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

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 22, 2022

 

 

 

THUNDER BRIDGE CAPITAL PARTNERS IV, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-40555   86-1826129
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  (Commission
File Number)
  (IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

9912 Georgetown Pike

Suite D203

Great Falls, Virginia 22066

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (202) 431-0507

 

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 share of Class A Common Stock and one-fifth of one Redeemable Warrant   THCPU   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share   THCP   The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Redeemable Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable for one share of Class A Common Stock at an exercise price of $11.50   THCPW   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 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

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.

 

Business Combination Agreement

 

On March 22, 2022, Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc. (the “Company”), a Delaware corporation, entered into a Business Combination Agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”) by and among the Company, Coincheck Group B.V., a Dutch private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) (“PubCo”), M1 Co G.K., a Japanese limited liability company (godo kaisha) (“HoldCo”), Coincheck Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), and Coincheck, Inc., a Japanese joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) (“Coincheck”). The Business Combination Agreement was unanimously approved by the Company’s board of directors. If the Business Combination Agreement is approved by the Company’s stockholders, and the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement are consummated, Merger Sub, a wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo, will merge with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo (the “Business Combination”).

 

Prior to the closing of the Business Combination (the “Closing”), Monex Group, Inc., a Japanese joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) (“Monex”), the sole shareholder of both PubCo and HoldCo, will cause PubCo and HoldCo to undergo a restructuring resulting in HoldCo holding 147,587,616 ordinary shares in the share capital of PubCo (“PubCo Ordinary Shares”) and then becoming PubCo’s direct, wholly owned subsidiary (the “PubCo Restructuring”).

 

Thereafter, Coincheck will, and PubCo will cause HoldCo to, implement a share exchange (kabushiki koukan) pursuant to which the ordinary share of Coincheck outstanding immediately prior to 12:01 a.m. Japan Time on the Closing date will be exchanged (the “Share Exchange”) for PubCo Ordinary Shares, causing Coincheck to become a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of HoldCo. Immediately following the Share Exchange, PubCo will (a) convert its legal form, without ceasing to exist, from a private company with limited liability (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) to a public limited liability company (naamloze vennootschap) and (b) amend and restate its governing documents, which, as so amended and restated, will be the governing documents of PubCo until thereafter amended in accordance with the terms thereof and applicable law (the “PubCo Reorganization”).

 

Prior to the Closing, the PubCo shareholders (the “Coincheck Shareholders”) will collectively deliver 25,000,000 shares of PubCo to an escrow agent (the “Escrowed Coincheck Shareholder Earn Out Shares”). The Escrowed Coincheck Shareholder Earn Out Shares will be released to the Coincheck Shareholders if the closing market price of PubCo Ordinary Shares is at or above $12.50 for 20 out of 30 consecutive trading days following the Closing. An additional 25,000,000 shares of PubCo (together with the Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares, the “Coincheck Shareholder Earn Out Shares”) will be issued to the Coincheck Shareholders if the closing market price of PubCo Ordinary Shares is at or above $15.00 for 20 out of 30 consecutive trading days following the Closing. In the event such milestones are not met within five years of the Closing, the Escrowed Coincheck Shareholder Earn Out Shares will be automatically released to PubCo for repurchase for no consideration. In addition, at the Closing, the Sponsor (as defined below) will deliver to the escrow agent an aggregate of 2,365,278 PubCo Ordinary Shares that the Sponsor would otherwise receive as consideration in the Business Combination (the “Sponsor Earn Out Shares”). The Sponsor Earn Out Shares will be subject to the same milestones as the Coincheck Shareholder Earn Out Shares. In the event such milestones are not met within five years of the Closing, the Sponsor Earn Out Shares will be automatically released to PubCo for repurchase for no consideration.

 

In connection with the Closing, (i) each share of the Company’s common stock (“Company Common Stock”) that is held by the Sponsor will be converted into one PubCo Ordinary Share and (ii) each share of Company Common Stock that is outstanding and has not been redeemed will be converted into a one PubCo Ordinary Share.

 

Each outstanding warrant to purchase Company Common Stock (“Company Warrant”) will become a warrant to purchase PubCo Ordinary Shares, with each such warrant exercisable for the number of PubCo Ordinary Shares the holder of the Company Warrant would have received in the Business Combination if it exercised the Company Warrant immediately prior to the Business Combination.

 

1

 

 

Conditions to Closing

 

The Closing is subject to certain customary conditions, including, among other things, (i) approval by the Company’s stockholders of the Business Combination Agreement, (ii) the effectiveness of a registration statement on Form F-4 by PubCo relating to the Business Combination and containing a proxy statement of the Company and (iii) the approval for listing on Nasdaq of the PubCo Ordinary Shares to be issued in the Business Combination. In addition, the Closing is subject to the condition that the Company has at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule 3a51-1(g)(1) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)). Coincheck’s obligations under the Business Combination Agreement are also subject to a minimum cash consideration at Closing, after giving effect to any outside financing and Company stockholder redemptions of $100,000,000.

 

Representations, Warranties and Covenants

 

The parties to the Business Combination Agreement have made representations, warranties and covenants that are customary for transactions of this nature.

 

Termination

 

The Business Combination Agreement may be terminated by either Coincheck or the Company under certain circumstances, including, among others, (i) by written consent of both the Company and Coincheck, (ii) by either Coincheck or the Company if the Closing has not occurred on or July 2, 2023, (iii) by either Coincheck or the Company if the other party has materially breached their respective representations or covenants under the Business Combination Agreement and has not timely cured such breach, (iv) by either Coincheck or the Company if the Business Combination is permanently enjoined, prohibited or prevented by the terms of a final, non-appealable governmental order, (v) by Coincheck if the Company has held a stockholder meeting to approve the Business Combination and approval of the Business Combination has not been obtained by the requisite number of stockholders of the Company and (vi) by either Coincheck or the Company if the Closing has not occurred on or before the ninetieth (90th) day after the date on which the registration statement on Form F-4 has been declared effective.

 

The foregoing description of the Business Combination Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the Business Combination Agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 2.1 and is incorporated herein by reference. The Business Combination Agreement contains representations, warranties and covenants that the parties to the Business Combination Agreement made to each other as of the date of the Business Combination Agreement or other specific dates. The assertions embodied in those representations, warranties and covenants were made for purposes of the contract among the parties and are subject to important qualifications and limitations agreed to by the parties in connection with negotiating the Business Combination Agreement. The Business Combination Agreement has been attached to provide investors with information regarding its terms and is not intended to provide any other factual information about the Company, Coincheck or any other party to the Business Combination Agreement. In particular, the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements contained in the Business Combination Agreement, which were made only for purposes of the Business Combination Agreement and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to the Business Combination Agreement (other than as expressly provided for in the Business Combination Agreement), may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties (including being qualified by confidential disclosures made for the purposes of allocating contractual risk between the parties to the Business Combination Agreement instead of establishing these matters as facts) and may be subject to standards of materiality applicable to the contracting parties that differ from those applicable to investors and reports and documents filed with the SEC. Investors should not rely on the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements, or any descriptions thereof, as characterizations of the actual state of facts or condition of any party to the Business Combination Agreement. In addition, the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements and other terms of the Business Combination Agreement may be subject to subsequent waiver or modification. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties and other terms may change after the date of the Business Combination Agreement, which subsequent information may or may not be fully reflected in the Company’s public disclosures. 

 

2

 

 

Sponsor Support Agreement

 

In connection with the Company’s entrance into the Business Combination Agreement, it also entered into a Sponsor Support Agreement (the “Sponsor Support Agreement”) with TBCP IV, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), Gary A. Simanson, as managing member of the Sponsor (“Simanson”), PubCo, Coincheck and Monex, pursuant to which, among other things, the Sponsor will agree to vote any of the shares of Company Common Stock held by it in favor of the Business Combination and not to redeem any such shares at the special meeting of stockholders to be held in connection with the Business Combination.

 

In addition, the Sponsor agreed not to transfer any of its PubCo Ordinary Shares for a period of 365 days, subject to early release as follows: (i) one-third of its PubCo Ordinary Shares following the Closing, if the last reported sale price of PubCo Ordinary Shares exceeds $15.00 per share for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days; (ii) one-third of its PubCo Ordinary Shares following the Closing, if the last reported sale price of PubCo Ordinary Shares exceeds $17.50 per share for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days; and (iii) one-third of its PubCo Ordinary Shares following the Closing, if the last reported sale price of PubCo Ordinary Shares exceeds $20.00 per share for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days.

 

The foregoing description of the Sponsor Support Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the Sponsor Support Agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Monex Support Agreement

 

In connection with the Company’s entry into the Business Combination Agreement, the Company, PubCo and Monex entered into a Company Support Agreement (the “Monex Support Agreement”), pursuant to which Monex agreed, among other things, to deliver a written consent approving PubCo’s adoption of PubCo’s Governing Documents in accordance with the PubCo Restructuring and PubCo Reorganization in its capacity as the sole shareholder of PubCo. In addition, Monex will deliver its pro rata portion of the Escrowed Coincheck Shareholder Earn Out Shares to the escrow agent immediately prior to Closing. Monex, in its capacity as the controlling shareholder of Coincheck, has agreed to obtain approval of the Share Exchange. In addition, as the sole member of HoldCo, Monex agreed, among other things, to deliver a written consent approving the PubCo Restructuring. As the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, Monex agreed, among other things, to deliver a written consent approving the Business Combination Agreement.

 

In addition, Monex agreed not to transfer any of its PubCo Ordinary Shares for a period of 365 days, subject to early release as follows: (i) one-third of its PubCo Ordinary Shares following the Closing, if the last reported sale price of PubCo Ordinary Shares exceeds $15.00 per share for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days; (ii) one-third of its PubCo Ordinary Shares following the Closing, if the last reported sale price of PubCo Ordinary Shares exceeds $17.50 per share for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days; and (iii) one-third of its PubCo Ordinary Shares following the Closing, if the last reported sale price of PubCo Ordinary Shares exceeds $20.00 per share for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days.

 

The foregoing description of the Monex Support Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the Monex Support Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.2 hereto and is incorporated by reference herein. 

 

Lock-Up Agreements

 

In connection with the Company’s entry into the Business Combination Agreement, certain Coincheck Shareholders (the “Equityholders”) entered into lock-up agreements (the “Lock-Up Agreements” and each, a “Lock-Up Agreement”) with respect to the number of ordinary shares of Coincheck and PubCo Ordinary Shares (the “Lock-Up Shares”) pursuant to which, each Equityholder agreed not transfer any Lock-Up Shares for a period of 365 days after the Closing, subject to early release as follows: (i) one-third of its Lock-Up Shares following the Closing, if the last reported sale price of PubCo Ordinary Shares exceeds $15.00 per share for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days; (ii) one-third of its Lock-Up Shares following the Closing, if the last reported sale price of PubCo Ordinary Shares exceeds $17.50 per share for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days; and (iii) one-third of its Lock-Up Shares following the Closing, if the last reported sale price of PubCo Ordinary Shares exceeds $20.00 per share for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days.

 

3

 

 

The foregoing description of the Lock-Up Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the Lock-Up Agreement, a form of which is filed as Exhibit 10.3 hereto and is incorporated by reference herein.

 

Registration Rights Agreement

 

At the Closing, PubCo, the Sponsor, Monex and certain persons will enter into a registration rights agreement providing for the right to three demand registrations for Sponsor, unlimited demand registrations for Monex and unlimited piggy-back registrations with respect to the PubCo Ordinary Shares held by Monex or by the Sponsor and its permitted successors and assigns.

 

The foregoing description of Registration Rights Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the Registration Rights Agreement, a form of which is filed as Exhibit 10.4 hereto and is incorporated by reference herein.

 

Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.

 

On March 22, 2022, the Company issued a press release announcing the execution of the Business Combination Agreement. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Attached as Exhibit 99.2 hereto and incorporated by reference herein is the investor presentation, dated March 2022 (the “Investor Presentation”), which will be used by the Company and Coincheck with respect to the Business Combination. 

 

The information in this Item 7.01, including Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, is furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to liabilities under that section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into the filings of the Company under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, regardless of any general incorporation language in such filings. This Current Report on Form 8-K will not be deemed an admission as to the materiality of any information of the information in this Item 7.01, including Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2.

 

Additional Information and Where to Find It

 

In connection with the proposed transaction, the Company intends to file relevant materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including a registration statement on Form F-4 to be filed by PubCo with the SEC, which will include a proxy statement/prospectus of the Company, and will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. The Company’s stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and the amendments thereto and the definitive proxy statement and documents incorporated by reference therein filed in connection with the proposed business combination, as these materials will contain important information about Coincheck, the Company and the proposed business combination. Promptly after the Form F-4 is declared effective by the SEC, the Company will mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and a proxy card to each stockholder entitled to vote at the meeting relating to the approval of the Business Combination and other proposals set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus. Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and stockholders of the Company are urged to carefully read the entire registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus, when they become available, and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to these documents, because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. The documents filed by the Company with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., 9912 Georgetown Pike, Suite D203, Great Falls, Virginia 22066, Attention: Secretary, (202) 431-0507.

 

4

 

 

Participants in Solicitation

 

The Company and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from its stockholders with respect to the business combination. A list of the names of those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in the Company will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination when available at www.sec.gov. Information about the Company’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of Company common stock is set forth in the Company prospectus, dated June 29, 2021, as modified or supplemented by any Form 3 or Form 4 filed with the SEC since the date of such filing. Other information regarding the interests of the participants in the proxy solicitation will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus pertaining to the proposed business combination when it becomes available. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the source indicated above.

 

Coincheck, the Company and their respective directors and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of the Company in connection with the proposed business combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the proposed business combination will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This Current Report on Form 8-K contains, and certain oral statements made by representatives of the Company and Coincheck and their respective affiliates from time to time may contain, a number of contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimated,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “outlook” or words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Coincheck’s industry and market sizes, future opportunities for Coincheck and the Company, Coincheck’s estimated future results and the proposed business combination between the Company and Coincheck, including the implied enterprise value, the expected transaction and ownership structure and the likelihood, timing and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the proposed transaction. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.

 

In addition to factors previously disclosed in the Company’s reports filed with the SEC and those identified elsewhere in this communication, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: inability to meet the closing conditions to the business combination, including the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the definitive agreement; the inability to complete the transactions contemplated by the definitive agreement due to the failure to obtain approval of the Company’s stockholders, the failure to achieve the minimum amount of cash available following any redemptions by the Company stockholders, redemptions exceeding a maximum threshold or the failure to meet The Nasdaq Stock Market’s initial listing standards in connection with the consummation of the contemplated transactions; costs related to the transactions contemplated by the definitive agreement; a delay or failure to realize the expected benefits from the proposed transaction; risks related to disruption of management’s time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; changes in the cryptocurrency and digital asset markets in which Coincheck competes, including with respect to its competitive landscape, technology evolution or regulatory changes; changes in domestic and global general economic conditions, risk that Coincheck may not be able to execute its growth strategies, including identifying and executing acquisitions; risks related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and response; risk that Coincheck may not be able to develop and maintain effective internal controls; and other risks and uncertainties indicated the Company’s final prospectus, dated June 29, 2021, for its initial public offering, and the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the proposed business combination, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC. The Company and Coincheck caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive.

 

5

 

 

Actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially, and potentially adversely, from any projections and forward-looking statements and the assumptions on which those forward-looking statements are based. There can be no assurance that the data contained herein is reflective of future performance to any degree. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a predictor of future performance as projected financial information and other information are based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to various significant risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. All information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof in the case of information about the Company and Coincheck or the date of such information in the case of information from persons other than the Company or Coincheck, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication. Forecasts and estimates regarding Coincheck’s industry and end markets are based on sources we believe to be reliable, however there can be no assurance these forecasts and estimates will prove accurate in whole or in part. Annualized, pro forma, projected and estimated numbers are used for illustrative purpose only, are not forecasts and may not reflect actual results.

 

No Offer or Solicitation

 

This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Business Combination. This Current Report on Form 8-K also shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities pursuant to the proposed Business Combination or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.

 

No Assurances

 

There can be no assurance that the proposed Business Combination will be completed, nor can there be any assurance, if the proposed Business Combination is completed, that the potential benefits of combining the companies will be realized.

 

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

  (d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit No.   Description
2.1*   Business Combination Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2022, by and among Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., Coincheck Group B.V., M1 Co G.K., Coincheck Merger Sub, Inc., and Coincheck, Inc.
     
10.1   Sponsor Support Agreement dated as of March 22, 2022, by and among TBCP IV, LLC, Gary A. Simanson, Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., Coincheck Group B.V., Coincheck, Inc., and Monex Group, Inc.
     
10.2   Company Support Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2022, by and among Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., Monex Group, Inc., and Coincheck Group B.V.
     
10.3   Form of Lock-Up Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2022, by Coincheck Group B.V., Coincheck, Inc., and the individual named therein.
     
10.4  

Form of Registration Rights Agreement.

     
99.1   Press Release dated March 22, 2022.
     
99.2   Investor Presentation, dated March 2022.
     
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

 

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

  

6

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

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

 

  THUNDER BRIDGE CAPITAL PARTNERS IV, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Gary Simanson
    Name:  Gary Simanson
    Title: Chief Executive Officer
     
Dated: March 22, 2022    

 

 

 

7

 

Exhibit 2.1

 

BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

 

by and among

 

THUNDER BRIDGE CAPITAL PARTNERS IV, INC.,

 

COINCHECK GROUP B.V.,

 

M1 CO G.K.,

 

COINCHECK MERGER SUB, INC.,

 

and

 

COINCHECK, INC.

 

dated as of

 

March 22, 2022

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
ARTICLE I CERTAIN DEFINITIONS 4
   
  Section 1.01 Definitions 4
  Section 1.02 Construction 15
  Section 1.03 Knowledge 15
  Section 1.04 Equitable Adjustments 15
     
ARTICLE II BUSINESS COMBINATION 16
     
  Section 2.01 The PubCo Restructuring and the Share Exchange 16
  Section 2.02 Effect of the Share Exchange 16
  Section 2.03 PubCo Reorganization 16
  Section 2.04 The Merger 16
  Section 2.05 Merger Effective Time 16
  Section 2.06 Effect of the Merger 16
  Section 2.07 Governing Documents 16
  Section 2.08 Directors/Managers and Officers of the Surviving Corporation 16
     
ARTICLE III EFFECTS OF THE MERGER 17
     
  Section 3.01 Effect of Merger on Capital Stock 17
  Section 3.02 Merger Consideration. 17
  Section 3.03 Thunder Bridge Warrants 18
  Section 3.04 Payoff Amount and Expenses 18
  Section 3.05 Withholding Rights 19
     
ARTICLE IV EARN OUTS 19
     
  Section 4.01 Company Shareholder Earn Out. 19
  Section 4.02 Sponsor Earn Out. 20
     
ARTICLE V CLOSING TRANSACTIONS 21
   
  Section 5.01 Closing 21
  Section 5.02 Closing Statements. 21
     
ARTICLE VI REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PUBCO 22
     
  Section 6.01 Corporate Organization of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub 22
  Section 6.02 Due Authorization 22
  Section 6.03 No Conflict 23
  Section 6.04 Governmental Authorities; Consents 23
  Section 6.05 Current Capitalization 23
  Section 6.06 Brokers’ Fees 23

 

i

 

 

ARTICLE VII REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY 24
     
  Section 7.01 Corporate Organization of the Company 24
  Section 7.02 Subsidiaries 24
  Section 7.03 Due Authorization 24
  Section 7.04 No Conflict 25
  Section 7.05 Governmental Authorities; Consents 25
  Section 7.06 Current Capitalization 25
  Section 7.07 Capitalization of Subsidiaries 26
  Section 7.08 Financial Statements 26
  Section 7.09 Undisclosed Liabilities 27
  Section 7.10 Litigation and Proceedings 27
  Section 7.11 Compliance with Laws 27
  Section 7.12 Contracts; No Defaults 27
  Section 7.13 Company Benefit Plans 28
  Section 7.14 Labor Matters 29
  Section 7.15 Taxes 30
  Section 7.16 Insurance 31
  Section 7.17 Permits 31
  Section 7.18 Personal Property and Assets 31
  Section 7.19 Real Property 31
  Section 7.20 Intellectual Property and IT Security 32
  Section 7.21 Environmental Matters 34
  Section 7.22 Absence of Changes 35
  Section 7.23 Brokers’ Fees 35
  Section 7.24 Related Party Transactions 35
  Section 7.25 Registration Statement, Proxy Statement and Proxy Statement/Registration Statement 35
  Section 7.26 Regulatory Compliance 35
  Section 7.27 No Additional Representations or Warranties 36
     
ARTICLE VIII REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THUNDER BRIDGE 36
     
  Section 8.01 Corporate Organization 36
  Section 8.02 Due Authorization 37
  Section 8.03 No Conflict 37
  Section 8.04 Litigation and Proceedings 37
  Section 8.05 Governmental Authorities; Consents 38
  Section 8.06 Financial Ability; Trust Account 38
  Section 8.07 Brokers’ Fees 38
  Section 8.08 SEC Reports; Financial Statements; Sarbanes-Oxley Act; Undisclosed Liabilities 39
  Section 8.09 Business Activities 39
  Section 8.10 Tax Matters 40
  Section 8.11 Capitalization 41
  Section 8.12 Nasdaq Listing 42
  Section 8.13 Related Party Transactions 42
  Section 8.14 Investment Company Act 42
  Section 8.15 Interest in Competitors 42
  Section 8.16 Proxy Statement and Proxy Statement/Registration Statement 42
  Section 8.17 No Working Capital Loans 42
  Section 8.18 No Additional Representations or Warranties 42

 

ii

 

 

ARTICLE IX COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY PARTIES 43
     
  Section 9.01 Conduct of Business 43
  Section 9.02 Inspection 45
  Section 9.03 No Claim Against the Trust Account 46
  Section 9.04 PubCo Shareholder Approval; Merger Sub Shareholder Approval 46
  Section 9.05 Indemnification and Insurance 46
  Section 9.06 PubCo Nasdaq Listing 47
  Section 9.07 Incentive Equity Plan 47
  Section 9.08 Financial Information 47
     
ARTICLE X COVENANTS OF THUNDER BRIDGE 47
     
  Section 10.01 Conduct of Thunder Bridge During the Interim Period 47
  Section 10.02 Inspection 49
  Section 10.03 Thunder Bridge Nasdaq Listing 49
  Section 10.04 Thunder Bridge Public Filings 49
  Section 10.05 Section 16 Matters 49
  Section 10.06 Qualification as an Emerging Growth Company 49
  Section 10.07 Shareholder Litigation 49
  Section 10.08 FIRPTA 49
     
ARTICLE XI JOINT COVENANTS 50
     
  Section 11.01 FEFTA and Approvals 50
  Section 11.02 Support of Transaction 51
  Section 11.03 Proxy Statement/Registration Statement; Thunder Bridge Special Meeting 51
  Section 11.04 Exclusivity 54
  Section 11.05 Third Party Financing 54
  Section 11.06 Tax Matters 54
  Section 11.07 Confidentiality; Publicity 55
  Section 11.08 PubCo Board of Directors and Committees 56
  Section 11.09 Post-Closing Cooperation; Further Assurances 56
     
ARTICLE XII CONDITIONS TO OBLIGATIONS 56
     
  Section 12.01 Conditions to Obligations of All Parties 56
  Section 12.02 Additional Conditions to Obligations of Thunder Bridge 57
  Section 12.03 Additional Conditions to the Obligations of the Company Parties 58
  Section 12.04 Frustration of Conditions 59
     
ARTICLE XIII TERMINATION/EFFECTIVENESS 59
     
  Section 13.01 Termination 59
  Section 13.02 Effect of Termination 60

 

iii

 

 

ARTICLE XIV MISCELLANEOUS 60
     
  Section 14.01 Waiver 60
  Section 14.02 Notices 60
  Section 14.03 Assignment 61
  Section 14.04 Rights of Third Parties 61
  Section 14.05 Expenses 62
  Section 14.06 Governing Law 62
  Section 14.07 Captions; Counterparts 62
  Section 14.08 Schedules and Exhibits 62
  Section 14.09 Entire Agreement 62
  Section 14.10 Amendments 62
  Section 14.11 Severability 63
  Section 14.12 Jurisdiction; WAIVER OF TRIAL BY JURY 63
  Section 14.13 Enforcement 63
  Section 14.14 Non-Recourse 63
  Section 14.15 Nonsurvival of Representations, Warranties and Covenants 64
  Section 14.16 Acknowledgements 64

 

EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A Term Sheet for Amended and Restated PubCo Governing Documents
Exhibit B Sponsor Support Agreement
Exhibit C Form of Registration Rights Agreement
Exhibit D Lock-Up Agreements
Exhibit E Form of Certificate of Merger

 

iv

 

 

BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT

 

THIS BUSINESS COMBINATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of March 22, 2022, by and among Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Thunder Bridge”), Coincheck Group B.V., a Dutch private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) (“PubCo”), M1 Co G.K., a Japanese limited liability company (godo kaisha) (“HoldCo”), Coincheck Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), and Coincheck, Inc., a Japanese joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) (the “Company”). Thunder Bridge, PubCo, HoldCo, Merger Sub and the Company are collectively referred to herein as the “Parties” and individually as a “Party.” Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings set forth in Section 1.01.

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, Thunder Bridge is a blank check company incorporated in Delaware for the purpose of entering into a Business Combination with one or more businesses or entities;

 

WHEREAS, PubCo is a newly formed private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) that was formed in the Netherlands for purposes of consummating the Transactions;

 

WHEREAS, PubCo’s issued share capital amounts to one PubCo Ordinary Share, with a nominal value of EUR 0.01, which PubCo Ordinary Share is held by Monex Group, Inc. (“Monex”);

 

WHEREAS, HoldCo is a newly formed limited liability company (godo kaisha) that was formed in Japan for purposes of consummating the Transactions;

 

WHEREAS, 100% of the membership interests of HoldCo are held by Monex;

 

WHEREAS, Merger Sub is a newly formed corporation and direct, wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo, formed in Delaware for the sole purpose of the Merger;

 

WHEREAS, prior to the PubCo Subscription (defined below), Monex will advance a loan in the amount of EUR 1,475,876.16 (the “HoldCo Loan Amount”) to HoldCo (the “HoldCo Loan Advancement”);

 

WHEREAS, following the HoldCo Loan Advancement and prior to the HoldCo Contribution (defined below), HoldCo will subscribe for, and PubCo will issue to HoldCo, a number of new PubCo Ordinary Shares equal to 147,587,616 (the “PubCo Exchange Shares”), in exchange for an aggregate subscription price payable to PubCo by HoldCo equal to USD 1,475,876,160 (the “Aggregate PubCo Share Consideration”), of which Aggregate PubCo Share Consideration (i) an amount equal to the HoldCo Loan Amount will be paid in cash to satisfy the payment obligation on the PubCo Exchange Shares (the “PubCo Subscription Cash Consideration”) and (ii) an amount equal to the Aggregate PubCo Share Consideration minus the HoldCo Loan Amount will remain outstanding in the form of a short-term note (the “PubCo Subscription Note Consideration”) (the “PubCo Subscription”);

 

WHEREAS, following the PubCo Subscription and prior to the PubCo Subscription Consideration Contribution (defined below), Monex will transfer all of the outstanding equity interests of HoldCo to PubCo as an in-kind contribution in respect of the one PubCo Ordinary Share held by it, whereby HoldCo will become a wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo (the “HoldCo Contribution”);

 

1

 

 

WHEREAS, following the HoldCo Contribution but prior to the HoldCo Loan Repayment (defined below), PubCo will contribute (i) the PubCo Subscription Cash Consideration to HoldCo in cash, and (ii) the PubCo Subscription Note Consideration to HoldCo as an in-kind contribution, in respect of all of the outstanding equity interests of HoldCo held by it (the “PubCo Subscription Consideration Contribution”, and together with the HoldCo Loan Advancement, the PubCo Subscription and the HoldCo Contribution, the “PubCo Restructuring”);

 

WHEREAS, following the PubCo Restructuring but prior to the Share Exchange Effective Time, HoldCo will repay the HoldCo Loan Amount to Monex (the “HoldCo Loan Repayment”);

 

WHEREAS, at the Share Exchange Effective Time and after the PubCo Restructuring, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and in accordance with the Laws of the Netherlands, the Companies Act of Japan (Act No. 109 of 2006) (the “Companies Act”) and other applicable Laws, HoldCo and the Company will implement a share exchange (kabushiki koukan) under the Companies Act, pursuant to which the Company Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately prior to the Share Exchange Effective Time will be exchanged for the PubCo Exchange Shares on the Closing Date (the “Share Exchange”);

 

WHEREAS, as a result of the Share Exchange, the Company Shareholders will hold all of the PubCo Exchange Shares, and the Company will become a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of HoldCo;

 

WHEREAS, following the Share Exchange Effective Time and prior to the Closing, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and in accordance with the Laws of the Netherlands, the legal form of PubCo will be changed from a private company with limited liability (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) to a public limited liability company (naamloze vennootschap), and PubCo will amend and restate its Governing Documents to be substantially consistent with the terms and conditions set forth on Exhibit A hereto, subject to such changes as may be agreed between Thunder Bridge and the Company prior to the Merger Effective Time (the “Amended and Restated PubCo Governing Documents”) (the “PubCo Reorganization”);

 

WHEREAS, on the Closing Date, following the Share Exchange Effective Time, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) and other applicable Laws, (i) Merger Sub will merge with and into Thunder Bridge (the “Merger”), with Thunder Bridge being the surviving corporation of the Merger (the “Surviving Corporation”) and ultimately a wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo, and (ii) as a result of the Merger (a) each Thunder Bridge Common Share issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time will be converted into the right to receive one PubCo Ordinary Share, and (b) each Thunder Bridge Warrant outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time will be assumed by PubCo and, subject to the terms of the Warrant Agreement and any amendments thereto, thereafter exercisable to purchase one (1) PubCo Ordinary Share;

 

WHEREAS, in furtherance of the Merger and in accordance with the terms hereof, Thunder Bridge shall provide an opportunity to Thunder Bridge Shareholders to have their outstanding Thunder Bridge Common Shares redeemed on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and Thunder Bridge’s Organizational Documents in connection with obtaining the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval;

 

WHEREAS, for U.S. federal (and applicable state or local) income tax purposes, each of the Parties hereby intends that (i) the Share Exchange and the HoldCo Contribution, collectively, will qualify as a “transfer” within the meaning of Section 351 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder (taking into account any Sponsor Investment, any third party financing and the Merger), (ii) the Merger, taken together with any Sponsor Investment and any third party financing, will qualify as either a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(2)(E) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations or a “transfer” within the meaning of Section 351 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder (taking into account the Share Exchange and the Holdco Contribution), (iii) the PubCo Reorganization will qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1)(F), (iv) each of the parties hereto be a party under Section 368(b) of the Code and (v) this Agreement be, and hereby is, adopted as a “plan of reorganization” for the purposes of Section 368 of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-2(g) (collectively (i)-(iv) the “Intended Income Tax Treatment”);

 

2

 

 

WHEREAS, as a condition and inducement to the Company Parties’ willingness to enter into this Agreement, concurrently with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Sponsor, the managing member of Sponsor, Thunder Bridge, PubCo, the Company and Monex have entered into the Sponsor Support Agreement, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit B hereto, pursuant to which, among other things, (i) each of the Sponsor and its Affiliates have agreed to certain lock-up obligations with respect to PubCo Ordinary Shares following the Closing and (ii) the Sponsor and its Affiliates have agreed to purchase an equal number of securities of Thunder Bridge as are subscribed for, in the aggregate, by third party investors in the event of any third party financing, on the same terms and conditions as agreed to by such third party investors and Thunder Bridge, up to an aggregate subscription amount of $35 million (the “Sponsor Investment”);

 

WHEREAS, as a condition and inducement to Thunder Bridge’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, Monex and PubCo have executed and delivered to Thunder Bridge a Company Support Agreement pursuant to which, among other things, (i) Monex has agreed to approve, solely in its capacity as the sole shareholder of PubCo entitled to vote at PubCo’s general meeting (prior to the Share Exchange) and the controlling shareholder of PubCo (from and after the Share Exchange), the PubCo Restructuring, the PubCo Reorganization and the Merger (such approval, the “PubCo Shareholder Approval”), (ii) Monex has agreed, solely in its capacity as the controlling shareholder of the Company, to approve by written resolution all of its Company Ordinary Shares in favor of the approval of the Share Exchange (such approval, the “Company Shareholder Approval”), (iii) Monex has agreed to approve, solely in its capacity as the sole member of HoldCo (prior to the HoldCo Contribution), the HoldCo Loan Advancement, the PubCo Subscription and the HoldCo Contribution (such approval, the “HoldCo Member (Monex) Approval”), (iv) PubCo has agreed to approve, solely in its capacity as the sole member of HoldCo (from and after the HoldCo Contribution), the PubCo Subscription Consideration Contribution, the HoldCo Loan Repayment and the Share Exchange (such approval, the “HoldCo Member (PubCo) Approval”), (v) PubCo has agreed to adopt and approve, solely in its capacity as the sole shareholder of Merger Sub, this Agreement and other documents contemplated hereby and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the Merger (such approval, the “Merger Sub Shareholder Approval”) and (vi) Monex has agreed to certain lock-up obligations with respect to PubCo Ordinary Shares following the Closing;

 

WHEREAS, as a condition and inducement to Thunder Bridge’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, each of the Company Shareholders (other than Monex) has executed and delivered a Lock-Up Agreement to PubCo;

 

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Thunder Bridge has unanimously (i) determined that it is in the best interests of Thunder Bridge and the Thunder Bridge Shareholders, and declared it advisable, to enter into this Agreement providing for the Merger, (ii) approved this Agreement and the Transactions, including the Merger, on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, and (iii) adopted a resolution recommending that this Agreement and the Transactions, including the Merger, be adopted by the Thunder Bridge Shareholders (the “Thunder Bridge Board Recommendation”);

 

WHEREAS, the board of directors of PubCo has unanimously (i) determined that it is in the best interests of PubCo and its stakeholders, including its shareholders, and declared it advisable, to enter into this Agreement providing for the PubCo Reorganization, the Share Exchange and the Merger, and (ii) approved this Agreement and the Transactions, including the PubCo Reorganization, the Share Exchange and the Merger, on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement (the “PubCo Initial Board Resolution”);

 

WHEREAS, the general meeting of PubCo has unanimously resolved to approve the PubCo Initial Board Resolution;

 

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Merger Sub has unanimously (i) determined that it is in the best interests of Merger Sub and the sole shareholder of Merger Sub, and declared it advisable, to enter into this Agreement providing for the Merger, (ii) approved this Agreement and the Transactions, including the Merger, on the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, and (iii) adopted a resolution recommending that this Agreement and the Transactions, including the Merger, be adopted by the sole shareholder of Merger Sub;

 

3

 

 

WHEREAS, at the Closing, the Sponsor and certain of its Affiliates, the Company Shareholders and PubCo will enter into a Registration Rights Agreement, substantially in the form of Exhibit C hereto (as amended, restated, modified, supplemented or waived from time to time, the “Registration Rights Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, upon the consummation of the Transactions (excluding any Sponsor Investment, any third party financing and any direct investment by Monex in new PubCo Ordinary Shares), the Company Shareholders will collectively hold 122,587,616 PubCo Ordinary Shares (the “Closing Company Shareholder Share Consideration”), which, valued at the Business Combination Per Share Price, will represent a total equity value of USD 1,225,876,160; for the avoidance of doubt, the Closing Company Shareholder Share Consideration does not include the Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares, which will be transferred by the Company Shareholders to the Escrow Agent immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time in accordance with this Agreement.

 

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, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

 

Article I
CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.01 Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following capitalized terms have the following meanings:

 

Acceleration Event” has the meaning specified in Section 4.02(c).

 

Acquisition Transaction” has the meaning specified in Section 11.04(a).

 

Action” means any claim, action, suit, assessment, arbitration or legal, judicial or administrative proceeding (whether at Law or in equity) or arbitration.

 

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. The term “control” means the ownership of a majority of the voting securities of the applicable Person or the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the applicable Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by Contract or otherwise, and the terms “controlled” and “controlling” have meanings correlative thereto.

 

Aggregate PubCo Share Consideration” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Agreement” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

 

Amended and Restated PubCo Governing Documents” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Anti-Corruption Laws” means, collectively: (a) the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA); (b) the UK Bribery Act 2010; and (c) any other applicable anti-bribery or anti-corruption Laws related to combating bribery, corruption and money laundering.

 

Available Closing Thunder Bridge Cash” means an amount equal to (i) all amounts in the Trust Account (after reduction for the aggregate amount of payments required to be made in connection with the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption), plus (ii) the aggregate amount of cash that has been funded to and remains with Thunder Bridge pursuant to any Sponsor Investment and any third party financing minus (iii) the Payoff Amount, if any, but solely to the extent that the Thunder Bridge Indebtedness in respect thereof was not used to pay documented fees, costs and expenses of Thunder Bridge incurred prior to and through the Closing Date in connection with the negotiation, preparation and execution of this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents, the performance and compliance with all Transaction Documents and conditions contained herein to be performed or complied with by Thunder Bridge at or before Closing, and the consummation of the Transactions, including the fees, costs, expenses and disbursements of counsel, accountants, advisors and consultants of Thunder Bridge.

 

Business Combination” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

Business Combination Per Share Price” means $10.00.

 

Business Combination Proposal” has the meaning specified in Section 11.04(b).

 

4

 

 

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.

 

Certificates” has the meaning specified in Section 3.02(b).

 

Certificate of Incorporation” means the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Thunder Bridge, dated June 29, 2021, as in effect on the date hereof.

 

Certificate of Merger” has the meaning specified in Section 2.05.

 

Change in Recommendation” has the meaning specified in Section 11.03(a)(v).

 

Change of Control Transaction” means any transaction or series of related transactions other than the Transactions (a) under which any Person(s), directly or indirectly, acquires or otherwise purchases (i) another Person or any of its Affiliates or (ii) all or a material portion of the assets, business or equity securities of another Person or (b) under which any Person(s) makes any equity or similar investment in another Person, in each case, that results, directly or indirectly, in the stockholders of a Person, as applicable, as of immediately prior to such transaction holding, in the aggregate, less than fifty percent (50%) of the voting shares of such Person (or any successor or parent company of such Person) immediately after the consummation thereof (whether by merger, consolidation, tender offer, recapitalization, purchase or issuance of equity securities, tender offer or otherwise).

 

Closing” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01.

 

Closing Company Shareholder Share Consideration” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Closing Date” has the meaning specified in Section 5.01.

 

Closing Share Price” means, with respect to a Trading Day, the last reported market price for such Trading Day of one PubCo Ordinary Share on the Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg Financial L.P. using the AQR function.

 

Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration” has the meaning specified in Section 3.01(b).

 

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

 

Companies Act” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Company” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

 

Company Benefit Plan” has the meaning specified in Section 7.13(a).

 

Company Cure Period” has the meaning specified in Section 13.01(b).

 

Company Disclosure Letter” has the meaning specified in the introduction to Article VII.

 

Company Employees” has the meaning specified in Section 7.13(a).

 

Company Intellectual Property” means all Owned Intellectual Property and all Intellectual Property that is used in connection with conducting the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted.

 

Company Option” means, as of any determination time, each option to purchase Company Ordinary Shares that is outstanding and unexercised.

 

Company Ordinary Shares” means the ordinary shares in the share capital of the Company.

 

Company Parties” means PubCo, HoldCo, Merger Sub and the Company.

 

Company Representations” means the representations and warranties of the Company expressly and specifically set forth in Article VII of this Agreement, as qualified by the Company Disclosure Letter. For the avoidance of doubt, the Company Representations are solely made by the Company.

 

Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares” means an aggregate of fifty (50) million PubCo Ordinary Shares, as equitably adjusted, if applicable, for stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, reclassifications, combination, exchange of shares or other like change or transaction with respect to the PubCo Ordinary Shares occurring on or after the Closing.

 

5

 

 

Company Shareholder Pro Rata Share” means a pro rata portion measured based on a Company Shareholder’s percentage ownership of outstanding Company Ordinary Shares as of immediately prior to the Share Exchange Effective Time.

 

Company Shareholders” means the holders of Company Ordinary Shares as of immediately prior to the Share Exchange Effective Time.

 

Company Subsidiary Securities” has the meaning specified in Section 7.07(b).

 

Company Support Agreement” means that certain Support Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among Monex, PubCo and Thunder Bridge, as amended, restated, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

Confidentiality Agreement” has the meaning specified in Section 14.09.

 

Contracts” means any written legally binding contracts, agreements, subcontracts and leases and all material written amendments, written modifications and written supplements thereto (other than any Company Benefit Plan).

 

COVID-19” means SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, and any evolutions or variants thereof or any other epidemics, pandemics or disease outbreaks.

 

COVID-19 Measures” means any quarantine, “shelter in place,” “stay at home,” workforce reduction, social distancing, shut down, closure, sequester or any other Law, Governmental Order, Action, directive, pronouncement, guidelines or recommendations by any Governmental Authority (including the Government of Japan, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization) in connection with, related to or in response to COVID-19, or any changes thereto.

 

D&O Tail” has the meaning specified in Section 9.05(b).

 

DGCL” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Disclosure Letter” means, as applicable, the PubCo Disclosure Letter, the Company Disclosure Letter or the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter.

 

Earn Out Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the date that is the fifth (5th) anniversary of the Closing Date.

 

Effect” means any effect, occurrence, development, fact, condition or change.

 

Enforceability Exceptions” has the meaning specified in Section 6.02.

 

Environmental Laws” means any applicable Laws relating to pollution or protection of the environment, or the use, storage, emission, disposal or release of Hazardous Materials, each as in effect as of the date hereof.

 

Equity Securities” means, with respect to any Person, any share, share capital, capital stock, partnership, membership, joint venture or similar interest in such Person (including any stock appreciation, phantom stock, profit participation or similar rights), and any option, warrant, right or security (including debt securities) convertible, exchangeable or exercisable therefor.

 

ERISA” has the meaning specified in Section 7.13(a).

 

Escrow Account” has the meaning specified in Section 4.01(a).

 

Escrow Agent” has the meaning specified in Section 4.01(a).

 

Escrow Agreement” has the meaning specified in Section 4.01(a).

 

Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares” means twenty-five (25) million of the Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares, as equitably adjusted, if applicable, for stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, reclassifications, combination, exchange of shares or other like change or transaction with respect to the PubCo Ordinary Shares occurring on or after the Closing.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

6

 

 

Exchange Agent” has the meaning specified in Section 3.02(a).

 

Exchange Agent Agreement” means a paying and exchange agent agreement, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Thunder Bridge and PubCo.

 

Excluded Share” means, without duplication, (i) each Thunder Bridge Common Share for which redemption rights have been exercised in connection with the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption, (ii) Thunder Bridge Common Shares (if any), that, at the Merger Effective Time, are held in the treasury of Thunder Bridge, and (iii) Thunder Bridge Common Shares (if any), that are owned by a Company Party.

 

Expense Forfeited Shares” has the meaning specified in Section 3.04(c).

 

Expense Make Whole Shares” has the meaning specified in Section 3.04(c).

 

Export Control Laws” means (a) the U.S. Export Administration Regulations and all other Laws adopted by Governmental Authorities of the United States and other countries relating to import and export controls and (b) the anti-boycott regulations administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of the Treasury and all anti-boycott Laws adopted by Governmental Authorities of other countries relating to prohibition of unauthorized boycotts.

 

FEFTA” means the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act of Japan (Act No. 228 of 1949)

 

Final Prospectus” has the meaning specified in Section 8.06(a).

 

Financial Statements” has the meaning specified in Section 7.08(a).

 

Foreign Benefit Plan” has the meaning specified in Section 7.13(h).

 

Fraud” means actual and intentional fraud under Delaware common law with a specific intent to deceive brought against a Party based solely and exclusively with respect to the making of any representation or warranty by such Party in Article VI, Article VII or Article VIII (as applicable).

 

GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied.

 

Governing Documents” means the legal document(s) by which any Person (other than an individual) establishes its legal existence or which govern its internal affairs, in each case as amended, restated, modified or supplemented from time to time. For example, the “Governing Documents” of a U.S. corporation are its certificate or articles of incorporation and by-laws, the “Governing Documents” of a U.S. limited partnership are its limited partnership agreement and certificate of limited partnership, the “Governing Documents” of a U.S. limited liability company are its operating or limited liability company agreement and certificate of formation, the “Governing Documents” of a Japanese company are its articles of incorporation (teikan), and the “Governing Documents” of a Netherlands company are its articles of association (statuten).

 

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, court, tribunal or self-regulatory organization.

 

Governmental Order” means any order, judgment, 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 otherwise defined as “hazardous,” “toxic,” or “radioactive,” or as a “pollutant” or “contaminant” or words of similar intent or meaning under applicable Environmental Laws as in effect as of the date hereof, including petroleum, petroleum by-products, asbestos or asbestos-containing material, polychlorinated biphenyls, flammable or explosive substances, or pesticides, in each case, which are regulated under Environmental Law and as to which liability may be imposed pursuant to Environmental Law.

 

HoldCo” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

 

HoldCo Contribution” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

HoldCo Loan Advancement” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

7

 

 

HoldCo Loan Amount” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

HoldCo Loan Repayment” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

HoldCo Member (Monex) Approval” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

HoldCo Member (PubCo) Approval” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

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

 

IFRS” means International Financial Reporting Standards established by the International Accounting Standards Board, consistently applied.

 

Incentive Equity Plan” has the meaning specified in Section 9.07.

 

Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person as of any time, without duplication, (i) all indebtedness for borrowed money of such Person, (ii) indebtedness evidenced by any note, bond, debenture or other debt security, in each case, as of such time of such Person, (iii) any premiums, prepayment fees or other penalties, fees, costs or expenses associated with payment of any indebtedness of such Person, in each case to the extent payable as a result of the consummation of the Transactions, (iv) any Working Capital Loans and (v) all indebtedness of the type referred to in clauses (i) - (iv) of this definition of any other Person, guaranteed directly or indirectly, jointly or severally. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, “Indebtedness” of any Person shall not include any item that would otherwise constitute “Indebtedness” of such Person that is an obligation between such Person and any Subsidiary of such Person or between any two or more Subsidiaries of such Person.

 

Intellectual Property” means all worldwide rights in and to (a) patents, published, or unpublished patent applications (and any patents that issue as a result of those patent applications), inventions (whether or not patentable or whether or not reduced to practice), invention disclosures, and industrial designs, (b) copyrights and rights in works of authorship and copyrightable subject matter, together with any moral rights related thereto, together with all other interests accruing by reason of international copyright conventions, (c) trade secrets, know-how and confidential information, (d) trademarks, trade names, logos, service marks, trade dress, business names (including any fictitious or “dba” names), Internet domain names, slogans, symbols, and other similar designations of source or origin together with the goodwill of the business symbolized by or associated with any of the foregoing, (e) rights in Software, (f) rights in technical data, and databases, compilations and collections of technical data, (g) any registrations or applications for registration for any of the foregoing, including any provisional, divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, renewals, reissuances, revisions, re-examinations and extensions (as applicable).

 

Intended Income Tax Treatment” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Interim Period” has the meaning specified in Section 9.01.

 

IT Systems” means any information technology and computer systems, servers, networks, databases, computer hardware and equipment used to process, store, generate, analyze, maintain and operate data or information that are owned by, licensed or leased to or otherwise under the control of the Company.

 

Japan GAAP” means Japan generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied.

 

JOBS Act” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06.

 

Law” means any statute, law, ordinance, rule, regulation or Governmental Order, in each case, of any Governmental Authority.

 

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Leased Real Property” has the meaning specified in Section 7.19(b).

 

Leases” has the meaning specified in Section 7.19(b).

 

Letter of Transmittal” means a letter of transmittal in customary form and containing such provisions as Thunder Bridge and the Company reasonably agree prior to the Merger Effective Time.

 

Lien” means any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, easement, license, option, right of first refusal, security interest or other lien of any kind.

 

Lock-up Agreements” means the agreements in the form attached as Exhibit D hereto or agreement(s) substantially equivalent thereto mutually agreed by Thunder Bridge and the Company, dated as of the Closing Date and entered into by and among PubCo, the Company and each of the Company Shareholders (other than Monex).

 

Material Adverse Effect” means, with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries, any Effect that (a) has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations or financial condition of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole or (b) prevents the Company from consummating the Transactions; provided, however, that in no event would 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”: (i) any change in applicable Laws or IFRS or any interpretation thereof, (ii) any change in interest rates or economic, political, business, financial, commodity, currency or market conditions generally, (iii) the announcement or the execution of this Agreement, the pendency or consummation of the Transactions or the performance of this Agreement, including the impact thereof on relationships, contractual or otherwise, with customers, suppliers, landlords, licensors, distributors, partners, providers and employees, (iv) any Effect generally affecting any of the industries or markets in which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries operate or the economy as a whole, (v) the compliance with the terms of this Agreement or the taking of any action required or contemplated by this Agreement or with the prior written consent of Thunder Bridge or at the request of Thunder Bridge, (vi) any earthquake, hurricane, disease outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, tsunami, tornado, flood, mudslide, wild fire or other natural disaster, act of God or other force majeure event, (vii) 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 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, (viii) any failure of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to meet any projections, forecasts or budgets; provided, that clause (viii) shall not prevent a determination that any Effect not otherwise excluded from this definition of Material Adverse Effect underlying such failure to meet projections or forecasts has resulted in, or would reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect, (ix) COVID-19 or any COVID-19 Measures, or the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ compliance therewith, (x) any cyberattack on or involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, provided that such attack is not due to a breach of the representations in Section 7.20(j) or Section 7.20(k) and such attack causes a broad and extended disruption of the Company and its Subsidiaries’ systems and services resulting in material adverse harm to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and (xi) any matters set forth in Section 1.01 of the Company Disclosure Letter; provided that, in the case of clauses (i), (ii), (vi) and (vii), such changes may be taken into account to the extent (but only to the extent) that such changes have had a disproportionate and adverse impact on the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as compared to other similarly situated competitors or comparable entities operating in Japan in the same industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate.

 

Material Contracts” has the meaning specified in Section 7.12(b).

 

Merger” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Merger Effective Time” has the meaning specified in Section 2.05.

 

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

 

Merger Sub Shareholder Approval” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Monex” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Most Recent Balance Sheet” has the meaning specified in Section 7.08(a).

 

Offer Documents” has the meaning specified in Section 11.03(a)(i).

 

Outstanding Company Expenses” shall have the meaning specified in Section 5.02(b).

 

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Outstanding Thunder Bridge Expenses” shall have the meaning specified in Section 5.02(a).

 

Owned Intellectual Property” means all Intellectual Property that is owned by the Company or its Subsidiaries.

 

Party” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

 

Payoff Amount” means the amount necessary at the Closing to fully discharge the Thunder Bridge Indebtedness, if any, as set forth in payoff letters or similar statements or invoices obtained by Thunder Bridge from its lenders or other creditors prior to the Closing.

 

Permits” has the meaning specified in Section 7.17.

 

Permitted Liens” means (i) statutory or common law Liens of mechanics, materialmen, warehousemen, landlords, carriers, repairmen, construction contractors and other similar Liens that arise in the ordinary course of business, that relate to amounts not yet delinquent or that are being contested in good faith through appropriate Actions for which appropriate reserves have been established in accordance with IFRS or GAAP, as applicable, (ii) Liens arising 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 delinquent or which are being contested in good faith through appropriate Actions for which appropriate reserves have been established in accordance with IFRS or GAAP, as applicable, (iv) Liens, encumbrances and restrictions on real property (including easements, covenants, rights of way and similar restrictions of record) or zoning, building, entitlement and other land use and environmental regulations that (A) are matters of record, (B) would be disclosed by a current, accurate survey or physical inspection of such real property, or (C) do not materially impair the value or interfere with the present uses of such real property, (v) with respect to any Leased Real Property (A) the interests and rights of the respective lessors with respect thereto, including any statutory landlord liens and any Lien thereon, (B) any Lien permitted under a Lease, and (C) any Liens encumbering the underlying fee title of the real property of which the Leased Real Property is a part, (vi) Liens that that do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially and adversely affect, or materially disrupt, the ordinary course operation of the businesses of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (vii) non-exclusive licenses of Intellectual Property entered into in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices, (viii) Liens securing any Indebtedness of the Company and its Subsidiaries, (ix) any right, interest, Lien or title of a licensor, sublicensor, licensee, sublicensee, lessor or sublessor under any license, lease or other similar agreement or other property being leased or licensed including licenses of Intellectual Property, (x) Liens that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (xi) Liens described in Section 1.01(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter.

 

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

 

Personal Information” means, in addition to the definition for any similar term (e.g., “personal data” or “personally identifiable information”) provided by applicable Law, any information that identifies, could be used to identify, or is otherwise associated with an individual person.

 

Policies” has the meaning specified in Section 7.16.

 

Pre-Closing Holders” means all Persons who hold one or more Thunder Bridge Common Shares immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time.

 

Privacy Laws” means all applicable Laws relating to the receipt, collection, compilation, use, storage, processing, sharing, security, disclosure or transfer of Personal Information, and all applicable Laws relating to breach notification in connection with Personal Information.

 

Private Placement Warrants” has the meaning specified in the Warrant Agreement.

 

Process” means the creation, collection, use, storage, maintenance, processing, recording, distribution, transfer, transmission, receipt, import, export, protection, safeguarding, access, disposal or disclosure or other activity performed on data.

 

Protected Data” means Personal Information and all data for which the Company is required by Law, Contract or posted or public privacy policy to safeguard and/or keep confidential or private.

 

Proxy Statement” has the meaning specified in Section 11.03(a)(i).

 

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Proxy Statement/Registration Statement” has the meaning specified in Section 11.03(a)(i).

 

PubCo” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

 

PubCo Closing Statement” has the meaning specified in Section 5.02(b).

 

PubCo Disclosure Letter” has the meaning specified in the introduction to Article VI.

 

PubCo Exchange Shares” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

PubCo Initial Board Resolution” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

PubCo Ordinary Shares” means the ordinary shares in the share capital of PubCo.

 

PubCo Reorganization” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

PubCo Representations” means the representations and warranties of PubCo expressly and specifically set forth in Article VI of this Agreement, as qualified by the PubCo Disclosure Letter. For the avoidance of doubt, the PubCo Representations are solely made by PubCo.

 

PubCo Restructuring” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

PubCo Shareholder Approval” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

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

 

PubCo Subscription Cash Consideration” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

PubCo Subscription Consideration Contribution” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

PubCo Subscription Note Consideration” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Public Warrants” has the meaning specified in the Warrant Agreement.

 

Registered Intellectual Property” has the meaning specified in Section 7.20(a).

 

Registration Rights Agreement” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Registration Statement” means the Registration Statement on Form F-4, or other appropriate form, including any pre-effective or post-effective amendments or supplements thereto, to be filed with the SEC by the Company under the Securities Act with respect to the Registration Statement Securities.

 

Registration Statement Securities” has the meaning specified in Section 11.03(a)(i).

 

Release Notice” has the meaning specified in Section 4.01(b).

 

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

 

Sanctions Laws” means any Law related to economic sanctions imposed, administered or enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Department of State, the European Union or any of its Member States, the United Nations, or Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom.

 

SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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SEC Reports” has the meaning specified in Section 8.08(a).

 

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

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

 

Security Breach” means any (i) security breach or breach of Protected Data of the Company or its Subsidiaries under applicable Privacy Laws or any unauthorized access, acquisition, use, disclosure, modification, deletion, or destruction of Protected Data of the Company or its Subsidiaries or the Company’s own confidential information; or (ii) unauthorized interference with system operations or security safeguards of IT Systems, including any successful phishing incident or ransomware attack.

 

Share Exchange” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Share Exchange Effective Time” means 12:01 a.m. Japan Time on the Closing Date.

 

Software” means any and all 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.

 

Special Meeting” has the meaning specified in Section 11.03(a)(v).

 

Specified Representations” has the meaning specified in Section 12.02(a)(i).

 

Sponsor” means TBCP IV, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

 

Sponsor Earn Out Shares” has the meaning specified in Section 4.02(a).

 

Sponsor Investment” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Sponsor Support Agreement” means that certain Support Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and among the Sponsor, the managing member of the Sponsor, Thunder Bridge, PubCo, the Company and Monex, as amended, restated, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

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.

 

Surviving Corporation” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Surviving Provisions” has the meaning specified in Section 13.02.

 

Tax” means any federal, state, provincial, territorial, local, foreign or other net income, alternative or add-on minimum, franchise, gross income, adjusted gross income or gross receipts, employment related (including employee withholding or employer payroll), ad valorem, transfer, franchise, license, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, personal property, real property, capital stock, profits, disability, registration, value added, estimated, customs duties, sales or use, or other tax or like assessment or charge in the nature of a tax, together with any interest, penalty, addition to tax or additional amount imposed with respect thereto by a Governmental Authority.

 

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

 

Terminating Company Breach” has the meaning specified in Section 13.01(b).

 

Terminating Thunder Bridge Breach” has the meaning specified in Section 13.01(c).

 

Termination Date” has the meaning specified in Section 13.01(b).

 

Thunder Bridge” has the meaning specified in the preamble hereto.

 

Thunder Bridge Board Recommendation” has the meaning specified in the Recitals hereto.

 

Thunder Bridge Capital Stock” means the Thunder Bridge Common Shares and the Thunder Bridge Preferred Shares.

 

Thunder Bridge Class A Common Shares” means the shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Thunder Bridge.

 

Thunder Bridge Closing Statement” has the meaning specified in Section 5.02(a).

 

Thunder Bridge Common Shares” means the Thunder Bridge Class A Common Shares and the Thunder Bridge Founder Common Shares.

 

Thunder Bridge Cure Period” has the meaning specified in Section 13.01(c).

 

Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter” has the meaning specified in the introduction to Article VIII.

 

Thunder Bridge Founder Common Shares” means the shares of Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Thunder Bridge, issued to the persons listed in Section 1.01(b) of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter.

 

Thunder Bridge Indebtedness” means the amount, if any, at Closing, of all Working Capital Loans or other Indebtedness, or other monetary obligations or amounts, owed by Thunder Bridge to any Affiliate, officer or director of Thunder Bridge, or, other than obligations or amounts included in Outstanding Thunder Bridge Expenses, to any unaffiliated third-party lender to, or creditor of, Thunder Bridge.

 

Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect” means, with respect to Thunder Bridge, any Effect that (a) has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations or financial condition of Thunder Bridge or (b) prevents Thunder Bridge from consummating the Merger; provided, however, that in no event would 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 “Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect”: (i) any change in applicable Laws or GAAP or any interpretation thereof, (ii) any change in interest rates or economic, political, business, financial, commodity, currency or market conditions generally, (iii) the announcement or the execution of this Agreement, the pendency or consummation of the Merger or the performance of this Agreement, (iv) any Effect generally affecting any of the industries or markets in which Thunder Bridge or any of its Subsidiaries operate or the economy as a whole, (v) the compliance with the terms of this Agreement or the taking of any action required or contemplated by this Agreement or with the prior written consent of a Company Party or at the request of a Company Party, (vi) any earthquake, hurricane, disease outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, tsunami, tornado, flood, mudslide, wild fire or other natural disaster, act of God or other force majeure event, (vii) any national or international political or social conditions in countries in which, or in the proximate geographic region of which, Thunder Bridge 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 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 (viii) COVID-19 or any COVID-19 Measures, or Thunder Bridge’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ compliance therewith.

 

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Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents” means the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of Thunder Bridge, as amended, restated, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

Thunder Bridge Preferred Shares” means the shares of preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Thunder Bridge.

 

Thunder Bridge Representations” means the representations and warranties of Thunder Bridge expressly and specifically set forth in Article VIII of this Agreement, as qualified by the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter.

 

Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval” has the meaning specified in Section 8.02(b).

 

Thunder Bridge Shareholder Matters” has the meaning specified in Section 11.03(a)(v).

 

Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption” has the meaning specified in Section 11.03(a)(v).

 

Thunder Bridge Shareholders” means the holders of shares of Thunder Bridge Capital Stock.

 

Thunder Bridge Warrants” means Private Placement Warrants and Public Warrants.

 

Trading Day” means any day on which PubCo Ordinary Shares are actually traded on the Trading Market.

 

Trading Market” means the Nasdaq Global Market or such other stock market on which PubCo Ordinary Shares are trading at the time of the determination.

 

Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Registration Rights Agreement, the Company Support Agreement, the Sponsor Support Agreement, the Exchange Agent Agreement, each Letter of Transmittal, the Amended and Restated PubCo Governing Documents and all the other agreements, documents, instruments and certificates entered into in connection herewith or therewith and any and all exhibits and schedules thereto.

 

Transactions” means the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including the Share Exchange and the Merger.

 

Transfer Taxes” has the meaning specified in Section 11.06(a).

 

Treasury Regulations” means the regulations promulgated under the Code.

 

Triggering Event” means each of Triggering Event I and Triggering Event II.

 

Triggering Event I” means the first date on which the Closing Share Price on any twenty (20) Trading Days within the preceding thirty (30) consecutive Trading Day period during the Earn Out Period is greater than or equal to $12.50 (which shall be equitably adjusted to reflect stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, reclassifications, combination, exchange of shares or other like change or transaction with respect to the PubCo Ordinary Shares occurring on or after the Closing).

 

Triggering Event II” means the first date on which the Closing Share Price on any twenty (20) Trading Days within the preceding thirty (30) consecutive Trading Day period during the Earn Out Period is greater than or equal to $15.00 (which shall be equitably adjusted to reflect stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations, reclassifications, combination, exchange of shares or other like change or transaction with respect to the PubCo Ordinary Shares occurring on or after the Closing).

 

Trust Account” has the meaning specified in Section 8.06(a).

 

Trust Agreement” has the meaning specified in Section 8.06(a).

 

Trustee” has the meaning specified in Section 8.06(a).

 

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Warrant Agreement” means that certain Warrant Agreement, dated June 29, 2021 by and between Thunder Bridge and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent.

 

Working Capital Loans” means any loan made to Thunder Bridge by any of the Sponsor, an Affiliate of the Sponsor, or any of Thunder Bridge’s officers or directors, and evidenced by a promissory note, for the purpose of financing costs incurred in connection with a Business Combination.

 

Section 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,” “Disclosure Letter,” “Exhibit” and “Annex” refer to the specified Article, Section, Disclosure Letter, 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, (vii) the phrase “to the extent” means the degree to which a thing extends (rather than if), (viii) references to “$” or dollar shall be references to United States dollars and (ix) references to “JPY” or yen shall be references to Japanese yen.

 

(b) When used herein, “ordinary course of business” means an action taken, or omitted to be taken, in the ordinary and usual course of the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ business, consistent with past practice (including, for the avoidance of doubt, recent past practice in light of COVID-19).

 

(c) 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.

 

(d) 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.

 

(e) 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.

 

(f) 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.

 

(g) All accounting terms used herein and not expressly defined herein shall have the meanings given to them under IFRS, in the case of the Company Parties, and GAAP, in the case of Thunder Bridge.

 

(h) The phrases “provided to,” “furnished to,” “made available” and phrases of similar import when used herein, unless the context otherwise requires, means that a copy of the information or material referred to has been provided no later than 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the day that is immediately 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.

 

(i) The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement or any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, and the parties hereto consent to conduct the transactions contemplated hereunder by electronic means.

 

Section 1.03 Knowledge. As used herein, the phrase “to the knowledge” shall mean the actual knowledge of, in the case of the Company, the individuals identified in Section 1.03 of the Company Disclosure Letter, none of whom shall have any personal liability or obligations regarding such knowledge, and, in the case of Thunder Bridge, the individuals identified in Section 1.03 of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter, none of whom shall have any personal liability or obligations regarding such knowledge.

 

Section 1.04 Equitable Adjustments. Other than as contemplated by this Agreement, if between the date of this Agreement and the Closing the outstanding PubCo Ordinary Shares or Thunder Bridge Common Shares shall have been changed into a different number of shares or a different class, by reason of any stock dividend, subdivision, reclassification, reorganization, recapitalization, split, combination or exchange of shares, or any similar event shall have occurred, or if there shall have been any breach by Thunder Bridge with respect to its Thunder Bridge Common Shares or rights to acquire Thunder Bridge Common Shares, then any number, value (including dollar value) or amount contained herein which is based upon the number of PubCo Ordinary Shares or Thunder Bridge Common Shares, as applicable, will be appropriately adjusted to provide to holders PubCo Ordinary Shares or the holders of Thunder Bridge Common Shares, as applicable, the same economic effect as contemplated by this Agreement prior to such event; provided, however, that this Section 1.04 shall not be construed to permit Thunder Bridge or the Company Parties to take any action with respect to their respective securities that is prohibited by the terms and conditions of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document.

 

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Article II
BUSINESS COMBINATION

 

Section 2.01 The PubCo Restructuring and the Share Exchange(a) . Prior to the Share Exchange Effective Time, PubCo shall cause the PubCo Restructuring to be implemented. At the Share Exchange Effective Time and on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, the Company shall, and PubCo shall cause HoldCo to, implement a share exchange (kabushiki koukan) under and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Companies Act, pursuant to which the Company Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately prior to the Share Exchange Effective Time will be exchanged for the PubCo Exchange Shares; provided, that no fraction of a PubCo Ordinary Share shall be transferred by virtue of the Share Exchange.

 

Section 2.02 Effect of the Share Exchange. At the Share Exchange Effective Time, the effect of the Share Exchange shall be as provided in this Agreement and the applicable provisions of the Companies Act. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and subject thereto, at the Share Exchange Effective Time, the Company Shareholders shall become the holders of the PubCo Exchange Shares, and the Company shall become a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of HoldCo.

 

Section 2.03 PubCo Reorganization. Immediately following the Share Exchange Effective Time on the Closing Date, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Laws of the Netherlands, PubCo shall (a) convert its legal form, without ceasing to exist, from a private company with limited liability (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) to a public limited liability company (naamloze vennootschap) and (b) amend and restate its Governing Documents in the form of the Amended and Restated PubCo Governing Documents, which, as so amended and restated, shall be the Governing Documents of PubCo until thereafter amended in accordance with the terms thereof and applicable Law.

 

Section 2.04 The Merger. At the Merger Effective Time, which shall be after the PubCo Reorganization, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL, Thunder Bridge and Merger Sub shall consummate the Merger, pursuant to which Merger Sub shall be merged with and into Thunder Bridge, following which the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub shall cease and Thunder Bridge shall continue as the Surviving Corporation and, following the transactions set forth in Section 3.02(b)(i), as a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo.

 

Section 2.05 Merger Effective Time. On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, on the Closing Date, Thunder Bridge and Merger Sub shall cause the Merger to be consummated by filing the certificate of merger in substantially the form of Exhibit E hereto (the “Certificate of Merger”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL (the time of such filing, or such later time as may be agreed in writing by Thunder Bridge and Merger Sub and specified in the Certificate of Merger, being the “Merger Effective Time”).

 

Section 2.06 Effect of the Merger. At the Merger Effective Time, the effect of the Merger shall be as provided in this Agreement, the Certificate of Merger and the applicable provisions of the DGCL. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and subject thereto, at the Merger Effective Time, all the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of Merger Sub and Thunder Bridge shall become the property, rights, privileges, agreements, powers and franchises, debts, liabilities, duties and obligations of the Surviving Corporation, which shall include the assumption by the Surviving Corporation of any and all agreements, covenants, duties and obligations of Merger Sub and Thunder Bridge set forth in this Agreement to be performed after the Merger Effective Time.

 

Section 2.07 Governing Documents. Subject to Section 9.05, at the Merger Effective Time, the Governing Documents of the Surviving Corporation shall be amended to read the same as the Governing Documents of Merger Sub as in effect immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time.

 

Section 2.08 Directors/Managers and Officers of the Surviving Corporation. Immediately after the Merger Effective Time, the board of directors and officers of the Surviving Corporation shall be as PubCo may determine.

 

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Article III
EFFECTS OF THE MERGER

 

Section 3.01 Effect of Merger on Capital Stock. On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, at the Merger Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any further action on the part of any Party or the holders of any securities of Thunder Bridge, the following shall occur:

 

(a) At the Merger Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of any Party or any other Person, each share in the capital of Merger Sub issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time shall be automatically cancelled and extinguished and converted into one (1) common share in the share capital of the Surviving Corporation.

 

(b) At the Merger Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of any Party or any other Person, each Thunder Bridge Common Share (other than any Excluded Share) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time shall remain outstanding as one common share of the Surviving Corporation that is held in the accounts of the Exchange Agent, solely for the benefit of the Pre-Closing Holders, for further contribution immediately following the Merger Effective Time as provided in Section 3.02(b)(i) (the “Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration”).

 

(c) From and after the Merger Effective Time, each of the Pre-Closing Holders shall cease to have any other rights in and to Thunder Bridge or the Surviving Corporation, and each Certificate relating to the ownership of Thunder Bridge Common Shares shall cease to have any rights with respect to such shares except as otherwise provided for herein or under applicable Law.

 

(d) At the Merger Effective Time, each Excluded Share shall be cancelled and no consideration shall be paid or payable with respect thereto.

 

Section 3.02 Merger Consideration.

 

(a) Deposit with Exchange Agent. Prior to the Closing, PubCo shall appoint a commercial bank or trust company reasonably acceptable to Thunder Bridge (which acceptance shall not be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned) to act as paying and exchange agent hereunder (the “Exchange Agent”).

 

(b) Exchange Procedures.

 

(i) Immediately following the Merger Effective Time, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 2:94b of the Dutch Civil Code (Burgerlijk Wetboek), the Exchange Agent, acting solely for the account and benefit of the Pre-Closing Holders, shall contribute, for the account and benefit of the Pre-Closing Holders, each of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Surviving Corporation held in the accounts of the Exchange Agent solely for the benefit of the Pre-Closing Holders to PubCo, as a contribution in kind (inbreng op aandelen anders dan in geld) and, in consideration of this contribution in kind, PubCo shall issue (uitgeven) to the Exchange Agent for the account and benefit of the Pre-Closing Holders one (1) PubCo Ordinary Share in respect of each one (1) common share of the Surviving Corporation so contributed, and cause, upon delivery of such PubCo Ordinary Shares to the Exchange Agent, solely for the account and benefit of the Pre-Closing Holders, to be made appropriate arrangements for the such PubCo Ordinary Shares to be represented by a book-entry without interest.

 

(ii) PubCo shall take all necessary actions to cause the Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration to be issued in book-entry form within two (2) Business Days after the Merger Effective Time. Unless otherwise requested by PubCo, the PubCo Ordinary Shares to be delivered as Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration shall be settled through the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and issued in uncertificated book-entry form through the procedures of DTC.

 

(iii) Any Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration that is to be issued to Pre-Closing Holders under this Agreement will be issued directly to the registered Pre-Closing Holders. If any portion of the Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration is to be issued to a Person other than the Person in whose name the relevant Thunder Bridge Common Shares were registered immediately prior to the Effective Time, it shall be a condition to such delivery that (i) the transfer of such Thunder Bridge Common Shares shall have been permitted in accordance with the terms of (x) the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents, as in effect immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, and (y) this Agreement and the Sponsor Support Agreement, (ii) if certificated, the certificate or certificates for Thunder Bridge Common Shares (collectively, the “Certificates”) shall be properly endorsed or shall otherwise be in proper form for transfer, (iii) the recipient of such portion of the Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration, or the Person in whose name such portion of the Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration is issued, shall have already executed and delivered counterparts to such other documents as are reasonably deemed necessary by PubCo or Thunder Bridge, and (iv) the Person requesting such delivery shall pay to Thunder Bridge any transfer or other Taxes required as a result of such delivery to a Person other than the registered holder of such certificate of Thunder Bridge Common Shares or establish to the satisfaction of PubCo and Thunder Bridge that such Tax has been paid or is not payable.

 

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(iv) All PubCo Ordinary Shares issued and delivered upon the contribution in kind of Thunder Bridge Common Shares in accordance with the terms of this Article III shall be deemed to have been paid in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to the securities represented by such Thunder Bridge Common Shares. To the extent that such Thunder Bridge Common Stock are represented by Certificates, the holders of such Thunder Bridge Common Stock will be provided a Letter of Transmittal to send their certificated Thunder Bridge Common Shares to the Exchange Agent for the PubCo Ordinary Shares that are issuable in respect of the holder’s Thunder Bridge Common Shares, and the Exchange Agent will, upon receipt of completed documentation required by the Letter of Transmittal from such holder, issue PubCo Ordinary Shares that are issuable in respect of the holder’s Thunder Bridge Common Shares. To the extent that the Thunder Bridge Common Shares are held in book entry, the issuance of the PubCo Ordinary Shares will automatically be made by the Exchange Agent.

 

(c) Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates. In the event any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed: (i) upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the Person claiming such Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed and (ii) if required by PubCo, the posting by such Person of a bond in customary amount and upon such terms as may reasonably be required by PubCo as indemnity against any claim that may be made against it, the sole shareholder of the Surviving Corporation with respect to such Certificate, the Exchange Agent will issue the portion of the Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration attributable to such Certificate (after giving effect to any required Tax withholdings as provided in Section 3.05).

 

Section 3.03 Thunder Bridge Warrants. At the Merger Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of any holder of Thunder Bridge Warrants, each Thunder Bridge Warrant that is outstanding immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time shall, pursuant to and in accordance with Section 4.4 of the Warrant Agreement, automatically and irrevocably be modified to provide that such Thunder Bridge Warrant shall no longer entitle the holder thereof to purchase the amount of Thunder Bridge Common Share(s) set forth therein and in substitution thereof such Thunder Bridge Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire such number of PubCo Ordinary Shares per Thunder Bridge Warrant, subject to adjustments as provided in Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 and 4.6 of the Warrant Agreement, that such holder was entitled to acquire pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Warrant Agreement if the Thunder Bridge Warrant was exercised prior to the Transactions. The Parties shall cause the Warrant Agreement to be assumed and amended or supplemented to the extent necessary to give effect to this Section 3.03.

 

Section 3.04 Payoff Amount and Expenses.

 

(a) At the Closing, the Surviving Corporation, on behalf of Thunder Bridge, shall pay, or cause to be paid the Payoff Amount, if any, to such account or accounts as Thunder Bridge has specified to PubCo in writing at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date.

 

(b) On the Closing Date, following the Closing, the Surviving Corporation shall pay, or cause to be paid, all the Outstanding Thunder Bridge Expenses.

 

(c) If the aggregate amount of Outstanding Thunder Bridge Expenses exceed $40 million, then on the Closing Date, following the Closing, (i) the Sponsor shall automatically forfeit and surrender, and PubCo shall repurchase for no consideration, a number of PubCo Ordinary Shares equal to such excess amount divided by the Business Combination Per Share Price, rounded down to the nearest whole share (the “Expense Forfeited Shares”), and (ii) in exchange for the forfeiture and repurchase of the Expense Forfeited Shares, PubCo shall issue or transfer to each Company Shareholder a number of PubCo Ordinary Shares equal to its Company Shareholder Pro Rata Share (rounded down to the nearest whole share) of the Expense Forfeited Shares (such shares, the “Expense Make Whole Shares”), to the extent newly issued, to be paid up from PubCo’s share premium recognized for Dutch dividend withholding tax purposes.

 

(d) The Parties agree that, if applicable, the forfeiture and cancellation of the Expense Forfeited Shares shall be treated as an adjustment to the Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration for Tax purposes and the issuance of Expense Make Whole Shares shall be treated as an adjustment to the Closing Company Shareholder Share Consideration for Tax purposes.

 

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Section 3.05 Withholding Rights. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, all amounts or value deliverable in connection with this Agreement by Thunder Bridge, the Company Parties, the Surviving Corporation, the Exchange Agent and their respective Affiliates shall be paid free and clear and without any deduction or withholding for Taxes, except for any amount required to be deducted and withheld with respect to the making of such payment under applicable Law. Prior to making any deduction or withholding in respect of amounts payable to any Pre-Closing Holder in connection with the Transactions (other than any deduction or withholding (a) in respect of any payroll withholding in connection with any payments that are compensatory in nature for U.S. federal income tax purposes or (b) attributable to Thunder Bridge’s failure to deliver the certification and notice required under Section 10.08), PubCo shall use commercially reasonable efforts to provide or cause to be provided at least seven (7) days prior notice of such deduction or withholding to the applicable Pre-Closing Holder, and all parties shall reasonably cooperate to reduce or eliminate any applicable withholding. To the extent that amounts are so withheld and paid over to the appropriate Governmental Authority consistent with the terms of this Section 3.05, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the Person in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made. Any amounts so withheld shall be timely remitted to the applicable Governmental Authority.

 

Article IV
EARN OUTS

 

Section 4.01 Company Shareholder Earn Out.

 

(a) Immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, each Company Shareholder shall transfer to an escrow agent (the “Escrow Agent”), to hold on its behalf, its Company Shareholder Pro Rata Share of the Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares to be held in an escrow account (the “Escrow Account”) established pursuant to an escrow agreement to be entered into at or prior to the Closing by Thunder Bridge, the Sponsor, Monex (on behalf of itself and each other Company Shareholder), PubCo and the Escrow Agent (the “Escrow Agreement”), which shall be in a form reasonably satisfactory to Thunder Bridge, the Sponsor, Monex and PubCo. Following the Closing, the Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares shall be released and delivered, or newly issued, as applicable, as follows, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement:

 

(i) Upon the occurrence of Triggering Event I, the Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares will be released from the Escrow Account and delivered to each Company Shareholder (or to its Company Shareholder Permitted Transferees (as defined in the Company Support Agreement), if applicable) in an amount equal to its Company Shareholder Pro Rata Share thereof (rounded down to the nearest whole share);

 

(ii) Upon the occurrence of Triggering Event II, an aggregate of fifty percent (50%) of the Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares will be issued by PubCo and delivered to each Company Shareholder (or to its Company Shareholder Permitted Transferees (as defined in the Company Support Agreement), if applicable) in an amount equal to its Company Shareholder Pro Rata Share thereof (rounded down to the nearest whole share); and

 

(iii) If the conditions set forth in Section 4.01(a)(i) or Section 4.01(a)(ii) have not been satisfied within the Earn Out Period, any Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares remaining in the Escrow Account shall be automatically released to PubCo for repurchase for no consideration, and no Company Shareholder shall have any right to receive such Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares or any benefit therefrom.

 

(b) If, during the Earn Out Period, there is a Change of Control Transaction with respect to PubCo (or a successor thereof), (i) the Triggering Event I with respect to the Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares shall have been deemed to occur if the per share consideration paid in such Change of Control Transaction is equal to or in excess of $12.50 but less than $15.00 and (ii) the Triggering Event I and the Triggering Event II with respect to the Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares shall have been deemed to simultaneously occur if the per share consideration paid in such Change of Control Transaction is equal to or in excess of $15.00 (each such event described in clauses (i) and (ii), an “Acceleration Event”).

 

(c) Promptly upon the occurrence of any Triggering Event or Acceleration Event, or as soon as practicable after PubCo becomes aware of the occurrence of such Triggering Event or Acceleration Event or receives written notice of such Triggering Event or Acceleration Event from a Company Shareholder, PubCo and Monex shall jointly prepare and deliver, or cause to be prepared and delivered, a written notice to the Escrow Agent (a “Release Notice”), which shall set forth in reasonable detail the Triggering Event or Acceleration Event giving rise to the requested release and the specific release instructions with respect thereto (including the number of Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares to be released to each Company Shareholder).

 

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(d) For the avoidance of doubt, the Company Shareholders shall be entitled to receive the Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares upon the occurrence of each Triggering Event; provided, that each Triggering Event shall only occur once, if at all; provided, further, that Triggering Event I and Triggering Event II may be achieved at the same time or over the same overlapping Trading Days.

 

(e) Any dividends or other distributions attributable to the Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares (less any applicable Tax or similar charges levied upon or attributable thereto, including Tax levied by the jurisdiction of tax residency of each respective beneficial owner thereof (such amounts shall be released to or on behalf of the applicable beneficial owner of the Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares)) shall be held in escrow by the Escrow Agent and released to the relevant Company Shareholder if and when the corresponding Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares are released to such Company Shareholder; provided, that in case of the acquisition of any Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares by PubCo (as described in Section 4.01(a)(iii)), then any such amounts held in escrow (less any applicable Tax or similar charges levied upon or attributable thereto, including Tax levied by the jurisdiction of tax residency of the respective beneficial owner thereof) shall be first contributed by the Escrow Agent on behalf of the respective beneficial owner to PubCo as a capital contribution.

 

(f) The Escrow Agent shall vote all of the Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares in accordance with the prior written instructions of the relevant Company Shareholders and the Escrow Agent shall take all other necessary or desirable actions in connection with the foregoing including, but not limited to, attendance at (annual) general meetings of PubCo in person or by proxy for purposes of obtaining a quorum, and voting and execution of written consents in lieu of meetings, such that the Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares shall be voted in accordance with the prior written instructions of the relevant Company Shareholders.

 

Section 4.02 Sponsor Earn Out.

 

(a) At the Closing, the Sponsor shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, electronically through DTC, using DTC’s Deposit/Withdrawal At Custodian System, to the Escrow Agent, 2,365,278 of the PubCo Ordinary Shares to be delivered to Sponsor in accordance with Section 3.02(b)(i) (which number 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 PubCo Ordinary Shares occurring on or after the Closing, the “Sponsor Earn Out Shares”).

 

(b) Upon receipt of the Sponsor Earn Out Shares, the Escrow Agent will place the Sponsor Earn Out Shares in the Escrow Account. Following the Closing, the Sponsor Earn Out Shares shall be released and delivered as follows, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Escrow Agreement:

 

(i) Upon the occurrence of Triggering Event I, fifty percent (50%) of the Sponsor Earn Out Shares will be released from the Escrow Account and delivered to the Sponsor;

 

(ii) Upon the occurrence of Triggering Event II, fifty percent (50%) of the Sponsor Earn Out Shares will be released from the Escrow Account and delivered to the Sponsor; and

 

(iii) If the conditions set forth in Section 4.02(b)(i) or Section 4.02(b)(ii) have not been satisfied within the Earn Out Period, any Sponsor Earn Out Shares remaining in the Escrow Account shall be automatically released to PubCo for repurchase for no consideration and the Sponsor shall not have any right to receive such Sponsor Earn Out Shares or any benefit therefrom.

 

(c) If, during the Earn Out Period, there is a Change of Control Transaction with respect to PubCo (or a successor thereof), (i) the Triggering Event I with respect to the Sponsor Earn Out Shares shall have been deemed to occur if the per share consideration paid in such Change of Control Transaction is equal to or in excess of $12.50 but less than $15.00 and (ii) the Triggering Event I and the Triggering Event II with respect to the Sponsor Earn Out Shares shall have been deemed to simultaneously occur if the per share consideration paid in such Change of Control Transaction is equal to or in excess of $15.00.

 

(d) Promptly upon the occurrence of any Triggering Event or Acceleration Event, or as soon as practicable after PubCo becomes aware of the occurrence of such Triggering Event or Acceleration Event or receives written notice of such Triggering Event or Acceleration Event from Sponsor, PubCo and Sponsor shall jointly prepare and deliver, or cause to be prepared and delivered, a Release Notice, which shall set forth in reasonable detail the Triggering Event or Acceleration Event giving rise to the requested release and the specific release instructions with respect thereto (including the number of Sponsor Earn Out Shares to be released to Sponsor).

 

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(e) For the avoidance of doubt, the Sponsor shall be entitled to receive Sponsor Earn Out Shares upon the occurrence of each Triggering Event; providedhowever, that each Triggering Event shall only occur once, if at all; provided, further, that Triggering Event I and Triggering Event II may be achieved at the same time or over the same overlapping Trading Days.

 

(f) Any dividends or other distributions attributable to the Sponsor Earn Out Shares (less any applicable Tax or similar charges levied upon or attributable thereto, including Tax levied by the jurisdiction of tax residency of the beneficial owner thereof (such amounts shall be released to or on behalf of the beneficial owner of the Sponsor Earn Out Shares)) shall be held in escrow by the Escrow Agent and released to the Sponsor if and when the corresponding Sponsor Earn Out Shares are released to the Sponsor; provided, that in case of the acquisition of any Sponsor Earn Out Shares by PubCo (as described in Section 4.02(b)(iii)), then any such amounts held in escrow (less any applicable Tax or similar charges levied upon or attributable thereto, including Tax levied by the jurisdiction of tax residency of the respective beneficial owner thereof) shall be first contributed by the Escrow Agent on behalf of the respective beneficial owner to PubCo as a capital contribution.

 

(g) The Escrow Agent shall vote all of the Sponsor Earn Out Shares in accordance with the prior written instructions of the Sponsor and the Escrow Agent shall take all other necessary or desirable actions in connection with the foregoing including, but not limited to, attendance at (annual) general meetings of PubCo in person or by proxy for purposes of obtaining a quorum, and voting and execution of written consents in lieu of meetings, such that the Sponsor Earn Out Shares shall be voted in accordance with the written instructions of the Sponsor.

 

(h) The Parties agree that the delivery of the Sponsor Earn Out Shares shall be treated by the Sponsor as an adjustment to the Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration for Tax purposes.

 

Article V
CLOSING TRANSACTIONS

 

Section 5.01 Closing. On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, the closing of the Transactions (the “Closing”) shall take place (a) electronically by the mutual exchange of electronic signatures (including portable document format (.PDF)) commencing as promptly as practicable (and in any event no later than 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the second (2nd) Business Day) following the satisfaction or (to the extent permitted by applicable Law) waiver of the conditions set forth in Article XII (other than those conditions that by their terms or nature are to be satisfied at the Closing; provided that such conditions are satisfied or (to the extent permitted by applicable Law) waived at the Closing) or (b) at such other place, time or date as Thunder Bridge and PubCo may mutually agree in writing. The date on which the Closing shall occur is referred to herein as the “Closing Date.”

 

Section 5.02 Closing Statements.

 

(a) Thunder Bridge Closing Statement. At least four (4) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, Thunder Bridge shall prepare and deliver to PubCo a written statement (the “Thunder Bridge Closing Statement”) setting forth its good faith estimate and calculation of: (a) the aggregate amount of cash in the Trust Account (prior to giving effect to the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption) and any Sponsor Investment proceeds and any third party financing proceeds received and to be received by Thunder Bridge prior to the Closing; (b) the aggregate amount of all payments required to be made in connection with the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption; (c) all unpaid fees and disbursements of Thunder Bridge for outside counsel and fees and expenses of Thunder Bridge or for any other agents, advisors, consultants, experts and financial advisors employed by or on behalf of Thunder Bridge in connection with Thunder Bridge’s initial public offering (including any deferred underwriter fees) or the Transactions (together with written invoices and wire transfer instructions for the payment thereof) (collectively, the “Outstanding Thunder Bridge Expenses”); (d) the Payoff Amount, if any; and (e) the Available Closing Thunder Bridge Cash. The Thunder Bridge Closing Statement and each component thereof shall be prepared and calculated in accordance with the definitions contained in this Agreement. From and after delivery of the Thunder Bridge Closing Statement and through the Closing Date, Thunder Bridge shall (x) cooperate with and provide the Company and its Representatives all information reasonably requested by the Company or any of its Representatives and within Thunder Bridge’s or its Representative’s possession or control in connection with the Company’s review of the Thunder Bridge Closing Statement, (y) consider in good faith any comments to the Thunder Bridge Closing Statement provided by the Company (including engaging in good faith discussions related thereto) and (z) revise such Thunder Bridge Closing Statement to incorporate any changes Thunder Bridge reasonably determines are necessary or appropriate given such comments.

 

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(b) PubCo Closing Statement. On the date that is four (4) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, PubCo shall deliver to Thunder Bridge a written statement (the “PubCo Closing Statement”) setting forth its good faith estimate or calculation of: (i) the fees and expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Company Parties or Monex in connection with the Transactions, including preparation, negotiation and execution of this Agreement and the consummation of the Transactions (together with written invoices and wire transfer instructions for the payment thereof), including the fees and disbursements of outside counsel to the Company Parties and Monex incurred in connection with the Transactions and the fees and expenses of any other agents, advisors, consultants, experts and financial advisors employed by the Company in connection with the Transactions (collectively, the “Outstanding Company Expenses”), including a detailed itemization of the components thereof, (ii) the cash on the Company’s balance sheet, and (iii) liabilities, including current liabilities and tax obligations. Following Thunder Bridge’s receipt of the PubCo Closing Statement and through the Closing Date, Thunder Bridge shall have the right to review and comment on such calculations and estimates, PubCo shall consider and reflect in good faith any such comments made by Thunder Bridge, and PubCo and Thunder Bridge shall cooperate with each other through the Closing Date and use good faith efforts to resolve any differences regarding the calculation of the items set forth on the PubCo Closing Statement (and any updates or revisions as may be agreed to by PubCo and Thunder Bridge shall be included in the PubCo Closing Statement, with such PubCo Closing Statement and all items and amounts set forth therein being final, conclusive, and binding upon, and non-appealable by, the parties hereto). PubCo shall, and shall cause its Representatives to, (i) reasonably cooperate with Thunder Bridge and its Representatives to the extent related to Thunder Bridge’s review of the PubCo Closing Statement and the calculations and estimates contained therein (including engaging in good faith discussions related thereto) and (ii) provide access to personnel, books, records and other information during normal business hours to the extent related to the preparation of the PubCo Closing Statement and reasonably requested by Thunder Bridge or its Representatives in connection with such review; provided that, Thunder Bridge shall not, and shall cause its Representatives to not, unreasonably interfere with the business of the Company Parties in connection with any such access.

 

Article VI
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PUBCO

 

Except as (i) set forth in the disclosure letter delivered to Thunder Bridge by PubCo on the date of this Agreement (the “PubCo Disclosure Letter”) (each section 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) and (ii) contemplated by the PubCo Reorganization, PubCo represents and warrants to Thunder Bridge as follows:

 

Section 6.01 Corporate Organization of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub. PubCo has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) and has not filed for bankruptcy or suspension of payments, nor has any resolution to dissolve PubCo been adopted or has PubCo's dissolution been requested by the competent authorities. HoldCo has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited liability company (godo kaisha) under the Laws of Japan. Merger Sub has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a corporation and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware. The copies of the Governing Documents of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub, in each case as in effect on the date hereof, previously made available by PubCo to Thunder Bridge are true, correct and complete and are in effect as of the date of this Agreement. Neither PubCo, HoldCo nor Merger Sub are in violation of any of the provisions of its respective Governing Documents, except where such violation would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. Each of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub was formed solely for the purpose of engaging in the Transactions, has not conducted any business prior to the date hereof and will not conduct any business prior to the Closing except for matters incidental to engaging in the Transactions, and has no assets, liabilities or obligations of any nature other than those incident to its formation and pursuant to this Agreement and any Transaction Document to which it is or will be a party, as applicable, and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and such Transaction Documents, as applicable.

 

Section 6.02 Due Authorization. Subject to the PubCo Shareholder Approval and the Merger Sub Shareholder Approval, each of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub has the requisite entity power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and each Transaction Document to which it is or will be a party and (subject to the approvals described in Section 7.05 of the Company Disclosure Letter) to perform all obligations to be performed by it hereunder and thereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and such Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by the boards of directors of PubCo and Merger Sub and the managing member of HoldCo and other than execution and delivery of the PubCo Shareholder Approval and the Merger Sub Shareholder Approval, no other entity proceeding on the part of any of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub is necessary to authorize this Agreement or such Transaction Documents or PubCo’s, HoldCo’s or Merger Sub’s performance hereunder or thereunder. This Agreement has been, and each such Transaction Document (when executed and delivered by the Company) will be, duly and validly executed and delivered by PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub and, assuming due and valid authorization, execution and delivery by each other party hereto and thereto, this Agreement constitutes, and each such Transaction Document will constitute, a valid and binding obligation of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub, enforceable against PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and similar Laws affecting or relating to creditors’ rights generally and subject, as to enforceability, to general principles of equity, whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at Law (the “Enforceability Exceptions”).

 

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Section 6.03 No Conflict. Subject to the receipt of the consents, approvals, authorizations and other requirements set forth in Section 7.05 of the Company Disclosure Letter, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and each Transaction Document to which PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub is or will be a party by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (a) conflict with or violate any provision of, or result in the breach of or default under, the Governing Documents of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub, (b) violate any provision of, or result in the breach of or default by PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub under any applicable Law, (c) require any consent, waiver or other action by any Person under, violate, or result in a breach of, constitute a default under, result in the acceleration, cancellation, termination or modification of, or create in any party the right to accelerate, terminate, cancel or modify, the terms, conditions or provisions of any material contract of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub, (d) result in the creation of any Lien (except for Permitted Liens) upon any of the material properties, rights or assets of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub, (e) constitute an event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would result in any such violation, breach, termination, acceleration, modification, cancellation or creation of a Lien (except for Permitted Liens) or (f) result in a violation or revocation of any license, permit or approval from any Governmental Authority or other Person, except, in each case of clauses (b) through (f), for such violations, conflicts, breaches, defaults or failures to act that would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a material and adverse effect on the ability of any of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub to perform or comply with on a timely basis any material obligation of the PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub under this Agreement or to consummate the Transactions in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

Section 6.04 Governmental Authorities; Consents. Assuming the truth and completeness of the representations and warranties of Thunder Bridge contained in this Agreement, no action by, notice to, consent, approval, waiver, permit or authorization of, or designation, declaration or filing with, any Governmental Authority is required on the part of any of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub with respect to PubCo, HoldCo’s and Merger Sub’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the Transactions, except for (i) applicable requirements of FEFTA and Securities Laws, (ii) the filing of the Certificate of Merger in accordance with the DGCL, (iii) any actions, consents, approvals, permits or authorizations, designations, declarations or filings, the absence of which would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the ability of any of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub to perform or comply with on a timely basis any material obligation of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub under this Agreement or to consummate the Transactions in accordance with the terms hereof and (iv) as otherwise disclosed in Section 6.04 of the Company Disclosure Letter.

 

Section 6.05 Current Capitalization.

 

(a) As of the date hereof, the issued share capital of PubCo consists of one (1) PubCo Ordinary Share, which is held by Monex. As of the date hereof, Monex holds all of the outstanding equity interests of HoldCo. As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of Merger Sub consists of one thousand (1,000) shares of common stock of Merger Sub, which one hundred (100) shares are outstanding and held by PubCo. The outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid (other than the PubCo Ordinary Share held by Monex), and nonassessable.

 

(b) Other than as set forth in this Section 6.05, there are (i) no subscriptions, calls, options, warrants, rights (including preemptive rights), puts or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for PubCo Ordinary Shares or any other capital stock of, other equity interests in, PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub, or any other Contracts to which any of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub is a party or by which any of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub or any of their assets or properties are bound obligating any of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub to issue or sell any shares of capital stock of, other equity interests in or debt securities of, PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub, (ii) no equity equivalents, stock appreciation rights, phantom stock ownership interests or similar rights in PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub, (iii) as of the date hereof, (A) no outstanding contractual obligations of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any securities or equity interests of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub and (B) no outstanding bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matter for which the shareholders or equityholders of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub may vote, (iv) no equityholders agreements, voting agreements, proxies, registration rights agreements or other similar agreements relating to the equity interests of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub to which any of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub is a party and (v) as of the date hereof, no shares of common stock, preferred stock or other equity interests of any of PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub issued and outstanding.

 

Section 6.06 Brokers’ Fees. No broker, finder, financial advisor, investment banker or other Person is entitled to any brokerage fee, finders’ fee or other similar fee, commission or other similar payment in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by PubCo, HoldCo, Merger Sub or any of their respective Affiliates for which PubCo, HoldCo or Merger Sub has any obligation.

 

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Article VII
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY

 

Except as (i) set forth in the disclosure letter delivered to Thunder Bridge by the Company on the date of this Agreement (the “Company Disclosure Letter”) (each section 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) and (ii) contemplated by the PubCo Reorganization, the Company represents and warrants to Thunder Bridge as follows:

 

Section 7.01 Corporate Organization of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated, is validly existing as a joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) and its status is active under the Laws of Japan. The copies of the Governing Documents of the Company, as in effect on the date hereof, previously made available by the Company to Thunder Bridge are true, correct and complete and are in effect as of the date of this Agreement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to own, operate and lease all of its properties, rights and assets and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted and is duly licensed or qualified and in good standing as a foreign entity in each jurisdiction in which the ownership of its property or the character of its activities is such as to require it to be so licensed or qualified, except where failure to have such corporate power and authority to own, operate and lease and to be so licensed or qualified would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is not in violation of any of the provisions of its Governing Documents, except where such violation would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 7.02 Subsidiaries. The Subsidiaries of the Company and their respective jurisdictions of incorporation or organization, in each case, as of the date of this Agreement are set forth in Section 7.02 of the Company Disclosure Letter. The Subsidiaries have been duly formed or organized, are validly existing under the laws of their jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and have the power and authority to own, operate and lease their properties, rights and assets and to conduct their business as it is now being conducted, except as would not be material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Copies of the Governing Documents of each Subsidiary previously made available by the Company to Thunder Bridge are true, correct and complete and are in effect as of the date of this Agreement. Each Subsidiary is duly licensed or qualified and in good standing as a foreign or extra-provincial corporation (or other entity, if applicable) in each jurisdiction in which its ownership of property or the character of its activities is such as to require it to be in good standing or so licensed or qualified, except where the failure to be in good standing or so licensed or qualified would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

Section 7.03 Due Authorization. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and each Transaction Document to which it is or will be a party and (subject to the approvals described in Section 7.05 of the Company Disclosure Letter) to perform all obligations to be performed by it hereunder and thereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and such Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by the boards of directors of the Company and, except for the resolution of the shareholders meeting to approve the Share Exchange and relevant documents and agreements required by the Share Exchange, no other corporate proceeding on the part of the Company is necessary to authorize this Agreement or such Transaction Documents or the Company’s performance hereunder or thereunder. This Agreement has been, and each such Transaction Document (when executed and delivered by the Company) will be, duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due and valid authorization, execution and delivery by each other party hereto and thereto, this Agreement constitutes, and each such Transaction Document will constitute, a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

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Section 7.04 No Conflict. Subject to the receipt of the consents, approvals, authorizations and other requirements set forth in Section 7.05 of the Company Disclosure Letter, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and each Transaction Document to which the Company is or will be a party by the Company and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (a) conflict with or violate any provision of, or result in the breach of or default under, the Governing Documents of the Company, (b) conflict with or violate any provision of, or result in the breach of or default by the Company under any applicable Law or Governmental Order, (c) except as set forth in Section 7.04(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter, require any consent, waiver or other action by any Person under, violate, or result in a breach of, constitute a default under, result in the acceleration, cancellation, termination or modification of, or create in any party the right to accelerate, terminate, cancel or modify, the terms, conditions or provisions of any Material Contract or Lease, (d) result in the creation of any Lien (except for Permitted Liens) upon any of the properties, rights or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, (e) constitute an event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would result in any such violation, breach, termination, acceleration, modification, cancellation or creation of a Lien (except for Permitted Liens) or (f) result in a violation or revocation of any license, permit or approval from any Governmental Authority or other Person, except, in each case of clauses (b) through (f), for such violations, conflicts, breaches, defaults or failures to act that would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 7.05 Governmental Authorities; Consents. Assuming the truth and completeness of the representations and warranties of Thunder Bridge contained in this Agreement, no action by, notice to, consent, approval, waiver, permit or authorization of, or designation, declaration or filing with, any Governmental Authority is required on the part of the Company with respect to the Company’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which it is or will be a party and the consummation of the Transactions, except for (i) applicable requirements of FEFTA and Securities Laws, (ii) the filing of the Certificate of Merger in accordance with the DGCL, (iii) any actions, consents, approvals, permits or authorizations, designations, declarations or filings, the absence of which would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the ability of the Company to perform or comply with on a timely basis any material obligation of the Company under this Agreement or to consummate the Transactions in accordance with the terms hereof and (iv) as otherwise disclosed in Section 7.05 of the Company Disclosure Letter.

 

Section 7.06 Current Capitalization.

 

(a) As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 200,000,000 Company Ordinary Shares, of which 2,237,104 Company Ordinary Shares are outstanding or issuable upon the exercisable of Company Options exercisable as of the date hereof. The outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of the Company (i) have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, (ii) are free and clear of all Liens (other than Permitted Liens) and (iii) are not subject to any other limitation or restrictions (including any restriction on the right to vote, sell or otherwise dispose of such ownership interests) or preemptive or similar rights.

 

(b) Other than as set forth in this Section 7.06 or in Section 7.06 of the Company Disclosure Letter or contemplated in this Agreement, there are (i) no subscriptions, calls, obligations, options, warrants, rights (including preemptive rights), puts, commitments or arrangements to acquire from the Company, or other obligations or commitments of the Company to issue, sell, or otherwise transfer, any equity securities in, or other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Company Ordinary Shares or, or other equity interests in, the Company, or any other Contracts to which the Company is a party or by which the Company or any of its assets or properties are bound obligating the Company to issue or sell any shares of capital stock of, other equity interests in or debt securities of, the Company, (ii) no equity equivalents, stock appreciation rights, phantom stock ownership interests or similar rights in the Company, (iii) as of the date hereof, (A) no outstanding contractual obligations of the Company to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any securities or equity interests of the Company and (B) no outstanding bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of the Company having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matter for which the Company’s shareholders may vote, (iv) no shareholders agreements, voting agreements, proxies, registration rights agreements or other similar agreements relating to the Company’s equity interests to which the Company is a party and (v) as of the date hereof, no shares of common stock, preferred stock or other equity interests of the Company issued and outstanding.

 

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Section 7.07 Capitalization of Subsidiaries.

 

(a) The outstanding shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each of the Company’s Subsidiaries have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable. Except as set forth in Section 7.07(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter, all of the outstanding ownership interests in each Subsidiary of the Company are owned by the Company, directly or indirectly, free and clear of any Liens (other than the restrictions under applicable Securities Laws, transfer restrictions existing under the terms of the Governing Documents of such Subsidiary, and Permitted Liens) and free of any other limitation or restriction (including any restriction on the right to vote, sell or otherwise dispose of such ownership interests) and have not been issued in violation of preemptive or similar rights.

 

(b) Except as set forth in Section 7.07(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter or contemplated in this Agreement, there are no outstanding (i) securities of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries convertible into or exchangeable for ownership interests in any Subsidiary of the Company, (ii) subscriptions, puts, calls, obligations, options, warrants or other rights (including preemptive rights), commitments or arrangements to acquire from the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or other obligations or commitments of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to issue, sell or otherwise transfer, any ownership interests in, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for any ownership interests in, any Subsidiary of the Company or (iii) restricted shares, stock appreciation rights, performance shares, contingent value rights, “phantom” stock or similar securities or rights that are derivative of, or provide economic benefits based, directly or indirectly, on the value or price of, any ownership interests in, any Subsidiary of the Company (the items in clauses (i) - (iii), in addition to all ownership interests of the Company’s Subsidiaries, being referred to collectively as the “Company Subsidiary Securities”). There are no (x) voting trusts, proxies, equityholders agreements or other similar agreements or understandings to which any Subsidiary of the Company is a party or by which any Subsidiary of the Company is bound with respect to the voting or transfer of any shares of capital stock of such Subsidiary, or (y) obligations or commitments of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any of the Company Subsidiary Securities or make payments in respect of such shares, including based on the value thereof, or to make any investment (in the form of a loan, capital contribution or otherwise) in any other Person. Except for the Company Subsidiary Securities, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries owns any equity, ownership, profit, voting or similar interest in or any interest convertible, exchangeable or exercisable for, any equity, profit, voting or similar interest in, any Person.

 

Section 7.08 Financial Statements.

 

(a) The Company has delivered to Thunder Bridge true and complete copies of (i) the audited consolidated statements of financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of March 31, 2021 and March 31, 2020, and the related audited consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, cash flows and changes in equity for the years then ended, together with the auditor’s reports thereon (the “Audited Financial Statements) and (ii) the unaudited consolidated statement of financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of September 30, 2021 (the “Most Recent Balance Sheet”) and related unaudited consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, cash flows and changes in equity for six-month period ended September 30, 2021 (the “Interim Financial Statements” and, together with the Audited Financial Statements, the “Financial Statements”). The Audited Financial Statements are consistent in all material respects with financial information provided to Governmental Authorities, except for any inconsistencies arising in connection with differences between IFRS and Japan GAAP and the scope of the consolidation.

 

(b) The Financial Statements (i) have been prepared from, and reflect in all material respects, the books and records of the Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance with IFRS, (ii) present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the dates and for the periods indicated in such Financial Statements in conformity with IFRS consistently applied in all material respects throughout the periods covered thereby and (iii) when included in the Registration Statement for filing with the SEC following the date of this Agreement in accordance with Section 11.03, will comply in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements and with the rules and regulations of the SEC, the Exchange Act and the Securities Act applicable to a registrant, in effect as of the respective dates thereof.

 

(c) The Company and its Subsidiaries have established and maintain systems of internal controls sufficient to (i) provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Company’s and its Subsidiaries’ financial reporting and (ii) permit the preparation of financial statements in accordance with IFRS. The books and records of the Company and its Subsidiaries have been kept and maintained in accordance with applicable Laws, except where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(d) KPMG AZSA LLC is a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and is independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and the PCAOB.

 

(e) There are no outstanding loans or other extensions of credit made by the Company to any executive officer (as defined in Rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act) or director of the Company that would be prohibited by Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act following the Closing.

 

Section 7.09 Undisclosed Liabilities. As of the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any liability, debt or obligation, whether accrued, contingent, absolute, determined, determinable or otherwise, required to be reflected or reserved for on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with IFRS, except for liabilities, debts or obligations (a) reflected or reserved for on the Financial Statements or disclosed in the notes thereto, (b) that have arisen since the date of the Most Recent Balance Sheet in the ordinary course of business of the Company and its Subsidiaries that are not, individually or in the aggregate, material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (c) arising under this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, (d) disclosed in Section 7.09 of the Company Disclosure Letter or (e) that will be discharged or paid off prior to or at the Closing or that would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 7.10 Litigation and Proceedings. Except as set forth in Section 7.10 of the Company Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement, there are no Actions pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, rights or assets which, if determined adversely, would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth in Section 7.10 of the Company Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement, there is no Governmental Order imposed upon or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties, rights or assets that would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. As of the date hereof, there is no unsatisfied judgment or any open injunction binding upon the Company or any of its Subsidiaries which, if determined adversely, would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 7.11 Compliance with Laws. Except (i) with respect to compliance with Environmental Laws (as to which certain representations and warranties are made pursuant to Section 7.21) and compliance with Tax Laws (which are the subject of Section 7.15), (ii) as set forth in Section 7.11 of the Company Disclosure Letter, or (iii) where the failure to be, or to have been, in compliance with such Laws would not constitute a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries are, and since January 11, 2019 have been, in material compliance with all applicable Laws and Governmental Orders. Since January 11, 2019, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notice of any material violations of applicable Laws, Governmental Orders or Permits and, to the knowledge of the Company, no charge, claim, assertion or Action of any material violation of any Law, Governmental Order or material Permit by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is currently threatened in writing against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Except as set forth in Section 7.11 of the Company Disclosure Letter, as of the date hereof (A) no material investigation, action, or review by any Governmental Authority with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing, and (B) no such investigations, actions or reviews have been conducted by any Governmental Authority since January 11, 2019, other than those the outcome of which did not, individually or in the aggregate, result in material liability to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole. Since April 16, 2018, the Company has complied at all times with all applicable net capital requirements.

 

Section 7.12 Contracts; No Defaults.

 

(a) Except for the Leases, Section 7.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a complete and accurate list of all of the following Contracts to which, as of the date of this Agreement, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or is otherwise bound:

 

(i) each Contract that (A) the Company reasonably anticipates will involve aggregate payments to the Company and its Subsidiaries in excess of JPY 300,000,000 in any fiscal year, (B) the Company reasonably anticipates will involve aggregate payments by the Company and its Subsidiaries in excess of JPY 300,000,000, or (C) grants to any Person (other than the Company or its Subsidiaries) (1) any “most favored nation” provisions or other price guarantees for a period greater than one (1) year or (2) material non-competition, non-solicitation or no-hire provisions imposed on the Company or its Subsidiaries, other than no-hire provisions customarily included in service vendor contracts;

 

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(ii) (x) Contracts entered into during the one (1) year period prior to the date hereof with respect to mergers, acquisitions or sales of any Person or material business unit thereof by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries other than such Contracts between the Company and its Subsidiaries (each an “M&A Contract”), or (y) M&A Contracts in which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries have any ongoing material obligations or liabilities, including deferred purchase price payments, earn-out payments or indemnification obligations;

 

(iii) Contracts establishing (x) partnerships or (y) joint ventures, in each case, that are material to the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (excluding, in the case of clause (x) any Subsidiaries of the Company);

 

(iv) Contracts prohibiting or restricting in any material respect the ability the Company or its Subsidiaries to engage in any business, to solicit any potential customer, to operate in any geographical area or to compete with any Person, in each case, in any material respect, other than customary restrictions with respect to the sale or delivery of products in certain geographical areas and non-solicitation and no-hire provisions, in each case, entered into in the ordinary course of business;

 

(v) each Contract with Governmental Authorities requiring aggregate future payments to the Company and its Subsidiaries in excess of JPY 300,000,000 in any fiscal year;

 

(vi) Contracts for indebtedness for borrowed money or any guarantee thereof, including any mortgage, indenture, note, installment obligation or other instrument or agreement related thereto, except any such Contract (A) with an aggregate outstanding principal amount not exceeding JPY 300,000,000 or (B) between or among the Company and its Subsidiaries;

 

(vii) Contracts that relate to the settlement or final disposition of any material Action within the last year pursuant to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has ongoing obligations or liabilities, in each case, in excess of JPY 100,000,000;

 

(viii) each material license or other material agreement with respect to any item of material Intellectual Property (excluding (A) non-exclusive licenses granted by or to customers or vendors in the ordinary course of business, (B) licenses to open source software, (C) nondisclosure agreements, (D) invention assignment agreements with current and former employees, consultants, and independent contractors of the Company and its Subsidiaries, (E) inbound non-exclusive licenses in respect of commercially available off-the-shelf software having a replacement cost of less than JPY 50,000,000, and (F) non-exclusive licenses that are merely incidental to the transaction contemplated in such license, including: (i) a sales or marketing Contract that includes an incidental non-exclusive license to use the trademarks of the Company for the purposes of advertising and selling the Company services during the term of and in accordance with such Contract; and (ii) a Contract to purchase or lease equipment, such as a photocopier, computer, or mobile phone that also contains a license of Intellectual Property);

 

(ix) any Contract that is a currency or interest hedging arrangement; and

 

(x) Contracts with any officer, director, manager, stockholder, member of an Affiliate of the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective relatives or Affiliates (other than the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries) (excluding Governing Documents).

 

(b) All of the foregoing set forth in Section 7.12(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter, including all amendments and modifications thereto, are sometimes collectively referred to as “Material Contracts.” The Company has furnished or otherwise made available to Thunder Bridge true, complete and correct copies of all Material Contracts. Each Material Contract sets forth the entire agreement and understanding between the Company or its Subsidiaries and the other parties thereto. Each Material Contract is valid, binding and in full force and effect (subject to the Enforceability Exceptions and assuming such Material Contract is a valid and legally binding obligation of the counterparty thereto). None of the Company, its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto is in default or violation of any Material Contract in any material respect. There is no event or condition that exists that constitutes or, with or without notice or the passage of time or both, would constitute any such default or violation by the Company, its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto, or give rise to any acceleration of any obligation or loss of rights or any right of termination of a Material Contract. Since March 31, 2020, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice or request, in each case, in writing, on behalf of any other party to a Material Contract to terminate, cancel or not renew such Material Contract, or to renegotiate any material term thereof that would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, or alleging or disputing any breach or default under such Material Contract.

 

Section 7.13 Company Benefit Plans.

 

(a) Section 7.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a true and complete list of each material Company Benefit Plan. For purposes of this Agreement, “Company Benefit Plan” means each stock purchase, stock option, equity or phantom equity compensation, severance, medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, health and welfare, retirement, employment, individual consulting, retention, change-in-control, fringe benefit, bonus, incentive, deferred compensation, employee loan and all other employee benefit plans, agreements, programs, policies or other arrangements, in each case, which are contributed to (or required to be contributed to), sponsored by or maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for the benefit of any current or former employee, officer, director or individual consultant of the Company or its Subsidiaries (the “Company Employees”), other than any statutory plan, program or arrangement that is required under applicable Laws and maintained by any Governmental Authority.

 

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(b) With respect to each Company Benefit Plan, the Company has delivered or made available to Thunder Bridge copies of (i) each Company Benefit Plan and any current trust agreement or other funding instrument relating to such plan, (ii) the most recent actuarial valuation (if applicable), (iii) the most recent determination or opinion letter, if any, issued by the applicable tax authority (if applicable); and (iv) all material communications received from or sent to any Governmental Authority within the last calendar year.

 

(c) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, each Company Benefit Plan has been maintained, funded, established, operated and administered in material compliance with its terms and all applicable Laws. There is no material Action pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any Company Benefit Plan (other than routine claims for benefits).

 

(d) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any current or projected liability in respect of post-employment or post-retirement health, medical, or life insurance benefits for current, former or retired employees of Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except as may be required pursuant to applicable Law. No Company Benefit Plan is a defined benefit pension plan.

 

(e) Except as set forth in Section 7.13(e) of the Company Disclosure Letter, neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company nor the consummation of the Merger will (whether alone or in connection with any subsequent event(s)) (i) result in the payment, acceleration, vesting, funding or creation of any compensatory rights of any director, officer or employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries to payments or benefits or increases in any payments or benefits (including any loan forgiveness) under any Company Benefit Plan (or under any arrangement that would be a Company Benefit Plan if in effect as of the date of this Agreement) or (ii) result in severance pay or any increase in severance pay upon any termination of employment.

 

(f) Each Company Benefit Plan that is governed by the Laws of any jurisdiction outside of Japan or provides compensation or benefits to any current or former Company Employee (or any dependent thereof) who resides outside of Japan (each a “Foreign Benefit Plan”) is identified as such on Section 7.13(h) of the Company Disclosure Letter. With respect to each Foreign Benefit Plan, (i) such Foreign Benefit Plan has been maintained, funded and administered in compliance with applicable Laws and the requirements of such Foreign Benefit Plan’s governing documents and any applicable collective bargaining, works council or other labor agreements, (ii) such Foreign Benefit Plan has obtained from the Governmental Authority having jurisdiction with respect to such Foreign Benefit Plan any required determinations, if any, that such Foreign Benefit Plan is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable Laws and regulations of the relevant jurisdiction if such determinations are required in order to give effect to such Foreign Benefit Plan, (iii) neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, either alone or in combination with another event (whether contingent or otherwise) will create or otherwise result in any liability or funding obligation with respect to such Foreign Benefit Plan, and (iv) such Foreign Benefit Plan does not have any unfunded or underfunded liabilities not accurately accrued in accordance with applicable laws and accounting standards.

 

Section 7.14 Labor Matters.

 

(a) As of the date of this Agreement, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any collective bargaining agreement or similar agreements with a labor organization.

 

None of the Company Employees are represented by any labor organization or works council with respect to their employment with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. To the knowledge of the Company, as of the date of this Agreement, (i) there are no activities or proceedings of any labor organization to organize any of the Company Employees, and (ii) there is no, and since January 11, 2019 has been no, material labor dispute or strike, slowdown, concerted refusal to work overtime, or work stoppage against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, in each case, pending or threatened.

 

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(b) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each of the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with all applicable Laws regarding employment and employment practices, including, without limitation, all laws respecting terms and conditions of employment, health and safety, employee classification, non-discrimination, wages and hours, annual paid leaves, limitation of overtime hours, dispatched workers, deduction from wages, immigration, disability rights or benefits, equal opportunity, equal treatment for irregular employees, plant closures and layoffs, affirmative action, workers’ compensation, labor relations, “whistle blower” rights, sexual harassment policies, employee leave issues, the proper classification of employees and independent contractors, the proper classification of employees and non-employee directors, the proper payment of overtime and minimum wage, classification of employees as exempt and non-exempt, and unemployment insurance, worker’s accident compensation insurance, health insurance, pension insurance, other mandatory insurances as applicable, and (ii) the Company and its Subsidiaries have not since March 31, 2020 committed any unfair labor practice or received written notice of any unfair labor practice complaint against it pending before a labor relations commission that remains unresolved.

 

(c) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and its Subsidiaries are not delinquent in payments to any employees or former employees for any services or amounts required to be reimbursed or otherwise paid in all cases since January 11, 2019.

 

Section 7.15 Taxes.

 

(a) Since January 11, 2019, all material Tax Returns required by Law to be filed by the Company or its Subsidiaries have been duly filed with the appropriate Governmental Authority, and all such Tax Returns are true, correct and complete in all material respects.

 

(b) Since January 11, 2019, all material amounts of Taxes due and owing by the Company and its Subsidiaries have been paid.

 

(c) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is currently engaged in any audit, administrative proceeding or judicial proceeding with respect to material Taxes or any settlement negotiations with respect to such audit or proceeding. Since January 11, 2019, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any written notice from a Governmental Authority of a dispute or claim with respect to material Taxes, other than disputes or claims that have since been resolved, and no such claims have been threatened in writing. There are no outstanding agreements extending or waiving the statutory period of limitations applicable to any claim for, or the period for the collection or assessment or reassessment of, material Taxes of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and no written request for any such waiver or extension is currently pending.

 

(d) Within the past two years, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (or any predecessor thereof) has constituted either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” in a distribution of stock qualifying for tax-free treatment under Section 355 of the Code (or so much of Section 356 of the Code as relates to Section 355 of the Code).

 

(e) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has been a party to any “listed transaction” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4(b)(2), (ii) has executed or entered into any “closing agreement” or other binding written agreement with respect to material Taxes with a Governmental Authority that created obligations that will bind the Company or its Subsidiaries after the Closing or (iii) has, or has ever had, a permanent establishment or branch in a jurisdiction outside the country of its organization.

 

(f) There are no Liens with respect to material Taxes on any of the assets of the Company or its Subsidiaries, other than Permitted Liens.

 

(g) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any material liability for the Taxes of any Person (other than the Company or its Subsidiaries) (i) under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign Law), (ii) as a transferee or successor or (iii) by Contract or otherwise (except, in each case, for liabilities pursuant to commercial contracts (or Contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business) not primarily relating to Taxes).

 

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(h) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to, is bound by, or has any obligation to any Governmental Authority or other Person (other than the Company or its Subsidiaries) under any Tax allocation, Tax sharing, Tax indemnification or similar agreements (except, in each case, for any such agreements that are commercial contracts entered into in the normal course of business and not primarily relating to Taxes).

 

(i) The Company has not taken any action or agreed to take any action, and is not aware of any fact or circumstance, that would reasonably be expected to prevent the Transactions from qualifying for the Intended Income Tax Treatment.

 

Section 7.16 Insurance. Section 7.16 of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth a list of all material policies of property, fire and casualty, product liability, workers’ compensation, directors and officers and other forms of insurance held by, or for the benefit of, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as of the date hereof (collectively, the “Policies”). Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect: (a) all of the Policies with respect to policy periods that include the date of this Agreement are in full force and effect and all premiums due and payable for such Policies have been duly paid, (b) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received a written notice of cancellation, non-renewal or reduction in coverage or termination of any of the Policies or of any material changes that are required in the conduct of the business of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as a condition to the continuation of coverage under, or renewal of, any of such Policies and (c) except as set forth in Section 7.16 of the Company Disclosure Letter there is no material claim by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under any Policy. The Company and its Subsidiaries have reported to their respective insurers all material claims and circumstances known by Company and Subsidiary employees with such reporting responsibilities that would reasonably be likely to give rise to a material claim by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under any Policy.

 

Section 7.17 Permits. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, and except as set forth in Section 7.17 of the Company Disclosure Letter: (a) as of the date of this Agreement, each of the Company and its Subsidiaries has all licenses, approvals, consents, registrations, franchises and permits that are required to own, lease or operate its properties and assets and to conduct its business as currently conducted (except with respect to licenses, approvals, consents, registrations and permits required under applicable Environmental Laws (as to which certain representations and warranties are made pursuant to Section 7.21), the “Permits”) and all Permits are in full force and effect and (b) none of the Company, its Subsidiaries are (i) in default or violation of such Permits or (ii) is the subject of any pending action by a Governmental Authority seeking the revocation, suspension or impairment of any Permit.

 

Section 7.18 Personal Property and Assets. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, as of the date hereof, the Company or its Subsidiaries owns and has good title to or a valid leasehold, license or similar interest in each item of material tangible personal property reflected on the books of the Company and its Subsidiaries as owned by the Company or its Subsidiaries, free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Liens.

 

Section 7.19 Real Property.

 

(a) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries owns any real property.

 

(b) Section 7.19(b) of the Company Disclosure Letter sets forth the address of each interest in real property leased by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (the “Leased Real Property”) and each Contract pursuant to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries lease such property, except for any Contract for which the aggregate rental payments in the most recent annual period did not exceed JPY 100,000,000 (such Contracts, collectively, the “Leases”). Each Lease sets forth the entire agreement and understanding between the Company or its Subsidiaries and the other parties thereto. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect: (a) none of the Company, its Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any other party thereto is in default or violation of any Lease in any material respect, and (b) to the knowledge of the Company, there is no event or condition that exists that constitutes or, with or without notice or the passage of time or both, would constitute any such default or violation by the Company, its Subsidiaries or any other party thereto, so as to give rise to any acceleration of any obligation or loss of rights or any right of termination of a Lease.

 

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Section 7.20 Intellectual Property and IT Security.

 

(a) Section 7.20(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter lists all Owned Intellectual Property for which applications have been filed or registrations have been obtained, whether in the United States or internationally as of the date of this Agreement (“Registered Intellectual Property”) and all material unregistered trademarks and material unregistered Software that are Owned Intellectual Property. Except as set forth in Section 7.20(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company or one of its Subsidiaries is the sole and exclusive owner of all material Owned Intellectual Property, free and clear of all Liens or similar encumbrances other than Permitted Liens, and all material Registered Intellectual Property is subsisting and in good standing, and is, to the Company’s knowledge, valid and enforceable. The Company and its Subsidiaries own or have the valid and enforceable right to use all material Company Intellectual Property, free and clear of all Liens or similar encumbrances, other than Permitted Liens, provided that this representation shall not be construed as a representation as to the non-infringement of any third-party Intellectual Property. All Registered Intellectual Property has been maintained effective by the filing of all necessary filings, maintenance, and renewals, and timely payment of requisite fees.

 

(b) No Person (including current and former founders, employees, contractors, and consultants of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries) has any right, title, or interest, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in any material Owned Intellectual Property. All Persons who have created any material Intellectual Property for or on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries have executed valid and enforceable written assignments of any such Intellectual Property (and waivers of all moral rights to the Company or its Subsidiaries in the jurisdictions that recognize such rights with respect to such created Intellectual Property), or such Intellectual Property rights are owned by the Company and its Subsidiaries by operation of law. To the Company’s knowledge, no Person is in material violation of any such assignment agreements.

 

(c) The Company and its Subsidiaries since January 11, 2019 have taken commercially reasonable precautions consistent with prevailing industry practice to protect and preserve the secrecy and confidentiality of all (i) trade secrets, and other material confidential information that is Owned Intellectual Property, (ii) and any confidential information owned by any Person to whom the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has a confidentiality obligation. No such trade secrets or material confidential information have been disclosed by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to any Person other than pursuant to (x) a written agreement restricting the disclosure and use of such trade secrets and confidential information by such Person or (y) other obligations of confidentiality, such as a professional obligation of confidentiality. Except as disclosed in Section 7.20(c) of the Company Disclosure Letter, to the Company’s knowledge, all use or disclosure by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries of material confidential information owned by any third party has been pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of a written agreement between the Company or such Subsidiary and the third party, or is otherwise lawful in all material respects.

 

(d) Except as disclosed in Section 7.20(d) of the Company Disclosure Letter, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has (i) licensed or escrowed any of the material Owned Intellectual Property in source code form to any party, and no such source code has been released to any party, (ii) entered into any exclusive licenses licensing any material Owned Intellectual Property to third parties or (iii) entered into any arrangements that place a Lien or similar encumbrance, other than a Permitted Lien, on its material Owned Intellectual Property.

 

(e) Except as disclosed in Section 7.20(e) of the Company Disclosure Letter, since January 11, 2019, the conduct of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries and the products and services thereof, including the manufacture, importation, use, offer for sale, sale, licensing, distribution, and other commercial exploitation of such products and services and the Company Intellectual Property, does not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any Intellectual Property or right of publicity of any Person in a manner that would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and since January 11, 2019 have not infringed, misappropriated, or otherwise violated any Intellectual Property Rights or right of publicity of any Person in a manner that would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The Company and its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable steps consistent with prevailing industry practice to ensure that the Company’s business does not infringe, and does not misappropriate or violate, any intellectual property of any other Person in any material respect. Except as disclosed in Section 7.20(e) of the Company Disclosure Letter, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is the subject of any pending Action that either alleges a claim of infringement, misappropriation or other violation of any Intellectual Property rights or rights of publicity of any Person, or challenges the ownership, use, patenting registration, validity, or enforceability of any Owned Intellectual Property, and no such claims have been asserted or threatened in writing against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries since January 11, 2019, except for matters that have since been resolved. Since January 11, 2019, no Person has notified the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in writing that any of such Person’s Intellectual Property rights or rights of publicity are infringed, misappropriated, or otherwise violated by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries requires a license to any of such Person’s Intellectual Property rights, except for matters that have since been resolved. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is making any unauthorized use of any confidential information or trade secrets of any other Person in connection with the conduct of their business that would have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

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(f) To the Company’s knowledge, there is and, since January 11, 2019 has been, no material unauthorized use, disclosure, infringement, misappropriation or violation of any of the Owned Intellectual Property, including by any employee or former employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Since January 11, 2019, no written claims alleging any unauthorized use, disclosure, infringement, misappropriation, or violation of the material Owned Intellectual Property have been made against any Person by any Company or any Company Subsidiary, except for matters that have since been resolved.

 

(g) All material Software that is Owned Intellectual Property or Cryptocurrency Software: (i) conforms in all material respects with all specifications, representations, warranties, and other descriptions established by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or conveyed thereby to their customers or other transferees; and (ii) is operative for its intended purpose in all material respects, and to the Company’s knowledge, is free of any material defects and does not contain any malicious code.

 

(h) No Person other than the Company and its Subsidiaries (or service providers working on their behalf) possesses a copy, in any form (print, electronic, or otherwise), of any material source code for any material Software that is Owned Intellectual Property, and all such source code has been maintained strictly confidential. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any obligation to afford any Person (other than the above persons) access to any such source code. The Company and its Subsidiaries are in possession of the material documentation and other materials relating to the material Software used in the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries that is reasonably necessary for the use and maintenance and other exploitation of such Software as used in the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

(i) Except as disclosed in Section 7.20(i) of the Company Disclosure Letter, no Open Source Component has been incorporated in, linked to, or otherwise used in connection with any material Software that is Owned Intellectual Property and that has been distributed in any manner that: (i) imposes a requirement that any material source code for any portion of such Software that is Owned Intellectual Property be made available in source code form, or (ii) otherwise imposes any other material limitation, restriction, or condition on the right or ability of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries to use, distribute, or enforce any material Software that is Owned Intellectual Property in any manner. “Open Source Component” means (A) any Software that is distributed as free software or open source software, including software available under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL), GNU General Public License (GPL), GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), Mozilla Public License (MPL), Apache License, BSD licenses, any Create Commons “ShareAlike” license, or any other license that is approved by the Open Source Initiative, or pursuant to open source, copyleft, or similar licensing and distribution models; and (B) any Software that requires as a condition of use, modification, and/or distribution of such Software that such Software or other Software incorporated into, linked to, derived from, or distributed with such Software (1) be disclosed or distributed in source code form, (2) be licensed for the purpose of making derivative works, or (3) be redistributable at no or minimal charge.

 

(j) The Company and its Subsidiaries have not materially breached any material licenses and services contracts, including such licenses and contracts relating to the purchase of a sufficient number of license seats for all Software, with respect to IT Systems. Except as disclosed in Section 7.20(j) of the Company Disclosure Letter: (i) all material IT Systems are operational, fulfill the purposes for which they were acquired or developed, have security, back-ups, and disaster recovery arrangements in place and hardware and Software capacity, support, and maintenance, and trained personnel, which are sufficient in all material respects for the current needs of the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries and (ii) to the Company’s knowledge, all material IT Systems are free from any material defect, bug, malware, spyware or other material virus or other material programming design or documentation error or corruptant. The Company and its Subsidiaries have reasonable disaster recovery, data back-up, and security plans, procedures, and facilities and since January 11, 2019 have taken reasonable steps to safeguard the availability, security, and integrity of the IT Systems and all data and information stored thereon, including from unauthorized access and infection by material malicious code. Since January 11, 2019, the material IT Systems have not suffered any material failure that was not remedied without material liability or cost or the duty to notify any Person. The Company and its Subsidiaries take reasonable actions to protect the confidentiality, ownership, integrity and security of their material IT Systems and all information stored or contained therein or transmitted thereby from any unauthorized use, access, interruption or modification by third parties, and, except as disclosed in Section 7.20(j) of the Company Disclosure Letter, to the Company’s knowledge, since January 11, 2019 there have been no material breaches of the same that have not been corrected or remedied without material liability or cost or the duty to notify any Person.

 

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(k) The Company is and since January 11, 2019, has been in compliance with all applicable Privacy Laws in all material respects. Except as disclosed in Section 7.20(k) of the Company Disclosure Letter, the Company, and to the Company’s knowledge, any third party Processing Personal Data on behalf of the Company, has not since January 11, 2019, experienced any material Security Breaches, and the Company is not aware of any notices or complaints from any Person regarding such a Security Breach. Since January 11, 2019, the Company has not received any written notice that it is subject to any enforcement Action by any Governmental Authority or any material Action by any other Person, in each case, that alleges the unauthorized Processing of Protected Data or non-compliance with applicable Privacy Laws, excluding for clarity, individual data deletion, “opt out” or similar privacy rights requests in the ordinary course of business. The Company maintains reasonable systems and procedures to receive and effectively respond, to the extent required by applicable Law, to complaints and individual rights requests in connection with the Company’s Processing of Personal Information, and, to the extent required by applicable Law, the Company has complied with such individual rights requests in all material respects.

 

(l) The Company complies with Privacy Laws in all material respects with respect to providing individuals with privacy notices, and the Company complies in all material respects with all requirements relating to data localization and the cross-border transfer of Personal Information under applicable Law.

 

(m) The Company has valid and legal rights, in all material respects, to Process all Protected Data that is Processed by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the use and/or operation of its products, services and business, and the execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement will not adversely affect these rights or violate any applicable Privacy Laws in any material respect. All sales and marketing activities by the Company have since January 11, 2019 been in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws that require the provision of notice and obtaining of consent from potential customers to receive such sales and marketing materials. The Company has since January 11, 2019 implemented reasonable physical, technical and administrative safeguards that are compliant with applicable Privacy Laws in all material respects and consistent in all material respects with industry standards that are designed to protect Personal Information from unauthorized access by any Person.

 

(n) All material Software developed by or for the Company specifically for its cryptocurrency exchange business (the “Cryptocurrency Software”) is either owned by the Company or a Subsidiary or is otherwise used pursuant to a valid license or other enforceable right (including any applicable open source software license), provided, that this representation shall not be construed as a representation as to the non-infringement of any third-party Intellectual Property. Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (x) none of the Cryptocurrency Software used by the Company and/or its Subsidiaries is a “bootleg” version or unauthorized copy; and (y) to the knowledge of the Company, no such unauthorized software is used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries. The Cryptocurrency Software and other information technology that is material to the operation of the businesses of the Company and/or any of its Subsidiaries as conducted as of the date of this Agreement: (i) are in satisfactory working order (apart from any that is under development) and (ii) have reasonable security, backups, disaster recovery arrangements, and hardware and software support.

 

Section 7.21 Environmental Matters. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect:

 

(a) the Company and its Subsidiaries are and, except for matters which have been fully resolved, since January 11, 2019 have been, in compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws;

 

(b) the Company and its Subsidiaries hold all material Permits required under applicable Environmental Laws to permit the Company and its Subsidiaries to operate their assets in a manner in which they are now operated and maintained and to conduct the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries as currently conducted;

 

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(c) there are no Actions pending against or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries alleging any violations of or liability under any Environmental Law or any violations or liability concerning any Hazardous Materials, nor to the knowledge of the Company is there any reasonable basis for such claims; and

 

(d) there is no unresolved Governmental Order relating to any Environmental Law imposed upon or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any of their properties, rights or assets.

 

Section 7.22 Absence of Changes. Since the date of the Most Recent Balance Sheet, there have not been any changes, developments, or events that has or have had a Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 7.23 Brokers’ Fees. Except as set forth in Section 7.23 of the Company Disclosure Letter, no broker, finder, financial advisor, investment banker or other Person is entitled to any brokerage fee, finders’ fee or other similar fee, commission or other similar payment in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective Affiliates for which the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries has any obligation.

 

Section 7.24 Related Party Transactions. Except for the Contracts set forth in Section 7.24 of the Company Disclosure Letter, (a) there are no Contracts (excluding Contracts related to (i) employee compensation and other ordinary incidents of employment (including participation in Company Benefit Plans) set forth in Section 7.13(a) of the Company Disclosure Letter and (ii) equity ownership) between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and any Affiliate, officer or director of the Company, on the other hand, and (b) none of the officers, directors, managers or Affiliates of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries owns any asset or property (intellectual, real or personal) used in and material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, except in its capacity as a security holder of the Company.

 

Section 7.25 Registration Statement, Proxy Statement and Proxy Statement/Registration Statement. On the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement, and when first filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act, the Proxy Statement and the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement (together with any amendments or supplements thereto), shall comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act. On the effective date of the Registration Statement, the Registration Statement will not 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 not misleading. On the date of any filing in accordance with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act, the date the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement, as applicable, is first mailed to the Thunder Bridge Shareholders, and at the time of the Special Meeting, the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement, as applicable, together with any amendments or supplements thereto, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and shall comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act; provided, however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 7.25, no representation or warranty is made by the Company with respect to information or statements made or incorporated by reference in the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement that were not supplied by or on behalf of the Company for use therein.

 

Section 7.26 Regulatory Compliance.

 

(a) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of their Representatives or any other Persons, in each case to the extent acting for and on behalf of any of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, is or has been, since January 11, 2019, (i) a Person named on any Sanctions Laws-related or Export Control Laws-related list of designated Persons; (ii) located, organized or resident in a country or territory which is itself the subject of or target of any Sanctions Laws; (iii) an entity owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, fifty percent or more by one or more Persons described in clauses (i) or (ii); (iv) transacting business with or on behalf of any Person described in clauses (i) – (iii) or any country or territory described in clause (ii) in violation of Sanctions Laws; or (v) otherwise in violation of Sanctions Laws or Export Control Laws.

 

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(b) Except as would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, none of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or, to the Company’s knowledge, any of their Representatives or any other Persons, in each case to the extent acting for and on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries has, since March 31, 2020, (i) made, offered, promised, paid or received any bribes, kickbacks or other similar improper payments to or from any Person or (ii) made or paid any contributions, directly or indirectly, to a domestic or foreign political party or candidate, in each case of clause (i) or (ii), in violation of the Anti-Corruption Laws.

 

(c) To the Company’s knowledge, as of the date hereof, (i) there are no pending or threatened in writing Actions, filings, Governmental Orders, inquiries or governmental investigations alleging any such violations of Anti-Corruption Laws, Sanctions Laws or Export Control Laws by the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their Representatives or any other Persons, in each case to the extent acting for and on behalf of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and (ii) since March 31, 2020, no such Actions, filings, Governmental Orders, inquiries or governmental investigations have been threatened in writing or are pending.

 

(d) Since January 11, 2019, the Company has not had any material operations or business in the United States.

 

Section 7.27 No Additional Representations or Warranties. Except as provided in and this Article VII, neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates, nor any of their respective directors, managers, officers, employees, equityholders, partners, members or Representatives has made, or is making, any representation or warranty whatsoever to Thunder Bridge or its Affiliates and no such party shall be liable in respect of the accuracy or completeness of any information provided to Thunder Bridge or its Affiliates.

 

Article VIII
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THUNDER BRIDGE

 

Except as set forth in the disclosure letter delivered by Thunder Bridge to the Company on the date of this Agreement (the “Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter”) (each section 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) or in the SEC Reports filed or furnished by Thunder Bridge prior to the date hereof (excluding (i) any disclosures in such 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 (ii) any exhibits or other documents appended thereto) (and it being further acknowledged that nothing whatever disclosed anywhere in such SEC Reports will be deemed to modify or qualify the representations and warranties set forth in Section 8.01 (Corporate Organization), Section 8.02 (Due Authorization), Section 8.06 (Financial Ability; Trust Account), Section 8.10 (Tax Matters) and Section 8.11 (Capitalization)), Thunder Bridge represents and warrants to the Company as follows:

 

Section 8.01 Corporate Organization. Thunder Bridge is duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware and has the requisite corporate power and authority to own, lease or operate its assets and properties and to conduct its business as it is now being conducted. The copies of the Governing Documents of Thunder Bridge previously delivered by Thunder Bridge to the Company are true, correct and complete and are in effect as of the date of this Agreement. Thunder Bridge is, and at all times has been, in compliance in all material respects with all restrictions, covenants, terms and provisions set forth in its respective Governing Documents. Thunder Bridge is duly licensed or qualified and in good standing as a foreign corporation or foreign limited liability company, as applicable, in all jurisdictions in which its ownership of property or the character of its activities is such as to require it to be so licensed or qualified, except where failure to be so licensed or qualified has not and would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect.

 

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Section 8.02 Due Authorization.

 

(a) Thunder Bridge has all requisite corporate or entity power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is or will be a party and, upon receipt of the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval, to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and such Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly, validly and unanimously authorized and approved by the board of directors of Thunder Bridge and, except for the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval, no other corporate or equivalent proceeding on the part of Thunder Bridge is necessary to authorize this Agreement or such Transaction Documents or Thunder Bridge’s performance hereunder or thereunder. This Agreement has been, and each such Transaction Document to which Thunder Bridge is or will be a party has been or will be, duly and validly executed and delivered by Thunder Bridge and, assuming due authorization and execution by each other Party hereto and thereto, this Agreement constitutes, and each such Transaction Document to which Thunder Bridge is or will be a party, constitutes or will constitute a legal, valid and binding obligation of Thunder Bridge, enforceable against Thunder Bridge in accordance with its terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

(b) Assuming a quorum is present at the Special Meeting, as adjourned or postposed, the only votes of any of Thunder Bridge Capital Stock necessary in connection with the entry into this Agreement by Thunder Bridge, the consummation of the Transactions, including the Closing, and the approval of the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Matters are as set forth in Section 8.02(b) of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter (such votes, collectively, the “Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval”).

 

(c) At a meeting duly called and held, the board of directors of Thunder Bridge has unanimously: (i) determined that this Agreement and the Transactions are fair to and in the best interests of Thunder Bridge Shareholders; (ii) determined that the fair market value of the Company is equal to at least 80% of the amount held in the Trust Account (less any deferred underwriting commissions and taxes payable on interest earned) as of the date hereof; (iii) approved the Transactions as a Business Combination; and (iv) resolved to recommend to the stockholders of Thunder Bridge approval of the Transactions.

 

(d) To the knowledge of Thunder Bridge, the execution, delivery and performance of any Transaction Document by any party thereto, do not and will not conflict with or result in any violation of any provision of any applicable Law or Governmental Order applicable to such party or any of such party’s properties or assets.

 

Section 8.03 No Conflict. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and any other Transaction Document to which Thunder Bridge is or will be a party by Thunder Bridge and, upon receipt of the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or by any other Transaction Document do not and will not (a) conflict with or violate any provision of, or result in the breach of the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents or any organizational documents of any Subsidiaries of Thunder Bridge, (b) conflict with or result in any violation of any provision of any Law or Governmental Order applicable to Thunder Bridge, any Subsidiaries of Thunder Bridge or any of their respective properties or assets, (c) violate, conflict with, result in a breach of any provision of or the loss of any benefit under, constitute a default (or an event which, with notice or lapse of time, or both, would constitute a default) under, or result in the termination or acceleration of, or a right of termination, cancellation, modification, acceleration or amendment under, accelerate the performance required by, or result in the acceleration or trigger of any payment, posting of collateral (or right to require the posting of collateral), time of payment, vesting or increase in the amount of any compensation or benefit payable pursuant to, any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any Contract to which Thunder Bridge or any Subsidiaries of Thunder Bridge is a party or by which any of their respective assets or properties may be bound or affected, or (d) result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of Thunder Bridge or any Subsidiaries of Thunder Bridge, except (in the case of clauses (b), (c) or (d) above) for such violations, conflicts, breaches or defaults which would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect.

 

Section 8.04 Litigation and Proceedings. There are no pending or, to the knowledge of Thunder Bridge, threatened in writing Actions against Thunder Bridge or any of their respective properties, rights or assets, which, if determined adversely, could, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect. There is no Governmental Order imposed upon or, to the knowledge of Thunder Bridge, threatened in writing against Thunder Bridge or any of their respective properties, rights or assets which, if determined adversely, could, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect. There is no unsatisfied judgment or any open injunction binding upon Thunder Bridge which could, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect.

 

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Section 8.05 Governmental Authorities; Consents. Assuming the truth and completeness of the representations and warranties of the Company and PubCo contained in this Agreement, no action by, notice to, consent, approval, waiver, permit or authorization of, or designation, declaration or filing with, any Governmental Authority is required on the part of Thunder Bridge with respect to Thunder Bridge’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which it is or will be a party and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, except for (i) applicable requirements of FEFTA and Securities Laws, (ii) the filing of the Certificate of Merger in accordance with the DGCL, (iii) any actions, consents, approvals, permits or authorizations, designations, declarations or filings, the absence of which would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect and (iv) as otherwise disclosed in Section 8.05 of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter.

 

Section 8.06 Financial Ability; Trust Account.

 

(a) As of the date hereof, there is at least $236.5 million invested in a trust account (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, effective as of June 29, 2021, by and between Thunder Bridge and the Trustee on file with the SEC Reports of Thunder Bridge as of the date of this Agreement (the “Trust Agreement”). Prior to the Closing, none of the funds held in the Trust Account may be released except in accordance with the Trust Agreement, Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents and Thunder Bridge’s final prospectus dated June 29, 2021 (the “Final Prospectus”). 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, as amended. Thunder Bridge 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. As of the date hereof, there are no claims or proceedings pending with respect to the Trust Account. Since June 29, 2021, Thunder Bridge 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 Merger Effective Time, the obligations of Thunder Bridge to dissolve or liquidate pursuant to the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents shall terminate, and, as of the Merger Effective Time, Thunder Bridge shall have no obligation whatsoever pursuant to the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents to dissolve and liquidate the assets of Thunder Bridge by reason of the consummation of the Transactions. To Thunder Bridge’s knowledge, following the Merger Effective Time, no Thunder Bridge Shareholder shall be entitled to receive any amount from the Trust Account except to the extent such stockholder shall have elected to tender its Thunder Bridge Common Shares for redemption pursuant to the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption. The Trust Agreement is in full force and effect and is a legal, valid and binding obligation of Thunder Bridge and, to the knowledge of Thunder Bridge, the Trustee, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to the Enforceability Exceptions. The Trust Agreement has not been terminated, repudiated, rescinded, amended or supplemented or modified, in any respect, and, to the knowledge of Thunder Bridge, no such termination, repudiation, rescission, amendment, supplement or modification is contemplated. There are no side letters and there are no 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 SEC Reports to be inaccurate or (ii) entitle any Person (other than Thunder Bridge Shareholders who shall have elected to redeem their Thunder Bridge Common Shares pursuant to the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption or the underwriters of Thunder Bridge’s initial public offering in respect of their Deferred Discount (as defined in the Trust Agreement)) to any portion of the proceeds in the Trust Account.

 

(b) As of the date hereof, assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company and PubCo contained herein and the compliance by the Company and PubCo with its respective obligations hereunder, Thunder Bridge 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 Thunder Bridge on the Closing Date.

 

(c) As of the date hereof, Thunder Bridge 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 (other than the Working Capital Loans).

 

(d) Except as set forth in Section 8.06(d) of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter, as of the date hereof and except for the Transaction Documents and the other documents and transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including with respect to expenses and fees incurred in connection therewith), Thunder Bridge is not party to any Contract with any other Person that would require payments by Thunder Bridge or any of its Subsidiaries after the date hereof in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate with respect to any individual Contract.

 

Section 8.07 Brokers’ Fees. Except as set forth in Section 8.07 of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter, no broker, finder, investment banker or other Person is entitled to any brokerage fee, finders’ fee, underwriting fee, deferred underwriting fee, commission or other similar payment in connection with the Transactions based upon arrangements made by Thunder Bridge or any of its Affiliates, including the Sponsors. Upon the payment of the fees set forth in Section 8.07 of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter, no Person shall have the right to any brokerage fee, finders’ fee, underwriting fee, deferred underwriting fee, commission or other similar payment for any other transaction involving Thunder Bridge following the Closing.

 

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Section 8.08 SEC Reports; Financial Statements; Sarbanes-Oxley Act; Undisclosed Liabilities.

 

(a) Thunder Bridge 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 June 29, 2021 (collectively, as they have been amended since the time of their filing and including all exhibits thereto, the “SEC Reports”). None of the 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 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 Thunder Bridge as of the respective dates thereof and the results of their operations and cash flows for the respective periods then ended. As of the date of this Agreement, Thunder Bridge does not have any material off-balance sheet arrangements that are not disclosed in the SEC Reports.

 

(b) Thunder Bridge 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 Thunder Bridge is made known to Thunder Bridge’s principal executive officer and its principal financial officer, particularly during the periods in which the periodic reports required under the Exchange Act are being prepared. To Thunder Bridge’s knowledge, such disclosure controls and procedures are effective in timely alerting Thunder Bridge’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer to material information required to be included in Thunder Bridge’s periodic reports required under the Exchange Act.

 

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

 

(d) Each director and executive officer of Thunder Bridge has filed with the SEC on a timely basis all statements required by Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. There are no outstanding loans or other extensions of credit made by Thunder Bridge to any executive officer (as defined in Rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act) or director of Thunder Bridge. Thunder Bridge has not taken any action prohibited by Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

(e) Neither Thunder Bridge (including any employee thereof) nor Thunder Bridge’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 Thunder Bridge, (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves Thunder Bridge’s management or other employees who have a role in the preparation of financial statements or the internal accounting controls utilized by Thunder Bridge or (iii) any claim or allegation regarding any of the foregoing.

 

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

 

Section 8.09 Business Activities.

 

(a) Since its incorporation, Thunder Bridge has not conducted any business activities other than activities directed toward the accomplishment of a Business Combination. Except as set forth in the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents, there is no agreement, commitment, or Governmental Order binding upon Thunder Bridge or to which Thunder Bridge is a party which has or would reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or impairing any business practice of Thunder Bridge or any acquisition of property by Thunder Bridge or the conduct of business by Thunder Bridge 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 Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(b) Thunder Bridge 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, neither Thunder Bridge nor any of its Subsidiaries has any interests, rights, obligations or liabilities with respect to, or is 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) Section 8.09(c) of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter sets forth each Contract to which Thunder Bridge is a party or otherwise bound as of the date hereof. Except for this Agreement and the agreements expressly contemplated hereby (including any agreements permitted by Section 10.01), Thunder Bridge is not, and at no time has been, party to any Contract with any other Person that (i) would require payments by Thunder Bridge in excess of $100,000 in the aggregate when taken together with all other Contracts (other than this Agreement and the agreements expressly contemplated hereby (including any agreements permitted by Section 10.01)) or (ii) grants to any Person any non-competition, non-solicitation, no-hire or similar restrictive covenant provisions imposed on Thunder Bridge.

 

(d) There is no liability, debt or obligation of or claim or judgment against Thunder Bridge or any of its Subsidiaries (whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, accrued or unaccrued, known or unknown, liquidated or unliquidated, or due or to become due), except for liabilities and obligations (i) reflected or reserved for on Thunder Bridge’s condensed balance sheet as of September 30, 2021 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 Thunder Bridge and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), (ii) that have arisen since the date of Thunder Bridge’s condensed balance sheet as of September 30, 2021 in the ordinary course of the operation of business of Thunder Bridge and its Subsidiaries (other than any such liabilities as are not and would not be, in the aggregate, material to Thunder Bridge and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole), (iii) disclosed in the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter or (iv) incurred in connection with or contemplated by this Agreement or the Transactions.

 

(e) Since June 29, 2021, (i) there has not been any event or occurrence that has had, or would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect and (ii) except as set forth in Section 8.09(e) of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter, Thunder Bridge has, in all material respects, conducted its business and operated their properties in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice.

 

Section 8.10 Tax Matters.

 

(a) All material Tax Returns required by Law to be filed by Thunder Bridge have been filed, and all such Tax Returns are true, correct and complete in all material respects.

 

(b) All material amounts of Taxes due and owing by Thunder Bridge have been paid.

 

(c) Thunder Bridge is not currently engaged in any audit, administrative proceeding or judicial proceeding with respect to material Taxes or any settlement negotiations with respect to such audit or proceeding. Thunder Bridge has not received any written notice from a Governmental Authority of a dispute or claim with respect to material Taxes, other than disputes or claims that have since been resolved, and no such claims have been threatened in writing. There are no outstanding agreements extending or waiving the statutory period of limitations applicable to any claim for, or the period for the collection or assessment or reassessment of, material Taxes of Thunder Bridge and no written request for any such waiver or extension is currently pending.

 

(d) Within the past two years, neither Thunder Bridge nor any predecessor thereof has constituted either a “distributing corporation” or a “controlled corporation” in a distribution of stock qualifying for tax-free treatment under Section 355 of the Code (or so much of Section 356 of the Code as relates to Section 355 of the Code).

 

(e) Thunder Bridge (i) has not been a party to any “listed transaction” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.6011-4(b)(2), (ii) has not executed or entered into any “closing agreement” or other binding written agreement with respect to material Taxes with a Governmental Authority that created obligations that will bind Thunder Bridge after the Closing or (iii) has not, or has not ever had, a permanent establishment or branch in a jurisdiction outside the country of its organization.

 

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(f) There are no Liens with respect to material Taxes on any of the assets of Thunder Bridge, other than Permitted Liens.

 

(g) Thunder Bridge does not have any material liability for the Taxes of any Person (i) under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local or foreign law), (ii) as a transferee or successor or (iii) by Contract or otherwise (except, in each case, for liabilities pursuant to commercial contracts with persons that are not the Sponsor or its direct or indirect equityholders or their Affiliates that do not primarily relate to Taxes).

 

(h) Thunder Bridge is not a party to, is bound by, or has any obligation to any Governmental Authority or other Person under any Tax allocation, Tax sharing or Tax indemnification agreement (except, in each case, for any such agreements that are commercial contracts entered into in the normal course of business with persons that are not the Sponsor or its direct or indirect equityholders or their Affiliates and not primarily relating to Taxes).

 

(i) Thunder Bridge has not taken any action or agreed to take any action, or is aware of any fact or circumstance, that would reasonably be expected to prevent the Transactions from qualifying for the Intended Income Tax Treatment.

 

Section 8.11 Capitalization.

 

(a) The authorized capital stock of Thunder Bridge consists of (i) 200,000,000 Thunder Bridge Class A Common Shares, (ii) 20,000,000 Thunder Bridge Founder Common Shares and (iii) 1,000,000 Thunder Bridge Preferred Shares, of which (A) 24,300,840 Thunder Bridge Class A Common Shares are issued and outstanding as of the date of this Agreement, (B) 5,913,196 Thunder Bridge Founder Common Shares are issued and outstanding as of the date of this Agreement and (C) no Thunder Bridge Preferred Shares are issued and outstanding as of the date of this Agreement. All of the issued and outstanding Thunder Bridge Class A Common Shares, Thunder Bridge Founder Common Shares and Thunder Bridge Preferred Shares (1) have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, (2) were issued in compliance in all material respects with applicable Law, (3) were not issued in breach or violation of any preemptive rights or Contract and (4) are fully vested and not otherwise subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture within the meaning of Section 83 of the Code, except as disclosed in the SEC Reports with respect to certain Thunder Bridge Capital Stock held by the Sponsor.

 

(b) Subject to the terms of conditions of the Warrant Agreement, the Warrants will be exercisable after giving effect to the Merger for one PubCo Ordinary Share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share. As of the date of this Agreement, 4,730,557 Public Warrants and 129,611 Private Placement Warrants are issued and outstanding. The Thunder Bridge Warrants are not exercisable until the later of (x) July 2, 2022 and (y) thirty (30) days after the Closing. All outstanding Thunder Bridge Warrants (i) have been duly authorized and validly issued and constitute valid and binding obligations of Thunder Bridge, enforceable against Thunder Bridge in accordance with their 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; (ii) have been offered, sold and issued in compliance with applicable Law, including federal and state securities Laws, and all requirements set forth in (1) Thunder Bridge’s Governing Documents and (2) any other applicable Contracts governing the issuance of such securities; and (iii) are not subject to, nor have they been issued in violation of, any purchase option, call option, right of first refusal, preemptive right, subscription right or any similar right under any provision of any applicable Law, Thunder Bridge’s Governing Documents or any Contract to which Thunder Bridge is a party or otherwise bound.

 

(c) Except for this Agreement, the Thunder Bridge Warrants 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 Thunder Bridge Capital Stock or any other equity interests of Thunder Bridge, or any other Contracts to which Thunder Bridge is a party or by which Thunder Bridge is bound obligating Thunder Bridge to issue or sell any shares of capital stock of, other equity interests in or debt securities of, Thunder Bridge, and (ii) no equity equivalents, stock appreciation rights, phantom stock ownership interests or similar rights in Thunder Bridge. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents or in the Sponsor Support Agreement, there are no outstanding contractual obligations of Thunder Bridge to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any securities or equity interests of Thunder Bridge. There are no outstanding bonds, debentures, notes or other indebtedness of Thunder Bridge having the right to vote (or convertible into, or exchangeable for, securities having the right to vote) on any matter for which Thunder Bridge’s stockholders may vote. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, Thunder Bridge is not a party to any shareholders agreement, voting agreement or registration rights agreement relating to Thunder Bridge Capital Stock or any other equity interests of Thunder Bridge. Thunder Bridge 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, restricted share, phantom equity, 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.

 

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(d) No Person and no syndicate or “group” (as defined in the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder) owns directly or indirectly beneficial ownership (as defined in the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder) of securities of Thunder Bridge representing 15% or more of the combined voting power of the issued and outstanding securities of Thunder Bridge.

 

Section 8.12 Nasdaq Listing. The issued and outstanding units of Thunder Bridge, each such unit comprised of one Thunder Bridge Common Share and one-fifth of one Thunder Bridge Warrant (a “Thunder Bridge Unit”), are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “THCPU.” The issued and outstanding Thunder Bridge Common Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “THCP.” The issued and outstanding Thunder Bridge Warrants are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “THCPW.” Thunder Bridge is in compliance with the rules of the Nasdaq Global Market and there is no Action pending or, to the knowledge of Thunder Bridge, threatened against Thunder Bridge by the Nasdaq Global Market or the SEC with respect to any intention by such entity to deregister the Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants or terminate the listing of Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants on the Nasdaq Global Market. None of Thunder Bridge or its Affiliates has taken any action in an attempt to terminate the registration of the Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants under the Exchange Act except as contemplated by this Agreement. Thunder Bridge has not received any notice from the Nasdaq Global Market or the SEC regarding the revocation of such listing or otherwise regarding the delisting of the Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants from the Nasdaq Global Market or the SEC.

 

Section 8.13 Related Party Transactions. Except as described in the SEC Reports, to Thunder Bridge’s knowledge, there are no transactions, Contracts, side letters, arrangements or understandings between Thunder Bridge, on the one hand, and any director, officer, employee, stockholder, warrant holder, Affiliate of Thunder Bridge.

 

Section 8.14 Investment Company Act. Neither Thunder Bridge nor any of its Subsidiaries is an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

Section 8.15 Interest in Competitors. Thunder Bridge does not own any interest, nor does any of its Associates (as defined under the HSR Act) or Affiliates insofar as such Affiliate-owned interests would be attributed to Thunder Bridge under the HSR Act or any other antitrust Law, in any Person that derives revenues from any lines of products, services or business within any of the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ lines of products, services or business.

 

Section 8.16 Proxy Statement and Proxy Statement/Registration Statement. When first filed pursuant to Section 14A of the Exchange Act, the Proxy Statement and the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement (or any amendment or supplement thereto), shall comply in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Exchange Act. On the date of any filing pursuant to Section 14A of the Exchange Act, the date the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement, as applicable, is first mailed to the Thunder Bridge Shareholders, and at the time of the Special Meeting, the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement, as applicable, together with any amendments or supplements thereto, will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided, however, that Thunder Bridge makes no representations or warranties as to the information contained in or omitted from the Proxy Statement or the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to Thunder Bridge by or on behalf of the Company or PubCo specifically for inclusion in the Proxy Statement or the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement.

 

Section 8.17 No Working Capital Loans. As of the date hereof, there are no Working Capital Loans outstanding.

 

Section 8.18 No Additional Representations or Warranties. Except as provided in and this Article VIII, neither Thunder Bridge nor any of its Affiliates, nor any of their respective directors, managers, officers, employees, equityholders, partners, members or Representatives has made, or is making, any representation or warranty whatsoever to the Company Parties or their Affiliates and no such party shall be liable in respect of the accuracy or completeness of any information provided to the Company Parties or their Affiliates.

 

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Article IX
COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY PARTIES

 

Section 9.01 Conduct of Business. From the date of this Agreement until the earlier of the Closing or the termination of this Agreement in accordance with its terms (the “Interim Period”), the Company shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, except as required by this Agreement, required by applicable Law, contemplated by the PubCo Reorganization, set forth in Section 9.01 of the Company Disclosure Letter or consented to in writing by Thunder Bridge (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld, delayed or denied), use its reasonable efforts to operate its business in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice (including, for the avoidance of doubt, recent past practice in light of COVID-19 Measures; provided that, any action taken, or omitted to be taken, that relates to, or arises out of, COVID-19 Measures shall be deemed to be in the ordinary course of business). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, except as required by Law, required by this Agreement, contemplated by the PubCo Reorganization, set forth in Section 9.01 of the Company Disclosure Letter or consented to in writing by Thunder Bridge (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld, delayed or denied), the Company Parties shall not, and the Company shall cause its Subsidiaries not to, during the Interim Period:

 

(a) change or amend the Governing Documents of the Company Parties, other than changes that are not, individually or in the aggregate, material or adverse to Thunder Bridge;

 

(b) (i) issue, deliver, sell, transfer, pledge, dispose of or place any Lien (other than a Permitted Lien) on any shares of capital stock or any other equity or voting securities of any of the Company Parties or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries, other than pursuant to the exercise of any Company Option, or (ii) issue, grant or agree to provide any options, warrants or other rights to purchase or obtain any shares of capital stock or any other equity or equity-based or voting securities of any of the Company Parties, except for the issuance of Company Options as provided for in any Company Benefit Plan;

 

(c) except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice or as required by any Company Benefit Plan or applicable Law, make any grant or promise of any severance or termination payment to any Person, except severance or termination payments in connection with the termination of any employee in the ordinary course of business, establish, adopt, enter into, amend in any material respect or terminate any Company Benefit Plan regarding equity-based grants or compensation, or any plan, agreement, program, policy, trust, fund or other arrangement that would be such type of Company Benefit Plan if it were in existence as of the date of this Agreement, other than to amend or replace any such Company Benefit Plan in the ordinary course of business if the cost of providing benefits thereunder is not materially increased;

 

(d) other than in connection with its obligations under Section 11.03, make any change in its customary accounting principles or methods of accounting materially affecting the reported consolidated assets, liabilities or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, other than as may be required by applicable Law, IFRS or regulatory guidelines;

 

(e) adopt or enter into a plan of complete or partial liquidation, dissolution, consolidation, restructuring, recapitalization or reorganization of the Company or its Subsidiaries;

 

(f) directly or indirectly acquire by merging or consolidating with, or by purchasing substantially all of the assets of, or by purchasing all of or a substantial equity securities in, or by any other manner, any business or any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association or other entity or Person or division thereof, in each case, that would be material to the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and other than in the ordinary course of business, which shall be deemed to include any such acquisitions for aggregate consideration that does not exceed JPY 1,200,000,000;

 

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(g) issue any debt securities, or assume, guarantee or endorse, or otherwise become responsible for, the obligations of any Person for Indebtedness in excess of an aggregate amount equivalent to JPY 120,000,000 per fiscal quarter, except, in each case, in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, and, as to Indebtedness, except as between or among the Company and its Subsidiaries;

 

(h) enter into any agreement that materially restricts the ability of the Company or its Subsidiaries to engage or compete in any line of business or enter into a new line of business, except where such restriction does not, and would not be reasonably likely to, individually or in the aggregate, materially and adversely affect, or materially disrupt, the ordinary course operation of the businesses of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

 

(i) enter into, assume, assign, partially or completely amend any material term of or terminate (excluding any expiration in accordance with its terms) any collective bargaining or similar agreement, other than as required by applicable Law;

 

(j) take any action reasonably likely to impede the Intended Income Tax Treatment;

 

(k) take or omit to take any action that would result in the condition set forth in Section 9.01(k) of the Company Disclosure Letter failing to be satisfied at the Closing; provided, that nothing in this Agreement shall restrict the Company from making dividends or distributions to its shareholders so long as the condition set forth in Section 9.01(k) of the Company Disclosure Letter is satisfied at the Closing;

 

(l) enter into, modify in any material respect or terminate any Contract that is (or would be if entered into prior to the date of this Agreement) a Material Contract or Lease, other than in the ordinary course of business or as required by Law;

 

(m) sell, assign, transfer, convey, lease, exclusively license, abandon, allow to lapse or expire, subject to or grant any Lien (other than Permitted Liens) on, or otherwise dispose of, any material assets, rights or properties (including material Owned Intellectual Property) of the Company, other than (A) equipment deemed by the Company in its reasonable business judgment to be obsolete or not worth the costs of maintaining or registering the item, (B) nonexclusive licenses granted by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business, or (C) transactions among the Company and its Subsidiaries or among its Subsidiaries;

 

(n) settle any pending or threatened Action (1) to the extent such settlement includes an agreement to accept or concede injunctive relief restricting the Company or a Subsidiary in a manner materially adverse to the Company or a Subsidiary or (2) to the extent such settlement involves a Government Authority or alleged criminal wrongdoing, in each case without first notifying Thunder Bridge of its intent to do so if such prior notification is legally permissible (as determined by the Company based on advice of counsel);

 

(o) except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, make, change or revoke any material Tax election, adopt or change (or request any Governmental Authority to change) any accounting method or accounting period with respect to Taxes, file any material amended Tax Return, settle or compromise any material Tax liability or claim for a refund of any material amount of Taxes, enter into any closing agreement or other binding written agreement with respect to any material Tax, or enter into any material Tax sharing or Tax indemnification agreement or similar agreement (excluding commercial Contracts not primarily relating to Taxes);

 

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(p) fail to maintain in full force and effect material insurance policies covering the Company and the Subsidiaries and their respective properties, assets and businesses in a form and amount consistent with past practices in a manner materially detrimental to the Company and its Subsidiaries;

 

(q) enter into any Related Party Transactions or amend in any material respect any existing Related Party Transactions (excluding (i) any ordinary course payments of annual compensation, provision of benefits or reimbursement of expenses in respect of members or stockholders who are officers or directors of the Company or its Subsidiaries in their capacity as an officer or director and (ii) any Contracts between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Monex, on the other hand, that are entered into in the ordinary course of business); or

 

(r) enter into any agreement, or otherwise become obligated, to do any action prohibited under this Section 9.01.

 

Section 9.02 Inspection. Subject to confidentiality obligations and similar restrictions that may be applicable to information furnished to the Company Parties or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries by third parties that may be in the Company Parties’ or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries’ possession from time to time, and except for any information which (x) relates to interactions with prospective buyers of the Company or the negotiation of this Agreement or the Transactions, (y) is prohibited from being disclosed by applicable Law or (z) on the advice of legal counsel of the Company Parties would result in the loss of attorney-client privilege or other privilege from disclosure, during the Interim Period the Company Parties shall, and the Company shall cause its Subsidiaries to, afford to Thunder Bridge and its Representatives reasonable access during normal business hours and with reasonable advance notice, in such manner as to not unreasonably interfere with the normal operation of the Company Parties and the Company’s Subsidiaries and so long as permissible under applicable Law, to their respective properties, assets, books, Contracts, commitments, Tax Returns, records and appropriate officers and employees of the Company Parties and the Company’s Subsidiaries, and shall use its and their reasonable efforts to furnish such Representatives with financial and operating data and other information concerning the business and affairs of the Company Parties and the Company’s Subsidiaries that are in the possession of the Company Parties and the Company’s Subsidiaries, in each case, as Thunder Bridge and its Representatives may reasonably request solely for purposes of consummating the Transactions; provided, however, that Thunder Bridge shall not be permitted to perform any environmental sampling or testing at any Leased Real Property, including sampling of soil, groundwater, surface water, building materials, or air or wastewater emissions; provided, further, however, that remote access may be provided by the Company Parties and the Company’s Subsidiaries in lieu of physical access in response to COVID-19 to the extent reasonably necessary (1) to protect the health and safety of such officers and employees or (2) in order to comply with any applicable COVID-19 Measures. The Parties shall use reasonable efforts to make alternative arrangements for such disclosure where the restrictions in the preceding sentence apply. Any request, and the provision of access or information, in each case pursuant to this Section 9.02 shall be made in a time and manner so as not to materially delay the Closing. All information obtained by Thunder Bridge and its Representatives under this Agreement shall be subject to the Confidentiality Agreement prior to the Closing.

 

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Section 9.03 No Claim Against the Trust Account. Each of the Company Parties acknowledges that it has read the Final Prospectus and other SEC Reports, the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents, and the Trust Agreement and understands that Thunder Bridge has established the Trust Account described therein for the benefit of Thunder Bridge’s public stockholders and that disbursements from the Trust Account are available only in the limited circumstances set forth in the Trust Agreement. Each of the Company Parties further acknowledges that, if the Transactions, or, in the event of a termination of this Agreement, another Business Combination, are not consummated by July 2, 2023 or such later date as approved by the stockholders of Thunder Bridge to complete a Business Combination, Thunder Bridge will be obligated to return to its stockholders the amounts being held in the Trust Account. Accordingly, each of the Company Parties (on behalf of itself and its controlled Affiliates) hereby waives any past, present or future claim of any kind against, and any right to access, the Trust Account or to collect from the Trust Account any monies that may be owed to them by Thunder Bridge 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 9.03 shall not serve to limit or prohibit any of the Company Parties or their respective controlled Affiliates’ rights to pursue a claim against Thunder Bridge or any of its Affiliates for legal relief against assets held outside the Trust Account (including from and after the consummation of a Business Combination other than as contemplated by this Agreement) or pursuant to Section 14.13 for specific performance or other injunctive relief. This Section 9.03 shall survive the termination of this Agreement for any reason.

 

Section 9.04 PubCo Shareholder Approval; Merger Sub Shareholder Approval.

 

(a) Prior to Closing, the Company shall (i) obtain and deliver to Thunder Bridge, the PubCo Shareholder Approval, (A) in the form of a written consent executed by Monex (pursuant to the Company Support Agreement) and (B) in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of PubCo’s Governing Documents and (ii) take all other action necessary or advisable to secure the PubCo Shareholder Approval.

 

(b) Prior to Closing, PubCo, as the sole shareholder of Merger Sub, shall deliver to Thunder Bridge the Merger Sub Shareholder Approval, (A) in the form of a written consent executed by PubCo (pursuant to the Company Support Agreement) and (B) in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of Merger Sub’s Governing Documents.

 

Section 9.05 Indemnification and Insurance.

 

(a) PubCo agrees that all rights provided in the Governing Documents of Thunder Bridge or in any other agreement to exculpation, indemnification and advancement of expenses for acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the Merger Effective Time, whether asserted or claimed prior to, at or after the Merger Effective Time (including in respect of any matters arising in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions) in favor of each Person who at the Merger Effective Time is, or at any time prior to the Merger Effective Time was, a director or officer of Thunder Bridge (each, a “D&O Indemnitee”) shall survive the Merger and shall continue in full force and effect for a period of not less than six (6) years from the Merger Effective Time.

 

(b) Prior to the Closing, Thunder Bridge may cause coverage to be extended under Thunder Bridge’s 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 Merger Effective Time (“D&O Tail”).

 

(c) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, this Section 9.05 shall not be terminated or modified in such a manner as to materially and adversely affect any D&O Indemnitee to whom this Section 9.05 applies without the consent of the affected D&O Indemnitee. In the event that PubCo, Thunder Bridge 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, proper provision shall be made so that the successors and assigns of PubCo or Thunder Bridge, as the case may be, shall succeed to the obligations set forth in this Section 9.05.

 

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Section 9.06 PubCo Nasdaq Listing. From the date hereof through the Closing, PubCo shall prepare and submit to the Nasdaq Global Market a listing application, if required under the Nasdaq Global Market rules, covering the PubCo Ordinary Shares and warrants to be issued in connection with the Transactions, and shall obtain approval for the listing of such PubCo Ordinary Shares and warrants, and Thunder Bridge shall reasonably cooperate with PubCo with respect to such listing.

 

Section 9.07 Incentive Equity Plan. Prior to the Closing Date, PubCo shall approve, and subject to approval of PubCo’s general meeting, adopt, a management incentive equity plan that reserves for issuance thereunder an aggregate number of PubCo Ordinary Shares equal to 7% of the outstanding PubCo Ordinary Shares immediately following the Merger Effective Time and otherwise has such terms as shall mutually be agreed by the Company and Thunder Bridge (the “Incentive Equity Plan”). As soon as practicable in accordance with applicable Law after the Merger Effective Time, PubCo shall file an effective registration statement on Form S-8 (or other applicable form) with respect to PubCo Ordinary Shares issuable under the Incentive Equity Plan, and PubCo shall use reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of such registration statement(s) (and maintain the current status of the prospectus or prospectuses contained therein) for so long as awards granted pursuant to the Incentive Equity Plan remain outstanding.

 

Section 9.08 Financial Information. In the event that Closing occurs after June 30, 2022, the Company shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to deliver to Thunder Bridge by no later than July 25, 2022, audited consolidated financial statements of the Company and its Subsidiaries (including, in each case, any related notes thereto), consisting of the audited consolidated statement of financial position of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of March 31, 2022 and the related audited consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, cash flows and changes in equity for the year then ended, each audited by a PCAOB qualified auditor in accordance with IFRS and PCAOB standards, together with the auditor’s report thereon.

 

Article X
COVENANTS OF THUNDER BRIDGE

 

Section 10.01 Conduct of Thunder Bridge During the Interim Period.

 

(a) During the Interim Period, except as set forth in Section 10.01 of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter, as required by this Agreement, as required by applicable Law (including COVID-19 Measures), or as consented to by the Company in writing (which consent shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld, delayed or denied, except, in the case of as (i), (ii), (iv), (vi) and (vii) below, as to which the Company’s consent may be granted or withheld in its sole discretion), Thunder Bridge shall not, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries not to:

 

(i) change, modify, supplement, restate or amend the Trust Agreement or the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents;

 

(ii) (A) declare, set aside or pay any dividends on, or make any other distribution in respect of any outstanding capital stock of, or other equity interests in, Thunder Bridge; (B) split, combine or reclassify any capital stock of, or other equity interests in, Thunder Bridge; or (C) other than in connection with the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption or as otherwise required by Thunder Bridge’s Organizational Documents in order to consummate the Transactions, repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, or offer to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, any capital stock of, or other equity interests in, Thunder Bridge;

 

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(iii) except in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, make, change or revoke any Tax election, adopt or change (or request any Governmental Authority to change) any accounting method or accounting period with respect to Taxes, file any amended Tax Return, settle or compromise any Tax liability or claim for a refund of any amount of Taxes, enter into any closing agreement or other binding written agreement with respect to any Tax, or enter into any Tax sharing or Tax indemnification agreement or similar agreement (excluding commercial Contracts not primarily relating to Taxes);

 

(iv) enter into, renew, modify, supplement or amend any transaction or Contract with an Affiliate of Thunder Bridge (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Sponsor, and, where applicable, (x) anyone related by blood, marriage or adoption to the Sponsor or (y) any Person in which the Sponsor has a direct or indirect legal, contractual or beneficial ownership interest of 5% or greater), other than Working Capital Loans;

 

(v) waive, release, compromise, settle or satisfy any pending or threatened Action or compromise or settle any liability;

 

(vi) incur, guarantee or otherwise become liable for (whether directly, contingently or otherwise) any Indebtedness, other than Working Capital Loans not exceeding $1,500,000 in the aggregate;

 

(vii) (A) offer, issue, deliver, grant or sell, or authorize or propose to offer, issue, deliver, grant or sell, any capital stock of, other equity interests, equity equivalents, stock appreciation rights, phantom stock ownership interests or similar rights in, Thunder Bridge or any of its Subsidiaries or any securities convertible into, or any rights, warrants or options to acquire, any such capital stock or equity interests, other than (x) issuance of Thunder Bridge Common Shares in connection with the exercise of any Thunder Bridge Warrants outstanding on the date hereof or (y) issuance of Thunder Bridge Common Shares at not less than $10 per share on the terms set forth in the Subscription Agreements or (B) amend, modify or waive any of the terms or rights set forth in, any Thunder Bridge Warrant or the Warrant Agreement, including any amendment, modification or reduction of the warrant price set forth therein; or

 

(viii) enter into any agreement, or otherwise become obligated, to take any action prohibited under this Section 10.01.

 

(b) During the Interim Period, Thunder Bridge shall, and shall cause its Affiliates, including Sponsor, to comply with, and continue performing under, as applicable, the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents, the Trust Agreement, the Transaction Documents and all other agreements or Contracts to which Thunder Bridge or its Subsidiaries may be a party.

 

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Section 10.02 Inspection. Subject to confidentiality obligations and similar restrictions that may be applicable to information furnished to Thunder Bridge or its Subsidiaries by third parties that may be in Thunder Bridge’s or its Subsidiaries’ possession from time to time, and except for any information which on the advice of legal counsel of Thunder Bridge would result in the loss of attorney-client privilege or other privilege from disclosure, Thunder Bridge shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, afford to the Company Parties, their Affiliates and their respective Representatives reasonable access during the Interim Period, during normal business hours and with reasonable advance notice, in such manner as to not unreasonably interfere with the normal operations of Thunder Bridge and its Subsidiaries and so long as permissible under applicable Law to their respective properties and assets, books, Contracts, commitments, Tax Returns, records and appropriate officers and employees of Thunder Bridge and its Subsidiaries, and shall use its and their reasonable efforts to furnish such Representatives with all financial and operating data and other information concerning the business and affairs of Thunder Bridge and its Subsidiaries that are in the possession of Thunder Bridge or its Subsidiaries, in each case as the Company Parties and their Representatives may reasonably request solely for purposes of consummating the Transactions; provided, however, that remote access may be provided by Thunder Bridge lieu of physical access in response to COVID-19 to the extent reasonably necessary (a) to protect the health and safety of such officers and employees or (b) in order to comply with any applicable COVID-19 Measures. The Parties shall use reasonable efforts to make alternative arrangements for such disclosure where the restrictions in the preceding sentence apply. Any request, and the provision of access or information, in each case pursuant to this Section 10.02, shall be made in a time and manner so as not to materially delay the Closing. All information obtained by the Company Parties, their Affiliates and their respective Representatives under this Agreement shall be subject to the Confidentiality Agreement prior to the Merger Effective Time.

 

Section 10.03 Thunder Bridge Nasdaq Listing. From the date hereof until the Closing, Thunder Bridge shall use reasonable efforts to ensure Thunder Bridge remains listed as a public company on, and for shares of Thunder Bridge Common Shares and Thunder Bridge Warrants (but, in the case of Thunder Bridge Warrants, only to the extent issued as of the date hereof) to be listed on, the Nasdaq Global Market.

 

Section 10.04 Thunder Bridge Public Filings. From the date hereof through the effective date of the Registration Statement, Thunder Bridge shall use reasonable efforts to 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.

 

Section 10.05 Section 16 Matters. Prior to the Merger Effective Time, Thunder Bridge shall take all reasonable steps as may be required (to the extent permitted under applicable Law) to cause any acquisition or disposition of the Thunder Bridge Common Shares or any derivative thereof that occurs or is deemed to occur by reason of or pursuant to the Transactions by each Person who is or will be or may be subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act with respect to Thunder Bridge to be exempt under Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, including by taking steps in accordance with the No-Action Letter, dated January 12, 1999, issued by the SEC regarding such matters.

 

Section 10.06 Qualification as an Emerging Growth Company. Thunder Bridge shall, at all times during the period from the date hereof until the Closing: (a) take all actions necessary to continue to qualify as an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (“JOBS Act”) and (b) not take any action that would cause Thunder Bridge to not qualify as an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the JOBS Act.

 

Section 10.07 Shareholder Litigation. In the event that any litigation related to this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents or any or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby is brought, or, to the knowledge of Thunder Bridge, threatened in writing, against Thunder Bridge or the Board of Directors of Thunder Bridge by any Thunder Bridge Shareholders prior to the Closing, Thunder Bridge shall promptly notify the Company of any such litigation and keep the Company reasonably informed with respect to the status thereof. Thunder Bridge shall provide the Company the opportunity to participate in (subject to a customary joint defense agreement), but not control, the defense of any such litigation, shall give good faith consideration to the Company’s advice with respect to such litigation and shall not settle any such litigation without prior written consent of the Company.

 

Section 10.08 FIRPTA. On or before the Closing Date, Thunder Bridge shall provide PubCo with a duly executed certificate meeting the requirements of Treasury Regulations Section 1.1445-2(c)(3).

 

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Article XI
JOINT COVENANTS

 

Section 11.01 FEFTA and Approvals.

 

(a) The Parties shall make all filings required by the antitrust, competition, and foreign investment Laws, including advance notification with the Minister of Finance of Japan and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan and any other filings required under FEFTA, as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement. The Parties shall notify the Governmental Authorities set forth on Section 11.01 of the Company Disclosure Letter of the Transactions and consult with such Governmental Authorities to confirm that no relevant Governmental Authorities oppose the Transactions, as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of this Agreement. Except as may be restricted by applicable Law, (i) the Parties shall cooperate with each other with respect to the obtaining of information needed for the preparation of the advance notification required to be filed pursuant to FEFTA and any other filings required to be filed pursuant to the applicable Law of any other jurisdiction by any of the Parties in connection with the Transactions, (ii) the Parties shall use reasonable best efforts and shall cooperate in responding to any written or oral requests from Governmental Authorities for additional information or documentary evidence, and (iii) the Parties shall, at the earliest practicable date, (x) comply with any formal or informal request for additional information or documentary material from Governmental Authorities, and (y) cooperate and shall provide notice and opportunity to consult regarding all meetings with Governmental Authorities, whether in person or telephonic, and regarding all written communications with Governmental Authorities, in each case in connection with the Transactions. The Parties agree to request shortening of the waiting period prescribed by the FEFTA. Subject to applicable Law, each Party shall promptly notify the other Parties hereto of any written communication made to or received by a Party, as the case may be, from any Governmental Authority regarding any of the Transactions, and, subject to applicable Law, permit the other Parties to review in advance any proposed written communication to any such Governmental Authority and incorporate the other Parties’ reasonable comments, not agree to participate in any substantive meeting or discussion with any such Governmental Authority in respect of any filing, investigation or inquiry concerning this Agreement or the Transactions unless, to the extent reasonably practicable, it consults with the other Parties in advance and, to the extent permitted by such Governmental Authority, gives the other parties the opportunity to attend, and furnish the other parties with copies of all correspondence, filings and written communications between them and their Affiliates and their respective Representatives, on one hand, and any such Governmental Authority or its respective staff on the other hand, with respect to this Agreement and the Transactions.

 

(b) Each Party shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, cooperate in good faith with each Governmental Authority and take promptly any and all reasonable action required to complete lawfully the Transactions as soon as practicable (but in any event prior to the Termination Date). In furtherance and not in limitation of the foregoing, the Parties shall, and shall cause their respective controlled Affiliates to take any and all action necessary or advisable to avoid, prevent, eliminate or remove the actual or threatened commencement of any proceeding in any forum by or on behalf of any Governmental Authority or the issuance of any Governmental Order that would (or to obtain the agreement or consent of any Governmental Authority to the Transactions the absence of which would) delay, enjoin, prevent, restrain or otherwise prohibit the consummation of the Transactions, including (i) proffering and consenting or agreeing to a Governmental Order or other agreement providing for (A) the licensing or other limitations or restrictions on, particular assets, or categories of assets of any Party or (B) the amendment or assignment of existing relationships and contractual rights and obligations of such Party and (ii) promptly effecting the licensing or holding separate of assets or lines of business or the amendment or assignment of existing relationships and contractual rights, in each case, of such Party, at such time as may be necessary to permit the lawful consummating of the Transactions on or prior to the Termination Date. In the event any Action is instituted (or threatened to be instituted) by a Governmental Authority or private Person challenging the Transactions, the Parties shall, and shall cause their respective Representatives to, cooperate in all reasonable respects with each other. Such Party shall use its reasonable best efforts to contest and resist any such Action and to have vacated, lifted, reversed or overturned any Governmental Order, whether temporary, preliminary or permanent, that is in effect and that prohibits, prevents or restricts consummation of the Transactions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 11.01, nothing in this Section 11.01 or elsewhere in this Agreement shall require or obligate Monex or the Company, and Thunder Bridge and the Company shall not, without prior written consent of Monex, agree, propose, commit to, or effect, or otherwise be required, by consent decree, hold separate, or otherwise, any sale, divestiture, hold separate, or any other action otherwise limiting the freedom of action in any respect with respect to any businesses, products, rights, services, licenses, assets, or interest therein, of (i) Monex or any Affiliate or (ii) the Company or any its Affiliates or subsidiaries, or any interests therein.

 

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Section 11.02 Support of Transaction. Without limiting any covenant contained in Article IX or Article X, including the obligations of each Party with respect to the notifications, filings, reaffirmations and applications described in Section 11.01, which obligations shall control to the extent of any conflict with the succeeding provisions of this Section 11.02, each Party shall, and shall each cause its respective Subsidiaries to: (a) use 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 reasonable efforts to obtain all material consents and approvals of third parties that any of the Parties or their respective Affiliates are required to obtain in order to consummate the Transactions; provided, that, to the extent agreed to by Thunder Bridge, the Company shall not be required to seek any such required consents or approvals of third-party counterparties to Material Contracts with the Company or its Subsidiaries, and (c) take such other action as may reasonably be necessary or as another Party may reasonably request to satisfy the conditions of the other Party set forth in Article XII or otherwise to comply with this Agreement and to consummate the Transactions as soon as practicable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall any Party or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries be obligated to bear any material expense or pay any material fee or grant any material concession in connection with obtaining any consents, authorizations or approvals pursuant to the terms of any Contract to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or otherwise required in connection with the consummation of the Transactions.

 

Section 11.03 Proxy Statement/Registration Statement; Thunder Bridge Special Meeting.

 

(a) Registration Statement and Prospectus.

 

(i) As promptly as reasonably practicable following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (x) PubCo, Thunder Bridge and the Company shall, in accordance with this Section 11.03(a), jointly prepare and PubCo and Thunder Bridge, as applicable, shall file with the SEC, mutually acceptable materials which shall include the proxy statement to be filed with the SEC as part of the Registration Statement and sent to the Thunder Bridge Shareholders relating to the Special Meeting (such proxy statement, together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Proxy Statement”) and (y) PubCo and the Company shall prepare (with Thunder Bridge’s reasonable cooperation, and Thunder Bridge shall cause its Representatives to cooperate) and file with the SEC the Registration Statement, in which the Proxy Statement will be included as a prospectus (the “Proxy Statement/Registration Statement”), in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of the PubCo Ordinary Shares that constitute the Closing Thunder Bridge Share Consideration (the “Registration Statement Securities”). Each of PubCo, Thunder Bridge and the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to cause the Proxy Statement/Registration 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 Transactions. PubCo and the Company also agree to use their reasonable efforts to obtain all necessary state Securities Law or “Blue Sky” Permits required to carry out the Transactions, and Thunder Bridge shall furnish all information concerning Thunder Bridge or the Sponsor as may be reasonably requested in connection with any such action. Each of PubCo, Thunder Bridge and the Company agrees to furnish to each other Party all information concerning itself, its Subsidiaries, officers, directors, managers, stockholders, and other equityholders and information regarding such other matters as may be reasonably necessary or advisable or as may be reasonably requested in connection with the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement, a Current Report on Form 8-K pursuant to the Exchange Act in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or any other statement, filing, notice or application made by or on behalf of PubCo, Thunder Bridge, the Company or their respective Subsidiaries to any regulatory authority (including the Nasdaq Global Market) in connection with the Merger and the other Transactions (the “Offer Documents”). Thunder Bridge will cause the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement to be mailed to the Thunder Bridge Shareholders in each case promptly after the Registration Statement is declared effective under the Securities Act.

 

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(ii) To the extent not prohibited by Law, PubCo will advise Thunder Bridge, reasonably promptly after PubCo receives notice thereof, of the time when the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement has become effective or any supplement or amendment has been filed, of the issuance of any stop order or the suspension of the qualification of the PubCo Ordinary Shares for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the initiation or written threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the SEC for the amendment or supplement of the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement or for additional information. To the extent not prohibited by Law, Thunder Bridge and its counsel shall be given a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement and any Offer Document each time before any such document is filed with the SEC, and PubCo shall give reasonable and good faith consideration to and reflect any comments made by Thunder Bridge and its counsel. To the extent not prohibited by Law, PubCo shall provide Thunder Bridge and its counsel with (A) any comments or other communications, whether written or oral, that PubCo or its counsel may receive from time to time from the SEC or its staff with respect to the Proxy Statement/Registration Statement or Offer Documents promptly after receipt of those comments or other communications and (B) a reasonable opportunity to participate in the response of PubCo to those comments and to provide comments on that response (to which reasonable and good faith consideration shall be given), including by participating in any discussions or meetings with the SEC.

 

(iii) Each of PubCo, Thunder Bridge and the Company shall ensure that none of the information supplied by it or on its behalf for inclusion or incorporation by reference in (A) the Registration Statement will, at the time the Registration Statement is filed with the SEC, at each time at which it is amended and at the time it becomes effective under the Securities Act, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, not misleading or (B) the Proxy Statement will, at the date it is first mailed to the Thunder Bridge Shareholders and at the time of the Special Meeting, 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 are made, not misleading.

 

(iv) If at any time prior to the Merger Effective Time any information relating to PubCo, the Company, Thunder Bridge or any of their respective Subsidiaries, Affiliates, directors or officers is discovered by PubCo, the Company or Thunder Bridge, which is required to be set forth in an amendment or supplement to the Proxy Statement or the Registration Statement, so that neither of such documents would include any misstatement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, with respect to the Proxy Statement, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, the party which discovers such information shall promptly notify the other parties and an appropriate amendment or supplement describing such information shall be promptly filed with the SEC and, to the extent required by Law, disseminated to the Thunder Bridge Shareholders.

 

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(v) Thunder Bridge Special Meeting. Thunder Bridge shall, prior to or (if impracticable to do so prior to such effectiveness) as promptly as practicable after the Registration Statement is declared effective under the Securities Act, establish a record date (which date shall be mutually agreed with the Company, acting reasonably) for, and, as promptly as practicable after such effectiveness, give notice of and duly call a meeting of the Thunder Bridge Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”), which meeting shall be held not more than thirty (30) days after the date on which the Registration Statement is declared effective (or such longer period to which the Company may consent), for the purpose of, among other things: (A) providing Thunder Bridge Shareholders with the opportunity to redeem shares of Thunder Bridge Common Shares by tendering such shares for redemption not later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the date that is two (2) Business Days prior to the date of the Special Meeting (the “Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption”) and (B) soliciting proxies from holders of Thunder Bridge Common Shares to vote at the Special Meeting, as adjourned or postponed, in favor of: (1) the adoption of this Agreement and approval of the Transactions (including the Merger); (2) any other proposals as either the SEC or the Nasdaq Global Market (or the respective staff members thereof) may indicate are necessary in its comments to the Registration Statement or in correspondence related thereto, or any other proposals the Parties agree are necessary or desirable to consummate the Transactions; (3) adoption and approval of any other proposals as reasonably agreed by Thunder Bridge and the Company to be necessary or appropriate in connection with the Transactions; and (4) the 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 (collectively, the “Thunder Bridge Shareholder Matters”). Thunder Bridge shall include the Thunder Bridge Board Recommendation in the Proxy Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at any time prior to, but not after, obtaining approval of the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Matters the board of directors of Thunder Bridge determines that a Material Adverse Effect has occurred, the board of directors of Thunder Bridge may change, withdraw, withhold, qualify or modify, or publicly propose to change, withdraw, withhold, qualify or modify, the Thunder Bridge Board Recommendation to the extent required, upon advice of external counsel, in order to comply with fiduciary duties under applicable Law (together with any change, withdrawal, withholding, qualification or modification of its recommendation to the Thunder Bridge Shareholders described in the Recitals hereto, a “Change in Recommendation”). To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, (A) Thunder Bridge agrees that its obligation to establish a record date for, duly call, give notice of, convene and hold the Special Meeting for the purpose of seeking the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval shall not be affected by any Change in Recommendation or other intervening event or circumstance, (B) Thunder Bridge agrees to establish a record date for, duly call, give notice of, convene and hold the Special Meeting and submit for the approval the Thunder Bridge Shareholders the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Matters, in each case in accordance with this Agreement, regardless of any Change in Recommendation or other intervening event or circumstance, and (C) Thunder Bridge agrees that if the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval shall not have been obtained at any such Special Meeting, then Thunder Bridge shall promptly continue to take all such reasonable and necessary actions, including the actions required by this Section 11.03(a)(v), and hold additional Special Meetings in order to obtain such approval. Thunder Bridge may only postpone or adjourn the Special Meeting (and, in the case of the following clauses (ii) and (iii), at the request of the Company, shall postpone or adjourn): (i) to ensure that any supplement or amendment to the Proxy Statement that the board of directors of Thunder Bridge has determined in good faith after consultation with outside legal counsel is required by applicable Law is disclosed to Thunder Bridge Shareholders and for such supplement or amendment to be promptly disseminated to Thunder Bridge Shareholders prior to the Special Meeting; (ii) if, as of the time for which the Special Meeting is originally scheduled (as set forth in the Proxy Statement), there are insufficient Thunder Bridge Common Shares represented (either in person or by proxy) to constitute a quorum necessary to conduct the business to be conducted at the Special Meeting; (iii) in order to solicit additional proxies from stockholders for purposes of obtaining the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval; or (iv) only with the prior written consent of the Company, for purposes of satisfying the condition set forth in Section 12.03(c) hereof; provided, that, notwithstanding any longer adjournment or postponement period specified at the beginning of this sentence, in the event of any such postponement or adjournment, the Special Meeting shall be reconvened as promptly as practicable following such time as the matters described in such clauses have been resolved.

 

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Section 11.04 Exclusivity.

 

(a) During the Interim Period, the Company Parties shall not take, and it shall direct their Affiliates and Representatives not to take, whether directly or indirectly, any action to (i) solicit, initiate, continue or engage in discussions or negotiations with, or enter into any agreement with, or knowingly encourage, respond to, or provide information to, any Person (other than Thunder Bridge or any of its Affiliates or Representatives) concerning any merger, recapitalization or similar business combination transaction, or any sale of substantially all of the assets involving the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (each such acquisition transaction, but excluding the Transactions, an “Acquisition Transaction”) or (ii) commence, continue or renew any due diligence investigation regarding, or that is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, any offer, inquiry, proposal or indication of interest, written or oral, with respect to, or which is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, an Acquisition Transaction; provided, that, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the consummation of the Transactions shall not be deemed a violation of this Section 11.04(a). The Company Parties shall, and shall direct their Affiliates and Representatives to, immediately cease any and all existing discussions or negotiations with any Person conducted prior to the date hereof with respect to, or which is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, an Acquisition Transaction.

 

(b) During the Interim Period, Thunder Bridge shall not take, nor shall it permit any of its Affiliates or Representatives to take, whether directly or indirectly, any action to solicit, initiate, continue or engage in discussions or negotiations with, or enter into any agreement with, or encourage, respond to, provide information to or commence due diligence with respect to, any Person (other than the Company Parties, their shareholders or any of their Affiliates or Representatives), concerning, relating to or which is intended or is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, any offer, inquiry, proposal or indication of interest, written or oral relating to any Business Combination (a “Business Combination Proposal”) other than with the Company Parties, their shareholders and their respective Affiliates and Representatives; provided, that, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents and the consummation of the Transactions shall not be deemed a violation of this Section 11.04(b). Thunder Bridge shall, and shall direct its Representatives to, immediately cease any and all existing discussions or negotiations with any Person conducted prior to the date hereof with respect to, or which is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, a Business Combination Proposal.

 

Section 11.05 Third Party Financing. In the event that the Company Parties and Thunder Bridge agree to raise third party financing for purposes of consummating the Transactions, Thunder Bridge and the Company Parties shall, and shall cause their respective Representatives to, cooperate with each other and their respective Representatives in connection with raising such third party financing (including having the Company’s senior management participate in investor meetings and roadshows as reasonably requested by Thunder Bridge, and the preparation of materials reasonably necessary in connection therewith), and keep each other and their respective Representatives informed of the status of any and all discussions pertaining to any such third party financing. The terms and conditions of any agreement relating to such third party financing shall (i) be subject to the prior written approval of the Company and Thunder Bridge, (ii) provide that such third party financing is subject only to customary closing conditions and (iii) provide that the Company will be a third-party beneficiary of, and entitled to enforce, such agreements.

 

Section 11.06 Tax Matters.

 

(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Thunder Bridge shall pay all transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration, value-added or other similar Taxes incurred in connection with the Transactions (collectively “Transfer Taxes”). Thunder Bridge shall, at its own expense, file all necessary Tax Returns with respect to all such Taxes, and, if required by applicable Law, the applicable Parties will join in the execution of any such Tax Returns.

 

(b) The Parties will prepare and file all Tax Returns consistent with the Intended Income Tax Treatment and will not take any inconsistent position on any Tax Return or during the course of any audit, litigation or other proceeding with respect to Taxes, except as otherwise required by a change in applicable Law after the date hereof or a final “determination” within the meaning of Section 1313(a)(1) of the Code. Each of the Parties agrees to (x) promptly notify all other Parties of any challenge to the Intended Income Tax Treatment by any Governmental Authority, and (y) cooperate with each other and their respective counsel to document and provide factual support for the Intended Income Tax Treatment, including by reasonably cooperating to provide factual support letters.

 

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(c) No Party shall take or cause to be taken any action, or fail to take or cause to be failed to be taken any action, which action or failure to act would reasonably be expected to prevent the Transactions from so qualifying for the Intended Income Tax Treatment. Both prior to and following the Merger Effective Time, each of the Parties shall, and shall cause their respective Subsidiaries and Affiliates to, use their reasonable best efforts to cause the Merger to qualify for the Intended Income Tax Treatment.

 

(d) The Company Parties and Thunder Bridge hereby adopt this Agreement as a “plan of reorganization” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a).

 

Section 11.07 Confidentiality; Publicity.

 

(a) Thunder Bridge acknowledges that the information being provided to it in connection with this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby is subject to the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference. The Confidentiality Agreement shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and shall apply to all information furnished thereunder or hereunder and any other activities contemplated hereby and thereby. The Company acknowledges that, in connection with any third party financing for purposes of consummating the Transactions, Thunder Bridge shall be entitled to disclose, pursuant to the Exchange Act, any information contained in any presentation to prospective investors, which information may include Evaluation Material (as defined in the Confidentiality Agreement); provided, that, Thunder Bridge provides the Company with a reasonable opportunity to review and provide comments to such presentation and the Company consents to the contents thereof (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).

 

(b) The Parties shall reasonably cooperate to create and implement a communications plan regarding the Transactions promptly following the date hereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of the Parties or any of their respective Affiliates shall make any public announcement or issue any public communication regarding this Agreement or the Transactions, or any matter related to the foregoing, without first obtaining the prior consent of the Company or Thunder Bridge, as applicable (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), except (i) if such announcement or other communication is required by applicable Law or legal process (including pursuant to the Securities Laws or the rules of any national securities exchange), in which case such Party, as applicable, shall use its reasonable efforts to obtain such consent with respect to such announcement or communication with the relevant Party, prior to announcement or issuance; and (ii) subject to this Section 11.07, each Party and its Affiliates may make announcements regarding the status and terms (including price terms) of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby to their respective directors, officers, employees, direct and indirect current or prospective limited partners and investors or otherwise in the ordinary course of their respective businesses, in each case, so long as such recipients are obligated to keep such information confidential, without the consent of any other Party; and provided, further, that subject to Section 9.02 and this Section 11.07, the foregoing shall not prohibit any Party from communicating with third parties to the extent necessary for the purpose of seeking any third party consent; provided, further, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing in this Section 11.07(b) (a) public announcements and communications that are consistent with public announcements and communications previously approved pursuant to this Section 11.07(b) shall not require approval by either Party, and (b) subject to compliance with Section 11.07(a), communications by the Company with its customers, employees and other existing or prospective business relationships will not be considered public announcements or communications for purposes of this Section 11.07(b); provided, further, that notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 11.07(b), nothing herein shall modify or affect Thunder Bridge’s obligations pursuant to Section 11.03.

 

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(c) The initial press release concerning this Agreement and the Transactions shall be a joint press release in the form mutually agreed by the Company and Thunder Bridge prior to the execution of this Agreement, and such initial press release shall be released as promptly as practicable after the execution of this Agreement.

 

Section 11.08 PubCo Board of Directors and Committees. The Parties shall take all actions necessary to ensure that immediately following the Closing, the PubCo board of directors will consist of nine (9) individuals, two (2) of which will be appointed upon a nomination by Sponsor, five (5) of which shall be appointed upon a nomination by Monex, and two (2) of which shall be mutually agreed to by the Sponsor and Monex. At least three (3) of the members of the board of directors shall qualify as independent under Nasdaq requirements and PubCo shall strive for the majority of the non-executive directors on its board to qualify as independent directors under the Dutch Corporate Governance Code. The PubCo board of directors will decide board committee memberships. At or prior to the Closing, PubCo will provide each director of PubCo with a customary director indemnification agreement, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to such director, acting reasonably.

 

Section 11.09 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.

 

Article XII
CONDITIONS TO OBLIGATIONS

 

Section 12.01 Conditions to Obligations of All Parties. The obligations of the Parties to consummate, or cause to be consummated, the Transactions are subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions, any one or more of which may be waived (if legally permitted) in writing by the Company, on behalf of the Company Parties, and Thunder Bridge:

 

(a) Governmental Approvals. The applicable waiting period(s) under FEFTA in respect of the Transactions (and any extension thereof, or any timing agreements, understandings or commitments obtained by request or other action of a Governmental Authority) shall have expired or been terminated. No Governmental Authority having the power to regulate the Company shall have opposed, and failed to withdraw its opposition to, the Transactions.

 

(b) No Prohibition. There shall not be in force any Governmental Order enjoining or prohibiting the consummation of the Transactions.

 

(c) Net Tangible Assets. Thunder Bridge shall have at least $5,000,001 of net tangible assets (as determined in accordance with Rule 3a51-1(g)(1) of the Exchange Act) remaining after the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Redemption and receipt of any Sponsor Investment proceeds and proceeds from any third party financing.

 

(d) Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval. The Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval shall have been duly obtained in accordance with the DGCL, the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents and the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Global Market.

 

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(e) PubCo Shareholder Approval. The PubCo Shareholder Approval shall have been duly obtained in accordance with the applicable Law and PubCo’s Governing Documents.

 

(f) Merger Sub Shareholder Approval. The Merger Sub Shareholder Approval shall have been duly obtained in accordance with the DGCL and Merger Sub’s Governing Documents.

 

(g) 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.

 

(h) Listing Approval. The PubCo Ordinary Shares to be issued in connection with the Merger and the other Transactions shall have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Global Market.

 

(i) PubCo Reorganization. The PubCo Reorganization shall have been consummated.

 

Section 12.02 Additional Conditions to Obligations of Thunder Bridge. The obligations of Thunder Bridge to consummate, or cause to be consummated, the Transactions are subject to the satisfaction of the following additional conditions, any one or more of which may be waived in writing by Thunder Bridge:

 

(a) Representations and Warranties.

 

(i) The representations and warranties of PubCo contained in the first through fourth sentences of Section 6.01 (Corporate Organization of PubCo, HoldCo and Merger Sub), and Section 6.02 (Due Authorization), and the representations and warranties of Company contained in the first and second sentences of Section 7.01 (Corporate Organization of the Company), and Section 7.03 (Due Authorization) (collectively, the “Specified Representations”) 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) in all material respects as of the Closing Date as though then made (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, and in such case, shall be true and correct on and as of such earlier date).

 

(ii) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 6.05 (Current Capitalization), Section 7.06 (Current Capitalization), and Section 7.22 (Absence of Changes) shall be true and correct in all respects as of the Closing Date.

 

(iii) The representations and warranties of the Company contained in Article VII (other than the Specified Representations and the representations and warranties of the Company contained in Section 7.22), 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 then made (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, and in such case, shall be true and correct on and as of such earlier date), except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, has not had, and would not reasonably be expected to imminently result in, a Material Adverse Effect.

 

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(b) Agreements and Covenants. The covenants and agreements of the Company in this Agreement to be performed as of or prior to the Closing shall have been performed in all material respects.

 

(c) Officer’s Certificate. The Company shall have delivered to Thunder Bridge 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 12.02(a) and Section 12.02(b) have been fulfilled.

 

(d) Lock-up Agreements. Thunder Bridge shall have received duly executed Lock-up Agreements from each of the Company Shareholders other than Monex.

 

Section 12.03 Additional Conditions to the Obligations of the Company Parties. The obligation of the Company Parties to consummate or cause to be consummated the Transactions is subject to the satisfaction of the following additional conditions, any one or more of which may be waived in writing by the Company, on behalf of the Company Parties:

 

(a) Representations and Warranties.

 

(i) The representations and warranties of Thunder Bridge contained in the first and second sentences of Section 8.01 (Corporate Organization), and Section 8.02 (Due Authorization) (collectively, the “Thunder Bridge Specified Representations”) shall be true and correct (without giving any effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein) in all material respects as of the Closing Date as though then made (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, and in such case, shall be true and correct on and as of such earlier date).

 

(ii) The representations and warranties of Thunder Bridge contained in Section 8.09(e) (Business Activities) and Section 8.11 (Capitalization) shall be true and correct in all respects as of the Closing Date.

 

(iii) The representations and warranties of Thunder Bridge contained in Article VIII (other than the Thunder Bridge Specified Representations and the representations and warranties of Thunder Bridge contained in Section 8.09(e)), shall be true and correct (without giving any effect to any limitation as to “materiality” or “Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect” or any similar limitation set forth therein) as of the Closing Date as though then made (except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, and in such case, shall be true and correct on and as of such earlier date), except where the failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct, individually or in the aggregate, has not had, and would not reasonably be expected to imminently result in, a Thunder Bridge Material Adverse Effect.

 

(b) Agreements and Covenants. The covenants and agreements of Thunder Bridge in this Agreement to be performed as of or prior to the Closing shall have been performed in all material respects.

 

(c) Available Closing Thunder Bridge Cash. The Available Closing Thunder Bridge Cash shall not be less than one hundred million U.S. dollars ($100,000,000).

 

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(d) Officer’s Certificate. Thunder Bridge shall have delivered to the Company a certificate signed by an officer of Thunder Bridge, dated the Closing Date, certifying that, to the knowledge and belief of such officer, the conditions specified in Section 12.03(a), Section 12.03(b) and Section 12.03(c) have been fulfilled.

 

Section 12.04 Frustration of Conditions. None of Thunder Bridge or the Company Parties may rely on the failure of any condition set forth in this Article XII to be satisfied if such failure was caused by such Party’s failure to act in good faith or to take such actions as may be necessary to cause the conditions of the other Party to be satisfied, as required by Section 11.01.

 

Article XIII
TERMINATION/EFFECTIVENESS

 

Section 13.01 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated and the Transactions abandoned:

 

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

 

(b) prior to the Closing, by written notice to the Company from Thunder Bridge if (i) there is any breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement set forth in this Agreement on the part of a Company Party, such that the conditions specified in Section 12.02(a) or Section 12.02(b) would not be satisfied at the Closing (a “Terminating Company Breach”), except that, if such Terminating Company Breach is curable by a Company Party through the exercise of its reasonable efforts, then, for a period of up to thirty (30) days (or any shorter period of the time that remains between the date Thunder Bridge provides written notice of such violation or breach and the Termination Date) after receipt by the Company of notice from Thunder Bridge of such breach, but only as long as a Company Party continues to use its 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 July 2, 2023 (the “Termination Date”); or (iii) the consummation of the Merger is permanently enjoined, prohibited or prevented by the terms of a final, non-appealable Governmental Order; provided, that, the right to terminate this Agreement under subsection (i) or (ii) shall not be available if Thunder Bridge’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;

 

(c) prior to the Closing, by written notice to Thunder Bridge from the Company if (i) there is any breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement on the part of Thunder Bridge set forth in this Agreement, such that the conditions specified in Section 12.03(a) or Section 12.03(b) would not be satisfied at the Closing (a “Terminating Thunder Bridge Breach”), except that, if any such Terminating Thunder Bridge Breach is curable by Thunder Bridge through the exercise of its reasonable efforts, then, for a period of up to 30 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 Thunder Bridge of notice from the Company of such breach, but only as long as Thunder Bridge continues to exercise such reasonable efforts to cure such Terminating Thunder Bridge Breach (the “Thunder Bridge Cure Period”), such termination shall not be effective, and such termination shall become effective only if the Terminating Thunder Bridge Breach is not cured within the Thunder Bridge Cure Period, (ii) the Closing has not occurred on or before the Termination Date, or (iii) the consummation of the Merger is permanently enjoined, prohibited or prevented by the terms of a final, non-appealable Governmental Order; provided, that the right to terminate this Agreement under subsection (i) or (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;

 

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(d) by written notice from the Company to Thunder Bridge if the Special Meeting has been held, Thunder Bridge Shareholders have duly voted, and the Thunder Bridge Shareholder Approval has not been obtained (subject to any adjournment, postponement or recess of the meeting); or

 

(e) by written notice from the Company or Thunder Bridge, on the one hand, to Thunder Bridge or the Company, respectively, on the other hand, if the Closing has not occurred on or before the ninetieth (90th) day after the date on which the Registration Statement is declared effective and the condition set forth in Section 12.03(c) shall have not been satisfied as of such date, but all of the other conditions to the Closing set forth in Article XII, other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied by actions taken at the Closing and, if applicable, any of the conditions set forth in Section 12.01(c) and Section 12.01(d), have been satisfied or validly waived on or before such date.

 

Section 13.02 Effect of Termination. Except as otherwise set forth in this Section 13.02 or Section 14.13, in the event of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 13.01, this Agreement shall forthwith become void and have no effect, without any liability on the part of any Party or its respective Affiliates, officers, directors, employees or stockholders, other than liability of any Party for any Fraud or intentional and willful breach of this Agreement by such Party occurring prior to such termination. The provisions of Section 9.03 (No Claim Against the Trust Account), Section 11.07 (Confidentiality; Publicity), this Section 13.02 (Effect of Termination) and Article XIV (Miscellaneous) (collectively, the “Surviving Provisions”) and the Confidentiality Agreement, and any other Section or Article of this Agreement referenced in the Surviving Provisions which are required to survive in order to give appropriate effect to the Surviving Provisions, shall in each case survive any termination of this Agreement.

 

Article XIV
MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 14.01 Waiver. Any Party may, at any time prior to the Closing, by action taken by its board of directors or equivalent governing body, or officers thereunto duly authorized, waive in writing any of its rights or conditions in its favor under this Agreement or agree to an amendment or modification to this Agreement in the manner contemplated by Section 14.10 and by an agreement in writing executed in the same manner (but not necessarily by the same Persons) as this Agreement.

 

Section 14.02 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 Thunder Bridge to:

 

Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc.
9912 Georgetown Pike, Suite D203

Great Falls, VA 22066

Attn: Gary Simanson, Chief Executive Officer
E-mail: gsimanson@thunderbridge.us

 

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with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

101 Constitution Ave, NW, Suite 900

Washington, DC 20001
Attn: Jon Talcott and Peter Strand
E-mail: jon.talcott@nelsonmullins.com and peter.strand@nelsonmullins.com

 

(b) If to the Company Parties (or the Surviving Corporation), to:

 

Coincheck, Inc.
E Space Tower, 12F

3-6, Maruyamacho

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0044
Attn: Satoshi Hasuo

E-mail: satoshi.hasuo@coincheck.com

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Ark Hills Sengokuyama Mori Tower, 41F

9-10, Roppongi 1-chome

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

Attention: Alan Cannon

Email: acannon@stblaw.com

 

and

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017, United States

Attention: Patrick Naughton

Email: pnaughton@stblaw.com

 

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

 

Section 14.03 Assignment. No Party shall assign this Agreement or any part hereof without the prior written consent of the Company and Thunder Bridge; provided, that any Company Party may delegate the performance of its obligations or assign its rights hereunder in part or in whole to any Affiliate of such Company Party so long as such Company Party remains fully responsible for the performance of the delegated obligations. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns. Any attempted assignment in violation of the terms of this Section 14.03 shall be null and void, ab initio.

 

Section 14.04 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, 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 PubCo and Thunder Bridge (and their successors, heirs and Representatives) and each of the D&O Indemnitees are intended third-party beneficiaries of, and may enforce, Section 9.05 and (b) the past, present and future directors, officers, employees, incorporators, members, partners, stockholders, 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, Section 14.14 and Section 14.15.

 

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Section 14.05 Expenses. Except as otherwise provided herein, each Party shall bear its own costs and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents and the transactions herein and therein contemplated whether or not such transactions shall be consummated, including all fees of its legal counsel, financial advisers and accountants; provided, that if the Closing occurs, then the Outstanding Company Expenses and Outstanding Thunder Bridge Expenses shall be paid or reimbursed by the Company.

 

Section 14.06 Governing Law. This Agreement, and all claims or causes of action based upon, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the Transactions, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal Laws of the State of Delaware, including its statute of limitations, 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 or statute of limitations of another jurisdiction.

 

Section 14.07 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 or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

Section 14.08 Schedules and Exhibits. The Disclosure Letters and Exhibits referenced herein are a part of this Agreement as if fully set forth herein. All references herein to Disclosure Letters 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 Disclosure Letters 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 to the extent the relevance of such disclosure is reasonably apparent in such Disclosure Letter. Certain information set forth in the Disclosure Letters is included solely for informational purposes.

 

Section 14.09 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (together with the Disclosure Letters and Exhibits to this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents) and that certain Non-Disclosure Agreement, dated as of September 29, 2021, by and between the Company and Thunder Bridge (as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, the “Confidentiality Agreement”), constitute the entire agreement among the Parties relating to the Transactions and supersede any other agreements, whether written or oral, that may have been made or entered into by or among any of the Parties or any of their respective Subsidiaries relating to the Transactions. No representations, warranties, covenants, understandings, agreements, oral or otherwise, relating to the Transactions exist between the Parties except as expressly set forth or referenced in this Agreement, the other Transaction Documents and the Confidentiality Agreement.

 

Section 14.10 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 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 (or other body performing similar functions) of any of the Parties to terminate this Agreement in accordance with Section 13.01 or to cause such Party to enter into an amendment to this Agreement pursuant to this Section 14.10.

 

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Section 14.11 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, to the extent necessary, 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.

 

Section 14.12 Jurisdiction; WAIVER OF TRIAL BY JURY. Any Action based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement or the Transactions may only be brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court lacks jurisdiction, the state and 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 in any other court. 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 14.12. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES 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.

 

Section 14.13 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) or any other Transaction Document in accordance with its specified terms or otherwise breach such provisions. The Parties acknowledge and agree that (i) the Parties shall be entitled to an injunction, specific performance, or other equitable relief, to prevent breaches of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof and thereof, without proof of damages, prior to the valid termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 13.01, this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled under this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, and (ii) the right of specific enforcement is an integral part of the Transactions 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. The Parties acknowledge and agree that any Party seeking an injunction to prevent breaches of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document in accordance with this Section 14.13 shall not be required to provide any bond or other security in connection with any such injunction.

 

Section 14.14 Non-Recourse. Subject in all respects to the last sentence, this Agreement may only be enforced against, and any claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the Transactions may only be brought against, the entities that are expressly named as Parties and then only with respect to the specific obligations set forth herein with respect to such Party. Except to the extent a Party (and then only to the extent of the specific obligations undertaken by such Party in this Agreement), (a) no past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, member, partner, stockholder, Affiliate, agent, attorney, advisor or Representative or Affiliate of any Party and (b) no past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, member, partner, stockholder, Affiliate, agent, attorney, advisor or Representative or Affiliate of any of the foregoing shall have any liability (whether in contract, tort, equity or otherwise) for any one or more of the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements or other obligations or liabilities of any one or more of the Company Parties or Thunder Bridge under this Agreement or for any claim based on, arising out of, or related to this Agreement or the Transactions, and each Party hereby waives and releases all claims, causes of actions and liabilities related thereto. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 14.14 shall limit, amend or waive any rights or obligations of any party to any Transaction Document for any claim based on, in respect of or by reason of such rights or obligations.

 

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Section 14.15 Nonsurvival 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 each shall terminate and expire upon the occurrence of the Merger 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 at or after the Closing and then only with respect to any breaches occurring at or after the Closing and (b) this Article XIV. Nothing herein is intended to limit any Party’s liability for such Party’s Fraud.

 

Section 14.16 Acknowledgements.

 

(a) 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: (i) 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; (ii) the PubCo Representations constitute the sole and exclusive representations and warranties of PubCo in connection with the Transactions; (iii) the Company Representations constitute the sole and exclusive representations and warranties of the Company in connection with the Transactions; (iv) the Thunder Bridge Representations constitute the sole and exclusive representations and warranties of Thunder Bridge in connection with the Transactions; (v) except for the PubCo Representations by PubCo, the Company Representations by the Company and the Thunder Bridge Representations by Thunder Bridge, none of the Parties or any other Person makes, or has made, any other express or implied representation or warranty with respect to any Party (or any Party’s Subsidiaries), 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 such Party or its Subsidiaries or the Transactions and all other representations and warranties of any kind or nature expressed or implied (including (x) 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 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 (or any Party’s Subsidiaries), and (y) any relating to the future or historical business, condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, prospects, assets or liabilities of any Party (or its Subsidiaries), or the quality, quantity or condition of any Party’s or its Subsidiaries’ assets) are specifically disclaimed by all Parties and their respective Subsidiaries and all other Persons (including the Representatives and Affiliates of any Party or its Subsidiaries); and (vi) each Party and its respective Affiliates are not relying on any representations and warranties in connection with the Transactions except the PubCo Representations by PubCo, the Company Representations by the Company and the Thunder Bridge Representations by Thunder Bridge. The foregoing does not limit any rights of any Party pursuant to any other Transaction Document against any other Party pursuant to such Transaction Document to which it is a party or an express third party beneficiary thereof. Except as otherwise expressly set forth in this Agreement, Thunder Bridge understands and agrees that any assets, properties and business of the Company and its Subsidiaries are furnished “as is,” “where is” and subject to and except for the PubCo Representations by PubCo and the Company Representations by the Company or as provided in any certificate delivered in accordance with Section 12.02(c), with all faults and without any other representation or warranty of any nature whatsoever. Nothing in this Section 14.16(a) shall relieve any Party of liability in the case of Fraud committed by such Party.

 

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(b) Effective upon Closing, each of the Parties waives, on its own behalf and on behalf of its respective Affiliates and Representatives, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable Law, any and all rights, Actions and causes of action it may have against any other Party or their respective Subsidiaries and any of their respective current or former Affiliates or Representatives relating to the operation of any Party or its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses or relating to the subject matter of this Agreement, the Disclosure Letters, or the Exhibits to this Agreement, whether arising under or based upon any federal, state, local or foreign statute, Law, ordinance, rule or regulation or otherwise. Each Party acknowledges and agrees that it will not assert, institute or maintain any Action, suit, investigation, or proceeding of any kind whatsoever, including a counterclaim, cross-claim, or defense, regardless of the legal or equitable theory under which such liability or obligation may be sought to be imposed, that makes any claim contrary to the agreements and covenants set forth in this Section 14.16. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, nothing in this Section 14.16(b) shall preclude any Party from seeking any remedy for Fraud by a Party. Each Party shall have the right to enforce this Section 14.16 on behalf of any Person that would be benefitted or protected by this Section 14.16 if they were a party hereto. The foregoing agreements, acknowledgements, disclaimers and waivers are irrevocable. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Section 14.16 shall limit, modify, restrict or operate as a waiver with respect to, any rights any Party may have under any written agreement entered into in connection with the Transactions, including any other Transaction Document.

 

[Signature pages follow.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have hereunto caused this Business Combination Agreement to be duly executed as of the date hereof.

 

 THUNDER BRIDGE CAPITAL PARTNERS IV, INC.
  
By:/s/ Gary A. Simanson
Name: Gary A. Simanson
Title:Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Business Combination Agreement]

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have hereunto caused this Business Combination Agreement to be duly executed as of the date hereof.

 

  COINCHECK GROUP B.V.
     
  By:

/s/ Akira Inoue

  Name:

Akira Inoue

  Title:

Managing Director

     
  M1 CO G.K.
     
  By:

/s/ Akira Inoue

  Name:

Akira Inoue

  Title:

Executive Manager

     
  COINCHECK MERGER SUB, INC.
     
  By:

/s/ Akira Inoue

  Name: Akira Inoue
  Title: President & Secretary
     
  COINCHECK, INC.
     
  By:

/s/ Satoshi Hasuo

  Name:

Satoshi Hasuo

  Title: Representative Director & President

 

[Signature Page to Business Combination Agreement]

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

SPONSOR SUPPORT AGREEMENT

 

This Sponsor Support Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of March 22, 2022 by and among TBCP IV, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”), Gary A. Simanson, as managing member of Sponsor (“Simanson”), Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Thunder Bridge”), Coincheck Group B.V., a Dutch private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) (“PubCo”), Coincheck, Inc., a Japanese joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) (the “Company”), and Monex Group, Inc., a Japanese joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) (“Monex”), and, collectively with the Sponsor, Simanson, Thunder Bridge, PubCo and the Company, the “Parties”.

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, the Sponsor is the holder of record and the “beneficial owner” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of 5,913,196 shares of Class B common stock of Thunder Bridge and 648,056 Private Placement Units (consisting of 648,056 shares of Class A common stock of Thunder Bridge and 129,611 private placement warrants);

 

WHEREAS, concurrently herewith, Thunder Bridge, PubCo, M1 Co G.K., a Japanese limited liability company (godo kaisha) (“HoldCo”), Coincheck Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), and the Company are entering into a Business Combination Agreement (as amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Combination Agreement”; capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Combination Agreement), pursuant to which (and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein), Merger Sub will merge with and into Thunder Bridge (the “Merger”), with Thunder Bridge being the surviving corporation of the Merger;

 

WHEREAS, concurrently herewith, Thunder Bridge, Monex, PubCo and the Company are entering into a Company Support Agreement (the “Company Support Agreement”); and

 

WHEREAS, as an inducement to Thunder Bridge and the Company to enter into the Combination Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated therein, and to Monex to enter into the Company Support Agreement, the Parties desire to agree to certain matters as set forth herein.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual agreements contained herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the Parties hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
SPONSOR SUPPORT AGREEMENT; COVENANTS; VESTING

 

Section 1.1 Binding Effect of Combination Agreement. The Sponsor hereby acknowledges that it has read the Combination Agreement and this Agreement and has had the opportunity to consult with its tax, legal and other advisors with respect thereto and hereto. The Sponsor shall be bound by and comply with Section 11.07 (Confidentiality; Publicity) of the Combination Agreement (and any relevant definitions contained in such section) as if the Sponsor was an original signatory to the Combination Agreement with respect to such provisions.

 

 

 

 

Section 1.2 No Interim Period Transfers. The Sponsor shall not, during the Interim Period (except, in each case, pursuant to the Combination Agreement), (i) directly or indirectly redeem, sell, transfer, hypothecate, pledge, encumber, assign, hedge, swap, convert or otherwise dispose of (including by merger (including by conversion into securities or other consideration), by tendering into any tender or exchange offer, by testamentary disposition, by operation of Law or otherwise), either voluntarily or involuntarily, any of its Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants, (ii) enter into any Contract or option with respect to any transaction specified in clause (i) or any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any of its Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (iii) publicly announce any intention to effect any transaction specified in clause (i) or (ii) (any transaction specified in clause (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Transfer”); provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit a Transfer to an Affiliate of the Sponsor that is a party to this Agreement and bound by the terms and obligations hereof; provided, further, that any such Transfer shall be permitted only if, as a precondition to such Transfer, the transferee agrees in a writing, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to PubCo, to assume all of the obligations of the transferor under, and be bound by all of the terms of, this Agreement; provided, further, that any Transfer permitted under this Section 1.2 shall not relieve the transferor of its obligations under this Agreement. Any Transfer in violation of this Section 1.2 shall be null and void.

 

Section 1.3 New Shares. In the event that (a) any Thunder Bridge Common Shares, Thunder Bridge Warrants or other equity securities of Thunder Bridge are issued to Sponsor during the Interim Period pursuant to any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, reclassification, combination, exercise or exchange of Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants of, on or affecting the Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants owned by the Sponsor or otherwise, (b) Sponsor purchases or otherwise acquires beneficial ownership of any Thunder Bridge Common Shares, Thunder Bridge Warrants or other equity securities of Thunder Bridge during the Interim Period, or (c) Sponsor acquires the right to vote or share in the voting of any Thunder Bridge Common Shares or other equity securities of Thunder Bridge during the Interim Period (such Thunder Bridge Common Shares, Thunder Bridge Warrants or other equity securities of Thunder Bridge, collectively the “New Securities”), then such New Securities acquired or purchased by the Sponsor shall be subject to the terms of this Agreement to the same extent as if they constituted the Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants owned by the Sponsor as of the date hereof. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing to the contrary, and without limiting Section 1.5(a), the Sponsor shall not cause or permit any Affiliate of Sponsor to cause, any New Securities to be created or issued except as expressly permitted by the Combination Agreement.

 

Section 1.4 Closing Date Deliverables. On the Closing Date, the Sponsor shall deliver to PubCo a duly executed copy of that certain Registration Rights Agreement, by and among PubCo, Thunder Bridge, Sponsor and certain of PubCo’s other shareholders or their respective Affiliates, as applicable, in substantially the form attached as Exhibit C to the Combination Agreement.

  

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Section 1.5 Sponsor Agreements.

 

(a) During the Interim Period, at any meeting of the shareholders of Thunder Bridge, however called, or at any adjournment thereof, or in any other circumstance in which the vote, consent or other approval of the shareholders of Thunder Bridge is sought, in each case, as contemplated by the Combination Agreement, the Sponsor shall (i) appear at each such meeting or otherwise cause all of its Thunder Bridge Common Shares to be counted as present thereat for purposes of calculating a quorum and (ii) vote (or cause to be voted), or execute and deliver a written consent (or cause a written consent to be executed and delivered) covering, all of its Thunder Bridge Common Shares:

 

(i) in favor of the Transactions;

 

(ii) against any Business Combination Proposal or any proposal relating to a Business Combination Proposal (in each case, other than the Transactions);

 

(iii) against any merger agreement or merger (other than the Combination Agreement and the Merger), consolidation, combination, sale of substantial assets, reorganization, recapitalization, dissolution, liquidation or winding up of or by Thunder Bridge; and

 

(iv) against any proposal, action or agreement that would or would reasonably be expected to (A) impede, frustrate, prevent or nullify any provision of this Agreement, the Combination Agreement or the Merger, (B) result in a breach in any respect of any covenant, representation, warranty or any other obligation or agreement of any party under the Combination Agreement or (C) result in any of the conditions set forth in Article XII of the Combination Agreement not being fulfilled.

 

(b) The Sponsor shall comply with, and fully perform all of its obligations, covenants and agreements set forth in the Sponsor Letter Agreement (as defined below).

 

(c) During the Interim Period, the Sponsor shall not modify or amend any Contract between or among the Sponsor, anyone related by blood, marriage or adoption to the Sponsor or any Affiliate of the Sponsor (other than Thunder Bridge), on the one hand, and Thunder Bridge, on the other hand, including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Sponsor Letter Agreement (except as expressly contemplated hereby).

 

Section 1.6 Reasonable Best Efforts; Third Party Financing.

 

(a) Without limiting Section 1.5, during the Interim Period, the Sponsor shall (i) use reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things reasonably necessary, proper or advisable, to consummate the Transactions on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Combination Agreement and (ii) not take any action that would reasonably be expected to prevent or delay the satisfaction of any of the conditions to the Transactions set forth in Article XII of the Combination Agreement.

 

(b) If the Company and Monex, on the one hand, and Thunder Bridge, on the other hand, agree to raise third party financing in connection with the Transactions, the Sponsor hereby agrees to subscribe for and purchase from Thunder Bridge an equal number of securities of Thunder Bridge as are subscribed for, in the aggregate, by third party investors in connection with such third party financing, on the same terms and conditions as agreed to by such third party investors and Thunder Bridge, up to an aggregate subscription amount of $35 million.

 

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Section 1.7 Further Assurances. During the Interim Period, at the Company’s or Monex’s request and without further consideration, the Sponsor shall execute and deliver, or cause to be executed or delivered, such additional documents and take all such further action as may be reasonably necessary or required to effect the actions and consummate the Transactions and the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

Section 1.8 No Inconsistent Agreement. The Sponsor hereby agrees that the Sponsor shall not enter into any agreement that would restrict, limit, interfere or otherwise be inconsistent with the performance of the Sponsor’s obligations hereunder.

 

Section 1.9 Lock-up.

 

(a) Subject to Section 1.9(b), the Sponsor hereby agrees that it shall not Transfer (i) any Lock-up Ordinary Shares until the end of the Lock-up Ordinary Shares Period and (ii) any Lock-up Warrants until the end of the Lock-up Warrants Period (collectively, the “Lock-up”). Any Transfer in violation of this Section 1.9 shall be null and void.

 

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 1.9(a), the Sponsor may Transfer the Lock-up Ordinary Shares during the Lock-up Period (i) in the case of the Sponsor, to (A) Thunder Bridge’s officers, directors, members or partners, (B) any Affiliates or family members of Thunder Bridge’s officers, directors, members or partner, or (C) any Affiliates of the Sponsor, or any employees of such Affiliates; (ii) in the case of an individual, (A) by gift to a member of such individual’s immediate family, a trust (the beneficiary of which is such individual or a member of such individual’s immediate family), or to a charitable organization, (B) by virtue of Laws of descent and distribution upon death of such individual, or (C) pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order; (iii) by virtue of the Laws of the State of Delaware; or (iv) in the event of PubCo’s liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of PubCo’s shareholders having the right to exchange their PubCo Ordinary Shares for cash, securities or other property subsequent to the Closing Date; provided, that each transferee contemplated by clauses (i) through (iv) (each, a “Permitted Transferee”) must agree in writing to be bound by the Lock-up.

 

(c) The Lock-up shall supersede Section 7 of the Sponsor Letter Agreement which shall be of no further force or effect upon the beginning of the Lock-up Period.

 

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 1.9(a) and Section 1.9(b):

 

(i) an aggregate of one-third of the Sponsor’s Lock-up Shares will be automatically released from the Lock-up (allocated pro rata) at the First Early Lock-up Expiration Time;

 

(ii) an aggregate of one-third of the Sponsor’s Lock-up Shares will be automatically released from the Lock-up (allocated pro rata) at the Second Early Lock-up Expiration Time; and

 

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(iii) the remainder, being an aggregate of one-third of the Sponsor’s Lock-up Shares, will be automatically released from the Lock-up (allocated pro rata) at the Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time.

 

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1.9(d), if, at any Early Lock-Up Expiration Date, PubCo is in a Blackout Period, the actual date of such Early Lock-Up Expiration shall be delayed (the “Early Lock-Up Expiration Extension”) until immediately prior to the opening of trading on the second Trading Day (the “Extension Expiration Time”) following the first date (such first date, the “Extension Expiration Measurement Date”) that PubCo is no longer in a Blackout Period under its insider trading policy; provided, further, that, in the case of either an Early Lock-Up Expiration or an Early Lock-Up Expiration Extension, PubCo shall announce through a major news service, or on a Form 6-K, the Early Lock-Up Expiration and the Early Lock-Up Expiration Time, or the Early Lock-Up Expiration Extension and the Extension Expiration Date, as the case may be, at least one full Trading Day prior to the Early Lock-Up Expiration Time or the Extension Expiration Time, as applicable.

 

(f) For purposes of this Agreement:

 

(i) the term “Blackout Period” means a broadly applicable and regularly scheduled period during which trading in PubCo’s securities would not be permitted by the Sponsor under PubCo’s insider trading policy;

 

(ii) the term “Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, as applicable, the First Early Lock-up Expiration Time, Second Early Lock-up Expiration Time, or Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time;

 

(iii) the term “Existing Registration Rights Agreement” means that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated June 29, 2021, by and among Thunder Bridge, Sponsor, and other Persons parties thereto attached as Exhibit 10.5 to Thunder Bridge’s current report on Form 8-K filed on July 2, 2021;

 

(iv) the term “First Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, if the last reported sale price of the PubCo Shares on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed (the “Closing Price”) equals or exceeds $15.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) (the “First Threshold Price”) for 20 out of any 30 consecutive Trading Days, including the last day of such 30 Trading Day period (any such 30 Trading Day period during which such condition is satisfied, the “First Measurement Period”), then immediately prior to the opening of trading on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed on the Trading Day following the end of the First Measurement Period;

 

(v) the term “Sponsor Letter Agreement” means that certain Letter Agreement, dated June 29, 2021, attached as Exhibit 10.1 to Thunder Bridge’s current report on Form 8-K filed on July 2, 2021.

 

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(vi) the term “Lock-up Ordinary Shares” means the PubCo Ordinary Shares held by the Sponsors immediately following the Closing (other than PubCo Ordinary Shares acquired in any Sponsor Investment, or PubCo Ordinary Shares acquired in the public market or pursuant to a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act pursuant to a subscription agreement where the issuance of PubCo Ordinary Shares occurs on or after the Closing);

 

(vii) the term “Lock-up Ordinary Shares Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending at 8:00 am Eastern Time on the date that is three hundred and sixty-five (365) days after (and excluding) the Closing Date;

 

(viii) the term “Lock-up Period” means, with respect to Lock-up Ordinary Shares, the Lock-up Ordinary Shares Period and, with respect to Lock-up Warrants, the Lock-up Warrants Period;

 

(ix) the term “Lock-up Shares” means the Lock-up Ordinary Shares and the Lock-up Warrants;

 

(x) the term “Lock-up Warrants” means Thunder Bridge Warrants (including the shares of Company Ordinary Stock issuable upon exercise thereof) held by the Sponsor immediately following the Closing (other than any Thunder Bridge Warrants acquired in the public market);

 

(xi) the term “Lock-up Warrants Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending at 8:00 am Eastern Time on the date that is ninety (90) days after (and excluding) the Closing Date;

 

(xii) the term “Second Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, if the Closing Price equals or exceeds $17.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) (the “Second Threshold Price”) for 20 out of any 30 consecutive Trading Days, including the last day of such 30 Trading Day period (any such 30 Trading Day period during which such condition is satisfied, the “Second Measurement Period”), then immediately prior to the opening of trading on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed on the Trading Day following the end of the Second Measurement Period;

 

(xiii) the term “Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, if the Closing Price equals or exceeds $20.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) (the “Third Threshold Price”) for 20 out of any 30 consecutive Trading Days, including the last day of such 30 Trading Day period (any such 30 Trading Day period during which such condition is satisfied, the “Third Measurement Period”), then immediately prior to the opening of trading on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed on the Trading Day following the end of the Third Measurement Period;

 

(xiv) the term “Threshold Price” means, as applicable, the First Threshold Price, the Second Threshold Price, and the Third Threshold Price; and

 

(xv) the term “Trading Day” is a day on which the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market are open for the buying and selling of securities.

 

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Section 1.10 No Solicitation. During the Interim Period, the Sponsor shall not take, and shall cause its Affiliates and Representatives not to take, whether directly or indirectly, any action to solicit, initiate, continue or engage in discussions or negotiations with, or enter into any agreement with, or knowingly encourage, respond to, provide information to or commence, continue or renew due diligence with respect to, any Person (other than the Company, Thunder Bridge, their respective shareholders and/or any of their respective Affiliates or Representatives), concerning, relating to or which is intended or is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in a Business Combination Proposal other than with the Company, its shareholders and their respective Affiliates and Representatives; provided, that, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Combination Agreement or the other Transaction Documents and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby shall not be deemed a violation of this Section 1.10. The Sponsor shall, and shall direct its Representatives to, immediately cease any and all existing discussions or negotiations with any Person conducted prior to the date hereof with respect to, or which is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, a Business Combination Proposal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (A) the Sponsor, in its capacity as a stockholder of Thunder Bridge, shall not be responsible for the actions of Thunder Bridge or the Board of Directors of Thunder Bridge (or any committee thereof), any subsidiary of Thunder Bridge, or any officers, directors (in their capacity as such), employees and professional advisors of any of the foregoing (collectively, the “Thunder Bridge Related Parties”), (B) the Sponsor, in its capacity as a stockholder of Thunder Bridge, makes no representations or warranties with respect to the actions of any of the Thunder Bridge Related Parties, and (C) any breach by Thunder Bridge of its obligations under Section 11.04(b) of the Combination Agreement shall not, in and of itself, be considered a breach of this Section 1.10 (it being understood that, for the avoidance of doubt, the Sponsor or its Representatives shall remain responsible for any breach by the Sponsor or its Representatives of this Section 1.10)).

 

Section 1.11 Waiver of Certain Rights. The Sponsor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees:

 

(a) not to (i) demand that Thunder Bridge redeem its or their shares of Thunder Bridge Common Shares in connection with the Transactions or (ii) otherwise participate in any such redemption by tendering or submitting any of its shares of Thunder Bridge Common Shares for redemption;

 

(b) to waive any right or benefit to which it is entitled under, and to take all actions necessary to opt out of, Section 4.3(b) of Thunder Bridge’s articles of incorporation; and

 

(c) not to commence or participate in, and to take all actions necessary to opt out of any class in any class action with respect to, any claim, derivative or otherwise, against Thunder Bridge, PubCo, the Company, the Company’s, PubCo’s or Thunder Bridge’s Affiliates or any of their respective successors, assigns relating to the negotiation, execution or delivery of this Agreement, the Combination Agreement or the consummation of the Transactions.

 

Section 1.12 Consent to Disclosure. The Sponsor hereby consents to the publication and disclosure in any announcement or disclosure required by applicable securities Laws, the SEC or any other securities authorities of the Sponsor’s identity and ownership of the Sponsor’s Thunder Bridge Common Shares (and PubCo Ordinary Shares after the Closing) and Thunder Bridge Warrants and the nature of the Sponsor’s obligations under this Agreement; provided that, prior to any such publication or disclosure PubCo, the Company and Thunder Bridge have provided the Sponsor with an opportunity to review and comment upon such announcement or disclosure, which comments PubCo, the Company and Thunder Bridge will consider in good faith; provided, further, that the foregoing proviso shall not apply to any such publication or disclosure the content of which concerning the foregoing does not substantially differ from any prior such publication or disclosure. The Sponsor shall promptly provide any information reasonably requested by PubCo, the Company or Thunder Bridge for any regulatory application or filing made or approval sought in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Combination Agreement, including filings with the SEC, except for any information that is subject to attorney-client privilege or confidentiality obligations (provided, that with respect to any confidentiality obligations, (a) the Sponsor shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a waiver of any such confidentiality obligations and (b) the Sponsor, Thunder Bridge and the Company shall cooperate in good faith to enable disclosure of such information to the maximum extent possible in a manner that complies with such confidentiality obligation).

 

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Section 1.13 Termination of Existing Registration Rights. The Registration Rights Agreement in the form of Exhibit C to the Combination Agreement shall supersede the Existing Registration Rights Agreement, which shall be of no further force or effect upon (but subject to the consummation of) the Closing.

 

ARTICLE II
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Section 2.1 Representations and Warranties of the Sponsor. The Sponsor represents and warrants as of the date hereof to Thunder Bridge, PubCo, the Company and Monex as follows:

 

(a) Organization; Due Authorization. The Sponsor is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated, formed, organized or constituted. Simanson has full legal capacity, right and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby are within the Sponsor’s limited liability company powers and Simanson’s powers as the managing member of Sponsor, and have been duly authorized by all necessary limited liability company or organizational actions on the part of the Sponsor. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Sponsor and Simanson and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of this Agreement by each of PubCo, the Company, Thunder Bridge and Monex, this Agreement constitutes a legally valid and binding obligation of the Sponsor and Simanson, enforceable against the Sponsor and Simanson in accordance with the terms hereof (except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy Laws, other similar Laws affecting creditors’ rights and general principles of equity affecting the availability of specific performance and other equitable remedies). The Person signing this Agreement on behalf of the Sponsor has full power and authority to enter into this Agreement on behalf of the Sponsor.

 

(b) Ownership. The Sponsor is the record and beneficial owner (as defined in the Securities Act) of, and has good title to, all of the Sponsor’s Thunder Bridge Common Shares and Thunder Bridge Warrants, and there exist no Liens or any other limitation or restriction (including any restriction on the right to vote, sell or otherwise dispose of such Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants (other than transfer restrictions under the Securities Act)) affecting any such Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants, other than Liens pursuant to (i) this Agreement, (ii) the Thunder Bridge Organizational Documents, (iii) the Combination Agreement or (iv) any applicable securities Laws. The Sponsor’s Thunder Bridge Common Shares and Thunder Bridge Warrants set forth in the Recitals to this Agreement are the only equity securities in Thunder Bridge owned of record or beneficially by the Sponsor or the Sponsor’s Affiliates on the date of this Agreement, and none of the Sponsor’s Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants are subject to any proxy, voting trust or other agreement or arrangement with respect to the voting of such Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants, except as provided hereunder and under the Sponsor Letter Agreement. Other than the Thunder Bridge Warrants, the Sponsor does not hold or own any rights to acquire (directly or indirectly) any equity securities of Thunder Bridge or any equity securities convertible into, or which can be exchanged for, equity securities of Thunder Bridge.

 

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(c) No Conflicts. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Sponsor does not, and the performance by the Sponsor of its obligations hereunder will not, (i) conflict with or result in a violation of the organizational documents of the Sponsor or (ii) require any consent or approval that has not been given or other action that has not been taken by any Person (including under any Contract binding upon the Sponsor or the Sponsor’s Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants), in each case, to the extent the absence of such consent, approval or other action would prevent, enjoin or materially delay the performance by the Sponsor of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(d) Litigation. As of the date hereof, there are no Actions pending against the Sponsor, or to the knowledge of the Sponsor threatened against the Sponsor, before (or, in the case of threatened Actions, that would be before) any arbitrator or any Governmental Authority, which in any manner challenges or seeks to prevent, enjoin or materially delay the performance by the Sponsor of its, his or her obligations under this Agreement.

 

(e) Brokerage Fees. Except as described on Section 8.07 of the Thunder Bridge Disclosure Letter, no broker, finder, investment banker or other Person is entitled to any brokerage fee, finders’ fee or other commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Combination Agreement based upon arrangements made by the Sponsor, for which Thunder Bridge or any of its Affiliates may become liable.

 

(f) Acknowledgment. The Sponsor understands and acknowledges that each of Thunder Bridge and the Company is entering into the Combination Agreement in reliance upon the Sponsor’s execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

(g) Certain Securities Law Representations and Warranties.

 

(i) The Sponsor has never been suspended or expelled from membership in any securities or commodities exchange or association or had a securities or commodities license or registration denied, suspended or revoked;

 

(ii) The Sponsor is not subject to or a respondent in any legal action for any injunction, cease-and-desist order or order or stipulation to desist or refrain from any act or practice relating to the offering of securities in any jurisdiction; and

 

(iii) The Sponsor has never been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, any crime (A) involving any fraud, (B) relating to any financial transaction or handling of funds of another Person or (C) pertaining to any dealings in any securities, and it is not currently a defendant in any such criminal proceeding.

 

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Section 2.2 No Actions to Breach Agreement. The Sponsor shall not take any action that would make any representation or warranty of the Sponsor contained herein untrue or incorrect or have the effect of preventing or disabling the Sponsor from performing its obligations under this Agreement.

 

Section 2.3 Updated Shareholdings. If the Sponsor acquires record or beneficial ownership of any Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants during the Interim Period (or becomes aware, during the Interim Period, of its record or beneficial ownership of any Thunder Bridge Common Shares or Thunder Bridge Warrants as of the date hereof, which securities are not already set forth in the Recitals hereto), the Sponsor shall promptly notify PubCo and Thunder Bridge in writing.

 

ARTICLE III
MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 3.1 Termination; Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties.

 

(a) This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) the termination of the Combination Agreement in accordance with its terms in circumstances where the Closing does not occur and (ii) the expiration of the Lock-up Period, upon such termination, this Agreement shall forthwith become void and have no further force or effect, without any liability on the part of any Party; provided, that (1) no such termination shall relieve any Party of any liability for Fraud or willful and intentional breach of this Agreement, and (2) Section 1.1, Section 2.2, this Section 3.1 and Sections 3.2 through 3.10 shall survive any such termination.

 

(b) None of the representations or warranties contained in this Agreement or in any certificate or other writing delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the Closing, other than the representations and warranties in Sections 2.1(e) and 2.1(h), which shall survive indefinitely.

 

Section 3.2 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 internal Laws of the State of Delaware, including its statute of limitations, 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 the Laws or statute of limitations of another jurisdiction.

 

Section 3.3 CONSENT TO JURISDICTION AND SERVICE OF PROCESS; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.

 

(a) Any Action based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may only be brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court lacks jurisdiction, the state and 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. 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 3.3(a).

 

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(b) EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY KNOWINGLY, INTENTIONALLY, VOLUNTARILY AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES 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.

 

Section 3.4 Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder shall (a) be assigned by the Sponsors, in whole or in part (whether by operation of Law or otherwise), without the prior written consent of Thunder Bridge, PubCo, the Company and Monex or (b) be assigned by Thunder Bridge, PubCo, or Monex, in whole or in part (whether by operation of Law or otherwise), without the prior written consent of the Company (in the case of an attempted assignment by Thunder Bridge) or Thunder Bridge (in the case of an attempted assignment by PubCo, the Company or Monex). Any such assignment without such consent shall be null and void. This Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

Section 3.5 Specific Performance. The Parties agree that irreparable damage (for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy) would occur, and that the Parties would not have any adequate remedy at law, in the event that any of the provisions of this 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 specific performance, an injunction or injunctions, or other equitable relief to prevent breaches or threatened breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, including the Sponsor’s obligations under Section 1.5(a), without proof of actual damages or otherwise (and each Party hereby waives any requirement for the securing or posting of any bond in connection with such remedy), this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each Party acknowledges and agrees that the right of specific enforcement is an integral part of the transactions contemplated hereby and that, without such 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. In the event of a final non-appealable judgement from a court of competent jurisdiction relating to this Agreement, the prevailing party in such action shall be entitled to reasonable and documented fees and expenses (including reasonable and documented attorney’s fees) from the non-prevailing party.

 

Section 3.6 Amendment. This Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented in any manner, whether by course of conduct or otherwise, except by an instrument in writing signed by Thunder Bridge, PubCo, the Company, Monex and the Sponsor charged with such amendment, modification or supplement.

 

Section 3.7 Severability. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void, unenforceable or against its regulatory policy, the remainder of the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated. Upon such a determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the Parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.

 

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Section 3.8 Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally, by email (with confirmation of receipt) or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, such as Federal Express, to the Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified by like notice made pursuant to this Section 3.8):

 

If to Thunder Bridge prior to the Closing:

 

Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc.
9912 Georgetown Pike, Suite D203

Great Falls, VA 22066

Attn: Gary Simanson, Chief Executive Officer
E-mail: gsimanson@thunderbridge.us

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

101 Constitution Ave, NW, Suite 900

Washington, DC 20001
Attn: Jon Talcott and Peter Strand
E-mail: jon.talcott@nelsonmullins.com and peter.strand@nelsonmullins.com

 

If to the Company:

 

Coincheck, Inc.
E Space Tower, 12F

3-6, Maruyamacho

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0044
Attn: Satoshi Hasuo

E-mail: satoshi.hasuo@coincheck.com

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Ark Hills Sengokuyama Mori Tower, 41F

9-10, Roppongi 1-chome

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

Attention: Alan Cannon

Email: acannon@stblaw.com

 

and

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017, United States

Attention: Patrick Naughton

Email: pnaughton@stblaw.com

 

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If to PubCo:

 

Coincheck Group B.V.
Hoogoorddreef 15, 1101 BA

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Attn: Akira Inoue

E-mail: akira_inoue@monex.co.jp

 

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Ark Hills Sengokuyama Mori Tower, 41F

9-10, Roppongi 1-chome

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

Attention: Alan Cannon

Email: acannon@stblaw.com

 

and

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017, United States

Attention: Patrick Naughton

Email: pnaughton@stblaw.com

 

If to Monex:

 

Monex Group, Inc.

ARK Mori Building 25F 1-12-32

Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6025, Japan
Attn: Financial Control Department

E-mail: mg-control@monex.co.jp

 

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Ark Hills Sengokuyama Mori Tower, 41F

9-10, Roppongi 1-chome

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

Attention: Alan Cannon

Email: acannon@stblaw.com

 

and

 

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Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017, United States

Attention: Patrick Naughton

Email: pnaughton@stblaw.com

 

If to Sponsor:

 

TBCP IV, LLC
9912 Georgetown Pike, Suite D203

Great Falls, VA 22066

Attn: Gary Simanson, Sole Manager
E-mail: gsimanson@thunderbridge.us

 

In addition to the foregoing, in the case of any pre-Closing notices sent by any Sponsor to any other Sponsor or Thunder Bridge, or sent by Thunder Bridge to any Sponsor, copies shall also be sent to the Company and to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (to the persons referenced above).

 

Section 3.9 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts (any of which may be delivered by electronic transmission), each of which shall constitute an original, and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

Section 3.10 Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the agreements referenced herein constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the Parties in respect of the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the Parties to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof.

 

[THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY BLANK]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Sponsor, the managing member of Sponsor, Thunder Bridge, PubCo, the Company and Monex have each caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

  SPONSOR:
     
  TBCP IV, LLC
     
  By: /s/ Gary A. Simanson
  Name: Gary A. Simanson
  Title:   Sole Managing Member
     
  Gary A. Simanson, as Managing Member of TBCP IV, LLC
     
  By: /s/ Gary A. Simanson

 

[Signature Page to Sponsor Support Agreement]

 

 

 

  THUNDER BRIDGE:
     
  THUNDER BRIDGE CAPITAL PARTNERS IV, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Gary A. Simanson
  Name:  Gary A. Simanson
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Sponsor Support Agreement]

 

 

 

  PUBCO:
     
  COINCHECK GROUP B.V.
               
  By: /s/ Akira Inoue
  Name:  Akira Inoue
  Title: Managing Director

 

[Signature Page to Sponsor Support Agreement]

 

 

 

  THE COMPANY:
     
  COINCHECK, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Satoshi Hasuo
  Name:  Satoshi Hasuo
  Title: Representative Director & President

 

[Signature Page to Sponsor Support Agreement]

 

 

 

  MONEX:
     
  MONEX GROUP, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Oki Matsumoto
  Name:  Oki Matsumoto
  Title: Chairman & CEO

 

[Signature Page to Sponsor Support Agreement]

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

COMPANY SUPPORT AGREEMENT

 

This Company Support Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2022 (this “Agreement”), is entered into by and among Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Thunder Bridge”), Monex Group, Inc., a Japanese joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) (“Monex”, or the “Equityholder”), and Coincheck Group B.V., a Dutch private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) (“PubCo”). Thunder Bridge, Monex and PubCo are collectively referred to herein as the “Parties” and individually as a “Party.”

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, the Equityholder is the sole record owner and “beneficial owner” (as such term is used herein, within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the “Exchange Act”)) of, and has the sole power to dispose of and vote (or direct the voting of), the number of ordinary shares of PubCo (the “PubCo Shares”), the number of ordinary shares of Coincheck, Inc., a Japanese joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) (the “Company”) (such shares, the “Company Shares”), and the membership interests of M1 Co G.K., a Japanese limited liability company (godo kaisha) (“HoldCo”) (such membership interests, the “HoldCo Interests”), set forth opposite the Equityholder’s name on Schedule 1 attached hereto (such shares and membership interests, together with any additional PubCo Shares, Company Shares or HoldCo Interests (or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for PubCo Shares, Company Shares or HoldCo Interests) of which the Equityholder acquires record or beneficial ownership after the date hereof, including by any Transfer (as defined below), purchase, as a result of a stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, exchange or change of such shares, or upon exercise or conversion of any securities, the “Equityholder Covered Securities”);

 

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, PubCo is the sole record owner and “beneficial owner” (as such term is used herein, within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of, and has the sole power to dispose of and vote (or direct the voting of), the number of shares of common stock of Coincheck Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”) (such shares, the “Merger Sub Shares”), set forth opposite PubCo’s name on Schedule 1 attached hereto (such shares, together with any additional Merger Sub Shares or HoldCo Interests (or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Merger Sub Shares or HoldCo Interests) of which PubCo acquires record or beneficial ownership after the date hereof, including by any Transfer, purchase, as a result of a stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, exchange or change of such shares, or upon exercise or conversion of any securities, the “PubCo Covered Securities” and, together with the Equityholder Covered Securities,” the “Covered Securities”);

 

WHEREAS, concurrently herewith, Thunder Bridge, PubCo, HoldCo, Merger Sub, and the Company are entering into a Business Combination Agreement (as amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Combination Agreement”; capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Combination Agreement), pursuant to which (and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein), Merger Sub will merge with and into Thunder Bridge (the “Merger”), with Thunder Bridge being the surviving corporation of the Merger;

 

 

 

WHEREAS, concurrently herewith, TBCP IV, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Thunder Bridge Sponsor”), Gary A. Simanson, Thunder Bridge, PubCo, the Company and Monex are entering into a Sponsor Support Agreement (the “Sponsor Support Agreement”);

 

WHEREAS, as a condition and inducement to the willingness of Thunder Bridge to enter into the Combination Agreement, and of Thunder Bridge and certain other parties thereto to enter into the Sponsor Support Agreement, the Parties desire to agree to certain matters as set forth herein.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, Thunder Bridge, the Equityholder and PubCo hereby agree as follows:

 

1. PubCo Shareholder Approval; PubCo Actions; Delivery of Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares to Escrow Agent.

 

(a) Reasonably in advance of the Closing, the Equityholder, solely in its capacity as the sole shareholder of PubCo entitled to vote at PubCos general meeting (prior to the Share Exchange) and the controlling shareholder of PubCo (from and after the Share Exchange), irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to approve, by written resolution, in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of PubCos Governing Documents, (a) the PubCo Restructuring and (b) the PubCo Reorganization, in each case as contemplated by the Combination Agreement and the Transactions. In addition, prior to the Closing, the Equityholder, solely in its capacity as the sole shareholder of PubCo entitled to vote at PubCos general meeting (prior to the Share Exchange) and the controlling shareholder of PubCo (from and after the Share Exchange), irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that the Equityholder shall, (x) in any other circumstances upon which a consent or other approval is reasonably required under PubCos Governing Documents or otherwise with respect to the approval of the PubCo Restructuring or the PubCo Reorganization, in each case as contemplated by the Combination Agreement, consent or approve (or cause to be consented or approved) all of the relevant Equityholder Covered Securities in favor thereof and (y) cause PubCo to take the actions set forth in Section 3(b) and Section 4 hereof.

 

(b) Immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, the Equityholder shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Escrow Agent to hold on behalf of the Equityholder, its Company Shareholder Pro Rata Share of the Escrowed Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares to be held in an Escrow Account established pursuant to the Escrow Agreement.

 

2. Company Shareholder Approval. Reasonably in advance of Closing and prior to the Share Exchange, the Equityholder, solely in its capacity as the controlling shareholder of the Company, irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to (a) call and hold a meeting of the shareholders of the Company in accordance with applicable Law and the Governing Documents of the Company and (b) appear at such meeting and approve all of the relevant Equityholder Covered Securities in favor of the approval of the Share Exchange as contemplated by the Combination Agreement. In addition, prior to the Share Exchange, the Equityholder, solely in its capacity as the controlling shareholder of the Company, irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that the Equityholder shall, in any other circumstances upon which a consent or other approval is reasonably required under the Governing Documents of the Company or otherwise with respect to the approval of the Share Exchange as contemplated by the Combination Agreement, consent or approve (or cause to be consented or approved) all of the relevant Equityholder Covered Securities in favor thereof.

 

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3. HoldCo Member Approval.

 

(a)  Prior to the HoldCo Contribution, the Equityholder, solely in its capacity as the sole member of HoldCo, irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to approve, by written consent, in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of HoldCos Governing Documents, (i) the HoldCo Loan Advancement, (ii) the PubCo Subscription and (iii) the HoldCo Contribution, in each case as contemplated by the Combination Agreement and the Transactions. In addition, prior to the HoldCo Contribution, the Equityholder, solely in its capacity as the sole member of HoldCo, irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that the Equityholder shall, in any other circumstances upon which a consent or other approval is reasonably required under HoldCos Governing Documents or otherwise with respect to the approval of the HoldCo Loan Advancement, the PubCo Subscription or the HoldCo Contribution, in each case as contemplated by the Combination Agreement, consent or approve (or cause to be consented or approved) all of the relevant Equityholder Covered Securities in favor thereof.

 

(b) From and after the HoldCo Contribution, PubCo, solely in its capacity as the sole member of HoldCo, irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to approve, by written consent, in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of HoldCos Governing Documents, (i) the PubCo Subscription Consideration Contribution, (ii) the HoldCo Loan Repayment and (iii) the Share Exchange, in each case as contemplated by the Combination Agreement and the Transactions. In addition, from and after the HoldCo Contribution, PubCo, solely in its capacity as the sole member of HoldCo, irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that PubCo shall, in any other circumstances which a consent or other approval is reasonably required under HoldCos Governing Documents or otherwise with respect to the approval of the PubCo Subscription Consideration Contribution, the HoldCo Loan Repayment or the Share Exchange, in each case as contemplated by the Combination Agreement, consent to or approve (or cause to be consented to or approved) all of the relevant PubCo Covered Securities in favor thereof.

 

4. Merger Sub Shareholder Approval. Promptly following the execution and delivery of the Combination Agreement, and in any event no later than five (5) Business Days thereafter, PubCo, solely in its capacity as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to validly execute and deliver to Merger Sub a written consent in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A approving the Combination Agreement and the Transactions. In addition, prior to the Termination Date (as defined below), PubCo, in its capacity as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that PubCo shall:

 

(a) in any other circumstances upon which a consent or other approval is reasonably required under Merger Subs Governing Documents or otherwise to effect the Transactions, consent or approve (or cause to be consented or approved) all of the relevant PubCo Covered Securities in favor thereof; and

 

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(b) execute and return an action by written consent against (i) any Acquisition Transaction or any proposal relating to an Acquisition Transaction (in each case, other than the Transactions); (ii) any merger agreement or merger (other than the Combination Agreement and the Merger), consolidation, combination, sale of substantially all assets, reorganization, recapitalization, dissolution, liquidation or winding up of or by the Company; and (iii) any proposal, action or agreement that would or would reasonably be expected to (A) impede, frustrate, prevent or nullify any provision of this Agreement, the Combination Agreement or the Merger, (B) result in a breach in any respect of any covenant, representation, warranty or any other obligation or agreement of any party under the Combination Agreement or (C) result in any of the conditions set forth in Article XII of the Combination Agreement not being fulfilled.

 

5. No Inconsistent Agreements. Each of the Equityholder and PubCo hereby covenants and agrees that it shall not (i) enter into any equityholders agreement, voting agreement, voting trust, registration rights agreements or other agreement with respect to any of its respective Covered Securities that is inconsistent with its respective obligations pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) grant a proxy, power of attorney or similar right with respect to any of the equity interest of its respective Covered Securities, respectively, that is inconsistent with its respective obligations pursuant to this Agreement, or (iii) enter into any other agreement or undertaking that is otherwise inconsistent with, or would reasonably be expected to interfere with, or would reasonably be expected to prohibit or prevent it from satisfying, its obligations pursuant to this Agreement.

 

6. Termination; Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties.

 

(a) This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) the Merger Effective Time and (ii) the termination of the Combination Agreement in accordance with its terms in circumstances where the Closing does not occur (the earlier such date under clause (i) or (ii) being referred to herein as the Termination Date), and upon such termination, this Agreement shall forthwith become void and have no further force or effect, without any liability on the part of any Party; provided, that (A) no such termination shall relieve any Party of any liability for Fraud or intentional and willful breach of this Agreement prior to its termination, (B) this Section 6(a), Section 8(e), Section 8(f), Section 10, and Sections 12 through 25 shall survive any such termination, and (C) Section 8(c) shall survive any such termination under clause (i) above until the earlier of (x) the expiration of the Lock-up Period and (y) the Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time.

 

(b) None of the representations or warranties contained in this Agreement or in any certificate or other writing delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the Closing.

 

7. Representations and Warranties of the Equityholder and PubCo. Each of the Equityholder and PubCo hereby represents and warrants, severally and not jointly, to Thunder Bridge as follows:

 

(a) It is the sole record owner and beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of, and has good, valid and marketable title to, or has a valid proxy to vote, its respective Covered Securities, free and clear of any Liens (other than as created by this Agreement or the Governing Documents of PubCo, HoldCo, the Company or Merger Sub, as the case may be). As of the date hereof, other than the respective Covered Securities set forth opposite its name on Schedule 1, it does not own beneficially or of record any PubCo Shares, HoldCo Interests, Company Shares or Merger Sub Shares (or any securities convertible into PubCo Shares, HoldCo Interests, Company Shares or Merger Sub Shares) or any interest therein.

 

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(b) Except as provided in this Agreement or the Governing Documents of PubCo, HoldCo, the Company or Merger Sub, as the case may be, it has (i) full voting power, full power of disposition and full power to issue instructions with respect to the matters set forth herein, whether by ownership or by proxy, in each case, with respect to its respective Covered Securities, (ii) not entered into any voting agreement or voting trust, and has no knowledge and is not aware of any such voting agreement or voting trust in effect with respect to any its respective Covered Securities, that is inconsistent with its obligations pursuant to this Agreement, (iii) not granted a proxy or power of attorney with respect to any of its respective Covered Securities that is inconsistent with its obligations pursuant to this Agreement, and has no knowledge and is not aware of any such proxy or power of attorney in effect, and (iv) not entered into any agreement or undertaking that is otherwise inconsistent with, or would interfere with, or prohibits or prevents it from satisfying, its obligations pursuant to this Agreement, and has no knowledge and is not aware of any such agreement or undertaking.

 

(c) It is a legal entity duly organized, validly existing and, to the extent such concept is applicable, in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, and has all requisite corporate or other power and authority to, and have taken all corporate or other action necessary in order to, execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by it and, subject to the due execution and delivery of this Agreement by Thunder Bridge, constitutes a legally valid and binding agreement of it enforceable against it in accordance with the terms hereof (except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy Laws or other similar Laws affecting creditors rights and general principles of equity affecting the availability of specific performance and other equitable remedies).

 

(d) Other than the filings, notices and reports pursuant to, in compliance with or required to be made under the Exchange Act, the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act of Japan (Act No. 228 of 1949, as amended), the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of April 13, 1948, as amended), the Payment Services Act of Japan (Act No.59 of June 24, 2009, as amended) and the rules of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, no filings, notices, reports, consents, registrations, approvals, permits, waivers, expirations of waiting periods or authorizations are required to be obtained by it from, or to be given by it to, or to be made by it with, any Governmental Authority in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by it of this Agreement, the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or the Transactions.

 

(e) Its execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement does not, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and the Transactions will not, constitute or result in (i) a breach or violation of, or a default under, its Governing Documents, (ii) a breach or violation of, a termination (or right of termination) of or a default under, the loss of any benefit under, the creation, modification or acceleration of any obligations under or the creation of a Lien on any of its properties, rights or assets pursuant to any contract binding upon it or, assuming (solely with respect to performance of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby), compliance with the matters referred to in Section 7(d), under any applicable Law to which it is subject, (iii) any change in the rights or obligations of any party under any contract legally binding upon it or (iv) any violation of applicable Law, except, in the case of clauses (ii), (iii) or (iv) directly above, for any such breach, violation, termination, default, creation, acceleration or change that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay or impair its ability to perform its obligations hereunder or to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby or the Transactions.

 

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(f) As of the date of this Agreement, there is no Action pending against it or, to its knowledge, threatened against it that, in any manner, questions the beneficial or record ownership of its respective Covered Securities or the validity of this Agreement, or challenges or seeks to prevent, enjoin or materially delay the performance by it of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(g) It understands and acknowledges that Thunder Bridge is entering into the Combination Agreement in reliance upon its execution and delivery of this Agreement and its representations, warranties, covenants and other agreements contained herein.

 

Furthermore, the Equityholder hereby represents and warrants to Thunder Bridge that except as described on Section 7.23 of the Company Disclosure Letter, no broker, finder, investment banker or other Person is entitled to any brokerage fee, finders fee or other commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Combination Agreement based upon arrangements made by the Equityholder, for which the Company or any of its Affiliates may become liable.

 

8. Certain Covenants of the Equityholder.

 

(a) No Solicitation. During the Interim Period, the Equityholder shall not take, and shall direct its Affiliates and Representatives not to take, whether directly or indirectly, any action to (i) solicit, initiate, continue or engage in discussions or negotiations with, or enter into any agreement with, or knowingly encourage, respond to, or provide information to, any Person (other than Thunder Bridge, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates or Representatives in respect of the Transactions) concerning any Acquisition Transaction or (ii) commence, continue or renew any due diligence investigation regarding, or that is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, any offer, inquiry, proposal or indication of interest, written or oral, with respect to, or which is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, an Acquisition Transaction; provided, that, the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, the Combination Agreement or the other Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby shall not be deemed a violation of this Section 8(a). The Equityholder shall, and shall direct its Affiliates and Representatives to, immediately cease any and all existing discussions or negotiations with any Person conducted prior to the date hereof with respect to, or which is reasonably likely to give rise to or result in, an Acquisition Transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (A) the Equityholder, in its capacity as a Shareholder of the Company, shall not be responsible for the actions of the Company or the Board of Directors of the Company (or any committee thereof), any subsidiary of the Company or any officers, directors (in their capacity as such), employees and professional advisors of any of the foregoing (collectively, the Company Related Parties), (B) the Equityholder, in its capacity as the controlling Shareholder of the Company, makes no representations or warranties with respect to the actions of any of the Company Related Parties, and (C) any breach by the Company of its obligations under Section 11.04(a) of the Combination Agreement shall not, in and of itself, be considered a breach of this Section 8(a) (it being understood that, for the avoidance of doubt, the Equityholder or its Representatives shall remain responsible for any breach by the Equityholder or its Representatives of this Section 8(a)).

 

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(b) No Transfers Prior to Termination Date. The Equityholder shall not, prior to the Termination Date (except, in each case, pursuant to the Combination Agreement), (i) directly or indirectly sell, transfer, hypothecate, pledge, encumber, assign, hedge, swap, convert or otherwise dispose of (including by merger (including by conversion into securities or other consideration), by tendering into any tender or exchange offer, by operation of Law or otherwise), either voluntarily or involuntarily, any of its Covered Securities, (ii) enter into any Contract or option with respect to any transaction specified in clause (i) or any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any of its Covered Securities, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (iii) publicly announce any intention to effect any transaction specified in clauses (i) or (ii) (any transaction specified in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii), a Transfer); provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit a Transfer to an Affiliate of the Equityholder (each, a Permitted Transfer); provided, further, that any Permitted Transfer shall be permitted only if, as a precondition to such Transfer, the transferee agrees in a writing, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to Thunder Bridge, to assume all of the obligations of the transferring Equityholder under, and be bound by all of the terms of, this Agreement; provided, further, that any Transfer permitted under this Section 8(b) shall not relieve the transferring Equityholder of its obligations under this Agreement. Any Transfer in violation of this Section 8(b) shall be null and void.

 

(c) Post-Closing Lock-Up.

 

(i)Subject to Section 8(c)(ii) and Section 8(c)(iii), the Equityholder hereby agrees that the Equityholder shall not Transfer any Lock-up Shares during the Lock-up Period (the Lock-up). Any Transfer in violation of this Section 8(c) shall be null and void.

 

(ii)Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 8(c)(i), the Equityholder may Transfer the Lock-up Shares during the Lock-up Period (i) to (A) the Equityholders officers, directors or employees, (B) any family members, foundation, trust, family limited partnership, family limited liability company or other entity created and used for estate planning purposes of the Equityholders officers, directors or employees, or (C) any Affiliates of the Equityholder or any officers, directors or employees of such Affiliates; or (ii) in the event of the Companys liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Companys Shareholders having the right to exchange their shares of Company Stock for cash, securities or other property subsequent to the Closing Date; provided, that each transferee contemplated by clauses (i) through (ii) (each, a Permitted Transferee) must agree in writing to be bound by the Lock-up.

 

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(iii)Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 8(c)(i) and Section 8(c)(ii):

 

(1)an aggregate of one-third of the Equityholder’s Lock-up Shares will be automatically released from the Lock-up (allocated pro rata) at the First Early Lock-up Expiration Time;

 

(2)an aggregate of one-third of the Equityholder’s Lock-up Shares will be automatically released from the Lock-up (allocated pro rata) at the Second Early Lock-up Expiration Time; and

 

(3)the remainder, being an aggregate of one-third of the Equityholder’s Lock-up Shares, will be automatically released from the Lock-up (allocated pro rata) at the Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time.

 

(iv)Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 8(c)(iii) if, at any Early Lock-Up Expiration Time, PubCo is in a Blackout Period, the actual date of such Early Lock-Up Expiration shall be delayed (the Early Lock-Up Expiration Extension) until immediately prior to the opening of trading on the second Trading Day (the Extension Expiration Time) following the first date (such first date, the Extension Expiration Measurement Date) that PubCo is no longer in a Blackout Period under its insider trading policy; provided, further, that, in the case of either an Early Lock-Up Expiration or an Early Lock-Up Expiration Extension, PubCo shall announce through a major news service, or on a Form 6-K, the Early Lock-Up Expiration and the Early Lock-Up Expiration Time, or the Early Lock-Up Expiration Extension and the Extension Expiration Time, as the case may be, at least one full Trading Day prior to the Early Lock-Up Expiration Time or the Extension Expiration Time, as applicable.

 

(d) No Actions to Breach Agreement. Neither the Equityholder nor PubCo shall take any action that would make any of its representations or warranties contained herein untrue or incorrect or have the effect of preventing or disabling it from performing its obligations under this Agreement.

 

(e) Maintenance of Records. The Equityholder hereby authorizes PubCo to maintain a copy of this Agreement at either its executive office or registered office.

 

(f)  Binding Effect of Combination Agreement. The Equityholder hereby acknowledges that it has read the Combination Agreement and this Agreement and has had the opportunity to consult with its tax, legal and other advisors with respect thereto and hereto. The Equityholder shall be bound by and comply with Section 11.07 (Confidentiality; Publicity) of the Combination Agreement (and any relevant definitions contained in any such section) as if the Equityholder was an original signatory to the Combination Agreement with respect to such provisions.

 

8

 

 

(g) Closing Date Deliverables. On the Closing Date, the Equityholder shall deliver to Thunder Bridge and PubCo a duly executed copy of the Registration Rights Agreement, in substantially the form attached as Exhibit D to the Combination Agreement.

 

(h) Update of Schedule 1. If the Equityholder acquires record or beneficial ownership of any Equityholder Covered Securities following the date hereof and prior to the Closing, other than as a result of the Transactions, the Equityholder shall promptly notify PubCo and Thunder Bridge in writing (email being sufficient), and Schedule 1 shall be updated to reflect the Equityholders ownership of such additional Equityholder Covered Securities. If PubCo acquires record or beneficial ownership of any PubCo Covered Securities following the date hereof and prior to the Closing, other than as a result of the Transactions, PubCo shall promptly notify the Equityholder and Thunder Bridge in writing (email being sufficient), and Schedule 1 shall be updated to reflect PubCos ownership of such additional PubCo Covered Securities. Schedule 1 shall also be updated from time to time to reflect changes resulting from the Transactions.

 

9. Further Assurances. During the Interim Period, at Thunder Bridges reasonable request, the Equityholder and PubCo shall each execute and deliver such additional documents and take all such further action as may be necessary or reasonably requested to effect the actions and consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

10. Disclosure. The Equityholder hereby authorizes PubCo and Thunder Bridge to publish and disclose in any announcement or disclosure relating to the Transactions, including any such announcement or disclosure required or requested by the SEC (or as otherwise required or requested pursuant to any applicable Laws or any other Governmental Authorities), the Equityholders identity and ownership of the relevant Equityholder Covered Securities and the nature of the Equityholders obligations under this Agreement and, if deemed appropriate by Thunder Bridge or PubCo, a copy of this Agreement. The Equityholder will promptly provide any information reasonably requested in writing by Thunder Bridge, PubCo, HoldCo or the Company for any regulatory application or filing made or approval sought in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Combination Agreement (including filings with the SEC).

 

11. Changes in Capital Stock. In the event (i) of a stock split, stock dividend or distribution, or any change in Company Stock by reason of any split-up, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, exchange of shares or the like, (ii) the Equityholder or PubCo purchases or otherwise acquires beneficial ownership of any PubCo Shares, HoldCo Interests, Company Shares or Merger Sub Shares or (iii) the Equityholder or PubCo acquires the right to vote or share in the voting of any PubCo Shares, HoldCo Interests, Company Shares or Merger Sub Shares, the term Covered Securitiesshall be deemed to refer to and include such shares as well as all such stock dividends and distributions and any securities into which or for which any or all of such shares may be changed or exchanged or which are received in such transaction, and the terms Equityholder Covered Securities and PubCo Covered Securities shall be deemed to refer to such Covered Securities held by the Equityholder and PubCo, respectively.

 

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12. Amendment and Modification. This Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented in any manner, whether by course of conduct or otherwise, except by an instrument in writing signed by Thunder Bridge Sponsor, PubCo and the Equityholder.

 

13. Waiver. No failure or delay by any Party exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies of the Parties hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies which they would otherwise have hereunder. Any agreement on the part of a Party to any such waiver shall be valid only if set forth in a written instrument executed and delivered by such Party.

 

14. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally, by email (with confirmation of receipt) or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, such as Federal Express, to the Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified by like notice made pursuant to this Section 12):

 

if to the Equityholder:

 

Monex Group, Inc.

ARK Mori Building 25F 1-12-32

Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6025, Japan
Attn: Financial Control Department

E-mail: mg-control@monex.co.jp

 

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Ark Hills Sengokuyama Mori Tower, 41F

9-10, Roppongi 1-chome

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

Attention: Alan Cannon

Email: acannon@stblaw.com

 

and

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017, United States

Attention: Patrick Naughton

Email: pnaughton@stblaw.com

 

if to PubCo:

 

Coincheck Group B.V.
Hoogoorddreef 15, 1101 BA

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Attn: Akira Inoue

E-mail: akira_inoue@monex.co.jp

 

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with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Ark Hills Sengokuyama Mori Tower, 41F

9-10, Roppongi 1-chome

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

Attention: Alan Cannon

Email: acannon@stblaw.com

 

and

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017, United States

Attention: Patrick Naughton

Email: pnaughton@stblaw.com

 

if to Thunder Bridge prior to Closing or to Thunder Bridge Sponsor:


9912 Georgetown Pike, Suite D203

Great Falls, VA 22066

Attn: Gary Simanson, Chief Executive Officer
E-mail: gsimanson@thunderbridge.us

 

with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP

101 Constitution Ave, NW, Suite 900

Washington, DC 20001
Attn: Jon Talcott and Peter Strand
E-mail: jon.talcott@nelsonmullins.com and
peter.strand@nelsonmullins.com

 

15. No Ownership Interest. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to vest in Thunder Bridge any direct or indirect ownership or incidence of ownership of or with respect to the Covered Securities. All rights, ownership and economic benefits of and relating to the Equityholder Covered Securities shall remain vested in and belong to the Equityholder, and all rights, ownership and economic benefits of and relating to the PubCo Covered Securities shall remain vested in and belong to PubCo, and Thunder Bridge shall have no authority to direct either the Equityholder or PubCo in the voting or disposition of any of the Covered Securities, except as otherwise provided herein.

 

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16. Entire Agreement; Time of Effectiveness. This Agreement and the Combination Agreement constitute the entire agreement and understanding, and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

17. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Equityholder and PubCo hereby agree that their representations, warranties and covenants set forth herein are solely for the benefit of Thunder Bridge in accordance with and subject to the terms of this Agreement, and this Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any Person other than the Parties, any rights or remedies hereunder, including the right to rely upon the representations, warranties and covenants set forth herein, and the Parties hereby further agree that this Agreement may only be enforced against, and any Action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement, or the negotiation, execution or performance of this Agreement, may only be made against, the Persons expressly named as parties to this Agreement.

 

18. Governing Law and Venue; Service of Process; Waiver of Jury Trial.

 

(a) 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 internal Laws of the State of Delaware, including its statute of limitations, 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 the Laws or statute of limitations of another jurisdiction.

 

(b) Any Action based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may only be brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court lacks jurisdiction, the state and 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. 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 18(b).

 

(c) EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY KNOWINGLY, INTENTIONALLY, VOLUNTARILY AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES 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.

 

19. Assignment; Successors. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder shall (a) be assigned by any of the Equityholder or PubCo in whole or in part (whether by operation of Law or otherwise), without the prior written consent of Thunder Bridge or (b) be assigned by Thunder Bridge, in whole or in part (whether by operation of law or otherwise), without the prior written consent of the Equityholder and PubCo. Any such assignment without such consent shall be null and void. This Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

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20. Enforcement. The Parties agree that irreparable damage (for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy) would occur, and that the Parties would not have any adequate remedy at law, in the event that any of the provisions of this 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 specific performance, an injunction or injunctions, or other equitable relief to prevent breaches or threatened breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement, including obligations under Sections 1 through 4, without proof of actual damages or otherwise (and each Party hereby waives any requirement for the securing or posting of any bond in connection with such remedy), this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each Party acknowledges and agrees that the right of specific enforcement is an integral part of the transactions contemplated hereby and that, without such 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. In the event of a final non-appealable judgement from a court of competent jurisdiction relating to this Agreement, the prevailing party in such action shall be entitled to reasonable and documented fees and expenses (including reasonable and documented attorney’s fees) from the non-prevailing party.

 

21. Severability. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void, unenforceable or against its regulatory policy, the remainder of the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated. Upon such a determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the Parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.

 

22. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, it being understood that each Party need not sign the same counterpart. Signatures delivered electronically or by facsimile shall be deemed to be original signatures.

 

23. Interpretation and Construction. The words hereof,” “herein and hereunder and words of like import used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement. The descriptive headings used herein are inserted for convenience of reference only and are not intended to be part of or to affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. References to Sections and Schedules are to Sections and Schedules of this Agreement, respectively, unless otherwise specified. Any singular term in this Agreement shall be deemed to include the plural, and any plural term the singular. The definitions contained in this Agreement are applicable to the masculine as well as to the feminine and neuter genders of such term. Whenever the words include,” “includes or including are used in this Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation, whether or not they are in fact followed by those words or words of like import. Writing,” “written and comparable terms refer to printing, typing and other means of reproducing words (including electronic media) in a visible form. References to any statute shall be deemed to refer to such statute as amended from time to time and to any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder. References to any person include the successors and permitted assigns of that person. References from or through any date mean, unless otherwise specified, from and including such date or through and including such date, respectively. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement will be construed as if drafted jointly by the Parties, and no presumption or burden of proof will arise favoring or disfavoring any Party by virtue of the authorship of any of the provisions of this Agreement. The term or is not exclusive.

 

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24. Capacity as an Equityholder or Proxy Holder. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (a) the Equityholder is signing this Agreement solely in the Equityholders capacity as (i) prior to the Share Exchange, the sole shareholder of PubCo entitled to vote at PubCos general meeting and, from and after the Share Exchange, the controlling shareholder of PubCo, (ii) prior to the Share Exchange, the controlling shareholder of the Company and, (iii) prior to the HoldCo Contribution, the sole member of HoldCo, and not in any other capacity, and (b) PubCo is signing this Agreement solely in PubCos capacity as (i) the sole stockholder of Merger Sub and (ii) from and after the HoldCo Contribution, the sole member of HoldCo, and not in any other capacity, and this Agreement shall not limit, prevent or otherwise affect the actions of the Equityholder or PubCo or any of the respective Affiliates or Representatives thereof, or any of their respective Affiliates, in his, her or its capacity, if applicable, as an officer or director of PubCo or the Company (or any Subsidiary of PubCo or the Company) or any other Person, including in the exercise of his, her or its fiduciary duties as a director or officer of PubCo or the Company or any Subsidiary of PubCo or the Company.

 

25. Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement:

 

(1)the term “Blackout Period” means a broadly applicable and regularly scheduled period during which trading in PubCo’s securities would not be permitted under the PubCo’s insider trading policy;

 

(2)the term “Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, as applicable, the First Early Lock-up Expiration Time, Second Early Lock-up Expiration Time, or Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time;

 

(3)the term “First Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, if the last reported sale price of the PubCo Shares on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed (the “Closing Price”) equals or exceeds $15.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) (the “First Threshold Price”) for 20 out of any 30 consecutive Trading Days, including the last day of such 30 Trading Day period (any such 30 Trading Day period during which such condition is satisfied, the “First Measurement Period”), then immediately prior to the opening of trading on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed on the Trading Day following the end of the First Measurement Period;

 

(4)the term “Lock-up Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the date that is three hundred and sixty-five (365) days after (and excluding) the Closing Date;

 

(5)the term “Lock-up Shares” means the PubCo Shares held by the Equityholder immediately following the Closing (other than PubCo Shares acquired in connection with the PIPE Financing, or PubCo Shares acquired in the public market or pursuant to a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act pursuant to a subscription agreement where the issuance of PubCo Shares occurs on or after the Closing);

 

(6)the term “Second Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, if the Closing Price equals or exceeds $17.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) (the “Second Threshold Price”) for 20 out of any 30 consecutive Trading Days, including the last day of such 30 Trading Day period (any such 30 Trading Day period during which such condition is satisfied, the “Second Measurement Period”), then immediately prior to the opening of trading on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed on the Trading Day following the end of the Second Measurement Period;

 

(7)the term “Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, if the Closing Price equals or exceeds $20.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) (the “Third Threshold Price”) for 20 out of any 30 consecutive Trading Days, including the last day of such 30 Trading Day period (any such 30 Trading Day period during which such condition is satisfied, the “Third Measurement Period”), then immediately prior to the opening of trading on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed on the Trading Day following the end of the Third Measurement Period;

 

(8)the term “Threshold Price” means, as applicable, the First Threshold Price, the Second Threshold Price, and the Third Threshold Price; and

 

(9)the term “Trading Day” is a day on which the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market are open for the buying and selling of securities.

 

[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed (where applicable, by their respective officers or other authorized Persons thereunto duly authorized) as of the date first written above.

 

  MONEX GROUP, INC.
   
  By: /s/ Oki Matsumoto
  Name: Oki Matsumoto
  Title: Chairman & CEO
     
  Coincheck GROUP B.V.
   
  By: /s/ Akira Inoue
  Name: Akira Inoue
  Title: Managing Director
     
  Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc.
   
  By: /s/ Gary A. Simanson
  Name:  Gary A. Simanson
  Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Company Support Agreement]

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1

 

Covered Securities

 

Name  PubCo
Shares Held
   Company Shares Held   HoldCo
Interests Held
   Merger
Sub Shares
Held
 
Monex Group, Inc.   1    1,799,467    100%   0 
Coincheck Group B.V.   0    0    0    100 

 

 

 

Schedule 1-1

 

 

Exhibit 10.3

 

 Lock-Up AGREEMENT

 

This Lock-Up Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2022 (this “Agreement”), is entered into by and among Coincheck Group B.V., a Dutch private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) (“PubCo”), Coincheck, Inc., a Japanese joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) (the “Company”), and the individual set forth on Schedule 1 attached hereto (the “Equityholder”). PubCo and the Equityholder are collectively referred to herein as the “Parties” and individually as a “Party.”

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, as of the date hereof, the Equityholder is the sole record owner and “beneficial owner” (as such term is used herein, within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the “Exchange Act”)) of, and has the sole power to dispose of and vote (or direct the voting of), the number of ordinary shares of the Company (such shares, the “Company Shares”) set forth opposite the Equityholder’s name on Schedule 1 attached hereto (such shares, together with any additional Company Shares or any ordinary shares of PubCo (“PubCo Shares”) (or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Company Shares or PubCo Shares) of which the Equityholder acquires record or beneficial ownership after the date hereof, including by any Transfer (as defined below), purchase, as a result of a stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, exchange or change of such shares, or upon exercise or conversion of any securities, the “Covered Securities”);

 

WHEREAS, on or about the date hereof, Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc. (“Thunder Bridge”), PubCo, M1 Co G.K., Coincheck Merger Sub, Inc., and the Company are entering into a Business Combination Agreement (as amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Combination Agreement”; capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Combination Agreement);

 

WHEREAS, as a condition and inducement to the willingness of PubCo and the Company to enter into the Combination Agreement, the Parties desire to agree to certain matters as set forth herein.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, and intending to be legally bound hereby, PubCo, the Company and Equityholder hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Delivery of Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares to Escrow Agent. Immediately prior to the Merger Effective Time, the Equityholder shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Escrow Agent to hold on behalf of the Equityholder, its Company Shareholder Pro Rata Share of the Company Shareholder Earn Out Shares to be held in an Escrow Account established pursuant to the Escrow Agreement.

 

 

 

2. Termination; Non-Survival of Representations and Warranties.

 

(a) This Agreement shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (x) the expiration of the Lock-up Period and (y) the Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time.

 

(b) None of the representations or warranties contained in this Agreement or in any certificate or other writing delivered pursuant hereto shall survive the Closing.

 

3. Representations and Warranties of the Equityholder. The Equityholder hereby represents and warrants to PubCo and the Company as follows:

 

(a) The Equityholder has full legal capacity, right and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform his obligations hereunder. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Equityholder and, subject to the due execution and delivery of this Agreement by PubCo and the Company, constitutes a legally valid and binding agreement of the Equityholder enforceable against the Equityholder in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

(b) The Equityholder is the sole record owner and beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of, and has good, valid and marketable title to the Covered Securities, free and clear of any Liens (other than as created by this Agreement or the Governing Documents of PubCo or the Company, as the case may be). As of the date hereof, other than the Covered Securities set forth opposite his name on Schedule 1, the Equityholder does not own beneficially or of record any PubCo Shares or Company Shares (or any securities convertible into PubCo Shares or Company Shares) or any interest therein.

 

(c) The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Equityholder does not, and the performance by the Equityholder of his obligations hereunder will not, (i) conflict with the rights of Equityholder’s spouse or domestic partner, as applicable, or (ii) require any consent or approval that has not been given or other action that has not been taken by any Person (including under any Contract binding upon the Equityholder or the Covered Securities), in each case, to the extent the absence of such consent, approval or other action would prevent, enjoin or materially delay the performance by the Equityholder of his obligations under this Agreement.

 

(d) As of the date of this Agreement, there is no Action pending against the Equityholder or, to his knowledge, threatened against the Equityholder that, in any manner, questions the beneficial or record ownership of the Covered Securities or the validity of this Agreement, or challenges or seeks to prevent, enjoin or materially delay the performance by the Equityholder of his obligations under this Agreement.

 

(e) The Equityholder understands and acknowledges that PubCo and the Company are entering into the Combination Agreement in reliance upon its execution and delivery of this Agreement and its representations, warranties, covenants and other agreements contained herein.

 

4. Certain Covenants of the Equityholder.

 

(a) No Transfers Prior to Termination Date. The Equityholder shall not, prior to the Termination Date (except, in each case, pursuant to the Combination Agreement), (i) directly or indirectly sell, transfer, hypothecate, pledge, encumber, assign, hedge, swap, convert or otherwise dispose of (including by merger (including by conversion into securities or other consideration), by tendering into any tender or exchange offer, by operation of Law or otherwise), either voluntarily or involuntarily, any of the Covered Securities, (ii) enter into any Contract or option with respect to any transaction specified in clause (i) or any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of any of the Covered Securities, whether any such transaction is to be settled by delivery of such securities, in cash or otherwise, or (iii) publicly announce any intention to effect any transaction specified in clauses (i) or (ii) (any transaction specified in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Transfer”); provided, however, that the foregoing shall not prohibit a Transfer to an Affiliate of the Equityholder (each, a “Permitted Transfer”); provided, further, that any Permitted Transfer shall be permitted only if, as a precondition to such Transfer, the transferee agrees in a writing, reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to Thunder Bridge, to assume all of the obligations of the transferring Equityholder under, and be bound by all of the terms of, this Agreement; provided, further, that any Transfer permitted under this Section 8(b) shall not relieve the transferring Equityholder of its obligations under this Agreement. Any Transfer in violation of this Section 8(b) shall be null and void.

 

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(b) Post-Closing Lock-Up.

 

(i)Subject to Section 4(b)(ii) and Section 4(b)(iii), the Equityholder hereby agrees that the Equityholder shall not Transfer any Lock-up Shares during the Lock-up Period (the “Lock-up”). Any Transfer in violation of this Section 8(c) shall be null and void.

 

(ii)Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 4(b)(i), the Equityholder may Transfer the Lock-up Shares during the Lock-up Period (i) to (A) any family members, foundation, trust, family limited partnership, family limited liability company or other entity created and used for estate planning purposes of the Equityholder’s officers, directors or employees or (B) any Affiliates of the Equityholder or any officers, directors or employees of such Affiliates; or (ii) in the event of the Company’s liquidation, merger, capital stock exchange or other similar transaction which results in all of the Company’s Shareholders having the right to exchange their shares of Company Stock for cash, securities or other property subsequent to the Closing Date; provided, that each transferee contemplated by clauses (i) through (ii) (each, a “Permitted Transferee”) must agree in writing to be bound by the Lock-up.

 

(iii)Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 4(b)(i) and Section 4(b)(ii):

 

(1)an aggregate of one-third of the Equityholder’s Lock-up Shares will be automatically released from the Lock-up (allocated pro rata) at the First Early Lock-up Expiration Time;

 

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(2)an aggregate of one-third of the Equityholder’s Lock-up Shares will be automatically released from the Lock-up (allocated pro rata) at the Second Early Lock-up Expiration Time; and

 

(3)the remainder, being an aggregate of one-third of the Equityholder’s Lock-up Shares, will be automatically released from the Lock-up (allocated pro rata) at the Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time.

 

(iv)Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in Section 4(b)(iii) if, at any Early Lock-Up Expiration Time, PubCo is in a Blackout Period, the actual date of such Early Lock-Up Expiration shall be delayed (the “Early Lock-Up Expiration Extension”) until immediately prior to the opening of trading on the second Trading Day (the “Extension Expiration Time”) following the first date (such first date, the “Extension Expiration Measurement Date”) that PubCo is no longer in a Blackout Period under its insider trading policy; provided, further, that, in the case of either an Early Lock-Up Expiration or an Early Lock-Up Expiration Extension, PubCo shall announce through a major news service, or on a Form 6-K, the Early Lock-Up Expiration and the Early Lock-Up Expiration Time, or the Early Lock-Up Expiration Extension and the Extension Expiration Time, as the case may be, at least one full Trading Day prior to the Early Lock-Up Expiration Time or the Extension Expiration Time, as applicable.

 

(c) Maintenance of Records. The Equityholder hereby authorizes PubCo to maintain a copy of this Agreement at either its executive office or registered office.

 

(d) Closing Date Deliverables. On the Closing Date, the Equityholder shall deliver to PubCo, TBCP IV, LLC and Monex a duly executed copy of the Registration Rights Agreement, in substantially the form attached as Exhibit C to the Combination Agreement.

 

5. Further Assurances. During the Interim Period, at the PubCo’s or the Company’s reasonable request, the Equityholder shall each execute and deliver such additional documents and take all such further action as may be necessary or reasonably requested to effect the actions and consummate the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

6. Disclosure. The Equityholder hereby authorizes PubCo and Thunder Bridge to publish and disclose in any announcement or disclosure relating to the Transactions, including any such announcement or disclosure required or requested by the SEC (or as otherwise required or requested pursuant to any applicable Laws or any other Governmental Authorities), the Equityholder’s identity and ownership of the Covered Securities and the nature of the Equityholder’s obligations under this Agreement and, if deemed appropriate by PubCo, a copy of this Agreement. The Equityholder will promptly provide any information reasonably requested in writing by PubCo or the Company for any regulatory application or filing made or approval sought in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Combination Agreement (including filings with the SEC).

 

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7. Changes in Capital Stock. In the event (i) of a stock split, stock dividend or distribution, or any change in Company Stock or PubCo Stock by reason of any split-up, reverse stock split, recapitalization, combination, reclassification, exchange of shares or the like or (ii) the Equityholder purchases or otherwise acquires beneficial ownership of any PubCo Shares or Company Shares, the term “Covered Securities” shall be deemed to refer to and include such shares as well as all such stock dividends and distributions and any securities into which or for which any or all of such shares may be changed or exchanged or which are received in such transaction.

 

8. Amendment and Modification. This Agreement may not be amended, modified or supplemented in any manner, whether by course of conduct or otherwise, except by an instrument in writing signed by each Party.

 

9. Waiver. No failure or delay by any Party exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies of the Parties hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies which they would otherwise have hereunder. Any agreement on the part of a Party to any such waiver shall be valid only if set forth in a written instrument executed and delivered by such Party.

 

10. Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given if delivered personally, by email (with confirmation of receipt) or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, such as Federal Express, to the Parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified by like notice made pursuant to this Section 10):

 

if to the Equityholder:

 

to the address set forth on Schedule 1 attached hereto

 

if to the Company or PubCo:

 

c/o Coincheck Group, Inc.
E Space Tower, 12F

3-6, Maruyamacho

Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0044
Attn: Satoshi Hasuo

E-mail: satoshi.hasuo@coincheck.com

with copies (which shall not constitute notice) to:

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Ark Hills Sengokuyama Mori Tower, 41F

9-10, Roppongi 1-chome

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032, Japan

Attention: Alan Cannon

Email: acannon@stblaw.com

 

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and

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

425 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10017, United States

Attention: Patrick Naughton

Email: pnaughton@stblaw.com

 

11. Entire Agreement; Time of Effectiveness. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding, and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

12. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is not intended to, and does not, confer upon any Person other than the Parties, any rights or remedies hereunder, including the right to rely upon the representations, warranties and covenants set forth herein, and the Parties hereby further agree that this Agreement may only be enforced against, and any Action that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement, or the negotiation, execution or performance of this Agreement, may only be made against, the Persons expressly named as parties to this Agreement.

 

13. Governing Law and Venue; Service of Process; Waiver of Jury Trial.

 

(a) 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 internal Laws of the State of Delaware, including its statute of limitations, 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 the Laws or statute of limitations of another jurisdiction.

 

(b) Any Action based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may only be brought in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or, if such court lacks jurisdiction, the state and 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. 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 13(b).

 

(c) EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY KNOWINGLY, INTENTIONALLY, VOLUNTARILY AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES 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.

 

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14. Assignment; Successors. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder shall be assigned by any Party without the prior written consent of the other Parties hereto. Any such assignment without such consent shall be null and void. This Agreement shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

15. Enforcement. The Parties agree that irreparable damage (for which monetary damages, even if available, would not be an adequate remedy) would occur, and that the Parties would not have any adequate remedy at law, in the event that any of the provisions of this 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 specific performance, an injunction or injunctions, or other equitable relief to prevent breaches or threatened breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement without proof of actual damages or otherwise (and each Party hereby waives any requirement for the securing or posting of any bond in connection with such remedy), this being in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity. Each Party acknowledges and agrees that the right of specific enforcement is an integral part of the transactions contemplated hereby and that, without such 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. In the event of a final non-appealable judgement from a court of competent jurisdiction relating to this Agreement, the prevailing party in such action shall be entitled to reasonable and documented fees and expenses (including reasonable and documented attorney’s fees) from the non-prevailing party.

 

16. Severability. If any term or other provision of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void, unenforceable or against its regulatory policy, the remainder of the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated. Upon such a determination, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the Parties as closely as possible in an acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated hereby be consummated as originally contemplated to the fullest extent possible.

 

17. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement, it being understood that each Party need not sign the same counterpart. Signatures delivered electronically or by facsimile shall be deemed to be original signatures.

 

18. Defined Terms. For purposes of this Agreement:

 

(1)the term “Blackout Period” means a broadly applicable and regularly scheduled period during which trading in PubCo’s securities would not be permitted under the PubCo’s insider trading policy;

 

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(2)the term “Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, as applicable, the First Early Lock-up Expiration Time, Second Early Lock-up Expiration Time, or Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time;

 

(3)the term “First Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, if the last reported sale price of the PubCo Shares on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed (the “Closing Price”) equals or exceeds $15.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) (the “First Threshold Price”) for 20 out of any 30 consecutive Trading Days, including the last day of such 30 Trading Day period (any such 30 Trading Day period during which such condition is satisfied, the “First Measurement Period”), then immediately prior to the opening of trading on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed on the Trading Day following the end of the First Measurement Period;

 

(4)the term “Lock-up Period” means the period beginning on the Closing Date and ending on the date that is three hundred and sixty-five (365) days after (and excluding) the Closing Date;

 

(5)the term “Lock-up Shares” means the PubCo Shares held by the Equityholder immediately following the Closing (other than PubCo Shares acquired in the public market or pursuant to a transaction exempt from registration under the Securities Act pursuant to a subscription agreement where the issuance of PubCo Shares occurs on or after the Closing);

 

(6)the term “Second Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, if the Closing Price equals or exceeds $17.50 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) (the “Second Threshold Price”) for 20 out of any 30 consecutive Trading Days, including the last day of such 30 Trading Day period (any such 30 Trading Day period during which such condition is satisfied, the “Second Measurement Period”), then immediately prior to the opening of trading on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed on the Trading Day following the end of the Second Measurement Period;

 

(7)the term “Third Early Lock-up Expiration Time” means, if the Closing Price equals or exceeds $20.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) (the “Third Threshold Price”) for 20 out of any 30 consecutive Trading Days, including the last day of such 30 Trading Day period (any such 30 Trading Day period during which such condition is satisfied, the “Third Measurement Period”), then immediately prior to the opening of trading on the exchange on which the PubCo Shares are listed on the Trading Day following the end of the Third Measurement Period;

 

(8)the term “Threshold Price” means, as applicable, the First Threshold Price, the Second Threshold Price, and the Third Threshold Price; and

 

(9)the term “Trading Day” is a day on which the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market are open for the buying and selling of securities.

 

[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed (where applicable, by their respective officers or other authorized Persons thereunto duly authorized) as of the date first written above.

  

  EQUITYHOLDER
     
  By:                            
     
  Coincheck GROUP B.V.  
     
  By:  
  Name:  
  Title:  
     
  COINCHECK, INC.
   
  By:  
  Name:   
  Title:  

 

[Signature Page to Lock-Up Agreement]

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1

 

Covered Securities

 

Name Address Company
Shares Held
[●] [●] [●]

 

 

Schedule 1-1 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.4

 

FORM OF REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT

 

THIS REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of _________ 2022, is made and entered into by and among Coincheck Group B.V. (the “Company”), TBCP IV, LLC (“Thunder Bridge Sponsor”), Monex Group, Inc. (“Monex”), and the Persons set forth on Exhibit A hereto (collectively with the Thunder Bridge Sponsor, Monex and any other person or entity who hereafter becomes a party to this Agreement, each a “Holder” and collectively the “Holders”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Company is party to that certain Business Combination Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2022 (the “Combination Agreement”), by and among Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Thunder Bridge”), the Company, M1 Co G.K., a Japanese limited liability company (godo kaisha) (“HoldCo”), Coincheck Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), a Delaware corporation, and Coincheck, Inc., a Japanese joint stock company (kabushiki kaisha) ( “Coincheck”), pursuant to which, among other things, on or about the date hereof, Merger Sub will merge with and into Thunder Bridge (with Thunder Bridge being the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company) in exchange for Thunder Bridge’s stockholders receiving a right to receive shares of the Company with a nominal value of one eurocent (EUR 0.01) each (the “Ordinary Shares”);

 

WHEREAS, Thunder Bridge Sponsor and Thunder Bridge are parties to that certain Registration Rights Agreement, dated June 29, 2021 (“Prior Agreement”), by and among Thunder Bridge, Sponsor, and other Persons parties thereto attached as Exhibit 10.5 to Thunder Bridge’s current report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on July 2, 2021;

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the Unit Subscription Agreement, dated July 2, 2021, Thunder Bridge Sponsor acquired 129,611 warrants exercisable for one Thunder Bridge Common Share for $11.50 per share (the “Thunder Bridge Warrants”);

 

WHEREAS, the Thunder Bridge Sponsor is acquiring Ordinary Shares (including the Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security issued to Thunder Bridge Sponsor pursuant to the terms of the Combination Agreement, including the private placement of Thunder Bridge Common Shares) on or about the date hereof pursuant to the Combination Agreement;

 

WHEREAS, on or about the date hereof, pursuant to the Combination Agreement, each Thunder Bridge Warrant is automatically and irrevocably modified to provide that such Thunder Bridge Warrant no longer entitles the holder thereof to exercise such Thunder Bridge Warrant for one Thunder Bridge Common Share for $11.50 per share and in substitution thereof such Thunder Bridge Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to exercise such Thunder Bridge Warrant for one Ordinary Share for $11.50 per share; and

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Combination Agreement, 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 representations, covenants and agreements contained herein, and 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

 

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

 

Adverse Disclosure” shall mean any public disclosure of material non-public information, which, in the good faith judgment of the President or Chief Financial Officer of the Company, after consultation with counsel to the Company, (a) 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 Misstatement, (b) would not be required to be made at such time but for the filing, effectiveness or continued use of such Registration Statement or Prospectus, and (c) the Company has (x) a bona fide business purpose for not making or (y) determined the premature disclosure of such information would materially adversely affect the Company.

 

Affiliate” shall mean, with respect to a specified Person, each other Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified; provided that no Holder shall be deemed an Affiliate of any other Holder solely by reason of an investment in, or holding of Ordinary Shares (or securities convertible or exchangeable for share of Ordinary Shares) of, the Company. As used in this definition, “control” (including with correlative meanings, “controlled by” and “under common control with”) shall mean possession, directly or indirectly, of power to direct or cause the direction of management or policies (whether through ownership of voting securities or by contract or other agreement).

 

Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

Claims” shall have the meaning given in subsection 4.1.1.

 

Closing Date” shall mean the date of this Agreement.

 

Combination Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

 

Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Company” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Company Shelf Takedown Notice” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.

 

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Company Support Agreement” shall mean that certain Company Support Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2022 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified in accordance with the terms thereto), by and among the Company, Monex and Thunder Bridge.

 

Demand Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1.

 

DR Demanding Holders” shall mean the applicable Holders having the right to make, and actually making, a written demand for the Registration of Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.2.1.

 

DR Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.1.

 

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

 

Form F-1 Shelf” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.1.

 

Form F-3 Shelf” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.2.

 

Holders” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble hereto.

 

Lock-Up Period” means (i) with respect to the Registrable Securities owned by the Sponsor Parties, the “Lock-Up Period” as defined in the Sponsor Support Agreement, (ii) with respect to the Registrable Securities owned by Monex, the “Lock-Up Period” as defined in the Company Support Agreement, and (iii) with respect to any other Holder, the “Lock-Up Period” as defined in the lock-up agreement with the Company to which such Holder is a party.

 

Maximum Number of Securities” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.2.4.

 

Minimum Amount” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.

 

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

 

Monex” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Ordinary Shares” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals.

 

Permitted Transferees” shall mean a person or entity to whom the Holders are permitted to Transfer Registrable Securities prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period with respect to the Registrable Securities owned by such Holder.

 

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Piggyback Registration” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.3.1.

 

Prior Agreement” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals hereto.

 

Prospectus” shall mean 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” shall mean (a) any outstanding Ordinary Shares or other equity securities of the Company held by a Holder immediately following the Closing, (b) any Ordinary Shares issued to a Holder pursuant to the terms of the Combination Agreement (including the Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of any other equity security issued to a Holder pursuant to the terms of the Combination Agreement), (c) the Thunder Bridge Warrants (including any Ordinary Shares issued or issuable upon the exercise of any Thunder Bridge Warrants) and (d) any other equity security of the Company issued or issuable with respect to the securities referred to in the foregoing clauses (a) through (c) by way of a share dividend or share split or in connection with a combination of shares, recapitalization, merger, consolidation or other reorganization or otherwise; provided, however, that, as to any particular Registrable Security, such securities shall cease to be Registrable Securities when: (i) 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; (ii) such securities shall have been otherwise transferred, new certificates for such securities not bearing (or book entry positions not subject to) a legend restricting further transfer shall have been delivered by the Company and subsequent public distribution of such securities shall not require registration under the Securities Act; (iii) such securities shall have ceased to be outstanding; (iv) such securities may be sold without registration pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission) (but with no volume or other restrictions or limitations); or (v) such securities have been sold to, or through, a broker, dealer or underwriter in a public distribution or other public securities transaction.

 

Registration” shall mean a registration effected by preparing and filing a registration statement 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” shall mean the out-of-pocket 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 securities exchange on which the Registrable Securities are then listed;

 

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

 

  (c) printing, messenger, telephone, delivery and road show or other marketing 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 in connection with such Registration;

 

  (f) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by the Company to render any local counsel opinions in connection with the applicable Registration; and

 

  (g) reasonable fees and expenses of one (1) legal counsel selected by (i) the majority-in-interest of the DR Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration, (ii) the majority-in-interest of the SUO Demanding Holders initiating a Shelf Underwritten Offering, or (iii) the majority-in-interest of participating Holders under Section 2.3 if the Registration was initiated by the Company for its own account or that of a Company shareholder other than pursuant to rights under this Agreement, in each case to be registered for offer and sale in the applicable Registration.

 

Registration Statement” shall mean any registration statement that covers the 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.

 

Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time.

 

Shelf Takedown Notice” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.

 

Shelf Underwritten Offering” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.

 

Sponsor Parties” shall mean Thunder Bridge Sponsor and its permitted successors and assigns.

 

Sponsor Support Agreement” shall mean that certain Sponsor Support Agreement, dated as of March 22, 2022 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified in accordance with the terms thereto), by and among the Company, Thunder Bridge Sponsor, Thunder Bridge, Monex, Coincheck and the other parties thereto.

 

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Subscription Agreements” shall mean those certain subscription agreements, dated [•], 2022 and [•], 2022 (as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified in accordance with the terms thereof), by and between Thunder Bridge and certain subscribers to purchase Thunder Bridge Common Shares, par value $0.0001 per share.

 

SUO Demanding Holders” shall mean the applicable Holders having the right to make, and actually making, a written demand for a Shelf Underwritten Offering of Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.1.3.

 

SUO Requesting Holder” shall have the meaning given in subsection 2.1.3.

 

Thunder Bridge” shall have the meaning given in the Preamble.

 

Thunder Bridge Sponsor” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals.

 

Thunder Bridge Warrants” shall have the meaning given in the Recitals.

 

Transfer” shall mean to, directly or indirectly, sell, transfer, assign, pledge, encumber, hypothecate or similarly dispose of, either voluntarily or involuntarily, or to enter into any contract, option or other arrangement or understanding with respect to the sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or similar disposition of, any interest owned by a person or any interest (including a beneficial interest) in, or the ownership, control or possession of, any interest owned by a person.

 

Underwriter” shall mean 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 Registration” or “Underwritten Offering” shall mean a Registration in which securities of the Company are sold to an Underwriter in a firm commitment underwriting for distribution to the public.

 

Warrant Agreement” shall mean that certain Warrant Agreement, dated June 29, 2021 by and between Thunder Bridge and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent.

 

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ARTICLE II
REGISTRATIONS

 

Section 2.1 Shelf Registration.

 

2.1.1 Following the Closing Date, the Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to (i) file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act within [twenty (20) Business Days]1 after the Closing Date to permit the public resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders from time to time as permitted by Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor or similar provision adopted by the Commission then in effect) on the terms and conditions specified in this subsection 2.1.1 and (ii) cause such Registration Statement to be declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof. The Registration Statement filed with the Commission pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 shall be a shelf registration statement on Form F-1 (a “Form F-1 Shelf”) or such other form of registration statement as is then available to effect a registration for resale of such Registrable Securities, covering such Registrable Securities, and shall contain a Prospectus in such form as to permit any Holder to sell such Registrable Securities pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act (or any successor or similar provision adopted by the Commission then in effect) at any time beginning on the effective date for such Registration Statement. A Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 shall provide for the resale pursuant to any method or combination of methods legally available to, and requested by, the Holders. The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available (including to use its reasonable best efforts to add Registrable Securities held by Permitted Transferees) or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities. As soon as practicable following the effective date of a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1, but in any event within fifteen (15) days of such date, the Company shall notify the Holders of the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. When effective, a Registration Statement filed pursuant to this subsection 2.1.1 (including the documents incorporated therein by reference) will comply as to form in all material respects with all applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (in the case of any Prospectus contained in such Registration Statement, in the light of the circumstances under which such statement is made).

 

2.1.2 The Company shall use its reasonable best efforts to convert the Form F-1 Shelf filed pursuant to subsection 2.1.1 to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (a “Form F-3 Shelf”) as promptly as practicable after the Company is eligible to use a Form F-3 Shelf and have the Form F-3 Shelf declared effective as promptly as practicable and to cause such Form F-3 Shelf to remain effective, and to be supplemented and amended to the extent necessary to ensure that such Registration Statement is available or, if not available, that another Registration Statement is available, for the resale of all the Registrable Securities held by the Holders until all such Registrable Securities have ceased to be Registrable Securities.

 

 

1    Assuming March 31, 2022 year end audited financials in the Form F-4. 

 

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2.1.3 At any time and from time to time following the effectiveness of the shelf registration statement required by subsection 2.1.1 or subsection 2.1.2, any Holder may request to sell all or a portion of their Registrable Securities in an underwritten offering that is registered pursuant to such shelf registration statement (a “Shelf Underwritten Offering”); provided that such Holder(s) reasonably expects to sell Registrable Securities yielding aggregate gross proceeds in excess of $20.0 million from such Shelf Underwritten Offering (or if the Sponsor Parties only hold Registrable Securities with a total offering price reasonably expected to be less than the Minimum Amount (as defined below), all of the Registrable Securities held by the Sponsor Parties) (such amount of Registrable Securities, as applicable, the “Minimum Amount”). All requests for a Shelf Underwritten Offering shall be made by giving written notice to the Company (the “Shelf Takedown Notice”). Each Shelf Takedown Notice shall specify the approximate number of Registrable Securities proposed to be sold in the Shelf Underwritten Offering and the expected price range (net of underwriting discounts and commissions) of such Shelf Underwritten Offering. Within two (2) business days after receipt of any Shelf Takedown Notice, the Company shall give written notice of such requested Shelf Underwritten Offering to all other Holders of Registrable Securities (the “Company Shelf Takedown Notice”) and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Shelf Underwritten Offering (each such Holder that includes all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Shelf Underwritten Offering, a “SUO Requesting Holder”) shall so notify the Company of its intent to participate in such Shelf Underwritten Offering, in writing, within three (3) business days after the receipt by such Holder of the Company Shelf Takedown Notice. Upon receipt by the Company of any such written notification from a SUO Requesting Holder(s) to the Company, subject to the provisions of subsection 2.2.4, the Company shall include in such Shelf Underwritten Offering all Registrable Securities of such SUO Requesting Holder(s). The Company shall, together with all participating Holders of Registrable Securities of the Company proposing (and permitted) to distribute their securities through such Shelf Underwritten Offering, enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form for such Shelf Underwritten Offering with the managing Underwriter or Underwriters selected by the majority-in-interest of the participating Holders after consultation with the Company and shall take all such other reasonable actions as are reasonably requested by the managing Underwriter or Underwriters in order to facilitate the disposition of such Registrable Securities. In connection with any Shelf Underwritten Offering contemplated by this subsection 2.1.3, subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, the underwriting agreement into which each Holder and the Company shall enter shall contain representations, covenants, indemnities and other rights and obligations in customary form for such Shelf Underwritten Offering by the Company. Any Shelf Underwritten Offering effected pursuant to this subsection 2.1.3 shall be counted as a Registration for purposes of the limit on the number of Registrations that can be effected under Section 2.2 hereof.

 

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Section 2.2 Demand Registration.

 

2.2.1 Request for Registration. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.2.5 and Sections 2.4 and 3.4 hereof and provided that the Company does not have an effective Registration Statement pursuant to subsection 2.1.1 or subsection 2.1.2 covering Registrable Securities, (a) Thunder Bridge Sponsor and (b) Monex, may make a written demand for Registration of all or part of their Registrable Securities on (i) Form F-1, or such other form of registration statement as is then available to effect a registration for resale of such Registrable Securities, covering such Registrable Securities or (ii) if available, Form F-3, which in the case of either clause (i) or (ii), may be a shelf registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act, which written demand shall describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such Registration and the intended method(s) of distribution thereof (such written demand a “Demand Registration”). The Company shall, promptly (but in any event within fifteen (15) days following the Company’s receipt of a Demand Registration), notify, in writing all other Holders of Registrable Securities of such demand, and each Holder of Registrable Securities who thereafter wishes to include all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration (each such Holder that includes all or a portion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Registration, a “DR Requesting Holder”) shall so notify the Company, in writing, within three (3) business days after the receipt by the Holder of the notice from the Company. Upon receipt by the Company of any such written notification from a DR Requesting Holder(s) to the Company, subject to subsection 2.2.4 below, such DR Requesting Holder(s) shall be entitled to have their Registrable Securities included in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration and the Company shall effect, as soon thereafter as practicable, the Registration of all Registrable Securities requested by the DR Demanding Holders and DR Requesting Holders pursuant to such Demand Registration. The Company shall not be obligated to effect more than an aggregate of three (3) Registrations pursuant to a Demand Registration or a Shelf Underwritten Offering initiated by the Sponsor Parties under subsection 2.1.3 or this subsection 2.2.1 with respect to any or all Registrable Securities; provided, however, that a Registration shall not be counted for such purposes unless a Registration Statement that may be available at such time has become effective and all of the Registrable Securities requested by the DR Demanding Holders and the DR Requesting Holders (or in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering, the SUO Demanding Holders and the SUO Requesting Holders) to be registered on behalf of the DR Demanding Holders and the DR Requesting Holders (or in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering, the SUO Demanding Holders and the SUO Requesting Holders) in such Registration have been sold, in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Agreement.

 

2.2.2 Effective Registration. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2.2.1 above or any other part of this Agreement, a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration shall not count as a Registration unless and until (a) the Registration Statement filed with the Commission with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration has been declared effective by the Commission and (b) the Company has complied with all of its obligations under this Agreement with respect thereto; provided, further, that if, after such Registration Statement has been declared effective, an offering of Registrable Securities in a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration is subsequently interfered with by any stop order or injunction of the Commission, federal or state court or any other governmental agency, the Registration Statement with respect to such Registration shall be deemed not to have been declared effective, unless and until, (i) such stop order or injunction is removed, rescinded or otherwise terminated, and (ii) a majority-in-interest of the DR Demanding Holders initiating such Demand Registration thereafter affirmatively elect to continue with such Registration and accordingly notify the Company in writing, but in no event later than five (5) days after the removal, rescission or other termination of such stop order or injunction, of such election; provided, further, that the Company shall not be obligated or required to file another Registration Statement until the Registration Statement that has been previously filed with respect to a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration by the same DR Demand Holder becomes effective or is subsequently terminated.

 

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2.2.3 Underwritten Offering. Subject to the provisions of subsection 2.2.4 and Sections 2.4 and 3.4 hereof, if a majority-in-interest of the DR Demanding Holders so advise the Company as part of their Demand Registration that the offering of the Registrable Securities pursuant to such Demand Registration shall be in the form of an Underwritten Offering, then the right of such DR Demanding Holder or DR Requesting Holder (if any) to include its Registrable Securities in such Registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such Underwritten Offering and the inclusion of such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such Underwritten Offering to the extent provided herein. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.2.3, subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Company and the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the majority-in-interest of the DR Demanding Holders initiating the Demand Registration.

 

2.2.4 Reduction of Underwritten Offering. In the event of a Demand Registration that is to be an Underwritten Offering or a Shelf Underwritten Offering, and if the managing Underwriter or Underwriters, in good faith, advises the Company and, in the case of a Demand Registration, the DR Demanding Holders and the DR Requesting Holders (if any) (or in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering, the SUO Demanding Holders and the SUO Requesting Holders (if any)), in writing that, in its opinion, the dollar amount or number of Registrable Securities that the DR Demanding Holders and the DR Requesting Holders (if any) (or in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering, the SUO Demanding Holders and the SUO Requesting Holders (if any)) desire to sell, taken together with all other Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account and the Ordinary Shares, if any, as to which a Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights held by any other stockholders of the Company who desire to sell, exceeds the maximum dollar amount or maximum number of equity securities that can be sold in such 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 include in such Underwritten Offering, as follows: (a) first, the Registrable Securities of the DR Demanding Holders and the DR Requesting Holders (if any) (or in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering, the SUO Demanding Holders and the SUO Requesting Holders (if any)) pro rata based on the number of securities requested to be sold that 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 Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account, 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 Ordinary Shares 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.

 

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2.2.5 Demand Registration Withdrawal. A DR Demanding Holder or a DR Requesting Holder in the case of a Demand Registration (or a SUO Demanding Holder or a SUO Requesting Holder in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering) shall have the right to withdraw all or a portion of its Registrable Securities included in a Demand Registration pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 or a Shelf Underwritten Offering pursuant to subsection 2.1.3 for any or no reason whatsoever upon written notification to the Company and the Underwriter or Underwriters (if any) of its intention to so withdraw at any time up to (a) in the case of a Demand Registration not involving an Underwritten Offering or a Shelf Underwritten Offering, one (1) day prior to the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement or (b) in the case of any Demand Registration involving an Underwritten Offering or any Shelf Underwritten Offering, one (1) day prior to the expected pricing date of such Underwritten Offering or Shelf Underwritten Offering; provided, however, that upon withdrawal by a majority-in-interest of the DR Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration (or in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering, withdrawal of an amount of Registrable Securities included by the Holders in such Shelf Underwritten Offering, in their capacity as SUO Demanding Holders, being less than the Minimum Amount), the Company shall cease all efforts to secure effectiveness of the applicable Registration Statement or complete the Underwritten Offering, as applicable. The Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration or a Shelf Underwritten Offering prior to and including its withdrawal under this subsection 2.2.5; provided that upon withdrawal by a majority-in-interest of the DR Demanding Holders initiating a Demand Registration (or in the case of a Shelf Underwritten Offering, withdrawal of an amount of Registrable Securities included by the Holders in such Shelf Underwritten Offering, in their capacity as SUO Demanding Holders, being less than the Minimum Amount), such Registration shall be counted towards the limit on Registrations set forth in subsection 2.2.1.

 

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Section 2.3 Piggyback Registration.

 

2.3.1 Piggyback Rights. If the Company proposes to file a Registration Statement under the Securities Act with respect to an offering of Ordinary Shares (including equity securities exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, Ordinary Shares), for its own account or for the account of stockholders of the Company, other than a Registration Statement (a) filed in connection with any employee share option or other benefit plan, (b) a Registration Statement on Form F-4 or Form S-8 (or any successor forms), (c) for an exchange offer or offering of securities solely to the Company’s existing shareholders, (d) for an offering of debt that is convertible into equity securities of the Company, (e) for a dividend reinvestment plan or similar plans, (f) filed pursuant to Section 2.1, (g) filed pursuant to Section 2.2, or (h) filed in connection with any business combination or acquisition involving the Company, then the Company shall give written notice of such proposed filing to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities as soon as practicable (but not less than ten (10) days prior to the anticipated filing by the Company with the Commission of any Registration Statement with respect thereto), which notice shall (A) describe the amount and type of securities to be included in such offering, the intended method(s) of distribution (including whether such registration will be pursuant to a shelf registration statement), the proposed date of filing of such Registration Statement with the Commission and the name of the proposed managing Underwriter or Underwriters, if any, in such offering, in each case to the extent then known, (B) describe such Holders’ rights under this Section 2.3 and (C) offer to all of the Holders of Registrable Securities the opportunity to register the sale of such number of Registrable Securities as such Holders may request in writing within ten (10) days after receipt of such written notice (such Registration a “Piggyback Registration”). The Company shall, in good faith, cause such Registrable Securities identified in a Holder’s response notice described in the foregoing sentence to be included in such Piggyback Registration and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause the managing Underwriter or Underwriters of a proposed Underwritten Offering, if any, to permit the Registrable Securities requested by the Holders pursuant to this subsection 2.3.1 to be included in a Piggyback Registration on the same terms and conditions as any similar securities of the Company or Company shareholder(s) for whose account the Registration Statement is to be filed included in such Registration and to permit the sale or other disposition of such Registrable Securities in accordance with the intended method(s) of distribution thereof. All such Holders proposing to distribute their Registrable Securities through an Underwritten Offering under this subsection 2.3.1, subject to Section 3.3 and Article IV, shall enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the Underwriter(s) selected for such Underwritten Offering by the Company or Company shareholder(s) for whose account the Registration Statement is to be filed. For purposes of this Section 2.3, the filing by the Company of an automatic shelf registration statement for offerings pursuant to Rule 415(a) that omits information with respect to any specific offering pursuant to Rule 430B shall not trigger any notification or participation rights hereunder until such time as the Company amends or supplements such Registration Statement to include information with respect to a specific offering of Registrable Securities (and such amendment or supplement shall trigger the notice and participation rights provided for in this Section 2.3).

 

2.3.2 Reduction of Piggyback Registration. If a Piggyback Registration is to be an Underwritten Offering and the managing Underwriter or Underwriters, in good faith, advises the Company and the Holders of Registrable Securities participating in the Piggyback Registration in writing that, in its opinion, the dollar amount or number of the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell, taken together with (a) the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities, if any, as to which Registration has been demanded pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities hereunder, (b) the Registrable Securities as to which registration has been requested pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof, and (c) the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to separate written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, exceeds the Maximum Number of Securities, then:

 

2.3.2.1 if the Registration is undertaken for the Company’s account, the Company shall include in any such Registration (a) first, the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account, 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 subsection 2.3.1 hereof; and (c) third, to the extent that the Maximum Number of Securities has not been reached under the foregoing clauses (a) and (b), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities, if any, as to which Registration has been requested pursuant to written contractual piggy-back registration rights of other shareholders of the Company, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; and

 

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2.3.2.2 if the Registration is pursuant to a request by persons or entities other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, then the Company shall include in any such Registration (a) first, the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities, if any, of such requesting persons or entities, other than the Holders of Registrable Securities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities; the Registrable Securities of Holders exercising their rights to register their Registrable Securities pursuant to subsection 2.3.1 hereof, pro rata base on the number of securities requested to be included, 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 clauses (a) and (b), the Ordinary Shares or other equity securities that the Company desires to sell for its own account, 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 Ordinary Shares or other equity securities other persons or entities that the Company is obligated to register pursuant to separate written contractual arrangements with such persons or entities, which can be sold without exceeding the Maximum Number of Securities.

 

2.3.3 Piggyback Registration Withdrawal. Any Holder of Registrable Securities shall have the right to withdraw all or any portion of its Registrable Securities in 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 such Registrable Securities from such Piggyback Registration up to (a) in the case of a Piggyback Registration not involving an Underwritten Offering or Shelf Underwritten Offering, one (1) day prior to the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement or (b), in the case of any Piggyback Registration involving an Underwritten Offering or any Shelf Underwritten Offering, one (1) day prior to the expected pricing date of such Underwritten Offering or Shelf Underwritten Offering. 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 at any time prior to the effectiveness of such Registration Statement. The Company shall be responsible for the Registration Expenses incurred in connection with the Piggyback Registration prior to and including its withdrawal under this subsection 2.3.3.

 

2.3.4 Unlimited Piggyback Registration Rights. For purposes of clarity, any Registration effected pursuant to Section 2.3 hereof shall not be counted as a Registration pursuant to a Demand Registration effected under Section 2.2 hereof or a Shelf Underwritten Offering effected under subsection 2.1.3.

 

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Section 2.4 Restrictions on Registration Rights. If (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 has delivered written notice to the Holders prior to receipt of a Demand Registration pursuant to subsection 2.2.1 and it continues to actively employ, in good faith, all reasonable efforts to cause the applicable Registration Statement to become effective; (b) the Holders have requested an Underwritten Registration and the Company and the Holders are unable to obtain the commitment of underwriters to firmly underwrite the offer; or (c) in the good faith judgment of the Board such Registration would be seriously detrimental to the Company and the Board concludes as a result that it is essential to delay the filing of such Registration Statement at such time, the Company shall have the right, upon giving prompt written notice of such action to the Holders (which notice shall not specify the nature of the event giving rise to such delay or suspension), 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. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, no Registration shall be required to be effected and no Registration Statement shall be required to become effective, with respect to any Registrable Securities held by any Holder, until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period with respect to such Registrable Securities.

 

ARTICLE III
COMPANY PROCEDURES

 

Section 3.1 General Procedures. If the Company is required to effect the Registration of Registrable Securities, the Company shall use its reasonable best 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, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:

 

3.1.1 prepare and file with the Commission a Registration Statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its reasonable best efforts to cause such Registration Statement to become effective and remain effective until all Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement have been sold;

 

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 the Holders 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 (a) prior to filing a Registration Statement or Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, furnish 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 reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Registrable Securities owned by such Holders, and (b) except in the case of a Registration under Section 2.3, not file any such Registration Statement or Prospectus, or amendment or supplement thereto, to which any such Holder or Registrable Securities shall have reasonably objected on the grounds that such Registration Statement or Prospectus or supplement or amendment thereto, does not comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder;

 

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3.1.4 prior to any public offering of Registrable Securities, but in any case no later than the effective date of the applicable Registration Statement, use its reasonable best efforts to (a) 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 and to keep such registration or qualification in effect for so long as such Registration Statement remains in effect and (b) 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 or otherwise and do any and all other acts and things that may be necessary or advisable, in each case, 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 securities exchange or automated quotation system 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 any request by the Commission that the Company amend or supplement such Registration Statement or Prospectus or the issuance of any stop order by the Commission suspending the effectiveness of such Registration Statement or Prospectus the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose and promptly use its reasonable best efforts to amend or supplement such Registration Statement or Prospectus or prevent the issuance of any stop order or to obtain its withdrawal if such stop order should be issued, as applicable;

 

3.1.8 advise each Holder of Registrable Securities covered by such Registration Statement, promptly after the Company receives notice thereof, of the time when such registration statement has been declared effective or a supplement to any Prospectus forming a part of such registration statement has been filed;

 

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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 or the existence of any condition as a result of which the Prospectus included in such Registration Statement, as then in effect, includes a Misstatement, or in the opinion of counsel for the Company it is necessary to supplement or amend such Prospectus to comply with law, and then to correct such Misstatement or include such information as is necessary to comply with law, in each case as set forth in Section 3.4 hereof, at the request of any such Holder promptly prepare and furnish to such Holder a reasonable number of copies of a supplement to or an amendment of such Prospectus as may be necessary so that, as thereafter delivered to the purchasers of such securities, such Prospectus shall not include a Misstatement or such Prospectus, as supplemented or amended, shall comply with law;

 

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 in the preparation of any Registration Statement, each such Prospectus included therein or filed with the Commission, and each amendment or supplement thereto, and will give each of them such access to its books and records and such opportunities to discuss the business, finances and accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries with its officers, directors and the independent public accountants who have certified its financial statements as shall be necessary, in the opinion of such Holders’ and such Underwriters’ respective counsel, to conduct a reasonable investigation within the meaning of the Securities Act, and will 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 if requested by the Company, such representatives or Underwriters enter into a confidentiality agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company, prior to the release or disclosure of any such information;

 

3.1.11 obtain a “cold comfort” letter (including a bring-down letter dated as of the date the Registrable Securities are delivered for sale pursuant to such Registration) 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 and any Underwriter;

 

3.1.12 in connection with an Underwritten Offering, use reasonable best efforts to obtain for the underwriter(s) opinions of counsel for the Company, covering the matters customarily covered in opinions requested in underwritten offerings and such other matters as may be reasonably requested by such underwriters;

 

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 otherwise use its reasonable best efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and to make available to its security holders, as soon as reasonably practicable, an earnings statement that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder, including Rule 158 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission);

 

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3.1.15 if the Registration involves the Registration of Registrable Securities involving gross proceeds in excess of $20.0 million, use its 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 any Underwritten Offering; and

 

3.1.16 otherwise, in good faith, cooperate reasonably with, and take such customary actions as may reasonably be requested by the Holders, including causing the officers and directors of the Company to enter into customary “lock-up agreements,” in connection with such Registration.

 

Section 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, stock transfer taxes and, other than as set forth in the definition of “Registration Expenses,” all reasonable fees and expenses of any legal counsel representing the Holders.

 

Section 3.3 Participation in Underwritten Offerings.

 

3.3.1 No person may participate in any Underwritten Offering for equity securities of the Company pursuant to a Registration initiated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement unless such person (a) agrees to sell such person’s securities on the basis provided in any underwriting arrangements approved by the Company and (b) 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.

 

3.3.2 The Company will use its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that no Underwriter shall require any Holder to make any representations or warranties to or agreements with the Company or the Underwriters other than representations, warranties or agreements regarding such Holder and such Holder’s intended method of distribution and any other representation required by law, and if, despite the Company’s commercially reasonable efforts, an Underwriter requires any Holder to make additional representation or warranties to or agreements with such Underwriter, such Holder may elect not to participate in such Underwritten Offering (but shall not have any claims against the Company as a result of such election). Any liability of such Holder to any Underwriter or other person under such underwriting agreement shall be limited to an amount equal to the proceeds (net of expenses and underwriting discounts and commissions) that it derives from such registration.

 

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Section 3.4 Suspension of Sales; Adverse Disclosure. Upon receipt of written notice from the Company that a Registration Statement or Prospectus contains a Misstatement, or in the opinion of counsel for the Company it is necessary to supplement or amend such Prospectus to comply with law, 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 or including the information counsel for the Company believes to be necessary to comply with law (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 such that the Registration Statement or Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented, as applicable, will not include a Misstatement and complies with law), or until it is advised in writing by the Company that the use of the Prospectus may be resumed. If the filing, initial effectiveness or continued use of a Registration Statement in respect of any Registration at any time would require the Company to make an Adverse Disclosure or would require the inclusion in such Registration Statement of financial statements that are unavailable to the Company for reasons beyond the Company’s control, 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, but in no event more than sixty (60) days, determined in good faith by the Board to be necessary for such purpose. In the event the Company exercises its rights under the preceding sentence, 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. The Company shall immediately notify the Holders of the expiration of any period during which it exercised its rights under this Section 3.4. The Holders shall maintain the confidentiality of such notice and its contents.

 

Section 3.5 Covenants of the Company. As long as any Holder shall own Registrable Securities, the Company hereby covenants and agrees at all times while it shall be a reporting company under the Exchange Act, 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. 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 Registrable Securities 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 promulgated thereafter by the Commission), including providing any legal opinions; provided that the delivery of any legal opinions may be subject to receipt by the Company and/or its transfer agent of customary representations of the applicable Holder, which are satisfactory to the Company and its transfer agent, as applicable. 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.

 

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Section 3.6 Legend Removal Obligations. In connection with the written request of any Holder, the Company shall remove any restrictive legend included on the certificates (or, in the case of book-entry shares, any other instrument or record) representing such Holder’s and/or its affiliates’ or Permitted Transferee’s ownership of Registrable Securities, and promptly issue a certificate (or evidence of the issuance of securities in book-entry form) without such restrictive legend or any other restrictive legend to the holder of the applicable shares of Registrable Securities upon which it is stamped, if (i) such Registrable Securities are registered for resale under the Securities Act and such Registration Statement for such Registrable Securities has not been suspended under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, (ii) such Registrable Securities are sold or transferred pursuant to Rule 144, or (iii) such Registrable Securities are eligible for sale pursuant to Section 4(a)(1) of the Securities Act or Rule 144 without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions. Following the earlier of (A) the effective date of a Registration Statement registering such Registrable Securities or (B) Rule 144 becoming available for the resale of such Registrable Securities without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions, the Company upon the written request of the Holder or its Permitted Transferee, shall instruct the Company’s transfer agent to remove the legend from such Registrable Securities (in whatever form) and shall cause Company counsel to issue any legend removal opinion required by the transfer agent. Any reasonable and documented fees (with respect to the transfer agent, Company counsel, or otherwise) associated with the removal of such legend shall be borne by the Company. If a legend is no longer required pursuant to the foregoing, the Company will, as soon as practicable, and in any case no later than three (3) business days following the delivery by any Holder or its Permitted Transferee to the Company or the transfer agent (with notice to the Company) of a legended certificate (if applicable) representing such Registrable Securities and, to the extent such sale is not pursuant to an effective registration statement, such other documentation as reasonably requested by the Company, deliver or cause to be delivered to the holder of such Registrable Securities a certificate representing such Registrable Securities (or evidence of the issuance of such Registrable Securities in book-entry form) that is free from all restrictive legends; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company will not be required to deliver any opinion, authorization, certificate or direction to remove the restrictive legend pursuant to this Section 3.6 if (x) removal of the legend would result in or facilitate transfer of securities in violation of applicable law or (y) following receipt of instruction from the Company, the transfer agent refuses to remove the legend.

 

ARTICLE IV
INDEMNIFICATION AND CONTRIBUTION

 

Section 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, partners, managers, shareholders, members, employees, agents, investment advisors and each person who controls such Holder (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) from and against all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), joint or several (or actions or proceedings, whether commenced or threatened, in respect thereof) (collectively, “Claims”), to which any such Holder or other persons may become subject, insofar as such Claims arise out of or are based on any untrue or alleged untrue statement of any 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, and the Company will reimburse such Holder or other person for any legal or any other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating or defending any such Claim; except insofar as the Claim or expense arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in such filing in reliance upon and in conformity with information 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 Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) to the same extent as provided in the foregoing with respect to the indemnification of the Holder.

 

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4.1.2 In connection with any Registration Statement in which a Holder of Registrable Securities is participating pursuant to this Agreement, such Holder shall furnish (or cause to be furnished) to the Company an undertaking reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to indemnify the Company, its officers, directors, partners, managers, shareholders, members, employees and agents and each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) from and against any Claims, to which any the Company or such other persons may become subject, insofar as such Claims arise out of or are based on any untrue statement of any 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 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 Holders of Registrable Securities shall indemnify the Underwriters, their officers, directors and each person who controls such Underwriters (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange 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 (a) 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 (b) 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 (1) 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) and which settlement includes a statement or admission of fault or culpability on the part of such indemnified party or 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 and contribution provided for under this Agreement (a) shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director, partners, shareholders or members, employees, agents, investment advisors, Affiliates or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the Transfer of Registrable Securities and (b) are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity or pursuant to any other agreement.

 

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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 in respect of any Claims, 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 Claims in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such Claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided, however, that the liability of any Holder or any director, officer, employee, agent, investment advisor or controlling person thereof under this subsection 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. In connection with any Registration Statement, Prospectus or preliminary Prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto filed by the Company, the relative fault of the indemnifying party or parties, on the one hand, and the indemnified party or parties, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party, and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. 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 subsections 4.1.1, 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses 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 subsection 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 subsection 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 subsection 4.1.5 from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

4.1.6 The indemnification required by this Section 4.1 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred.

 

ARTICLE V
MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 5.1 Notices. Any notice or communication under this Agreement must be in writing and given by (a) deposit in the United States mail, addressed to the party to be notified, postage prepaid and registered or certified with return receipt requested, (b) delivery in person or by courier service providing evidence of delivery, or (c) transmission by hand delivery, electronic mail, telecopy, telegram 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, telecopy, telegram 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: Coincheck Group B.V., Hoogoorddreef 15, 1101 BA, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Attention: [ ], 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.

 

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Section 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 with respect to the Registrable Securities owned by such Holder, no Holder may assign or delegate such Holder’s rights, duties or obligations under this Agreement, in whole or in part, except to such Holder’s applicable Permitted Transferees.

 

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 applicable 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 (a) written notice of such assignment as provided in Section 5.1 hereof and (b) 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.

 

Section 5.3 Severability. If any portion of this Agreement shall be declared void or unenforceable by any court or administrative body of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed severable from the remainder of this Agreement, which shall continue in all respects to be valid and enforceable.

 

Section 5.4 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. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery” and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement or any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, and the parties hereto consent to conduct the transactions contemplated hereunder by electronic means.

 

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Section 5.5 Governing Law; Venue; Waiver of Jury Trial. 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 internal laws of the State of New York. Any action based upon, arising out of or related to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby may only be brought in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan or the courts of the State of New York, in each case located in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan, and each of the parties hereto irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts 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. 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 5.5. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO HEREBY KNOWINGLY, INTENTIONALLY, VOLUNTARILY AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES 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.

 

Section 5.6 Amendments and Modifications. Upon the written consent of the Company and the Holders of at least a majority-in-interest of the then outstanding number of Registrable Securities at the time in question, 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. 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.

 

Section 5.7 Other Registration Rights. Other than pursuant to the terms of the Subscription Agreements and the Warrant Agreement, the Company represents and warrants that no person, other than a Holder of Registrable Securities, 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 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 among the parties thereto and in the event of a conflict between any such agreement or agreements and this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.

  

Section 5.8 Prior Agreement. The Sponsor Parties, as parties to the Prior Agreement, hereby agree that the Prior Agreement is terminated as of the Closing Date and is replaced in its entirety by this Agreement.

 

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Section 5.9 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including the documents and the instruments referred to in this Agreement), together with the Combination Agreement, the Company Support Agreement and the Sponsor Support Agreement, constitutes the entire agreement and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, both written and oral, between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement.

 

Section 5.10 Term. This Agreement shall terminate (a) with respect to any Holder on the date on which such Holder ceases to hold Registrable Securities and (b) otherwise upon the date as of which all of the Registrable Securities have been sold pursuant to a Registration Statement (but in each case in no event prior to the applicable period referred to in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act and Rule 174 thereunder (or any successor rule promulgated thereafter by the Commission)). The provisions of Article IV shall survive any termination.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  COINCHECK GROUP B.V.
   
  By:  
    Name:
    Title:

 

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

 

 

 

 

  THUNDER BRIDGE SPONSOR:
   
  TBCP IV, LLC
     
  By:  
    Name:
    Title:

 

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

 

 

 

 

  COINCHECK SHAREHOLDERS:
   
  MONEX GROUP, INC.
     
  By:  
    Name:
    Title:

 

   
  Name:  

 

[Signature Page to Registration Rights Agreement]

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

[●]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

[●]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

Coincheck, Inc. – a subsidiary of Japan’s Monex Group – Enters Definitive Merger Agreement with Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc.

 

Coincheck is one of the largest multi-cryptocurrency marketplaces and digital asset exchanges in Japan, with approximately 1.5 million verified customers
   
Combination with Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc. (Nasdaq: THCP) enables Coincheck to further accelerate growth by driving customer acquisition, accelerating innovation in digital asset solutions and providing customers and institutions with deeper access to the global crypto economy
   
Combined company is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “CNCK” following an anticipated transaction close in 2H 2022
   
Provides $237M in cash held by Thunder Bridge IV in trust to the combined company before expenses, assuming no redemptions
   
Coincheck’s parent, Monex Group, Inc., owns 94.2% of Coincheck today and will retain all of its equity at closing; pro forma ownership of approximately 82% of the combined company excluding earn-outs or warrants

 

GREAT FALLS, Va. - Coincheck, Inc. (“Coincheck”), one of the largest multi-cryptocurrency marketplaces and digital asset exchanges in Japan by verified account market share, and Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc. (“Thunder Bridge IV”) (Nasdaq: THCP), a special purpose acquisition company, today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination that would result in the combined entity being a publicly listed holding company, domiciled in the Netherlands, with Coincheck as its wholly-owned subsidiary.  Upon closing of the transaction, the resulting holding company will be named Coincheck Group, N.V. and expects to be listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “CNCK”.

 

Headquartered in Tokyo, Coincheck operates one of the largest multi-cryptocurrency marketplaces and digital asset exchanges in Japan and is regulated by Japan’s Financial Services Agency (“FSA”). Coincheck is a leader in the Japanese cryptocurrency industry, operating a platform with the largest number and most diverse array of coins in Japan. Coincheck is increasing Japanese customers’ access to innovative digital products and solutions beyond cryptocurrencies, and seeks to unlock the ability for Japanese customers and institutions to transact and to establish a presence in this rapidly-growing market. Coincheck is uniquely positioned to benefit from increasing cryptocurrency adoption within the world’s third largest economy.

 

Coincheck is focused on continuing to build new products and services to ensure that Japanese customers and institutions have broad access to the innovations of the large and growing crypto economy.  This includes launching and operating the largest NFT marketplace in Japan. In addition, Coincheck launched Japan’s first Initial Exchange Offering (“IEO”) in 2021, which enables blockchain assets to list on a cryptocurrency exchange, allowing customers to safely and securely participate in these projects. With its growing customer base of approximately 1.5 million verified customers, Coincheck is uniquely positioned to enable payments and other capabilities through its proprietary digital wallet, such as the ability for customers to pay for utility services (Coincheck Gas and Coincheck Electric).

 

 

 

 

“The Thunder Bridge team is well known for its deep knowledge and experience working in the financial services industry, as well as investing in fintech and other highly disruptive technologies. Thunder Bridge firmly believes that blockchain technology and digital assets will be a driving force in changing the financial services industry globally. While this disruption is still in its early stages, we believe it is happening at a pace and to a degree that it is real, here and now. This evolution will require a steady and thoughtful approach that is rapidly accelerating with suitable compliance programs.  This is where we excel. We have patiently looked for the right entry point to allocate our focus, talents, and financial resources to become global leaders in this evolution. Coincheck is exactly what we were looking for amid a global playing field,” said Gary Simanson, President and CEO of Thunder Bridge IV.

 

“I have a deep respect for Oki Matsumoto and the Coincheck team for what they have achieved to date. Oki has always been a thought leader and at the forefront of the financial services industry, including founding Monex Group as one of the first digital brokerage firms in Japan and taking it public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, growing it organically and through global acquisitions, as well as acquiring Coincheck in 2018 and overseeing its efforts to become one of the first licensed and regulated crypto exchanges in Japan. We are excited to partner with Monex to bring Coincheck into the U.S. public markets to facilitate its next stage of growth, and to further unlock the crypto economy for customers and institutions in Japan. We are also excited to work with Oki and his team to build a global digital platform under the Coincheck brand. This business combination and holding company structure makes it all possible,” said Mr. Simanson.

 

“We at Monex have always pursued new opportunities and global expansion. As the digital economic sphere becomes ever-flatter worldwide, it is an inevitable goal for us to develop the origination and exchange of digital assets. To that end, I am excited and fully committed to working with Thunder Bridge IV and Gary and his team, who bring extensive experience in financial services M&A and deep knowledge and experience in global capital markets, to create a new global Coincheck Group, with Coincheck as the cornerstone. Gary continues to inspire me and I am sure we will have a great partnership with him and his team,” said Oki Matsumoto, CEO of Monex Group, and Executive Director of Coincheck.

 

Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined holding company will be led by Oki Matsumoto, as Executive Chairman, and Gary Simanson as Chief Executive Officer. Coincheck will continue to operate and be led by its current Japan-based management team, including Coincheck President Satoshi Hasuo.

 

Coincheck and Monex have demonstrated a track record of deep collaboration with Japanese regulatory bodies and have worked closely in developing digital asset products and solutions for the Japanese economy. Coincheck will be headquartered in the Netherlands with offices in Tokyo, Japan, and New York City, New York.

 

2

 

 

Transaction Overview

 

The proposed transaction represents a transaction value of approximately $1.25 billion (125 million shares). Additionally, existing Coincheck shareholders may receive earn-out consideration equal to a maximum of 50 million shares upon certain “triggering events” that are based on Coincheck Group, N.V.’s future stock price. Upon closing, the combined company will receive $237 million in cash held in trust by Thunder Bridge IV, assuming no redemptions by THCP shareholders and before expenses. The boards of directors of Coincheck, Monex, and Thunder Bridge IV have unanimously approved the proposed business combination, which is expected to be completed in 2H 2022, subject to, among other things, the approval by Thunder Bridge IV’s shareholders, satisfaction of the conditions stated in the definitive agreement and other customary closing conditions, including a registration statement being declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the receipt of certain regulatory approvals, and approval by The Nasdaq Stock Market to list the securities of the combined company.

 

Additional information about the proposed transaction, including a copy of the business combination agreement, this press release, and an investor presentation, will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed by Thunder Bridge IV with the SEC and available at www.sec.gov. More information about the proposed transaction will also be described in Thunder Bridge IV’s proxy statement/prospectus relating to the business combination, which it will file with the SEC.

 

Advisors

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is serving as financial advisor and capital markets advisor to Thunder Bridge IV. Galaxy Digital Partners LLC is serving as financial advisor to Thunder Bridge IV.

 

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as sole financial advisor to Monex Group.  

 

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, Littler Mendelson P.C. and Allen & Overy LLP are serving as legal advisors to Thunder Bridge IV.

 

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek N.V. are serving as legal advisors to Coincheck and Monex Group.

 

3

 

 

About Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc.

 

Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. In June 2021, Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV consummated a $237 million initial public offering of 23.7 million units (reflecting the underwriters’ partial exercise of their over-allotment option), each unit consisting of one Class A ordinary shares and one-fifth of one warrant, each whole warrant enabling the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share. Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as the sole book-running manager of the Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV’s initial public offering.

 

About Coincheck

 

Coincheck, Inc. operates “Coincheck”, a digital asset trading service with the highest number of app downloads in Japan* for three consecutive years, and over 1.5 million verified accounts**.

 

With the mission of “making the exchange of new values, more accessible”, the company continues to develop new products and services based on emerging technologies and advanced security, giving users comfort and familiarity with the “exchange of new values” that is enabled by digital assets and blockchain.

 

* Among digital assets trading applications in Japan

** Period: From January 2019 to December 2021

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT

 

For additional information on the proposed transaction, see Thunder Bridge IV’s Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be filed concurrently with this press release. In connection with the proposed transaction, the parties intend to file relevant materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including a registration statement on Form F-4 to be filed by Coincheck Group, B.V. with the SEC, which will include a proxy statement/prospectus of Thunder Bridge IV, and will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Thunder Bridge IV’s shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and the amendments thereto and the definitive proxy statement and documents incorporated by reference therein filed in connection with the proposed business combination, as these materials will contain important information about Coincheck Group, B.V., Coincheck, Thunder Bridge IV and the proposed business combination. Promptly after the Form F-4 is declared effective by the SEC, Thunder Bridge IV will mail the definitive proxy statement/prospectus and a proxy card to each shareholder entitled to vote at the meeting relating to the approval of the Business Combination and other proposals set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus. Before making any voting or investment decision, investors and stockholders of Thunder Bridge IV are urged to carefully read the entire registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus, when they become available, and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC, as well as any amendments or supplements to these documents, because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. The documents filed by Thunder Bridge IV with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., 9912 Georgetown Pike, Suite D203, Great Falls, Virginia 22066, Attention: Secretary, (202) 431-0507.

 

4

 

 

Participants in the Solicitation

 

Thunder Bridge IV and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from its shareholders with respect to the business combination. A list of the names of those directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in Thunder Bridge IV will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination when available at www.sec.gov. Information about Thunder Bridge IV’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of Thunder Bridge IV common stock is set forth in Thunder Bridge IV prospectus, dated June 29, 2021, as modified or supplemented by any Form 3 or Form 4 filed with the SEC since the date of such filing. Other information regarding the interests of the participants in the proxy solicitation will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus pertaining to the proposed business combination when it becomes available. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the source indicated above.

 

Coincheck Group, B.V., Coincheck, Thunder Bridge IV and their respective directors and executive officers may also be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the shareholders of Thunder Bridge IV in connection with the proposed business combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in the proposed business combination will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus for the proposed business combination.

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results, our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimated,” “believe,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “outlook” or words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Coincheck’s industry and market sizes, future opportunities for Coincheck Group, B.V., Coincheck and Thunder Bridge IV, Coincheck’s estimated future results and the proposed business combination between Thunder Bridge IV and Coincheck, including the implied enterprise value, the expected transaction and ownership structure and the likelihood, timing and ability of the parties to successfully consummate the proposed transaction. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.

 

5

 

 

In addition to factors previously disclosed in Thunder Bridge IV’s reports filed with the SEC and those identified elsewhere in this communication, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results and the timing of events to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: inability to meet the closing conditions to the business combination, including the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the definitive agreement; the inability to complete the transactions contemplated by the definitive agreement due to the failure to obtain approval of Thunder Bridge IV’s shareholders, the failure to achieve the minimum amount of cash available following any redemptions by Thunder Bridge IV shareholders, redemptions exceeding a maximum threshold or the failure to meet The Nasdaq Stock Market’s initial listing standards in connection with the consummation of the contemplated transactions; costs related to the transactions contemplated by the definitive agreement; a delay or failure to realize the expected benefits from the proposed transaction; risks related to disruption of management’s time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction; changes in the cryptocurrency and digital asset markets in which Coincheck competes, including with respect to its competitive landscape, technology evolution or regulatory changes; changes in domestic and global general economic conditions, risk that Coincheck may not be able to execute its growth strategies, including identifying and executing acquisitions; risks related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and response; risk that Coincheck may not be able to develop and maintain effective internal controls; and other risks and uncertainties indicated in Thunder Bridge IV’s final prospectus, dated June 29, 2021, for its initial public offering, and the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the proposed business combination, including those under “Risk Factors” therein, and in Thunder Bridge IV’s other filings with the SEC. Thunder Bridge IV and Coincheck caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive.

 

Actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially, and potentially adversely, from any projections and forward-looking statements and the assumptions on which those forward-looking statements are based. There can be no assurance that the data contained herein is reflective of future performance to any degree. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a predictor of future performance as projected financial information and other information are based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to various significant risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. All information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof in the case of information about Thunder Bridge IV and Coincheck or the date of such information in the case of information from persons other than Thunder Bridge IV or Coincheck, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication. Forecasts and estimates regarding Coincheck’s industry and end markets are based on sources we believe to be reliable, however there can be no assurance these forecasts and estimates will prove accurate in whole or in part. Annualized, pro forma, projected and estimated numbers are used for illustrative purpose only, are not forecasts and may not reflect actual results.

 

No Offer or Solicitation

 

This press release shall not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed business combination. This press release shall also not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.

 

Contact Information:

 

Gary A. Simanson

202.431.0507

gsimanson@thunderbridge.us

 

 

6

 

 

Exhibit 99.2

 

2022)_v11.pptx 1 Investor Presentation March 2022

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 2 Disclaimer About this Presentation This presentation relates to a proposed business combination (the “Business Combination”) between Coincheck Group B.V. (“CCG” ), which will be a holding company of Coincheck, Inc. (the “Company”) and Thunder Bridge Capital Partners Ⅳ , Inc. (“THCP”). The information contained herein does not purport to be all - inclusive and the information contained herein is preliminary and subject to change and such changes may be material. This presentation doe s n ot constitute (i) a solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Bus ine ss Combination or (ii) an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to purchase, any securities of the Company, THCP, CCG or any of their respective affiliates. No offering of se cur ities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as ame nded (the “Securities Act”), or an exemption therefrom, nor shall any sale of securities in any states or jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to regist rat ion or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction be effected. No securities commission or securities r egu latory authority in the United States or any other jurisdiction has in any way passed upon the merits of the Business Combination or the accuracy or adequacy of this presentation. Important Information About the Business Combination and Where to Find It In connection with the proposed Business Combination, CCG intends to file a registration statement on Form F - 4 that will include a preliminary proxy statement to be distributed to stockholders of THCP in connection with THCP’s solicitation of proxies for t he vote by its stockholders with respect to the Business Combination. After the registration statement has been filed and declared effective by the SEC, THCP will mail a definitive proxy statemen t / prospectus to its stockholders as of the record date established for voting on the Business Combination and the other proposa ls regarding the Business Combination set forth in the proxy statement. CCG or THCP may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the Business Combination. Before making any investment or vo tin g decision, stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read, when available, the registration statement and pre lim inary proxy statement / prospectus and any amendments thereto, and the definitive proxy statement / prospectus in connection with THCP’s solicitation of proxies for the special meeting to be held to approve the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination because these materials will contain important info rma tion about the Company, THCP, CCG and the Business Combination. Stockholders will also be able to obtain a copy of the preliminary proxy statement / prospectus and the definitive proxy stat eme nt / prospectus once they are available, without charge, at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, or by directing a request to: T hun der Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc., 9912 Georgetown Pike, Suite D203, Great Falls, VA 22066. Participants in the Solicitation The Company and THCP and their respective directors and officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of TH CP’s stockholders in connection with the Business Combination. THCP’s stockholders and other interested persons may obtain, w ith out charge, more detailed information regarding the directors and officers of the Company and THCP at the Company’s website at corporate.coincheck.com, or in THCP’s registration statement on For m S - 1 filed on June 21, 2021, respectively. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies to THCP’s s toc kholders in connection with the Business Combination will be set forth in the proxy statement / prospectus for the Business C omb ination when available. Additional information regarding the interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the Business Combination will be included in the proxy stat eme nt / prospectus filed with the SEC in connection with the Business Combination. Forward - Looking Statements This presentation includes forward - looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 , as amended, that reflect current views of the Company, THCP or CCG with respect to, among other things, operations and fina nci al performance. Forward - looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “ pot ential,” “predict,” “project,” “future,” “will,” “seek,” “foreseeable” and similar terms and phrases in this presentation. Fo rwa rd - looking statements contained in this presentation may include, without limitation, statements about our (i) account growth rates and total accounts, (ii) marketing and product / IT development costs, (iii) tr adi ng volumes, (iv) revenue, including trading - related revenue by product, (v) market growth, (vi) planned strategic initiatives, ( vii) payback periods and account acquisition costs, (viii) customer assets and (ix) EBITDA. Forward - looking statements contained in this presentation are based on the management’s current expectations and ar e subject to changes in circumstances and other risks and uncertainties. The Company, THCP or CCG cannot assure you that futu re developments affecting the Company, THCP or CCG will be those that the Company, THCP or CCG have anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes i n g lobal, regional or local economic, business, competitive, market, regulatory and other factors, many of which are beyond the con trol of the Company, THCP and CCG. Risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, (a) the highly volatile nature of the crypto economy, (b) the significant volatility of the price of cryp to assets and the associated demand for buying, selling and trading crypto assets in the market for cryptocurrency, (c) the exte nsi ve and highly - evolving regulatory landscape in which the crypto economy operates and (d) the unpredictability of the future development and growth of the crypto economy and crypto networks due to t hei r relatively early stages of development. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of ou r a ssumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward - looking statements. Any forward - looking statement made by the Company, THCP or CCG in this presentation speaks only as of the date of this presentation. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ m ay emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company, THCP or CCG to predict all of them. The Company, THCP and CCG may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations dis closed in our forward - looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward - looking statements. Forward - look ing statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, investments or other strategic transactions the Company, THCP or CCG may ma ke. The Company, THCP or CCG undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward - looking statement, whether as a r esult of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by any applicable securities laws. Notice to Investors Currently, the Company is a subsidiary of Monex Group, Inc. (“Monex”). Following the Company’s Business Combination, it is li kel y that Monex will continue to have significant control and influence with respect to the Company’s business plans, strategy, pol icies and management, including the appointment and removal of the Company’s officers and directors. The information set forth in this presentation has been prepared for informational purposes an d does not constitute any offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company’s securities, nor will ther e b e any sales of the Company’s securities in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdict ion , or until a binding commitment to enter into a definitive agreement has been made. The Company expressly disclaims all liabi lit y relating to the use of this presentation. In addition, the information contained in this presentation is as of the date hereof, and the Company has no obligation to update such information, including in the ev ent that such information becomes inaccurate. The delivery of this presentation and the information contained herein shall no t c reate any liability or obligation whatsoever for the Company. No representations or warranties are made by the Company, Monex or any of the Company’s other affiliates as to the accuracy or c omp leteness of any statements contained in this presentation or any additional materials. This presentation should not be consid ere d as a recommendation by the Company or any of the Company’s agents to acquire any securities or to enter into any transaction. This presentation may include material non - public information and by accepting delivery of this presentation, you agree to comply with all applicable laws and regulations with respect to th e use of any such information. You acknowledge that you are aware that the applicable securities laws prohibit any person who has material, non - public information from purchasing or selling securities in reliance on such information or from communicating such information to any other person or entity under circumstances in whic h it is reasonably foreseeable that such other person or entity is likely to purchase or sell such securities in reliance on such information. This presentation shall neither be deemed an indication of the state of affairs of the Company’s business nor constitute an indication that there has been no change in the Company’s bu sin ess affairs since the date hereof or since the dates as of which information is given in this presentation. In furnishing this presentation, the Company undertakes no obligation to provide t he recipient with access to any additional evaluation materials or to update the information contained herein. Financial Information The financial information and data contained herein have been prepared on the basis of a fiscal year ending on March 31 of ea ch year, for example fiscal year ended 2020 ended on March 31, 2020 and fiscal year ended 2021 ended on March 31, 2021, and as s uch may not be comparable with the financial information and data of other companies, including our competitors, who do not use the same fiscal year end. Certain amounts, percentages and other f igu res included in this presentation have been subject to rounding adjustments. Certain other amounts that appear in this presen tat ion may not sum due to rounding. Non - GAAP Information This presentation includes non - GAAP financial measures, including EBITDA. The Company believes these non - GAAP measures of financ ial results provide useful information to management and investors regarding the liquidity, financial condition and results o f o perations of the Company, as well as regarding period - over - period performance of the same. The Company does not consider these non - GAAP measures in isolation or as an alternative to liquidity or financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. A limitation of these non - GAAP financial measures is that they exclude s ignificant items that are required by GAAP to be recorded in the financial statements of the Company. In addition, they are subject to inherent limitations as they reflect the exercise of ju dgm ents by management about which items are excluded or included in determining these non - GAAP financial measures and therefore the basis of presentation for these measures may not be comparable to similarly - titled measures used by other companies. You should review the audited financial statements of the Company, and not re ly on any single financial measure to evaluate the business of the Company. Industry and Market Data In this presentation, the Company, THCP and CCG rely on and refer to certain information and statistics obtained from third - part y sources which they believe to be reliable. However, the Company, THCP and CCG have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of any such third - party information. The recipient is cautioned not to give undue weight to such industry and market data. Trademarks, Trade Names and Service Marks This presentation includes trademarks, trade names and service marks that the Company either owns or licenses, such as “Coinc hec k,” which are protected under applicable intellectual property laws. Solely for convenience, trademarks, trade names and serv ice marks referred to in this presentation may appear without the ®, TM or SM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the Company will not assert, to the full est extent under applicable law, rights or the right of the applicable licensor to these trademarks, trade names and service mark s. This presentation may also contain trademarks, trade names and service marks of other parties, and the Company does not intend its use or display of other parties’ trademarks, trade names or servi ce marks to imply, and such use or display should not be construed to imply, a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of the Company by, these other parties.

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 3 Overview Coincheck, Inc. – a subsidiary of Japan’s Monex Group – Enters Definitive Merger Agreement with Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc. x Coincheck is one of the largest multi - cryptocurrency marketplaces and digital asset exchanges in Japan, with approximately 1.5 million verified customers x Combination with Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV, Inc. (Nasdaq: THCP) enables Coincheck to further accelerate growth by driving customer acquisition, accelerating innovation in digital asset solutions and providing customers and institutions with deeper access to the global crypto economy x Combined company is expected to be listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “CNCK” following an anticipated transaction close in 2H 2022 x Provides $237M in cash held by Thunder Bridge IV in trust to the combined company before expenses, assuming no redemptions x Coincheck’s parent, Monex Group, Inc., owns 94.2% of Coincheck today and will retain all of its equity at closing; pro forma ownership of approximately 82% of the combined company excluding earn - outs or warrants

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 4 Largest Crypto Exchange and Digital Asset Platform in Japan The Coincheck Opportunity Providing Japanese Customers & Institutions with Direct Access to the Global Crypto Economy Source: Company filings Note: Figures in JPY converted to USD based on exchange rate of 0.008684 as of 12/31/2021; 1 As of Dec - 2021; 2 3Q’22 YTD Broad Product Set x Dedicated crypto exchange for retail customers x Trading platform for professional traders x NFT marketplace x Robust spread - based business model with high incremental profitability x Thorough yet seamless KYC and AML procedures and onboarding Strong track record of growth and “first crypto account” status 1.5M+ accounts 1 17 supported crypto assets $3.8B customer assets 1 $4.4B Marketplace trading value 2 68% FY21 EBITDA margin 446% FY21 revenue growth

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 5 Combination Creates a Digital Platform Focused on Global Growth x Provides public market access for Coincheck, supporting the funding of continued growth and product expansion x Ability to enhance hiring / retention via equity compensation x Positions the company for international expansion with Netherlands - based HoldCo x HoldCo structure establishes Coincheck as a competitive global digital asset exchange , while reinforcing its market - leading position in Japan x Structure also enables launch of independent subsidiaries focused on an array of different digital asset - adjacent new business opportunities x Supports growth organically within operating subsidiaries, as well as inorganically via addition of new businesses under the HoldCo Monex Other existing Coincheck shareholders THCP shareholders Sponsor Coincheck Group N.V. Coincheck, Inc. Post - Merger Structure Overview Note: Excludes wholly - owned intermediate subsidiaries Netherlands - domiciled, U.S. - listed HoldCo Japan - domiciled, locally regulated operating entity

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 6 Well - Positioned in a Large and Rapidly Growing Market Established Leader Operating at Scale in Japan’s Highly Regulated Market Young, Highly - Engaged Loyal Customer Base Track Record of Continued Innovation & Leadership Significant Growth Potential through Product & International Expansion Strong Management Team to Support Regional Excellence & Global Growth Robust Financial Model with High Incremental Profitability Coincheck is a Compelling Digital Asset Platform

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 7 x Robust KYC / AML and compliance x Closely engaged with industry bodies x Japan’s first launched IEO x Oasis TOKYO partnership x 17 supported digital asset tokens x 28% Japanese market share 1,2 User growth Continued retail participation and increased corporate and institutional uptake Number of Crypto Asset Accounts in Japan (M) Crypto innovation Regulatory advancements …and Coincheck is at the forefront of the growth The Japanese Crypto Economy is Primed for Rapid Growth… 0 2 4 6 Jan-19 Jan-20 Jan-21 Jan-22 Japan’s Biggest Bank to Issue Yen - Pegged Stablecoin for Settlement - CoinDesk, 2/7/2022 +100% since Jan - 19 Recent wave of crypto adoption fueled by growth in new verticals, such as NFTs and Web3 New product offerings and forms of raising capital Japan’s first initial exchange offering (IEO) Japanese Crypto Exchanges to Enforce FATF’s Travel Rule Next Month - Crypto News, 3/10/2022 Japan’s $1 Trillion Crypto Market May Ease Onerous Listing Rules - Bloomberg, 2/2/2022 Source: Japan Virtual and Crypto assets Exchange Association Note: 1 As of Dec - 2021; 2 Number of accounts

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 8 Large and Attractive Market in Early Stages of Adoption Select Crypto Adoption Rankings 4 Massive Untapped Market Opportunity x Japan is the 3 rd largest global economy ($5tn+ GDP), comprised of sophisticated and wealthy investors x Only 4% of Japanese population owns crypto (versus 16% of US population), reflecting the nascency of the Japanese market 5 x Large opportunity to service institutional demand x Insulated from competition by regulation, language, and cultural understanding x Japan’s thoughtful crypto regulation model is designed around protecting consumers Source: World Bank; Japan Virtual and Crypto assets Exchange Association; Chainalysis ; Pew Research Note: 1 As of Dec - 2020; 2 Includes the number of accounts used for intermediary services to other exchanges; 3 Represents KYC - verified accounts as of Dec - 2021; 4 Index of crypto adoption in 157 countries dependent on on - chain cryptocurrency value received, on - chain retail value received, and peer - to - peer exchange trade v olume, ranging from 0 (lowest rank) to 1 (highest rank) by Chainalysis ; 5 As of Sep - 2021 Japanese Crypto Penetration Today, Japan’s digital asset adoption is relatively low, representing an opportunity to ‘catch - up’ to countries of similar economic size 1.5 M 3 5.5M 2 125M 1 Japan Population Japan Crypto Community Coincheck User Base 0.03 0.06 0.13 0.16 0.22 Japan Germany United Kingdom China United States

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 9 38% 20% 12% 7% <1% 22% Leader in Japan’s Highly Regulated Market Coincheck is a scarce asset, operating at scale Share of Japan market (by app downloads) 2 Share of Japan market (by accounts) 1 Strong market share driven by trusted and recognized brand, robust relative product offering, and strong customer experience Source: App Annie; AppTweak; Japan Virtual and Crypto assets Exchange Association Note: 1 As of Dec - 2021; 2 Represents calendar year 2021 figures 28% ■ Coincheck ■ GMO Coin ■ Other Japanese exchanges ■ Coincheck ■ bitFlyer ■ GMO Coin ■ Bitbank ■ Liquid ■ Other Japanese crypto apps 63% 9% 28% 5.5M

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 10 Coincheck GMO Year Founded 2012 2014 2016 2014 2014 Capabilities Exchange x x x x x OTC / Market place x x x   Utility Bills Payment Services x     NFTs (on - chain) x  x   NFTs (off - chain) x     Initial Exchange Offering x     Key Metrics Customer Accounts 1.5mm+ N/A ~475k 800k+ (global) N/A Geographic Focus Japan Only Global Global Global Japan Crypto Assets Offered 17 14 20 10 13 Customer Assets ($ bn ) $3.8 $5.2 (global) $1.3 N/A N/A Leading Product Portfolio amongst Japanese Competitors Source: Company filings; Company websites; Company information; App Annie; Japan Virtual and Crypto assets Exchange Associati on Note: Figures in JPY converted to USD based on exchange rate of 0.008684 as of 12/31/2021; Operating metrics as of 12/31/2021 ; 1 FTX acquired Liquid Group on 2/2/2022 1

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 11 Young, Highly - Engaged Loyal Customer Base Coincheck’s platform strongly aligns with its user base, offering products and services that cater towards a young demographic Users by Age 1 Note: Figures in JPY converted to USD based on exchange rate of 0.008684 as of 12/31/2021; 1 As of Dec - 2021 24% 35% 25% 11% 5% ■ 20s & under ■ 30s ■ 40s ■ 50s ■ Over 6 0s Customer - Centric Product Strategy Coincheck’s product and business strategy is informed by its customer demographics, with broad token coverage, NFT support, and Web3 all appealing to millennial and later generations x Dedicated NFT marketplace x Exposure to ~50% regulated digital assets x Mobile - native user interface (app) x Seamless KYC onboarding via mobile app ~60% of users are in their 30s and younger

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 12 Track Record of Continued Innovation & Leadership 2014 2016 2021 2021 Marketplace / Exchange Utility Bills Payment Services Allows users to pay for utilities using BTC Drives retail engagement Initial Exchange Offering (IEO) Enables Coincheck to service a new customer base – issuers Supports crypto assets offering process for Web3 and blockchain projects Hashpalette IEO (2021) was the first IEO in Japan – highly oversubscribed Allows Coincheck to provide a front - to - back issuance and trading capability Investors New token NFT Platform Launches first regulated Japanese exchange dedicated to NFTs Potential to participate as primary market issuer and secondary market trading platform Marketplace: user - friendly crypto gateway for beginners Exchange: market maker providing deep markets in select coins and strong liquidity 2018 Monex acquired Coincheck and invested heavily in security and governance Coincheck NFT

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 13 Large Growth Potential via Product & International Expansion Coincheck has identified several growth opportunities that can be pursued organically or accelerated through M&A or partnership activity NFTs Financial services adjacencies Marketplace / IEO Continue to grow customer base and revenue to retain #1 market share position, build on first - of - its - kind IEO launch, and expand supported token coverage Build the leading NFT platform in Japan, partnering with content creators and gaming companies Explore new financial service businesses that would appeal to the young Coincheck customer base, such as payments and commerce enablement On - ramp services Provide on - ramp services between fiat, crypto, other digital assets, and various user applications International Add talent and capabilities in crypto - friendly geographies, including in Asia and across the world, and launch internationally (HoldCo structure) Web3 Build new services supporting the Coincheck digital asset ecosystem both organically and through M&A Institutional Capture nascent and growing institutional interest, capitalizing on Coincheck’s trusted brand name in the crypto space Deepen Existing Offerings Broaden Digital Asset Solutions

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 14 Strong Management Team to Support Regional Excellence & Global Growth Broad Management Experience Gary Simanson Chief Executive Officer, Holding Company President Satoshi Hasuo Vice President Koichiro Wada Oki Matsumoto Executive Chairman, Holding Company Coincheck Group B.V. (Netherlands) Executive Director functional leads (individuals) Coincheck, Inc. (Japan) Strategy Finance Legal, Compliance, and Risk Human Resources Business Development Operations System Development Cyber and System Management

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 15 $6.7 $122.4 $131.7 20% 68% 59% FY20 FY21 3Q'22 YTD $1.0 $3.8 $4.4 FY20 FY21 3Q'22 YTD $33.1 $180.8 $221.5 FY20 FY21 3Q'22 YTD Robust Financial Model with High Incremental Profitability Annual EBITDA ($M) and EBITDA Margin Annual Revenue ($M) and YoY % growth Marketplace Trading Volume ($B) Strong historical growth and profitability combined with platform re - investment enables Coincheck to pursue further growth opportunities Source: Company filings; Company information Note: Figures in JPY converted to USD based on exchange rate of 0.008684 as of 12/31/2021; Coincheck FY ended 3/31; Interim f ina ncial numbers are unaudited; 1 Represents growth from 3Q’21 YTD to 3Q’22 YTD +446% +287% 1 Number of accounts (M) and YoY % growth 0.9 1.2 1.5 FY20 FY21 3Q'22 YTD +28% +48% 1

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 16 Thunder Bridge Capital Partners IV Overview Deep Experience Partnering With and Advising Global Financial Technology Companies Thunder Bridge Management and Board of Directors Management and Leadership Team Gary Simanson Director, President & CEO • 30+ years of experience in executing strategic corporate and capital markets transactions for banks and financial technology companies • Extensive experience operating within Financial Services’ regulatory and compliance structures • Track record of delivering long - term shareholder value in the public markets • Broad prior public company board and operating experience in the financial technology, capital markets, banking and regulated financial services sectors • Five of the six board members served on the Boards of Thunder Bridge Acquisition, and Thunder Bridge Acquisition II prior to their combinations with Repay and Indie Semiconductor, respectively Pete Kight Senior Special Advisor • 30+ years of experience as an entrepreneur, technology investor and advisor • Founder, Chairman and CEO of CheckFree Corp, which sold to Fiserv for $4.4B • Deep experience and success in leading and advising disruptive technology businesses Financial Services & Technology Expertise FinTech and Financial Regulatory Expertise Public Company Experience Track Record of Successful Deal Execution x Deep knowledge and experience in the financial services sector, including enterprise risk management and corporate governance x Broad experience operating companies and serving on boards of regulated financial services businesses x THCP’s advisors and directors have served on the boards of: x Senior operating roles across: x Strong knowledge of capital markets and track record of investing in and taking companies public x Team with extensive corporate finance and capital markets experience in financial technology transactions, including cross - border M&A x Collaborative approach and mission - orientated culture focused on building public - ready organizations that will continue to deliver long - term shareholder value Partnership - Focused Culture

 

 

2022)_v11.pptx 17 Monex Overview Crypto Asset Marketplace and Exchange Japan Online Broker US Online Broker Asia Pacific Segment Investment Segment STEAM Education Business Genome Platform Business Other activities Continuing focus on institutional - grade compliance Regulated by the Japan Financial Services Agency (JFSA) and Japan Virtual and Crypto assets Exchange Association (JVCEA) Leader in crypto, with deep and longstanding culture of innovation On - ramp to the digital economy Diversity Technology Innovation Globalization