SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 6, 2021

 

 

ACON S2 ACQUISITION CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Cayman Islands   001-39525   98-1550150
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

 

1133 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 700
Washington, DC
  20036
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

(202) 454-1100

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the Registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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

 

Title of each class

 

Trading
Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange
on which registered

Units, each consisting of one Class A ordinary share, $0.0001 par value, and one-third of one redeemable warrant   STWOU   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Class A ordinary shares included as part of the units   STWO   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Redeemable warrants included as part of the units, each whole warrant exercisable for one Class A ordinary share at an exercise price of $11.50   STWOW   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

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.  ☐

 

 

 


Item 1.01

Entry Into A Material Definitive Agreement.

Merger Agreement

On May 6, 2021, ACON S2 Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (“STWO”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among SCharge Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of STWO (“Merger Sub”), and ESS Tech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ESS”).

The Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby were approved by the boards of directors of each of STWO and ESS.

The Business Combination

The Merger Agreement provides for, among other things, the following transactions at the closing: (i) STWO will become a Delaware corporation (the “Domestication”), (ii) following the Domestication, Merger Sub will merge with and into ESS, with ESS as the surviving company in the merger and, after giving effect to such merger, continuing as a wholly-owned subsidiary of STWO (the “Merger”) and, in connection with the Merger, (iii) STWO’s name will be changed to ESS Tech, Inc. The Domestication, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement are hereinafter referred to as the “Business Combination”.

The Business Combination is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021, following the receipt of the required approval by STWO’s stockholders and the fulfillment of other customary closing conditions.

Business Combination Consideration

In accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Merger Agreement, each share of common stock of ESS, par value $0.0001 per share (“ESS Common Stock”), other than any Cancelled Shares (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and Dissenting Shares (as defined in the Merger Agreement) shall be converted into the right to receive a fraction of a share of duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of STWO (“STWO Common Stock”) based on adjusted equity value of ESS as described in the Merger Agreement. Additionally, in the event that the closing sale price of STWO Common Stock exceeds certain price thresholds for sustained periods of time or there is a change of control where the per share consideration paid in the transaction exceeds certain thresholds, additional STWO Common Stock may be issued to the parties that were holders of ESS Common Stock immediately prior to the closing of the Business Combination.

Governance

STWO has agreed to take all action within its power as may be necessary or appropriate such that, effective immediately after the closing of the Business Combination, the STWO board of directors shall consist of nine directors, which shall be divided into three classes, which directors shall include seven directors designated by ESS and two directors designated by certain current shareholders of ESS. Additionally, the current ESS management team will move to STWO in their current roles and titles.

Representations and Warranties; Covenants

The Merger Agreement contains representations, warranties and covenants of each of the parties thereto that are customary for transactions of this type, including with respect to the operations of STWO and ESS and that each of the parties have undertaken to procure approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”). In addition, STWO has agreed to adopt an equity incentive plan and employee stock purchase plan, as described in the Merger Agreement.

Conditions to Each Party’s Obligations

The obligation of STWO and ESS to consummate the Business Combination is subject to certain closing conditions, including, but not limited to, (i) the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act, (ii) the approval of STWO’s shareholders, (iii) the approval of ESS’s shareholders and (iv) the Registration Statement (as defined below) becoming effective.


In addition, the obligation of STWO to consummate the Business Combination is subject to the fulfillment of other closing conditions, including, but not limited to, (i) the representations and warranties of ESS being true and correct to the standards applicable to such representations and warranties and each of the covenants of ESS having been performed or complied with in all material respect and (ii) no Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Merger Agreement) shall have occurred.

The obligation of ESS to consummate the Business Combination is also subject to the fulfillment of other closing conditions, including, but not limited to, (i) the representations and warranties of STWO and Merger Sub being true and correct to the standards applicable to such representations and warranties and each of the covenants of STWO having been performed or complied with in all material respects, (ii) the aggregate cash proceeds from STWO’s trust account, together with the proceeds from the PIPE Financing (as defined below), equaling no less than $200,000,000 (after deducting any amounts paid to STWO shareholders that exercise their redemption rights in connection with the Business Combination and net of STWO’s unpaid transaction expenses and liabilities), (iii) the approval by NYSE (or Nasdaq, under certain circumstances) of STWO’s listing application in connection with the Business Combination, (iv) the appointment of specified individuals as the executive officers of STWO, and (v) the Domestication shall have been completed.

Termination

The Merger Agreement may be terminated under certain customary and limited circumstances prior to the closing of the Business Combination, including, but not limited to, (i) by mutual written consent of STWO and ESS, (ii) by STWO if the representations and warranties of ESS are not true and correct or if ESS fails to perform any covenant or agreement set forth in the Merger Agreement such that certain conditions to closing cannot be satisfied and the breach or breaches of such representations or warranties or the failure to perform such covenant or agreement, as applicable, are not cured or cannot be cured within certain specified time periods, (iii) termination by ESS if the representations and warranties of STWO are not true and correct or if STWO fails to perform any covenant or agreement set forth in the Merger Agreement such that certain conditions to closing cannot be satisfied and the breach or breaches of such representations or warranties or the failure to perform such covenant or agreement, as applicable, are not cured or cannot be cured within certain specified time periods, (iv) subject to certain limited exceptions, by either STWO or ESS if the Business Combination is not consummated by November 6, 2021 (subject to a one month extension in certain circumstances) and (v) by either STWO or ESS if certain required approvals are not obtained by STWO shareholders after the conclusion of a meeting of STWO’s stockholders held for such purpose at which such shareholders voted on such approval.

If the Merger Agreement is validly terminated, none of the parties to the Merger Agreement will have any liability or any further obligation under the Merger Agreement other than customary confidentiality obligations, except in the case of Willful Breach or Fraud (each, as defined in the Merger Agreement).

A copy of the Merger Agreement is filed with this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 2.1 and is incorporated herein by reference, and the foregoing description of the Merger Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference thereto. The Merger Agreement contains representations, warranties and covenants that the respective parties made to each other as of the date of the Merger Agreement or other specific dates. The assertions embodied in those representations, warranties and covenants were made for purposes of the contract among the respective parties and are subject to important qualifications and limitations agreed to by the parties in connection with negotiating such agreement. The representations, warranties and covenants in the Merger Agreement are also modified in important part by the underlying disclosure schedules which are not filed publicly and which are subject to a contractual standard of materiality different from that generally applicable to stockholders and were used for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties rather than establishing matters as facts. STWO does not believe that these schedules contain information that is material to an investment decision.

 

2


PIPE Financing (Private Placement)

Concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, STWO entered into subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with certain investors (the “PIPE Investors”). Pursuant to the Subscription Agreements, the PIPE Investors agreed to subscribe for and purchase, and STWO agreed to issue and sell to such investors, immediately following the Closing (as defined in the Merger Agreement), an aggregate of 25,000,000 shares of STWO Common Stock for a purchase price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $250,000,000 (the “PIPE Financing”).

The closing of the PIPE Financing is contingent upon, among other things, the substantially concurrent consummation of the Business Combination. The Subscription Agreements provide that STWO will grant the investors in the PIPE Financing certain customary registration rights.

The foregoing description of the Subscription Agreements and the PIPE Financing is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the form of Subscription Agreement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 10.1 hereto, and the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Transaction Support Agreements

Concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, certain shareholders of ESS (collectively, the “ESS Shareholders”) entered into a Transaction Support Agreement (collectively, the “Transaction Support Agreements”) with STWO, pursuant to which the ESS Shareholders have agreed to, among other things, (i) support and vote in favor of the consummation of the Business Combination and related proposals at any meeting of the ESS shareholders with respect to the Business Combination, (ii) irrevocably appoint STWO or any individual designated by STWO as such ESS Shareholder’s attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution in favor of STWO, to take all such actions and execute and deliver such documents, instruments or agreements as are necessary to consummate the transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including acting as a proxy, to attend on behalf of such ESS Shareholder, at any meeting of the ESS Shareholders with respect to the Business Combination and (iii) be bound by certain other covenants and agreements related to the Business Combination.

The foregoing description of the Transaction Support Agreements is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the form of Transaction Support Agreement, a copy of which are attached is Exhibit 10.2 hereto, and the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Sponsor Letter Agreement

Concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, the Sponsor and executive officers and directors of STWO entered into the Sponsor Letter Agreement (the “Sponsor Letter Agreement”) with STWO and ESS, pursuant to which the parties thereto agreed to, among other things, (i) vote in favor of the transaction and related proposals at any meeting of the STWO shareholders with respect to the Business Combination, (ii) waive certain anti-dilution protections with respect to STWO Common Stock and (iii) be bound by certain transfer restrictions with respect to STWO Common Stock prior to the closing of the Business Combination, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Letter Agreement.

The foregoing description of the Sponsor Letter Agreement is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Sponsor Letter Agreement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 10.3 hereto, and the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement

At the closing of the Business Combination, STWO, the Sponsor and certain stockholders of ESS will enter into an amended and restated registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) pursuant to which, among other things, the parties thereto will be granted certain customary registrant rights with respect to shares of ESS Common Stock.

The foregoing description of the Registration Rights Agreement is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the form of Registration Rights Agreement, a copy of which is included as Exhibit 10.4 hereto, and the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.

 

3


Item 3.02. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

The disclosure set forth above in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference herein. The shares of STWO Common Stock to be offered and sold in connection with the PIPE Financing have not been registered under the Securities Act in reliance upon the exemption provided in Section 4(a)(2) thereof.

Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.

On May 7, 2021, STWO and ESS issued a press release announcing their entry into the Merger Agreement. The press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein.

Furnished as Exhibit 99.2 hereto and incorporated into this Item 7.01 by reference is the investor presentation that STWO and ESS have prepared for use in connection with the announcement of the Business Combination.

The foregoing (including Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2) is being furnished pursuant to Item 7.01 and will not be deemed to be filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise be subject to the liabilities of that section, nor will it be deemed to be incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

Additional Information

STWO intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (as amended, the “Registration Statement”), which will include a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus of STWO, in connection with the Business Combination. After the Registration Statement is declared effective, STWO will mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant documents to its stockholders. STWO’s stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, and amendments thereto, and definitive proxy statement/prospectus in connection with STWO’s solicitation of proxies for its stockholders’ meeting to be held to approve the Business Combination because the proxy statement/prospectus will contain important information about STWO, ESS and the Business Combination. The definitive proxy statement/prospectus will be mailed to stockholders of STWO as of a record date to be established for voting on the Business Combination. Stockholders will also be able to obtain copies of the Registration Statement on Form S-4 and the proxy statement/prospectus, without charge, once available, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, the documents filed by STWO may be obtained free of charge from STWO at https://www.STWOclean.com. Alternatively, these documents, when available, can be obtained free of charge by directing a request to: STWO Clean Transition Corp., 200 Clarendon Street, 55th Floor, Boston, MA 02116.

Participants in the Solicitation

STWO, ESS and their respective directors, executive officers, other members of management and employees, under SEC rules, may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of STWO’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. Investors and security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names and interests in the Business Combination of STWO’s directors and officers in STWO’s filings with the SEC, including the Registration Statement to be filed with the SEC by STWO, and such information and names of ESS’s directors and executive officers will also be in the Registration Statement to be filed with the SEC by STWO, which will include the proxy statement of STWO for the Business Combination.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this Current Report on Form 8-K may be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or STWO’s or ESS’s future financial or operating performance. For example, statements about the expected timing of the completion of the Business Combination, the benefits of the Business Combination, the competitive environment, and the expected future performance (including future revenue, pro forma enterprise value, and cash balance) and market opportunities of ESS are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “predict”, “potential” or “continue”, or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements.

 

 

4


These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by STWO and its management, and ESS and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against STWO, ESS, the combined company or others following the announcement of the Business Combination; (3) the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of STWO or to satisfy other conditions to closing; (4) changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the Business Combination; (5) the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards at or following the consummation of the Business Combination; (6) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of ESS as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; (7) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (8) costs related to the Business Combination; (9) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (10) the possibility that ESS or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; and (11) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in STWO’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-248515), and which will be set forth in a Registration Statement to be filed by STWO with the SEC in connection with the Business Combination.

Nothing in this Current Report on Form 8-K should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Neither STWO nor ESS undertakes any duty to update these forward-looking statements.

Disclaimer

This communication is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell, subscribe for or buy, any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Business Combination or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer or securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.

 

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit
Number
  

Description

  2.1†    Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 6, 2021, by and among ACON S2 Acquisition Corp., SCharge Merger Sub, Inc., and ESS Tech, Inc.
10.1    Form of Subscription Agreement.
10.2    Transaction Support Agreement, dated as of May 6, 2021, by and among ACON S2 Acquisition Corp. and ESS Tech, Inc. and certain other parties thereto.
10.3    Sponsor Letter Agreement, dated as of May 6, 2021, by and among ACON S2 Sponsor, L.L.C., ACON S2 Acquisition Corp. and ESS Tech, Inc and certain other parties thereto.
10.4    Form of Registration Rights Agreement.
99.1    Press Release, dated March 7, 2021.
99.2    Investor Presentation, dated March 7, 2021.

 

Certain of the exhibits and schedules to this exhibit have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(2). The Registrant agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of all omitted exhibits and schedules to the SEC upon its request.

 

5


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Dated: May 7, 2021    

ACON S2 ACQUISITION CORP.

    By:   /s/ Adam Kriger
    Name:   Adam Kriger
    Title:   Chief Executive Officer

Exhibit 2.1

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

dated as of

May 6, 2021

by and among

ACON S2 ACQUISITION CORP.,

SCHARGE MERGER SUB, INC.,

and

ESS TECH, INC.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

         Page  

ARTICLE I CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

     3  

1.01

  Definitions      3  

1.02

  Construction      19  

ARTICLE II THE MERGER; CLOSING

     20  

2.01

  The Merger      20  

2.02

  Effects of the Merger      21  

2.03

  Closing      21  

2.04

  Effect on Capital Stock      21  

2.05

  Equitable Adjustments      22  

2.06

  Allocation Schedule.      22  

2.07

  Treatment of Company Options, Company RSUs and Company Warrants      23  

2.08

  Exchange of Company Certificates and Company Book-Entry Shares      25  

2.09

  Earnout      28  

2.10

  Organizational Documents of the Company and Acquiror      29  

2.11

  Directors and Officers of the Companies      30  

2.12

  Withholding      31  

2.13

  Cash in Lieu of Fractional Shares      31  

2.14

  Dissenting Shares      32  

2.15

  Payment of Expenses      32  

ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

     33  

3.01

  Organization, Standing and Corporate Power      33  

3.02

  Corporate Authority; Approval; Non-Contravention      33  

3.03

  Governmental Approvals      34  

3.04

  Capitalization      34  

3.05

  Subsidiaries      36  

3.06

  Financial Statements; Internal Controls      36  

3.07

  Compliance with Laws      37  

3.08

  Absence of Certain Changes or Events      38  

3.09

  No Undisclosed Liabilities      38  

3.10

  Information Supplied      38  

3.11

  Litigation      38  

3.12

  Contracts      39  

 

i


3.13

  Employment Matters      41  

3.14

  Taxes      44  

3.15

  Intellectual Property      45  

3.16

  Data Protection      46  

3.17

  Information Technology      47  

3.18

  Real Property      47  

3.19

  Corrupt Practices; Sanctions      48  

3.20

  Insurance      49  

3.21

  Competition and Trade Regulation      49  

3.22

  Environmental Matters      50  

3.23

  Brokers      50  

3.24

  Affiliate Agreements      50  

3.25

  No Other Representations or Warranties      51  

ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF ACQUIROR AND MERGER SUB

     51  

4.01

  Organization, Standing and Corporate Power      51  

4.02

  Corporate Authority; Approval; Non-Contravention      52  

4.03

  Litigation      53  

4.04

  Compliance with Laws      53  

4.05

  Employee Benefit Plans      53  

4.06

  Financial Ability; Trust Account      54  

4.07

  Taxes      55  

4.08

  Brokers      56  

4.09

  Acquiror SEC Reports; Financial Statements; Sarbanes-Oxley Act      56  

4.10

  Business Activities; Absence of Changes      57  

4.11

  Registration Statement      58  

4.12

  No Outside Reliance      59  

4.13

  Capitalization      59  

4.14

  NASDAQ Stock Market Quotation      60  

4.15

  Contracts; No Defaults      61  

4.16

  Title to Property      61  

4.17

  Investment Company Act      61  

4.18

  Affiliate Agreements      61  

4.19

  Corrupt Practices      62  

4.20

  Takeover Statutes and Charter Provisions      62  

 

ii


4.21

  Subscription Agreements      62  

4.22

  Defense Production Act      63  

4.23

  No Other Representations or Warranties      64  

ARTICLE V COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

     64  

5.01

  Conduct of Business      64  

5.02

  Inspection      67  

5.03

  HSR Act and Regulatory Approvals      68  

5.04

  No Claim Against the Trust Account      69  

5.05

  Proxy Solicitation; Other Actions      69  

5.06

  Cooperation under the Credit Documents; Investor Rights Agreement      70  

5.07

  Incentive Company RSU Grants      70  

ARTICLE VI COVENANTS OF ACQUIROR

     71  

6.01

  HSR Act and Regulatory Approvals      71  

6.02

  Indemnification and Insurance      72  

6.03

  Conduct of Acquiror During the Interim Period      73  

6.04

  Trust Account      75  

6.05

  Inspection      75  

6.06

  Acquiror Stock Exchange Listing      76  

6.07

  Acquiror Public Filings      76  

6.08

  Financing      76  

6.09

  Additional Insurance Matters      76  

6.10

  Section 16 Matters      77  

6.11

  Director and Officer Appointments      77  

6.12

  Domestication      77  

6.13

  Equity Incentive Plan; Employee Stock Purchase Plan      78  

6.14

  Bylaws.      78  

ARTICLE VII JOINT COVENANTS

     78  

7.01

  Support of Transaction      78  

7.02

  Exclusivity      79  

7.03

  Preparation of Registration Statement; Special Meeting; Solicitation of Company Stockholder Approvals      80  

7.04

  Tax Matters      82  

7.05

  Confidentiality; Publicity      84  

7.06

  Post-Closing Cooperation; Further Assurances      85  

7.07

  Transaction Litigation      85  

 

iii


ARTICLE VIII CONDITIONS TO OBLIGATIONS

     85  

8.01

  Conditions to Obligations of All Parties      85  

8.02

  Additional Conditions to Obligations of Acquiror      86  

8.03

  Additional Conditions to the Obligations of the Company      87  

ARTICLE IX TERMINATION/EFFECTIVENESS

     88  

9.01

  Termination      88  

9.02

  Effect of Termination      89  

ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS

     89  

10.01

  Waiver      89  

10.02

  Notices      90  

10.03

  Assignment      90  

10.04

  Rights of Third Parties      91  

10.05

  Expenses      91  

10.06

  Governing Law      91  

10.07

  Captions; Counterparts      91  

10.08

  Schedules and Exhibits      91  

10.09

  Entire Agreement      91  

10.10

  Amendments      92  

10.11

  Severability      92  

10.12

  Jurisdiction; WAIVER OF TRIAL BY JURY      92  

10.13

  Enforcement      93  

10.14

  Non-Recourse      93  

10.15

  Non-survival of Representations, Warranties and Covenants      93  

10.16

  Acknowledgements      93  

 

Exhibits

Exhibit A – Form of Subscription Agreement

Exhibit B – Form of Company Support Agreement

Exhibit C – Form of Sponsor Letter Agreement

Exhibit D – Form of Certificate of Incorporation of Acquiror

Exhibit E – Form of Bylaws of Acquiror

 

iv


AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

This Agreement and Plan of Merger (this “Agreement”), dated as of May 6, 2021, is entered into by and among ACON S2 Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (“Acquiror”), SCharge Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), and ESS Tech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). Except as otherwise indicated, capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in Article I of this Agreement.

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Acquiror is a blank check company incorporated to acquire one or more operating businesses through a Business Combination;

WHEREAS, Merger Sub is a newly formed, wholly owned, direct Subsidiary of Acquiror, and was formed for the sole purpose of the Merger;

WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, at the Closing, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company surviving as the Surviving Company;

WHEREAS, the respective boards of directors of each of Acquiror, Merger Sub and the Company have each approved and declared advisable this Agreement and the Transactions upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement and in accordance with the laws of its jurisdiction;

WHEREAS, contemporaneously with the execution, approval and delivery of this Agreement, in connection with the Transactions, Acquiror and each of the investors listed on Schedule 0 (collectively, the “Subscribers”) have entered into certain Subscription Agreements, dated as of the date hereof (as amended or modified from time to time, collectively, the “Subscription Agreements”), each in substantially the same form as set forth on Exhibit A (Form of Subscription Agreement), for a private placement of Acquiror Common Stock, such private placement to be consummated immediately prior to the consummation of the Transactions;

WHEREAS, contemporaneously with the execution, approval and delivery of this Agreement, in connection with the Transactions, certain Company Stockholders have entered into certain Support Agreements, dated as of the date hereof (the “Company Support Agreements”), with Acquiror and the Company, in the form set forth on Exhibit B (Form of Company Support Agreement), pursuant to which, among other things, such Company Stockholders have agreed to execute and deliver a consent constituting the Company Stockholder Approvals;

WHEREAS, contemporaneously with the execution, approval and delivery of this Agreement, in connection with the Transactions, the Sponsor, Acquiror, the Company and certain directors and officers of Acquiror have entered into a letter agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “Sponsor Letter Agreement” and, together with the Company Support Agreements, the “Support Agreements”), in the form set forth on Exhibit C (Form of Sponsor Letter Agreement), pursuant to which, among other things, the Sponsor has agreed to (a) vote in favor of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including the Transactions), (b) be bound by certain transfer restrictions with respect to its Acquiror Common Stock prior to Closing, (c) terminate certain lock-up provisions of that certain Letter Agreement, dated as of September 16, 2020, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Sponsor Letter Agreement, and (d) be bound by certain lock-up provisions during the lock-up period described therein with respect to its Acquiror Common Stock issued pursuant to this Agreement or the Subscription Agreements;


WHEREAS, pursuant to the Acquiror Organizational Documents, Acquiror shall provide an opportunity to its shareholders to have their Acquiror Common Stock redeemed for the consideration, and on the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations, set forth in this Agreement, the Acquiror Organizational Documents, the Trust Agreement, and the Proxy Statement in conjunction with, inter alia, obtaining approval from the shareholders of Acquiror for the Business Combination (the “Offer”);

WHEREAS, prior to the consummation of the Transactions, Acquiror shall, subject to obtaining the Acquiror Stockholder Approvals, (a) migrate and domesticate as a corporation in the State of Delaware in accordance with the DGCL and the CLCI (the “Domestication”) and (b) adopt the certificate of incorporation (the “Acquiror Charter”) substantially in the form set forth on Exhibit D with such modifications as may be mutually agreed between the Company and Acquiror (Form of Certificate of Incorporation of Acquiror), which shall be the certificate of incorporation of Acquiror, until thereafter supplemented or amended in accordance with its terms and the DGCL; Acquiror intends to treat the Domestication as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code;

WHEREAS, in connection with the Domestication, (i) each then issued and outstanding Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (“Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock”), shall convert automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into a share of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Acquiror (as part of its domestication as a corporation incorporated in the State of Delaware) (the “Acquiror Common Stock”); (ii) each then issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (“Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock”), shall convert automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into a share of Acquiror Common Stock (as part of its domestication as a corporation incorporated in the State of Delaware); and (iii) each then issued and outstanding whole warrant of Acquiror exercisable for one share of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock (“Pre-Domestication Acquiror Warrant”) shall convert automatically into a whole warrant exercisable for one share of Acquiror Common Stock (“Acquiror Warrant”), pursuant to the Warrant Agreement;

WHEREAS, prior to the consummation of the Transactions, and contemporaneously with the Domestication, Acquiror shall adopt the bylaws substantially in the form set forth on Exhibit E with such modifications as may be mutually agreed between the Company and Acquiror (Form of Bylaws of Acquiror), which shall be the bylaws of Acquiror, until thereafter supplemented or amended in accordance with its terms and the DGCL (“Acquiror Bylaws”);

WHEREAS, prior to the consummation of the Transactions, Acquiror shall, subject to obtaining the Majority Acquiror Stockholder Approval, adopt an equity incentive plan and an employee stock purchase plan;

WHEREAS, Acquiror shall be renamed “ESS Tech, Inc.” and shall trade publicly under a new ticker symbol selected by the Company; and

 

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WHEREAS, each of the parties intends for U.S. federal income tax purposes that (a) this Agreement constitutes a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368 of the Code and Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and (b) the Merger constitutes a transaction treated as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code (clauses (a)-(b), the “Intended Tax Treatment”).

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the respective representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth in this Agreement, and intending to be legally bound hereby, Acquiror, Merger Sub and the Company agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

1.01 Definitions. As used herein, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

Acquiror” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

Acquiror Acquisition Proposal” means (a) any transaction or series of related transactions under which Acquiror, directly or indirectly, (i) acquires or otherwise purchases any other Person(s), (ii) engages in a business combination with any other Person(s) or (iii) acquires or otherwise purchases all or a material portion of the assets, equity or convertible debt securities or businesses of any other Persons(s) (in the case of each of clause (i), (ii) and (iii), whether by merger, consolidation, recapitalization, purchase or issuance of securities, purchase of assets, tender offer or otherwise) or (b) any equity or similar investment in Acquiror. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary herein, none of this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall constitute an Acquiror Acquisition Proposal.

Acquiror Affiliate Agreement” has the meaning specified in Section 4.18.

Acquiror and Merger Sub Representations” means the representations and warranties of each of Acquiror and Merger Sub expressly and specifically set forth in Article IV of this Agreement, as qualified by the Schedules. For the avoidance of doubt, the Acquiror and Merger Sub Representations are solely made by Acquiror and Merger Sub.

Acquiror Board” means the board of directors of Acquiror.

Acquiror Board Recommendation” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(d).

Acquiror Charter” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Acquiror Common Stock” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Acquiror Common Stock Consideration” means the aggregate number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock equal to (a) the Adjusted Equity Value divided by (b) $10.00.

Acquiror Cure Period” has the meaning specified in Section 9.01(c).

 

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Acquiror Employee Stock Purchase Plan” has the meaning specified in Section 6.13.

Acquiror Equity Incentive Plan” has the meaning specified in Section 6.13.

Acquiror Equity Plans Proposal” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(c).

Acquiror Material Contracts” has the meaning specified in Section 4.15(a).

Acquiror Organizational Documents” means the Articles of Association and Acquiror’s memorandum of association, in each case as may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

Acquiror SEC Reports” has the meaning specified in Section 4.09(a).

Acquiror Stockholder” means a holder of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock or Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock.

Acquiror Stockholder Approvals” means the Majority Acquiror Stockholder Approval and the Supermajority Acquiror Stockholder Approval.

Acquiror Warrant” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Action” means any claim, action, suit, charge, assessment, complaint, audit, investigation, examination, arbitration or proceeding, in each case that is by or before any Governmental Authority.

Additional Proposal” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(c).

Adjusted Equity Value” means the sum of (a) the Equity Value plus (b) the Aggregate Company Option Exercise Price plus (c) Aggregate Company Warrant Exercise Price plus (d) any Expense Shortfall.

Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, any Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person, through one or more intermediaries or otherwise. For the avoidance of doubt, no Company Securityholder shall be considered an Affiliate as a result of their ownership of Company securities.

Aggregate Company Option Exercise Price” means the aggregate exercise price that would be paid to the Company in respect of all Company Options (whether vested or unvested) if all Company Options were exercised in full immediately prior to the Effective Time (without giving effect to any “net” exercise or similar concept).

Aggregate Company Warrant Exercise Price” means the aggregate exercise price that would be paid to the Company in respect of all Company Warrants if all Company Warrants were exercised in full immediately prior to the Effective Time (without giving effect to any “net” exercise or similar concept), excluding any Assumed Warrants.

 

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Agreement” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

Allocation Schedule” has the meaning specified in Section 2.06(a).

Ancillary Agreements” means the Subscription Agreements, the Support Agreements, the Trust Agreement and any other agreement related to the Transactions.

Anti-Corruption Laws” means any applicable Laws relating to anti-bribery or anti-corruption (governmental or commercial), including Laws that prohibit the corrupt payment, offer, promise, or authorization of the payment or transfer of anything of value (including gifts or entertainment), directly or indirectly, to any representative of a foreign Governmental Authority or commercial entity to obtain a business advantage, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and all national and international Laws enacted to implement the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Officials in International Business Transactions.

Antitrust Law” means the HSR Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, and any applicable foreign antitrust Laws and all other applicable Laws that are designed or intended to prohibit, restrict or regulate actions having the purpose or effect of monopolization or restraint of trade or lessening of competition through merger or acquisition.

Articles of Association” means the Third Amended and Restated Memorandum of Association of Acquiror, adopted on September 11, 2020.

Assumed Warrants” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.07(c)(ii).

Audited Financial Statements” has the meaning specified in Section 3.06(a).

Balance Sheet Date” means December 31, 2020.

Benefit Plan” means any benefit or compensatory plan, program, policy, practice, agreement, contract, arrangement or other obligation, whether or not in writing and whether or not funded, including, but not limited to, “employee benefit plans” within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA (whether or not subject to ERISA), “voluntary employees’ beneficiary associations,” under Section 501(c)(9) of the Code, employment, individual consulting, service, retirement, severance, termination pay, change in control, transaction or retention arrangements, deferred compensation, equity or equity-based compensation, incentive compensation, bonus, supplemental retirement, profit sharing, equity ownership, equity purchase, equity option, phantom equity, employee loan, insurance, medical, welfare, vacation, paid time off, fringe or other benefits or similar plan, program, policy, agreement or arrangement of any kind.

Business Combination” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Articles of Association.

 

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Business Day” means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by Law to close.

Cancelled Shares” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.04(b)

CARES Act” means The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, Pub. L. 116-136 (03/27/2020) and any similar or successor legislation in any U.S. jurisdiction, and any official guidance issued thereunder and any other Law or executive order or executive memo (including the Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster, dated August 8, 2020) intended to address the consequences of COVID-19, including IRS Notices 2020-22, 2020-65 and 2021-11.

Cash and Cash Equivalents” shall mean the cash and cash equivalents, including checks, money orders, marketable securities, short-term instruments, negotiable instruments, funds in time and demand deposits or similar accounts on hand, in lock boxes, in financial institutions or elsewhere, together with all accrued but unpaid interest thereon, and all bank, brokerage or other similar accounts.

CBA” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.12(a)

Certificate of Merger” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

Change in Control” means any transaction, or series of transactions, resulting in any one Person (other than the Sponsor or its Affiliates), or more than one Person that are Affiliates or that are acting as a group, acquiring ownership of equity securities of Acquiror which, together with the equity securities held by such Person, such Person and its Affiliates or such group, constitutes more than 50% of the total voting power or economic rights of the equity securities of Acquiror.

Charter Proposal” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(c).

CLCI” means the Companies Act (as amended) of the Cayman Islands.

Closing” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03.

Closing Acquiror Cash” means, without duplication, an amount equal to (a) the funds contained in the Trust Account as of immediately prior to the Effective Time; plus (b) all other Cash and Cash Equivalents of Acquiror; minus (c) the aggregate amount of cash proceeds that will be required to satisfy the redemption of any shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock pursuant to the Offer (to the extent not already paid); plus (d) any cash actually received by Acquiror under the Subscription Agreements prior to or concurrently with the Closing; minus (e) any unpaid Transaction Expenses.

Closing Date” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03.

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

Company” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

 

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Company Acquisition Proposal” means (a) any transaction or series of related transactions under which any Person(s), directly or indirectly, acquires or otherwise purchases (i) the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates or (ii) all or a material portion of the assets, equity or convertible debt securities or businesses of the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates (in the case of each of clauses (i) and (ii), whether by merger, consolidation, recapitalization, purchase or issuance of securities, purchase of assets, tender offer or otherwise), or (b) any equity or similar investment in the Company or any of its controlled Affiliates. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary herein, none of this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby (including any transaction specified on Section 5.01(g) of the Company Disclosure Schedule) shall constitute a Company Acquisition Proposal.

Company Benefit Plan” means any Benefit Plan for the benefit of any current or former employee, independent contractor, officer, director or other individual service provider of the Company or any of its Affiliates, which is sponsored or maintained by, contributed to or required to be contributed to by, or with respect to which any current, contingent, or potential liability is borne by the Company or any of its Affiliates.

Company Board” means the board of directors of the Company.

Company Board Recommendation” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(e).

Company Certificates” has the meaning specified in Section 2.08(a).

Company Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, in the share capital of the Company.

Company Cure Period” has the meaning specified in Section 9.01(b).

Company Fully Diluted Stock” means the sum of (without duplication) (a) the aggregate number of shares of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time determined on an as-converted to Company Common Stock basis (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the number of shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Company Preferred Stock, in each case, based on the then applicable conversion ratio or conversion price thereof) plus (b) the aggregate number of shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon exercise of all vested Company Options plus (c) the aggregate number of shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon exercise or settlement of all Company Warrants outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time (assuming for the purposes of this definition that all such Company Warrants are exercised on a net exercise basis based on the value of the Per Share Consideration); provided, that the Company Fully Diluted Stock shall exclude any unvested Company Options, any shares of Company Common Stock issued in any Pre-Closing Financing (including shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon the exercise or conversion of other equity securities issued in any Pre-Closing Financing), any Company RSUs and any shares of Company Restricted Stock.

 

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Company Intellectual Property” means all Owned Intellectual Property and all other Intellectual Property used in the business of the Company or any of its Affiliates, as currently conducted.

Company Option” has the meaning specified in Section 2.07(a).

Company Organizational Documents” means the certificate of incorporation (including any certificate of corrections) and bylaws of the Company, in each case as may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

Company Permits” has the meaning specified in Section 3.07(d).

Company Preferred Stock” means each and all of the (a) Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, (b) Series B Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, (c) Series C-1 Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and (d) Series C-2 Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share.

Company Property” has the meaning specified in Section 3.18(b).

Company Representations” means the representations and warranties of the Company expressly and specifically set forth in Article III of this Agreement, as qualified by the Schedules.

Company Restricted Stock” means Company Common Stock that, immediately prior to the Effective Time, is subject to a Company repurchase right at equal to or less than the fair market value of a share of Company Common Stock, a risk of forfeiture or such other vesting condition.

Company RSU” means a restricted stock unit covering Company Stock granted by the Company to a Continuing Employee subsequent to the date hereof but prior to the Closing Date.

Company Securityholder” means the holder, immediately prior to the Effective Time, of any share of Company Common Stock (taking into effect the Preferred Stock Conversion) and Assumed Warrant.

Company Stock” means, collectively, the Company Common Stock and the Company Preferred Stock.

Company Stock Plan” means the Company’s 2014 Equity Incentive Plan and each other plan that provides for the award to any current or former director, manager, officer, employee, individual independent contractor or other service provider of any Company of rights of any kind to receive equity securities of the Company or benefits measured in whole or in part by reference to securities of the Company.

Company Stockholder” means the holder of either a share of Company Common Stock or a share of Company Preferred Stock.

 

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Company Stockholder Approvals” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(e).

Company Support Agreements” has the meaning specified in the Recitals.

Company Warrants” means warrants to purchase shares of Company Common Stock and/or Company Preferred Stock.

Confidentiality Agreement” means that certain Mutual Nondisclosure Agreement in effect between Acquiror and the Company as of the date hereof.

Contracts” means any legally binding contracts, agreements, subcontracts, leases, and purchase orders.

COVID-19” means the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 or any mutation of the same, including any resulting epidemics, pandemics, disease outbreaks or public health emergencies.

COVID-19 Measures” means any quarantine, isolation, “shelter in place,” “stay at home,” workforce reduction, social distancing, shut down, closure, sequester or any other Law, decree, judgment, injunction or other order, directive, guidelines or recommendations by any Governmental Authority or industry group in connection with or in response to COVID-19, including, the CARES Act.

Credit Documents” means the “Loan Documents” (as defined in the SVB Credit Agreement) and the PPP Loan.

Data Privacy and Security Requirements” means, collectively, all of the following to the extent relating to privacy, security, or data breach notification requirements, including with respect to the processing of Personal Information and applicable to the Company or any of its Affiliates: (i) all applicable Laws (including, as applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018); (ii) the Company’s external-facing privacy policies; (iii) if applicable to the Company or any of its Affiliates, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and any other industry or self-regulatory standard to which the Company or any of its Affiliates are bound or hold themselves out to the public as being in compliance with; and (iv) applicable provisions of Contracts with which the Company or any of its Affiliates are a party or bound.

DGCL” means the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

Dissenting Shares” has the meaning specified in Section 2.14.

Domestication” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Domestication Proposal” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(c).

Earnout Period” has the meaning specified in Section 2.09(a).

 

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Earnout Stock” means 16,500,000 shares of Acquiror Common Stock, minus the aggregate number of Company RSUs granted pursuant to Section 5.07 from the Incentive RSU Pool that are outstanding as of immediately prior to Closing.

Effective Time” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

Enforceability Exceptions” has the meaning specified in Section 3.02(a).

Equity Value” means $1,003,000,000.

Environmental Laws” means any and all Laws and recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices and industry standards relating to pollution or protection of the environment (including natural resources), public or worker health and safety (to the extent relating to exposure to Hazardous Materials or fire protection and safety), or the use, generation, storage, emission, transportation, disposal, handling or release of or exposure to Hazardous Materials.

ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

ERISA Affiliate” means any other Person that, together with such Person, is, or within the past six (6) years was, required to be treated as a single employer under Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code.

Ex-Im Laws” means all applicable Laws relating to export, re-export, transfer and import controls, including the Export Administration Regulations and the customs and import Laws administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Exchanged Company Option” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.07(a).

Exchanged Company RSU” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.07(a).

Expense Shortfall” means the amount by which the Transaction Expenses are less than $35,000,000, provided that the Expense Shortfall shall not be less than zero.

Financial Derivative/Hedging Arrangement” means any transaction (including an agreement with respect thereto) which is a rate swap transaction, basis swap, forward rate transaction, commodity swap, commodity option, equity or equity index swap, equity or equity index option, bond option, interest rate option, foreign exchange transaction, cap transaction, floor transaction, collar transaction, currency swap transaction, cross-currency rate swap transaction, currency option or any combination of these transactions.

Financial Statements” has the meaning specified in Section 3.06(b).

Fraud” means an act or omission by a party, and requires: (a) a false or incorrect representation or warranty expressly set forth in this Agreement, (b) with actual knowledge (as opposed to constructive, imputed or implied knowledge) by the party making such representation or warranty that such representation or warranty expressly set forth in this Agreement is false or incorrect, (c) an intention to deceive another party, to induce it to enter into this Agreement, (d) another party, in justifiable or reasonable reliance upon such false or incorrect representation or warranty expressly set forth in this Agreement, causing such party to enter into this Agreement and (e) causing such party to suffer damage by reason of such reliance.

 

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GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or such other principles as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied.

Government Official” means any official or employee of any directly or indirectly government-owned or controlled entity, and any officer or employee of a public international organization, as well as any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any such entity or for or on behalf of any such public international organization.

Governmental Authority” means any federal, state, provincial, municipal, local or foreign government, governmental authority, regulatory or administrative agency, governmental commission, department, board, bureau, agency or instrumentality, arbitrator (public or private), court or tribunal.

Governmental Order” means any order, judgment, ruling, injunction, decree, writ, stipulation, determination or award, in each case, entered by or with any Governmental Authority.

Hazardous Material” means any material, substance or waste that is listed, regulated, or defined as “hazardous,” “toxic,” or “radioactive,” or as a “pollutant” or “contaminant” (or words of similar intent or meaning) under, or for which standards of conduct or liability may be imposed pursuant to, applicable Environmental Laws, including but not limited to petroleum, petroleum by-products, asbestos or asbestos-containing material, polychlorinated biphenyls, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, flammable or explosive substances, toxic mold, lead, noise, odor or pesticides.

HSR Act” means the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person, without duplication, any obligations (whether or not contingent) consisting of (a) the outstanding principal amount of and accrued and unpaid interest on, and other payment obligations for, borrowed money, or payment obligations issued or incurred in substitution or exchange for payment obligations for borrowed money, (b) amounts owing as deferred purchase price for property or services, including “earnout” payments, (c) payment obligations evidenced by any promissory note, bond, debenture, mortgage or other debt instrument or debt security, (d) contingent reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit, bankers’ acceptance or similar facilities (in each case to the extent drawn), (e) payment obligations of a third party secured by (or for which the holder of such payment obligations has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien, other than a Permitted Lien, on assets or properties of such Person, whether or not the obligations secured thereby

 

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have been assumed, (f) obligations under capitalized leases, (g) obligations under any Financial Derivative/Hedging Arrangement, (h) any other indebtedness or obligation reflected or required to be reflected as indebtedness in a consolidated balance sheet, in accordance with GAAP, (i) all obligations for cash incentive, severance, deferred compensation or similar obligations arising prior to the Closing Date and the employer portion of any payroll, social security, unemployment or similar Tax imposed on such amounts, determined as though all amounts were payable as of the Closing Date (without regard to any deferral pursuant to the CARES Act), (j) guarantees, make-whole agreements, hold harmless agreements or other similar arrangements with respect to any amounts of a type described in clauses (a) through (h) above and (k) with respect to each of the foregoing, any unpaid interest, breakage costs, prepayment or redemption penalties or premiums, or other unpaid fees or obligations (including unreimbursed expenses or indemnification obligations for which a claim has been made); provided, however, that Indebtedness shall not include accounts payable to trade creditors that are not past due and accrued expenses arising in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice.

Insider Director Designees” has the meaning specified in Section 2.11(c).

Insurance Policies” has the meaning specified in Section 3.20(a).

Intellectual Property” means all intellectual property rights, as they exist anywhere in the world, whether registered or unregistered, including all: (i) patents and patent applications (including any divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, reissues, reexaminations and interferences thereof); (ii) trademarks, service marks, trade dress, trade names, brand names, logos and corporate names; (iii) copyrights, mask works and designs; (iv) internet domain names and social media accounts and identifiers; (v) trade secrets and other intellectual property rights in know-how, inventions, processes, procedures, database rights, confidential business information and other proprietary information and rights (collectively, “Trade Secrets”); and (vi) intellectual property rights in Software.

Interim Period” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01.

Investor Rights Agreement” means that certain Second Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement of the Company, dated August 28, 2019.

IT Systems” means all computer hardware (including hardware, firmware, peripherals, communication equipment and links, storage media, networking equipment, power supplies and any other components used in conjunction with such), data processing systems, Software, and all other information technology equipment, and related documentation, in each case, owned or controlled by, or otherwise provided under contract to, the Company or any of its Affiliates and used in the operation of their businesses.

Knowledge” shall mean the actual knowledge of (a) in the case of the Company, its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, President and Senior Vice President of Business Development & Sales, and (b) in the case of Acquiror, its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

 

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Law” means any statute, law (including common law), act, code, ordinance, rule, regulation, statute or Governmental Order, in each case, of any Governmental Authority.

Lease Documents” has the meaning specified in Section 3.18(b).

Letter of Credit” means that certain Irrevocable Standby Letter of Credit No. 77-596327-7, dated as of August 31, 2017 (as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time), issued by First Republic Bank with an initial draw amount of $725,000.

Letter of Transmittal” has the meaning specified in Section 2.08(b)(i).

Lien” means any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, easement, right of way, purchase option, right of first refusal, covenant, restriction, security interest, license, title defect, encroachment or other survey defect, or other lien or encumbrance of any kind, except for any restrictions arising under any applicable Securities Laws.

Majority Acquiror Stockholder Approval” means, with respect to any Proposal other than the Domestication Proposal, the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock and Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock cast at the Special Meeting.

Material Adverse Effect” means any event, change, circumstance or development that has a material adverse effect on (a) the assets, business, results of operations or financial condition of the Company or (b) the ability of the Company to consummate the Transactions; provided, however, that in no event would any of the following (or the effect of any of the following), alone or in combination, be deemed to constitute, or be taken into account in determining whether there has been or will be, a “Material Adverse Effect” pursuant to clause (a) above: (i) any change or development in applicable Laws (including COVID-19 Measures) or GAAP or any official interpretation thereof, (ii) any change or development in interest rates or economic, political, legislative, regulatory, business, financial, commodity, currency or market conditions generally affecting the economy or the industry in which the Company operates, (iii) the announcement or the execution of this Agreement, the pendency or consummation of the Merger or the performance of this Agreement, including the impact thereof on relationships, contractual or otherwise, with customers, suppliers, licensors, distributors, partners, providers and employees (provided, that the exceptions in this clause (iii) shall not be deemed to apply to references to “Material Adverse Effect” in the representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.02(b) and, to the extent related thereto, the condition in Section 8.02(a)), (iv) any change generally affecting any of the industries or markets in which the Company operates or the economy as a whole, (v) any earthquake, hurricane, tsunami, tornado, flood, mudslide, wild fire or other natural disaster, epidemic, disease outbreak, pandemic (including COVID-19 (or any mutation or variation thereof or related health condition)), weather condition, explosion fire, act of God or other force majeure event, (vi) any national or international political or social conditions in countries in which, or in the proximate geographic region of which, the Company operates, including the engagement by the United States or such other countries in hostilities or the escalation thereof, whether or not pursuant to the declaration

 

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of a national emergency or war, or the occurrence or the escalation of any military or terrorist attack upon the United States or such other country, or any territories, possessions, or diplomatic or consular offices of the United States or such other countries or upon any United States or such other country military installation, equipment or personnel, and (vii) any failure of the Company to meet any projections, forecasts or budgets; provided, that clause (vii) shall not prevent or otherwise affect a determination that any change or effect underlying such failure to meet projections or forecasts has resulted in, or contributed to, or would reasonably be expected to result in or contribute to, a Material Adverse Effect (to the extent such change or effect is not otherwise excluded from this definition of Material Adverse Effect), except in the case of clause (i), (ii), (iv), (v) and (vi) to the extent that such change has a disproportionate impact on the Company, as compared to other industry participants.

Material Contracts” has the meaning specified in Section 3.12(a).

Merger” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

Merger Consideration” means, collectively, the Acquiror Common Stock Consideration, the Earnout Stock and the Exchanged Company RSUs.

Merger Sub” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

NASDAQ” means The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC.

NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange

NYSE/NASDAQ Proposal” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(c).

Offer” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Outstanding Acquiror Expenses” has the meaning specified in Section 2.15(b).

Owned Company Software” means all Software owned, or purported to be owned, by the Company or any of its Affiliates.

Owned Intellectual Property” means all Intellectual Property owned, or purported to be owned, by the Company or any of its Affiliates.

Per Share Consideration” means the number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock equal to the Acquiror Common Stock Consideration divided by the number of shares of Company Fully Diluted Stock.

Permitted Liens” means (i) statutory or common law Liens of mechanics, materialmen, warehousemen, landlords, carriers, repairmen, construction contractors and other similar Liens (A) that arise in the ordinary course of business, (B) relate to amounts not yet delinquent or (C) that are being contested in good faith through appropriate Actions and either are not material or appropriate reserves for the amount being contested have been established in accordance with GAAP on the Financial Statements, (ii) Liens arising

 

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under original purchase price conditional sales contracts and equipment leases with third parties entered into in the ordinary course of business, (iii) Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable or which are being contested in good faith through appropriate Actions, and for which appropriate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP on the Financial Statements, (iv) non-monetary Liens, encumbrances and restrictions on real property (including easements, covenants, rights of way and similar restrictions of record) that do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially interfere with the present uses of such real property, (v) non-exclusive licenses of Intellectual Property granted in the ordinary course of business, (vi) Liens that secure obligations that are reflected as liabilities on the balance sheet included in the Unaudited Financial Statements (which such Liens are referenced or the existence of which such Liens is referred to in the notes to the balance sheet included in the Unaudited Financial Statements), (vii) requirements and restrictions of zoning, building and other applicable Laws and municipal by-laws, and development, site plan, subdivision or other agreements with municipalities, which do not materially interfere with the current use or occupancy of any real property leased by the Company, and (viii) Liens described on Schedule 1.01(a).

Person” means any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, joint stock company, Governmental Authority or other entity of any kind.

Personal Information” means any information that is defined as “personal information,” “personal data” or similar terms under applicable Laws, including, as applicable, any such information that (a) identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular individual, household or device, (b) is subject to a Data Privacy and Security Requirement, or (c) are names, addresses, telephone numbers, personal health information, drivers’ license numbers and government-issued identification numbers.

PPP Loan” means that certain unsecured note, dated as of April 19, 2020 (as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, by and between Company and City National Bank evidencing a loan in an original principal amount of $936,400.00, which was issued under the Paycheck Protection Program administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Pre-Closing Financing” means a transaction or series of bona fide financing transactions for fundraising purposes in which the Company issues shares of Company Stock (or securities convertible into or exercisable for Company Common Stock), which shall, in each case, be subject to receipt of Acquiror’s prior written consent (such consent to be withheld, conditioned or delayed in its sole discretion).

Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

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Pre-Domestication Acquiror Warrant” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Preferred Stock Conversion” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(f).

Proposals” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(c).

Proxy Statement” means the proxy statement filed by Acquiror as part of the Registration Statement with respect to the Special Meeting for the purpose of soliciting proxies from Acquiror Stockholders to approve the Proposals (which shall also provide the Acquiror Stockholders with the opportunity to redeem their shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock in conjunction with a shareholder vote on the Business Combination).

Redeeming Stockholder” means an Acquiror Stockholder who demands that Acquiror redeem its Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock for cash in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and in accordance with the Acquiror Organizational Documents.

Registered IP” has the meaning specified in Section 3.15(a).

Registration Statement” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(a).

Regulatory Consent Authorities” means the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice or the United States Federal Trade Commission, as applicable.

Related Party” means, with respect to any party hereto, any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof, or any business, entity or Person that any of the foregoing controls, is controlled by or is under common control with.

Representative” means, as to any Person, any of the officers, directors, managers, employees, counsel, accountants, financial advisors, lenders, debt financing sources and consultants of such Person.

Sanctioned Person” means at any time any Person: (a) listed on any Sanctions-related list of designated or blocked persons; (b) a Governmental Authority of, resident in, or organized under the Laws of a country or territory that is the target of comprehensive Sanctions from time to time (as of the date of this Agreement, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea region); or (c) majority-owned or controlled by any of the foregoing.

Sanctions” means those trade, economic and financial sanctions-related Laws, regulations, embargoes, and restrictive measures administered, enacted or enforced from time to time by (a) the United States (including without limitation the Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control), (b) the European Union and enforced by its member states, (c) the United Nations or (d) Her Majesty’s Treasury.

Schedules” means the disclosure schedules of the Company or Acquiror, as applicable.

 

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SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933.

Securities Laws” means the securities laws of any state, federal or foreign entity and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

Software” means any and all (a) computer programs, including any and all software implementation of algorithms, models and methodologies, whether in source code, object code, human readable form or other form, (b) databases and data, (c) screens, user interfaces, report formats, firmware, development tools, templates, menus, buttons and icons and (d) documentation including user manuals and other training documentation relating to any of the foregoing.

Special Meeting” means an extraordinary general meeting of the holders of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock and Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock to be held for the purpose of approving the Proposals.

Sponsor” means ACON S2 Sponsor, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company.

Sponsor Letter Agreement” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Subscribers” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Subscription Agreements” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Subsidiary” means, with respect to a Person, any corporation or other organization (including a limited liability company or a partnership), whether incorporated or unincorporated, of which such Person directly or indirectly owns or controls a majority of the securities or other interests having by their terms ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or others performing similar functions with respect to such corporation or other organization or any organization of which such Person or any of its Subsidiaries is, directly or indirectly, a general partner or managing member.

Supermajority Acquiror Stockholder Approval” means, with respect to the Domestication Proposal only, the affirmative vote of holders of two-thirds (2/3) of the outstanding shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock and Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock cast at the Special Meeting.

Support Agreements” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

Surviving Company” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

Surviving Provisions” has the meaning specified in Section 9.02.

SVB Credit Agreement” means that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of July 6, 2018 (as the same form may from time to time be amended, modified, supplemented or restated), including by that certain First Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated March 12, 2020, by and between Silicon Valley Bank and the Company.

 

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Tax” means any federal, state, provincial, territorial, local, foreign and other net income, alternative or add-on minimum, franchise, gross income, adjusted gross income or gross receipts, employment, unemployment, compensation, utility, social security (or similar), withholding, payroll, ad valorem, transfer, windfall profits, franchise, license, branch, excise, severance, production, stamp, occupation, premium, personal property, real property, capital stock, profits, disability, registration, value added, capital gains, goods and services, estimated, sales, use, or other tax, governmental fee or other assessment in the nature of tax, together with any interest, penalty, fine, levy, impost, duty, charge, addition to tax or additional amount imposed with respect thereto by a Governmental Authority.

Tax Authority” means any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction or authority to impose, administer, levy, assess or collect Tax.

Tax Return” means any return, report, statement, refund, claim, election, disclosure, declaration, information report or return, statement, estimate or other document filed or required to be filed with a Tax Authority with respect to Taxes, including any schedule or attachment thereto and including any amendments thereof.

Terminating Acquiror Breach” has the meaning specified in Section 9.01(c).

Terminating Company Breach” has the meaning specified in Section 9.01(b).

Termination Date” has the meaning specified in Section 9.01(b).

Trading Day” means any day on which shares of Acquiror Common Stock are actually traded on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which shares of Acquiror Common Stock are then traded.

Transaction Expenses” means any fees, costs and expenses incurred or subject to reimbursement by Acquiror and its Subsidiary, whether accrued for or not, in each case in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, including, without duplication, (a) any brokerage fees, commissions, finders’ fees, or financial advisory fees, and, in each case, related costs and expenses (including any amounts due to the underwriters of Acquiror’s initial public offering as a deferred underwriting commission), (b) any fees, costs and expenses of counsel, accountants or other advisors or service providers (c) any Working Capital Loans (as such term is defined in Schedule 4.18), and (d) any fees, costs and expenses or payments of any of Acquiror and its Subsidiary related to any transaction bonus, discretionary bonus, change-of-control payment, retention or other compensatory payments made to any employee of Acquiror or its Subsidiary as a result of the execution of this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements or in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including the employer portion of any payroll, social security, unemployment or similar Taxes).

Transaction Litigation” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.07

 

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Transaction Proposal” has the meaning specified in Section 7.03(c).

Transactions” means the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to occur at or immediately prior to the Closing, including the Merger and the Preferred Stock Conversion.

Treasury Regulations” means the regulations promulgated under the Code.

Trust Account” has the meaning specified in Section 4.06(a).

Trust Agreement” has the meaning specified in Section 4.06(a).

Trustee” has the meaning specified in Section 4.06(a).

Unaudited Financial Statements” has the meaning specified in Section 3.06(b).

VWAP” means, for any security as of any date(s), the dollar volume-weighted average price for such security on the principal securities exchange or securities market on which such security is then traded during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg through its “HP” function (set to weighted average) or, if the foregoing does not apply, the dollar volume-weighted average price of such security in the over-the-counter market on the electronic bulletin board for such security during the period beginning at 9:30:01 a.m., New York time, and ending at 4:00:00 p.m., New York time, as reported by Bloomberg, or, if no dollar volume-weighted average price is reported for such security by Bloomberg for such hours, the average of the highest closing bid price and the lowest closing ask price of any of the market makers for such security as reported by OTC Markets Group Inc. If the VWAP cannot be calculated for such security on such date(s) on any of the foregoing bases, the VWAP of such security on such date(s) shall be the fair market value per share on such date(s) as reasonably determined by Acquiror.

Warrant Agreement” means that certain Warrant Agreement, dated as of September 16, 2020, between Acquiror and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, as warrant agent.

Willful Breach” means, with respect to any agreement, a party’s knowing and intentional material breach of any its covenants or other agreements set forth in such agreement, which material breach constitutes, or is a consequence of, a purposeful act or failure to act by such party with the actual knowledge (as opposed to constructive, imputed or implied knowledge) that the taking of such act or failure to take such act would cause a material breach of such agreement.

1.02 Construction.

(a) Unless the context of this Agreement otherwise requires, (i) words of any gender include each other gender, (ii) words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively, (iii) the terms “hereof,” “herein,” “hereby,” “hereto” and derivative or similar words refer to this entire Agreement, (iv) the terms “Article”, “Section”, “Schedule”, “Exhibit” and “Annex” refer to the specified Article, Section, Schedule, Exhibit or Annex of or to this Agreement unless otherwise specified, (v) the word “including” shall mean “including without limitation”, (vi) the word “or” shall be disjunctive but not exclusive and (vii) any reference to a Law shall mean such Law as amended.

 

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(b) Unless the context of this Agreement otherwise requires, references to agreements and other documents shall be deemed to include all subsequent amendments and other modifications thereto.

(c) Unless the context of this Agreement otherwise requires, references to statutes shall include all regulations promulgated thereunder and references to statutes or regulations shall be construed as including all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending or replacing the statute or regulation.

(d) The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

(e) Whenever this Agreement refers to a number of days, such number shall refer to calendar days unless Business Days are specified. If any action is to be taken or given on or by a particular calendar day, and such calendar day is not a Business Day, then such action may be deferred until the next Business Day.

(f) All accounting terms used herein and not expressly defined herein shall have the meanings given to them under GAAP.

(g) The phrases “delivered,” “provided to,” “furnished to,” “made available” and phrases of similar import when used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, mean that a copy of the information or material referred to has been provided no later than two (2) Business Days prior to the date of this Agreement to the party to which such information or material is to be provided or furnished (i) in the virtual “data room” set up by the Company in connection with this Agreement or (ii) by delivery to such party or its legal counsel via electronic mail or hard copy form.

ARTICLE II

THE MERGER; CLOSING

2.01 The Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, following the Domestication, at the Effective Time, Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company being the surviving corporation (which is sometimes hereinafter referred to for the periods at and after the Effective Time as the “Surviving Company”) following the Merger and the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub shall cease. The Merger shall be consummated in accordance with this Agreement and the DGCL and evidenced by a certificate of merger (the “Certificate of Merger”), such Merger to be consummated upon filing of the Certificate of Merger or at such later time as may be agreed by Acquiror and the Company in writing and specified in the Certificate of Merger (the “Effective Time”).

 

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2.02 Effects of the Merger. The Merger shall have the effects set forth in this Agreement and the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing and subject thereto, by virtue of the Merger and without further act or deed, at the Effective Time, all of the property, rights, privileges, powers and franchises of the Company and Merger Sub shall vest in the Surviving Company and all of the debts, liabilities and duties of the Company and Merger Sub shall become the debts, liabilities and duties of the Surviving Company.

2.03 Closing. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the closing of the Merger (the “Closing”) shall take place electronically through the exchange of documents via e-mail or facsimile on the date which is three (3) Business Days after the date on which all conditions set forth in Article VIII shall have been satisfied or waived (other than those conditions that by their terms are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the satisfaction or waiver thereof) or such other time and place as Acquiror and the Company may mutually agree in writing. The date on which the Closing actually occurs is referred to in this Agreement as the “Closing Date.” Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions set forth in Article VIII of this Agreement, and provided this Agreement has not theretofore been terminated pursuant to its terms, on the Closing Date, the Company shall cause the Certificate of Merger to be executed, acknowledged and filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware as provided in Sections 251 and 103 of the DGCL. Acquiror shall be renamed “ESS Tech, Inc.” and shall trade publicly on the NYSE or, in the event the NYSE is not available to Acquiror, NASDAQ under a new ticker symbol selected by the Company.

2.04 Effect on Capital Stock. At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of the Company, Acquiror, Merger Sub or the holder of any Company Stock:

(a) Conversion of Merger Sub Common Stock. Each share of common stock of Merger Sub, par value $0.0001 per share, issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into one validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable share of common stock of the Surviving Company, par value $0.0001 per share.

(b) Cancellation of Certain Company Stock. All Company Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time held by the Company in treasury or owned by Acquiror or by Merger Sub shall no longer be outstanding and shall be automatically canceled and shall cease to exist (the “Cancelled Shares”), and no consideration shall be delivered in exchange therefor.

(c) Conversion of All Other Company Stock. Each share of Company Common Stock (including in respect of shares of Company Preferred Stock converted to Company Common Stock in connection with the Preferred Stock Conversion and Company Restricted Stock) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, other than any Cancelled Shares and Dissenting Shares, shall be converted into the right to receive the Per Share Consideration, as set forth in the Allocation Schedule, plus each holder thereof shall be entitled to Earnout Stock pursuant to and subject to the terms of Section 209. The Per Share Consideration payable with respect to Company Restricted Stock will continue to have, and be subject to, the same terms and conditions (including restrictions on vesting) relating thereto as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

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2.05 Equitable Adjustments. If, between the date of this Agreement and the Closing, the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock, Company Preferred Stock or shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock shall have been changed into a different number of shares or a different class or series, by reason or any stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification, recapitalization, split, change, combination or exchange of shares, or any similar event shall have occurred, then any number, value (including dollar value) or amount contained herein which is based upon the number of shares of Company Common Stock, Company Preferred Stock or shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock will be appropriately adjusted to provide to the holders of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock and the holders of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock the same economic effect as contemplated by this Agreement; provided, however, that this Section shall not be construed to permit Acquiror, the Company or Merger Sub to take any action with respect to their respective securities that is prohibited by the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

2.06 Allocation Schedule.

(a) No later than three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver to Acquiror (and Acquiror shall thereafter deliver to the Exchange Agent) an allocation schedule (the “Allocation Schedule”), setting forth (i) the number of shares of Company Stock held by each Company Stockholder after giving effect to the Preferred Stock Conversion and the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to each Company Option held by each holder thereof and the exercise price thereof, (ii) (A) the number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock that will be subject to each Exchanged Company Option, which shall be determined by multiplying the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to the corresponding Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time by the Per Share Consideration and rounding the resulting number down to the nearest whole number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock, and (B) the exercise price thereof at the Effective Time, which shall be determined by dividing the per share exercise price for the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to the corresponding Company Option in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time by the Per Share Consideration, and rounding the resulting exercise price up to the nearest whole cent,, (iii) (A) the number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock that will be subject to each Assumed Warrant, which shall be determined by multiplying the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to the corresponding Assumed Warrant immediately prior to the Effective Time by the Per Share Consideration and rounding the resulting number down to the nearest whole number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock, and (B) the exercise price thereof at the Effective Time, which shall be determined by dividing the per share exercise price for the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to the corresponding Assumed Warrant in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time by the Per Share Consideration, and rounding the resulting exercise price up to the nearest whole cent, (iv) the portion of the Acquiror Common Stock Consideration allocated to each Company Stockholder, determined by multiplying the number of shares of Company Stock held by such Company Stockholder immediately prior to the Effective Time by the Per Share Consideration, (v) the portion of the Earnout Stock to be allocated to each Company Stockholder pursuant to and in accordance with Section 2.09, which shall be allocated on a pro rata basis which shall be determined by dividing the aggregate number of shares of Company Stock held by such Company Stockholder by the number of shares of Company Fully Diluted Stock, (vi) the portion of the Earnout Stock to be allocated to each holder of Assumed Warrants, which shall be allocated on a pro rata basis determined by dividing the aggregate number of shares of Company Stock held by such holder of Assumed Warrants on an as-converted basis by the number of shares of Company Fully Diluted Stock, (vii) the portion of the Company RSUs to be

 

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allocated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and (viii) a certification, duly executed by an authorized officer of the Company, in his or her capacity as an officer of the Company and not in his or her individual capacity, that the information delivered in the Allocation Schedule is and, as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, will be true and correct in all respects. The Company will review any comments to the Allocation Schedule provided by Acquiror or any of its Representatives and consider in good faith any reasonable comments proposed by Acquiror or any of its Representatives. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary herein (x) the aggregate number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock that each Company Stockholder will have a right to receive pursuant to the Allocation Schedule as of the Effective Time will be rounded down to the nearest whole share. For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall the aggregate number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock set forth on the Allocation Schedule exceed the Acquiror Common Stock Consideration and, if issued pursuant to Section 2.09, the Earnout Stock. In connection with the preparation of the Allocation Statement and the calculation of Adjusted Equity Value, Acquiror shall provide the Company with a good faith estimate, duly certified by an authorized officer of Acquiror, in his or her capacity as an officer of Acquiror and not in his or her individual capacity, of the aggregate amount Transaction Expenses, and any corresponding Expense Shortfall, no later than four (4) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, which figure the Company shall be entitled to rely on for all purposes in preparation of the Allocation Statement.

(b) Acquiror, the Exchange Agent and their respective Affiliates and Representatives shall be entitled to rely, without any independent investigation or inquiry, on the names, amounts and other information set forth in the Allocation Schedule. None of Acquiror, the Exchange Agent nor their respective Affiliates or Representatives shall have any liability to any Company Stockholder or any of its Affiliates for relying on the Allocation Schedule, other than in the case of gross negligence or willful misconduct. Except with Acquiror’s written consent, the Allocation Schedule shall not be deemed formally modified for purposes of this Agreement after its initial delivery to Acquiror except pursuant to a written instruction from the Company, with certification from an authorized representative of the Company that such modification is true and correct. Acquiror, the Exchange Agent and their respective Affiliates and Representatives shall then be entitled to rely, without any independent investigation or inquiry, on such modified Allocation Schedule.

2.07 Treatment of Company Options, Company RSUs and Company Warrants.

(a) Treatment of Company Options. At the Effective Time, without any action of any party or any other Person (but subject to (c) below), Acquiror shall adopt and assume the Company Stock Plan. Each Company Option (as defined below) that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, whether vested or unvested, shall, automatically and without any required action on the part of the holder thereof, cease to represent an option to purchase Company Stock (a “Company Option”) under the Company Stock Plan and shall be converted into an option to purchase a number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock (such option, an “Exchanged Company Option”) equal to the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time multiplied by the Per Share Consideration (rounded down to the nearest whole share), at an exercise price per share equal to (i) the exercise price per share of Company Stock of such Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time divided by (ii) the Per Share Consideration (rounded up to the nearest whole cent); provided, however, that the exercise price and the number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock purchasable pursuant to the Exchanged Company Options shall be determined in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code; provided, further, that in the case of any Exchanged Company Option to which Section 422 of the Code applies, the exercise price and the number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock purchasable pursuant to such option shall be determined in accordance with the foregoing, subject to such adjustments as are necessary in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 424(a) of the Code. Except as specifically provided above, following the Effective Time, each Exchanged Company Option shall continue to be governed by the same terms and conditions (including vesting and exercisability terms) as were applicable to the corresponding former Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time.

 

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(b) Treatment of Company RSUs. Each Company RSU (as defined below) that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall, automatically and without any required action on the part of the holder thereof, cease to represent a Company RSU under the Company Stock Plan and shall be converted into a restricted stock unit covering a number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock (such restricted stock unit, an “Exchanged Company RSU”) equal to the number of shares of Company Common Stock subject to such Company RSU immediately prior to the Effective Time. Subject to Section 5.07, following the Effective Time, each Exchanged Company RSU shall continue to be governed by the same terms and conditions (including vesting and exercisability terms) as were applicable to the corresponding former Company RSU immediately prior to the Effective Time.

(c) Treatment of Company Warrants.

(i) Immediately prior to the Effective Time, it is anticipated that all outstanding Company Warrants shall, pursuant to the terms for the Company Warrants, either (i) have been “net” exercised in exchange for shares of Company Stock in accordance with their terms and shall no longer be outstanding (but shall instead be cancelled, extinguished, retired or shall otherwise cease to exist and each holder thereof shall cease to have any rights with respect thereto, other than, for the avoidance of doubt, with respect to the Company Stock into which Company Warrants are exchanged,) or (ii) shall be assumed by Acquiror pursuant to the terms of such Company Warrants.

(ii) Effective as of the Effective Time, each outstanding Company Warrant that is not exercised and exchanged prior to the Effective Time as described in Section 2.07(c)(i), shall automatically, without any action on the part of the holder thereof, be converted into a warrant to acquire a number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock at an adjusted exercise price per share, in each case, as determined under this Section 2.07(c)(ii) (each such resulting warrant, an “Assumed Warrant”). Each Assumed Warrant shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable to such corresponding Company Warrant immediately prior to the Effective Time (including applicable vesting conditions), except to the extent such terms or conditions are rendered inoperative by the Transactions. Accordingly, effective as of the Effective Time: (A) each such Assumed Warrant shall be exercisable solely for shares of Acquiror Common Stock; (B) the number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock subject to each Assumed Warrant shall be determined by multiplying the number of shares of Company Stock subject to the predecessor Company Warrant, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, by the Per Share Consideration and rounding the resulting number down to the nearest whole number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock; (C) the per share exercise price for the Acquiror Common Stock issuable upon exercise of such Assumed Warrant shall be determined by dividing the per share exercise price for the shares of Company Stock subject to the predecessor Company Warrant, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, by the Per Share Consideration, and rounding the resulting exercise price up to the nearest whole cent; and (D) such holder of the each Assumed Warrant shall be entitled to Earnout Stock pursuant to and subject to the terms of Section 2.09.

 

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(d) Company Actions. At or prior to the Effective Time, the Company, the Company Board and the compensation committee of the Company Board, as applicable, shall (i) adopt any resolutions and take any actions that are necessary to effectuate the treatment of the Company Options pursuant to Section 2.07(a) and (ii) take all actions necessary to ensure that from and after the Effective Time Acquiror will not be required to deliver Company Stock or other shares of capital stock of the Company to any Person pursuant to or in settlement of Company Options.

(e) Acquiror Actions. Acquiror shall take all actions that are necessary for the assumption and conversion of the Company Options and Company Warrants pursuant to this Section 2.07 including the reservation, issuance and listing of Acquiror Common Stock as necessary to effect the transactions contemplated by this Section 2.07. If registration of the Exchanged Company Options or Acquiror Common Stock is required under the Securities Act, Acquiror shall file with the SEC, as promptly as practicable after the date that is sixty (60) days after the Form 8-K announcing the Closing is filed (or any such earlier date permitted by applicable Law), a registration statement on Form S-8 with respect to such Exchanged Company Options or Acquiror Common Stock, and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement for so long as the applicable Exchanged Company Options remain outstanding and such registration of the Acquiror Common Stock issuable thereunder continues to be required.

2.08 Exchange of Company Certificates and Company Book-Entry Shares.

(a) Exchange Agent. Prior to the Effective Time, the Company and Acquiror shall appoint a bank or trust company to act as exchange agent (the “Exchange Agent”) for the payment and delivery of the aggregate Merger Consideration in accordance with this Section 2.08. At or immediately following the Effective Time, Acquiror shall deposit (or cause to be deposited) with the Exchange Agent the number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock comprising the aggregate Acquiror Common Stock Consideration to be issued at Closing in respect of (i) certificates that immediately prior to the Effective Time represented Company Stock, including, for the avoidance of doubt, certificates representing Company Common Stock as a result of the conversion of Company Preferred Stock (“Company Certificates”) and (ii) non-certificated outstanding Company Stock represented by book entry (“Company Book-Entry Shares”), in each case, in accordance with the Allocation Schedule and other than Cancelled Shares and Dissenting Shares, for exchange in accordance with this Section 2.08 through the Exchange Agent (the “Exchange Fund”). The Exchange Agent shall, pursuant to irrevocable instructions, deliver the aggregate Acquiror Common Stock Consideration contemplated to be issued pursuant to the Allocation Schedule out of the Exchange Fund. The Exchange Fund shall not be used for any other purpose.

 

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(b) Exchange Procedures.

(i) Promptly following the Effective Time, Acquiror shall send, or shall cause the Exchange Agent to send, to each record holder of a Company Certificate, whose shares were converted into the right to receive the Acquiror Common Stock Consideration in respect thereof at the Effective Time pursuant to this Agreement: (A) a letter of transmittal in the form to be agreed upon by the Parties and the Exchange Agent (the “Letter of Transmittal”) which shall specify that delivery shall be effected, and risk of loss and title to the Company Certificates shall pass, only upon delivery of the Company Certificates to the Exchange Agent, and shall otherwise be in such form and have such other provisions as the Company, Acquiror and the Exchange Agent may reasonably specify and (B) instructions for effecting the surrender of the Company Certificates (or affidavits in lieu thereof in accordance with Section 2.08(e)) in exchange for the aggregate Acquiror Common Stock Consideration in respect thereof. Upon surrender of Company Certificates (or affidavits in lieu thereof in accordance with Section 2.08(e)) for cancellation to the Exchange Agent and upon delivery of a Letter of Transmittal, duly executed and in proper form with all required enclosures and attachments, with respect to such Company Certificates, the holder of such Company Certificates shall be entitled to receive the Acquiror Common Stock Consideration as set forth in the Allocation Schedule. Any Company Certificates so surrendered shall forthwith be cancelled. If payment of any Acquiror Common Stock Consideration is to be made to a Person other than the Person in whose name any surrendered Company Certificate is registered, it shall be a condition precedent to payment that the Company Certificate so surrendered shall be properly endorsed or shall be otherwise in proper form for transfer, and the Person requesting such payment shall have paid any transfer and other similar Taxes required by reason of the delivery of the aggregate Acquiror Common Stock Consideration in respect thereof, as applicable, to a Person other than the registered holder of the Company Certificate so surrendered and shall have established to the satisfaction of Acquiror that such Taxes either have been paid or are not required to be paid. Until surrendered as contemplated hereby, each Company Certificate shall be deemed at any time after the Effective Time to represent only the right to receive the Per Share Consideration in respect thereof.

(ii) Promptly following the Effective Time, Acquiror shall send, or shall cause the Exchange Agent to send, each holder of Company Book-Entry Shares the Acquiror Common Stock Consideration, as set forth in the Allocation Schedule, for such Company Common Stock formerly represented by such Company Book-Entry Shares. Any Company Book-Entry Shares so surrendered shall forthwith be cancelled. Delivery of the aggregate Acquiror Common Stock Consideration, as applicable, with respect to Company Book-Entry Shares shall only be made to the Person in whose name such Company Book-Entry Shares are registered. Until surrendered as contemplated hereby, each Company Book-Entry Share shall be deemed at any time after the Effective Time to represent only the right to receive the Per Share Consideration in respect thereof.

(c) Transfer Books. At the Effective Time, the stock transfer books of the Company shall be closed and thereafter there shall be no further registration of transfers of Company Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time on the records of the Company. From and after the Effective Time, the holders of Company Certificates and Company Book-Entry Shares representing Company Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease to have any rights with respect to such shares except as otherwise provided for herein or by applicable Law. If, after the Effective Time, Company Certificates representing Company Stock are presented to Acquiror for any reason, they shall be cancelled and exchanged for the Per Share Consideration in respect thereof as provided in this Agreement.

 

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(d) Termination of Exchange Fund; Abandoned Property. At any time following one (1) year after the Closing Date, Acquiror shall be entitled to require the Exchange Agent to deliver to it any shares of Acquiror Common Stock remaining in the Exchange Fund made available to the Exchange Agent and not delivered to holders of Company Certificates or Company Book-Entry Shares, and thereafter such holders shall be entitled to look only to Acquiror (subject to abandoned property, escheat or other similar Laws) as general creditors thereof with respect to the Per Share Consideration payable upon due surrender of their Company Certificates or Company Book-Entry Shares and compliance with the procedures in this Section 2.08. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither Acquiror, the Surviving Company nor the Exchange Agent shall be liable to any holder of a Company Certificate or Company Book-Entry Shares for any Merger Consideration delivered to a public official pursuant to any applicable abandoned property, escheat or similar Law.

(e) Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates. In the event that any Company Certificates shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed, the Exchange Agent shall issue in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Company Certificates, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the holder thereof, the Per Share Consideration payable in respect thereof pursuant to the Allocation Schedule; provided, however, that Acquiror or the Exchange Agent may, in its reasonable discretion and as a condition precedent to the payment of such Per Share Consideration, require the owners of such lost, stolen or destroyed Company Certificates to deliver a customary indemnity against any claim that may be made against Acquiror, the Surviving Company or the Exchange Agent with respect to the Company Certificates alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.

(f) Distributions with Respect to Unexchanged Shares. No dividends or other distributions declared or made after the Effective Time with respect to the Acquiror Common Stock with a record date after the Effective Time shall be paid to the holder of any unsurrendered Company Certificate or Company Book-Entry Share with respect to the Acquiror Common Stock issuable in respect thereof unless and until the holder of such Company Certificate or Company Book-Entry Share shall surrender such Company Certificate or Company Book-Entry Share. Subject to the effect of escheat, Tax or other applicable Laws, following surrender of any such Company Certificate or Company Book-Entry Share, there shall be paid by Acquiror to the holder of whole shares of Acquiror Common Stock issued in exchange therefor, without interest, (i) promptly, the amount of dividends or other distributions with a record date after the Effective Time theretofore paid with respect to such whole shares of Acquiror Common Stock and (ii) at the appropriate payment date, the amount of dividends or other distributions, with a record date after the Effective Time but prior to surrender and a payment date occurring after surrender, payable with respect to such whole shares of Acquiror Common Stock.

 

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2.09 Earnout.

(a) From and after the Closing until fifty-four (54) months after Closing (the “Earnout Period”), promptly (but in any event within ten (10) Business Days) after the occurrence of any of the following events described in clauses (i) and (ii) below (each a “Milestone Event”), Acquiror shall issue up to the full amount of Earnout Stock in accordance with clauses (i) and (ii) below to the Persons that were Company Securityholders (other than holders of Dissenting Shares) immediately prior to the Closing, in accordance with the Allocation Schedule, as additional consideration for the Merger (and without the need for additional consideration from any Company Securityholder), fully paid and free and clear of all Liens other than applicable federal and state Securities Law restrictions:

(i) 50% of the Earnout Stock if over any twenty (20) Trading Days within any thirty (30) Trading Day period the VWAP of the shares of Acquiror Common Stock is greater than or equal to $12.50 per share (which shall be equitably adjusted for stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, reclassifications, combination, exchange of shares or other like change or transaction with respect to Acquiror Common Stock occurring on or after the Closing); and

(ii) in addition to the issuance of Earnout Stock contemplated by the immediately preceding clause (i), an additional 50% of the Earnout Stock if over any twenty (20) Trading Days within any thirty (30) Trading Day period the VWAP of the shares of Acquiror Common Stock is greater than or equal to $15.00 per share (which shall be equitably adjusted for stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, reclassifications, combination, exchange of shares or other like change or transaction with respect to Acquiror Common Stock occurring on or after the Closing).

(b) If, during the Earnout Period, there occurs any transaction resulting in a Change in Control, and the corresponding valuation of the Acquiror Common Stock is (i) greater than or equal to the amount set forth in Section 2.09(a)(i), then, immediately prior to the consummation of such Change in Control the Milestone Event set forth in Section 2.09(a)(i) shall be deemed to have occurred; and (ii) greater than or equal to the amount set forth in Section 2.09(a)(ii), then, immediately prior to the consummation of such Change in Control the Milestone Event set forth in Section 2.09(a)(ii) shall be deemed to have occurred; provided that, in each case of clauses (i) and (ii), Acquiror shall issue the applicable Earnout Stock to the Company Securityholders (in accordance with their respective pro rata share), and the recipients of such issued Earnout Stock shall be eligible to participate in such Change in Control transaction with respect to such Earnout Stock.

(c) At all times during the Earnout Period, Acquiror shall keep available for issuance a sufficient number of unissued shares of Acquiror Common Stock to permit Acquiror to satisfy its issuance obligations set forth in this Section 2.09 and shall take all actions required to increase the authorized number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock if at any time there shall be insufficient unissued shares of Acquiror Common Stock to permit such reservation.

(d) Acquiror shall take such actions as are reasonably requested by Company Securityholders to evidence the issuances pursuant to this Section 2.09, including through the provision of an updated stock ledger showing such issuances (as certified by an officer of Acquiror responsible for maintaining such ledger or the applicable registrar or transfer agent of Acquiror).

 

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(e) In the event a one-time aggregate issuance of Earnout Stock with respect to a Company Securityholder is subject to the notification and waiting period requirements of the HSR Act (an “HSR Issuance”), solely with respect to the applicable Company Securityholder(s), the Company’s obligation to make such HSR Issuance shall be delayed until, and contingent upon the occurrence of the time that, any applicable Company Securityholder has filed notification under the HSR Act and the applicable waiting period under the HSR Act (including any extensions thereof) with respect to such HSR Issuance has expired or been terminated.

(f) In the event Acquiror shall at any time during the Earnout Period pay any dividend on Acquiror Common Stock by the issuance of additional shares of Acquiror Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding Acquiror Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock, then in each such case, (i) the number of Earnout Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock (including any other shares so reclassified as Acquiror Common Stock) outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event, and (ii) the dollar values set forth in Sections 2.09(a)(i) -(ii) above shall be appropriately adjusted to provide to such Company Securityholders the same economic effect as contemplated by this Agreement prior to such event.

(g) During the Earnout Period, Acquiror shall take all reasonable efforts for (i) Acquiror to remain listed as a public company on, and for the Acquiror Common Stock (including, when issued, the Earnout Stock) to be tradable over, the NYSE or NASDAQ, as applicable, and (ii) the Earnout Stock, when issued, to be approved for listing on the NYSE or NASDAQ, as applicable; provided, however, the foregoing shall not limit Acquiror from consummating a Change in Control or entering into a Contract that contemplates a Change in Control. Upon the consummation of any Change in Control during the Earnout Period, other than as set forth in Section 2.09(a) above, Acquiror shall have no further obligations pursuant to this Section 2.09(g).

(h) For the avoidance of doubt, the parties agree and acknowledge that each holder of a Company Option, in the holder’s capacity as such, shall not be entitled to receive any Earnout Stock pursuant to this Section 2.09.

(i) Except with respect to any amounts treated as imputed interest under Section 483 of the Code, any issuance of shares of Earnout Stock and Exchanged Company RSUs pursuant to this Section 2.09 shall be treated as an adjustment to the Merger Consideration by the parties for Tax purposes, unless otherwise required by a change in applicable Tax Law. Any Earnout Stock that is issued pursuant to this Section 2.09 will be treated as eligible for non-recognition treatment under Section 354 of the Code (and will not be treated as “other property” within the meaning of Section 356 of the Code).

2.10 Organizational Documents of the Company and Acquiror.

(a) Immediately following the Effective Time, the certificate of incorporation of the Company, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall continue to be the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Company, until thereafter supplemented or amended in accordance with its terms and the DGCL.

 

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(b) At the Effective Time, the bylaws of the Company, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be the bylaws of the Surviving Company, until thereafter supplemented or amended in accordance with its terms, the Surviving Company’s certificate of incorporation and the DGCL.

2.11 Directors and Officers of the Companies.

(a) The Company shall take all necessary action prior to the Effective Time such that (i) each director of the Company in office immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease to be a director immediately following the Effective Time (including by causing each such director to tender an irrevocable resignation as a director, effective as of the Effective Time) and (ii) each person set forth on Schedule 2.11(a) shall be appointed to the Board of Directors of the Surviving Company, effective as of immediately following the Effective Time, and, as of such time, shall be the only directors of the Surviving Company (including by causing the Company Board to adopt resolutions prior to the Effective Time that expand or decrease the size of the Company Board, as necessary, and appoint such persons to the vacancies resulting from the incumbent directors’ respective resignations or, if applicable, the newly created directorships upon any expansion of the size of the Company Board). Each person appointed as a director of the Surviving Company pursuant to the preceding sentence shall remain in office as a director of the Surviving Company until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.

(b) Persons constituting the officers of the Company prior to the Effective Time shall continue to be the officers of the Surviving Company until the earlier of their death, resignation or removal or until their respective successors are duly appointed.

(c) Except as otherwise agreed in writing by the Company and Acquiror prior to the Closing, and conditioned upon the occurrence of the Closing, subject to any limitation imposed under applicable Laws and NYSE and NASDAQ listing requirements, Acquiror shall take all necessary action prior to the Effective Time such that (i) each director of Acquiror in office immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease to be a director immediately following the Effective Time (including by causing each such director to tender an irrevocable resignation as a director, effective as of the Effective Time), (ii) seven (7) individuals designated by the Company (the “Company Director Designees”), a sufficient number of whom shall qualify as “independent directors” under the applicable listing and corporate governance rules and regulations of NYSE and NASDAQ shall be appointed to the Acquiror Board, effective as of immediately following the Effective Time, (iii) one (1) individual designated by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC and one (1) individual designated by SB Energy Global Holdings One Ltd. (together, the “Insider Director Designees”) shall be appointed to the Acquiror Board, effective as of immediately following the Effective Time, and (iv) as of immediately following the Effective Time, the Company Director Designees and the Insider Director Designees shall be the only directors of Acquiror, and there shall be no vacancies or unfilled newly created directorships. If necessary to effect the foregoing, the Acquiror Board shall adopt resolutions prior to the Effective Time that expand or decrease the size of the Acquiror Board and appoint such persons to the vacancies resulting from the incumbent directors’ respective resignations or, if applicable, the newly created

 

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directorships upon any expansion of the size of the Acquiror Board. Each person appointed as a director of Acquiror pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall remain in office as a director of Acquiror until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal. If any of the directors designated by the parties shall be unable or unwilling to serve at the Closing, the Company or Acquiror, respectively, shall promptly designate a replacement director and provide any relevant information about such appointee as the other party may reasonably request. The Company shall determine the appropriate class each person appointed as a director of Acquiror pursuant to this Section 2.11(c) shall serve in prior to the filing of the Registration Statement.

(d) Acquiror shall take all necessary action prior to the Effective Time such that (i) each officer of Acquiror in office immediately prior to the Effective Time shall cease to be an officer immediately following the Effective Time and (ii) unless otherwise determined by the Company and approved by Acquiror (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) prior to Closing, the persons constituting the officers of the Company prior to the Effective Time shall, as of immediately following the Effective Time, be appointed the officers of Acquiror in identical positions until the earlier of their death, resignation or removal or until their respective successors are duly appointed.

2.12 Withholding. Each of Acquiror, Merger Sub, the Company, the Surviving Company and their respective Affiliates and agents shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from any amounts otherwise deliverable or payable under this Agreement such amounts that any such Persons are required to deduct and withhold with respect to any of the deliveries and payments contemplated by this Agreement under the Code or any other applicable Law. To the extent that Acquiror, Merger Sub, the Company, the Surviving Company or their respective Affiliates withholds or deducts such amounts with respect to any Person and properly remits such withheld or deducted amounts to the applicable Governmental Authority, such withheld or deducted amounts shall be treated as having been paid to or on behalf of such Person in respect of which such withholding or deduction was made for all purposes. In the case of any such payment payable to employees of the Company or its Affiliates in connection with the Merger treated as compensation, the parties shall cooperate to pay such amounts through the Company’s or an Affiliate’s payroll to facilitate applicable withholding.

2.13 Cash in Lieu of Fractional Shares. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, no certificates or scrip representing fractional shares of Acquiror Common Stock shall be issued upon the conversion to Company Stock or Assumed Warrants pursuant to this Article II, and such fractional share interests shall not entitle the owner thereof to vote or to any other rights of a holder of Acquiror Common Stock. In lieu of the issuance of any such fractional share, including such fractional shares that are rounded down to the nearest whole share on the Allocation Schedule pursuant to Section 2.06, Acquiror shall pay to each former Company Securityholder who otherwise would be entitled to receive such fractional share an amount in cash, without interest, rounded up to the nearest cent, equal to the product of (a) the amount of the fractional share interest in a share of Acquiror Common Stock to which such holder otherwise would have been entitled (but for this Section 2.13) multiplied by (b) an amount equal to the VWAP of shares of Acquiror Common Stock for the 20 Trading Days prior to the date that is three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing.

 

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2.14 Dissenting Shares. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, shares of Company Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time and held by a Company Stockholder who has not voted in favor of the Merger or consented thereto in writing or by electronic transmissions and has properly demanded appraisal for such shares in accordance with, and who complies in all respects with, Section 262 of the DGCL (such shares, Dissenting Shares), shall not be converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration and shall instead represent the right to receive payment of the fair value of such Dissenting Shares in accordance with and to the extent provided by Section 262 of the DGCL. At the Effective Time, (a) all Dissenting Shares shall be cancelled, extinguished and cease to exist and (b) the holders of Dissenting Shares shall be entitled to only such rights as may be granted to him, her or it under the DGCL. If any such Company Stockholder fails to perfect or otherwise waives, withdraws or loses such Company Stockholders right to appraisal under Section 262 of the DGCL or a court of competent jurisdiction shall determine such holder is not entitled to the relief provided by Section 262 of the DGCL, then the right of such holder to be paid the fair value of such Dissenting Shares under Section 262 of the DGCL shall cease and such Dissenting Shares shall be deemed to have been converted, as of the Effective Time, into and shall only represent the right to receive the Merger Consideration upon the surrender of such shares in accordance with this Article II. The Company shall give Acquiror reasonably prompt notice of any demands received by the Company for appraisal of shares of Company Stock, attempted withdrawals of such demands and any other instruments served pursuant to the DGCL and received by the Company relating to rights to be paid the fair value of Dissenting Shares, and Acquiror shall have the right to participate in and direct all negotiations and proceedings with respect to such demands. Prior to the Effective Time, the Company shall not, except with the prior written consent of Acquiror (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), make any payment with respect to, or settle or compromise or offer to settle or compromise, any such demands or waive any failure to timely deliver a written demand for appraisal or otherwise comply with the provisions under Section 262 of the DGCL, or agree or commit to do any of the foregoing.

2.15 Payment of Expenses.

(a) As soon as practicable following the Closing, the Company shall pay or cause to be paid by wire transfer of immediately available funds all documented out-of-pocket fees and disbursements of the Company for outside counsel incurred in connection with the Transactions and fees and expenses of the Company for any other agents, advisors, consultants, experts and financial advisors employed by the Company incurred in connection with the Transactions.

(b) As soon as practicable following the Closing, Acquiror shall pay or cause to be paid by wire transfer of immediately available funds all reasonable, documented out-of-pocket fees and disbursements of Acquiror, Merger Sub or the Sponsor for outside counsel and fees and expenses of Acquiror, Merger Sub or the Sponsor or for any other agents, advisors, consultants, experts and financial advisors employed by or on behalf of Acquiror, Merger Sub or the Sponsor incurred in connection with the Transactions (collectively, the “Outstanding Acquiror Expenses”).

 

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ARTICLE III

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

Except as set forth in the Schedules to this Agreement (each of which qualifies (a) the correspondingly numbered representation, warranty or covenant if specified therein and (b) such other representations, warranties or covenants where its relevance as an exception to (or disclosure for purposes of) such other representation, warranty or covenant is reasonably apparent on its face), the Company represents and warrants to Acquiror and Merger Sub as follows:

3.01 Organization, Standing and Corporate Power. The Company is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, and has all requisite legal entity power and authority to carry on its business as now being conducted. The Company is duly qualified or licensed to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the nature of its business or the ownership, leasing or operation of its properties makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company Organizational Documents that have been made available to Acquiror are true, correct and complete and are in effect as of the date of the Agreement and the Company is not in default under or in violation of any provision thereunder.

3.02 Corporate Authority; Approval; Non-Contravention.

(a) The Company has all requisite corporate or other legal entity power and authority, and has taken all corporate or other legal entity action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party and, subject to satisfaction of the conditions to Closing contemplated hereby, to consummate the Transactions. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party, and the consummation by it of the Transactions, have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate consent and authorizations on the part of the Company, and no other corporate actions on the part of the Company are necessary to authorize the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party and the consummation by it of the Transactions, in each case, subject to receipt of the Company Stockholder Approvals. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the other parties, is a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, solvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally from time to time in effect and by general principles of equity (the “Enforceability Exceptions”)).

(b) The execution, delivery and, subject to receipt of the Company Stockholder Approvals, performance of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which the Company is a party, and the consummation of the Transactions, do not, and will not, constitute or result in (i) a breach or violation of, or a default under, the Company Organizational Documents or (ii) with or without notice, lapse of time or both, a breach or violation of, a termination (or right of termination) of or default or change of control under, the creation or acceleration of any obligations under or the creation of a Lien on any of the assets of the Company or any of its Affiliates pursuant

 

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to, any Material Contract or Lease Document to which the Company or any of its Affiliates is a party or, assuming (solely with respect to performance of this Agreement and consummation of the Transactions) compliance with the matters referred to in Section 3.02(a), under any Law to which the Company or any of its Affiliates is subject (except Laws that are applicable due to the Company’s business, or the Contracts or licenses of the Company), except (in the case of clause (ii) above) for such violations, breaches, defaults or changes of control which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(c) The Company Support Agreements executed and delivered contemporaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the other parties, is a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company and, to the Knowledge of the Company, the Company Stockholders party thereto, enforceable against the Company and the Company Stockholders in accordance with their terms (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions). As of the date of this Agreement, the Company Stockholders party to the Company Support Agreements hold Company Stock representing the voting power sufficient to obtain the Company Stockholder Approvals.

3.03 Governmental Approvals. No consent of, or registration, declaration, notice or filing with, any Governmental Authority is required by or with respect to the Company in connection with the execution and delivery by the Company of this Agreement or the consummation by the Company of the Transactions, except for (i) the pre-merger notification requirements under the HSR Act, (ii) such other consents, registrations, declarations, notices and filings which, if not obtained or made, would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and (iii) the filing of the Certificate of Merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

3.04 Capitalization.

(a) The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of: (i) 79,000,000 shares of Company Common Stock, of which 8,750,359 Company Common Stock were outstanding as of the close of business on the date of this Agreement, and (ii) 62,072,064 shares of Company Preferred Stock, of which (A) 5,941,109 shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 5,491,109 shares were outstanding as of the close of business on the date of this Agreement, (B) 12,011,923 shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 10,652,009 shares were outstanding as of the close of business on the date of this Agreement, (C) 16,345,688 shares of the Company’s Series C-1 Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 16,275,688 shares were outstanding as of the close of business on the date of this Agreement, and (D) 27,773,344 shares of the Company’s Series C-2 Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of which 3,900,988 shares were outstanding as of the close of business on the date of this Agreement. Each issued and outstanding share of Company Stock (w) has been duly authorized and is validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, (x) was issued in compliance in all material respects with applicable Laws, (y) was not issued in breach or violation of any preemptive rights or Contract to which the Company is a party and (z) is owned free and clear of any Lien imposed by or resulting from any Contract to which the Company is party (other than the Company Organizational Documents and Contracts that have been provided to Acquiror that set forth the Company Stockholders’ obligations to the Company). 4,983,464 shares of Company Common Stock were reserved and available for issuance under Company Stock Plan as of the date of this Agreement.

 

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(b) Set forth on Schedule 3.04(a) is a true, correct and complete statement as of the date hereof of (i) the number and class or series (as applicable) of all equity securities of the Company issued and outstanding (including warrants, notes, Company Options and other securities convertible into equity securities), (ii) the identity of the Persons that are the record and beneficial owners thereof, (iii) with respect to each Company Option, (A) the date of grant, (B) any applicable exercise (or similar) price, (C) any applicable vesting schedule (including acceleration provisions) and (iv) with respect to each Company Option, whether such Company Option is an incentive stock option.

(c) With respect to the Company Options, (i) all Company Options were granted with a per share exercise at least equal to the fair market value of the underlying share of Company Common Stock on the date such Company Option was granted (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder), (ii) no Company Option has had its exercise date or grant date “back-dated” or materially delayed, (iii) each Company Option intended to qualify as an incentive stock option so qualifies and (iv) all Company Options have been issued in compliance with the Company Stock Plan and all applicable Laws and properly accounted for in all respects in accordance with GAAP.

(d) Schedule 3.04(d) sets forth as of the date hereof a schedule of all holders of Company Options on an individual-by-individual and grant-by-grant basis, and provides the number of Company Options originally granted, the number of Company Options currently outstanding, the grant date and exercise price associated with each Company Option, the vesting schedule of each Company Option, whether the Company Option is a nonqualified stock option or an incentive stock option and whether such Company Options are currently vested or unvested. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.04(d), there are no preemptive or other outstanding rights, options, warrants, phantom interests, conversion rights, equity appreciation rights, other equity or equity-based rights, redemption rights, repurchase rights, agreements, arrangements, calls, commitments or rights of any kind that obligate the Company to issue or to sell any shares of its capital stock or other equity securities of the Company, or any securities or obligations convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for, valued by reference to or giving any Person a right to subscribe for or acquire, any equity securities of the Company or to vote with the stockholders of the Company on any matter, and no securities or obligations evidencing such rights are authorized, issued or outstanding. Except as set forth in Schedule 3.04(d) and such registration rights agreement that contemporaneously with the Closing, in connection with the Transactions, Acquiror, the Company, certain Acquiror Stockholders and certain Company Stockholders who will receive Acquiror Common Stock pursuant to Article II, will enter into to be effective upon the Closing, the Company is not party to any stockholders agreement, voting agreement or registration rights agreement relating to its equity interests.

(e) The Company has no equity interest in, nor has it agreed to acquire, any share capital or other equity security of any other company (wherever incorporated).

 

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(f) Each Company Option (i) was granted in material compliance with all applicable Laws and all of the terms and conditions of the Company Stock Plan to which it was issued, (ii) has a grant date identical to the date on which the Company Board (or compensation committee thereof) actually awarded such Company Option, (iii) was granted with an exercise price no less than the fair market value of the underlying shares of Company Common Stock as of the grant date and (iv) was granted pursuant to terms of the relevant option agreement, as set forth in Schedule 3.04(d) and which the Company has made available true and complete copies to Acquiror.

3.05 Subsidiaries. The Company does not currently own or control, directly or indirectly, any interest in any other Person and is not a participant in any joint venture, partnership or similar arrangement.

3.06 Financial Statements; Internal Controls.

(a) The audited statements of financial position, statements of comprehensive income, statements of changes in shareholders’ equity and statements of cash flows of the Company for each of the years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 (collectively, the “Audited Financial Statements”), were prepared and audited in accordance with the standards, principles and practices specified therein and, subject thereto, in accordance with GAAP, the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and applicable Law as at the Balance Sheet Date, except as otherwise noted therein. Prior to the date hereof, true, complete and correct copies of the Audited Financial Statements, and the accompanying independent auditors’ reports, as applicable, have been made available to Acquiror.

(b) Prior to the date hereof the Company has made available to Acquiror true, complete and correct copies of the unaudited consolidated balance sheets and related unaudited consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity and cash flows of the Company as of September 30, 2020 (the “Unaudited Financial Statements” and, together with the Audited Financial Statements, the “Financial Statements”). Subject to notes and normal year-end audit adjustments that are not material in amount or effect, the Unaudited Financial Statements were prepared in accordance with the standards, principles and practices specified in the Audited Financial Statements and, subject thereto, in accordance with applicable Law and show a true and fair view, in all material respects, of the: (i) assets, liabilities, the financial position and state of affairs of the Company as of September 30, 2020 and (ii) the profits and losses and cash flow of the Company for the nine (9)-month period ended as of September 30, 2020.

(c) The Financial Statements were derived from the books and records of the Company and prepared in accordance with GAAP, except as may be indicated in the notes thereto and using in all material respects the same accounting principles, practices, procedures, policies and methods (with consistent classifications, judgments, inclusions, exclusions and valuation and estimation methodologies) used and applied in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements of the Company in the last three (3) years. The Financial Statements fairly present in all material respects the assets, liabilities, cash flow and financial condition and results of operations of the Company as of the times and for the periods referred to therein. Since the Balance Sheet Date, the Company has not made any material change in the accounting practices or policies applied in the preparation of the Financial Statements, except as required by applicable Law or GAAP.

 

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(d) The Company maintains a system of accounting and internal controls designed to provide reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of the financial reporting and the preparation of the financial statements of the Company in accordance in all material respects with GAAP. Within the last three (3) years, the Company (including the Company’s personnel and independent accountants who participated in the preparation or review of financial statements or the internal accounting controls employed by the Company) have not identified nor been made aware of (i) any significant deficiency or material weakness in the system of internal accounting controls utilized by the Company, (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management of the Company or any personnel involved in financial reporting or (iii) any written claim or allegation regarding any of the foregoing. The Audited Financial Statements and the Unaudited Financial Statements, when delivered by the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement for filing with the SEC following the date of this Agreement in accordance with Section 7.02, will comply in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements and with the rules and regulations of the SEC and the Securities Act in effect as of such date.

3.07 Compliance with Laws.

(a) The Company is conducting and, since December 31, 2017, has conducted its business in material compliance with all Laws applicable to it and the Company’s business, properties and other assets.

(b) There is, and since December 31, 2017 there has been no Action by or against the Company, or any Person for who acts or defaults the Company may be vicariously liable, pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing, nor has any Governmental Authority indicated in writing to the Company an intention to initiate an Action.

(c) Since December 31, 2017, the Company has not received any written notice or other communication (official or otherwise) from any Governmental Authority (i) with respect to an alleged, actual or potential violation and/or failure to comply, in any material respect, with any such applicable Law or (ii) requiring the Company to take or omit any action to ensure compliance with any such applicable Law.

(d) The Company possesses all permits, approvals, orders, authorizations, consents, licenses, certificates, franchises, exemptions of, or filings or registrations with, or issued by, any Governmental Authority necessary for the ownership and use of the assets of the Company and the operation of the Company’s business (the “Company Permits”), except where the failure to possess the same has not had or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as has not had or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, all such Company Permits are valid and in full force and effect, and there are no lawsuits or other proceedings pending or threatened before any Governmental Authority that seek the revocation, cancellation, suspension or adverse material modification thereof. Except as has not had or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company is not in default, and, to the Knowledge of the Company, no condition exists that with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a default, under the Company Permits.

 

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3.08 Absence of Certain Changes or Events. Since the Balance Sheet Date and except as expressly required by this Agreement, (a) the Company has conducted its business in all material respects in the ordinary course of business, (b) the Company has not entered into any material transactions outside the ordinary course of business, (c) no action has been taken by the Company that would require consent under Section 5.01 if such action were taken after signing of this Agreement and prior to Closing (other than for any such actions for which such consent has been received in accordance with Section 5.01) and (d) there has not been any change, effect, event, circumstance, occurrence or state of facts that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

3.09 No Undisclosed Liabilities. Except (a) as disclosed, reflected or reserved against in the Audited Financial Statements or the Unaudited Financial Statements (none of which is a liability for breach of contract, breach of warranty, tort, infringement, misappropriation, dilution or violation of Law), (b) for liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business since the Balance Sheet Date, (c) as expressly permitted or contemplated by this Agreement or otherwise incurred in connection with the Transactions, (d) as disclosed on Schedule 3.09, (e) contingent liabilities under executory contracts and (f) for liabilities that have been discharged or paid in full in the ordinary course of business, as of the date hereof, the Company does not have any material liabilities (including any Indebtedness for borrowed money or any other third party financing (other than Indebtedness incurred under the Credit Documents)) of any nature, whether accrued, contingent or otherwise.

3.10 Information Supplied. The information supplied in writing by the Company for inclusion in the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement will not (a) in the case of the Registration Statement, at the time the Registration Statement is declared effective under the Securities Act and (b) in the case of the Proxy Statement, as of the date the Proxy Statement is first mailed to the Acquiror Stockholders and at the time of any meeting of the Acquiror Stockholders to be held in connection with the Transactions, contain any untrue statement of a material fact, or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not false or misleading. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the Company makes no representation or warranty or covenant with respect to: (a) statements made or incorporated by reference therein in any of the foregoing documents based on information supplied by Acquiror for inclusion therein or (b) any projections or forecasts or forward looking statements included in the Registration Statement or Proxy Statement.

3.11 Litigation.

(a) Neither the Company nor any of its officers, directors, agents or employees, in their capacities as such, is the subject of or engaged in any material Action or other dispute resolution process before a Governmental Authority, whether as claimant, defendant or otherwise, and to the Knowledge of the Company, after reasonable inquiry, no such Action or dispute resolution process is pending or threatened in writing on the date hereof. As of the date hereof, the Company is not, nor is any of its officers, directors, agents or employees, in their capacities as such, subject to any settlement agreements or arrangements, whether written or oral, or negotiating a settlement or arrangement, regarding any material Actions.

 

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(b) The Company is not a party to or subject to the provisions of any outstanding Governmental Order (except if generally applicable without the Company being named therein).

3.12 Contracts.

(a) Schedule 3.12(a) sets forth a true and complete list as of the date hereof, of the following Contracts that are effective as of the date hereof and to which the Company is a party or is bound (all such Contracts set forth on Schedule 3.12(a), or which are required to be so disclosed, the “Material Contracts”):

(i) all such Contracts with a supplier of the Company with a total annual payment or financial commitment exceeding $500,000 on an annual basis;

(ii) all such Contracts with third party manufacturers and suppliers for the manufacture and supply of products providing for minimum order quantities, minimum purchase requirements or exclusive supply, manufacturing or purchase requirements with a total annual payment or financial commitment exceeding $500,000 on an annual basis;

(iii) all such Contracts with (or with obligations of the Company to) a Related Party;

(iv) all such Contracts that contain any covenant materially limiting or prohibiting the right of the Company (A) to engage in any line of business or conduct business in any geographic area, (B) to distribute or offer any products or services, (C) to compete with any other person in any line of business or in any geographic area or levying a fine, charge or other payment for doing any of the foregoing or (D) to employ, hire or enter into a consultancy agreement with any person or entity, in each case other than provisions of non-solicitation in the ordinary course in agreements with suppliers and customers;

(v) all such Contracts in which the aggregate outstanding expenditure or payment obligations of the Company exceeds $500,000, excluding obligations that are contingent liabilities in respect of a breach or indemnification obligation or similar contingent obligation as a result of a breach or default;

(vi) any partnership, joint venture or other similar agreement or arrangement providing for the formation, creation, operation, management or control of any partnership or joint venture with a third party to which the Company is a party, other than bona fide customer-supplier relationships or a trade association;

(vii) all such Contracts providing for the acquisition or disposition of any business, equity interests or material assets (whether by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets or otherwise) pursuant to which the Company has any ongoing obligation (including for deferred purchase price obligations, earn-out obligations, indemnification obligations and other contingent liabilities (including payment obligations in respect of the future utilization of any net operating losses)) (other than Contracts with any employee or contractor on a standard form of equity award agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business under the Company Stock Plan);

 

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(viii) all such Contracts that obligate the Company to make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any Person (other than advances to employees for business expenses in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice);

(ix) any note, mortgage, indenture or other obligation or agreement or other instrument for or relating to indebtedness for borrowed money in excess of $1,000,000, or any guarantee of third party obligations in excess of $1,000,000, or any letters of credit, performance bonds or other credit support for the Company;

(x) any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with any labor union, works council, or other labor organization (each a “CBA”);

(xi) any Contract that is a settlement, conciliation or similar agreement with any Governmental Authority or pursuant to which the Company will have any material outstanding obligation after the date of this Agreement;

(xii) any Contract or agreement (A) governing the terms of, or otherwise related to, the employment, engagement or services of any employee, officer, director or other individual service provider whose annual base salary in excess of $200,000, with the exception of (1) offer letters or employment agreements providing for at-will employment and which may be terminated without any liability on the part of the Company, (2) proprietary information agreements on the Company’s standard form and (3) agreements with any employee or contractor on a standard form of equity award agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business under the Company Stock Plan, (B) providing for the payment and/or accelerated vesting of any compensation or benefits in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including any severance, retention, change of control, transaction, or similar payments, or (C) otherwise restricts the ability of the Company or any of its Affiliates to terminate employment or engagement of such individual at any time for any reason or no reason without penalty or liability;

(xiii) all such Contracts for the development of (A) material Owned Intellectual Property that is embodied in or distributed with any products or services or is otherwise material Owned Intellectual Property (other than Contracts with any employee or contractor on a standard form of agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business under which such employee or contractor presently assigns all right, title and interest in and to any developed Intellectual Property to the Company or any of its Affiliates), and (B) any Intellectual Property for any Person by the Company or any of its Affiliates under which Contract the Company or its applicable Affiliate has any material unperformed obligations other than Contracts with (1) any employee or contractor on a standard form of agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business under which such employee or contractor presently assigns all right, title and interest in and to any developed Intellectual Property to the Company or any of its Affiliates or (2) the Company’s customers entered into in the ordinary course of business whereby the Company or one of its Affiliates retains ownership of such developed Intellectual Property;

(xiv) all such Contracts entered into to resolve any actual or threatened Intellectual Property-related dispute or litigation, including settlement agreements, consent agreements, cross-license agreements, and coexistence agreements; and

 

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(xv) all such Contracts pursuant to which the Company or any of its Affiliates grants or is granted a license to, or other rights under, any Intellectual Property, excluding any (A) “shrink-wrap”, “click-through” and “off-the-shelf” agreements involving an annual amount or payment of less than $100,000, (B) open source licenses, (C) non-exclusive licenses granted to customers/clients in the ordinary course of business, (D) licenses to use background Intellectual Property of any employee or consultant and (E) incidental non-exclusive, trademark licenses granted to or by the Company in the ordinary course of business.

(b) To the Knowledge of the Company, the Company (i) is not, nor has it received written notice that any other party to any Material Contract is, in material violation or material breach of or material default (immediately or upon notice or lapse of time) under or (ii) has not waived or failed to enforce any material rights or material benefits under any Material Contract to which it is a party or any of its properties or other assets is subject. No Material Contract is the subject of a notice to terminate, except for any expiration of the term of a Material Contract following the date of this Agreement in accordance with its terms. Each Material Contract is in full force and effect and, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, is legal, valid and binding on the Company, and, to the Knowledge of the Company, each other party thereto, except as has not had or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to be material and adverse to the Company. There is no default under any such Material Contracts by the Company, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, and no event has occurred that with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute a default thereunder by the Company, or, to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, in each case, except as has not had or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

3.13 Employment Matters.

(a) Schedule 3.13(a) sets forth an accurate and complete list of each material Company Benefit Plan (other than offer letters or agreements that are terminable without notice or cost and are substantially in the form provided to Acquiror). With respect to each material Company Benefit Plan, the Company has made available, to the extent applicable, accurate and complete copies of (i) the plan document, including any amendments thereto, (ii) a written description of such Company Benefit Plan if it is not set forth in a written document, (iii) the most recently prepared actuarial report, (iv) the most recent summary plan description together with any summaries of all material modifications thereto, (v) the most recent IRS determination or opinion letter and (vi) the most recent IRS Form 5500 annual report (and all schedules thereto).

(b) Each Company Benefit Plan has been established, maintained, funded and administered in accordance with its terms and is in compliance with applicable Laws, except for any failures to so administer or be in compliance that would not be material and adverse to the Company. As of the date hereof, there is no pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened material litigation relating to any Company Benefit Plans. All material contributions, premiums and other payments that the Company is required to make with respect to any Company Benefit Plan have been fully and timely paid when due, and any such amounts not yet due have been paid or properly accrued. Each Company Benefit Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has been determined by the IRS to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, and to the Knowledge of the Company, nothing has occurred that would adversely affect the qualification or tax exemption of any such Company Benefit Plan.

 

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(c) No Company Benefit Plan is, and neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has any current or contingent liability or obligation under or with respect to: (i) any “defined benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA, whether or not subject thereto) or that is or was subject to Section 412 of the Code, Section 302 of ERISA or Title IV of ERISA; or (ii) a “multiemployer plan” (as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA). No Company Benefit Plan provides, and the Company has not promised to provide, any post-termination, post-ownership or retiree health or welfare benefits to any Person, other than as required under Section 4980B of the Code or similar applicable Law for which the covered Person pays the full cost of coverage. The Company does not have any current or contingent liability by reason of at any time within the past six (6) years being treated as a single employer with any other Person under Section 414 of the Code.

(d) Except as set forth on Schedule 3.13(d), (i) the Company is not a party to or bound by any CBA (including agreements with works councils and trade unions and side letters), and no employees of the Company are represented by any labor union, works council, or other labor organization with respect to their employment; (ii) in the past three (3) years, no labor union, works council, other labor organization, or group of employees of the Company has made a demand for recognition or certification, and there are no representation or certification proceedings presently pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened to be brought or filed with the National Labor Relations Board or any other labor relations tribunal or authority; (iii) to the Knowledge of the Company, in the past three (3) years, there have been no actual or threatened organizing activities with respect to any employees of the Company, and no such activities are currently pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened; (iv) in the past three (3) years, there has been no actual or, to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened strike, lockout, work stoppage, slowdown, picketing, hand billing, unfair labor practice charge, material labor grievance, material labor arbitration or other material labor dispute against or affecting the Company, and no such dispute is currently pending or to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened; and (v) with respect to the Transactions, the Company has satisfied all notice, bargaining, consent, consultation or other obligations to its employees and employees’ representatives under applicable Law and any CBA.

(e) Neither the execution of this Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, either alone or in combination with the occurrence of any other event, would be reasonably likely to result in (i) any payment or benefit becoming due to or result in the forgiveness of any indebtedness of any current or former director, manager, officer, employee, individual independent contractor or other service providers of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (ii) an increase in the amount or value of any compensation or benefits payable to any current or former director, manager, officer, employee, individual independent contractor or other service providers of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (iii) result in the acceleration of the timing of payment, funding or vesting, or trigger any payment or funding of any compensation or benefits, including severance payment, to any current or former employee, officer, director or other individual service provider of the Company; or (iv) the receipt (whether in cash, property or the vesting of property) by any “disqualified individual” or any “parachute payment” (as such terms are defined in Section 280G of the Code).

 

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(f) No amount that could be received (whether in cash or property or the vesting of property) by any “disqualified individual” of the Company or any of its Affiliates under any Company Benefit Plan or otherwise as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement could, separately or in the aggregate, be nondeductible under Section 280G of the Code or subjected to an excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code.

(g) The Company and its Affiliates have no obligation to make a “gross-up” or similar payment in respect of any Taxes that may become payable under Section 4999 or 409A of the Code.

(h) Except as would not result in material liability for the Company: the Company has fully and timely paid all (i) wages, salaries, wage premiums, commissions, bonuses, severance and termination payments, fees, and other compensation that has come due and payable to its current or former employees and independent contractors under applicable Laws, Contract or Company policy, and (ii) fines, Taxes, interest, or other penalties for any failure to pay or delinquency in paying such compensation.

(i) The Company is and for the last three (3) years has been in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws respecting labor, employment and employment practices, including, without limitation, all laws respecting terms and conditions of employment, health and safety, wages and hours (including the classification of independent contractors and exempt and non-exempt employees), immigration (including the completion of I-9s for all employees and the proper confirmation of employee visas), harassment, discrimination and retaliation, disability rights or benefits, equal opportunity, plant closures and layoffs (including the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, as amended, or any similar Laws (the “WARN Act”)), workers’ compensation, labor relations, employee leave issues, affirmative action and affirmative action plan requirements and unemployment insurance.

(j) To the Knowledge of the Company, no current or former employee or independent contractor of the Company is in any material respect in violation of any material term of any employment agreement, nondisclosure agreement, common law nondisclosure obligation, noncompetition agreement, or other restrictive covenant, or any fiduciary duty: (i) owed to the Company; or (ii) owed to any third party with respect to such person’s right to be employed or engaged by the Company.

(k) The Company has conducted an appropriate investigation of, or reasonably determined that no such investigation was warranted for, complaints of sexual harassment, discrimination, or retaliation raised by Company employees or independent contractors in connection with their employment or contractor relationship with the Company.

(l) No employee layoff, facility closure or shutdown (whether voluntary or by Order), reduction-in-force, furlough, temporary layoff, material work schedule change or reduction in hours, or reduction in salary or wages, or other workforce changes affecting employees or individual independent contractors of the Company has occurred since March 1, 2020 or is currently contemplated, planned or announced, including as a result of COVID-19 or any Law, Order, directive, guidelines or recommendations by any Governmental Authority in connection with or in response to COVID-19. The Company has not otherwise incurred any material employment-related liability as a result of COVID-19.

 

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3.14 Taxes.

(a) The Company has timely filed with the appropriate Tax Authority, or has caused to be timely filed on its behalf (taking into account any valid extension of time within which to file), all material Tax Returns required to be filed by it, and all such Tax Returns were and are true, correct and complete in all material respects. The Company has timely paid all material amounts of Taxes due and payable (whether or not shown on any Tax Return).

(b) The Company has (i) withheld all material amounts of Taxes required to have been withheld by it in connection with amounts paid to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, stockholder or any other third party, and (ii) timely remitted such amounts required to have been remitted to the appropriate Tax Authority.

(c) The Company is not subject to any material Tax liability arising on or before the Balance Sheet Date that has not been paid or fully reserved for in the Audited Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP.

(d) No claim, assessment, deficiency or proposed adjustment for any material amount of Tax has been asserted or assessed by any Tax Authority against the Company that remains unresolved or unpaid except for claims, assessments, deficiencies or proposed adjustments being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP. There is no material Tax audit or other examination of the Company presently in progress, and there are no waivers, extensions or requests for any waivers or extensions of any statute of limitations currently in effect with respect to any material Taxes or Tax Returns of the Company.

(e) The Company is not and has not been (i) a party to any Tax sharing, indemnification, allocation or similar agreement or arrangement (excluding any commercial contract entered into in the ordinary course of business and not primarily related to Taxes), (ii) a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined, unitary or similar Tax group (other than any such Tax group the common parent of which was the Company), or (iii) a party to any “listed transaction” under Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2) (or any similar or corresponding provision of state, local or foreign Law).

(f) The Company does not have any liability for Taxes of any other Person (other than any such Tax group the common parent of which is the Company) as a result of Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6, as a transferee or successor, or by operation of Law.

(g) The Company has not distributed stock of another Person, or had its stock distributed by another Person, in a transaction that was purported or intended to be governed in whole or in part by Section 355 of the Code (or so much of Section 356 of the Code as relates to Section 355 of the Code).

 

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(h) The Company has not taken any action, nor, as of the date hereof, to the Knowledge of the Company are there any facts or circumstances, that would reasonably be expected to prevent the Merger from qualifying as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations.

3.15 Intellectual Property.

(a) Schedule 3.15(a) contains a complete and accurate list of all (i) issued patents and pending patent applications, (ii) trademark and service mark registrations and applications, (iii) copyright registrations, and (iv) domain name registrations, in each case that are owned or purported to be owned by the Company or any of its Affiliates (collectively, “Registered IP”), indicating for each item, as applicable, the registration or application number, the applicable filing jurisdiction and the date of filing or issuance. The Registered IP is subsisting and, excluding any Registered IP which is the subject of an application for registration or issuance, is valid and enforceable. The Company or one of its Affiliates (A) exclusively owns and possesses all right, title and interest in and to all material Owned Intellectual Property, and (B) has a valid and enforceable written license to, all other Company Intellectual Property that is necessary for the operation of the business of the Company or any of its Affiliates, in each case, free and clear of all Liens (other than Permitted Liens). The Owned Intellectual Property includes patents and pending patent applications that are intended to prevent third parties from offering products and services that are the same or substantially similar to the products and services of the Company and its Affiliates.

(b) The Company Intellectual Property will, immediately after the Closing, be owned by, licensed to or available for use by the Company or one of its Affiliates on terms and conditions that are the same in all material respects to those immediately prior to the Closing. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates has granted any exclusive license with respect to any Owned Intellectual Property to any other Person.

(c) (i) The operation of the business of the Company or any of its Affiliates as currently conducted does not infringe, misappropriate, dilute or otherwise violate, and in the past six (6) years, has not infringed, misappropriated, diluted or otherwise violated, any third-party Intellectual Property and (ii) to the Knowledge of the Company no third party is infringing, misappropriating, diluting or otherwise violating on the date of this Agreement, and no third party has infringed, misappropriated, diluted or otherwise violated in the three (3) years prior to the date of this Agreement, any Owned Intellectual Property.

(d) As of the date hereof, there is no Action pending or, to the Knowledge of the Company or any of its Affiliates, threatened (including “cease and desist” letters or invitations to take a license) against the Company or any of its Affiliates (i) challenging the ownership, validity, registrability, patentability, or enforceability of the Owned Intellectual Property (excluding office actions and similar ex-parte proceedings in connection with the prosecution of applications for the registration or issuance of any Intellectual Property) or (ii) asserting that the Company or any of its Affiliates has infringed, misappropriated, diluted or otherwise violated any third-party Intellectual Property in the six (6) years prior to the date of this Agreement.

 

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(e) Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates have disclosed, delivered, licensed or otherwise made available, and neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates have a duty or obligation (whether present, contingent or otherwise) to disclose, deliver, license or otherwise make available, any material source code for any Owned Company Software or any material source code otherwise included in the Owned Intellectual Property to any Person other than third parties engaged by the Company or any of its Affiliates to provide development, support or maintenance services to the Company or any of its Affiliates (each of which is subject to agreements with reasonable Intellectual Property assignment and confidentiality provisions), and no event has occurred, and no circumstance or condition exists, that (with or without notice or lapse of time or both) will, or could reasonably be expected to, result in the delivery, license, or disclosure of any such source code to any Person who is not, as of the date the event occurs or circumstance or condition comes into existence, a current employee, contractor or service provider of the Company or any of its Affiliates subject to confidentiality obligations with respect thereto.

(f) All former and current officers, directors, employees, personnel, consultants, advisors, agents, and independent contractors of the Company or any of its Affiliates, who have contributed to or participated in the authorship, invention, creation, conception, improvement, modification or development of any Intellectual Property in the course of their employment or engagement by the Company that is material to the business of the Company of any of its Affiliates have entered into and delivered to the Company or the applicable Affiliate a valid, enforceable and binding proprietary rights agreements vesting ownership of such material Intellectual Property in the Company or one of its Affiliates (by way of a present grant of assignment). The Company and each of its Affiliates has taken reasonable steps to safeguard and maintain the secrecy of any Trade Secrets owned or used by the Company or any of its Affiliates, including ensuring that third parties who have had access to such Trade Secrets are subject to legally binding confidentiality obligations with respect to such Trade Secrets. To the Company’s knowledge, there has been (i) no violation or unauthorized access to or disclosure of any Trade Secrets of or in the possession of the Company of any of its Affiliates, or (ii) no material breach of any written contract containing non-disclosure obligations with respect to such Trade Secrets.

3.16 Data Protection.

(a) In the three (3) years prior to the date of this Agreement, the Company and each of its Affiliates, to the Knowledge of the Company, (i) has been in material compliance with all Data Privacy and Security Requirements and (ii) has not been subject to any regulatory audits or investigations by any Governmental Authority relating to Data Privacy and Security Requirements. In the three (3) years prior to the date of this Agreement, (i) the Company and each of its Affiliates has taken commercially reasonable steps designed to ensure that all Personal Information in its possession and control is protected against unauthorized loss, access, use, modification, disclosure or other use or misuse, and (ii) there has been no loss, theft or unauthorized access to or misuse of any Personal Information, in each case of (i) and (ii), except as has not or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company.

 

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(b) In the three (3) years prior to the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates has received any written requests, complaints or objections to its collection or use of Personal Information from any data protection authority or any other third party (including data subjects), except as has not or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company. No individual has been awarded compensation from the Company or any of its Affiliates under any Data Privacy and Security Requirements, and no written claim for such compensation is outstanding.

(c) Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates “sells” any Personal Information as such term is defined under applicable Data Privacy and Security Requirements, except in a manner that complies with the applicable Data Privacy and Security Requirements, except as has not or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated herein comply, and will comply, in all material respects, with all Data Privacy and Security Requirements and other applicable contractual commitments related to the privacy and security of Personal Information to which the Company or any of its Affiliates are bound.

3.17 Information Technology.

(a) The IT Systems: (i) operate and perform in accordance with their documentation and functional specifications in all material respects and otherwise as required by the Company or any of its Affiliates for the operation of their businesses as currently conducted and (ii) to the Knowledge of the Company, are free from bugs and other defects, in each case, except as has not resulted in or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company.

(b) In the three (3) years prior to the date of this Agreement, except as has not resulted in or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company, the Company and each of its Affiliates has implemented with respect to its IT Systems commercially reasonable backup, security and disaster recovery technology consistent with generally accepted industry practices.

(c) In the three (3) years prior to the date of this Agreement, to the Knowledge of the Company, there has been no material security breach of or unauthorized access to the IT Systems, which resulted in the unauthorized use, misappropriation, modification, encryption, corruption, disclosure, or transfer of any information or data contained therein, in each case, except as has not resulted in or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company. In the three (3) years prior to the date of this Agreement, there has not been any failure with respect to any of the IT Systems that has not been remedied or replaced in all material respects, except as has not resulted in or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in material liability to the Company.

3.18 Real Property.

(a) The Company does not own any real property.

(b) Schedule 3.18(b) contains a complete and accurate list of all leases, subleases, licenses, concessions, and other contracts, agreements and leasehold arrangements and all related supplemental documents (collectively, the “Lease Documents”) pursuant to which the Company leases, licenses, subleases or otherwise occupies any property (collectively “Company Property”) on the date hereof. The Company has delivered to Acquiror a true and complete copy of each such Lease Document. Neither the Company nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any other party to any Lease Document is in material breach or material default under such Lease Document.

 

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(c) Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, each Lease Document is a written agreement in full force and effect, and, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, is valid, binding and enforceable, subject to proper authorization and execution of each Lease Document by the other parties thereto and except to the extent that enforcement may be limited by Enforceability Exceptions. The Company has paid the rent and all other sums that are due and payable under such Lease Documents and there are no significant arrears.

(d) To the Knowledge of the Company, there exists no restrictions, covenants or encumbrances which prevent any of the Company Properties from being used now or in the future for their current use or would prevent or require consent from a third party as a result of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth on Schedule 3.18(d).

(e) The Company has not at any time given any covenant or entered into any agreement in respect of any freehold or leasehold property other than the Company Properties in respect of which any material contingent liability remains as of the date of this Agreement with the Company as set forth on Schedule 4.18(f)(i). The Company has not subleased, licensed or otherwise granted any Person the right to use or occupy any Company Property or any portion thereof, and the Company has not collaterally assigned or granted any other security interest in any Lease Document or any interest therein, except as set forth on Schedule 4.18(f)(ii).

(f) As of the date hereof, there are no material outstanding disputes, actions, claims, demands or complaints to which the Company is a party in respect of any of the Company Properties.

3.19 Corrupt Practices; Sanctions.

(a) Since December 31, 2017, to the Knowledge of the Company, neither the Company nor any of its Representatives have directly or indirectly paid, offered or promised to pay, or authorized or ratified the payment, directly or indirectly, of any monies or anything of value to any national, provincial, municipal or other Government Official or any political party or candidate for political office for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of such official or of any Governmental Authority to obtain or retain business, or direct business to any Person or to secure any other improper benefit or advantage in each case in violation in any material respect any Anti-Corruption Laws. The Company (x) has instituted policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the Anti-Corruption Laws and other anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering Laws in each jurisdiction in which the Company operates and (y) has maintained such policies and procedures in force. To the Knowledge of the Company, no Government Official nor any of his or her immediate family members is an officer or director or owns any securities of the Company.

 

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(b) Since December 31, 2017, neither the Company nor, to the Knowledge of the Company, any of its Representatives, has, or is presently or has agreed to become, engaged in any conduct that violates in any material respect any applicable Anti-Corruption Laws.

(c) Since December 31, 2017, to the Knowledge of the Company, the Company is not conducting and has not conducted, directly or indirectly, any business (including, without limitation, sales, reselling, licensing or sub-licensing arrangements, funding, making payments, procuring, insurance or otherwise providing assistance or support in connection with operations, business or any other activity) with or for the direct or indirect benefit of or on behalf of any Sanctioned Person, nor otherwise violated any applicable Sanction or Ex-Im Law.

3.20 Insurance.

(a) Schedule 3.20(a) sets forth a true and complete list of the material current insurance policies or binders of fire, liability, product liability, umbrella liability, real and personal property, workers’ compensation, vehicular, directors’ and officers’ liability, fiduciary liability and other casualty and property insurance and other material policies or binders maintained by the Company (the “Insurance Policies”). To the Company’s Knowledge, there are no events, circumstances or other liabilities that give rise to a material claim under the Insurance Policies.

(b) Except as has not had or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Insurance Policies are in full force and effect as of the date of this Agreement with respect to the Company, and the limits thereunder have not been impaired, exhausted or materially diminished.

(c) To the Company’s Knowledge, as of the date hereof, the Company has not received any written notice of cancellation of, of a material premium increase (relative to others in the industry in which the Company operates) with respect to, or of a material alteration of coverage under, any Insurance Policy. Except as has not had or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, all of the Insurance Policies (i) are valid and binding in accordance with their terms, subject to Enforceability Exceptions and (ii) have not been subject to any lapse in coverage. To the Company’s Knowledge, there are no material claims related to the Company or the assets, business, operations, employees, officers and directors of the Company pending under any such Insurance Policies as to which coverage has been denied or disputed or in respect of which there is an outstanding reservation of rights.

3.21 Competition and Trade Regulation.

(a) In the past five (5) years, the Company has been and currently is in compliance with relevant sanctions and export control Laws and regulations in jurisdictions in which the Company does business or to which the Company is otherwise subject, including the United States International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the Export Administration Regulations and United States sanctions Laws and regulations administered by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, except as would not be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company also has policies and procedures in place designed to ensure compliance with the applicable trade sanctions Laws and are following such policies and procedures in all material respects.

 

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(b) The Company is in compliance with all applicable Antitrust Laws in all material respects. The Company is not nor has it been a party to or is or has been concerned in any agreement or arrangement with a Governmental Authority under any anti-trust, competition or similar legislation in any jurisdiction in which the Company has assets or carries or intends to carry on business or where its activities may have an effect.

3.22 Environmental Matters.

(a) Except as would not reasonably be expected to result in material liability for the Company, the Company is, and for the past five (5) years has been, in compliance in all respects with all Environmental Laws and, without limiting the foregoing, all Company Permits required under Environmental Laws in connection with the operation of the Company’s business or ownership or operation of the Company Properties, which Company Permits have been obtained by the Company and are current and valid;

(b) there are no Actions pending, or to the Knowledge of the Company, threatened, against the Company, nor has the Company received any written notification , Governmental Order, directive or other information of, nor is the Company otherwise responsible for any material violation of or material liability under, Environmental Laws, including for the contamination of or manufacture, generation, storage, disposal, release or threatened release at any location by, or exposure of any Person to, any Hazardous Material;

(c) the Company has not treated, stored, disposed of, arranged for or permitted the disposal of, transported, handled, manufactured, sold, marketed, repaired, installed, distributed, released, exposed any Person to, or owned or operated any property or facility contaminated by, any Hazardous Materials, in each case in a manner that has given or would give rise to a material liability under Environmental Laws; and

(d) the Company has not assumed, undertaken, provided an indemnity with respect to, or otherwise become subject to the material liability of any other Person under Environmental Law.

3.23 Brokers. No broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other Person, other than those set out in Schedule 3.23, the fees and expenses of which will be paid by the Company pursuant to an engagement letter entered into therewith, is entitled to any broker’s, finder’s, financial advisor’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of the Company or any of its Affiliates.

3.24 Affiliate Agreements. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.24, and except for any employment agreements, Company Benefit Plans and Contracts with respect to such Peron’s status as a holder of Company’s capital stock, the Company is not a party to any material transaction, agreement, arrangement or understanding with any (a) present or former executive officer or director of the Company, (b) beneficial owner (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of 5% or more of the capital stock or equity interests of Acquiror, Merger Sub or the Company or (c) Affiliate, “associate” or to the knowledge of the Company any member of the “immediate family” (as such terms are respectively defined in Rules 12b-2 and 16a-1 of the Exchange Act) of any of the foregoing.

 

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3.25 No Other Representations or Warranties. The representations and warranties made by the Company in this Article III are the exclusive representations and warranties made by the Company, its Affiliates and their respective Representatives. Except for the representations and warranties contained in this Article III, neither the Company nor any other Person has made or makes any other express or implied representation or warranty, either written or oral, on behalf of the Company, to the accuracy or completeness of any information regarding the Company available to the other parties or their respective Representatives, and the Company expressly disclaims any such other representations or warranties. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company, its Affiliates and each of their respective Representatives has not made and does not make any express or implied representation or warranty, either written or oral, with respect to the Company. In particular, without limiting the foregoing, neither the Company nor any other Person makes or has made any representation or warranty to the other parties hereto, and shall have no liability in respect of, (a) any financial projection, forecast, estimate, budget or prospect information relating to the Company or (b) any oral or, except for the representations and warranties expressly made by the Company in this Article III, written information made available to the other parties hereto in the course of their evaluation of the Company and the negotiation of this Agreement or in the course of the Transactions.

ARTICLE IV

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

OF ACQUIROR AND MERGER SUB

Except as set forth in the Schedules to this Agreement (each of which qualifies (a) the correspondingly numbered representation, warranty or covenant if specified therein and (b) such other representations, warranties or covenants where its relevance as an exception to (or disclosure for purposes of) such other representation, warranty or covenant is reasonably apparent on its face) or in the Acquiror SEC Reports filed or furnished by Acquiror on or after September 30, 2020 (excluding (x) any disclosures in such Acquiror SEC Reports under the headings “Risk Factors,” “Forward-Looking Statements” or “Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” and other disclosures that are predictive, cautionary or forward looking in nature and (y) any exhibits or other documents appended thereto), each of Acquiror and Merger Sub represents and warrants to the Company as follows:

4.01 Organization, Standing and Corporate Power.

(a) Acquiror is an entity duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the CLCI, and has all requisite legal entity power and authority to carry on its business as now being conducted. Acquiror is duly qualified or licensed to do business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the nature of its business or the ownership, leasing or operation of its properties makes such qualification or licensing necessary, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent, materially delay or materially impair the ability of Acquiror to consummate the Transactions or be material and adverse to Acquiror.

(b) Merger Sub is an entity duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of Delaware, with full corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and perform its obligations hereunder. Other than Merger Sub, Acquiror has no other Subsidiaries or any equity or other interests in any other Person.

 

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4.02 Corporate Authority; Approval; Non-Contravention.

(a) Each of Acquiror and Merger Sub has all requisite corporate or other legal entity power and authority, and has taken all corporate or other legal entity action necessary in order to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party and, subject to satisfaction of the conditions to Closing contemplated hereby (including obtaining the Acquiror Stockholder Approvals) and the adoption of this Agreement by Acquiror as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, to consummate the Transactions. The execution, delivery and performance by Acquiror and Merger Sub of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party, and the consummation by it of the Transactions, have been duly and validly authorized by all necessary corporate consent and authorizations on the part of Acquiror and Merger Sub, and no other corporate or other actions on the part of Acquiror or Merger Sub are necessary to authorize the execution and delivery by Acquiror or Merger Sub of this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements to which it is a party and the consummation by it of the Transactions, in each case, subject to receipt of the Acquiror Stockholder Approvals and the adoption of this Agreement by Acquiror as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Acquiror and Merger Sub and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the other parties, is a legal, valid and binding obligation of Acquiror and Merger Sub, enforceable against Acquiror and Merger Sub in accordance with its terms (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions).

(b) The execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements to which Acquiror and/or Merger Sub is a party, and the consummation of the Transactions, and (in the case of Acquiror) subject to receipt of the Acquiror Stockholder Approvals, do not, and will not, constitute or result in (i) a breach or violation of, or a default under, the Acquiror Organizational Documents or any organizational documents of Merger Sub or (ii) with or without notice, lapse of time or both, a breach or violation of, a termination (or right of termination) of or default under, the creation or acceleration of any obligations under or the creation of a Lien on any of the assets of Acquiror, Merger Sub or any of their Affiliates pursuant to, any Contract to which Acquiror, Merger Sub or any of their Affiliates is a party or, assuming (solely with respect to performance of this Agreement and consummation of the Transactions) compliance with the matters referred to in Section 4.02(a), under any Law to which Acquiror, Merger Sub or any of their Affiliates is subject, except (in the case of clause (ii) above) for such violations, breaches or defaults which has not had or would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of Acquiror or Merger Sub to enter into, perform its obligations under this Agreement and consummate the Transactions.

(c) The Sponsor Letter Agreement executed and delivered contemporaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Acquiror and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the other parties, including all of the holders of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock, is a legal, valid and binding obligation of Acquiror and, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, the other parties thereto, enforceable against Acquiror and the other parties thereto in accordance with its terms (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions). Immediately prior to the Closing and as of the Closing no holder of any shares of Acquiror Common Stock will be entitled to any anti-dilution or any similar adjustments and protections in connection with the transactions contemplated in this Agreement or otherwise.

 

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4.03 Litigation.

(a) Neither Acquiror nor, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, any of its officers, in their capacities as such, is the subject of or engaged in any material Action before a Governmental Authority, arbitration or other dispute resolution process before a third party unrelated to the dispute, whether as claimant, defendant or otherwise, and no such litigation, arbitration or dispute resolution process is pending or threatened in writing on the date hereof, in each case, that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of Acquiror or Merger Sub to enter into, perform its obligations under this Agreement and consummate the Transactions. As of the date hereof, Acquiror is not, nor to the Knowledge of Acquiror is any of its officers, in their capacities as such, subject to any settlement agreements or arrangements, whether written or oral, or is in discussions for a settlement or arrangement, regarding any material disputes or material claims.

(b) As of the date of this Agreement, neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub is a party to or subject to the provisions of any outstanding judgment, order, writ, injunction, decree or award of any Governmental Authority (except if generally applicable without Acquiror or Merger Sub being named therein) that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of Acquiror or Merger Sub to enter into, perform its obligations under this Agreement and consummate the Transactions.

4.04 Compliance with Laws. Acquiror and Merger Sub are, and since their respective dates of incorporation, have been, operating in all material respects in a manner that is customary for businesses similar to Acquiror and Merger Sub, and each of Acquiror and Merger Sub is conducting and, since their respective dates of incorporation, has conducted its business in material compliance with all Laws.

4.05 Employee Benefit Plans. Except as may be contemplated by the Acquiror Equity Plans Proposal, neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub maintains, contributes to or has any obligation or liability, or could reasonably be expected to have any obligation or liability, under, any Benefit Plan with respect to which Acquiror, Merger Sub or any of their respective Affiliates have any remaining obligations or liabilities and neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (either alone or in combination with another event) will (i) result in any payment (including severance, unemployment compensation, golden parachute, bonus or otherwise) becoming due to any stockholder, shareholder, director, officer or employee of Acquiror or Merger Sub, or (ii) result in the acceleration, vesting or creation of any rights of any stockholder, shareholder, director, officer or employee of Acquiror or Merger Sub to payments or benefits or increases in any existing payments or benefits or any loan forgiveness.

 

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4.06 Financial Ability; Trust Account.

(a) As of the date hereof, there is at least two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000) invested in a trust account at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (the “Trust Account”), maintained by Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, a New York corporation, acting as trustee (the “Trustee”), pursuant to the Investment Management Trust Agreement, dated September 16, 2020, by and between Acquiror and the Trustee (the “Trust Agreement”). The Trust Agreement is in full force and effect and is a legal, valid and binding obligation of Acquiror and, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, the Trustee, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles of equity. The Trust Agreement has not been terminated, repudiated, rescinded, amended or supplemented or modified, in any respect, and, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, no such termination, repudiation, rescission, amendment, supplement or modification is contemplated. To the Knowledge of Acquiror, there are no side letters and there are no agreements, Contracts, arrangements or understandings, whether written or oral, with the Trustee or any other Person that would (i) cause the description of the Trust Agreement in the Acquiror SEC Reports to be inaccurate or (ii) entitle any Person (other than any Acquiror Stockholder who is a Redeeming Stockholder) to any portion of the proceeds in the Trust Account. Prior to the Closing, none of the funds held in the Trust Account may be released except in accordance with the Trust Agreement, Acquiror Organizational Documents and Acquiror’s final prospectus dated September 18, 2020, as amended. Amounts in the Trust Account are invested in United States Government securities or in money market funds meeting certain conditions under Rule 2a-7 promulgated under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Acquiror has performed all material obligations required to be performed by it to date under, and is not in material default, breach or delinquent in performance or any other respect (claimed or actual) in connection with, the Trust Agreement, and no event has occurred which, with due notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default or breach thereunder. There are no Actions pending or, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, threatened with respect to the Trust Account. Since September 16, 2020, Acquiror has not released any money from the Trust Account (other than interest income earned on the principal held in the Trust Account as permitted by the Trust Agreement). As of the Effective Time, the obligations of Acquiror to dissolve or liquidate pursuant to the Acquiror Organizational Documents shall terminate, and, as of the Effective Time, Acquiror shall have no obligation whatsoever pursuant to the Acquiror Organizational Documents to dissolve and liquidate the assets of Acquiror by reason of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. Following the Effective Time, no Acquiror Stockholder shall be entitled to receive any amount from the Trust Account except to the extent such Acquiror Stockholder is a Redeeming Stockholder.

(b) As of the date hereof, assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein and the compliance by the Company with its respective obligations hereunder, Acquiror has no reason to believe that any of the conditions to the use of funds in the Trust Account will not be satisfied or funds available in the Trust Account will not be available to Acquiror on the Closing Date.

(c) As of the date hereof, Acquiror does not have, or have any present intention, agreement, arrangement or understanding to enter into or incur, any obligations with respect to or under any Indebtedness.

 

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4.07 Taxes.

(a) Each of Acquiror and Merger Sub has timely filed with the appropriate Tax Authority, or has caused to be timely filed on its behalf (taking into account any valid extension of time within which to file), all material Tax Returns required to be filed by it, and all such Tax Returns were and are true, correct and complete in all material respects. Each of Acquiror and Merger Sub has timely paid all material amounts of Taxes due and payable (whether or not shown on any Tax Return).

(b) Each of Acquiror and Merger Sub, as applicable, has (i) withheld all amounts of Taxes required to have been withheld by it in connection with amounts paid to any employee, independent contractor, creditor, stockholder, shareholder or any other third party, and (ii) timely remitted such amounts required to have been remitted to the appropriate Tax Authority.

(c) Neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub is subject to any material Tax liability that has not been paid or fully reserved for in the audited financial statements (including, in each case, the notes and schedules thereto) included in the Acquiror SEC Reports in accordance with GAAP.

(d) No claim, assessment, deficiency or proposed adjustment for any material amount of Tax has been asserted or assessed by any Tax Authority against Acquiror or Merger Sub that remains unresolved or unpaid except for claims, assessments, deficiencies or proposed adjustments being contested in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been established in accordance with GAAP. There is no material Tax audit or other examination of Acquiror or Merger Sub presently in progress, and there are no waivers, extensions or requests for any waivers or extensions of any statute of limitations currently in effect with respect to any material Taxes or Tax Returns of Acquiror or Merger Sub.

(e) Neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub is or has been (i) a party to any Tax sharing, indemnification, allocation or similar agreement or arrangement (excluding any commercial contract entered into in the ordinary course of business and not primarily related to Taxes), (ii) a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined, unitary or similar Tax group (other than any such Tax group the common parent of which was Acquiror or Merger Sub, as applicable), or (iii) a party to any “listed transaction” under Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(2) (or any similar or corresponding provision of state, local or foreign Law).

(f) Neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub has any liability for Taxes of any other Person (other than any such Tax group the common parent of which is Acquiror or Merger Sub, as applicable) as a result of Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6, as a transferee or successor, or by operation of Law.

(g) Neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub has distributed stock of another Person, or had its stock distributed by another Person, in a transaction that was purported or intended to be governed in whole or in part by Section 355 of the Code (or so much of Section 356 of the Code as relates to Section 355 of the Code).

(h) Acquiror and Merger Sub have not taken any action, nor, as of the date hereof, to the Knowledge of Acquiror are there any facts or circumstances, that would reasonably be expected to prevent the Domestication from qualifying as a “reorganization” pursuant to Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations or the Merger from qualifying as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations.

 

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4.08 Brokers. No broker, investment banker, financial advisor or other Person, other than those set out in Schedule 4.08, the fees and expenses of which will be paid by Acquiror or Merger Sub pursuant to an engagement letter entered into therewith, is entitled to any broker’s, finder’s, financial advisor’s or other similar fee or commission in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of Acquiror, Merger Sub or any of their Affiliates. Schedule 4.08 sets forth Acquiror’s good faith estimate of the aggregate Transaction Expenses (including the Outstanding Acquiror Expenses).

4.09 Acquiror SEC Reports; Financial Statements; Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(a) Acquiror has filed in a timely manner all required registration statements, reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it with the SEC since September 30, 2020 (collectively, as they have been amended since the time of their filing and including all exhibits thereto, the “Acquiror SEC Reports”). None of the Acquiror SEC Reports, as of their respective dates (or if amended or superseded by a filing prior to the date of this Agreement or the Closing Date, then on the date of such filing), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The audited financial statements and unaudited interim financial statements (including, in each case, the notes and schedules thereto) included in the Acquiror SEC Reports complied as to form in all material respects with the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto, were prepared in accordance with GAAP applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (except as may be indicated therein or in the notes thereto and except with respect to unaudited statements as permitted by Form 10-Q of the SEC), and fairly present (subject, in the case of the unaudited interim financial statements included therein, to normal year-end adjustments and the absence of complete footnotes) in all material respects the financial position of Acquiror as of the respective dates thereof and the results of their operations and cash flows for the respective periods then ended.

(b) Acquiror has established and maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act). Such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information relating to Acquiror and other material information required to be disclosed by Acquiror in the reports and other documents that it files or furnishes under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that all such material information is accumulated and communicated to Acquiror’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and to make the certifications required pursuant to Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in timely alerting Acquiror’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer to material information required to be included in Acquiror’s periodic reports required under the Exchange Act.

(c) Acquiror has established and maintained a system of internal controls. Such internal controls are sufficient to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of Acquiror’s financial reporting and the preparation of Acquiror’s financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.

 

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(d) There are no outstanding loans or other extensions of credit made by Acquiror to any executive officer (as defined in Rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act) or director of Acquiror. Acquiror has not taken any action prohibited by Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

(e) Neither Acquiror (including any employee thereof) nor Acquiror’s independent auditors has identified or been made aware of (i) any significant deficiency or material weakness in the system of internal accounting controls utilized by Acquiror, (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves Acquiror’s management or other employees who have a role in the preparation of financial statements or the internal accounting controls utilized by Acquiror or (iii) any claim or allegation regarding any of the foregoing.

(f) To the Knowledge of Acquiror, as of the date hereof, there are no outstanding SEC comments from the SEC with respect to the Acquiror SEC Reports. To the Knowledge of Acquiror, none of the Acquiror SEC Reports filed on or prior to the date hereof is subject to ongoing SEC review or investigation as of the date hereof.

4.10 Business Activities; Absence of Changes.

(a) Since its incorporation, Acquiror has not conducted any business activities other than activities directed toward the accomplishment of a Business Combination. Except as set forth in the Acquiror Organizational Documents, there is no agreement, commitment or Governmental Order binding upon Acquiror or to which Acquiror is a party which has had or would reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or impairing any business practice of Acquiror or any acquisition of property by Acquiror or the conduct of business by Acquiror as currently conducted or as contemplated to be conducted as of the Closing other than such effects, individually or in the aggregate, which have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of Acquiror or Merger Sub to enter into, perform its obligations under this Agreement and consummate the Transactions.

(b) Acquiror does not own or have a right to acquire, directly or indirectly, any interest or investment (whether equity or debt) in any corporation, partnership, joint venture, business, trust or other entity. Except for this Agreement and the Transactions, Acquiror has no interests, rights, obligations or liabilities with respect to, and is not party to, bound by or has its assets or property subject to, in each case whether directly or indirectly, any Contract or transaction which is, or could reasonably be interpreted as constituting, a Business Combination.

(c) Acquiror is not party to any Contract with any other Person that Acquiror reasonably expects, as of the date of this Agreement, to require payments by Acquiror in excess of $35,000,000 in the aggregate with respect to any individual Contract or when taken together with all other Contracts.

 

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(d) There is no liability, debt or obligation against Acquiror or Merger Sub, except for liabilities and obligations (i) reflected or reserved for on Acquiror’s consolidated balance sheet for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2020 or disclosed in the notes thereto (other than any such liabilities not reflected, reserved or disclosed as are not and would not be, in the aggregate, material to Acquiror and Merger Sub, taken as a whole), (ii) that have arisen since the date of Acquiror’s consolidated balance sheet for the quarterly period September 30, 2020 in the ordinary course of the operation of business of Acquiror and Merger Sub (other than any such liabilities as are not and would not be, in the aggregate, material to Acquiror and Merger Sub, taken as a whole) or (iii) disclosed in Schedule 4.10(d).

(e) Since its organization, Merger Sub has not conducted any business activities other than activities directed toward the accomplishment of the Merger. Except as set forth in Merger Sub’s organizational documents, there is no agreement, commitment, or Governmental Order binding upon Merger Sub or to which Merger Sub is a party which has had or would reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or impairing any business practice of Merger Sub or any acquisition of property by Merger Sub or the conduct of business by Merger Sub as currently conducted or as contemplated to be conducted as of the Closing other than such effects, individually or in the aggregate, which have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the ability of Merger Sub to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement.

(f) Merger Sub does not own or have a right to acquire, directly or indirectly, any interest or investment (whether equity or debt) in any corporation, partnership, joint venture, business, trust or other entity.

(g) Merger Sub was formed solely for the purpose of effecting the Merger and has not engaged in any business activities or conducted any operations other than in connection with the Merger and has no, and at all times prior to the Effective Time except as contemplated by this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements, will have no, assets, liabilities or obligations of any kind or nature whatsoever other than those incident to its formation.

(h) (i) Since the date of Acquiror’s incorporation, there has not been any change, development, condition, occurrence, event or effect relating to Acquiror or Merger Sub that, individually or in the aggregate, resulted in, or would reasonably be expected to result in, a material adverse effect on the ability of Acquiror or Merger Sub to enter into, perform its obligations under this Agreement and consummate the Transactions and (ii) from July 28, 2020 through the date of this Agreement, Acquiror and Merger Sub have not taken any action that would require the consent of the Company pursuant to Section 6.03 if such action had been taken after the date hereof.

(i) None of Acquiror or Merger Sub or any of their respective Subsidiaries or Associates has an interest of five percent (5%) or greater in an entity that competes with the Company in the field of commercial or transit electric vehicles or powertrain systems. For purposes of this Section 5.10(i), “Associate” is defined pursuant to 16 C.F.R. § 801.1(d)(2).

4.11 Registration Statement. As of the time the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Securities Act, the Registration Statement (together with any amendments or supplements thereto) will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that Acquiror makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Registration Statement in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to Acquiror by or on behalf of the Company specifically for inclusion in the Registration Statement.

 

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4.12 No Outside Reliance. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article IV or any other provision hereof, Acquiror and its Affiliates and any of its and their respective directors, officers, employees, partners, members or representatives, acknowledge and agree that Acquiror has made its own investigation of the Company and that neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, partners, members, agents or representatives is making any representation or warranty whatsoever, express or implied, beyond those expressly given by the Company in Article III or any certificate delivered in accordance with Section 8.02(b), including any implied warranty or representation as to condition, merchantability, suitability or fitness for a particular purpose or trade as to any of the assets of the Company, and each of Acquiror and Merger Sub, on its own behalf and on behalf of their Affiliates and its and their directors, officers, employees, partnership, members or representatives, disclaim reliance on any representations and warranties, express or implied, or the completeness thereof, other than those expressly given by the Company in Article III or any certificate delivered in accordance with Section 8.02(b). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, it is understood that any cost or other estimates, financial or other projections or other predictions that may be contained or referred to in the Schedules or elsewhere, as well as any information, documents or other materials (including any such materials contained in any “data room” (whether or not accessed by Acquiror or its representatives) or reviewed by Acquiror pursuant to the Confidentiality Agreement) or management presentations that have been or shall hereafter be provided to Acquiror or any of its Affiliates, agents or representatives are not and will not be deemed to be representations or warranties of the Company, and no representation or warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of any of the foregoing except as may be expressly set forth in Article III of this Agreement or any certificate delivered in accordance with Section 8.02(b). Except as otherwise expressly set forth in this Agreement, Acquiror understands and agrees that any assets, properties and business of the Company are furnished “as is”, “where is” and subject to and except as otherwise provided in the representations and warranties contained in Article III or any certificate delivered in accordance with Section 8.02(b), with all faults and without any other representation or warranty of any nature whatsoever.

4.13 Capitalization.

(a) The authorized capital stock of Acquiror consists of (i) 500,000,000 shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock, of which (A) 25,000,000 shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock are issued and outstanding as of the date of this Agreement and (B) 13,000,000 Pre-Domestication Acquiror Warrants are issued and outstanding as of the date of this Agreement, (ii) 50,000,000 shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock, of which 6,250,000 shares are issued and outstanding and (iii) 5,000,000 preference shares of Acquiror, par value $0.0001, none of which are issued and outstanding. All of the issued and outstanding shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock, shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock and Pre-Domestication Acquiror Warrants (w) have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, (x) were issued in compliance in all material respects with applicable Law, (y) were not issued in breach or violation of any preemptive rights or Contract and (z) are fully vested and not otherwise subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture within the meaning of Code Section 83, except as disclosed in the Acquiror SEC Reports with respect to certain Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock held by the Sponsor.

 

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(b) Except for this Agreement, the Pre-Domestication Acquiror Warrants, Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock and the Subscription Agreements, as of the date hereof, there are (i) no subscriptions, calls, options, warrants, rights or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock or the equity interests of Acquiror, or any other Contracts to which Acquiror is a party or by which Acquiror is bound obligating Acquiror to issue or sell any shares of capital stock of, other equity interests in or debt securities of, Acquiror, and (ii) no equity equivalents, stock appreciation rights, phantom stock ownership interests or similar rights in Acquiror. Except as disclosed in the Acquiror SEC Reports or the Acquiror Organizational Documents, there are no outstanding contractual obligations of Acquiror to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any securities or equity interests of Acquiror. There are no outstanding bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of Acquiror having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matter for which Acquiror Stockholders may vote. Except as disclosed in the Acquiror SEC Reports, there are no registration rights, and Acquiror is not a party to any shareholders agreement, voting agreement or registration rights agreement, rights plan, anti-takeover plan or similar agreements relating to Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock or any other equity interests of Acquiror. Other than Merger Sub, Acquiror does not own any capital stock or any other equity interests in any other Person or has any right, option, warrant, conversion right, stock appreciation right, redemption right, repurchase right, agreement, arrangement or commitment of any character under which a Person is or may become obligated to issue or sell, or give any right to subscribe for or acquire, or in any way dispose of, any shares of the capital stock or other equity interests, or any securities or obligations exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into any shares of the capital stock or other equity interests, of such Person. There are no securities or instruments issued by or to which Acquiror is a party containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Subscription Agreements that have not been or will not be waived on or prior to the Closing Date.

(c) As of the date hereof, the authorized share capital of Merger Sub consists of 1,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of which one share is issued and outstanding and beneficially held (and held of record) by Acquiror as of the date of this Agreement.

(d) Subject to approval of the Proposals, the shares of Acquiror Common Stock to be issued by Acquiror in connection with the Transactions, upon issuance in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and will not be subject to any preemptive rights of any other shareholder of Acquiror and will be capable of effectively vesting in the Company Stockholders title to all such securities, free and clear of all Liens (other than Liens arising pursuant to applicable Securities Laws).

4.14 NASDAQ Stock Market Quotation. The issued and outstanding shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on NASDAQ under the symbol “STWO”. Acquiror is in compliance in all material respects with the rules of NASDAQ and there is no action or proceeding pending or, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, threatened against Acquiror by NASDAQ, the Financial

 

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Industry Regulatory Authority or the SEC with respect to any intention by such entity to deregister the Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock or terminate the listing of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock on NASDAQ. None of Acquiror or its Affiliates has taken any action in an attempt to terminate the registration of the Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock or Pre-Domestication Acquiror Warrants under the Exchange Act except as contemplated by this Agreement.

4.15 Contracts; No Defaults.

(a) The Acquiror SEC Reports disclose every “material contract” (as such term is defined in Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K of the SEC) (other than confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, this Agreement and the Subscription Agreements) to which, as of the date of this Agreement, Acquiror or Merger Sub is a party or by which any of their respective assets are bound (the “Acquiror Material Contracts”). True, correct and complete copies of the Acquiror Material Contracts have been delivered to or made available to the Company or its agents or representatives.

(b) Neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub is, nor has it received written notice that any other party to any such Acquiror Material Contract is, in material violation or material breach of or material default (immediately or upon notice or lapse of time) under any such Acquiror Material Contract to which it is a party or any of its properties or other assets is subject. No such Acquiror Material Contract is the subject of a notice to terminate, except for any expiration of the term of such Contract following the date of this Agreement in accordance with its terms. Each Acquiror Material Contract is in full force and effect and, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions, is legal, valid and binding on Acquiror or Merger Sub, as applicable, and, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, each other party thereto, except as would not be material and adverse to Acquiror and Merger Sub, taken as a whole. There is no default under any such Acquiror Material Contract by Acquiror or Merger Sub, or, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, any other party thereto, and no event has occurred that with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute a default thereunder by Acquiror or Merger Sub, or, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, any other party thereto, in each case, except as would be material and adverse to Acquiror and Merger Sub, taken as a whole.

4.16 Title to Property. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.16, neither the Acquiror nor Merger Sub (a) owns or leases any real or personal property or (b) is a party to any agreement or option to purchase any real property, personal property or other material interest therein.

4.17 Investment Company Act. Neither the Acquiror nor Merger Sub is an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

4.18 Affiliate Agreements. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.18, neither of the Acquiror nor Merger Sub is a party to any transaction, agreement, arrangement or understanding with any (a) present or former executive officer or director of either of the Acquiror or Merger Sub, (b) beneficial owner (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of 5% or more of the capital stock or equity interests of Acquiror or (c) Affiliate, “associate” or member of the “immediate family” (as such terms are respectively defined in Rules 12b-2 and 16a-1 of the Exchange Act) of any of the foregoing (each of the foregoing, an “Acquiror Affiliate Agreement”).

 

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4.19 Corrupt Practices.

(a) Since their respective dates of incorporation, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub, nor any of their respective Representatives, have directly or indirectly paid, offered or promised to pay, or authorized or ratified the payment, directly or indirectly, of any monies or anything of value to any national, provincial, municipal or other Government Official or any political party or candidate for political office for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of such official or of any Governmental Authority to obtain or retain business, or direct business to any person or to secure any other improper benefit or advantage in each case in violation in any material respect any Anti-Corruption Laws. Acquiror (x) has instituted policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the Anti-Corruption Laws and other anti-bribery, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering Laws in each jurisdiction in which Acquiror operates and (y) has maintained such policies and procedures in force. To the Knowledge of Acquiror, no Government Official nor any of his or her immediate family members is an officer or director or owns any securities of Acquiror.

(b) Since their respective dates of incorporation, neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub nor, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, any of their respective Representatives, has, or is presently or has agreed to become, engaged in any conduct that violates in any material respect any applicable Anti-Corruption Laws.

(c) Since their respective dates of incorporation, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub is conducting and has not conducted, directly or indirectly, any business (including, without limitation, sales, reselling, licensing or sub-licensing arrangements, funding, making payments, procuring, insurance or otherwise providing assistance or support in connection with operations, business or any other activity) with or for the direct or indirect benefit of or on behalf of any Sanctioned Person, nor otherwise violated any applicable Sanction or Ex-Im Law.

4.20 Takeover Statutes and Charter Provisions. Effective immediately after the consummation of the Domestication, the Acquiror Board represents that it has taken all action necessary so that the restrictions on a “business combination” (as such term is used in Section 203 of the DGCL) contained in Section 203 of the DGCL or any similar restrictions under any foreign Laws will be inapplicable to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger and the issuance of the Merger Consideration. As of the date of the Domestication and through the Effective Time, no “fair price,” “moratorium,” “control share acquisition” or other anti-takeover statute or similar domestic or foreign Law applies with respect to Acquiror or Merger Sub in connection with this Agreement, the Merger, the issuance of the Merger Consideration or any of the other transactions contemplated hereby. As of the date of the Domestication and through the Effective Time, there is no shareholder rights plan, “poison pill” or similar anti-takeover agreement or plan in effect to which Acquiror or Merger Sub is subject, party or otherwise bound.

4.21 Subscription Agreements. Acquiror has delivered to the Company true, correct and complete copies of each of the fully executed Subscription Agreements pursuant to which the Subscribers have committed, subject to the terms and conditions therein, to purchase 25,000,000 shares of Acquiror Common Stock in the aggregate for an aggregate amount equal to two hundred fifty million dollars ($250,000,000). Each of the Subscription Agreements is in full force and effect and is legal, valid and

 

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binding upon Acquiror and, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, the Subscribers, enforceable in accordance with its terms. None of the Subscription Agreements has been withdrawn, terminated, amended or modified since the date of delivery hereunder and prior to the execution of this Agreement, and, to the Knowledge of Acquiror, as of the date of this Agreement no such withdrawal, termination, amendment or modification is contemplated, and as of the date of this Agreement the commitments contained in the Subscription Agreements have not been withdrawn, terminated or rescinded by the Subscriber in any respect. As of the date hereof, there are no side letters or Contracts to which Acquiror or Merger Sub is a party related to the provision or funding, as applicable, of the purchases contemplated by the Subscription Agreements or the transactions contemplated hereby other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement, the Subscription Agreements or any other agreement entered into (or to be entered into) in connection with the Transactions delivered to the Company. Acquiror has fully paid any and all commitment fees or other fees required in connection with the Subscription Agreements that are payable on or prior to the date hereof and will pay any and all such fees when and as the same become due and payable after the date hereof pursuant to the Subscription Agreements. Acquiror has, and to the Knowledge of Acquiror, the Subscriber has, complied with all of its obligations under the Subscription Agreements. There are no conditions precedent or other contingencies related to the consummation of the purchases set forth in the Subscription Agreements, other than as expressly set forth in the Subscription Agreements. To the Knowledge of Acquiror, as of the date hereof, no event has occurred which, with or without notice, lapse of time or both, would or would reasonably be expected to (i) constitute a default or breach on the part of Acquiror or the Subscribers, (ii) assuming the conditions set forth in Section 8.01 and Section 8.02 will be satisfied, constitute a failure to satisfy a condition on the part of Acquiror or the Subscriber or (iii) assuming the conditions set forth in Section 8.01 and Section 8.02 will be satisfied result in any portion of the amounts to be paid by the Subscribers in accordance with the Subscription Agreements being unavailable on the Closing Date. As of the date hereof, assuming the conditions set forth in Section 8.01 and Section 8.02 will be satisfied, Acquiror has no reason to believe that any of the conditions to the consummation of the purchases under the Subscription Agreements will not be satisfied, and, as of the date hereof, Acquiror is not aware of the existence of any fact or event that would or would reasonably be expected to cause such conditions not to be satisfied.

4.22 Defense Production Act—. Neither the Acquiror nor Merger Sub is or is not controlled by a “foreign person,” as defined in Section 721 of the U.S. Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, including any implementing regulations thereof (the “DPA”). Neither the Acquiror nor Merger Sub permits any foreign person affiliated with the Acquiror or Merger Sub, whether affiliated as a limited partner or otherwise, to obtain through the Acquiror or Merger Sub any of the following with respect to the Company: (i) access to any “material nonpublic technical information” (as defined in the DPA) in the possession of the Company; (ii) membership or observer rights on the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Company or the right to nominate an individual to a position on the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Company; (iii) any involvement, other than through the voting of shares, in the substantive decision-making of the Company regarding (x) the use, development, acquisition, or release of any “critical technology” (as defined in the DPA), (y) the use, development, acquisition, safekeeping, or release of “sensitive personal data” (as defined in the DPA) of U.S. citizens maintained or collected by the Company, or (z) the management, operation, manufacture, or supply of “covered investment critical infrastructure” (as defined in the DPA); or (iv) “control” of the Company (as defined in the DPA).

 

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4.23 No Other Representations or Warranties. The representations and warranties made by Acquiror and Merger Sub in this Article IV are the exclusive representations and warranties made by Acquiror, Merger Sub, their Affiliates, and their respective Representatives. Except for the representations and warranties contained in this Article IV, neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub, nor any other Person, has made or makes any other express or implied representation or warranty, either written or oral, on behalf of Acquiror or Merger Sub, to the accuracy or completeness of any information regarding Acquiror or Merger Sub available to the other parties or their respective Representatives and expressly disclaims any such other representations or warranties. Without limiting the foregoing, neither Acquiror nor Merger Sub, nor any other Person, makes or has made any representation or warranty to the other parties hereto with respect to, and shall have no liability in respect of, (a) any financial projection, forecast, estimate, budget or prospect information relating to Acquiror or Merger Sub or (b) any oral or, except for the representations and warranties expressly made by Acquiror or Merger Sub in this Article IV, written information made available to the other parties hereto in the course of their evaluation of Acquiror and Merger Sub and the negotiation of this Agreement or in the course of the Transactions.

ARTICLE V

COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY

5.01 Conduct of Business. From the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the Closing Date or the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms (the “Interim Period”), the Company shall, except as set forth on Schedule 5.01, as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or as consented to by Acquiror in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed), or as may be required by Law (including COVID-19 Measures), (i) use its commercially reasonable efforts to conduct and operate its business in the ordinary course consistent with past practice in all material respects, (ii) use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve intact the current business organization and ongoing businesses of the Company, and maintain the existing relations and goodwill of the Company with customers, suppliers, distributors and creditors of the Company and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to keep available the services of its present officers; provided, that, in the case of each of the preceding clauses (i)-(iii), during any period of full or partial suspension of operations related to COVID-19, the Company may, in connection with COVID-19, take such actions in good faith as are reasonably necessary (A) to protect the health and safety of the Company’s employees and other individuals having business dealings with the Company or (B) to respond to third-party supply or service disruptions caused by COVID-19, including, but not limited to COVID-19 Measures, and any such actions taken (or not taken) as a result of, in response to, or otherwise related to COVID-19 shall be deemed to be taken in the “ordinary course of business” for all purposes of this Section 5.01 and not be considered a breach of this Section 5.01; provided, further, that following any such suspension, to the extent that the Company took any actions pursuant to the immediately preceding proviso that caused deviations from its business being conducted in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, to resume conducting its business in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice in all material respects as soon as reasonably practicable. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as set forth on Schedule 5.01, as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or as consented to by Acquiror in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed, except in the case of clauses (c) and (d) below with respect to any Pre-Closing Financing, in which case such consent may be conditioned, withheld or delayed in Acquiror’s sole discretion), or as may be required by Law, the Company shall not during the Interim Period:

 

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(a) change or amend the certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational documents of the Company;

(b) declare, make or pay any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, equity or property, including any deemed distribution for Tax purposes) to stockholders of the Company or repurchase or redeem any Company Stock;

(c) create, allot, issue, redeem, sell, grant, or repurchase or agree to create, allot, issue, redeem, sell, grant or repurchase any shares or other securities of whatsoever nature convertible into shares (or any option to subscribe for the same) of the Company, including any options, warrants, rights of conversion or other rights, agreements, arrangements or commitments obligation the Company to issue, deliver or sell any equity securities of the Company, including any Pre-Closing Financing, other than, prior to the delivery of the Allocation Schedule pursuant to Section 2.06, the issuance of the shares of Company Common Stock upon the exercise of Company Options outstanding as of the date hereof in accordance with the terms of the Company Stock Plan and the underlying grant, award or similar agreement;

(d) enter into, amend or modify any material term of, terminate, or waive or release any material rights, claim or benefits under any Contract or other arrangement to which the Company, on one hand, and a Company Stockholder or its Affiliate, on the other hand, are parties or by which they are bound or which is for the benefit of a Company Stockholder or its Affiliates, including any Pre-Closing Financing, other than entry into, amendments of, modifications of, terminations of or waivers or releases under such Contracts or arrangements in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

(e) sell, transfer, lease, license, pledge or otherwise encumber or subject to any Lien, abandon, cancel, let lapse or convey or dispose of all or substantially all of the assets, properties or business of the Company (including Company Intellectual Property and Owned Company Software), except for (i) dispositions of obsolete or worthless assets, (ii) sales of inventory in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and any such actions taken in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (iii) sales, abandonment, lapses of assets or items or materials that, in the aggregate, are not material to the business of the Company, other than (A) as set forth on Schedule 5.01(e), (B) where the Company has, in its reasonable business judgment, decided to cancel, abandon, allow to lapse or not renew any immaterial Registered IP in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (C) Permitted Liens or (D) pledges, non-exclusive licenses and encumbrances on property and assets in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice (including performance and warranty bonds for the benefit of customers) and that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to be material to the Company;

 

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(f) except as set forth on Schedule 5.01(f), in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, or as otherwise required pursuant to Company Benefit Plans in effect on the date of this Agreement or applicable Law, (i) establish, adopt, enter into, amend, modify, or terminate any collective bargaining or similar agreement (including agreements with works councils and trade unions and side letters) to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound, (ii) recognize or certify any labor union, works council, other labor organization or group of employees as the bargaining representative for any employees of the Company or modify, amend, terminate or enter into any CBA, (iii) implement or announce any employee layoffs, plant closings, reductions-in-force, furloughs, temporary layoffs, reduction in terms and conditions of employment, or other actions that could implicate the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, as amended, or any similar Laws (excluding any COVID-19 Measures), or (iv) waive or release any noncompetition, nonsolicitation, nondisclosure, noninterference, nondisparagement or other restrictive covenant obligation of any current or former director, manager, officer, employee, independent contractor or other service provider of the Company;

(g) (i) fail to maintain its existence or acquire by merger or consolidation with, or merge or consolidate with, or purchase a material portion of the assets or equity of, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or other business organization or division thereof, other than such acquisitions and purchases that would not require financial statements of the acquired business to be included in the Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 3-05 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act; or (ii) adopt or enter into a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of the Company (other than the transactions contemplated by this Agreement);

(h) make any capital expenditures (or commitment to make any capital expenditures) that in the aggregate exceed $5,000,000, other than any capital expenditure (or series of related capital expenditures) consistent in all material respects with the Company’s annual capital expenditure budget for periods following the date hereof, made available to Acquiror prior to the date hereof;

(i) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person (including to any of its officers, directors, agents or consultants), make any material change in its existing borrowing or lending arrangements for or on behalf of such Persons, or enter into any “keep well” or similar agreement to maintain the financial condition of any other Person, except advances to employees or officers of the Company in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and extended payment terms for customers in the ordinary course of business;

(j) make, revoke or change any material Tax election, adopt or change any material Tax accounting method or period, file any material Tax Return in a manner inconsistent with past practices in any material respect, file any amendment to a material Tax Return, enter into any agreement with a Governmental Authority with respect to a material amount of Taxes, settle or compromise any examination, audit or other Action with a Governmental Authority of or relating to any material Taxes or settle or compromise any claim or assessment by a Governmental Authority in respect of material Taxes, consent to any extension or waiver of the statutory period of limitations applicable to any claim or assessment in respect of Taxes, incur any material liability for Taxes outside the ordinary course of business, enter into any Tax sharing, indemnification, allocation or similar agreement or arrangement (excluding any commercial contract entered into in the ordinary course of business and not primarily related to Taxes), or take any action which would reasonably be expected to prevent or impede the Merger from qualifying for the Intended Tax Treatment;

 

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(k) waive, release, compromise, settle or satisfy any pending or threatened material claim (which shall include, but not be limited to, any pending or threatened Action) or compromise or settle any liability, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or where such waiver, release, compromise, settlement or satisfaction involves alleged monetary damages or monetary payments not to exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate;

(l) incur, issue, assume, guarantee or otherwise become liable for any Indebtedness, or in any material respect, modify any Indebtedness, other than (A) borrowings in an aggregate amount not to exceed $25,000,000 and (B) intercompany Indebtedness;

(m) enter into any material new line of business outside of the business currently conducted by the Company as of the date of this Agreement;

(n) make any material change in financial accounting methods, principles or practices, except insofar as may have been required by a change in GAAP (including pursuant to standards, guidelines and interpretations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or any similar organization) or applicable Law;

(o) voluntarily fail to maintain, cancel or materially change coverage under, in a manner detrimental to the Company, any insurance policy maintained with respect to the Company and their assets and properties; and

(p) enter into any agreement or undertaking to do any action prohibited under this Section 5.01.

5.02 Inspection. Subject to confidentiality obligations and similar restrictions that may be applicable to information furnished to the Company by third parties that may be in the Company’s possession from time to time, and except for any information which (a) relates to interactions with prospective buyers of the Company or the negotiation of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby or (b) in the judgment of legal counsel (including in-house counsel) of the Company would result in the loss of attorney-client privilege or other privilege from disclosure or would conflict with any applicable Law or confidentiality obligations to which the Company is bound, the Company shall afford to Acquiror and its Representatives reasonable access during the Interim Period, during normal business hours and with reasonable advance notice, in such manner as to not interfere with the normal operation of the Company, to all of its properties, books, projections, plans, systems, Contracts, commitments, Tax Returns, records, commitments, analyses and appropriate officers and employees of the Company, and shall furnish such Representatives with all financial and operating data and other information concerning the affairs of the Company and that are in the possession of the Company as such Representatives may reasonably request; provided, that such access shall not include any unreasonably invasive or intrusive investigations or other testing, sampling or analysis of any properties, facilities or equipment of the Company without the prior written consent of the Company, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed. The parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to make alternative arrangements for such disclosure where the restrictions in the preceding sentence apply. All information obtained by Acquiror and its Representatives under this Agreement shall be subject to the Confidentiality Agreement prior to the Effective Time.

 

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5.03 HSR Act and Regulatory Approvals. In connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Company shall comply promptly but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days after the date hereof with the notification and reporting requirements of the HSR Act. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to submit, as soon as practicable, any other required applications or filings pursuant to any Antitrust Laws and furnish to Acquiror as promptly as reasonably practicable all information required for any application or other filing required to be made by Acquiror pursuant to any Antitrust Law. The Company shall request early termination of any waiting period under the HSR Act. The Company shall exercise its reasonable best efforts to (x) obtain termination or expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act and consents or approvals pursuant to any other applicable Antitrust Laws, (y) prevent the entry in any Action brought by a Regulatory Consent Authority or any other Person of any Governmental Order which would prohibit, make unlawful or delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (z) if any such Governmental Order is issued in any such Action, cause such Governmental Order to be lifted. The Company shall promptly notify Acquiror of any substantive communication with any Governmental Authority or third party with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and furnish to Acquiror upon request copies of any material notices or written communications received by the Company or any of its Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and the Company shall permit counsel to Acquiror an opportunity to review in advance, and the Company shall consider in good faith the views of such counsel in connection with, any proposed written communications by the Company or its Affiliates to any Governmental Authority concerning the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided, that the Company shall not extend any waiting period or comparable period under the HSR Act or enter into any agreement with any Governmental Authority to delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement without the written consent of Acquiror (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). The Company agrees to provide, to the extent permitted by the applicable Governmental Authority, Acquiror and its counsel the opportunity, on reasonable advance notice, to participate in any substantive meetings or discussions, either in person or by telephone, between the Company or any of its Affiliates, agents or advisors, on the one hand, and any Governmental Authority, on the other hand, concerning or in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. Any materials exchanged in connection with this Section 5.03 may be redacted or withheld as necessary to address reasonable privilege or confidentiality concerns of legal counsel (including in-house counsel) of the Company, and to remove competitively sensitive material; provided, that the Company may, as it deems advisable and necessary, designate any materials provided to Acquiror under this Section 5.03 as “outside counsel only.” Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, nothing in this Section 5.03 or any other provision of this Agreement shall require or obligate the Company or any of its Affiliates to, and Acquiror and Merger Sub and Affiliates shall not, without the prior written consent of the Company, agree or otherwise be required to, take any action with respect to the Company or any of its Affiliates, including selling, divesting, or otherwise disposing of, licensing, holding separate, or taking or committing to take any action that limits in any respect its freedom of action with respect to, or its ability to retain, any business, products, rights, services, licenses, assets or properties of the Company or any of its Affiliates, or any interest therein. All filing fees payable to the Regulatory Consent Authorities in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including in connection with the HSR Act, shall be paid fifty percent (50%) by the Company and fifty percent (50%) by Acquiror.

 

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5.04 No Claim Against the Trust Account. The Company acknowledges that Acquiror is a blank check company with the power and privileges to effect a merger, asset acquisition, reorganization or similar business combination involving the Company and one or more businesses or assets, and the Company has read Acquiror’s final prospectus, dated September 22, 2020 and other Acquiror SEC Reports, the Acquiror Organizational Documents, and the Trust Agreement and understands that Acquiror has established the Trust Account described therein for the benefit of Acquiror’s public shareholders and that disbursements from the Trust Account are available only in the limited circumstances set forth therein. The Company further acknowledges and agrees that Acquiror’s sole assets consist of the cash proceeds of Acquiror’s initial public offering and private placements of its securities, and that substantially all of these proceeds have been deposited in the Trust Account for the benefit of its public shareholders. The Company further acknowledges that, if the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or, in the event of termination of this Agreement, another Business Combination, are or is not consummated by September 17, 2022 or such later date as approved by the shareholders of Acquiror to complete a Business Combination, Acquiror will be obligated to return to its shareholders the amounts being held in the Trust Account. Accordingly, the Company (on behalf of itself and its Affiliates) hereby waives any past, present or future claim of any kind against, and any right to access, the Trust Account, any trustee of the Trust Account and Acquiror to collect from the Trust Account any monies that may be owed to them by Acquiror or any of its Affiliates for any reason whatsoever, and will not seek recourse against the Trust Account at any time for any reason whatsoever, including, without limitation, for any Willful Breach of this Agreement in each case prior to the Effective Time. This Section 5.04 shall survive the termination of this Agreement for any reason. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the foregoing waiver will not limit or prohibit the Company from pursuing a claim against Acquiror, Merger Sub or any other Person (a) for legal relief against monies or other assets of the Acquiror or Merger Sub held outside of the Trust Account (other than distributions therefrom directly or indirectly to stockholders of Acquiror) or for specific performance or other equitable relief in connection with the Transactions or (b) for damages for breach of this Agreement against the Acquiror (or any successor entity) or Merger Sub in the event this Agreement is terminated for any reason and the Acquiror consummates a business combination transaction with another party, in each case of (a) and (b), so long as such claim would not affect Acquiror’s ability or obligation to effectuate the redemption of any Redeeming Stockholder’s Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock.

5.05 Proxy Solicitation; Other Actions.

(a) The Company agrees to use reasonable best efforts to provide Acquiror, as soon as reasonably practicable after the date hereof to the extent required by applicable Law, including the Exchange Act, audited financial statements, including consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations, statements of cash flows, and statements of stockholders equity of the Company as of and for the years ended December 31, 2018, December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020, in each case, prepared in accordance with GAAP and Regulation S-X and audited in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. The Company shall be available to, and the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to make their officers and employees available to, in each case, during normal business hours and upon reasonable advanced

 

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notice, Acquiror and its counsel in connection with (i) the drafting of the Registration Statement and (ii) responding in a timely manner to comments on the Registration Statement from the SEC. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company shall reasonably cooperate with Acquiror in connection with Acquiror’s preparation for inclusion in the Registration Statement of pro forma financial statements that comply with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the rules and regulations of the SEC (as interpreted by the staff of the SEC) to the extent such pro forma financial statements are required by Form S-4.

(b) From and after the date on which the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Securities Act until the Closing Date, the Company will give Acquiror prompt written notice of any action taken or not taken by the Company or of any development regarding the Company, in any such case which is known by the Company, that would cause the Registration Statement to contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, that, if any such action shall be taken or fail to be taken or such development shall otherwise occur, Acquiror and the Company shall cooperate fully to cause an amendment or supplement to be made promptly to the Registration Statement, such that the Registration Statement no longer contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, further, however, that no information received by Acquiror pursuant to this Section 5.05 shall operate as a waiver or otherwise affect any representation, warranty or agreement given or made by the party who disclosed such information, and no such information shall be deemed to change, supplement or amend the Schedules.

5.06 Cooperation under the Credit Documents; Investor Rights Agreement.

(a) During the Interim Period, (i) the Company shall not terminate any commitments under the Credit Documents or the Letter of Credit without the prior written consent of Acquiror (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) and, (ii) except as contemplated pursuant to clause (b) below, the Company shall maintain in effect and comply with, in all material respects, the terms of the Credit Documents and the Letter of Credit, in each case, as in effect on the date hereof, in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions thereof.

(b) Prior to Closing, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of Acquiror (to be granted or withheld in Acquiror’s sole discretion), (i) amend or modify the Investor Rights Agreement in a manner adverse to Acquiror, or (ii) agree to shorten the 180-day “Stand-Off” period under the Investor Rights Agreement.

5.07 Incentive Company RSU Grants. Prior to Closing, to incentivize the employees and other service providers of the Company that continue to serve Acquiror on and following the Closing (each, a “Continuing Employee”), the Company may grant up to an aggregate of 825,000 Company RSUs (the “Incentive RSU Pool”). Company RSUs under the Incentive RSU Pool shall vest subject to the occurrence of each Milestone Event set forth in Section 2.09, and the Continuing Employee’s continued service to the Acquiror through each vesting date. Allocations of grants of the Incentive RSU Pool shall be determined by the Company in its sole discretion and generally based on a participant’s role and expected role with the Acquiror on and following the Closing.

 

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With respect to any Exchanged Company RSUs corresponding to Company RSUs granted from the Incentive RSU Pool that are forfeited after Closing as a result of a termination of service prior to the occurrence of a Milestone Event as set forth in Section 2.09(a), such forfeited Exchanged Company RSUs will be added back to the share pool of the Acquiror Equity Incentive Plan.

ARTICLE VI

COVENANTS OF ACQUIROR

6.01 HSR Act and Regulatory Approvals.

(a) In connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, Acquiror shall comply promptly but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days after the date hereof with the notification and reporting requirements of the HSR Act. Acquiror shall use its reasonable best efforts to submit, as soon as practicable, any other required applications or filings pursuant to any Antitrust Laws and furnish to the Company as promptly as reasonably practicable all information required for any application or other filing required to be made by the Company pursuant to any Antitrust Law.

(b) Acquiror shall request early termination of any waiting period under the HSR Act and exercise its reasonable best efforts to (i) obtain termination or expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act and consents or approvals pursuant to any other applicable Antitrust Laws, (ii) prevent the entry in any Action brought by a Regulatory Consent Authority or any other Person of any Governmental Order which would prohibit, make unlawful or delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (iii) if any such Governmental Order is issued in any such Action, cause such Governmental Order to be lifted.

(c) Acquiror shall cooperate in good faith with the Regulatory Consent Authorities and exercise its reasonable best efforts to undertake promptly any and all action required to complete lawfully the transactions contemplated by this Agreement as soon as practicable (but in any event prior to the Termination Date or the Extended Termination Date) and any and all action necessary or advisable to avoid, prevent, eliminate or remove any impediment under Antitrust Law or the actual or threatened commencement of any proceeding in any forum by or on behalf of any Regulatory Consent Authority or the issuance of any Governmental Order that would delay, enjoin, prevent, restrain or otherwise prohibit the consummation of the Merger; provided that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, nothing in this Section 6.01 or any other provision of this Agreement shall require or obligate Acquiror to take any actions, including selling, divesting, or otherwise disposing of, licensing, holding separate, or taking or committing to take any action that limits in any respect Acquiror’s or the Company’s freedom of action with respect to, or its ability to retain, any business, products, rights, services, licenses, assets or properties of Acquiror or the Company; and further provided, that, notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, nothing in this Section 6.01 or any other provision of this Agreement shall require or obligate Acquiror or any other Person to take any actions with respect to Acquiror’s Affiliates, the Sponsor, the Subscriber, their respective Affiliates and any investment funds or investment vehicles affiliated with, or managed or advised by, Acquiror’s Affiliates, the Sponsor, the Subscriber or any portfolio company (as such this term is commonly understood in the private equity industry) or investment of Acquiror’s Affiliates, Sponsor or of any such investment fund or investment vehicle.

 

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(d) Acquiror shall promptly notify the Company of any substantive communication with any Governmental Authority or third party with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and furnish to the Company upon request copies of any material notices or written communications received by Acquiror or any of its Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and Acquiror shall permit counsel to the Company an opportunity to review in advance, and Acquiror shall consider in good faith the views of such counsel in connection with, any proposed material communications by Acquiror or its Affiliates to any Governmental Authority concerning the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided, that Acquiror shall not extend any waiting period or comparable period under the HSR Act or enter into any agreement with any Governmental Authority to delay the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement without the written consent of the Company (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). Acquiror agrees to provide, to the extent permitted by the applicable Governmental Authority, the Company and its counsel the opportunity, on reasonable advance notice, to participate in any substantive meetings or discussions, either in person or by telephone, between Acquiror or any of its Affiliates, agents or advisors, on the one hand, and any Governmental Authority, on the other hand, concerning or in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. Any materials exchanged in connection with this Section 6.01 may be redacted or withheld as necessary to address reasonable privilege or confidentiality concerns of legal counsel (including in-house counsel) of Acquiror, and to remove competitively sensitive material; provided, that Acquiror may, as it deems advisable and necessary, designate any materials provided to the Company under this Section 6.01 as “outside counsel only.”

6.02 Indemnification and Insurance.

(a) From and after the Effective Time, Acquiror and the Surviving Company agree that they shall indemnify and hold harmless each present and former director and officer of the Company against any costs or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred in connection with any Action, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising out of or pertaining to matters existing or occurring at or prior to the Effective Time, whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Effective Time, to the fullest extent that the Company would have been permitted under applicable Law and its certificate of incorporation, bylaws and indemnification agreements in effect on the date of this Agreement to indemnify such Person (including the advancing of expenses as incurred to the fullest extent permitted under applicable Law). Without limiting the foregoing, Acquiror shall, and shall cause the Surviving Company to, (i) maintain for a period of not less than six (6) years from the Effective Time provisions in its certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and indemnification agreements, to the extent applicable, concerning the advancement, indemnification and exculpation (including provisions relating to expense advancement) of officers and directors that are no less favorable to those Persons than the provisions of its certificate of incorporation, bylaws, and indemnification agreements, to the extent applicable, as of the date of this Agreement and (ii) not amend, repeal or otherwise modify such provisions in any respect that would adversely affect the rights of those Persons thereunder, in each case, except as required by Law. Acquiror shall assume, and be liable for, and shall cause the Surviving Company and their respective Subsidiaries to honor, each of the covenants in this Section 6.02.

 

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(b) For a period of six years from the Effective Time, Acquiror shall, or shall cause one or more of its Subsidiaries to, maintain in effect directors’ and officers’ liability insurance covering those Persons who are currently covered by the Company’s directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policies (true, correct and complete copies of which have been heretofore made available to Acquiror or its agents or representatives) on terms not less favorable than the terms of such current insurance coverage; provided, however, that (i) Acquiror shall cause coverage to be extended under the current directors’ and officers’ liability insurance by obtaining a six-year “tail” policy containing terms not materially less favorable than the terms of such current insurance coverage with respect to claims existing or occurring at or prior to the Effective Time and (ii) if any claim is asserted or made within such six-year period, any insurance required to be maintained under this Section 6.02 shall be continued in respect of such claim until the final disposition thereof.

(c) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, this Section 6.02 shall survive the consummation of the Merger indefinitely and shall be binding, jointly and severally, on Acquiror and the Surviving Company and all successors and assigns of Acquiror and the Surviving Company. In the event that Acquiror, the Surviving Company or any of their respective successors or assigns consolidates with or merges into any other Person and shall not be the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger or transfers or conveys all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any Person, then, and in each such case, Acquiror and the Surviving Company shall ensure that proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of Acquiror or the Surviving Company, as the case may be, shall succeed to the obligations set forth in this Section 6.02. The obligations of Acquiror and the Surviving Company under this Section 6.02 shall not be terminated or modified in such a manner as to materially and adversely affect any present and former director and officer of the Company without the consent of the affected Person.

6.03 Conduct of Acquiror During the Interim Period.

(a) During the Interim Period, Acquiror and Merger Sub shall, subject to Section 7.02, carry on their business in the ordinary course of business and in accordance with applicable Law. During the Interim Period, except as set forth on Schedule 6.03 or as expressly contemplated by this Agreement or as consented to by the Company in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed), or as may be required by Law, Acquiror shall not and shall not permit Merger Sub to:

(i) change, modify or amend the Trust Agreement, the Acquiror Organizational Documents or the organizational documents of Merger Sub;

(ii) (A) make, declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any other distribution (whether in cash, stock or property) in respect of any of its outstanding capital stock or other equity interests; (B) split, combine, reclassify or otherwise change any of its capital stock or other equity interests; or (C) other than the redemption of any shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock required by the Offer or as otherwise required by Acquiror’s Organizational Documents in order to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby, repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, or offer to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, any capital stock of, or other equity interests in, Acquiror;

 

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(iii) make, revoke or change any material Tax election, adopt or change any material Tax accounting method or period, file any material Tax Return in a manner inconsistent with past practices in any material respect, file any amendment to a material Tax Return, enter into any agreement with a Governmental Authority with respect to a material amount of Taxes, settle or compromise any examination, audit or other Action with a Governmental Authority of or relating to any material Taxes or settle or compromise any claim or assessment by a Governmental Authority in respect of material Taxes, consent to any extension or waiver of the statutory period of limitations applicable to any claim or assessment in respect of Taxes, incur any liability for taxes outside the ordinary course of business, or enter into any Tax sharing, indemnification, allocation or similar agreement or arrangement (excluding any commercial contract entered into in the ordinary course of business and not primarily related to Taxes), take any action which would reasonably be expected to prevent or impede the Merger from qualifying for the Intended Tax Treatment or the Domestication from qualifying as a reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code;

(iv) other than as set forth on Schedule 6.03(a)(iv), enter into, renew or amend in any material respect, any Acquiror Affiliate Agreement (or any Contract, that if existing on the date hereof, would have constitute an Acquiror Affiliate Agreement);

(v) enter into, or amend or modify any material term of (in a manner adverse to Acquiror or Merger Sub (including the Company)), terminate (excluding any expiration in accordance with its terms), or waive or release any material rights, claims or benefits under, any Contract of a type required to be listed on Schedule 4.15(a) (or any Contract, that if existing on the date hereof, would have been required to be listed on Schedule 4.15(a)) or any collective bargaining or similar agreement (including agreements with works councils and trade unions and side letters) to which Acquiror or Merger Sub is a party or by which it is bound;

(vi) incur, create, assume, refinance, guarantee or otherwise become liable for (whether directly, contingently or otherwise) any Indebtedness;

(vii) (A) offer, issue, deliver, grant or sell, or authorize or propose to offer, issue, deliver, grant or sell, any capital stock of, or other equity interests in, Acquiror or Merger Sub or any securities convertible into, or any rights, warrants or options to acquire, any such capital stock or equity interests, other than (1) in connection with the exercise of any Pre-Domestication Acquiror Warrants outstanding on the date hereof or (2) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including the transactions contemplated by the Subscription Agreements) or (B) amend, modify or waive any of the terms or rights set forth in, any Pre-Domestication Acquiror Warrant or the Warrant Agreement, including any amendment, modification or reduction of the warrant price set forth therein;

(viii) (A) fail to maintain its existence or acquire by merger or consolidation with, or merge or consolidate with, or purchase a material portion of the assets or equity of, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or other business organization or division thereof; or (B) adopt or enter into a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, merger, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or other reorganization of Acquiror or Merger Sub (other than the transactions contemplated by this Agreement);

 

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(ix) make any capital expenditures;

(x) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person (including to any of its officers, directors, agents or consultants), make any change in its existing borrowing or lending arrangements for or on behalf of such Persons, or enter into any “keep well” or similar agreement to maintain the financial condition of any other Person;

(xi) enter into any new line of business outside of the business currently conducted by Acquiror and Merger Sub as of the date of this Agreement;

(xii) make any change in financial accounting methods, principles or practices, except insofar as may have been required by a change in GAAP (including pursuant to standards, guidelines and interpretations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or any similar organization) or applicable Law; or

(xiii) enter into any agreement or undertaking to do any action prohibited under this Section 6.03.

(b) During the Interim Period, Acquiror shall, and shall cause Merger Sub to comply with, and continue performing under, as applicable, the Acquiror Organizational Documents, the Trust Agreement and all other agreements or Contracts to which Acquiror or Merger Sub may be a party.

6.04 Trust Account. Prior to the Closing (subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article VIII), Acquiror shall make appropriate arrangements to cause the funds in the Trust Account to be disbursed in accordance with the Trust Agreement for the following: (a) the redemption of any shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock in connection with the Offer; (b) the payment of the Outstanding Acquiror Expenses pursuant to Section 2.15 and the payment of the cash in lieu of the issuance of any fractional shares pursuant to Section 2.13; and (c) the disbursement to Acquiror of the balance of the assets in the Trust Account, if any, after payment of the amounts required under the foregoing clauses (a) and (b).

6.05 Inspection. Subject to confidentiality obligations and similar restrictions that may be applicable to information furnished to Acquiror or Merger Sub by third parties that may be in Acquiror’s or Merger Sub’s possession from time to time, and except for any information which in the opinion of legal counsel (including in-house counsel) of Acquiror would result in the loss of attorney-client privilege or other privilege from disclosure or would conflict with any applicable Law or confidentiality obligations to which Acquiror or Merger Sub is bound, Acquiror shall afford to the Company, its Affiliates and their respective Representatives reasonable access during the Interim Period, during normal business hours and with reasonable advance notice, to all of their respective properties, books, projections, plans, systems, Contracts, commitments, Tax Returns, records, commitments, analyses and appropriate officers and employees of Acquiror, and shall furnish such Representatives with all financial and operating data and other information concerning the affairs of Acquiror that are in the possession of Acquiror as such Representatives may reasonably request. The parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to make alternative arrangements for such disclosure where the restrictions in the preceding sentence apply. All information obtained by the Company, its Affiliates and their respective Representatives under this Agreement shall be subject to the Confidentiality Agreement prior to the Effective Time.

 

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6.06 Acquiror Stock Exchange Listing.

(a) From the date hereof through the Closing, Acquiror shall use reasonable best efforts to ensure Acquiror remains listed as a public company on, and for shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock to be listed on, NASDAQ.

(b) Acquiror shall use reasonable best efforts to cause the Acquiror Common Stock to be issued in connection with the Transactions or otherwise reserved for issuance to be approved for listing on NYSE and, to the extent NYSE is not available to Acquiror, NASDAQ as promptly as practicable following the issuance thereof, subject to official notice of issuance, on or prior to the Closing Date and concurrently with such listing, Acquiror shall use reasonable best efforts to cause any Acquiror Common Stock that is listed on NASDAQ, to be delisted from NASDAQ. Prior to filing any document in connection therewith, the Acquiror shall give the Company a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on any proposed filings and incorporate such reasonable comments thereto.

6.07 Acquiror Public Filings. From the date hereof through the Closing, Acquiror will keep current and timely file all reports required to be filed or furnished with the SEC and otherwise comply in all material respects with its reporting obligations under applicable Securities Laws. Prior to filing or furnishing such filings with the SEC, the Acquiror shall give the Company a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on any proposed filings relating to the Transaction or the Company (or to the extent practicable and to the extent such proposed filings would reasonably be expected to be material to the Acquiror after Closing) and incorporate such reasonable comments thereto.

6.08 Financing. Acquiror and Merger Sub shall take, or cause to be taken, as promptly as practicable after the date hereof, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary (including enforcing its rights under the Subscription Agreements), on or prior to the Closing Date, to consummate the purchases contemplated by the Subscription Agreements on the terms and conditions described or contemplated therein, including using its reasonable efforts to enforce its rights under the Subscription Agreements to cause the Subscribers to pay to (or as directed by) Acquiror the applicable purchase price under each Subscriber’s applicable Subscription Agreement in accordance with its terms. Acquiror shall not modify, amend, terminate or waive the provisions of the Subscription Agreement without the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) of the Company (other than to effect such modifications, amendments, terminations or waivers that are solely ministerial in nature or otherwise immaterial and do not affect any economic or any other material term of the Subscription Agreement, provided that Acquiror shall provide the Company with prior written notice thereof).

6.09 Additional Insurance Matters. Prior to the Closing, Acquiror shall obtain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance that shall be effective as of Closing and will cover those Persons who will be the directors and officers of Acquiror and its Subsidiaries (including the directors and officers of the Company) at and after the Closing on terms customary for a typical directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy for a company whose equity is listed on NYSE which policy has a scope and amount of coverage that is reasonably appropriate for a company of similar characteristics (including the line of business and revenues) as Acquiror and its Subsidiaries (including the Company).

 

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6.10 Section 16 Matters. Prior to the Closing, the board of directors of Acquiror, or an appropriate committee of “non-employee directors” (as defined in Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act) thereof, shall adopt a resolution consistent with the interpretive guidance of the SEC so that the acquisition of Acquiror Common Stock pursuant to this Agreement and the other agreements contemplated hereby, by any person owning securities of the Company who is expected to become a director or officer (as defined under Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) of Acquiror following the Closing shall be an exempt transaction for purposes of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act pursuant to Rule 16b-3 thereunder.

6.11 Director and Officer Appointments. Except as otherwise agreed in writing by the Company and Acquiror prior to the Closing, and conditioned upon the occurrence of the Closing, subject to any limitation imposed under applicable Laws, NYSE and NASDAQ listing requirements, Acquiror shall take all actions necessary or appropriate to cause (a) the number of directors constituting the Acquiror Board to be nine (9) directors, (b) the individuals set forth on Schedule 6.11(b) to be elected as members of the Acquiror Board, effective as of the Closing and (c) the individuals set forth on Schedule 6.11(c) to be the executive officers of Acquiror effective as of the Closing. On the Closing Date, Acquiror shall enter into customary indemnification agreements reasonably satisfactory to the Company with the individuals set forth on Schedule 6.11, which indemnification agreements shall continue to be effective following the Closing.

6.12 Domestication.

(a) Prior to the consummation of the Transactions, and subject to the Supermajority Acquiror Stockholder Approval, Acquiror shall domesticate to the State of Delaware and become a Delaware corporation in accordance with Section 388 of the DGCL by (i) filing a certificate of corporate domestication with respect to the Domestication and the Acquiror Charter with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, (ii) completing, making and procuring all those filings required to be made with the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies in connection with the Domestication and (iii) obtaining a certificate of de-registration from the Cayman Islands Registrar of Companies. In connection with the Domestication, Acquiror shall adopt as Acquiror’s initial certificate of incorporation the Acquiror Charter. Acquiror shall effect the Domestication in such a way that Acquiror’s representations and warranties set forth in Article IV remain true and correct, in compliance with all applicable Law and in a matter so as to properly effectuate the purposes of this Agreement.

(b) In accordance with applicable Law, the Domestication shall provide that at the effective time of the Domestication, by virtue of the Domestication, and without any action on the part of any Acquiror Stockholder, (i) each then issued and outstanding Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock shall convert automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into a share of the Acquiror Common Stock (as part of its domestication as a corporation incorporated in the State of Delaware); (ii) each then issued and outstanding share of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Class B Stock shall convert automatically, on a one-for-one basis, into a share of Acquiror Common Stock (as part of its domestication as a corporation incorporated in the State of Delaware); and (iii) each then issued and outstanding Pre-Domestication Acquiror Warrant shall convert automatically into an Acquiror Warrant, pursuant to the Warrant Agreement.

 

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6.13 Equity Incentive Plan; Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Acquiror shall agree to a customary equity incentive plan with an initial pool of approximately 10% of the outstanding shares of Acquiror Common Stock at the Closing with an evergreen annual replenishment on January 1st of each calendar year for a period of up to 10 years of 5% of the outstanding shares of Acquiror Common Stock on December 31st of the preceding calendar year or such lesser number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock determined by the Acquiror Board (as agreed and adopted, the “Acquiror Equity Incentive Plan”) and an employee stock purchase plan with an initial pool of approximately 2% of the outstanding shares of Acquiror Common Stock at the Closing with an evergreen annual replenishment on January 1st of each calendar year for a period of up to 10 years of 1% of the outstanding shares of Acquiror Common Stock on December 31st of the preceding calendar year or such lesser number of shares of Acquiror Common Stock determined by the Acquiror Board (as agreed and adopted, the “Acquiror Employee Stock Purchase Plan”) with the Company prior to Closing and to adopt such agreed plans in advance of Closing, subject to the terms of Section 5.07.

6.14 Bylaws.

(a) After the Domestication and prior to Closing, the Acquiror shall adopt the Acquiror Bylaws.

ARTICLE VII

JOINT COVENANTS

7.01 Support of Transaction. Without limiting any covenant contained in Article V or Article VI, including the obligations of the Company and Acquiror with respect to the notifications, filings, reaffirmations and applications described in Section 5.03 and Section 6.01, respectively, which obligations shall control to the extent of any conflict with the succeeding provisions of this Section 7.01, Acquiror and the Company shall each, and Acquiror shall cause Merger Sub to: (a) use commercially reasonable efforts to assemble, prepare and file any information (and, as needed, to supplement such information) as may be reasonably necessary to obtain as promptly as practicable all governmental and regulatory consents required to be obtained in connection with the Transactions, (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all material consents and approvals of third parties that any of Acquiror, the Company, or their respective Affiliates are required to obtain in order to consummate the Transactions, including any required approvals of parties to Material Contracts with the Company, and (c) take such other action as may reasonably be necessary or as another party may reasonably request to satisfy the conditions of Article VIII or otherwise to comply with this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions as soon as practicable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall Acquiror, Merger Sub or the Company be obligated to bear any expense or pay any fee or grant any concession in connection with obtaining any consents, authorizations or approvals pursuant to the terms of any Contract to which the Company is a party or otherwise in connection with the consummation of the Transactions.

 

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7.02 Exclusivity.

(a) From the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the Closing or the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, the Company shall not, and shall cause its Representatives not to, directly or indirectly: (i) solicit, initiate, encourage (including by means of furnishing or disclosing information), knowingly facilitate, discuss or negotiate, directly or indirectly, any inquiry, proposal or offer (written or oral) with respect to a Company Acquisition Proposal; (ii) furnish or disclose any non-public information to any Person in connection with, or that could reasonably be expected to lead to, a Company Acquisition Proposal; (iii) enter into any Contract or other arrangement or understanding regarding a Company Acquisition Proposal; (iv) make any filings with the SEC in connection with a public offering of any equity or other securities of the Company (or any Affiliate or successor of the Company); or (v) otherwise cooperate in any way with, or assist or participate in, or knowingly facilitate or encourage any effort or attempt by any Person (other than Acquiror) to do or seek to do any of the foregoing. The Company agrees to (A) notify Acquiror promptly (and, in any event, within one (1) Business Day) upon receipt of any Company Acquisition Proposal by the Company, describing the material terms and conditions thereof in reasonable detail (including the identity of the Persons making such Company Acquisition Proposal), (B) keep Acquiror reasonably informed on a current basis of any modifications to such offer or information and (C) refrain from (and to cause its Subsidiaries and their respective Representatives to refrain from) conducting any further discussions with, providing any information to or entering into negotiations with such Persons. The Company shall immediately cease and cause to be terminated any discussions or negotiations with any Persons (other than Acquiror and its Representatives) that may be ongoing with respect to a Company Acquisition Proposal and terminate any such Person’s and such Person’s Representative’s access to any electronic data room.

(b) From the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the Closing or the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, Acquiror shall not, and shall cause its Representatives not to, directly or indirectly: (i) solicit, initiate, encourage (including by means of furnishing or disclosing information), knowingly facilitate, discuss or negotiate, directly or indirectly, any inquiry, proposal or offer (written or oral) with respect to an Acquiror Acquisition Proposal; (ii) furnish or disclose any non-public information to any Person in connection with, or that could reasonably be expected to lead to, an Acquiror Acquisition Proposal; (iii) enter into any Contract or other arrangement or understanding regarding an Acquiror Acquisition Proposal; or (iv) otherwise cooperate in any way with, or assist or participate in, or knowingly facilitate or encourage any effort or attempt by any Person (other than the Company) to do or seek to do any of the foregoing. Acquiror agrees to (A) notify the Company promptly (and, in any event, within one (1) Business Day) upon receipt of any Acquiror Acquisition Proposal by Acquiror, describing the material terms and conditions thereof in reasonable detail (including the identity of any person or entity making such Acquiror Acquisition Proposal) and (B) keep the Company reasonably informed on a current basis of any modifications to such offer or information.

 

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For the avoidance of doubt, it is understood and agreed that the covenants and agreements contained in this Section 7.02 shall not prohibit the Company, Acquiror or any of their respective Representatives from taking any actions in the ordinary course that are not otherwise in violation of this Section 7.02 (such as answering phone calls) or informing any Person inquiring about a possible Company Acquisition Proposal or Acquiror Acquisition Proposal, as applicable, of the existence of the covenants and agreements contained in this Section 7.02.

7.03 Preparation of Registration Statement; Special Meeting; Solicitation of Company Stockholder Approvals.

(a) As promptly as practicable following the execution and delivery of this Agreement and in any event no later than fifteen (15) Business Days following the date of the delivery of the financial statements described in Section 5.05(a), Acquiror shall prepare, with the assistance of the Company, and cause to be filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4 (as amended or supplemented from time to time, and including the Proxy Statement contained therein, the “Registration Statement”) in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of all shares of the Acquiror Common Stock to be issued under this Agreement (including any Earnout Stock and Exchanged Company RSUs), which Registration Statement will also contain the Proxy Statement. Each of Acquiror and the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement to comply with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC, to have the Registration Statement declared effective under the Securities Act as promptly as practicable after such filing and to keep the Registration Statement effective as long as is necessary to consummate the Merger. Each of Acquiror and the Company shall furnish all information concerning it as may reasonably be requested by the other party in connection with such actions and the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement. Promptly after the Registration Statement is declared effective under the Securities Act, Acquiror will cause the Proxy Statement to be mailed to shareholders of Acquiror. Acquiror and the Company shall each bear half (50%) of all fees and expenses incurred in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement and the receipt of stock exchange approval in connection with the listing of Acquiror Common Stock to be issued as Merger Consideration on the Closing Date, other than fees and expenses of advisors (which shall be borne by party incurring such fees).

(b) Each of Acquiror and the Company shall cooperate and mutually agree upon (such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), any response to comments of the SEC or its staff with respect to the Registration Statement and any amendment to the Registration Statement filed in response thereto. If Acquiror or the Company becomes aware that any information contained in the Registration Statement shall have become false or misleading in any material respect or that the Registration Statement is required to be amended in order to comply with applicable Law, then (i) such party shall promptly inform the other party and (ii) Acquiror, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, shall cooperate and mutually agree upon (such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) an amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement. Acquiror and the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to cause the Registration Statement as so amended or supplemented, to be filed with the SEC and to be disseminated to the holders of shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock, as applicable, in each case pursuant to applicable Law and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Acquiror Organizational Documents. Each of the Company and Acquiror shall provide the other parties with copies of any written comments, and shall inform such other parties of any oral comments, that Acquiror receives from the SEC or its staff with respect to the Registration Statement promptly after the receipt of such comments and shall give the other parties a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on any proposed written or oral responses to such comments prior to responding to the SEC or its staff.

 

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(c) Acquiror agrees to include provisions in the Proxy Statement and to take reasonable action related thereto, with respect to (i) approval of the Transactions, including the Business Combination (as defined in the Articles of Association), and the adoption and approval of this Agreement (the “Transaction Proposal”), (ii) approval of the Acquiror Charter (the “Charter Proposal”), (iii) approval of the issuance of the Acquiror Common Stock as Merger Consideration and pursuant to the Subscription Agreements in accordance with the rules of NYSE and NASDAQ (the “NYSE/NASDAQ Proposal”), (iv) approval and adoption of the Acquiror Equity Incentive Plan and the Acquiror Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Acquiror Equity Plans Proposal”), (v) adjournment of the Special Meeting, if necessary, to permit further solicitation of proxies because there are not sufficient votes to approve and adopt any of the foregoing proposals, (vi) the Domestication (the “Domestication Proposal”) and (vii) approval of any other proposals reasonably agreed by Acquiror and the Company to be necessary or appropriate in connection with the Transactions contemplated hereby (each, an “Additional Proposal” and together with the Transaction Proposal, the Charter Proposal, the NYSE/NASDAQ Proposal, the Acquiror Equity Plans Proposal and the Domestication Proposal, the “Proposals”). Without the prior written consent of the Company, the Proposals shall be the only matters (other than procedural matters) which Acquiror shall propose to be acted on by Acquiror Stockholders at the Special Meeting.

(d) Acquiror shall use reasonable best efforts to, as promptly as practicable after the Registration Statement is declared effective under the Securities Act, (i) establish the record date (which record date shall be mutually agreed with the Company) for, duly call, give notice of, convene and hold the Special Meeting in accordance with the Articles of Association, (ii) cause the Proxy Statement to be disseminated to Acquiror Stockholders in compliance with applicable Law and (iii) solicit proxies from the holders of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock to vote in favor of each of the Proposals. Acquiror shall, through the Acquiror Board, recommend to its shareholders that they approve the Proposals (the “Acquiror Board Recommendation”) and shall include the Acquiror Board Recommendation in the Proxy Statement. The Acquiror Board shall not (and no committee or subgroup thereof shall) withdraw, modify, amend or qualify (or propose to withdraw, modify, amend or qualify publicly) the Acquiror Board Recommendation, or fail to include the Acquiror Board Recommendation in the Proxy Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.03(d), if on a date for which the Special Meeting is scheduled, Acquiror has not received proxies representing a sufficient number of shares of Pre-Domestication Acquiror Common Stock to obtain the Acquiror Stockholder Approvals, as applicable, whether or not a quorum is present, Acquiror shall have the right to make one or more successive postponements or adjournments of the Special Meeting in accordance with the Articles of Association; provided, that the Special Meeting, without the prior written consent of the Company, (x) may not be adjourned or postponed to a date that is more than ten (10) Business Days after the date for which the Special Meeting was originally scheduled or the most recently adjourned Special Meeting (excluding any adjournments or postponements required by applicable Law) and (y) is held no later than four (4) Business Days prior to the Termination Date.

 

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(e) As promptly as practicable after the Registration Statement becomes effective, the Company shall solicit a consent in writing or by electronic transmission from the Company Stockholders approving and adopting this Agreement, the Preferred Stock Conversion, the Merger and, to the extent required by Law, the Transactions (when executed by the Company Stockholders holding (i) at least a majority of all outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and Company Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis, (ii) at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the then-outstanding shares of Company Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class on an as-converted basis (collectively, the “Company Stockholder Approvals”)). In connection therewith, the Company shall use reasonable best efforts to, as promptly as practicable, (A) establish the record date (which record date shall be mutually agreed with Acquiror) for determining the Company Stockholders entitled to provide such written consent and (B) solicit written consents from the Company Stockholders to give the Company Stockholder Approvals. The Company shall, through the Company Board, recommend to the Company Stockholders that they adopt this Agreement (the “Company Board Recommendation”), subject to the provisions of this Section 7.03(e). The Company Board shall not (and no committee or subgroup thereof shall) withdraw, modify, amend or qualify (or propose to withdraw, modify, amend or qualify publicly) the Company Board Recommendation. The Company will provide Acquiror with copies of all shareholder consents it receives within one (1) Business Day of receipt. If the Company Stockholder Approvals are obtained, then promptly following the receipt of the required consents in writing or by electronic transmission, the Company will prepare and deliver to its shareholders who have not consented the notice required by Sections 228(e) and 262 of the DGCL.

(f) Subject to receipt of the Company Stockholder Approvals, the Company shall take all actions necessary to effect the conversion of all outstanding shares of Company Preferred Stock into shares of Company Common Stock (the “Preferred Stock Conversion”) as of immediately prior to the Effective Time.

7.04 Tax Matters.

(a) Transfer Taxes. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, all transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration, value added or other similar Taxes incurred in connection with the Transactions (“Transfer Taxes”) shall be paid fifty percent (50%) by the Company and fifty percent (50%) by Acquiror. The Company and Acquiror further agree to reasonably cooperate to reduce or eliminate the amount of any such Transfer Taxes.

(b) Tax Treatment. The parties intend that, for United States federal income tax purposes, (i) the Domestication shall constitute a transaction treated as a “reorganization” pursuant to Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations, (ii) the Merger shall constitute a transaction treated as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations to which each of Acquiror, Merger Sub and the Company are to be parties under Section 368(b) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations, and (iii) this Agreement is intended to be, and is adopted as, a plan of reorganization for purposes of Sections 354, 361 and the 368 of the Code and within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-2(g). The parties shall not, and shall not permit or cause their respective Affiliates to, take any action, or knowingly fail to take any action, which action or failure to act prevents or impedes, or would reasonably be expected to prevent or impede, the Merger from qualifying for Intended Tax Treatment. The Merger shall be reported by the parties for all Tax purposes in accordance with the foregoing, unless otherwise required by a Tax Authority as a result of a “determination” within the

 

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meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code (or any similar or corresponding provision of applicable Law). The parties hereto shall, and shall cause their Affiliates to, cooperate with each other and their respective counsel to document and support the Tax treatment of the Domestication as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code and the Merger as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code. If the Company determines, based on the advice of Wilson Sonsini or other nationally recognized tax counsel, that an alternative transaction structure is necessary to preserve the Intended Tax Treatment, the parties shall use the following alternative transaction steps: (A) Acquiror shall form SCharge Merger Sub II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Merger Sub II”), wholly owned by Acquiror and treated as an entity disregarded from its owner for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (B) Merger Sub shall merge with and into the Company pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, with the Company surviving as the Surviving Corporation (the “First Merger”), and (C) immediately following the First Merger and as part of the same overall transaction as the First Merger, the Surviving Corporation will merge with and into Merger Sub II, with Merger Sub II surviving as the surviving entity (the “Surviving Entity”, and such merger, the “Second Merger”). The Second Merger shall be consummated immediately after the First Merger upon filing of the certificate of merger. Upon the effective time of the Second Merger, (x) each share of common stock of the Surviving Corporation issued and outstanding as of immediately prior to the effective time of the Second Merger shall be cancelled and shall cease to exist without any conversion thereof or payment therefor; and (y) the membership interests of Merger Sub II outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Second Merger shall be converted into and become the membership interests of the Surviving Entity, which shall constitute 100% of the outstanding equity interests of the Surviving Entity. From and after the effective time of the Second Merger, the membership interests of Merger Sub II shall be deemed for all purposes to represent the number of membership interests into which they were converted in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence. The parties intend that the First Merger and the Second Merger shall be treated as an integrated transaction and together shall qualify for the Intended Tax Treatment, and this Agreement is hereby adopted as a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.368-2(g).

(c) FIRPTA Certificate. On the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver to Acquiror (i) a certification from the Company pursuant to Treasury Regulations Section 1.1445-2(c)(3) and (ii) a notice of such certification to the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to Treasury Regulations Section 1.897-2(h)(2), in each case, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Acquiror, dated as of the Closing Date and duly signed by a responsible corporate officer of the Company.

(d) Registration Statement / Proxy Statement / Tax Opinions. If, in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement / Proxy Statement, the SEC requests or requires that tax opinions be prepared and submitted in such connection, Acquiror and the Company shall deliver to Kirkland & Ellis and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C., respectively, customary Tax representation letters satisfactory to its counsel, dated and executed as of the date the Registration Statement / Proxy Statement shall have been declared effective by the SEC and such other date(s) as determined reasonably necessary by such counsel in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration Statement / Proxy Statement, and, if required, Kirkland & Ellis LLP shall furnish an opinion, subject to customary assumptions and limitations, to the effect that the Domestication should be treated as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F) of the Code and, if required, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. shall furnish an opinion, subject to customary assumptions and limitations, to the effect that the Intended Tax Treatment should apply to the Merger.

 

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(e) Tax Matters Cooperation. Each of the parties shall (and shall cause their respective Affiliates to) cooperate fully, as and to the extent reasonably requested by another party, in connection with the filing of relevant Tax Returns, and any audit or tax proceeding. Such cooperation shall include the retention and (upon the other party’s request) the provision (with the right to make copies) of records and information reasonably relevant to any Tax proceeding or audit, making employees available on a mutually convenient basis to provide additional information and explanation of any material provided hereunder and making available to the Sponsor information reasonably requested by the Sponsor and in possession of the Surviving Company to enable it or other Acquiror Stockholders prior to the Domestication to compute any income arising in respect of their ownership in Acquiror prior to the Domestication or file relevant Tax Returns, including posting a PFIC Annual Information Statement prepared by or at the direction of the Sponsor (and at the Sponsor’s expense) to the website of the Surviving Company.

(f) Acquiror Taxable Year. The parties agree to treat the taxable year of Acquiror as ending on the date that the Domestication is consummated for U.S. federal income Tax purposes.

7.05 Confidentiality; Publicity.

(a) Acquiror acknowledges that the information being provided to it in connection with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby is subject to the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.

(b) None of Acquiror, Merger Sub, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates shall make any public announcement or issue any public communication regarding this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, or any matter related to the foregoing, without first obtaining the prior consent of the Company or Acquiror, as applicable (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), except if such announcement or other communication is required by applicable Law or legal process (including pursuant to the Securities Law or the rules of any national securities exchange), in which case Acquiror or the Company, as applicable, shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to coordinate such announcement or communication with the other party, prior to announcement or issuance and allow the other party a reasonable opportunity to comment thereon (which shall be considered by Acquiror or the Company, as applicable, in good faith); provided, however, that, notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, (i) each party and its Affiliates may make announcements and may provide information regarding this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby to their respective owners, their Affiliates, and its and their respective directors, officers, employees, managers, advisors, direct and indirect investors and prospective investors without the consent of any other party hereto and (ii) the Company may exercise its rights and communicate with third parties as contemplated by Section 7.02; and provided, further, that subject to Section 5.02 and this Section 7.05, the foregoing shall not prohibit any party hereto from communicating with third parties to the extent necessary for the purpose of seeking any third party consent.

 

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7.06 Post-Closing Cooperation; Further Assurances. Following the Closing, each party shall, on the request of any other party, execute such further documents, and perform such further acts, as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate to give full effect to the allocation of rights, benefits, obligations and liabilities contemplated by this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby.

7.07 Transaction Litigation. From and after the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the Closing or termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, Acquiror, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, shall each notify the other in writing promptly after learning of any stockholder demands or other stockholder actions (including derivative claims) relating to this Agreement, any Ancillary Agreements or any matters relating thereto (collectively, the “Transaction Litigation”) commenced against, in the case of Acquiror, any of Acquiror or any of its respective Representatives (in their capacity as a Representative of Acquiror) or, in the case of the Company, any of the Company or any of its Representatives (in their capacity as a Representative of the Company). Acquiror and the Company shall each (i) keep the other reasonably informed regarding any Transaction Litigation, (ii) give the other the opportunity to, at its own cost and expense, participate in the defense, settlement and compromise of any such Transaction Litigation and reasonably cooperate with the other in connection with the defense, settlement and compromise of any such Transaction Litigation, (iii) consider in good faith the other’s advice with respect to any such Transaction Litigation and (iv) reasonably cooperate with each other; provided, however, that in no event shall (x) Acquiror or any of its respective Representatives settle or compromise any Transaction Litigation without the prior written consent of the Company (not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), or (y) any Company or any of their respective Representatives settle or compromise any Transaction Litigation without the prior written consent of Acquiror (not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).

ARTICLE VIII

CONDITIONS TO OBLIGATIONS

8.01 Conditions to Obligations of All Parties. The obligations of the parties hereto to consummate, or cause to be consummated, the Merger are subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions, any one or more of which may be waived (if legally permitted) in writing by all of such parties:

(a) Antitrust Law Approval. (i) All applicable waiting periods (and any extensions thereof) under the HSR Act in respect of the Transactions shall have expired or been terminated, (ii) all waiting periods (and any extensions thereof) under any Antitrust Laws in the jurisdictions listed in Schedule 8.01(a) that are required to be terminated or expired prior to the Closing shall have terminated or expired, and all approvals, clearances or authorizations under any Antitrust Laws in the jurisdictions listed in Schedule 8.01(a) required to be obtained prior to the Closing shall have been obtained, and (iii) any agreement with any Governmental Authority not to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby shall have expired or been terminated.

 

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(b) No Prohibition. No Governmental Authority shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any Law, judgment, decree, executive order or award which is then in effect and has the effect of making the Transactions, including the Merger, illegal or otherwise prohibiting or enjoining consummation of the Transactions, including the Merger.

(c) Offer Completion. The Offer shall have been completed in accordance with the terms hereof and the Proxy Statement.

(d) Registration Statement. The Registration Statement shall have become effective under the Securities Act and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been initiated or threatened by the SEC and not withdrawn.

(e) Acquiror Stockholder Approvals. The Acquiror Stockholder Approvals shall have been obtained.

8.02 Additional Conditions to Obligations of Acquiror. The obligations of Acquiror to consummate, or cause to be consummated, the Merger are subject to the satisfaction of the following additional conditions, any one or more of which may be waived in writing by Acquiror:

(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 3.01 (Organization, Standing and Corporate Power), Section 3.02(a) (Corporate Authority; Approval; Non-Contravention), Section 3.04 (Capitalization), Section 3.08(d) (Absence of Certain Changes or Events) and Section 3.23 (Brokers) shall each be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date as though made on the Closing Date, except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date. All other representations and warranties of the Company contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct (without giving any effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “Material Adverse Effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein) as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of the Closing Date, except (i) to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date and (ii) where the failure of such representations and warranties to be true and correct (whether as of the Closing Date or such earlier date), taken as a whole, does not result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(b) Agreements and Covenants. Each of the covenants of the Company to be performed or complied with as of or prior to the Closing shall have been performed or complied with in all material respects.

(c) Officers Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to Acquiror a certificate signed by an officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date, certifying that, to the knowledge and belief of such officer, the conditions specified in Section 8.02(a) and Section 8.02(b) have been fulfilled.

(d) No Material Adverse Effect. Since the Date of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect that is continuing.

 

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8.03 Additional Conditions to the Obligations of the Company. The obligation of the Company to consummate the Merger is subject to the satisfaction of the following additional conditions, any one or more of which may be waived in writing by the Company:

(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of Acquiror and Merger Sub contained in Section 4.01 (Organization, Standing and Corporate Power), Section 4.02(a) (Corporate Authority; Approval; Non-Contravention), Section 4.10(h)(i) (Absence of Certain Changes or Events), Section 4.08 (Brokers) and Section 4.13 (Capitalization) shall each be true and correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date as though made on the Closing Date, except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date. All other representations and warranties of Acquiror and Merger Sub contained in this Agreement shall be true and correct (without giving any effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “material adverse effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein) as of the Closing Date, as though made on and as of the Closing Date, except (i) to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date and (ii) where the failure of such representations and warranties to be true and correct (whether as of the Closing Date or such earlier date), taken as a whole, does not result in a material adverse effect on Acquiror.

(b) Agreements and Covenants. Each of the covenants of Acquiror to be performed or complied with as of or prior to the Closing shall have been performed or complied with in all material respects.

(c) Officers Certificate. Acquiror shall have delivered to the Company a certificate signed by an officer of Acquiror, dated the Closing Date, certifying that, to the knowledge and belief of such officer, the conditions specified in Section 8.03(a) and Section 8.03(b) have been fulfilled.

(d) NYSE. The Acquiror Common Stock to be issued in connection with the Transactions shall have been approved for listing on NYSE or, to the extent NYSE is not available to Acquiror, NASDAQ subject only to official notice of issuance thereof and the requirement to have a sufficient number of round lot holders.

(e) Company’s Required Funds. The Closing Acquiror Cash shall equal or exceed two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000.00), and Acquiror shall have made arrangements for the Closing Acquiror Cash held in the Trust Account to be released from the Trust Account at the Effective Time.

(f) Director and Officer Appointments. The individuals listed on Schedule 6.11(b) shall be elected and seated as members of the Acquiror Board, and the individuals set forth on Schedule 6.11(c) shall be appointed as the executive officers of Acquiror, in each case effective as of the Closing.

(g) Domestication. The Domestication shall have been completed as provided in this Agreement and a time-stamped copy of the certificates issued by the Secretary of State of Delaware in relation thereto shall have been delivered to the Company.

 

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ARTICLE IX

TERMINATION/EFFECTIVENESS

9.01 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated, and the transactions contemplated hereby abandoned:

(a) by mutual written consent of the Company and Acquiror;

(b) prior to the Closing, by written notice to the Company from Acquiror if (i) there is any breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement on the part of the Company set forth in this Agreement, such that any condition specified in Section 8.02(a), Section 8.02(b) or Section 8.02(d) would not be satisfied at the Closing (a “Terminating Company Breach”), except that, if any such Terminating Company Breach is curable by the Company through the exercise of its commercially reasonable efforts, then, for a period of up to fifteen (15) Business Days (or any shorter period of the time that remains between the date Acquiror provides written notice of such violation or breach and the Termination Date) after receipt by the Company of notice from Acquiror of such breach, but only as long as the Company continues to use its commercially reasonable efforts to cure such Terminating Company Breach (the “Company Cure Period”), such termination shall not be effective, and such termination shall become effective only if the Terminating Company Breach is not cured within the Company Cure Period, (ii) the Closing has not occurred on or before November 6, 2021 (the “Termination Date”) provided, that if, as of the time the Termination Date would have otherwise occurred, all other conditions to Closing set forth in Article VIII, other than any or all of the conditions to Closing set forth in Section 8.01(a) and Section 8.03(d) are satisfied (and other than those conditions which, by their terms, are incapable of being satisfied before the Closing), then the Termination Date will be extended without any further action by any party until December 6, 2021 (the “Extended Termination Date”), or (iii) the consummation of the Merger is permanently enjoined or prohibited by the terms of a final, non-appealable Governmental Order or other Law; provided, that the right to terminate this Agreement under Section 9.01(b)(ii) shall not be available if Acquiror’s failure to fulfill any obligation under this Agreement has been the primary cause of, or primarily resulted in, the failure of the Closing to occur on or before such date; provided, further, that the right to terminate this Agreement under Section 9.01(b)(ii) shall not be available if Acquiror is in breach of this Agreement on such date, which breach could give rise to a right of the Company to terminate this Agreement;

(c) prior to the Closing, by written notice to Acquiror from the Company if (i) there is any breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement on the part of Acquiror set forth in this Agreement, such that any condition specified in Section 8.03(a) or Section 8.03(b) would not be satisfied at the Closing (a “Terminating Acquiror Breach”), except that, if any such Terminating Acquiror Breach is curable by Acquiror through the exercise of its commercially reasonable efforts, then, for a period of up to fifteen (15) Business Days (or any shorter period of the time that remains between the date the Company provides written notice of such violation or breach and the Termination Date) after receipt by Acquiror of notice from the Company of such breach, but only as long as Acquiror continues to use its commercially

 

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reasonable efforts to cure such Terminating Acquiror Breach (the “Acquiror Cure Period”), such termination shall not be effective, and such termination shall become effective only if the Terminating Acquiror Breach is not cured within the Acquiror Cure Period, (ii) the Closing has not occurred on or before the Termination Date or the Extended Termination Date, or (iii) the consummation of the Merger is permanently enjoined or prohibited by the terms of a final, non-appealable Governmental Order or other Law; provided, that the right to terminate this Agreement under Section 9.01(c)(ii) shall not be available if the Company’s failure to fulfill any obligation under this Agreement has been the primary cause of, or primarily resulted in, the failure of the Closing to occur on or before such date; provided, further, that the right to terminate this Agreement under Section 9.01(c)(ii) shall not be available if the Company is in breach of this Agreement on such date, which breach could give rise to a right of Acquiror to terminate this Agreement;

(d) by written notice from either the Company or Acquiror to the other if either Acquiror Stockholder Approval is not obtained at the Special Meeting (subject to any adjournment or recess of the meeting); or

(e) by written notice from Acquiror to the Company if the Company Stockholder Approvals have not been obtained within two (2) Business Days following the date that the Registration Statement is declared effective, provided that Acquiror’s right to terminate this Agreement under Section 9.01(e) shall automatically terminate once the Company has delivered evidence that the Company Stockholder Approvals have been obtained if such Company Stockholder Approvals were delivered before notice of termination is delivered pursuant to this Section 9.01(e).

9.02 Effect of Termination

. Except as otherwise set forth in this Section 9.02, in the event of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 9.01, this Agreement shall forthwith become void and have no effect, without any liability on the part of any party hereto or its respective Affiliates, officers, directors, employees, shareholders or stockholders, other than liability of any party hereto for any Willful Breach of this Agreement by such party occurring prior to such termination. The provisions of Sections 5.04, 7.05, 9.02 and Article X (collectively, the “Surviving Provisions”) and the Confidentiality Agreement, and any other Section or Article of this Agreement referenced in the Surviving Provisions, to the extent required to survive in order to give appropriate effect to the Surviving Provisions, shall in each case survive any termination of this Agreement.

ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

10.01 Waiver. Any party to this Agreement may, at any time prior to the Closing, by action taken by its board of directors, or officers thereunto duly authorized, waive any of the terms or conditions of this Agreement, or agree to an amendment or modification to this Agreement in the manner contemplated by Section 10.10 and by an agreement in writing executed in the same manner (but not necessarily by the same Persons) as this Agreement.

 

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10.02 Notices. All notices and other communications among the parties shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) when delivered in person, (ii) when delivered after posting in the United States mail having been sent registered or certified mail return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (iii) when delivered by FedEx or other nationally recognized overnight delivery service or (iv) when e-mailed during normal business hours (and otherwise as of the immediately following Business Day), addressed as follows:

 

  (a)

If to Acquiror or Merger Sub, to:

ACON S2 Acquisition Corp.

1133 Connecticut Avenue NW

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20036

Attn:     Adam Kriger

E-mail: akriger@aconinvestments.com

with a copy to:

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

609 Main Street

Houston, TX 77002

Attn:     Douglas Bacon

             Shawn O’Hargan

E-mail: douglas.bacon@kirkland.com

             shawn.ohargan@kirkland.com

 

  (b)

If to the Company to:

ESS Tech, Inc.

26440 SW Parkway Ave.,

Bldg. 83

Wilsonville, OR. 97070

Attn:     Craig Evans

E-mail: craig.evans@essinc.com

with a copy to:

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

650 Page Mill Road

Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050

Attn:     Mark Baudler

             Andrew Hoffman

E-mail: mbaudler@wsgr.com

             ahoffman@wsgr.com

or to such other address or addresses as the parties may from time to time designate in writing.

10.03 Assignment. No party hereto shall assign this Agreement or any part hereof without the prior written consent of the other parties. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors

 

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and assigns. Any attempted assignment in violation of the terms of this Section 10.03 shall be null and void, ab initio.

10.04 Rights of Third Parties. Nothing expressed or implied in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give any Person, other than the parties hereto, any right or remedies under or by reason of this Agreement; provided, however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) in the event the Closing occurs, the present and former officers and directors of the Company and Acquiror (and their successors and representatives) are intended third-party beneficiaries of, and may enforce, Section 6.02 and Section 6.11 and (b) the past, present and future directors, officers, employees, incorporators, members, partners, stockholders, shareholders, Affiliates, agents, attorneys, advisors and representatives of the parties, and any Affiliate of any of the foregoing (and their successors, heirs and representatives), are intended third-party beneficiaries of, and may enforce, Sections 10.14 and 10.16.

10.05 Expenses. Except as otherwise provided herein (including Section 2.15 and Section 7.04(a)), each party hereto shall bear its own expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions herein contemplated whether or not such transactions shall be consummated, including all fees of its legal counsel, financial advisers and accountants.

10.06 Governing Law. This Agreement, and all claims or causes of action based upon, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the Laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to principles or rules of conflict of laws to the extent such principles or rules would require or permit the application of Laws of another jurisdiction; provided, that, the Domestication shall be effected in accordance with both the DGCL and the CLCI, without giving effect to principles or rules of conflict of laws to the extent such principles or rules would require or permit the application of Laws of another jurisdiction.

10.07 Captions; Counterparts. The captions in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not be considered a part of or affect the construction or interpretation of any provision of this Agreement. 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.

10.08 Schedules and Exhibits. The Schedules and Exhibits referenced herein are a part of this Agreement as if fully set forth herein. All references herein to Schedules and Exhibits shall be deemed references to such parts of this Agreement, unless the context shall otherwise require. Any disclosure made by a party in the Schedules with reference to any section or schedule of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a disclosure with respect to all other sections or schedules to which such disclosure may apply solely to the extent the relevance of such disclosure is reasonably apparent on the face of the disclosure in such Schedule. Certain information set forth in the Schedules is included solely for informational purposes.

10.09 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (together with the Schedules and Exhibits to this Agreement), the Ancillary Agreements and the Confidentiality Agreement constitute the entire agreement among the parties relating to the transactions contemplated hereby and supersede any other agreements, whether written or oral, that may have been made or entered into by or among any of the parties hereto or any of their respective Subsidiaries relating to the transactions

 

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contemplated hereby. No representations, warranties, covenants, understandings, agreements, oral or otherwise, relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement exist between the parties except as expressly set forth or referenced in this Agreement and the Confidentiality Agreement.

10.10 Amendments. This Agreement may be amended or modified in whole or in part, only by a duly authorized agreement in writing executed in the same manner as this Agreement (but not necessarily by the same natural persons who executed this Agreement) and which makes reference to this Agreement. The approval of this Agreement by the stockholders of any of the parties shall not restrict the ability of the board of directors of any of the parties to terminate this Agreement in accordance with Section 9.01 or to cause such party to enter into an amendment to this Agreement pursuant to this Section 10.10.

10.11 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, the other provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. The parties further agree that if any provision contained herein is, to any extent, held invalid or unenforceable in any respect under the Laws governing this Agreement, they shall take any actions necessary to render the remaining provisions of this Agreement valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by Law and shall amend or otherwise modify this Agreement to replace any provision contained herein that is held invalid or unenforceable with a valid and enforceable provision giving effect to the intent of the parties.

10.12 Jurisdiction; WAIVER OF TRIAL BY JURY. Any Action based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement, or the transactions contemplated hereby, shall be brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court lacks jurisdiction, the state or federal courts in the State of Delaware, and each of the parties irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of each such court in any such Action, waives any objection it may now or hereafter have to personal jurisdiction, venue or to convenience of forum, agrees that all claims in respect of the Action shall be heard and determined only in any such court, and agrees not to bring any Action arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in any other court; provided that the courts of the Cayman Islands shall have jurisdiction over the Domestication to the extent required by the CLCI. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to affect the right of any party to serve process in any manner permitted by Law, or to commence legal proceedings or otherwise proceed against any other party in any other jurisdiction, in each case, to enforce judgments obtained in any Action brought pursuant to this Section 10.12. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION BASED UPON, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO CERTIFIES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (A) NO REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER, (B) EACH SUCH PARTY UNDERSTANDS AND HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS WAIVER, (C) EACH SUCH PARTY MAKES THIS WAIVER VOLUNTARILY, AND (D) EACH SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS IN THIS SECTION 10.12.

 

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10.13 Enforcement. The parties agree that irreparable damage for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy, would occur in the event that the parties do not perform their obligations under the provisions of this Agreement (including failing to take such actions as are required of them hereunder to consummate this Agreement) in accordance with its specified terms or otherwise breach such provisions. The parties acknowledge and agree that (a) the parties shall be entitled to an injunction, specific performance, or other equitable relief, to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, without proof of damages, prior to the valid termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 9.01, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled under this Agreement, and (b) the right of specific enforcement is an integral part of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and without that right, none of the parties would have entered into this Agreement. Each party agrees that it will not oppose the granting of specific performance and other equitable relief on the basis that the other parties have an adequate remedy at Law or that an award of specific performance is not an appropriate remedy for any reason at Law or equity. The parties acknowledge and agree that any party seeking an injunction to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement in accordance with this Section 10.13 shall not be required to provide any bond or other security in connection with any such injunction.

10.14 Non-Recourse. This Agreement may only be enforced against, and any claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of, or related to this Agreement may only be brought against, the entities that are expressly named as parties hereto, and then only with respect to the specific obligations set forth herein with respect to such party. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall limit the Liability of any Party for Fraud or Willful Breach committed by such Party.

10.15 Non-survival of Representations, Warranties and Covenants. None of the representations, warranties, covenants, obligations or other agreements in this Agreement or in any certificate, statement or instrument delivered pursuant to this Agreement, including any rights arising out of any breach of such representations, warranties, covenants, obligations, agreements and other provisions, shall survive the Closing and shall terminate and expire upon the occurrence of the Effective Time (and there shall be no liability after the Closing in respect thereof), except for (a) those covenants and agreements contained herein that by their terms expressly apply in whole or in part after the Closing and then only with respect to any breaches occurring after the Closing and (b) this Article X.

10.16 Acknowledgements. Each of the parties acknowledges and agrees (on its own behalf and on behalf of its respective Affiliates and its and their respective Representatives) that: (a) it has conducted its own independent investigation of the financial condition, results of operations, assets, liabilities, properties and projected operations of the other parties (and their respective Subsidiaries) and has been afforded satisfactory access to the books and records, facilities and personnel of the other parties (and their respective Subsidiaries) for purposes of conducting such investigation; (b) the Company Representations constitute the sole and exclusive representations and warranties of the Company in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby; (c) the Acquiror and Merger Sub Representations constitute the sole and exclusive representations and warranties of Acquiror and Merger Sub; (d) except for the Company Representations by the Company and the Acquiror and Merger Sub Representations by Acquiror

 

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and Merger Sub, respectively, none of the parties hereto or any other Person makes, or has made, any other express or implied representation or warranty with respect to any party hereto (or any party’s Affiliates) or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and all other representations and warranties of any kind or nature expressed or implied (including (i) regarding the completeness or accuracy of, or any omission to state or to disclose, any information, including in the estimates, projections or forecasts or any other information, document or material provided to or made available to any party hereto or their respective Affiliates or Representatives in certain “data rooms,” management presentations or in any other form in expectation of the Transactions, including meetings, calls or correspondence with management of any party hereto (or any party’s Subsidiaries), and (ii) any relating to the future or historical business, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, prospects, assets or liabilities of any party hereto (or its Subsidiaries), or the quality, quantity or condition of any party’s or its Subsidiaries’ assets) are specifically disclaimed by all parties hereto and their respective Subsidiaries and all other Persons (including the Representatives and Affiliates of any party hereto or its Subsidiaries); and (e) each party hereto and its respective Affiliates are not relying on any representations and warranties in connection with the Transactions except the Company Representations by the Company, the Acquiror and Merger Sub Representations by Acquiror and Merger Sub and the other representations expressly made by a Person in the Subscription Agreements and the Support Agreements.

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Acquiror, Merger Sub and the Company have caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered as of the date first written above by their respective officers thereunto duly authorized.

 

ACON S2 ACQUISITION CORP.
By:  

/s/ Adam Kriger

  Name: Adam Kriger
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger]


SCHARGE MERGER SUB, INC.
By:  

/s/ Adam Kriger

  Name: Adam Kriger
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger]


ESS TECH, INC.
By:  

/s/ Craig Evans

  Name: Craig Evans
  Title:   President & Founder

[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger]


EXHIBIT A

Form of Subscription Agreement


EXHIBIT B

Form of Company Support Agreement


EXHIBIT C

Form of Sponsor Letter Agreement


EXHIBIT D

Form of Certificate of Incorporation of Acquiror


EXHIBIT E

Form of Bylaws of Acquiror

Exhibit 10.1

SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT

ACON S2 Acquisition Corp.

133 Connecticut Avenue NW, Ste. 700

Washington, DC 20036

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This Subscription Agreement (this “Subscription Agreement”) is being entered into as of the date set forth on the signature page hereto, by and between ACON S2 Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (“ACON”), which shall be domesticated as a Delaware corporation prior to the closing of the Transaction (as defined herein), and the undersigned subscriber (the “Investor”), in connection with the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of the date hereof (as may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among ACON, ESS Tech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and SCharge Merger Sub, Inc. a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving company in the merger and, after giving effect to such merger, becoming a subsidiary of ACON, on the terms and subject to the conditions therein (such merger, the “Transaction”). In furtherance of the Transaction, certain existing shareholders in the Company will sign transaction support agreements (the “Existing Shareholder Support Arrangements”) pursuant to which they will, among other things, agree to consent to the consummation of the Transaction. In connection with the Transaction, ACON is seeking commitments from interested investors to purchase, following the Domestication (as defined below) and prior to the closing of the Transaction, shares of ACON’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”), in a private placement for a purchase price of $10.00 per share (the “Per Share Purchase Price”). On or about the date of this Subscription Agreement, ACON is entering into (a) separate subscription agreements (the “Insider Subscription Agreements”) with certain existing securityholders of the Company (“Insider PIPE Investors”, and such investment, the “Insider PIPE Investment”) and (b) separate subscription agreements (the “Other PIPE Agreements,” and together with the Insider Subscription Agreements, the “Other Subscription Agreements”) with certain other investors other than the Insider PIPE Investors (the “Other Investors” and, together with Insider PIPE Investors and the Investor, the “Investors”), pursuant to which the Investors, severally and not jointly, have agreed to purchase on the closing date of the Transaction, inclusive of the Shares subscribed for by the Investor, an aggregate amount of up to [•] Shares, at the Per Share Purchase Price.

Prior to the closing of the Transaction (and as more fully described in, and on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in, the Merger Agreement), ACON will domesticate as a Delaware corporation in accordance with Section 388 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and Part XII of the Cayman Islands Companies Law (2020 Revision) (the “Domestication”). The aggregate purchase price to be paid by the Investor for the subscribed Shares (as set forth on the signature page hereto) is referred to herein as the “Subscription Amount.

In connection therewith, and in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual representations, warranties and covenants, and subject to the conditions, set forth herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby, each of the Investor and ACON acknowledges and agrees as follows:

1. Subscription. The Investor hereby subscribes for and agrees to purchase from ACON, and ACON agrees to issue and sell to the Investor, the number of Shares set forth on the signature page of this Subscription Agreement on the terms and subject to the conditions provided for herein. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that, as a result of the Domestication, the Shares that will be purchased by the Investor and issued by ACON pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions hereto shall be shares of common stock in a Delaware corporation (and not, for the avoidance of doubt, ordinary shares in a Cayman Islands exempted company).

2. Closing. The closing of the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares contemplated hereby (the “Closing”) is contingent upon the substantially concurrent consummation of the Transaction. The Closing shall occur on the date of, and substantially concurrently with and conditioned upon the effectiveness of, the Transaction. Upon (a) satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Section 3 below and (b) delivery of written notice from (or on behalf of) ACON to the Investor (the “Closing Notice”) that ACON reasonably expects all conditions to the closing of the Transaction to be satisfied or waived on a date that is not less than five (5) business days from the date on which the Closing Notice is delivered to the Investor, the Investor shall deliver to ACON, three (3) business days prior to the

 


closing date specified in the Closing Notice (the “Closing Date”), (i) the Subscription Amount by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by ACON in the Closing Notice and (ii) any other information that is reasonably requested in the Closing Notice in order for ACON to issue the Investor’s Shares, including, without limitation, the legal name of the person in whose name such Shares are to be issued and a duly executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or W-8, as applicable. On the Closing Date, ACON shall issue a number of Shares to the Investor set forth on the signature page to this Subscription Agreement and subsequently cause such Shares to be registered in book entry form in the name of the Investor on ACON’s share register; provided, however, that ACON’s obligation to issue the Shares to the Investor is contingent upon ACON having received the Subscription Amount in full accordance with this Section 2. In the event that (i) ACON does not accept the subscription or (ii) the consummation of the Transaction does not occur within ten (10) business days after the anticipated Closing Date specified in the Closing Notice, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by ACON and the Investor, ACON shall promptly (but in no event later than fifteen (15) business days after the anticipated Closing Date specified in the Closing Notice) return the Subscription Amount so delivered by the Investor to ACON by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Investor, and any book entries shall be deemed cancelled. Notwithstanding such return or cancellation, unless and until this Subscription Agreement is terminated in accordance with Section 8 herein, the Investor shall remain obligated (A) to redeliver funds to ACON in escrow following ACON’s delivery to the Investor of a new Closing Notice and (B) to consummate the Closing immediately prior to or substantially concurrently with the consummation of the Transaction. For purposes of this Subscription Agreement, “business day” shall mean a day other than a Saturday or Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.

In lieu of the foregoing paragraph for Fidelity and Van Eck investors: [The closing of the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares contemplated hereby (the “Closing”) is contingent upon the substantially concurrent consummation of the Transaction. The Closing shall occur on the date of, and substantially concurrently with and conditioned upon the effectiveness of, the Transaction. Upon (a) satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in this Section 2 and Section 3 below and (b) delivery of written notice from (or on behalf of) ACON to the Investor (the “Closing Notice”), that ACON reasonably expects all conditions to the closing of the Transaction to be satisfied or waived on a date that is not less than five (5) business days from the date on which the Closing Notice is delivered to the Investor (the “Closing Date”), the Investor shall deliver to ACON at least three (3) business days prior to the Closing Date such information that is reasonably requested in the Closing Notice in order for ACON to issue the Shares, including, without limitation, the legal name of the person in whose name such Shares are to be issued and a duly executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or W-8, as applicable. On the Closing Date, (1) the Investor shall deliver to ACON the Subscription Amount by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by ACON in the Closing Notice (which account(s) shall not be escrow account(s)) against delivery of the Shares as set forth in the following clause (2), and (2) ACON shall issue the number of Shares to the Investor set forth on the signature page to this Subscription Agreement in book-entry form in the name of the Investor (or its nominee) or as otherwise directed by the Investor, free and clear of any liens or other restrictions (other than those arising under applicable securities laws), on ACON’s share register. If the closing of the Transaction does not occur within one (1) business day after the Closing, ACON shall promptly (but not later than one (1) business day thereafter) return the Subscription Amount to the Investor, and any book entries shall be deemed cancelled. Notwithstanding such return or cancellation, unless and until this Subscription Agreement is terminated in accordance with Section 8 herein, the Investor shall remain obligated (A) to redeliver funds to ACON following ACON’s delivery to the Investor of a new Closing Notice and (B) to consummate the Closing immediately prior to or substantially concurrently with the consummation of the Transaction. For purposes of this Subscription Agreement, “business day” shall mean a day, other than a Saturday or Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.]

3. Closing Conditions.

a. The obligation of the parties hereto to consummate the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement is subject to the following conditions:

(i) no applicable governmental authority shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any judgment, order, law, rule or regulation (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) which is then in effect and has the effect of making consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby illegal or otherwise restraining or prohibiting consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, and no such governmental authority shall have instituted or threatened in writing a proceeding seeking to impose any such restraint or prohibition; and

 

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(ii) all conditions precedent to the closing of the Transaction under the Merger Agreement shall have been satisfied (as determined by the parties to the Merger Agreement and other than those conditions under the Merger Agreement which, by their nature, are to be satisfied at the closing of the Transaction, including to the extent that any such condition is dependent upon the consummation of the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement or the Other Subscription Agreements) or waived by the parties to the Merger Agreement.

b. The obligation of ACON to consummate the sale and issuance of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement shall be subject to the following conditions (which may be waived in writing by ACON; provided, that ACON provides prior written notice to the Placement Agent (as defined below) of any such waiver):

(i) all representations and warranties of the Investor contained in this Subscription Agreement are true and correct in all material respects (other than representations and warranties that are qualified as to materiality, which representations and warranties shall be true in all respects) at and as of the Closing Date, and consummation of the Closing shall constitute a reaffirmation by the Investor of each of the representations and warranties of the Investor contained in this Subscription Agreement as of the Closing Date; and

(ii) the Investor shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Subscription Agreement.

c. The obligation of the Investor to consummate the purchase of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement shall be subject to the following conditions (which may be waived in writing by the Investor):

(i) all representations and warranties of ACON contained in this Subscription Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects (other than representations and warranties that are qualified as to materiality, which representations and warranties shall be true in all respects) at and as of the Closing Date, and consummation of the Closing shall constitute a reaffirmation by ACON of each of the representations and warranties of ACON contained in this Subscription Agreement in all material respects as of the Closing Date;

(ii) ACON shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Subscription Agreement to be satisfied or complied with by it at or prior to the Closing;

(iii) no amendment or modification of, or waiver under, the Merger Agreement shall have occurred that would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the economic benefits that the Investor would reasonably expect to receive under this Subscription Agreement;

(iv) no suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale or trading by The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) or the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) shall be in effect, and the Shares acquired hereunder shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange, as applicable, subject to official notice of issuance; and

(v) there shall have been no amendment, waiver or modification to the Other Subscription Agreements (including via a side letter or other agreement) that materially benefits the Other Investors thereunder unless the Investor has been offered the same benefits, provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, this Section 3(c)(v) shall not apply to (i) any document entered into in connection with the Insider PIPE Investment, provided, however, that such Insider PIPE Investment shall be with respect to the same class of Shares being acquired by the Investor hereunder and at the same Per Share Purchase Price, or (ii) any document entered into for the purchase of the Company’s equity securities (or warrants to purchase such securities) between the Company and certain of the existing securityholders of the Company, as described in the Merger Agreement (including any schedules thereto).

 

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4. Further Assurances. At the Closing, the parties hereto shall execute and deliver such additional documents and take such additional actions as the parties reasonably may deem to be practical and necessary in order to consummate the subscription as contemplated by this Subscription Agreement.

5. ACON Representations and Warranties. Except with respect to ACON’s ongoing review of the implications of the SEC’s issuance of the Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, made on April 12, 2021 on the accounting treatment of the Warrants (as defined below), and any actions taken by ACON in connection with such review or statement, including, for the avoidance of doubt, any restatement of ACON’s historical financial statements, ACON represents and warrants to the Investor and the Placement Agent that:

a. ACON is an exempted company duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands (to the extent such concept exists in such jurisdiction). ACON has all power (corporate or otherwise) and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as presently conducted and to enter into, deliver and perform its obligations under this Subscription Agreement. As of the Closing Date, following the Domestication, ACON will be duly incorporated, validly existing as a corporation and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with all power (corporate or otherwise) and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as currently contemplated to be conducted and to perform its obligations under this Subscription Agreement.

b. As of the Closing Date, the Shares will be duly authorized and, when issued and delivered to the Investor against full payment therefor in accordance with the terms of this Subscription Agreement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of any liens or other restrictions, and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar rights created under ACON’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws (each as amended to the Closing Date) or under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

c. This Subscription Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by ACON and, assuming that this Subscription Agreement constitutes the valid and binding agreement of the Investor, this Subscription Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding agreement of ACON, enforceable against ACON in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited or otherwise affected by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally, and (ii) principles of equity, whether considered at law or equity.

d. The execution and delivery of this Subscription Agreement, the sale and issuance of the Shares and the compliance by ACON with all of the provisions of this Subscription Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of ACON or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of (i) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease, license or other agreement or instrument to which ACON or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which ACON or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of ACON is subject that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of ACON and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”) or materially affect the validity of the Shares or the legal authority of ACON to comply in all material respects with the terms of this Subscription Agreement; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the organizational documents of ACON; or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over ACON or any of their properties that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially affect the validity of the Shares or the legal authority of ACON to comply in all material respects with this Subscription Agreement.

 

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e. As of their respective dates, all reports (the “SEC Reports”) required to be filed by ACON with the SEC complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of ACON included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of ACON as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, year-end audit adjustments. A copy of each SEC Report is available to the Investor via the SEC’s EDGAR system. There are no outstanding or unresolved comments in comment letters received by ACON from the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the SEC with respect to any of the SEC Reports.

f. ACON is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority, self-regulatory organization or other person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by ACON of this Subscription Agreement (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Shares), other than (i) filings with the SEC, (ii) filings required by applicable state securities laws, (iii) filings required by Nasdaq or such other applicable stock exchange on which ACON’s common equity is then listed, and (iv) the failure of which to obtain would not be reasonably likely to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

g. Except for such matters as have not had and would not be reasonably likely to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, there is no (i) action, suit, claim or other proceeding, in each case by or before any governmental authority pending, or, to the knowledge of ACON, threatened against ACON or (ii) judgment, decree, injunction, ruling or order of any governmental entity or arbitrator outstanding against ACON.

h. As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of ACON consists of 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 (“Class A Shares”), 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 (the “Class B Shares”), and 5,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share. As of the date of hereof, 25,000,000 Class A Shares are issued and outstanding and 6,250,000 Class B Shares are issued and outstanding, and 13,000,000 warrants to acquire Class A Shares issued and outstanding (the “Warrants”). All issued and outstanding Class A Shares and Class B Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and are non-assessable. Except as set forth above and pursuant to the Other Subscription Agreements, the Merger Agreement and the other agreements and arrangements referred to therein, as of the date hereof, there are no outstanding options, warrants or other rights to subscribe for, purchase or acquire from ACON any Class A Shares, Class B Shares or other equity interests in ACON, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such equity interests. As of the date hereof, ACON has no subsidiaries, other than Merger Sub, and does not own, directly or indirectly, interests or investments (whether equity or debt) in any person, whether incorporated or unincorporated. There are no stockholder agreements, voting trusts or other agreements or understandings to which ACON is a party or by which it is bound relating to the voting of any securities of ACON, other than (1) as set forth in the SEC Reports and (2) as contemplated by the Merger Agreement. Other than Class B Shares, which have the anti-dilution rights described in ACON’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that will be waived in connection with the Transaction, or as set forth in the Merger Agreement (including any schedules thereto), there are no securities or instruments issued by or to which ACON is a party containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance of the Shares hereunder or to be issued pursuant to any Other Subscription Agreement. Following the Domestication, and immediately prior to the Closing (assuming that no elections to redeem any Class A Shares in connection with the consummation of the Transaction have been validly made), the authorized share capital of ACON will consist of (i) no shares of preferred stock, with a par value of $0.0001 per share (“Preferred Shares”), and (ii) 500,000,000 shares of common stock, with a par value of $0.0001 per share (the “Common Shares”). Following the Domestication, and immediately prior to the Closing (assuming that no elections to redeem any Class A Shares in connection with the consummation of the Transaction have been validly made): 25,000,000 Common Shares and no Preferred Shares will be issued and outstanding, 13,000,000 warrants to purchase Common Shares will be issued and outstanding, and [no] Common Shares will be subject to issuance upon exercise of outstanding options.

 

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i. As of the date hereof, the issued and outstanding Class A Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on Nasdaq under the symbol “STWO” (it being understood that the trading symbol will be changed in connection with the Transaction). There is no suit, action, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of ACON, threatened against ACON by Nasdaq or the SEC, respectively, to prohibit or terminate the listing of the Class A Shares or, when issued, the Common Shares, on Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange, as applicable, or to deregister the Class A Shares or, when registered and issued in connection with the Domestication, the Common Shares, under the Exchange Act. ACON has taken no action that is designed to terminate the registration of the Class A Shares under the Exchange Act, other than in connection with the Domestication and subsequent registration under the Exchange Act of the Common Shares.

j. Other than the Placement Agent (as defined below), ACON has not engaged any broker, finder, commission agent, placement agent or arranger in connection with the sale of the Shares, and ACON is not under any obligation to pay any broker’s fee or commission in connection with the sale of the Shares other than to the Placement Agent.

k. Assuming the accuracy of the Investor’s representations and warranties set forth in Section 6 of this Subscription Agreement, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Shares by ACON to the Investor under this Subscription Agreement. The Shares (i) were not offered by any form of general solicitation or general advertising and (ii) are not being offered in a manner involving a public offering under, or in a distribution in violation of, the Securities Act, or any state securities laws.

l. ACON is in compliance with all applicable laws, except where such non-compliance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. ACON has not received any written communication from a governmental authority that alleges that ACON is not in compliance with or is in default or violation of any applicable law, except where such non-compliance, default or violation would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

m. Other than the Other Subscription Agreements, the Merger Agreement and other agreements expressly contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the Existing Shareholder Support Arrangements or as described in the SEC Reports, ACON has not entered into any side letter or similar agreement with any Other Investor or other investor in connection with such Other Investor’s or other investor’s direct or indirect investment in ACON. No Other Subscription Agreement includes terms and conditions that are more favorable to the Other Investor thereunder than the Investor hereunder, other than terms particular to the regulatory requirements of such Other Investor or its affiliates or related funds that are mutual funds or are otherwise subject to regulations related to the timing of funding and the issuance of the related Shares. For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 5(m) shall not apply to (i) any document entered into in connection with the Insider PIPE Investment, provided, however, that such Insider PIPE Investment shall be with respect to the same class of Shares being acquired by the Investor hereunder and at the same Per Share Purchase Price, or (ii) any document entered into for the purchase of the Company’s equity securities (or warrants to purchase such securities) between the Company and certain of the existing securityholders of the Company, as described in the Merger Agreement (including any schedules thereto).

6. Investor Representations and Warranties. The Investor represents and warrants to ACON and the Placement Agent that:

a. The Investor (i) is a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) or an institutional “accredited investor” (within the meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act), in each case, satisfying the applicable requirements set forth on Schedule A, (ii) is acquiring the Shares only for his, her or its own account and not for the account of others, or if the Investor is subscribing for the Shares as a fiduciary or agent for one or more investor accounts, each owner of each such account is a qualified institutional buyer, the Investor has full investment discretion with respect to each such account, and the full power and authority to make the acknowledgements, representations and agreements herein on behalf of each owner of each such account, and (iii) is not acquiring the Shares with a view to, or for offer or sale in connection with, any distribution thereof in violation of the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction (and shall provide the requested information set forth on Schedule A). The Investor is not an entity formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Shares.

 

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b. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Shares are being offered in a transaction not involving any public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act and that the offer and sale of the Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Shares may not be offered, resold, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of by the Investor absent an effective registration statement under the Securities Act except (i) to ACON or a subsidiary thereof, (ii) to non-U.S. persons pursuant to offers and sales that occur outside the United States within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act or (iii) pursuant to another applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in each of clauses (i) and (iii) in accordance with any applicable securities laws of the states and other jurisdictions of the United States, and that any certificates representing the Shares shall contain a restrictive legend to such effect. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Shares will be subject to the foregoing transfer restrictions and, as a result of these transfer restrictions, the Investor may not be able to readily offer, resell, transfer, pledge or otherwise dispose of the Shares and may be required to bear the financial risk of an investment in the Shares for an indefinite period of time. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Shares will not be eligible for offer, resale, transfer, pledge or disposition pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act until at least one year from the date that ACON files a Current Report on Form 8-K following the Closing Date that includes the “Form 10” information required under the applicable SEC rules and regulations. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that it has been advised to consult legal counsel prior to making any offer, resale, transfer, pledge or disposition of any of the Shares. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor is purchasing the Shares from ACON. The Investor further acknowledges that there have been no representations, warranties, covenants and agreements made to the Investor by or on behalf of ACON, the Company, any of their respective affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing or any other person or entity, expressly or by implication, other than those representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of ACON expressly set forth in Section 5 of this Subscription Agreement.

c. Either (1) the Investor’s acquisition and holding of the Shares will not constitute or result in a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any applicable similar law or (2) the Investor is not a Benefit Plan Investor as contemplated by ERISA.

d. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor has received and has had an opportunity to review such information as the Investor deems necessary in order to make an investment decision with respect to the Shares, including, without limitation, with respect to ACON, the Transaction and the business of the Company and its subsidiaries. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Investor acknowledges that he, she or it has had an opportunity to review the SEC Reports. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor and the Investor’s professional advisor(s), if any, have received and reviewed the offering materials made available to the Investor and had an opportunity to ask such questions, receive such answers and obtain such information as the Investor and such Investor’s professional advisor(s), if any, have deemed necessary to make an investment decision with respect to the Shares. The Investor further acknowledges that the information provided to the Investor may change after the date hereof and ACON is under no obligation to inform the Investor regarding any such changes, except to the extent such changes would reasonably be expected to cause the failure of ACON to satisfy a condition to the Investor’s obligations at the Closing set forth in Section 3(c).

e. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor has determined based on its own independent review and such professional advice as it has deemed appropriate, that the purchase of the Shares and participation in the Transaction are consistent with the Investor’s financial needs, objectives and condition and comply and are consistent with all material investment policies, guidelines and other restrictions applicable to the Investor.

f. The Investor became aware of this offering of the Shares solely by means of direct contact between the Investor and ACON, the Company or a representative of ACON or the Company (including the Placement Agent, as defined below), and the Shares were offered to the Investor solely by direct contact between the Investor and ACON, the Company or a representative of ACON or the Company. The Investor did not become aware of this offering of the Shares, nor were the Shares offered to the Investor, by any other means. The Investor acknowledges that the Shares (i) were not offered to it by any form of general solicitation or general advertising and (ii) to its knowledge, are not being offered to it in a manner involving a public offering under, or in a distribution in violation of, the Securities Act, or any state securities laws. The Investor acknowledges that it is not relying upon, and has not relied upon, any statement, representation or warranty made by any person, firm or corporation (including, without

 

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limitation, ACON, the Company, the Placement Agent, any of their respective affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing), other than the representations and warranties of ACON contained in Section 5 of this Subscription Agreement, in making its investment or decision to invest in ACON, and except for the foregoing, the Investor is relying exclusively on its own sources of information, investment analysis and due diligence (including professional advice it deems appropriate) with respect to the Transaction, the Shares and the business, condition (financial and otherwise), management, operations, properties and prospects of ACON, including but not limited to all business, legal, regulatory, accounting, credit and tax matters. The Investor acknowledges that none of ACON, the Placement Agent, or their respective representatives has acted as an investment adviser, broker or dealer to the Investor.

g. The Investor acknowledges that it is aware that there are substantial risks incident to the purchase and ownership of the Shares, including, without limitation, those set forth in ACON’s filings with the SEC. The Investor has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Shares, and the Investor has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as the Investor has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision.

h. Alone, or together with any professional advisor(s), the Investor has adequately analyzed and considered the risks of an investment in the Shares and determined that the Shares are a suitable investment for the Investor and that the Investor is able at this time and in the foreseeable future to bear the economic risk of a total loss of the Investor’s investment in ACON. The Investor acknowledges specifically that a possibility of total loss exists.

i. In making its decision to purchase the Shares, the Investor has relied solely upon independent investigation made by the Investor. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Investor has not relied on any statements or other information provided by or on behalf of the Placement Agent or any of its affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing concerning ACON, the Company, the Transaction, the Merger Agreement, this Subscription Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, the Shares or the offer and sale of the Shares.

j. The Investor acknowledges that no federal or state agency has passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Shares or made any findings or determination as to the fairness of this investment.

k. The Investor, if not an individual, has been duly formed or incorporated and is validly existing and is in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation or incorporation, with power and authority to enter into, deliver and perform its obligations under this Subscription Agreement.

l. The execution, delivery and performance by the Investor of this Subscription Agreement are within the powers of the Investor, have been duly authorized and will not constitute or result in a breach or default under or conflict with any order, ruling or regulation of any court or other tribunal or of any governmental commission or agency, or any agreement or other undertaking, to which the Investor is a party or by which the Investor is bound, and, if the Investor is not an individual, will not conflict with or violate any provisions of the Investor’s organizational documents, including, without limitation, its incorporation or formation papers, bylaws, indenture of trust or partnership or operating agreement, as may be applicable. The signature on this Subscription Agreement is genuine, and the signatory, if the Investor is an individual, has legal competence and capacity to execute the same or, if the Investor is not an individual, the signatory has been duly authorized to execute the same, and this Subscription Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Investor and, assuming that this Subscription Agreement constitutes the valid and binding agreement of ACON, constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Investor, enforceable against the Investor in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited or otherwise affected by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally, and (ii) principles of equity, whether considered at law or equity.

m. The Investor is not (i) a person or entity named on the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) or in any Executive Order issued by the President of the United States and administered by OFAC (“OFAC List”), or a person or entity prohibited by any OFAC sanctions program, (ii) a Designated National as defined in the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 515, or (iii) a non-U.S. shell bank or providing banking services

 

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indirectly to a non-U.S. shell bank. The Investor agrees to provide law enforcement agencies, if requested thereby, such records as required by applicable law, provided that the Investor is permitted to do so under applicable law. If the Investor is a financial institution subject to the Bank Secrecy Act (31 U.S.C. Section 5311 et seq.) (the “BSA”), as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (the “PATRIOT Act”), and its implementing regulations (collectively, the “BSA/PATRIOT Act”), the Investor maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to comply with applicable obligations under the BSA/PATRIOT Act. To the extent required, it maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed for the screening of its investors against the OFAC sanctions programs, including the OFAC List. To the extent required by applicable law, the Investor maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the funds held by the Investor and used to purchase the Shares were legally derived.

n. The Investor acknowledges that no disclosure or offering document has been prepared by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. or any of its affiliates (the “Placement Agent”) in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.

o. The Investor acknowledges that neither the Placement Agent, nor any of its affiliates nor any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing have made any independent investigation with respect to ACON, the Company or its subsidiaries or any of their respective businesses, or the Shares, or the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of any information supplied to the Investor by ACON.

p. The Investor acknowledges that in connection with the issue and purchase of the Shares, the Placement Agent has acted solely as placement agent in connection with the Transaction and has not acted as underwriter and in any other capacity and shall not be construed as a financial advisor or fiduciary to the Investor in connection with the Transaction.

q. The Investor acknowledges that Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. acted as an underwriter in connection with the initial public offering of ACON and, upon the closing of the Transaction, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. shall be entitled to receive its portion of the deferred underwriting commissions described in the Prospectus (as defined below), pursuant to the underwriting agreement by and among ACON, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, dated September 16, 2020.

r. The Investor, when required to deliver payment to ACON pursuant to Section 2 above, will have, sufficient funds to pay the Subscription Amount and consummate the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement.

s. The Investor acknowledges that the purchase and sale of Shares hereunder meets the exemptions from filing under FINRA Rule 5123(b)(1).

t. The Investor acknowledges that the Placement Agent may have acquired, or during the term of the Shares may acquire, non-public information with respect to ACON, which the Investor agrees need not be provided to it.

u. The Investor is not a “foreign person” or a “foreign entity,” as defined in Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, including, without limitation, all implementing regulations thereof (the “DPA”). The Investor is not controlled by a “foreign person,” as defined in the DPA. The Investor does not permit any foreign person affiliated with the Investor, whether affiliated as a limited partner or otherwise, to obtain through the Investor any of the following with respect to ACON or the Company: (i) access to any “material nonpublic technical information” (as defined in the DPA) in the possession of ACON or the Company; (ii) membership or observer rights on the board of directors or equivalent governing body of ACON or the Company or the right to nominate an individual to a position on the board of directors or equivalent governing body of ACON or the Company; (iii) any involvement, other than through the voting of shares, in the substantive decision-making of ACON or the Company regarding (x) the use, development, acquisition, or release of any “critical technology” (as defined in the DPA), (y) the use, development, acquisition, safekeeping, or release of “sensitive personal data” (as defined in the DPA) of U.S. citizens maintained or collected by ACON or the Company, or (z) the management, operation, manufacture, or supply of “covered investment critical infrastructure” (as defined in the DPA); or (iv) “control” (as defined in the DPA) of ACON or the Company.

 

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v. The Investor acknowledges the SEC’s issuance of the Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, made on April 12, 2021, and ACON’s ongoing review of the implications of such statement on the accounting treatment of the Warrants, and the Investor agrees that any actions taken by ACON in connection with such review or in response to such statement, including, for the avoidance of doubt, any restatement of ACON’s historical financial statements, shall not be deemed to constitute a breach of any of the representations, warranties or covenants in this Subscription Agreement.

7. Registration Rights.

a. In the event that the Shares are not registered in connection with the consummation of the Transaction, ACON agrees that, within thirty (30) calendar days after the consummation of the Transaction (the “Filing Date”), it will file with the SEC (at its sole cost and expense) a registration statement registering the offering of the resale of the Shares (the “Registration Statement”), and it shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have the Registration Statement declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof but no later than the earlier of (i) sixty calendar days (or ninety (90) calendar days if the SEC notifies ACON that it will review the Registration Statement) following the Closing and (ii) five (5) business days after ACON is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the Registration Statement will not be reviewed or will not be subject to further review (such date, the “Effectiveness Date”). ACON agrees to cause such Registration Statement, or another shelf registration statement that includes the Shares to be sold pursuant to this Subscription Agreement, to remain effective until the earliest of (i) the third anniversary of the Closing, (ii) the date on which the Investor ceases to hold any Shares issued pursuant to this Subscription Agreement, or (iii) on the date on which the Investor is able to sell all of its Shares issued pursuant to this Subscription Agreement (or shares received in exchange therefor) under Rule 144 of the Securities Act within ninety (90) days without limitation as to the amount of such securities that may be sold and without the requirement for ACON to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144(c) (or Rule 144(i)(2), if applicable). The Investor agrees to disclose its ownership and any other information reasonably requested to ACON upon request to assist it in making the determination described above. ACON’s obligations to include the Shares issued pursuant to this Subscription Agreement (or shares issued in exchange therefor) for resale in the Registration Statement are contingent upon the Investor furnishing in writing to ACON such information regarding the Investor, the securities of ACON held by the Investor and the intended method of disposition of such Shares, which shall be limited to non-underwritten public offerings, as shall be reasonably requested by ACON to effect the registration of such Shares, and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as ACON may reasonably request that are customary of a selling stockholder in similar situations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the SEC prevents ACON from including any or all of the Shares proposed to be registered under the Registration Statement due to limitations on the use of Rule 415 of the Securities Act for the resale of the Shares by the applicable shareholders or otherwise, such Registration Statement shall register for resale such number of Shares which is equal to the maximum number of Shares as is permitted by the SEC. In such event, the number of Shares to be registered for each selling shareholder named in the Registration Statement shall be reduced pro rata among all such selling shareholders and as promptly as practicable after being permitted to register additional Shares under Rule 415 under the Securities Act, ACON shall file a new Registration Statement to register such Shares not included in the initial Registration Statement and cause such Registration Statement to become effective as promptly as practicable consistent with the terms of this Section 7. For purposes of clarification, any failure by ACON to file the Registration Statement by the Filing Date or to effect such Registration Statement by the Effectiveness Date shall not otherwise relieve ACON of its obligations to file or effect the Registration Statement set forth in this Section 7. For purposes of this Section 7, “Shares” shall mean, as of any date of determination, the Shares acquired by the Investor pursuant to this Subscription Agreement and any other equity security issued or issuable with respect to such Shares by way of stock split, dividend, distribution, recapitalization, merger, exchange, replacement or similar event, and “Investor” shall include any affiliate of the undersigned Investor to which the rights under this Section 7 have been duly assigned.

a. ACON shall advise the Investor within three (3) business days (at ACON’s expense): (i) when a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective; (ii) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for such purpose; (iii) of the receipt by ACON of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares included therein for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and (iv) subject to the provisions in this Subscription Agreement, of the occurrence of any event that requires the making of any changes in any Registration Statement or prospectus so that, as of such date, the statements therein are not misleading and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary

 

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to make the statements therein (in the case of a prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading (provided that any such notice pursuant to this Section 7(b)(iv) shall solely provide that the use of the Registration Statement or prospectus has been suspended without setting forth the reason for such suspension). ACON shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement as soon as reasonably practicable. Upon receipt of any written notice from ACON of the happening any event contemplated in clauses (ii) through (iv) above during the period that the Registration Statement is effective or if as a result of the occurrence of such event the Registration Statement or related prospectus contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made (in the case of the prospectus) not misleading, the undersigned agrees that (1) it will immediately discontinue offers and sales of the Shares under the Registration Statement (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, sales conducted pursuant to Rule 144) until the undersigned receives copies of a supplemental or amended prospectus (which ACON agrees to promptly prepare) that corrects the misstatement(s) or omission(s) referred to above and receives notice that any post-effective amendment has become effective or unless otherwise notified by ACON that it may resume such offers and sales, and (2) it will maintain the confidentiality of any information included in such written notice delivered by ACON except (A) for disclosure to the Investor’s employees, agents and professional advisers who need to know such information and are obligated to keep it confidential, (B) for disclosures to the extent required in order to comply with reporting obligations to its limited partners who have agreed to keep such information confidential and (C) as required by law or subpoena. Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated in clauses (i) through (iv) above, except for such times as ACON is permitted hereunder to suspend, and has suspended, the use of a prospectus forming part of a registration statement, ACON shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to as soon as reasonably practicable prepare a post-effective amendment to such registration statement or a supplement to the related prospectus, or file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to purchasers of the Shares included therein, such prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that ACON may suspend the use of any such Registration Statement if it determines in good faith, upon advice of legal counsel that, in order for such registration statement not to contain a material misstatement or omission, an amendment thereto would be needed to include information that would at that time not otherwise be required in a current, quarterly or annual report under the Exchange Act, provided, that (i) ACON shall not so delay filing or so suspend the use of the Registration Statement on more than two (2) occasions, or for a period of more than sixty (60) consecutive days or more than a total of one hundred twenty (120) calendar days, in each case in any three hundred sixty (360) day period, and (ii) ACON shall use commercially reasonable efforts to make such registration statement available for the sale by the Investor of such securities as soon as practicable thereafter.

b. For as long as the Investor holds Shares, ACON will use commercially reasonable efforts to file all reports necessary to enable the undersigned to resell the Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement. For as long as the Investor holds Shares, ACON will use commercially reasonable efforts to file all reports necessary to enable the undersigned to resell the Shares pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act (when Rule 144 of the Securities Act becomes available to the Investor). In addition, in connection with any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of the Shares by the Investor pursuant to Rule 144 or pursuant to any other exemption under the Securities Act such that the Shares held by the Investor become freely tradable and upon compliance by the Investor with the requirements of this Section 7(c), if requested by the Investor, ACON shall cause the transfer agent for the Shares (the “Transfer Agent”) to remove any restrictive legends related to the book entry account holding such Shares and make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry Shares sold or disposed of without restrictive legends within three (3) trading days of any such request therefor from the Investor, provided that ACON and the Transfer Agent have timely received from the Investor customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to ACON and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith. Subject to receipt from the Investor by ACON and the Transfer Agent of customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to ACON and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith, the Investor may request that ACON remove any legend from the book entry position evidencing its Shares and ACON will, if required by the Transfer Agent, cause an opinion of ACON’s counsel be provided, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Transfer Agent, to the effect that the removal of such restrictive legends in such circumstances may be effected under the Securities Act, following the earliest of such time as such Shares (i) (x) are subject to or (y) have been or are about to be sold or transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement, (ii) have been or are about to be sold pursuant to Rule 144, or (iii) are eligible for resale under Rule 144(b)(1) or any successor provision without the requirement for ACON to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144 and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions applicable to the sale or transfer of

 

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such Shares. If restrictive legends are no longer required for such Shares pursuant to the foregoing, ACON shall, in accordance with the provisions of this section and within three (3) trading days of any request therefor from the Investor accompanied by such customary and reasonably acceptable representations and other documentation referred to above establishing that restrictive legends are no longer required, deliver to the Transfer Agent irrevocable instructions that the Transfer Agent shall make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry Shares. ACON shall be responsible for the fees of its Transfer Agent, its legal counsel and all DTC fees associated with such issuance.

c. Indemnification.

(i) ACON agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, to the extent permitted by law, the Investor, its directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person who controls the Investor (within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) and each affiliate of the Investor (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including, without limitation, any reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, prospectus included in any Registration Statement or preliminary prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any information furnished in writing to ACON by or on behalf of the Investor expressly for use therein.

(ii) The Investor agrees, severally and not jointly with any person that is a party to the Other Subscription Agreements or any other selling shareholder under the Registration Statement, to indemnify and hold harmless ACON, its directors and officers and agents and each person who controls ACON (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue statement of material fact contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus or preliminary prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing by the Investor expressly for use therein. In no event shall the liability of the Investor be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by the Investor upon the sale of the Shares purchased pursuant to this Subscription Agreement giving rise to such indemnification obligation.

(iii) Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (1) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (2) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent. An indemnifying party who elects not to assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of legal counsel to any indemnified party a conflict of interest exists between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.

 

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(iv) The indemnification provided for under this Subscription Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director, employee, agent, affiliate or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of the Shares purchased pursuant to this Subscription Agreement.

(v) If the indemnification provided under this Section 7(d) from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, was made by, or relates to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this Section 7(d) from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. In no event shall the liability of the Investor be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by the Investor upon the sale of the Shares purchased pursuant to this Subscription Agreement giving rise to such contribution obligation.

8. Termination. This Subscription Agreement shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect, and all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall terminate without any further liability on the part of any party in respect thereof, upon the earliest to occur of (a) such date and time as the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, (b) upon the mutual written agreement of each of the parties hereto, or (c) the Termination Date (as defined in the Merger Agreement as in effect on the date hereof) or the Extended Termination Date (as defined in the Merger Agreement as in effect as of the date hereof), as applicable, if the Closing has not occurred by such date (the termination events described in clauses (a)–(d) above, collectively, the “Termination Events”); provided that nothing herein will relieve any party from liability for any willful breach hereof prior to the time of termination, and each party will be entitled to any remedies at law or in equity to recover losses, liabilities or damages arising from any such willful breach. ACON shall notify the Investor of the termination of the Merger Agreement as promptly as practicable after the termination of such agreement. Upon the occurrence of any Termination Event, this Subscription Agreement shall be void and of no further effect and any monies paid by the Investor to ACON in connection herewith shall promptly (and in any event within one (1) business day) following the Termination Event be returned to the Investor.

9. Trust Account Waiver. The Investor acknowledges that ACON is a blank check company with the powers and privileges to effect a merger, asset acquisition, reorganization or similar business combination involving ACON and one or more businesses or assets. The Investor further acknowledges that, as described in ACON’s prospectus relating to its initial public offering dated September 16, 2020 (the “Prospectus”) available at www.sec.gov, substantially all of ACON’s assets consist of the cash proceeds of ACON’s initial public offering and private placement of its securities, and substantially all of those proceeds have been deposited in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) for the benefit of ACON, its public shareholders and the underwriters of ACON’s initial public offering. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to ACON to pay its tax obligations, if any, the cash in the Trust Account may be disbursed only for the purposes set forth in the Prospectus. For and in consideration of ACON entering into this Subscription Agreement, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Investor hereby irrevocably waives any and all right, title and interest, or any claim of any kind it has or may have in the future, in or to any monies held in the Trust Account, and agrees not to seek recourse against the Trust Account, as a result of or arising out of this Subscription Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, regardless of whether such claim arises based on contract, tort, equity or any other theory of legal liability; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 9 shall be deemed to limit the Investor’s right, title, interest or claim to any monies held in the Trust Account by virtue of its record or beneficial ownership of Class A Shares acquired by means other than pursuant to this Subscription Agreement, including pursuant to an exercised redemption right with respect to any such Class A Shares, except to the extent that the Investor has otherwise agreed in writing with ACON, the Company or any of their respective affiliates to not exercise such redemption right.

 

 

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10. No Short Sales. The Investor hereby agrees that, from the date of this Subscription Agreement until the Closing, none of the Investor, its controlled affiliates, or any person or entity acting on behalf of the Investor or any of its controlled affiliates or pursuant to any understanding with the Investor or any of its controlled affiliates will engage in any Short Sales with respect to securities of ACON. For purposes of this Section 10, “Short Sales” shall include, without limitation, all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act, and all types of direct and indirect stock pledges (other than pledges in the ordinary course of business as part of prime brokerage arrangements), forward sale contracts, options, puts, calls, swaps and similar arrangements (including, without limitation, on a total return basis), and sales and other transactions through non-U.S. broker dealers or foreign regulated brokers.

11. Miscellaneous.

a. Neither this Subscription Agreement nor any rights that may accrue to the Investor hereunder (other than the Shares acquired hereunder, if any) may be transferred or assigned. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Investor may assign its rights and obligations under this Subscription Agreement to one or more funds or accounts managed by the investment manager or investment advisor that manages the Investor (or an affiliate that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such investment manager or investment advisor), to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Investor or, with ACON’s prior written consent, to another person, provided, in each case, that any assignee agrees in writing to be bound by the terms hereof as if it were an original party hereto and that no such assignment shall relieve the Investor of its obligations hereunder if any such assignee fails to perform such obligations.

b. ACON may request from the Investor such additional information as ACON may deem necessary to register the resale of the Shares and evaluate the eligibility of the Investor to acquire the Shares, and the Investor shall provide such information as may reasonably be requested, to the extent readily available and to the extent consistent with the Investor’s internal policies and procedures; provided that ACON agrees to keep any such information provided by the Investor confidential except (i) as required by the federal securities law or pursuant to other routine proceedings of regulatory authorities or (ii) to the extent such disclosure is required by law, at the request of the staff of the SEC or regulatory agency or under the regulations of any national securities exchange on which ACON’s securities are listed for trading. The Investor acknowledges that ACON may file a copy of this Subscription Agreement with the SEC as an exhibit to a periodic report or a registration statement of ACON.

c. The Investor acknowledges that (i) ACON will rely on the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties of the Investor contained in this Subscription Agreement and (ii) the Placement Agent will rely on the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties contained in Section 6, Section 12 and Section 13 of this Subscription Agreement. Prior to the Closing, the Investor agrees to promptly notify ACON if any of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties set forth in Section 6 are no longer accurate.

d. ACON, the Company and the Placement Agent are each entitled to rely upon the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties contained in this Subscription Agreement and each is irrevocably authorized to produce this Subscription Agreement or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby; provided, however, nothing in this Section 11(d) shall give the Company or the Placements Agent any rights other than those expressly set forth in this Section 11(d).

e. All of the agreements, representations and warranties made by each party hereto in this Subscription Agreement shall survive the Closing.

 

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f. This Subscription Agreement may not be terminated other than pursuant to the terms of Section 8. The provisions of this Subscription Agreement may not be modified, amended or waived except by an instrument in writing signed by each of the parties hereto, provided, however, that Section 6, Section 11(d), this Section 11(f), Section 11(g), and Section 12 of this Subscription Agreement may not be amended, terminated or waived in a manner that is material and adverse to the Placement Agent without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent. No failure or delay of either party in exercising any right or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such right or power, or any course of conduct, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the parties hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have hereunder.

g. This Subscription Agreement (including the schedule hereto) constitutes the entire agreement, and supersedes all other prior agreements, understandings, representations and warranties, both written and oral, among the parties, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except as set forth in Section 7(d), Section 11(c), Section 11(d), Section 11(f) this Section 11(g) and Section 12 with respect to the persons specifically referenced therein, this Subscription Agreement shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the parties hereto, and their respective successor and assigns, and the parties hereto acknowledge that such persons so referenced are third party beneficiaries of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties contained in this Subscription Agreement for the purposes of, and to the extent of, the rights granted to them, if any, pursuant to such provisions.

h. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Subscription Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives, and permitted assigns, and the agreements, representations, warranties, covenants and acknowledgments contained herein shall be deemed to be made by, and be binding upon, such heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns.

i. If any provision of this Subscription Agreement shall be adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Subscription Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall continue in full force and effect.

j. This Subscription Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including by facsimile or electronic mail or in .pdf) and by different parties in separate counterparts, with the same effect as if all parties hereto had signed the same document. All counterparts so executed and delivered shall be construed together and shall constitute one and the same agreement.

k. The Investor hereby consents to (i) the publication and disclosure in any Form 8-K or Form 6-K filed by ACON with the SEC in connection with the execution and delivery of this Subscription Agreement, the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and the Proxy Statement (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and (ii) as and to the extent otherwise required by the federal securities laws, exchange rules, the SEC or any other securities authorities or any rules and regulations promulgated thereby, any other documents or communications provided by the Company or ACON to any governmental entity or to any securityholders of the Company, of the Investor’s identity and beneficial ownership of the subscribed Shares and the nature of the Investor’s commitments, arrangements and understandings under and relating to this Subscription Agreement and, if deemed appropriate by the Company or ACON, a copy of this Subscription Agreement, all solely to the extent required by applicable law or any regulation or stock exchange listing requirement. The Investor will promptly provide any information reasonably requested by ACON for any regulatory application or filing made or approval sought in connection with the Transaction (including filings with the SEC). Notwithstanding the foregoing, ACON shall provide to the Investor a copy of any proposed disclosure relating to the Investor in accordance with the provisions of this Section 11(k) in advance of any publication thereof and shall include such revisions to such proposed disclosure as the Investor shall reasonably request. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Subscription Agreement, ACON shall not, and shall cause to the Placement Agent and the Company not to, publicly disclose the name of the Investor, its investment advisor or any of their respective affiliates or advisers, or include the name of the Investor, its investment advisor or any of their respective affiliates or advisers in any press release, without the prior written consent of the Investor.

 

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l. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Subscription Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Subscription Agreement, without posting a bond or undertaking and without proof of damages, to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Subscription Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which such party is entitled at law, in equity, in contract, in tort or otherwise.

m. THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (REGARDLESS OF THE LAWS THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE GOVERN UNDER APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS THEREOF) AS TO ALL MATTERS (INCLUDING ANY ACTION, SUIT, LITIGATION, ARBITRATION, MEDIATION, CLAIM, CHARGE, COMPLAINT, INQUIRY, PROCEEDING, HEARING, AUDIT, INVESTIGATION OR REVIEWS BY OR BEFORE ANY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY RELATED HERETO), INCLUDING MATTERS OF VALIDITY, CONSTRUCTION, EFFECT, PERFORMANCE AND REMEDIES.

n. THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AND THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SOLELY IN RESPECT OF THE INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT AND THE DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT AND IN RESPECT OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, AND HEREBY WAIVE, AND AGREE NOT TO ASSERT, AS A DEFENSE IN ANY ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING FOR INTERPRETATION OR ENFORCEMENT HEREOF OR ANY SUCH DOCUMENT THAT IS NOT SUBJECT THERETO OR THAT SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING MAY NOT BE BROUGHT OR IS NOT MAINTAINABLE IN SAID COURTS OR THAT VENUE THEREOF MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE OR THAT THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT OR ANY SUCH DOCUMENT MAY NOT BE ENFORCED IN OR BY SUCH COURTS, AND THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS WITH RESPECT TO SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE HEARD AND DETERMINED BY SUCH A NEW YORK STATE OR FEDERAL COURT. THE PARTIES HEREBY CONSENT TO AND GRANT ANY SUCH COURT JURISDICTION OVER THE PERSON OF SUCH PARTIES AND OVER THE SUBJECT MATTER OF SUCH DISPUTE AND AGREE THAT MAILING OF PROCESS OR OTHER PAPERS IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING IN THE MANNER PROVIDED IN SECTION 11(o) OF THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT OR IN SUCH OTHER MANNER AS MAY BE PERMITTED BY LAW SHALL BE VALID AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE THEREOF.

EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES, AND THEREFORE EACH SUCH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT SUCH PARTY MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT. EACH PARTY CERTIFIES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (I) NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER; (II) SUCH PARTY UNDERSTANDS AND HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FOREGOING WAIVER; (III) SUCH PARTY MAKES THE FOREGOING WAIVER VOLUNTARILY AND (IV) SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVER AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 11(n).

o. All notices, requests, demands, claims, and other communications hereunder shall be in writing. Any notice, request, demand, claim, or other communication hereunder shall be deemed duly given, delivered and received (i) when delivered personally to the recipient, (ii) when sent by electronic mail, on the date of transmission to such recipient, with no mail undeliverable or other rejection notice, (iii) one (1) business day after being sent to the recipient by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid), with confirmation of receipt, or (iv) four (4) business days after being mailed to the recipient by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested and postage prepaid, and, in each case, addressed to the intended recipient at its address specified on the signature page hereof or to such electronic mail address or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Section 11(o).

 

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12. Non-Reliance and Exculpation. The Investor acknowledges that it is not relying upon, and has not relied upon, any statement, representation or warranty made by any person, firm or corporation (including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, the Company or any of their respective affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing), other than the statements, representations and warranties of ACON expressly contained in Section 5 of this Subscription Agreement, in making its investment or decision to invest in ACON. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that none of (i) any Other Investor pursuant to any Other Subscription Agreement (including such investor’s affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of such investor), (ii) the Placement Agent, its affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing, or (iii) the Company or any of its affiliates, shall have any liability to the Investor, or any other investor, pursuant to, arising out of or relating to this Subscription Agreement or any other subscription agreement related to the private placement of the Shares, the negotiation hereof or thereof or its subject matter, or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, including, without limitation, with respect to any action heretofore or hereafter taken or omitted to be taken by any of them in connection with the purchase of the Shares or with respect to any claim (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) for breach of this Subscription Agreement or in respect of any written or oral representations made or alleged to be made in connection herewith, as expressly provided herein, or for any actual or alleged inaccuracies, misstatements or omissions with respect to any information or materials of any kind furnished by ACON, the Company, the Placement Agent or any Non-Party Affiliate concerning ACON, the Company, the Placement Agent, any of their controlled affiliates, this Subscription Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. For purposes of this Subscription Agreement, “Non-Party Affiliates” means each former, current or future officer, director, employee, partner, member, manager, direct or indirect equityholder or affiliate of ACON, the Company, the Placement Agent or any of ACON’s, the Company’s or the Placement Agent’s controlled affiliates or any family member of the foregoing.

13. Non-Recourse. This Subscription Agreement may only be enforced against, and any claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of, or related to any breach of any term or condition of this Subscription Agreement may only be brought against, the entities that are expressly named as parties hereto and then only to the extent of the specific obligations set forth herein with respect to such party.

14. Disclosure. ACON shall, by 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first (1st) business day immediately following the date of this Subscription Agreement, issue one or more press releases or file with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K (collectively, the “Disclosure Document”) disclosing all material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Other Subscription Agreements, the Merger Agreement, the Transaction and any other material, nonpublic information that ACON has provided to the Investor at any time prior to the filing of the Disclosure Document. Upon the issuance of the Disclosure Document, the Investor shall not be in possession of any material, non-public information received from ACON or any of its officers, directors, or employees or agents, and the Investor shall no longer be subject to any confidentiality or similar obligations under any current agreement, whether written or oral, with ACON, the Placement Agent or any of their respective affiliates, relating to the transactions contemplated by this Subscription Agreement.

15. Separate Obligations. For the avoidance of doubt, all obligations of the Investor hereunder are separate and several from the obligations of any Other Investor. The decision of Investor to purchase the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement has been made by Investor independently of any Other Investor or any other investor and independently of any information, materials, statements or opinions as to the business, financial condition or results of operations of ACON, the Company, or any of their respective subsidiaries which may have been made or given by any Other Investor or by any agent or employee of any Other Investor, and neither Investor nor any of its agents or employees shall have any liability to any Other Investor (or any other person) relating to or arising from any such information, materials, statements or opinions. Nothing contained herein or in any Other Subscription Agreement, and no action taken by Investor or Other Investors pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute Investor and Other Investor as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that Investor and Other Investors are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Subscription Agreement and the Other Subscription Agreements. The Investor acknowledges that no Other Investor has acted as agent for Investor in connection with making its investment hereunder and no Other Investor will be acting as agent of Investor in connection with monitoring its investment in the Shares or enforcing its rights under this Subscription Agreement. The Investor shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Subscription Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any Other Investor to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.

 

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16. Massachusetts Business Trust. If Investor is a Massachusetts Business Trust, a copy of the Declaration of Trust of Investor or any affiliate thereof is on file with the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and notice is hereby given that the Subscription Agreement is executed on behalf of the trustees of Investor or any affiliate thereof as trustees and not individually and that the obligations of the Subscription Agreement are not binding on any of the trustees, officers or stockholders of Investor or any affiliate thereof individually but are binding only upon Investor or any affiliate thereof and its assets and property.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Investor has executed or caused this Subscription Agreement to be executed by its duly authorized representative as of the date set forth below.

 

Name of Investor:    State/Country of Formation or Domicile:
By:                                                                                                 
Name:                                                                                            
Title:                                                                                              
Name in which Shares are to be registered (if different):    Date: ________, 2021
Investor’s EIN:   
Business Address-Street:    Mailing Address-Street (if different):
City, State, Zip:    City, State, Zip:
Attn:                                                                                              Attn:                                                                                          
Telephone No.:    Telephone No.:

Facsimile No.:

 

Email:

   Facsimile No.:
Number of Shares subscribed for:   
Aggregate Subscription Amount: $    Price Per Share: $10.00

You must pay the Subscription Amount by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account specified by ACON in the Closing Notice.


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, ACON has accepted this Subscription Agreement as of the date set forth below.

 

ACON S2 ACQUISITION CORP.
By:  

 

Name: Adam Kriger
Title: Managing Partner

Date: May 6, 2021


SCHEDULE A

ELIGIBILITY REPRESENTATIONS OF THE INVESTOR

 

A.

QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER STATUS

(Please check if applicable):

☐ The Investor is a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act (a “QIB”)).

** OR **

 

B.

INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR STATUS

(Please check the applicable subparagraphs, to the extent applicable):

 

  1.

☐ The Investor is an “accredited investor” (within the meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act or an entity in which all of the equity holders are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act), and has marked and initialed the appropriate box below indicating the provision under which the Investor qualifies as an “accredited investor.”

 

  2.

☐ The Investor is not a natural person.

Rule 501(a), in relevant part, states that an “accredited investor” shall mean any person who comes within any of the below listed categories, or who the issuer reasonably believes comes within any of the below listed categories, at the time of the sale of the securities to that person. The Investor has indicated, by marking and initialing the appropriate box below, the provision(s) below which apply to the Investor and under which the Investor accordingly qualifies as an “accredited investor.”

☐ Any bank, registered broker or dealer, insurance company, registered investment company, business development company, or small business investment company;

☐ Any plan established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions for the benefit of its employees, if such plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000;

☐ Any employee benefit plan, within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, if a bank, insurance company, or registered investment adviser makes the investment decisions, or if the plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000;

☐ Any organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corporation, Massachusetts or similar business trust, or partnership, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000;

☐ Any trust with assets in excess of $5,000,000, not formed to acquire the securities offered, whose purchase is directed by a sophisticated person; or

☐ Any entity in which all of the equity owners are accredited investors meeting one or more of the above tests.

This page should be completed by the Investor

and constitutes a part of the Subscription Agreement.

Exhibit 10.2

FORM OF TRANSACTION SUPPORT AGREEMENT

This TRANSACTION SUPPORT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is entered into as of May 6, 2021, by and among ACON S2 Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (“Acquiror”) and [•], a [•] (the “Stockholder”). Each of Acquiror and the Stockholder are sometimes referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Merger Agreement (defined below).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, on May 6, 2021, Acquiror, SCharge Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”) and ESS Tech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), entered into that certain Merger Agreement (as amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with its terms, the “Merger Agreement”) pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving company in the merger and, after giving effect to such merger, becoming a wholly-owned Subsidiary of Acquiror, and each share of Company Common Stock (including shares of Company Common Stock issued upon the conversion of Company Preferred Stock in connection with this transaction and including the Subject Company Stock (as defined below)) will be converted into the right to receive Acquiror Common Stock, in each case, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement;

WHEREAS, the Stockholder is the record and beneficial owner of the number and type of equity securities of the Company set forth on Schedule A hereto (together with any other equity securities of the Company that the Stockholder acquires record or beneficial ownership after the date hereof, collectively, the “Subject Company Stock”);

WHEREAS, in consideration for the benefits to be received by the Stockholder under the terms of the Merger Agreement and as a material inducement to Acquiror agreeing to enter into, and consummate the transactions contemplated by, the Merger Agreement, the Stockholder agrees to enter into this Agreement and to be bound by the agreements, covenants and obligations contained in this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the Parties acknowledge and agree that Acquiror and Merger Sub would not have entered into, and agreed to consummate the transactions contemplated by, the Merger Agreement without the Stockholder entering into this Agreement and agreeing to be bound by the agreements, covenants and obligations contained in this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties, each intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

AGREEMENT

1. Company Stockholder Consent and Related Matters.

(a) Subject to the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, (i) as promptly as reasonably practicable (and in any event within five Business Days) following the time at which the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Securities Act (subject to the Registration Statement not being subject to a stop order issued by the SEC or proceeding by the SEC seeking a stop order at any point during such period), the Stockholder, in its, his or her capacity as a stockholder of the Company, shall duly execute and deliver to the Company and Acquiror the Company Stockholder Approvals under which it shall irrevocably and unconditionally consent to the matters, actions and proposals contemplated by Section 7.03(e) of the Merger Agreement (the “Approval”), including the


Merger and any other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement to occur at or immediately prior to the Closing (collectively, the “Transactions”) and (ii) without limiting the generality of the foregoing, prior to the Closing, to the extent that it is necessary or advisable, in each case, as reasonably determined by Acquiror and the Company, for any matters, actions or proposals to be approved by the Stockholder in connection with, or otherwise in furtherance of, the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the Stockholder shall vote (or cause to be voted) the Subject Company Stock against and withhold consent with respect to (A) any Company Acquisition Proposal or (B) any other matter, action or proposal that would reasonably be expected to result in any of the conditions to the Closing set forth in Sections 8.01 or 8.02 of the Merger Agreement not being satisfied; provided, that in the case of either (i) or (ii), the Merger Agreement shall not have been amended or modified without such Stockholder’s consent (x) to decrease the consideration payable under the Merger Agreement or (y) to change the form of merger consideration in a manner adverse to such Stockholder.

(b) Without limiting any other rights or remedies of Acquiror, in the event that the Stockholder fails to perform or otherwise comply with the covenants, agreements or obligations set forth in Section 1(a), the Stockholder hereby irrevocably appoints Acquiror or any individual designated by Acquiror as the Stockholder’s agent, attorney-in-fact and proxy (with full power of substitution and re-substitution), for and in the name, place and stead of the Stockholder, to attend on behalf of the Stockholder any meeting of the Company Stockholders with respect to the matters described in Section 1(a), to include the Subject Company Stock in any computation for purposes of establishing a quorum at any such meeting of the Company Stockholders, to vote (or cause to be voted) the Subject Company Stock or consent (or withhold consent) with respect to any of the matters described in Section 1(a) in connection with any meeting of the Company Stockholders or any action by written consent by the Company Stockholders (including the Company Stockholder Approvals). The proxy granted in this Section 1(b) shall expire upon the termination of this Agreement.

(c) The proxy granted by the Stockholder pursuant to Section 1(b) is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable proxy and is granted in consideration of Acquiror entering into the Merger Agreement, and agreeing to consummate the transactions contemplated thereby. The proxy granted by the Stockholder pursuant to Section 1(b) is a durable proxy and shall survive the bankruptcy, dissolution, death, incapacity or other inability to act by the Stockholder and shall revoke any and all prior proxies granted by the Stockholder with respect to the Subject Company Stock. The vote or consent of the proxyholder in accordance with Section 1(b) with respect to the matters described in Section 1(a) shall control in the event of any conflict between such vote or consent by the proxyholder of the Subject Company Stock and a vote or consent by the Stockholder of the Subject Company Stock (or any other Person with the power to vote or provide consent with respect to the Subject Company Stock) with respect to the matters described in Section 1(a). The proxyholder may not exercise the proxy granted pursuant to Section 1(b) on any matter except for those matters described in Section 1(a).

(d) The Stockholder shall not hereafter, unless and until this Agreement terminates or expires pursuant to its terms, purport to designate any other proxy or power of attorney with respect to the Subject Company Stock or enter into any other agreement, arrangement, or understanding with any person, directly or indirectly, to vote, grant any proxy or give instructions with respect to the voting of the Subject Company Stock, in each case, with respect to any of the matters set forth herein.

2. Other Covenants and Agreements.

(a) The Stockholder hereby agrees that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any such agreement and to the extent such Stockholder is a party to any such agreement, effective as of the Closing, (i) each of the agreements set forth on Schedule B hereto shall be automatically terminated and of no further force and effect (including any provisions of any such agreement that, by its terms, survive such termination) effective as of, and subject to and conditioned upon the occurrence of, the Closing and (ii)

 

2


upon such termination neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates (including from and after the Effective Time, Acquiror and its Affiliates) shall have any further obligations or liabilities under each such agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing or Section 2(d), the Stockholder hereby agrees to promptly execute and deliver all additional agreements, documents and instruments and take, or cause to be taken, all actions necessary or reasonably advisable in order to achieve the purpose of the preceding sentence. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing or Section 2(d), the Stockholder hereby agrees to promptly execute and deliver all additional mutually agreed upon agreements, documents and instruments (such agreement not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided, that the Stockholder agrees that any document that reflects the substance of the immediately preceding sentence (and not any other substantive provisions) and is solely for purposes of properly effectuating any such termination as provided in accordance with the terms of the immediately preceding sentence shall be reasonable) and take, or cause to be taken, all actions necessary or reasonably advisable in order to achieve the purpose of the preceding sentence.

(b) The Stockholder shall be bound by and subject to (i) Section 7.05 (Confidentiality; Publicity) of the Merger Agreement to the same extent as such provisions apply to the parties to the Merger Agreement, and (ii) Section 5.04 (No Claim Against the Trust Account) of the Merger Agreement to the same extent as such provisions apply to the Company, in each case, mutatis mutandis, as if the Stockholder is directly party thereto. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, (x) the Stockholder shall not be responsible for the actions of the Company or the Company Board (or any committee thereof) or any officers, directors (in their capacity as such), employees and professional advisors of any of the foregoing (the “Company Related Parties”) or any other owner of equity securities of the Company (or Affiliate of such owner), including with respect to any of the matters contemplated by this Section 2(b), (y) the Stockholder is not making any representations or warranties with respect to the actions of any of the Company Related Parties or any other owner of equity securities of the Company (or Affiliate of such owner) and (z) any breach by the Company or any other owner of equity securities of the Company (or Affiliate of such owner) of its respective obligations under the Merger Agreement shall not be considered a breach of this Section 2(b) (it being understood for the avoidance of doubt that the Stockholder shall remain responsible for any breach by it of this Section 2(b)).

(c) The Stockholder acknowledges and agrees that Acquiror and Merger Sub are entering into the Merger Agreement in reliance upon the Stockholder entering into this Agreement and agreeing to be bound by, and perform, or otherwise comply with, as applicable, the agreements, covenants and obligations contained in this Agreement and but for the Stockholder entering into this Agreement and agreeing to be bound by, and perform, or otherwise comply with, as applicable, the agreements, covenants and obligations contained in this Agreement Acquiror and Merger Sub would not have entered into, or agreed to consummate the transactions contemplated by, the Merger Agreement.

(d) Upon, and subject to, the consummation of the transactions contemplate by the Merger Agreement, each of the Acquiror and the Stockholder shall deliver duly executed counterparts to the Registration Rights Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A [and the Stockholder’s Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B to be effective as of the Closing].

 

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(e) Upon the Closing, the Parties hereby acknowledge that certain Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement, dated as of September 16, 2020, by and among the Acquiror, the Sponsor and the other parties thereto, and all of the respective rights and obligations of the parties thereunder are hereby terminated in their entirety and shall be of no further force or effect.

3. Consent to Entry into Merger Agreement. Stockholder hereby consents to the Company entering into the Merger Agreement, to the extent such consent is required to satisfy any requirements contained in Section 6(b)(i) of Article V of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation. For the avoidance of doubt, such consent shall not be deemed a consent or approval of the Merger or the other Approvals, or any consent or agreement to receive shares of Acquiror Common Stock or other securities pursuant to the Merger or otherwise, which consent shall only be given pursuant to the terms of, subject to the conditions set forth in and at the time described in this Agreement and the Merger Agreement.

4. Stockholder Representations and Warranties. The Stockholder represents and warrants to Acquiror as follows:

(a) The Stockholder is a corporation, limited liability company or other applicable business entity duly organized or formed, as applicable, validly existing and in good standing (or the equivalent thereof, if applicable, in each case, with respect to the jurisdictions that recognize the concept of good standing or any equivalent thereof) under the Laws of its jurisdiction of formation or organization (as applicable).

(b) The Stockholder has the requisite corporate, limited liability company or other similar power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to perform its covenants, agreements and obligations hereunder (including, for the avoidance of doubt, those covenants, agreements and obligations hereunder that relate to the provisions of the Merger Agreement), and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate (or other similar) action on the part of the Stockholder. This Agreement has been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Stockholder and constitutes a valid, legal and binding agreement of the Stockholder (assuming that this Agreement is duly authorized, executed and delivered by Acquiror), enforceable against the Stockholder in accordance with its terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other Laws affecting generally the enforcement of creditors’ rights and subject to general principles of equity).

(c) No consent, approval or authorization of, or designation, declaration or filing with, any Governmental Authority is required on the part of the Stockholder with respect to the Stockholder’s execution, delivery or performance of its covenants, agreements or obligations under this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, those covenants, agreements and obligations under this Agreement that relate to the provisions of the Merger Agreement) or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, except for any consents, approvals, authorizations, designations, declarations, waivers or filings, the absence of which would not adversely affect the ability of the Stockholder to perform, or otherwise comply with, any of its covenants, agreements or obligations hereunder in any material respect, or which have already been obtained in advance of the Stockholder’s entry into this Agreement.

(d) None of the execution or delivery of this Agreement by the Stockholder, the performance by the Stockholder of any of its covenants, agreements or obligations under this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, those covenants, agreements and obligations under this Agreement

 

4


that relate to the provisions of the Merger Agreement) or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will, directly or indirectly (with or without due notice or lapse of time or both) (i) result in any breach of any provision of the Stockholder’s organizational and governing documents, (ii) result in a violation or breach of, or constitute a default or give rise to any right of termination, consent, cancellation, amendment, modification, suspension, revocation or acceleration under, any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any Contract to which the Stockholder is a party, (iii) violate, or constitute a breach under, any Governmental Order or applicable Law to which the Stockholder or any of its properties or assets are bound or (iv) other than the restrictions contemplated by this Agreement, result in the creation of any Lien upon the Subject Company Stock, except, in the case of any of clauses (ii) and (iii) above, as would not adversely affect the ability of the Stockholder to perform, or otherwise comply with, any of its covenants, agreements or obligations hereunder in any material respect.

(e) The Stockholder is the record and beneficial owner of the Subject Company Stock and has valid, good and marketable title to the Subject Company Stock, free and clear of all Liens (other than transfer restrictions under applicable Securities Law or under the Company Organizational Documents). Except for the equity securities of the Company set forth on Schedule A hereto, together with any other equity securities of the Company that the Stockholder acquires record or beneficial ownership of after the date hereof that is either permitted pursuant to, or acquired in accordance with, Section 5.01 of the Merger Agreement [(it being understood that the acquisition by the Stockholder of any such equity securities acquired pursuant to and in accordance with Section 2.1(c) of that certain Series C-2 Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement and Amendment to Series C Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement, dated as of March 1, 2021, as amended (the “Series C-2 Stock Purchase Agreement”), complies with Section 5.01 of the Merger Agreement),] the Stockholder does not own, beneficially or of record, any equity securities of the Company. [Except as provided in the Series C-2 Stock Purchase Agreement or rights under the Company Warrants, t//T]he Stockholder does not own any right to acquire any equity securities of the Company. The Stockholder has the sole right to vote (and provide consent in respect of, as applicable) the Subject Company Stock and, except for this Agreement and the Merger Agreement, the Stockholder is not party to or bound by (i) any option, warrant, purchase right or other Contract that would (either alone or in connection with one or more events or developments (including the satisfaction or waiver of any conditions precedent)) require the Stockholder to Transfer any of the Subject Company Stock or (ii) any voting trust, proxy or other Contract with respect to the voting or Transfer of any of the Subject Company Stock, in each case, that could reasonably be expected to (A) impair the ability of such Stockholder to perform its obligations under this Agreement or (B) prevent, impede or delay the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

(f) There is no Proceeding pending or, to the Stockholder’s knowledge, threatened against the Stockholder that, if adversely decided or resolved, would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the ability of the Stockholder to perform, or otherwise comply with, any of its covenants, agreements or obligations under this Agreement in any material respect.

(g) The Stockholder, on its own behalf and on behalf of its Representatives, acknowledges, represents, warrants and agrees that (i) it has conducted its own independent review and analysis of, and, based thereon, has formed an independent judgment concerning, the business, assets, condition, operations and prospects of, Acquiror and (ii) it has been furnished with or given access to such documents and information about Acquiror and its respective businesses and operations as it and its

 

5


Representatives have deemed necessary to enable it to make an informed decision with respect to the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the other Ancillary Agreements to which it is or will be a party and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

(h) In entering into this Agreement and the other Ancillary Agreements to which it is or will be a party, the Stockholder has relied solely on its own investigation and analysis and the representations and warranties expressly set forth in the Ancillary Agreements to which it is or will be a party and no other representations or warranties of Acquiror or Merger Sub (including, for the avoidance of doubt, none of the representations or warranties of Acquiror set forth in the Merger Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreement), any of their respective Affiliates or any other Person, either express or implied, and the Stockholder, on its own behalf and on behalf of its Representatives, acknowledges, represents, warrants and agrees that, except for the representations and warranties expressly set forth in the Ancillary Agreements to which it is or will be a party, none of Acquiror, Merger Sub, any of their respective Affiliates or any other Person makes or has made any representation or warranty, either express or implied, in connection with or related to this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements to which it is or will be a party or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

5. Transfer of Subject Securities. Except as expressly contemplated by the Merger Agreement or with the prior written consent of Acquiror (such consent to be given or withheld in its sole discretion), from and after the date hereof, the Stockholder agrees not to (a) Transfer any of the Subject Company Stock, (b) enter into (i) any option, warrant, purchase right or other Contract that would (either alone or in connection with one or more events or developments (including the satisfaction or waiver of any conditions precedent)) require the Stockholder to Transfer the Subject Company Stock prior to the Closing or termination of the Merger Agreement or (ii) any voting trust, proxy or other Contract with respect to the voting or Transfer of the Subject Company Stock, or (c) take any actions in furtherance of any of the matters described in the foregoing clauses (a) or (b). For purposes of this Agreement, “Transfer” means any, direct or indirect, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, mortgage, exchange, hypothecation, grant of a security interest in or disposition or encumbrance of an interest (whether with or without consideration, whether voluntarily or involuntarily or by operation of law or otherwise). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Stockholder may transfer its Subject Company Stock (A) to Stockholder’s officers or directors, any members or partners of the Stockholder or any Affiliates of the Stockholder; (B) in the case of an individual, by gift to a member of one of the individual’s immediate family, to a trust, the beneficiary of which is a member of the individual’s immediate family, an affiliate of such person or to a charitable organization; (C) in the case of an individual, by virtue of laws of descent and distribution upon death of the individual; (D) in the case of an individual, pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (E) by private sales or transfers made in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement; (F) to other Company Stockholders; and (G) by virtue of the Stockholder’s organizational documents upon liquidation or dissolution of the Stockholder; in each case of clauses (A) – (G), with the prior written consent of Acquiror (such consent to be withheld or given in its sole discretion) and subject to any such transferee signing a joinder hereto agreeing to be bound by all provisions hereof to the same extent as the Stockholder.

6. Termination This Agreement (including the proxy granted pursuant to Section 1) shall automatically terminate, without any notice or other action by any Party, and be void ab initio upon the earliest of (a) the Effective Time, (b) the termination of the Merger Agreement in accordance with its terms, (c) the amendment or modification of the Merger Agreement without the Stockholder’s written consent (i) to decrease the consideration payable under the Merger Agreement, (ii) to extend the timing of payment of any consideration after Closing or impose any additional burdens, limitations, obligations or restrictions on the Stockholder or (iii) to change the form of merger consideration in a manner adverse to such Stockholder and (d) the effective date of a written agreement of the parties hereto mutually terminating this Agreement. Upon termination of this Agreement as provided in the immediately preceding sentence, none of the Parties shall have any further obligations or liabilities under, or with respect to, this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary in this Agreement, (w) the termination of this Agreement pursuant

 

6


to Section 6(b) shall not affect any liability on the part of any Party for a Willful Breach of any covenant or agreement set forth in this Agreement prior to such termination or Fraud committed by such Party; (x) Sections 2(b)(i) (solely to the extent that it relates to Section 7.05 (Confidentiality; Publicity) of the Merger Agreement) and the representations and warranties set forth in Section 4(g) and Section 4(h) shall each survive any termination of this Agreement; (y) Section 13 shall each survive the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 6(a); and (z) Section 2(b)(ii) (solely to the extent that it relates to Section 5.04 (No Claim Against the Trust Account) of the Merger Agreement) shall survive the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 6(b). For purposes of this Section 6:

(a) “Willful Breach” means a material breach of a covenant that is a consequence of an intentional act undertaken or an intentional failure to act by the breaching Party with the actual knowledge (as opposed to constructive, imputed or implied knowledge) that the taking of such act or such failure to act would constitute or result in a breach of this Agreement; and

(b) “Fraud” means an act or omission by a Party, and requires: (i) a false or incorrect representation or warranty expressly set forth in this Agreement, (ii) with actual knowledge (as opposed to constructive, imputed or implied knowledge) by the Party making such representation or warranty that such representation or warranty expressly set forth in this Agreement is false or incorrect, (iii) an intention to deceive another Party, to induce it to enter into this Agreement, (iv) another Party, in justifiable or reasonable reliance upon such false or incorrect representation or warranty expressly set forth in this Agreement, causing such Party to enter into this Agreement, and (v) causing such Party to suffer damage by reason of such reliance.

6. Fiduciary Duties. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, (a) the Stockholder makes no agreement or understanding herein in any capacity other than in such Stockholder’s capacity as a record holder and beneficial owner of the Subject Company Stock[, and not in such Stockholder’s capacity as a director, officer or employee of the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries] and (b) nothing herein will be construed to limit or affect any action or inaction by [such Stockholder // any representative of such Stockholder serving] in its capacity as a member of the board of directors of the Company or as an officer, employee or fiduciary of the Company, in each case, acting in such person’s capacity as a director, officer, employee or fiduciary of the Company.

7. [Reserved].

8. No Recourse. Except for claims pursuant to the Merger Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreement by any party(ies) thereto against any other party(ies) thereto, each Party agrees that this Agreement may only be enforced against, and any action for breach of this Agreement may only be made against, the Parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall limit the Liability of any Party for Fraud or Willful Breach committed by such Party.

9. Notices. All notices and other communications among the Parties shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) when delivered in person, (b) when delivered after posting in the United States mail having been sent registered or certified mail return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (c) when delivered by FedEx or other nationally recognized overnight delivery service or (d) when e-mailed during normal business hours (and otherwise as of the immediately following Business Day), addressed as follows:

(a) If to Acquiror (including in its capacity as Designee) or Merger Sub, to:

ACON S2 Acquisition Corp.

1133 Connecticut Avenue NW

Suite 700

 

7


Washington, DC 20036

Attn: Adam Kriger

E-mail: akriger@aconinvestments.com

with a copy to:

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

609 Main Street

Houston, TX 77002

Attn: Douglas Bacon

Shawn O’Hargan

E-mail: douglas.bacon@kirkland.com

shawn.ohargan@kirkland.com

(b) If to Stockholder, to:

[•]

[•]

Attn: [•]

E-mail: [•]

or to such other address or addresses as the Parties may from time to time designate in writing.

10. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, the Merger Agreement and documents referred to herein and therein constitute the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement, and supersede all prior agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the Parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement.

11. Amendments and Waivers; Assignment. Any provision of this Agreement may be amended or waived if, and only if, such amendment or waiver is in writing and signed by the Stockholder and Acquiror. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no failure or delay by any Party in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise of any other right hereunder. This Agreement and the rights, interests or obligations hereunder, shall only be assignable by the Stockholder solely to the extent permitted by Section 5 hereof.

12. Fees and Expenses. Except as otherwise expressly set forth in the Merger Agreement, all fees and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the fees and disbursements of counsel, financial advisors and accountants, shall be paid by the Party incurring such fees or expenses.

13. Remedies. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, any and all remedies provided herein will be deemed cumulative with and not exclusive of any other remedy conferred hereby, or by law or equity upon such Party, and the exercise by a Party of any one remedy will not preclude the exercise of any other remedy. The Parties agree that irreparable damage for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy, would occur in the event that either Party does not perform its respective obligations under the provisions of this Agreement in accordance with their specific terms or otherwise breach such provisions. It is accordingly agreed that each Party shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions, specific performance and other equitable relief to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, in each case, without posting a bond or undertaking and without proof of damages and this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each Party agrees that it will not oppose the granting of an injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief when expressly available pursuant to the terms of this Agreement on the basis that the other Parties have an adequate remedy at law or an award of specific performance is not an appropriate remedy for any reason at law or equity.

 

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14. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement shall be for the sole benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not intended, nor shall be construed, to give any Person, other than the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns, any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever by reason this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, is intended to or shall constitute the Parties acting as partners or participants in a joint venture. For the avoidance of doubt the Company shall be a third party beneficiary of Section 3 of this Agreement.

15. Miscellaneous. Sections 1.02 (Construction), 10.06 (Governing Law), 10.07 (Captions; Counterparts), 10.11 (Severability), 10.12 (Jurisdiction; Waiver of Trial by Jury) and 10.15 (Non-Survival of Representations, Warranties and Covenants) of the Merger Agreement are incorporated herein by reference and shall apply to this Agreement, mutatis mutandis.

Remainder of page intentionally left blank; signature pages follow.

 

9


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed and delivered this Transaction Support Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

ACON S2 ACQUISITION CORP.
By:  

 

Name:   Adam Kriger
Title:   Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Signature Page to Transaction Support Agreement]


[STOCKHOLDER]
By:  

 

Name:
Title:

[Signature Page to Transaction Support Agreement]


SCHEDULE A

 

Class/Series Securities

   Number of Shares  

[•]

     [ •] 

[•]

     [ •] 

[•]

     [ •] 

[•]

     [ •] 


SCHEDULE B

 

   

Second Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated as of August 28, 2019 between the Company, SB Energy Global Holdings One Ltd., Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC, Cycle Capital Fund III, L.P., Pangaea Ventures Fund III, LP, Sand Hill Angels XV, LLC, Seattle Angel Conference Investors, LLC, Fund VI 2014 Series only, Portland Seed Fund II, LP, Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, Brian Arbogast, John E. Chadwick, Kathy Washienko, Energethic, LLC, 3x4y Angels – ESS 2015 LLC, 3x4y Angels – ESS 2016 LLC, Eimar Boesjes , Douglas G. Swartz, Eric Robert Berman and Luann Kay Suthers Berman Living Trust, dated July 18, 2012, Erick Petersen, Jabe Blumenthal, Ramez Naam, RNN Ventures ESS Series C Note LLC, Monoc Capital Ltd. EESS LLC, Obsidian Renewables, LLC, BASF Venture Capital GmbH, Presidio-IPM j.s.a., Vicap LLC, Michael R. Niggli Family Trust, Linda Naviaux Niggli Trust , Agharta Capital Ltd. , Energy Ventures, Inc., GC Ventures America, Craig Evans , including Side Letter dated as of March 1, 2021

 

   

Second Amended and Restated Right of First Refusal and Co-Sale Agreement, dated August 28, 2019, by and among the Company, SB Energy Global Holdings One Ltd., Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC, Cycle Capital Fund III, L.P., Pangaea Ventures Fund III, LP, Sand Hill Angels XV, LLC, Seattle Angel Conference Investors, LLC, Fund VI 2014 Series only, Portland Seed Fund II, LP, Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center, Inc. Brian Arbogast, John E. Chadwick, Kathy Washienko, Energethic, LLC, 3x4y Angels – ESS 2015 LLC, 3x4y Angels – ESS 2016 LLC, Eimar Boesjes , Douglas G. Swartz, Eric Robert Berman and Luann Kay Suthers Berman Living Trust, dated July 18, 2012, Erick Petersen, Jabe Blumenthal, Ramez Naam, RNN Ventures ESS Series C Note LLC, Monoc Capital Ltd. EESS LLC, Obsidian Renewables, LLC, BASF Venture Capital GmbH, Presidio-IPM j.s.a., Vicap LLC, Michael R. Niggli Family Trust, Linda Naviaux Niggli Trust , Agharta Capital Ltd. , Energy Ventures, Inc., GC Ventures America, Craig Evans and Yang Song.

 

   

Second Amended and Restated Voting Agreement, dated August 28, 2019, by and among the Company, SB Energy Global Holdings One Ltd., Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC, Cycle Capital Fund III, L.P., Pangaea Ventures Fund III, LP, Sand Hill Angels XV, LLC, Seattle Angel Conference Investors, LLC, Fund VI 2014 Series only, Portland Seed Fund II, LP, Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center, Inc. Brian Arbogast, John E. Chadwick, Kathy Washienko, Energethic, LLC, 3x4y Angels – ESS 2015 LLC, 3x4y Angels – ESS 2016 LLC, Eimar Boesjes , Douglas G. Swartz, Eric Robert Berman and Luann Kay Suthers Berman Living Trust, dated July 18, 2012, Erick Petersen, Jabe Blumenthal, Ramez Naam, RNN Ventures ESS Series C Note LLC, Monoc Capital Ltd. EESS LLC, Obsidian Renewables, LLC, BASF Venture Capital GmbH, Presidio-IPM j.s.a., Vicap LLC, Michael R. Niggli Family Trust, Linda Naviaux Niggli Trust , Agharta Capital Ltd. , Energy Ventures, Inc., GC Ventures America, Craig Evans and Yang Song.

 

   

Omibus Amendment to the Financing Agreements dated March 1, 2021 by and among the Company, SB Energy Global Holdings One Ltd., Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC, Cycle Capital Fund III, L.P., Pangaea Ventures Fund III, LP, Energy Ventures, Inc., GC Ventures America, Craig Evans and Yang Song.

 

   

Side Letter dated as of August 28, 2019 between the Company and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC.

 

   

Side Letter dated as of October 15, 2019 between the Company and GC Ventures America and Amended and Restated side letter by and between the Company and GC Ventures America, dated as of March 1, 2021.

 

   

Side Letter dated as of July 10, 2018 between the Company and Presidio-IPM j.s.a.

 

   

Side Letter dated as of December 11, 2017 between the Company Presidio-IPM j.s.a., Cycle Capital Fund III, L.P. and BASF Venture Capital GmbH.

 

   

Side Letter dated as of March 3, 2015 signed by the Company for the benefit of each member of Element 8 Group.

Exhibit 10.3

SPONSOR LETTER AGREEMENT

This SPONSOR LETTER AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of May 6, 2021, is made by and among ACON S2 Sponsor, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), ACON S2 Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (“Acquiror”), ESS Tech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and, solely for purposes of Sections 5, 6, 8 and 9 (and the other sections of this Agreement solely to the extent relating to Sections 5, 6, 8 and 9), certain individuals, each of whom is a member of Acquiror’s board of directors and/or management (the “Insiders”). The Sponsor, Acquiror, the Company and the Insiders (solely for purposes of Sections 5, 6, 8 and 9 (and the other sections of this Agreement solely to the extent relating to Sections 5, 6, 8 and 9)) shall be referred to herein from time to time, collectively, as the “Parties” and each, individually, as a “Party”. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Merger Agreement (as defined below).

WHEREAS, Acquiror, the Company and certain other Persons party thereto entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of the date hereof (as it may be amended, restated or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with its terms, the “Merger Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, the Merger Agreement contemplates that the Parties will enter into this Agreement concurrently with the entry into the Merger Agreement by the parties thereto, pursuant to which, among other things, the Sponsor and the Insiders will (a) vote in favor of approval of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby (including the Domestication and the Merger) at any meeting of the stockholders of Acquiror, (b) agree to be bound by certain transfer restrictions with respect to its Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of the share capital of Acquiror (“Acquiror Common Stock”) prior to Closing, (c) reaffirm certain lock-up provisions of that certain Letter Agreement dated as of September 16, 2020 by and among Sponsor, Acquiror and the Insiders (the “Letter Agreement”), (d) agree to be bound by certain lock-up provisions during the lock-up period described herein with respect to its Acquiror Common Stock issued pursuant to the Merger Agreement or the Subscription Agreements and (e) waive any anti-dilution or similar protection with respect to all of the Acquiror Common Stock related to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Parties, each intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

1.

a. Agreement to Vote. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby unconditionally and irrevocably agrees to (i) vote at any meeting of the shareholders of Acquiror, however called, (including any adjournment or postponement thereof), and in any action by written resolution of the shareholders of Acquiror, all of its Acquiror Common Stock in favor of the Proposals, including proposals relating to the Merger, the Domestication and any other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement to occur at or immediately prior to the Closing) and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, prior to the Closing, to the extent that it is necessary or advisable, in each case, as reasonably determined by Acquiror and the Company, and (ii) withhold consent with respect to any matter, action or proposal that would reasonably be expected to result in a material breach of any of the Acquiror’s covenants, agreements or


obligations under the Merger Agreement or any of the conditions to the Closing set forth in Sections 8.01 or 8.03 of the Merger Agreement not being satisfied; provided, that in the case of either (i) or (ii), the Merger Agreement shall not have been amended or modified without the Sponsor’s consent (x) to decrease the consideration payable under the Merger Agreement or (y) to change the form of merger consideration in a manner adverse to the Sponsor.

b. Representation. The Sponsor and the Insiders are the sole legal and beneficial owners of all Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share, of the share capital of Acquiror and each such Person has valid, good and marketable title to its Acquiror Common Stock, free and clear of all Liens (other than transfer restrictions under applicable Securities Law or under the Acquiror Organizational Documents). The Sponsor and the Insiders have the sole right to vote (and provide consent in respect of, as applicable) all of their respective Acquiror Common Stock and, except for this Agreement or as publicly disclosed in the Acquiror SEC Reports, are is not party to or bound by (i) any option, warrant, purchase right or other Contract that would (either alone or in connection with one or more events or developments (including the satisfaction or waiver of any conditions precedent)) require the Sponsor to transfer any of its Acquiror Common Stock or (ii) any voting trust, proxy or other Contract with respect to the voting or transfer of any of its Acquiror Common Stock, in each case, that could reasonably be expected to (A) impair the ability of the Sponsor to perform its obligations under this Agreement or (B) prevent, impede or delay the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Sponsor is the legal and beneficial owner of 4,666,667 Acquiror Warrants (as defined below), and no other Person holds Acquiror Warrants.

2. Waiver of Anti-dilution Protection. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby (a) waives, subject to, and conditioned upon and effective as of immediately prior to, the occurrence of the Effective Time, any rights to adjustment of the conversion ratio with respect to the Acquiror Common Stock owned by such Person set forth in the Governing Documents of Acquiror or any other anti-dilution or similar protection with respect to Acquiror Common Stock owned by such Person (in each case, whether resulting from the transactions contemplated by the PIPE Subscription Agreements or otherwise) and (b) agrees not to assert or perfect any rights to adjustment of the conversion ratio with respect to the Acquiror Common Stock owned by such Person set forth in the Governing Documents of Acquiror or any other anti-dilution or similar protection with respect to the Acquiror Common Stock owned by such Person (in each case, whether resulting from the transactions contemplated by the PIPE Subscription Agreements or otherwise).

3. Transfer of Shares. The Sponsor and each Insider hereby agrees that such Person shall not, directly or indirectly, (a) sell, assign, transfer (including by operation of law), place a lien on, pledge, dispose of or otherwise encumber any of its Acquiror Common Stock or otherwise agree to do any of the foregoing, (b) deposit any of its Acquiror Common Stock into a voting trust or enter into a voting agreement or arrangement or grant any proxy or power of attorney with respect any of its Acquiror Common Stock that conflicts with any of the covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement, (c) enter into any contract, option or other arrangement or undertaking with respect to the direct or indirect acquisition or sale, assignment, transfer (including by operation of law) or other disposition of any of its Acquiror Common Stock, (d) engage in any hedging or other transaction which is designed to, or which would (either alone or in connection with one or more events, developments or events (including the satisfaction or waiver of any conditions precedent)), lead to or result in a sale or disposition of its Acquiror Common Stock even if such Acquiror Common Stock would be disposed of by a person other than such Person or (e) take any action that would have the effect of preventing or materially delaying the performance of its obligations hereunder.

 

2


4. Termination of Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement. Upon the Closing, the Parties hereby agree that certain Registration and Shareholder Rights Agreement, dated as of September 16, 2020, by and among the Acquiror, the Sponsor and the other parties thereto, and all of the respective rights and obligations of the parties thereunder are hereby terminated in their entirety and shall be of no further force or effect.

5. Vesting and Forfeiture of Sponsor Warrants.

a. The Sponsor hereby agrees that the Private Placement Warrants (as such term is defined in that certain Warrant Agreement, dated September 16, 2020, by and between Acquiror and the Exchange Agent, the “Acquiror Warrants”) held by the Sponsor shall be subject to the following vesting terms and any Acquiror Warrants that remain unvested pursuant to this Section 5 as of the expiration of the Earnout Period shall be forfeited. In the event of a forfeiture, the Sponsor shall return such Acquiror Warrants to the Acquiror for cancellation. The Sponsor hereby agrees that any Acquiror Warrants that are unvested at any time, may not be exercised or transferred without the prior written consent of the Acquiror (such consent to be given, conditioned or withheld in its sole discretion).

b. The Parties hereby agree that 3,500,000 of the Acquiror Warrants shall vest at Closing.

c. The Parties hereby agree that 583,333 of the Acquiror Warrants shall be forfeited at Closing.

d. 291,667 of Acquiror Warrants shall vest upon the occurrence of the Milestone Event described in Section 2.09(a)(i) of the Merger Agreement (as adjusted in accordance with the terms of Section 2.09(f) of the Merger Agreement).

e. In addition to the vesting of Acquiror Warrants contemplated by the immediately preceding clause (d), an additional 291,667 of Acquiror Warrants shall vest upon the occurrence of the Milestone Event described in Section 2.09(a)(ii) of the Merger Agreement (as adjusted in accordance with the terms of Section 2.09(f) of the Merger Agreement).

6. Redemption; Other Covenants.

a. Unless this Agreement shall have been terminated in accordance with Section 7, each of Sponsor and the Insiders, severally and not jointly, hereby agrees that Sponsor or such Insider (as applicable) shall not effect a redemption of any of its shares of Acquiror Common Stock.

b. The Sponsor and the Insiders hereby agrees to be bound by and subject to (i) Section 7.02 (Exclusivity) of the Merger Agreement to the same extent as such provisions apply to Acquiror as if the Sponsor were directly party thereto and (ii) Section 7.05 (Confidentiality; Publicity) of the Merger Agreement to the same extent as such provisions apply to the parties to the Merger Agreement, as if the Sponsor were directly a party thereto.

c. Each of the Sponsor and the Insiders acknowledges and agrees that the Company is entering into the Merger Agreement in reliance upon all the Parties entering into this Agreement and agreeing to be bound by, and perform, or otherwise comply with, as applicable, the agreements, covenants and obligations contained in this Agreement and but for such Party entering into this Agreement and agreeing to be bound by, and perform, or otherwise comply with, as applicable, the agreements, covenants and obligations contained in this Agreement, the Company would not have entered into, or agreed to consummate the transactions contemplated by, the Merger Agreement.

 

3


7. Lock Up. The Sponsor and the Insiders hereby agree and acknowledge that the terms set forth in Section 5 of the Letter Agreement shall continue to be in effect and are binding against such parties, and none of the Sponsor, the Insiders or Acquiror shall amend, modify, limit or terminate such obligations without the prior written consent of the Company (which may be given in its sole discretion).

8. Termination. This Agreement shall automatically terminate, without any notice or other action by any Party, and be void ab initio upon the earlier of (a) the Effective Time; (b) the termination of the Merger Agreement in accordance with its terms; and (c) the effective date of a written agreement of the parties hereto mutually terminating this Agreement. Upon termination of this Agreement as provided in the immediately preceding sentence, none of the Parties shall have any further obligations or Liabilities under, or with respect to, this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary in this Agreement, (i) the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8(b) shall not affect any Liability on the part of any Party for a Willful Breach of any covenant or agreement set forth in this Agreement prior to such termination or Fraud, (ii) Sections 2, 5 and 12 (solely to the extent related to the foregoing Sections 2 and 5) shall each survive the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 8(a), and (iii) Sections 9, 10, 11 and 12 (solely to the extent related to the foregoing Sections 9, 10 and 11) shall survive any termination of this Agreement. For purposes of this Section 8:

a. “Willful Breach” means a material breach of a covenant that is a consequence of an intentional act undertaken or an intentional failure to act by the breaching Party with the actual knowledge (as opposed to constructive, imputed or implied knowledge) that the taking of such act or such failure to act would, or would reasonably be expected to, constitute or result in a breach of this Agreement; and

b. “Fraud” means an act or omission by a Party, and requires: (i) a false or incorrect representation or warranty expressly set forth in this Agreement, (ii) with actual knowledge (as opposed to constructive, imputed or implied knowledge) by the Party making such representation or warranty that such representation or warranty expressly set forth in this Agreement is false or incorrect, (iii) an intention to deceive another Party, to induce it to enter into this Agreement, (iv) another Party, in justifiable or reasonable reliance upon such false or incorrect representation or warranty expressly set forth in this Agreement, causing such Party to enter into this Agreement, and (v) causing such Party to suffer damage by reason of such reliance.

9. No Recourse. Except for claims pursuant to the Merger Agreement or any other Ancillary Agreement by any party(ies) thereto against any other party(ies) thereto, each Party agrees that this Agreement may only be enforced against, and any action for breach of this Agreement may only be made against the Parties. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing herein shall limit the Liability of any Party for Fraud or Willful Breach committed by such Party.

 

4


10. Fiduciary Duties. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, (a) the Sponsor makes no agreement or understanding herein in any capacity other than in the Sponsor’s capacity as a record holder and beneficial owner of Acquiror Common Stock, each Insider makes no agreement or understanding herein in any capacity other than in such Insider’s capacity as a direct or indirect investor in the Sponsor, and not, in the case of any Insider, in such Insider’s capacity as a director, officer or employee of Acquiror or its Affiliates, and (b) nothing herein will be construed to limit or affect any action or inaction by any Insider or any representative of the Sponsor serving as a member of the board of directors (or other similar governing body) of Acquiror or its Affiliates or as an officer, employee or fiduciary of Acquiror or its Affiliates, in each case, acting in such person’s capacity as a director, officer, employee or fiduciary of such Person.

11. No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement shall be for the sole benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not intended, nor shall be construed, to give any Person, other than the Parties and their respective successors and assigns, any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever by reason this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, is intended to or shall constitute the Parties, partners or participants in a joint venture.

12. Incorporation by Reference. Sections 10.03 (Assignment), 10.06 (Governing Law), 10.07 (Captions; Counterparts), 10.09 (Entire Agreement), 10.10 (Amendment), 10.11 (Severability), 10.12 (Jurisdiction; Waiver of Jury Trial), 10.14 (Non-Recourse) and 10.15 (Non-Survival of Representations, Warranties and Covenants) of the Merger Agreement are incorporated herein by reference and shall apply to this Agreement mutatis mutandis.

[signature page follows]

 

5


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Parties has caused this Agreement to be duly executed on its behalf as of the day and year first above written.

 

ACON S2 ACQUISITION CORP.
By:  

/s/ Adam Kriger

  Name: Adam Kriger
  Title: Chief Executive Officer
ACON S2 SPONSOR, L.L.C.
By:  

/s/ Teresa Bernstein

  Name: Teresa Bernstein
  Title: Secretary
ESS TECH, INC.
By:  

/s/ Craig Evans

  Name: Craig Evans
  Title: President and Founder

 

[Signature Page to Sponsor Letter Agreement]


INSIDERS:

By: /s/ Adam Kriger

        Name: Adam Kriger

By: /s/ Jonathan Ginns

      Name: Jonathan Ginns

By: /s/ John Roush

      Name: John Roush

By: /s/ Daniel Jinich

      Name: Daniel Jinich

By: /s/ Sarah Kirshbaum Levy

      Name: Sarah Kirshbaum Levy

By: /s/ Ryan Shadrick Wilson

      Name: Ryan Shadrick Wilson

 

[Signature Page to Sponsor Letter Agreement]


By: /s/ Janie Goddard

      Name: Janie Goddard

 

[Signature Page to Sponsor Letter Agreement]

Exhibit 10.4

FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

This Registration Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”), dated as of [•], 2021, is made and entered into by and among ESS Tech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), ACON S2 Sponsor, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), and the undersigned parties listed under Holder on the signature page hereto (each such party, together with the Sponsor and any person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement pursuant to Section 5.2 of this Agreement, a Holder” and collectively the “Holders”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Company has entered into that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 6, 2021 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, ACON S2 Acquisition Corp. and SCharge Merger Sub, Inc.;

WHEREAS, in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including a private placement of Acquiror Common Stock (as defined in the Merger Agreement) made in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (the “PIPE”), the Holders will receive shares of Acquiror Common Stock (as defined in the Merger Agreement);

WHEREAS, the Company and the Holders desire to enter into this Agreement, pursuant to which the Company shall grant the Holders certain registration rights with respect to certain securities of the Company, as set forth in this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual representations, covenants and agreements contained herein, and certain other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

1.1 Definitions. The terms defined in this Article I shall, for all purposes of this Agreement, have the respective meanings set forth below:

Additional Holder” has the meaning given in Section 5.10.

Additional Holder Common Stock” has the meaning given in Section 5.10.

Adverse Disclosure” means any public disclosure of material non-public information, which disclosure, in the good faith judgment of the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, after consultation with counsel to the Company, (i) would be required to be made in any Registration Statement or Prospectus in order for the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus not to contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained therein (in the case of any prospectus and any preliminary prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading, (ii) would not be required to be made at such time if the Registration Statement were not being filed, declared effective or used, as the case may be, and (iii) the Company has a bona fide business purpose for not making such information public.

Agreement” has the meaning given in the Preamble hereto.

Block Trade” has the meaning given in Section2.4.1.

Bylaws” means the bylaws of the Company to be in at the Effective Time.


Closing” has the meaning given in the Merger Agreement.

Closing Date” has the meaning given in the Merger Agreement.

Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Common Stock” has the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

Company” has the meaning given in the Preamble hereto and includes the Company’s successors by recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, reorganization or similar transaction.

Competing Registration Rights” has the meaning given in Section 5.7.

Demanding Holder” has the meaning given in Section 2.1.4.

Effective Time” has the meaning given in the Merger Agreement.

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as it may be amended from time to time.

Form S-1 Shelf” has the meaning given in Section 2.1.1.

Form S-3 Shelf” has the meaning given in Section 2.1.1.

Holder Information” has the meaning given in Section 4.1.2.

Holders” has the meaning given in the Preamble hereto, for so long as such person or entity holds any Registrable Securities.

Joinder” has the meaning given in Section 5.10.

Lock-up Period” means, with respect to each Holder, the period of time such Holder’s Registrable Securities (excluding any Registrable Securities acquired in the PIPE) are subject to the restrictions on transfers set forth in Section 6.8 of the Bylaws.

Maximum Number of Securities” has the meaning given in Section 2.1.5.

Merger Agreement” has the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

Minimum Takedown Threshold” has the meaning given in Section 2.1.4.

Misstatement” means an untrue statement of a material fact or an omission to state a material fact required to be stated in a Registration Statement or Prospectus or necessary to make the statements in a Registration Statement or Prospectus (in the case of a Prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading.

Permitted Transferees” means any person or entity to whom the Holder may transfer Registrable Securities under the terms of the Bylaws.

Person” means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, limited liability entity, an association, a trust or any other entity or organization, including a government, a political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.

Piggyback Registration” has the meaning given in Section 2.2.1.

PIPE” has the meaning given in the Recitals.

Prospectus” means the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as supplemented by any and all prospectus supplements and as amended by any and all post-effective amendments and including all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus.


Registrable Security” means (a) any outstanding shares of Common Stock or any other equity security (including warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock and shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security) of the Company held by a Holder immediately following the Closing (including any securities distributable pursuant to the Merger Agreement), (b) any outstanding shares of Common Stock or any other equity security (including warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock and shares of Common Stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security) of the Company acquired by a Holder following the date hereof to the extent that such securities are “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) or are otherwise held by an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144) of the Company, (c) any Additional Holder Common Stock, and (d) any other equity security of the Company or any of its subsidiaries issued or issuable with respect to any securities referenced in clause (a), (b) or (c) above by way of a stock dividend or stock split or in connection with a recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, reorganization or similar transaction; provided, however, that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities upon the earliest to occur of: (A) a Registration Statement with respect to the sale of such securities shall have become effective under the Securities Act and such securities shall have been sold, transferred, disposed of or exchanged in accordance with such Registration Statement by the applicable Holder; (B) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; (C) such securities may be sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144 or any successor rule promulgated under the Securities Act (but with no volume or other restrictions or limitations as to manner or timing of sale); and (D) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction.

Registration” means a registration, including any related Shelf Takedown, effected by preparing and filing a registration statement, prospectus or similar document in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Act, and the applicable rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and such registration statement becoming effective.

Registration Expenses” means the expenses of a Registration, including, without limitation, the following:

(A) all registration and filing fees (including fees with respect to filings required to be made with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.) and any national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed;

(B) fees and expenses of compliance with securities or blue sky laws (including reasonable fees and disbursements of outside counsel for the Underwriters in connection with blue sky qualifications of Registrable Securities);

(C) printing, messenger, telephone and delivery expenses;

(D) reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company;

(E) reasonable fees and disbursements of all independent registered public accountants of the Company incurred specifically in connection with such Registration (including the expenses or costs associated with any annual, quarterly or special audit required and the delivery of any opinions or comfort letters expenses of any annual audit or quarterly review);

(F) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by the Demanding Holder in an Underwritten Offering;

(G) all expenses related to any “road show” including the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the selling stockholders; and

(H) the expense of any Securities Act liability insurance or similar insurance.

Registration Statement” means any registration statement that covers Registrable Securities pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus included in such registration statement, amendments (including post-effective amendments) and supplements to such registration statement, and all exhibits to and all material incorporated by reference in such registration statement.

Requesting Holders” has the meaning given in Section 2.1.5.


Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

Shelf” means the Form S-1 Shelf, the Form S-3 Shelf or any Subsequent Shelf Registration, as the case may be.

Shelf Registration” means a registration of securities pursuant to a registration statement filed with the Commission in accordance with and pursuant to Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule then in effect).

Shelf Takedown” shall mean an Underwritten Shelf Takedown or any proposed transfer or sale using a Registration Statement, including a Piggyback Registration.

Shelf Takedown Request” has the meaning given in Section 2.1.4.

Sponsor” has the meaning given in the Preamble hereto.

Subsequent Shelf Registration” has the meaning given in Section 2.1.2.

Transfer” means the (a) sale of, offer to sell, contract or agreement to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant of any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agreement to dispose of, directly or indirectly, or establishment or increase of a put equivalent position or liquidation with respect to or decrease of a call equivalent position within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to, any security, (b) entry into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any security, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (c) public announcement of any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (a) or (b).

Underwriter” means a securities dealer who purchases any Registrable Securities as principal in an Underwritten Offering and not as part of such dealer’s market-making activities.

Underwritten Offering” means a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public including, including by way of a Block Trade.

Underwritten Shelf Takedown” shall have the meaning given in Section 2.1.4.

Well-Known Seasoned Issuer” has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Securities Act.

Withdrawal Notice” has the meaning given in Section 2.1.6.

ARTICLE II

REGISTRATIONS AND OFFERINGS

2.1 Shelf Registration.

2.1.1 Filing. The Company shall, as promptly as reasonably practicable, but in no event later than 30 days of the Closing Date, use its commercially reasonable best efforts to file a Registration Statement for a Shelf Registration on Form S-3 (the “Form S-3 Shelf”) or, if the Company is ineligible to use a Form S-3 Shelf, a Registration Statement for a Shelf Registration on Form S-1 (the “Form S-1 Shelf”), in each case, covering the resale of all the Registrable Securities (determined as of two business days prior to such filing) on a delayed or continuous basis, and shall use its commercially reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective under the Securities Act as soon as practicable after the initial filing thereof. Such Shelf Registration shall provide for the resale of the Registrable Securities included therein pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, any Holder named therein. The Company shall maintain a Shelf in accordance with the terms hereof, and shall prepare and file with the SEC such amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements as may be necessary to keep a Shelf continuously effective, available for use and in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act until such time as there are no longer any Registrable Securities. In the event the Company files a Form S-1 Shelf, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to convert the Form S-1 Shelf (and any Subsequent Shelf Registration) to a Form S-3 Shelf as soon as practicable after the Company is eligible to use Form S-3.

 


2.1.2 Subsequent Shelf Registration. If any Shelf ceases to be effective under the Securities Act for any reason at any time while Registrable Securities are still outstanding, the Company shall, subject to Section 3.4, use its commercially reasonable efforts to as promptly as is reasonably practicable cause such Shelf to again become effective under the Securities Act (including obtaining the prompt withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of such Shelf), and shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to as promptly as is reasonably practicable amend such Shelf in a manner reasonably expected to result in the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of such Shelf or file an additional registration statement as a Shelf Registration (a “Subsequent Shelf Registration”) registering the resale of all Registrable Securities (determined as of two business days prior to such filing), and pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, any Holder named therein. If a Subsequent Shelf Registration is filed, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) cause such Subsequent Shelf Registration to become effective under the Securities Act as promptly as is reasonably practicable after the filing thereof (it being agreed that the Subsequent Shelf Registration shall be an automatic shelf registration statement (as defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act) if the Company is a Well-Known Seasoned Issuer at the most recent applicable eligibility determination date) and (ii) keep such Subsequent Shelf Registration continuously effective, available for use and in compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act until such time as there are no longer any Registrable Securities. Any such Subsequent Shelf Registration shall be on Form S-3 to the extent that the Company is eligible to use such form. Otherwise, such Subsequent Shelf Registration shall be on another appropriate form.

2.1.3 Additional Registrable Securities. In the event that any Person holds Registrable Securities that are not registered for resale on a delayed or continuous basis, the Company, upon request by such Person, shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to promptly cause the resale of such Registrable Securities to be covered by the Shelf Registration by a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to such Shelf Registration to add such Person as a selling stockholder in such Shelf Registration to the extent permitted under the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC.

2.1.4 Requests for Underwritten Shelf Takedowns. At any time and from time to time when an effective Shelf is on file with the Commission, a Holder (such Holder being in such case, a “Demanding Holder”) may request (a “Shelf Takedown Request”) to sell all or any portion of its Registrable Securities in an Underwritten Offering that is registered pursuant to the Shelf (each, an “Underwritten Shelf Takedown”); provided that the Company shall only be obligated to effect an Underwritten Shelf Takedown if such offering shall include (a) Registrable Securities proposed to be sold by the Demanding Holder with a total offering price reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate (and taking into account all Registrable Securities of other Persons that will be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown), $30 million (the “Minimum Takedown Threshold”) or (b) the Registrable Securities to be offered constitute all the Registrable Securities held by such Demanding Holder. All requests for Underwritten Shelf Takedowns shall be made by giving written notice to the Company at least five (5) business days prior to the public announcement of such Underwritten Shelf Takedown, which shall specify the approximate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold in the Underwritten Shelf Takedown. The Company shall, within two (2) business days of receiving a Shelf Takedown Request, notify, in writing, all other Holders of such Shelf Takedown Request, and each Holder who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall so notify the Company, in writing, within two (2) business days of receiving such notice. The Demanding Holder or participating Holder with the greatest number Registrable Securities in an Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall have the right to select any managing underwriter(s) (which shall consist of one or more reputable nationally recognized investment banks) in connection with such Underwritten Shelf Takedown, provided that such selection shall be subject to the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, in no event shall the Holder request an Underwritten Shelf Takedown during their respective Lock-Up Period. No more than four (4) Shelf Takedown Requests may be made by any Demanding Holder within any twelve (12) month period. For the avoidance of doubt, the notice periods set forth in this Section 2.1.4 shall not apply to a Piggyback Registration conducted in accordance with Section 2.2.1 or Block Trades conducted in accordance with Section 2.4.


2.1.5 Reduction of Underwritten Offering. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Shelf Takedown, in good faith, advises the Company, the Demanding Holder and the Holders requesting piggy back rights pursuant to this Agreement with respect to such Underwritten Shelf Takedown (the “Requesting Holders”) (if any) in writing that the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holder and the Requesting Holders (if any) desire to sell, taken together with all other shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell and all other shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, which have been requested to be sold in such Underwritten Offering pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other stockholders, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in the Underwritten Offering without adversely affecting the proposed offering price, the timing, the distribution method, or the probability of success of such offering (such maximum dollar amount or maximum number of such securities, as applicable, the “Maximum Number of Securities”), then the Company shall (i) first, include in such Underwritten Offering, before including any shares of Common Stock or other equity securities proposed to be sold by Company or by other holders of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities, the Registrable Securities of the Demanding Holder and the Requesting Holders (if any) (pro rata based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Demanding Holder and Requesting Holder (if any) has requested be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Demanding Holder and Requesting Holders have requested be included in such Underwritten Shelf Takedown) that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities, (ii) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (i), the number of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities, and (iii) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register in a Registration pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons and that can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities. 2.1.6 Underwritten Offering Withdrawal. Prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Underwritten Offering or, in the case of an Underwritten Offering pursuant to a Shelf Registration, or the filing of the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement used for marketing such Underwritten Shelf Takedown, the Demanding Holder that initiated such Underwritten Shelf Takedown shall have the right to withdraw from such Underwritten Shelf Takedown for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification (a “Withdrawal Notice”) to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of their intention to withdraw from such Shelf Takedown; provided that the other Holders may elect to have the Company continue an Underwritten Shelf Takedown if the Minimum Takedown Threshold would still be satisfied by the Registrable Securities proposed to be sold in the Underwritten Shelf Takedown by such Holders. Following the receipt of any Withdrawal Notice, the Company shall promptly forward such Withdrawal Notice to any other Holders that had elected to participate in such Shelf Takedown. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a Shelf Takedown prior to its withdrawal under this Section 2.1.6.

2.2 Piggyback Registration.

2.2.1 Piggyback Rights. Subject to Section 2.4.3, if the Company or any Holder proposes to conduct a registered offering of, or if the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to the Registration of, equity securities, or securities or other obligations exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into equity securities, for its own account or for the account of stockholders of the Company (or by the Company and by the stockholders of the Company including, without limitation, an Underwritten Shelf Takedown pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof), other than a Registration Statement (or any registered offering with respect thereto) (i) filed in connection with any employee stock option or other benefit plan, (ii) pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (or similar form that relates to a transaction subject to Rule 145 under the Securities Act or any successor rule thereto), (iii) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company or (iv) for a dividend reinvestment plan, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed offering to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable but not less than ten (10) business days before the anticipated filing date of such Registration Statement or, in the case of an Underwritten Offering pursuant to a Shelf Registration, the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement used for marketing such offering, which notice shall (A) describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution, and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, and (B) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the opportunity to include in such registered offering such


number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within five (5) business days after receipt of such written notice (such registered offering, a “Piggyback Registration”). Subject to Section 2.2.2, the Company shall cause such Registrable Securities to be included in such Piggyback Registration and, if applicable, shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of such Piggyback Registration to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this Section 2.2.1 to be included therein on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company included in such registered offering and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. The inclusion of any Holder’s Registrable Securities in a Piggyback Registration shall be subject to such Holder agreement to enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering. For the avoidance of doubt, the notice periods set forth in this Section 2.2.1 shall not apply to an Underwritten Shelf Takedown conducted in accordance with Section 2.1.4 or Block Trades conducted in accordance with Section 2.4. Holders may deliver written notice (an “Opt-Out Notice”) to the Company requesting that such Holder not receive notice from the Company of any proposed Underwritten Offering; provided, however, that such Holder may later revoke any such Opt-Out Notice in writing prior to five business days before the time of pricing of such underwritten offering. Following receipt of an Opt-Out Notice from a Holder (unless subsequently revoked), the Company shall not be required to deliver any notice to such Holder pursuant to this Section 2.2.1 and such Holder (unless such Holder’s Opt-Out Notice is subsequently revoked) shall no longer be entitled to participate in Underwritten Offerings by the Company pursuant to this Section 2.2.1.

2.2.2 Reduction of Piggyback Registration. If the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in an Underwritten Offering that is to be a Piggyback Registration in good faith advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that the dollar amount or number of shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (i) the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, as to which Registration or a registered offering has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with Persons other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, (ii) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof, and (iii) the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, as to which Registration or a registered offering has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:

(a) If the Registration or registered offering is undertaken for the Company’s account, the Company shall include in any such Registration or registered offering (A) first, the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2.2.1, pro rata, based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Holder has requested be included in such Underwritten Offering and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Holders have requested to be included in such Underwritten Offering, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, as to which Registration or a registered offering has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other stockholders of the Company, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities;

(b) If the Registration or registered offering is pursuant to a request by Persons other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall include in any such Registration or registered offering (A) first, the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities, if any, of such requesting Persons, other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (B) second, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clause (A), the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2.2.1, pro rata, based on the respective number of Registrable Securities that each Holder has requested be included in such Underwritten Offering and the aggregate number of Registrable Securities that the Holders have requested to be included in such Underwritten Offering, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; (C) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A) and (B), the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and (D) fourth, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (A), (B) and (C), the shares of Common Stock or other equity securities for the account of other Persons that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such Persons, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and


(c) If the Registration or registered offering is pursuant to a request by Holder(s) of Registrable Securities pursuant to Section 2.1 hereof, then the Company shall include in any such Registration or registered offering securities pursuant to Section 2.1.5.

2.2.3 Piggyback Registration Withdrawal. Any Holder of Registrable Securities (other than a Demanding Holder, whose right to withdrawal from an Underwritten Shelf Takedown, and related obligations, shall be governed by Section 2.1.6) shall have the right to withdraw from a Piggyback Registration for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of his, her or its intention to withdraw from such Piggyback Registration prior to the effectiveness of the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to such Piggyback Registration or, in the case of a Piggyback Registration pursuant to a Shelf Registration, the filing of the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement with respect to such Piggyback Registration used for marketing such transaction. The Company (whether on its own good faith determination or as the result of a request for withdrawal by Persons pursuant to separate written contractual obligations) may withdraw a Registration Statement filed with the Commission in connection with a Piggyback Registration (which, in no circumstance, shall include the Shelf) at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement (other than Section 2.1.6), the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to its withdrawal under this Section 2.2.3.

2.2.4 Unlimited Piggyback Registration Rights. For purposes of clarity, any Piggyback Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof shall not be counted as a demand for an Underwritten Shelf Takedown under Section 2.1.4 hereof.

2.3 Market Stand-off. In connection with any Underwritten Offering of equity securities of the Company (other than a Block Trade), each Holder participating in such Underwritten Offering agrees that it shall not Transfer any shares of Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company (other than those included in such offering pursuant to this Agreement), without the prior written consent of the Company, during the 90-day period beginning on the date of pricing of such offering, except in the event the Underwriters managing the offering otherwise agree by written consent; provided that such each Holder shall only be subject to the restriction set forth in this Section 2.3 if the directors and officers of the Company are subject to a lock-up obligation to the Underwriters managing the offering and the length of such lock-up for such Holder shall be no longer than the shortest lock-up of any such directors and officers; provided, further, that if the Company or the underwriters of such Underwritten Offering waive or shorten the lock-up period for any of the Company’s officers, directors or stockholders, then (i) all Holders subject to such lock-up shall receive notice of such waiver or modification no later than two (2) business days following such waiver or modification, and (ii) such lock-up will be similarly waived or shortened for each such Holder. Each Holder agrees to execute a customary lock-up agreement in favor of the Underwriters to such effect (in each case on substantially the same terms and conditions as all such Holders).

2.4 Block Trades.

2.4.1 Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time and from time to time when an effective Shelf is on file with the Commission, if a Holder wishes to engage in an Underwritten Offering not involving a “road show,” an offer commonly known as a “block trade” (a “Block Trade”), with a total offering price reasonably expected to exceed, in the aggregate, either (x) $5 million or (y) all remaining Registrable Securities held by such Holder, then notwithstanding the time periods provided for in Section 2.2.1, such Holder only needs to notify the Company of the Block Trade at least three (3) business days prior to the day such offering is to commence and the Company shall as promptly as is reasonably practicable, use its commercially reasonable efforts to facilitate such Block Trade; provided that the Holder wishing to engage in the Block Trade shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to work with the Company and any Underwriters prior to making such request in order to facilitate preparation of the registration statement, prospectus and other offering documentation related to such Block Trade.


2.4.2 Prior to the filing of the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement used in connection with a Block Trade, the Demanding Holder that initiated such Block Trade shall have the right to submit a Withdrawal Notice to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of their intention to withdraw from such Block Trade. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a block trade prior to its withdrawal under this Section 2.4.2.

2.4.3 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, Section 2.2 hereof shall not apply to a Block Trade initiated by a Demanding Holder pursuant to this Agreement.

2.4.4 The Holder wishing to engage in a Block Trade shall have the right to select the Underwriters (which shall consist of one or more reputable nationally recognized investment banks) in connection with such Block Trade, provided that such selection shall be subject to the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

ARTICLE III

COMPANY PROCEDURES

3.1 General Procedures. In connection with any Shelf and/or Shelf Takedown, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to effect such Registration to permit the sale of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended plan of distribution thereof, and pursuant thereto the Company shall:

3.1.1 prepare and file with the Commission as soon as is reasonably practicable a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective until all Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities;

3.1.2 prepare and file with the Commission such amendments and post-effective amendments to the Registration Statement, and such supplements to the Prospectus, as may be reasonably requested by any Holder that holds at least five percent (5%) of the Registrable Securities registered on such Registration Statement or any Underwriter of Registrable Securities or as may be required by the rules, regulations or instructions applicable to the registration form used by the Company or by the Securities Act or rules and regulations thereunder to keep the Registration Statement effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement are sold in accordance with the intended plan of distribution set forth in such Registration Statement or supplement to the Prospectus;

3.1.3 prior to filing a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish without charge to the Underwriters, if any, and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration, and such Holders’ legal counsel, copies of such Registration Statement as proposed to be filed, each amendment and supplement to such Registration Statement (in each case including all exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein), the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement (including each preliminary Prospectus), and such other documents as the Underwriters and the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration or the legal counsel for any such Holders may request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders;

3.1.4 prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities (i) register or qualify the Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement under such securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions in the United States as the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement (in light of their intended plan of distribution) may request (or provide evidence satisfactory to such Holders that the Registrable Securities are exempt from such registration or qualification) and (ii) take such action necessary to cause such Registrable Securities covered by the Registration Statement to be registered with or approved by such other governmental authorities as may be necessary by virtue of the business and operations of the Company and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable to enable the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such Registration Statement to consummate the disposition of such Registrable Securities in such jurisdictions; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify generally to do business in any jurisdiction where it would not otherwise be required to qualify or take any action to which it would be subject to general service of process or taxation in any such jurisdiction where it is not then otherwise so subject;


3.1.5 cause all such Registrable Securities to be listed on each national securities exchange on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;

3.1.6 provide a transfer agent or warrant agent, as applicable, and registrar for all such Registrable Securities no later than the effective date of such Registration Statement;

3.1.7 advise each seller of such Registrable Securities, promptly after it shall receive notice or obtain knowledge thereof, of the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its commercially reasonable efforts to prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued;

3.1.8 prior to the filing of any Registration Statement or Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to such Registration Statement or Prospectus (or such shorter period of time as may be necessary in order to comply with the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, as applicable), furnish a copy thereof to each seller of such Registrable Securities or its counsel (excluding any exhibits thereto and any filing made under the Exchange Act that is to be incorporated by reference therein);

3.1.9 notify the Holders at any time when a Prospectus relating to such Registration Statement is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, of the happening of any event as a result of which the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes a Misstatement, and then to correct such Misstatement as set forth in Section 3.4 hereof;

3.1.10 permit a representative of the Holders, the Underwriters, if any, and any attorney or accountant retained by such Holders or Underwriter to participate, at each such person’s own expense, in the preparation of the Registration Statement, and cause the Company’s officers, directors and employees to supply all information reasonably requested by any such representative, Underwriter, attorney or accountant in connection with the Registration; provided, however, that such representatives or Underwriters agree to confidentiality arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information;

3.1.11 obtain a “cold comfort” letter from the Company’s independent registered public accountants in the event of an Underwritten Offering, in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by “cold comfort” letters as the managing Underwriter may reasonably request, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders;

3.1.12 in connection with an Underwritten Offering, on the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration, obtain an opinion, dated such date, of counsel representing the Company for the purposes of such Registration, addressed to the Holders, the placement agent or sales agent, if any, and the Underwriters, if any, covering such legal matters with respect to the Registration in respect of which such opinion is being given as the Holders, placement agent, sales agent, or Underwriter may reasonably request and as are customarily included in such opinions and negative assurance letters, and reasonably satisfactory to a majority-in-interest of the participating Holders;

3.1.13 in the event of any Underwritten Offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the managing Underwriter of such offering;

3.1.14 make available to its security holders, as soon as is reasonably practicable, an earning statement covering the period of at least twelve (12) months beginning with the first day of the Company’s first full calendar quarter after the effective date of the Registration Statement which satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and Rule 158 thereunder (or any successor rule then in effect);


3.1.15 with respect to an Underwritten Offering pursuant to Section 2.1.4 involving gross proceeds in excess of the Minimum Takedown Threshold, use its commercially reasonable efforts to make available senior executives of the Company to participate in customary “road show” presentations that may be reasonably requested by the Underwriter in such Underwritten Offering;

3.1.16 enter into customary agreements (including, applicable, an underwriting agreement or other sales or distribution agreement in customary form) and take such other actions as are reasonably required in order to expedite or facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities, and the representations, warranties and covenants of the Company in any such agreement which are made to or for the benefit of any Underwriters or other placement agent or sales agent, to the extent applicable, shall also be made to and for the benefit of the Holders of Registrable Securities included in such registration statement;

3.1.17 the principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer of the Company and all other officers and members of the management of the Company shall cooperate fully in the offering of Registrable Securities hereunder, which cooperation shall include, without limitation, the preparation of the Registration Statement with respect to such offering and all other offering materials and related documents, and participation in meetings with Underwriters, attorneys, accountants and potential investors; and

3.1.18 otherwise, in good faith, cooperate reasonably with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the Holders, in connection with such Registration.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to provide any documents or information to an Underwriter if such Underwriter has not then been named with respect to the applicable Underwritten Offering.

3.2 Registration Expenses. The Registration Expenses of all Registrations shall be borne by the Company. It is acknowledged by the Holders that the Holders shall bear all incremental selling expenses relating to the sale of Registrable Securities, such as Underwriters’ commissions and discounts, brokerage fees, Underwriter marketing costs and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses”, all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing the Holders, in each case pro rata based on the number of Registrable Securities that such Holders have sold in such Registration.

3.3 Requirements for Participation in Registration Statement Underwritten Offerings. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, if any Holder does not provide the Company with its requested Holder Information within two (2) days prior to filing the filing of the applicable “red herring” prospectus or prospectus supplement, the Company may exclude such Holder’s Registrable Securities from the applicable Registration Statement or Prospectus if the Company determines, based on the advice of counsel, that such information is necessary to effect the registration and such Holder continues thereafter to withhold such information. No person may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated by the Company hereunder unless such person (i) agrees to sell such person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (ii) completes and executes all customary questionnaires, powers of attorney, indemnities, lock-up agreements, underwriting agreements and other customary documents as may be reasonably required under the terms of such underwriting arrangements. The exclusion of a Holder’s Registrable Securities as a result of this Section 3.3 shall not affect the registration of the other Registrable Securities to be included in such Registration.

3.4 Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure; Restrictions on Registration Rights.

3.4.1 Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, each of the Holders shall forthwith discontinue disposition of Registrable Securities until it has received copies of a supplemented or amended Prospectus correcting the Misstatement (it being understood that the Company hereby covenants to prepare and file such supplement or amendment as soon as practicable after the time of such notice), or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed.

3.4.2 Subject to Section 3.4.4, if the filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement in respect of any Registration at any time would (a) require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure, (b) require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Company’s control, or (c) in the good faith judgment of the majority of the Board such Registration, be seriously detrimental to the Company and the majority of the Board concludes as a result that it is essential to defer such filing, initial effectiveness or continued use at such time, the Company may, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders, delay the filing or initial effectiveness of, or suspend use of, such Registration Statement for the shortest period of time determined in good faith by the Company to be necessary for such purpose. In the event the Company exercises its rights under this Section 3.4.2, the Holders agree to suspend, immediately upon their receipt of the notice referred to above, their use of the Prospectus relating to any Registration in connection with any sale or offer to sell Registrable Securities.

3.4.3 Subject to Section 3.4.4, (a) during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days prior to the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of the filing of, and ending on a date one hundred and twenty (120) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated Registration and provided that the Company continues to actively employ, in good faith, all reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement, or (b) if, pursuant to Section 2.1.4, Holders have requested an Underwritten Shelf Takedown and the Company and Holders are unable to obtain the commitment of underwriters to firmly underwrite such offering, the Company may, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders, delay any other registered offering pursuant to Section 2.1.4 or 2.4.


3.4.4 The right to delay or suspend any filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement pursuant to Section 3.4.2 or a registered offering pursuant to Section 3.4.3 shall be exercised by the Company, in the aggregate, not more than three (3) times in any twelve-month period, and any such delay or suspension shall last for no more than sixty (60) days.

3.4.5. The Company shall not hereafter enter into any agreement with respect to its securities which is inconsistent with or violates the rights granted to the Holders of Registrable Securities in this Agreement and in the event of any conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.

3.5 Reporting Obligations. As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company, at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, covenants to file timely (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and to promptly furnish the Holders with true and complete copies of all such filings; provided that any documents publicly filed or furnished with the Commission pursuant to the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System shall be deemed to have been furnished or delivered to the Holders pursuant to this Section 3.5. The Company further covenants that it shall take such further action as any Holder may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Holder to sell shares of Common Stock held by such Holder without registration under the Securities Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule then in effect), including making available at all times information necessary to enable such Holder to comply with Rule 144. Upon the request of any Holder, the Company shall deliver to such Holder a written certification of a duly authorized officer as to whether it has complied with such requirements.

ARTICLE IV

INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION

4.1 Indemnification.

4.1.1 The Company agrees to indemnify, to the extent permitted by law, each Holder of Registrable Securities, its officers, directors and agents and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable outside attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing to the Company by such Holder expressly for use therein. The Company shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers and directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to the indemnification of the Holder.

4.1.2 In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating, such Holder shall furnish to the Company in writing such information with respect to such Holder as the Company reasonably requests for use in connection with any such Registration Statement or Prospectus covering Registrable Securities of such Holder (the “Holder Information”) and, to the extent permitted by law, shall indemnify the Company, its directors, officers and agents and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable outside attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information so furnished in writing by such Holder expressly for use therein; provided, however, that the obligation to indemnify shall be several, not joint and several, among such Holders of Registrable Securities, and the liability of each such Holder of Registrable Securities shall be in proportion to and limited to the net proceeds received by such Holder from the sale of Registrable Securities pursuant to such Registration Statement. The Company and the Holders hereby acknowledge and agree that, unless otherwise expressly agreed to in writing by such Holder, the only information furnished or to be furnished to the Company for use in any Registration Statement or Prospectus relating to the Registrable Securities


or in any amendment, supplement or preliminary materials associated therewith are statements specifically relating to (a) transactions or the relationship between such Holder and its affiliates, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, (b) the beneficial ownership of Registrable Securities by such Holder and its affiliates, (c) the name and address of such Holder and (d) any additional information about such Holder or the plan of distribution (other than for an underwritten offering) required by law or regulation to be disclosed in any such document. The Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of the Securities Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to indemnification of the Company.

4.1.3 Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (i) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not materially prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (ii) unless in such indemnified party’s reasonable judgment a conflict of interest between such indemnified and indemnifying parties may exist with respect to such claim, permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent (but such consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). An indemnifying party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of any indemnified party a conflict of interest may exist between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect to such claim or litigation.

4.1.4 The indemnification provided for under this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of securities. The Company and each Holder of Registrable Securities participating in an offering also agrees to make such provisions as are reasonably requested by any indemnified party for contribution to such party in the event the Company’s or such Holder’s indemnification is unavailable for any reason.

4.1.5 If the indemnification provided under Section 4.1 hereof from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party as contemplated by Section 4.1.1 and Section 4.1.2, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue statement of a material fact or omission of a material fact relates to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission; provided, however, that the liability of any Holder under this Section 4.1.5 shall be limited to the amount of the net proceeds received by such Holder in such offering giving rise to such liability. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 above, any legal or other fees or charges reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. The parties hereto agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 4.1.5 were determined by pro rata allocation or by any other method of allocation, which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 4.1.5. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this Section 4.1.5 from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.


ARTICLE V

MISCELLANEOUS

5.1 Notices. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be in writing and given by (i) deposit in the United States mail, addressed to the party to be notified, postage prepaid and registered or certified with return receipt requested, (ii) delivery in person or by courier service providing evidence of delivery, or (iii) transmission by hand delivery, electronic mail or facsimile. Each notice or communication that is mailed, delivered, or transmitted in the manner described above shall be deemed sufficiently given, served, sent, and received, in the case of mailed notices, on the third business day following the date on which it is mailed and, in the case of notices delivered by courier service, hand delivery, electronic mail or facsimile, at such time as it is delivered to the addressee (with the delivery receipt or the affidavit of messenger) or at such time as delivery is refused by the addressee upon presentation. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be addressed, if to the Company, to: ESS Tech, Inc. 26440 SW Parkway Ave., Bldg. 83, Wilsonville, OR. 97070, with copy to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, 650 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050, Attn: Mark Baudler and Andrew Hoffman, and, if to any Holder, at such Holder’s address or facsimile number as set forth in the Company’s books and records. Any party may change its address for notice at any time and from time to time by written notice to the other parties hereto, and such change of address shall become effective thirty (30) days after delivery of such notice as provided in this Section 5.1.

5.2 Assignment; No Third Party Beneficiaries.

5.2.1 This Agreement and the rights, duties and obligations of the Company hereunder may not be assigned or delegated by the Company in whole or in part.

5.2.2 Prior to the expiration of the Lock-up Period to the extent applicable to such Holder, no Holder may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, except as set forth in Section 5.10.

5.2.3 This Agreement and the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of each of the parties and its successors and the permitted assigns of the Holders, which shall include Permitted Transferees.

5.2.4 This Agreement shall not confer any rights or benefits on any Persons that are not parties hereto, other than as expressly set forth in this Agreement and Section 5.2 hereof.

5.2.5 No assignment by any party hereto of such party’s rights, duties and obligations hereunder shall be binding upon or obligate the Company unless and until the Company shall have received (i) written notice of such assignment as provided in Section 5.1 hereof and (ii) the written agreement of the assignee, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement (which may be accomplished by an addendum or certificate of joinder to this Agreement). Any transfer or assignment made other than as provided in this Section 5.2 shall be null and void.

5.3 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in multiple counterparts (including facsimile or PDF counterparts), each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which together shall constitute the same instrument, but only one of which need be produced.

5.4 Governing Law; Venue. NOTWITHSTANDING THE PLACE WHERE THIS AGREEMENT MAY BE EXECUTED BY ANY OF THE PARTIES HERETO, THE PARTIES EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT (1) THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE AS APPLIED TO AGREEMENTS AMONG DELAWARE RESIDENTS ENTERED INTO AND TO BE PERFORMED ENTIRELY WITHIN DELAWARE AND (2) THE VENUE FOR ANY ACTION TAKEN WITH RESPECT TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE ANY STATE OR FEDERAL COURT IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

5.5 TRIAL BY JURY. EACH PARTY HERETO ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES, AND, THEREFORE, EACH SUCH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT SUCH PARTY MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT TO ANY ACTION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT.


5.6 Amendments and Modifications. Upon the written consent of (a) the Company and (b) the Holders of a majority of the total Registrable Securities, compliance with any of the provisions, covenants and conditions set forth in this Agreement may be waived, or any of such provisions, covenants or conditions may be amended or modified; and provided, that any amendment hereto or waiver hereof that adversely affects one Holder, solely in its capacity as a holder of the shares of capital stock of the Company, in a manner that is materially different from the other Holders (in such capacity) shall require the consent of the Holder so affected. No course of dealing between any Holder or the Company and any other party hereto or any failure or delay on the part of a Holder or the Company in exercising any rights or remedies under this Agreement shall operate as a waiver of any rights or remedies of any Holder or the Company. No single or partial exercise of any rights or remedies under this Agreement by a party shall operate as a waiver or preclude the exercise of any other rights or remedies hereunder or thereunder by such party.

5.7 Other Registration Rights. The Company represents and warrants that, other than Persons who acquired Common Stock as part of the PIPE made in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, no person has any right to require the Company to register any securities of the Company for sale or to include such securities of the Company in any Registration Statement filed by the Company for the sale of securities for its own account or for the account of any other person. Further, the Company represents and warrants that this Agreement supersedes any other registration rights agreement or agreement with similar terms and conditions and in the event of a conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.

5.8 Term. This Agreement shall terminate with respect to any Holder on the date that such Holder no longer holds any Registrable Securities. The provisions of Article V shall survive any termination.

5.9 Holder Information. Each Holder agrees, if requested in writing, to represent to the Company the total number of Registrable Securities held by such Holder in order for the Company to make determinations hereunder.

5.10 Additional Holders; Joinder. In addition to Persons who may become Holders pursuant to Section 5.2, the Company may make any Person who acquires Common Stock or rights to acquire Common Stock after the date hereof a party to this Agreement (each such Person, an “Additional Holder”) by obtaining an executed joinder to this Agreement from such Additional Holder in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (a “Joinder”). Such Joinder shall specify the rights and obligations of the applicable Additional Holder under this Agreement. Upon the execution and delivery and subject to the terms of a Joinder by such Additional Holder, the Common Stock of the Company then owned, or underlying any rights then owned, by such Additional Holder (the “Additional Holder Common Stock”) shall be Registrable Securities to the extent provided herein and therein and such Additional Holder shall be a Holder under this Agreement with respect to such Additional Holder Common Stock.

5.11 Interpretive Provisions. For all purposes of this Agreement, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement or unless the context otherwise requires:

5.11.1 the meanings of defined terms are applicable to the singular as well as the plural forms of such terms;

5.11.2 the words “hereof” and “herein” and words of similar import, when used in this Agreement, refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement;

5.11.3 references in this Agreement to any law shall be deemed also to refer to such law, and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder;

5.11.4 whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they shall mean “without limitation”;

5.11.5 the captions and headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement; and

5.11.6 pronouns of any gender or neuter or, as appropriate, the other pronoun forms.


5.12 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with Exhibit A to this Agreement, the Merger Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements (as such term is defined in the Merger Agreement), constitute the entire agreement among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings and discussions, whether oral or written, relating to such subject matter in any way and there are no warranties, representations or other agreements among the Parties in connection with such subject matter except as set forth in this Agreement and therein.

5.13 Counterparts; Electronic Delivery. This Agreement and any other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents delivered pursuant to this Agreement may be executed and delivered in one or more counterparts and by fax, email or other electronic transmission, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement. No Party shall raise the use of a fax machine or email to deliver a signature or the fact that any signature or agreement or instrument was transmitted or communicated through the use of a fax machine or email as a defense to the formation or enforceability of a contract and each Party forever waives any such defense.

5.14 Specific Performance. Each Party hereby agrees and acknowledges that it will be impossible to measure in money the damages that would be suffered if the Parties fail to comply with any of the obligations imposed on them by this Agreement and that, in the event of any such failure, an aggrieved Party will be irreparably damaged and will not have an adequate remedy at law. Any such Party shall, therefore, be entitled (in addition to any other remedy to which such Party may be entitled at law or in equity) to injunctive relief, including specific performance, to enforce such obligations, without the posting of any bond, and if any action should be brought in equity to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement, none of the Parties shall raise the defense that there is an adequate remedy at law.

5.15 Subsequent Acquisition of Equity Securities. Any equity securities of the Company acquired subsequent to the date hereof by a Holder shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and such equity securities shall be considered to be “Registrable Securities” as such term is used in this Agreement.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.

 

COMPANY:
ESS Tech, Inc.
a Delaware corporation
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
HOLDER:
[ ]  
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:
SPONSOR:
ACON S2 Sponsor, L.L.C.
a Delaware limited liability company
By:  

 

  Name:
  Title:

 

 

[Signature Page to Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement]


Exhibit A

REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT JOINDER

The undersigned is executing and delivering this joinder (this “Joinder”) pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of [    ], 2021 (as the same may hereafter be amended, the “Registration Rights Agreement”), among ESS Tech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the other Persons named as parties therein. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings provided in the Registration Rights Agreement.

By executing and delivering this Joinder to the Company, and upon acceptance hereof by the Company upon the execution of a counterpart hereof, the undersigned hereby agrees to become a party to, to be bound by, and to comply with the Registration Rights Agreement as a Holder of Registrable Securities in the same manner as if the undersigned were an original signatory to the Registration Rights Agreement, and the undersigned’s shares of Common Stock shall be included as Registrable Securities under the Registration Rights Agreement to the extent provided therein.

Accordingly, the undersigned has executed and delivered this Joinder as of the [    ] day of [    ], 20[    ].

 

 

Signature of Stockholder

    

 

Print Name of Stockholder

Its:
Address:                                                                                 

 

 

 

Agreed and Accepted as of [ ], 20[ ]
ESS Tech, Inc.
By:  

 

  Name:
  Its:

[Exhibit A]

Exhibit 99.1

 

LOGO

   LOGO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ESS Inc., a Long-Duration Energy Storage Solutions Company, to Become a Publicly Listed Company through Merger with ACON S2 Acquisition Corp.

 

   

ESS Tech, Inc. has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with ACON S2 Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: STWO); upon closing, the combined company expects to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “GWH.”

 

   

ESS has developed a category-defining technology, an environmentally friendly, low-cost, long-duration storage battery engineered to support renewables and stabilize the electrical grid.

 

   

Built from earth-abundant materials, the ESS solution can be deployed in a wide variety of environments, can operate across a wide temperature range and poses no explosion risk.

 

   

Disrupting a large and fast-growing market, ESS is valued at approximately $1.1 billion, offering investors an attractive opportunity to invest in a high-growth, genuinely sustainable business that enables our renewable future.

 

   

The business combination is expected to provide approximately $465 million in net proceeds to the combined company (assuming no redemptions), including a $250 million fully committed PIPE from top-tier institutional investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, primarily to fund manufacturing expansion to 16 GWh across three continents.

 

   

Additionally, existing investors SB Energy (SoftBank Group Corp.), Breakthrough Energy Ventures and BASF Venture Capital have also participated in the PIPE, increasing their existing equity holdings in ESS, and plan to continue their successful long-term partnership with ESS.

Wilsonville, OR and Washington, DC – May 7, 2021: ESS Tech, Inc. (“ESS, Inc.”, “ESS” or the “Company”), a manufacturer of long-duration iron flow batteries for commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications, and ACON S2 Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: STWO), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination that will result in ESS becoming a publicly listed company.

ESS was founded in 2011 with a mission to develop the cleanest, lowest-cost long-duration energy storage systems on the market. ESS developed an iron flow battery technology with innovative technological breakthroughs that is built to transform the utility grid by enabling safe, environmentally-friendly, long-duration storage. Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries that are made from hazardous and costly materials, ESS’ patent-protected battery solutions use abundant iron, salt and water, making them environmentally safe and cost-effective energy storage systems.

 

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Renewable energy deployment is increasing dramatically, with installation records set each year and now surpassing other forms of new generation coming online. In the long run, grid-scale energy storage will need the capabilities of long-duration storage to pick up the load for four to twelve hours when variable generation wanes, yet be flexible enough to support fast-changing grid needs. The total addressable market for energy storage systems is expected to grow at a 34% CAGR from $8 billion in 2020 to $56 billion in 2027, driven primarily by growing deployments of solar and wind power, as well as a desire to increase the power grid’s resiliency. ESS’ energy storage systems provide an optimal solution for utilities, independent power producers and microgrids seeking a reliable, safe and durable solution for four- to twelve-hour power storage that doesn’t degrade over time. That is the capability that ESS iron flow battery technology can deliver.

“The goal of ESS from its inception has been to develop a fundamentally new, high-performance battery technology,” said ESS CEO Eric Dresselhuys. “Our team has delivered on that goal over the last decade by developing patent-protected iron flow battery technology that is well-suited for the grid and the environment. Unlike currently available approaches, our solution offers a green, lower lifecycle cost, energy storage system with performance that doesn’t degrade over time. We’re excited about today’s announcement as it marks the beginning of our next chapter to capitalize on burgeoning opportunities in the long-duration energy storage market. We are thrilled to team up with ACON S2 to deliver long-term value for our customers, partners, employees, shareholders and the planet as a public company.”

Craig Evans, ESS President and Co-founder stated, “Our team worked diligently for the last decade to create a storage solution that could provide a meaningful addition to the world’s transition to a renewable future. We have made incredible strides to that end and I am very excited about the next phase for ESS and our ability to accelerate our growth.”

“ESS offers a remarkable technology that is a game-changer in the world’s transition to clean energy,” said Adam Kriger, CEO of ACON S2 Acquisition Corp. “With its tremendous market opportunity and leadership position in cost, performance and sustainability, ESS has a clear trajectory for growth as it scales. We are thrilled that this transaction aligns with our mission of combining with a leader in Strategic Sustainability; when a business’ pursuit of sustainability—environmental, social and/or economic—is central to driving its performance and success. We look forward to collaborating with Eric, Craig and the entire ESS team.”

 

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Transaction Overview

The business combination values the combined company at a $1.072 billion pro forma enterprise value. The transaction will provide approximately $465 million of pro forma net cash to the combined company, assuming no redemptions by ACON S2 shareholders. Assuming no public shareholders of ACON S2 exercise their redemption rights, ESS’ existing shareholders, including its founders, will own approximately 64% of the combined company. As part of the transaction, ACON S2 raised a $250 million fully committed PIPE from institutional investors including Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, SB Energy Global Holdings Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp., Breakthrough Energy Ventures and BASF Venture Capital. In total, investors in the PIPE will own approximately 16% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the combined company at closing. The net proceeds from this transaction will be used to increase manufacturing capacity globally and invest in extending ESS’ technology advantage.

The Boards of Directors of ESS and ACON S2 have unanimously approved the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter.

Additional information about the proposed transaction, including a copy of the business combination and investor presentation, will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by ACON S2 with the Securities and Exchange Commission and will be available on the ESS investor relations page at essinc.com/investors and at www.sec.gov.

Advisors

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. is serving as capital markets advisor and placement agent to ACON S2. Kirkland & Ellis LLP is serving as legal counsel to ACON S2. Nomura Greentech is serving as financial advisor and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. is serving as legal counsel to ESS. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP is serving as placement agent’s counsel on the PIPE transaction. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Cowen and Company and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company served as joint-book running managers for the ACON S2 initial public offering.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

ESS and ACON S2 will host a joint investor conference call to discuss the proposed transaction on May 7, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. EDT. Interested parties may listen to the prepared remarks via telephone by calling (855) 859-2056 in the U.S., or for international callers, by calling (404) 537-3406 and entering conference ID 2588795. A telephone replay will be available until May 19, 2021, by dialing (855) 859-2056 in the U.S., or for international callers, (404) 537-3406 with conference ID 2588795.

Investor Presentation

A link to the company’s investor presentation and other resources related to the transaction can be found here: https://essinc.com/investors/.

 

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About ESS Inc.

ESS Inc. designs, builds and deploys environmentally sustainable, low-cost, iron flow batteries for long-duration commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications requiring from 4 to 12 hours of flexible energy capacity. The Energy Warehouse and Energy Center use earth-abundant iron, salt, and water for the electrolyte, resulting in an environmentally benign, long-life energy storage solution for the world’s renewable energy infrastructure. Established in 2011, ESS Inc. enables project developers, utilities, and commercial and industrial facility owners to make the transition to more flexible non-lithium-ion storage that is better suited for the grid and the environment. For more information visit www.essinc.com.

About ACON S2 Acquisition Corp.

ACON S2 is a blank check company whose business purpose is to effect a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. ACON S2 has a focus on businesses that employ a strategic approach to sustainability; that is, a business whose pursuit of sustainability—environmental, social and/or economic—is core to driving its performance and success. ACON S2’s sponsor is an affiliate of ACON Investments, L.L.C.

About ACON Investments, L.L.C.

ACON Investments, L.L.C., headquartered in Washington, DC, is an international private equity firm investing in North America, Latin America and Europe. Founded in 1996, ACON has managed approximately $6 billion of capital to date and has professionals in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo, Bogotá and Madrid. For more information, visit www.aconinvestments.com.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

A full description of the terms of the transaction will be provided in a registration statement on Form S-4 to be filed with the SEC by ACON S2 that will include a prospectus with respect to the combined company’s securities to be issued in connection with the business combination and a proxy statement with respect to the shareholder meeting of ACON S2 to vote on the business combination. ACON S2 urges its investors, shareholders and other interested persons to read, when available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus as well as other documents filed with the SEC because these documents will contain important information about ACON S2, the Company and the transaction. After the registration statement is declared effective, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be included in the registration statement will be mailed to shareholders of ACON S2 as of a record date to be established for voting on the

 

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proposed business combination. Once available, shareholders will also be able to obtain a copy of the S-4, including the proxy statement/prospectus, and other documents filed with the SEC without charge, by directing a request to: ACON S2, 1133 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036. The preliminary and definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be included in the registration statement, once available, can also be obtained, without charge, at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov).

Participants in the Solicitation

ACON S2 and ESS and their respective directors and officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from ACON S2’s stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about ACON S2’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of ACON S2’s securities is set forth in ACON S2’s filings with the SEC. To the extent that holdings of ACON S2’s securities have changed since the amounts printed in ACON S2’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, such changes have been or will be reflected on Statements of Change in Ownership on Form 4 filed with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of those persons and other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction when it becomes available. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transaction and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of ACON S2, ESS or the combined company, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding ACON S2’s, ESS’ or their management teams’ expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. The words “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intends”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “potential”, “predict”, “project”, “should”, “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These

 

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forward-looking statements are based on ACON S2’s and ESS’ current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on ACON S2, ESS or any successor entity of the proposed transactions. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this presentation, including but not limited to: (i) the risk that the proposed transactions may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of ACON S2’s securities, (ii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed transactions, (iii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the business combination, (iv) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the proposed transactions on ESS’ business relationships, operating results and business generally, (v) risks that the proposed transactions disrupt current plans and operations of ESS, (vi) changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which ESS plans to operate, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting ESS’ business and changes in the combined capital structure and (vii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts and other expectations after the completion of the proposed transactions, and identify and realize additional opportunities. There can be no assurance that the future developments affecting ACON S2, ESS or any successor entity of the proposed transactions will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond ACON S2’s or ESS’ control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of ACON S2’s registration on Form S-1 (File No. 333-248515), the registration statement on Form S-4 expected to be filed in connection with the business combination, and other documents filed by ACON S2 from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, ACON S2 and ESS are not undertaking any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither ACON S2 nor ESS gives any assurance that either the ACON S2 or ESS, or the combined company, will achieve its expectations.

Contacts

For Investors:

Erik Bylin

investors@essinc.com

510-315-1004

 

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For Media:

Gene Hunt

Trevi Communications, Inc.

978-750-0333 ext. 101

gene@trevicomm.com

For ACON S2:

Emily Claffey/Julie Rudnick/Kevin Siegel

Sard Verbinnen & Co

STWO-SVC@sardverb.com

 

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EXHIBIT 99.2 Long Duration Energy Storage Systems Energy Storage for for a Cleaner Future a Cleaner Future CONFIDENTIAL APRIL 2021EXHIBIT 99.2 Long Duration Energy Storage Systems Energy Storage for for a Cleaner Future a Cleaner Future CONFIDENTIAL APRIL 2021


Disclaimers This presentation (this “Presentation”) was prepared for informational purposes only to assist interested parties in making their own evaluation of the proposed transaction (the “Transaction”) between Acon S2 Acquisition Corp. (“ACON”, “we”, or “our”) and ESS Inc. (“ESS”). This Presentation is for discussion purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of ACON, ESS or any successor entity of the Transaction, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This Presentation is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision by the recipient and does not constitute investment, tax or legal advice. No representation, express or implied, is or will be given by ACON, ESS or their respective affiliates and advisors as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, or any other written or oral information made available in the course of an evaluation of the Transaction. This Presentation provided by ACON and ESS may contain certain forward looking statements, including statements regarding ACON’s, ESS’s or their management teams’ expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. The words “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intends”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “potential”, “predict”, “project”, “should”, “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on ACON’s and ESS’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on ACON, ESS or any successor entity of the Transaction. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this presentation, including but not limited to: (i) the risk that the Transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of ACON’s securities, (ii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the Transaction, (iii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, (iv) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the Transaction on ESS’s business relationships, operating results and business generally, (v) risks that the Transaction disrupts current plans and operations of ESS, (vi) changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which ESS plans to operate, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting ESS’s business and changes in the combined capital structure, (vii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts and other expectations after the completion of the Transaction, and identify and realize additional opportunities, and (viii) such other risks and uncertainties included in the separate summary risk factors. There can be no assurance that the future developments affecting ACON, ESS or any successor entity of the Transaction will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond ACON’s or ESS’s control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, ACON and ESS are not undertaking any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All rights to the trademarks, copyrights, logos and other intellectual property listed herein belong to their respective owners and ACON’s or ESS’s use thereof does not imply an affiliation with, or endorsement by the owners of such trademarks, copyrights, logos and other intellectual property. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this Presentation may appear with the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that such names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACON. Use of Projections. The financial and operating forecasts and projections contained herein represent certain estimates of ESS as of the date thereof. Neither ACON’s nor ESS’s independent public accountants have examined, reviewed or compiled the forecasts or projections and, accordingly, neither expresses an opinion or other form of assurance with respect thereto. Furthermore none of ACON, ESS nor their respective management teams can give any assurance that the forecasts or projections contained herein accurately represents ESS’s future operations or financial conditions. Such information is subject to a wide variety of significant business, economic and competitive risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those set forth in the second paragraph above that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the prospective financial information. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the prospective results are indicative of the future performance of ACON or ESS or that actual results will not differ materially from those presented in the prospective financial information. Some of the assumptions upon which the projections are based inevitably will not materialize and unanticipated events may occur that could affect results. Therefore, actual results achieved during the periods covered by the projections may vary and may vary materially from the projected results. Inclusion of the prospective financial information in this presentation should not be regarded as a representation by any person that the results contained in the prospective financial information are indicative of future results or will be achieved. This Presentation contains statistical data, estimates and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications or other publicly available information. This information involves many assumptions and limitations and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to these estimates. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data that has been contained in these industry publications and other publicly available information. Accordingly, none of ACON, ESS nor their respective affiliates and advisors makes any representations as to the accuracy or completeness of these data. This Presentation contains references to ESS’s achievements compared to other companies. All of such references are based on the belief of ESS’s management based on publicly available information known to ESS’s management. Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial information and data contained in this Presentation is unaudited and does not conform to Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This Presentation also includes non-GAAP financial measures, including gross margin and Adjusted EBITDA. ACON and ESS believe that these non-GAAP measures of financial results provide useful information to management and investors regarding certain financial and business trends relating to ESS’s financial condition and results of operations. ESS’s management uses certain of these non-GAAP measures to compare ESS’s performance to that of prior periods for trend analyses and for budgeting and planning purposes. Not all of the information necessary for a quantitative reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is available without unreasonable efforts at this time. Specifically, ESS does not provide such quantitative reconciliation due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliations. This Presentation relates to a proposed transaction between ESS and ACON. This Presentation does not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. ACON and ESS intend to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which will include a document that serves as a joint prospectus and proxy statement, referred to as a proxy statement/prospectus. A proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all ESS and ACON shareholders. ESS and ACON will also file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Before making any voting decision, investors and security holders of ESS and ACON are urged to read the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction as they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by ESS and ACON through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Participants in the Solicitation. ESS, ACON and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from ACON’s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. A list of the names of such directors, executive officers, other members of management, and employees, and information regarding their interests in the business combination will be contained in ACON’s filings with the SEC, and such information and names of ESS’s directors and executive officers will also be in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 to be filed with the SEC by ACON, which will include the proxy statement of ACON. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants in the solicitation process will also be included in the registration statement (and will be included in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus) and other relevant documents when they are filed with the SEC. CONFIDENTIAL CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 1Disclaimers This presentation (this “Presentation”) was prepared for informational purposes only to assist interested parties in making their own evaluation of the proposed transaction (the “Transaction”) between Acon S2 Acquisition Corp. (“ACON”, “we”, or “our”) and ESS Inc. (“ESS”). This Presentation is for discussion purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell shares of ACON, ESS or any successor entity of the Transaction, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This Presentation is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision by the recipient and does not constitute investment, tax or legal advice. No representation, express or implied, is or will be given by ACON, ESS or their respective affiliates and advisors as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, or any other written or oral information made available in the course of an evaluation of the Transaction. This Presentation provided by ACON and ESS may contain certain forward looking statements, including statements regarding ACON’s, ESS’s or their management teams’ expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. The words “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intends”, “may”, “might”, “plan”, “possible”, “potential”, “predict”, “project”, “should”, “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on ACON’s and ESS’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on ACON, ESS or any successor entity of the Transaction. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this presentation, including but not limited to: (i) the risk that the Transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of ACON’s securities, (ii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the Transaction, (iii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, (iv) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the Transaction on ESS’s business relationships, operating results and business generally, (v) risks that the Transaction disrupts current plans and operations of ESS, (vi) changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which ESS plans to operate, variations in operating performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting ESS’s business and changes in the combined capital structure, (vii) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts and other expectations after the completion of the Transaction, and identify and realize additional opportunities, and (viii) such other risks and uncertainties included in the separate summary risk factors. There can be no assurance that the future developments affecting ACON, ESS or any successor entity of the Transaction will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond ACON’s or ESS’s control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, ACON and ESS are not undertaking any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All rights to the trademarks, copyrights, logos and other intellectual property listed herein belong to their respective owners and ACON’s or ESS’s use thereof does not imply an affiliation with, or endorsement by the owners of such trademarks, copyrights, logos and other intellectual property. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this Presentation may appear with the ® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that such names and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACON. Use of Projections. The financial and operating forecasts and projections contained herein represent certain estimates of ESS as of the date thereof. Neither ACON’s nor ESS’s independent public accountants have examined, reviewed or compiled the forecasts or projections and, accordingly, neither expresses an opinion or other form of assurance with respect thereto. Furthermore none of ACON, ESS nor their respective management teams can give any assurance that the forecasts or projections contained herein accurately represents ESS’s future operations or financial conditions. Such information is subject to a wide variety of significant business, economic and competitive risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those set forth in the second paragraph above that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the prospective financial information. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the prospective results are indicative of the future performance of ACON or ESS or that actual results will not differ materially from those presented in the prospective financial information. Some of the assumptions upon which the projections are based inevitably will not materialize and unanticipated events may occur that could affect results. Therefore, actual results achieved during the periods covered by the projections may vary and may vary materially from the projected results. Inclusion of the prospective financial information in this presentation should not be regarded as a representation by any person that the results contained in the prospective financial information are indicative of future results or will be achieved. This Presentation contains statistical data, estimates and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications or other publicly available information. This information involves many assumptions and limitations and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to these estimates. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data that has been contained in these industry publications and other publicly available information. Accordingly, none of ACON, ESS nor their respective affiliates and advisors makes any representations as to the accuracy or completeness of these data. This Presentation contains references to ESS’s achievements compared to other companies. All of such references are based on the belief of ESS’s management based on publicly available information known to ESS’s management. Non-GAAP Financial Measures. The financial information and data contained in this Presentation is unaudited and does not conform to Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This Presentation also includes non-GAAP financial measures, including gross margin and Adjusted EBITDA. ACON and ESS believe that these non-GAAP measures of financial results provide useful information to management and investors regarding certain financial and business trends relating to ESS’s financial condition and results of operations. ESS’s management uses certain of these non-GAAP measures to compare ESS’s performance to that of prior periods for trend analyses and for budgeting and planning purposes. Not all of the information necessary for a quantitative reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is available without unreasonable efforts at this time. Specifically, ESS does not provide such quantitative reconciliation due to the inherent difficulty in forecasting and quantifying certain amounts that are necessary for such reconciliations. This Presentation relates to a proposed transaction between ESS and ACON. This Presentation does not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. ACON and ESS intend to file a registration statement on Form S-4 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which will include a document that serves as a joint prospectus and proxy statement, referred to as a proxy statement/prospectus. A proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all ESS and ACON shareholders. ESS and ACON will also file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Before making any voting decision, investors and security holders of ESS and ACON are urged to read the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction as they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by ESS and ACON through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. Participants in the Solicitation. ESS, ACON and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from ACON’s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. A list of the names of such directors, executive officers, other members of management, and employees, and information regarding their interests in the business combination will be contained in ACON’s filings with the SEC, and such information and names of ESS’s directors and executive officers will also be in the Registration Statement on Form S-4 to be filed with the SEC by ACON, which will include the proxy statement of ACON. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants in the solicitation process will also be included in the registration statement (and will be included in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus) and other relevant documents when they are filed with the SEC. CONFIDENTIAL CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 1


Game Changing Technology The Power Grid of the Future – Feasible Today STABLE. SECURE. CLEAN. CONFIDENTIAL 2 2Game Changing Technology The Power Grid of the Future – Feasible Today STABLE. SECURE. CLEAN. CONFIDENTIAL 2 2


Transaction Overview Category Catalyst in Long Duration Energy Storage Solutions Leadership § Founded in 2011 to enable the stable, decentralized ESS and decarbonized power grid of the future § ACON S2 (NASDAQ: STWO): a special purpose Offering Size acquisition company § $250 million cash in trust § PIPE size of $250 million Craig Evans Eric Dresselhuys Julia Song Amir Moftakhar § $1,072 million pro forma enterprise value Valuation President & Founder CEO CTO & Founder CFO (March 2021) § Attractive value, high-growth, genuinely sustainable business § ESS shareholders rolling 100% of equity Capital Structure § $465 million net proceeds (assuming no redemptions) § Fully funded to projected cash flow profitability ESS’ Key Investors Adam Kriger John Roush Alan Greenshields and Partners CEO & Director CFO & Chairman ACON Advisor CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 3 Note For additional information, please refer to the Detailed Transaction Overview on p. 36 of this presentation.Transaction Overview Category Catalyst in Long Duration Energy Storage Solutions Leadership § Founded in 2011 to enable the stable, decentralized ESS and decarbonized power grid of the future § ACON S2 (NASDAQ: STWO): a special purpose Offering Size acquisition company § $250 million cash in trust § PIPE size of $250 million Craig Evans Eric Dresselhuys Julia Song Amir Moftakhar § $1,072 million pro forma enterprise value Valuation President & Founder CEO CTO & Founder CFO (March 2021) § Attractive value, high-growth, genuinely sustainable business § ESS shareholders rolling 100% of equity Capital Structure § $465 million net proceeds (assuming no redemptions) § Fully funded to projected cash flow profitability ESS’ Key Investors Adam Kriger John Roush Alan Greenshields and Partners CEO & Director CFO & Chairman ACON Advisor CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 3 Note For additional information, please refer to the Detailed Transaction Overview on p. 36 of this presentation.


We Must Reimagine the Grid Aging Infrastructure Severe Weather Events Rising Renewables Penetration Growing Energy Demand CON CON CONF F FIIID D DEN EN ENT T TIIIA A AL L L 4 4We Must Reimagine the Grid Aging Infrastructure Severe Weather Events Rising Renewables Penetration Growing Energy Demand CON CON CONF F FIIID D DEN EN ENT T TIIIA A AL L L 4 4


Energy Transition is Building Momentum Stakeholders are aligned to accelerate the energy transition towards a more sustainable future Consumer “Anybody who has the breakthrough on battery storage is Preferences going to have the key to the future” John Kerry (U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate) “It’s a question of when, not if, the global economy will shift way from fossil fuels” Corporate Regulatory Bloomberg Commitments Energy “Renewables should supply 90% of all energy needs…fossil Transition fuel usage would fall by 75%” IRENA “Transmission and energy storage certainly have critical roles to play, with broader interconnection and high voltage transmission corridors to build regional resilience” Investor Capital Mandates Markets Nuclear Innovation Alliance CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 5Energy Transition is Building Momentum Stakeholders are aligned to accelerate the energy transition towards a more sustainable future Consumer “Anybody who has the breakthrough on battery storage is Preferences going to have the key to the future” John Kerry (U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate) “It’s a question of when, not if, the global economy will shift way from fossil fuels” Corporate Regulatory Bloomberg Commitments Energy “Renewables should supply 90% of all energy needs…fossil Transition fuel usage would fall by 75%” IRENA “Transmission and energy storage certainly have critical roles to play, with broader interconnection and high voltage transmission corridors to build regional resilience” Investor Capital Mandates Markets Nuclear Innovation Alliance CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 5


ESS is a Game Changer in Long Duration Energy Storage Enables up to 100% Allows Proliferation Stabilizes the Grid Renewable Penetration of Microgrids CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 6ESS is a Game Changer in Long Duration Energy Storage Enables up to 100% Allows Proliferation Stabilizes the Grid Renewable Penetration of Microgrids CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 6


ESS: A Category Defining Investment Opportunity 1 Large and Fast-Growing TAM: ~$56bn by 2027 growing at a 33% CAGR 1 Simple Yet Revolutionary Technology: Iron, salt and water; strong patent portfolio 2 2 Compelling Value Proposition: Highest performance, lowest cost and most sustainable 3 3 Low Risk Expansion Plan: Field proven technology with low-cost manufacturing build out 4 4 $7bn of Identified Opportunities : $300m+ SoftBank Energy framework agreement through 2026 5 Premier Management Team: Founders and inventors supported by an experienced team 6 1 Guidehouse Insights, ‘Market Data: Utility-Scale Energy Storage Market Update’, 3Q 2020; Guidehouse Insights, ‘Market Data: Energy Storage for Microgrids and Remote Power Systems’, 2Q 2020; and Navigant Research, ‘Distributed Energy Storage Overview’, 4Q 2019. 2 Management Estimates of levelized cost of storage (LCOS) among long duration Storage Systems. 3 Based on our Generation I products, which are no longer deployed. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 7 4 Pipeline of visible potential orders.ESS: A Category Defining Investment Opportunity 1 Large and Fast-Growing TAM: ~$56bn by 2027 growing at a 33% CAGR 1 Simple Yet Revolutionary Technology: Iron, salt and water; strong patent portfolio 2 2 Compelling Value Proposition: Highest performance, lowest cost and most sustainable 3 3 Low Risk Expansion Plan: Field proven technology with low-cost manufacturing build out 4 4 $7bn of Identified Opportunities : $300m+ SoftBank Energy framework agreement through 2026 5 Premier Management Team: Founders and inventors supported by an experienced team 6 1 Guidehouse Insights, ‘Market Data: Utility-Scale Energy Storage Market Update’, 3Q 2020; Guidehouse Insights, ‘Market Data: Energy Storage for Microgrids and Remote Power Systems’, 2Q 2020; and Navigant Research, ‘Distributed Energy Storage Overview’, 4Q 2019. 2 Management Estimates of levelized cost of storage (LCOS) among long duration Storage Systems. 3 Based on our Generation I products, which are no longer deployed. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 7 4 Pipeline of visible potential orders.


Market Opportunity CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 8 8Market Opportunity CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 8 8


What Is Long Duration Storage? Low Cost to Enable Shift Supply to Meet Reliable Replacement of Alternatives Demand from 4 – 12 Hours (Grid Stability) (Peaker Plants) CON CON CON CONF F F FIIIID D D DEN EN EN ENT T T TIIIIA A A AL L L L 9 9What Is Long Duration Storage? Low Cost to Enable Shift Supply to Meet Reliable Replacement of Alternatives Demand from 4 – 12 Hours (Grid Stability) (Peaker Plants) CON CON CON CONF F F FIIIID D D DEN EN EN ENT T T TIIIIA A A AL L L L 9 9


ESS Transforms the Value Proposition for Long Duration Storage What Customers Demand How ESS Transforms the Grid § Can replace coal and natural gas with solar and § Up to 12 hours wind power Longer Duration § Flexibility allows multiple revenue streams § Greater resiliency to unexpected events § Step function improvement in economics of § Lower LCOS than other technologies in the market storage Low Cost § Incremental cost of storage <$20/kWh § Enables multiple use cases § <1 second response time § Improved grid resiliency and flexibility Power On Demand § >20,000 cycle life – $0 marginal cost per cycle § Can deploy in a wide range of geographies and § Non-flammable, non-toxic, no explosion risk climates Safety and Reliability § Munich RE insures technology risk§ Customers can be confident in a long-term solution § Easily sourced materials; recyclable components§ Environmentally sustainable Sustainability § “Plug and play” with 25-year operating life§ Accelerates clean energy transition CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 10ESS Transforms the Value Proposition for Long Duration Storage What Customers Demand How ESS Transforms the Grid § Can replace coal and natural gas with solar and § Up to 12 hours wind power Longer Duration § Flexibility allows multiple revenue streams § Greater resiliency to unexpected events § Step function improvement in economics of § Lower LCOS than other technologies in the market storage Low Cost § Incremental cost of storage <$20/kWh § Enables multiple use cases § <1 second response time § Improved grid resiliency and flexibility Power On Demand § >20,000 cycle life – $0 marginal cost per cycle § Can deploy in a wide range of geographies and § Non-flammable, non-toxic, no explosion risk climates Safety and Reliability § Munich RE insures technology risk§ Customers can be confident in a long-term solution § Easily sourced materials; recyclable components§ Environmentally sustainable Sustainability § “Plug and play” with 25-year operating life§ Accelerates clean energy transition CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 10


Stabilize the Grid and Accelerate Renewables 1 US Renewable Energy Penetration (2015-2050) Renewable intermittency creates a 65% massive problem for the grid, 57% 47% particularly >25% penetration 40% 36% 31% 23% 15% § Carbon-free is the goal 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 § Intermittency and curtailment are barriers 1,2 California Duck Curve and % Renewable Penetration § 4-hour storage does not efficiently bridge 2013 (10%) 2019 (27%) 25 the duck curve Impact of 15 § Longer duration solutions enable peaker renewables on the grid plant replacements 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Hour of day 1 BloombergNEF. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 11 2 IEA, “The California Duck Curve”, December 2019. % figures represent solar and wind power penetration in each year. GWStabilize the Grid and Accelerate Renewables 1 US Renewable Energy Penetration (2015-2050) Renewable intermittency creates a 65% massive problem for the grid, 57% 47% particularly >25% penetration 40% 36% 31% 23% 15% § Carbon-free is the goal 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 § Intermittency and curtailment are barriers 1,2 California Duck Curve and % Renewable Penetration § 4-hour storage does not efficiently bridge 2013 (10%) 2019 (27%) 25 the duck curve Impact of 15 § Longer duration solutions enable peaker renewables on the grid plant replacements 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Hour of day 1 BloombergNEF. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 11 2 IEA, “The California Duck Curve”, December 2019. % figures represent solar and wind power penetration in each year. GW


Fortify the Grid for Climate Change Climate change will result in more unpredictable weather events including extreme temperatures, 1 hurricanes and wildfires Texas Freeze ESS batteries operate efficiently in extreme hot and cold weather and still maintain grid stability Texas was seconds away from complete grid failure, which could have taken months to bring back online California Fires ESS batteries are safe for people and the environment: non-flammable and non-toxic Microgrids ESS enables independence 1 Diffenbaugh, N., ‘Verification of extreme event attribution: Using out-of-sample observations to assess changes in probabilities of unprecedented events.’ Science Advances, Vol. 6, No. 12. 18 CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 12 March 2020.Fortify the Grid for Climate Change Climate change will result in more unpredictable weather events including extreme temperatures, 1 hurricanes and wildfires Texas Freeze ESS batteries operate efficiently in extreme hot and cold weather and still maintain grid stability Texas was seconds away from complete grid failure, which could have taken months to bring back online California Fires ESS batteries are safe for people and the environment: non-flammable and non-toxic Microgrids ESS enables independence 1 Diffenbaugh, N., ‘Verification of extreme event attribution: Using out-of-sample observations to assess changes in probabilities of unprecedented events.’ Science Advances, Vol. 6, No. 12. 18 CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 12 March 2020.


Strong and Growing Demand for Energy Storage Cumulative Additions to Global Storage Capacity (GWh) Global Total Addressable Market ($bn) Front of the meter Front of the meter +43% 534 CAGR +33% Behind of the meter Behind of the meter CAGR $56 397 $46 301 +44% +32% $39 $28 CAGR CAGR 287 $33 $22 226 $27 $19 199 $22 $18 168 13 $17 $15 130 +34% 121 $14 26 $28 CAGR +42% 233 $24 79 $12 $8 CAGR $20 83 171 $15 39 119 $12 $4 11 52 $8 77 $5 6 26 $4 47 27 5 13 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 ESS has observed even greater demand from customers than these current analyst estimates Source Guidehouse Insights, ‘Market Data: Utility-Scale Energy Storage Market Update’, 3Q 2020; Guidehouse Insights, ‘Market Data: Energy Storage for Microgrids and Remote Power Systems’, 2Q CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 13 2020; and Navigant Research, ‘Distributed Energy Storage Overview’, 4Q 2019.Strong and Growing Demand for Energy Storage Cumulative Additions to Global Storage Capacity (GWh) Global Total Addressable Market ($bn) Front of the meter Front of the meter +43% 534 CAGR +33% Behind of the meter Behind of the meter CAGR $56 397 $46 301 +44% +32% $39 $28 CAGR CAGR 287 $33 $22 226 $27 $19 199 $22 $18 168 13 $17 $15 130 +34% 121 $14 26 $28 CAGR +42% 233 $24 79 $12 $8 CAGR $20 83 171 $15 39 119 $12 $4 11 52 $8 77 $5 6 26 $4 47 27 5 13 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 ESS has observed even greater demand from customers than these current analyst estimates Source Guidehouse Insights, ‘Market Data: Utility-Scale Energy Storage Market Update’, 3Q 2020; Guidehouse Insights, ‘Market Data: Energy Storage for Microgrids and Remote Power Systems’, 2Q CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 13 2020; and Navigant Research, ‘Distributed Energy Storage Overview’, 4Q 2019.


ESS Wins on Performance 4-12 4h -r12 s hrs 1 16 6+ hrs h+ rs Compelling Performance Operational Flexibility <4 hrs < 4hrs Li-Ion Li-Ion ü Can cycle when needed with no impact to asset life Longer Unlimited cycles, no capacity loss ü Operates at peak efficiency Asset Life 1 6,000 cycles Li-Ion independent of outside environment Superior Ambient -10 C- 60 C °° ü No heating/cooling systems Operating 20-25 C Temperature Li-Ion° needed ü Safe for deployment to urban Non-flammable No Explosion Risk Safety areas or harsh and pristine Li-Ion environments CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 14 1 Li-Ion cyclability from BYD energy storage system factsheets.ESS Wins on Performance 4-12 4h -r12 s hrs 1 16 6+ hrs h+ rs Compelling Performance Operational Flexibility <4 hrs < 4hrs Li-Ion Li-Ion ü Can cycle when needed with no impact to asset life Longer Unlimited cycles, no capacity loss ü Operates at peak efficiency Asset Life 1 6,000 cycles Li-Ion independent of outside environment Superior Ambient -10 C- 60 C °° ü No heating/cooling systems Operating 20-25 C Temperature Li-Ion° needed ü Safe for deployment to urban Non-flammable No Explosion Risk Safety areas or harsh and pristine Li-Ion environments CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 14 1 Li-Ion cyclability from BYD energy storage system factsheets.


ESS Wins on Cost 1 Illustrative Cost Comparison Versus Li-Ion How ESS’ Technology Delivers Superior Economics 4 hours 12 hours No scaling Competitive with Li-Ion at 4 hours; ESS wins thereafter $200/kWh $200/kWh Marginal cost of $20/kWh $200/kWh $80/kWh 2 Li-Ion LCOS at 4 hours vs. 12 hours Li-Ion $0.08 $0.07 $0.02 $0.05 0 4 8 12 16 12 hours 4 hours Duration (hours) 1 Figures shown are illustrative. .���������� + .������������������������ + .���������������� + .�� &�� CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 15 2 Superior economics based on Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS). �������� = .������������ ������������ ��ℎ�� Capital Cost ($/kWh) Li-IonESS Wins on Cost 1 Illustrative Cost Comparison Versus Li-Ion How ESS’ Technology Delivers Superior Economics 4 hours 12 hours No scaling Competitive with Li-Ion at 4 hours; ESS wins thereafter $200/kWh $200/kWh Marginal cost of $20/kWh $200/kWh $80/kWh 2 Li-Ion LCOS at 4 hours vs. 12 hours Li-Ion $0.08 $0.07 $0.02 $0.05 0 4 8 12 16 12 hours 4 hours Duration (hours) 1 Figures shown are illustrative. .���������� + .������������������������ + .���������������� + .�� &�� CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 15 2 Superior economics based on Levelized Cost of Storage (LCOS). �������� = .������������ ������������ ��ℎ�� Capital Cost ($/kWh) Li-Ion


ESS Wins on Sustainability Sustainability Focus Areas Raw ingredients of iron, salt and water are Responsibly Sourced Materials earth-abundant 1 Global Warming Potential (GWP) 67% lower CO emissions than Li-Ion 2 Contains no toxic materials and Recyclability 2 requires no special permits for disposal Note GHG impact is dependent on specific Li-Ion chemistry. 1 He, H. et al. “Flow Battery Production: Materials Selection and Environmental Impact.” Journal of Cleaner Production. Vol. 269. 1 October 2020. Noguera, E., Comparative LCA of stand-alone power systems applied to remote cell towers, 2014. CON CON CONF F FIIID D DEN EN ENT T TIIIA A AL L L 16 2 No hazardous materials compliance plan required.ESS Wins on Sustainability Sustainability Focus Areas Raw ingredients of iron, salt and water are Responsibly Sourced Materials earth-abundant 1 Global Warming Potential (GWP) 67% lower CO emissions than Li-Ion 2 Contains no toxic materials and Recyclability 2 requires no special permits for disposal Note GHG impact is dependent on specific Li-Ion chemistry. 1 He, H. et al. “Flow Battery Production: Materials Selection and Environmental Impact.” Journal of Cleaner Production. Vol. 269. 1 October 2020. Noguera, E., Comparative LCA of stand-alone power systems applied to remote cell towers, 2014. CON CON CONF F FIIID D DEN EN ENT T TIIIA A AL L L 16 2 No hazardous materials compliance plan required.


ESS is a Category Defining Technology for Long Duration Storage Vanadium, Sodium Compressed Pumped Li-Ion Li Metal Zinc Bromine Sulfur Air Hydro Low cost at 4 – 12 hours 1 Field proven Earth abundant materials Unlimited cycling Zero capacity fade Wide operational temperature range Environmentally sustainable No fire/ explosion risk Note Internally developed table based on company data and publicly available information. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 17 1 Based on our Generation I products, which are no longer deployed.ESS is a Category Defining Technology for Long Duration Storage Vanadium, Sodium Compressed Pumped Li-Ion Li Metal Zinc Bromine Sulfur Air Hydro Low cost at 4 – 12 hours 1 Field proven Earth abundant materials Unlimited cycling Zero capacity fade Wide operational temperature range Environmentally sustainable No fire/ explosion risk Note Internally developed table based on company data and publicly available information. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 17 1 Based on our Generation I products, which are no longer deployed.


ESS Technology is Proven and Insured Munich RE Aon One Beacon Insurance 10-year extended Investment-Grade Surety and Corporate Bonding warranty covering Warranty battery modules Growing project surety capacity Warranty continuity Investment-Grade insurance provides Project Insurance additional surety to EXIM customers and financiers “ The ability to ensure battery performance is US Export-Import Bank Qualified a key piece of the puzzle in decarbonizing our energy sector.” Pre-qualified financing available for overseas buyers –Peter Röder, Member of the Board of Management, Munich RE CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 18ESS Technology is Proven and Insured Munich RE Aon One Beacon Insurance 10-year extended Investment-Grade Surety and Corporate Bonding warranty covering Warranty battery modules Growing project surety capacity Warranty continuity Investment-Grade insurance provides Project Insurance additional surety to EXIM customers and financiers “ The ability to ensure battery performance is US Export-Import Bank Qualified a key piece of the puzzle in decarbonizing our energy sector.” Pre-qualified financing available for overseas buyers –Peter Röder, Member of the Board of Management, Munich RE CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 18


ESS is Winning in the Market Today Customer in California Customer in Patagonia Use Case Use Case § Microgrid solutions required to mitigate Public Safety § Remote grid served by RoR hydro + diesel gensets Power Shutdown impacts § Storage systems required to minimize genset usage § Li-Ion solutions disqualified due to wildfire risk Why ESS Won Why ESS Won ™ ™ § Energy Warehouse deployed§ 300 kW/2 MWh Energy Warehouse deployed § Best-in-class safety record§ Client abandoned Li-ion RfP after recognizing ESS’ 3x greater peaker replacement capability § Participates in CAISO § $3.1M incremental savings over Li-Ion § Provides local utility grid support during non-PSPS months§ Avoids 12 years of diesel genset emissions NEW PICTURE CON CON CONF F FIIID D DEN EN ENT T TIIIA A AL L L 19ESS is Winning in the Market Today Customer in California Customer in Patagonia Use Case Use Case § Microgrid solutions required to mitigate Public Safety § Remote grid served by RoR hydro + diesel gensets Power Shutdown impacts § Storage systems required to minimize genset usage § Li-Ion solutions disqualified due to wildfire risk Why ESS Won Why ESS Won ™ ™ § Energy Warehouse deployed§ 300 kW/2 MWh Energy Warehouse deployed § Best-in-class safety record§ Client abandoned Li-ion RfP after recognizing ESS’ 3x greater peaker replacement capability § Participates in CAISO § $3.1M incremental savings over Li-Ion § Provides local utility grid support during non-PSPS months§ Avoids 12 years of diesel genset emissions NEW PICTURE CON CON CONF F FIIID D DEN EN ENT T TIIIA A AL L L 19


Technology Overview CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 20 20Technology Overview CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 20 20


Technological Breakthrough, Field Proven and Shipping Now Technological R&D roadmap for breakthrough – 1 Iron Flow first conceived But “dirty” electrolyte Field proven ; S200 additional breakthroughs Proton Pump eliminates in 1970s caused rapid degradation shipping now to extend technology power fade and limits on advantage cycle life Technological Success Proven Over Time Innovative Technology Proton 2011 2014 2017 2020 Pump Company formed Demonstrated 10,000+ Gen I EW product line Installed S200 automated operating cycles in the lab launched assembly line Developed lab scale battery Energy Center™ product line launched _ + (+) ELECTRODE: High surface area carbon electrode (-) ELECTRODE: Carbon composite substrate with polypropene spacer 2012 2015 2019 Awarded ARPA-e grant for First commercial deployment S200 commercial battery SEPARATOR: development of Iron based module launched Porous polyethylene separator battery ELECTROLYTE: Ferrous Chloride in aqueous solution CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 21 1 Based on our Generation I products, which are no longer deployed.Technological Breakthrough, Field Proven and Shipping Now Technological R&D roadmap for breakthrough – 1 Iron Flow first conceived But “dirty” electrolyte Field proven ; S200 additional breakthroughs Proton Pump eliminates in 1970s caused rapid degradation shipping now to extend technology power fade and limits on advantage cycle life Technological Success Proven Over Time Innovative Technology Proton 2011 2014 2017 2020 Pump Company formed Demonstrated 10,000+ Gen I EW product line Installed S200 automated operating cycles in the lab launched assembly line Developed lab scale battery Energy Center™ product line launched _ + (+) ELECTRODE: High surface area carbon electrode (-) ELECTRODE: Carbon composite substrate with polypropene spacer 2012 2015 2019 Awarded ARPA-e grant for First commercial deployment S200 commercial battery SEPARATOR: development of Iron based module launched Porous polyethylene separator battery ELECTROLYTE: Ferrous Chloride in aqueous solution CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 21 1 Based on our Generation I products, which are no longer deployed.


Robust Intellectual Property Portfolio ESS Critical Technology ESS IP Portfolio (-) (+) Power Module Electrode Electrode 125+ Patents Granted Current Collector and in Pipeline Pending Applications Proton Pump Pressure Plate Undisclosed Number of Trade Secrets and Identified Patents Conductive Porous Separator Separator World-leading Iron Flow expertise, and roadmap to Electrolyte additional breakthroughs and advantages ~57% Employees Have an = Patent 1 Engineering Background protected CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 22 1 As of March 25, 2021.Robust Intellectual Property Portfolio ESS Critical Technology ESS IP Portfolio (-) (+) Power Module Electrode Electrode 125+ Patents Granted Current Collector and in Pipeline Pending Applications Proton Pump Pressure Plate Undisclosed Number of Trade Secrets and Identified Patents Conductive Porous Separator Separator World-leading Iron Flow expertise, and roadmap to Electrolyte additional breakthroughs and advantages ~57% Employees Have an = Patent 1 Engineering Background protected CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 22 1 As of March 25, 2021.


Business Overview CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 23 23Business Overview CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 23 23


Strong Team Positioned to Grow the Business Management Team CRAIG EVANS ERIC DRESSELHUYS AMIR MOFTAKHAR DR. JULIA SONG Chief Executive Officer President & Founder Chief Financial Officer CTO & Founder (March 2021) HUGH MCDERMOTT MATT BERKEBILE BRIAN LISIECKI RANDY LEWIS Senior Vice President Vice President Vice President Vice President Quality Business Development Operations Business Systems Board of Directors ERIC DRESSELHUYS MICHAEL NIGGLI CRAIG EVANS RICH HOSSFELD Chairman, San Diego Gas President & Founder Chief Executive Officer Board Member, (March 2021) & Electric Co & Entergy SoftBank Energy RAFFI GARABEDIAN SHIRLEY SPEAKMAN KYLE TEAMEY DARYL WILSON Board Member, Board Member, Board Member, Board Member, First Solar Cycle Capital Breakthrough Energy Hydrogenics, ATS Ventures Automation CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 24Strong Team Positioned to Grow the Business Management Team CRAIG EVANS ERIC DRESSELHUYS AMIR MOFTAKHAR DR. JULIA SONG Chief Executive Officer President & Founder Chief Financial Officer CTO & Founder (March 2021) HUGH MCDERMOTT MATT BERKEBILE BRIAN LISIECKI RANDY LEWIS Senior Vice President Vice President Vice President Vice President Quality Business Development Operations Business Systems Board of Directors ERIC DRESSELHUYS MICHAEL NIGGLI CRAIG EVANS RICH HOSSFELD Chairman, San Diego Gas President & Founder Chief Executive Officer Board Member, (March 2021) & Electric Co & Entergy SoftBank Energy RAFFI GARABEDIAN SHIRLEY SPEAKMAN KYLE TEAMEY DARYL WILSON Board Member, Board Member, Board Member, Board Member, First Solar Cycle Capital Breakthrough Energy Hydrogenics, ATS Ventures Automation CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 24


One Technology – Two Products of Different Scale Energy Warehouse at Jean Airport ™ ™ Energy Warehouse Energy Center § Behind the meter solution§ Front of the meter solution § 50kW – 90kW configurable range § Customizable configuration range § First commercial deployment in 2015 § Customer trials starting in 2021 § Generation II launched in 2020 § “Battery in a Building” platform § Containerized design for turnkey delivery § Modular design for utility-class § Fast to build and commission CO CON NF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 25One Technology – Two Products of Different Scale Energy Warehouse at Jean Airport ™ ™ Energy Warehouse Energy Center § Behind the meter solution§ Front of the meter solution § 50kW – 90kW configurable range § Customizable configuration range § First commercial deployment in 2015 § Customer trials starting in 2021 § Generation II launched in 2020 § “Battery in a Building” platform § Containerized design for turnkey delivery § Modular design for utility-class § Fast to build and commission CO CON NF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 25


Validated by a Blue-Chip Customer Base Utilities IPPs/Developers Commercial & Industrial EW EC EW EC EW EC § Peaker replacements§ Peaker replacements§ Energy cost savings § T&D upgrade deferrals§ Resource adequacy & grid reliability§ Operational resiliency Demand Drivers § Wildfire resiliency§ 24/7 power supply§ RE integration § Distributed energy services products§ Microgrids§ Carbon footprint reduction/ESG goals Engie Applied Medical Select Customers / Use Cases San Diego Gas & Electric Pacto Energia Duke ConEdison ČEZ Group Enel Honeywell Idimax Energy Energy Grupo Starwood Select Pipeline Naturgy Marathon SAESA Energy PacifiCorp CO CON NF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 26 Note “EW” refers to Energy Warehouse™, “EC” refers to Energy Center™.Validated by a Blue-Chip Customer Base Utilities IPPs/Developers Commercial & Industrial EW EC EW EC EW EC § Peaker replacements§ Peaker replacements§ Energy cost savings § T&D upgrade deferrals§ Resource adequacy & grid reliability§ Operational resiliency Demand Drivers § Wildfire resiliency§ 24/7 power supply§ RE integration § Distributed energy services products§ Microgrids§ Carbon footprint reduction/ESG goals Engie Applied Medical Select Customers / Use Cases San Diego Gas & Electric Pacto Energia Duke ConEdison ČEZ Group Enel Honeywell Idimax Energy Energy Grupo Starwood Select Pipeline Naturgy Marathon SAESA Energy PacifiCorp CO CON NF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 26 Note “EW” refers to Energy Warehouse™, “EC” refers to Energy Center™.


Strategy to Scale Globally ESS’ ability to grow is supported by ü Relationships in Europe and Asia-Pacific Manufacturing Capacity (MWh) ü Automated manufacturing process ~16,000 ü Supply chain of readily sourced components and raw materials ~10,000 ~5,000 ~2,000 ~150 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 150,000 sq. ft. Strategic investments Australia Australia Europe Power manufacturing in supply chain to manufacturing go- manufacturing go-live Module facility in Oregon grow capacity live for EW with LOI for EC and Power manufacturing on Brisbane facility Module go-live Robotic automation Roll out of redesigned cell designed and automation cells Europe manufacturing Vertically integrate built by ESS (2x efficiency) go-live for EC and EW power module comportments CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 27Strategy to Scale Globally ESS’ ability to grow is supported by ü Relationships in Europe and Asia-Pacific Manufacturing Capacity (MWh) ü Automated manufacturing process ~16,000 ü Supply chain of readily sourced components and raw materials ~10,000 ~5,000 ~2,000 ~150 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 150,000 sq. ft. Strategic investments Australia Australia Europe Power manufacturing in supply chain to manufacturing go- manufacturing go-live Module facility in Oregon grow capacity live for EW with LOI for EC and Power manufacturing on Brisbane facility Module go-live Robotic automation Roll out of redesigned cell designed and automation cells Europe manufacturing Vertically integrate built by ESS (2x efficiency) go-live for EC and EW power module comportments CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 27


97% Less Capital Required – Ready to Scale Globally Simple, automated Simple, Low-cost Production in the USA ESS manufacturing line $in millions/GWh of Battery Module Production Capacity ~$140 Expensive, complex Li-Ion battery manufacturing line ~$4 Li-Ion competitor CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 28 Source Lux Research.97% Less Capital Required – Ready to Scale Globally Simple, automated Simple, Low-cost Production in the USA ESS manufacturing line $in millions/GWh of Battery Module Production Capacity ~$140 Expensive, complex Li-Ion battery manufacturing line ~$4 Li-Ion competitor CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 28 Source Lux Research.


Capital Investment Will Enable Rapid Expansion Increase Expand Sales Footprint Net Cash for Growth Hire new sales team members and Manufacturing Capacity expand production footprint into 1 Fully funds capital plan to increase ~$493m Europe and Australia capacity from >250MWh in 2021 to 16GWh by 2025 ™ Launch Energy Center Strengthen Balance Sheet Deploy product that is optimized for Supports credit requirements to the fast-growing utility-scale storage convert large projects in pipeline segment Further Extend Technology Advantage Higher performance electrolyte to enable an 85% reduction in cost per megawatt hour by 2025 1 PF 12/31/2020 net cash assumes funding of $27.5m of C-2 raise, of which $16m has yet to be funded; amount is expected to be funded prior to transaction close. Net cash also includes $1.5m CO CO CO CON N N NF F F FIIIID D D DEN EN EN ENT T T TIIIIA A A AL L L L 29 of restricted cash. For additional information, please refer to the Detailed Transaction Overview on p. 36 of this presentation.Capital Investment Will Enable Rapid Expansion Increase Expand Sales Footprint Net Cash for Growth Hire new sales team members and Manufacturing Capacity expand production footprint into 1 Fully funds capital plan to increase ~$493m Europe and Australia capacity from >250MWh in 2021 to 16GWh by 2025 ™ Launch Energy Center Strengthen Balance Sheet Deploy product that is optimized for Supports credit requirements to the fast-growing utility-scale storage convert large projects in pipeline segment Further Extend Technology Advantage Higher performance electrolyte to enable an 85% reduction in cost per megawatt hour by 2025 1 PF 12/31/2020 net cash assumes funding of $27.5m of C-2 raise, of which $16m has yet to be funded; amount is expected to be funded prior to transaction close. Net cash also includes $1.5m CO CO CO CON N N NF F F FIIIID D D DEN EN EN ENT T T TIIIIA A A AL L L L 29 of restricted cash. For additional information, please refer to the Detailed Transaction Overview on p. 36 of this presentation.


Financial Forecast CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 30 30Financial Forecast CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 30 30


High Quality Pipeline ™ Projected Pipeline for Energy Center Global Identified Opportunities ™ and Energy Warehouse Qualifying Negotiating Qualifying 28% 40% Booked 100% Awarded Negotiating Negotiating 66% 40% Awarded Awarded Booked 20% 6% 5% ™ Energy Center Opportunities 2021E 2022E 2023E ™ Energy Warehouse Opportunities $2 Million $37 Million $300 Million $7+ Billion Pipeline for Continued Growth in Outer Years CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 31High Quality Pipeline ™ Projected Pipeline for Energy Center Global Identified Opportunities ™ and Energy Warehouse Qualifying Negotiating Qualifying 28% 40% Booked 100% Awarded Negotiating Negotiating 66% 40% Awarded Awarded Booked 20% 6% 5% ™ Energy Center Opportunities 2021E 2022E 2023E ™ Energy Warehouse Opportunities $2 Million $37 Million $300 Million $7+ Billion Pipeline for Continued Growth in Outer Years CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 31


ESS’ Robust Revenue Growth Projected Revenue by Product Offering ($in millions) § Growth accelerates as Energy $3,562 Center deployments start in EC EW EF Services 2023 $2,572 § Forecast driven by identified pipeline of near-term opportunities $1,645 § ESS expansion into Australia (2023) and Europe (2024) $803 supports continued growth $300 § Energy Franchise lease and $37 $2 Services revenue streams become bigger contributors 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E 2025E 2026E 2027E as ESS expands Market 0% 0% 1% 2% 4% 6% Share % CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 32 Note Total addressable market value for the microgrid, distributed energy and utility industries from Guidehouse Insights.ESS’ Robust Revenue Growth Projected Revenue by Product Offering ($in millions) § Growth accelerates as Energy $3,562 Center deployments start in EC EW EF Services 2023 $2,572 § Forecast driven by identified pipeline of near-term opportunities $1,645 § ESS expansion into Australia (2023) and Europe (2024) $803 supports continued growth $300 § Energy Franchise lease and $37 $2 Services revenue streams become bigger contributors 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E 2025E 2026E 2027E as ESS expands Market 0% 0% 1% 2% 4% 6% Share % CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 32 Note Total addressable market value for the microgrid, distributed energy and utility industries from Guidehouse Insights.


ESS Delivers Compelling Profitability Projected Gross Margin ($in millions) Projected EBITDA ($in millions) $1,332 $1,059 $950 $739 $508 $360 $217 $131 $47 ($13) ($20) ($2) ($43) $2 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E 2025E 2026E 2027E 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E 2025E 2026E 2027E 16% 27% 31% 37% 37% 1% 16% 22% 29% 30% % Margin % Margin CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 33ESS Delivers Compelling Profitability Projected Gross Margin ($in millions) Projected EBITDA ($in millions) $1,332 $1,059 $950 $739 $508 $360 $217 $131 $47 ($13) ($20) ($2) ($43) $2 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E 2025E 2026E 2027E 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E 2025E 2026E 2027E 16% 27% 31% 37% 37% 1% 16% 22% 29% 30% % Margin % Margin CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 33


Potential Upside to Business Plan New US federal and state policies on infrastructure, decarbonization and national security Emerging mandates in EU and Asia-Pacific on decarbonization and storage Demand impact of USTDA, Power Africa, UNDP and World Bank targets Further economies of scale and technology enhancements Additional revenue streams (e.g., Storage as a Service, Warranty) CON CON CON CONF F F FIIIID D D DEN EN EN ENT T T TIIIIA A A AL L L L 34Potential Upside to Business Plan New US federal and state policies on infrastructure, decarbonization and national security Emerging mandates in EU and Asia-Pacific on decarbonization and storage Demand impact of USTDA, Power Africa, UNDP and World Bank targets Further economies of scale and technology enhancements Additional revenue streams (e.g., Storage as a Service, Warranty) CON CON CON CONF F F FIIIID D D DEN EN EN ENT T T TIIIIA A A AL L L L 34


Valuation Overview CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 35 35Valuation Overview CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 35 35


Detailed Transaction Overview Transaction Overview Illustrative Pro Forma Valuation and Sources & Uses ($ in millions, except per share data; shares in millions) Total Enterprise Value Summary § Pro forma enterprise value of $1,072 million (0.7x 2025E Revenue) Pro forma shares outstanding 156.5 § $465 million cash proceeds inclusive of $250 million PIPE proceeds (x) ESS share price $10.00 1 and transaction expenses assuming zero redemptions Pro Forma Equity Value $1,565 2 1,2 (-) Current cash (28) § Pro forma net cash of $493 million 1 (-) Net proceeds (465) 2 § Inclusive of $28 million existing net cash on balance sheet Pro Forma Enterprise Value $1,072 § ESS shareholders are rolling 100% of equity ownership Metric Multiple Valuation Multiples EV / 2025E Revenue $1,645 0.7x 1,2,3 EV / 2025E EBITDA $360 3.0x Pro Forma Ownership @ $10.00 per share Sources $ % Shares Founder shares Rollover equity 1,003 64% 100.3 ACON S2 cash in trust 250 16% 25.0 4% 1 PIPE investment 250 16% 25.0 PIPE investors Founder Shares 63 4% 6.3 16% Total sources $1,565 100% 156.5 ESS existing Uses $ % Rollover equity 1,003 64% shareholders ACON S2 public Cash to balance sheet 465 30% 64% Founder shares 63 4% shareholders Estimated fees and expenses 35 2% 16% Total uses $1,565 100% Note Figures may not sum due to rounding. 1 SB Energy Global Holdings Limited and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC, existing equity investors in ESS, have indicated an interest in investing an aggregate of $51.5 million in the offering. These existing investors are expected to agree to reduce the amount of their existing option to invest in the C-2 raise to an aggregate of $16 million, which amount would be invested (if such option is exercised) immediately prior to the closing of the offering. In exchange for this agreement, such investors would receive warrants to purchase an aggregate of 14,364,222 shares of ESS Series C-2 preferred stock at an exercise price of $0.001 per share, which warrants would automatically be net-exercised immediately prior to the closing of the offering or terminate unexercised if the offering does not close. 2 Pro forma 12/31/2020 net cash assumes funding of an aggregate of $27.5 million in the C-2 raise, of which $11.5 million has been funded and $16 million is expected to be funded by SB Energy Global Holdings Limited and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC, as described in the footnote above. Net cash also includes $1.5 million of restricted cash. CO CON NF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 36 3 Additional dilutive securities include 8.3m ACON S2 public warrants, 4.1m founder warrants and $165m shareholder earnout.Detailed Transaction Overview Transaction Overview Illustrative Pro Forma Valuation and Sources & Uses ($ in millions, except per share data; shares in millions) Total Enterprise Value Summary § Pro forma enterprise value of $1,072 million (0.7x 2025E Revenue) Pro forma shares outstanding 156.5 § $465 million cash proceeds inclusive of $250 million PIPE proceeds (x) ESS share price $10.00 1 and transaction expenses assuming zero redemptions Pro Forma Equity Value $1,565 2 1,2 (-) Current cash (28) § Pro forma net cash of $493 million 1 (-) Net proceeds (465) 2 § Inclusive of $28 million existing net cash on balance sheet Pro Forma Enterprise Value $1,072 § ESS shareholders are rolling 100% of equity ownership Metric Multiple Valuation Multiples EV / 2025E Revenue $1,645 0.7x 1,2,3 EV / 2025E EBITDA $360 3.0x Pro Forma Ownership @ $10.00 per share Sources $ % Shares Founder shares Rollover equity 1,003 64% 100.3 ACON S2 cash in trust 250 16% 25.0 4% 1 PIPE investment 250 16% 25.0 PIPE investors Founder Shares 63 4% 6.3 16% Total sources $1,565 100% 156.5 ESS existing Uses $ % Rollover equity 1,003 64% shareholders ACON S2 public Cash to balance sheet 465 30% 64% Founder shares 63 4% shareholders Estimated fees and expenses 35 2% 16% Total uses $1,565 100% Note Figures may not sum due to rounding. 1 SB Energy Global Holdings Limited and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC, existing equity investors in ESS, have indicated an interest in investing an aggregate of $51.5 million in the offering. These existing investors are expected to agree to reduce the amount of their existing option to invest in the C-2 raise to an aggregate of $16 million, which amount would be invested (if such option is exercised) immediately prior to the closing of the offering. In exchange for this agreement, such investors would receive warrants to purchase an aggregate of 14,364,222 shares of ESS Series C-2 preferred stock at an exercise price of $0.001 per share, which warrants would automatically be net-exercised immediately prior to the closing of the offering or terminate unexercised if the offering does not close. 2 Pro forma 12/31/2020 net cash assumes funding of an aggregate of $27.5 million in the C-2 raise, of which $11.5 million has been funded and $16 million is expected to be funded by SB Energy Global Holdings Limited and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, LLC, as described in the footnote above. Net cash also includes $1.5 million of restricted cash. CO CON NF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 36 3 Additional dilutive securities include 8.3m ACON S2 public warrants, 4.1m founder warrants and $165m shareholder earnout.


Selected Public Comparable Universe Battery Storage Fuel Cell and Electrolyzers Renewable Technologies Supporting Supporting Supporting Considerations Considerations Considerations Characteristics Characteristics Characteristics ü Growth stage û Primarily ü Technology û Not reliant on ü Growth is tied û Part of solar battery lithium-ion with long- battery directly to supply chain companies technologies duration technology significantly and not reliant storage increasing on battery û Focused on û Significantly applications renewable technology short-duration less efficient penetration or EV end markets CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 37Selected Public Comparable Universe Battery Storage Fuel Cell and Electrolyzers Renewable Technologies Supporting Supporting Supporting Considerations Considerations Considerations Characteristics Characteristics Characteristics ü Growth stage û Primarily ü Technology û Not reliant on ü Growth is tied û Part of solar battery lithium-ion with long- battery directly to supply chain companies technologies duration technology significantly and not reliant storage increasing on battery û Focused on û Significantly applications renewable technology short-duration less efficient penetration or EV end markets CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 37


Selected Operational Benchmarking Battery Storage Fuel Cell and Electrolyzers Renewable Technologies Average: 58% Average: 25% Average: 121% 594.5% 170.4% 105.8% 72.0% 53.7% 47.3% 43.4% 23.8% 15.3% 17.2% NM Average: 31% Average: 26% Average: 32% 40.7% 37.4% 35.3% 33.4% 31.3% 30.3% 25.0% 24.3% 22.5% 21.4% NM 2027E 2027E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2021E 2021E 2021E Average: 22% Average: 15% Average: 23% 32.8% 29.7% 27.3% 25.2% 19.8% 19.2% 16.0% 15.0% 15.6% 14.5% 10.5% 2027E 2027E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2021E 2021E 2021E Source Company management, public filings and FactSet as of April 28, 2021. Note QuantumScape, Stem and EOS revenues, gross income and EBITDA based on company investor presentations. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 38 NM denotes not meaningful or negative. EBITDA margin Gross margin Revenue CAGR ’21-24Selected Operational Benchmarking Battery Storage Fuel Cell and Electrolyzers Renewable Technologies Average: 58% Average: 25% Average: 121% 594.5% 170.4% 105.8% 72.0% 53.7% 47.3% 43.4% 23.8% 15.3% 17.2% NM Average: 31% Average: 26% Average: 32% 40.7% 37.4% 35.3% 33.4% 31.3% 30.3% 25.0% 24.3% 22.5% 21.4% NM 2027E 2027E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2021E 2021E 2021E Average: 22% Average: 15% Average: 23% 32.8% 29.7% 27.3% 25.2% 19.8% 19.2% 16.0% 15.0% 15.6% 14.5% 10.5% 2027E 2027E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2021E 2021E 2021E Source Company management, public filings and FactSet as of April 28, 2021. Note QuantumScape, Stem and EOS revenues, gross income and EBITDA based on company investor presentations. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 38 NM denotes not meaningful or negative. EBITDA margin Gross margin Revenue CAGR ’21-24


Selected Valuation Benchmarking Battery Storage Fuel Cell and Electrolyzers Renewable Technologies Average: 3.3x Average: 9.8x Average: 12.1x 24.6x 14.6x 14.2x 7.8x 7.6x 4.7x 4.6x 3.8x 2.8x 0.7x 0.6x 2025E 2027E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2021E 2021E 2021E Average: 46.5x Average: 13.3x Average: 72.9x 135.2x 100.1x 75.1x 40.6x 38.1x 23.7x 18.8x 18.3x 16.9x 4.3x 3.0x 2025E 2027E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2021E 2021E 2021E Source Company management, public filings and FactSet as of April 28, 2021. Note QuantumScape, Stem and EOS revenues, gross income and EBITDA based on company investor presentations. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 39 EV / EBITDA EV / RevenueSelected Valuation Benchmarking Battery Storage Fuel Cell and Electrolyzers Renewable Technologies Average: 3.3x Average: 9.8x Average: 12.1x 24.6x 14.6x 14.2x 7.8x 7.6x 4.7x 4.6x 3.8x 2.8x 0.7x 0.6x 2025E 2027E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2021E 2021E 2021E Average: 46.5x Average: 13.3x Average: 72.9x 135.2x 100.1x 75.1x 40.6x 38.1x 23.7x 18.8x 18.3x 16.9x 4.3x 3.0x 2025E 2027E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2024E 2021E 2021E 2021E Source Company management, public filings and FactSet as of April 28, 2021. Note QuantumScape, Stem and EOS revenues, gross income and EBITDA based on company investor presentations. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 39 EV / EBITDA EV / Revenue


Transaction Priced at a Discount to Peer Multiples Implied EV Based on Selected Comparable Companies Trading Transaction Value ($ in millions; implied future and discounted EV rounded to the nearest $5m) Implied Future EV Implied Discounted EV Implied Post-Money EV $8,225 84% discount $3,965 $4,935 66% discount $1,072 $2,380 Implied Multiples EV/2025E Revenue 3.0x – 5.0x 1.4x – 2.4x 0.7x EV/2025E EBITDA 13.7x – 22.9x 6.6x – 11.0x 3.0x § Using a future valuation date of 6/30/2025, ESS is valued by applying 2025E revenue of $1,645m to an EV/CY’21E revenue multiple of 3.0 – 5.0x based on peer multiples, resulting in an implied future EV of $6,580m at the midpoint § The implied future EV is then discounted at a 20% rate over a 4 year period to arrive at an implied present value of $3,173m at Valuation Approach 1 the midpoint § Transaction priced at a substantial discount Note Company projections. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 40 1 Assumes a 20% discount rate; based on midpoint of implied future enterprise value of $6,580m.Transaction Priced at a Discount to Peer Multiples Implied EV Based on Selected Comparable Companies Trading Transaction Value ($ in millions; implied future and discounted EV rounded to the nearest $5m) Implied Future EV Implied Discounted EV Implied Post-Money EV $8,225 84% discount $3,965 $4,935 66% discount $1,072 $2,380 Implied Multiples EV/2025E Revenue 3.0x – 5.0x 1.4x – 2.4x 0.7x EV/2025E EBITDA 13.7x – 22.9x 6.6x – 11.0x 3.0x § Using a future valuation date of 6/30/2025, ESS is valued by applying 2025E revenue of $1,645m to an EV/CY’21E revenue multiple of 3.0 – 5.0x based on peer multiples, resulting in an implied future EV of $6,580m at the midpoint § The implied future EV is then discounted at a 20% rate over a 4 year period to arrive at an implied present value of $3,173m at Valuation Approach 1 the midpoint § Transaction priced at a substantial discount Note Company projections. CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 40 1 Assumes a 20% discount rate; based on midpoint of implied future enterprise value of $6,580m.


Energy Storage for a Cleaner FutureEnergy Storage for a Cleaner Future


Appendix CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 42 42Appendix CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 42 42


PF Summary Financials Values in 000s 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Revenue Product - EW Purchase & Lease $2,381 $22,679 $34,520 $47,203 $66,328 $94,808 $135,248 Product - EC Purchase– $14,224 $256,249 $696,998 $1,447,504 $2,222,420 $2,986,242 Product - EF Purchase–– $4,177 $28,696 $41,797 $50,522 $61,113 Service Agreement $15 $314 $5,535 $29,808 $88,884 $203,964 $379,833 Total Revenue $2,396 $37,217 $300,481 $802,704 $1,644,513 $2,571,715 $3,562,436 Market Share (%) 0% 0% 1% 2% 4% 6% 6% Cost of Goods Sold $4,560 $50,424 $253,087 $585,929 $1,136,469 $1,622,129 $2,229,953 Gross Profit ($2,163) ($13,207) $47,393 $216,776 $508,044 $949,586 $1,332,483 Gross Margin (%) NM NM 16% 27% 31% 37% 37% Total Operating Expense $17,659 $29,854 $45,841 $86,264 $148,230 $210,718 $273,590 EBITDA ($19,822) ($43,062) $1,552 $130,511 $359,813 $738,868 $1,058,894 Margin (%) NM NM 1% 16% 22% 29% 30% Depreciation $432 $4,712 $17,737 $32,842 $46,508 $63,580 $69,824 Interest Expense– $59 $287 $414 $530 $656 $817 Taxes (net of NOL)–––– $56,715 $141,673 $207,533 Net Income (Loss) ($20,255) ($47,833) ($16,472) $97,255 $256,061 $532,959 $780,720 NM NM NM 12% 16% 21% 22% CapEx Maintenance CapEx ($3,259) ($8,240) ($8,487) ($8,742) ($9,004) ($9,274) ($9,552) Leased Equipment– ($7,980) ($6,680) ($6,532) ($8,100) ($10,270) ($13,875) Manfacturing Capacity Growth CapEx ($500) ($21,200) ($49,000) ($93,500) ($31,500) ($87,000) ($124,162) Total CapEx ($3,759) ($37,420) ($64,167) ($108,774) ($48,604) ($106,544) ($147,589) Portion of Revenue (%) 157% 101% 21% 14% 3% 4% 4% EBITDA - CapEx ($23,581) ($80,482) ($62,615) $21,738 $311,209 $632,324 $911,305 CFO - CapEx ($21,145) ($84,544) ($97,759) ($49,913) $151,619 $409,416 $664,954 Cash on Balance Sheet $470,816 $390,967 $296,708 $249,857 $405,087 $818,909 $1,489,775 Number of Units Sold 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Product - EW Purchase 27 179 200 252 376 552 824 Product - EW Lease– 40 40 48 64 84 120 1 Product - EC Purchase– 33 600 1,571 3,433 5,379 7,449 CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 43 1 Number of units sold refers to number of powertrains sold; Energy Centers are expected to contain multiple powertrains.PF Summary Financials Values in 000s 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Revenue Product - EW Purchase & Lease $2,381 $22,679 $34,520 $47,203 $66,328 $94,808 $135,248 Product - EC Purchase– $14,224 $256,249 $696,998 $1,447,504 $2,222,420 $2,986,242 Product - EF Purchase–– $4,177 $28,696 $41,797 $50,522 $61,113 Service Agreement $15 $314 $5,535 $29,808 $88,884 $203,964 $379,833 Total Revenue $2,396 $37,217 $300,481 $802,704 $1,644,513 $2,571,715 $3,562,436 Market Share (%) 0% 0% 1% 2% 4% 6% 6% Cost of Goods Sold $4,560 $50,424 $253,087 $585,929 $1,136,469 $1,622,129 $2,229,953 Gross Profit ($2,163) ($13,207) $47,393 $216,776 $508,044 $949,586 $1,332,483 Gross Margin (%) NM NM 16% 27% 31% 37% 37% Total Operating Expense $17,659 $29,854 $45,841 $86,264 $148,230 $210,718 $273,590 EBITDA ($19,822) ($43,062) $1,552 $130,511 $359,813 $738,868 $1,058,894 Margin (%) NM NM 1% 16% 22% 29% 30% Depreciation $432 $4,712 $17,737 $32,842 $46,508 $63,580 $69,824 Interest Expense– $59 $287 $414 $530 $656 $817 Taxes (net of NOL)–––– $56,715 $141,673 $207,533 Net Income (Loss) ($20,255) ($47,833) ($16,472) $97,255 $256,061 $532,959 $780,720 NM NM NM 12% 16% 21% 22% CapEx Maintenance CapEx ($3,259) ($8,240) ($8,487) ($8,742) ($9,004) ($9,274) ($9,552) Leased Equipment– ($7,980) ($6,680) ($6,532) ($8,100) ($10,270) ($13,875) Manfacturing Capacity Growth CapEx ($500) ($21,200) ($49,000) ($93,500) ($31,500) ($87,000) ($124,162) Total CapEx ($3,759) ($37,420) ($64,167) ($108,774) ($48,604) ($106,544) ($147,589) Portion of Revenue (%) 157% 101% 21% 14% 3% 4% 4% EBITDA - CapEx ($23,581) ($80,482) ($62,615) $21,738 $311,209 $632,324 $911,305 CFO - CapEx ($21,145) ($84,544) ($97,759) ($49,913) $151,619 $409,416 $664,954 Cash on Balance Sheet $470,816 $390,967 $296,708 $249,857 $405,087 $818,909 $1,489,775 Number of Units Sold 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Product - EW Purchase 27 179 200 252 376 552 824 Product - EW Lease– 40 40 48 64 84 120 1 Product - EC Purchase– 33 600 1,571 3,433 5,379 7,449 CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 43 1 Number of units sold refers to number of powertrains sold; Energy Centers are expected to contain multiple powertrains.


ACON S2 Overview Strategic Sustainability Platform for Success § ACON S2 Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: STWO) ü Domain Expertiseü Public Markets § $250mm IPO in September 2020 ü Sustainabilityü Governance § Criteria: authentic sustainability leader, significant value creation potential, strong competitive ü Global Networkü Capital Formation position, at an inflection point, experienced team § 25 years of investing, AUM of ~$6B § Over 70 investments since inception § 31 active portfolio companies employing A Perfect Fit for the ACON S2 Mission over 39,000 people across 32 countries CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 44ACON S2 Overview Strategic Sustainability Platform for Success § ACON S2 Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: STWO) ü Domain Expertiseü Public Markets § $250mm IPO in September 2020 ü Sustainabilityü Governance § Criteria: authentic sustainability leader, significant value creation potential, strong competitive ü Global Networkü Capital Formation position, at an inflection point, experienced team § 25 years of investing, AUM of ~$6B § Over 70 investments since inception § 31 active portfolio companies employing A Perfect Fit for the ACON S2 Mission over 39,000 people across 32 countries CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 44


™ Energy Warehouse Overview Product Summary Product Deployments § Behind the meter solution § Containerized design for turnkey delivery § First commercial deployment in 2015 § Fast to build and commission § Generation II launched in 2020 Current Specifications Stone Edge Farms USACE UCSD (CA) 10 kW/60 kWh; 2015 60 kW/225 kWh; 2016 50 kW /400 kWh; 2017 Configurable Range: 50kW – 90kW (peak power) Storage Duration: 4 – 12 hours Usable Energy: 400kWh – 600kWh Response Time: <1 second Module Cycle Life: >20,000 cycles Ambient Temperature: -5°C to +50°C DNV-GL (TX) Camp Pendleton US Utility Expected Life: 25 year service life 50 kW /400 kWh ; 2017 50 kW /400 kWh; 2018 50 kW /400 kWh; 2020 Warranty: 1 yr comprehensive, 10 yr warranty backstop from Munich Re available CO CON NF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 45™ Energy Warehouse Overview Product Summary Product Deployments § Behind the meter solution § Containerized design for turnkey delivery § First commercial deployment in 2015 § Fast to build and commission § Generation II launched in 2020 Current Specifications Stone Edge Farms USACE UCSD (CA) 10 kW/60 kWh; 2015 60 kW/225 kWh; 2016 50 kW /400 kWh; 2017 Configurable Range: 50kW – 90kW (peak power) Storage Duration: 4 – 12 hours Usable Energy: 400kWh – 600kWh Response Time: <1 second Module Cycle Life: >20,000 cycles Ambient Temperature: -5°C to +50°C DNV-GL (TX) Camp Pendleton US Utility Expected Life: 25 year service life 50 kW /400 kWh ; 2017 50 kW /400 kWh; 2018 50 kW /400 kWh; 2020 Warranty: 1 yr comprehensive, 10 yr warranty backstop from Munich Re available CO CON NF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 45


™ Energy Center Overview Product Summary § Front of the meter solution§ Modular design for utility- class § Customer trials starting in 2021§ Power capacities starting at 3MW § “Battery in a Building” platform Building Blocks for Existing Products Current Specifications Configurable Range: Customizable Quad Pods Storage Duration: 6 -12 hours Usable Energy: Customizable Response Time: <1 second Module Cycle Life: >20,000 cycles Ambient Temperature: -40°C to +50°C Power Train Expected Life: 25 year service life Warranty: 10-year battery module, extended warranty to 25 years available CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 46™ Energy Center Overview Product Summary § Front of the meter solution§ Modular design for utility- class § Customer trials starting in 2021§ Power capacities starting at 3MW § “Battery in a Building” platform Building Blocks for Existing Products Current Specifications Configurable Range: Customizable Quad Pods Storage Duration: 6 -12 hours Usable Energy: Customizable Response Time: <1 second Module Cycle Life: >20,000 cycles Ambient Temperature: -40°C to +50°C Power Train Expected Life: 25 year service life Warranty: 10-year battery module, extended warranty to 25 years available CON CONF FIID DEN ENT TIIA AL L 46