under this Agreement, upon any breach or default of any other party under this Agreement, shall impair any such right, power or remedy of such non-breaching or non-defaulting party nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of any such breach or default, or an acquiescence therein, or of or in any similar breach or default thereafter occurring; nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore or thereafter occurring. Any waiver, permit, consent or approval of any kind or character on the part of any party of any breach or default under this Agreement, or any waiver on the part of any party of any provisions or conditions of this Agreement, must be in writing and shall be effective only to the extent specifically set forth in such writing. All remedies, either under this Agreement or by law or otherwise afforded to any party, shall be cumulative and not alternative.

6.11.     Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including the Exhibits), the Restated Articles and the other Transaction Agreements constitute the full and entire understanding and

19


agreement between the parties with respect to its subject matter, and any other written or oral agreement relating to its subject matter existing between the parties are expressly canceled.

6.12.     Dispute Resolution. The parties (a) hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the jurisdiction of the courts of British Columbia for the purpose of any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement, (b) agree not to commence any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement except in the courts of British Columbia, and (c) hereby waive, and agree not to assert, by way of motion, as a defence, or otherwise, in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper or that this Agreement or its subject matter may not be enforced in or by such court.

Each party will bear its own costs in respect of any disputes arising under this Agreement. Each of the parties to this Agreement consents to personal jurisdiction for any equitable action sought in any court of competent jurisdiction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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DocuSign Envelope ID: 2CC03B07-EAF8-4F9E-8976-3343F2C1E8EE

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Class A Preferred Share Purchase Agreement as of the date first written above.

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.

 

         By: 

 

Name: John Belizaire

 

Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT


 

Title:         Chief Executive Officer

 

Address:  325 Washington Avenue Extension 
                Albany, New York 12205

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SIGNATURE PAGE TO SHARE PURCHASE AGREEMENT


EXHIBITS

Exhibit A

SCHEDULE OF PURCHASERS

   
Exhibit B

FORM OF AMENDED AND RESTATED

 

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

   
Exhibit C

DISCLOSURE SCHEDULE

   
Exhibit D

FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

   
Exhibit E

FORM OF UNANIMOUS SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

   
Exhibit F

FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

   
Exhibit G

FORM OF LEGAL OPINION OF BOUGHTON LAW

 

CORPORATION

   
Exhibit H

PRIVATE ISSUER EXEMPTION AGREEMENT

   
Exhibit I

ACCREDITED INVESTOR CERTIFICATE

 

 

 

 


EXHIBIT A

SCHEDULE OF PURCHASERS

Purchaser

Address

Number of Shares

Aggregate

 

 

 

Subscription Amount (USD)

Mechanical

 

158,730

499,999.50

Technology,
Incorporated

 

 

 

       

Total

 

158,730

499,999.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


EXHIBIT B

FORM OF AMENDED AND RESTATED

ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

 

(see attached)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
(the "Company")

The Company has as its articles the following articles.

 
Full name and signature of each incorporator Date of Signing
Davis Corporate Solutions Inc.

By:   

May 11, 2018
 

Incorporation number: BC 1163891

 

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
(the "Company")

ARTICLES

ARTICLE 1 - INTERPRETATION........................................................................................................ 2

ARTICLE 2 - SHARES AND SHARE CERTIFICATES...................................................................... 3

ARTICLE 3 - ISSUE OF SHARES.......................................................................................................... 4

ARTICLE 4 - SHARE REGISTERS....................................................................................................... 5

ARTICLE 5 - SHARE TRANSFERS...................................................................................................... 5

ARTICLE 6 - TRANSMISSION OF SHARES...................................................................................... 7

ARTICLE 7 - ACQUISITION OF COMPANY'S SHARES.................................................................. 7

ARTICLE 8 - BORROWING POWERS................................................................................................ 8

ARTICLE 9 - ALTERATIONS................................................................................................................ 8

ARTICLE 10 - MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS............................................................................. 9

ARTICLE 11 - PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS....................................... 11

ARTICLE 12 - VOTES OF SHAREHOLDERS................................................................................... 15

ARTICLE 13 - DIRECTORS................................................................................................................. 18

ARTICLE 14 - ELECTION AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS...................................................... 19

ARTICLE 15 - ALTERNATE DIRECTORS........................................................................................ 21

ARTICLE 16 - POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS................................................................ 22

ARTICLE 17 - INTERESTS OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS...................................................... 23

ARTICLE 18 - PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS............................................................................. 24

ARTICLE 19 - EXECUTIVE AND OTHER COMMITTEES............................................................. 26

ARTICLE 20 - OFFICERS..................................................................................................................... 28

ARTICLE 21 - INDEMNIFICATION................................................................................................... 28

ARTICLE 22 - DIVIDENDS AND RESERVES................................................................................... 30

ARTICLE 23 - ACCOUNTING RECORDS AND AUDITOR............................................................ 31

ARTICLE 24 - NOTICES........................................................................................................................ 31

ARTICLE 25 - RECORD DATES.......................................................................................................... 33

ARTICLE 26 - SEAL................................................................................................................................ 33

ARTICLE 27 - PROHIBITIONS............................................................................................................. 34

 


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ARTICLE 1 - INTERPRETATION

1.1         Definitions

In these Articles, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Act" means the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) from time to time in force and all amendments thereto and includes all regulations and amendments thereto made pursuant to that Act;

"appropriate person" has the meaning assigned in the Securities Transfer Act;

"board of directors", "directors" and "board" mean the directors or sole director of the Company for the time being;

"Interpretation Act" means the Interpretation Act (British Columbia) from time to time in force and all amendments thereto and includes all regulations and amendments thereto made pursuant to that Act;

"legal personal representative" means the personal or other legal representative of the shareholder;

"protected purchaser" has the meaning assigned in the Securities Transfer Act;

"registered address" of a shareholder means the shareholder's address as recorded in the central securities register;

"registered address" of a director means his or her address as recorded in the Company's register of directors;

"seal" means the seal of the Company, if any;

"securities legislation" means statutes concerning the regulation of securities markets and trading in securities and the regulations, rules, forms and schedules under those statutes, all as amended from time to time, and the blanket rulings and orders, as amended from time to time, issued by the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities appointed under or pursuant to those statutes; "Canadian securities legislation" means the securities legislation in any province or territory of Canada and includes the Securities Act (British Columbia); and "U.S. securities legislation" means the securities legislation in the federal jurisdiction of the United States and in any state of the United States and includes the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;

"Securities Transfer Act' means the Securities Transfer Act (British Columbia) from time to time in force and all amendments thereto and includes all regulations and amendments thereto made pursuant to that Act;

"Statutory Reporting Company Provisions" has the meaning assigned in the Act.

1.2         Applicable Definitions and Rules of Interpretation

The definitions in the Act and the definitions and rules of construction in the Interpretation Act, with the necessary changes, so far as applicable, and unless the context requires otherwise, apply to these Articles as if they were an enactment. If there is a conflict or inconsistency between a definition in the Act and a definition or rule in the Interpretation Act relating to a term used in these Articles, the definition in the Act will prevail in relation to the use of the terms in these Articles. If there is a conflict between these Articles and the Act, the Act will prevail.


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ARTICLE 2 - SHARES AND SHARE CERTIFICATES

2.1         Authorized Share Structure

The authorized share structure of the Company consists of shares of the class or classes and series, if any, described in the Notice of Articles of the Company.

2.2         Form of Share Certificate

Each share certificate issued by the Company must comply with, and be signed as required by, the Act.

2.3         Shareholder Entitled to Certificate or Acknowledgement

Unless the shares of which the shareholder is the registered owner are uncertificated shares, each shareholder, is entitled, without charge, to (a) one share certificate representing the shares of each class or series of shares registered in the shareholder's name or (b) a non-transferable written acknowledgement of the shareholder's right to obtain such a share certificate, provided that in respect of a share held jointly by several persons, the Company is not bound to issue more than one share certificate or acknowledgement and delivery of a share certificate or an acknowledgement to one of several joint shareholders or a duly authorized agent of one of the joint shareholders will be sufficient delivery to all.

2.4         Delivery by Mail

Any share certificate or non-transferable written acknowledgement of a shareholder's right to obtain a share certificate may be sent to the shareholder by mail at the shareholder's registered address and neither the Company nor any director, officer or agent of the Company is liable for any loss to the shareholder because the share certificate or acknowledgement is lost in the mail, or stolen or is otherwise undelivered.

2.5         Replacement of Worn Out or Defaced Certificate or Acknowledgement

If the directors are satisfied that a share certificate or a non-transferable written acknowledgement of the shareholder's right to obtain a share certificate is worn out or defaced, they must, on production to them of the share certificate or acknowledgement on such other terms, if any, as they think fit, cancel the share certificate or acknowledgement and issue a replacement share certificate or acknowledgement, as the case may be.

2.6         Replacement of Lost, Destroyed or Wrongfully Taken Certificate

If a person entitled to a share certificate claims that the share certificate has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company must issue a new share certificate, if that person:

(a)           so requests before the Company has notice that the share certificate has been acquired by a protected purchaser;

(b)           provides the Company with an indemnity bond sufficient in the Company's judgment to protect the Company from any loss that the Company may suffer by issuing a new certificate; and

(c)           satisfies any other reasonable requirements imposed by the directors.

A person entitled to a share certificate may not assert against the Company a claim for a new share certificate where a share certificate has been lost, apparently destroyed or wrongfully taken if that person fails to notify the Company of that fact within a reasonable time after that person has notice of it and the


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Company registers a transfer of the shares represented by the certificate before receiving a notice of the loss, apparent destruction or wrongful taking of the share certificate.

2.7         Recovery of New Share Certificate

If, after the issue of a new share certificate, a protected purchaser of the original share certificate presents the original share certificate for the registration of transfer, then in addition to any rights on the indemnity bond, the Company may recover the new share certificate from a person to whom it was issued or any person taking under that person other than a protected purchaser.

2.8         Splitting Share Certificates

If a shareholder surrenders a share certificate to the Company with a written request that the Company issue in the shareholder's name two or more share certificates, each representing a specified number of shares and in the aggregate representing the same number of shares as represented by the surrendered share certificate, the Company must cancel the surrendered share certificate and issue replacement share certificates in accordance with that request.

2.9         Certificate Fee

There must be paid to the Company, in relation to the issue of any share certificate under Articles 2.5, 2.6 or 2.8, the amount, if any, determined by the directors, which must not exceed the amount prescribed under the Act.

2.10       Recognition of Trusts

Except as required by law or statute or these Articles, no person will be recognized by the Company as holding any share upon any trust, and the Company is not bound by or compelled in any way to recognize (even when having notice thereof) any equitable, contingent, future or partial interest in any share or fraction of a share or (except as required by law or statute or these Articles) any other rights in respect of any share except an absolute right to the entirety thereof in the shareholder.

ARTICLE 3- ISSUE OF SHARES

3.1         Directors Authorized

Subject to the Act and the rights of the holders of issued shares of the Company, if any, the Company may issue, allot, sell or otherwise dispose of the unissued shares, and issued shares held by the Company, at the times, to the persons, in the manner, on the terms and conditions and for the issue prices (including any premium at which shares with par value may be issued) that the directors may determine. The issue price for a par value share must be equal to or greater than the par value of the share and may include a premium.

3.2         Commissions and Discounts

The Company may at any time pay a reasonable commission or allow a reasonable discount to any person in consideration of that person purchasing or agreeing to purchase shares of the Company from the Company or any other person or procuring or agreeing to procure buyers for shares of the Company.

3.3         Brokerage

The Company may pay such brokerage fee or other consideration as may be lawful in connection with the sale or placement of its securities.


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3.4         Conditions of Issue

Except as provided for by the Act, no share may be issued until it is fully paid. A share is fully paid when:

(a)       consideration is provided to the Company for the issue of the share by one or more of the following:

(i)              past services performed for the Company;

(ii)             property;

(iii)            money; and

(b)       the value of the consideration received by the Company equals or exceeds the issue price set for the share under Article 3.1.

3.5         Share Purchase Warrants and Rights

Subject to the Act, the Company may issue share purchase warrants, options and rights (with or without other securities issued or created by the Company) upon such terms and conditions as the directors determine.

ARTICLE 4 - SHARE REGISTERS

4.1         Central Securities Register

The Company must keep or cause to be kept a central securities register in accordance with the Act. The directors may, subject to the Act, appoint an agent to maintain and keep the central securities register. The directors may also appoint one or more agents, including the agent which keeps the central securities register, as (a) transfer agent for any class or series of its shares, and (b) as registrar for any class or series of its shares. The directors may terminate the appointment of any agent at any time and may appoint another agent in its place.

4.2         Closing Register

The Company must not at any time close its central securities register.

ARTICLE 5 - SHARE TRANSFERS

5.1         Registering Transfers

Subject to Article 27 and the Act, a transfer of a share of the Company must not be registered unless the Company or the transfer agent or registrar for the class or series of shares to be transferred has received:

(a)       a duly signed instrument of transfer in respect of the share;

(b)      in the case of a share certificate that has been issued by the Company in respect of the share to be transferred, that share certificate and a written instrument of transfer (which may be on a separate document or endorsed on the share certificate) made by the shareholder or other appropriate person or by an agent who has actual authority to act on behalf of that person;

(c)       in the case ,of a non-transferable written acknowledgement of the shareholder's right to obtain a share certificate that has been issued by the Company in respect of the share to be transferred, a written instrument of transfer that directs that the transfer of the shares


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be registered, made by the shareholder or other appropriate person or by an agent who has actual authority to act on behalf of that person;

(d)       in the case of a share that is an uncertificated share, a written instrument of transfer that directs that the transfer of the share be registered, made by the shareholder or other appropriate person or by an agent who has actual authority to act on behalf of that person; and

(e)       such other evidence, if any, as the Company or the transfer agent or registrar for the class or series of shares to be transferred may require to prove the title of the transferor or the transferor's right to transfer the share, that the written instrument of transfer is genuine and authorized and that the transfer is rightful or to a protected purchaser.

5.2         Form of Instrument of Transfer

The instrument of transfer in respect of any share of the Company must be either in the form, if any, on the back of the Company's share certificates or in any other form that may be approved by the directors or the transfer agent for the class or series of shares to be transferred.

5.3         Transferor Remains Shareholder

Except to the extent that the Act otherwise provides, the transferor of shares is deemed to remain the holder of the shares until the name of the transferee is entered in a securities register of the Company in respect of the transfer.

5.4         Signing of Instrument of Transfer

If a shareholder, or his or her duly authorized attorney, signs an instrument of transfer in respect of shares registered in the name of the shareholder, the signed instrument of transfer constitutes a complete and sufficient authority to the Company and its directors, officers and agents to register the number of shares specified in the instrument of transfer or specified in any other manner, or, if no number is specified, all the shares represented by the share certificates or set out in the written acknowledgements deposited with the instrument of transfer:

(a)       in the name of the person named as transferee in that instrument of transfer; or

(b)       if no person is named as transferee in that instrument of transfer, in the name of the person on whose behalf the instrument is deposited for the purpose of having the transfer registered.

5.5         Inquiry as to Title Not Required

Neither the Company nor any director, officer or agent of the Company is bound to inquire into the title of the person named in the instrument of transfer as transferee or, if no person is named as transferee in the instrument of transfer, of the person on whose behalf the instrument is deposited for the purpose of having the transfer registered. No liability will arise relating to registering the transfer by the shareholder or by any intermediate owner or holder of the shares, of any interest in the shares, of any share certificate representing such shares or of any written acknowledgement of a right to obtain a share certificate for such shares.

5.6         Transfer Fee

The directors may impose a transfer registration fee payable to the Company.


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ARTICLE 6 - TRANSMISSION OF SHARES

6.1         Legal Personal Representative Recognized on Death

In the case of the death of a shareholder, the legal personal representative, or if the shareholder was a joint holder, the surviving joint holder, will be the only person recognized by the Company as having any title to the shareholder's interest in the shares. Before recognizing a person as a legal personal representative of a shareholder, the directors may require the original grant of probate or letters of administration or a court certified copy of them or the original or a court certified or authenticated copy of the grant of representation, will, order or other instrument or other evidence of the death under which title to the shares or securities is claimed to vest.

6.2         Rights of Legal Personal Representative

The legal personal representative of a shareholder has the same rights, privileges and obligations that attach to the shares held by the shareholder, including the right to transfer the shares in accordance with these Articles, if appropriate evidence of appointment or incumbency within the meaning of the Securities Transfer Act has been deposited with the Company.

ARTICLE 7 - ACQUISITION OF COMPANY'S SHARES

7.1         Company Authorized to Purchase or Otherwise Acquire Shares

Subject to Article 7.2, the special rights or restrictions attached to the shares of any class or series of shares and the Act, the Company may, by a directors' resolution, purchase or otherwise acquire any of its shares at the price and upon the terms determined by the directors.

7.2         No Purchase, Redemption or Other Acquisition When Insolvent

The Company must not make a payment or provide any other consideration to purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of its shares if there are reasonable grounds for believing that:

(a)      the Company is insolvent; or

(b)      making the payment or providing the consideration would render the Company insolvent.

7.3         Sale and Voting of Purchased, Redeemed or Otherwise Acquired Shares

If the Company, retains a share redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired by it, the Company may sell, gift or otherwise dispose of the share, but, while such share is held by the Company, it:

(a)      is not entitled to vote the share at a meeting of its shareholders;

(b)      must not pay a dividend in respect of the share; and

(c)      must not make any other distribution in respect of the share.

7.4         Redemption

If the Company proposes to redeem some but not all of the shares of any class, the directors may, subject to the special rights and restrictions attached to such class of shares, decide the manner in which the shares to be redeemed are to be selected.


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ARTICLE 8 - BORROWING POWERS

8.1         Powers of Directors

The Company, if authorized by the directors, may:

(a)         borrow money in the manner and amount on the security, from the sources and on the terms and conditions that the directors consider appropriate;

(b)         issue bonds, debentures and other debt obligations either outright or as security for any liability or obligation of the Company or any other person and at such discounts or premiums and on such other terms as the directors consider appropriate;

(c)         guarantee the repayment of money by any other person or the performance of any obligation of any other person; and

(d)         mortgage, charge, whether by way of specific or floating charge, grant a security interest in, or give other security on, the whole or any part of the present and future assets and undertaking of the Company.

ARTICLE 9 - ALTERATIONS

9.1         Alteration of Authorized Share Structure

Subject to Article 9.2 and the Act, the Company may, by special resolution:

(a)          create one or more classes or series of shares or, if none of the shares of a class or series of shares are allotted or issued, eliminate that class or series of shares;

(b)         increase, reduce or eliminate the maximum number of shares that the Company is authorized to issue out of any class or series of shares or establish a maximum number of shares that the Company is authorized to issue out of any class or series of shares for which no maximum is established;

(c)          subdivide or consolidate all or any of its unissued, or fully paid issued, shares;

(d)         if the Company is authorized to issue shares of a class of shares with par value:

(i)       decrease the par value of those shares; or

(ii)      if none of the shares of that class of shares are allotted or issued, increase the par value of those shares;

(e)          change all or any of its unissued, or fully paid issued, shares with par value into shares without par value or any of its unissued shares without par value into shares with par value;

(f)          alter the identifying name of any class or series of its shares; or

(g)           otherwise alter its shares or authorized share structure when required or permitted to do so by the Act;

and, if applicable, alter its Notice of Articles and, if applicable, its Articles, accordingly.


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9.2         Special Rights or Restrictions

Subject to the Act, the Company may by special resolution:

(a)       create special rights or restrictions for, and attach those special rights or restrictions to, the shares of any class or series of shares, whether or not any or all of those shares have been issued; or

(b)       vary or delete any special rights or restrictions attached to the shares of any class or series of shares, whether or not any or all of those shares have been issued;

and alter its Articles and Notice of Articles accordingly.

9.3         Change of Name

The Company may by special resolution authorize an alteration to its Notice of Articles in order to change its name and may, by ordinary resolution or directors' resolution, adopt or change any translation of that name.

9.4         Other Alterations

If the Act does not specify the type of resolution and these Articles do not specify another type of resolution, the Company may resolve to alter these Articles by a special resolution.

ARTICLE 10 - MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS

10.1       Annual General Meetings

Unless an annual general meeting is deferred or waived in accordance with the Act, the Company must hold its first annual general meeting within 18 months after the date on which it was incorporated or otherwise recognized, and after that must hold an annual general meeting at least once in each calendar year and not more than 15 months after the last annual reference date at such time and place as may be determined by the directors.

10.2       Annual General Meeting by Consent Resolutions

If all of the shareholders who are entitled to vote at an annual general meeting consent by a unanimous resolution to all of the business that is required to be transacted at that annual general meeting, the annual general meeting is deemed to have been held on the date selected in the unanimous resolution. The shareholders must, in any unanimous resolution passed under this Article select, as the Company's annual reference date, a date that would be appropriate for the holding of the applicable annual general meeting.

10.3       Calling of Meetings of Shareholders

The directors may, at any time, call a meeting of shareholders to be held at such time and place as may be determined by the directors.

10.4       Notice of Meetings of Shareholders

The Company must send notice of the date, time and location of any meeting of shareholders (including, without limitation, any notice specifying the intention to propose a resolution as an exceptional resolution, a special resolution or a special separate resolution), in the manner provided in these Articles, or in such other manner, if any, as may be prescribed by ordinary resolution (whether previous notice of the resolution has been given or not), to each shareholder entitled to attend the meeting and to each director


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and to the auditor of the Company, unless these Articles otherwise provide, at least the following number of days before the meeting:

(a)       if and for so long as the Company is a public company, 21 days; or

(b)       otherwise, 10 days.

10.5       Notice of Resolution to Which Shareholders May Dissent

The Company must send to each of its shareholders whether or not their shares carry the right to vote, a notice of any meeting of shareholders at which a resolution entitling shareholders to dissent is to be considered that specifies the date of the meeting and contains a statement advising of the right to send a notice of dissent and a copy of the proposed resolution.

10.6       Record Date for Notice

The directors may set a date as the record date for the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice of, or to vote at, any meeting of shareholders, and the record date must not precede the date on which the meeting is to be held by more than two months (or four months if the meeting is requisitioned), or by fewer than:

(a)       if and for so long as the Company is a public company, 21 days; or

(b)       otherwise, 10 days.

If no record date is set, the record date is 5 p.m. on the day immediately preceding-the first date on which the notice is sent or, if no notice is sent, the beginning of the meeting.

10.7       Record Date for Voting

The directors may set a date as the record date for the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to vote at any meeting of shareholders. The record date must not precede the date on which the meeting is to be held by more than two months or, in the case of a general meeting requisitioned by shareholders under the Act, by more than four months. If no record date is set, the record date is 5 p.m. on the day immediately preceding the first date on which the notice is sent or, if no notice is sent, the beginning of the meeting.

10.8       Failure to Give Notice and Waiver of Notice

The accidental omission to send notice of any meeting to, or the non-receipt of any notice by, any of the persons entitled to notice does not invalidate any proceedings at that meeting. Any person entitled to notice of a meeting of shareholders may, in writing or otherwise, waive that entitlement or agree to reduce the period of that notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting of shareholders is a waiver of entitlement to notice of the meeting unless that person attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the grounds that the meeting is not lawfully called.

10.9       Notice of Special Business at Meetings of Shareholders

If a meeting of shareholders is to consider special business within the meaning of Article 11.1, the notice of meeting must:

(a)       state the general nature of the special business; and

(b)       if the special business includes considering, approving, ratifying, adopting or authorizing any document or the signing of or giving of effect to any document, have attached to it a


copy of the document or state that a copy of the document will be available for inspection by shareholders:

(i)       at the Company's records office, or at such other reasonably accessible location in British Columbia or by electronic access as is specified in the notice;. and

(ii)      during statutory business hours on any one or more specified days before the day set for holding the meeting.

10.10       Shareholder Meetings Outside British Columbia

The directors may determine the location of any general meetings to be held outside British Columbia.

10.11       Notice of Dissent Rights

The minimum number of days, before the date of a meeting of shareholders at which a resolution entitling shareholders to dissent is to be considered, by which a copy of the proposed resolution and a notice of the meeting specifying the date of the meeting and advising of the right to send a notice of dissent is to be sent pursuant to the Act to all shareholders of the Company, whether or not their shares carry the right to vote, is:

(a)       if and for so long as the Company is a public company, 21 days; or

(b)       otherwise, 10 days.

ARTICLE 11 - PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS

11.1       Special Business

At a meeting of shareholders, the following business is special business:

(a)       at a meeting of shareholders that is not an annual general meeting, all business is special business except business relating to the conduct of or voting at the meeting; and

(b)       at an annual general meeting, all business is special business except for the following:

(i)       business relating to the conduct of or voting at the meeting;

(ii)      consideration of any financial statements of the Company presented to the meeting;

(iii)     consideration of any reports of the directors or auditor;

(iv)     the setting or changing of the number of directors;

(v)      the election or appointment of directors;

(vi)     the appointment of an auditor;

(vii)    the setting of the remuneration of an auditor;

(viii)   business arising out of a report of the directors not requiring the passing of a special resolution or an exceptional resolution; and


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(ix)  any other business which, under these Articles or the Act, may be transacted at a meeting of shareholders without prior notice of the business being given to the shareholders.

11.2       Special Majority

The majority of votes required for the Company to pass a special resolution at a general meeting of shareholders is two-thirds of the votes cast on the resolution.

11.3       Quorum

Subject to the special rights or restrictions attached to the shares of any class or series of shares, the quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of shareholders is two persons who are, or who represent by proxy, shareholders who, in the aggregate, hold at least 5% of the issued shares entitled to be voted at the meeting.

11.4       One Shareholder May Constitute Quorum

If there is only one shareholder entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders:

(a)       the quorum is one person who is, or who represents by proxy, that shareholder; and

(b)      that shareholder, present in person or by proxy, may constitute the meeting.

11.5       Requirement of Quorum

No business, other than the election of a chair of the meeting and the adjournment of the meeting, may be transacted at any meeting of shareholders unless a quorum of shareholders entitled to vote is present at the commencement of the meeting, but such quorum need not be present throughout the meeting.

11.6       Lack of Quorum

If, within one-half hour from the time set for the holding of a meeting of shareholders, a quorum is not present:

(a)       in the case of a general meeting convened by requisition of shareholders, the meeting is dissolved; and

(b)       in the case of any other meeting of shareholders, the meeting stands adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place.

11.7       Lack of Quorum at Succeeding Meeting

If, at the meeting to which the meeting referred-to in Article 11.6(b) was adjourned, a quorum is not present within one-half hour from the time set for the holding of the meeting, the person or persons present and being, or representing by proxy, one or more shareholders entitled to attend and vote at the meeting constitute a quorum.

11.8       Persons Entitled to Attend Meeting

In addition to those persons who are entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders, the only other persons entitled to be present at the meeting are the directors, the president (if any), the secretary (if any), any lawyer for the Company, the auditor of the Company, any persons invited to be present by the directors or by the chair of the meeting and any persons entitled or required under the Act to be present at the meeting, but if any of those persons does attend a meeting of shareholders, that person is not to be


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counted in the quorum and is not entitled to vote at the meeting unless that person is a shareholder or proxy holder entitled to vote at that meeting.

11.9       Chair

The following individual is entitled to preside as chair at a meeting of shareholders:

(a)        the chair of the board, if any;

(b)        if the chair of the board is absent or unwilling to act as chair of the meeting, the president, if any; or

(c)        if the chair of the board and the president are unwilling, unable or unavailable to act as chair of the meeting, the directors present must choose one of their number to be chair of the meeting or if all of the directors present decline to take the chair or fail to so choose or if no director is present, the shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting who are present in person or by proxy may choose any person present at the meeting to chair the meeting.

11.10       Adjournments

The chair of a meeting of shareholders may, and if so directed by the meeting must, adjourn the meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business may be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place.

11.11       Notice of Adjourned Meeting

It is not necessary to give any notice of an adjourned meeting or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting of shareholders except that, when a meeting is adjourned for 30 days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting must be given as in the case of the original meeting.

11.12       Decisions by Show of Hands or Poll

Subject to the provisions of the Act, every motion put to a vote at a meeting of shareholders will be decided on a show of hands unless a poll, before or on the declaration of the result of the vote by show of hands, is directed by the chair or demanded by at least one shareholder entitled to vote who is present in person or by proxy.

11.13       Declaration of Result

The chair of a meeting of shareholders must declare to the meeting the decision on every question in accordance with the result of the show of hands or the poll, as the case may be, and that decision must be entered in the minutes of the meeting. Unless a poll is directed or demanded, a declaration of the chair that a resolution is carried by the necessary majority or is defeated is conclusive evidence without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against the resolution.

11.14       Motion Need Not be Seconded

No motion proposed at a meeting of shareholders need be seconded unless the chair of the meeting rules otherwise, and the chair of any meeting of shareholders is entitled to propose or second a motion.


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11.15       Casting Vote

In the case of an equality of votes, the chair of a meeting of shareholders does not, either on a show of hands or on a poll, have a second or casting vote in addition to the vote or votes to which the chair may be entitled as a shareholder.

11.16       Manner of Taking Poll

Subject to Article 11.17, if a poll is duly demanded at a meeting of shareholders:

(a)      the poll must be taken:

(i)          at the meeting, or within seven days after the date of the meeting, as the chair of the meeting directs; and

(ii)         in the manner, at the time and at the place that the chair of the meeting directs; and

(b)    the result of the poll is deemed to be the decision of the meeting at which the poll is demanded; and

(c)     the demand for the poll may be withdrawn by the person who demanded it.

11.17       Demand for Poll on Adjournment

A poll demanded at a meeting of shareholders on a question of adjournment must be taken immediately at the meeting.

11.18       Chair Must Resolve Dispute

In the case of any dispute as to the admission or rejection of a vote given on a poll, the chair of the meeting must determine the dispute, and his or her determination made in good faith is final and conclusive.

11.19       Shareholder Voting Multiple Shares

On a poll, a shareholder entitled to more than one vote need not cast all the votes in the same way.

11.20       No Demand for Poll on Election of Chair

No poll may be demanded in respect of the vote by which a chair of a meeting of shareholders is elected.

11.21       Demand for Poll Not to Prevent Continuance of Meeting

The demand for a poll at a meeting of shareholders does not, unless the chair of the meeting so rules, prevent the continuation of the meeting for a transaction of any business other than the question on which a poll has been demanded.

11.22       Retention of Ballots and Proxies

The Company must, for at least three months after a meeting of shareholders, keep each ballot cast on a poll and each proxy voted at the meeting, and, during that period, make them available for inspection during normal business hours by any shareholder or proxy holder entitled to vote at the meeting. At the end of such three month period, the Company may destroy such ballots and proxies.


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ARTICLE 12 - VOTES OF SHAREHOLDERS

12.1       Number of Votes by Shareholder or by Shares

Subject to any special rights or restrictions attached to any shares and to the restrictions imposed on joint shareholders under Article 12.3:

(a)      on a vote by show of hands, every person present who is a shareholder or proxy holder and entitled to vote on the matter, has one vote; and

(b)      on a poll, every shareholder entitled to vote on the matter has one vote in respect of each share entitled to be voted on the matter and held by that shareholder and may exercise that vote either in person or by proxy.

12.2       Votes of the Persons in Representative Capacity

A person who is not a shareholder may vote at a meeting of shareholders, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, and may appoint a proxy holder to act at the meeting, if, before doing so, the person satisfies the chair of the meeting, or the directors, that the person is a personal or other legal personal representative or a trustee in bankruptcy for a shareholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting.

12.3       Votes by Joint Holders

If there are joint shareholders registered in respect of any share:

(a)      any one of the joint shareholders may vote at any meeting of shareholders, personally or by proxy, in respect of the share as if that joint shareholder were solely entitled to it; or

(b)      if more than one of the joint shareholders is present at any meeting, personally or by proxy, and more than one of them votes in respect of that share, then only the vote of the joint shareholder present whose name stands first on the central securities register in respect of the share will be counted.

12.4       Legal Personal Representatives as Joint Shareholders

Two or more legal personal representatives of a shareholder in whose sole name any share is registered are, for the purposes of Article 12.3, deemed to be joint shareholders registered in respect of that share.

12.5       Representative of a Corporate Shareholder

If a corporation that is not a subsidiary of the Company is a shareholder, that corporation may appoint a person to act as its representative at any meeting of shareholders of the Company, and:

(a)      for that purpose, the instrument appointing a representative must:

(i)        be received at the registered office of the Company or at any other place specified, in the notice calling the meeting, for the receipt of proxies, at least the number of business days specified in the notice, for the receipt of proxies, or if no number of days is specified, two business days before the day set for the holding of the meeting; or

(ii)       be received, at the meeting, by the chair of the meeting or to a person designated by the chair of the meeting; and

(b)   if a representative is appointed under this Article:


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(i)         the representative is entitled to exercise in respect of and at that meeting the same rights on behalf of the corporation that the representative represents as that corporation could exercise if it were a shareholder who is an individual, including, without limitation, the right to appoint a proxy holder; and

(ii)        the representative, if present at the meeting, is to be counted for the purpose of forming a quorum and is deemed to be a shareholder present in person at the meeting.

Evidence of the appointment of any such representative may be sent to the Company by written instrument, fax or any other method of transmitting legibly recorded messages.

12.6       When Proxy Provisions Do Not Apply to the Company

If and for so long as it is a public company or a pre-existing reporting company which has the Statutory Reporting Company Provisions as part of these Articles or to which the Statutory Reporting Company Provisions apply, Articles 12.7 to 12.16 apply only insofar as they are not inconsistent with any applicable legislation or any Canadian securities legislation applicable to the Company or any rules of an exchange on which securities of the Company are listed.

12.7       Appointment of Proxy Holders

Every shareholder of the Company, including a corporation that is a shareholder but not a subsidiary of the Company, entitled to vote at a meeting of shareholders may, by proxy, appoint one or more proxy holders to attend and act at the meeting in the manner, to the extent and with the powers conferred by the proxy.

12.8       Alternate Proxy Holders

A shareholder may appoint one or more alternate proxy holders to act in the place of an absent proxy holder.

12.9       When Proxy Holder Need Not Be Shareholder

A person must not be appointed as a proxy holder unless the person is a shareholder, although a person who is not a shareholder may be appointed as a proxy holder if:

(a)       the person appointing the proxy holder is a corporation or a representative of a corporation appointed under Article 12.5;

(b)       the Company has at the time of the meeting for which the proxy holder is to be appointed only one shareholder entitled to vote at the meeting;

(c)       the shareholders present in person or by proxy at and entitled to vote at the meeting for which the proxy holder is to be appointed, by a resolution on which the proxy holder is not entitled to vote but in respect of which the proxy holder is to be counted in the quorum, permit the proxy holder to attend and vote at the meeting; or

(d)       the Company is a public company or is a pre-existing reporting company which has the Statutory Reporting Company Provisions as part of these Articles or to which the Statutory Reporting Company Provisions apply.

12.10       Deposit of Proxy

A proxy for a meeting of shareholders must:


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(a)       be received at the registered office of the Company or at any other place specified in the notice calling the meeting, for the receipt of proxy, at least the number of business days specified in the notice, or if no number of days is specified, two business days before the day set for the holding of the meeting; or

(b)       unless the notice provides otherwise, be received, at the meeting, by the chair of the meeting or by a person designated by the chair of the meeting.

A proxy may be sent to the Company by written instrument, fax or any other method of transmitting legibly recorded messages.

12.11       Validity of Proxy Vote

A vote given in accordance with the terms of a proxy is valid notwithstanding the death or incapacity of the shareholder giving the proxy and despite the revocation of the proxy or the revocation of the authority under which the proxy is given, unless notice in writing of that death, incapacity or revocation is received:

(a)       at the registered office of the Company, at any time up to and including the last business day before the day set for the holding of the meeting at which the proxy is to be used; or

(b)       by the chair of the meeting, before the vote is taken.

12.12       Form of Proxy

A proxy, whether for a specified meeting or otherwise, must be either in the following form or in any other form approved by the directors or the chair of the meeting:

[name of company]
(the "Company")

The undersigned, being a shareholder of the Company, hereby appoints [name] or, failing that person, [name], as proxy holder for the undersigned to attend, act and vote for and on behalf of the undersigned at the meeting of shareholders of the Company to be held on [month, day, year] and at any adjournment of that meeting.

Number of shares in respect of which this proxy is given (if no number is specified, then this proxy is given in respect of all shares registered in the name of the undersigned):

Signed [month, day year]

 

[Signature of shareholder]

 

[Name of shareholder- printed]

12.13       Revocation of Proxy

Subject to Article 12.14, every proxy may be revoked by an instrument in writing that is:

(a)         received at the registered office of the Company at any time up to and including the last business day before the day set for the holding of the meeting at which the proxy is to be used; or

(b)         provided, at the meeting, to the chair of the meeting.


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12.14     Revocation of Proxies Must Be Signed

An instrument referred to in Article 12.13 must be signed as follows:

(a)       if the shareholder for whom the proxy holder is appointed is an individual, the instrument must be signed by the shareholder or his or her personal or other legal representative or trustee in bankruptcy; or

(b)       if the shareholder for whom the proxy holder is appointed is a corporation, the instrument must be signed by the corporation or by a representative appointed for the corporation under Article 12.5.

12.15     Chair May Determine Validity of Proxy

The chair of any meeting of shareholders may determine whether or not a proxy deposited for use at the meeting, which may not strictly comply with the requirements of this Article 12 as to form, execution, accompanying documentation, time of filing or otherwise, shall be valid for use at the meeting and any such determination made in good faith shall be final, conclusive and binding upon the meeting.

12.16     Production of Evidence of Authority to Vote

The chair of any meeting of shareholders may, but need not, inquire into the authority of any person to vote at the meeting and may, but need not, demand from that person production of evidence as to the existence of the authority to vote.

ARTICLE 13 - DIRECTORS

13.1       Directors; Number of Directors

The first directors are the persons designated as directors of the Company in the Notice of Articles that applies to the Company when it is recognized under the Act. The number of directors, excluding additional directors appointed under Article 14.7, is:

(a)       subject to paragraphs (b) and (c), the number of directors that is equal to the number of the Company's first directors;

(b)       the number of directors set by ordinary resolution (whether or not previous notice of the resolution was given) of the shareholders; or

(c)       the number of directors set under Article 14.4.

If the Company is a public company, the number of directors must not be less than three.

13.2       Change in Number of Directors

If the number of directors is set under Article 13.1(b):

(a).   the shareholders may elect the directors needed to fill any vacancies in the board of directors that result from that change; and

(b)    subject to Article 14.7, if the shareholders do not elect the directors needed to fill any vacancies in the board of directors that result from that change, the directors may appoint additional directors to fill those vacancies.


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13.3       Directors' Acts Valid Despite Vacancy

An act or proceeding of the directors is not invalid merely because fewer than the number of directors required by Article 13.1 are in office.

13.4        Qualifications of Directors

A director is not required to hold a share of the Company as qualification for his or her office but must be qualified as required by the Act to become, to act or continue to act as a director.

13.5       Remuneration and Expenses of Directors

The directors are entitled to the remuneration for acting as directors, if any, as the directors may from time to time determine. If the directors so decide, the remuneration of the directors, if any, will be determined by the shareholders. That remuneration may be in addition to any salary or other remuneration paid to any officer or employee of the Company as such, who is also a director. The Company must reimburse each director for the reasonable expenses that he or she may incur in and about the business of the Company. If any director performs any professional or other services for the Company that in the opinion of the directors are outside the ordinary duties of a director, or if any director is otherwise specially occupied in or about the Company's business, he or she may be paid remuneration, fixed by the directors, or, at the option of that director, fixed by ordinary resolution and such remuneration may be either in addition to, or in substitution for, any other remuneration that he or she may be entitled to receive. Unless otherwise determined by ordinary resolution, the directors on behalf of the Company may pay a gratuity or pension or allowance on retirement to any director who has held any salaried office or place of profit with the Company or to his or her spouse or dependants and may make contributions to any fund and pay premiums for the purchase or provision of any such gratuity, pension or allowance.

ARTICLE 14 - ELECTION AND REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS

14.1       Election at Annual General Meeting

At every annual general meeting or in the unanimous resolution contemplated by Article 10.2:

(a)     the shareholders entitled to vote at the annual general meeting for the election of directors are entitled to elect, or in the unanimous resolution appoint, a board of directors consisting of the number of directors for the time being set under these Articles; and

(b)     all the directors cease to hold office immediately before the election or appointment of directors under paragraph (a), but are eligible for re-election or re-appointment.

14.2       Consent to be a Director

No election, appointment or designation of an individual as a director is valid unless:

(a)     that individual consents to be a director in the manner provided for in the Act;

(b)     that individual is elected or appointed at a meeting at which the individual is present and the individual does not refuse, at the meeting, to be a director; or

(c)      with respect to first directors, the designation is otherwise valid under the Act.


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14.3       Failure to Elect or Appoint Directors

If the Company fails to hold an annual general meeting in accordance with the Act, or if the Company fails, at an annual general meeting or in a unanimous resolution contemplated by Article 10.2, to elect or appoint any directors, each director then in office continues to hold office until the earlier of:

(a)     when his or her successor is elected or appointed; and

(b)     when he or she otherwise ceases to hold office under the Act or these Articles.

14.4       Places of Retiring Directors Not Filled

If, at any meeting of shareholders at which there should be an election of directors, the places of any of the retiring directors are not filled by that election, those retiring directors who are not re-elected and who are asked by the newly elected directors to continue in office will, if willing to do so, continue in office to complete the number of directors for the time being set pursuant to these Articles until further new directors are elected at a meeting of shareholders convened for that purpose. If any such election or continuance of directors does not result in the election or continuance of the number of directors for the time being set, pursuant to these Articles, the number of directors of the Company is deemed to be set at the number of directors actually elected or continued in office.

14.5       Vacancies on Board

Any casual vacancy occurring in the board of directors may be filled by the directors or director. If the Company has no directors or fewer directors in office than the number set by these Articles as the necessary quorum for the directors the shareholders may by ordinary resolution appoint or elect directors to fill the vacancies of the board.

14.6       Remaining Directors' Power to Act

The remaining directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in the board, but if and so long as the number is reduced below the number fixed pursuant to these Articles as the necessary quorum of directors, the remaining directors may act for the purpose of increasing the number of directors to that number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose.

14.7       Additional Directors

Notwithstanding Articles 13.1 and 13.2, the directors may appoint one or more additional directors, but the number of additional directors appointed under this Article must not at any time exceed:

(a)     one-third of the number of first directors, if, at the time of the appointments, one or more of the first directors have not yet completed their first term of office; or

(b)     in any other case, one-third of the number of the current directors who were elected or appointed as directors other than under this Article.

Any director so appointed ceases to hold office immediately before the election or appointment of directors under Article 14.1(a), but is eligible for election at the meeting or appointment by unanimous resolution contemplated under Article 14.1(a). If the appointment or election of such directors is made as an additional director, the number of directors is deemed increased accordingly.

14.8       Ceasing to be a Director

A director will cease to be a director when:


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(a)       the term of office of the director expires;

(b)       the director dies, or resigns as a director by notice in writing provided to the Company or a lawyer for the Company; or

(c)       the director is removed from office pursuant to Article 14.9.

14.9       Removal of Director

The Company may remove any director before the expiration of his or her term of office by special resolution. In that event the shareholders may appoint another individual as director by ordinary resolution to fill the resulting vacancy. If the shareholders do not appoint a director to fill the vacancy thereby created at the meeting at which, or in the consent resolution by which, the director was removed, then either the directors or the shareholders by ordinary resolution may appoint an additional director to fill that vacancy. The directors may remove any director before the expiration of his or her period of office if the director is convicted of an indictable offence or otherwise ceases to qualify as a director and the directors may appoint another person in his or her stead.

ARTICLE 15 - ALTERNATE DIRECTORS

15.1       Appointment of Alternate Directors

Any director (an "appointor") may by notice in writing received by the Company appoint any person (or "appointee") who is qualified to act as a director to be his or her alternate to act in his or her place at meetings of the directors or committees of the directors at which the appointing director is not present unless (in the case of an appointee who is not a director) the directors have reasonably disapproved the appointment of such person as an alternate director and have given notice to that effect to the appointor within a reasonable time after the delivery of the notice of appointment received by the Company.

15.2       Notice of Meetings

Every alternate director is entitled to notice of meetings of directors or committees of the directors, of which his or her appointor is a member and to attend and vote as a director at a meeting at which his or her appointor is not personally present.

15.3       Alternate for More Than One Director Attending Meeting

A person may be appointed as an alternate director by more than one director, and an alternate director:

(a)       will be counted in determining the quorum for a meeting of directors once for each appointor and, in the case of an appointor who is also a director, once more in that capacity;

(b)       has a separate vote at a meeting of directors for each appointor and, in the case of an appointor who is also a director, an additional vote in that capacity;

(c)       will be counted in determining the quorum for a meeting of a committee of directors once for each appointor who is a member of that committee and, in the case of an appointor who is also a member of that committee as a director, once more in that capacity; and

(d)       has a separate vote at a meeting of a committee of directors for each appointor who is a member of that committee and, in the case of an appointor who is also a member of that committee as a director, an additional vote in that capacity.


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15.4      Consent Resolutions

Every alternate director, if authorized by the instrument appointing him or her, may sign in place of the director who appointed him or her any resolutions submitted to the directors to be consented to in writing.

15.5      Alternate Director Not an Agent

Every alternate director is deemed not to be the agent of a director appointing him or her.

15.6      Revocation of Appointment of Alternate Director

A director may at any time by notice in writing to the Company, revoke the appointment of an alternate appointed by him or her.

15.7      Ceasing to be an Alternate Director

The appointment of an alternate director ceases when:

(a)     his or her appointor ceases to be a director (and is not promptly re-elected or re-appointed);

(b)     the alternate director dies, or resigns as an alternate director by notice in writing provided to the Company;

(c)     the alternate director ceases to be qualified to act as a director; or

(d)     his or her appointor revokes the appointment of the alternate director.

15.8      Remuneration and Expenses of Alternate Director

An alternate director may be reimbursed by the Company such expenses as might properly be repaid to him or her if he or she were a director and he or she is entitled to receive from the Company such proportion, if any, of the remuneration otherwise payable to the appointor as the appointor may from time to time direct.

ARTICLE 16 - POWERS AND DUTIES OF DIRECTORS

16.1      Powers of Management

The directors must, subject to the Act and these Articles, manage, or supervise the management of, the affairs and business of the Company and will have the authority to exercise all such powers of the Company as are not, by the Act or by these Articles, required to be exercised by the shareholders of the Company.

16.2       Appointment of Attorney of Company

The director's may from time to time, by power of attorney or other instrument under the seal, appoint any person to be the attorney of the Company for such purposes, and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the directors under these Articles and excepting the powers of the directors relating to the constitution of the board of directors and of any of its committees and the appointment or removal of officers and the power to declare dividends) and for such period, and with such remuneration and subject to such conditions as the directors think fit, and any such appointment may be made in favour of any corporation, firm or person or body of persons, and any such power of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection or convenience of persons dealing with


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such attorney as the directors think fit. Any such attorney may be authorized by the directors to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions for the time being vested in him or her.

ARTICLE 17 - INTERESTS OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

17.1       Obligation to Account for Profits

A director or senior officer who holds a disclosable interest (as that term is used in the Act) in a contract or transaction into which the Company has entered or proposes to enter is liable to account to the Company for any profit that accrues to the director or senior officer under or as a result of the contract or transaction only if and to the extent provided in the Act.

17.2       Restrictions on Voting by Reason of Interest

A director who holds a disclosable interest in a contract or transaction into which the Company has entered or proposes to enter is not entitled to vote on any directors' resolution to approve that contract or transaction, unless all the directors have a disclosable interest in that contract or transaction, in which case any or all of those directors may vote on such resolution.

17.3       Interested Director Counted in Quorum

A director who has a disclosable interest in a contract or transaction and who is present at the meeting of directors at which the contract or transaction is considered for approval may be counted in the quorum at the meeting whether or not the director votes on any or all of the resolutions considered at the meeting.

17.4       Disclosure of Conflict of Interest or Property

A director or senior officer who holds any office or possesses any property, right or interest that could result, directly or indirectly, in the creation of a duty or interest that materially conflicts with that individual's duty or- interest as a director or senior officer, must disclose the nature and extent of the conflict as required by the Act.

17.5       Director Holding Other Office in the Company

A director may hold any office or place of profit with the Company, other than the office of auditor of the Company, in addition to his or her office of director for the period and on the terms (as to remuneration or otherwise) that the directors may determine.

17.6       No Disqualification

No director or intended director is disqualified by his or her office from contracting with the Company either with regard to the holding of any office or place of profit the director holds with the Company or as seller, buyer or otherwise, and no contract or transaction entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which a director is in any way interested is liable to be voided for that reason.

17.7       Professional Services by Director or Officer

Subject to the Act, a director or officer, or any person in which a director or officer has an interest, may act in a professional capacity for the Company, except as auditor of the Company, and the director or officer or such person is entitled to remuneration for professional services as if that director or officer were not a director or officer.


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17.8       Director or Officer in Other Corporations

A director or officer may be or become a director, officer or employee of, or otherwise interested in, any person in which the Company may be interested as a shareholder or otherwise, and, subject to the Act, the director or officer is not accountable to the Company for any remuneration or other benefits received by him or her as director, officer or employee of, or from his or her interest in, such other person.

ARTICLE 18 - PROCEEDINGS OF DIRECTORS

18.1       Meetings of Directors

The directors may meet together for the conduct of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings as they think fit and meetings of the board held at regular intervals may be held at the place, at the time and on the notice, if any, as the board may by resolution from time to time determine.

18.2       Voting at Meetings

Questions arising at any meeting of directors are to be decided by a majority of votes and, in the case of an equality of votes, the chair of the meeting does not have a second or casting vote.

18.3       Chair of Meeting

Meetings of directors may be chaired by:

(a)       the chair of the board, if any;

(b)       in the absence of the chair of the board, the president, if any, if the president is a director; or

(c)       any other director chosen by the directors if:

(i)       neither the chair of the board nor the president, if a director, is present at the meeting within 15 minutes after the time set for holding the meeting;

(ii)      neither the chair of the board nor the president, if a director, is willing to chair the meeting; or

(iii)     the chair of the board and the president, if a director, have advised the secretary, if any, or any other director, that they will not be present at the meeting.

18.4       Meetings by Telephone or Other Communications Medium

A director may participate in a meeting of the board of directors or of any committee of the directors in person or by means of conference telephones or, with the consent of the Company, by other communications facilities if all directors participating in the meeting can communicate with each other and provided that all such directors agree to such participation. A director participating in a meeting in accordance with this Article will be deemed to be present at the meeting and to have so agreed and will be counted in the quorum therefor and be entitled to speak and vote and otherwise participate in the meeting in accordance with the Act. A director who participates in a meeting in a manner contemplated by this Article is deemed for all purposes of the Act and these Articles to be present at the meeting and to have agreed to participate in that manner.


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18.5       Calling and Notice of Meetings

A director may, and the secretary or assistant secretary, if any, on request of a director must, call a meeting of the directors at any time.

18.6       Notice of Meetings

Other than for meetings held at regular intervals as determined by the board pursuant to Article 18.1, or as provided in Article 18.7, reasonable notice of each meeting of the directors, specifying the place, day and hour of that meeting must be given to each of the directors and if a director so requires in writing, the alternate director appointed by that director:

(a)       by mail addressed to the director's address as it appears on the books of the Company or to any other address provided to the Company by the director for this purpose;

(b)       by leaving it at the director's prescribed address or at any other address provided to the Company by the director for this purpose;

(c)       orally or by telephone, or by delivery of written notice; or

(d)       if agreed by the intended recipient, by e-mail, fax or any other method of legibly transmitting messages agreed to by the intended recipient.

18.7       When Notice Not Required

It is not necessary to give notice of a meeting of the directors to a director if:

(a)       the meeting is to be held immediately following a meeting of shareholders at which that director was elected or appointed, or is the meeting of the directors at which that director is appointed; or

(b)       the director has waived notice of the meeting.

18.8       Meeting Valid Despite Failure to Give Notice

The accidental omission to give notice of any meeting of directors to, or the non-receipt of any notice by, any director, does not invalidate any proceedings at that meeting.

18.9       Waiver of Notice of Meeting

Any director or alternate director of the Company may send to the Company a document signed by him or her waiving notice of any past, present or future meeting or meetings of the directors and may at any time withdraw that waiver with respect to meetings held after that withdrawal. After sending a waiver with respect to all future meetings and until such waiver is withdrawn, no notice need be given to such director or, unless the director otherwise requires in writing to the Company, to his or her alternate director and all meetings of the directors so held are deemed not to be improperly called or constituted by reason of notice not having been given to such director or alternate director. Attendance of a director or alternate director at a meeting of the directors is a waiver of entitlement to notice of the meeting, unless that director or alternate director attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the grounds that the meeting is not lawfully called.

18.10       Quorum

The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the directors is two directors or, if the number of directors is one, is one director, and that director may constitute a meeting.


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18.11       Validity of Acts Where Appointment Defective

Subject to the provisions of the Act, all acts done by any director or officer will, notwithstanding that it be afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the qualification, election or appointment of any such director or officer, or that they or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if each such person had been duly elected or appointed and was qualified to be a director or officer.

18.12       Consent Resolutions in Writing

A resolution of the directors or of any committee of the directors may be passed without a meeting:

(a)       in all cases, if each of the directors entitled 'to vote on the resolution consents to it in writing; or

(b)       in the case of a resolution to approve a contract or transaction in respect of which a director has disclosed that he or she has or may have a disclosable interest, if each of the other directors who has not made such a disclosure consents in writing to the resolution.

A consent in writing under this Article 18.12 may be by any written instrument, fax, email or any other method of transmitting legibly recorded messages in which the consent of the director is evidenced, whether or not the signature of the director is included in the record. A consent in writing may be in two or more counterparts which together are deemed to constitute one consent in writing. A resolution of the directors or of any committee of the directors passed in accordance with this Article is effective on the date stated in the consent in writing or on the latest date stated on any counterpart and is deemed to be a proceeding at a meeting of directors or of the committee of the directors and to be as valid and effective as if it had been passed at a meeting of the directors or of the committee of the directors that satisfies all the requirements of the Act and all the requirements of these Articles relating to meetings of the directors or of a committee of the directors.

ARTICLE 19 - EXECUTIVE AND OTHER COMMITTEES

19.1       Appointment and Powers of Executive Committee

The directors may by resolution appoint an executive committee (the "Committee") to consist of such director or directors as they think appropriate. Such Committee will have, and may exercise during the intervals between the meetings of the board of directors, all powers of the directors except the power to:

(a)       fill vacancies in the board;

(b)       remove a director;

(c)       change membership of any committees of directors; and

(d)       such other powers, as may be set out in any directors' resolution.

19.2       Appointment and Powers of Other Committees

The directors may, by resolution:

(a)       appoint one or more committees consisting of the director or directors that they consider appropriate;

(b)       delegate to a committee appointed under paragraph (a) any of the directors' powers, except:


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(i)       the power to fill vacancies of the board;

(ii)      the power to remove a director;

(iii)      the power to change the membership of, or fill vacancies in, any committee of the board; and

(iv)      the power to appoint or remove officers appointed by the board; and

(c)       make any delegation referred to in paragraph (b) subject to the conditions set out in the resolution.

19.3       Obligations of Committees

Any committee formed under Article 19.1, in the exercise of the powers delegated to it, must:

(a)    conform to any rules that may from time to time be imposed on it by the directors; and

(b)   report every act or thing done in exercise of those powers to the earliest meeting of the directors to be held after the act or thing has been done or at such time as the directors may require.

19.4       Powers of Board

The board may, at any time:

(a)      revoke or alter the authority given to a committee, or override a decision made by a committee, except as to acts done before such revocation, alteration or overriding;

(b)      terminate the appointment of, or change the membership of, a committee; and

(c)      fill vacancies in a committee.

19.5       Committee Meetings

Subject to Article 19.2:

(a)      the members of a directors' committee may meet and adjourn as they think proper;

(b)      a directors' committee may elect a chair of its meetings but, if no chair of the meeting is elected, or if at any meeting the chair of the meeting is not present within 15 minutes after the time set for holding the meeting, the directors present who are members of the committee may choose one of their number to chair the meeting;

(c)      a majority of the members of a directors' committee constitutes a quorum of the committee; and

(d)      questions arising at any meeting of a directors' committee are determined by a majority of votes of the members present, and in the case of an equality of votes, the chair of the meeting does not have a second or casting vote.


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ARTICLE 20 - OFFICERS

20.1       Directors May Appoint Officers

The directors may, from time to time, appoint such officers, if any, as the directors will determine and the directors may, at any time, terminate any such appointment.

20.2       Functions, Duties and Powers of Officers

The board may, for each officer:

(a)       determine the functions and duties the officer is to perform;

(b)       delegate to the officer any of the powers exercisable by the directors on such terms and conditions and with such restrictions as the directors determine; and

(c)       from time to time revoke, withdraw, after or vary all or any of the functions, duties and powers of the officer.

20.3       Qualifications

No officer will be appointed unless that officer is qualified in accordance with the provisions of the Act. One person may hold more than one position as an officer of the Company. Any person appointed as the chair of the board or as the managing director will be a director. The other officers need not be directors.

20.4       Remuneration

All appointments of officers are to be made on the terms and conditions and at the remuneration (whether by way of salary, fee, commission, participation in profits, pensions, gratuity, or otherwise) that the board thinks fit and are subject to termination at the discretion of the board.

ARTICLE 21 - INDEMNIFICATION

21.1       Definitions

In this Article:

(a)        "eligible penalty" means a judgment, penalty or fine awarded or imposed in, or an amount paid in settlement of, an eligible proceeding;

(b)        "eligible proceeding" means a legal proceeding or investigative action, whether current, threatened, pending or completed, in which a person to be indemnified under this Article (an "eligible party") or any of the heirs and personal or other legal representatives of the eligible party, by reason of the eligible party being or having been a director, officer, employee or agent of the company or an associated corporation:

(i)        is or may be joined as a party; or

(ii)       is or may be liable for or in respect of a judgment, penalty or fine in, or expenses related to, the proceeding; and

(c)      "expenses" includes costs, charges and expenses, including legal and other fees, but does not include judgments, penalties, fines or amounts paid in settlement of a proceeding.


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21.2       Mandatory Indemnification of Directors

Subject to the Act, the Company must indemnify a director, former director or alternate director of the Company and his or her heirs and legal personal representatives against all eligible penalties to which such person is or may be liable, and the Company must, after the final disposition of an eligible proceeding, pay the expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person in respect of that proceeding. Each director and alternate director is deemed to have contracted with the Company on the terms of the indemnity contained in this Article.

21.3       Permitted Indemnification

Subject to any restrictions in the Act, the Company may indemnify any person.

21.4       Non-Compliance with the Act

The failure of a director or officer of the Company to comply with the provisions of the Act or of the Notice of Articles, these Articles or, if applicable, any former Companies Act or former articles will not invalidate any indemnity to which he or she is entitled under this Article 21.

21.5 Company May Purchase Insurance

The Company may purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any person (or his or her heirs or legal personal representatives) who:

(a)           is or was a director, alternate director, officer, employee or agent of the Company;

(b)           is or was a director, alternate director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation at a time when the corporation is or was an affiliate of the Company;

(c)           at the request of the Company, is or was a director, alternate director, officer, employee or agent of a corporation or of a partnership, trust, joint venture or other unincorporated entity; or

(d)           at the request of the Company, holds or held a position equivalent to that of a director, alternate director or officer of a partnership, trust, joint venture or other unincorporated entity;

against any liability incurred by him or her as such director, alternate director, officer, employee or agent or person who holds or held such equivalent position.

21.6       Indemnification of Directors

The directors must cause the Company to indemnify its directors and former directors and their respective heirs and personal or other legal personal representatives to the greatest extent permitted by the Act.

21.7 Deemed Contract

Each person specified in Article 21.2 is deemed to have contracted with the Company on the terms of the indemnity referred to in that Article.


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ARTICLE 22 - DIVIDENDS AND RESERVES

22.1       Declaration of Dividends

Subject to the rights, if any, of shareholders holding shares with special rights as to dividends, the directors may from time to time declare and authorize payment of such dividends, if any, as they may consider appropriate.

22.2       No Notice Required

The directors need not give notice to any shareholder of any declaration under Article 22.1.

22.3       Manner of Paying Dividend

A resolution declaring a dividend may direct payment of the dividend wholly or partly in money or by the distribution of specific assets or of paid up shares or fractional shares, bonds, debentures or other debt obligations of the Company or any other corporation, or in any one or more of those ways, and, if any difficulty arises in regard to the distribution, the directors may settle the difficulty as they think expedient, and, in particular, may set the value for distribution of specific assets.

22.4       Basis and Payment

Subject to the rights, if any, of shareholders holding shares with special rights as to dividends:

(a)       any dividend declared on shares of any class or series by the directors may be made payable on such date as is fixed by the directors; and

(b)       all dividends on shares of any class or series will be declared and be paid according to the number of such shares held.

22.5       Reserves

The directors may, before declaring any dividend, set aside out of the funds properly available for the payment of dividends such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which may, at the discretion of the directors, be applicable for meeting contingencies or for equalising dividends or for any other purpose to which such funds of the Company may be properly applied, and pending such application such funds may, in the discretion of the directors, either be employed in the business of the Company or be invested in such investments as the directors may from time to time think fit.

22.6       Receipt by Joint Shareholders

If several persons are joint shareholders of any share, any one of them may give an effective receipt for any dividend, bonus or other monies payable in respect of the share.

22.7       Dividend Bears No Interest

No dividend will bear interest against the Company.

22.8       Fractional Dividends

If a dividend to which a shareholder is entitled includes a fraction of the smallest monetary unit of the currency of the dividend, that fraction may be disregarded in making payment of the dividend and that payment represents full payment of the dividend.


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22.9       Payment of Dividends

Any dividend, bonuses or other distribution payable in money in respect of shares may be paid by cheque sent through the post directed to the registered address of the shareholder, or in the case of joint shareholders, to the registered address of that one of the joint shareholders who is first named on the central securities register, or to such person and to such address as the shareholder or joint shareholders may direct in writing. Every such cheque must be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent. The mailing of such cheque will, to the extent of the sum represented thereby (plus the amount of the tax required by law to be deducted), discharge all liability for the dividend, unless such cheque is not paid on presentation or the amount of tax so deducted is not paid to the appropriate taxing authority.

22.10       Capitalization of Retained Earnings or Surplus

Notwithstanding anything contained in these Articles, the directors may from time to time capitalize any retained earnings or surplus on hand of the Company and may from time to time issue as fully paid and non-assessable any unissued shares, or any bonds, debentures or debt obligations of the Company as a dividend representing part or all of such retained earnings or surplus so capitalized or any part thereof.

ARTICLE 23 - ACCOUNTING RECORDS AND AUDITOR

23.1       Keeping Documents, Minutes, Etc.

The Company must keep at its records office, or at such other place as the Act may permit, the documents, copies, registers, minutes and other records which the Company is required by the Act to keep at such places. The shareholders, by ordinary resolution, may set restricted hours for access to records in the records office in accordance with the Act.

23.2       Keeping Books of Account

The Company must keep or cause to be kept proper books of account and accounting records in respect of all financial and other transactions of the Company and in compliance with the provisions of the Act.

23.3       Inspection of Accounting Records

Unless the directors determine otherwise, or unless otherwise determined by an ordinary resolution, no shareholder of the Company is entitled to inspect the accounting records of the Company.

23.4       Remuneration of Auditor

The directors may set the remuneration of the auditor.

ARTICLE 24 - NOTICES

24.1       Method of Giving Notice

Unless the Act or these Articles provide otherwise, a notice, statement, report or other record required or permitted by the Act or these Articles to be sent by or to a person may be sent by any one of the following methods:

(a)        mail addressed to the person at the applicable address for that person as follows:

(i)            for a record mailed to a shareholder, the shareholder's registered address;

(ii)           for a record mailed to a director or officer, the prescribed address for mailing shown for the director or officer in the records kept by the Company or the


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mailing address provided by the recipient for the sending of that record or records of that class; or

(iii)       in any other case the mailing address of the intended recipient;

(b)           delivery at the applicable address for that person as follows, addressed to the person:

(i)         for a record delivered to a shareholder, the shareholder's registered address;

(ii)       for a record delivered to a director or officer, the prescribed address for delivery shown for the director or officer in the records kept by the Company or the delivery address provided by the recipient for the sending of that record or records of that class; or

(iii)        in any other case, the delivery address of the intended recipient;

(c)           unless the intended recipient is the auditor of the Company, sending the record by fax to the fax number provided by the intended recipient for the sending of that record or records of that class;

(d)           unless the intended recipient is the auditor of the Company, sending the record by email to the email address provided by the intended recipient for the sending of that record or records of that class; or

(e)           physical delivery to the intended recipient.

24.2       Deemed Receipt

(a)           A record that is mailed to a person by ordinary mail to the applicable address for that person referred to in Article 24.1 is deemed to be received by the person to whom it was mailed on the day, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays excepted, following the date of mailing;

(b)           a record that is faxed to a person referred to in Article 24.1 is deemed to be received by that person on the day it was faxed; and

(c)           a record that was emailed to a person referred to in Article 24.1 is deemed to be received by the person to whom it was emailed on the day it was emailed.

24.3      Certificate of Sending

A certificate signed by the secretary, if any, or other officer of the Company or of any other corporation acting in that capacity on behalf of the Company stating that a notice, statement, report or other record was addressed as required by Article 24.1, prepaid and mailed or otherwise sent in accordance with Article 24.1 is conclusive evidence of that fact.

24.4      Notice to Joint Shareholders

A notice, statement, report or other record may be provided by the Company to the joint shareholders of a share by providing such record to the joint shareholder first named in the central securities register in respect of the share.


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24.5      Notice to Legal Personal Representatives and Trustees

A notice, statement, report or other record may be provided by the Company to the persons entitled to a share in consequence of the death, bankruptcy or incapacity of a shareholder by:

(a)        mailing the record, addressed to them:

(i)     by name, by the title of the legal representative of the deceased or incapacitated shareholder, by the title of trustee of the bankrupt shareholder or by any similar description; and

(ii)    at the address, if any, supplied to the Company for that purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled; or

(b)        if an address referred to in Article 24.1(a)(ii) has been supplied to the Company, by giving the notice in a manner in which it might have been given if the death, bankruptcy or incapacity had not occurred.

24.6      Undelivered Notices

If, on two consecutive occasions, a notice, statement, report or other record is sent to a shareholder pursuant to Article 24.1 and on each of those occasions any such record is returned because the shareholder cannot be located, the Company will not be required to send any further records to the shareholder until the shareholder informs the Company in writing of his or her new address.

ARTICLE 25 - RECORD DATES

25.1      Fixing Record Date

The directors may fix in advance a date, which must not be more than the maximum number of days permitted by the Act, preceding the date of any meeting of shareholders or any class or series thereof or of the payment of any dividend or of the proposed taking of any other proper action requiring the determination of shareholders, as the record date for the determination of the shareholders entitled to notice of, or to attend and vote at, any such meeting and any adjournment thereof, or entitled to receive payment of any such dividend or for any other proper purpose and, in such case, notwithstanding anything elsewhere contained in these Articles, only shareholders of record on the date so fixed are deemed to be shareholders for the purposes aforesaid.

25.2      If No Record Date Fixed

If no record date is fixed for the determination of shareholders, the date on which the notice is mailed or on which the resolution declaring the dividend is adopted, as the case may be, is the record date for such determination.

ARTICLE 26 - SEAL

26.1      Custody and Use of Seal

The directors may provide a seal for the Company and, if they do so, will provide for its safe custody and it will not be impressed on any instrument except when such impression is attested by the signature or signatures of:

(a)           any two directors;

(b)           any officer together with any director;


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(c)           if the Company has one director, that director; or

(d)           such one or more directors or officers or persons as may be prescribed from time to time by resolution of the directors.

For the purpose of certifying under seal true copies of any resolution or other document, the seal may be impressed on such copy attested by the signature of any one director or officer.

26.2       Signing Authority

In the event that the Company does not have a seal or wishes to execute a document without affixing a seal, any documents requiring signature on behalf of the Company may be signed by any one of the directors or officers of the Company, unless a contrary intention is expressed in a directors' resolution.

26.3       Mechanical Reproduction of Seal

The directors may authorize the seal to be affixed by third parties to bonds, debentures, share certificates or other securities of the Company as they may determine appropriate from time to time.

ARTICLE 27 - PROHIBITIONS

27.1       Definitions

In this Article:

(a)        "security" has the meaning assigned in the Securities Act (British Columbia); and

(b)        "transfer restricted security" means:

(i)        a share of the Company;

(ii)       a security of the Company convertible into shares of the Company;

(ii)      any other security of the Company which must be subject to restrictions on transfer in order for the Company to satisfy the requirement for restrictions on transfer under the "private issuer" exemption of Canadian securities legislation or under any other exemption from prospectus or registration requirements of Canadian securities legislation similar in scope and purpose to the "private issuer" exemption.

27.2       Consent Required for Transfer of Shares or Transfer Restricted Securities

No share or other transfer restricted security of the Company may be transferred without the previous consent of the directors expressed by a resolution of the board of directors and the directors are not required to give reasons for refusing to consent to such proposed transfer. The foregoing provision does not apply if and for so long as the Company is a public company or a pre-existing reporting company which has the Statutory Reporting Company Provisions as part of its articles or to which the Statutory Reporting Company Provisions apply.

 

 

See share rights added November 8, 2018


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE

SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS OF ALL THE VOTING SHAREHOLDERS OF

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD
(the "Company")

The undersigned, being all the voting shareholders of the Company, hereby consent to and adopt in writing the following special resolutions:

Alteration to Notice of Articles and Articles 
RESOLVED as special resolutions that:

1.         the authorized share structure of the Company be altered by creating an unlimited number of Preferred shares without par value;

2.         the special rights and restrictions set forth in Schedule A attached hereto be created and attached to the Preferred shares;

3.         there be created and attached to the existing Common shares the special rights and restrictions set forth in Schedule A attached hereto;

4.         the Table of Contents to the Articles of the Company be amended by adding thereto at the end the following:

"27. SPECIAL RIGHTS AND RESTRICTIONS ATTACHED TO SHARES"

5.         the Articles of the Company be altered by adding thereto Part 27 - Special Rights and Restrictions Attached to Shares, as set forth on Schedule A attached hereto;

6.         the Notice of Articles of the Company be altered to reflect the alterations referred to above, and that accordingly, a Notice of Alteration be completed as required, and that any director or officer of the Company or the Company's solicitor is authorized and directed for and on behalf and in the name of the Company to execute the Notice of Alteration required to give effect to these resolutions;

7.         it is a condition of these resolutions that the alterations to the Articles of the Company set out herein do not take effect until the Notice of Articles is altered to reflect the alteration to the Articles.

[Signature Page to Follow]

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE

SCHEDULE A

27.         SPECIAL RIGHTS AND RESTRICTIONS ATTACHED TO SHARES

27.1       Common shares

The special rights and restrictions attached to the Common shares are as follows:

(1)      General. The voting, dividend and liquidation rights of the holders of Common shares are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of the holders of Preferred shares.

(2)      Voting. The holders of Common shares are entitled to one vote for each Common share held at all meetings of shareholders (and written actions in lieu of meetings).

(3)      Dividends. The holders of Common shares are entitled, subject to the rights of the Preferred shares of the Company, to receive dividends if, as and when declared by the board of directors of the Company.

(4)      Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding-Up. The holders of the Common shares are entitled, subject to the rights of the Preferred shares of the Company, to receive the remaining property of the Company on a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary.

27.2      Preferred shares

The special rights and restrictions attached to the Preferred shares are as follows:

(1)         Definitions.

(a)        "Additional Shares" means all Common shares issued by the Company after the Preferred Share Original Issue Date, other than (1) the following Common shares and (2) Common shares deemed issued under the following Options and Convertible Securities (clauses (1) and (2), collectively, "Exempted Securities"):

(i)        Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued as a dividend or distribution on Preferred shares;

(ii)       Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued by reason of a dividend, share split, split-up or other distribution on Common shares that is covered by Subsection 27.2(12), 27.2(13), 27.2(14) or 27.2(15);

(iii)      Common shares or Options issued to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries under a plan, agreement or arrangement approved by the Company's board of directors;

(iv)      Common shares or Convertible Securities actually issued upon the exercise of Options or Common shares actually issued upon the conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities, in each case provided the issuance is under such Option or Convertible Security;

(v)       Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued to banks, equipment lessors or other financial institutions, or to real property lessors, under a debt financing, equipment leasing or real or immovable property leasing transaction approved by the Company's board of directors that do not exceed an aggregate of 15% of the Common shares (including shares underlying (directly or indirectly) any such Options or Convertible Securities);

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE

 

2

(vi)     Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued to suppliers or third party service providers in connection with the provision of goods or services under transactions approved by the Company's board of directors that do not exceed an aggregate of 15% of the Common shares (including shares underlying (directly or indirectly) any such Options or Convertible Securities); or

(vii)     Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued under the acquisition of another corporation by the Company by amalgamation, purchase of substantially all of the assets or other reorganization or to a joint venture agreement, provided that such issuances are approved by the Company's board of directors .

(b)     "Convertible Securities" means any evidences of indebtedness, shares or other securities directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for Common shares, but excluding Options.

(c)      "Deemed Liquidation Event" means, unless the holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Preferred shares elect otherwise by written notice sent to the Company at least 10 days before the effective date of any such event, the following:

(i)        an amalgamation or consolidation in which the Company is a constituent party or a subsidiary of the Company is a constituent party and the Company issues shares under such amalgamation or consolidation, except any such amalgamation or consolidation involving the Company or a subsidiary in which the shares of the Company outstanding immediately before such amalgamation or consolidation continue to represent, or are converted into or exchanged for shares that represent, immediately following such amalgamation or consolidation, at least a majority, by voting power, of the shares of (1) the surviving or resulting Company; or (2) if the surviving or resulting Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of another Company immediately following such amalgamation or consolidation, the parent Company of such surviving or resulting Company; or

(ii)       the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company of all or substantially all the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or the sale or disposition (whether by amalgamation, consolidation or otherwise) of one or more subsidiaries of the Company if substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

(d)     "Options" means rights, options or warrants to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire Common shares or Convertible Securities.

(e)      "Original Issue Price" means the amount per share that each shareholder has paid to the Company for the Preferred shares that that shareholder holds, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any share dividend, share split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Preferred shares.

(f)      "Preferred Share Original Issue Date" means the date on which the first Preferred share was issued.

(2)          Voting. On any matter presented to the shareholders of the Company for their action or consideration at any meeting of shareholders of the Company (or by written consent of shareholders

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE

3

in lieu of a meeting), each holder of outstanding Preferred shares is entitled to cast the number of votes equal to the number of whole Common shares into which the Preferred shares held by the holder are convertible as of the record date for determining shareholders entitled to vote on such matter. Except as provided by law or by the other provisions of the Articles, holders of Preferred shares shall vote together with the holders of Common shares as a single class.

(3)       Dividends. The Company shall not declare, pay or set aside any dividends on shares of any other class of the Company (other than a stock dividend on the Common shares payable in Common shares) unless (in addition to the obtaining of any consents required elsewhere in the Articles) the holders of the Preferred shares then outstanding first receive, or simultaneously receive, a pro rata dividend based on the number of Common shares into which they are convertible.

(4)       Interest. The Company shall pay interest on the Preferred Shares from the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares to such an aggregate per annum rate equal to five percent (5%), with such interest to accrue daily in arrears and be compounded annually; provided that, in no event, shall such interest exceed the maximum permitted rate of interest under applicable law (the "Maximum Permitted Rate"), provided that, the Company shall take all such actions as may be necessary, including without limitation, making any applicable governmental filings, to cause the Maximum Permitted Rate to be the highest possible rate. Such interest shall be paid by the Company on,a "payment-in-kind" basis through the issuance of additional preferred shares in the capital of the Company, In the event any provision hereof would result in the rate of interest payable hereunder being in excess of the Maximum Permitted Rate, the amount of interest required to be paid hereunder shall automatically be reduced to eliminate such excess; provided that, any subsequent increase in the Maximum Permitted Rate shall be retroactively effective to the applicable date of issuance of Preferred Shares to the extent permitted by law.

(4)       Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up; Certain Amalgamations, Consolidations and Asset Sales.

(a)  In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or Deemed Liquidation Event, the holders of Preferred shares then outstanding are entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Company available for distribution to its shareholders before any payment shall be made to the holders of Common shares, an amount per share equal to the Original Issue Price, plus any dividends that have accrued or been declared but remain unpaid thereon. If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or Deemed Liquidation Event, the assets of the Company available for distribution to its shareholders is insufficient to pay the holders of Preferred shares the full amount to which they are entitled under this Subsection 27.2(5)(a), the holders of Preferred shares shall share rateably in any distribution of the assets available for distribution in proportion to the respective amounts that would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares held by them upon such distribution if all amounts payable on or with respect to such shares were paid in full.

(b)  In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or Deemed Liquidation Event, after the payment of all preferential amounts required to be paid to the holders of Preferred shares the remaining assets of the Company available for distribution to its shareholders shall be distributed among the holders of Preferred shares and Common shares, pro rata based on the number of shares held by each such holder, treating for this purpose all such securities as if they had been converted to Common shares under the Articles immediately before such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company. The aggregate amount that a holder of Preferred shares is entitled to receive under Subsections 27.2(5) is referred to as the "Class A Liquidation Amount."

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE


4

(5)       Conversion. The holders of the Preferred shares shall have the right to convert the Preferred shares at the option of the holder, at any time, into Common shares of the Company at the conversion rate then in place. Any accrued or declared but unpaid dividends will also have the right to be converted at the option of the Company. All accrued but unpaid interest will be paid in accordance with the terms set out in Subsection 27.2(4).

(6)       Conversion Ratio. Each Preferred share may be converted, at the option of its holder, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by its holder, into such number of fully paid and non-assessable Common shares as is determined by dividing the Original Issue Price by the Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The "Conversion Price" shall initially be US$2.00. The Conversion Price will be adjusted in accordance with the provisions set out in these articles. In the event that the Company completes an equity financing resulting in a valuation of the Company of US$50,000,000 or greater within 18 months of the Preferred Shares Original Issue Date (the "Qualified Financing"), holders of the Preferred shares shall have the right to convert the Preferred shares into Common shares at a Conversion Price determined by the board of directors of the Company, in its sole discretion, that results in the Preferred shares converting at the lesser of (i) a 1:1 ratio, and (ii) a 25% discount to the valuation of the Preferred shares on the basis of the valuation ascribed to the Preferred Shares pursuant to the Qualified Financing. If the Company completes an equity financing other than a Qualified Financing within 18 months following the Preferred Share Original Issue Date, the Conversion Price of the Preferred Shares shall be adjusted by the board of directors of the Company such that the outstanding Preferred Shares shall be convertible into the number of Common Shares of the Company equal to the same pro rata ownership of the holders of Preferred Shares (on an as-converted to Common share basis) immediately prior to each such financing and, in the discretion of the board of directors of the Company, the Company may elect to adjust the Conversion Price as contemplated above or cause additional shares to be issued to the holders of Preferred Shares in the same manner as Sections 27.2(8) through 27.2(10) contemplate. If the Company does not complete an equity financing within 18 months of the Preferred Share Original Issue Date, the board of directors of the Company shall engage an appraisal firm to determine the valuation of the Company (the "Appraised Valuation of the Company"), after which time the holders of the Preferred shares shall have the right to convert the Preferred shares into Common shares of the Company at a Conversion Price determined by the board of directors of the Company to provide the holders of the Preferred shares with a 25% discount to the valuation of the Preferred shares as a percentage of the Company's valuation determined in the Appraised Valuation of the Company, provided; however, that the Conversion Price shall not be adjusted to permit the holders of Preferred Shares to obtain greater than 25% of the outstanding Common shares (on an as-converted basis and taking into account all outstanding warrants or convertible securities entitling the holders thereof to acquire Preferred shares).

(8)           Deemed Issue of Additional Shares.

(a)  If the Company at any time or from time to time after the Preferred Share Original Issue Date issues Options or Convertible Securities (excluding Options or Convertible Securities that are themselves Exempted Securities) or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of any class of securities entitled to receive any such Options or Convertible Securities, then the maximum number of Common shares (as set forth in the relating instrument, assuming the satisfaction of any conditions to exercisability, convertibility or exchangeability but without regard to any of its provisions for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or, in the case of Convertible Securities and Options therefor, the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, will be deemed to be Additional Shares issued as of the time of such issue or, in case such a record date has been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date.

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE

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(b)      If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security, the issuance of which resulted in an adjustment to the Conversion Price under Subsection 27.2(9), are revised as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment under such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms under anti-dilution or similar provisions of such Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase or decrease in the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of the Option or Convertible Security or (2) any increase or decrease in the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, then, effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective, the Conversion Price computed upon the original issue of the Option or Convertible Security (or upon the occurrence of a record date with respect thereto) shall be readjusted to such Conversion Price as would have obtained had such revised terms been in effect upon the original date of issuance of the Option or Convertible Security. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no readjustment under this clause (b) shall increase the Conversion Price to an amount that exceeds the lower of (i) the Conversion Price in effect immediately before the original adjustment made as a result of the issuance of the Option or Convertible Security, or (ii) the Conversion Price that would have resulted from any issuances of Additional Shares (other than deemed issuances of Additional Shares as a result of the issuance of the Option or Convertible Security) between the original adjustment date and such readjustment date.

(c)       If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security (excluding Options or Convertible Securities that are themselves Exempted Securities), the issuance of which did not result in an adjustment to the Conversion Price under Subsection 27.2(9) (either because the consideration per share (determined under Subsection 27.2(10)) of the Additional Shares subject thereto was equal to or greater than the Conversion Price then in effect, or because such Option or Convertible Security was issued before the Preferred Share Original Issue Date), are revised after the Preferred Share Original Issue Date as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment under such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms under anti-dilution or similar provisions of the Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase in the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of the Option or Convertible Security or (2) any decrease in the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion or exchange, then such Option or Convertible Security, as so amended or adjusted, and the Additional Shares subject thereto (determined in the manner provided in Subsection 27.2(8)(a)) will be deemed to have been issued effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective.

(d)      Upon the expiration or termination of any unexercised Option or unconverted or unexchanged Convertible Security (or portion thereof) that resulted (either upon its original issuance or upon a revision of its terms) in an adjustment to the Conversion Price under Subsection 27.2(9), the Conversion Price shall be readjusted to such Conversion Price as would have obtained had such Option or Convertible Security (or portion thereof) never been issued.

(e)      If the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, is calculable at the time the Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended but is subject to adjustment based upon subsequent events, any adjustment to the Conversion Price under this Subsection 27.2(8) shall be effected at the time of such issuance or amendment based on such number of shares or amount of consideration without regard to any provisions for subsequent adjustments (and any subsequent adjustments shall be treated as provided in clauses (b) and (c) of this Subsection 27.2(8)). If the number of Common shares

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE

6

issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, cannot be calculated at all at the time the Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended, any adjustment to the Conversion Price that would result under this Subsection 27.2(8) at the time of such issuance or amendment shall instead be effected at the time such number of shares and/or amount of consideration is first calculable (even if subject to subsequent adjustments), assuming for purposes of calculating such adjustment to the Conversion Price that such issuance or amendment took place at the time such calculation can first be made.

(9)       Adjustment of Conversion Price Upon Issuance of Additional Shares. If the Company, at any time after the Preferred Share Original Issue Date and before the 18 month anniversary of the Preferred Share Original Issue Date, issues Additional Shares, without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the applicable Conversion Price in effect immediately before such issue, then the Conversion Price shall be reduced, concurrently with such issue, to the consideration per share received by the Company for such issue or deemed issue of the Additional Shares; provided that if such issuance or deemed issuance was without consideration, then the Company will be deemed to have received an aggregate of $.001 of consideration for all such Additional Shares issued or deemed to be issued.

(10)     Determination of Consideration. For purposes of this Subsection 27.2(10), the consideration received by the Company for the issue of any Additional Shares shall be computed as follows:

(a)       Cash and Property: Such consideration shall:

(i)        if it consists of cash, be computed at the aggregate amount of cash received by the Company, excluding amounts paid or payable for accrued interest;

(ii)       if it consists of property other than cash, be computed at its fair market value at the time of such issue, as determined in good faith by the Company's board of directors; and

(iii)      if Additional Shares are issued together with other shares or securities or other assets of the Company for consideration that covers both, be the proportion of such consideration so received, computed as provided in clauses (i) and (ii) above, as determined in good faith by the Company's board of directors.

(b)      Options and Convertible Securities. The consideration per share received by the Company for Additional Shares deemed to have been issued relating to Options and Convertible Securities, shall be determined by dividing:

The total amount, if any, received or receivable by the Company as consideration for the issue of such Options or Convertible Securities, plus the minimum aggregate amount of additional consideration (as set forth in the relating instruments, without regard to any of its provision for a subsequent adjustment of such consideration) payable to the Company upon the exercise of the Options or the conversion or exchange of the Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of the Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, by the maximum number of Common shares (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities.

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE


7

(11)    Multiple Closing Dates. If the Company issues on more than one date Additional Shares that are a part of one transaction or a series of related transactions and that would result in an adjustment to the Conversion Price under Subsection 27.2(9), and such issuance dates occur within a period of no more than 90 days from the first such issuance to the final such issuance, then, upon the final such issuance, the Conversion Price shall be readjusted to give effect to all such issuances as if they occurred on the date of the first such issuance (and without giving effect to any additional adjustments as a result of any such subsequent issuances within such period).

(12)    Adjustment for Share Splits and Combinations. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Preferred Share Original Issue Date, subdivides the outstanding Common shares, the Conversion Price in effect immediately before the subdivision shall be proportionately decreased so that the number of Common shares issuable on conversion of each share of such class be increased in proportion to such increase in the aggregate number of Common shares outstanding. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Preferred Share Original Issue Date, combines the outstanding Common shares, the Conversion Price in effect immediately before the combination shall be proportionately increased so that the number of Common shares issuable on conversion of each share of such class be decreased in proportion to such decrease in the aggregate number of Common shares outstanding. Any adjustment under this subsection shall become effective at the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective.

(13)    Adjustment for Certain Dividends and Distributions. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Preferred Share Original Issue Date, makes or issues, or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of Common shares entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable on the Common shares in additional Common shares, then and in each such event the Conversion Price in effect immediately before such event shall be decreased as of the time of such issuance or, in the event such a record date is fixed, as of the close of business on such record date, by multiplying the Conversion Price then in effect by a fraction:

(a)       the numerator of which is the total number of Common shares issued and outstanding immediately before the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date, and

(b)       the denominator of which is the total number of Common shares issued and outstanding immediately before the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date plus the number of Common shares issuable in payment of such dividend or distribution.

Notwithstanding the foregoing (a) if such record date is fixed and such dividend is not fully paid or if such distribution is not fully made on the date fixed therefor, the Conversion Price shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the Conversion Price shall be adjusted under this subsection as of the, time of actual payment of such dividends or distributions; and (b) no such adjustment shall be made if the holders of Preferred shares simultaneously receive a dividend or other distribution of Common shares in a number equal to the number of Common shares as they would have received if all outstanding Preferred shares had been converted into Common shares on the date of such event.

(14)    Adjustments for Other Dividends and Distributions. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Preferred Share Original Issue Date, makes or issues, or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of Common shares entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable in securities of the Company (other than a distribution of Common shares in respect of outstanding Common shares) or in other property, then and in each such event the holders of Preferred shares shall receive, simultaneously with the distribution to the holders of Common shares, a dividend or other distribution of such securities or other property in an amount equal to

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE

 

8

the amount of such securities or other property as they would have received if all outstanding Preferred shares had been converted into Common shares on the date of such event.

(15)    Adiustment for Amalgamation or Reorganization etc. Subject to Subsection 27.2(5)(a), if any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or amalgamation occurs involving the Company in which the Common shares (but not the Preferred shares) is converted into or exchanged for securities, cash or other property (other than a transaction covered by Subsections 27.2(8), 27.2(9), 27.2(10), 27.2(11), 27.2(13) or 27.2(14)) then, following any such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or amalgamation, each Preferred Share shall be convertible in lieu of the Common shares into which it was convertible before such event into the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that a holder of the number of Common shares of the Company issuable upon conversion of one Preferred Share immediately before such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or amalgamation would have been entitled to receive under such transaction; and, in such case, appropriate adjustment (as determined in good faith by the Company's board of directors) shall be made in the application of this Section 27.2 with respect to the rights and interests of the holders of Preferred shares respecting conversion rights, to the end that the conversion rights in this Section 27.2 (including provisions with respect to changes in and other adjustments of the Conversion Price) shall be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to any securities or other property deliverable upon the conversion of the Preferred shares.

(16)    Mandatory Conversion.

(a)      Trigger Events. Upon either (a) the closing of the sale of Common shares to the public in a firm-commitment underwritten public offering under an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and/or a prospectus filed with a securities commission or authority in any of the provinces or territories of Canada, (b) the date and time, or the occurrence of an event, specified by vote or written consent of the holders of at least 66  2/3% of the then outstanding Preferred shares (the time of such closing or the date and time specified or the time of the event specified in such vote or written consent is referred to herein as the "Mandatory Conversion Time"), or (c) the closing of a sale of Common shares amounting to greater than 20% of all issued and outstanding shares in the capital of the Company on a private placement basis, then (i) all outstanding Preferred shares shall automatically be converted into Common shares, at the then effective conversion rate as calculated under Subsection 27.2(7) and (ii) such shares may not be reissued by the Company.

(b)      Procedural Requirements. All holders of record of Preferred shares shall be sent written notice of the Mandatory Conversion Time and the place designated for mandatory conversion of all such Preferred shares under this Subsection 27.2(16). Such notice need not be sent in advance of the occurrence of the Mandatory Conversion Time. Upon receipt of such notice, each holder of Preferred shares in certificated form shall surrender his, her or its certificate or certificates for all such shares (or, if such holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company to indemnify the Company against any claim that may be made against the Company on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Company at the place designated in such notice. If so required by the Company, any certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company, duly signed by the registered holder or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. All rights with respect to the Preferred shares converted under Subsection 27.2(16)(a), including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common shares), will terminate at the Mandatory Conversion Time (notwithstanding the failure of their holder or holders to surrender any certificates at or before such time), except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE


9

surrender of any certificate or certificates of such holders (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) therefor, to receive the items provided for in the next sentence of this subsection. As soon as practicable after the Mandatory Conversion Time and, if applicable, the surrender of any certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) for Preferred shares, the Company shall (a) issue and deliver to their holder, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full Common shares issuable on such conversion in accordance with these provisions and (b) pay cash in lieu of the payment of any dividends that have accrued or been declared by remain unpaid on the Preferred shares converted.

(17)     Redemption. Unless prohibited by law, the Preferred shares shall be redeemed by the Company at a price equal to the Original Issue Price per share, plus all dividends and unpaid interest that has accrued or, in respect of the dividends been declared but are unpaid dividends thereon (the "Redemption Price"), in three equal annual installments (with the unpaid dividends paid as part of the third installment) commencing not more than 60 days after receipt by the Company at any time on or after the fifth anniversary of the Preferred Share Original Issue Date from the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding Preferred shares, of written notice requesting redemption of all Preferred shares (the "Redemption Request"). Upon receipt of a Redemption Request, the Company shall apply all of its assets to any such redemption, and to no other corporate purpose, except to the extent prohibited by law governing distributions to shareholders. The date of each such installment is referred to as a "Redemption Date." On each Redemption Date, the Company shall redeem, on a pro rata basis in accordance with the number of Preferred shares owned by each holder, that number of outstanding Preferred shares determined by dividing (a) the total number of Preferred shares outstanding immediately before such Redemption Date by (b) the number of remaining Redemption Dates (including the Redemption Date to which such calculation applies). If on any Redemption Date the Company is prevented by law from redeeming all Preferred shares to be redeemed, the Company shall rateably redeem the maximum number of shares that it may redeem consistent with law, and shall redeem the remaining shares as soon as it may lawfully do so under law.

(18)      Redemption Notice. The Company shall send written notice of the mandatory redemption (the "Redemption Notice") to each holder of record of Preferred shares not less than 40 days before each Redemption Date, Each Redemption Notice shall state:

(a)     the number of Preferred shares held by the holder that the Company will redeem on the Redemption Date specified in the Redemption Notice;

(b)     the Redemption Date and the Redemption Price;

(c)      the date upon which the holder's right to convert such shares terminates; and

(d)     for holders of shares in certificated form, that the holder is to surrender to the Company, in the manner and at the place designated, his, her or its certificate or certificates representing the Preferred shares to be redeemed.

(19)      Surrender of Certificates; Payment. On or before the applicable Redemption Date, each holder of Preferred shares to be redeemed on such Redemption Date, unless such holder has exercised his, her or its right to convert such shares, shall, if a holder of shares in certificated form, surrender the certificate or certificates representing such shares (or, if such registered holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company to indemnify the Company against any claim that may be made against the Company on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Company, in the manner and at the place designated in the Redemption Notice, and thereupon the Redemption Price for such shares shall be payable to the order of the person whose name appears on such certificate or certificates as its owner, If less than all of the

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


DocuSign Envelope ID: 9185ACAB-3A85-4C95-A06F-E56C449F86CE

10

Preferred shares represented by a certificate are redeemed, a new certificate, instrument, or book entry representing the unredeemed Preferred shares shall promptly be issued to such holder.

(20)    Rights Subsequent to Redemption. If the Redemption Notice is duly given, and if on the applicable Redemption Date the Redemption Price payable upon redemption of the Preferred shares to be redeemed on such Redemption Date is paid or tendered for payment or deposited with an independent payment agent so as to be available therefor in a timely manner, then notwithstanding that any certificates evidencing any of the Preferred shares so called for redemption has not been surrendered, dividends with respect to such Preferred shares shall cease to accrue after such Redemption Date and all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately after the Redemption Date terminate, except only the right of the holders to receive the Redemption Price without interest upon surrender of any such certificate or certificates therefor.

(21)    Waiver. Any of the rights, powers, preferences and other terms of the Preferred shares may be waived on behalf of all holders of Preferred shares by the affirmative written consent or vote of the holders of at least 50% of the Preferred shares then outstanding.

(22)    Notices. Any notice required or permitted by these provisions to be given to a holder of Preferred shares shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the post office address last shown on the records of the Company, or given by electronic communication, and will be deemed sent upon such mailing or electronic transmission.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These amendments are effective as of November 8, 2018 at 4:30 PM (the date and time that the Notice of Alteration was filed with BC Registry Services).

 


SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
(the "Company")

AMENDMENT TO ARTICLES

(effective 12:30 pm on January 13, 2020)

The following special resolution was consented to in writing by all of the Shareholders of the Company as of January 9, 2020:

"5.           the Articles of the Company be altered by amending and replacing Part 27 - Special Rights and Restrictions Attached to Shares, with provisions as set forth in Schedule A attached hereto"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


SCHEDULE A

27.        SPECIAL RIGHTS AND RESTRICTIONS ATTACHED TO SHARES

27.1      Common shares

The special rights and restrictions attached to the Common shares are as follows:

(1)       General. The voting, dividend and liquidation rights of the holders of Common shares are subject to and qualified by the rights, powers and preferences of the holders of Class Seed Preferred shares and the holders of Class A Preferred shares.

(2)       Voting. The holders of Common shares are entitled to one vote for each Common share held at all meetings of shareholders (and written actions in lieu of meetings).

(3)       Dividends. The holders of Common shares are entitled, subject to the rights of the Class Seed Preferred shares and Class A Preferred shares of the Company, to receive dividends if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors.

(4)       Liquidation, Dissolution or Windinq-Up. The holders of the Common shares are entitled, subject to the rights of the Class Seed Preferred shares and Class A Preferred shares of the Company, to receive the remaining property of the Company on a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary.

27.2       Class Seed Preferred shares

The special rights and restrictions attached to the Class Seed Preferred shares are as follows:

(1)     Definitions.

(a)        "Additional Shares" means all Common shares issued by the Company after the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Date, other than (1) the following Common shares and (2) Common shares deemed issued under the following Options and Convertible Securities (clauses (1) and (2), collectively, "Exempted Securities"):

(i)        Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued as a dividend or distribution on Class Seed Preferred shares;

(ii)       Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued by reason of a dividend, share split, split-up or other distribution on Common shares that is covered by Subsection 27.2(12), 27.2(13), 27.2(14) or 27.2(15);

(iii)      Common shares or Options issued to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries under a plan, agreement or arrangement approved by the Board of Directors;

(iv)      Common shares or Convertible Securities actually issued upon the exercise of Options or Common shares actually issued upon the conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities, in each case provided the issuance is under such Option or Convertible Security;

(v)       Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued to banks, equipment lessors or other financial institutions, or to real property lessors, under a debt financing, equipment leasing or real or immovable property leasing transaction approved by the Board of Directors that do not exceed an aggregate of 15% of the Common shares (including shares underlying (directly or indirectly) any such Options or Convertible Securities);

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(vi)      Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued to suppliers or third-party service providers in connection with the provision of goods or services under transactions approved by the Board of Directors that do not exceed an aggregate of 15% of the Common shares (including shares underlying (directly or indirectly) any such Options or Convertible Securities); or

(vii)     Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued under the acquisition of another corporation by the Company by amalgamation, purchase of substantially all of the assets or other reorganization or to a joint venture agreement, provided that such issuances are approved by the Board of Directors.

(b)     "Convertible Securities" means any evidences of indebtedness, shares or other securities directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for Common shares, but excluding Options.

(c)    "Deemed Liquidation Event" means, unless the holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Class Seed Preferred shares elect otherwise by written notice sent to the Company at least 10 days before the effective date of any such event, the following:

(i)         an amalgamation or consolidation in which the Company is a constituent party or a subsidiary of the Company is a constituent party and the Company issues shares under such amalgamation or consolidation, except any such amalgamation or consolidation involving the Company or a subsidiary in which the shares of the Company outstanding immediately before such amalgamation or consolidation continue to represent, or are converted into or exchanged for shares that represent, immediately following such amalgamation or consolidation, at least a majority, by voting power, of the shares of (1) the surviving or resulting Company; or (2) if the surviving or resulting Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of another Company immediately following such amalgamation or consolidation, the parent Company of such surviving or resulting Company; or

(ii)         the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company of all or substantially all the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or the sale or disposition (whether by amalgamation, consolidation or otherwise) of one or more subsidiaries of the Company if substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

(d)        "Fair Market Value" means, in respect of assets other than securities, their fair market value as determined in good faith and on reasonable grounds by the Board of Directors and, if the assets are securities:

(i)         if traded on one or more securities exchanges or markets, the weighted average of the closing prices of such securities on the exchange or market on which the securities are primarily traded over the 30-day period ending three days prior to the relevant date; or

(ii)         if actively traded over-the-counter, the weighted average of the closing bid or sale prices (whichever are applicable) over the 30-day period ending three days prior to the relevant date; or

 

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(iii)        if there is no active public market, the fair market value of such securities as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors;

provided that, if the securities to be valued are securities issued by the Company, the principles set forth in paragraphs (i) and (ii) above shall apply, except that no discount or premium is to be applied to valuation of such securities on the basis of that they constitute a minority block or a majority block of securities or for restricted liquidity or low negotiability.

(e)       "Fully-Diluted Basis" means, as of any date of determination, all issued and outstanding Common shares and all Common shares issuable upon the exercise or conversion of any outstanding Convertible Securities or Options as of such date with respect to which the aggregate of the price initially paid for such Convertible Securities or Options and the exercise price for conversion of such Convertible Securities or Options into Common Shares is equal to or less than the Fair Market Value of the Common Shares at such time whether or not such Convertible Securities or Options are at the time exercisable or convertible, and Common shares issuable as a result thereof shall be deemed to have been issued and to form part of the holdings of the person(s) entitled to receive such Common shares.

(f)        "Options" means rights, options or warrants to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire Common shares or Convertible Securities.

(g)       "Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Price" means the amount per share that each shareholder has paid to the Company for the Class Seed Preferred shares that that shareholder holds, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any share dividend, share split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Class Seed Preferred shares.

(h)       "Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Date" means the date on which the first Class Seed Preferred share was issued.

(2)       Voting. On any matter presented to the shareholders of the Company for their action or consideration at any meeting of shareholders of the Company (or by written consent of shareholders in lieu of a meeting), each holder of outstanding Class Seed Preferred shares is entitled to cast the number of votes equal to the number of whole Common shares into which the Class Seed Preferred shares held by the holder are convertible as of the record date for determining shareholders entitled to vote on such matter. Except as provided by law or by the other provisions of the Articles, holders of Class Seed Preferred shares shall vote together with the holders of Common shares as a single class.

(3)       Dividends. The Company shall not declare, pay or set aside any dividends on shares of any other class of the Company (other than a stock dividend on the Common shares payable in Common shares) unless (in addition to the obtaining of any consents required elsewhere in the Articles) the holders of the Class Seed Preferred shares then outstanding first receive, or simultaneously receive, a pro rata dividend based on the number of Common shares into which they are convertible.

(4)       Dividends. The holders of the Class Seed Preferred shares, in priority to the holders of Common shares and any other class or series of shares ranking junior to the Class Seed Preferred shares, shall be entitled to receive and the Company shall pay thereon out of monies of the Company properly applicable to the payment of dividends, cumulative cash dividends at the rate of five percent (5%) of the Class Seed Original Issuance Price per share, per annum, accruing (but not compounding) daily, payable only upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company or, at any time prior to the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, payable if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors (the "Board of Directors").

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(5)       Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up; Certain Amalgamations, Consolidations and Asset Sales. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or Deemed Liquidation Event, the holders of Class Seed Preferred shares then outstanding are entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Company available for distribution to its shareholders, subject to the prior rights of the holders of Class A Preferred shares and before any payment shall be made to the holders of Common shares, an amount per share equal to the greater of (i) the Class Seed Preferred Original Issue Price, plus any dividends that have accrued or been declared but remain unpaid thereon and (ii) the amount that would have been paid to such holders as if their Class Seed Preferred shares had been converted to Common shares under the Articles prior to such time. If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or Deemed Liquidation Event, the assets of the Company available for distribution to its shareholders is insufficient to pay the holders of Class Seed Preferred shares the full amount to which they are entitled under this Subsection 27.2(5)(a), the holders of Class Seed Preferred shares shall share rateably in any distribution of the assets available for distribution in proportion to the respective amounts that would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares held by them upon such distribution if all amounts payable on or with respect to such shares were paid in full. The aggregate amount that a holder of Class Seed Preferred shares is entitled to receive under Subsections 27.2(5) is referred to as the "Class A Liquidation Amount."

(6)       Conversion. The holders of the Class Seed Preferred shares shall have the right to convert the Class Seed Preferred shares at the option of the holder, at any time, into Common shares of the Company at the conversion rate then in place. Any accrued or declared but unpaid dividends will also have the right to be converted at the option of the Company.

(7)       Conversion Ratio. Each Class Seed Preferred share may be converted, at the option of its holder, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by its holder, into such number of fully paid and non-assessable Common shares as is determined by dividing the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Price by the Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The "Conversion Price" shall initially be US $2.36.

(8)       Deemed Issue of Additional Shares.

(a)       If the Company at any time or from time to time after the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Date issues Options or Convertible Securities (excluding Options or Convertible Securities that are themselves Exempted Securities) or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of any class of securities entitled to receive any such Options or Convertible Securities, then the maximum number of Common shares (as set forth in the relating instrument, assuming the satisfaction of any conditions to exercisability, convertibility or exchangeability but without regard to any of its provisions for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or, in the case of Convertible Securities and Options therefor, the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, will be deemed to be Additional Shares issued as of the time of such issue or, in case such a record date has been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date.

(b)       If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security, the issuance of which resulted in an adjustment to the Conversion Price under Subsection 27.2(9), are revised as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment under such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms under anti-dilution or similar provisions of such Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase or decrease in the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of the Option or Convertible Security or (2) any increase or decrease in the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion and/or

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exchange, then, effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective, the Conversion Price computed upon the original issue of the Option or Convertible Security (or upon the occurrence of a record date with respect thereto) shall be readjusted to such Conversion Price as would have obtained had such revised terms been in effect upon the original date of issuance of the Option or Convertible Security. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no readjustment under this clause (b) shall increase the Conversion Price to an amount that exceeds the lower of (i) the Conversion Price in effect immediately before the original adjustment made as a result of the issuance of the Option or Convertible Security, or (ii) the Conversion Price that would have resulted from any issuances of Additional Shares (other than deemed issuances of Additional Shares as a result of the issuance of the Option or Convertible Security) between the original adjustment date and such readjustment date.

(c)       If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security (excluding Options or Convertible Securities that are themselves Exempted Securities), the issuance of which did not result in an adjustment to the Conversion Price under Subsection 27.2(9) (either because the consideration per share (determined under Subsection 27.2(10)) of the Additional Shares subject thereto was equal to or greater than the Conversion Price then in effect, or because such Option or Convertible Security was issued before the Preferred Share Original Issue Date), are revised after the Preferred Share Original Issue Date as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment under such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms under antidilution or similar provisions of the Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase in the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of the Option or Convertible Security or (2) any decrease in the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion or exchange, then such Option or Convertible Security, as so amended or adjusted, and the Additional Shares subject thereto (determined in the manner provided in Subsection 27.2(8)(a)) will be deemed to have been issued effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective.

(d)       Upon the expiration or termination of any unexercised Option or unconverted or unexchanged Convertible Security (or portion thereof) that resulted (either upon its original issuance or upon a revision of its terms) in an adjustment to the Conversion Price under Subsection 27.2(9), the Conversion Price shall be readjusted to such Conversion Price as would have obtained had such Option or Convertible Security (or portion thereof) never been issued.

(e)       If the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, is calculable at the time the Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended but is subject to adjustment based upon subsequent events, any adjustment to the Conversion Price under this Subsection 27.2(8) shall be effected at the time of such issuance or amendment based on such number of shares or amount of consideration without regard to any provisions for subsequent adjustments (and any subsequent adjustments shall be treated as provided in clauses (b) and (c) of this Subsection 27.2(8)). If the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, cannot be calculated at all at the time the Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended, any adjustment to the Conversion Price that would result under this Subsection 27.2(8) at the time of such issuance or amendment shall instead be effected at the time such number of shares and/or amount of consideration is first calculable (even if subject to subsequent adjustments), assuming for purposes of

 

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calculating such adjustment to the Conversion Price that such issuance or amendment took place at the time such calculation can first be made.

(9)        Adjustment of Conversion Price Upon Issuance of Additional Shares. If the Company, at any time after the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Date and before the 18 month anniversary of the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Date, issues Additional Shares, without consideration or for a consideration per share less than the applicable Conversion Price in effect immediately before such issue (or, in the case of any issuance of Convertible Securities or Options where the effective "all in" conversion price or exercise price payable to result in the issuance of Common shares to the holder is less than such Conversion Price), then the Conversion Price shall be reduced, concurrently with such issue, by multiplying it by a fraction:

(a)       the numerator of which is the sum of:

(i)      the number of Common shares outstanding immediately prior to such issuance; and

(ii)     the number of Common shares that the Aggregate Consideration in respect of such issuance would have purchased at a price equal to the Conversion Price of such series of Preferred Shares in effect immediately prior to such issuance; and

(b)       the denominator of which is the sum of:

(i)      the number of Common shares outstanding immediately prior to such issuance; and

(ii)     the number of additional Common shares actually issued and issuable upon the conversion, exchange or exercise of the new Derivative Securities;

provided that if such issuance or deemed issuance was without consideration, then the Company will be deemed to have received an aggregate of $.001 of consideration for all such Additional Shares issued or deemed to be issued. For purposes of the above calculation, the number of Common shares outstanding immediately prior to such issuance is calculated on a Fully-Diluted Basis, as if all Convertible Securities outstanding prior to such issuance had been fully converted, exercised or exchanged for Common shares immediately prior to such issuance. For greater certainty, the applicable Conversion Price of each series shall be adjusted as provided above only to the extent required under this Section 27.2(9).

(10)       Determination of Consideration. The consideration received by the Company for the issue of any Additional Shares shall be computed as follows:

(a)    Cash and Property: Such consideration shall:

(i)        if it consists of cash, be computed at the aggregate amount of cash received by the Company, excluding amounts paid or payable for accrued interest;

(ii)       if it consists of property other than cash, be computed at its fair market value at the time of such issue, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors; and

(iii)       if Additional Shares are issued together with other shares or securities or other assets of the Company for consideration that covers both, be the proportion of such consideration so received, computed as provided in clauses (i) and (ii) above, as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors.

(b)    Options and Convertible Securities. The consideration per share received by the Company for Additional Shares deemed to have been issued relating to Options and Convertible Securities, shall be determined by dividing:

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The total amount, if any, received or receivable by the Company as consideration for the issue of such Options or Convertible Securities, plus the minimum aggregate amount of additional consideration (as set forth in the relating instruments, without regard to any of its provision for a subsequent adjustment of such consideration) payable to the Company upon the exercise of the Options or the conversion or exchange of the Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of the Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, by the maximum number of Common shares (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities.

(11)     Multiple Closing Dates. If the Company issues on more than one date Additional Shares that are a part of one transaction or a series of related transactions and that would result in an adjustment to the Conversion Price under Subsection 27.2(9), and such issuance dates occur within a period of no more than 90 days from the first such issuance to the final such issuance, then, upon the final such issuance, the Conversion Price shall be readjusted to give effect to all such issuances as if they occurred on the date of the first such issuance (and without giving effect to any additional adjustments as a result of any such subsequent issuances within such period).

(12)     Adjustment for Share Splits and Combinations. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Date, subdivides the outstanding Common shares, the Conversion Price in effect immediately before the subdivision shall be proportionately decreased so that the number of Common shares issuable on conversion of each share of such class be increased in proportion to such increase in the aggregate number of Common shares outstanding. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Date, combines the outstanding Common shares, the Conversion Price in effect immediately before the combination shall be proportionately increased so that the number of Common shares issuable on conversion of each share of such class be decreased in proportion to such decrease in the aggregate number of Common shares outstanding. Any adjustment under this subsection shall become effective at the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective.

(13)     Adjustment for Certain Dividends and Distributions. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Date, makes or issues, or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of Common shares entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable on the Common shares in additional Common shares, then and in each such event the Conversion Price in effect immediately before such event shall be decreased as of the time of such issuance or, in the event such a record date is fixed, as of the close of business on such record date, by multiplying the Conversion Price then in effect by a fraction:

(a)       the numerator of which is the total number of Common shares issued and outstanding immediately before the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date, and

(b)       the denominator of which is the total number of Common shares issued and outstanding immediately before the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date plus the number of Common shares issuable in payment of such dividend or distribution.

Notwithstanding the foregoing (a) if such record date is fixed and such dividend is not fully paid or if such distribution is not fully made on the date fixed therefor, the Conversion Price shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the

 

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Conversion Price shall be adjusted under this subsection as of the time of actual payment of such dividends or distributions; and (b) no such adjustment shall be made if the holders of Class Seed Preferred shares simultaneously receive a dividend or other distribution of Common shares in a number equal to the number of Common shares as they would have received if all outstanding Class Seed Preferred shares had been converted into Common shares on the date of such event.

(14)     Adjustments for Other Dividends and Distributions. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Date, makes or issues, or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of Common shares entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable in securities of the Company (other than a distribution of Common shares in respect of outstanding Common shares) or in other property, then and in each such event the holders of Class Seed Preferred shares shall receive, simultaneously with the distribution to the holders of Common shares, a dividend or other distribution of such securities or other property in an amount equal to the amount of such securities or other property as they would have received if all outstanding Class Seed Preferred shares had been converted into Common shares on the date of such event

(15)     Adjustment for Amalgamation or Reorganization etc. Subject to Subsection 27.2(5)(a), if any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or amalgamation occurs involving the Company in which the Common shares (but not the Class Seed Preferred shares) is converted into or exchanged for securities, cash or other property (other than a transaction covered by Subsections 27.2(8), 27.2(9), 27.2(11), 27.2(12), 27.2(13) or 27.2(14)) then, following any such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or amalgamation, each Class Seed Preferred share shall be convertible in lieu of the Common shares into which it was convertible before such event into the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that a holder of the number of Common shares of the Company issuable upon conversion of one Class Seed Preferred share immediately before such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or amalgamation would have been entitled to receive under such transaction; and, in such case, appropriate adjustment (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors) shall be made in the application of this Section 27.2 with respect to the rights and interests of the holders of Class Seed Preferred shares respecting conversion rights, to the end that the conversion rights in this Section 27.2 (including provisions with respect to changes in and other adjustments of the Conversion Price) shall be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to any securities or other property deliverable upon the conversion of the Class Seed Preferred shares.

(16)     Mandatory Conversion.

(a)      Trigger Events. Upon either (a) the closing of the sale of Common shares to the public in a firm-commitment underwritten public offering under an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and/or a prospectus filed with a securities commission or authority in any of the provinces or territories of Canada at a per-share price equal to at least five (5) times the then-applicable Conversion Price in respect of the Series A Preferred Shares producing gross proceeds to the Company from the issue of Common shares of at least US$50 million or (b) the closing of a sale of Common shares amounting to greater than 20% of all issued and outstanding shares in the capital of the Company on a private placement basis, then (i) all outstanding Class Seed Preferred shares shall automatically be converted into Common shares, at the then effective conversion rate as calculated under Subsection 27.2(7) and (ii) such shares may not be reissued by the Company.

(b)      Procedural Requirements. All holders of record of Class Seed Preferred shares shall be sent written notice of the Mandatory Conversion Time and the place designated for mandatory conversion of all such Class Seed Preferred shares under this Subsection

 

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27.2(16). Such notice need not be sent in advance of the occurrence of the Mandatory Conversion Time. Upon receipt of such notice, each holder of Class Seed Preferred shares in certificated form shall surrender his, her or its certificate or certificates for all such shares (or, if such holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company to indemnify the Company against any claim that may be made against the Company on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Company at the place designated in such notice. If so required by the Company, any certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company, duly signed by the registered holder or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. All rights with respect to the Class Seed Preferred shares converted under Subsection 27.2(16)(a), including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common shares), will terminate at the Mandatory Conversion Time (notwithstanding the failure of their holder or holders to surrender any certificates at or before such time), except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of any certificate or certificates of such holders (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) therefor, to receive the items provided for in the next sentence of this subsection. As soon as practicable after the Mandatory Conversion Time and, if applicable, the surrender of any certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) for Class Seed Preferred shares, the Company shall (a) issue and deliver to their holder, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full Common shares issuable on such conversion in accordance with these provisions and (b) pay cash in lieu of the payment of any dividends that have accrued or been declared by remain unpaid on the Class Seed Preferred shares converted.

(17)     Redemption. Unless prohibited by law, the Class Seed Preferred shares shall be redeemed by the Company at a price equal to the Class Seed Preferred Share Original Issue Price per share, plus all dividends that have accrued but have not yet been declared and any dividends declared but are unpaid (the "Redemption Price"), in three equal annual installments (with the unpaid dividends paid as part of the third installment) commencing not more than 60 days after receipt by the Company at any time on or after the fifth anniversary of the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date (as defined in Section 27.3) from the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding Class Seed Preferred shares, provided that the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding Class A Preferred shares have elected, on or prior to such time, to exercise their redemption rights under Section 27.3 (17), of written notice requesting redemption of all Class Seed Preferred shares (the "Redemption Request"). Upon receipt of a Redemption Request, the Company shall apply all of its assets to the redemption of the Class A Preferred shares and any such redemption, and to no other corporate purpose, except to the extent prohibited by law governing distributions to shareholders. The date of each such installment is referred to as a "Redemption Date." On each Redemption Date, subject to the prior redemption rights of the holders of Class A Preferred shares, the Company shall redeem, on a pro rata basis in accordance with the number of Class Seed Preferred shares owned by each holder, that number of outstanding Class Seed Preferred shares determined by dividing (a) the total number of Class Seed Preferred shares outstanding immediately before such Redemption Date by (b) the number of remaining Redemption Dates (including the Redemption Date to which such calculation applies). If on any Redemption Date the Company is prevented by law from redeeming all Class Seed Preferred shares to be redeemed, the Company shall rateably redeem the maximum number of shares that it may redeem consistent with law, and shall redeem the remaining shares as soon as it may lawfully do so under law.

(18)    Redemption Notice. The Company shall send written notice of the mandatory redemption (the "Redemption Notice") to each holder of record of Class Seed Preferred shares not less than 40 days before each Redemption Date. Each Redemption Notice shall state:


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(a)       the number of Class Seed Preferred shares held by the holder that the Company will redeem on the Redemption Date specified in the Redemption Notice;

(b)       the Redemption Date and the Redemption Price;

(c)       the date upon which the holder's right to convert such shares terminates; and

(d)       for holders of shares in certificated form, that the holder is to surrender to the Company, in the manner and at the place designated, his, her or its certificate or certificates representing the Class Seed Preferred shares to be redeemed.

(19)     Surrender of Certificates; Payment. On or before the applicable Redemption Date, each holder of Class Seed Preferred shares to be redeemed on such Redemption Date, unless such holder has exercised his, her or its right to convert such shares, shall, if a holder of shares in certificated form, surrender the certificate or certificates representing such shares (or, if such registered holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company to indemnify the Company against any claim that may be made against the Company on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Company, in the manner and at the place designated in the Redemption Notice, and thereupon the Redemption Price for such shares shall be payable to the order of the person whose name appears on such certificate or certificates as its owner. If less than all of the Class Seed Preferred shares represented by a certificate are redeemed, a new certificate, instrument, or book entry representing the unredeemed Class Seed Preferred shares shall promptly be issued to such holder.

(20)     Rights Subsequent to Redemption. If the Redemption Notice is duly given, and if on the applicable Redemption Date the Redemption Price payable upon redemption of the Class Seed Preferred shares to be redeemed on such Redemption Date is paid or tendered for payment or deposited with an independent payment agent so as to be available therefor in a timely manner, then notwithstanding that any certificates evidencing any of the Class Seed Preferred shares so called for redemption has not been surrendered, dividends with respect to such Class Seed Preferred shares shall cease to accrue after such Redemption Date and all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately after the Redemption Date terminate, except only the right of the holders to receive the Redemption Price without interest upon surrender of any such certificate or certificates therefor.

(21)     Waiver. Any of the rights, powers, preferences and other terms of the Class Seed Preferred shares may be waived on behalf of all holders of Class Seed Preferred shares by the affirmative written consent or vote of the holders of at least 50% of the Class Seed Preferred shares then outstanding.

(22)     Notices. Any notice required or permitted by these provisions to be given to a holder of Class Seed Preferred shares shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the post office address last shown on the records of the Company, or given by electronic communication, and will be deemed sent upon such mailing or electronic transmission.


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Execution copy

27.3       Class A Preferred shares

The special rights and restrictions attached to the Class A Preferred shares are as follows:

(1)        Definitions.

                The following terms have the following meanings, solely for the purposes of this Section 27.3:

(a)         "Additional Shares" means all Common shares, Convertible Securities or Options issued by the Company after the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date, other than (1) the following Common shares and (2) Common shares deemed issued under the following Options and Convertible Securities (clauses (1) and (2), collectively, "Exempted Securities"):

(i)     Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued as a dividend or distribution on Class A Preferred shares;

(ii)    Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued by reason of a dividend, share split, split-up or other distribution on Common shares that is covered by Subsection 27.3(12), 27.3(13), 27.3(14) or 27.3(15);

(iii)   Common shares or Options issued to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors to, the Company or any of its subsidiaries under a plan, agreement or arrangement approved by the Board of Directors;

(iv)   Common shares or Convertible Securities actually issued upon the exercise of Options or Common shares actually issued upon the conversion or exchange of Convertible Securities, in each case provided the issuance is under such Option or Convertible Security;

(v)    Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued to banks, equipment lessors or other financial institutions, or to real property lessors, under a debt financing, equipment leasing or real or immovable property leasing transaction approved by the Board of Directors that do not exceed an aggregate of 15% of the Common shares (including shares underlying (directly or indirectly) any such Options or Convertible Securities);

(vi)    Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued to suppliers or third-party service providers in connection with the provision of goods or services under transactions approved by the Board of Directors that do not exceed an aggregate of 15% of the Common shares (including shares underlying (directly or indirectly) any such Options or Convertible Securities); or

(vii)    Common shares, Options or Convertible Securities issued under the acquisition of another corporation by the Company by amalgamation, purchase of substantially all of the assets or other reorganization or to a joint venture agreement, provided that such issuances are approved by the Board of Directors.

(b)       "Convertible Securities" means any evidences of indebtedness, shares or other securities directly or indirectly convertible into or exchangeable for Common shares, but excluding Options.

(c)      "Deemed Liquidation Event" means, unless the holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Class A Preferred shares elect otherwise by written notice sent to the Company at least 10 days before the effective date of any such event, the following:


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(i)        an amalgamation or consolidation in which the Company is a constituent party or a subsidiary of the Company is a constituent party and the Company issues shares under such amalgamation or consolidation, except any such amalgamation or consolidation involving the Company or a subsidiary in which the shares of the Company outstanding immediately before such amalgamation or consolidation continue to represent, or are converted into or exchanged for shares that represent, immediately following such amalgamation or consolidation, at least a majority, by voting power, of the shares of (1) the surviving or resulting Company; or (2) if the surviving or resulting Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of another Company immediately following such amalgamation or consolidation, the parent Company of such surviving or resulting Company; or

(ii)       the sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company of all or substantially all the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole or the sale or disposition (whether by amalgamation, consolidation or otherwise) of one or more subsidiaries of the Company if substantially all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such subsidiary or subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, exclusive license or other disposition is to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.

(d)        "Fair Market Value" means, in respect of assets other than securities, their fair market value as determined in good faith and on reasonable grounds by the Board of Directors and, if the assets are securities:

(i)        if traded on one or more securities exchanges or markets, the weighted average of the closing prices of such securities on the exchange or market on which the securities are primarily traded over the 30-day period ending three days prior to the relevant date; or

(ii)       if actively traded over-the-counter, the weighted average of the closing bid or sale prices (whichever are applicable) over the 30-day period ending three days prior to the relevant date; or

(iii)      if there is no active public market, the fair market value of such securities as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors;

provided that, if the securities to be valued are securities issued by the Company, the principles set forth in paragraphs (i) and (ii) above shall apply, except that no discount or premium is to be applied to valuation of such securities on the basis of that they constitute a minority block or a majority block of securities or for restricted liquidity or low negotiability.

(e)        "Fully-Diluted Basis" means, as of any date of determination, all issued and outstanding Common shares and all Common shares issuable upon the exercise or conversion of any outstanding Convertible Securities or Options as of such date with respect to which the aggregate of the price initially paid for such Convertible Securities or Options and the exercise price for conversion of such Convertible Securities or Options into Common shares is equal to or less than the Fair Market Value of the Common shares at such time whether or not such Convertible Securities or Options are at the time exercisable or convertible, and Common shares issuable as a result thereof shall be deemed to have been issued and to form part of the holdings of the person(s) entitled to receive such Common shares.


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(f)             "Options" means rights, options or warrants to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire Common shares or Convertible Securities.

(g)            "Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Price" means the amount per share that each shareholder has paid to the Company for the Class A Preferred shares that that shareholder holds, subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of any share dividend, share split, combination or other similar recapitalization with respect to the Class A Preferred shares.

(h)            "Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date" means the date on which the first Class A Preferred share was issued.

(2)           Voting. On any matter presented to the shareholders of the Company for their action or consideration at any meeting of shareholders of the Company (or by written consent of shareholders in lieu of a meeting), each holder of outstanding Class A Preferred shares is entitled to cast the number of votes equal to the number of whole Common shares into which the Class A Preferred shares held by the holder are convertible as of the record date for determining shareholders entitled to vote on such matter. Except as provided by law or by the other provisions of the Articles, holders of Class A Preferred shares shall vote together with the holders of Common shares as a single class.

(3)           Dividends. The Company shall not declare, pay or set aside any dividends on shares of any other class of the Company unless (in addition to the obtaining of any consents required elsewhere in the Articles) the holders of the Class A Preferred shares then outstanding first receive, or simultaneously receive, a pro rata dividend based on the number of Common shares into which they are convertible.

(4)           Dividends. The holders of the Class A Preferred shares, in priority to the holders of Common shares and any other class or series of shares ranking junior to the Class A Preferred shares, shall be entitled to receive and the Company shall pay thereon out of monies of the Company properly applicable to the payment of dividends, cumulative cash dividends, or dividends payable as a PIK Dividend in the circumstances set forth below, at the rate of eight percent (8%) of the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Price per share, per annum, accruing (but not compounding) daily, payable only upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company or, at any time prior to the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company, payable if, as and when declared by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall deliver notice to each of the holders of the Class A Preferred shares at least fourteen (14) days prior to any declaration by the Board of Directors of the dividends provided to be paid under this Section 27.3(4) if such dividends are to be declared by the Board of Directors prior to the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company. Each holder of Class A Preferred shares may, in its sole discretion, receive all or any portion of the amount of the cumulative dividends payable hereunder in the form of a whole number of further Class A Preferred shares ("PIK Dividends"), to be issued at the Fair Market Value of such Class A Preferred shares immediately prior to the date on which the dividend is declared; provided that such holder has delivered an election to receive all or a portion of such dividends in PIK Dividends, specifying the amount of such dividends to be payable in PIK Dividends if less than all of such dividends are to be payable in PIK Dividends, at least seven (7) days prior to the date provided for declaration of the dividend Any amount of dividends payable to a holder of Class A Preferred shares that has elected to receive PIK Dividends that is less than a whole multiple of the then applicable issuance price for such Class A Preferred shares shall be paid in cash. In the event PIK Dividends are payable pursuant to a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Company or a Deemed Liquidation Event, the shares issuable as PIK Dividends shall be deemed to have been issued immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution, winding-up or Deemed Liquidation Event.


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(5)           Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up: Certain Amalgamations, Consolidations and  Asset Sales. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or Deemed Liquidation Event, the holders of Class A Preferred shares then outstanding are entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Company available for distribution to its shareholders before any payment shall be made to the holders of Class Seed Preferred shares or Common shares, an amount per share equal to the greater of (i) the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Price, plus any dividends that have accrued or been declared but remain unpaid thereon and (ii) the amount that would have been paid to such holders as if their Class A Preferred shares had been converted to Common shares under the Articles prior to such time. If upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company or Deemed Liquidation Event, the assets of the Company available for distribution to its shareholders is insufficient to pay the holders of Class A Preferred shares the full amount to which they are entitled under this Subsection 27.3(5), the holders of Class A Preferred shares shall share rateably in any distribution of the assets available for distribution in proportion to the respective amounts that would otherwise be payable in respect of the shares held by them upon such distribution if all amounts payable on or with respect to such shares were paid in full. The aggregate amount that a holder of Class A Preferred shares is entitled to receive under Subsections 27.3(5) is referred to as the "Class A Liquidation Amount."

(6)           Conversion. The holders of the Class A Preferred shares shall have the right to convert the Class A Preferred shares at the option of the holder, at any time, into Common shares of the Company at the conversion rate then in place. Any accrued or declared but unpaid dividends will also have the right to be converted at the option of the holder.

(7)           Conversion Ratio. Each Class A Preferred share may be converted, at the option of its holder, at any time and from time to time, and without the payment of additional consideration by its holder, into such number of fully paid and non-assessable Common shares as is determined by dividing the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Price by the Class A Conversion Price (as defined below) in effect at the time of conversion. The "Class A Conversion Price" shall initially be US $3.15. The Class A Conversion Price will be adjusted in accordance with the provisions set out in these articles.

(8)           Deemed Issue of Additional Shares.

(a)         If the Company at any time or from time to time after the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date issues Options or Convertible Securities (excluding Options or Convertible Securities that are themselves Exempted Securities) or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of any class of securities entitled to receive any such Options or Convertible Securities, then the maximum number of Common shares (as set forth in the relating instrument, assuming the satisfaction of any conditions to exercisability, convertibility or exchangeability but without regard to any of its provisions for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or, in the case of Convertible Securities and Options therefor, the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, will be deemed to be Additional Shares issued as of the time of such issue or, in case such a record date has been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date.

(b)         If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security, the issuance of which resulted in an adjustment to the Class A Conversion Price under Subsection 27.3(9), are revised as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment under such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms under anti-dilution or similar provisions of such Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase or decrease in the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of the Option or Convertible Security or (2) any increase or decrease in the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise,


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conversion and/or exchange, then, effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective, the Class A Conversion Price computed upon the original issue of the Option or Convertible Security (or upon the occurrence of a record date with respect thereto) shall be readjusted to such Class A Conversion Price as would have obtained had such revised terms been in effect upon the original date of issuance of the Option or Convertible Security. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no readjustment under this clause (b) shall increase the Class A Conversion Price to an amount that exceeds the lower of (i) the Class A Conversion Price in effect immediately before the original adjustment made as a result of the issuance of the Option or Convertible Security, or (ii) the Class A Conversion Price that would have resulted from any issuances of Additional Shares (other than deemed issuances of Additional Shares as a result of the issuance of the Option or Convertible Security) between the original adjustment date and such readjustment date.

(c)         If the terms of any Option or Convertible Security (excluding Options or Convertible Securities that are themselves Exempted Securities), the issuance of which did not result in an adjustment to the Class A Conversion Price under Subsection 27.3(9) (either because the consideration per share (determined under Subsection 27.3(10)) of the Additional Shares subject thereto was equal to or greater than the Class A Conversion Price then in effect, or because such Option or Convertible Security was issued before the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date), are revised after the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date as a result of an amendment to such terms or any other adjustment under such Option or Convertible Security (but excluding automatic adjustments to such terms under antidilution or similar provisions of the Option or Convertible Security) to provide for either (1) any increase in the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of the Option or Convertible Security or (2) any decrease in the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion or exchange, then such Option or Convertible Security, as so amended or adjusted, and the Additional Shares subject thereto (determined in the manner provided in Subsection 27.3(8)(a)) will be deemed to have been issued effective upon such increase or decrease becoming effective.

(d)         Upon the expiration or termination of any unexercised Option or unconverted or unexchanged Convertible Security (or portion thereof) that resulted (either upon its original issuance or upon a revision of its terms) in an adjustment to the Class A Conversion Price under Subsection 27.3(9), the Class A Conversion Price shall be readjusted to such Class A Conversion Price as would have obtained had such Option or Convertible Security (or portion thereof) never been issued.

(e)         If the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, is calculable at the time the Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended but is subject to adjustment based upon subsequent events, any adjustment to the Class A Conversion Price under this Subsection 27.3(8) shall be effected at the time of such issuance or amendment based on such number of shares or amount of consideration without regard to any provisions for subsequent adjustments (and any subsequent adjustments shall be treated as provided in clauses (b) and (c) of this Subsection 27.3(8)). If the number of Common shares issuable upon the exercise, conversion and/or exchange of any Option or Convertible Security, or the consideration payable to the Company upon such exercise, conversion and/or exchange, cannot be calculated at all at the time the Option or Convertible Security is issued or amended, any adjustment to the Class A Conversion Price that would result under this Subsection 27.3(8) at the time of such issuance or amendment shall instead be effected at the time such number of shares and/or amount of


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consideration is first calculable (even if subject to subsequent adjustments), assuming for purposes of calculating such adjustment to the Class A Conversion Price that such issuance or amendment took place at the time such calculation can first be made.

(9)        Adjustment of Class A Conversion Price Upon Issuance of Additional Shares. If the Company, at any time after the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date, issues Additional Shares, without consideration or for a consideration per share, in the case of Convertible Securities or Options where the effective "all in" conversion price or exercise price payable to result in the issuance of Common shares to the holder is, less than the applicable Class A Conversion Price in effect immediately before such issue, then the Class A Conversion Price shall be reduced, concurrently with such issue, by multiplying it by a fraction:

(a)    the numerator of which is the sum of:

(i)        the number of Common shares outstanding immediately prior to such issuance; and

(ii)       the number of Common shares that the aggregate consideration in respect of such issuance would have purchased at a price equal to the Class A Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such issuance; and

(b)    the denominator of which is the sum of:

(i)        the number of Common shares outstanding immediately prior to such issuance; and

(ii)       the number of additional Common shares actually issued and issuable upon the conversion, exchange or exercise of the new Convertible Securities;

provided that if such issuance or deemed issuance was without consideration, then the Company will be deemed to have received an aggregate of $.001 of consideration for all such Additional Shares issued or deemed to be issued. For purposes of the above calculation, the number of Common shares outstanding immediately prior to such issuance is calculated on a Fully-Diluted Basis, as if all Convertible Securities and Options outstanding prior to such issuance had been fully converted, exercised or exchanged for Common shares immediately prior to such issuance. For greater certainty, the applicable Class A Conversion Price of each series shall be adjusted as provided above only to the extent required under this Section 27.3(9).

(10)        Determination of Consideration. The consideration received by the Company for the issue of any Additional Shares shall be computed as follows:

(a)      Cash and Property: Such consideration shall:

(i)          if it consists of cash, be computed at the aggregate amount of cash received by the Company, excluding amounts paid or payable for accrued interest;

(ii)         if it consists of property other than cash, be computed at its fair market value at the time of such issue, as determined in good faith by the Company's board of directors; and

(iii)        if Additional Shares are issued together with other shares or securities or other assets of the Company for consideration that covers both, be the proportion of such consideration so received, computed as provided in clauses (i) and (ii) above, as determined in good faith by the Company's board of directors.


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(b)        Options and Convertible Securities. The consideration per share received by the Company for Additional Shares deemed to have been issued relating to Options and Convertible Securities, shall be determined by dividing:

The total amount, if any, received or receivable by the Company as consideration for the issue of such Options or Convertible Securities, plus the minimum aggregate amount of additional consideration (as set forth in the relating instruments, without regard to any of its provision for a subsequent adjustment of such consideration) payable to the Company upon the exercise of the Options or the conversion or exchange of the Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of the Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, by the maximum number of Common shares (as set forth in the instruments relating thereto, without regard to any provision contained therein for a subsequent adjustment of such number) issuable upon the exercise of such Options or the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities, or in the case of Options for Convertible Securities, the exercise of such Options for Convertible Securities and the conversion or exchange of such Convertible Securities.

(11)        Multiple Closing Dates. If the Company issues on more than one date Additional Shares that are a part of one transaction or a series of related transactions and that would result in an adjustment to the Class A Conversion Price under Subsection 27.3(9), and such issuance dates occur within a period of no more than 90 days from the first such issuance to the final such issuance, then, upon the final such issuance, the Class A Conversion Price shall be readjusted to give effect to all such issuances as if they occurred on the date of the first such issuance (and without giving effect to any additional adjustments as a result of any such subsequent issuances within such period).

(12)        Adjustment for Share Splits and Combinations. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date, subdivides the outstanding Common shares, the Class A Conversion Price in effect immediately before the subdivision shall be proportionately decreased so that the number of Common shares issuable on conversion of each share of such class be increased in proportion to such increase in the aggregate number of Common shares outstanding. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date, combines the outstanding Common shares, the Class A Conversion Price in effect immediately before the combination shall be proportionately increased so that the number of Common shares issuable on conversion of each share of such class be decreased in proportion to such decrease in the aggregate number of Common shares outstanding. Any adjustment under this subsection shall become effective at the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective.

(13)        Adjustment for Certain Dividends and Distributions. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date, makes or issues, or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of Common shares entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable on the Common shares in additional Common shares, then and in each such event the Class A Conversion Price in effect immediately before such event shall be decreased as of the time of such issuance or, in the event such a record date is fixed, as of the close of business on such record date, by multiplying the Class A Conversion Price then in effect by a fraction:

(a)        the numerator of which is the total number of Common shares issued and outstanding immediately before the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date, and


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(b)       the denominator of which is the total number of Common shares issued and outstanding immediately before the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date plus the number of Common shares issuable in payment of such dividend or distribution.

Notwithstanding the foregoing (a) if such record date is fixed and such dividend is not fully paid or if such distribution is not fully made on the date fixed therefor, the Class A Conversion Price shall be recomputed accordingly as of the close of business on such record date and thereafter the Class A Conversion Price shall be adjusted under this subsection as of the time of actual payment of such dividends or distributions; and (b) no such adjustment shall be made if the holders of Class A Preferred shares simultaneously receive a dividend or other distribution of Common shares in a number equal to the number of Common shares as they would have received if all outstanding Class A Preferred shares had been converted into Common shares on the date of such event.

(14)        Adjustments for Other Dividends and Distributions. If the Company, at any time or from time to time after the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date, makes or issues, or fixes a record date for the determination of holders of Common shares entitled to receive, a dividend or other distribution payable in securities of the Company (other than a distribution of Common shares in respect of outstanding Common shares) or in other property, then and in each such event the holders of Class A Preferred shares shall receive, simultaneously with the distribution to the holders of Common shares, a dividend or other distribution of such securities or other property in an amount equal to the amount of such securities or other property as they would have received if all outstanding Class A Preferred shares had been converted into Common shares on the date of such event.

(15)        Adjustment for Amalgamation or Reorganization etc. Subject to Subsection 27.3(5), if any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or amalgamation occurs involving the Company in which the Common shares (but not the Class A Preferred shares) is converted into or exchanged for securities, cash or other property (other than a transaction covered by Subsections 27.3(8), 27.3(9), 27.3(11), 27.3(12), 27.3(13) or 27.3(14)) then, following any such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or amalgamation, each Class A Preferred share shall be convertible in lieu of the Common shares into which it was convertible before such event into the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that a holder of the number of Common shares of the Company issuable upon conversion of one Class A Preferred share immediately before such reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, consolidation or amalgamation would have been entitled to receive under such transaction; and, in such case, appropriate adjustment (as determined in good faith by the Company's board of directors) shall be made in the application of this Section 27.3 with respect to the rights and interests of the holders of Class A Preferred shares respecting conversion rights, to the end that the conversion rights in this Section 27.3 (including provisions with respect to changes in and other adjustments of the Class A Conversion Price) shall be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in relation to any securities or other property deliverable upon the conversion of the Class A Preferred shares.

(16)        Mandatory Conversion.

(a)       Trigger Events. Upon either (a) the closing of the sale of Common shares to the public in a firm-commitment underwritten public offering under an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and/or a prospectus filed with a securities commission or authority in any of the provinces or territories of Canada at a per-share price equal to at least three (3) times the then-applicable Class A Conversion Price producing gross proceeds to the Company from the issue of Common shares of at least US$50 million, or (b) the date and time, or the occurrence of an event, specified by


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vote or written consent of the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding Class A Preferred shares (the time of such closing or the date and time specified or the time of the event specified in such vote or written consent is referred to herein as the "Mandatory Conversion Time"),

(b)         Procedural Requirements. All holders of record of Class A Preferred shares shall be sent written notice of the Mandatory Conversion Time and the place designated for mandatory conversion of all such Class A Preferred shares under this Subsection 27.3(16). Such notice need not be sent in advance of the occurrence of the Mandatory Conversion Time. Upon receipt of such notice, each holder of Class A Preferred shares in certificated form shall surrender his, her or its certificate or certificates for all such shares (or, if such holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company to indemnify the Company against any claim that may be made against the Company on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Company at the place designated in such notice. If so required by the Company, any certificates surrendered for conversion shall be endorsed or accompanied by written instrument or instruments of transfer, in form satisfactory to the Company, duly signed by the registered holder or by his, her or its attorney duly authorized in writing. All rights with respect to the Class A Preferred shares converted under Subsection 27.3(16)(a), including the rights, if any, to receive notices and vote (other than as a holder of Common shares), will terminate at the Mandatory Conversion Time (notwithstanding the failure of their holder or holders to surrender any certificates at or before such time), except only the rights of the holders thereof, upon surrender of any certificate or certificates of such holders (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) therefor, to receive the items provided for in the next sentence of this subsection. As soon as practicable after the Mandatory Conversion Time and, if applicable, the surrender of any certificate or certificates (or lost certificate affidavit and agreement) for Class A Preferred shares, the Company shall (a) issue and deliver to their holder, or to his, her or its nominees, a certificate or certificates for the number of full Common shares issuable on such conversion in accordance with these provisions and (b) pay cash in lieu of the payment of any dividends that have accrued or been declared by remain unpaid on the Class A Preferred shares converted.

(17)        Redemption. Unless prohibited by law, the Class A Preferred shares shall be redeemed by the Company at a price equal to the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Price per share, plus all dividends that have accrued but have not yet been declared and any dividends declared but are unpaid (the "Redemption Price"), in three equal annual installments (with the unpaid dividends paid as part of the third installment) commencing not more than 60 days after receipt by the Company at any time on or after the fifth anniversary of the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date from the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding Class A Preferred shares, of written notice requesting redemption of all Class A Preferred shares (the "Redemption Request"). Upon receipt of a Redemption Request, the Company shall apply all of its assets to any such redemption, and to no other corporate purpose, except to the extent prohibited by law governing distributions to shareholders. The date of each such installment is referred to as a "Redemption Date." On each Redemption Date, the Company shall redeem, on a pro rata basis in accordance with the number of Class A Preferred shares owned by each holder, that number of outstanding Class A Preferred shares determined by dividing (a) the total number of Class A Preferred shares outstanding immediately before such Redemption Date by (b) the number of remaining Redemption Dates (including the Redemption Date to which such calculation applies); provided, however, that Excluded Shares (as defined in Section 27.3(18)) shall not be redeemed and shall be excluded from the calculations set forth in this sentence. If on any Redemption Date the Company is prevented by law from redeeming all Class A 'Preferred shares to be redeemed, the Company shall rateably redeem the maximum number of shares that it may redeem


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consistent with law, and shall redeem the remaining shares as soon as it may lawfully do so under law.

(18)        Redemption Notice. The Company shall send written notice of the redemption (the "Redemption Notice") to each holder of record of Class A Preferred shares not less than 40 days before each Redemption Date. Each Redemption Notice shall state:

(a)       the number of Class A Preferred shares held by the holder that the Company will redeem on the Redemption Date specified in the Redemption Notice;

(b)       the Redemption Date and the Redemption Price;

(c)       the date upon which the holder's right to convert such shares terminates; and

(d)       for holders of shares in certificated form, that the holder is to surrender to the Company, in the manner and at the place designated, his, her or its certificate or certificates representing the Class A Preferred shares to be redeemed.

On or prior to the date that is 20 days before the first such Redemption Date any holder of Class A Preferred shares may elect, in its sole discretion, by notice in writing to the Company, to have all or part of the Class A Preferred shares held by it excluded from the redemptions provided for in Section 27.3(18) (herein referred to as "Excluded Shares"), and any such shares shall not be redeemed on such Redemption Date or on any subsequent Redemption Date but shall continue to be outstanding following such Redemption Date with all of the rights, terms and conditions provided herein, other than the right to deliver a Redemption Request and to require redemption of such shares as provided in Section 27.3(18).

(19)        Surrender of Certificates; Payment. On or before the applicable Redemption Date, each holder of Class A Preferred shares to be redeemed on such Redemption Date, unless such holder has exercised his, her or its right to convert such shares, shall, if a holder of shares in certificated form, surrender the certificate or certificates representing such shares (or, if such registered holder alleges that such certificate has been lost, stolen or destroyed, a lost certificate affidavit and agreement reasonably acceptable to the Company to indemnify the Company against any claim that may be made against the Company on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of such certificate) to the Company, in the manner and at the place designated in the Redemption Notice, and thereupon the Redemption Price for such shares shall be payable to the order of the person whose name appears on such certificate or certificates as its owner. If less than all of the Class A Preferred shares represented by a certificate are redeemed, a new certificate, instrument, or book entry representing the unredeemed Class A Preferred shares shall promptly be issued to such holder.

(20)        Rights Subsequent to Redemption. If the Redemption Notice is duly given, and if on the applicable Redemption Date the Redemption Price payable upon 'redemption of the Class A Preferred shares to be redeemed on such Redemption Date is paid or tendered for payment or deposited with an independent payment agent so as to be available therefor in a timely manner, then notwithstanding that any certificates evidencing any of the Class A Preferred shares so called for redemption has not been surrendered, dividends with respect to such Class A Preferred shares shall cease to accrue after such Redemption Date and all rights with respect to such shares shall immediately after the Redemption Date terminate, except only the right of the holders to receive the Redemption Price without interest upon surrender of any such certificate or certificates therefor.

(21)        Waiver. Any of the rights, powers, preferences and other terms of the Class A Preferred shares may be waived on behalf of all holders of Class A Preferred shares by the affirmative


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written consent or vote of the holders of at least 50% of the Class A Preferred shares then outstanding.

(22)          Notices. Any notice required or permitted by these provisions to be given to a holder of Class A Preferred shares shall be mailed, postage prepaid, to the post office address last shown on the records of the Company, or given by electronic communication, and will be deemed sent upon such mailing or electronic transmission.


EXHIBIT C

DISCLOSURE SCHEDULE

 

(see attached)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


EXHIBIT A

DISCLOSURE SCHEDULE

This Schedule of Exceptions is made and given pursuant to Section 2 of the Class A Preferred Share Purchase Agreement, dated as of January 13, 2020 (the "Agreement"), between Soluna Technologies, Ltd (the "Corporation") and the Purchasers listed on Schedule A thereto. All capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings as defined in the Agreement, unless otherwise provided. The section numbers below correspond to the section numbers of the representations and warranties in the Agreement; provided, however, that any information disclosed under any section number is deemed to be disclosed and incorporated into any other section number under the Agreement where such disclosure would be appropriate and such appropriateness is reasonably apparent from the face of such disclosure. Nothing in this Schedule of Exceptions is intended to broaden the scope of any representation or warranty contained in the Agreement or to create any covenant. Inclusion of any item in this Schedule of Exceptions (1) does not represent a determination that such item is material or establish a standard of materiality, (2) does not represent a determination that such item did not arise in the ordinary course of business, (3) does not represent a determination that the transactions contemplated by the Agreement require the consent of third parties, and (4) shall not constitute, or be deemed to be, an admission to any third party concerning such item. This Schedule of Exceptions includes brief descriptions or summaries of certain agreements and instruments, copies of which are available upon reasonable request. Such descriptions do not purport to be comprehensive, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the text of the documents described, true and complete copies of which have been provided to the Purchasers or their respective counsel.


2.2 Capitalization. The following table assumes completion of the initial closing of the Class A Preferred Share financing.

Shareholder

Class

Share Count

Warrants

 

Fully Diluted
 to Common

Pro-Rata
Interest

Soluna Technologies
Investment I, LLC

Common

7,900,000

-

 

7,900,000

62.5%

John Belizaire

Common

739,085

-

 

739,085

5.8%

John Belizaire IRA

Common

328,482

-

 

328,482

2.6%

Dipul Patel

Common

594,788

-

 

594,788

4.7%

Dipul Patel IRA

Common

45,753

-

 

45,753

0.4%

Employee Stock Pool

Common

1,067,568

-

 

1,067,568

8.4%

Tera Joule LLC

Series Seed

965,945

330,000

 

1,098,258

8.7%

MJT Park

Series Seed

479,437

-

 

406,303

3.2%

Phillip Ng

Series Seed

15,767

-

 

13,362

0.1%

Phillip Ng

Series Seed

41,588

-

 

35,244

0.3%

John Belizaire

Series Seed

102,380

-

 

86,762

0.7%

Dipul Patel

Series Seed

48,255

-

 

40,894

0.3%

Ashley Capuzzi

Series Seed

49,768

-

 

42,176

0.3%

Mohammed-Larbi Loudiyi

Series Seed

77,638

-

 

65,795

0.5%

Sanjeev Kumar

Series Seed

14,220

-

 

12,050

0.1%

Mechanical Technology
Incorporated

Series A

158,730

-

 

158,730

1.3%

Total

 

 -

-

 

12,635,251

100.0%

Note: Series Seed shares convert to common at a ratio of 0.84745760 common shares per series seed share. Warrants held by Series Seed Preferred Shareholders are exercisable to obtain Series Seed Preferred Shares, upon payment of US$ 2 per Series Seed share.

 

 

 


 

(c)(i)

Stockholder

Common

Soluna Technologies Investment I, LLC

7,900,000

John Belizaire

739,085

John Belizaire IRA

328,482

Dipul Patel

594,788

Dipul Patel IRA

45,753

For vesting rights and repurchase price of the following restricted shares, please see the relevant restricted stock unit agreements:

Soluna Technologies Ltd. - Restricted Share Agreement (Belizaire signed).pdf dated 7 June 2018

Soluna Technologies Ltd. - Restricted Share Agreement (Patel) FULLY signed.pdf dated 7 June 2018

(b)(ii)

 

Vesting Term

Option

Grant

Vesting

Option

Price /

Name

Months

Type

Date

Start

Granted

Share

Sanjeev Kumar

30

Advisory Stock
Options

9/12/2018

9/1/2018

24,573

$0.06

Ari Juels

30

Advisory Stock
Options

10/23/2018

9/1/2018

24,573

$0.06

Timo Hanke

30

Advisory Stock
Options

10/30/2018

9/1/2018

24,573

$0.06

Dwight Bush

30

Advisory Stock
Options

10/30/2018

9/1/2018

73,719

$0.06

 

(c)(iii)

920,130 Common Shares, net of advisory stock presented in 2.2 b(ii)

 


 

(c)(iv)

The following table assumes completion of the initial closing of the Class A Preferred Share financing.

Stockholder

Series Seed

Series A

Tera Joule LLC

965,945

-

MJT Park

479,437

-

Phillip Ng

15,767

-

Phillip Ng

41,588

-

John Belizaire

102,380

-

Dipul Patel

48,255

-

Ashley Capuzzi

49,768

-

Mohammed-Larbi Loudiyi

77,638

-

Sanjeev Kumar

14,220

-

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated

-

158,730

Note: Series Seed shares convert to common at a ratio of 0.84745760 common shares per series seed share.

(c)(v)

The following table assumes completion of the initial closing of the Class A Preferred Share financing.

Warrants

Series Seed

Series A

Tera Joule LLC issued in connection with the Series Seed Preferred Share Offering

330,000

-     

Note: Series Seed shares convert to common at a ratio of 0.84745760 common shares per series seed share. Warrants held by Series Seed Preferred Shareholders are exercisable to obtain Series Seed Preferred Shares, upon payment of US$ 2.00 per seed share.

 

2.3 Subsidiaries

2.7 Litigation

Omar Belmamoun ("OB"), previously CEO of Brookstone Partners Morocco ("BPM") and


Platinum Power ("PP"), is currently pursuing litigation concerning A.M Wind (a Soluna subsidiary) against key employee Mohammed-Larbi Loudiyi ("LL"), and Michael Toporek ("MT") General Managing Partner of the private equity firm Brookstone Partners1 ("BP"). Soluna and its subsidiaries are not parties to that litigation.

This litigation is a consequence to prior litigation. Initially, BP initiated actions against OB to remove him as CEO of BPM and PP for performance issues, misleading investors, and documented fraud.

In response, OB filed a claim alleging criminal acts against LL in an effort to induce BP to drop its actions against him. In September 2019, OB filed the claim with the Prosecutor's Office of Casablanca against LL. After a detailed investigation by the judiciary police, the prosecutor chose not to pursue any charges. OB subsequently refiled this same claim with the courts in Rabat and introduced a subpoena again LL. A hearing is set for February 3, 2020. Soluna believes that this claim is baseless.

OB has alleged that PP held an option to purchase A.M Wind SARL (the company containing the rights to the development of Soluna's wind project) from its owner, Altus AG ("Altus"). By implication, OB believes Altus should not have sold A.M Wind to Brookstone Partners XXV (a current Soluna subsidiary) in June of 2018.

Soluna has received legal opinions from the legal counsel of Altus A.G. (the seller of A.M Wind) and from its own Moroccan advisory firm, Afrique Advisors, who have both confirmed that the criminal claims are baseless, and further that:

(1)  A BP affiliate (Brookstone Partners International LLC) received an exclusivity right to acquire 70% of A.M Wind SARL in April 2012.

(2)  OB has claimed that this right was legally assigned to PP.

(3)  Under German (governing) law, such an assignment would have required the consent of Altus. Altus and A.M Wind SARL have confirmed in writing that no such consent was sought or granted, making any claim by OB invalid.

(4)  As such, PP never had a valid option to purchase A.M Wind SARL.

(5)  If PP did have a valid option, such option would have expired in August 2014 according to the agreements signed by the Brookstone Partners affiliate and Altus. Furthermore, no notice from PP, OB or any Brookstone affiliate to execute or extend the term of the purchase right was sent to or agreed upon by Altus. Altus and A.M Wind SARL have confirmed in writing that the option was neither exercised nor extended beyond its expiration date.

Thus, when Altus agreed to sell A.M Wind SARL to BP in June 2018, no option held by PP was circumvented.

_________________________
1
Note: BP has ownership of Soluna through its interest in Soluna Technologies Investment I, LLC and MJT Park Investors Inc and is distinct from Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXV, LLC which is wholly owned by Soluna Technologies Ltd.)


2.9 Compliance with Other Instruments

Soluna currently has outstanding payables to third-party contractors in an aggregate amount of approximately US$ 875,000. These payables are owed to service providers for i) development of Soluna's Moroccan wind site, ii) administration of Soluna's corporate legal, tax, and accounting, and iii) Soluna's marketing efforts. Soluna is in arrears in substantially all of these payables. Each of these payable has an associated contract, and Soluna is in violation or default of each of the contracts in which its payments are in arrears. Soluna is undertaking a process of restructuring these payables. Soluna intends to meet the obligations remaining after that restructuring through a combination of Series A capital and Development Capital to be raised by development partners at the AMWind SPV/ Project level. Certain details relating those these payables are enumerated in 2.10 (a) i.

Soluna has current employee wages payable and unreimbursed employee expense of approximately US$ 564,551 which is past due. Employees have agreed to defer portions of this salary to preserve the ability of Soluna to act as a going concern. Soluna intends to pay this obligation soon as practicable, including out of capital raised in this Series A. In addition, Soluna has a non-current obligation for employee payables as outlined in 2.10(a) v.

Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXV, LLC is obligated to an ‘advance development Payment’ of EUR 200,000 within two weeks of June 20, 2019. This payment is currently past due, and the Corporation is in negotiation to restructure this payment.

2.10
(a)

i.     As referenced in section 2.9, Soluna currently has outstanding payables to third-party contractors in an aggregate amount of approximately US$ 875,000. Certain transaction negotiations are ongoing and enumerated below:

o   Soluna has an accrued payable of US$ 210,937 related to legal fees from DLA Piper. This is as a result of a re-invoicing from MJT Park Inc (Soluna's obligation is to MJT Park Inc.), who signed the engagement letter with DLA Piper. Currently, Brookstone Partners and DLA Piper are in a fee dispute relating to an unrelated legal engagement and the Soluna liability is suspended pending resolution between these two parties. Brookstone Partners intends to negotiate a onetime payment at a discounted price.

o   Soluna has an accrued payable with Fieldstone of US$ 206,709 for retainer of investment banking services. Fieldstone has agreed to defer these fees until financial close of phase one of the A.M Wind site. These fees will be netted against an investment banking success fee that will be payable to Fieldstone.

o   Soluna has an accrued payable of US$ 150,000 with Dwight L Bush and an accrued payable of US$ 127,384 with Afrique Advisors S.A.R.L for efforts related to Moroccan lobbying efforts. Soluna is in the process of restructuring these


payments. (Note: Soluna also has received services from these two contractors for which it has not yet received an invoice, which is estimated at US$ 150,000 that is not reflected in these amounts.)

The above amounts represent approximately US$ 695,000, excluding the amount not yet invoiced and referred to above, eighty percent of Soluna's accrued third-party liabilities.

ii.       Mechanical Technology Incorporated ("MKTY"), a subscriber under the Class A Preferred Share offering, has engaged Soluna to source, develop and operate a cryptocurrency mining operation to be owned by MKTY or its affiliates. Soluna and MKTY have entered into a Development Agreement dated January 9, 2020 for the sourcing and design of this site, and an Operations and Management Agreement dated January 9, 2020 relating to the ongoing operations of that mine.

iii.       MJT Park Investors Inc., a Brookstone Partners affiliate, has loaned Soluna US$ 912,238. This amount is expected to be reflected in a promissory note.

iv.       Pursuant to the share purchase agreement dated June 20, 2018, between Altus AG, AICM SARL and Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXV, LLC:

o   Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXV, LLC is obligated to make an ' advance development Payment' of EUR 200,000 within two weeks of June 20, 2019. This payment is currently past due, and the Corporation is in discussions to restructure this payment.

o   Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXV, LLC is obligated to make ' development payments' of EUR 38,000 per megawatt of wind placed into service in its Dakhla site up to 100 MW for a total of EUR 3,800,000.

o   Brookstone Partners Acquisition XXV, LLC is obligated to ' success payments of EUR 10,000 per megawatt of wind placed into service in its Dakhla site between 300 MW to 700 MW for a total of EUR 4,000,000.

v.       Soluna has a recorded a balance US$ 623,419 of deferred compensation principally for executives Dipul Patel, and John Belizaire. This is amount is not payable until July 2020 or Financial Close of Phase One of the Morocco Wind Project, whichever is later.

2.11

(b)

See note on current deferred employee payable in 2.9.

See note on MKTY cryptocurrency mining operation in 2.10(a) ii.

See note on non-current deferred employee payable in 2.10(a) v.


2.16

Since the payments referred to in Section 2.11(b) are due but have not yet been paid, the Corporation has also not withheld and remitted to any governmental sources the amounts required to be withheld and remitted with respect to those payments to employees.

(c)

See note on current deferred employee payable in 2.9.

See note on non-current deferred employee payable in 2.10(a) v.

2.17

Soluna and certain of its subsidiaries filed their US returns late for the year Dec 31, 2018 tax year. To date, Soluna has received no notice of penalties for such late filling.

2.19

The below sets for the permit status for each permit for Soluna's 900 MW windfarm located in the region of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab, in the Southern Provinces of the Kingdom of Morocco, also known as the Western Sahara. To the best of the Company's knowledge, this list does not lack any permit which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

Permit

Status

Notes

Related Document

Regional Investment Committee

Approved

The project was approved by the regional investment committee on March 9 2018

6.2 Land - Regional Approval.pdf

Environmental
Impact Study

Approved

The project was approved by Moroccan environmental standards in 2011. The project is currently undergoing an update of the standards of the International Finance Corporation.

None

Framework Investment Agreement

Ongoing

Verbal approval and clearance by the Moroccan investment committee.  On 17 October 2019 the secretariat of the commission was asked to organize a drafting committee to finalize the drafting of the articles.

None

 


Land Lease Agreement

Pending

Pending authorization of the Framework Investment Agreement

None

Building Permits

Pending

Pending authorization of the Framework Investment Agreement

None

Ministry of Energy Authorization

Approved

The project was approved by the ministry of energy on 20 September 2019.

6.1.2 AM WIND Energy License_French.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


EXHIBIT D

FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

(see attached)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

This INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT, effective as of the 9th day of January, 2020, by and between Soluna Technologies, Ltd. a British Columbia limited liability corporation (together with its affiliates referred to in Paragraph A below, (the "Company"), having its principal offices at 232 Madison Avenue, suite 600, New York, NY 10016, and                       , an individual residing at                                                                (the "Indemnified Representative").

RECITALS

A.                The Indemnified Representative is willing to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company or, at the request of the Company, as a member of the Board of Directors, or in a similar capacity, for certain affiliates of the Company and, in so doing, is and will be performing a valuable service to or on behalf of the Company, all in accordance with the terms of a certain Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement of even date herewith by and between the Company and all the shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholders Agreement"); and

B.                 As an inducement to the Indemnified Representative to so serve the Company, and in consideration for such service, the Company has agreed to indemnify the Indemnified Representative upon the terms set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants contained herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the Company and the Indemnified Representative agree as follows.

1.                  Agreement to Serve. The Indemnified Representative agrees to serve or continue to serve for or on behalf of the Company in each Official Capacity (as hereinafter defined) held now or in the future for so long as the Indemnified Representative is acting, or until such time as the Indemnified Representative resigns in writing or is removed. The foregoing notwithstanding, this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect after the Indemnified Representative has ceased to serve in any Official Capacity for or on behalf of the Company and until such time as all applicable statutes of limitation have expired, and where no such stature is applicable, then for a period of not less than two (2) years following the expiration or termination of the Official Capacity, except and unless any outstanding liability insurance taken to protect persons serving the Company shall provide coverage for any greater period for acts or omissions during the employment period, in which case, then for such greater period.

2.                  Indemnification.

(a)        The Company shall indemnify the Indemnified Representative to the fullest extent permitted by the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) ("BCBCA"), as amended from time to time, but only as amended in a manner more favorable to the Indemnified Representative. Without limitation or derogation of the foregoing, the Indemnified Representative shall have the rights specified in this Agreement.

1


(b)        Except as provided in Section 3 and 5 hereof, the Company shall indemnify the Indemnified Representative against any Liability (as hereinafter defined) incurred by or assessed against the Indemnified Representative in connection with any Proceeding (as hereinafter defined) in which the Indemnified Representative may be involved, as a party or otherwise, by reason of the fact that the Indemnified Representative is or was serving in any Official Capacity held now or in the future, provided that the Indemnified Representative meets the applicable standards of conduct under the BCBCA. As used in this Agreement:

(i)              "Liability" means any liability, damage, judgment, amount paid in settlement, taxes, fine, penalty, punitive damage, or expense of any nature (including attorneys' fees and expenses);

(ii)             "Proceeding" means any threatened, pending, or completed investigation, action, suit, appeal, arbitration, or other proceeding of any nature, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, whether formal or informal, and whether brought by or in the right of the Company, a class of its security holders, or any other party; and

(iii)            "Official Capacity" means service to the Company as a director, or, at the request of the Company, in a similar capacity for any affiliate company, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan.

(c)        Notwithstanding Sections 2(a) and (b) hereof, the Company shall not indemnify the Indemnified Representative under this Agreement for any Liability incurred in a Proceeding initiated by the Indemnified Representative unless the Proceeding is authorized, either before or after commencement of the Proceeding, by the majority vote Board of Directors of the Company. An affirmative defense or counterclaim of the Indemnified Representative shall not be deemed to constitute a Proceeding initiated by the Indemnified Representative.

3.         Exclusions.

(a)        The Company shall not be obligated under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any Liability incurred by the Indemnified Representative:

(i)              to the extent payment for such Liability is made to the Indemnified Representative under an insurance policy obtained by the Company, and the Indemnified Representative is under no obligation to repay the amount of the proceeds derived from such coverage;

(ii)             to the extent payment is made to the Indemnified Representative for such Liability by the Company under its Articles of Incorporation, the BCBCA, or otherwise than pursuant to this Agreement;

(iii)            for any claim by or on behalf of the Company for recovery of profits resulting from the purchase and sale or sale and purchase by such Indemnified


2


Representative of equity securities of the Company pursuant to Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended;

(iv)             to the extent such indemnification has been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction in a final non-appealable judgment to be unlawful; or

(v)              to the extent such claim for indemnification arises primarily out of or is based primarily upon any action or failure to act by the Indemnified Representative, other than an action or failure to act undertaken at the request or with the consent of the Company, that is found in a final judicial determination (or a settlement tantamount thereto) to constitute fraud, bad faith, willful misconduct or gross negligence on the part of the Indemnified Representative.

(b)               Any act, omission, liability, knowledge, or other fact of or relating to any other person, including any other person who is also an Indemnified Representative, shall not be imputed to the Indemnified Representative for the purposes of determining the applicability of any exclusion set forth herein.

(c)               The termination of a proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nobo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the Indemnified Representative is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement.

4.                  Advancement of Expenses. The Company shall pay any Liability in the nature of an expense (including attorneys' fees and expenses) incurred in good faith by the Indemnified Representative in advance of the final disposition of a Proceeding within thirty (30) days of receipt of a demand for payment by the Indemnified Representative; provided, however, that the Indemnified Representative shall have (a) furnished the Company with a written affirmation of his good faith belief that he has met the applicable standards of conduct to be entitled to indemnification hereunder, and (b) agreed in writing to promptly repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that the Indemnified Representative is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company pursuant to this Agreement. The financial ability of the Indemnified Representative to repay an advance shall not be a prerequisite to the making to such advance.

5.                  Indemnification Procedure.

(a)                The Indemnified Representative shall use reasonable efforts to notify promptly the Board of Directors of the commencement of any Proceeding or the occurrence of any event which might give rise to a Liability under this Agreement, but the failure to so notify the Company shall not relieve the Company of any obligation which it may have to the Indemnified Representative under this Agreement or otherwise, unless the Company is able to establish direct and substantial prejudice on account of such failure. It shall be presumed at all times that the Indemnified Representative is entitled to indemnification and advancement of expenses under this Agreement.

(b)               The Company shall be entitled, upon notice to the Indemnified Representative, to assume the defense of any Proceeding with counsel reasonably

 

3


satisfactory to the Indemnified Representative involved in such Proceeding or, if there be more than one (1) Indemnified Representative involved in such Proceeding, to a majority of the Indemnified Representatives involved in such Proceeding. If, in accordance with the foregoing, the Company defends the Proceeding, the Company shall not be liable for the expenses (including attorneys' fees and expenses) of the Indemnified Representative incurred in connection with the defense of such Proceeding subsequent to the required notice, unless (i) such expenses (including attorneys' fees) have been authorized by the Company, or (ii) the Company shall not in fact have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Representative, or to the majority of Indemnified Representatives if more than one (1) is involved, to assume the defense of such Proceeding. The foregoing notwithstanding, the Indemnified Representative may elect to retain counsel at the Indemnified Representative's own cost and expense to participate in the defense of such Proceeding.

(c)               The Company will not, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Representative, settle, compromise, or consent to the entry of any judgment in any pending or threatened Proceeding in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not an Indemnified Representative is an actual or potential party to such Proceeding), unless such settlement, compromise, or consent includes an unconditional release of the Indemnified Representative hereunder from all liability arising out of such claim, action, suit, or proceeding. The Company shall not be liable for any amount paid by an Indemnified Representative in settlement of any Proceeding that is not defended by the Company, unless the Company has consented to such settlement, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.

(d)               Upon a payment under this Agreement to the Indemnified Representative with respect to any Liability, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of the Indemnified Representative to recover against any person with respect to such Liability, and the Indemnified Representative shall execute all documents and instruments required, and shall take such other actions, as may be necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of such documents as may be necessary for the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.

6.                  Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable for any reason to hold harmless an Indemnified Representative in respect of any Liability or portion thereof, the Company shall contribute to such Liability or portion thereof in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company and the Indemnified Representative from the transaction giving rise to the Liability.

7.                  Non-Exclusivity. Subject to the provisions of Section 3 of this Agreement, the rights granted to the Indemnified Representative pursuant to this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the Indemnified Representative may be entitled under statute, the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation, any outstanding agreement of the Company, or otherwise, both as to action in an Official Capacity and in any other capacity.

8.                  Reliance on Provisions. The Indemnified Representative shall be deemed to be acting in any Official Capacity in reliance upon the rights of indemnification provided by this

 

4


Agreement and the indemnification provisions of the Company's Articles of Incorporation or any outstanding agreement of the Company, as the case may be.

9.                Severability and Reformation. Any provision of this Agreement which is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or under any circumstances shall be ineffective only to the extent of such invalidity or unenforceability, and shall be deemed reformed to the extent necessary to conform to the applicable law of such jurisdiction and still give maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto. Any such determination shall not invalidate or render unenforceable the remaining provisions hereof, and shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction or under any other circumstances.

10.            Notices. Any notice, claim, request, or demand required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally or sent by telegram or three (3) business days after being dispatched by registered or certified mail, first class, postage prepaid to the addresses set forth above, or to such other address as any party hereto shall have specified in a notice duly given in accordance with this Section 10.

11.            Amendments: Binding Effect. No amendment, modification, termination, or cancellation of this Agreement shall be effective as to the Indemnified Representative unless signed in writing by the Company and the Indemnified Representative. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Company and its successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of the Indemnified Representative's heirs, executors, administrators, and personal representatives.

12.            Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of British Columbia, without regard to the conflict of laws provisions thereof.

13.            Execution. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which, when taken together, shall constitute one and the same agreement. Signatures transmitted by facsimile or electronic mail shall be deemed acceptable as originals.

 

5


EXHIBIT E

FORM OF UNANIMOUS SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT

 

(see attached)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Execution copy


 

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.

AMENDED AND RESTATED SHAREHOLDERS' AGREEMENT

 


 

January 13, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 


- 2 -

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE 1 INTERPRETATION.................................................................................................. 5

1.1 Definitions ....................................................................................................................................  1

1.2 Schedules.................................................................................................................................... 11

1.3 Gender........................................................................................................................................ 11

1.4 Currency..................................................................................................................................... 11

1.5 Paramountcy................................................................................................................................ 11

1.6 Carrying Out of the Agreement..................................................................................................... 11

1.7 Corporation Bound...................................................................................................................... 11

1.8 Compliance with Agreement......................................................................................................... 12

1.9 Certain Rules of Interpretation...................................................................................................... 12

1.10 Optionee Shareholders............................................................................................................... 12

ARTICLE 2 SHAREHOLDERS RIGHTS................................................................................... 13

2.1 Management................................................................................................................................ 13

2.2 Directors..................................................................................................................................... 13

2.3 Meetings of the Board.................................................................................................................. 13

2.4 Meetings of Shareholders............................................................................................................. 14

2.5 Meeting by Telephone or Electronic Means.................................................................................. 14

2.6 Quorum....................................................................................................................................... 14

2.7 Officers....................................................................................................................................... 15

2.8 Reporting.................................................................................................................................... 15

2.9 Compliance with GAAP.............................................................................................................. 15

2.10 Actions Requiring Special Shareholder Consent......................................................................... 16

2.11 Accountants.............................................................................................................................. 16

2.12 Waiver...................................................................................................................................... 17

2.13 Indemnity and Insurance............................................................................................................ 17

2.14 Board Decision-Making............................................................................................................ 18

2.15 Corporation Valuations............................................................................................................. 19

2.16 Representations and Warranties by Shareholders....................................................................... 19

2.17 Representations and Warranties by the Corporation................................................................... 20

ARTICLE 3 DEALING WITH SHARES.................................................................................... 22

3.1 No Transfer of Shares................................................................................................................. 22

3.2 Endorsement on Certificates........................................................................................................ 22

3.3 Shareholder Representations and Warranties............................................................................... 23

3.4 Purchase of Shares of a Shareholder........................................................................................... 23

3.5 Death or Incapacity of a Shareholder.......................................................................................... 26

3.6 Right of First Refusal.................................................................................................................. 27

3.7 Piggyback Right on Sale of Shares............................................................................................. 29

3.8 Drag-Along Right...................................................................................................................... 29

3.9 Valuation................................................................................................................................... 32

3.10 Exclusivity of Sections.............................................................................................................. 32

ARTICLE 4................................................................................................................................... 33

4.1 Material Adverse Transfer, etc 2................................................................................................ 33

ARTICLE 5 MATTERS RELATING TO ISSUANCE OF SHARES
         BY THE CORPORATION................................................................................................ 
33


- 3 -

5.1 Dilution.................................................................................................................................... 33

5.2 Pre-Emptive Right.................................................................................................................... 33

ARTICLE 6 GENERAL SALE PROVISIONS........................................................................ 34

6.1 Application of Provisions......................................................................................................... 34

6.2 Obligations of Vendor.............................................................................................................. 34

6.3 Deliveries to Vendor................................................................................................................ 35

6.4 Repayment of Debts................................................................................................................. 35

6.5 Non-Completion by Vendor..................................................................................................... 35

6.6 Agreement Binding on Transferees............................................................................................ 36

6.7 Consents.................................................................................................................................. 36

ARTICLE 7 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND COMPETITION............................ 36

7.1 Non-Competition..................................................................................................................... 36

7.2 Duty of Confidentiality.............................................................................................................. 37

7.3 Non-Solicitation....................................................................................................................... 38

7.4 General.................................................................................................................................... 39

ARTICLE 8 GENERAL............................................................................................................. 39

8.1 Assumption of the Agreement................................................................................................... 39

8.2 Benefit of the Agreement.......................................................................................................... 39

8.3 Entire Agreement..................................................................................................................... 39

8.4 Amendments and Waivers........................................................................................................ 40

8.5 Arbitration................................................................................................................................ 40

8.6 Assignment............................................................................................................................... 40

8.7 Termination............................................................................................................................... 40

8.8 Severability............................................................................................................................... 41

8.9 Notices..................................................................................................................................... 41

8.10 Counterparts; Signatures......................................................................................................... 41

8.11 Governing Law....................................................................................................................... 41

8.12 Independent Legal Advice...................................................................................................... 41

8.13 No Voting Trust..................................................................................................................... 42

8.14 Compliance with Applicable Legislation and Other Requirements............................................. 42

SCHEDULE A FORM OF ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT FOR
       TRANSFEREES/ACQUIRORS FOR THIS UNANIMOUS SHAREHOLDERS'
       AGREEMENT...................................................................................................................... 45

SCHEDULE B FORM OF ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT FOR OPTION
       HOLDERS FOR THIS UNANIMOUS SHAREHOLDERS AGREEMENT..................
48

SCHEDULE C PRINCIPLES OF SHARE VALUATION........................................................ 51

SCHEDULE D ARBITRATION PROCEDURES.................................................................... 52

SCHEDULE E ADDRESSES FOR NOTICES......................................................................... 55

 


- 4 -

SHAREHOLDERS' AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT is made as of the 13h day of January, 2020

A M O N G:

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.,

a corporation incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, (the "Corporation"),

- and -

Each of the shareholders of the Corporation from time to time.

RECITALS:  

A.        The authorized share capital of the Corporation consists of an unlimited number of Common Shares an unlimited number of Class Seed Preferred Shares and an unlimited number of Class A Preferred Shares, of which 9,608,108 Common Shares, 1,794,998 Class Seed Preferred Shares and 158,730 Class A Preferred Shares are outstanding.

B.         The Shareholders hold all of the authorized and issued Shares, as follows:

Shareholder

Number and Type of Shares

 

Soluna Technologies Investment I, LLC

7,900,000 Common Shares

John Belizaire

1,067,567 Common Shares

Dipul Patel

640,541 Common Shares

Tera Joule, LLC

965,945 Class Seed Preferred Shares

MJT Park Investors, Inc

479,437 Class Seed Preferred Shares

John Belizaire

102,380 Class Seed Preferred Shares

Dipul Patel

48,255 Class Seed Preferred Shares

Mohammed-Larbi Loudiyi

77,638 Class Seed Preferred Shares

Phillip Ng

57,355 Class Seed Preferred Shares

Ashley Capuzzi

49,768 Class Seed Preferred Shares

Sanjeev Kumar

14,220 Class Seed Preferred Shares

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated

158,730 Class A Preferred Shares

 

C.        The Parties have entered into this Agreement for the purposes of, among other things, (i) setting forth the manner in which the affairs of the Corporation shall be conducted, (ii) providing for their respective rights and obligations arising out of or in connection with the operations and affairs of the Corporation, and (iii) governing the transfer of Shares of the Corporation.

NOW THEREFORE THIS AGREEMENT WITNESSES that in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained the parties hereto agree as follows:


- 5 -

ARTICLE 1 INTERPRETATION

1.1       Definitions  

In this Agreement:

"Act" means the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), as amended from time to time.

"Affiliate" shall have the meaning given to it in the Act.

"Agreement" means this agreement and all schedules attached to this agreement, in each case as they may be supplemented or amended from time to time and the expressions "hereof", "herein", "hereto", "hereunder", "hereby" and similar expressions refer to this agreement, and "Article" and "section" mean and refer to the specified article and section of this agreement.

"arm's length" shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in the Income Tax Act (Canada).

"Articles" means the articles of incorporation of the Corporation dated May 11, 2018, as amended on October 30, 2018 to create the Class Seed Preferred Shares, as further amended on or about January 9, 2020 to create the Class A Preferred Shares and to amend the terms and conditions attached to the Class Seed Preferred Shares and as may be further amended, replaced, restated or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the Act and this Agreement, as applicable.

"Assumption Agreement" means an agreement in the form of Schedule A or Schedule B, as applicable.

"Board" means the board of Directors of the Corporation.

"Business Day" means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which the principal chartered banks located in Vancouver, British Columbia or New York, New York are not open for business. "Business of the Corporation" means the business presently carried on by the Corporation, consisting of, among other things, the pursuit of crypto-mining initiatives using wind and other assets and technology related thereto.

"Cause" means with respect to an employee or consultant of the Corporation: (i) the failure or refusal of such Person to perform his duties and responsibilities at an acceptable level or standard, provided that such Person has been provided written notice of such failure and has not corrected his behaviour within 20 days of receiving such notice; (ii) any dishonesty on the part of such Person affecting the Corporation; (iii) the conviction of such Person for an indictable offence or for any crime involving moral turpitude, fraud or misrepresentation; (iv) any wilful and intentional act on the part of such Person having the effect of materially injuring the reputation, business or business relationships of the Corporation; (v) any material breach (not covered by any of the above clauses) of any of the provisions of the employment or consulting Agreement with such Person; (vi) any other reason which at law would entitle the Corporation to terminate such Person's employment without notice or compensation in lieu of notice; or (vi) the resignation of such Person without Good Reason.

"Class A Director" means the director of the Board nominated by the holders of Class A Preferred Shares pursuant to Section 2.2.

"Class A Preferred Shareholder" means any Shareholder holding Class A Preferred Shares.

"Common Shares" means the common shares in the capital of the Corporation.

"Class A Preferred Shares" means the Class A Preferred Shares in the capital of the Corporation.


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"Class A Preferred Financing" means the financing of the Corporation currently underway on the date of this Agreement consisting of the issuance of Class A Preferred Shares at a price of $ 3.15 per share for an aggregate of up to $10,000,000.

"Class Seed Preferred Shares" means the Class Seed Preferred Shares in the capital of the Corporation.

"Collateral Benefit" means any agreement, commitment or understanding with a Shareholder or its Principal that has the effect of providing to that Shareholder or its Principal (or anyone acting not at arm's length to that Shareholder or its Principal), directly or indirectly, consideration of greater value than that offered to other Shareholders, excluding consideration paid to a Shareholder or its Principal (or anyone not at arm's length with a Shareholder or its Principal) for goods and/or services rendered or provided or to be rendered or provided by a Shareholder or its Principal (or anyone not at arm's length with a Shareholder or its Principal) where the amount of such consideration is not more than that which would be negotiated between arm's length parties on market terms.

"Competitive Business" means any business that is competitive with the Business of the Corporation and/or any of its Subsidiaries, excluding the business carried on by Soluna Technologies I, LLC and Platinum Power SA.

"Confidential Information" means the Corporation's or its Affiliates' or any of their respective clients' confidential information, property or knowledge, including without limitation, supplier information, property, materials, documents, technology, inventions, strategies, methods, procedures, trade secrets, intellectual and industrial property; business practices, processes, trade secrets, methods, devices, ideas, concepts, proposals or development projects, software, computer systems, documentation, data, designs or standards, whether owned or licensed, the terms of this Agreement and Work Products.

"Control" means, with respect to any Person at any time,

(a)        holding, as owner or other beneficiary, other than solely as the beneficiary of an unrealized security interest, directly or indirectly, securities of that Person carrying votes sufficient to elect or appoint the majority of individuals who are responsible for the supervision or management of that Person; or

(b)        the exercise of de facto control of that Person whether direct or indirect and whether through the ownership of securities, by contract or trust or otherwise; and the terms "Controlling" and "Controlled" have corresponding meanings;

"Controlled Shareholder" means, with respect to a particular Principal, the Shareholder Controlled by that Principal.

"Corporation" means Soluna Technologies, Ltd. and includes any successor to the Corporation resulting from any amalgamation, merger, arrangement or other reorganization of or including the Corporation or any continuance under the laws of another jurisdiction.

"CPOA" has the meaning attributed to it in Section 3.8(d).

"Defaulting Shareholder" has the meaning attributed to it in Section 3.4.

"Directors" means, collectively, each of the directors of the Corporation and "Director" means any one such director individually.

"Drag-Along Offer" has the meaning attributed to that term in Section 3.8(a).


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"Eligible Transferee" means, in respect of a Shareholder:

(a)       a corporation which is Controlled by and under the Control of such Shareholder;

(b)       a trust which is Controlled by and under the Control of such Shareholder;

(c)       if the Shareholder is not a natural Person, any Person who Controls such Shareholder including the Principal; and

(d)       in respect of Tera Joule, LLC, any holder of securities of Tera Joule, LLC.

"First Refusal Notice" has the meaning attributed to that term in Section 3.6(a).

"Forced Shareholders" has the meaning attributed to that term in Section 3.8.

"GAAP" means the generally accepted accounting principles from time to time approved by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, or any successor entity thereto, applicable as at the date on which such principles are to be applied or on which any calculation or determination is required to be made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, which in the case of the Corporation shall include Canadian Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises.

"Good Reason" means:

(a)        a material reduction in the status, powers or responsibilities of such Person without his/her consent; or

(b)        any reduction in the compensation of such Person without his/her consent; or

(c)        a change in such Person's title without his/her consent; or

(d)        relocation of such Person's position outside of the New York City area without his/her consent; or

(e)        a failure to pay the salary or bonuses in accordance with the provisions of the employment agreement of such Person without the consent of such Person, provided such reduction or failure has not been remedied by the Corporation within ten (10) days following written notice thereof from such Person.

"Governmental Approval" means the consent of any Governmental Body which may be required at any time and from time to time to ensure that the purchase by a Shareholder of all or any part of the Shares held by another Shareholder is not in contravention of any law, regulation or published policy of, or administered by, such Governmental Body or which may be required in order to ensure that, notwithstanding the purchase by a Shareholder of all or any part of the Shares held by another Shareholder, the holding or continued holding by the Corporation or any Subsidiary of any franchise, licence, permit or other permission or authority required to carry on its respective business is unaffected.

"Governmental Body" means any body of a state or government, any international body or body assembling several states or provinces, any body, board, commission, office or other authority, instituted or constituted by a state or a government, by a law or otherwise, any public or private body, board, commission, office exercising governmental or quasi-governmental functions or regulatory or quasi-regulatory functions on behalf of a state or another governmental body or otherwise having jurisdiction, as well as any body, office, commission, board, arbitration or judicial tribunal, quasi-judicial or administrative tribunal, either national, provincial or governmental, foreign or international, as well as any court or, common law tribunal.


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"Incapacity" means a permanent disability within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

"Lien" means any and all liens, claims, mortgages, hypothecs, security interests, charges, encumbrances, and restrictions on Transfer of any kind and includes, in the case of references to securities, except for any of the same arising under applicable corporate laws or securities laws solely by reason of the fact that such securities were issued pursuant to exemptions from registration or prospectus requirements under such securities laws, or otherwise arising pursuant to this Agreement.

"Liquidity Event" means the earliest to occur of:

(a)       the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation;

(b)       the amalgamation or merger of the Corporation with another corporation, or an arrangement, reorganization or other transaction or series of transactions, pursuant to which the holders of voting securities of the Corporation immediately prior to the transaction or series of transactions hold, immediately after such transaction, directly or indirectly, less than 50% of the voting power to elect directors of the Corporation or the surviving corporation;

(c)        a sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation;

(d)        a sale, exchange or other disposition of all or substantially all of the outstanding shares of the Corporation; or

(e)        an amalgamation, arrangement, reverse take-over or other combination of the Corporation by or with a corporation whose shares are listed on a Canadian stock exchange.

"Marketable Securities" means securities of an issuer having a market capitalization of at least $500 million and that are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, the TSX Venture Exchange, the Canadian Securities Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Nasdaq Global Market or the London Stock Exchange and that can be immediately resold to the general public free of any statutory, regulatory, contractual or other hold period, volume limitation, manner of sale or resale restriction or required approvals or filings.

"Material Adverse Issuance" means a proposed issuance of Shares in respect of which:

(a)        the purchaser or subscriber of such Shares is, or any shareholder of such proposed issuee is, a Person governed by the laws of or resident in any jurisdiction which is identified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Committee on Fiscal Affairs as an "uncooperative tax haven", in which the beneficial owners of securities of such purchaser or subscriber may not be reasonably ascertainable by governmental or regulatory bodies in Canada and/or the United States or which is identified by any governmental or regulatory authority or other organization as failing to cooperate in preventing "money laundering";

(b)        the purchaser or subscriber of such Shares, by virtue of its interest in the Corporation (directly or indirectly), would place the Corporation or its shareholders in violation of any economic sanctions program administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including, without limitation, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA Patriot) Act of 2001;

(c)        the identity of the purchaser or subscriber of such Shares and/or the nature of the subject transaction may, in the opinion of the Board, acting reasonably, have a material adverse impact on: (i) the Corporation or the Business of the Corporation, (ii) the ability of the Corporation to complete future public equity or debt financings, the sale of the Business of the Corporation, a


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potential initial public offering or a potential listing of the Shares of the Corporation on a nationally recognized stock exchange in Canada or the United States, or (iii) the ability of any of the Shareholders to sell any Shares (including potentially delaying or preventing the completion of any of the foregoing or resulting in the imposition of burdensome terms and conditions in respect of any of the foregoing); or

(d)        the purchaser or subscriber of such Shares is, or is directly or indirectly associated with, a Person engaged in a Competitive Business but this shall not (i) include minority shareholdings in public companies where no influence, Control or board representation is present, up to a maximum of 5% of the outstanding shares of any such public company, or (ii) issuances to existing Shareholders or their Affiliates.

"Material Adverse Transfer" means a proposed Transfer in respect of which:

(a)        the transferee is, or any shareholder of the transferee is, a Person governed by the laws of or resident in any jurisdiction which is identified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Committee on Fiscal Affairs as an "uncooperative tax haven", in which the beneficial owners of securities of such transferee or shareholder may not be reasonably ascertainable by governmental or regulatory bodies in Canada and/or the United States or which is identified by any governmental or regulatory authority or other organization as failing to cooperate in preventing "money laundering"; or

(b)        the transferee, by virtue of its interest in the Corporation (directly or indirectly), would place the Corporation or its shareholders in violation of any economic sanctions program administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including, without limitation, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA Patriot) Act of 2001;

"Offer" has the meaning attributed to that term in Sections 3.7(a).

"Officers" means, collectively, the officers of the Corporation as appointed by the Directors and "Officer" means any one such officer individually.

"Optionee Shareholder" means any Person who has obtained Common Shares through the exercise of options under the Stock Option Plan.

"Parties" means the parties to this Agreement and "Party" means one of them.

"Person" means any individual, partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, syndicate, sole proprietorship, corporation with or without share capital, unincorporated association, trust, trustee, executor, administrator or other legal personal representative, Government Body, authority or entity however designated or constituted.

"Piggy-Back Offer" has the meaning attributed to that term in Section 3.7(a).

"Piggy-Back Offerees" has the meaning attributed to that term in Section 3.7(a).

"Pre-Emptive Right Shareholder" has the meaning attributed to that term in Section 5.2(a).

"Preferred Shares" means the preferred shares in the capital of the Corporation.

"Principal" means in the case of any additional Shareholder that is not a natural Person, the natural Person that, directly or indirectly, Controls that Shareholder, if any.


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"Project" means the 900MW wind power generation site near the city of Dakhla in Morocco, in the region of Oued-Ed-Dahab.

"Pro Rata Part" means a fraction (i) the numerator of which equals the number of Shares held by the Shareholder, and (ii) the denominator of which equals the total number of Shares issued and outstanding as at the date of the applicable notice or event.

"Securities" means any equity securities (other than Shares), debentures, bonds, notes, partnership units, subscription rights or options, warrants, convertible securities, promises, programs, plans and other rights of any nature whatsoever or howsoever arising to, directly or indirectly, participate in the capital or equity of the Corporation or any Subsidiaries or any right or privilege to acquire any Shares.

"Selling Shareholder" has the meaning attributed to that term in Section 3.6(a).

"Shareholders" means, any Person who is a registered holder of Shares or Securities and includes any Eligible Transferee thereof in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and for greater certainty includes Optionee Shareholders and "Shareholder" means any one of such persons individually.

"Shares" means any shares in the capital of the Corporation, including without limitation, the Common Shares, Class Seed Preferred Shares, Class A Preferred Shares and any securities of the Corporation or any successor continuing company of the Corporation that may be issued on a reorganization, amalgamation, consolidation, arrangement, or merger, statutory or otherwise, or other similar transactions.

"SOP Assumption Agreement" means the acknowledgement of assumption of obligations in the form to be attached as a schedule to the Stock Option Plan, as may be amended, restated, replaced or otherwise modified from time to time by the Board.

"Stock Option Plan" means the stock option plan of the Corporation dated June 7, 2018, as may be amended or replaced from time to time thereafter in accordance with the terms hereof.

"Subsidiary" shall have the meaning given to it in the Act.

"Third Party" means a Person with whom the Selling Shareholder (for purposes of Section 3.6), the Piggy-Back Offerees (for purposes of Section 3.7) or all Shareholders and the Corporation (for purposes of Section 3.8) is dealing at arm's length.

"Transfer" means any sale, exchange, assignment, gift, hypothecate, devise, disposition, mortgage, lien, charge, pledge, encumbrance, grant of security interest or any arrangement by which possession, legal title or beneficial ownership passes from one person to another, or to the same person in a different capacity, whether or not voluntary and whether or not for value, and any agreement to effect any of the foregoing and "Transferred" and similar variations have corresponding meanings.

"Triggering Event" has the meaning attributed to that term in Section 3.4.

"Work Products" means all work products, including, but not limited to technology, products, computer programs (including without limitation source code), documentation, data, designs, ideas, processes, discoveries, inventions (whether or not patentable), procedures, improvements, developments, drawings, specifications, memoranda, notes, manuals, information, and other materials or property made, authored, conceived, developed or otherwise produced by or on behalf of the Shareholder pursuant to the terms of an employment or consulting agreement with the Corporation, whether alone or jointly with the Corporation or others, within or outside the Corporation's premises, during or after business hours, excluding those that are not related to the Business of the Corporation created on the Shareholder's spare time or using the Shareholder's own equipment.


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1.2       Schedules

The following are the schedules attached to this Agreement which schedules shall be deemed to be incorporated into, and form part of this Agreement:

Schedule A      -       Form of Assumption Agreement for Transferees for this Agreement

Schedule B       -      SOP Assumption Agreement

Schedule C       -      Principles of Share Valuation

Schedule D      -       Arbitration Procedures

Schedule E       -      Addresses for Notices

1.3       Gender

Words in the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders and vice versa and words referring to persons shall include individuals, partnerships, associations, trusts, unincorporated organizations and corporations and vice versa.

1.4       Currency

Unless otherwise indicated, all references to currency herein are to lawful money of the United States of America.

1.5       Paramountcy

Subject to applicable law, if there is a conflict or inconsistency between the terms of this Agreement and the Articles or the terms of any agreement, offer, promise or other understanding entered into by the Parties or some of them, the terms of this Agreement will govern to the extent of that conflict or inconsistency and the Shareholders shall call such meetings to be held, pass such resolutions and do all such other things as may be necessary to amend the Articles to remove such conflict or inconsistency. In addition, the Shareholders and the Corporation hereby waive, for all purposes, their right to enforce and/or require compliance by any other Shareholder in respect of any provision of the Articles or resolutions of the Corporation or of any Subsidiary or of any agreement, offer, promise or other understanding entered into by the Parties or some of them that are inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement - In this regard, the Shareholders agree more particularly to use their respective best efforts to ensure that the constating documents of the Corporation and any Subsidiaries, reflect the terms of this Agreement and are not amended to include provisions that are or could be inconsistent with the provisions hereof and the Shareholders shall vote the Shares held by them so as to cause the constating documents to be amended to resolve any conflict in favour of the terms of this Agreement. The Shareholders also agree that upon the organization of any new Subsidiary, upon the conditions stipulated herein, the Corporation and any other shareholder of such Subsidiary enter into a shareholders agreement or a declaration in lieu thereof, as the case may be, providing for such Subsidiary and its shareholders to be subject to all applicable provisions hereof.

1.6       Carrying Out of the Agreement

The Shareholders will vote and act at all times to carry out, and in all other respects to comply with, and cause the Corporation to carry out, the provisions of this Agreement. Each of the Principals will cause its respective Controlled Shareholder to comply with and carry out the provisions of this Agreement.

1.7       Corporation Bound

The Corporation confirms its knowledge of this Agreement and undertakes to carry out and be bound by the provisions of this Agreement to the full extent that it has the capacity and power at law to do so.


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1.8       Compliance with Agreement

Each Shareholder covenants and agrees with each of the other Parties to vote or cause to be voted their respective Shares and act as a shareholder of the Corporation to fulfil the provisions of this Agreement and in all other respects to comply with, and use all reasonable efforts to cause the Corporation to comply with, this Agreement and to cause its respective nominee(s) as directors of the Corporation, if any, to act in accordance with this Agreement to the extent permitted by law.

1.9       Certain Rules of Interpretation

In this Agreement,

(a)        time is of the essence in the performance of the Parties' respective obligations;

(b)        the descriptive headings of Articles and Sections are inserted solely for convenience of reference and are not intended as complete or accurate descriptions of content;

(c)        the use of words in the singular or plural, or with a particular gender, shall not limit the scope or exclude the application of any provision of this Agreement to such person or persons or circumstances as the context otherwise permits;

(d)        any reference to a particular Shareholder includes, where the context permits, all Eligible Transferees of that Shareholder and any successor thereto resulting from any amalgamation, merger, arrangement or other reorganization of or including that Shareholder or Eligible Transferee or any continuance under the laws of another jurisdiction;

(e)        whenever a provision of this Agreement requires an approval or consent by a party and notification of such approval or consent is not delivered within the applicable time limit, then, unless otherwise specified, the party whose consent or approval is required shall be conclusively deemed to have withheld its consent or approval;

(f)         unless otherwise specified, time periods within or following which any payment is to be made or act is to be done shall be calculated by excluding the day on which the period commences and including the day which ends the period and by extending the period to the next Business Day following if the last day of the period is not a Business Day;

(g)        whenever any payment is to be made or action to be taken under this Agreement is required to be made or taken on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be made or action taken on the next Business Day following; and

(h)        whenever a percentage calculation of the issued and outstanding Shares is required to be made under the terms of this Agreement, such calculation shall be made excluding any Shares issuable (but not yet issued) upon the exercise of any options granted under the Stock Option Plan or any other Securities convertible into Shares.

1.10     Optionee Shareholders

Each individual who is an Optionee Shareholder will have, as a condition to the exercise of any option granted under the Stock Option Plan, executed and delivered to the Parties to this Agreement, the SOP Assumption Agreement pursuant to which such individual agrees to be bound by all of the terms of this Agreement in the manner and to the extent of a Shareholder as if he or she was an original signatory hereto, subject to the following:


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(a)        the Optionee Shareholder shall not have or possess any of the rights, but shall be subject to the obligations, of a Shareholder as provided in Section 3.1 (Restrictions on Transfer), Section 3.6 (Right of First Refusal), Section 3.7 (Piggy-back Rights) and Section 3.8 (Drag-Along Rights);

(b)        all notices to the Optionee Shareholder pursuant to and as contemplated in Section 8.9 of this Agreement shall be delivered at the address set out in the SOP Assumption Agreement or at such other address as may be given by an Optionee Shareholder to the parties to this Agreement; and

(c)        the Optionee Shareholder shall not have any right to purchase Sale Shares from a Defaulting Shareholder pursuant to the terms of Section 3.4, Purchased Shares from a Vendor pursuant to the terms of Section 3.5, but shall otherwise be subject to the provisions of Sections 3.4 and 3.5 hereto.

ARTICLE 2 SHAREHOLDERS RIGHTS

2.1       Management

Subject to Section 2.10, the Board shall supervise the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation by resolution passed by the majority of Directors' votes cast.

2.2       Directors

The number of Directors is hereby set at five, of whom (1) three shall be nominated by the Corporation, at least one of whom is not employed by the Corporation and who shall be approved by a majority of the other directors. (2) one shall be nominated by Tera Joule, LLC and (3) one shall be nominated by the holders of a majority of the Class A Preferred Shares. The Corporation's nominees shall include John Belizaire. Tera Joule, LLC's nominee shall initially be Matthew Lipman. The Class A Preferred Shares' nominee shall initially be William Phelan. The term of office of a Director shall commence upon his appointment to the Board and shall continue until either his removal by ordinary resolution of the Shareholders entitled to nominate and elect such Director or his resignation from the Board, whichever first occurs. Shareholders with sufficient votes to remove a Director or otherwise make changes to the composition of the Board may do so by providing a written resolution evidencing the votes necessary to pass an ordinary resolution of the Corporation. Any vacancy occurring on the Board by reason of the death, disqualification, inability to act, resignation or removal of any director (a "Terminated Director") shall be filled only by a further nominee of the Shareholder whose nominee was so affected so as to maintain a Board consisting of the numbers of nominees specified in this Section 2.2 and the other Shareholders will vote all such Shares entitled to vote thereon in favour of electing such individual. If any Person specified in this Section 2.2 as having the right to nominate a director gives written notice to the other Shareholders of a desire to remove a director nominated by such Person, the other Shareholders will vote all of their Shares entitled to vote thereon in favour of removing that director.

The Board will form a compensation committee and an audit committee. The compensation committee will establish an executive bonus plan based on the achievement of specified performance objectives. The Class A Director will be a member of both committees and will have the right to occupy the position of chairman on one of the committees.

2.3       Meetings of the Board

The Board shall meet as determined by the Board, at least monthly for the first twelve (12) months from the date hereof, and at least quarterly thereafter, unless otherwise determined by a majority of the Board (which majority must include the Class A Director), at the head office of the Corporation or at such other place as the Board may determine from time to time. Meetings of the Board or any committee thereof may be called by the President, the Chairman of the Board or by any Director upon not less than four days' notice, or, in the event of an urgent matter, 48 hours' notice, in which case each Director hereby waives minimum notice in accordance with


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the Act. Notice shall be in writing, and shall contain a statement as to the nature of the business proposed to be transacted at such meeting. Notice shall be accompanied by all relevant documentation or information required for Directors to make an informed decision regarding the business to be transacted. The Corporation shall reimburse all Directors for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board, attending meetings of any committee of the Board or in connection with other business of the Corporation. A Director may waive his right to receive notice of any meeting of the Board, both prospectively and retrospectively. The attendance by a Director at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting except where such Director attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the grounds that the meeting has not been lawfully called or convened. The Chairman of the Board shall not have a casting vote. All presentations, reports and other materials to be presented to the Board at any meeting or other action to be taken by the Board shall be delivered to each Director at least three (3) days prior to the Board meeting (or 36 hours in the case of an urgent meeting) or action to which they relate.

2.4       Meetings of Shareholders

Meetings of Shareholders shall be held in the City of New York, New York at the head office of the Corporation or such location as the Board shall determine and may be called by the Board or any Shareholder(s) holding at least 5% of the issued and outstanding Shares (calculated assuming conversion into Common Shares) upon not less than 10 days' notice, or not less than 48 hours' notice in the event a meeting is required for any Shareholder or Shareholders to remove a Director or to nominate a Director (or a replacement for any Director) or any action is desired to be taken by the Shareholders or by any Person entitled to call a meeting of Shareholders on an expedited basis, in which case each Shareholder hereby waives minimum notice in accordance with the Act. Notice shall be in writing and shall contain a statement as to the nature of the business proposed to be transacted at such meeting. Notice shall be accompanied by all documentation or information relevant or required for Shareholders to make an informed decision regarding the business to be transacted. The attendance by a Shareholder at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting except where such Shareholder attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the grounds that the meeting has not been lawfully called or convened.

The President of the Corporation will act as chairman of the meeting and will appoint a secretary for the meeting who shall take minutes of the meeting which minutes, once signed by the chairman and secretary, shall be retained with the records of the Corporation.

In the event that a resolution passed by the Shareholders in accordance with this Agreement is not effective under the Act, all Shareholders shall cast such votes and pass such resolutions (or, subject to applicable law, cause such votes to be cast and resolutions passed by the Board) as shall be necessary to implement under the Act all decisions made by the Shareholders in accordance with this Agreement.

2.5       Meeting by Telephone or Electronic Means

All or any Directors may participate in meetings of the Board or any committee, and all or any Shareholders may participate in meetings of the Shareholders, by telephone, electronic or other communications facilities as permit all Persons participating to communicate verbally, simultaneously and instantaneously. Any such meeting will be deemed to have been held at the registered office of the Corporation or such other place the directors have determined such meeting will be held in accordance with Sections 2.2 and 2.4, as applicable.

2.6       Quorum

A quorum for a meeting of Directors shall be a majority of directors. A quorum for a meeting of Shareholders shall be at least two individuals present in person and holding or representing by valid proxy not less than 30% of the outstanding Shares entitled to vote at the meeting. No business other than the election of a chairman, if any, and the adjournment or termination of the meeting will be transacted at any meeting unless a


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quorum is present at the commencement of the meeting; however, a quorum need not be present throughout the meeting.

If at a meeting of the Board the requisite quorum is not present within 30 minutes after the time fixed for holding such meeting (the "first Soluna Board meeting"), the first Soluna Board meeting shall stand adjourned to such day determined by the Directors present at the meeting and which is not less than three Business Days later and at least two Business Days' written notice shall be given of such adjourned meeting. If a quorum is not present at such adjourned meeting within 30 minutes after the time fixed for holding such adjourned meeting, then such adjourned meeting shall be further adjourned to such day determined by the Directors present at such adjourned meeting and which is not less than three Business Days later and at least two Business Days' written notice shall be given of such second adjourned meeting. The quorum at such second adjourned meeting shall be those Directors that are present at such second adjourned meeting, provided that at least a majority are present.

If at any meeting of Shareholders (the "first Soluna Shareholder meeting") a quorum shall not be present, then, (a) in the case of a general meeting convened by requisition of Shareholders, the meeting is dissolved, and (b) in the case of any other meeting of Shareholders, the meeting stands adjourned to the same day in the next week at the same time and place. If, at the succeeding meeting, a quorum is not present within one-half hour from the time set for the holding of the meeting, the person or persons present and being, or representing by proxy, one or more Shareholders entitled to attend and vote at the meeting constitute a quorum.

2.7       Officers

Until otherwise changed by the Board, the following Persons shall hold the offices of the Corporation shown below opposite their respective names:

Chief Executive Officer             John Belizaire

Secretary and Treasurer           Matthew Lipman

Chief Technology Officer          Dipul Patel

2.8       Reporting

The Corporation shall at all times maintain at its principal place of business proper books of account, which shall contain accurate and complete records of all transactions, receipts, expenses, assets and liabilities of the Corporation and shall provide each Shareholder reasonable access to them. Furthermore, the Corporation will deliver to Mechanical Technology, Incorporated so long as it continues to hold Class A Preferred Shares and any other holder of Series A Preferred that purchased at least $1,000,000 of Class A Preferred Shares so long as any such Shareholder holds at least 50% of the Class A Preferred Shares issued to it under the Class A Preferred Share Financing:

(a)        annual and quarterly financial statements of the Corporation, and other financial information as reasonably determined by the Board from time to time;

(b)        a comprehensive operating budget forecasting the Corporation's revenues, expenses, and cash position on a month-to-month basis for the upcoming fiscal year, no later than thirty days prior to the end of each fiscal year; and

(c)        an up-to-date capitalization table promptly following the end of each quarter.

2.9       Compliance with GAAP.

The Corporation shall maintain a system of accounting and reporting established and administered in accordance with GAAP and satisfactory to the Corporation's auditors or accountants as applicable. All financial statements and other reporting made pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP applied consistently with prior periods.


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2.10     Actions Requiring Special Shareholder Consent

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or the Articles, without the prior written approval of the holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Shares (determined on an as converted to Common Shares basis) from time to time, neither the Corporation nor, where the context permits, any Subsidiary from time to time shall:

(a)        enter into any contract, agreement or other instrument with any affiliate of a Shareholder or any of its affiliates or any director, officer, or consultant of the Corporation or any director, officer or consultant of any of the foregoing;

(b)        make a declaration or payment of a dividend or other distribution on any Securities of the Corporation;

(c)        transfer any Shares of any Subsidiary;

(d)        authorize or issue Shares or Securities of the Corporation or any Subsidiary, other than (i) pursuant to Options to acquire Shares that may be issued and/or exercised from time to time with the approval of the Board or pursuant to acquisitions approved by the Board, (ii) the issuance of up to 3,015,873 Class A Preferred Shares under the Class A Preferred Financing, (iii) the issuance of Class A Preferred Shares as PIK Dividends pursuant to the Articles and (iv) project financing equity securities of a Subsidiary of the Corporation that is the vehicle for the Project for the purposes of the Project;

(e)        change the number of directors of the Corporation and the approval and removal of directors;

(f)         enter into any agreement relating to an acquisition or any material disposition of assets or shares; and

(g)        grant any option, warrant, right or privilege which is capable of becoming an agreement for the acquisition, purchase, subscription, allotment or issuance of any unissued Shares or Securities, other than options granted pursuant to the Stock Option Plan.

For greater certainty, the requirement for the written approval of the Shareholders as contemplated in this Section 2.10 shall not apply in respect of any transaction undertaken pursuant to and subject to compliance with the provisions of Section 3.8.

2.11     Actions Requiring Class A Preferred Consent

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement or the Articles, so long as at least 50% of the Class A Preferred Shares actually issued by the Corporation during the period provided for the Class A Preferred financing round contemplated in the Share Purchase Agreement dated as of the date hereof remain outstanding, without the prior written approval of the holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Class A Preferred Shares from time to time, neither the Corporation nor, where the context permits, any Subsidiary from time to time shall:

(a)  liquidate, dissolve or wind-up the affairs of the Corporation, or effect any merger or consolidation or any other Deemed Liquidation Event (as defined in the Articles);

(b)  amend, alter, or repeal any provision of the Articles or Bylaws in a manner adverse to the Class A Preferred Shares;

(c)  create or authorize the creation of or issue any other security convertible into or exercisable for any equity security, having rights, preferences or privileges senior to or on parity with the Class A Preferred Shares or issue any further Class A Preferred Shares, other than the issuance of (i) up to 3,015,873 Class A Preferred Shares under the Class A Preferred Financing, (ii) Class A Preferred


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Shares as PIK Dividends pursuant to the Articles, and (iii) project financing equity securities of a Subsidiary of the Corporation that is the vehicle for the Project for the purposes of the Project;

(d)  purchase or redeem or pay any dividend on any capital stock prior to the Class A Preferred Shares, other than as approved by the board of directors of the Corporation, including the approval of the Class A Director;

(e)  create or authorize the creation of any debt security other than equipment leases or bank lines of credit and other than project financing debt securities of a Subsidiary of the Corporation for the purposes of the Project;

(f)   acquire or hold share capital in any corporation that is not a wholly-owned Subsidiary or dispose of any share capital of any Subsidiary or cause any Subsidiary to dispose of all or substantially all of its assets;

(g)  increase or decrease the size of the board of directors of the Corporation.

For greater certainty, the requirement for the written approval of the Class A Preferred Shares as contemplated in this Section 2.11 shall not apply in respect of any transaction undertaken pursuant to and subject to compliance with the provisions of Section 3.8.

2.12     Accountants

The accountants of the Corporation will be such accountants as the Board may determine from time to time.

2.13    Waiver

Any Shareholder(s) will be entitled at any time and from time to time to waive any of its rights pursuant to this Article 2.

2.14     Indemnity and Insurance

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Corporation shall and shall cause each Subsidiary, to indemnify all directors, officers, former directors and former officers of the Corporation and any Subsidiaries and the Shareholders of the Corporation (in their capacity as directors of the Corporation created hereunder) and each Subsidiary to the extent that such director, officer or Shareholder exercises the rights, powers, duties and liabilities of a director, officer or Shareholder, as the case may be, of the Corporation or any Subsidiary and all persons who act or acted at the request of the Corporation or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, as a director or officer of a body corporate of which the Corporation or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, is or was a shareholder or creditor, and his or her heirs and legal personal representatives, against all costs, charges and expenses, including any amount paid to settle any action or satisfy a judgment, reasonably incurred by him or her in respect of any civil, criminal or administrative action or proceeding to which he or she is made a party by reason of being or having been a director or officer of the Corporation or any Subsidiary or such body corporate or by reason of acting or having acted as a director of the Corporation or any Subsidiary, if,

(a)        he or she acted honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the Corporation, the Subsidiary or such body corporate, as the case may be; and

(b)        in the case of a criminal or administrative action or proceeding that is enforced by a monetary penalty, he or she had reasonable grounds for believing that his or her conduct was lawful.

The intention of this Section is that all Persons referred to in this Section shall have all benefits provided under the indemnification provisions of the Act to the fullest extent permitted by law, and the Corporation shall, and shall cause each Subsidiary to, forthwith pass all resolutions and take such other steps as may be required to give full effect to this Section.


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The Corporation shall advance moneys to a director or officer for the costs, charges and expenses of a proceeding referred to in this Section 2.13, which such director or officer shall be required to repay to the Corporation if he or she did not fulfill the conditions set forth in Section 2.13(a) and 2.13(b).

2.15     Board Decision-Making

None of the following actions shall be taken by the Corporation without the approval of the Board, including the Class A Director:

(a)       creating any Lien or otherwise encumber any assets of the Corporation or any Subsidiary having a fair market value in excess of $300,000;

(b)       selling, assigning, licensing, pledging or encumbering material technology or intellectual property of the Corporation or its Subsidiaries, other than licenses granted in the ordinary course of business;

(c)       making any capital expenditure or lease commitment which are not included in the annual budget approve by the Board for that year exceeding $250,000;

(d)       distributing any monies or assets of the Corporation outside the ordinary course of business;

(e)       hiring, firing or changing the compensation (including the bonus schedule) or other employment arrangements or option arrangements of senior management of the Corporation;

(f)        initiating any legal proceeding or responding to any legal proceeding with a potential liability for the Corporation in excess of $50,000;

(g)       entering into any agreement relating to a merger, joint venture, partnership or similar strategic or significant corporate transaction involving consideration of $100,000 or more;

(h)       granting options pursuant to the Stock Option Plan;

(i)        creating any option pool or equity incentive program, or expand the size of the existing Stock Option Plan;

(j)        creating or authorizing the creation of or issuing any project financing equity or debt securities of a Subsidiary of the Corporation for the purposes of the Project;

(k)       lending money to any Shareholder, director or officer of the Corporation;

(l)        entering into any contract with any Shareholder or Person related thereto (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) or repaying any loan outstanding, and interest thereon, to any Shareholder or any person related thereto (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) other than as permitted by this Agreement;

(m)     making any loan or advance to any person, including, any employee or director, except advances and similar expenditures in the ordinary course of business or under the terms of an employee stock or option plan approved by the Board;

(n)       guaranteeing any indebtedness except for trade accounts of the Corporation or any subsidiary arising in the ordinary course of business;

(o)       making any investment inconsistent with any investment policy approved by the Board;


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(p)      incurring any aggregate indebtedness for borrowed money in excess of $50,000 that is not already included in a Board-approved budget;

(q)      entering into or being a party to any transaction with any director, officer or employee of the Corporation or any person related to that person (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (other than pursuant to employment or consulting agreements with the director, officer or employee) except transactions resulting in payments to or by the Corporation in an amount less than $60,000 per year in the aggregate for any such person; and

(r)       changing the principal business of the Corporation, entering into new lines of business, or exiting the current line of business.

None of the following actions will be taken without the unanimous consent of the Board:

(a)       voluntarily winding-up or liquidating the Corporation or making an assignment in bankruptcy on behalf of the Corporation; and

(b)      make any loan or advance to, or own any shares or other securities of, any subsidiary or other corporation, partnership, or other entity unless it is wholly owned by the Corporation.

2.16     Corporation Valuations

From time to time, the Board shall complete a valuation of the Corporation and its Shares in accordance with the procedures set out in Schedule C (the date of each such valuation is referred to as a "Calculation Date"). These valuations shall be completed for purposes of establishing the appropriate pricing for Options to be granted pursuant to the Stock Option Plan and for the other purposes set out in this Agreement.

2.17     Representations and Warranties by Shareholders

Each Shareholder severally, but not jointly, represents and warrants with respect to itself that:

(a)       it owns beneficially and of record the number of Shares or other Securities which are expressed to be owned by it in the recitals of this Agreement;

(b)      it has the full power, authority and legal right to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform the terms and provisions hereof;

(c)       if other than an individual, it has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement;

(d)      this Agreement has been duly authorized (if applicable), executed and delivered by it and constitutes a valid and binding obligation enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and similar laws of general application relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general principles of equity;

(e)       the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement does not and will not conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of (i) its articles, constating documents or other organizational documents or the documents by which it was created or established (as applicable); (ii) any law, rule or regulation having the force of law; (iii) the provisions of any indenture, agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or by which it may be bound; or (iv) any judgment, injunction, determination or award which is binding on it or its properties;


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(f)        no authorization, consent, approval, licence or exemption from any Governmental Body is required by it which has not been obtained in connection with the execution and delivery by it of, and the performance by it of its obligations as of the date hereof under, this Agreement;

(g)        it is not a party to any agreement which is inconsistent with its rights and obligations hereunder or otherwise conflicts with the provisions of this Agreement;

(h)        it and its Principal (if applicable) is not a Person:

(i)         governed by the laws of or resident in any jurisdiction which is identified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Committee on Fiscal Affairs as an "uncooperative tax haven";

(ii)        which may not be reasonably ascertainable by governmental or regulatory bodies in Canada and/or the United States or which is identified by any governmental or regulatory authority or other organization as failing to cooperate in preventing "money laundering"; or

(iii)       which, by virtue of its interest in the Corporation (directly or indirectly), would place the Corporation or its shareholders in violation of any economic sanctions program administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, including, without limitation, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA Patriot) Act of 2001.

(i)         it is not aware of the existence of any agreement or option or right capable of becoming an agreement or option for the purchase of any Shares or other Securities from the Corporation or from any other Shareholder except as provided for or referred to in this Agreement, the Articles or the Stock Option Plan, and it has not granted or agreed to grant any ongoing proxy in respect of the Shares or other Securities held by it nor has it entered into any voting trust, vote pooling or other arrangement with respect to the right to vote or call meetings of shareholders of the Corporation except as provided for or referred to in this Agreement;

(j)         no Person has the right, whether by agreement or option or any right capable of becoming an agreement or option, to purchase or acquire any of the Shares of such Shareholder (other than pursuant to restricted share agreements entered into between the Corporation and senior management Shareholders); and

(k)        there is no agreement, whether written or oral, of any nature whatsoever which would restrict the rights of the Shareholder, from exercising full voting control or direction over the Shares of the Corporation owned by it.

All of the foregoing representations and warranties will continue to be true and correct during the continuance of this Agreement.

2.18    Representations and Warranties by the Corporation.

The Corporation represents and warrants with respect to itself:

(a)        that it has the full power, authority and legal right to execute and deliver this Agreement and to give it full effect;


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(b)        that it has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement;

(c)        that this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of it, enforceable against it in accordance with the terms hereof, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization and similar laws of general application relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general principles of equity;

(d)        that it is not a party to any agreement which is inconsistent with the rights of any party hereunder or otherwise conflicts with the provisions of this Agreement;

(e)        that the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement does not and will not conflict with or result in a breach of any of the terms, conditions or provisions of (i) the Articles, constating documents or other organizational documents or the documents by which it was created or established; (ii) any law, rule or regulation having the force of law; (iii) the provisions of any indenture, agreement or other instrument to which it is a party or by which it may be bound; or (iv) any judgment, injunction, determination or award which is binding on it or its properties;

(f)         that no authorization, consent, approval, license or exemption from any Governmental Body is required by it which has not been obtained in connection with the execution and delivery by it of, and the performance by it of its obligations as of the date hereof under, this Agreement; and

(g)        that the issued and outstanding Shares of the Corporation are as set out in Recital B hereto and that except as set forth in such recital, there are no Shares or Securities in the capital of the Corporation outstanding or subject to issuance as of the date hereof other than options granted under the Stock Option Plan.

2.19      Insurance.

The Corporation shall, at the Corporation's expense and as soon as practicable but not later than thirty (30) days from the date hereof, obtain directors' and officers' liability coverage pursuant to one or more insurance policies and thereafter maintain in full force at all times such insurance policies with one or more reputable insurance carriers.

2.20      Stock Option Plan.

The Corporation shall maintain the Stock Option Plan or another stock option plan that will maintain, from time to time, an option pool providing for the issuance of options to acquire Common Shares in an aggregate number equal to up to 10% of the outstanding Shares, calculated on a fully-diluted, as-converted basis. Unless otherwise specified by the Board at the time of granting of options, all options granted by the Corporation will vest over four years as follows: 25% one year after the grant date, with the remaining 75% to vest in equal monthly increments over the thirty-six (36) months following the one-year anniversary of the grant date.


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ARTICLE 3 DEALING WITH SHARES

3.1       No Transfer of Shares

(a)        A Shareholder may Transfer any Shares or Securities held by him, her or it provided that (i) the transferee of such Shares (and, in the case of a transferee that is not a natural person, its Principal in addition to the transferee) has become a party to this Agreement, (ii) the Transfer is not a Material Adverse Transfer; and (iii) the Transfer complies with the provisions of this Article 3.

(b)        For greater certainty, each Shareholder shall be deemed to have consented to every Transfer of Shares or Securities or Transfer of shares of a Controlled Shareholder that is made in accordance with the provisions of this Article 3.

(c)        Without having to comply with the provisions of Sections 3.6 or 3.7, a Shareholder or a Principal (in this Article called the "Transferor") may at any time or from time to time Transfer all or any part of its Shares or Securities, or all of the shares of his or her Controlled Shareholder, to an Eligible Transferee of the Transferor provided that, at or prior to the time of such Transfer:

(i)         the Eligible Transferee enters into an Assumption Agreement as if the Eligible Transferee had entered into this Agreement in the place and stead of the Transferor and to remain an Eligible Transferee of the Transferor for as long as the Eligible Transferee (or, in the case of a Controlled Shareholder, that Controlled Shareholder) shall have any registered or beneficial interest in any Shares or Securities;

(ii)        the Eligible Transferee delivers to the other Parties evidence satisfactory to them, acting reasonably, that the Eligible Transferee is an Eligible Transferee of the Transferor and that the agreement referred to in Section 3.1(c)(i) is a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Eligible Transferee; and

(iii)      such Transfer does not result in a Material Adverse Transfer.

The Transferor shall at all times after the Transfer of any Shares or Securities or the Transfer of the shares of a Controlled Shareholder to the Eligible Transferee be jointly and severally liable with the Eligible Transferee for the observance and performance of the covenants and obligations of the Eligible Transferee under this Agreement, shall cause the Eligible Transferee to remain an Eligible Transferee of the Transferor for as long as such Eligible Transferee (or, in the case of a Transfer of the shares of a Controlled Shareholder, that Controlled Shareholder) shall have any registered or beneficial interest in any Shares and shall indemnify the other Parties against any loss, damage or expense incurred as a result of the failure by the Eligible Transferee to comply with the provisions of this Agreement.

(d)        No Shareholder shall, directly or indirectly, pledge or otherwise grant or allow a Lien to exist in respect of any Shares or Securities held by that Shareholder, provided this provision shall not be read as prohibiting Shareholders from entering into voting or pooling arrangements.

3.2       Endorsement on Certificates

Share certificates of the Corporation shall bear the following legends either as an endorsement or on the face thereof:

"UNLESS PERMITTED UNDER SECURITIES LEGISLATION, THE HOLDER OF THIS SECURITY MUST NOT TRADE THE SECURITY BEFORE THE DATE THAT IS 4 MONTHS AND A DAY AFTER THE LATER OF (I) THE DISTRIBUTION DATE, AND (II)


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THE DATE THE ISSUER BECAME A REPORTING ISSUER IN AN PROVINCE OR TERRITORY."

"NONE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "1933 ACT"), OR ANY U.S. STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND, UNLESS SO REGISTERED, NONE MAY BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE 1933 ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE 1933 ACT AND IN EACH CASE ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS."

"THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR TRANSFER AND ALL THE OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF A UNANIMOUS SHAREHOLDERS' AGREEMENT, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE AT THE REGISTERED OFFICE OF THE CORPORATION."

Any certificate issued at any time in exchange or substitution for any certificate bearing such legends shall also bear such legends, unless in the opinion of counsel for the Corporation, the Shares represented thereby are no longer subject to the provisions of this Agreement or the restrictions imposed under the Securities Act (British Columbia) or other applicable securities laws, in which case the applicable legend (or legends) may be removed.

3.3        Shareholder Representations and Warranties

Notwithstanding anything else contained herein, on any sale of Shares by a Shareholder to another Shareholder or the Corporation, each Shareholder shall not be required to represent and warrant to another Shareholder or to the Corporation anything beyond that:

(a)        its Shares are owned by it with a good and marketable title thereto, free and clear of any liens, charges, mortgages and encumbrances (other than as contemplated pursuant to this Agreement); and

(b)        it has the power and authority to convey its Shares.

3.4        Purchase of Shares of a Shareholder

A Triggering Event is the occurrence of any one of the following events with respect to a Shareholder (the "Defaulting Shareholder"):

(a)        the Shareholder or its Principal or an Eligible Transferee (if applicable) of such Shareholder takes steps to exercise rights of dissent or appraisal or other similar rights under the Act or otherwise breaches any of the terms of this Agreement (including any breach relating to Transfer of Shares or of shares of a Shareholder contrary to the provisions of this Agreement) and such breach is not remedied within 15 days following the receipt of a written notice from one of the other Shareholders or the Corporation indicating the alleged breach;

(b)        the Shareholder, its Principal or an Eligible Transferee (if applicable) of such Shareholder makes an assignment for the benefit of his or its creditors generally or files a proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) or a receiving order is made or a petition is filed under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) against the


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Shareholder, its Principal or its Eligible Transferee (if applicable) or the Shareholder, its Principal or its Eligible Transferee (if applicable) makes an application under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada);

(c)        a resolution is passed for, or a judgment or order is issued by any court of competent jurisdiction ordering, the winding-up or other liquidation or dissolution of the Shareholder, its Principal or its Eligible Transferee (if applicable);

(d)        any receiver, manager, receiver-manager, liquidator or trustee of the property, assets or undertaking of the Shareholder, its Principal or its Eligible Transferee (if applicable) is appointed pursuant to the terms of a debenture or similar instrument and such appointment is not revoked or withdrawn within 30 days of the appointment;

(e)        with respect to a Shareholder who is an individual, if such Shareholder becomes subject to an application or proceeding brought under the Family Law Act (British Columbia), the Divorce Act (Canada) or the Wills, Estates and Succession Act (British Columbia), as amended or re-enacted from time to time, for support or maintenance and/or to determine the entitlement of the spouse or former spouse to the net family property (as defined in the Family Law Act) of the Shareholder, and the Shareholder does not provide to the Board, within 30 days after the date on which the application or proceeding is brought and in any event before such application, or proceeding is determined, evidence satisfactory to the Board, acting reasonably, that the financial claim of the spouse or former spouse to this entitlement can be settled without, in any way, directly or indirectly, affecting or interfering with or requiring a Transfer of Shares held by the Shareholder or the spouse or former spouse (provided that if such evidence cannot be provided within such time period, then within such other time period as the Board may in its discretion determine);

(f)         the Shareholder permits his or its Shares to be liable, directly or indirectly, to seizure, or the Principal of such Shareholder (if applicable) permits his or its shares of, or other interest in, any entity which holds Shares, directly or indirectly, to be liable to seizure and such order or right of seizure is not revoked or withdrawn within 30 days of its promulgation or vesting, as the case may be; or

(g)        with respect to a Shareholder who is an individual, if such Shareholder's employment with the Corporation is terminated for Cause.

A Defaulting Shareholder or his or her legal, personal representative shall give notice to the other Parties then bound by this Agreement that an event has occurred with respect to such Defaulting Shareholder which constitutes a Triggering Event or which would, if such event is not corrected or remedied or otherwise resolved to the satisfaction of the other Shareholders as contemplated above, constitute such a Triggering Event. Such notice shall be given forthwith after the occurrence of the particular event.

For the purposes of this Agreement, all Triggering Events shall be deemed to have occurred on the date the Defaulting Shareholder or his or her legal personal representative first gives notice to the Corporation of the occurrence of the particular Triggering Event, or on the date the Corporation or any other Shareholder first becomes aware of the occurrence of such Triggering Event, whichever is earlier.

Upon the occurrence of any Triggering Event, the Corporation shall have the option, exercisable at any time prior to the date that is 45 days following the date of the Triggering Event as determined in accordance with this Section 3.4, to purchase for cancellation, upon the exercise of such option, all of the Shares (in this Section 3.4, the "Sale Shares") beneficially owned or Controlled by the Defaulting Shareholder and each Eligible Transferee (if applicable) thereof for a cash purchase price equal to


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(a)        80% of the fair market value of the Sale Shares (which shall be the fair market value of the Shares, as calculated in the manner provided in Schedule C) as of the most recent Calculation Date if the Triggering Event is the occurrence of an event under Sections 3.4(a), 3.4(b), 3.4(c), 3.4(d), or 3.4(f);

(b)        the lesser of (i) the cost of the Sale Shares, or (ii) 50% of the fair market value of the Sale Shares (which shall be the fair market value of the Shares, as calculated in the manner provided in Schedule C) as of the most recent Calculation Date, if the Triggering Event is the occurrence of an event under Section 3.4(g); or

(c)        the fair market value of the Sale Shares (which shall be the fair market value of the Shares, as calculated in the manner provided in Schedule C) as of the most recent Calculation Date if the Triggering Event is the occurrence of an event under Section 3.4(e);

and the Defaulting Shareholder and each Eligible Transferee (if applicable) thereof, upon the exercise of such option, shall be obligated to sell to the Corporation, the Sale Shares, upon and subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

If the Corporation does not exercise its option pursuant to this Section 3.4, then it shall provide notice thereof (a "sale notice") and each of the Shareholders (other than (i) the Defaulting Shareholder, (ii) any Shareholder that is a non-resident of Canada or a public corporation (other than a prescribed venture capital corporation) for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) or a corporation whose class of shares of the capital stock is listed on a designated stock exchange as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada), (iii) any Shareholder that is controlled directly or indirectly by one or more persons described in (ii) above, and (iv) any Shareholder if by the purchase of any Sale Shares by such Shareholder, such purchase would be deemed a Material Adverse Transfer) shall have the option to purchase all of the Sale Shares on the same terms as the Corporation. Such option shall be exercisable by notice given to the Defaulting Shareholder and the Corporation within 90 days after receipt of the sale notice, to agree that he or it will purchase its Pro Rata Part of the Sale Shares (provided that for the purposes of calculating a Shareholder's Pro Rata Part in this Section 3.4, the denominator shall exclude the Shares then held by (i) the Defaulting Shareholder, (ii) any shareholder that is a non-resident of Canada or a public corporation (other than a prescribed venture capital corporation) for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) or a corporation whose class of shares of the capital stock is listed on a designated stock exchange as defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada), (iii) any Shareholder that is controlled directly or indirectly by one or more persons described in (ii) above, and (iv) any Shareholder if by the purchase of any Sale Shares by such Shareholder, such purchase would be deemed a Material Adverse Transfer) and, if any Shareholder declines to purchase its Pro Rata Part, the number of Sale Shares in excess of its Pro Rata Part, if any. Any Shareholder not giving notice in accordance with this paragraph shall be deemed to have declined to purchase any of the Sale Shares. If no notice is given by a Shareholder under this Section 3.4, such Shareholder shall be deemed to have rejected the offer made available to it to purchase its Pro Rata Part of the Sale Shares. The Sale Shares shall be allocated to those Shareholders delivering a notice under this paragraph on a proportionate basis. If any Shareholder declines (or is deemed to have declined) to purchase its Pro Rata Part, the unclaimed Sale Shares will be allocated, on a pro rata basis, to each Shareholder that has indicated a desire to acquire more than his or its respective Pro Rata Part, provided that no Shareholder will be allocated a number of Sale Shares greater than the number that such Shareholder has indicated he or it wishes to purchase. The provisions of this paragraph will be applied, mutatis mutandis, until all of the Sale Shares which the Shareholders have agreed to purchase pursuant to this paragraph have been allocated among the Shareholders.

The completion of a purchase and sale of Shares under this Section 3.4 shall take place on the 30th day after the expiry of the applicable period referred to in the preceding paragraph of this Section 3.4.

If any one or more of the Shareholders determines not to accept the offer as contemplated in this Section 3.4 and that portion of the Sale Shares remains unallocated, the Corporation shall have the option, but not the obligation, to find a Person (other than the Corporation or a Subsidiary) to purchase from the Defaulting


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Shareholder any of the Sale Shares not so allocated to Shareholders pursuant to Section 3.4 on the same terms and conditions as offered to the Shareholders and as set out in this Section 3.4.

Any decision taken by the Corporation pursuant to this Section 3.4 shall exclude the Defaulting Shareholder or its Principal from the decision, including but not limited to, when the Defaulting Shareholder has the right to nominate a director hereunder, the directors nominated by such Defaulting Shareholder.

3.5       Death or Incapacity of a Shareholder

(a)      Upon the death or Incapacity of any individual Shareholder or a Principal (in this Section 3.5, the "Deceased"), the Corporation shall have the option, exercisable at any time prior to the date that is two years after such death or Incapacity, to purchase for cancellation, for cash at closing, all of the Shares (in this Section 3.5, the "Purchased Shares") beneficially owned or Controlled by the Deceased from the heirs, executors, administrators or personal representatives of the Deceased (in this Section 3.5, the "Vendor"), for a cash purchase price equal to the fair market value of the Purchased Shares immediately before the time of death or Incapacity of the Deceased, unless the purchase of the Purchased Shares is not completed within 120 days in which case the purchase price shall be the fair market value as of the purchase date (which shall be the fair market value of the Shares, as calculated on the most recent Calculation Date in the manner provided in Schedule C) and the Vendor, upon the exercise of such option, shall be obligated to sell to the Corporation, the Purchased Shares, upon and subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth. If the Corporation does not exercise its option pursuant to this Section 3.5(a), then it shall offer to the Shareholders (other than the Deceased) the option to purchase all of the Purchased Shares of the Deceased on the same terms as the Corporation. If the Purchased Shares are offered to each of the Shareholders (other than the Deceased), each of such Shareholders shall have the right, exercisable by notice given to the Corporation within 90 days after receipt of the notice of such option from the Corporation, to agree that he or it will purchase its Pro Rata Part of the Purchased Shares (provided that for the purposes of calculating a Shareholder's Pro Rata Part in this Section 3.5, the denominator shall exclude the Shares then held by the Deceased) and, if any Shareholder declines to purchase its Pro Rata Part, the number of Purchased Shares in excess of its Pro Rata Part, if any. Any Shareholder not giving notice in accordance with this paragraph shall be deemed to have declined to purchase any of the Purchased Shares. If no notice is given by a Shareholder under this Section 3.5(a), such Shareholder shall be deemed to have rejected the offer made available to it to purchase its Pro Rata Part of the Purchased Shares. The Purchased Shares shall be allocated to those Shareholders delivering a notice under this paragraph on a proportionate basis. If any Shareholder declines (or is deemed to have declined) to purchase its Pro Rata Part, the unclaimed Purchased Shares will be allocated, on a pro rata basis, to each Shareholder that has indicated a desire to acquire more than his or its respective Pro Rata Part, provided that no Shareholder will be allocated a number of Purchased Shares greater than the number that such Shareholder has indicated he or it wishes to purchase. The provisions of this paragraph will be applied, mutatis mutandis, until all of the Purchased Shares which the Shareholders have agreed to purchase pursuant to this paragraph have been allocated among the Shareholders. If, following the process outlined above, the Vendor continues to own any of the Purchased Shares, then the Corporation shall be deemed to have exercised its notice to purchase such shares from the Vendor in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3.5(a).

(b)     The closing of the transaction of purchase and sale contemplated by this Section 3.5 shall take place on the date which shall be the latest of:

(i)         the date which is five days after the exercise of the option;


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(ii)          the date which is seven days following receipt of all necessary consents and approvals required to be obtained in order to effect a valid transfer of the Purchased Shares (and the parties hereto covenant and agree to use their best efforts to obtain such releases); and

(iii)         the date which is 30 days after the purchase price for the Purchased Shares is finally determined in accordance with Schedule C.

If any one or more of the Shareholders determines not to accept the offer as contemplated in this Section 3.5 and that a portion of the Purchased Shares remain unallocated, the Corporation shall have the option, but not the obligation, to find a Person (other than the Corporation or a Subsidiary) to purchase from the Deceased any of the Purchased Shares not so allocated to Shareholders pursuant to Section 3.5 on the same terms and conditions as offered to the Shareholders and as set out in this Section 3.5.

Any decision taken by the Corporation pursuant to this Section 3.5 shall exclude the Deceased from the decision, including but not limited to, when the Deceased has the right to nominate a director hereunder, the directors nominated by the Deceased.

3.6       Right of First Refusal

(a)      If (i) any Shareholder (the "Selling Shareholder") wishes to sell any of the Shares or Securities held by him or her for cash or Marketable Securities to any Person or group of Persons dealing at arm's length with the Selling Shareholder, or (ii) receives a bona fide offer (a "Third Party Offer") from any Person or group of Persons dealing at arm's length with the Selling Shareholder (a "Third Party") to purchase all or any part of the Selling Shareholder's Shares or Securities which offer is acceptable to it and if such sale would otherwise be permitted under this Agreement, the Selling Shareholder shall first give notice (the "First Refusal Notice") to the Corporation first and each of the other Shareholders second (the "Other Shareholders") of such proposed sale. The First Refusal Notice shall state the number of Shares or Securities the Selling Shareholder wishes to sell, the price which the Selling Shareholder is willing to accept for such Shares or Securities and other key terms. If, at the time of delivering the First Refusal Notice, the Selling Shareholder has received a Third Party Offer, the First Refusal Notice shall include (i) a statement that the Selling Shareholder has received a Third Party Offer which the Selling Shareholder is willing to accept and that the offer is bona fide and from a Person acting at arm's length to the Selling Shareholder and that the Selling Shareholder will not receive, directly or indirectly, any Collateral Benefit as a result of accepting the Third Party Offer, (ii) a copy of the Third Party Offer, (iii) if the consideration includes Marketable Securities, a valuation prepared in accordance with Section 3.9 and (iv) the identity of the Third Party and the beneficial owner of the Third Party, if applicable.

(b)     The Corporation shall have the right, exercisable by notice given to the Selling Shareholder within 30 days after the delivery of the First Refusal Notice, to agree that it will purchase some or all of the Shares or Securities being sold by the Selling Shareholder for the price and on the terms of payment set out in the First Refusal Notice or, if applicable, the Third Party Offer, provided that, in the case of a Third Party Offer, if the consideration includes Marketable Securities, the Corporation will be deemed to have satisfied the requirement to agree to purchase at the same price if, in respect of the portion of the consideration which is Marketable Securities, the Corporation agrees to pay cash equal to the value of that consideration as set out in the valuation provided by the Selling Shareholder pursuant to Section 3.9.

(c)      Subject to Section 3.6(b), each of the Other Shareholders shall have the right, exercisable by notice given to the Selling Shareholder and the Other Shareholders within 60 days after the


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receipt of the First Refusal Notice, to agree that he, she or it will purchase its Pro Rata Part of the Shares or Securities being sold by the Selling Shareholder to the extent that the Corporation declines to purchase the Shares or Securities subject to the First Refusal Notice (provided that for the purposes of calculating a Shareholder's Pro Rata Part in this Section 3.6, the denominator shall exclude the Shares then held by the Selling Shareholder) and, if any Other Shareholder declines to purchase its Pro Rata Part, the number of Shares or Securities in excess of its Pro Rata Part, if any, for the price and on the terms of payment set out in the First Refusal Notice or, if applicable, the Third Party Offer, provided that, in the case of a Third Party Offer, if the consideration includes Marketable Securities, any Other Shareholder will be deemed to have satisfied the requirement to agree to purchase at the same price if, in respect of the portion of the consideration which is Marketable Securities, that Other Shareholder agrees to pay cash equal to the value of that consideration as set out in the valuation provided by the Selling Shareholder pursuant to Section 3.9.

Any Other Shareholder not giving notice in accordance with this Section 3.6(c) shall be deemed to have declined to purchase any of the Shares or Securities offered by the Selling Shareholder.

The Shares or Securities subject to the First Refusal Notice shall be allocated to those Other Shareholders delivering a notice pursuant to this Section 3.6(c) on a proportionate basis based on the number of Shares held by each such Other Shareholder. If any Other Shareholder declines (or is deemed to decline) to purchase its Pro Rata Part, the unclaimed Shares or Securities will be allocated, on a pro rata basis, to each Other Shareholder that has indicated a desire to acquire more than his or its respective Pro Rata Part, provided no Other Shareholder will be allocated a number of Shares or Securities greater than the number that such Other Shareholder has indicated he or it wishes to purchase. Subject to Section 3.6(b), the provisions of this Section 3.6(c) will be applied, mutatis mutandis, until all of the Shares or Securities which the Other Shareholders have agreed to purchase pursuant to Section 3.6(c) have been allocated among the Other Shareholders.

For greater certainty, no rights shall arise under Section 3.7 in respect of any purchases by Shareholders pursuant to the exercise of rights under this Section 3.6.

(d)        If the subject Shares or Securities are to be sold to the Corporation or any Other Shareholder hereunder, the purchase and sale shall be completed on the 60th day after (i) delivery of the First Refusal Notice, or (ii) the 45 day period referred to in Section 3.6(e), as applicable.

(e)        If the Corporation or the Other Shareholders do not agree to purchase all of the Shares or Securities subject to the First Refusal Notice, the Selling Shareholder shall be entitled, at its option, to withdraw the offer contained in the First Refusal Notice and thereafter shall, subject to compliance with Section 3.7 and provided such Transfer is not a Material Adverse Transfer, be entitled to sell the Shares or Securities subject to the First Refusal Notice to a Third Party in a bona fide transaction at a price and on terms and conditions no more favourable to the Third Party than those contained in the First Refusal Notice or, if applicable, on the terms of the Third Party Offer for a period of 125 days after delivery of the First Refusal Notice. If the sale is not completed within such 125 day period, the provisions of Section 3.6 shall again apply to any proposed sale of Shares or Securities and so on from time to time.

(f)         The provisions of this Section 3.6 shall not apply to the Transfer of any Shares or Securities (i) to an Eligible Transferee in accordance with the provisions of 3.1(d); and (ii) to which the drag-along rights contained in Section 3.8 apply, and in each case provided the provisions of such Section are exercised in accordance with the terms thereof.


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3.7       Piggyback Right on Sale of Shares

(a)        If any Shareholder (the "Piggy-Back Offeree") receives a written offer (the "Offer") from a Third Party to purchase any of the Shares or Securities held by the Piggy-Back Offeree, prior to any acceptance of the Offer, the Piggy-Back Offeree shall obtain from the Third Party a bona fide offer (the "Piggy-Back Offer") addressed to all of the other Shareholders to purchase the same proportion of the Shares and Securities held by each such Shareholder as the Piggy-Back Offeree is permitted to sell pursuant to the Offer. The Piggy-Back Offer shall contain terms and conditions identical to those contained in the Offer, subject to the provisions of Section 3.7(b). If the consideration in respect of the Piggy-Back Offer includes Marketable Securities, the Piggy-Back Offer shall include a valuation prepared in accordance with Section 3.9. The Piggy-Back Offeree shall, at least 20 days prior to the date specified for compliance with the transaction of purchase and sale contemplated in the Offer, deliver the Piggy-Back Offer to all of the other Shareholders. The Piggy-Back Offer shall be irrevocable and shall be open for acceptance by the other Shareholders for 20 days after receipt.

(b)        The Piggy-Back Offeree shall not be permitted to sell any of its Shares or Securities pursuant to the Offer unless:

(i)            the Offer and the Piggy-Back Offer do not provide a Collateral Benefit to any Shareholder, its Principal or any Affiliate or Related Party thereof; and

(ii)          the Piggy-Back Offer is conditional upon completion of the purchase by the Third Party of the Shares or Securities subject to the Offer.

If required by the Third Party pursuant to the Offer and the Piggy-Back Offer, the PiggyBack Offeree and the Shareholders who accept the Piggy-Back Offer must provide several but not joint representations, warranties and covenants as may be reasonably requested by the Third Party, provided that liability thereunder shall be limited to that portion of the aggregate purchase price received by a Shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Shareholders who are at arm's length with the Founders shall not be obliged, in connection with any sale under this Section 3.7, to provide representations, warranties or indemnities with respect to any matter other than their ownership of the securities to be sold, the absence of encumbrances and their entitlement to complete the sale transaction in question.

(c)        The holders of Shares or Securities shall have the right, exercisable by notice given to the Piggy-Back Offeree, as agent for and on behalf of the Third Party, within 15 days after receipt of the Piggy-Back Offer, to accept the Piggy-Back Offer. Any holder of Shares or Securities not giving notice under this Section 3.7(c) shall be deemed to have declined the Piggy-Back Offer.

(d)        If any holders of the Shares or Securities accept the Piggy-Back Offer, the purchase and sale of the Shares and Securities to the Third Party pursuant to the Piggy-Back Offer shall be completed in accordance with the provisions of the Piggy-Back Offer and at the same time as the purchase and sale of the Shares or Securities by the Piggy-Back Offeree to the Third Party pursuant to the Third Party Offer and as part of the same closing.

(e)        The provisions of this Section shall not apply to the Transfer of any Shares or Securities to an Eligible Transferee in accordance with the provisions of 3.1(d).

3.8       Drag-Along Right

(a)        Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 3.6, if any Shareholder receives an offer (the "Original Offer") from a Third Party to purchase all (but not less than all) of the outstanding


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Shares and Securities (which transaction may include, without limitation, an offer pursuant to a merger, consolidation or other Liquidity Event) and the repayment of all debt owing by the Corporation to the Shareholders, and the Original Offer is (i) approved by the Board and (ii) accepted by Shareholders holding at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding Shares (which 66 2/3% must include a majority of the Class A Preferred Shares), voting together as a single class (the "Accepting Shareholders"), then the Accepting Shareholders may, at their option, deliver to each of the Shareholders who have not accepted the Original Offer (the "Forced Shareholders") an offer from the Third Party addressed to each of the Forced Shareholders (a "Drag-Along Offer") to purchase all of the Shares and other Securities held by the Forced Shareholders and the repayment of all debt owing by the Corporation to the Forced Shareholders on the same terms and conditions as contained in the Original Offer, and otherwise subject to the provisions of Section 3.8(b). Each of the Accepting Shareholders shall provide a representation with respect to itself to the Forced Shareholders that it will not receive, directly or indirectly, any Collateral Benefit as a result of accepting the Original Offer. If the consideration in respect of the Drag-Along Offer includes consideration other than cash, the Drag-Along Offer shall include a valuation prepared in accordance with Section 3.9. The Drag-Along Offer shall be irrevocable.

(b)        In order for the Forced Shareholders to be required to sell their Shares pursuant to the Drag-Along Offer, the Drag-Along Offer must:

(i)         be bona fide and from a party acting at arm's length to the Shareholders;

(ii)        not provide a Collateral Benefit to any Shareholder, its Principal or any Affiliate or Person not at arm's length to such Shareholder;

(iii)       if required by the Third Party pursuant to the Drag-Along Offer, each of the Shareholders and its Principal must provide such representations, warranties and covenants (on a several but not joint basis) as may be reasonably requested by the Third Party, provided that such representations and warranties are typical and customary for a transaction of such nature and provided further that liability thereunder shall be limited to the lesser of (i) that portion of the aggregate purchase price received by that Shareholder and (ii) that Shareholder's pro rata portion of any claim made in connection with such representations and warranties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Shareholders who are at arm's length with the Founders shall not be obliged, in connection with any sale under this Section 3.8, to provide representations, warranties or indemnities with respect to any matter other than their ownership of the securities to be sold, the absence of encumbrances and their entitlement to complete the sale transaction in question.

(c)        The Forced Shareholders shall be obliged to accept the Drag-Along Offer (or otherwise take all necessary action to enable the Corporation to consummate the proposed transaction, as applicable) within three Business Days of receipt. The acceptance of the Drag-Along Offer shall be made in writing and a copy of the acceptance (or of the accepted Drag-Along Offer) shall be delivered to the Accepting Shareholders within such three Business Day period.

(d)        If any of the Forced Shareholders do not accept the Drag-Along Offer within the three Business Day period referred to in Section 3.8(c), any of the Accepting Shareholders shall be entitled and required to accept the Drag-Along Offer on behalf of those other Shareholders and to deliver the same to the Third Party and, for such purpose, each of the Shareholders hereby appoints each of the Shareholders which becomes an Accepting Shareholder as its attorney, with full power of substitution, in the name of the Forced Shareholder to accept the Drag-Along Offer and to execute and deliver all documents and instruments to give effect to such acceptance and to establish a binding contract of purchase and sale between each of the Forced Shareholders and


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the Third Party with respect to all of the Shares and Securities held by the Forced Shareholders and to execute and deliver all deeds, transfers, assignments and assurances necessary to effectively Transfer such Shares and Securities to the Third Party; provided that the purchase price for the Shares and Securities is deposited in the manner set forth below. Such appointment, being coupled with an interest, is irrevocable by the Shareholders. Each of the Shareholders agrees that it will perform the agreement resulting from acceptance of the Drag-Along Offer in accordance with its terms and will ratify and confirm all that any of the Accepting Shareholders may do or cause to be done pursuant to the foregoing. The power of attorney granted in this Section 3.8(d) is not intended to be an enduring power of attorney within the meaning of and governed by the Power of Attorney Act (British Columbia), or any similar power of attorney under equivalent legislation in any of the provinces or territories of Canada (a "CPOA"). The execution of this Agreement shall not terminate any CPOA granted by a Shareholder previously and this power of attorney shall not be terminated by the execution by a Shareholder in the future of a CPOA, and each Shareholder hereby agrees not to take any action that results in the termination of this power of attorney. If, at the time of closing, a Forced Shareholder does not complete the sale for any reason, the Third Party shall have the right to deposit the purchase price for the Shares or Securities to be purchased and sold for the account of such Forced Shareholder (without withholding, deduction or set-off in any manner whatsoever, other than any withholding required or expressly permitted by applicable tax law) in an interest bearing account with the bankers of the Corporation in the name of the Forced Shareholder and that deposit shall constitute valid and effective payment of the purchase price to such Forced Shareholder. If payment of the purchase price is so deposited, then from and after the date of deposit, notwithstanding that certificates or instruments evidencing the Shares or Securities may not have been delivered to the Third Party:

(i)          the purchase shall be deemed to have been fully completed and the records of the Corporation may be amended accordingly;

(ii)         all right, title, benefit and interest, both at law and in equity, in and to the Shares or Securities shall be conclusively deemed to have been transferred and assigned to and become vested in the Third Party; and

(iii)        all right, title, benefit and interest of such Forced Shareholder and of any other Person (other than the Third Party) having an interest in such Shares or Securities, legal or equitable, in any capacity whatsoever shall cease.

(e)        The purchase and sale of Shares in accordance with the provisions of the Drag-Along Offer shall be completed at the same time as the completion of the purchase and sale of Shares and/or Securities between the Accepting Shareholders and the Third Party in accordance with the Original Offer received by the relevant Shareholder(s) and as part of the same closing within 20 days after expiry of the three Business Day period referred to in Section 3.8(c).

(f)         If, at any time, the Corporation or a Shareholder receives from a Person or Persons acting bona fide and at arm's length with the Corporation an offer to purchase all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation which offer is acceptable to Shareholders holding at least 50% of the outstanding Class A Preferred Shares, then each of the other Shareholders hereby agrees to cast such votes and sign such resolutions and other instruments as may be necessary or desirable to be obtained from such Shareholder, in its capacity as a shareholder of the Corporation, in order to evidence its approval of and to permit such transaction(s) of purchase and sale. For greater certainty, each of the Shareholders shall execute and deliver any tax elections, filings or other such forms as may be appropriate so as to result in available tax efficiencies, all as the Corporation may reasonably request (any such request being deemed to be reasonable in respect


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of a Shareholder unless it would result in a materially adverse tax consequence to such Shareholder). If any of the Shareholders do not comply with the requirements set out in this Section 3.8(f) within three Business Days of being requested to do so by the Corporation, the secretary of the Corporation shall be entitled to execute and deliver such documentation and cast any such votes on behalf of such Shareholders and, for such purpose, each of the Shareholders hereby appoints the secretary of the Corporation as its attorney, with full power of substitution, in the name of the Shareholder, to execute and deliver instruments and cast votes, all as aforesaid. Such appointment, being coupled with an interest, is irrevocable by the Shareholders. Each of the Shareholders agrees that it will ratify and confirm any act or instrument which the secretary of the Corporation may do or execute pursuant to this Section 3.8(f). The power of attorney granted in this Section 3.8(f) is not intended to be a CPOA and the execution of this Agreement shall not terminate any CPOA granted by a Shareholder previously and this power of attorney shall not be terminated by the execution by a Shareholder in the future of a CPOA, and each Shareholder hereby agrees not to take any action that results in the termination of this power of attorney. The provisions of Section 3.8(b) shall apply to a sale pursuant to this Section 3.8(f) mutatis mutandis.

3.9       Valuation

Any valuation of non-cash consideration included in a Third Party Offer will be, in the case of (i) Marketable Securities or other equity securities which are listed on an established nationally recognized stock exchange in Canada or the United States, calculated based on the weighted average closing price of those securities on such stock exchange for the 20 trading days ended at the close of business on the day prior to delivery of the applicable notice; and (ii) other non-cash consideration, based on a valuation prepared by a qualified business valuator who is independent of the selling Shareholder(s), the Third Party and the Corporation and selected jointly by each of the Shareholders who are selling Shares pursuant to the relevant transaction and the Third Party. The decision of the independent business valuator shall be final and binding, absent manifest error. If there is a dispute as to the selection of the business valuator, such dispute shall be determined as soon as possible by an arbitrator in accordance with and subject to the provisions of the Arbitrations Act (British Columbia) and any decision thereof shall be final and binding upon all parties to the dispute. If the Parties to the dispute are unable to agree upon a sole arbitrator, the arbitration shall be conducted by three arbitrators, one appointed by the selling Shareholder(s), one appointed by the Third Party and a third selected by the two arbitrators. If the two arbitrators fail to agree on a third arbitrator, the matter shall be referred by either party to a judge of the Supreme Court of British Columbia who shall appoint the third arbitrator.

Any and all costs incurred in connection with the valuation contemplated in this Section 3.9 shall be borne by the selling Shareholder.

3.10     Exclusivity of Sections

Each of Sections 3.6, 3.7 and 3.8 are exclusive and the provisions of such sections may only be relied upon by any Party to this Agreement if the provisions of one of the other of such Sections are not at the same time being relied upon by the same or another Party to this Agreement, provided that if, during the 45 day period referred to in Section 3.6(3), a Shareholder (the "Dragging Shareholder") receives an offer from a Third Party to purchase all of the Shares and Securities which is accepted by the Accepting Shareholders as contemplated in Section 3.8 and the purchase price under such offer is at least equal to the purchase price referred to in the relevant First Refusal Notice pursuant to which such 45 day period has commenced and provided that the Selling Shareholder pursuant to Section 3.6 has entered into a binding agreement of purchase and sale, then the Dragging Shareholder shall be entitled to send the notices contemplated in Section 3.8 and proceed with a transaction of purchase and sale as contemplated in Section 3.8 (but subject to compliance with the provisions of Section 3.8), notwithstanding that the 45 day period as contemplated in Section 3.6(3) may have commenced. In such circumstances, the Selling Shareholder shall be entitled to complete the transaction of purchase and sale to the Third Party as contemplated in Section 3.6(3), provided that such Third Party purchaser acknowledges and agrees


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to be bound by the terms of this Agreement including, without limitation, the obligation to sell the Shares purchased from the Selling Shareholder pursuant to the offer received by the Dragging Shareholder and accepted by the Accepting Shareholders as contemplated in Section 3.8.

ARTICLE 4 TRANSFERS OF SHARES PURSUANT TO DRAG-ALONG PERMITTED

4.1       Material Adverse Transfer, etc.

Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary and for greater certainty, the Third Party offeror in respect of a transaction of purchase and sale pursuant to Section 3.8 may be a Person which is carrying on or involved in a Competitive Business and/or the Transfer of Shares pursuant to Section 3.8 may be a Material Adverse Transfer.

ARTICLE 5 MATTERS RELATING TO ISSUANCE OF SHARES BY THE CORPORATION

5.1       [Reserved]

5.2       Pre-Emptive Right.

(a)      Any Shares or Securities to be issued by the Corporation in compliance with Sections 2.10 and 2.11 shall first be offered to each Shareholder (the "Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders") in proportion to the respective number of Shares then held by each of the Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders on the date of offer.

(b)     The pre-emptive right contained in Section 5.2(a) will not apply in the case of Shares or other Securities issued: (i) on an initial public offering of securities of the Corporation; (ii) in accordance with the Stock Option Plan; (iii) in connection with acquisitions approved by the Board; (iv) upon the exercise or exchange of any outstanding Shares or other Securities; or (iv) in respect of stock splits, stock dividends or similar capital reorganizations.

(c)      The Corporation shall make the offer of any proposed issue of Shares or Securities in writing to all Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders of record at the time of the offer. The offer shall include the price (which shall be payable in cash), the date of expiry of the offer, and the date of purchase, a description of the terms and conditions of the offered Shares or Securities, and the Person to whom the offered Shares or Securities are otherwise proposed to be issued and will state that any Pre-Emptive Right Shareholder that wishes to purchase more than that Pre-Emptive Right Shareholder's Pro Rata Part (provided that for the purposes of calculating a Shareholder's Pro Rata Part in this Section 5.2(c), the denominator shall only include the Shares then held by each of the Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders) must indicate the number of Shares or Securities in excess of the Pro Rata Part the Pre-Emptive Right Shareholder is willing to purchase.

(d)      Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders may exercise the right to purchase the Shares or Securities to be issued by delivering a written notice to the Corporation within 20 days following delivery by the Corporation of the notice contemplated in Section 5.2(c) agreeing to purchase at least its Pro Rata Part of the offered Shares or Securities and, at its option, any number of Shares or Securities in excess of its Pro Rata Part. Any PreEmptive Right Shareholder not delivering a notice within such 20 day period will be deemed to have declined to purchase any of the Shares or Securities offered.

(e)      The offered Shares or Securities shall be allocated to those Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders delivering notice pursuant to Section 5.2(d) on a proportionate basis. If all Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders do not subscribe for at least their respective Pro Rata


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Part, the Corporation shall allocate the unclaimed Shares or Securities to the Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders that have indicated a desire to acquire more than that Pre-Emptive Right Shareholder's respective Pro Rata Part, pro rata in proportion to the number of Shares held by those Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders respectively on the date of offer, provided no Pre-Emptive Right Shareholder will be allocated a number of Shares or Securities greater than the number it has indicated it wishes to purchase. The provisions of this Section 5.1 will be applied, mutatis mutandis, until all of the offered Shares which the Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders have agreed to purchase pursuant to Section 5.2(d) have been allocated among the Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders. The Corporation shall provide notice in writing to each Pre-Emptive Right Shareholder exercising rights under Section 5.2(d) of the number of Shares and the purchase price therefor.

(f)         If, upon the expiry of the period referred to in Section 5.2(d), all of the Shares offered have not been subscribed for at the offered price, the Corporation may issue the remaining Shares or Securities to any Person within a period of 120 days following the expiry of the period set out in Section 5.2(d), at a price and upon terms and conditions which shall not be more favourable than those offered to the Pre-Emptive Right Shareholders, provided such Person enters into an Assumption Agreement. Thereafter, the Corporation may not issue Shares or Securities without complying again with the provisions of this Article 5.

(g)        If the offered Shares or Securities cannot be offered or allocated to or among the PreEmptive Right Shareholders in the proportions referred to above without being divided into fractions, the Shares or Securities will be offered or allocated to or among the PreEmptive Right Shareholders as nearly in proportion to the number of Shares or Securities held by each of them at such time (on an as if converted or exercised basis) in such manner as is determined by the Board.

(h)        The provisions of this Section 5.1 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to any issue of debt or securities which are convertible into Shares or which carry with it an option, warrant or other right or privilege to acquire any Shares.

ARTICLE 6 GENERAL SALE PROVISIONS

6.1       Application of Provisions

The provisions of this Article 6 shall apply, with such changes in detail as may be necessary, to any sale of Shares to the Corporation. All references in this Article 6 to the "Vendor" are to the party or parties entitled or obligated to sell their Shares (or their legal or other personal representatives) and all references in this Article 6 to the "Purchaser" are to the Party or Parties entitled or obligated to purchase such shares. All references in this Article 6 to a "Sale Transaction" are to the transaction of purchase and sale between or among such Vendor and Purchaser and all references in this Article 6 to the "Purchase Price" and "Purchased Shares" are to the purchase monies payable on, and the Shares to be delivered in connection with, the completion of such Sale Transaction. All references in this Article 6 to a "Closing" are to the date upon which such Sale Transaction is to be completed.

6.2       Obligations of Vendor

At or prior to the Closing, the Vendor shall:

(a)        if deemed appropriate by the Purchaser, deliver to the Corporation signed resignations of the Vendor and its nominees, if any, as Directors, officers and employees of the Corporation, as the case may be;


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(b)        assign and transfer to the Purchaser the Purchased Shares and deliver the share certificate(s) representing the Purchased Shares duly endorsed for transfer to the Purchaser or as directed by it;

(c)        do all other things required in order to deliver good and marketable title to the Purchased Shares to the Purchaser free and clear of any Liens whatsoever including, without limitation, the delivery of any governmental releases and declarations of transmission (provided that, if at the time of Closing, the Purchased Shares are not free and clear of all Liens whatsoever, the Purchaser may, without prejudice to any other rights which it may have, purchase the Purchased Shares subject to such Liens and, in that event, the Purchaser shall, at the time of Closing, assume all obligations and liabilities with respect to such Liens and the Purchase Price payable by the Purchaser for the Purchased Shares shall be satisfied, in whole or in part, as the case may be, by such assumption and the amount so assumed by the Purchaser shall be deducted from the Purchase Price Payable at the Closing);

(d)        if requested, either provide the Purchaser with evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Purchaser that the Vendor is not then a non-resident of Canada within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) or, if required, provide the Purchaser with a certificate pursuant to subsection 116(2) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) with a certificate limit in an amount not less than the Purchase Price for the Purchased Shares; provided that if such evidence or certificate is not forthcoming, the Purchaser shall be entitled to make the payment of tax required under section 116 of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and to deduct such payment from the Purchase Price for the Purchased Shares; and

(e)       deliver to the Purchaser an agreement or certificate setting out and certifying the matters described in Section 3.3.

6.3       Deliveries to Vendor

At or prior to the time of Closing, each of the remaining Parties shall use reasonable efforts to cause the Corporation to deliver to each of the Vendor and its nominees a release by the Corporation of all its claims against each of the Vendor and its nominees, and the Vendor shall deliver or cause its nominee to deliver to the Corporation a release by the Vendor and its nominees of all their claims against the Corporation, with respect to any matter or thing arising as a result of the Vendor or its nominees being a Shareholder, director or officer of the Corporation, as the case may be, except for any claims which might arise out of the Sale Transactions.

6.4       Repayment of Debts

If, at the time of Closing, the Vendor is indebted to the Corporation in an amount recorded on the books of the Corporation and verified by the accountant of the Corporation, the Vendor shall repay such amount to the Corporation at the time of Closing and, if the Vendor fails to make such repayment, the Purchaser shall be entitled to deduct the amount of such indebtedness from the Purchase Price and the amount of the Purchase Price payable to the Vendor shall be reduced accordingly.

If, at the time of Closing, the Corporation is indebted to the Vendor in an amount recorded on the books of the Corporation and verified by the accountant of the Corporation, the Corporation shall repay such amount to the Vendor at the time of Closing and, if the Corporation fails to make such repayment at Closing, the Purchaser shall be required to do so on behalf of the Corporation.

6.5       Non-Completion by Vendor

If, at the time of Closing, the Vendor fails to complete a Sale Transaction, the Purchaser shall have the right, if not in default under this Agreement, without prejudice to any other rights which it may have, upon


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payment of the Purchase Price payable to the Vendor at the time of Closing to the credit of the Vendor in the main branch of the Corporation's bankers in the City of Vancouver or the City of New York, to execute and deliver, on behalf of and in the name of the Vendor, such deeds, transfers, share certificates, resignations or other documents that may be necessary to complete the Sale Transaction and each party, to the extent it may be a Vendor hereunder, hereby irrevocably appoints any party who becomes a Purchaser in a Sale Transaction its attorney on its behalf with full power of substitution, in the name of the Vendor but on behalf of and at the expense of the Purchaser, to execute and deliver all deeds, transfers, assignments and assurances necessary to effectively Transfer the interest being sold to the Purchaser or its nominees. The appointment, being coupled with an interest, is irrevocable by each Shareholder and each Shareholder agrees to ratify and confirm all that a Purchaser may do or cause to be done pursuant to the foregoing. Each Shareholder consents to any Transfer of Shares made pursuant to the foregoing. The power of attorney granted in this Section 6.5 is not intended to be a CPOA. The execution of this Agreement shall not terminate any CPOA granted by a Shareholder previously and this power of attorney shall not be terminated by the execution by a Shareholder in the future of a CPOA, and each Shareholder agrees not to take any action that results in the termination of this power of attorney. Upon such execution and delivery of such documents by the Purchaser, the Purchaser's name shall be entered in the registers of the Corporation in exercise of the aforesaid power, and the validity of the proceedings shall not be subject to question by any person. On such registration, the Vendor shall cease to have any right to or in respect of the Shares to be sold except the right to receive, without interest, the purchase price for the Shares deposited with the Corporation's banker.

6.6       Agreement Binding on Transferees

No Shares shall be effectively issued, sold, assigned, Transferred, disposed of or conveyed, whether pursuant to a provision of Article 3 or otherwise, by the Corporation or a Shareholder to any Person other than a Shareholder or the Corporation, until the proposed transferee or purchaser executes and delivers to the parties hereto an Assumption Agreement and provided such issuance or Transfer of Shares does not constitute a Material Adverse Issuance or Material Adverse Transfer, as the case may be (other than a transfer of Shares contemplated under Section 4.1).

6.7       Consents

If any Governmental Approval is required by a Purchaser under any provision of this Agreement, then, notwithstanding anything contained in this, Agreement, the time period specified in this Agreement for acceptance of the offer by the Purchaser shall be extended for an additional 90 days to permit the Purchaser to obtain the necessary Governmental Approval. Any such application for Governmental Approval shall be the sole responsibility of the Purchaser who shall also be responsible for all costs and expenses incurred in connection therewith. The other Shareholders and the Corporation shall use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Purchaser in any application for Governmental Approval.

ARTICLE 7 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND COMPETITION

7.1       Non-Competition

For so long as a Shareholder holds any Shares and for a period of 12 months from the date on which such Shareholder ceases to hold any Shares, such Shareholder acknowledges and agrees that he, she or it will not participate as an owner, shareholder, director, officer, employee, consultant or in any other capacity (1) in any business venture which competes with the Business of the Corporation anywhere in the world in which the Corporation does business, or (2) in, for or with any Person involved in a Competitive Business. The restrictions in this Section are acknowledged to be separate, distinct and severable covenants and to be reasonable and valid and all defences to the strict enforcement thereof are hereby waived by each Shareholder and Principal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Shareholder is entitled to acquire up to 5% of the voting shares or 5% of the equity of a corporation whose shares are traded on a public market. This Section 7.1 shall not apply to Soluna Technologies Investments I, LLC, its Affiliates, or any shareholder, director, officer, employee or consultant of Soluna Technologies Investments I, LLC or its Affiliates. This Section 7.1 shall not apply to Platinum Power SA,


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its Affiliates, or any shareholder, director, officer, employee or consultant of Platinum Power SA. This Section 7.1 shall not apply to Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, its Affiliates, or any shareholder, director, officer, employee or consultant of Mechanical Technology, Incorporated.

7.2       Duty of Confidentiality

(a)        Except for this Agreement, and except for any information disclosed to a shareholder or any of its Affiliates pursuant to the terms of any other written agreement between the shareholder (or its Affiliates) and the Corporation, any Confidential Information, written or electronic in the possession of Shareholders or Principals shall be returned to the Corporation on such date that any such Shareholder or, in the case of a Principal, the Controlled Shareholder which such Principal Controls ceases to hold any Shares. Confidential Information does not include:

(i)         any information which is or becomes publicly available or is in the public domain through no fault of the Shareholder or Principal or breach of this Section 7.2;

(ii)        any information which is the general or Principal knowledge, skills and experience of the Shareholder or Principal;

(iii)       any information which is disclosed to a Shareholder or Principal by a Third Party which is under no obligation of confidence to the Corporation provided such information was not disclosed to such Third Party as a result of a breach of this Section 7.2;

(iv)       any information which is disclosed pursuant to court order or other legal compulsion; or

(v)        any information that is disclosed to a Shareholder or Principal by a Third Party who is not in breach of a confidentiality obligation to the Corporation.

Each of the Parties shall treat confidentially, and shall take reasonable precautions to ensure confidentiality of, all Confidential Information, whether verbal, written, electronic or visually observed and whether or not expressly advised of the confidentiality of the information. Except as required for performance of any employment agreement with the Corporation, the Shareholder and, if applicable, its Principal shall not directly or indirectly use, copy, store or disclose the Confidential Information or any trade-mark, trade name or logo of the Corporation or its clients', during or after the Shareholder or, in the case of a Principal, the Controlled Shareholder which such Principal Controls ceases to hold any Shares.

(b)        Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations of confidentiality as contained in this Section 7.2 shall be subject to:

(i)        the right of any Shareholder to present to the creditors of the Corporation or any Subsidiary or to any other Person as the Shareholders may deem appropriate, any relevant information in order to preserve the existence of the Business of the Corporation and/or any Subsidiary or to otherwise attempt to solve financial problems of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries, provided confidentiality arrangements acceptable to the Board, acting reasonably, are implemented;

(ii)       the right of the Shareholder, in connection with its right to sell Shares in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, to disclose Confidential Information to an underwriter or investment dealer appointed by such Shareholder or the potential purchaser in respect of such proposed sale or transaction, provided such underwriter, investment dealer or potential purchaser agrees to be bound by the confidentiality obligations set out in this Section 7.2, as well as a covenant of such party not to use or allow the use for any purpose


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of the Confidential Information or notes, summaries or other material derived from the review of the Confidential Information, except to advise in connection with such transaction or to determine whether to purchase Shares from the Shareholder or otherwise acquire the Corporation; and

(iii)       the right of the directors to discuss the Business of the Corporation and any Subsidiary, including Confidential Information, with the investment committee, officers, directors, employees and advisors of a Shareholder.

Nothing in this Section 7.2(a) shall preclude a Shareholder from using or disclosing Confidential Information if:

(i)         the Confidential Information is available to the public or in the public domain at the time of such disclosure or use, without breach of this Agreement;

(ii)        disclosure is required to be made by any law, regulation, Governmental Body or authority or by court order;

(iii)       disclosure is required by any Listing Requirements applicable to such Shareholder or any of its Affiliates; for those purposes "Listing Requirement" shall mean any ordinance, regulation, order, directive, policy and decision promulgated or rendered by regulatory process by any public securities exchange, including, without limitation OTC Markets Group, the Toronto Stock Exchange, the TSX Venture Exchange, the Canadian Securities Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Stock Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Nasdaq Global Market or the London Stock Exchange;

(iv)       disclosure is made to a court which is determining the rights of the parties under this Agreement; or

(v)        the Confidential Information is permitted to be so used or disclosed pursuant to a separate written agreement between the shareholder (or its Affiliates) and the Corporation.

(c)        Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Director shall have the right to share information received about the Corporation (whether at or for Board meetings or otherwise) with members, directors, officers and advisors of the Shareholder entity or entities such director represents.

7.3       Non-Solicitation

(a)        Each Shareholder and Principal shall not, directly or indirectly, on his or her own behalf or on behalf of any future employer or client, for a period of 12 months from the date on which the Shareholder or, in the case of a Principal, the Controlled Shareholder which such Principal Controls ceases to hold any Shares, for any reason, solicit or contact, directly or through others, for the purpose or with the effect of competing or interfering with or harming any part of the Business of the Corporation:

(i)          any customer under contract with the Corporation at any time during the last one year of the Shareholder's or Principal's employment or consulting arrangement and with whom the Shareholder or Principal dealt while employed by the Corporation;

(ii)         any prospect that received or requested a proposal or offer from the Corporation at any time during the last one year of the Shareholder's or Principal's employment and with


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whom the Shareholder or Principal dealt while employed by or while acting as a consultant to the Corporation;

(iii)       any affiliate of any such customer or prospect;

(iv)       any of the individual contacts established by the Corporation or the Shareholder or Principal or others at the Corporation during the Shareholder's or Principal's employment at the Corporation; or

(v)        any individual who is an employee or independent contractor of the Corporation at the time of the solicitation or contact or who has been an employee or independent contractor within six months before such solicitation or contact.

(b)        Each Shareholder and Principal shall not, directly or indirectly, on his, her or its own behalf or on behalf of any other Person, for a period of one year from the date on which the Shareholder or, in the case of a Principal, the Controlled Shareholder which such Principal Controls ceases to hold any Shares, for any reason, solicit, advise, or contact, or participate as an owner, shareholder, director, officer, employee, consultant or in any other capacity in any Competitive Business.

7.4       General

Each Shareholder acknowledges that the obligations contained in this Article 7 are not in substitution for any obligations which that Shareholder may now or hereafter owe to the Corporation or any Shareholder and which exist apart from this Article 7 and do not replace any rights of the Corporation or any Shareholder with respect to any such obligation. Each Shareholder acknowledges that a breach or threatened breach by that Shareholder of any provision of this Article 7 will result in the Corporation and the other Shareholders suffering irreparable harm which cannot be calculated or fully or adequately compensated by recovery of damages alone. Accordingly, each Shareholder agrees that the Corporation and any other Shareholder shall be entitled to interim and permanent injunctive relief, specific performance and other equitable remedies, in addition to any other relief to which the Corporation or any other Shareholder may become entitled. Each Shareholder acknowledges and agrees that the obligations pursuant to this Article 7 will remain in effect in perpetuity.

ARTICLE 8 GENERAL

8.1       Assumption of the Agreement

Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Corporation shall cause all holders of options, warrants or other rights or securities exercisable to acquire Shares, as a condition to the grant of such options, warrants, rights or securities, to execute and deliver to the parties hereto an assumption agreement substantially in the form set out in Schedule B to this Agreement.

8.2       Benefit of the Agreement

This Agreement shall enure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective heirs, executors, administrators, personal representatives, successors and permitted assigns of the Parties hereto.

8.3       Entire Agreement

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties hereto pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings, negotiations and discussions, whether oral or written, of the Parties, and there are no warranties, representations or other agreements between the Parties in connection with the subject matter hereof except as specifically set forth herein.


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No supplement, modification, waiver, qualification or termination of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by the Parties to be bound thereby.

8.4       Amendments and Waivers

No amendment to this Agreement shall be valid or binding unless set forth in writing and duly executed by all of the Shareholders. No waiver of any breach of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective or binding unless made in writing and signed by the Party purporting to give the same and, unless otherwise provided in the written waiver, shall be limited to the specific breach waived.

8.5       Arbitration

Any and all disputes, claims or controversies arising out of or in any way connected with or arising from this Agreement (other than any disputes arising out of a valuation of the fair market value of Shares pursuant to Schedule C of this Agreement), its negotiation, performance, breach, enforcement, existence or validity, and failure of the parties to reach agreement with respect to matters provided for herein and all matters of dispute relating to the rights and obligations of the parties hereto, which cannot be amicably resolved, even if only one of the parties declares that there is a difference, shall be referred to and finally settled by binding arbitration held in British Columbia in English in accordance with the provisions of the Arbitration Act (British Columbia) from which there shall be no appeal. Such dispute shall not be made the subject matter of an action in any court by any party unless the dispute has been first submitted to arbitration and finally determined in accordance with the provisions of Schedule D. Any such action commenced thereafter shall only be for the purpose of enforcing the decision of the arbitrators and the costs incidental to the action. In any such action, the decision of the arbitrators shall be conclusively deemed to determine the rights and liabilities as between the parties to the arbitration in respect of the matter in dispute.

8.6       Assignment

Except as set out in this Agreement, none of the Parties hereto may assign its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of all of the other Parties. The Corporation shall have the right to assign the benefit of all rights and obligations of the Corporation hereunder to any Affiliate or other person in connection with a change of control, a reorganization or any other transaction which is determined to be in the best interests of the Corporation by the Board.

8.7       Termination

This Agreement shall terminate upon:

(a)        the dissolution, insolvency or bankruptcy of the Corporation or the making by the Corporation of an assignment under the provisions of any bankruptcy or other insolvency legislation;

(b)        one Shareholder becoming the beneficial owner of all of the Shares;

(c)        immediately before the consummation of an initial public offering under the securities laws of Canada or the United States or the date on which the Corporation first becomes subject to the periodic reporting requirements as a reporting issuer in Canada or a registrant in the United States; or

(d)       the occurrence of a Liquidity Event.

Upon the termination of this Agreement other than by dissolution or winding-up, each Shareholder shall be entitled to deliver for cancellation to the Corporation all of the legended certificates representing the Shares owned by such Shareholder and the Corporation shall re-issue and deliver, at its sole expense, to the Shareholder,


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certificates for such Shares without any Transfer restrictions legended thereon, other than as may be required by law, duly registered in the name of the Shareholder.

8.8       Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part, such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision or part thereof and the remaining part of such provision and all other provisions hereof shall continue in full force and effect.

8.9       Notices

Any demand, notice or other communication (hereinafter in this Section 8.9 referred to as a "Communication") to be given in connection with this Agreement shall be given in writing and may be given by personal delivery, by courier, by registered mail, by transmittal by facsimile transmission (provided the intended recipient has a fax machine) or by e-mail transmission of an Adobe Acrobat file or similar means of recorded electronic transmission, in each case addressed to the recipient as set out in Schedule E, or to such other address, facsimile number, e-mail address or individual as may be designated by written notice by any party to the others. Any Communication given by personal delivery or registered mail shall be conclusively deemed to have been given on the day of actual delivery thereof and, if given by facsimile transmission or by e-mail, on the day of transmittal thereof if such day is a Business Day and is received before 5:00 p.m. (local time to the recipient) or otherwise on the next Business Day after the day of transmittal

8.10      Counterparts; Signatures

(a)        This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the same instrument. Counterparts may be executed either in original, faxed form or by e-mail transmission of an Adobe Acrobat file or similar means of recorded electronic transmission and the Parties adopt any signatures so received as original signatures of the parties.

(b)        Each Person who proposes from time to time to become a Shareholder, including an Eligible Transferee, shall execute an Adoption Agreement. No Person shall become a Shareholder and no issue of transfer of Shares shall be registered by the Corporation unless the Person has executed an Adoption Agreement.

8.11      Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws applicable therein and shall be treated in all respects as an British Columbia contract.

8.12     Independent Legal Advice

(a)        Each party hereto acknowledges that both (i) DLA Piper (Canada) LLP, 100 King Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5X 1E2 and (ii) Aust Legal Inc., 1010, rue de la Gauchetière Ouest, Suite 1350, Montreal, Québec, H3A 2R7 have acted solely for the Corporation in the preparation of this Agreement.

(b)        Each party hereto further acknowledges that it has been advised that each Shareholder has conflicting interests with each of the other Shareholders in respect to the finalization of this Agreement, and accordingly each has been advised to obtain independent legal advice concerning the advisability of entering into this Agreement before executing it.


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8.13     No Voting Trust

No Shareholder will enter into a voting trust or other written agreement or have any other understanding with another Shareholder that they will regularly determine together in advance how they will vote on matters coming before the Shareholders if such agreement or trust results in sufficient votes to gain Control of the Corporation.

8.14     Compliance with Applicable Legislation and Other Requirements

No Party is obligated by this Agreement to, and shall not, take any action required, permitted or otherwise contemplated by this Agreement except in accordance with applicable laws.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


EXHIBIT F

FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

(see attached)

 

 

 

 

 


Execution copy

 

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.

 REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

January 13, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Page

1.         Definitions........................................................................................................................... 1

 

2.         Registration Rights.............................................................................................................. 3

2.1       Demand Registration............................................................................................... 3

2.2       Corporation Registration......................................................................................... 5

2.3       Underwriting Requirements..................................................................................... 5

2.4       Obligations of the Corporation................................................................................ 7

2.5       Furnish Information................................................................................................. 8

2.6       Expenses of Registration......................................................................................... 8

2.7       Delay of Registration............................................................................................... 8

2.8       Indemnification........................................................................................................ 9

2.9       Reports Under Exchange Act................................................................................ 11

2.10     "Market Stand-off" Agreement.............................................................................. 11

2.11     Restrictions on Transfer......................................................................................... 12

2.12     Termination of Registration Rights.......................................................................... 13

 

3.         Miscellaneous.................................................................................................................... 14

3.1       Successors and Assigns......................................................................................... 14

3.2       Governing Law...................................................................................................... 14

3.3       Counterparts.......................................................................................................... 14

3.4       Titles and Subtitles................................................................................................. 14

3.5       Notices.................................................................................................................. 15

3.6       Amendments and Waivers...................................................................................... 15

3.7       Severability............................................................................................................ 16

3.8       Aggregation of Shares............................................................................................ 16

3.9       Additional Investors............................................................................................... 16

3.10     Entire Agreement................................................................................................... 16

3.11     Dispute Resolution................................................................................................. 16

3.12     Delays or Omissions.............................................................................................. 17

3.13     Application of Canadian Securities Laws................................................................ 17

 

Schedule A ................................................................................................................................... 19

Schedule of Investors......................................................................................................... 19

 

i


REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this "Agreement"), is made as of the 13th day of January, 2020, by and among Soluna Techonogies, Ltd., a corporation governed by the laws of British Columbia (the "Corporation"), and each of the investors listed on Schedule A hereto, each of which is referred to in this Agreement as an "Investor" and any Additional Purchaser (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) that becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with Section 6.9 hereof.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Corporation and the Investors are parties to that certain Class A Preferred Share Purchase Agreement of even date herewith (the "Purchase Agreement"); and

WHEREAS, in order to induce the Corporation to enter into the Purchase Agreement and to induce the Investors to invest funds in the Corporation pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Investors and the Corporation hereby agree that this Agreement shall govern the rights of the Investors to cause the Corporation to register shares of Common Shares issuable to the Investors;

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereby agree as follows:

1.         Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

1.1          "Affiliate" means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person who, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Person, including without limitation any general partner, managing member, officer, director or trustee of such Person, or any venture capital fund or registered investment Corporation now or hereafter existing that is controlled by one or more general partners, managing members or investment adviser of, or shares the same management Corporation or investment adviser with, such Person.

1.2          "Articles" means the Corporation's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended and/or restated from time to time.

1.3          "Board of Directors" means the board of directors of the Corporation.

1.4          "Common Shares" means shares of the Corporation's Common Shares, without par value.

1.5          "Damages" means any loss, damage, claim or liability (joint or several) to which a party hereto may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state law, insofar as such loss, damage, claim or liability (or any action in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any registration statement of the Corporation, including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto; (ii) an omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein, or

1


necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the indemnifying party (or any of its agents or Affiliates) of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities law, or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or any state securities law.

1.6         "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

1.7         "Excluded Registration" means (i) a registration relating to the sale or grant of securities to employees of the Corporation or a subsidiary pursuant to a Shares option, Shares purchase, equity incentive or similar plan; (ii) a registration relating to an SEC Rule 145 transaction; (iii) a registration on any form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of the Registrable Securities; or (iv) a registration in which the only Common Shares being registered is Common Shares issuable upon conversion of debt securities that are also being registered.

1.8         "Form S-1" means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any successor registration form under the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC.

1.9         "Form S-3" means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any registration form under the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC that permits forward incorporation of substantial information by reference to other documents filed by the Corporation with the SEC.

1.10       "GAAP" means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States as in effect from time to time.

1.11       "Holder" means any holder of Registrable Securities who is a party to this Agreement.

1.12       "Initiating Holders" means, collectively, Holders who properly initiate a registration request under this Agreement.

1.13       "IPO" means the Corporation's first underwritten public offering of its Common Shares under the Securities Act.

1.14       "New Securities" means, collectively, equity securities of the Corporation, whether or not currently authorized, as well as rights, options, or warrants to purchase such equity securities, or securities of any type whatsoever that are, or may become, convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for such equity securities.

1.15       "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability Corporation, association or other entity.

1.16       "Preferred Shares" means, collectively, shares of the Corporation's Class A Preferred Shares and Class Seed Preferred Shares.

 

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1.17       "Registrable Securities" means (i) the Common Shares issuable or issued upon conversion of the Class A Preferred Shares; and (ii) any Common Shares issued as (or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any warrant, right, or other security that is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, or in exchange for or in replacement of, the shares referenced in clause (i) above; excluding in all cases, however, any Registrable Securities sold by a Person in a transaction in which the applicable rights under this Agreement are not assigned pursuant to Subsection 3.1, and excluding for purposes of Section 2 any shares for which registration rights have terminated pursuant to Subsection 2.12 of this Agreement.

1.18       "Registrable Securities then outstanding" means the number of shares determined by adding the number of shares of outstanding Common Shares that are Registrable Securities and the number of shares of Common Shares issuable (directly or indirectly) pursuant to then exercisable and/or convertible securities that are Registrable Securities.

1.19       "Restricted Securities" means the securities of the Corporation required to be notated with the legend set forth in Subsection 2.11(b) hereof.

1.20       "SEC" means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

1.21       "SEC Rule 144" means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.

1.22       "SEC Rule 145" means Rule 145 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.

1.23       "Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

1.24       "Selling Expenses" means all underwriting discounts, selling commissions, and Shares transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities, and fees and disbursements of counsel for any Holder, except for the fees and disbursements of the Selling Holder Counsel borne and paid by the Corporation as provided in Subsection 2.6.

1.25       "Class A Preferred Shares" means shares of the Corporation's Class A Preferred Shares, without par share.

2.         Registration Rights. The Corporation covenants and agrees as follows:

  2.1       Demand Registration.

(a)       Form S-1 Demand. If at any time after the earlier of (i) three (3) years after the date of this Agreement or (ii) one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of the registration statement for the IPO, the Corporation receives a request from Holders of fifty percent (50%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Corporation file a Form S-1 registration statement with respect to the Registrable Securities then outstanding if the anticipated aggregate offering price, net of Selling Expenses, would equal $12 million or more, then the Corporation shall (x) within ten (10) days after the date such request is given, give notice thereof (the "Demand Notice") to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (y) as soon as

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practicable, and in any event within sixty (60) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-1 registration statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities that the Initiating Holders requested to be registered and any additional Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Corporation within twenty (20) days of the date the Demand Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Subsections 2.1(c) and 2.3.  

(b)               Form S-3 Demand. If at any time when it is eligible to use a Form S-3 registration statement, the Corporation receives a request from Holders of at least thirty percent (30%) of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Corporation file a Form S-3 registration statement with respect to outstanding Registrable Securities of such Holders having an anticipated aggregate offering price, net of Selling Expenses, of at least $1 million, then the Corporation shall (i) within ten (10) days after the date such request is given, give a Demand Notice to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (ii) as soon as practicable, and in any event within forty-five (45) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-3 registration statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Corporation within twenty (20) days of the date the Demand Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Subsections 2.1(c) and 2.3.

(c)                Notwithstanding the foregoing obligations, if the Corporation furnishes to Holders requesting a registration pursuant to this Subsection 2.1 a certificate signed by the Corporation's chief executive officer stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board of Directors it would be materially detrimental to the Corporation and its Sharesholders for such registration statement to either become effective or remain effective for as long as such registration statement otherwise would be required to remain effective, because such action would (i) materially interfere with a significant acquisition, corporate reorganization, or other similar transaction involving the Corporation; (ii) require premature disclosure of material information that the Corporation has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential; or (iii) render the Corporation unable to comply with requirements under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, then the Corporation shall have the right to defer taking action with respect to such filing for a period of not more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the request of the Initiating Holders is given; provided, however, that the Corporation may not invoke this right more than once in any twelve (12) month period; and provided further that the Corporation shall not register any securities for its own account or that of any other Sharesholder during such one hundred twenty (120) day period other than an Excluded Registration.

(d)               The Corporation shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a): (i) during the period that is sixty (60) days before the Corporation's good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of, a Corporation-initiated registration, provided that the Corporation is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; (ii) after the Corporation has effected two registrations pursuant to Subsection 2.1(a); or (iii) if the Initiating Holders propose to dispose of shares of Registrable Securities that may be immediately registered on Form S-3 pursuant to a request made pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b). The Corporation shall not be obligated to effect, or

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to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b) (i) during the period that is thirty (30) days before the Corporation's good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is ninety (90) days after the effective date of, a Corporation-initiated registration, provided that the Corporation is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; or (ii) if the Corporation has effected one registration pursuant to Subsection 2.1(b) within the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the date of such request. A registration shall not be counted as "effected" for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d) until such time as the applicable registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC, unless the Initiating Holders withdraw their request for such registration, elect not to pay the registration expenses therefor, and forfeit their right to one demand registration statement pursuant to Subsection 2.6, in which case such withdrawn registration statement shall be counted as "effected" for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d); provided, that if such withdrawal is during a period the Corporation has deferred taking action pursuant to Subsection 2.1(c), then the Initiating Holders may withdraw their request for registration and such registration will not be counted as "effected" for purposes of this Subsection 2.1(d).

2.2          Corporation Registration. If the Corporation proposes to register (including, for this purpose, a registration effected by the Corporation for Sharesholders other than the Holders) any of its Common Shares under the Securities Act in connection with the public offering of such securities solely for cash (other than in an Excluded Registration), the Corporation shall, at such time, promptly give each Holder notice of such registration. Upon the request of each Holder given within twenty (20) days after such notice is given by the Corporation, the Corporation shall, subject to the provisions of Subsection 2.3, cause to be registered all of the Registrable Securities that each such Holder has requested to be included in such registration. The Corporation shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this Subsection 2.2 before the effective date of such registration, whether or not any Holder has elected to include Registrable Securities in such registration. The expenses (other than Selling Expenses) of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Corporation in accordance with Subsection  2.6.

2.3       Underwriting Requirements.

(a)       If, pursuant to Subsection 2.1, the Initiating Holders intend to distribute the Registrable Securities covered by their request by means of an underwriting, they shall so advise the Corporation as a part of their request made pursuant to Subsection 2.1, and the Corporation shall include such information in the Demand Notice. The underwriter(s) will be selected by the Board of Directors and shall be reasonably acceptable to a majority in interest of the Initiating Holders. In such event, the right of any Holder to include such Holder's Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder's participation in such underwriting and the inclusion of such Holder's Registrable Securities in the underwriting to the extent provided herein. All Holders proposing to distribute their securities through such underwriting shall (together with the Corporation as provided in Subsection 2.4(e)) enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter(s) selected for such underwriting. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Subsection 2.3, if the managing underwriter advises the Initiating Holders in writing that marketing factors require a limitation on the number of shares to be underwritten, then the Initiating Holders shall so advise all Holders of Registrable Securities that otherwise would be underwritten pursuant hereto, and the number of Registrable Securities

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that may be included in the underwriting shall be allocated among such Holders of Registrable Securities, including the Initiating Holders, in proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the number of Registrable Securities owned by each Holder or in such other proportion as shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling Holders; provided, however, that the number of Registrable Securities held by the Holders to be included in such underwriting shall not be reduced unless all other securities are first entirely excluded from the underwriting. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Corporation or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest one hundred (100) shares.

(b)             In connection with any offering involving an underwriting of shares of the Corporation's capital Shares pursuant to Subsection 2.2, the Corporation shall not be required to include any of the Holders' Registrable Securities in such underwriting unless the Holders accept the terms of the underwriting as agreed upon between the Corporation and its underwriters, and then only in such quantity as the underwriters in their sole discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of the offering by the Corporation. If the total number of securities, including Registrable Securities, requested by Sharesholders to be included in such offering exceeds the number of securities to be sold (other than by the Corporation) that the underwriters in their reasonable discretion determine is compatible with the success of the offering, then the Corporation shall be required to include in the offering only that number of such securities, including Registrable Securities, which the underwriters and the Corporation in their sole discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of the offering. If the underwriters determine that less than all of the Registrable Securities requested to be registered can be included in such offering, then the Registrable Securities that are included in such offering shall be allocated among the selling Holders in proportion (as nearly as practicable to) the number of Registrable Securities owned by each selling Holder or in such other proportions as shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling Holders. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Corporation or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest one hundred (100) shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall (i) the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced unless all other securities (other than securities to be sold by the Corporation) are first entirely excluded from the offering, or (ii) the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced below twenty-five percent (25%) of the total number of securities included in such offering, unless such offering is the IPO, in which case the selling Holders may be excluded further if the underwriters make the determination described above and no other Sharesholder's securities are included in such offering. For purposes of the provision in this Subsection 2.3(b) concerning apportionment, for any selling Holder that is a partnership, limited liability Corporation, or corporation, the partners, members, retired partners, retired members, Sharesholders, and Affiliates of such Holder, or the estates and Immediate Family Members of any such partners, retired partners, members, and retired members and any trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing Persons, shall be deemed to be a single "selling Holder," and any pro rata reduction with respect to such "selling Holder" shall be based upon the aggregate number of Registrable Securities owned by all Persons included in such "selling Holder," as defined in this sentence.

(c)             For purposes of Subsection 2.1, a registration shall not be counted as "effected" if, as a result of an exercise of the underwriter's cutback provisions in Subsection 2.3(a), fewer than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of Registrable Securities that Holders have requested to be included in such registration statement are actually included.

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2.4          Obligations of the Corporation. Whenever required under this Section 2 to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities, the Corporation shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:

(a)               prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective and, upon the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities registered thereunder, keep such registration statement effective for a period of up to one hundred twenty (120) days or, if earlier, until the distribution contemplated in the registration statement has been completed; provided, however, that such one hundred twenty (120) day period shall be extended for a period of time equal to the period the Holder refrains, at the request of an underwriter of Common Shares (or other securities) of the Corporation, from selling any securities included in such registration;

(b)               prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to such registration statement, and the prospectus used in connection with such registration statement, as may be necessary to comply with the Securities Act in order to enable the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement;

(c)               furnish to the selling Holders such numbers of copies of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, as required by the Securities Act, and such other documents as the Holders may reasonably request in order to facilitate their disposition of their Registrable Securities;

(d)               use its commercially reasonable efforts to register and qualify the securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or blue-sky laws of such jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the selling Holders; provided that the Corporation shall not be required to qualify to do business or to file a general consent to service of process in any such states or jurisdictions, unless the Corporation is already subject to service in such jurisdiction and except as may be required by the Securities Act;

(e)               in the event of any underwritten public offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the underwriter(s) of such offering;

(f)                use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement to be listed on a national securities exchange or trading system and each securities exchange and trading system (if any) on which similar securities issued by the Corporation are then listed;

(g)               provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Agreement and provide a CUSIP number for all such Registrable Securities, in each case not later than the effective date of such registration;

(h)               promptly make available for inspection by the selling Holders, any managing underwriter participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement, and any attorney or accountant or other agent retained by any such underwriter or selected by the selling Holders, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents, and properties of

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the Corporation, and cause the Corporation's officers, directors, employees, and independent accountants to supply all information reasonably requested by any such seller, underwriter, attorney, accountant, or agent, in each case, as necessary or advisable to verify the accuracy of the information in such registration statement and to conduct appropriate due diligence in connection therewith;

(i)                 notify each selling Holder, promptly after the Corporation receives notice thereof, of the time when such registration statement has been declared effective or a supplement to any prospectus forming a part of such registration statement has been filed; and

(j)                 after such registration statement becomes effective, notify each selling Holder of any request by the SEC that the Corporation amend or supplement such registration statement or prospectus.

In addition, the Corporation shall ensure that, at all times after any registration statement covering a public offering of securities of the Corporation under the Securities Act shall have become effective, its insider trading policy shall provide that the Corporation's directors may implement a trading program under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act.

  2.5         Furnish Information. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Corporation to take any action pursuant to this Section 2 with respect to the Registrable Securities of any selling Holder that such Holder shall furnish to the Corporation such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as is reasonably required to effect the registration of such Holder's Registrable Securities.

  2.6         Expenses of Registration. All expenses (other than Selling Expenses) incurred in connection with registrations, filings, or qualifications pursuant to Section 2, including all registration, filing, and qualification fees; printers' and accounting fees; fees and disbursements of counsel for the Corporation; and the reasonable fees and disbursements, not to exceed $10,000, of one counsel for the selling Holders ("Selling Holder Counsel"), shall be borne and paid by the Corporation; provided, however, that the Corporation shall not be required to pay for any expenses of any registration proceeding begun pursuant to Subsection 2.1 if the registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be registered (in which case all selling Holders shall bear such expenses pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities that were to be included in the withdrawn registration), unless the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities agree to forfeit their right to one registration pursuant to Subsections 2.1(a) or 2.1(b), as the case may be. All Selling Expenses relating to Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Section 2 shall be borne and paid by the Holders pro rata on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities registered on their behalf.

  2.7         Delay of Registration. No Holder shall have any right to obtain or seek an injunction restraining or otherwise delaying any registration pursuant to this Agreement as the result of any controversy that might arise with respect to the interpretation or implementation of this Section 2.

 

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2.8           Indemnification. If any Registrable Securities are included in a registration statement under this Section 2:

(a)        To the extent permitted by law, the Corporation will indemnify and hold harmless each selling Holder, and the partners, members, officers, directors, and Sharesholders of each such Holder; legal counsel and accountants for each such Holder; any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act) for each such Holder; and each Person, if any, who controls such Holder or underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any Damages, and the Corporation will pay to each such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Subsection 2.8(a) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Corporation, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, nor shall the Corporation be liable for any Damages to the extent that they arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of any such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or other aforementioned Person expressly for use in connection with such registration.

(b)        To the extent permitted by law, each selling Holder, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation, and each of its directors, each of its officers who has signed the registration statement, each Person (if any), who controls the Corporation within the meaning of the Securities Act, legal counsel and accountants for the Corporation, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act), any other Holder selling securities in such registration statement, and any controlling Person of any such underwriter or other Holder, against any Damages, in each case only to the extent that such Damages arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of such selling Holder expressly for use in connection with such registration; and each such selling Holder will pay to the Corporation and each other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Subsection 2.8(b) shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Holder, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld; and provided further that in no event shall the aggregate amounts payable by any Holder by way of indemnity or contribution under Subsections 2.8(b) and 2.8(d) exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such Holder (net of any Selling Expenses paid by such Holder), except in the case of fraud or willful misconduct by such Holder.

(c)         Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Subsection 2.8 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action) for which a party may be entitled to indemnification hereunder, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Subsection 2.8, give the indemnifying party notice of the commencement thereof. The indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in such action and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, participate jointly with any other indemnifying party to which notice has been given, and to assume the

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defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the parties; provided, however, that an indemnified party (together with all other indemnified parties that may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain one separate counsel, with the fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if representation of such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such counsel in such action. The failure to give notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the indemnified party under this Subsection 2.8, to the extent that such failure materially prejudices the indemnifying party's ability to defend such action. The failure to give notice to the indemnifying party will not relieve it of any liability that it may have to any indemnified party otherwise than under this Subsection 2.8.

(d)          To provide for just and equitable contribution to joint liability under the Securities Act in any case in which either: (i) any party otherwise entitled to indemnification hereunder makes a claim for indemnification pursuant to this Subsection 2.8 but it is judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case, notwithstanding the fact that this Subsection 2.8 provides for indemnification in such case, or (ii) contribution under the Securities Act may be required on the part of any party hereto for which indemnification is provided under this Subsection 2.8, then, and in each such case, such parties will contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses to which they may be subject (after contribution from others) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of each of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party in connection with the statements, omissions, or other actions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability, or expense, as well as to reflect any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or allegedly untrue statement of a material fact, or the omission or alleged omission of a material fact, relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission; provided, however, that, in any such case (x) no Holder will be required to contribute any amount in excess of the public offering price of all such Registrable Securities offered and sold by such Holder pursuant to such registration statement, and (y) no Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation; and provided further that in no event shall a Holder's liability pursuant to this Subsection 2.8(d), when combined with the amounts paid or payable by such Holder pursuant to Subsection 2.8(b), exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such Holder (net of any Selling Expenses paid by such Holder), except in the case of willful misconduct or fraud by such Holder.

(e)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the provisions on indemnification and contribution contained in the underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering are in conflict with the foregoing provisions, the provisions in the underwriting agreement shall control.


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(f)        Unless otherwise superseded by an underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering, the obligations of the Corporation and Holders under this Subsection 2.8 shall survive the completion of any offering of Registrable Securities in a registration under this Section 2, and otherwise shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

2.9         Reports Under Exchange Act. With a view to making available to the Holders the benefits of SEC Rule 144 and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit a Holder to sell securities of the Corporation to the public without registration or pursuant to a registration on Form S-3, the Corporation shall:

(a)       make and keep available adequate current public information, as those terms are understood and defined in SEC Rule 144, at all times after the effective date of the registration statement filed by the Corporation for the IPO;

(b)       use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Corporation under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Corporation has become subject to such reporting requirements); and

(c)       furnish to any Holder, so long as the Holder owns any Registrable Securities, forthwith upon request (i) to the extent accurate, a written statement by the Corporation that it has complied with the reporting requirements of SEC Rule 144 (at any time after ninety (90) days after the effective date of the registration statement filed by the Corporation for the IPO), the Securities Act, and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Corporation has become subject to such reporting requirements), or that it qualifies as a registrant whose securities may be resold pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after the Corporation so qualifies); and (ii) such other information as may be reasonably requested in availing any Holder of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such securities without registration (at any time after the Corporation has become subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act) or pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after the Corporation so qualifies to use such form).

2.10       "Market Stand-off" Agreement. Each Holder hereby agrees that it will not, without the prior written consent of the managing underwriter, during the period commencing on the date of the final prospectus relating to the registration by the Corporation of shares of its Common Shares or any other equity securities under the Securities Act on a registration statement on Form S-1 (for any such registration) or Form S-3 (if the Holders of at least 30% of the Registrable Securities have agreed with such market standoff in respect of such registration), and ending on the date specified by the Corporation and the managing underwriter (such period not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days in the case of the IPO, or such other period as may be requested by the Corporation or an underwriter to accommodate regulatory restrictions on (1) the publication or other distribution of research reports, and (2) analyst recommendations and opinions, including, but not limited to, the restrictions contained in FINRA Rule 2711(f)(4) or NYSE Rule 472(f)(4), or any successor provisions or amendments thereto), or ninety (90) days in the case of any registration other than the IPO, or such other period as may be requested by the Corporation or an underwriter to accommodate regulatory restrictions on (1) the publication or other distribution of research reports and (2) analyst recommendations and opinions,


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including, but not limited to, the restrictions contained in FINRA Rule 2711(f)(4) or NYSE Rule 472(f)(4), or any successor provisions or amendments thereto), (i) lend; offer; pledge; 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, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Shares or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable (directly or indirectly) for Common Shares held immediately before the effective date of the registration statement for such offering or (ii) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of such securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Shares or other securities, in cash, or otherwise. The foregoing provisions of this Subsection 2.11 shall not apply to the sale of any shares to an underwriter pursuant to an underwriting agreement, or the transfer of any shares to any trust for the direct or indirect benefit of the Holder or the immediate family of the Holder, provided that the trustee of the trust agrees to be bound in writing by the restrictions set forth herein, and provided further that any such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value, and shall be applicable to the Holders only if all officers and directors are subject to the same restrictions. The underwriters in connection with such registration are intended third-party beneficiaries of this Subsection 2.11 and shall have the right, power and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto. Each Holder further agrees to execute such agreements as may be reasonably requested by the underwriters in connection with such registration that are consistent with this Subsection 2.11 or that are necessary to give further effect thereto. Any discretionary waiver or termination of the restrictions of any or all of such agreements by the Company or the underwriters shall apply pro rata to all Company stockholders that are subject to such agreements, based on the number of shares subject to such agreements, except that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and the underwriters may, in their sole discretion, waive or terminate these restrictions with respect to up to ten thousand (10,000) shares of the Common Stock.

2.11      Restrictions on Transfer.

(a)             The Class A Preferred Shares and the Registrable Securities shall not be sold, pledged, or otherwise transferred, and the Corporation shall not recognize and shall issue stop-transfer instructions to its transfer agent with respect to any such sale, pledge, or transfer, except upon the conditions specified in this Agreement, which conditions are intended to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act. A transferring Holder will cause any proposed purchaser, pledgee, or transferee of the Class A Preferred Shares and the Registrable Securities held by such Holder to agree to take and hold such securities subject to the provisions and upon the conditions specified in this Agreement.

(b)            Each certificate, instrument, or book entry representing (i) the Class A Preferred Shares, (ii) the Registrable Securities, and (iii) any other securities issued in respect of the securities referenced in clauses (i) and (ii), upon any Shares split, Shares dividend, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, or similar event, shall (unless otherwise permitted by the provisions of Subsection 2.12(c)) be notated with a legend substantially in the following form:

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED FOR INVESTMENT AND HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933. SUCH SHARES MAY NOT BE SOLD,

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PLEDGED, OR TRANSFERRED IN THE ABSENCE OF SUCH REGISTRATION OR A VALID EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION AND PROSPECTUS DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS OF SAID ACT.

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF A REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CORPORATION AND THE SHAREHOLDER, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION.

The Holders consent to the Corporation making a notation in its records and giving instructions to any transfer agent of the Restricted Securities in order to implement the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Subsection 2.12.

(c)       The holder of such Restricted Securities, by acceptance of ownership thereof, agrees to comply in all respects with the provisions of this Section 2. Before any proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of any Restricted Securities, unless there is in effect a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the proposed transaction, the Holder thereof shall give notice to the Corporation of such Holder's intention to effect such sale, pledge, or transfer. Each such notice shall describe the manner and circumstances of the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer in sufficient detail and, if reasonably requested by the Corporation, shall be accompanied at such Holder's expense by either (i) a written opinion of legal counsel who shall, and whose legal opinion shall, be reasonably satisfactory to the Corporation, addressed to the Corporation, to the effect that the proposed transaction may be effected without registration under the Securities Act; (ii) a "no action" letter from the SEC to the effect that the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of such Restricted Securities without registration will not result in a recommendation by the staff of the SEC that action be taken with respect thereto; or (iii) any other evidence reasonably satisfactory to counsel to the Corporation to the effect that the proposed sale, pledge, or transfer of the Restricted Securities may be effected without registration under the Securities Act, whereupon the Holder of such Restricted Securities shall be entitled to sell, pledge, or transfer such Restricted Securities in accordance with the terms of the notice given by the Holder to the Corporation. The Corporation will not require such a legal opinion or "no action" letter (x) in any transaction in compliance with SEC Rule 144; or (y) in any transaction in which such Holder distributes Restricted Securities to an Affiliate of such Holder for no consideration; provided that each transferee agrees in writing to be subject to the terms of this Subsection 2.12. Each certificate, instrument, or book entry representing the Restricted Securities transferred as above provided shall be notated with, except if such transfer is made pursuant to SEC Rule 144, the appropriate restrictive legend set forth in Subsection 2.12(b), except that such certificate instrument, or book entry shall not be notated with such restrictive legend if, in the opinion of counsel for such Holder and the Corporation, such legend is not required in order to establish compliance with any provisions of the Securities Act.

2.12       Termination of Registration Rights. The right of any Holder to request registration or inclusion of Registrable Securities in any registration pursuant to Subsections 2.1 or 2.2 shall terminate upon the earliest to occur of:

 

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(a)       the closing of a Deemed Liquidation Event, as such term is defined in the Articles; and

(b)       such time after consummation of the IPO as Rule 144 or another similar exemption under the Securities Act is available for the sale of all of such Holder's shares without limitation during a three-month period without registration.

3.         Miscellaneous.

3.1          Successors and Assigns. The rights under this Agreement may be assigned (but only with all related obligations) by a Holder to a transferee of Registrable Securities that (i) is an Affiliate of a Holder; (ii) is a Holder's Immediate Family Member or trust for the benefit of an individual Holder or one or more of such Holder's Immediate Family Members; or (iii) after such transfer, holds at least 1,000,000 shares of Registrable Securities (subject to appropriate adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, combinations, and other recapitalizations); provided, however, that (x) the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer, furnished with written notice of the name and address of such transferee and the Registrable Securities with respect to which such rights are being transferred; and (y) such transferee agrees in a written instrument delivered to the Company to be bound by and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including the provisions of Subsection 2.11. For the purposes of determining the number of shares of Registrable Securities held by a transferee, the holdings of a transferee (1) that is an Affiliate or stockholder of a Holder; (2) who is a Holder's Immediate Family Member; or (3) that is a trust for the benefit of an individual Holder or such Holder's Immediate Family Member shall be aggregated together and with those of the transferring Holder; provided further that all transferees who would not qualify individually for assignment of rights shall, as a condition to the applicable transfer, establish a single attorney-in-fact for the purpose of exercising any rights, receiving notices, or taking any action under this Agreement. The terms and conditions of this Agreement inure to the benefit of and are binding upon the respective successors and permitted assignees of the parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assignees any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided herein.

3.2          Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by the internal law of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles that would result in the application of any law other than the law of the State of Delaware.

3.3          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 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.

3.4          Titles and Subtitles. The titles and subtitles used in this Agreement are for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.

 

14


3.5       Notices.

(a)        All notices and other communications given or made pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon the earlier of actual receipt or (i) personal delivery to the party to be notified; (ii) when sent, if sent by electronic mail or facsimile during the recipient's normal business hours, and if not sent during normal business hours, then on the recipient's next business day; (iii) five (5) days after having been sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid; or (iv) one (1) business day after the business day of deposit with a nationally recognized overnight courier, freight prepaid, specifying next-day delivery, with written verification of receipt. All communications shall be sent to the respective parties at their addresses as set forth on Schedule A hereto, or to the principal office of the Corporation and to the attention of the Chief Executive Officer, in the case of the Corporation, or to such email address, facsimile number, or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Subsection 6.5. If notice is given to the Corporation, a copy shall also be sent to Edward B. Claxton, Aust Legal Inc, 1010 De la Gauchetière St. W, Suite 1350, Montreal, Quebec H3B 2N2 and if notice is given to Shareholders, a copy shall also be given to the Holder's counsel identified in Exhibit "A", if any .

(b)       Consent to Electronic Notice. Each Investor consents to the delivery of any Shareholder notice pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL"), as amended or superseded from time to time, by electronic transmission pursuant to Section 232 of the DGCL (or any successor thereto) at the electronic mail address or the facsimile number set forth below such Investor's name on the Schedules hereto, as updated from time to time by notice to the Corporation, or] as on the books of the Corporation. To the extent that any notice given by means of electronic transmission is returned or undeliverable for any reason, the foregoing consent shall be deemed to have been revoked until a new or corrected electronic mail address has been provided, and such attempted Electronic Notice shall be ineffective and deemed to not have been given. Each Investor and Key Holder agrees to promptly notify the Corporation of any change in such Sharesholder's electronic mail address, and that failure to do so shall not affect the foregoing.

3.6        Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended, modified or terminated and the observance of any term of this Agreement may be waived (either generally or in a particular instance, and either retroactively or prospectively) only with the written consent of the Corporation and the holders of at least a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding; provided that the Corporation may in its sole discretion waive compliance with Subsection 2.12(c) (and the Corporation's failure to object promptly in writing after notification of a proposed assignment allegedly in violation of Subsection 2.12(c) shall be deemed to be a waiver); and provided further that any provision hereof may be waived by any waiving party on such party's own behalf, without the consent of any other party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may not be amended, modified or terminated and the observance of any term hereof may not be waived with respect to any Investor without the written consent of such Investor, unless such amendment, modification, termination, or waiver applies to all Investors in the same fashion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Schedule A hereto may be amended by the Corporation from time to time to add transferees or subscribers of any Registrable Securities in compliance with the terms of this Agreement without the consent of the other parties; and Schedule  

15


A hereto may also be amended by the Corporation after the date of this Agreement without the consent of the other parties to add information regarding any additional Investor who becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with Subsection 3.9. The Corporation shall give prompt notice of any amendment, modification or termination hereof or waiver hereunder to any party hereto that did not consent in writing to such amendment, modification, termination, or waiver. Any amendment, modification, termination, or waiver effected in accordance with this Subsection  3.6 shall be binding on all parties hereto, regardless of whether any such party has consented thereto. No waivers of or exceptions to any term, condition, or provision of this Agreement, in any one or more instances, shall be deemed to be or construed as a further or continuing waiver of any such term, condition, or provision.

3.7        Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement is for any reason held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, and such invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provision shall be reformed and construed so that it will be valid, legal, and enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by law.

3.8        Aggregation of Shares. All shares of Registrable Securities held or acquired by Affiliates shall be aggregated together for the purpose of determining the availability of any rights under this Agreement and such Affiliated persons may apportion such rights as among themselves in any manner they deem appropriate.

3.9        Additional Investors. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the Corporation issues additional shares of the Corporation's Class A Preferred Shares after the date hereof, any purchaser of such shares of Class A Preferred Shares may become a party to this Agreement by executing and delivering an additional counterpart signature page to this Agreement, and thereafter shall be deemed an "Investor" for all purposes hereunder. No action or consent by the Investors shall be required for such joinder to this Agreement by such additional Investor, so long as such additional Investor has agreed in writing to be bound by all of the obligations as an "Investor" hereunder.

3.10      Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including any Schedules and Exhibits hereto) constitutes the full and entire understanding and agreement among the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof, and any other written or oral agreement relating to the subject matter hereof existing between the parties is expressly canceled.

3.11       Dispute Resolution. The parties (a) hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the jurisdiction of the state courts of New York and to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of New York for the purpose of any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement, (b) agree not to commence any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement except in the state courts of New or the United States District Court for the District of New York and (c) hereby waive, and agree not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense, or otherwise, in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that the suit, action or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the suit, action or proceeding is improper or that this Agreement or the subject matter hereof may not be enforced in or by such court.

 

16


WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL: EACH PARTY HEREBY WAIVES ITS RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL OF ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BASED UPON OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, THE OTHER TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS, THE SECURITIES OR THE SUBJECT MATTER HEREOF OR THEREOF. THE SCOPE OF THIS WAIVER IS INTENDED TO BE ALL-ENCOMPASSING OF ANY AND ALL DISPUTES THAT MAY BE FILED IN ANY COURT AND THAT RELATE TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS TRANSACTION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONTRACT CLAIMS, TORT CLAIMS (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), BREACH OF DUTY CLAIMS, AND ALL OTHER COMMON LAW AND STATUTORY CLAIMS. THIS SECTION HAS BEEN FULLY DISCUSSED BY EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AND THESE PROVISIONS WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY EXCEPTIONS. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY FURTHER WARRANTS AND REPRESENTS THAT SUCH PARTY HAS REVIEWED THIS WAIVER WITH ITS LEGAL COUNSEL, AND THAT SUCH PARTY KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVES ITS JURY TRIAL RIGHTS FOLLOWING CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL.

Each party will bear its own costs in respect of any disputes arising under this Agreement.

3.12      Delays or Omissions No delay or omission to exercise any right, power, or remedy accruing to any party under this Agreement, upon any breach or default of any other party under this Agreement, shall impair any such right, power, or remedy of such nonbreaching or nondefaulting party, nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of or acquiescence to any such breach or default, or to any similar breach or default thereafter occurring, nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore or thereafter occurring. All remedies, whether under this Agreement or by law or otherwise afforded to any party, shall be cumulative and not alternative.

3.13      Application of Canadian Securities Laws The parties acknowledge and agree that it may be of interest for the Corporation to proceed with its IPO, either concurrently or independent of an IPO under the Securities Act, under applicable securities legislation in Canada and with a listing or dual-listing of its Common Shares on the TXS or such other securities exchange in Canada, as determined by the Board of Directors. In such circumstances, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to amend this Agreement and use reasonably commercial best efforts to respect the terms and conditions of this Agreement with the appropriate modifications made in recognition of differences between applicable US securities legislation and its Canadian equivalent.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17


EXHIBIT G

FORM OF LEGAL OPINION OF BOUGHTON LAW CORPORATION

(see attached)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

January 13, 2020                                                                                                File #: 93208-00001

BY COURIER AND
EMAIL ATTACHMENT

Mechanical Technology, Inc.
325 Washington Avenue Extension
Albany, New York 12205

Dear Sirs:

Re:       Investment by Mechanical Technology, Inc. of $499,999.50 in the share capital of Soluna Technologies, Ltd.

We have acted as special counsel to Soluna Technologies, Ltd. (the "Corporation") in connection with the subscription for 158,730 Class A Preferred Shares (the "Subscribed Shares") in the Corporation by Mechanical Technology, Inc. ("MKTY") pursuant to a Class A Preferred Share Purchase Agreement dated as of the 13th of January, 2020 between MKTY and the Corporation (the "Share Purchase Agreement"), the execution and delivery of an Amended and Restated Shareholders' Agreement dated as of the 13th of January, 2020 between the Corporation, MKTY and the other shareholders of the Corporation (the "Amended and Restated Shareholders' Agreement") and related agreements and arrangements.

Capitalized terms used in this opinion that we do not define have the meanings given to them in the Share Purchase Agreement and the Amended and Restated Shareholders' Agreement.

This opinion is being provided to you pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement.

We have examined electronically transmitted executed copies of the following documents (collectively the "Transaction Documents"):

i.        the Share Purchase Agreement;

ii.       the Amended and Restated Shareholders' Agreement;

iii.      The Registration Rights Agreement dated January 13, 2020 (the "Registration Rights Agreement"); and

iv.      Articles of the Corporation as amended by the Amendment to the Articles for which a Notice of Alternation dated January 13, 2020 was filed with British Columbia Registrar of Companies (the "Restated Articles").

AC/7039878.5


For the purposes of this opinion, we have also examined and relied upon, without independent investigation, a certificate of an officer of the Corporation with respect to certain matters, a copy of which is attached as Appendix "A" to this opinion, and originals or copies of the following documents (collectively, the "Corporate Documents"):

(a)      Certificate of Good Standing dated as at January 13, 2020 provided by British Columbia Registrar of Companies with respect to the Corporation, a copy of which is attached as Appendix "B" to this opinion;

(b)      the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation dated May 18, 2018 (the "Certificate of Incorporation";

(c)      the Shareholders Agreement of the Corporation dated October 30, 2018;

(d)      resolution of the Corporation's shareholders dated January 9, 2020 and resolution of the Corporation's directors dated January 13, 2020 relating to the Transaction Documents; and

(e)      a certificate of an officer of the Corporation attesting to the number and class of outstanding shares of the Corporation, a copy of which has been delivered to you.

We have relied upon the Corporate Documents as to the matters provided for in them, without independent investigation, for purposes of providing our opinions expressed below. We have assumed that the Corporate Documents are all of the articles, resolutions of the directors, resolutions of the shareholders relevant to the Transaction Documents, and that such documents have not been amended. We have not examined the minute books of the Corporation.

We have also examined such statutes and public records, originals or copies (certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction) of corporate records, certificates and such other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of the opinions hereinafter expressed.

Save as stated above, we have not examined or considered any other documentation whatsoever, nor have we made any other investigations or enquiries.

In examining all documents and in providing our opinions below we have assumed that:

(f)       all individuals had the requisite legal capacity;

(g)      all signatures are genuine;

(h)      all documents submitted to us as originals are complete and authentic and all photostatic, certified, telecopied, notarial or other copies conform to the originals;

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AC/7039878.5


(i)           the power, authority and capacity of all parties (other than the Corporation) to enter into and perform their respective obligations under the Transaction Documents in accordance with the laws by which they are governed, the due authorization of the Transaction Documents executed by each of the parties (other than the Corporation) and that the execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents by such parties (other than the Corporation) are in accordance with such laws and authorizations;

(j)          all facts set forth in the official public records, certificates and documents supplied by public officials or otherwise conveyed to us by public officials are complete, true and accurate;

(k)         the Certificate of Incorporation is conclusive evidence that the Corporation is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia);

(1)         to the extent that the obligations of any of the parties may be dependent upon such matters:

(i)        that each party to the Transaction Documents (other than the Corporation) is duly incorporated and/or formed, as applicable, and organized and existing under the laws of its principal place of business;

(ii)       that all acts, conditions and things required to be done, fulfilled or undertaken under any law (other than the laws of British Columbia and of Canada applicable therein) in respect of the lawful execution or performance of the Transaction Documents and in order to ensure that the Transaction Documents are binding upon and enforceable against the parties thereto other than the Corporation (including any and all authorizations and consents of any public authority of any jurisdiction) have been done, fulfilled, undertaken or obtained; and

(iii)       that insofar as any obligations under the Transaction Documents have been or are to be performed in any jurisdiction outside British Columbia, their performance is or will be legal and effective in accordance with the laws of that jurisdiction;

(m)       the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by each party to it other than the Corporation;

(n)        that no circumstances exist which would justify the setting aside of the Transaction Documents by reason of fraud, misrepresentation, mistake or undue influence; and

(o)        there are no collateral agreements, representations, escrows, pledges, conditions or other agreements between or among any parties to the Transaction Documents which affect the delivery thereof.

3

AC/7039878.5


Our opinion below is expressed only with respect to the laws of British Columbia and of Canada applicable therein (the "Jurisdiction").

Our opinion is expressed with respect to the laws of the Jurisdiction in effect on the date of this opinion. We have no responsibility or obligation to: (i) update this opinion, (ii) take into account or inform the addressee, or any other person of any changes in law, facts or other developments subsequent to this date that do or may affect the opinions we express, or (iii) advise the addressee or any other person of any other change in any matter addressed in this opinion, nor do we have any responsibility or obligation to consider the applicability or correctness of this opinion to any person other than the addressee.

We understand that the reliances, limitations and assumptions expressed in the preceding paragraphs are satisfactory to you.

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the additional qualifications set forth below, we are of the opinion that:

1.         The Corporation is a corporation incorporated and validly existing under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and the Company is in good standing with respect to its annual report filings with the British Columbia Registrar of Companies as at January 13, 2020.

2.         The Corporation has the corporate power and capacity to execute and deliver the Transaction Documents in which it is named as a party and to perform its obligations thereunder.

3.         The execution and delivery by the Corporation of the Transaction Documents in which it is named as a party and the performance by it of its obligations thereunder have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the Corporation's part.

4.         The execution and delivery by the Corporation of the Transaction Documents in which it is named a party and the performance by it of its obligations thereunder, including the issuance and sale of the Subscribed Shares do not breach any provisions of, or constitute a default under:

(a)        its Restated Articles; or

(b)        any laws of the Province of British Columbia to which the Corporation is subject.

5.         Except of the filing of a Notice of Alteration with the British Columbia Registrar of Companies, which has been completed on January 13, 2020, the Corporation is not required to obtain any consent, approval, licence or exemption by, or order or authorization of, or to make any filing, recording or registration with, any governmental authority under the law of British Columbia or Canadian federal law in connection with the execution and delivery by the Corporation of the Transaction Documents in which it is named as a party or the performance by it of its obligations other than those that have been obtained or made.

4

AC/7039878.5


6.          The authorized capital of the Corporation consists of (i) an unlimited number of Common Shares, of which 9,608,108 shares are issued and outstanding, and (ii) an unlimited number of Class Seed Preferred Shares, of which 1,794,998 shares are issued and outstanding; and (iii) an unlimited number of Class A Preferred Shares of which none have been issued and outstanding.

7.          The Subscribed Shares have been duly authorized, and when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the Share Purchase Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

8.          The issue and delivery of the Subscribed Shares by the Corporation to MKTY, which is resident in the United States of America, in accordance with the terms of the Share Purchase Agreement are exempt, either by statute, regulation, rule or order, from the prospectus requirements of the Securities Act (British Columbia) and no prospectus is required nor are other documents required to be filed, proceedings taken, and no approval or consent of, or registration or filing with, any regulatory authority in the Province of British Columbia is required to permit the issue and delivery of the Subscribed Shares by the Corporation to MKTY.

The opinions expressed herein are subject to the following qualifications:

(a)      in paragraph 1, as to the good standing of the Corporation, we have relied exclusively on a Certificate of Good Standing with respect to the Company dated January 9, 2020 issued by the British Columbia Registrar of Companies, a copy of which is attached as Appendix "B" to this opinion;

(b)      in paragraph 6, as to the numbers of Common Shares, Class Seed Preferred Shares and Class A Preferred Shares issued and outstanding, we have relied exclusively and without independent investigation on a certificate of an officer of the Corporation, a copy of which is attached as Appendix "A" to this opinion;

(c)      in paragraph 8, as to no filing with any regulatory authority in the Province of British Columbia being required to permit the issue and delivery of the Subscribed Shares by the Corporation to MKTY pursuant to an exemption from prospectus requirements of the Securities Act (British Columbia), we have relied exclusively on a certificate of an officer of the Corporation regarding the status of the Corporation as a "private issuer" as such term is defined in Section 2.4 of National Instrument 45-106, a copy of which officer certificate is attached as Appendix "A" to this opinion;

(d)      we give no opinion as to the validity of any provisions of the Restated Articles that purport to provide a right to require redemption of shares of the Corporation without compliance by the Corporation with the solvency tests applicable to a redemption of such Shares by the Corporation under applicable law; and

(e)      the British Columbia Securities Commission has the authority to deny under the Act the benefit of an exemption otherwise provided in the Act where it considers it necessary to do so to protect investors.

The opinions expressed above are provided solely for the benefit of the addressees in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and may not be used or relied on by or disclosed to any other person or for any other purpose without our express prior written

5

AC/7039878.5


consent. We have no responsibility or obligation to update this opinion, to consider its applicability or correctness to any person other than the addressees, or to take into account changes in law, facts or any other developments of which we may later become aware.

Yours truly,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

 

AC/7039878.5


EXHIBIT H

PRIVATE ISSUER EXEMPTION AGREEMENT

 

(see attached)

 

 

 

 


INVESTOR SUITABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE
CLASS A PREFERRED SHARE FINANCING OF
SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.

This Questionnaire is being distributed to certain individuals and entities which may be offered the opportunity to purchase Class A Preferred shares (the "Securities") of SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD., a private company incorporated under the laws of British Columbia (the "Company"). The purpose of this Questionnaire is to assure the Company that all such offers and purchases will meet the standards imposed by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act").

All answers will be kept confidential. However, by signing this Questionnaire, the undersigned agrees that this information may be provided by the Company to its legal and financial advisors, and the Company and such advisors may rely on the information set forth in this Questionnaire for purposes of complying with all applicable securities laws and may present this Questionnaire to such parties as it reasonably deems appropriate if called upon to establish its compliance with such securities laws. The undersigned represents that the information contained herein is complete and accurate and will notify the Company of any material change in any of such information prior to the undersigned's investment in the Company.

For Individual Investors

Accredited Investor Certification. The undersigned makes one of the following representations regarding its income or net worth and certain related matters and has checked the applicable representation:

[__]      The undersigned's income1 during each of the last two years exceeded $200,000 or, if the undersigned is married, the joint income of the undersigned and the undersigned's spouse during each of the last two years exceed $300,000, and the undersigned reasonably expects the undersigned's income, from all sources during this year, will exceed $200,000 or, if the undersigned is married, the joint income of undersigned and the undersigned's spouse from all sources during this year will exceed $300,000.

[__]      The undersigned's net worth,2 including the net worth of the undersigned's spouse, is in excess of $1,000,000 (excluding the value of the undersigned's primary residence).

[__]      The undersigned cannot make any of the representations set forth above.

 

INVESTOR SUITABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE
SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
AC/7051587.2


 For Entity Investors

Accredited Investor Certification. The undersigned makes one of the following representations regarding its net worth and certain related matters and has checked the applicable representation:

[__]       The undersigned is a trust with total assets in excess of $5,000,000 whose purchase is directed by a person with such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that such person is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment.

[__]       The undersigned is a bank, insurance company, investment company registered under the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "Companies Act"), a broker or dealer registered pursuant to Section 15 of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, a business development company, a Small Business Investment Company licensed by the United States Small Business Administration, a plan with total assets in excess of $5,000,000 established and maintained by a state for the benefit of its employees, or a private business development company as defined in Section 202(a)(22) of the United States Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.

[__]      The undersigned is an employee benefit plan and either all investment decisions are made by a bank, savings and loan association, insurance company, or registered investment advisor, or the undersigned has total assets in excess of $5,000,000 or, if such plan is a self-directed plan, investment decisions are made solely by persons who are accredited investors.

[ X ]     The undersigned is a corporation, partnership, business trust, not formed for the purpose of acquiring the Securities, or an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), in each case with total assets in excess of $5,000,000.

[__]      The undersigned is an entity in which all of the equity owners (in the case of a revocable living trust, its grantor(s)) qualify under any of the above subparagraphs, or, if an individual, each such individual has a net worth,2 either individually or upon a joint basis with such individual's spouse, in excess of $1,000,000 (within the meaning of such terms as used in the definition of "accredited investor" contained in Rule 501 under the Securities Act), or has had an individual income1' in excess of $200,000 for each of the two most recent years, or a joint income with such individual's spouse in excess of $300,000 in each of those years, and has a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year.

[__]      The undersigned cannot make any of the representations set forth above.

 

AC/7051587.2


The undersigned has executed this Investor Suitability Questionnaire as of the date written below.

 

 

Frederick W. Jones

Name of Signing Party (Please Print)

 

CEO

Title of Signing Party (Please Print)

 

January 13, 2020
Date Signed

1 For purposes of this Questionnaire, "income" means adjusted gross income, as reported for federal income tax purposes, increased by the following amounts: (a) the amount of any tax exempt interest income received, (b) the amount of losses claimed as a limited partner in a limited partnership, (c) any deduction claimed for depletion, (d) amounts contributed to an IRA or Keogh retirement plan, (e) alimony paid, and (f) any amounts by which income from long-term capital gains has been reduced in arriving at adjusted gross income pursuant to the provisions of Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code.

2 For purposes of this Questionnaire, "net worth" means the excess of total assets, excluding your primary residence, at fair market value over total liabilities, including your mortgage or any other liability secured by your primary residence only if and to the extent that it exceeds the value of your primary residence. Net worth should include the value of any other shares of stock or options held by you and your spouse and any personal property owned by you or your spouse (e.g. furniture, jewelry, other valuables, etc.).

 

AC/7051587.2


EXHIBIT I

ACCREDITED INVESTOR CERTIFICATE

 

(see attached)

 

 

 

 

 


CANADIAN INVESTOR QUESTIONNAIRE

TO:       SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD. (the "Issuer")

RE:       Purchase of Class A Preferred Shares (the "Shares") of the Issuer

Capitalized terms used in this Canadian Investor Questionnaire (this "Questionnaire") and not specifically defined have the meaning ascribed to them in the Share Purchase Agreement between the Subscriber and the Issuer to which this Exhibit A is attached.

In connection with the purchase of Shares by the undersigned or the Disclosed Principal (in either case, the "Subscriber"), the Subscriber hereby represents, warrants and certifies to the Issuer that the Subscriber:

(i)         is purchasing the Shares as principal (or deemed principal under the terms of National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions as adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 45-106"));

(ii)        (A)    is resident in or is subject to the laws of one of the following (check one):

Alberta New Brunswick

Prince Edward Island

British Columbia Nova Scotia

Quebec

Manitoba Ontario

Saskatchewan

Newfoundland and Labrador

Yukon

Northwest Territories

 United States:  New York    (List State of Residence) or

(B)       is resident in a country other than Canada or the United States; and

(iii)       has not been provided with any offering memorandum in connection with the purchase of the Shares.

In connection with the purchase of the Shares, the Subscriber hereby represents, warrants and certifies to, and covenants and agrees with, the Issuer that the Subscriber meets one or more of the following criteria:


I.              SUBSCRIBERS PURCHASING UNDER THE "ACCREDITED INVESTOR" EXEMPTION

(a)      the Subscriber is an "accredited investor" within the meaning of NI 45-106, by virtue of satisfying the indicated criterion below (YOU MUST INITIAL OR PLACE A CHECK-MARK ON THE APPROPRIATE LINE(S) AND ALSO COMPLETE AND SIGN APPENDIX "A" TO THIS CERTIFICATE) (see certain guidance with respect to accredited investors that starts on page 6 below)

☐   (i)           except in Ontario, a person registered under the securities legislation of a jurisdiction of Canada as an adviser or dealer,

☐   (ii)          an individual registered under the securities legislation of a jurisdiction of Canada as a representative of a person referred to in paragraph (ix),

☐   (iii)         an individual formerly registered under the securities legislation of a jurisdiction of Canada, other than an individual formerly registered solely as a representative of a limited market dealer under one or both of the Securities Act (Ontario) or the Securities Act (Newfoundland and Labrador),

☐   (iv)         an individual who, either alone or with a spouse, beneficially owns financial assets having an aggregate realizable value that, before taxes but net of any related liabilities, exceeds $1,000,000,

If relying on (iv) your estimated financial assets net of related liabilities alone or with a spouse:

☐     $1,000,001 - $3,000,000 ☐ $3,000,001 -$5,000,000 ☐ Greater than $5 million

☐   (v)          an individual who beneficially owns financial assets having an aggregate realizable value that, before taxes but net of any related liabilities, exceeds $5,000,000,

If relying on (v) your estimated financial assets net of related liabilities:

☐ $5,000,001- $6,000,000     ☐ $6,000,001-$7,000,000   ☐ $7,000,001-$8,000,000    ☐ Greater than $8 million

☐   (vi)         an individual whose net income before taxes exceeded $200,000 in each of the 2 most recent calendar years or whose net income before taxes combined with that of a spouse exceeded $300,000 in each of the 2 most recent calendar years and who, in either case, reasonably expects to exceed that net income level in the current calendar year,

If relying on (vi) your annual net income before taxes (all sources):

Most recent calendar year: $200,000 - $299,000   $300,000 - $399,999   $400,000 -$500,000    Greater than $500,000

Prior calendar year: $200,000 - $299,000   $300,000 - $399,999   ☐ $400,000 - $500,000   ☐ Greater than $500,000

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☐   (vii)       an individual who, either alone or with a spouse, has net assets of at least $5,000,000,

If relying on (vii) your estimated total net assets:

☐ $5,000,001-$6,000,000   ☐ $6,000,001-$7,000,000    ☐ $7,000,001-$8,000,000    ☐ Greater than $8 million

      (viii)    a person, other than an individual or investment fund, that has net assets of at least $5,000,000 as shown on its most recently prepared financial statements and that has not been created or used solely to purchase or hold securities as an accredited investor as defined in this paragraph (viii),

If relying on (viii) your estimated total net assets:

$5,000,001- $6,000,000   ☐ $6,000,001-$7,000,000   $7,000,001-$8,000,000   Greater than $8 million

☐     (ix)      an investment fund that distributes or has distributed its securities only to

(i)     a person that is or was an accredited investor at the time of the distribution,

(ii)    a person that acquires or acquired securities in the circumstances referred to in sections 2.10 [Minimum amount investment] of NI 45-106, or 2.19 [Additional investment in investment funds] of NI 45-106, or

(iii)    a person described in paragraph (i) or (ii) that acquires or acquired securities under section 2.18 [Investment fund reinvestment] of NI 45-106,

☐    (x)        an investment fund that distributes or has distributed securities under a prospectus in a jurisdiction of Canada for which the regulator or, in Quebec, the securities regulatory authority, has issued a receipt,

☐    (xi)        a person acting on behalf of a fully managed account managed by that person, if that person is registered or authorized to carry on business as an adviser or the equivalent under the securities legislation of a jurisdiction of Canada or a foreign jurisdiction,

☐    (xii)       an entity organized in a foreign jurisdiction that is analogous to the entity referred to in paragraph (i) in form and function,

☐    (xiii)      a person in respect of which all of the owners of interests, direct, indirect or beneficial, except the voting securities required by law to be owned by directors, are persons that are accredited investors, and

(b)     if the Subscriber is an "accredited investor" within the meaning of NI 45-106 by virtue of satisfying the indicated criterion as set out in paragraphs (iv), (vi) or (vii) above, the Subscriber has provided the Issuer with the signed risk acknowledgment form set out in Appendix "A" to this certificate;

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Definitions

For the purposes of this Questionnaire and Appendix "A" attached to this Questionnaire:

(a)       an issuer is "affiliated" with another issuer if:

(i)       one of them is the subsidiary of the other, or

(ii)      each of them is controlled by the same person;

(b)       "control person" means:

(i)        a person who holds a sufficient number of the voting rights attached to all outstanding voting securities of an issuer to affect materially the control of the issuer, or

(ii)       each person in a combination of persons, acting in concert by virtue of an agreement, arrangement, commitment or understanding, which holds in total a sufficient number of the voting rights attached to all outstanding voting securities of an issuer to affect materially the control of the issuer,

and, if a person or combination of persons holds more than 20% of the voting rights attached to all outstanding voting securities of an issuer, the person or combination of persons is deemed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, to hold a sufficient number of the voting rights to affect materially the control of the issuer;

(c)       "director" means:

(i)        a member of the board of directors of a company or an individual who performs similar functions for a company, and

(ii)       with respect to a person that is not a company, an individual who performs functions similar to those of a director of a company;

(d)      "eligibility adviser" means:

(i)        a person that is registered as an investment dealer and authorized to give advice with respect to the type of security being distributed, and

(ii)       in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, also means a lawyer who is a practicing member in good standing with a law society of a jurisdiction of Canada or a public accountant who is a member in good standing of an institute or association of chartered accountants, certified general accountants or certified management accountants in a jurisdiction of Canada provided that the lawyer or public accountant must not:

(A)       have a professional, business or personal relationship with the issuer, or any of its directors, executive officers, founders or control persons, and

(B)       have acted for or been retained personally or otherwise as an employee, executive officer, director, associate or partner of a person that has acted for or been retained by the issuer or any of its directors, executive officers, founders or control persons within the previous 12 months;

(e)       "executive officer" means, for an issuer, an individual who is:

(i)      a chair, vice-chair or president,

(ii)     a vice-president in charge of a principal business unit, division or function including sales, finance or production, or

(iii)     performing a policy-making function in respect of the issuer;

 

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(f)        "financial assets" means:

(i)     cash,

(ii)     securities, or

(iii)     a contract of insurance, a deposit or an evidence of a deposit that is not a security for the purposes of securities legislation;

(g)       "foreign jurisdiction" means a country other than Canada or a political subdivision of a country other than Canada;

(h)       "founder" means, in respect of an issuer, a person who,

(i)      acting alone, in conjunction, or in concert with one or more persons, directly or indirectly, takes the initiative in founding, organizing or substantially reorganizing the business of the issuer, and

(ii)      at the time of the distribution or trade is actively involved in the business of the issuer;

(i)        "fully managed account" means an account of a client for which a person makes the investment decisions if that person has full discretion to trade in securities for the account without requiring the client's express consent to a transaction;

(j)        "individual" means a natural person, but does not include

(i)       a partnership, unincorporated association, unincorporated syndicate, unincorporated organization or trust, or

(ii)      a natural person in the person's capacity as a trustee, executor, administrator or personal or other legal representative;

(k)       "investment fund" means a mutual fund or a non-redeemable investment fund, and, for great certainty in British Columbia, includes an employee venture capital corporation and a venture capital corporation as such terms are defined in National Instrument 81-106 Investment Fund Continuous Disclosure;

(l)         "jurisdiction" or "jurisdiction of Canada" means a province or territory of Canada except when used in the term "foreign jurisdiction";

(m)       "non-redeemable investment fund" means an issuer:

(i)        whose primary purpose is to invest money provided by its securityholders,

(ii)       that does not invest

(A)       for the purpose of exercising or seeking to exercise control of an issuer, other than an issuer that is a mutual fund or a non-redeemable investment fund, or

(B)       for the purpose of being actively involved in the management of any issuer in which it invests, other than an issuer that is a mutual fund or a non-redeemable investment fund, and

(iii)      that is not a mutual fund;

(n)  "person" includes:

(i)     an individual,

(ii)     a corporation,

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(iii)     a partnership, trust, fund and an association, syndicate, organization or other organized group of persons, whether incorporated or not, and

(iv)     an individual or other person in that person's capacity as a trustee, executor, administrator or personal or other legal representative;

(o)   "related liabilities" means:

(i)       liabilities incurred or assumed for the purpose of financing the acquisition or ownership of financial assets, or

(ii)      liabilities that are secured by financial assets; and

(p)   "spouse" means, an individual who:

(i)      is married to another individual and is not living separate and apart within the meaning of the Divorce Act (Canada), from the other individual,

(ii)     is living with another individual in a marriage-like relationship, including a marriage-like relationship between individuals of the same gender, or

(iii)    in Alberta, is an individual referred to in paragraph (i) or (ii), or is an adult interdependent partner within the meaning of the Adult Interdependent Relationships Act (Alberta).

Guidance On Accredited Investor Exemptions for Individuals

An individual accredited investor is an individual:

(a)       who, either alone or with a spouse, beneficially owns financial assets (please see the guidance below regarding what financial assets are) having an aggregate realizable value that. before taxes but net of any related liabilities (please see the guidance below regarding what related liabilities are), exceeds $1,000,000;

(b)       whose net income before taxes exceeded $200,000 in each of the 2 most recent calendar years or whose net income before taxes combined with that of a spouse exceeded $300,000 in each of the 2 most recent calendar years and who, in either case, reasonably expects to exceed that net income level in the current calendar year;

(c)       who, either alone or with a spouse, has net assets (please see the guidance below regarding calculating net assets) of at least $5,000,000; and

(d)       who beneficially owns financial assets (please see the guidance below regarding what financial assets are) having an aggregate realizable value that, before taxes but net of any related liabilities (please see the guidance below regarding what related liabilities are), exceeds $5,000,000.

The monetary thresholds above are intended to create bright-line standards. Subscribers who do not satisfy these monetary thresholds do not qualify as accredited investors.

Spouses

Sections (a), (b) and (c) above are designed to treat spouses as a single investing unit, so that either spouse qualifies as an accredited investor if the combined financial assets of both spouses exceed $1,000,000, the combined net income of both spouses exceeds $300,000, or the combined net assets of both spouses exceed $5,000,000. Section (d) above does not treat spouses as a single investing unit.

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If the combined net income of both spouses does not exceed $300,000, but the net income of one of the spouses exceeds $200,000, only the spouse whose net income exceeds $200,000 qualifies as an accredited investor.

Financial Assets and Related Liabilities

For the purposes of Sections (a) and (d) above, "financial assets" means: (1) cash, (2) securities, or (3) a contract of insurance, a deposit or an evidence of a deposit that is not a security for the purposes of securities legislation. These financial assets are generally liquid or relatively easy to liquidate. The value of a subscriber's personal residence is not included in a calculation of financial assets.

The calculation of financial assets must exclude "related liabilities", meaning: (1) liabilities incurred or assumed for the purpose of financing the acquisition or ownership of financial assets, or (2) liabilities that are secured by financial assets.

As a general matter, it should not be difficult to determine whether financial assets are beneficially owned by an individual, an individual's spouse, or both, in any particular instance. However, in the case where financial assets are held in a trust or in another type of investment vehicle for the benefit of an individual, there may be questions as to whether the individual beneficially owns the financial assets. The following factors are indicative of beneficial ownership of financial assets:

For example, securities held in a self-directed RRSP for the sole benefit of an individual are beneficially owned by that individual.

In general, financial assets in a spousal RRSP can be included for the purposes of the $1,000,000 financial asset test in Section (a) above because Section (a) takes into account financial assets owned beneficially by a spouse. However, financial assets in a spousal RRSP cannot be included for purposes of the $5,000,000 financial asset test in Section (d) above.

Financial assets held in a group RRSP under which the individual does not have the ability to acquire the financial assets and deal with them directly do not meet the beneficial ownership requirements in either Sections (a) or (d) above.

Net Assets

For the purposes of Section (c) above, "net assets" means all of a subscriber's total assets minus all of the subscriber's total liabilities. Accordingly, for the purposes of the net asset test, the calculation of total assets includes the value of a subscriber's personal residence, and the calculation of total liabilities includes the amount of any liability (such as a mortgage) in respect of the subscriber's personal residence.

To calculate a subscriber's net assets under the net asset test, subtract the subscriber's total liabilities from the subscriber's total assets. The value attributed to assets should reasonably reflect their estimated fair value. Income tax is considered a liability if the obligation to pay it is outstanding at the time of the distribution of the security to the subscriber by the Company.

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Guidance On Accredited Investor Exemptions for Corporations, Trusts and Other Entities Accredited investors that are corporations, trusts or other entities include:

(a)        a corporation, trust or other entity, other than an investment fund, that has net assets (please see the guidance below regarding calculating net assets) of at least $5,000,000 as shown on its most recently prepared financial statements in accordance with applicable generally accepted accounting principles and that has not been created or used solely to purchase or hold securities as an accredited investor;

(b)        a corporation, trust or other entity in respect of which all of the owners of interests, direct, indirect or beneficial, except the voting securities required by law to be owned by directors, are persons that are accredited investors; and

(c)        a trust established by an accredited investor for the benefit of the accredited investor's family members of which a majority of the trustees are accredited investors and all of the beneficiaries are the accredited investor's spouse, a former spouse of the accredited investor or a parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild of that accredited investor, of that accredited investor's spouse or of that accredited investor's former spouse.

Net Assets

For the purposes of Section (a) above, "net assets" means all of the subscriber's total assets minus all of the subscriber's total liabilities. The minimum net asset threshold of $5,000,000 specified in Section (a) above must be shown on the entity's most recently prepared financial statements. The financial statements must be prepared in accordance with applicable generally accepted accounting principles.

General

The Subscriber agrees that the above representations and warranties will be true and correct both as of the execution of this Questionnaire and as of the Closing and acknowledges that they will survive the completion of the issue of the Shares.

The Subscriber acknowledges that the foregoing representations and warranties are made by the Subscriber with the intent that they be relied upon in determining the suitability of the Subscriber to acquire the Shares and that this Questionnaire is incorporated into and forms part of the Agreement. The Subscriber

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undertakes to immediately notify the Issuer of any change in any statement or other information relating to the Subscriber set forth herein which takes place prior to the Closing.

By completing this Questionnaire, the Subscriber authorizes the indirect collection of this information by each applicable regulatory authority and acknowledges that such information may be made available to the public under applicable laws.

DATED as of the 13th day of January, 2020.

 

Frederick W. Jones, CEO 
Print Name and Title of Authorized

Signatory (if Subscriber is not an individual)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Execution copy

 

EXHIBIT 10.22

CONTINGENT RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

This CONTINGENT RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this "Agreement"), dated January 13, 2020 (the "Effective Date"), is entered into by and between Soluna Technologies, Ltd., a private limited company incorporated under the laws of British Columbia ("Soluna"), and Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, a New York corporation (the "Investor").  Soluna and the Investor are sometimes referred to herein, individually, as a "party" and, collectively, as the "parties".

 

R E C I T A L S:

 

WHEREAS, simultaneous with the entering into of this Agreement, (a) Soluna and the Investor are  consummating an investment by which the Investor is becoming the holder of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock (such investment, the "Series A Investment") pursuant to, among other operative documents, a certain Share Purchase Agreement with respect thereto (the "Share Purchase Agreement") and (b) Soluna and a wholly-owned Subsidiary of Investor are entering into an Operating and Management Agreement pursuant to which Soluna will assist such wholly-owned Subsidiary with the creation, development, assembly and construction, as applicable, of a pilot cryptocurrency facility to be composed of tangible and intangible assets that interact to integrate with the bitcoin blockchain network and are physically located in North America or another geographic location mutually agreed to by the parties (all such assets currently and in the future owned by the Investor, such wholly-owned Subsidiary of Investor or their assigns, collectively, the "Pilot Mine Program");

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the consummation of the Series A Investment and entering into of the Operating and Management Agreement with respect to the Pilot Mine Program, the parties wish to grant and devise to the Investor certain conditional future investment rights with respect to Soluna and its Subsidiaries as set forth herein; and

 

WHEREAS, the entering into of this Agreement is a material inducement for the Investor to consummate the Series A Investment and facilitate its wholly-owned Subsidiary's entering into of the Operating and Management Agreement, with the consummation of such Series A Investment and the entering into of the Operating and Management Agreement deemed by the parties to be part of the material consideration exchanged for the rights of Investor set forth herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, including Ten and 00/100 United States Dollars ($10.00), cash-in-hand paid, and intending hereby to be legally bound, Soluna and the Investor hereby agree and stipulate as follows:

 

 


ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS; INTERPRETATION

 

           1.1        Definitions.  As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the respective meanings set forth below or set forth in the Sections referred to below.

 

"Affiliate" means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, such Person.  For the purposes of this Agreement, "control," when used with respect to any specified Person, means the power, direct or indirect, to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through ownership of voting securities or partnership or other ownership interests, by contract or otherwise; and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" shall have correlative meanings.

 

"Agreement" has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

"Applicable Law" means, as to any Person, any federal, state, municipal and local law, statute, ordinance, regulation, order, directive, policy and decision rendered by any Governmental Authority, in each case applicable to or binding upon such Person or any of its property or to which such Person or any of its property is subject or pertaining to any or all of the transactions contemplated or referred to herein, including, in the case of the Investor, any requirements of the Securities Act, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder which shall be in effect from time to time.

 

"Business Day" means a day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day that is a nationally recognized holiday in the United States.

 

"Capital Stock" means the common stock of Soluna, any preferred stock authorized by Soluna (including the Soluna Class A Preferred Stock) and any other class or series of capital stock or other equity securities of Soluna, whether authorized as of or after the date hereof.

 

"Effective Date" means the date set forth in the Preamble.

 

"Governmental Authority" means the government of any nation, state, city, locality or other political subdivision thereof, and any entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government.

 

"Investor" has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

"Investor Additional Purchase Notice" has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.

 

"New Project Finance Equity Purchase Price" has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a).

 

"New Phase I Project Financing Equity" shall mean any capital stock (including Capital Stock), membership interest, unit or other similar securities of any type whatsoever (other than debt securities not convertible into equity securities) of Soluna or any of its Subsidiaries, whether authorized now or in the future, and any rights, options or warrants to purchase any such capital stock (including Capital Stock), membership interest or other securities of Soluna or any of its Subsidiaries, including Stock Equivalents and any such rights that may become convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any such capital stock (including Capital Stock), membership interest or other securities of Soluna or any of its Subsidiaries, to the extent the foregoing are issued to fund the equity portion of a Phase I Project Financing that is not allocated to the single lead investor or debt financing providers in respect of the applicable Phase I Project Financing, including, without limitation, any equity co-investment or similar right that accompanies the debt financing associated with a project financing of Soluna or its Subsidiaries.

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"Operating and Management Agreement" means that certain Operating and Management Agreement, dated even date herewith and substantially in the form of Exhibit A hereto, entered into by and between Soluna and a wholly-owned Subsidiary of Investor, as such agreement may be amended or modified from time to time.

 

"Original Purchase Price" means the purchase price for a single share of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock paid by Investor to Soluna in connection with the Series A Investment being consummated simultaneously with the entering into of this Agreement.

 

"party" or "parties" has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

"Person" means any individual, joint venture, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, business trust, cooperative, association or other incorporated or unincorporated entity, and the heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors and assigns of that person where the context so admits.

 

"Phase I Project" means the initial 100 MW phase of a wind power generation project and the initial data processing center, each as  sponsored by Soluna or its Affiliates, including all equipment, improvements and assets associated therewith, currently contemplated to be sited on land with respect to which Soluna has acquired development rights located in the city of Dakhla, region of Oued-Ed-Dahab, Kingdom of Morocco.

 

"Phase I Project Financial Closing" means the consummation of a Phase I Project Financing determined based upon (a) all material project and financing agreements having been executed and delivered by the applicable counterparties with respect to such Phase I Project Financing, (ii) all conditions for funding and legal closing with respect to such agreements having been satisfied or waived by the applicable parties and (iii) Soluna or its related Subsidiary or Affiliate being capable of drawing upon the applicable financing to commence work on the Phase I Project.

 

"Phase I Project Financing" means a project financing supporting the Phase I Project having an aggregate financing value in excess of Fifty Million United States Dollars ($50,000,000.00) (net of costs and fees).

 

"Pilot Mine Program" has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

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"Pilot Mine Program Plan Delivery" means when Soluna has, as mutually determined in good faith by the parties, completed the "Development Services" set out and described in Exhibit A of the Operating and Management Agreement in compliance with the terms and conditions of said Operating and Management Agreement.

 

"Preemptive Notice" has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a).

 

"Public Offering" means any underwritten public offering pursuant to a registration statement filed in accordance with the Securities Act.

 

"Qualified Public Offering" means the sale, in a firm commitment underwritten Public Offering led by a nationally recognized underwriting firm pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, of common stock of Soluna having an aggregate offering value (net of underwriters' discounts and selling commissions) of at least Fifty Million and 00/100 United States Dollars ($50,000,000.00).

 

"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor federal statute, and the rules and regulations thereunder, which shall be in effect at the time.

 

"Series A Investment" has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

"Share Purchase Agreement" has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

"Soluna" has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

"Soluna Class A Preferred Stock" means the Class A Preferred Stock of Soluna, no par value per share.

 

"Stock Equivalents" means any security or obligation that is by its terms, directly or indirectly, convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for or with a value derived in whole or part from Capital Stock, and any option, warrant or other right to subscribe for, purchase or acquire Capital Stock or Stock Equivalents (disregarding any restrictions or limitations on the exercise of such rights).

 

"Subsidiary" means, with respect to any Person, any other Person of which a majority of the outstanding shares or other equity interests having the power to vote for directors or comparable managers are owned, directly or indirectly, by the first Person.

 

           1.2        Interpretation.  Unless the context requires otherwise: (a) the gender (or lack of gender) of all words used in this Agreement includes the masculine, feminine and neuter; (b) references to "Articles" and "Sections" refer to articles and sections of this Agreement; (c) unless expressly set forth to the contrary, references to "Exhibits" refer to the exhibits attached to this Agreement, each of which is made a part hereof for all purposes; (d) references to laws or agreements refer to such laws or agreements as they may be amended from time to time, and references to particular provisions of a law include any corresponding provisions of any succeeding law; (e) the terms defined herein include the plural as well as the singular and vice versa; and (f) references to money refer to legal currency of the United States of America.

 

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ARTICLE II

PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHT ON EQUITY ISSUANCES

 

        2.1           Pre-emptive Right of Subscription

(a)        In the event that, at any time, Soluna or any Subsidiary of Soluna shall decide to undertake an issuance of New Phase I Project Financing Equity, Soluna shall, or shall cause such Subsidiary to, confer in good faith with the Investor to discuss the nature and structure of the applicable project financing to which the New Phase I Project Financing Equity relates.  Soluna shall use all commercially reasonable efforts to accommodate any Investor preference or desire to invest in any particular entity or level of the Phase I Project Financing (i.e., whether in Soluna, a Soluna Subsidiary or (if acceptable to the lead investor) directly in the Phase I Project Financing vehicle).  Promptly following such consultation, Soluna shall deliver written notice of its decision to undertake an issuance of New Phase I Project Financing Equity to the Investor.  Such written notice shall describe (i) the amount, type and terms of such New Phase I Project Financing Equity, (ii) the purchase price per security for such New Phase I Project Financing Equity (the "New Project Finance Equity Purchase Price") to be paid by the purchasers of such New Phase I Project Financing Equity, (iii) the identity of any single lead investor in the Phase I Project Financing, and (iv) all other material terms upon which Soluna has decided to issue the New Phase I Project Financing Equity including the expected timing of such issuance, which shall in no event be less than thirty (30) days after the date upon which such notice is given (the "Preemptive Notice").  Investor shall have ten (10) Business Days from the date on which the Preemptive Notice is given to agree by written notice to Soluna to purchase, subject to Section 2.1(c), any or all (in Investor's sole discretion) of such New Phase I Project Financing Equity upon the general terms specified in the Preemptive Notice, up to an amount not exceeding Fifty Million United States Dollars ($50,000,000) unless otherwise agreed in writing by Soluna, stating therein the quantity of New Phase I Project Financing Equity to be purchased by the Investor.  In the event that in connection with such a proposed issuance of New Phase I Project Financing Equity, the Investor shall for any reason fail or refuse to give such written notice to Soluna within such ten (10) Business Day period, the Investor shall, for all purposes of this Section 2.1(a), be deemed to have refused (in that particular instance only) to purchase any of such New Phase I Project Financing Equity and to have waived (in that particular instance only) all of its rights under this Section 2.1(a) to purchase any of such New Phase I Project Financing Equity.  Any New Phase I Project Financing Equity issued pursuant to this Section 2.1 shall be subject to Section 2.1(c) and be acquired by the Investor making payment to Soluna or its Subsidiary, as applicable, therefor simultaneous with the closing with respect to the project financing to which the New Phase I Project Financing Equity relates.

(b)        In the event and to the extent that such New Phase I Project Financing Equity contemplated by this Section 2.1 is not acquired by the Investor, Soluna shall be free to issue such New Phase I Project Financing Equity to any Person; provided, that (x) the price per security of New Phase I Project Financing Equity at which such New Phase I Project Financing Equity is being issued to and purchased by such Person is equal to or greater than the New Project Finance Equity Purchase Price and (y) the other terms and conditions pursuant to which such Person purchases such New Phase I Project Financing Equity are not more favorable, in the aggregate, than the terms set forth in the Preemptive Notice.

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(c)     Notwithstanding anything in this Article II to the contrary, the following shall apply with respect to any purchase or contemplated purchase of New Phase I Project Financing Equity by the Investor pursuant to this Section 2.1:

(i)        In the event the Investor agrees to purchase New Phase I Project Financing Equity pursuant to Section 2.1(a) and the closing with respect to the Investor's purchase thereof is not consummated within one hundred eighty (180) days after the date of the Preemptive Notice, then following such one hundred eighty (180) day period the Investor may, by written notice to Soluna, unilaterally terminate the Investor's election to purchase the applicable New Phase I Project Financing Equity.  Following any such termination, the Investor shall have no obligation or liability to Soluna with respect to the applicable New Phase I Project Financing Equity previously elected to be purchased by the Investor.

(ii)       Until only such time as the Investor has purchased a total number of additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock having an aggregate purchase price of Three Million Five Hundred Thousand and 00/100 United States Dollars ($3,500,000.00) (excluding the Series A Investment being consummated simultaneous herewith), the Investor's exercise of its right to purchase New Phase I Project Financing Equity set forth in this Section 2.1 shall be subject to the limitation that for every Ten and 00/100 United States Dollars ($10.00) of New Phase I Project Financing Equity purchased by Investor pursuant to this Section 2.1, the Investor shall have previously purchased (excluding the Series A Investment being consummated simultaneous herewith) or shall simultaneously purchase One and 00/100 United States Dollar ($1.00) of additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock (whether pursuant to Article III or otherwise).  Soluna shall use all commercially reasonable efforts to facilitate the issuance of additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock to the Investor in a manner that permits the Investor's timely exercise of its right to purchase New Phase I Project Financing Equity set forth in this Section 2.1, and the parties shall cooperate in good faith to execute and deliver to one another subscription materials with respect to such additional Soluna Class A Preferred Stock that are of similar type and form as the subscription materials used to effectuate the Series A Investment being consummated simultaneously herewith.

ARTICLE III

FUTURE CONTINGENT INVESTMENT RIGHT

 

3.1       Initial Future Contingent Investment Right.  Within a period of sixty (60) days following Soluna's achievement of Pilot Mine Program Plan Delivery, the Investor shall purchase from Soluna, and Soluna shall sell and issue to the Investor, in exchange for a one-time payment of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand and 00/100 United States Dollars ($250,000.00) to Soluna by the Investor, additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock at a purchase price per share equal to the Original Purchase Price.  Following Soluna's achievement of Pilot Mine Program Plan Delivery, the parties shall cooperate in good faith to execute and deliver to one another subscription materials with respect to the additional Soluna Class A Preferred Stock contemplated by this Section 3.1 that are of similar type and form as the subscription materials used to effectuate the Series A Investment being consummated simultaneously herewith.  Soluna shall give the Investor at least ten (10) Business Days' written notice of the date of closing and, at said closing, the Investor shall pay the purchase price for the applicable additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock pursuant to either certified check or bank wire delivered to Soluna.  For the avoidance of doubt, the Investor's ability to acquire additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 3.1 shall be conditioned, in all instances, upon Soluna's ability to achieve Pilot Mine Program Plan Delivery.

 

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3.2        Additional Future Contingent Investment Right.  For a period of twelve (12) months following Soluna's achievement of Phase I Project Financial Closing, the Investor shall have the right to purchase from Soluna, and Soluna shall have the obligation to sell and issue to the Investor, in exchange for payment(s) of up to Three Million Two Hundred Fifty Thousand and 00/100 United States Dollars ($3,250,000.00) in the aggregate to Soluna by the Investor, additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock at a purchase price per share equal to the Original Purchase Price.  If the Investor desires to exercise its rights pursuant to this Section 3.2, the Investor shall deliver to Soluna a written notice (the "Investor Additional Purchase Notice") specifying the (a) Investor's intention to exercise such right, (b) amount of funds the Investor intends to pay for the applicable shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock to be received pursuant to this Section 3.2 and (c) Investor's calculation as to the number of shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock to be received by the Investor pursuant to this Section 3.2 taking account of the Original Purchase Price being applied thereto.  Unless mutually agreed by the parties to the contrary, the closing of the issuance of additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 3.2 shall take place no more than sixty (60) days following receipt by Soluna of the Investor Additional Purchase Notice.  Soluna shall give the Investor at least ten (10) Business Days' written notice of the date of closing and, at said closing, the Investor shall pay the purchase price for the applicable additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock pursuant to either certified check or bank wire delivered to Soluna.  For the avoidance of doubt, the Investor shall be permitted to exercise its rights under this Section 3.2 in a single or multiple tranches, and the Investor's ability to acquire additional shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock pursuant to this Section 3.2 shall be conditioned, in all instances, upon Soluna's ability to achieve Phase I Project Financial Closing.  The rights of the Investor set forth in this Section 3.2 shall be exercised (including with respect to the number of shares of Soluna Class A Preferred Stock to be acquired) solely by the Investor in its sole and absolute discretion with Soluna having no right to assert a demand therefor.

 

ARTICLE IV

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

4.1        Governing Law; Severability. THIS AGREEMENT IS GOVERNED BY AND SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, EXCLUDING ANY CONFLICT-OF-LAWS RULE OR PRINCIPLE THAT MIGHT REFER THE GOVERNANCE OR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS AGREEMENT TO THE LAW OF ANOTHER JURISDICTION.  If any provision of this Agreement or the application thereof to either party or any circumstance is held invalid or unenforceable to any extent, (a) the remainder of this Agreement and the application of that provision to the other party or other circumstances is not affected thereby, and (b) the parties shall negotiate in good faith to replace that provision with a new provision that is valid and enforceable and that puts the parties in substantially the same economic, business and legal position as they would have been in if the original provision had been valid and enforceable.

 

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4.2        Binding Effect.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective heirs, legal representatives, permitted successors and assigns.

 

4.3        Waiver. No waiver by either party of any default by the other party in the performance of any provision, condition or requirement herein shall be deemed to be a waiver of, or in any manner a release of the other party from, performance of any other provision, condition or requirement herein, nor deemed to be a waiver of, or in any manner a release of the other party from, future performance of the same provision, condition or requirement; nor shall any delay or omission of either party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right or any like right accruing to it thereafter.

 

4.4         Amendment. This Agreement may not be modified or amended except by written agreement of the parties.

 

4.5         Headings. The headings contained in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and do not constitute part of this Agreement.

 

4.6         Further Assurances.  Each of the parties agrees to use all reasonable efforts to take, or to cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or to cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable under Applicable Law to consummate and make effective the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

4.7          Assignment.  Neither party shall assign its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, that the Investor may transfer its rights and obligations hereunder to an Affiliate upon written notice to Soluna, without the prior written consent of Soluna.

 

4.8          Entire Agreement.  This Agreement, along with the Share Purchase Agreement and Operating and Management Agreement, constitute the entire agreement of the parties relating to the relationship hereunder and supersede all provisions and concepts contained in all prior contracts or agreements between the parties with respect to such relationship, whether oral or written.

 

4.9           Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed by electronic signature in multiple counterparts, each of which, when executed, shall be deemed an original, and all of which shall constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

4.10         Remedies.  Except as expressly provided herein, the remedies created by this Agreement are cumulative and in addition to any other remedies otherwise available at law or in equity.

 

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4.11        Survival.         This Agreement, and the terms and provisions hereof, shall survive until the consummation of a Qualified Public Offering by Soluna.

 

[signature page follows]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Agreement as of the date first set forth in this Agreement.

 

 

Soluna:

 

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.

 

 

By: /s/ John Belizaire__________________

Name: John Belizaire

Title:  CEO

 

 

 

Investor:

 

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY, INCORPORATED

 

 

By: /s/ Frederick W. Jones______________

Name: Frederick W. Jones

Title:   Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

[Signature Page to Investor Rights Agreement]

 


 

EXHIBIT A

 

Operating and Management Agreement

 

(see attached)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A-1

EXHIBIT 10.23

 

Soluna Technologies Investment I, LLC
232 Madison Avenue, Suite 600
New York, New York 10016

 

 

January 13, 2020

 

To:  Mechanical Technology, Incorporated

325 Washington Avenue Extension

Albany, New York 12205

Attn: Frederick W. Jones, CEO

Email: rjones@mtiinstruments.com

 

 

SIDE LETTER AGREEMENT

 

            This side letter confirms the agreement (the "Agreement") by and between Mechanical Technology, Incorporated, a New York corporation (the "Investor"), and Soluna Technologies Investment I, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("STI I, LLC" or the "Preexisting Investor"), regarding and in consideration of Investor's investment in Series A Preferred shares of Soluna Technologies Ltd., a private company incorporated under the laws of British Columbia ("Soluna"), being consummated simultaneous with the entering into of this Agreement.  Capitalized terms used, but not defined, herein shall have the applicable meaning set forth in the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Soluna, as in effect on the date hereof (the "Amended and Restated Articles").  Upon execution by all parties hereto, this Agreement shall constitute a binding agreement among such parties that may not be amended without such parties' written consent and shall, subject to the limitation set forth in Section 2 below, be effective for so long as the Investor is a shareholder of Soluna.  In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and the terms of the Amended and Restated Articles or any other agreement with respect to either of the Investor's or the Preexisting Investor's ownership of shares in Soluna, the provisions of this Agreement shall control.  For reference herein, the defined term "Share Purchase Agreement" shall mean that certain Class A Preferred Share Purchase Agreement, dated even date herewith, entered into by and between Soluna and Investor.

 

1.          Share Transfer Threshold.  If Soluna, in any single instance following the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date, issues Additional Shares (excluding Additional Shares issued pursuant to the "Offering" (as defined in the Share Purchase Agreement)), as defined in Section 27.3 of the Amended and Restated Articles, without consideration or for a consideration per share, in the case of Convertible Securities or Options where the effective "all in" conversion price or exercise price payable to result in the issuance of Common shares to the holder is, less than two (2) times the initial Class A Conversion Price in effect as of the date hereof with respect to the Class A Preferred shares of Soluna issued to Investor, then, upon the written request of Investor, the Preexisting Investor shall transfer to Investor up to a total of Seventy Thousand Seven Hundred Ninety Five (70,795) (as adjusted for any stock splits, stock dividends or similar equity reclassifications following the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date) of the Common, Class Seed Preferred and/or Class A Preferred shares of Soluna held by the Preexisting Investor (the number and class of shares of Soluna to be transferred to be determined by Investor to the extent owned by the Preexisting Investor, which transfer may occur in multiple tranches if reasonably necessary due to applicable law).  The right of Investor to receive Common shares, Class Seed Preferred shares and/or Class A Preferred shares of the Preexisting Investor contemplated by this paragraph shall be exercisable only with respect to the first instance in which Soluna, following the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date, issues applicable Additional Shares at a valuation less than the Class A Conversion Price amount referred to above and may not be exercised by Investor with respect to multiple such issuances of applicable Additional Shares.

 


 

2.           Full Ratchet Anti-dilution True-Up.  If Soluna, at any time after the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date and until eighteen (18) months from the date hereof, issues Additional Shares, without consideration or for a consideration per share, in the case of Convertible Securities or Options where the effective "all in" conversion price or exercise price payable to result in the issuance of Common shares to the holder is, less than the applicable Class A Conversion Price in effect immediately before such issue, then, solely with respect to One Hundred Fifty-Eight Thousand Seven Hundred Thirty (158,730) (as adjusted for any stock splits, stock dividends or similar equity reclassifications following the Class A Preferred Share Original Issue Date) of the Class A Preferred shares of Soluna held by Investor, the Preexisting Investor shall, upon the written request of Investor, transfer to Investor up to that number of Common, Class Seed Preferred and/or Class A Preferred shares held by the Preexisting Investor that Investor reasonably determines represents the positive difference between (x) the value Investor would have received had Investor been entitled to "full ratchet" anti-dilution protection with respect thereto pursuant to the Amended and Restated Articles and (y) the value Investor received pursuant to the anti-dilution protection set forth in Section 27.3(9) of the Amended and Restated Articles (i.e., "broad based weighted average" anti-dilution protection).  The number and class of shares of Soluna to be transferred to Investor pursuant to the foregoing sentence shall be determined by Investor to the extent owned by Preexisting Investor, which transfer may occur in multiple tranches if reasonably necessary due to applicable law.  For purposes of this Agreement, "full ratchet" anti-dilution protection shall be calculated by Investor with reference to the applicable Class A Conversion Price in respect of Investor's subject Class A Preferred shares being reduced, concurrently with the applicable issuance or deemed issuance, to the consideration per share received by Soluna for such issue or deemed issue of the Additional Shares; provided, that if such issuance or deemed issuance was without consideration, then Soluna shall be deemed to have received an aggregate of U.S. $.001 of consideration for all such Additional Shares issued or deemed to be issued.  For the avoidance of doubt, the covenants and obligations of Preexisting Investor set forth in this Section 2 shall terminate on that day that is eighteen (18) months from the date hereof.

 

This Agreement, and the terms and provisions hereof, shall be construed by and governed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to principles of choice of law.

 

            This Agreement, and the terms and provisions hereof, shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors (by merger, consolidation or otherwise) and permitted assigns.  This Agreement may not be assigned by any party except with the consent of the other party hereto; provided, that Investor may freely assign this Agreement to any affiliate of Investor without the prior written consent of Preexisting Investor.  Any assignment in violation of the preceding sentence shall be deemed and considered null and void.  The parties further agree that this Agreement is being entered into by and among the parties in consideration of the terms and conditions contained herein as well as other good and valuable consideration, including Ten United States Dollars ($10.00) cash-in-hand-paid, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged.

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            This Agreement may be executed in multiple, electronic counterparts and any counterparts so executed shall constitute one and the same instrument.  Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, the Preexisting Investor covenants and agrees to maintain, at all times, a sufficient number of Common, Class Seed Preferred and/or Class A Preferred shares of Soluna to fulfill its duties and obligations pursuant to this Agreement (assuming, for the purposes of this covenant only, the Investor's complete election with respect to the full number of applicable shares described in this Agreement).

 

[signature page follows]        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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            IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

Preexisting Investor:

SOLUNA TECHNOLOGIES

INVESTMENT I, LLC

 

 

By: /s/ Michael Toporek

Name:  Michael Toporek

Title:    President of MJT Park Investors, Inc.

             MJT Park Investors, Inc. (Manager)

 

 

Investor:

MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY,

INCORPORATED

 

 

By: /s/ Frederick W. Jones

Name:  Frederick W. Jones

Title:    Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

[Signature Page to MKTY Side Letter Agreement]

Exhibit 21

SUBSIDIARIES OF MECHANICAL TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED

Subsidiary Name

Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization

 

Turbonetics Energy, Inc.

New York

MTI Instruments, Inc.

New York

EcoChain, Inc.

Delaware