UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
 

FORZA X1, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
 

 

Delaware   3730   87-3159685
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

  

3101 S. US-1
Ft. Pierce, Florida 34982
(772) 429-2525

  

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

  

Joseph C. Visconti
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Forza X1, Inc.
3101 S. US-1
Ft. Pierce, Florida 34982
(772) 429-2525

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

  

Copies to:

  

Leslie Marlow, Esq.
Hank Gracin, Esq.

Patrick J. Egan, Esq. 
Gracin & Marlow LLP
The Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Avenue, 26th Floor
New York, New York 10174
(212) 907-6457

Gregory Sichenzia, Esq.
Jay Yamamoto, Esq.
Sichenzia Ross Ference LLP
1185 Avenue of the Americas, 31st Floor
New York, New York 10036
Tel: (212) 930-9700

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box.  ☒

 

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

 

 
 

 

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

 

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of ”large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer Smaller reporting company
    Emerging growth company

  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

 

 
 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered   Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering
Price(1)
  Amount of
Registration
Fee(2)
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share(2)(3)   $ 28,750,000     $ 2,665.13  
Representative’s Warrants(4)            
Common Stock issuable upon exercise of Representative’s Warrants(2)(5)   $ 1,796,875     $ 166.57  
Total   $ 30,546,875     $ 2,831.70  

 


(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(2) Pursuant to Rule 416, the securities being registered hereunder include such indeterminate number of additional securities as may be issued after the date hereof as a result of stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.
(3) Includes shares of common stock the underwriters have the option to purchase to cover over-allotments, if any.
(4) No fee required pursuant to Rule 457(g).
(5) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act. We have agreed to issue to the representative of the underwriters warrants to purchase the number of shares of our common stock (the “Representative’s Warrants”) in the aggregate equal to five percent (5%) of the shares of our common stock to be issued and sold in this offering (including shares issuable upon exercise of the over-allotment option described herein). The Representative’s Warrants are exercisable for a price per share equal to 125% of the public offering price. As estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(g), the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the Representative’s Warrants is $1,796,875, which is equal to 125% of $1,437,500 (5% of $28,750,000).

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 
 

 

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

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS SUBJECT TO COMPLETION DATED DECEMBER 23, 2021

 

 

Shares

Common Stock

   

TEXT

DESCRIPTION AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED

 

Forza X1, Inc.


  

This is a firm commitment initial public offering of shares of common stock of Forza X1, Inc. We are offering shares of our common stock. We anticipate that the initial public offering price of our shares will be between $     and $      per share. The underwriters have informed us that the gross proceeds of this offering will not be less than $      .

 

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock. We intend to apply to list our shares of common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “FRZA.” No assurance can be given that our application will be approved. The closing of this offering is contingent upon the successful listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” under the federal securities laws and have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements.

 

Investing in our common stock is involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10.

 

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

Per Share Total
Initial Public offering price $      $     
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1) $   $  
Proceeds to us, before expenses $   $
                             

(1) Underwriting discounts and commissions do not include a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 1.0% of the initial public offering price payable to the underwriters. We refer you to “Underwriting” beginning on page 98 for additional information regarding underwriters’ compensation.

 

We have granted a 45-day option to the representative of the underwriters to purchase up to       additional shares of common stock solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

The underwriter expects to deliver the shares of our common stock against payment therefor on or , 2022, subject to customary closing conditions.

 

ThinkEquity

 

The date of this prospectus is                      , 2022

 

 
 

 

A PICTURE CONTAINING TEXT, WATER, BOAT

DESCRIPTION AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED

 

 
 

 

A PICTURE CONTAINING TEXT, DIFFERENT

DESCRIPTION AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED

 

 
 

 

A PICTURE CONTAINING TEXT, DIFFERENT, VARIOUS, BOAT

DESCRIPTION AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED

 

 
 

 

A BIRD STANDING ON A BOAT

DESCRIPTION AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE

 

 
 

 

A PICTURE CONTAINING TEXT, DIFFERENT

DESCRIPTION AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED

 

 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Prospectus

 

Trademarks i
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements ii
Market, Industry and Other Data ii
Prospectus Summary 1
The Offering 8
Summary Financial Data 9
Risk Factors 10
Use of Proceeds 36
Dividend Policy 37
Capitalization 38
Dilution 39
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 41
Business 47
Management 68
Executive Compensation 77
Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions 84
Principal Stockholders 86
Description of Capital Stock 87
Shares Eligible for Future Sale 92
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders of Our Common Stock 94
Underwriting 98
Legal Matters 106
Experts 106
Where You Can Find Additional Information 106
Disclosure of Commission Position on Indemnification for Securities Act Liabilities 106
Index to Financial Statements F-1

 

We and the underwriters have not authorized anyone to provide you any information other than that contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you, and you should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or in any such free writing prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We and the underwriters are not making an offer to sell nor a solicitation of any offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

 

For investors outside of the United States: we have not and the underwriters have not done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than the United States. Persons outside of the United States who come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the shares of common stock and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.

 

TRADEMARKS

 

We own directly, or have rights to, trademarks, service marks, and trade names that we use in connection with operation of our business, such as Forza X1. In addition, our names, logos, and website names and addresses are our service marks or trademarks. Other trademarks, service marks, and trade names appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks, trade names, and copyrights referred to in this prospectus are listed without the ©, ®, and ™ symbols, but we will assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, the rights of our parent company, or the rights of the applicable licensors to these trademarks, service marks, and trade names.

 

i
 

 

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus contains “forward-looking statements.” We use words such as “could,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “expect,” “likely,” “believe,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” and other similar expressions to identify some forward-looking statements, but not all forward-looking statements include these words. All of our forward-looking statements involve estimates and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the information described under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our industry experience and our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments, and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this prospectus, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (many of which are beyond our control), and assumptions. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual operating and financial performance and cause our performance to differ materially from the performance anticipated in the forward-looking statements. We believe these factors include, but are not limited to, those described under “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of these assumptions prove incorrect, our actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements.

 

Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this prospectus to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. New factors that could cause our business not to develop as we expect emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each currently known or new factor on our results of operations or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

 

MARKET, INDUSTRY AND OTHER DATA

 

This prospectus includes market and industry data and forecasts that we have derived from independent consultant reports, publicly available information, various industry publications, such as those of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, or NMMA, and Statistical Surveys, Inc., or SSI, other published industry sources, and our internal data and estimates.

 

Our internal data and estimates are based upon information obtained from trade and business organizations and other contacts in the markets in which we operate and our management’s understanding of industry conditions. Although we believe that such information is reliable, we have not had this information verified by any independent sources.

 

ii
 

 

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY 

 

This summary highlights selected information that is presented in greater detail elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our common stock. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our audited financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Forza X1,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” in this prospectus refer to Forza X1, Inc.

 

Overview

 

About Forza X1

  

Forza X1, Inc. (“Forza X1” “we” “us” or the “Company”), aims to be among the first to develop and manufacture fully electric, affordable boats with mass appeal. Our mission is to inspire the adoption of sustainable recreational boating by mass producing stylish electric sport boats. We are focused on the creation and implementation of marine electric vehicle (“EV”) technology to control and power our electric boats utilizing our proprietary outboard electric motor. We believe we are one of the first companies to design a fully integrated electric boat including the hull, outboard motor and control system for mass production.

 

We believe that the boating industry will follow in the footsteps of the electrification of the automotive industry by creating electric boats that meet or exceed the traditional boating consumers expectations of price, value and run times. In other words, electric boats must offer a similar experience when compared to traditional gas-powered boat in terms of size, capability and price point.

 

First FX1 Models

 

Our initial two models, the FX1 Dual Console and FX1 Center Console, are being designed to be 24-foot in length, have an 8’ beam or width and utilize a catamaran hull surface to reduce drag and increase run times. The initial launch of FX1 will include our proprietary single electric outboard motor. Both FX1 models will have advanced high-powered, liquid-cooled battery packs and a vehicle control unit with proprietary control software all integrated into a 22” master control touch screen that will be used to control most functions of the boat. We have also filed three design and two utility patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office relating to, among other things, our propulsion system being developed and boat design.

 

Forza X1: A Direct-to Consumer Platform

 

We intend to offer our EV products and services through a vertically integrated and premium direct-to-consumer system. Over the last couple of years, non-contact consumerism has brought shopping and customer service experiences to a new level that will likely remain prevalent long after the COVID-19 pandemic. We intend to create a superior customer experience that spans the entire life of our products through an online system that is being designed to be comprehensive, seamless, and touchless.

 

Forza X1 will utilize a web-based and app platform to connect with customers for an end-to-end experience encompassing everything from buying, financing, delivery, servicing, and training. This customer-centric approach to sales and service aims at simplifying access to necessary information for potential buyers and current owners alike. With no independent dealers, intermediaries or brokers, customers will be able to communicate directly with Forza X1 to ensure their questions are answered and their needs are met.

 

Currently, Forza X1’s web and app-based platform is expected to include the following:

 

Build and Price Boats. The web and app platform will offer prospective buyers a place to examine photos and videos of our boats, which will all have a single price based on the model type and a few available options. For example, the consumer would have four gel coat exterior choices, three interior upholstery choices, and an option to increase the battery pack capacity for extended run times. Other options would include charging cords and plugs, boating items such as bumpers, covers, and fun add-ons like clothing, allowing consumers to “personalize” their Forza X1 purchase.

 

1
 

 

Financing. Prospective customers will be able to apply for third-party consumer financing to complete or supplement their purchase through Forza X1’s web and app platform.
     
Delivery. Once manufactured, the boat will be delivered directly to a customer’s home, marina, or wherever they choose. The scheduling, communication, and support necessary for coordinating touchless delivery of our Forza X1 boats would all be accomplished over the website or app.
     
Servicing. We intend to offer highly tailored and differentiated services that enable intuitive experiences throughout the entire customer lifecycle, such as warranty, repair, or other service assistance for their boats. We expect this all-inclusive approach will provide higher customer satisfaction, create strong brand loyalty, and increase operational efficiency while simultaneously allowing us to capture a more significant share of the entire lifecycle value of every Forza X1 boat produced.
     
Customer Service and Feedback. We will utilize customer insights and feedback submitted via our web and app-based platform to improve our offerings by adding new capabilities and functionality. Expanded offerings based on consumer-driven feedback and data is expected to attract more customers, deepen existing customer relationships, and allow us to innovate more quickly.
     
Training. Forza X1 intends to provide a series of videos that demonstrate our boats’ safe operation and upkeep. These videos would be accessible on our web and app platform and the boat’s onboard computer for quick access.

 

Forza X1 Purpose

 

According to the Environmental Energy Student Institute, a non-profit organization originally formed by a bipartisan group of members of Congress, fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas, have been powering economies for over 150 years and currently supply about 80 percent of the world’s energy. When fossil fuels are burned, the stored carbon and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. The excess buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has caused dramatic changes to Earth’s climate—a trend that will worsen as more fossil fuels are burned. Further climate changes may cause rises in sea level, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and species extinction, as well as food scarcity, worsening health, and poverty for millions of people worldwide.

 

The world’s waterways are also in danger from pollutants caused by gas-powered motors. In the landmark environmental study and book, “Polluting for Pleasure”, author Andre Mele stated that recreational boats, particularly outboards, were polluting as much as all the cars and trucks in America. At the time, Mele discovered that pleasure boats have polluted 80 times more than automobile engines and put more oil into American waters than 15 Exxon Valdez oil spills, annually. The popularity of recreational boating has grown since then.

 

While headway is being made by the automotive industry introducing more viable EV options to replace traditional automobiles, it is also vital that we look to preserve our waterways while reducing carbon emissions. Large gas-powered engines often leak fuel and produce carbon emissions, both of which are harmful to fragile marine ecosystems. Forza X1 is a company comprised of people who are passionate to move the preservation and carbon free marine lifestyle forward. According to the Bloomberg NEF’s 2021 Electric Vehicle Outlook, passenger automotive EV sales are set to increase from 3.1 million units in 2020 to 14 million units in 2025,Forza X1 intends to be first to market with a mass appeal affordable, family friendly, fully electric day boat to be well positioned for a similar transition from gas powered to fully electric boats..

 

Our core market corresponds most directly to those who identify with environmentally friendly vehicles. Electric boats promote environmental sustainability and allow for a much more serene and enjoyable time on the water. The adoption of electric vehicles has increased considerably over the years as they are more environmentally friendly. As per the report by Bloomberg NEF, there are currently 12 million passenger EVs on the road, and the prevalence of electric-powered boats is likely to follow suit. While electric boats only represented about 2% of the market in 2020, a report by IDTechEx estimates that the market for hybrid and pure electric boats is expected to rise rapidly to greater than $20 billion worldwide by 2027, finding that recreational boats is the largest and fastest growing electric marine market in sales number.

 

2
 

 

Forza X1 plans to disrupt recreational marine customs that rely on outdated processes and noxious engines by designing, engineering and manufacturing inspiring electric boats that operate in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way.

 

Our Strengths and Competitive Advantages

 

We believe that the following are the critical investment attributes of our company:

 

Assembling a Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing Team. We continue to build and add valuable, experienced and knowledgeable team members. Jim Leffew, our President, comes to us from Maverick Boat Group, Inc. that was recently sold to Malibu Boats. Jim Leffew has been designing, building and manufacturing boats on a large-scale basis for over 25 years. The year Maverick Boat Group was sold to Malibu Boats, Jim Leffew was overseeing the manufacturing and Maverick Boat Group was building and selling over 1,400 boats annually. The experience and knowledge that Jim Leffew brings to the table is expected to be valuable to the requirements of designing and ramping up our manufacturing facility.
     
First-Mover Advantage; Singular Focus and Leadership in Electric Powertrain Technology. To date, there are no commercialized electric boats for mass appeal. Our first-mover advantage should enable us to establish strong brand recognition and product/service loyalty before potential competing companies enter the market. Forza X1 is focused exclusively on developing our electric boats and electric powertrain technology to achieve a compelling combination of range and performance. We intend to use our electric powertrain expertise to innovate rapidly and sustain technological and time-to-market advantages over other marine manufacturers.
     
Combination of Expertise from the Traditional Boat Manufacturing Industry and Electrical Engineers. Our company’s founders have been in the boat building business for over 25 years. Our boat design and manufacturing knowledge are supplemented by engineers with strong skills in electrical engineering and software and controls.
     
Rapid Customer-Focused Product Development. We are designing our product development process to rapidly react to data collected from our boats, direct interaction with our customers, and feedback from our web and app platform. That information should enable us to introduce new models and features to expand our customer base and brand recognition.
     
Direct To Consumer System. We are building a vertically integrated and premium direct-to-consumer system while achieving operating efficiencies and capturing sales and service revenues traditional boat manufacturers do not generally receive in the distribution and service model they employ.
     
Capital Efficiency. We believe our rapid product development process, powertrain technology applicable for future boat models, and our plan to hold lower inventory levels while still meeting customer demand will help reduce the capital required to reach operating efficiencies. This approach is designed to allow us to achieve profitability at relatively low sales volumes and create a viable long-term business.

 

Our Strategy

 

We plan to operate in a fundamentally different manner and structure than traditional marine manufacturers and boat dealers by adopting a direct-to-consumer sales and delivery model. We are building a dedicated web and app-based platform for sales, deliveries, and service operations to change the personal boat buying and marine service experience through technological innovation, ease of use, and flexibility. We intend to employ an integrated, digital-first strategy that is convenient and transparent for our customers and efficient and scalable to support our growth. We believe our approach will enable us to operate more cost effectively, provide a better customer experience and incorporate customer feedback more quickly into our product development and manufacturing processes. We believe this strategy will allow us to deliver uncompromised and premium experiences well beyond what is available through the standard dealership model.

 

3
 

 

Our plans include the following strategies:

 

Successfully Launch the FX1. We believe the successful launch of our first commercially available electric boat is critical to our ability to capitalize on the marine electric vehicle market opportunity and establish ourselves as leaders in the industry. We are currently executing a detailed plan to design, component source, engineer, and manufacture the FX1 and obtain the equipment to support its production.
     
Invest in Our Infrastructure. We plan to invest in our product development and operations infrastructure to enable our growth, product innovation, and customer experience
     
Use a Common Platform to Introduce New Models. We intend to design the FX1 with an adaptable platform architecture and common electric powertrain to provide us the flexibility to use the FX1 platform to launch subsequent electric boat models cost-efficiently.
     
Focus on Technological Advancements and Cost Improvement. We intend to constantly look for ways to improve upon and further develop our proprietary electric powertrain system while reducing its manufacturing cost.
     
Build our Company-Owned Sales and Service Network. Forza X1 is programming and building our expansive and vertically integrated customer-centric web and app platform to connect with customers for an end-to-end experience encompassing everything from buying, financing, delivery, servicing, and training. This customer-centric approach to sales and service will simplify accessing necessary information for potential buyers and current owners in an easily accessible and streamlined online space.
     
Leverage Industry Advancements in Battery Cells. We intend to leverage the substantial investments made globally by battery cell manufacturers to improve power and capacity.
     
Build and Leverage Strategic Relationships. We intend to establish and develop strategic relationships with industry leaders to launch our planned electric boats and sell our electric boat powertrain components. We envision significant inroads with boat manufacturers to retrofit various hull configurations, replacing traditional gas outboard motors and existing boat owners who could retrofit their boats with Forza X1’s outboard motors, controller, and battery packs.

 

Summary of Risks Associated with Our Business

 

We are a start-up entity and expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future.
     
Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to evaluate our future business prospects.
     
Our planned fully electric sport boat has not yet been developed, and even if developed, an interest in it may not develop.
     
Our distribution model is different from the predominant current distribution model for boat manufacturers, which subjects us to substantial risk and makes evaluating our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows difficult.

 

4
 

 

We may be unable to adequately control the capital expenditures and costs associated with our business and operations.
     
We could experience cost increases or disruptions in supply of raw materials or other components used in our vehicles.
     
Our ability to meet our manufacturing workforce needs is crucial to our results of operations and future sales and profitability.
     
We have a large fixed cost base that will affect our profitability if our sales decrease.
     
Interest rates and energy prices affect product sales.
     
All of our outstanding common stock is currently owned by a single stockholder, and it may therefore be able to substantially control our management and affairs after this offering.
     
Our business may be materially affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak.
     
Our annual and quarterly financial results are subject to significant fluctuations depending on various factors, many of which are beyond our control.
     
Our success depends, in part, upon the ability of our customers to access to third-party consumer financing.
     
Unfavorable weather conditions may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, especially during the peak boating season.
     
A natural disaster, the effects of climate change, or disruptions at our manufacturing facility could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
     
If we fail to manage our manufacturing levels while still addressing the seasonal retail pattern for our products, our business and margins may suffer.
     
Product liability, warranty, personal injury, property damage and recall claims may materially affect our financial condition and damage our reputation
     
Our industry is characterized by intense competition, which affects our sales and profits.
     
The electronic vehicle (EV) industry and its technology are rapidly evolving and may be subject to unforeseen changes which could adversely affect the demand for our boats or increase our operating costs.
     
If we experience delays in the development of our fully electric sport boat, fail to bring the FX1 to market as and when planned or if it fails to gain market acceptance, our bottom line will suffer.
     
Our patent applications may not issue as patents, which may have a material adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from commercially exploiting products similar to ours.
     
We may need to defend ourselves against patent, copyright or trademark infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and would cause us to incur substantial costs.
     
Demand in the powerboat industry is highly volatile.
     
General economic conditions, particularly in the U.S., affect our industry, demand for our products and our business, and results of operations.

 

5
 

 

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company

 

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, as amended, or the JOBS Act. As an “emerging growth company,” we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:

 

  requiring only two years of audited financial statements in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements with correspondingly reduced “Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations” in our Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, filings;
     
  reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements;
     
  no non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements; and
     
  exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002, or SOX.

 

We may take advantage of these exemptions for up to five years or such earlier time that we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We will continue to remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of the following: (i) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of this offering; (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which our total annual gross revenue is equal to or more than $1.07 billion; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC.

 

We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and have elected to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies. To the extent that we continue to qualify as a “smaller reporting company” as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, after we cease to qualify as an emerging growth company, certain of the exemptions available to us as an “emerging growth company” may continue to be available to us as a “smaller reporting company,” including exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirements pursuant to SOX and reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements. We will continue to be a “smaller reporting company” until we have $250 million or more in public float (based on our common stock) measured as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or, in the event we have no public float (based on our common stock) or a public float (based on our common stock) that is less than $700 million, annual revenues of $100 million or more during the most recently completed fiscal year.

 

We may choose to take advantage of some, but not all, of these exemptions. We have taken advantage of reduced reporting requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different from the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock. In addition, the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company may take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards, delaying the adoption of these accounting standards until they would apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised financial accounting standards. As a result of the accounting standards election, we will not be subject to the same implementation timing for new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies which may make comparison of our financials to those of other public companies more difficult.

 

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Corporate Information

 

Our principal executive office is located at 3101 S. US-1, Ft. Pierce, Florida 34982, and our telephone number is (772) 429-2525. We maintain our corporate website at www.forzax1.com. The reference to our website is an inactive textual reference only. The information that can be accessed through our website is not part of this prospectus. Investors should not rely on any such information in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.

 

Forza X1, Inc. was initially incorporated as Electra Power Sports, Inc. on October 15, 2021, but we subsequently changed our name to Forza X1, Inc. on October 29, 2021. Our parent company was incorporated in the State of Florida as Twin Vee Catamarans, Inc. on December 1, 2009, and reincorporated in Delaware on April 7, 2021, as Twin Vee PowerCats Co. (“Twin Vee”). Prior to our incorporation in October 2021, we operated as the Electra Power Sports™ Division of Twin Vee. As of the date of this prospectus, we have ten employees.

 

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THE OFFERING

 

Common stock offered by us    shares (or shares if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares to cover over-allotments, if any)
     
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering    shares (or shares if the underwriters exercise in full their option to purchase additional shares to cover over-allotments, if any)(1)
     
Underwriters’ option to purchase
additional shares of common stock from us
             shares (which may be purchased from us for 45 days from the date of this prospectus to cover over-allotments, if any)
     
Use of proceeds   We estimate that the net proceeds from our issuance and sale of shares of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $         million, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated initial public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full to cover over-allotments, if any, we estimate that our net proceeds will be approximately $           million.
     
    We currently anticipate using the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing resources, as follows: (i) for the design, development, testing, production and marketing of our electric boats. (ii) for the design, development, testing, production and marketing of our electric outboard motors (iii) for the design, development, testing, manufacturing of our integrated control system; (iv) for the acquisition of property and the development of a manufacturing plant to build, design and manufacture our new line of electric boats; (v) development of a vertically integrated direct-to-consumer distribution platform; and (vi) working capital. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds” for additional information.
     
Risk Factors   See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10 and the other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before investing in our securities.
     
Proposed Nasdaq Capital Market trading symbol   We have applied to have our common stock listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “FRZA.” 

 

You should carefully read the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus for a discussion of factors that you should consider before deciding to invest in our common stock.

 

  (1) The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after this offering is based on the             shares of our common stock outstanding as of December             , 2021 and excludes the following:

 

Unless otherwise indicated, this prospectus reflects and assumes the following:

 

  no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase up to additional shares of our common stock from us to cover over-allotments, if any;
  no exercise of the representative’s warrants to be issued upon consummation of this offering at an exercise price equal to 125% of the initial offering price of the common stock; and
  an assumed initial public offering price of $                   per share, which is the midpoint of the estimate of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

 

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SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA

 

The following table summarizes the relevant financial data for our business and should be read with our financial statements, which are included in this prospectus. We have not had any significant operations to date, so only balance sheet data is presented.

 

The following tables present our summary balance sheet data and should be read together with our financial statements and accompanying notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The summary balance sheet data for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2021 is derived from our audited annual financial statements, which are included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

Balance Sheet Data:   November 30,
2021
  Pro Forma
Working capital   $ 1,449,176        
Total assets   $ 2,313,766        
Total liabilities   $ 617,036        
Stockholder’s equity   $ 1,696,730        

 

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RISK FACTORS

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this prospectus, including our financial statements and the related notes and the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this prospectus, before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations.

 

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS

 

We are a start-up entity and expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future.

 

We are a start-up entity and have had very limited operations to date. To date, we have designed and manufactured only prototypes of our electric sport boat, have not yet commercialized our boats and have not sold any boats. We believe that we will continue to incur operating and net losses in the future while we grow, including following our initial generation of revenues from the sale of our boats which may occur later than we expect or not at all. We do not expect to be profitable for the foreseeable future as we invest in our business, build capacity and ramp up operations, and we cannot assure you that we will ever achieve or be able to maintain profitability in the future. Even if we are able to successfully develop our boats and attract customers, there can be no assurance that we will be financially successful. For example, as we develop our product portfolio, we will need to manage costs effectively to sell those products at our expected margins. Failure to become profitable would materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. If we are ever to achieve profitability, it will be dependent upon the successful development and commercial introduction and acceptance of our electric sport boats and the development of a vertically integrated direct-to-consumer distribution system to market and sell our boats, which may not occur. As such, for the foreseeable future, we will have to fund all our operations and capital expenditures from cash on hand, and potentially, future offerings of securities. However, unanticipated changes may occur that could consume our available capital before we expect, including changes in and progress of our development activities.

 

Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to evaluate our future business prospects.

 

We are a company with an extremely limited operating history and have not generated any revenue from sales of our boats or other products and services to date. As we attempt to transition from research and development activities to production and sales, it is difficult, if not impossible, to forecast our future results, and we have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business. The estimated costs and timelines that we have developed to design and complete the design and engineering of the FX1 sport boat and its outboard electric motor and then reach full scale commercial production are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties involved in the transition from a start-up company focused on research and development activities to the large-scale manufacture and sale of vehicles. There can be no assurance that our estimates related to the costs and timing necessary to complete the design and engineering of the FX1 sport boat and its outboard electric motor, will prove accurate. These are complex processes that may be subject to delays, cost overruns and other unforeseen issues. In addition, we have engaged in limited marketing activities to date, so even if we are able to bring the FX1 or other commercial products to market, on time and on budget, there can be no assurance that customers will embrace our products in significant numbers. Market conditions, many of which are outside of our control and subject to change, including general economic conditions, the availability and terms of third-party consumer financing, the impacts and ongoing uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, fuel and energy prices, regulatory requirements and incentives, competition and the pace and extent of vehicle electrification generally, will impact demand for the FX1 and our other commercial products, and ultimately our success.

 

You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and significant challenges we face as a new entrant into our industry. If we fail to adequately address any or all of these risks and challenges, our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows may be materially and adversely affected.

 

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Our planned fully electric sport boat has not yet been developed, and even if developed, an interest in it may not develop.

 

We have not completed the design and engineering of the FX1 sport boat. There can be no assurance that we will be able to complete development of the FX1 when anticipated, if at all, that we will be able to mass produce the FX1 or that the anticipated features or services to be included in the FX1 will create substantial interest or a market, and therefore our anticipated FX1 product, its sales and growth for our product may not develop as expected, or at all. For example, in May 2021 we experienced a small fire in connection with the sea trial of a prototype of our electric boat which resulted in a six-month delay in our design timetable as we implemented changes to the design for outboard electric motor system as a result of the fire. We cannot guarantee that similar events will not occur in the future, or that we will be able to contain such events without damage or delay. Even if such a market for the FX1 sport boat develops, there can be no assurance that we would be able to maintain that market.

 

Our operations to date have been primarily limited to finalizing our design and engineering of our electric sport boat as well as organizing and staffing our company in preparation for launching the FX1 electric boat. As such we have not yet demonstrated, and our success is wholly dependent upon, our ability to commercialize our products. The successful commercialization of any products will require us to perform a variety of functions, including:

 

  completing the design and testing for the FX1 sport boat and our proprietary outboard electric motor
  manufacturing the FX1 sport boats
  developing a vertically integrated direct-to-consumer distribution system
  conducting sales and marketing activities.

 

We cannot be certain that our business strategy will be successful or that we will successfully address these risks. In the event that we do not successfully address these risks, our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected, and we may not have the resources to continue or expand our business operations.

 

Our distribution model is different from the predominant current distribution model for boat manufacturers, which subjects us to substantial risk and makes evaluating our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows difficult.

 

We plan to sell our boats directly to customers rather than through franchised dealerships, primarily through Forza X1 customer experience and services centers, subject to obtaining applicable dealer licenses and equivalent permits in such jurisdictions, offering a digital customer experience via our online platform. This model of boat distribution is relatively new, different from the predominant current distribution model for boat manufacturers and, with limited exceptions, unproven, which subjects us to substantial risk. We have no experience in selling or leasing boats direct-to-consumer and therefore this model may require significant expenditures and provide for slower expansion than the traditional dealer franchise system. For example, we will not be able to utilize long established relationships developed by our parent company with its dealer network. Moreover, we will be competing with companies with well established distribution channels. Our success will depend in large part on our ability to effectively develop our own sales channels and marketing strategies.

 

Implementing our direct sales model is subject to numerous significant challenges, including obtaining permits and approvals from government authorities, and we may not be successful in addressing these challenges. If our direct sales model does not develop as expected or develops more slowly than expected, we may be required to modify or abandon our sales model, which could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

Our ability to generate meaningful product revenue will depend on consumer adoption of electric boats.

 

We are only developing electric boats and, accordingly, our ability to generate meaningful product revenue will highly depend on sustained consumer demand for alternative fuel vehicles in general and electric boats in particular. If the market for electric boats does not develop as we expect or develops more slowly than we expect, or if there is a decrease in consumer demand for electric vehicles, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations will be harmed. The market for electric and other alternative fuel vehicles is relatively new, rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, price competition, additional competitors, evolving government regulation (including government incentives and subsidies) and industry standards, frequent new vehicle announcements and changing consumer demands and behaviors. Any number of changes in the industry could negatively affect consumer demand for electric vehicles in general and our electric boats in particular.

 

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In addition, demand for electric boats may be affected by factors directly impacting boat prices or the cost of purchasing and operating boats such as sales and financing incentives including tax credits, prices of raw materials and parts and components, cost of fuel, availability of consumer credit, and governmental regulations, including tariffs, import regulation and other taxes. Volatility in demand may lead to lower vehicle unit sales, which may result in downward price pressure and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Further, sales of boats in the marine industry tend to be cyclical in many markets, which may expose us to increased volatility, especially as we expand and adjust our operations and retail strategies. Specifically, it is uncertain how such macroeconomic factors will impact us as a new entrant in an industry that has globally been experiencing a recent decline in sales.

 

Other factors that may influence the adoption of electric boats include:

 

  perceptions about electric vehicle quality, safety, design, performance and cost;
  perceptions about the limited range over which electric boats may be driven on a single battery charge;
  perceptions about the total cost of ownership of electric boats, including the initial purchase price and operating and maintenance costs, both including and excluding the effect of any government and other subsidies and incentives designed to promote the purchase of electric boats;
  perceptions about the sustainability and environmental impact of electric boats, including with respect to both the sourcing and disposal of materials for electric vehicle batteries and the generation of electricity provided in the electric grid;
  the availability of other alternative fuel boats;
  improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine;
  the quality and availability of service for electric boats;
  volatility in the cost of oil and gasoline;
  government regulations and economic incentives promoting fuel efficiency and alternate forms of energy;
  access to charging stations and cost to charge an electric vehicle and related infrastructure costs and standardization;
  the availability of tax and other governmental incentives to purchase and operate electric boats or future regulation requiring increased use of nonpolluting boats; and
  macroeconomic factors.

 

The influence of any of the factors described above or any other factors may cause a general reduction in consumer demand for electric vehicles or our electric boats in particular, either of which would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects

 

We may be unable to adequately control the capital expenditures and costs associated with our business and operations.

 

We will require significant capital to develop and grow our business, including developing our first boat to be manufactured, the FX1, as well as building our brand. We expect to make additional capital expenditures and incur substantial costs as we complete the design and engineering of the FX1 and prepare to commercially launch sales of our boats and grow our business, including research and development expenses, raw material procurement costs, sales and distribution expenses as we build our brand and market our boats and general and administrative expenses as we scale our operations, identify and commit resources to investigate new areas of demand and incur costs as a public company. Our ability to become profitable in the future will not only depend on our ability to complete the design and development of our boats but also to control our capital expenditures and costs. As we expand our product portfolio, we will need to manage costs effectively to sell those products at our expected margins. If we are unable to cost efficiently design, manufacture, market, sell and distribute and service our boats and provide our services, our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows would be materially and adversely affected.

 

12
 

 

The capacity of the manufacturing facility that we and our parent company utilize will not be sufficient to support our future growth and business plans.

 

We currently plan to build a new manufacturing facility to expand the manufacturing capacity. Although our parent company has identified a site that may be suitable for building such facility, our parent company has not completed it diligence with respect to such site and the site may not be suitable for our purposes. If we are unable to find a suitable site to build a manufacturing facility, we will continue to share our parent company’s current manufacturing facility, which has a limited capacity and may not be able to satisfy our manufacturing needs. We plan to manufacture our electric boats at a new state of the art carbon neutral factory that we plan to build in Fort Pierce Florida. Any facility that we build will require a significant capital investment and is expected to take at least one to two years to build and become fully operational.

 

We could experience cost increases or disruptions in supply of raw materials or other components used in our boats.

 

We expect to incur significant costs related to procuring raw materials required to manufacture and assemble our boats. The prices for these raw materials fluctuate depending on factors beyond our control including market conditions and global demand for these materials and could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Further, any delays or disruptions in our supply chain could harm our business. For example, COVID-19, including associated variants, could cause disruptions to and delays in our operations, including shortages and delays in the supply of certain parts, including semiconductors, materials and equipment necessary for the production of our boats, and the internal designs and processes we may adopt in an effort to remedy or mitigate impacts of such disruptions and delays could result in higher costs. In addition, our business also depends on the continued supply of battery cells for our boats. We are exposed to multiple risks relating to availability and pricing of quality battery cells. These risks include:

 

the inability or unwillingness of battery cell manufacturers to build or operate battery cell manufacturing plants to supply the numbers of battery cells (including the applicable chemistries) required to support the growth of the electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle industry as demand for such cells increases;
     
disruption in the supply of battery cells due to quality issues or recalls by the battery cell manufacturers; and
     
an increase in the cost, or decrease in the available supply of raw materials used in battery cells, such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt.

  

Furthermore, currency fluctuations, tariffs or shortages in petroleum and other economic or political conditions may result in significant increases in freight charges and raw material costs. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials or components would increase our operating costs and could reduce our margins. In addition, a growth in popularity of electric vehicles without a significant expansion in battery cell production capacity could result in shortages which would result in increased materials costs to us, and would impact our projected manufacturing and delivery timelines, and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

We depend upon third parties to manufacture and to supply key semiconductor chip components necessary for our boats. We do not have long-term agreements with all of our semiconductor chip manufacturers and suppliers, and if these manufacturers or suppliers become unwilling or unable to provide an adequate supply of semiconductor chips, with respect to which there is a global shortage, we would not be able to find alternative sources in a timely manner and our business would be adversely impacted.

 

13
 

 

Semiconductor chips are a vital input component to the electrical architecture of our boats, controlling wide aspects of the boats’ operations. Many of the key semiconductor chips we intend to use in our boats come from limited or single sources of supply, and therefore a disruption with any one manufacturer or supplier in our supply chain would have an adverse effect on our ability to effectively manufacture and timely deliver our boats. We do not have any long- term supply contracts with any suppliers and purchase chips on a purchase order basis. Due to our reliance on these semiconductor chips, we are subject to the risk of shortages and long lead times in their supply. We are in the process of identifying alternative manufacturers for semiconductor chips. We have in the past experienced, and may in the future experience, semiconductor chip shortages, and the availability and cost of these components would be difficult to predict. For example, our manufacturers may experience temporary or permanent disruptions in their manufacturing operations due to equipment breakdowns, labor strikes or shortages, natural disasters, component or material shortages, cost increases, acquisitions, insolvency, changes in legal or regulatory requirements, or other similar problems.

 

In particular, increased demand for semiconductor chips in 2020, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased demand for consumer electronics that use these chips, has resulted in a severe global shortage of chips in 2021. As a result, our ability to source semiconductor chips to be used in our boats has been adversely affected. This shortage may result in increased chip delivery lead times, delays in the production of our boats, and increased costs to source available semiconductor chips. To the extent this semiconductor chip shortage continues, and we are unable to mitigate the effects of this shortage, our ability to deliver sufficient quantities of our boats to fulfill our preorders and to support our growth through sales to new customers would be adversely affected. In addition, we may be required to incur additional costs and expenses in managing ongoing chip shortages, including additional research and development expenses, engineering design and development costs in the event that new suppliers must be onboarded on an expedited basis. Further, ongoing delays in production and shipment of boats due to a continuing shortage of semiconductor chips may harm our reputation and discourage additional preorders and boat sales, and otherwise materially and adversely affect our business and operations.

 

Our ability to meet our manufacturing workforce needs is crucial to our results of operations and future sales and profitability.

 

We rely on the existence of an available hourly workforce to manufacture our products. We also rely upon our engineers that are specialist in electric engineering. We cannot assure you that we will be able to attract and retain qualified employees to meet current or future needs at a reasonable cost, or at all. For instance, the demand for engineers has increased over the past several years and we will compete with many of the tech companies and automobile companies. In addition, the demand for skilled employees has increased recently with the low unemployment rates in Florida where we have manufacturing facilities. Also, although none of our employees are currently covered by collective bargaining agreements, we cannot assure you that our employees will not elect to be represented by labor unions in the future. Additionally, competition for qualified employees could require us to pay higher wages to attract a sufficient number of employees. Significant increases in manufacturing workforce costs could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

 

We have a large fixed cost base that will affect our profitability if our sales decrease.

 

The fixed cost levels of operating a powerboat manufacturer can put pressure on profit margins when sales and production decline. Our profitability will depend, in part, on our ability to spread fixed costs over a sufficiently large number of products sold and shipped, and if we make a decision to reduce our rate of production, gross or net margins could be negatively affected. Consequently, decreased demand or the need to reduce production can lower our ability to absorb fixed costs and materially impact our financial condition or results of operations.

 

14
 

 

All of our outstanding common stock is currently owned by a single stockholder, and it may therefore be able to substantially control our management and affairs after this offering.

 

Our parent company currently owns 100% of our outstanding common stock and will own beneficially approximately 48% of our outstanding common stock immediately after the consummation of the offering. Our Chief Executive Officer is the Chief Executive Officer of our parent company, Twin Vee and a member of its board of directors in addition to beneficially owning 32.10% of the outstanding common stock of our parent company through ownership of 56.14% of Twin Vee Powercats, Inc., , the parent company of Twin Vee Powercats Co. As a result, our Chief Executive Officer does and will have significant influence over our management and affairs and over matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. Therefore, Twin Vee Powercats Co. and its ultimate parent company, Twin Vee Powercats, Inc,. will have substantial influence over any election of our directors and our operations. It should also be noted that for the most part, authorization to modify our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, requires only majority stockholder consent and approval to modify our amended and restated By-Laws requires authorization of only a majority of the board of directors. This concentration of ownership could also have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in our control. Accordingly, our Chief Executive Officer could cause us to enter into transactions or agreements that we would not otherwise consider.

 

In addition, this concentration of ownership may delay or prevent a change in our control and might affect the market price of our common stock, even when a change in control may be in the best interest of all stockholders. Furthermore, the interests of this concentration of ownership may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of other stockholders.

 

Our management overlaps substantially with the management and beneficial owners of our principal stockholder, which may give rise to potential conflicts of interest.

 

Several of our executive officers and directors are also officers and/or directors of our principal stockholder, Twin Vee Powercats Co., and certain of such executive officers and directors are, in turn, the principal stockholders of Twin Vee Powercats Co.. Accordingly, there may be inherent, albeit non-specific, potential conflicts involved in the participation by members of each company’s management, audit committee, compensation committee, nominating committee and other applicable board committees which will oversee questions of possible conflicts of interest and compensation, notwithstanding an effort to appoint independent directors that do not have these inherent conflicts. In addition, as a matter of practicality, efficiency and appropriate accounting, the costs of certain service (including salaries of executive officers) are allocated, which creates inter-company obligations.

 

Our business may be materially affected by the COVID-19 Outbreak.

 

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has and may continue to cause disruptions to our business and operational plans. These disruptions may include disruptions resulting from (i) shortages of employees, (ii) unavailability of contractors and subcontractors, (iii) interruption of, or price fluctuations in, supplies from third parties upon which we rely, (iv) restrictions that governments impose to address the COVID-19 outbreak, and (v) restrictions that we and our contractors and subcontractors impose to ensure the safety of employees and others. Delays in our supply chain could adversely impact our production and, in turn, our revenues. Further, it is presently not possible to predict the extent or durations of these disruptions. These disruptions may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Such adverse effect could be rapid and unexpected. These disruptions may severely affect our ability to carry out our business plan for 2022.

 

Our annual and quarterly financial results are subject to significant fluctuations depending on various factors, many of which are beyond our control.

 

Our sales and operating results are expected to vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year depending on various factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, but are not limited to:

 

  Seasonal consumer demand for our products;
  Discretionary spending habits;
  Changes in pricing in, or the availability of supply in, the powerboat market;
  Failure to maintain a premium brand image;
  Disruption in the operation of our manufacturing facilities;
  Variations in the timing and volume of our sales;
  The timing of our expenditures in anticipation of future sales;
  Sales promotions by us and our competitors;
  Changes in competitive and economic conditions generally;
  Consumer preferences and competition for consumers’ leisure time;
  Impact of unfavorable weather conditions;
  Changes in the cost or availability of our labor; and
  Increased fuel prices.

 

15
 

 

Due to these and other factors, our results of operations may decline quickly and significantly in response to changes in order patterns or rapid decreases in demand for our products. We anticipate that fluctuations in operating results will continue in the future.

 

Unfavorable weather conditions may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations, especially during the peak boating season.

 

Adverse weather conditions in any year in any particular geographic region may adversely affect sales in that region, especially during the peak boating season. Sales of our products are expected to be generally stronger just before and during spring and summer, which represent the peak boating months, and favorable weather during these months generally has a positive effect on consumer demand. Conversely, unseasonably cool weather, excessive rainfall, reduced rainfall levels, or drought conditions during these periods may close area boating locations or render boating dangerous or inconvenient, thereby generally reducing consumer demand for our products. Our annual results would be materially and adversely affected if our net sales were to fall below expected seasonal levels during these periods. We may also experience more pronounced seasonal fluctuation in net sales in the future as we expand our businesses. There can be no assurance that weather conditions will not have a material effect on the sales of any of our products.

 

A natural disaster, the effects of climate change, or other disruptions at our manufacturing facility could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

We currently rely on the continuous operation of our parent company’s manufacturing facility in Fort Pierce, Florida for the production of our prototypes and expect such reliance to continue until such time, if ever, that we build a new facility to manufacture our electric boats. Any natural disaster or other serious disruption to our parent’s facility or any new facility due to fire, flood, earthquake, or any other unforeseen circumstance would adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Changes in climate could adversely affect our operations by limiting or increasing the costs associated with equipment or fuel supplies. In addition, adverse weather conditions, such as increased frequency and/or severity of storms, or floods could impair our ability to operate by damaging our parents or our facilities and equipment or restricting product delivery to customers. The occurrence of any disruption at any such manufacturing facility, even for a short period of time, may have an adverse effect on our productivity and profitability, during and after the period of the disruption. These disruptions may also cause personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property and equipment, and environmental damage. Although we maintain property, casualty, and business interruption insurance of the types and in the amounts that we believe are customary for the industry, we are not fully insured against all potential natural disasters or other disruptions to our manufacturing facility.

 

If we fail to manage our manufacturing levels while still addressing the seasonal retail pattern for our products, our business and margins may suffer.

 

The seasonality of retail demand anticipated for our products, based upon sales of our parent company’s products, will require us to manage our manufacturing to address anticipated retail demand. We will need to manage seasonal changes in consumer demand and inventory. If there is weakness in retail demand, we could be required to reduce our production, resulting in lower rates of absorption of fixed costs in our manufacturing and, therefore, lower margins. As a result, we will need to balance the economies of level production with the seasonal retail sales pattern we experience. Failure to adjust manufacturing levels adequately may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

We will rely on third-party suppliers to provide components and raw materials essential to the construction of our boats and anticipate such reliance to continue once we commercialize our products.

 

We expect to depend on third-party suppliers to provide components and raw materials essential to the construction of our boats. While we believe that we will leverage our parent’s company’s relationships with its current suppliers to provide the materials necessary to meet production demand, we cannot assure you that these relationships will continue or that the quantity or quality of materials available from these suppliers will be sufficient to meet our future needs, irrespective of whether we successfully implement our growth strategy. We expect that our need for raw materials and supplies will increase as we produce boats for sale. Our suppliers must be prepared to ramp up operations and, in many cases, hire additional workers and/or expand capacity in order to fulfill the orders that will be placed by us and other customers. Operational and financial difficulties that our suppliers may face in the future could adversely affect their ability to supply us with the parts and components we need, which could significantly disrupt our operations.

 

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Termination or interruption of informal supply arrangements could have a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations.

 

Although our parent company has long term relationships with many of its suppliers that are also our suppliers, neither we nor our parent company have any formal agreements with any suppliers for the purchase of parts needed and our purchases currently are made on a purchase order basis. We have no binding commitment from our suppliers to supply any specified quantity of materials needed within any specified time period. In the event that our suppliers receive a large number of orders from other customers, there is a possibility that they will not be able to support our needs. If any of our current suppliers were to be unable to provide needed products to us, there can be no assurance that alternate supply arrangements will be made on satisfactory terms. If we need to enter into supply arrangements on unsatisfactory terms, or if there are any delays to our supply arrangements, it could adversely affect our business and operating results.

 

Product liability, warranty, personal injury, property damage and recall claims may materially affect our financial condition and damage our reputation.

 

We are engaged in a business that exposes us to claims for product liability and warranty claims in the event our products actually or allegedly fail to perform as expected or the use of our products results, or is alleged to result, in property damage, personal injury or death. Although we maintain product and general liability insurance of the types and in the amounts that we believe are customary for the industry, we are not fully insured against all such potential claims. Our products involve kinetic energy, produce physical motion and are to be used on the water, factors which increase the likelihood of injury or death. Our products will contain lithium-ion batteries, which have been known to catch fire or vent smoke and flame, and chemicals which are known to be, or could later be proved to be, toxic or carcinogenic. Any judgment or settlement for personal injury or wrongful death claims could be more than our assets and, even if not justified, could prove expensive to contest.

 

We may experience legal claims in excess of our insurance coverage or claims that are not covered by insurance, either of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Adverse determination of material product liability and warranty claims made against us could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and harm our reputation. In addition, if any of our products or components in our products are, or are alleged to be, defective, we may be required to participate in a recall of that product or component if the defect or alleged defect relates to safety. Any such recall and other claims could be costly to us and require substantial management attention.

 

Our boats will use of lithium-ion battery cells, which, if not appropriately managed and controlled, have been observed to catch fire or vent smoke and flame.

 

The battery packs within our boats are being designed to use of lithium-ion cells. If not properly managed or subject to environmental stresses, lithium-ion cells can rapidly release the energy they contain by venting smoke and flames in a manner that can ignite nearby materials as well as other lithium-ion cells. While the battery pack is designed to contain any single cell’s release of energy without spreading to neighboring cells, a field or testing failure of battery packs in our boats could occur, which could result in bodily injury or death and could subject us to lawsuits, field actions (including product recalls), or redesign efforts, all of which would be time consuming and expensive and could harm our brand image. Also, negative public perceptions regarding the suitability of lithium-ion cells for boating applications, the social and environmental impacts of mineral mining or procurement associated with the constituents of lithium-ion cells, or any future incident involving lithium-ion cells, such as a vehicle or other fire, could materially and adversely affect our reputation and business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

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Significant product repair and/or replacement due to product warranty claims or product recalls could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

 

We expect to provide a hull warranty for structural damage of up to ten years. In addition, we expect to provide a three-year limited fiberglass small parts warranty on all on some small fiberglass parts and components such as consoles. Gelcoat is expected to be covered up to one year. Additionally, fiberglass lids, plastic lids, electrical panels, bilge pumps, aerator pumps or other electrical devices (excluding stereos, depth finders, radar, chart plotters except for installation if installed by us), steering systems, electrical panels, and pumps are covered under a one-year basic limited systems warranty. Some materials, components or parts of the boat that will not covered by our limited product warranties will be separately warranted by their manufacturers or suppliers. These other warranties are expected to include warranties covering engines purchased from suppliers and other components. We also expect to offer to provide repairs for no additional cost as part of our new direct to consumer system.

 

Our standard warranties will require us to repair or replace defective products during such warranty periods at no cost to the consumer. Although we will employ quality control procedures, sometimes a product is distributed that needs repair or replacement. The repair and replacement costs we could incur in connection with a recall could adversely affect our business. In addition, product recalls could harm our reputation and cause us to lose customers, particularly if recalls cause consumers to question the safety or reliability of our products.

 

The nature of our business exposes us to workers’ compensation claims and other workplace liabilities.

 

Certain materials we use require our employees to handle potentially hazardous or toxic substances. While our employees who handle these and other potentially hazardous or toxic materials receive specialized training and wear protective clothing, there is still a risk that they, or others, may be exposed to these substances. Exposure to these substances could result in significant injury to our employees and damage to our property or the property of others, including natural resource damage. Our personnel are also at risk for other workplace-related injuries, including slips and falls. We may in the future be subject to fines, penalties, and other liabilities in connection with any such injury or damage. Although we currently maintain what we believe to be suitable and adequate insurance in excess of our self-insured amounts, we may be unable to maintain such insurance on acceptable terms or such insurance may not provide adequate protection against potential liabilities.

 

If we are unable to comply with environmental and other regulatory requirements, our business may be exposed to material liability and/or fines.

 

Our operations are subject to extensive and frequently changing federal, state, local, and foreign laws and regulations, including those concerning product safety, environmental protection, and occupational health and safety. Some of these laws and regulations require us to obtain permits, and limit our ability to discharge hazardous materials into the environment. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we may be subject to civil or criminal enforcement actions that could result in the assessment of fines and penalties, obligations to conduct remedial or corrective actions, or, in extreme circumstances, revocation of our permits or injunctions preventing some or all of our operations. In addition, the components of our boats must meet certain regulatory standards, including stringent air emission standards for boat engines. Failure to meet these standards could result in an inability to sell our boats in key markets, which would adversely affect our business. Moreover, compliance with these regulatory requirements could increase the cost of our products, which in turn, may reduce consumer demand.

 

While we believe that we are in material compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and foreign regulatory requirements, and hold all licenses and permits required thereunder, we cannot assure you that we will, at all times, be able to continue to comply with applicable regulatory requirements. Compliance with increasingly stringent regulatory and permit requirements may, in the future, cause us to incur substantial capital costs and increase our cost of operations, or may limit our operations, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.

 

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As with most boat construction businesses, our manufacturing processes involve the use, handling, storage, and contracting for recycling or disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. The failure to manage or dispose of such hazardous substances and wastes properly could expose us to material liability or fines, including liability for personal injury or property damage due to exposure to hazardous substances, damages to natural resources, or for the investigation and remediation of environmental conditions. Under environmental laws, we may be liable for remediation of contamination at sites where our hazardous wastes have been disposed or at our current facility, regardless of whether our facility is owned or leased or whether the environmental conditions were created by us, a prior owner or tenant, or a third-party. While we do not believe that we are presently subject to any such liabilities, we cannot assure you that environmental conditions relating to our prior, existing, or future sites or operations or those of predecessor companies will not have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.

 

Our industry is characterized by intense competition, which affects our sales and profits.

 

The performance sport boat category and the powerboat industry as a whole are highly competitive for consumers and dealers. We also compete against consumer demand for used boats. Competition affects our ability to succeed in both the markets we currently plan to serve and new markets that we may enter in the future. Competition is based primarily on brand name, price, product selection, and product performance. We will compete with several large manufacturers that may have greater financial, marketing, and other resources than we do and who are represented by dealers in the markets in which we now operate and into which we plan to expand. We also will compete with a variety of small, independent manufacturers. We cannot assure you that we will not face greater competition from existing large or small manufacturers or that we will be able to compete successfully with new competitors. Our failure to compete effectively with our current and future competitors would adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

The electronic vehicle (EV) industry and its technology are rapidly evolving and may be subject to unforeseen changes which could adversely affect the demand for our boats or increase our operating costs.

 

We may be unable to keep up with changes in EV technology or alternatives to electricity as a fuel source and, as a result, our competitiveness may suffer. Developments in alternative technologies, such as advanced diesel, hydrogen, ethanol, fuel cells, or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of the internal combustion engine or the cost of gasoline, may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways we do not currently anticipate. Existing and other battery cell technologies, fuels or sources of energy may emerge as customers’ preferred alternative to our boats. Any failure by us to develop new or enhanced technologies or processes, or to react to changes in existing technologies, could materially delay our development and introduction of new and enhanced alternative fuel and EVs, which could result in the loss of competitiveness of our boats, decreased revenue and a loss of market share to competitors. Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in alternative fuel and electric vehicle technology. As technologies change, we plan to upgrade or adapt our boats with the latest technology. However, our boats may not compete effectively with alternative systems if we are not able to source and integrate the latest technology into our boats. Additionally, the introduction and integration of new technologies into our boats may increase our costs and capital expenditures required for the production and manufacture of our boats and, if we are unable to cost efficiently implement such technologies or adjust our manufacturing operations, our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows would be materially and adversely affected.

 

Our sales and profitability depend, in part, on the successful introduction of new products.

 

Market acceptance of our products will depend on our technological innovation and our ability to implement technology in our boats. Our sales and profitability may be adversely affected by difficulties or delays in product development, such as an inability to develop viable or innovative new products or to add new features. Our failure to introduce new technologies and product offerings that consumers desire could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. If we fail to introduce new features or those we introduce fail to gain market acceptance, our bottom line may suffer.

 

If we experience delays in the development of our fully electric sport boat, fail to bring the FX1 to market as and when planned or if it fails to gain market acceptance, our bottom line will suffer.

 

In addition, some of our direct competitors and indirect competitors may have significantly more resources to develop and patent new technologies. It is possible that our competitors will develop and patent equivalent or superior technologies and other products that compete with ours. They may assert these patents against us and we may be required to license these patents on unfavorable terms or cease using the technology covered by these patents, either of which would harm our competitive position and may materially adversely affect our business.

 

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We also cannot be certain that our products or features have not infringed or will not infringe the proprietary rights of others. Any such infringement could cause third parties, including our competitors, to bring claims against us, resulting in significant costs and potential damages.

 

Our success depends upon the continued strength of our brand, the value of our brand, and sales of our products could be diminished if we, the consumers who use our products, or the sports and activities in which our products are used are associated with negative publicity.

 

We believe that our brand will be a significant contributor to the success of our business and that maintaining and enhancing our brand is important to expanding our consumer and dealer base. Failure to continue to protect our brand may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. We expect that our ability to develop, maintain and strengthen the Forza X1 brand will also depend heavily on the success of our marketing efforts. To further promote our brand, we may be required to change our marketing practices, which could result in substantially increased advertising expenses, including the need to use traditional media such as television, radio and print. Many of our current and potential competitors have greater name recognition, broader customer relationships and substantially greater marketing resources than we do. If we do not develop and maintain strong brands, our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results will be materially and adversely impacted.

 

Negative publicity, including that resulting from severe injuries or death occurring in the sports and activities in which our products are used, could negatively affect our reputation and result in restrictions, recalls, or bans on the use of our products. If the popularity of the sports and activities for which we design, manufacture, and sell products were to decrease as a result of these risks or any negative publicity, sales of our products could decrease, which could have an adverse effect on our net sales, profitability, and operating results. In addition, if we become exposed to additional claims and litigation relating to the use of our products, our reputation may be adversely affected by such claims, whether or not successful, including by generating potential negative publicity about our products, which could adversely impact our business and financial condition.

 

Our passion and focus on delivering a high-quality and engaging Forza X1 experience may not maximize short-term financial results, which may yield results that conflict with the market’s expectations and could result in our stock price being negatively affected.

 

We are passionate about enhancing the Forza X1 experience with a focus on driving long-term customer engagement through innovative, technologically advanced boats, which may not necessarily maximize short-term financial results. We frequently make business decisions that may reduce our short-term financial results if we believe that the decisions are consistent with our goals to improve the Forza X1 experience, which we believe will improve our financial results over the long-term. In the near-term, we will focus significant resources on research and development and sales and marketing to deliver the Forza experience to our customers, which could impact our short-term financial results. These decisions may not be consistent with the short-term expectations of our stockholders and may not produce the long-term benefits that we expect, in which case our customer growth, and our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be harmed.

 

Extended periods of low gasoline or other petroleum-based fuel prices could adversely affect demand for our boats, which would adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

 

A portion of the current and expected demand for electric vehicles results from concerns about volatility in the cost of gasoline and other petroleum-based fuel, the dependency of the United States on oil from unstable or hostile countries, government regulations and economic incentives promoting fuel efficiency and alternative forms of energy, as well as concerns about climate change resulting in part from the burning of fossil fuels. If the cost of gasoline and other petroleum-based fuel decreases significantly, the outlook for the long-term supply of oil to the United States improves, the government eliminates or modifies its regulations or economic incentives related to fuel efficiency and alternative forms of energy or there is a change in the perception that the burning of fossil fuels negatively impacts the environment, the demand for electric vehicles, including our boats, could be reduced, and our business and revenue may be harmed.

 

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Gasoline and other petroleum-based fuel prices have historically been extremely volatile, particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and it is difficult to ascertain whether such volatility will continue to persist. Lower gasoline or other petroleum-based fuel prices over extended periods of time may lower the perception in government and the private sector that cheaper, more readily available energy alternatives should be developed and produced. If gasoline or other petroleum-based fuel prices remain at deflated levels for extended periods of time, the demand for electric vehicles, including our boats, may decrease, which would have an adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

 

We will rely on complex machinery for our operations, and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational performance, safety, security, and costs.

 

We expect to rely heavily on complex machinery for our operations and our production will involve a significant degree of uncertainty and risk in terms of operational performance, safety, security, and costs. Our parent company’s manufacturing plant consists of large-scale machinery combining many components. The manufacturing plant components are likely to suffer unexpected malfunctions from time to time and will depend on repairs and spare parts to resume operations, which may not be available when needed. Unexpected malfunctions of the manufacturing plant components may significantly affect operational efficiency. Operational performance and costs can be difficult to predict and are often influenced by factors outside of our control, such as, but not limited to, scarcity of natural resources, environmental hazards and remediation, costs associated with decommissioning of machines, labor disputes and strikes, difficulty or delays in obtaining governmental permits, damages or defects in electronic systems, industrial accidents, pandemics, fire, seismic activity, and natural disasters. Should operational risks materialize, it may result in the personal injury to or death of workers, the loss of production equipment, damage to manufacturing facilities, products, supplies, tools and materials, monetary losses, delays and unanticipated fluctuations in production, environmental damage, administrative fines, increased insurance costs, and potential legal liabilities, all which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Although we generally carry insurance to cover such operational risks, we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover potential costs and liabilities arising therefrom. A loss that is uninsured or exceeds policy limits may require us to pay substantial amounts, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

If our boats fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market and sell or lease our products could be harmed.

 

Once commercialization commences, our boats may contain defects in design and manufacture that may cause them not to perform as expected or that may require repairs, recalls, and design changes, any of which would require significant financial and other resources to successfully navigate and resolve. Our boats will use a substantial amount of software code to operate, and software products are inherently complex and may contain defects and errors when first introduced. If our boats contain defects in design and manufacture that cause them not to perform as expected or that require repair, or certain features of our boats take longer than expected to become available, are legally restricted or become subject to additional regulation, our ability to develop, market and sell our products and services could be harmed. Although we will attempt to remedy any issues we observe in our products as effectively and rapidly as possible, such efforts could significantly distract management’s attention from other important business objectives, may not be timely, may hamper production or may not be to the satisfaction of our customers. Further, our limited operating history and limited field data reduce our ability to evaluate and predict the long-term quality, reliability, durability and performance characteristics of our battery packs, powertrains and boats. There can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix any defects in our products prior to their sale or lease to customers.

 

Any defects, delays or legal restrictions on boat features, or other failure of our boats to perform as expected, could harm our reputation and result in delivery delays, product recalls, product liability claims, breach of warranty claims and significant warranty and other expenses, and could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, prospects and financial condition. As a new entrant to the industry attempting to build customer relationships and earn trust, these effects could be significantly detrimental to us. Additionally, problems and defects experienced by other electric consumer vehicles could by association have a negative impact on perception and customer demand for our boats.

 

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In addition, even if our boats function as designed, we expect that the battery efficiency, and hence the range, of our electric boats, like other electric vehicles that use current battery technology, will decline over time. Other factors, such as usage, time and stress patterns, may also impact the battery’s ability to hold a charge, or could require us to limit boat battery charging capacity, including via over-the-air or other software updates, for safety reasons or to protect battery capacity, which could further decrease our boats’ range between charges. Such decreases in or limitations of battery capacity and therefore range, whether imposed by deterioration, software limitations or otherwise, could also lead to consumer complaints or warranty claims, including claims that prior knowledge of such decreases or limitations would have affected consumers’ purchasing decisions. Further, there can be no assurance that we will be able to improve the performance of our battery packs, or increase our boats range, in the future. Any such battery deterioration or capacity limitations and related decreases in range may negatively influence potential customers’ willingness to purchase our boats and negatively impact our brand and reputation, which could adversely affect our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

 

Our boats will rely on software and hardware that is highly technical, and if these systems contain errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, or design defects, or if we are unsuccessful in addressing or mitigating technical limitations in our systems, our business could be adversely affected.

 

Our boats are expected to rely on software and hardware that is highly technical and complex and may require modification and updates over the life of the boats. In addition, our boats will depend on the ability of such software and hardware to store, retrieve, process and manage large amounts of data. Our software and hardware may contain errors, bugs, vulnerabilities or design defects, and our systems are subject to certain technical limitations that may compromise our ability to meet our objectives. Some errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, or design defects inherently may be difficult to detect and may only be discovered after the code has been released for external or internal use. Although we will attempt to remedy any issues we observe in our boats effectively and rapidly, such efforts may not be timely, may hamper production or may not be to the satisfaction of our customers.

 

Additionally, if we deploy updates to the software (whether to address issues, deliver new features or make desired modifications) and our over-the-air update procedures fail to properly update the software or otherwise have unintended consequences to the software, the software within our customers’ boats will be subject to vulnerabilities or unintended consequences resulting from such failure of the over-the-air update until properly addressed.

 

If we are unable to prevent or effectively remedy errors, bugs, vulnerabilities or defects in our software and hardware, or fail to deploy updates to our software properly, we would suffer damage to our reputation, loss of customers, loss of revenue or liability for damages, any of which could adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

We have no experience servicing our boats. If we are unable to adequately service our boats, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

Because we have not begun commercial production of the FX1, we have no experience servicing or repairing our electric boats. Servicing electric vehicles is different than servicing vehicles with internal combustion engines and requires specialized skills, including high voltage training and servicing techniques. In addition, we plan to partner with certain third parties to perform some of the service on our vehicles, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to enter into acceptable arrangements with any such third-party providers. Further, although such servicing partners may have experience in servicing other electric vehicles, they will initially have no experience in servicing our boats. There can be no assurance that our service arrangements will adequately address the service requirements of our customers to their satisfaction, or that we and our servicing partners will have sufficient resources, experience or inventory to meet these service requirements in a timely manner as the volume of boats we deliver increases. This risk is enhanced by our limited operating history and our limited data regarding our boats’ real-world reliability and service requirements. In addition, if we are unable to roll out and establish a widespread service network that provides satisfactory customer service, our customer loyalty, brand and reputation could be adversely affected, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our sales, results of operations, prospects and financial condition.

 

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Our customers will also depend on our customer support team to resolve technical and operational issues relating to the integrated software underlying our boats, a large portion of which we have developed in-house. As we grow, additional pressure may be placed on our customer support team or partners, and we may be unable to respond quickly enough to accommodate short-term increases in customer demand for technical support. We also may be unable to modify the future scope and delivery of our technical support to compete with changes in the technical support provided by our competitors. Increased customer demand for support, without corresponding revenue, could increase costs and negatively affect our results of operations. If we are unable to successfully address the service requirements of our customers, or if we establish a market perception that we do not maintain high-quality support, our brand and reputation could be adversely affected, and we may be subject to claims from our customers, which could result in loss of revenue or damages, and our business, results of operations, prospects and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

 

We may not be able to execute our manufacturing strategy successfully, which could cause the profitability of our products to suffer.

 

Our manufacturing strategy is designed to improve product quality and increase productivity, while reducing costs and increasing flexibility to respond to ongoing changes in the marketplace. To implement this strategy, we must be successful in our continuous improvement efforts, which depend on the involvement of management, production employees, and suppliers. Any inability to achieve these objectives could adversely impact the profitability of our products and our ability to deliver desirable products to our consumers.

 

We may need to raise additional capital that may be required to grow our business, and we may not be able to raise capital on terms acceptable to us or at all.

 

Operating our business and maintaining our growth efforts will require significant cash outlays and advance capital expenditures and commitments. Our current plans also involve constructing a 100,000 square foot state-of-the-art manufacturing facility dedicated to developing and manufacturing our FX series electric boats, the cost of which is uncertain. Although the proceeds of this offering should be sufficient to fund our operations, if cash on hand and cash generated from operations and from this offering are not sufficient to meet our cash requirements, we will need to seek additional capital, potentially through debt or equity financings, to fund our growth. We cannot assure you that we will be able to raise needed cash on terms acceptable to us or at all. Financings may be on terms that are dilutive or potentially dilutive to our stockholders, and the prices at which new investors would be willing to purchase our securities may be lower than the price per share of our common stock in this offering. The holders of new securities may also have rights, preferences or privileges which are senior to those of existing holders of common stock. If new sources of financing are required, but are insufficient or unavailable, we will be required to modify our growth and operating plans based on available funding, if any, which would harm our ability to grow our business.

 

If we fail to manage future growth effectively, we may not be able to market or sell our products successfully.

 

Any failure to manage our growth effectively could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. We plan to expand our operations in the near future. Our future operating results depend to a large extent on our ability to manage this expansion and growth successfully. Risks that we face in undertaking this expansion include:

 

  expanding our management team;

 

  hiring and training new personnel;

 

  forecasting production and revenue;

 

  expanding our marketing efforts;

 

  controlling expenses and investments in anticipation of expanded operations;

 

  establishing or expanding design, manufacturing, sales and service facilities;

 

  implementing and enhancing administrative infrastructure, systems and processes; and

 

  expanding into new markets and establishing sales, service and manufacturing operations in such markets.

 

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We intend to continue to hire a number of additional personnel, including design and manufacturing personnel and service technicians for our electric boats and powertrains. Competition for individuals with experience designing, manufacturing and servicing electric boats is intense, and we may not be able to attract, assimilate, train or retain additional highly qualified personnel in the future. The failure to attract, integrate, train, motivate and retain these additional employees could seriously harm our business and prospects.

 

We depend upon our executive officers and we may not be able to retain them and their knowledge of our business and technical expertise would be difficult to replace.

 

Our future success will depend in significant part upon the continued service of our executive officers. We cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to attract or retain such persons. We do not have an insurance policy on the life of our Chief Executive Officer, and we do not have “key person” life insurance policies for any of our other officers or advisors. The loss of the technical knowledge and management and industry expertise of any of our key personnel could result in delays in product development, loss of customers and sales and diversion of management resources, which could adversely affect our operating results.

 

We may attempt to grow our business through acquisitions or strategic alliances and new partnerships, which we may not be successful in completing or integrating.

 

We may in the future enter into acquisitions and strategic alliances that will enable us to acquire complementary skills and capabilities, offer new products, expand our consumer base, enter new product categories or geographic markets, and obtain other competitive advantages. We cannot assure you, however, that we will identify acquisition candidates or strategic partners that are suitable to our business, obtain financing on satisfactory terms, complete acquisitions or strategic alliances, or successfully integrate acquired operations into our existing operations. Once integrated, acquired operations may not achieve anticipated levels of sales or profitability, or otherwise perform as expected. Acquisitions also involve special risks, including risks associated with unanticipated challenges, liabilities and contingencies, and diversion of management attention and resources from our existing operations. Similarly, our partnership with leading franchises from other industries to market our products or with third-party technology providers to introduce new technology to the market may not achieve anticipated levels of consumer enthusiasm and acceptance, or achieve anticipated levels of sales or profitability, or otherwise perform as expected.

 

We rely on network and information systems and other technologies for our business activities and certain events, such as computer hackings, viruses or other destructive or disruptive software or activities may disrupt our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Network and information systems and other technologies are important to our business activities and operations. Network and information systems-related events, such as computer hackings, cyber threats, security breaches, viruses, or other destructive or disruptive software, process breakdowns or malicious or other activities could result in a disruption of our services and operations or improper disclosure of personal data or confidential information, which could damage our reputation and require us to expend resources to remedy any such breaches. Moreover, the amount and scope of insurance we maintain against losses resulting from any such events or security breaches may not be sufficient to cover our losses or otherwise adequately compensate us for any disruptions to our businesses that may result, and the occurrence of any such events or security breaches could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. The risk of these systems-related events and security breaches occurring has intensified, in part because we maintain certain information necessary to conduct our businesses in digital form stored on cloud servers. While we intend to develop and maintain systems seeking to prevent systems-related events and security breaches from occurring, the development and maintenance of these systems is costly and requires ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts to overcome security measures become more sophisticated. Despite these efforts, there can be no assurance that disruptions and security breaches will not occur in the future. Moreover, we may provide certain confidential, proprietary and personal information to third parties in connection with our businesses, and while we obtain assurances that these third parties will protect this information, there is a risk that this information may be compromised.

 

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Likewise, data privacy breaches by employees or others with permitted access to our systems may pose a risk that sensitive data may be exposed to unauthorized persons or to the public. While we have invested in protection of data and information technology, there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent breakdowns or breaches in our systems that could adversely affect our business. The occurrence of any of such network or information systems-related events or security breaches could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Uninsured losses could result in payment of substantial damages, which would decrease our cash reserves and could harm our cash flow and financial condition.

 

In the ordinary course of business, we may be subject to losses resulting from product liability, accidents, acts of God and other claims against us, for which we may have no insurance coverage. While we currently carry commercial general liability, commercial boat liability, excess liability, product liability, cybersecurity, crime, special crime, drone, cargo stock throughput, builder’s risk, owner controlled insurance program, property, owners protective, workers’ compensation, employment practices, employed lawyers, production, fiduciary liability and directors’ and officers’ insurance policies, we may not maintain as much insurance coverage as other original equipment manufacturers do, and in some cases, we may not maintain any at all. Additionally, the policies that we have may include significant deductibles, and we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover all or any future claims against us. A loss that is uninsured or exceeds policy limits may require us to pay substantial amounts, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Further, insurance coverage may not continue to be available to us or, if available, may be at a significantly higher cost, especially if insurance providers perceive any increase in our risk profile in the future.

 

Intellectual Property Risks

 

Our patent applications may not issue as patents, which may have a material adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from commercially exploiting products similar to ours.

 

We cannot be certain that we are the first inventor of the subject matter to which we have filed a particular patent application, or that we are the first party to file such a patent application. If another party has filed a patent application for the same subject matter as we have, we may not be entitled to the protection sought by the patent application. Further, the scope of protection of issued patent claims is often difficult to determine. As a result, we cannot be certain that the patent applications that we file will issue, or that our issued patents will afford protection against competitors with similar technology. In addition, our competitors may design around our issued patents, which may adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.

 

We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position. We rely on a combination of patent, trade secret (including those in our know-how), and other intellectual property laws, as well as employee and third-party nondisclosure agreements, intellectual property licenses, and other contractual rights to establish and protect our rights in our technology and intellectual property. Our patent or trademark applications may not be granted, any patents or trademark registrations that may be issued to us may not sufficiently protect our intellectual property and any of our issued patents, trademark registrations or other intellectual property rights may be challenged by third parties. Any of these scenarios may result in limitations in the scope of our intellectual property or restrictions on our use of our intellectual property or may adversely affect the conduct of our business. Despite our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights, third parties may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property or seek court declarations that they do not infringe upon our intellectual property rights. Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly, and the steps we have taken or will take to prevent misappropriation may not be successful. From time to time, we may have to resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources.

 

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Patent, trademark, and trade secret laws vary significantly throughout the world. A number of foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. Therefore, our intellectual property rights may not be as strong or as easily enforced outside of the United States. Failure to adequately protect our intellectual property rights could result in our competitors offering similar products, potentially resulting in the loss of some of our competitive advantage and a decrease in our revenue which would adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

If our patents expire or are not maintained, our patent applications are not granted or our patent rights are contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope, we may not be able to prevent others from selling, developing or exploiting competing technologies or products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

We cannot assure you that our pending applications will issue as patents. Even if our patent applications issue into patents, these patents may be contested, circumvented or invalidated in the future. In addition, the rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us with adequate protection or competitive advantages. The claims under any patents that issue from our patent applications may not be broad enough to prevent others from developing technologies that are similar or that achieve results similar to ours. The intellectual property rights of others could also bar us from licensing and exploiting any patents that issue from our pending applications. Numerous patents and pending patent applications owned by others exist in the fields in which we have developed and are developing our technology. Many of these existing patents and patent applications might have priority over our patent applications and could subject our patents to invalidation or our patent applications to rejection. Finally, in addition to patents and patent applications that were filed before our patents and patent applications, any of our existing or future patents may also be challenged by others on the basis that they are invalid or unenforceable.

 

We may in the future become, subject to claims that we or our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of our employees’ former employers.

 

Many of our employees were previously employed by other companies with similar or related technology, products or services. We are, and may in the future become, subject to claims that we or these employees have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of former employers. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending such claims, we may be forced to pay monetary damages or be enjoined from using certain technology, products, services or knowledge. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and demand on management resources.

 

Our use of open source software in our applications could subject our proprietary software to general release, adversely affect our ability to sell our services and subject us to possible litigation, claims or proceedings.

 

We plan to use open source software in connection with the development and deployment of our products and services. Companies that use open source software in connection with their products have, from time to time, faced claims challenging the use of open source software and/or compliance with open source license terms. As a result, we could be subject to suits by parties claiming ownership of what we believe to be open source software or claiming noncompliance with open source licensing terms. Some open source software licenses may require users who distribute proprietary software containing or linked to open source software to publicly disclose all or part of the source code to such proprietary software and/or make available any derivative works of the open source code under the same open source license, which could include proprietary source code. In such cases, the open source software license may also restrict us from charging fees to licensees for their use of our software. While we will monitor the use of open source software and try to ensure that open source software is not used in a manner that would subject our proprietary source code to these requirements and restrictions, such use could inadvertently occur, in part because open source license terms are often ambiguous and have generally not been interpreted by U.S. or foreign courts.

 

Further, in addition to risks related to license requirements, use of certain open source software carries greater technical and legal risks than does the use of third-party commercial software. For example, open source software is generally provided as-is without any support or warranties or other contractual protections regarding infringement or the quality of the code, including the existence of security vulnerabilities. To the extent that our platform depends upon the successful operation of open source software, any undetected errors or defects in open source software that we use could prevent the deployment or impair the functionality of our systems and injure our reputation. In addition, the public availability of such software may make it easier for attackers to target and compromise our platform through cyber-attacks. Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

 

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A significant portion of our intellectual property is not protected through patents or formal copyright registration. As a result, we do not have the full benefit of patent or copyright laws to prevent others from replicating our products, product candidates and brands.

 

We have not protected certain our intellectual property rights through patents or formal copyright registration, and we do not currently have any patent applications pending other than three design and two utility patent applications that we filed for, among other things, our propulsion system being developed and boat design. There can be no assurance that any patent will issue or if issued that the patent will protect our intellectual property. As a result, we may not be able to protect our intellectual property and trade secrets or prevent others from independently developing substantially equivalent proprietary information and techniques or from otherwise gaining access to our intellectual property or trade secrets. In such an instance, our competitors could produce products that are nearly identical to ours resulting in us selling less products or generating less revenue from our sales.

 

Confidentiality agreements with employees and others may not adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information.

 

We rely on trade secrets, know-how and technology, which are not protected by patents, to protect the intellectual property behind our electric powertrain and for the construction of our boats. We have recently begun to use confidentiality agreements with our collaborators, employees, consultants, outside collaborators and other advisors to protect our proprietary technology and processes. We intend to use such agreements in the future, but these agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. In addition, others may independently discover trade secrets and proprietary information, and in such cases we could not assert any trade secret rights against such party. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights, and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely affect our competitive business position.

 

We may need to defend ourselves against patent, copyright or trademark infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and would cause us to incur substantial costs.

 

The status of the protection of our intellectual property is unsettled as we do not have any issued patents, registered trademarks or registered copyrights for most of our intellectual property and other than three design and two utility patent applications, we have not applied for the same. Companies, organizations or individuals, including our competitors, may hold or obtain patents, trademarks or other proprietary rights that would prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use, develop, sell or market our powerboats and electric powertrains or use third-party components, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. From time to time, we may receive communications from third parties that allege our products or components thereof are covered by their patents or trademarks or other intellectual property rights. Companies holding patents or other intellectual property rights may bring suits alleging infringement of such rights or otherwise assert their rights. If we are determined to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property rights, we may be required to do one or more of the following:

 

  cease making, using, selling or offering to sell processes, goods or services that incorporate or use the third-party intellectual property;

 

  pay substantial damages;

 

  seek a license from the holder of the infringed intellectual property right, which license may not be available on reasonable terms or at all;

 

  redesign our boats or other goods or services to avoid infringing the third-party intellectual property;

 

  establish and maintain alternative branding for our products and services; or

 

  find-third providers of any part or service that is the subject of the intellectual property claim.

 

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In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us and our failure or inability to obtain a license to the infringed technology or other intellectual property right, our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. In addition, any litigation or claims, whether or not valid, could result in substantial costs, negative publicity and diversion of resources and management attention.

 

Risks Related to Our Industry

 

Demand in the powerboat industry is highly volatile.

 

Volatility of demand in the powerboat industry, especially for recreational powerboats and electric powerboats, may materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition. The markets in which we will be competing have been subject to considerable volatility in demand in recent periods. Demand for recreational powerboats depends to a large extent on general, economic and social conditions in a given market. Historically, sales of recreational powerboats decrease during economic downturns. We have fewer financial resources than more established powerboat manufacturers to withstand adverse changes in the market and disruptions in demand.

 

General economic conditions, particularly in the U.S., affect our industry, demand for our products and our business, and results of operations.

 

Demand for premium boat brands has been significantly influenced by weak economic conditions, low consumer confidence, high unemployment, and increased market volatility worldwide, especially in the U.S. In times of economic uncertainty and contraction, consumers tend to have less discretionary income and tend to defer or avoid expenditures for discretionary items, such as our products. Sales of our products are highly sensitive to personal discretionary spending levels. Our business is cyclical in nature and its success is impacted by economic conditions, the overall level of consumer confidence and discretionary income levels. Any substantial deterioration in general economic conditions that diminishes consumer confidence or discretionary income may reduce our sales and materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot predict the duration or strength of an economic recovery, either in the U.S. or in the specific markets where we sell our products. Corporate restructurings, layoffs, declines in the value of investments and residential real estate, higher gas prices, higher interest rates, and increases in federal and state taxation may each materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

Consumers often finance purchases of our products. Although consumer credit markets have improved, consumer credit market conditions continue to influence demand, especially for boats, and may continue to do so. There continue to be fewer lenders, tighter underwriting and loan approval criteria, and greater down payment requirements than in the past. If credit conditions worsen, and adversely affect the ability of consumers to finance potential purchases at acceptable terms and interest rates, it could result in a decrease in the sales of our products.

 

Global economic conditions could materially adversely impact demand for our products and services.

 

Our operations and performance depend significantly on economic conditions. Global financial conditions continue to be subject to volatility arising from international geopolitical developments and global economic phenomenon, as well as general financial market turbulence, including a significant recent market reaction to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), resulting in a significant reduction in many major market indices. Uncertainty about global economic conditions could result in material adverse effects on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Access to public financing and credit can be negatively affected by the effect of these events on U.S. and global credit markets. The health of the global financing and credit markets may affect our ability to obtain equity or debt financing in the future and the terms at which financing or credit is available to us. These instances of volatility and market turmoil could adversely affect our operations and the trading price of our common shares resulting in.

 

  customers postponing purchases of our products and services in response to tighter credit, unemployment, negative financial news and/or declines in income or asset values and other macroeconomic factors, which could have a material negative effect on demand for our products and services; and

 

  third-party suppliers being unable to produce parts and components for our products in the same quantity or on the same timeline or being unable to deliver such parts and components as quickly as before or subject to price fluctuations, which could have a material adverse effect on our production or the cost of such production.

 

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Our sales may be adversely impacted by increased consumer preference for other leisure activities or used boats or the supply of new boats by competitors in excess of demand.

 

Our boats are not necessities and in times of economic hardship, consumers may cease purchasing non-essential items. Demand for our boats may be adversely affected by competition from other activities that occupy consumers’ leisure time and by changes in consumer life style, usage pattern or taste. Similarly, an overall decrease in consumer leisure time may reduce consumers’ willingness to purchase and enjoy our boats.

 

During the economic downturn that commenced in 2008, for example, there was a shift in consumer demand toward purchasing more used boats, primarily because prices for used boats are typically lower than retail prices for new boats. If this were to occur again, it could have the effect of reducing demand among retail purchasers for our new boats. Also, while we have balanced production volumes for our boats to meet demand, our competitors could choose to reduce the price of their products, which could have the effect of reducing demand for our new boats. Reduced demand for new boats could lead to reduced sales by us, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

 

Risks Relating to this Offering and Ownership of our Common Stock

 

Terms of subsequent financings may adversely impact your investment.

 

We may have to engage in common equity, debt, or preferred stock financing in the future. Your rights and the value of your investment in our securities could be reduced. Interest on debt securities could increase costs and negatively impacts operating results. Preferred stock could be issued in series from time to time with such designation, rights, preferences, and limitations as needed to raise capital. The terms of preferred stock could be more advantageous to those investors than to the holders of common shares. In addition, if we need to raise more equity capital from the sale of common shares, institutional or other investors may negotiate terms at least as, and possibly more, favorable than the terms of your investment. Common shares which we sell could be sold into any market which develops, which could adversely affect the market price.

 

If securities analysts do not publish research or reports about our company, or if they issue unfavorable commentary about us or our industry or downgrade our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline.

 

The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that third-party securities analysts publish about our company and our industry. We may be unable or slow to attract research coverage and if one or more analysts cease coverage of our company, we could lose visibility in the market. In addition, one or more of these analysts could downgrade our common stock or issue other negative commentary about our company or our industry. As a result of one or more of these factors, the trading price of our common stock could decline.

 

The obligations associated with being a public company will require significant resources and management attention, which may divert from our business operations.

 

As a result of this offering, we will become subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly, and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we establish and maintain effective internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. As a result, we will incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses that we did not previously incur.

 

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We do not yet have adequate internal controls, and we cannot provide assurances that these weaknesses will be effectively remediated or that additional material weaknesses will not occur in the future.

 

As a public company, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will continue to increase our legal, accounting and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time consuming and costly, and place significant strain on our personnel, systems and resources.

 

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures, and internal control over financial reporting.

 

We do not yet have effective disclosure controls and procedures, or internal controls over all aspects of our financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we will file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and in accordance with GAAP. Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. We will be required to expend time and resources to further improve our internal controls over financial reporting, including by expanding our staff. However, we cannot assure you that our internal control over financial reporting, as modified, will enable us to identify or avoid material weaknesses in the future.

 

We will be required to expend time and resources to further improve our internal controls over financial reporting, including by expanding our staff. However, we cannot assure you that our internal control over financial reporting, as modified, will enable us to identify or avoid material weaknesses in the future.

 

We have not yet retained sufficient staff or engaged sufficient outside consultants with appropriate experience in GAAP presentation, especially of complex instruments, to devise and implement effective disclosure controls and procedures, or internal controls. We will be required to expend time and resources hiring and engaging additional staff and outside consultants with the appropriate experience to remedy these weaknesses. We cannot assure you that management will be successful in locating and retaining appropriate candidates; that newly engaged staff or outside consultants will be successful in remedying material weaknesses thus far identified or identifying material weaknesses in the future; or that appropriate candidates will be located and retained prior to these deficiencies resulting in material and adverse effects on our business.

 

Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because of changes in conditions in our business, including increased complexity resulting from our international expansion. Further, weaknesses in our disclosure controls or our internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls, or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could also adversely affect the results of management reports and independent registered public accounting firm audits of our internal control over financial reporting that we will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures, and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the market price of our common stock.

 

Our independent registered public accounting firm is not required to audit the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting until after we are no longer an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act. At such time, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue a report that is adverse in the event it is not satisfied with the level at which our internal control over financial reporting is documented, designed or operating. Any failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting could have a material and adverse effect on our business and operating results and cause a decline in the market price of our common stock.

 

Our failure to achieve and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act as a public company could have a material adverse effect on our business and share price.

 

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Prior to the completion of this offering, we have not had to independently comply with Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires annual management assessments of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, starting with the second annual report that we would expect to file with the SEC. We anticipate being required to meet these standards in the course of preparing our financial statements as of and for the year ending December 31, 2022, and our management will be required to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting for such year. Additionally, once we are no longer an emerging growth company, as defined by the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm will be required pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting on an annual basis. The rules governing the standards that must be met for our management to assess our internal control over financial reporting are complex and require significant documentation, testing, and possible remediation.

 

Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. We are in the process of reviewing, documenting, and testing our internal control over financial reporting, but we are not currently in compliance with, and we cannot be certain when we will be able to implement, the requirements of Section 404(a). We may encounter problems or delays in implementing any changes necessary to make a favorable assessment of our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, we may encounter problems or delays in completing the implementation of any public accounting firm after we cease to be an emerging growth company. If we cannot favorably assess the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to provide an unqualified attestation report on our internal controls after we cease to be an emerging growth company, investors could lose confidence in our financial information and the price of our common stock could decline.

 

Additionally, the existence of any material weakness or significant deficiency requires management to devote significant time and incur significant expense to remediate any such material weaknesses or significant deficiencies and management may not be able to remediate any such material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in a timely manner. The existence of any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting could also result in errors in our financial statements that could require us to restate our financial statements, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations, and cause stockholders to lose confidence in our reported financial information, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business and share price.

 

For as long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with certain reporting requirements, including those relating to accounting standards and disclosure about our executive compensation, that apply to other public companies.

 

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” including, but not limited to, (i) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (ii) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and (iii) exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and of stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We have elected to adopt these reduced disclosure requirements. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive as a result of our taking advantage of these exemptions and as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

 

We could remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years or until the earliest of (a) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1 billion, (b) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed fiscal quarter, and (c) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the preceding three-year period.

 

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We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in the Exchange Act, and have elected to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies. To the extent that we continue to qualify as a “smaller reporting company” as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, after we cease to qualify as an emerging growth company, certain of the exemptions available to us as an “emerging growth company” may continue to be available to us as a “smaller reporting company,” including exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirements pursuant to SOX and reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements. We will continue to be a “smaller reporting company” until we have $250 million or more in public float (based on our common stock) measured as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or, in the event we have no public float (based on our common stock) or a public float (based on our common stock) that is less than $700 million, annual revenues of $100 million or more during the most recently completed fiscal year.

 

Our common stock price may be volatile or may decline regardless of our operating performance and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the initial public offering price.

 

It is possible that after this offering an active trading market will not develop or continue or, if developed, that any market will be sustained, which could make it difficult for you to sell your shares of our common stock at an attractive price or at all. The initial public offering price of our common stock will be determined by negotiations between us and the representative of the underwriters based upon a number of factors and may not be indicative of prices that will prevail in the open market following the consummation of this offering. Consequently, you may not be able to sell our shares of common stock at prices equal to or greater than the price you paid in this offering.

 

Volatility in the market price of our common stock may prevent you from being able to sell your shares at or above the price you paid for them. Many factors, which are outside our control, may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly, including those described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section and this prospectus, as well as the following:

 

  Our operating and financial performance and prospects;    
     
  Our quarterly or annual earnings or those of other companies in our industry compared to market expectations;    
     
  Conditions that impact demand for our products;    
     
  Future announcements concerning our business or our competitors’ businesses;    
     
  The public’s reaction to our press releases, other public announcements, and filings with the SEC;    
     
  The size of our public float;    
     
  Coverage by or changes in financial estimates by securities analysts or failure to meet their expectations;    
     
  Market and industry perception of our success, or lack thereof, in pursuing our growth strategy;    
     
  Strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings;    
     
  Changes in laws or regulations that adversely affect our industry or us;    
     
  Changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations, or principles;    
     
  Changes in senior management or key personnel;    
     
  Issuances, exchanges or sales, or expected issuances, exchanges or sales of our capital stock;    
     
  Changes in our dividend policy;    
     
  Adverse resolution of new or pending litigation against us; and    
     
  Changes in general market, economic, and political conditions in the U.S. and global economies or financial markets, including those resulting from natural disasters, terrorist attacks, acts of war, and responses to such events.

 

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As a result, volatility in the market price of our common stock may prevent investors from being able to sell their common stock at or above the initial public offering price or at all. These broad market and industry factors may materially reduce the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of our common stock is low. As a result, you may suffer a loss on your investment.

 

Additionally, recently, securities of certain companies have experienced significant and extreme volatility in stock price due to short sellers of shares of common stock, known as a “short squeeze.” These short squeezes have caused extreme volatility in those companies and in the market and have led to the price per share of those companies to trade at significantly inflated rates that is disconnected from the underlying value of the company. Many investors who have purchased shares in those companies at an inflated rate face the risk of losing a significant portion of their original investment as the price per share has declined steadily as interest in those stocks have abated. While we have no reason to believe our shares would be the target of a short squeeze, there can be no assurance that we won’t be in the future, and you may lose a significant portion or all of your investment if you purchase our shares at a rate that is significantly disconnected from our underlying value.

 

You will suffer immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the common stock you purchase.

 

The price you pay for shares of our common stock sold in this offering is substantially higher than our as adjusted net tangible book value per share. Based on the initial public offering price for our common stock of $ per share (which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), you will incur immediate dilution in net tangible book value per share of $ . Dilution is the difference between the offering price per share and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after the offering. As a result of this dilution, investors purchasing stock in this offering may receive significantly less than the full purchase price that they paid for the stock purchased in this offering in the event of liquidation. See “Dilution.”

 

We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future.

 

We presently have no intention to pay dividends on our common stock at any time in the foreseeable future. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, contractual restrictions, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. Furthermore, our ability to declare and pay dividends may be limited by instruments governing future outstanding indebtedness we may incur.

 

FINRA sales practice requirements may limit your ability to buy and sell our common shares, which could depress the price of our shares.

 

FINRA rules require broker-dealers to have reasonable grounds for believing that an investment is suitable for a customer before recommending that investment to the customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer’s financial status, tax status and investment objectives, among other things. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability such speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, FINRA requirements may make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our common shares, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our shares, have an adverse effect on the market for our shares and, thereby, depress their market prices.

 

Volatility in our common shares price may subject us to securities litigation.

 

The market for our common shares may have, when compared to seasoned issuers, significant price volatility, and we expect that our share price may continue to be more volatile than that of a seasoned issuer for the indefinite future. In the past, plaintiffs have often initiated securities class action litigation against a company following periods of volatility in the market price of its securities. We may, in the future, be the target of similar litigation. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and liabilities and could divert management’s attention and resources.

 

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We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.

 

Our management has broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from that offering, and you do not have the opportunity to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. Because of the number and variability of factors that will determine our use of the net proceeds from this offering, their ultimate use may vary substantially from their currently intended use. The failure by our management to apply those funds effectively could harm our business.

 

Provisions in our corporate charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of our company, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.

 

Provisions in our corporate charter and our bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of our company that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for your shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors. Among other things, these provisions:

 

  our board of directors is divided into three classes, one class of which is elected each year by our stockholders with the directors in each class to serve for a three-year term;
  the authorized number of directors can be changed only by resolution of our board of directors;
  directors may be removed only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty percent (60%) of our voting stock, whether for cause or without cause;
  our bylaws may be amended or repealed by our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of our stockholders;
  stockholders may not call special meetings of the stockholders or fill vacancies on the board of directors;
  our board of directors will be authorized to issue, without stockholder approval, preferred stock, the rights of which will be determined at the discretion of the board of directors and that, if issued, could operate as a “poison pill” to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer to prevent an acquisition that our board of directors does not approve;
  our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights, and therefore our stockholders holding a majority of the shares of common stock outstanding will be able to elect all of our directors; and
  our stockholders must comply with advance notice provisions to bring business before or nominate directors for election at a stockholder meeting.

 

Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner.

 

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Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for certain types of state actions that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or employees

 

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless we consent to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, or other employees to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws (as either may be amended from time to time), or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. The exclusive forum provision does not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. To the extent that any such claims may be based upon federal law claims, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

These exclusive-forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, employees, control persons, underwriters, or agents, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, employees, control persons, underwriters, or agents. Additionally, a court could determine that the exclusive forum provision is unenforceable, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. If a court were to find these provisions of our bylaws inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

 

We presently intend to retain our earnings, if any, to finance the development and growth of our business and operations and do not anticipate declaring or paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

 

Any future determination as to the declaration and payment of dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on then-existing conditions, including our operating results, financial condition, contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects, and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to This Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock — We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future” and “Description of Certain Indebtedness.”

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We estimate that the net proceeds from our issuance and sale of shares of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $ million, assuming an initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full to cover overallotments, if any, we estimate that our net proceeds will be approximately $     million.

 

A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share would increase (decrease) the aggregate net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $ million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, each increase (decrease) of shares in the number of shares offered by us would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering by approximately $ million, assuming that the assumed initial public offering price remains the same, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

The principal purposes of this offering are to obtain additional capital to support our operations, establish a public market for our common stock and facilitate our future access to the public capital markets. We currently anticipate that we will use the net proceeds from this offering, together with our existing resources, as follows:

 

  approximately $          for the design, development, testing, production and marketing of our electric boats;
     
  approximately $          for the design, development, testing, production and marketing of our electric outboard motors;
     
  approximately $          for the design, development, testing, manufacturing of our integrated control system;
     
  approximately $         for the acquisition of property and the development of a manufacturing plant to build, design and manufacture our new line of electric boats.
     
  approximately $         for the development of a vertically integrated direct-to-consumer distribution platform.
     
  the balance for working capital.

  

We believe opportunities may exist from time to time to expand our current business through acquisitions of, or investments in, complementary businesses, products or technologies. While we currently have no agreements or commitments to complete any such transaction at this time, we may use a portion of the net proceeds for these purposes.

 

The expected use of net proceeds from this offering represents our intentions based upon our current plans and business conditions, which could change in the future as our plans and business conditions evolve. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures may vary significantly depending on numerous factors, including the progress of our development and any unforeseen cash needs. As a result, our management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of the net proceeds. We cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the closing of this offering.

 

Based on our current operational plans and assumptions, we expect that the net proceeds from this offering together with our existing cash and grant funding balances will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least 12 months from the closing of this offering. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, and we could use our available capital resources sooner that we currently expect. Pending use of the proceeds as described above, we intend to invest the proceeds in a variety of capital preservation investments, including interest-bearing, investment-grade instruments and U.S. government securities.

 

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DIVIDEND POLICY

 

We presently intend to retain our earnings, if any, to finance the development and growth of our business and operations and do not anticipate declaring or paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

 

Any future determination as to the declaration and payment of dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on then-existing conditions, including our operating results, financial condition, contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects, and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to This Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock — We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future” and “Description of Certain Indebtedness.”

 

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CAPITALIZATION

 

The following table sets forth our cash and capitalization as of November 30, 2021, as follows:

 

on an actual basis; and
     
on an as adjusted basis to give further effect to our issuance and sale of shares of our common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable.

 

    November 30, 2021
    Actual   As Adjusted(1)
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 1,983,361        
Total Liabilities   $ 617,036          
Stockholder’s equity:     6,500          
Common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 25,000,000 shares authorized; 6,500,000 shares issued and outstanding, actual; 25,000,000 shares authorized, shares issued and outstanding, as adjusted;                
Additional paid-in capital     1.993,500          
Accumulated deficit     (303,270 )        
Total stockholder’s equity     1,696,730          
Total liabilities and stockholder’s equity   $ 2,313,766          

 

  (1) The as adjusted balance sheet data in the table above reflects the sale and issuance by us of shares of our common stock in this offering, based upon the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) our as adjusted cash, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity (deficit) and total capitalization by approximately $ million, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Each increase (decrease) of shares in the number of shares of common stock offered by us would increase (decrease) our as adjusted cash, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity (deficit) and total capitalization by approximately $ , assuming the assumed initial public offering price of  $ per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. The as adjusted information discussed above is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing.

 

The number of shares of common stock that will be outstanding after this offering is based on shares of common stock outstanding as of November 30, 2021, and excludes the following:

 

1,000,000 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2022 Stock Incentive Plan, of which we will grant options to purchase an aggregate of shares of our common stock upon consummation of this offering.

 

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DILUTION

 

If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the initial public offering price per share of our common stock and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after this offering.

 

Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) as of November 30, 2021 was $1,696,730, or ($0.26) per share of our common stock. Our historical net tangible book value (deficit) is the amount of our total tangible assets less our total liabilities. Historical net tangible book value per share represents historical net tangible book value (deficit) divided by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of November 30, 2021.

 

After giving further effect to our issuance and sale of shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $             per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of November 30, 2021 would have been approximately $        , or approximately $ per share. This represents an immediate increase in as adjusted net tangible book value per share of  $           to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in as adjusted net tangible book value per share of approximately $         to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering. Dilution per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering is determined by subtracting as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the assumed initial public offering price per share paid by new investors.

 

The following table illustrates this dilution on a per share basis:

 

Assumed initial public offering price per share         $  
Historical net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of November 30, 2021   $ 0.45          
Increase in as adjusted net tangible book value per share as of November 30, 2021                
As adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering                
Dilution per share to new investors purchasing shares in this offering           $  

 

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed initial public offering price of  $       per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase (decrease) the as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $ ($         ) per share and the dilution to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering by $ ($         ) per share, assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. An increase of shares in the number of shares offered by us would increase the as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by$ and decrease the dilution per share to new investors participating in this offering by $ , assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. A decrease of shares in the number of shares offered by us would decrease the as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering by $          and increase the dilution per share to new investors participating in this offering by $ , assuming no change in the assumed initial public offering price and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

If the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares of common stock in this offering in full at the assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus, and assuming the number of shares offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, the as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering would be $ per share, and the dilution in as adjusted net tangible book value per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering would be $ per share.

 

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The number of shares of common stock that will be outstanding after this offering is based on shares of common stock outstanding as of November 30, 2021, and excludes the following:

 

  1,000,000 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2022 Stock Incentive Plan, of which we will grant options to purchase an aggregate of shares of our common stock upon consummation of this offering.

 

To the extent that any outstanding options are exercised or new options are issued under the equity benefit plans, or we issue additional shares of common stock or convertible securities in the future, there will be further dilution to investors participating in this offering.

 

The following table summarizes, on an as adjusted basis as of November 30, 2021, after giving effect to the aggregate of shares of our common stock upon the closing of this offering, the total consideration paid or to be paid and the average price per share paid or to be paid by existing stockholders and by new investors in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, before deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. As the table shows, new investors purchasing common stock in this offering will pay an average price per share substantially higher than our existing stockholders paid.

 

    Shares Purchased   Total Consideration   Weighted
Average Price
Per Share
    Number   Percent   Amount   Percent    
Existing stockholders before this offering           %   $       %   $ 4  
Investors participating in this offering           %   $       %   $  
Total           100 %   $       100 %   $ 5  

 

The table above assumes no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares in this offering. If the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares is exercised in full, the number of shares of our common stock held by existing stockholders would be reduced to % of the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding after this offering, and the number of shares of common stock held by new investors participating in the offering would be increased to % of the total number of shares outstanding after this offering.

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our financial statements and the related notes to those statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion and analysis and other parts of this prospectus contain forward-looking statements based upon current beliefs, plans and expectations related to future events and our future financial performance that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, such as statements regarding our intentions, plans, objectives, expectations, forecasts and projections. Our actual results and the timing of selected events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including those set forth under the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. You should carefully read the “Risk Factors” to gain an understanding of the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. Please also see the section titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

 

Overview of Operations

 

Forza X1 Business

 

Forza X1, Inc. is a company aiming to be among the first of its kind to develop and manufacture fully electric, affordable boats for mass appeal. Our mission is to inspire the adoption of sustainable recreational boating by mass producing stylish electric sport boats. We are focused on the creation and implementation of marine EV technology to control and power its electric boats utilizing a proprietary outboard electric motor. We believe we are one of the first companies to design a fully integrated electric boat including the hull, outboard motor and control system for mass production.

 

We believe that the boating industry will follow in the footsteps of the electrification of the automotive industry by creating electric boats that meet or exceed the traditional boating consumers expectations of price, value and run times. In other words, electric boats must offer a similar experience when compared to traditional gas powered boat in terms of size, capability and price point.

 

Our initial models have been designed from the ground up by our engineers and designers. Our initial two models, the FX1 Dual Console and FX1 Center Console, are being designed to be 24-foot in length, have an 8’ beam or width and utilize a catamaran hull surface to reduce drag and increase run times. The initial launch of FX1 will include our proprietary designed single electric outboard motor. Both FX1 models will have high-powered, liquid-cooled battery packs and a vehicle control unit with our proprietary control software all integrated into a 22” master control touch screen that will be used to control most functions of the boat. We have also filed three design and two utility patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office relating to, among other things, our propulsion system being developed and boat design.

 

We plan to operate in a fundamentally different manner and structure than traditional marine manufacturers and boat dealers by adopting a direct-to-consumer sales model. We are building a dedicated web and app-based platform for sales, deliveries, and service operations to change the personal boat buying and marine service experience through technological innovation, ease of use, and flexibility. We intend to employ an integrated, digital-first strategy that is convenient and transparent for our customers and efficient and scalable to support our growth. We believe our approach will enable us to operate more cost -effectively, provide a better customer experience and incorporate customer feedback more quickly into our product development and manufacturing processes. We believe this strategy will allow us to deliver uncompromised and premium experiences well beyond what is available through the standard dealership model.

 

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Results of Operations and Known Trends or Future Events

 

The following table provides certain selected financial information for the eleven months ended November 30, 2021:

 

    November 30,
    2021
Net sales   $  
Cost of products sold   $  
Gross profit   $  
Operating expenses   $ 230,185  
Loss from operations   $ (230,185 )
Other expense   $ 73,085  
Net loss   $ (303,270 )
Basic and dilutive income per share of common stock     (0.05 )
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding     6,500,000  

 

Prior to our inception, Twin Vee dedicated resources to designing and building prototype electric boats. These resources and expenditures were segregated in Twin Vee’s financial statement and have been allocated to Forza X1 and are included in our financial statements as of and for the eleven-months ended November 30, 2021.

 

To date all of our operational activity has been related to the design and build of prototype, as such we do not have sale or cost of goods sold. The design of our new electric boat shell has been completed and we are now preparing to begin our production process by securing molds for the FX1 line. The design on the control system will continue as we move forward. To date we have not generated any revenues. Other than designing and building the prototype our only other activities since inception have been organizational and activities and those necessary to prepare for this offering. Following this offering, we will not generate any operating revenues until we complete the design and build of our EV boats and commercialize them. We will generate non-operating income in the form of interest income on cash and cash equivalents after this offering. After this offering, we expect to incur increased expenses as a result of being a public company (for legal, financial reporting, accounting and auditing compliance). In addition, we expect our expenses to increase substantially after the closing of this offering for expenses associated with building a new manufacturing facility if we are successful in locating a suitable site for building such facility.

 

Operating Expenses

 

Operating expenses for the period ended November 30, 2021 were $230,185. Operating expenses include salaries, selling and general and administrative, research and development, professional fees and depreciation. Research and development fees were $152,874, making up 66% of our operating expenses. Salaries and wages of $21,405, relate to the design or our fully electric motor, accounting for another 9.3% of our total operating expenses. Our expenses for depreciation, professional fees and salaries and wages for the eleven months ended November 30, 2021, were $48,344.

 

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Other expense

 

In May of 2021, we incurred losses on the disposal of assets which was offset by a gain from insurance recovery, which netted to ($60,252). Interest expense of $12,833 for the eleven months ended November 30, 2021, was the remainder of our other expenses.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

The following table provide selected financial data about us for the eleven-months ended November 30, 2021:

 

    November 30,
    2021
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 1,983,361  
Current assets   $ 2,066,212  
Current liabilities   $ 617,036  
Working capital   $ 1,449,176  

 

As of November 30, 2021, we had cash and cash equivalents, and working capital of $1,983,361 and $1,449,176, respectively. To date, our sole source of funding has been from Twin Vee. Twin Vee has financed our working capital needs, primarily prototyping, consulting services, rent, interest and payroll through a $2,000,000 equity investment. In addition, Twin vee has provided management services to us for a monthly fee of $5,000 per year and allowed us to use space at its facility for a monthly cost of $850. We expect to continue to use the management services of Twin Vee until such time as we are able to secure additional financing and build our own management team and we expect to continue to rent space from Twin vee until we have built our own manufacturing facility. We have incurred and expect to continue to incur significant costs in pursuit of our financing and construction of our new manufacturing facility. Our management plans to use the proceeds from this offering to finance these expenses. We believe that our current capital resources, together with net proceeds of this offering, will be sufficient to fund our operations and growth initiative for at least 18 months following consummation of this offering. We believe that our current capital resources are sufficient to fund our operations through the consummation of this offering. Following the offering, if we do not generate cash flows sufficient to fund operations as planned, we may need to raise additional capital through the sale of equity or debt securities or through asset-related sales transactions. We cannot be certain that any such transaction will be available to us on commercially reasonable terms or at all as and when required.

 

The Company expects to continue to incur net losses and have significant cash outflows for at least the next 12 months.

 

Without raising capital, there is a substantial concern about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern through December 31, 2022. The accompanying financial statement have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. A successful transition to attaining profitable operations is dependent upon achieving a level of positive cash flows adequate to support the Company’s cost structure.

 

The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be required should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

 

Cash Flow

 

The following table provides selected financial data about us for the eleven-months ended November 30, 2021.

 

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Cash Flow from Operating Activities

 

During the eleven months ended November 30, 2021, we generated negative cash flows from operating activities of $155,724. During this period, we had a net loss of $303,270, and our cash used in operating activities was increased by prepaid expense of $82,851 and decreased by non-cash expenses of $191,722 primarily related to the loss on disposal of assets and reduced by a net change in working capital of $38,675.

 

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

 

During the eleven months end November 30, 2021, we used $341,776 in investing activities for the purchase of property and equipment.

 

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

 

To date, we have financed our operations primarily from capital provided from Twin Vee in the form of an equity investment and advances. During the eleven months ended November 30, 2021, net cash provided by financing activities was $2,480,861, with $2,973,073 provided from Twin Vee as an advance and a capital contribution, which was offset by repayment of advance of $394,712 and deferred IPO costs of $97,500. The advances bear interest at the rate of 6% per annum and during the eleven months ended November 30, 2021, we accrued $12,837 in interest expense.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgement and Estimates

 

This discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on four financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, that results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimated under different assumption or conditions. While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in the notes to our financial statements included elsewhere in the prospectus, we believe that the following accounting policies are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving managements judgements and estimates.

 

Controls and Procedures

 

We are not currently required to maintain an effective system of internal controls as defined by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We will be required to comply with the internal control over financial reporting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2022. Only in the event that we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer or an accelerated filer, and no long qualify as an emerging growth company, would we be required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement. Further, for as long as we remain an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirement.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) required management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Included in those estimates are assumptions about useful life of fixed assets.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents include all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase. On November 30, 2021, the Company had cash equivalents of $1,750,004.

 

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Property and Equipment

 

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is provided using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. The estimated useful lives of property and equipment range from three to seven years. Upon sale or retirement, the cost and related accumulated depreciation and amortization are eliminated from their respective accounts, and the resulting gain or loss is included in results of operations. Repairs and maintenance charges, which do not increase the useful lives of the assets, are charged to operations as incurred.

 

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

 

Management assesses the recoverability of its long-lived assets when indicators of impairment are present. If such indicators are present, recoverability of these assets is determined by comparing the undiscounted net cash flows estimated to result from those assets over the remaining life to the assets’ net carrying amounts. If the estimated undiscounted net cash flows are less than the net carrying amount, the assets would be adjusted to their fair value, based on appraisal or the present value of the undiscounted net cash flows.

 

Research and Development

 

Research and development costs are expensed when incurred. Such costs approximated $152,874 for the eleven-months ended November 30, 2021.

 

Advertising Costs

 

Advertising and marketing costs are expensed as incurred. Year to date, ending November 30, 2021, advertising and marketing costs incurred by the Company totaled $1,575, and are included in selling and general and administrative expenses in the accompanying statements of operations.

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company is a C Corporation under the Internal Revenue Code and a similar section of the state code.

 

All income tax amounts reflect the use of the liability method under accounting for income taxes. Income taxes are provided for the tax effects of transactions reported in the financial statements and consist of taxes currently due plus deferred taxes arising primarily from differences between financial and tax reporting purposes.

 

Deferred income taxes, net of appropriate valuation allowances, are determined using the tax rates expected to be in effect when the taxes are actually paid. Valuation allowances are recorded against deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized. When an uncertain tax position meets the more likely than not recognition threshold, the position is measured to determine the amount of benefit or expense to recognize in the financial statements.

 

In accordance with U.S GAAP, the Company follows the guidance in FASB ASC Topic 740, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes. At November 30, 2021, the Company does not believe it has any uncertain tax positions that would require either recognition or disclosure in the accompanying financial statements.

 

The Company’s income tax returns are subject to review and examination by federal, state and local governmental authorities.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

All newly issued accounting pronouncements not yet effective have been deemed either immaterial or not applicable.

 

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Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Under standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, a deficiency in internal control over financial reporting exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or personnel, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. The PCAOB defines a material weakness as a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis.

 

In accordance with the provision of the JOBS Act, we and our independent registered public accounting firm were not required to, and did not, perform an evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting as of November 30, 2021, nor any period subsequent in accordance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. However, while preparing the financial statements, we identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

 

The material weaknesses identified pertain to controls that address segregation of duties across financially relevant functions and applications used in financial reporting. We have concluded that these material weaknesses existed because, as a small company, we did not have the necessary business processes, systems, personnel, and related internal controls necessary to satisfy the accounting and financial reporting requirements of a public company. The deficiencies identified did not result in a misstatement to our financial statements.

 

We are in the process of implementing measures designed to improve our internal control over financial reporting to remediate these material weaknesses. The Company’s plan to remediate the material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting includes utilizing a portion of the working capital from its initial public offering to increase staffing with its finance department sufficient to facilitate proper segregation of accounting functions and to enable appropriate review of its internally prepared financial statements.

 

Prior to the closing of this offering, we have not completed an assessment, nor has our independent registered public accounting firm tested our systems, of internal controls over financial reporting.

 

JOBS Act

 

The JOBS Act permits an emerging growth company such as us to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised financial accounting standards.

 

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of  (i) the last day of our first fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of  $1.07 billion or more; (ii) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the rules of the SEC with at least $700.0 million of outstanding equity securities held by non-affiliates; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the previous three years; or (iv) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of this offering.

 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

As a smaller reporting company, we are not required to provide disclosure regarding quantitative and qualitative market risk.

 

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BUSINESS

 

Overview

 

About Forza X1

 

Forza X1, Inc. aims to be among the first to develop and manufacture fully electric, affordable boats with mass appeal. Our mission is to inspire the adoption of sustainable recreational boating by mass producing stylish electric sport boats. We are focused on the creation and implementation of marine EV technology to control and power its electric boats utilizing a proprietary outboard electric motor. We believe we are one of the first companies to design a fully integrated electric boat including the hull, outboard motor and control system for mass production.

 

We believe that the boating industry will follow in the footsteps of the electrification of the automotive industry by creating electric boats that meet or exceed the traditional boating consumers expectations of price, value and run times. In other words, electric boats must offer a similar experience when compared to traditional gas-powered boat in terms of size, capability and price point.

 

First FX1 Models

 

Our initial two models, the FX1 Dual Console and FX1 Center Console, are being designed to be 24-foot in length, have an 8’ beam or width and utilize a catamaran hull surface to reduce drag and increase run times. The initial launch of FX1 will include our proprietary single electric outboard motor. Both FX1 models will have advanced high-powered, liquid-cooled battery packs and a vehicle control unit with proprietary control software all integrated into a 22” master control touch screen that will be used to control most functions of the boat. We have also filed three design and two utility patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office relating to, among other things, our propulsion system being developed and boat design.

 

Forza X1: A Direct-to Consumer Platform

 

We intend to offer our EV products and services through a vertically integrated and premium direct-to-consumer system. Over the last couple of years, non-contact consumerism has brought shopping and customer service experiences to a new level that will likely remain prevalent long after the COVID-19 pandemic. We intend to create a superior customer experience that spans the entire life of our products through an online system that is being designed to be comprehensive, seamless, and touchless.

 

Forza X1 will utilize a web-based and app platform to connect with customers for an end-to-end experience encompassing everything from buying, financing, delivery, servicing, and training. This customer-centric approach to sales and service aims at simplifying access to necessary information for potential buyers and current owners alike. With no independent dealers, intermediaries or brokers, customers will be able to communicate directly with Forza X1 to ensure their questions are answered and their needs are met.

 

Currently, Forza X1’s web and app-based platform is expected to include the following:

 

Build and Price Boats. The web and app platform will offer prospective buyers a place to examine photos and videos of our boats, which will all have a single price based on the model type and a few available options. For example, the consumer would have four gel coat exterior choices, three interior upholstery choices, and an option to increase the battery pack capacity for extended run times. Other options would include charging cords and plugs, boating items such as bumpers, covers, and fun add-ons like clothing, allowing consumers to “personalize” their Forza X1 purchase.
     
Financing. Prospective customers will be able to apply for third-party consumer financing to complete or supplement their purchase through Forza X1’s web and app platform.
     
Delivery. Once manufactured, the boat will be delivered directly to a customer’s home, marina, or wherever they choose. The scheduling, communication, and support necessary for coordinating touchless delivery of our Forza X1 boats would all be accomplished over the website or app.

 

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Servicing. We intend to offer highly tailored and differentiated services that enable intuitive experiences throughout the entire customer lifecycle, such as warranty, repair, or other service assistance for their boats. We expect this all-inclusive approach will provide higher customer satisfaction, create strong brand loyalty, and increase operational efficiency while simultaneously allowing us to capture a more significant share of the entire lifecycle value of every Forza X1 boat produced.
Customer Service and Feedback. We will utilize customer insights and feedback submitted via our web and app-based platform to improve our offerings by adding new capabilities and functionality. Expanded offerings based on consumer-driven feedback and data is expected to attract more customers, deepen existing customer relationships, and allow us to innovate more quickly.
Training. Forza X1 intends to provide a series of videos that demonstrate our boats’ safe operation and upkeep. These videos would be accessible on our web and app platform and the boat’s onboard computer for quick access.

 

Forza X1 Purpose

 

According to the Environmental Energy Student Institute, a non-profit organization originally formed by a bipartisan group of members of Congress, fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and natural gas, have been powering economies for over 150 years and currently supply about 80 percent of the world’s energy. When fossil fuels are burned, the stored carbon and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. The excess buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has caused dramatic changes to Earth’s climate—a trend that will worsen as more fossil fuels are burned. Further climate changes may cause rises in sea level, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and species extinction, as well as food scarcity, worsening health, and poverty for millions of people worldwide.

 

The world’s waterways are also in danger from pollutants caused by gas-powered motors. In the landmark environmental study and book, “Polluting for Pleasure”, author Andre Mele stated that recreational boats, particularly outboards, were polluting as much as all the cars and trucks in America. At the time, Mele discovered that pleasure boats have polluted 80 times more than automobile engines and put more oil into American waters than 15 Exxon Valdez oil spills, annually. The popularity of recreational boating has grown since then.

 

While headway is being made by the automotive industry introducing more viable EV options to replace traditional automobiles, it is also vital that we look to preserve our waterways while reducing carbon emissions. Large gas-powered engines often leak fuel and produce carbon emissions, both of which are harmful to fragile marine ecosystems. We are a company comprised of people who are passionate to move the preservation and carbon free marine lifestyle forward. According to the Bloomberg NEF’s 2021 Electric Vehicle Outlook, passenger automotive EV sales are set to increase from 3.1 million units in 2020 to 14 million units in 2025 and Forza X1 intends to be first to market with a mass appeal affordable, family friendly, fully electric day boat to be well positioned for a similar transition from gas powered to fully electric boats.

 

Our core market corresponds most directly to those who identify with environmentally friendly vehicles. Electric boats promote environmental sustainability and allow for a much more serene and enjoyable time on the water. The adoption of electric vehicles has increased considerably over the years as they are more environmentally friendly. As per the report by Bloomberg NEF, there are currently 12 million passenger EVs on the road, and the prevalence of electric-powered boats is likely to follow suit. While electric boats only represented about 2% of the market in 2020, a report by IDTechEx shows that the market for hybrid and pure electric boats is expected to rise rapidly to greater than $20 billion worldwide by 2027, finding that recreational boats is the largest and fastest growing electric marine market in sales number.

 

Forza X1 plans to disrupt recreational marine customs that rely on outdated processes and noxious engines by designing, engineering and manufacturing inspiring electric boats that operate in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way.

 

 

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240 Electric – Prototype

 

The first prototype of the electric boat, the 240 Electric, was developed by Twin Vee and publicly announced on December 18, 2020. Wanting to expand its offering to include electric-powered boats, Twin Vee created its Twin Vee Electric division. Twin Vee Electric sought to retrofit a Twin Vee-branded 24-foot center console boat and enable it to run on a bank of lithium-ion batteries. The team worked almost a year designing and developing the first prototype electric boat.

 

In early May 2021 the first prototype was tested in the Indian River near North Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce, Florida. The initial prototype failed its testing due to a fire that started during testing, resulting in the creation of the second prototype with an improved control system.

 

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A PICTURE CONTAINING TEXT, WATER, BOAT, WATERCRAFT

DESCRIPTION AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED

 

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280 Electric – 2.0 Prototype

 

The second prototype, which was a 28-foot Twin Vee retrofitted catamaran was built by Twin Vee with an improved control system, which is the same control system that we intend to install in the electric boats that we are currently designing for mass production.

 

The 280E electric boat consists of two (2) in-board motors with a comprehensive system of control device, display, two lever throttle, touchscreen display, an all-new 86KWH Battery pack, IDU J-box Micro Controller, High Power distribution unit, inverter and motor, and onboard charger as shown in figure 1 & 2. We intend to use a similar main console for the Forza FX1.

 

Figure 1: Electric Boat Prototype system components overview top view

 

The main console consists of a dual lever throttle, display and a key switch. The boat speed control function is activated by deflecting the friction throttle lever forward or reverse. Deflecting the throttle handle sends a control signal to the Microcontroller, which sends the digital signal over CANBUS to the inverter, which provides the energy flow path from battery pack to the motor, thus turning the propeller. The throttle function uses a cruise control feature, which enables the system to automatically adapt to a set speed, operating the battery efficiently as possible without manual intervention.

 

The key switch in the control system activates the main electrical systems (i.e., the battery pack, Inverter, OBC) for the boat, including the accessories, such as the bilge pump, horn, hatch control, etc.

 

The display is a comprehensive system (Battery and Inverter Data) utilizing control software that goes beyond simple monitoring. With the display, the operator gets the additional functionality of alerts. Alerts allow the boat’s operator to setup as many warnings and alarms as they may need so they can be forewarned of potential problems. Additionally, the control functionality provides operators with the ability to manage the electrical system.

 

The IDU J-box is plug and play for easy installation, which contains the main controller connecting pumps for different cooling systems as well as the battery pack, onboard charger, and inverter to control the boat speed. The panel is completely electrical based on 24 VDC volts from the boat’s electrical supply. The IDU J-box is installed under the console for ease of access. The battery pack is connected over the CANBUS network with the IDU microcontroller.

 

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Catamaran Technology –Reduced Drag and Extended Run Times

 

Forza X1 plans to utilize a newly designed multi-hull, catamaran design for its FX1 boat. There is a multitude of benefits for catamaran multi-hulled boats, including better performance, two narrow hulls generate about one-third as much wetted-surface or drag, reduced hydrodynamic resistance allowing for more speed or requiring less power to operate.

 

Catamarans also ride softer because they don’t have a large, round bottom that slams against the waves. In other words, the reduced vertical accelerations on the water from a multi-hull boat helps prevent slamming for a smoother ride.

 

Additional advantages of a multi-hull boat is better stability and an increased level of safety, higher freeboard and flotation. Lastly, multi-hull boats provide a superior amount of comfort for passengers. There is typically plenty of space and accommodations on deck with a catamaran that is difficult to replicate on monohulls.

 

Unlike the two prototypes developed by Twin Vee, the FX1 model we are designing will not be a retrofitted Twin Vee catamaran. Although the FXI model is being designed to incorporate the same control system as the second prototype, the FX1 model is being built based on an entirely new design developed for us by naval architect Albert Nazarov and his company, Albatross Marine Design.

 

Dimensioning of Catamarans – Parametric Approach

 
Naval architect Albert Nazarov and his company, Albatross Marine Design, have designed Forza’s FX1 boat with mathematical precision. The base system of design equations describing the design can be written as following:

 

DIAGRAM

DESCRIPTION AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED WITH LOW CONFIDENCE

 

Where first equation is relation of sum of required volumes vi and available volume vA; second equation is balance of craft mass M and volume displacement V; third and fourth are comparisons of design speed vs. and range r with required speed [vs.]R and range [r]R. Fifth equation specifies condition of seakeeping as not exceeding certain acceleration level aCG/g. Last equation is criteria of minimization of construction cost S, though operational costs might be considered for complete analysis. Stability condition is excluded from preliminary analysis of catamarans.

 

Forza X1 Outboard Motor

 

Forza X1 has completed the design phase of its outboard motor and is now developing and preparing to manufacture it to power Forza X1’s new 24-foot FX1 boat.

 

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Figure 3 - Current specifications of the system

 

Outboard Design

 

The outboard system is designed with modular sub systems. The subsystems connect to a central upper assembly in a common way so that development task management and subsequent engineering activities can take place concurrently if needed. The subsystems include steering, cooling, lower POD drive units, trim and tilt, and cover assemblies.

 

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Core Motor and Gear Reducer Information

 

The motor is the heart of the entire outboard drive system. Because its output RPM is up to 10,000 RPM it must be reduced to achieve the proper torque on the output propeller. To accomplish this the Forza X1 team had to develop a proprietary custom gear reducer which is incorporated in the core motor. This gear reducer features a two-stage planetary gear assembly with an overall 1.9:1 ratio. The planetary gear reducer is designed to accommodate vertical orientation which is ideal for mounting inside the Forza X1 Outboard.

 

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A compliant shaft coupler connects the output shaft of the gear reducer to the lower drive unit which is illustrated in the following sections. The shaft coupler includes a compliant membrane which is engineered to accommodate torsional continuous loads as well as sudden “shock” loads which may occur when reversing shaft rotation. The output shaft is fed through the slewing bearing steering assembly. This is a unique design for outboards for which we filed a design patent application on December 10, 2021, which application is currently pending approval.

 

Upper Assembly

 

The upper assembly is the central “torso” of the outboard structure. It houses the main core motor and gear reducer, as well as provides a modular mounting structure for the motor controller, cooling system, steering system, trim and tilt as well as the covers.

 

The upper assembly is being designed to be made from 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum alloys. The Trim/Tilt mount is attached to the upper frame block with 5 M12 high strength socket head cap screws as well as 3 supporting M10 socket head cap screws. The mount features a cross pattern which will support and distribute the load for the entire weight of the outboard, as well as transmit the static stress loads through the structure while under operation.

 

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The central frame design is also proprietary in that it allows for an easy vertical mounting of the core motor assembly but also allows the entire core motor assembly to be removed from one side of the outboard, without a complete teardown of the system. The shape of the uni-body profile includes engineered clearance to accommodate the rare occasion of a motor needing extended service and replacement. We have filed a design patent application for the design of the central frame, which application is currently pending approval.

 

 

 

The motor controller frame attaches to the uni-body frame with a set of M8 socket head cap screws. The frame is CNC machined, like the uni-body structure, however it is designed to be removed and replaced as needed as the design of the system matures.

 

Steering System

 

The steering system is novel. It incorporates slew bearing technology that is proven in heavy equipment, wind turbines, and military systems, and combines it with custom gearing, and a coupling interface with the lower POD drive unit. This mechanical steering system in combination with electronically controlled power steering from the helm results in up to 360-degree POD rotation for the lower unit. The upper assembly for the outboard is fixed which is designed to keep the center of gravity stable at high-speed turning, and the 360-degree power steering is expected to result in an un-matched user experience to make boat docking and maneuvering easier than ever before.

 

 

 

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The slewing bearing assembly is precision engineered with high grade 400 series stainless steel bearings, fully sealed encased pinion gear system that is modular. A slewing bearing or slewing ring (also called a turntable bearing) is a rotational rolling-element bearing that typically supports a heavy but slow-turning or slowly oscillating loads in combination (axial, radial and moment loads), often a horizontal platform such as a conventional crane, a swing yarder, or the wind-facing platform of a horizontal-axis (yaw) windmill. In other orientations (e.g., a horizontal axis of rotation) they are used in materials handling grapples, forklift attachments, welding turnover jigs and so on.

 

Compared to a “normal” ball bearing the rings are quite wide and usually have holes drilled in them to provide fixation to a structure. Seals will be provided between the rings to protect the rolling elements. Compared to other rolling-element bearings, slewing bearings are relatively thin sections and require that the structure to which they are bolted is stiff enough so that under load predefined limits of distortion are not exceeded.

 

Slewing bearing designs range from single row ball or roller style, through double row ball or roller, triple row roller, combined (1 roller/ 1 ball) or wore guided raceways - each design having its own special characteristics and application. The Forza X1 design features precision engineered ceramic ball bearings which are designed to withstand the marine environment and are easily replaceable for teardown and rebuilds.

 

Cooling System

 

The cooling system consists of a raw water circuit that feeds up from the lower pod propeller unit and into a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger passes an internal glycol fluid over a series of interspersed tubes where heat conduction takes place to regulate the temperature of the glycol. The glycol is circulated through the gear reducer assembly, core motor and controller/inverter. The circuit uses a glycol pump mounted on or near the uni-body frame. The raw water exits from the heat exchanger and is released through a tube from the upper assembly.

 

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Lower POD Propeller Assembly

 

The lower drive unit is a proprietary design that includes an advanced steering system, which allows up to 360 degrees of rotation of the propeller direction. This should result in boat owners realizing a higher level of vessel control when under speed as well as for docking and mooring maneuvers. Additionally, the unit is being designed with advanced safety features.

 

Furthermore, the lower drive unit is expected to include an easy interchange mechanism. This interchange mechanism will allow for different lower drive unit configurations to attach to a common upper motor assembly.

  

 

 

The propeller lower POD unit is expected to include a primary aluminum cast housing that is specifically engineered for electric propulsion. Because of the electric drive there is no need for the traditional reversing clutch mechanism or clutch actuation rod, or even the chambers for raw water exiting near the rear of the unit. This results in a lighter weight design with less parts and a more efficient drivetrain.

 

Forza X1 Battery Details

 

 

Nowadays, the most expensive part of an electric vehicle is the battery, which represents as much as 50% of the price of the electric propulsion system, depending on the technology used. Lithium-ion batteries are the most used technology in EVs due to their high energy density and increased power per mass battery unit.

 

The disadvantage of Lithium-ion batteries is their high developed operational temperature, which could affect energetic performances, along with lifetime expectations. This technology requires a battery management system (BMS) to control and monitor internal cell temperature. Apart from the disadvantages caused by exploitation temperature, there are also problems related to high production costs, recycling capacity of batteries out of use, and recharging infrastructure.

 

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Our designers have the following general parameters in mind for the outboard battery system:

 

1) A module size of 36” x 12” x 4”

 

2) Mountable vertically or horizontally

 

3) Liquid cooling.

 

4) An IP rating of at least IP64, preferably IP65

 

5) Internal shock absorption.

 

Mounting of the battery packs is a crucial task especially for the 100kW battery range. These packs must be mounted with careful engineering for vibration isolation, cooling systems and ease of access in order to have the proper working and successful service procedures.

 

We have located a third-party lithium battery reseller to begin supplying us with a line-up of standardized high-voltage battery packs. The battery packs are highly flexible and modular that can be scaled in series or in parallel.

 

The battery packs are based on the world-class 2170 cylindrical cells and have the highest energy density solution in the market with approximately 200 Wh/kg, while also allowing advanced monitoring and diagnostic reporting. The packs contain a highly efficient, liquid cooled thermal management system and the sealed enclosures are rated IP65, which eliminates potential for debris and weather to get inside the battery pack.

 

Forza X1 Battery Characteristic Unit Specification*
Voltage, Nominal V 352
Voltage, Range V 270 - 403
Energy, Total kWh 52
Capacity Ah 150
Continuous Current A 230
Peak Current (10 sec) A 440
Volume L 252
Mass Kg 247
Energy Density Wh/L 205
Specific Energy Wh/kg 200
Dimensions (L x W x H) mm 1,306 x 717 x
270
Operating Temperature °C -30 to 55

 

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FX1 Screen Integration

 

We are working to integrate a 22” screen into our FX1 console. The screen will be utilized for functionality including GPS mapping, depth finder, fish finder, speedometer, electronic compass, battery sensors, power rating, battery usage reporting, lighting controls, bilge and water pumps controls, autopilot and more. The screen would reduce traditional buttons that typically clutter a boat console and enhance a customer’s boating experience. We are designing a customized graphical user interface at the helm to provide FX1 boat owners access to a suite of various systems, sonar technologies, autopilot, apps, engine data, and multimedia, all on one screen. Specifically, we plan to install a large-format multifunction display featuring a 22-inch full HD screen with touch control in Forza X1 boats. The sunlight-readable anti-glare large display should enable owners to experience a powerful, completely networked helm.

 

Our plans include a fully digital switching system that will allow users to power up their boat while away from the dock, switch on pumps, control lights, and underwater lights. Moreover, customers would be able to configure the entire system to provide 1-touch setting access for docking, cruising, fishing, and anchoring without manually switching each monitor separately.

 

Forza X1 Intellectual Property

 

We are working to create a portfolio of proprietary designs and technology that we expect to serve as the foundation of our product development. To date we have filed three design and two utility patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Below is a list of pending patent applications that Forza X1 is seeking approval for from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. We cannot be certain that the patent applications that we file will issue, or that our issued patents will afford protection against competitors with similar technology. See “Intellectual Property Risks.”

 

IDEA / CONCEPT NAME 

DESCRIPTION 

IP TYPE 

App Number and Filing Date 

360 Steering Lower Pod with Disconnect

 

 

For outboard, lower pod steering mechanism using slewing bearing and spur gear mechanism allowing for a full 360 degree rotation. Also features a pass through the center method for cooling fluid, and an easy way to interchange lower drive units with the fixed upper unit.  

Utility Patent

 

Need to submit full application by March 2022

 

 

App # 63,207,748

 

FILING DATE 03/18/21

 

 

Original Outboard Cover Design

 

Original shape of outboard cover

 

 

Design Patent

 

App # 29/818,844

 

FILING DATE 12/10/21  

Unibody Frame

Shape of frame that allows vertical mounting of motor and transmission inside the outboard

Design Patent

 

App # 29/818,842

 

FILING DATE 12/10/21 

Outboard cover design - ALPHA 01 version

shape of the updated prototype cover and cowling 

 

Design Patent

 

 

App # 29/819,262

 

FILING DATE 12/14/21

Trim and Tilt with cable routing thru pivot axis 

A trim and tilt assembly that routes cables through the pivot axis which protects cables, keeps the bundle from excessive bending and results in a cleaner design  

Utility Patent

 

 

App # 63,287,740

 

FILING DATE 12/09/21

 

  

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Forza FX1 Future Factory

 

Forza XI is currently designing a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant to incorporate the latest in closed-molded composite boat building technologies and electric engine assembly processes. The target site for the plant is a parcel of land located in a light industrial corridor in St. Lucie County, where dozens of businesses, large and small, serve a vibrant and thriving marine manufacturing hub along the east central coast of Florida. The building is envisioned to be constructed totaling 100,000 square feet, capable of producing up to 1,000 engines and boat combination units. Multiple technologies are expected to be employed incrementally as volume and throughput needs increase, including 3D printing, robotic gel-coating and cutting, and ergonomically designed material handling equipment. Based on our current estimates, we project that the purchase and construction of the facility will cost approximately $11,100,000, including $750,000 for the purchase price of the parcel and the balance for site, building, and manufacturing needs. Specific requirements will include storm water drainage improvements, parking infrastructure, solar panel systems for net zero electricity consumption, specialized gel coat and fiberglass cutting booths, vacuum systems for closed molding infusion processes, CNC routers and cutters, and a dedicated machine shop and assembly area for electric engines, wire harnesses, and electronic propulsion systems. An engineering design and tooling center is planned to also be housed on-site to support new products and on-going technical improvements in electric engines, and electronic propulsion and control systems. This site will serve as a manufacturing center, administrative headquarters, and retail sales destination for our new customers.

 

Industry Overview

 

We believe traditional marine manufacturers are at a crossroads and face significant industry-wide challenges. Much like in the automotive industry, the reliance on the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine as the principal marine powertrain technology has raised environmental concerns, created dependence among industrialized and developing nations on oil-primarily imported from foreign countries, exposed consumers to volatile fuel prices, and inhibited innovation in alternative fuel powertrain technologies.

 

We expect that shifting consumer preferences will result in significant growth in the market for electric boats, especially as the demand for recreational powerboats, in general, remains strong. We estimate many consumers are increasingly willing to consider buying electric-powered boats due to the environmental and economic consequences of using gasoline-powered vehicles, as demonstrated by the increased sales of hybrid and electric automobiles in recent years. In its Electric Vehicle Outlook 2021, BloombergNEF estimated that there are currently 12 million passenger EVs on the road. The prevalence of electric-powered boats is likely to follow suit. In an August 2020 Boating Industry online article, the marine-focused magazine indicated that electric boat drives represented about 2% of the market, but hybrid and pure electric boats sales were expected to rise rapidly in the coming years. Specifically, the article cites a report from independent market research company IDTechEx where it examined the electric boat and ship sector. The report estimates that the market for hybrid and pure electric boats and ships would be greater than $20 billion worldwide by 2027, finding that recreational boats is the largest and fastest growing electric marine market in sales number.

 

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Our initiative into sustainable marine technologies and products is well-timed. The prevalence of batteries necessary to sustain a marine EV model line is expected to rise and become cheaper. BloombergNEF’s Long-Term Electric Vehicle Outlook reports that annual lithium-battery demand has proliferated in recent years, and meeting the demand will require unprecedented but achievable increases in materials, components, and cell production. Battery production capacity is expanding as more factories are brought online. Moreover, battery technology that improves power and capacity is being designed, developed, and adopted regularly. According to BloombergNEF’s report, it found that the volume-weighted average price of a lithium-ion battery pack fell 13% from 2019 to $137/kWh (kilowatt-hour) in 2020. The report estimates the volume-weighted average cost of battery packs will drop below $100/kW in 2024. The Company is establishing itself in the market at the right time to help keep production costs as low as possible and make our boats affordable for our customers.

 

Our Solution

 

Our company believes our solid foundation in boat building, electric vehicle engineering expertise, and planned direct-to-consumer system will help us rapidly innovate and introduce new boats and technologies cost-effectively. By operating our sales and service network, we believe we can offer a compelling and premium customer-centric experience while achieving operating efficiencies and capturing sales and service revenues that traditional boat manufacturers do not receive in the independent dealer model. We also plan to leverage our electric powertrain technology to develop and sell powertrain components to other boat manufacturers and owners.

 

We believe our proprietary electric powertrain system will enable us to design and develop zero-emission boats that overcome the design, styling, and performance issues that have historically limited broad consumer adoption of electric boats. As a result, we believe customers of our vehicles will enjoy many benefits, including:

 

Long Range and Recharging Flexibility. We are designing our FX1 to offer an intermediate-range option and an option that would increase the battery pack capacity for extended run times. Charging stations specifically designed for electric boats will eventually be an option for customers as well. Norway and Venice, Italy, are beginning to construct a network of electric boat charging stations. In the United States, Lake Tahoe is now home to a rapid-charging electric boat charging station. While the US and the rest of the world begin to adopt a network of electric boat-specific stations, our design for the Forza X1 boats incorporates an onboard charging system, permitting recharging from almost any electrical outlet and residential and commercial charging stations previously only utilized for electric automobiles.
Energy Efficiency and Cost of Ownership. We believe our FX1 will offer consumers an attractive cost of ownership compared to similar outboard powerboats. By using a single powertrain and customizing the systems within the electric powertrain and the rest of the boat, our boats are more energy-efficient, and therefore less expensive to operate and maintain.
Environmental sustainability. Large gas-powered engines often leak and produce carbon emissions, both of which are generally harmful to fragile marine ecosystems. By offering a fully electric boat to our customers and an alternative to traditional propulsion systems, Forza X1 can foster a more environmentally sustainable boat brand. Our greatest hope is to be purposeful stewards of the marine industry and lead by example in environmentally friendly innovation.
Noise Level. So often, powerboats create large amounts of noise, disturbing wildlife and making it difficult for fellow passengers to hear one another while underway. FX1’s electric powertrain will produce little to no sound, making it easier to enjoy the sounds of nature, family, and friends. Forza X1 products will also help tremendously with fishing and other sporting and water-based activities that favor less noise.

 

Our Strengths and Competitive Advantages

 

We believe that the following are the critical investment attributes of our company:

 

Assembling a Technology, Engineering and Manufacturing Team. We continue to build and add valuable, experienced and knowledgeable team members. Jim Leffew, our President, comes to us from Maverick Boat Group, Inc. that was recently sold to Malibu Boats. Jim Leffew has been designing, building and manufacturing boats on a large-scale basis for over 25 years. The year Maverick Boat Group was sold to Malibu Boats, Jim Leffew was overseeing the manufacturing and Maverick Boat Group was building and selling over 1,400 boats annually. The experience and knowledge that Jim Leffew brings to the table is expected to be valuable to the requirements of designing and ramping up our manufacturing facility.

 

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First-Mover Advantage; Singular Focus and Leadership in Electric Powertrain Technology. To date, there are no commercialized electric boats for mass appeal. Our first-mover advantage should enable us to establish strong brand recognition and product/service loyalty before potential competing companies enter the market. Forza X1 is focused exclusively on developing our electric boats and electric powertrain technology to achieve a compelling combination of range and performance. We intend to use our electric powertrain expertise to innovate rapidly and sustain technological and time-to-market advantages over other marine manufacturers.
     
Combination of Expertise from the Traditional Boat Manufacturing Industry and Electrical Engineers. Our company’s founders have been in the boat building business for over 25 years. Our boat design and manufacturing knowledge are supplemented by engineers with strong skills in electrical engineering and software and controls.
     
Rapid Customer-Focused Product Development. We are designing our product development process to rapidly react to data collected from our boats, direct interaction with our customers, and feedback from our web and app platform. That information should enable us to introduce new models and features to expand our customer base and brand recognition.
     
Direct To Consumer System. We are building a vertically integrated and premium direct-to-consumer system while achieving operating efficiencies and capturing sales and service revenues traditional boat manufacturers do not generally receive in the distribution and service model they employ.
     
Capital Efficiency. We believe our rapid product development process, powertrain technology applicable for future boat models, and our plan to hold lower inventory levels while still meeting customer demand will help reduce the capital required to reach operating efficiencies. This approach is designed to allow us to achieve profitability at relatively low sales volumes and create a viable long-term business.

 

Our Strategy

 

We intend to be a leading manufacturer and direct seller of electric boats and electric powertrain and propulsion technologies through the following strategies:

 

Successfully Launch the FX1. We believe the successful launch of our first commercially available electric boat is critical to our ability to capitalize on the marine electric vehicle market opportunity and establish ourselves as leaders in the industry. We are currently executing a detailed plan to design, component source, engineer, and manufacture the FX1 and obtain the equipment to support its production.
     
Invest in Our Infrastructure. We plan to invest in our product development and operations infrastructure to enable our growth, product innovation, and customer experience
     
Use a Common Platform to Introduce New Models. We intend to design the FX1 with an adaptable platform architecture and common electric powertrain to provide us the flexibility to use the FX1 platform to launch subsequent electric boat models cost-efficiently.
     
Focus on Technological Advancements and Cost Improvement. We intend to constantly look for ways to improve upon and further develop our proprietary electric powertrain system while reducing its manufacturing cost.
     
Build our Company-Owned Sales and Service Network. Forza X1 is programming and building our expansive and vertically integrated customer-centric web and app platform to connect with customers for an end-to-end experience encompassing everything from buying, financing, delivery, servicing, and training. This customer-centric approach to sales and service is intended to simplify accessing necessary information for potential buyers and current owners in an easily accessible and streamlined online space.
     
Leverage Industry Advancements in Battery Cells. We intend to leverage the substantial investments made globally by battery cell manufacturers to improve power and capacity.
     
Build and Leverage Strategic Relationships. We intend to establish and develop strategic relationships with industry leaders to launch our planned electric boats and sell our electric boat powertrain components. We envision significant inroads with boat manufacturers to retrofit various hull configurations, replacing traditional gas outboard motors and existing boat owners who could retrofit their boats with Forza X1’s outboard motors, controller, and battery packs.

 

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Corporate Information

 

Our principal executive office is located at 3101 S. US-1, Ft. Pierce, Florida 34982, and our telephone number is 772-202-8039. We maintain our corporate website at www.forzax1.com. The information that can be accessed through our website is not part of this prospectus. Investors should not rely on any such information in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.

 

Forza X1, Inc. was initially incorporated as Electra Power Sports, Inc. on October 15, 2021, but we subsequently changed our name to Forza X1, Inc. on October 29, 2021. Our parent company was incorporated in the State of Florida as Twin Vee Catamarans, Inc. on December 1, 2009, and reincorporated in Delaware on April 7, 2021, as Twin Vee PowerCats Co. As of December 31, 2021, we have ten employees.

 

Facilities

 

We currently share our corporate headquarters located at 3101 US Highway 1, Fort Pierce, Florida, 34982 with Twin Vee. Twin Vee’s parent company, Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc., leases the facility from Visconti Holdings, LLC, (“Visconti Holdings”) an entity owned and controlled by our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Joseph Visconti pursuant to a lease agreement (the “Lease Agreement”), dated January 1, 2020, by and among the Company, Visconti Holdings, LLC and Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc. The Lease Agreement currently has a 5-year term, with an option to renew for an additional 5-year term. Our parent company currently pays Visconti Holdings $26,500 per month plus applicable sales and use tax, which is currently 7% in St. Lucie County. While we believe these headquarters are adequate for our current operations and needs, Twin Vee has 14.5 acres of undeveloped land in Fort Pierce, Florida under contract and our current plans are to design the parcel as our future boat manufacturing facility to build our electric boats.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, we may become involved in litigation or other legal proceedings. We are not currently a party to any material litigation or legal proceedings. Regardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.

 

One of the companies represented by Mr. Visconti and Mr. Visconti individually, among others, were named defendants in a bankruptcy adversary petition under Chapter 7, filed on March 26, 2012 before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Southern District of Florida (West Palm Beach). The case was terminated by the court on June 30, 2015.

 

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MANAGEMENT

 

Executive Officers and Directors

 

The following table sets forth the names, ages and positions of our executive officers and directors as of December , 2021:

 

Name   Age   Position
Executive Officers:        
         
Joseph C. Visconti   57   Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer 
Jim Leffew       58   President and Director    
Carrie Gunnerson   46   Chief Financial Officer
Preston Yarborough   41   Director of Tooling and Director
         
Non-Employee Directors:        
         
Neil Ross (2)(3)(6)       60   Director    
Bard Rockenbach(1)(3)   60   Director
Steven Shallcross(1)(2)(4)   59   Director
Kevin Schuyler (1)(2)(5)(6)   53   Director

   

  (1) Member of the audit committee
  (2) Member of the compensation committee
  (3) Member of the corporate governance and nominating committee
  (4) Chair of audit committee
  (5) Chair of compensation committee
  (6) Chair of corporate governance and nominating committee

 

Executive Officers

 

Joseph Visconti, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

Mr. Visconti has been our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since our inception and the Chief Executive Officer, President and Director of Twin Vee Powercats Co., our parent company, since its inception. With over 25 years of executive level operational and financial experience, Mr. Visconti was the founder, CEO and President of two previous companies, the first company was a regional Investment Bank that he built to over 400 employees and sold in 2000. The second company was ValueRich, a financial media company that was taken public on the American Stock Exchange in 2007. ValueRich transitioned from media related business to Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc. in 2015. Mr. Visconti has experience building teams of professionals with a focus on product development and bringing those products to market. Mr. Visconti received his Associate’s degree from Lynn University in 1984. We believe that Mr. Visconti’s experience leading us and our parent company and his operational and financial experience makes him well qualified to be our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.

 

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Jim Leffew, President

 

Jim Leffew was appointed as our President in December 2021. Mr. Leffew served as the Senior Vice President, Manufacturing of Maverick Boat Group, Inc. from September 1999 until April 2021, where he was responsible for overseeing manufacturing operations and over 450 direct employees at a company with over $125 million in sales. Prior to joining Maverick Boat Group, Inc., from September 1994 to September 1999 he was a Facilities Director at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution where he directed all construction and maintenance needs for an over 500,000 square foot mixed-use space and managed a budget exceeding $5 million a year. Mr. Leffew received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida in July 1987. Mr. Leffew’s history and experience manufacturing products, budgeting and forecasting and managing direct employees will make him a valuable member of our management.

 

Carrie Gunnerson, Chief Financial Officer

 

Ms. Gunnerson has been our Chief Financial Officer since our inception and the Chief Financial Officer of Twin Vee Powercats Co., our parent company, since October 2021. Ms. Gunnerson served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Art’s Way Manufacturing Co., Inc. (‘Art’s Way”) from October 18, 2007 until July 21, 2020, as its Chief Financial Officer from July 2004 until January 2012 and interim from September 2012 until January 22, 2015 and again from May 31, 2018 until February 1, 2020. Prior to joining Art’s Way in 2004, from 2001 until 2004 Ms. Gunnerson was employed by Tyco Plastics Inc., where she was responsible for all of the functions of a controller. Ms. Gunnerson was named a director of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association, effective in November 2016.

 

Preston Yarborough, Director of Tooling and Director

 

Preston Yarborough is the Director of Tooling and holds a seat on the Board. He brings over 23 years of marine manufacturing experience to our team. In addition to his positions of Vice President and Director of Product Development of Twin Vee PowerCats Co., he holds a seat on the Board of Directors of that company as well. For the last several years, Mr. Yarborough has led the design, development and production of Twin Vee PowerCats Co.’s models and built over 8,000 boats in his tenure. His innovative, forward thinking coupled with his eye for quality production has been key in positioning Twin Vee as an industry leader in powercat design.

 

In addition to Twin Vee’s core line of boats, Mr. Yarborough has designed and produced specialized vessels for the US Navy, the National Park Service, various state agencies such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, multiple county and local governments, along with numerous universities and private research organizations. Additionally, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, Georgia Aquarium, Discovery Channel, several motion picture companies and many other companies have purchased Twin Vee boats which were all designed by Mr. Yarborough to fit their specific needs.

 

Mr. Yarborough has received his Composite Tech Certification with ACMA as is a Certified Outboard Suzuki Marine Tech.

 

Independent Directors

 

Kevin Schuyler, CFA, Director

 

Kevin Schuyler has been a member of our Board of Directors since December 2021. Mr. Schuyler is the Vice Chairman of the board of directors and Lead Independent Director of Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADIL) where he has served as a director since April 2016. He currently also serves as a senior managing director at CornerStone Partners, a full-service institutional CIO and investment office located in Charlottesville, VA, with approximately $10 billion under management. Prior to joining CornerStone Partners in 2006, he held various positions with McKinsey & Company, Louis Dreyfus Corporation and The Nature Conservancy. Mr. Schuyler serves on various boards and committees of Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities, and Stone Barns Center. He is a member of the investment committee of the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. Mr. Schuyler graduated with honors from Harvard College and received his MBA from The Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia. He is a member of the Chartered Financial Analyst Society of Washington, DC.

We selected Mr. Schuyler to serve on our board of directors because he brings extensive knowledge of the financial markets. Mr. Schuyler’s business background provides him with a broad understanding of the financial markets and the financing opportunities available to us.

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Neil Ross, Director

 

Mr. Ross has been a member of our Board of Directors since December 2021 and a member of the Board of Directors of Twin Vee Powercats Co., our parent company, since April 2021. He has over 30 years of experience in launching products and companies and promoting and growing brands. He has served as the Chief Executive Officer of James Ross Advertising since founding it in February 2003. Most notably, Neil has extensive marine experience partnering with brands like Galati Yachts Sales, Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales, Allied Marine, Bertram Yachts, Twin Vee, Jupiter Marine and Sealine to name a few. Mr. Ross received his Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University. We believe Mr. Ross’ experience in the yacht and boating industry as well as his expertise in brand awareness and growth makes him well qualified to be a director of the Company.

 

Bard Rockenbach, Director

 

Mr. Rockenbach has been a member of our Board of Directors since December 2021 and a member of the Board of Directors of Twin Vee Powercats Co., our parent company, since April 2021. Mr. Rockenbach career spans over 31 years in the legal industry. Since January 2005, he has been the managing partner of Burlington & Rockenbach, P.A., a trial and appellate litigation law firm based in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is Board Certified by the Florida Bar Association in Appellate Practice and has served an expert witness in various legal proceedings. Mr. Rockenbach holds a Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law where he graduated in 1988 20th in his class. We believe Mr. Rockenbach legal and business experience makes him well qualified to be a director of the Company.

 

Steven Shallcross, Director

 

Mr. Shallcross has been a member of our Board of Directors since December 2021 and a member of the Board of Directors of Twin Vee Powercats Co., our parent company, since April 2021. Mr. Shallcross has also served as a Board member of Elys Game Technologies, Corp. (NASDAQ: ELYS) an international, vertically integrated commercial-stage company engaged in various aspects of the leisure gaming industry since June 13, 2019, and Synthetic Biologics Inc. (NYSE American: SYN) (“Synthetic Biologics”) since December 6, 2018 and as its Chief Executive Officer, a position he was appointed to on December 6, 2018 where he currently serves as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Shallcross was appointed as the Interim Chief Executive Officer of Synthetic Biologics on December 5, 2017 and has served as its Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary since June 2015. From May 2013 through May 2015, Mr. Shallcross served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Nuo Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly Cytomedix, Inc.). In January 2016, Nuo Therapeutics, Inc. filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and on April 25, 2016, the Bankruptcy Court entered an order granting approval of Nuo’s plan of reorganization. From July 2012 to May 2013, Mr. Shallcross held the offices of Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Empire Petroleum Partners, LLC, a motor fuel distribution company. From July 2011 to March 2012, Mr. Shallcross was Acting Chief Financial Officer of Senseonics, a privately held medical device company located in Germantown, MD. From January 2009 to March 2011, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Innocoll AG (formerly privately held Innocoll Holdings, Inc.), a global, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development and commercialization of collagen-based products. He also served for four years as the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc., leading the company through its successful IPO and follow-on offering and previously served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Middlebrook Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (formerly Advancis Pharmaceutical Corporation). In addition, Mr. Shallcross also served as the Chief Financial Officer of Bering Truck Corporation. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Illinois. We believe that Mr. Shallcross’ operational, financial and international experience, as well as an established track record at leading the financial development and strategy for several publicly traded companies, makes him well qualified to be a director of the Company.

 

The FX1 Engineering and Technical Team

 

Daniel Norton, Director of Engineering.

 

Mr. Norton has spent over 20 years working in the technical design engineering arena for companies including Caterpillar Inc., Gerber Technology, and ATI Industrial Automation, in various project management and engineering development positions. He currently holds over 20 patents related to innovative electromechanical solutions to automation, boat docking, and work piece clamping. He is also the inventor of the NLS (Nautical Landing System) technology and has been developing the Smartlander positive restraint system for use in heavy duty marine applications. Mr. Norton received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1998, from Northeastern University. and is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He received his Certified Scrum Product Owner certification in 2019. .

  

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Jean-Marc Zanni, Chief Technology Officer.

 

Mr. Zanni specializes in integrating solutions for marine and industrial automation projects focusing on fluid dynamics and marine engineering. Mr. Zanni has more than 20 years of industrial high-voltage electrical system practical experience developing and implementing proprietary software control technology used to optimize electrical energy management and battery chemistry. Mr. Zanni has served from June 2015 to December 2021 as the President of AE&M Engineering, a company he founded, designing clean hybrid energy solutions for specialty markets. Prior to founding AE&M Engineering, from October 2010 to May 2015, Mr. Zanni served as the Director of Engineering ReGen Nautic USA. In this capacity he served as a proxy member for the American Boating & Yachting Counsel (ABYC) Committee for Electric Propulsion. Mr. Zanni received his Engineering Master’s degree at E.N.S. des Arts et Métiers (ParisTech) in June 1983.

 

Chandan R. Chittimalle, Chief Electrical Engineer.

 

Mr. Chittmalle served as Senior Controls Engineer of Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. from August 2019 to November 2021 designing and developing battery charging control systems and battery cooling systems. From August 2015 to August 2019, he served as an Electrical Design Engineer III, and from August 2012 to August 2015, her served as an Electrical Intern/ Electrical Design Engineer, at Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. Mr. Chittimalle received his Master of Science, Engineering from California State University in 2014.

 

Family Relationships

 

No family relationships exist between any director, executive officer or person nominated or chosen to be a director or officer.

 

Board of Directors Composition

 

Our board of directors currently consists of seven members. Each of our current directors will continue to serve as a director until the election and qualification of his or her successor, or until his or her earlier death, resignation or removal.

 

Our certificate of incorporation provides that our board of directors is divided into three classes with staggered three-year terms. Only one class of directors will be elected at each annual meeting of stockholders, with the other classes continuing for the remainder of their respective three-year terms. Our current directors are divided among the three classes as follows:

 

  the Class I directors are Jim Leffew and Kevin Schuyler, and their terms will expire at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2022;
  the Class II directors are Bard Rockenbach and Preston Yarborough, and their terms will expire at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2023; and
  the Class III directors are Steven Shallcross, Neil Ross and Joseph Visconti, and their terms will expire at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2024.

 

At each annual meeting of stockholders, upon the expiration of the term of a class of directors, the successor to each such director in the class will be elected to serve from the time of election and qualification until the third annual meeting following his or her election and until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified, in accordance with our certificate of incorporation. Any additional directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors will be distributed among the three classes so that, as nearly as possible, each class will consist of one-third of our directors.

 

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This classification of our board of directors may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control of our company.

 

In addition, under the terms of our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws, members of our board of directors may only be removed for cause. This may also have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control of our company.

 

Director Independence

 

We intend to apply for our common stock to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or Nasdaq. Under the rules of Nasdaq, independent directors must comprise a majority of a listed company’s board of directors within one year of the completion of its initial public offering. In addition, the rules of Nasdaq require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and corporate governance and nominating committees be independent. Audit committee members and compensation committee members must also satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 and Rule 10C-1, respectively, under the Exchange Act. Under the rules of Nasdaq, a director will only qualify as an “independent director” if, in the opinion of that company’s board of directors, that person does not have a relationship that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director.

 

To be considered to be independent for purposes of Rule 10A-3 and under the rules of Nasdaq, a member of an audit committee of a listed company may not, other than in his or her capacity as a member of the audit committee, the board of directors, or any other board of directors committee: (1) accept, directly or indirectly, any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the listed company or any of its subsidiaries; or (2) be an affiliated person of the listed company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

To be considered independent for purposes of Rule 10C-1 and under the rules of Nasdaq, the board of directors must affirmatively determine that each member of the compensation committee is independent, including a consideration of all factors specifically relevant to determining whether the director has a relationship to the company which is material to that director’s ability to be independent from management in connection with the duties of a compensation committee member, including, but not limited to: (i) the source of compensation of such director, including any consulting, advisory or other compensatory fee paid by the company to such director; and (ii) whether such director is affiliated with the company, a subsidiary of the company or an affiliate of a subsidiary of the company.

 

Our board of directors undertook a review of its composition, the composition of its committees and the independence of our directors and considered whether any director has a material relationship with us that could compromise his or her ability to exercise independent judgment in carrying out his or her responsibilities. Based upon information requested from and provided by each non-employee director concerning his or her background, employment and affiliations, including family relationships, our board of directors has determined that none of Messrs. Ross, Rockenbach, Schuyler and Shallcross have relationships that would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director and that each of these directors is “independent” as that term is defined under the rules of Nasdaq and Rule 10A-3 and Rule 10C-1under the Exchange Act.

 

In making these determinations, our board of directors considered the current and prior relationships that each non-employee director has with our company and all other facts and circumstances our board of directors deemed relevant in determining their independence, including the beneficial ownership of our capital stock by each non-employee director, and the transactions involving them described in the section titled “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions.”

 

Board of Directors Leadership Structure

 

Our Chief Executive Officer serves as our Chairman of the Board. Our Board does not have a lead independent director. Our Board has determined its leadership structure is appropriate and effective given our stage of development.

 

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Board of Directors Committees

 

Upon completion of this offering our board of directors will have an audit committee, a compensation committee and a corporate governance and nominating committee, each of which will have the composition and the responsibilities described below.

 

Audit Committee

 

Upon completion of this offering the members of our audit committee will consist of Bard Rockenbach, Kevin Schuyler and Steven Shallcross. Mr. Shallcross will be the chair of our audit committee. All of the members of the audit committee will be independent, as that term is defined under the rules of Nasdaq. The primary purpose of the audit committee is to oversee the quality and integrity of our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audit of our financial statements. Specifically, the audit committee will:

 

  select and hire the independent registered public accounting firm to audit our financial statements;
  help to ensure the independence and performance of the independent registered public accounting firm;
  approve audit and non-audit services and fees;
  review financial statements and discuss with management and the independent registered public accounting firm our annual audited and quarterly financial statements, the results of the independent audit and the quarterly reviews and the reports and certifications regarding internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls;
  prepare the audit committee report that the SEC requires to be included in our annual proxy statement;
  review reports and communications from the independent registered public accounting firm;
  review the adequacy and effectiveness of our internal controls and disclosure controls and procedure;
  review our policies on risk assessment and risk management;
  review related party transactions; and
  establish and oversee procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of accounting related complaints and the confidential submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

 

Our audit committee will operate under a written charter, to be effective prior to the completion of this offering, which will satisfy the applicable rules of the SEC and the listing standards of Nasdaq.

 

Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Shallcross is an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.

 

Compensation Committee

 

Upon completion of this offering the members of our compensation committee will consist of Kevin Schuyler, Neil Ross and Steven Shallcross. Mr. Schuyler will be the chair of our compensation committee. All of the members of our compensation committee will be independent, as that term is defined under the rules of Nasdaq. Our compensation committee oversees our compensation policies, plans and benefits programs. The compensation committee will also:

 

  oversee our overall compensation philosophy and compensation policies, plans and benefit programs;
  review and recommend to our board of directors for approval compensation for our executive officers and directors;
  prepare the compensation committee report that the SEC would require to be included in our annual proxy statement if we were no longer deemed to be an emerging growth company or a smaller reporting company; and
  administer our equity compensation plans.

 

Our compensation committee will operate under a written charter, to be effective prior to the completion of this offering, which will satisfy the applicable rules of the SEC and the listing standards of Nasdaq.

 

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

 

Upon completion of this offering the members of our corporate governance and nominating committee will consist of Neil Ross and Bard Rockenbach. Mr. Schuyler will be the chair of our corporate governance and nominating committee. All will be independent, as that term is defined under the rules of Nasdaq. Our corporate governance and nominating committee oversees and assists our board of directors in reviewing and recommending nominees for election as directors. Specifically, the corporate governance and nominating committee will:

 

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  identify, evaluate and make recommendations to our board of directors regarding nominees for election to our board of directors and its committees;
  consider and make recommendations to our board of directors regarding the composition of our board of directors and its committees;
  review developments in corporate governance practices;
  evaluate the adequacy of our corporate governance practices and reporting; and
  evaluate the performance of our board of directors and of individual directors.

 

Our corporate governance and nominating committee will operate under a written charter, to be effective prior to the completion of this offering, which will satisfy the applicable rules of the SEC and the listing standards of Nasdaq.

 

Director Compensation

 

To date, our directors have not received any compensation for their service as directors. Commencing after this offering, directors who are not employees will receive compensation for their service as directors, including service as members of each committee on which they serve.

 

Cash Compensation

 

All non-employee directors will be entitled to receive the following cash compensation for their services following the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part:

 

  $10,000 per year for service as a board member;
  $20,000 per year additionally for service as chair of the audit committee;
  $7,500 per year additionally for service as member of the audit committee (excluding committee chair);
  $15,000 per year additionally for service as chair of the compensation committee;
  $5,000 per year additionally for service as member of the compensation committee (excluding committee chair);
  $7,500 per year additionally for service as chair of the corporate governance and nominating committee;
  $3,000 per year additionally for service as member of the corporate governance and nominating committee (excluding committee chair);

 

All cash payments to non-employee directors who served in the relevant capacity at any point during the immediately preceding prior fiscal quarter will be paid quarterly in arrears. A non-employee director who served in the relevant capacity during only a portion of the prior fiscal quarter will receive a pro-rated payment of the quarterly payment of the applicable cash retainer. 

 

Equity Compensation

 

Effective upon the closing of this offering, each non-employee director will receive an initial grant of non-qualified stock options under our 2022 Plan to purchase 5,500 shares of our common stock, which options will vest pro rata on a monthly basis over a period of twelve months from the grant date, subject to the grantee’s continued service through that date. We intend to make annual equity grants to non-employee directors coincident with each annual meeting of stockholders. 

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Inside Participation

 

None of the members of our compensation committee are or have been an officer or employee of our company. None of our executive officers currently serve, or in the past fiscal year has served, on the board of directors or compensation committee (or other board of directors’ committee performing equivalent functions) of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on such board of directors or compensation committee, other than our parent company.

 

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Risk Oversight

 

In its governance role, and particularly in exercising its duty of care and diligence, the board of directors is responsible for ensuring that appropriate risk management policies and procedures are in place to protect the company’s assets and business. Our board of directors has broad and ultimate oversight responsibility for our risk management processes and programs and executive management is responsible for the day-to-day evaluation and management of risks to our company.

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

 

We have adopted a written code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. Following the completion of this offering, the code of business conduct and ethics will be available on our website at www.forzax1.com. We intend to disclose future amendments to such code, or any waivers of its requirements, applicable to any principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions or our directors on our website identified above. The inclusion of our website address in this prospectus does not include or incorporate by reference the information on our website into this prospectus. We will provide any person, without charge, upon request, a copy of our code of conduct and ethics. Such requests should be made in writing to the attention of Glenn Sonoda, Secretary, Forza X1, Inc., 3101 US-1 Fort Pierce, Florida 34982.

 

Limitation of Liability and Indemnification

 

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provides that we will indemnify our directors and officers, and may indemnify our employees and other agents, to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. Delaware law prohibits our certificate of incorporation from limiting the liability of our directors for the following:

 

  any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or to our stockholders;
  acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
  unlawful payment of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; and
  any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 

If Delaware law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director, then the liability of our directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law, as so amended. Our certificate of incorporation does not eliminate a director’s duty of care and, in appropriate circumstances, equitable remedies, such as injunctive or other forms of non-monetary relief, remain available under Delaware law. This provision also does not affect a director’s responsibilities under any other laws, such as the federal securities laws or other state or federal laws. Under our bylaws, we will also be empowered to purchase insurance on behalf of any person whom we are required or permitted to indemnify.

 

In the case of an action or proceeding by or in the right of our company or any of our subsidiaries, no indemnification will be provided for any claim where a court determines that the indemnified party is prohibited from receiving indemnification. We believe that these charter and bylaw provisions are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.

 

The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and our stockholders. Moreover, a stockholder’s investment may be harmed to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act, and is, therefore, unenforceable. There is no pending litigation or proceeding naming any of our directors or officers as to which indemnification is being sought, nor are we aware of any pending or threatened litigation that may result in claims for indemnification by any director or officer.

 

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We intend to enter, into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers, in addition to the indemnification that will be provided for in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. The indemnification agreements and our amended restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering require us to indemnify our directors, executive officers and certain controlling persons to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. See the section titled “Description of Capital Stock - Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors” for additional information.

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

Our named executive officers for 2021 which consisted of our principal executive officer and the next most highly compensated executive officer, were:

 

  Joseph C. Visconti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
  Jim Leffew, President
  Carrie Gunnerson, Chief Financial Officer
  Preston Yarborough, Director of Tooling

 

Officer and Director Compensation

 

Other than Jim Leffew, none of our officers or directors has received any cash compensation for services rendered to us. However, Mr. Visconti, Ms. Gunnerson and Mr. Yarborough each have employment agreements with Twin Vee and received compensation from Twin Vee during 2021. In consideration of Twin Vee providing the services of Mr. Visconti, Ms. Gunnerson and Mr. Yarborough to us, we recorded management fees of $10,000 paid to Twin Vee during the eleven-month period ended November 30, 2021, pursuant to a management agreement with it for various management services. The management agreement provides for a monthly $5,000 management fee, has a term of one year and will expire on September 30, 2022.

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End

 

As of November 30, 2021, we had not issued any equity awards to any of our named executive directors.

 

Employment Arrangements with Our Named Executive Officers

 

Other than the employment agreement with Jim Leffew, we do not have written employment agreements with any of our executive officers.

 

Jim Leffew

 

Employment Agreement

 

We have entered into a three-year employment agreement with Mr. Leffew (the “Leffew Employment Agreement”) effective as of December 15, 2021 (the “Effective Date”). Under the Leffew Employment Agreement, Mr. Leffew serves as our President. He receives an annual base salary of $125,000 and is eligible to receive an annual performance cash bonus with a target amount equal to 100% of his annual base salary, based upon achievement of performance goals established by the compensation committee of the board of directors. In addition, upon the completion of this offering, Mr. Leffew will be granted a stock option to purchase 440,000 shares of our common stock under our proposed 2022 Stock Option Plan, which will vest pro rata on a monthly basis over a three-year period subject to continued employment through each vesting date.

 

The Leffew Employment Agreement provides that Mr. Leffew will be eligible to participate in all benefit and fringe benefit plans generally made available to our other executive officers. In addition, he is entitled to four weeks of paid vacation per year.

 

The Leffew Employment Agreement provides that it shall continue until terminated (i) by mutual agreement; (ii) due to death or disability of Mr. Leffew; (iii) by Mr. Leffew without good reason upon 90 days written notice to us; (iv) by us for cause (as defined in the Leffew Employment Agreement); (v) by us without cause; or (vi) by Mr. Leffew for good reason (as defined in the Leffew Employment Agreement).

 

Pursuant to the Leffew Employment Agreement, Mr. Leffew is subject to a one-year post-termination non-compete and non-solicit of employees and clients. He is also bound by confidentiality provisions.

 

In the event of a termination by us without cause or a termination by Mr. Leffew for good reason during the first six months following the Effective Date, he will receive a severance payment equal to his monthly base salary as is in effect on the termination date multiplied by three (less applicable tax withholdings), such amounts to be paid out monthly in substantially equal installments over the three month period following such termination in accordance with our normal payroll policies. If Mr. Leffew’s employment is terminated by us without cause or if he resigns for Good Reason after the first six months following the Effective Date, he will receive a severance payment equal to his monthly base salary as is in effect on the termination date multiplied by six (less applicable tax withholdings), such amounts to be paid out monthly in substantially equal installments over the six month period following such termination in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll policies.

 

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The receipt of any termination benefits described above is subject to Mr. Leffew’s execution of a release of claims in favor of the Company, a form of which is attached as an exhibit to the Leffew Employment Agreement.

 

In the event of Mr. Leffew’s termination due to death or disability, Mr. Leffew will receive full vesting for any outstanding, unvested equity awards granted under the 2022 Plan. Mr. Leffew’s outstanding vested stock options will generally remain exercisable no longer than six months following such a termination.

 

Employment Arrangements with Twin Vee

 

As described below, Mr. Visconti, Ms. Gunnerson and Mr. Yarborough each have employment agreements with Twin Vee pursuant to which they provide services to us as an extension of their responsibilities at Twin Vee pursuant to the management agreement between us and Twin Vee. As such, they are bound by the same duty of care and effort to Forza X1 as they are to Twin Vee.

 

Joseph Visconti

 

Employment Agreement

 

Twin Vee entered into a five-year employment agreement with Mr. Visconti (the “Visconti Employment Agreement”) effective upon its initial public offering in July 2021. Under the Visconti Employment Agreement, Mr. Visconti serves as Twin Vee’s President and Chief Executive Officer. He receives an annual base salary of $250,000 and is eligible to receive an annual performance cash bonus with a target amount equal to 100% of his annual base salary, based upon achievement of performance goals established by the compensation committee of Twin Vee’s board of directors. Upon the completion of Twin Vee’s offering in July 2021, Mr. Visconti received a stock option to purchase 272,000 shares of Twin Vee’s common stock under its 2021 Plan, vesting pro rata on a monthly basis over a three-year period subject to continued employment through each vesting date. In addition, upon the completion of this offering, Mr. Visconti will be granted a stock option to purchase 440,000 shares of our common stock under our 2022 Plan, which will vest pro rata on a monthly basis over a three-year period subject to continued employment through each vesting date.

 

The Visconti Employment Agreement provides that Mr. Visconti will be eligible to participate in all benefit and fringe benefit plans generally made available to Twin Vee’s other executive officers. In addition, he is entitled to (i) four weeks of paid vacation per year, (ii) a $2,500 a month car allowance and (iii) the cost of medical insurance for coverage for Mr. Visconti and his family.

 

The Visconti Employment Agreement provides that it shall continue until terminated (i) by mutual agreement; (ii) due to death or disability of Mr. Visconti; (iii) by Mr. Visconti without good reason upon 90 days written notice to us; (iv) by us for cause (as defined in the Visconti Employment Agreement); (v) by Twin Vee without cause; or (vi) by Mr. Visconti for good reason (as defined in the Visconti Employment Agreement).

 

Pursuant to the Visconti Employment Agreement, Mr. Visconti is subject to a one-year post-termination non-compete and non-solicit of employees and clients. He is also bound by confidentiality provisions.

 

In the event of a termination by Twin Vee without cause or a termination by Mr. Visconti for good reason other than in connection with a change in control, Mr. Visconti will receive: an aggregate of twelve months of salary continuation at his then-current base annual salary, paid out in equal installments over a 6 month period; payment of any amount of annual bonus accrued for the year prior to the date of termination; payment of the bonus Mr. Visconti would have received based on the attainment of performance goals had he remained employed through the end of the year of termination, pro-rated based on the number of days in the termination year that Mr. Visconti was employed by Twin Vee (paid when its other senior executives receive payment of their annual bonuses); reimbursement of COBRA premiums for up to twelve months; and full vesting for any outstanding, unvested equity awards granted under the Twin Vee 2021 Plan and our 2022 Plan.. Mr. Visconti’s outstanding vested stock options in Twin Vee and Forza X1 will generally remain exercisable no longer than six months following such a termination.

 

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In the event of a termination by Twin Vee without cause or a resignation by Mr. Visconti for good reason within twelve months following a change in control, Mr. Visconti will receive an aggregate of 18 months of salary continuation at his then-current base annual salary, paid out in equal installments over a twelve month period; payment of any amount of annual bonus accrued for the year prior to the year of termination; payment of a pro-rated target annual bonus for the year of termination based on the number of days in the termination year that Mr. Visconti was employed by Twin Vee; payment of one time his then-current target annual bonus; reimbursement of COBRA premiums for up to 18 months; and full vesting for any outstanding, unvested equity awards granted under the Twin Vee 2021 Plan and our 2022 Plan. Mr. Visconti’s outstanding vested stock options will generally remain exercisable no longer than six months following such a termination.

 

The receipt of any termination benefits described above is subject to Mr. Visconti’s execution of a release of claims in favor of the Company, a form of which is attached as an exhibit to the Visconti Employment Agreement.

 

In the event of Mr. Visconti’s termination due to death or disability, Mr. Visconti will receive full vesting for any outstanding, unvested equity awards granted under Twin Vee’s 2021 Plan and our 2022 Plan. Mr. Visconti’s outstanding vested stock options will generally remain exercisable no longer than six months following such a termination.

 

Preston Yarborough

 

Employment Agreement

 

Twin Vee entered into a five-year employment agreement with Mr. Yarborough (the “Yarborough Employment Agreement”) effective upon its initial public offering in July 2021. Under the Yarborough Employment Agreement, Mr. Yarborough serves as Twin Vee’s Vice President and Director of Product Development. He receives an annual base salary of $160,000 and is eligible to receive an annual performance cash bonus with a target amount equal to 50% of his annual base salary, based upon achievement of performance goals established by the compensation committee of Twin Vee’s board of directors. Upon the completion of Twin Vee’s offering, Mr. Yarborough received a stock option to purchase 136,000 shares of Twin Vee’s common stock under its 2021 Plan, vesting monthly over a three-year period subject to continued employment through each vesting date. In addition, upon the completion of this offering, Mr. Yarborough will be granted a stock option to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock under our 2022 Plan, which will vest monthly over a three-year period subject to continued employment through each vesting date.

 

The Yarborough Employment Agreement provides that Mr. Yarborough would be eligible to participate in all benefit and fringe benefit plans generally made available to Twin Vee’s other executive officers. In addition, he is entitled to (i) four weeks of paid vacation per year, (ii) a $1,000 a month car allowance and (iii) the cost of medical insurance for coverage for Mr. Yarborough and his family.

 

The Yarborough Employment Agreement provides that it shall continue until terminated (i) by mutual agreement; (ii) due to death or disability of Mr. Yarborough; (iii) by Mr. Yarborough without good reason upon 90 days written notice to Twin Vee; (iv) by Twin Vee for cause (as defined in the Yarborough Employment Agreement); (v) by Twin Vee without cause; or (vi) by Mr. Yarborough for good reason (as defined in the Yarborough Employment Agreement).

 

Pursuant to the Yarborough Employment Agreement, Mr. Yarborough is subject to a one-year post-termination non-compete and non-solicit of employees and clients. He is also bound by confidentiality provisions.

 

In the event of a termination by Twin Vee without cause or a termination by Mr. Yarborough for good reason other than in connection with a change in control, Mr. Yarborough will receive: an aggregate of nine months of salary continuation at his then-current base annual salary, paid out in equal installments over a six month period; payment of any amount of annual bonus accrued for the year prior to the date of termination; payment of the bonus Mr. Yarborough would have received based on the attainment of performance goals had he remained employed through the end of the year of termination, pro-rated based on the number of days in the termination year that Mr. Yarborough was employed by Twin Vee (paid when Twin Vee’s other senior executives receive payment of their annual bonuses); reimbursement of COBRA premiums for up to nine months; and full vesting for any outstanding, unvested equity awards granted under the Twin Vee 2021 Plan and our 2022 Plan. Mr. Yarborough’s outstanding vested stock options will generally remain exercisable no longer than six months following such a termination.

 

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In the event of a termination by Twin Vee without cause or a resignation by Mr. Yarborough for good reason within twelve months following a change in control, Mr. Yarborough will receive an aggregate of twelve months of salary continuation at his then-current base annual salary, paid out in equal installments over a twelve month period; payment of any amount of annual bonus accrued for the year prior to the year of termination; payment of a pro-rated target annual bonus for the year of termination based on the number of days in the termination year that Mr. Yarborough was employed by Twin Vee; payment of one time his then-current target annual bonus; reimbursement of COBRA premiums for up to twelve months; and full vesting for any outstanding, unvested equity awards granted under the Twin Vee 2021 Plan and our 2022 Plan.. Mr. Yarborough’s outstanding vested stock options will generally remain exercisable no longer than six months following such a termination.

 

The receipt of any termination benefits described above is subject to Mr. Yarborough’s execution of a release of claims in favor of the Company, a form of which is attached as an exhibit to the Yarborough Employment Agreement.

 

In the event of Mr. Yarborough’s termination due to death or disability, Mr. Yarborough will receive full vesting for any outstanding, unvested equity awards granted under Twin Vee’s 2021 Plan and our 2022 Plan. Mr. Yarborough’s outstanding vested stock options will generally remain exercisable no longer than six months following such a termination.

 

Carrie Gunnerson

 

Employment Agreement

 

Twin Vee entered into a five-year employment agreement with Ms. Gunnerson (the “Gunnerson Employment Agreement”) effective in October 2021. Under the Gunnerson Employment Agreement, Ms. Gunnerson serves as Twin Vee’s Chief Financial Officer. She receives an annual base salary of $175,000 and is eligible to receive an annual performance cash bonus with a target amount equal to 30% of her annual base salary, based upon achievement of performance goals established by the compensation committee of Twin Vee’s board of directors. Ms. Gunnerson also received a stock option to purchase 136,000 shares of Twin Vee’s common stock under its 2021 Plan, vesting monthly over a three-year period subject to continued employment through each vesting date. In addition, upon the completion of this offering, Ms. Gunnerson will be granted a stock option to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock under our 2022 Plan, which will vest monthly over a three-year period subject to continued employment through each vesting date.

 

The Gunnerson Employment Agreement provides that Ms. Gunnerson would be eligible to participate in all benefit and fringe benefit plans generally made available to Twin Vee’s other executive officers. In addition, she is entitled to four weeks of paid vacation per year.

 

The Gunnerson Employment Agreement provides that it shall continue until terminated (i) by mutual agreement; (ii) due to death or disability of Ms. Gunnerson; (iii) by Ms. Gunnerson without good reason upon 90 days written notice to Twin Vee; (iv) by Twin Vee for cause (as defined in the Gunnerson Employment Agreement); (v) by Twin Vee without cause; or (vi) by Ms. Gunnerson for good reason (as defined in the Gunnerson Employment Agreement).

 

Pursuant to the Gunnerson Employment Agreement, Ms. Gunnerson is subject to a one-year post-termination non-compete and non-solicit of employees and clients. She is also bound by confidentiality provisions.

 

In the event of a termination by Twin Vee without cause or a termination by Ms. Gunnerson for good reason during the first six (6) months following the effective date of the Gunnerson Employment Agreement, Ms. Gunnerson will receive an aggregate of three months of salary continuation at her then-current base annual salary, paid out in equal installments over a three-month period. In the event of a termination by Twin Vee without cause or a termination by Ms. Gunnerson for good reason after the first six (6) months following the effective date of the Gunnerson Employment Agreement, Ms. Gunnerson will receive an aggregate of six months of salary continuation at her then-current base annual salary, paid out in equal installments over a six-month period. Ms. Gunnerson’s outstanding vested stock options will generally remain exercisable no longer than six months following such a termination.

 

The receipt of any termination benefits described above is subject to Ms. Gunnerson’s execution of a release of claims in favor of the Company, a form of which is attached as an exhibit to the Gunnerson Employment Agreement.

 

In the event of Ms. Gunnerson’s termination due to death or disability, Ms. Gunnerson will receive full vesting or any outstanding, unvested equity awards granted under Twin Vee’s 2021 Plan and our 2022 Plan. Ms. Gunnerson’s outstanding vested stock options will generally remain exercisable no longer than six months following such a termination.

 

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2022 Stock Incentive Plan

 

We intend to adopt the Forza X1 2022 Stock Incentive Plan, or the 2022 Plan. The 2022 Plan will become effective immediately prior to the closing of the Company’s initial public offering described herein. The principal provisions of the 2022 Plan are summarized below.

 

Administration

 

The 2022 Plan vests broad powers in a committee to administer and interpret the 2022 Plan. Our board of directors has initially designated the compensation committee to administer the 2022 Plan. Except when limited by the terms of the 2022 Plan, the compensation committee has the authority to, among other things: select the persons to be granted awards; determine the type, size and term of awards; establish performance objectives and conditions for earning awards; determine whether such performance objectives and conditions have been met; and accelerate the vesting or exercisability of an award. In its discretion, the compensation committee may delegate all or part of its authority and duties with respect to granting awards to one or more of our officers, subject to certain limitations and provided applicable law so permits.

 

Our board of directors may amend, alter or discontinue the 2022 Plan and the compensation committee may amend any outstanding award at any time; provided, however, that no such amendment or termination may adversely affect awards then outstanding without the holder’s permission. In addition, any amendments seeking to increase the total number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2022 Plan or modifying the classes of participants eligible to receive awards under the 2022 Plan will require ratification by our stockholders in accordance with applicable law. Additionally, as described more fully below, neither the compensation committee nor the board of directors is permitted to reprice outstanding options or stock appreciation rights without shareholder consent.

 

Eligibility

 

Any of our employees, directors, consultants, and other service providers, or those of our affiliates, are eligible to participate in the 2022 Plan and may be selected by the compensation committee to receive an award.

 

Vesting

 

The compensation committee determines the vesting conditions for awards. These conditions may include the continued employment or service of the participant, the attainment of specific individual or corporate performance goals, or other factors as determined in the compensation committee’s discretion (collectively, “Vesting Conditions”).

 

Shares of Stock Available for Issuance

 

Subject to certain adjustments, the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2022 Plan in connection with awards is 1,000,000 shares. We will issue options to purchase an aggregate of 492,500 shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering. In addition, the maximum number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2022 Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each calendar year for a period of ten years commencing on January 1, 2023 and ending on (and including) January 1, 2032, in a number of shares of common stock equal to 4.5% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year; provided, however that the board of directors may act prior to January 1 of a given calendar year to provide that the increase for such year will be a lesser number of shares of common stock. All available shares may be utilized toward the grant of any type of award under the 2022 Plan. The 2022 Plan imposes a $250,000 limitation on the total grant date fair value of awards granted to any non-employee director in his or her capacity as a non-employee director in any single calendar year.

 

In the event of any merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, split up, spin-off, combination of shares, exchange of shares, stock dividend, dividend in kind, or other like change in capital structure (other than ordinary cash dividends), or other similar corporate event or transaction that affects our common stock, the compensation committee shall make adjustments to the number and kind of shares authorized by the 2022 Plan and covered under outstanding 2022 Plan awards as it determines appropriate and equitable.

 

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Shares subject to 2022 Plan awards that expire without being fully exercised or that are otherwise forfeited, cancelled or terminated may again be made available for issuance under the 2022 Plan. However, shares withheld in settlement of a tax withholding obligation, or in satisfaction of the exercise price payable upon exercise of an option, will not again become available for issuance under the 2022 Plan.

 

Types of Awards

 

The following types of awards may be granted to participants under the 2022 Plan: (i) incentive stock options, or ISOs; (ii) nonqualified stock options, or NQOs and together with ISOs, options, (iii) stock appreciation rights, (iv) restricted stock, or (v) restricted stock units.

 

Stock Options. An option entitles the holder to purchase from us a stated number of shares of common stock. An ISO may only be granted to an employee of ours or our eligible affiliates. The compensation committee will specify the number of shares of common stock subject to each option and the exercise price for such option, provided that the exercise price may not be less than the fair market value of a share of common stock on the date the option is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if ISOs are granted to any 10% stockholder, the exercise price shall not be less than 110% of the fair market value of common stock on the date the option is granted.

 

Generally, options may be exercised in whole or in part through a cash payment. The compensation committee may, in its sole discretion, permit payment of the exercise price of an option in the form of previously acquired shares based on the fair market value of the shares on the date the option is exercised, through means of  “net settlement,” which involves the cancellation of a portion of the option to cover the cost of exercising the balance of the option or by such other means as it deems acceptable.

 

All options shall be or become exercisable in accordance with the terms of the applicable award agreement. The maximum term of an option shall be determined by the compensation committee on the date of grant but shall not exceed 10 years (5 years in the case of ISOs granted to any 10% stockholder). In the case of ISOs, the aggregate fair market value (determined as of the date of grant) of common stock with respect to which such ISOs become exercisable for the first time during any calendar year cannot exceed $100,000. ISOs granted in excess of this limitation will be treated as non-qualified stock options.

 

Stock Appreciation Rights. A stock appreciation right represents the right to receive, upon exercise, any appreciation in a share of common stock over a particular time period. The base price of a stock appreciation right shall not be less than the fair market value of a share of common stock on the date the stock appreciation right is granted. This award is intended to mirror the benefit the participant would have received if the compensation committee had granted the participant an option. The maximum term of a stock appreciation right shall be determined by the compensation committee on the date of grant but shall not exceed 10 years. Distributions with respect to stock appreciation rights may be made in cash, shares of common stock, or a combination of both, at the compensation committee’s discretion.

 

Unless otherwise provided in an award agreement or determined by the compensation committee, if a participant terminates employment with us (or our affiliates) due to death or disability, the participant’s unexercised options and stock appreciation rights may be exercised, to the extent they were exercisable on the termination date, for a period of twelve months from the termination date or until the expiration of the original award term, whichever period is shorter. If the participant terminates employment with us (or our affiliates) for cause, (i) all unexercised options and stock appreciation rights (whether vested or unvested) shall terminate and be forfeited on the termination date, and (ii) any shares in respect of exercised options or stock appreciation rights for which we have not yet delivered share certificates will be forfeited and we will refund to the participant the option exercise price paid for those shares, if any. If the participant’s employment terminates for any other reason, any vested but unexercised options and stock appreciation rights may be exercised by the participant, to the extent exercisable at the time of termination, for a period of ninety days from the termination date (or such time as specified by the compensation committee at or after grant) or until the expiration of the original option or stock appreciation right term, whichever period is shorter. Unless otherwise provided by the compensation committee, any options and stock appreciation rights that are not exercisable at the time of termination of employment shall terminate and be forfeited on the termination date.

 

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Restricted Stock. A restricted stock award is a grant of shares of common stock, which are subject to forfeiture restrictions during a restriction period. The compensation committee will determine the price, if any, to be paid by the participant for each share of common stock subject to a restricted stock award. The restricted stock may be subject to Vesting Conditions. If the specified Vesting Conditions are not attained, the participant will forfeit the portion of the restricted stock award with respect to which those conditions are not attained, and the underlying common stock will be forfeited to us. At the end of the restriction period, if the Vesting Conditions have been satisfied, the restrictions imposed will lapse with respect to the applicable number of shares. Unless otherwise provided in an award agreement or determined by the compensation committee, upon termination a participant will forfeit all restricted stock that then remains subject to forfeiture restrictions.

 

Restricted Stock Units. Restricted stock units are granted in reference to a specified number of shares of common stock and entitle the holder to receive, on the achievement of applicable Vesting Conditions, shares of common stock. Unless otherwise provided in an award agreement or determined by the Compensation committee, upon termination a participant will forfeit all restricted stock units that then remain subject to forfeiture.

 

Change in Control

 

In the event of a change in control, the compensation committee may, on a participant-by-participant basis: (i) cause any or all outstanding awards to become vested and immediately exercisable (as applicable), in whole or in part; (ii) cause any outstanding option or stock appreciation right to become fully vested and immediately exercisable for a reasonable period in advance of the change in control and, to the extent not exercised prior to that change in control, cancel that option or stock appreciation right upon closing of the change in control; (iii) cancel any unvested award or unvested portion thereof, with or without consideration; (iv) cancel any award in exchange for a substitute award; (v) redeem any restricted stock or restricted stock unit for cash and/or other substitute consideration with value equal to the fair market value of an unrestricted share on the date of the change in control; (vi) cancel any outstanding option or stock appreciation right with respect to all common stock for which the award remains unexercised in exchange for a cash payment equal to the excess (if any) of the fair market value of the common stock subject to the option or stock appreciation right over the exercise price of the option or stock appreciation right; (vii) impose vesting terms on cash or substitute consideration payable upon cancellation of an award that are substantially similar to those that applied to the cancelled award immediately prior to the change in control, and/or earn-out, escrow, holdback or similar arrangements, to the extent such arrangements are applicable to any consideration paid to stockholders in connection with the change in control; (viii) take such other action as the compensation committee shall determine to be reasonable under the circumstances; and/or (ix) in the case of any award subject to Section 409A of the Code, the compensation committee shall only be permitted to use discretion to alter the settlement timing of the award to the extent that such discretion would be permitted under Section 409A of the Code.

 

Repricing

 

Neither our board of directors nor the compensation committee may, without obtaining prior approval of our stockholders: (i) implement any cancellation/re-grant program pursuant to which outstanding options or stock appreciation rights under the 2022 Plan are cancelled and new options or stock appreciation rights are granted in replacement with a lower exercise per share; (ii) cancel outstanding options or stock appreciation rights under the 2022 Plan with an exercise price per share in excess of the then current fair market value per share for consideration payable in our equity securities; or (iii) otherwise directly reduce the exercise price in effect for outstanding options or stock appreciation rights under the 2022 Plan.

 

Miscellaneous

 

Generally, awards granted under the 2022 Plan shall be nontransferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. No participant shall have any rights as a stockholder with respect to shares covered by options or restricted stock units, unless and until such awards are settled in shares of common stock. The Company’s obligation to issue shares or to otherwise make payments in respect of 2022 Plan awards will be conditioned on the Company’s ability to do so in compliance with all applicable laws and exchange listing requirements. The awards will be subject to our recoupment and stock ownership policies, as may be in effect from time to time. The 2022 Plan will expire 10 years after it becomes effective.

 

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Grants Contingent on Effectiveness of the Offering

 

The Company will grant stock options to purchase 440,000 shares of our common stock to Mr. Visconti, stock options to purchase 440,000 shares of our common stock to Mr. Leffew, stock options to purchase 100,000 shares of our common stock to Ms. Gunnerson, and stock options to purchase 100,000 shares of our common stock to Mr. Yarborough under our 2022 Stock Incentive Plan upon the closing this offering, as described in the section titled “Employment Arrangements with Our Named Executive Officers” above. In addition, upon the initial public offering, all non-employee directors will receive initial grants of non-qualified stock options under the 2022 Plan, as described in the section entitled “Equity Compensation” above. All of the benefits that will be awarded or paid under the 2022 Plan are at the discretion of the compensation committee of the board of directors and except for the stock option awards noted above, no other awards have been approved under the 2022 Plan.

 

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

Each of the related party transactions described below was negotiated on an arm’s length basis. We believe that the terms of such agreements are as favorable as those we could have obtained from parties not related to us. The following are summaries of certain provisions of our related party agreements and are qualified in their entirety by reference to all of the provisions of such agreements. Because these descriptions are only summaries of the applicable agreements, they do not necessarily contain all of the information that you may find useful. We therefore urge you to review the agreements in their entirety. Copies of the forms of the agreements have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and are available electronically on the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov.

 

In addition to the compensation arrangements, including employment, termination of employment and change in control arrangements, with our directors and executive officers, including those discussed in the sections titled “Management” and “Executive Compensation,” the following is a description of each transaction since January 1, 2019 or any currently proposed transaction in which:

 

we have been or are to be a party to;
     
the amount involved exceeded or exceeds $120,000 or 1% of the average of our total assets as of the end of the last two completed fiscal years; and
     
any of our directors, executive officers or holders of more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock, or any immediate family member of, or person sharing the household with, any of these individuals or entities, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.

 

For information on our compensation arrangements, including employment, termination of employment and change in control arrangements, with our directors and executive officers, see the sections titled “Management” and “Executive Compensation.”

 

On November 30, 2021, we had $556,174 due to our parent company, Twin Vee. Our parent company funded our working capital needs, primarily for prototyping, consulting services and payroll, prior to their $2,000,000 investment.

 

During the eleven-month period ended November 30, 2021, we recorded management fees of $10,000; paid to Twin Vee pursuant to a management agreement, dated October 1, 2021, with it for various management services. The agreement provides for a monthly $5,000 management fee, has a term of one year and will expire on September 30, 2022. The management services include human resources, accounting services, investor relations, shareholder relations, consultation during the initial public offering process and review of the assets owned and operated by us.

 

While our corporate headquarters is located at our parent company’s premises, we do not pay rent or have a lease. All of our employees and consultants work remotely, and our use of our parent’s location is immaterial.

 

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Indemnification Agreements

 

We intend to enter, into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers, in addition to the indemnification that will be provided for in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. The indemnification agreements and our amended restated certificate of incorporation and bylaws that will be in effect upon the completion of this offering require us to indemnify our directors, executive officers and certain controlling persons to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. See the section titled “Description of Capital Stock--Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors” for additional information.

 

Our Policy Regarding Related Party Transactions

 

Our board of directors recognizes the fact that transactions with related persons present a heightened risk of conflicts of interest and/or improper valuation (or the perception thereof). Prior to the closing of this offering, our board of directors will adopt a written policy on transactions with related persons that is in conformity with the requirements for issuers having publicly held common stock that is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Under the new policy:

 

  any related person transaction, and any material amendment or modification to a related person transaction, must be reviewed and approved or ratified by the Audit Committee; and
     
  any employment relationship or transaction involving an executive officer and any related compensation must be approved by the compensation committee of the board of directors or recommended by the compensation committee to the board of directors for its approval.

 

In connection with the review and approval or ratification of a related person transaction:

 

  management must disclose to the committee or disinterested directors, as applicable, the name of the related person and the basis on which the person is a related person, the material terms of the related person transaction, including the approximate dollar value of the amount involved in the transaction, and all the material facts as to the related person’s direct or indirect interest in, or relationship to, the related person transaction;
     
  management must advise the committee or disinterested directors, as applicable, as to whether the related person transaction complies with the terms of our agreements governing our material outstanding indebtedness that limit or restrict our ability to enter into a related person transaction;
     
  management must advise the committee or disinterested directors, as applicable, as to whether the related person transaction will be required to be disclosed in our applicable filings under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, and related rules, and, to the extent required to be disclosed, management must ensure that the related person transaction is disclosed in accordance with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and related rules; and
     
  management must advise the committee or disinterested directors, as applicable, as to whether the related person transaction constitutes a “personal loan” for purposes of Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

 

In addition, the related person transaction policy provides that the committee or disinterested directors, as applicable, in connection with any approval or ratification of a related person transaction involving a non-employee director, should consider whether such transaction would compromise the director’s status as an “independent,” “outside,” or “non-employee” director, as applicable, under the rules and regulations of the SEC, the Nasdaq Stock Market, and the Code.

 

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PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

 

The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of December , 2021, by:

 

  each person, or group of affiliated persons, who is known by us to beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock;

 

  each of the named executive officers;

 

  each of our directors; and

 

  all of our current executive officers and directors as a group.

 

We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and thus it represents sole or shared voting or investment power with respect to our securities. Unless otherwise indicated below, to our knowledge, the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to all shares that they beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable. The information does not necessarily indicate beneficial ownership for any other purpose, including for purposes of Sections 13(d) and 13(g) of the Exchange Act.

 

We have based our calculation of the percentage of beneficial ownership prior to this offering on shares of our common stock outstanding as of December , 2021. We have based our calculation of the percentage of beneficial ownership after this offering on shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after the completion of this offering, assuming no exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares and based on an assumed initial public offering price of $            per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. We have deemed shares of our common stock subject to stock options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of December , 2021, to be outstanding and to be beneficially owned by the person holding the stock option for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of that person. We did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o Forza X1, Inc., 3101 S. US-1 Ft. Pierce, Florida 34982.

 

    Shares Beneficially Owned   Shares Beneficially Owned
    Prior to this Offering   After this Offering
Name of Beneficial Owner   Shares   Percentage   Shares   Percentage
Named Executive Officers and Directors                                
Joseph Visconti (1)     2,083,636       32.1 %               %
Carrie Gunnerson                            
Jim Leffew                            
Neil Ross                                
Preston Yarborough                            
Bard Rockenbach                            
Kevin Schuyler                              
Steven Shallcross                              
All executive officers and directors as a group (8 persons)     2,083,636       32.1 %                
5% Stockholders                                
Twin Vee Powercats Co. and Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc.(1)     6,500,000       100 %               %

 

 

* Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent.

 

(1) Joseph Visconti is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of our parent company, Twin Vee Powercats Co., and is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of, Twin Vee PowerCats, Inc., the parent company of Twin Vee Powercats Co. These shares are owned directly by Twin Vee Powercats Co., which is a majority owned subsidiary of Twin Vee Powercats, Inc. Mr. Visconti owns 56.14% of the outstanding stock of Twin Vee Powercats, Inc. and Twin Vee Powercats, Inc. owns 57.1% of the outstanding stock of Twin Vee Powercats Co. Twin Vee Powercats Co. is the owner of 6,500,000 shares of common stock, which prior to this offering represents all of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a controlling shareholder of Twin Vee Powercats Co., Mr. Visconti is deemed to have control over the shares of common stock of our company owned by Twin Vee Powercats Co. Mr. Visconti disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

 

The following description of our capital stock and the provisions of our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws are summaries and are qualified by reference to the certificate of incorporation and the bylaws that will be in effect upon the closing of this offering. We have filed copies of these documents with the SEC as exhibits to our registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The descriptions of the common stock and preferred stock reflect changes to our capital structure that will occur prior to and upon the closing of this offering.

 

General

 

Upon the closing of this offering, our authorized capital stock will consist of:

 

  25,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share; and
  5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.

 

We are selling shares of common stock in this offering based on an assumed initial public offering price of $           per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. All of our common stock outstanding upon consummation of this offering will be fully paid and non-assessable.

 

The following description of our capital stock and provisions of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws are summaries and are qualified by reference to the certificate of incorporation and by-laws. We urge you to read our certificate and our by-laws, as in effect immediately following the closing of this offering, which are included as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Certain provisions of our certificate and our by-laws summarized below may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may delay or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of common stock.

 

Common Stock

 

Holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held of record on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Except as otherwise provided in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or as required by law, all matters to be voted on by our stockholders other than matters relating to the election and removal of directors must be approved by a majority of the shares present in person or by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter or by a written resolution of the stockholders representing the number of affirmative votes required for such matter at a meeting. The holders of our common stock do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors.

 

Holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends when and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor, subject to any statutory or contractual restrictions on the payment of dividends and to any restrictions on the payment of dividends imposed by the terms of any outstanding preferred stock.

 

Upon our dissolution or liquidation or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, after payment in full of all amounts required to be paid to creditors and subject to any rights of preferred stockholders, the holders of shares of our common stock will be entitled to receive pro rata our remaining assets available for distribution.

 

Holders of shares of our common stock do not have preemptive, subscription, redemption, or conversion rights. There will be no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.

 

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Preferred Stock

 

Our Board of Directors has the authority, without action by our stockholders, to designate and issue up to 10 million shares of preferred stock in one or more series or classes and to designate the rights, preferences and privileges of each series or class, which may be greater than the rights of our common stock. There are no shares of preferred stock designated or outstanding. It is not possible to state the actual effect of the issuance of any shares of preferred stock upon the rights of holders of our common stock until our Board of Directors determines the specific rights of the holders of the preferred stock. However, the effects might include:

 

  restricting dividends on our common stock;
  diluting the voting power of our common stock;
  impairing liquidation rights of our common stock; or
  delaying or preventing a change in control of us without further action by our stockholders.

 

The Board of Directors’ authority to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval could make it more difficult for a third-party to acquire control of our company and could discourage such attempt. We have no present plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.

 

Forum Selection

 

Our certificate of incorporation provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us, any director or our officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our certificate of incorporation or our by-laws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us, any director or our officers or employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except, as to each of clauses (i) through (iv) above, for any claim as to which the Court of Chancery determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten (10) days following such determination), which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction. The certificate of incorporation further provides that the choice of the Court of Chancery as the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation does not apply to suits to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the Exchange Act.

 

Anti-Takeover Provisions

 

Our certificate of incorporation and by-laws contain provisions that may delay, defer, or discourage another party from acquiring control of us. We expect that these provisions, which are summarized below, will discourage coercive takeover practices or inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors, which we believe may result in an improvement of the terms of any such acquisition in favor of our stockholders. However, they also give our board of directors the power to discourage acquisitions that some stockholders may favor.

 

Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. We are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Subject to certain exceptions, Section 203 prevents a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with any “interested stockholder” for three years following the date that the person became an interested stockholder, unless the interested stockholder attained such status with the approval of our board of directors or unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes, among other things, a merger or consolidation involving us and the “interested stockholder” and the sale of more than 10% of our assets. In general, an “interested stockholder” is any entity or person beneficially owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock and any entity or person affiliated with or controlling or controlled by such entity or person.

 

Classified Board of Directors. Our certificate divides our board of directors into staggered three-year terms. In addition, our certificate and our by-laws provide that directors may be removed only for cause. Under our certificate and by-laws, any vacancy on our board of directors, including a vacancy resulting from an enlargement of our board of directors, may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the board of directors. The classification of our board of directors and the limitations on the ability of our stockholders to remove directors and fill vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of us.

 

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Authorized but Unissued Shares. The authorized but unissued shares of our common stock are available for future issuance without stockholder approval, subject to any limitations imposed by the listing standards of the Nasdaq Stock Market. These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate finance transactions, acquisitions, and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock could make it more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger, or otherwise.

 

Stockholder Action by Written Consent. Our certificate and our by-laws provide that any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders at an annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders may only be taken if it is properly brought before such meeting and may be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting only if the action to be effected by such written consent and the taking of such action by such written consent have been previously approved by the board of directors.

 

Special Meetings of Stockholders. Our by-laws also provide that, except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of the stockholders may only be called by our board of directors.

 

Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations. In addition, our by-laws establish an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, including proposed nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors. In order for any matter to be “properly brought” before a meeting, a stockholder will have to comply with advance notice and duration of ownership requirements and provide us with certain information. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of our board of directors or by a qualified stockholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to our secretary of the stockholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting. These provisions could have the effect of delaying stockholder actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities until the next stockholder meeting.

 

Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation or By-laws. The Delaware General Corporation Law provides generally that the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares entitled to vote on any matter is required to amend a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or by-laws, unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or by-laws, as the case may be, requires a greater percentage. Upon completion of this offering, our bylaws may be amended or repealed by a majority vote of our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the votes which all our stockholders would be eligible to cast in an election of directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the votes which all our stockholders would be eligible to cast in an election of directors will be required to amend or repeal or to adopt any provisions inconsistent with any of the provisions of our certificate described in the prior three paragraphs.

 

Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Officers and Directors

 

Our certificate and by-laws provide indemnification for our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law. Prior to the completion of this offering, we intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our directors that may, in some cases, be broader than the specific indemnification provisions contained under Delaware law. In addition, as permitted by Delaware law, our certificate includes provisions that eliminate the personal liability of our directors for monetary damages resulting from breaches of certain fiduciary duties as a director. The effect of these provisions is to restrict our rights and the rights of our stockholders in derivative suits to recover monetary damages against a director for breach of fiduciary duties as a director, except that a director will be personally liable for:

 

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  any breach of his duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders;
  acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
  any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit; or
  improper distributions to stockholders.

  

These limitations of liability do not apply to liabilities arising under the federal or state securities laws and do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as injunctive relief or rescission.

 

Our bylaws provide that we will indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law, and may indemnify employees and other agents. Our bylaws also provide that we are obligated to advance expenses incurred by a director or officer in advance of the final disposition of any action or proceeding.

 

We plan to enter into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and officers. These agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify our directors and officers for any and all expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees) judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such directors or officers or on his or her behalf in connection with any action or proceeding arising out of their services as one of our directors or officers, or any of our subsidiaries or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request provided that such person follows the procedures for determining entitlement to indemnification and advancement of expenses set forth in the indemnification agreement. We believe that these bylaw provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.

 

The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might provide a benefit to us and our stockholders. Our results of operations and financial condition may be harmed to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

At present, there is no pending litigation or proceeding involving any of our directors or officers as to which indemnification is required or permitted, and we are not aware of any threatened litigation or proceeding that may result in a claim for indemnification.

 

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Dissenters’ Rights of Appraisal and Payment

 

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, with certain exceptions, our stockholders will have appraisal rights in connection with a merger or consolidation of Forza X1, Inc. Pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, stockholders who properly request and perfect appraisal rights in connection with such merger or consolidation will have the right to receive payment of the fair value of their shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery.

 

Stockholders’ Derivative Actions

 

Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, any of our stockholders may bring an action in our name to procure a judgment in our favor, also known as a derivative action, provided that the stockholder bringing the action is a holder of our shares at the time of the transaction to which the action relates or such stockholder’s stock thereafter devolved by operation of law.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Interwest Transfer Company, Inc.

 

Trading Symbol and Market

 

We intend to apply to list our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “FRZA.”

 

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

 

If our stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock, including shares issued upon the exercise of outstanding options or warrants, in the public market following the offering, the market price of our common stock could decline. These sales also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity related securities in the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate.

 

Upon completion of the offering, we will have outstanding an aggregate of shares of our common stock, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares and no exercise of outstanding options based on an assumed initial public offering price of $ per share, which is the midpoint of the estimated offering price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. Of these shares, all of the shares sold in the offering will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act, unless the shares are purchased by “affiliates” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act.

 

Upon consummation of this offering, our existing stockholders will hold shares of common stock. The shares of common stock will be “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144 unless we register such issuances. Pre-IPO shares are subject to a lock-up agreement and will not be distributed or transferred for a period of six months from the date of closing.

 

Rule 144

 

In general, under Rule 144 as in effect on the date of this prospectus, beginning 90 days after the completion of this offering, a person (or persons whose shares are required to be aggregated) who is an affiliate and who has beneficially owned our shares for at least six months is entitled to sell in any three-month period a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of:

 

  1% of the number of shares of common stock then outstanding, which will equal approximately shares of common stock immediately after completion of this offering; or
  the average weekly trading volume in our shares on the applicable stock exchange during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to such a sale.

 

Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also subject to manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us. An “affiliate” is a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with an issuer.

 

Under Rule 144, a person (or persons whose shares are aggregated) who is not deemed to have been an affiliate of ours at any time during the 90 days preceding a sale, and who has beneficially owned the shares of common stock proposed to be sold for at least six months (including the holding period of any prior owner other than an affiliate), would be entitled to sell those shares subject only to availability of current public information about us, and after beneficially owning such shares for at least 12 months (including the holding period of any prior owner other than an affiliate), would be entitled to sell an unlimited number of such shares without restriction. To the extent that our affiliates sell their shares, other than pursuant to Rule 144 or a registration statement, the purchaser’s holding period for the purpose of affecting a sale under Rule 144 commences on the date of transfer from the affiliate.

 

Lock-Up Agreements

 

Pursuant to “lock-up” agreements, we, our executive officers and directors, and our sole stockholder prior to completion of this offering, have agreed, without the prior written consent of the representative not to directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of any of shares of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the transfer or disposition by any person at any time in the future of) our common stock, enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of our common stock, make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any shares of common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock or any other securities of ours or publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, subject to customary exceptions, for a period of one year and six months in case of our sole stockholder after the date of this prospectus in the case of our directors, executive officers, and our sole stockholder, and six months with respect to us.

 

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Equity Awards

 

In general, under Rule 701 of the Securities Act as currently in effect, any of our employees, consultants, or advisors who purchase shares of our common stock from us in connection with a compensatory stock or option plan or other written agreement is eligible to resell those shares 90 days after the effective date of the offering in reliance on Rule 144, but without compliance with some of the restrictions, including the holding period, contained in Rule 144.

 

Following the offering, we intend to file a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act covering approximately                     shares of common stock issued or issuable upon the exercise of stock options, subject to outstanding options or reserved for issuance under our employee and director stock benefit plans. Accordingly, shares registered under the registration statement will, subject to Rule 144 provisions applicable to affiliates, be available for sale in the open market, except to the extent that the shares are subject to vesting restrictions or the contractual restrictions described above.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-U.S. HOLDERS OF OUR COMMON STOCK

 

The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our common stock acquired in this offering by a “non-U.S. holder” (as defined below), but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all the potential tax considerations relating thereto. This summary is based upon the provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative rulings and judicial decisions, all as of the date hereof. These authorities may be changed, possibly retroactively, so as to result in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those set forth below. We have not sought, and do not intend to seek, any ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, with respect to the statements made and the conclusions reached in the following summary, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with such statements and conclusions.

 

This summary also does not address the tax considerations arising under the laws of any state or local or non-U.S. jurisdiction or under U.S. federal gift and estate tax rules, or rising out of other non-income tax rules, except to the limited extent set forth below. In addition, this discussion does not address tax considerations applicable to an investor’s particular circumstances or to investors that may be subject to special tax rules, including, without limitation:

 

  banks, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts or other financial institutions;
     
  persons subject to the alternative minimum tax or the tax on net investment income;
     
  persons subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of any item of gross income with respect to our common stock being taken into account in an applicable financial statement;
     
  tax-exempt organizations or governmental organizations;
     
  pension plans and tax-qualified retirement plans;
     
  controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax;
     
  partnerships or other entities or arrangements treated as partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes (and investors therein);
     
  brokers or dealers in securities or currencies;
     
  traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings;
     
  persons that own, or are deemed to own, more than five percent of our capital stock (except to the extent specifically set forth below);
     
  certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;
     
  persons who hold our common stock as a position in a hedging transaction, “straddle,” “conversion transaction” or other risk reduction transaction or integrated investment;
     
  persons who hold or receive our common stock pursuant to the exercise of any option or otherwise as compensation;
     
  persons who do not hold our common stock as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment); and
     
  persons deemed to sell our common stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code.

 

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In addition, if a partnership, entity or arrangement classified as a partnership or flow-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner generally will depend on the status of the partner and upon the activities of the partnership or other entity. A partner in a partnership or other such entity that will hold our common stock should consult his, her or its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our common stock through a partnership or other such entity, as applicable.

 

This summary is for informational purposes only and is not tax advice. Each non-U.S. holder is urged to consult its own tax advisor with respect to the application of the U.S. federal income tax laws to its particular situation, as well as any tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our common stock arising under the U.S. federal gift or estate tax rules or under the laws of any state, local, non-U.S. or other taxing jurisdiction or under any applicable tax treaty.

 

Non-U.S. Holder Defined

 

For purposes of this discussion, a “non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of our common stock that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is neither a “U.S. person” nor an entity (or arrangement) treated as a partnership. A “U.S. person” is any person that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is or is treated as any of the following:

 

  an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
     
  a corporation or other entity taxable as a corporation created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof, or otherwise treated as such for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
     
  an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or
     
  a trust (x) whose administration is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and that has one or more U.S. persons who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (y) that has made a valid election under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

Distributions

 

As described in the section titled “Dividend Policy,” we have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not anticipate paying any dividends on our common stock following the completion of this offering. However, if we do make distributions of cash or property on our common stock to non-U.S. holders, such distributions will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. To the extent those distributions exceed both our current and our accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will first constitute a return of capital and will reduce each non-U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in our common stock, but not below zero. Any additional excess will then be treated as capital gain from the sale of stock, as discussed under “Gain on Disposition of Common Stock.”

 

Subject to the discussions below on effectively connected income, and backup withholding and Compliance Act, or FATCA, withholding, any dividend paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax either at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividend or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such non-U.S. holder’s country of residence. In order to receive a reduced treaty rate, such non-U.S. holder must provide the applicable withholding agent with an IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E or other appropriate version of IRS Form W-8 certifying qualification for the reduced treaty rate. A non-U.S. holder of shares of our common stock eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. If such non-U.S. holder holds our common stock through a financial institution or other agent acting on the non-U.S. holder’s behalf, the non-U.S. holder will be required to provide appropriate documentation to such agent, which then will be required to provide certification to the applicable withholding agent, either directly or through other intermediaries. Each non-U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under any applicable income tax treaty.

 

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Dividends received by a non-U.S. holder that are treated as effectively connected with such non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business within the United States (and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, such non-U.S. holder maintains a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States to which such dividends are attributable) are generally exempt from the 30% U.S. federal withholding tax, subject to the discussion below on backup withholding and FATCA withholding. To claim this exemption, a non-U.S. holder must provide the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI or other applicable IRS Form W-8 properly certifying such exemption. Such effectively connected dividends, although not subject to U.S. federal withholding tax, are taxed at the same graduated rates applicable to U.S. persons, net of certain deductions and credits, subject to an applicable income tax treaty providing otherwise. In addition, if a non-U.S. holder is a corporation, dividends such non-U.S. holder receives that are effectively connected with its conduct of a U.S. trade or business may also be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such non-U.S. holder’s country of residence. Each non-U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our common stock, including any applicable tax treaties that may provide for different rules.

 

Gain on Disposition of Common Stock

 

Subject to the discussion below regarding backup withholding and FATCA withholding, a non-U.S. holder generally will not be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other disposition of our common stock unless:

 

  the gain is effectively connected with such non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business (and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, such non-U.S. holder maintains a permanent establishment or fixed base in the United States to which such gain is attributable);
     
  such non-U.S. holder is an individual who is present in the United States for an aggregate 183 days or more during the taxable year in which the sale or disposition occurs and certain other conditions are met; or
     
  our common stock constitutes a United States real property interest, or USRPI, by reason of our status as a “United States real property holding corporation,” or USRPHC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

We believe that we are not currently and will not become a USRPHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the remainder of this discussion so assumes. However, because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends on the fair market value of our U.S. real property interests relative to the fair market value of our U.S. and worldwide real property interests plus our other business assets, there can be no assurance that we will not become a USRPHC in the future. Even if we become a USRPHC, however, as long as our common stock is regularly traded on an established securities market, your common stock will be treated as U.S. real property interests only if you actually (directly or indirectly) or constructively hold more than 5% of such regularly traded common stock at any time during the shorter of the five-year period preceding your disposition of, or your holding period for, our common stock.

 

A non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet above will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on the gain derived from the sale (net of certain deductions and credits) under regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates. Such a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation may be subject to the branch profits tax at a 30% rate on a portion of its effectively connected earnings and profits for the taxable year that are attributable to such gain, as adjusted for certain items. A lower rate may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty.

 

A non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet above will be subject to tax at 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the gain derived from the sale, which gain may be offset by U.S. source capital losses of such non-U.S. holder for the taxable year, provided such non-U.S. holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses.

 

Each non-U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding any applicable income tax or other treaties that may provide for different rules.

 

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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

 

Generally, we or an applicable withholding agent must report annually to the IRS the amount of dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder, such non-U.S. holder’s name and address, and the amount of tax withheld, if any. A similar report is sent to such non-U.S. holder. Pursuant to any applicable income tax treaty or other agreement, the IRS may make such report available to the tax authority in such non-U.S. holder’s country of residence.

 

Dividends paid by us (or our paying agent) to a non-U.S. holder may also be subject to backup withholding at a current rate of 24%.

 

Such information reporting and backup withholding requirements may be avoided, however, if such non-U.S. holder establishes an exemption by providing a properly executed, and applicable, IRS Form W-8, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, such information reporting and backup withholding requirements will not apply to a non-U.S. holder where the transaction is effected outside the United States, through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker. Notwithstanding the foregoing, backup withholding and information reporting may apply, however, if the applicable withholding agent has actual knowledge, or reason to know, that such non-U.S. holder is a U.S. person.

 

Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund or credit may generally be obtained from the IRS, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.

 

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)

 

Sections 1471 to 1474 of the Code, Treasury Regulations issued thereunder and related official IRS guidance, commonly referred to as FATCA, generally impose a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% on dividends on our common stock paid to a “foreign financial institution” (as defined under FATCA, and which may include banks, traditional financial institutions, investment funds, and certain holding companies), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury to, among other things, identify accounts held by certain “specified United States persons” or “United States-owned foreign entities” (each as defined under FATCA), report annually substantial information about such accounts, and withhold on certain payments to non-compliant foreign financial institutions and certain other account holders. FATCA also generally imposes a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% on dividends on our common stock paid to a “non-financial foreign entity” (as specially defined under FATCA), unless such entity provides identifying information regarding each direct or indirect “substantial United States owners” (as defined under FATCA), certifies that it does not have any substantial United States owners, or otherwise establishes an exemption. Accordingly, the institution or entity through which our common stock is held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required.

 

The withholding obligations under FATCA generally apply to dividends on our common stock. Such withholding will apply regardless of whether the beneficial owner of the payment otherwise would be exempt from withholding pursuant to an applicable tax treaty with the United States, the Code, or other exemptions described above. Under certain circumstances, a non-U.S. holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes.

 

Under proposed regulations, FATCA withholding on payments of gross proceeds has been eliminated. These proposed regulations are subject to change.

 

An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this section. Prospective investors are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the application of FATCA withholding to their investment in, and ownership and disposition of, our common stock.

 

The preceding discussion of U.S. federal tax considerations is for general information only. It is not tax advice to investors in their particular circumstances. Each prospective investor should consult its own tax advisor regarding the particular U.S. federal, state and local and non-U.S. tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of our common stock, including the consequences of any proposed change in applicable laws.

 

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UNDERWRITING

 

ThinkEquity LLC is acting as representative of the underwriters. Subject to the terms and conditions of an underwriting agreement between us and the representative, we have agreed to sell to each underwriter named below, and each underwriter named below has severally agreed to purchase, at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, the number of shares of common stock listed next to its name in the following table:

 

Underwriters   Number of
Shares
 
ThinkEquity LLC      
Total      

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to pay for and accept delivery of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus are subject to various conditions and representations and warranties, including the approval of certain legal matters by their counsel and other conditions specified in the underwriting agreement. The shares of common stock are offered by the underwriters, subject to prior sale, when, as and if issued to and accepted by them. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify the offer to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part. The underwriters are obligated to take and pay for all of the shares of common stock offered by this prospectus if any such shares of common stock are taken, other than those shares of common stock covered by the over-allotment option described below.

 

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect thereof.

 

Over-Allotment Option

 

We have granted a 45-day option to the representative of the underwriters to purchase up to additional shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $ per share, solely to cover over-allotments, if any. The underwriters may exercise this option for 45 days from the date of this prospectus solely to cover sales of shares of common stock by the underwriters in excess of the total number of shares of common stock set forth in the table above. If any of these additional shares are purchased, the underwriters will offer the additional shares on the same terms as those on which the shares are being offered.

 

Discounts and Commissions

 

The underwriters propose initially to offer the shares of common stock to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this prospectus and to dealers at those prices less a concession not in excess of $ per share of common stock. If all of the shares of common stock offered by us are not sold at the public offering price, the underwriters may change the offering price and other selling terms by means of a supplement to this prospectus.

 

The following table shows the public offering price, underwriting discounts and commissions and proceeds before expenses to us. The information assumes either no exercise or full exercise of the over-allotment option we granted to the representative of the underwriters.

 

    Per Share   Total Without
Over-
allotment
Option
  Total With
Over-
allotment
Option
Public offering price   $     $     $  
Underwriting discount (7.5%)   $     $     $  
Proceeds, before expenses, to us   $     $     $  
Non-accountable expense allowance (1%)   $     $     $  

  

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We have agreed to pay a non-accountable expense allowance to the representative of the underwriters equal to 1% of the gross proceeds received at the closing of the offering. We have paid an expense deposit of $25,000 to the representative, which will be applied against the out-of-pocket accountable expenses that will be paid by us to the underwriters in connection with this offering, and will be reimbursed to us to the extent not actually incurred in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(4)(A).

 

We have also agreed to pay certain of the representatives expenses relating to the offering, including; (a) fees and expenses of the underwriter’s legal counsel not to exceed $125,000; (b) a $29,500 cost associated with the underwriters use of Ipreo’s book-building, prospectus tracking and compliance software for the offering; (c) $10,000 for data services and communications expenses; (d) up to $10,000 of underwriter’s actual accountable "road show" expenses; (e) up to $30,000 of underwriter’s market making and trading, and clearing firm settlement expenses for the offering; (f) all fees, expenses and disbursements relating to background checks of the our officers, directors and affiliates in an amount not to exceed $15,000 in the aggregate; and (g) the costs associated with bound volumes of the public offering materials as well as commemorative mementos and lucite tombstones, each of which is to be provided by us or our designee within a reasonable time after the closing of this offering in such quantities as the underwriter may reasonably request, in an amount not to exceed $3,000.

 

Our total estimated expenses of the offering, including registration, filing and listing fees, printing fees and legal and accounting expenses, but excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, are approximately $        .

 

Representative’s Warrants

 

Upon closing of this offering, we have agreed to issue to the representative as compensation warrants to purchase up to shares of common stock (5% of the aggregate number of shares of common stock sold in this offering, or the representative’s warrants). The representative’s warrants will be exercisable at a per share exercise price equal to 125% of the public offering price per share in this offering. The representative’s warrants are exercisable at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part, during the four and one half year period commencing 180 days from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

 

The representative’s warrants have been deemed compensation by FINRA and are therefore subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to Rule 5110(e)(1)(A) of FINRA. The representative (or permitted assignees under Rule 5110(e)(1)(A)) will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge, or hypothecate these warrants or the securities underlying these warrants, nor will they engage in any hedging, short sale, derivative, put, or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of the warrants or the underlying securities for a period of 180 days from the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. In addition, the warrants provide for registration rights upon request, in certain cases. The sole demand registration right provided will not be greater than five years from the effective date of the registration statement in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(C). The piggyback registration rights provided will not be greater than seven years from the effective date of the registration statement in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(D). We will bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the securities issuable on exercise of the warrants other than underwriting commissions incurred and payable by the holders. The exercise price and number of shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants may be adjusted in certain circumstances including in the event of a stock dividend or our recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation. However, the warrant exercise price or underlying shares will not be adjusted for issuances of shares of common stock at a price below the warrant exercise price.

 

Lock-Up Agreements

 

Pursuant to “lock-up” agreements, we, our executive officers and directors, and our sole stockholder prior to completion of this offering, have agreed, without the prior written consent of the representative not to directly or indirectly, offer to sell, sell, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of any of shares of (or enter into any transaction or device that is designed to, or could be expected to, result in the transfer or disposition by any person at any time in the future of) our common stock, enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of our common stock, make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any shares of common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock or any other securities of ours or publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing, subject to customary exceptions, for a period of one year and six months in case of our sole stockholder  after the date of this prospectus in the case of our directors, executive officers, and our sole stockholder, and six months with respect to us.

 

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Right of First Refusal

 

Until twenty-four (24) months from the closing date of this offering, the representative will have an irrevocable right of first refusal, in its sole discretion, to act as sole investment banker, sole book-runner, and/or sole placement agent, at the representative’s sole discretion, for each and every future public and private equity and debt offering, including all equity linked financings, during such twenty-four (24) month period, on terms customary to the representative. The representative will have the sole right to determine whether or not any other broker-dealer will have the right to participate in any such offering and the economic terms of any such participation. The representative will not have more than one opportunity to waive or terminate the right of first refusal in consideration of any payment or fee.

 

Discretionary Accounts

 

The underwriters do not intend to confirm sales of the shares of common stock offered hereby to any accounts over which they have discretionary authority.

 

Nasdaq Capital Market Listing

 

We intend to apply to have our common stock listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “FRZA.”

 

Determination of Offering Price

 

The public offering price of the securities we are offering was negotiated between us and the underwriters. Factors considered in determining the public offering price of the shares include the history and prospects of the Company, the stage of development of our business, our business plans for the future and the extent to which they have been implemented, an assessment of our management, general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering and such other factors as were deemed relevant.

 

Other

 

From time to time, certain of the underwriters and/or their affiliates may in the future provide, various investment banking and other financial services for us for which they may receive customary fees. In the course of their businesses, the underwriters and their affiliates may actively trade our securities or loans for their own account or for the accounts of customers, and, accordingly, the underwriters and their affiliates may at any time hold long or short positions in such securities or loans. Except for services provided in connection with this offering, no underwriter has provided any investment banking or other financial services to us during the 180-day period preceding the date of this prospectus and we do not expect to retain any underwriter to perform any investment banking or other financial services for at least 90 days after the date of this prospectus.

 

Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids

 

In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of our common stock. Specifically, the underwriters may over-allot in connection with this offering by selling more shares than are set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. This creates a short position in our common stock for its own account. The short position may be either a covered short position or a naked short position. In a covered short position, the number of shares of common stock over-allotted by the underwriters is not greater than the number of shares of common stock that they may purchase in the over-allotment option. In a naked short position, the number of shares of common stock involved is greater than the number of shares common stock in the over-allotment option. To close out a short position, the underwriters may elect to exercise all or part of the over-allotment option. The underwriters may also elect to stabilize the price of our common stock or reduce any short position by bidding for, and purchasing, common stock in the open market.

 

The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter or dealer repays selling concessions allowed to it for distributing shares of common stock in this offering because the underwriter repurchases the shares of common stock in stabilizing or short covering transactions.

 

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Finally, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, shares of our common stock in market making transactions, including “passive” market making transactions as described below.

 

These activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of our common stock at a price that is higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the absence of these activities. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities, and may discontinue any of these activities at any time without notice. These transactions may be effected on the national securities exchange on which our shares of common stock are traded, in the over-the-counter market, or otherwise.

 

Indemnification

 

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against liabilities relating to this offering arising under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, liabilities arising from breaches of some or all of the representations and warranties contained in the underwriting agreement, and to contribute to payments that the underwriters may be required to make for these liabilities.

 

Electronic Distribution

 

This prospectus in electronic format may be made available on websites or through other online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters, or by their affiliates. Other than this prospectus in electronic format, the information on any underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by an underwriter is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter, and should not be relied upon by investors.

 

Offer restrictions outside the United States

 

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

 

Australia

 

This prospectus is not a disclosure document under Chapter 6D of the Australian Corporations Act, has not been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and does not purport to include the information required of a disclosure document under Chapter 6D of the Australian Corporations Act. Accordingly, (i) the offer of the securities under this prospectus is only made to persons to whom it is lawful to offer the securities without disclosure under Chapter 6D of the Australian Corporations Act under one or more exemptions set out in section 708 of the Australian Corporations Act, (ii) this prospectus is made available in Australia only to those persons as set forth in clause (i) above, and (iii) the offeree must be sent a notice stating in substance that by accepting this offer, the offeree represents that the offeree is such a person as set forth in clause (i) above, and, unless permitted under the Australian Corporations Act, agrees not to sell or offer for sale within Australia any of the securities sold to the offeree within 12 months after its transfer to the offeree under this prospectus.

 

Canada

 

The shares of common stock may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of the securities must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

 

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Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

 

China

 

The information in this document does not constitute a public offer of the securities, whether by way of sale or subscription, in the People’s Republic of China (excluding, for purposes of this paragraph, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan). The securities may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly in the PRC to legal or natural persons other than directly to “qualified domestic institutional investors.”

 

 

 

European Economic Area—Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Netherlands

 

The information in this document has been prepared on the basis that all offers of securities will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Directive 2003/71/EC (“Prospectus Directive”), as implemented in Member States of the European Economic Area (each, a “Relevant Member State”), from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of securities.

 

An offer to the public of securities has not been made, and may not be made, in a Relevant Member State except pursuant to one of the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive as implemented in that Relevant Member State:

 

  to legal entities that are authorized or regulated to operate in the financial markets or, if not so authorized or regulated, whose corporate purpose is solely to invest in securities;
  to any legal entity that has two or more of (i) an average of at least 250 employees during its last fiscal year; (ii) a total balance sheet of more than €43,000,000 (as shown on its last annual unconsolidated or consolidated financial statements) and (iii) an annual net turnover of more than €50,000,000 (as shown on its last annual unconsolidated or consolidated financial statements);
  to fewer than 100 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive) subject to obtaining the prior consent of the Company or any underwriter for any such offer; or
  in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive, provided that no such offer of securities shall result in a requirement for the publication by the Company of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

 

France

 

This document is not being distributed in the context of a public offering of financial securities (offre au public de titres financiers) in France within the meaning of Article L.411-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code (Code Monétaire et Financier) and Articles 211-1 et seq. of the General Regulation of the French Autorité des marchés financiers (“AMF”). The securities have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France.

 

This document and any other offering material relating to the securities have not been, and will not be, submitted to the AMF for approval in France and, accordingly, may not be distributed or caused to distributed, directly or indirectly, to the public in France.

 

Such offers, sales and distributions have been and shall only be made in France to (i) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) acting for their own account, as defined in and in accordance with Articles L.411-2-II-2° and D.411-1 to D.411-3, D.744-1, D.754-1 ;and D.764-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and any implementing regulation and/or (ii) a restricted number of non-qualified investors (cercle restreint d’investisseurs) acting for their own account, as defined in and in accordance with Articles L.411-2-II-2° and D.411-4, D.744-1, D.754-1; and D.764-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code and any implementing regulation.

 

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Pursuant to Article 211-3 of the General Regulation of the AMF, investors in France are informed that the securities cannot be distributed (directly or indirectly) to the public by the investors otherwise than in accordance with Articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 to L.621-8-3 of the French Monetary and Financial Code.

 

Ireland

 

The information in this document does not constitute a prospectus under any Irish laws or regulations and this document has not been filed with or approved by any Irish regulatory authority as the information has not been prepared in the context of a public offering of securities in Ireland within the meaning of the Irish Prospectus (Directive 2003/71/EC) Regulations 2005 (the “Prospectus Regulations”). The securities have not been offered or sold, and will not be offered, sold or delivered directly or indirectly in Ireland by way of a public offering, except to (i) qualified investors as defined in Regulation 2(l) of the Prospectus Regulations and (ii) fewer than 100 natural or legal persons who are not qualified investors.

 

Israel

 

The securities offered by this prospectus have not been approved or disapproved by the Israeli Securities Authority (the ISA), nor have such securities been registered for sale in Israel. The shares may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in Israel, absent the publication of a prospectus. The ISA has not issued permits, approvals or licenses in connection with the offering or publishing the prospectus; nor has it authenticated the details included herein, confirmed their reliability or completeness, or rendered an opinion as to the quality of the securities being offered. Any resale in Israel, directly or indirectly, to the public of the securities offered by this prospectus is subject to restrictions on transferability and must be effected only in compliance with the Israeli securities laws and regulations.

 

Italy

 

The offering of the securities in the Republic of Italy has not been authorized by the Italian Securities and Exchange Commission (Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa, or “CONSOB”) pursuant to the Italian securities legislation and, accordingly, no offering material relating to the securities may be distributed in Italy and such securities may not be offered or sold in Italy in a public offer within the meaning of Article 1.1(t) of Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998 (“Decree No. 58”), other than:

 

  to Italian qualified investors, as defined in Article 100 of Decree no.58 by reference to Article 34-ter of CONSOB Regulation no. 11971 of 14 May 1999 (“Regulation no. 1197l”) as amended (“Qualified Investors”); and
     
  in other circumstances that are exempt from the rules on public offer pursuant to Article 100 of Decree No. 58 and Article 34-ter of Regulation No. 11971 as amended.
     
  Any offer, sale or delivery of the securities or distribution of any offer document relating to the securities in Italy (excluding placements where a Qualified Investor solicits an offer from the issuer) under the paragraphs above must be:
     
  made by investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993 (as amended), Decree No. 58, CONSOB Regulation No. 16190 of 29 October 2007 and any other applicable laws; and
     
  in compliance with all relevant Italian securities, tax and exchange controls and any other applicable laws.

 

Any subsequent distribution of the securities in Italy must be made in compliance with the public offer and prospectus requirement rules provided under Decree No. 58 and the Regulation No. 11971 as amended, unless an exception from those rules applies. Failure to comply with such rules may result in the sale of such securities being declared null and void and in the liability of the entity transferring the securities for any damages suffered by the investors.

 

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Japan

 

The securities have not been and will not be registered under Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (Law No. 25 of 1948), as amended (the “FIEL”) pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements applicable to a private placement of securities to Qualified Institutional Investors (as defined in and in accordance with Article 2, paragraph 3 of the FIEL and the regulations promulgated thereunder). Accordingly, the securities may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan other than Qualified Institutional Investors. Any Qualified Institutional Investor who acquires securities may not resell them to any person in Japan that is not a Qualified Institutional Investor, and acquisition by any such person of securities is conditional upon the execution of an agreement to that effect.

 

Portugal

 

This document is not being distributed in the context of a public offer of financial securities (oferta pública de valores mobiliários) in Portugal, within the meaning of Article 109 of the Portuguese Securities Code (Código dos Valores Mobiliários). The securities have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in Portugal. This document and any other offering material relating to the securities have not been, and will not be, submitted to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (Comissăo do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários) for approval in Portugal and, accordingly, may not be distributed or caused to distributed, directly or indirectly, to the public in Portugal, other than under circumstances that are deemed not to qualify as a public offer under the Portuguese Securities Code. Such offers, sales and distributions of securities in Portugal are limited to persons who are “qualified investors” (as defined in the Portuguese Securities Code). Only such investors may receive this document and they may not distribute it or the information contained in it to any other person.

 

Sweden

 

This document has not been, and will not be, registered with or approved by Finansinspektionen (the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority). Accordingly, this document may not be made available, nor may the securities be offered for sale in Sweden, other than under circumstances that are deemed not to require a prospectus under the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act (1991:980) (Sw. lag (1991:980) om handel med finansiella instrument). Any offering of securities in Sweden is limited to persons who are “qualified investors” (as defined in the Financial Instruments Trading Act). Only such investors may receive this document and they may not distribute it or the information contained in it to any other person.

 

Switzerland

 

The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (“SIX”) or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering material relating to the securities may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

 

Neither this document nor any other offering material relating to the securities have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of securities will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

 

This document is personal to the recipient only and not for general circulation in Switzerland.

 

United Kingdom

 

Neither the information in this document nor any other document relating to the offer has been delivered for approval to the Financial Services Authority in the United Kingdom and no prospectus (within the meaning of section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (“FSMA”) has been published or is intended to be published in respect of the securities. This document is issued on a confidential basis to “qualified investors” (within the meaning of section 86(7) of FSMA) in the United Kingdom, and the securities may not be offered or sold in the United Kingdom by means of this document, any accompanying letter or any other document, except in circumstances which do not require the publication of a prospectus pursuant to section 86(1) FSMA. This document should not be distributed, published or reproduced, in whole or in part, nor may its contents be disclosed by recipients to any other person in the United Kingdom.

 

104 

 

 

Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA) received in connection with the issue or sale of the securities has only been communicated or caused to be communicated and will only be communicated or caused to be communicated in the United Kingdom in circumstances in which section 21(1) of FSMA does not apply to the Company.

 

In the United Kingdom, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed at, persons (i) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) (investment professionals) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotions) Order 2005 (“FPO”), (ii) who fall within the categories of persons referred to in Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the FPO or (iii) to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated (together “relevant persons”). The investments to which this document relates are available only to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to purchase will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

 

Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts, or NI 33-105, the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

 

105 

 

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the securities being offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Gracin & Marlow, LLP, New York, New York. Sichenzia Ross Ference LLP is acting as counsel for the underwriters.

 

EXPERTS

 

Grassi & Co., CPAs, P.C. (“Grassi”), independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our financial statements at November 30, 2021 and for the eleven-months then ended, as set forth in their report. We have included our financial statements in the prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement in reliance on Grassi’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement, as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information with respect to us and our common stock, we refer you to the registration statement, including the exhibits filed as a part of the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus concerning the contents of any contract or any other document are not necessarily complete. If a contract or document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, please see the copy of the contract or document that has been filed. Each statement in this prospectus relating to a contract or document filed as an exhibit is qualified in all respects by the filed exhibit. The SEC also maintains an Internet website that contains the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, as well as the exhibits thereto. These documents, along with future reports, proxy statements and other information about us, are available at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.

 

As a result of this offering, we will become subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, as amended, and, in accordance with this law, will file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These periodic reports, proxy statements and other information will be available at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website at www.inhibikase.com. Upon the completion of this offering, you may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.

 

As a result of this offering, we will become subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, as amended, and, in accordance with this law, will file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. These periodic reports, proxy statements and other information will be available at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. We also maintain a website www.forzax1.com. Upon the completion of this offering, you may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.

 

DISCLOSURE OF COMMISSION POSITION ON INDEMNIFICATION

FOR SECURITIES ACT LIABILITIES

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers, and controlling persons, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

106 

 

 

INDEX TO AUDITED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

    Page
Audited Financial Statements of Forza X1, Inc.:    
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM   F-2
AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS:    
BALANCE SHEET FOR THE 11 MONTHS ENDED NOVEMBER 30, 2021   F-3
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS FOR THE 11 MONTHS ENDED NOVEMBER 30, 2021   F-4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY   F-5
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE 11 MONTHS ENDED NOVEMBER 30, 2021   F-6
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   F-7

  

F-1
 

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To The Board of Directors and the Stockholder of

Forza X1, Inc.

Fort Pierce, Florida

 

Opinion on the Financial Statement

 

We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Forza X1, Inc. (the “Company”), which comprise the balance sheet at November 30, 2021, and the related statements of operations, stockholder’s equity and cash flows for the eleven months then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements. In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at November 30, 2021 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the eleven months ended November 30, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Going Concern

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that Forza X1, Inc., will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company’s operating loss and negative cash from operations raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s evaluation of the events and conditions, and management’s plans regarding those matters, are also described in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

/s/ GRASSI & CO., CPAs, P.C.

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.

 

Jericho, New York

December 23, 2021

  

F-2
 

 

FORZA X1, INC.
Balance Sheet
     
    November 30,
    2021
     
ASSETS        
Current Assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 1,983,361  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     82,851  
Total Current Assets     2,066,212  
         
Deferred offering costs     97,500  
Property and equipment, net     150,054  
Total Assets   $ 2,313,766  
         
LIABILITES AND STOCKHOLDER’S EQUITY        
Current Liabilities:        
Accounts payable   $ 6,154  
Accrued liabilities     32,521  
Due to parent     578,361  
Total Current Liabilities     617,036  
         
Total Liabilities     617,036  
         
Commitments and contingencies (Note 4)        
         
Stockholder’s Equity:        
Common stock: 25,000,000 authorized; $0.001 par value; 6,500,000 shares issued and outstanding     6,500  
Additional paid-in capital     1,993,500  
Accumulated deficit     (303,270 )
Total Stockholder’s Equity     1,696,730  
         
Total Liabilities and Stockholder’s Equity   $ 2,313,766  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

F-3
 

 

FORZA X1, INC.
Statement of Operations
     
    Eleven Months Ended
    November 30,
    2021
     
Net sales   $  
Cost of products sold      
Gross profit      
         
Operating expenses:        
Selling, general and administrative     28,967  
Salaries and wages     21,405  
Research and development     152,874  
Professional fees     25,469  
Depreciation     1,470  
Total operating expenses     230,185  
         
Loss from operations     (230,185 )
         
Other (expense) income:        
Interest expense     (12,833 )
Loss on disposal of assets     (190,252 )
Gain from insurance recovery     130,000  
Total other (expenses)     (73,085 )
         
Net loss   $ (303,270 )
         
Basic and diluted (loss) per common share   $ (0.05 )
         
Weighted average common shares outstanding basic and diluted     6,500,000  

 

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

F-4
 

 

FORZA X1, INC.
Statement of Stockholder’s Equity
                     
For the Eleven Months Ended November 30, 2021                    
            Additional     Total
    Common Stock   Paid-in   (Accumulated   Stockholder’s
    Shares   Amount   Capital   Deficit)   Equity
Beginning, January 1, 2021         $     $     $     $  

Capital

contributions from parent
    6,500,000       6,500       1,993,500             2,000,000  
Net loss                       (303,270 )     (303,270 )
Balance, November 30, 2021     6,500,000     $ 6,500     $ 1,993,500     $ (303,270 )   $ 1,696,730  
                                         
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited financial statements

 

F-5
 

 

FORZA X1, INC.
Statement of Cash Flows
     
    Eleven Months Ended
    November 30,
    2021
Cash Flows From Operating Activities        
Net loss   $ (303,270 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss:        
Depreciation     1,470  
Loss on disposal of asset     190,252  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     (82,851 )
Accounts payable     6,154  
Accrued liabilities     32,521  
Net cash used in operating activities     (155,724 )
         
Cash Flows From Investing Activities        
Purchase of property and equipment     (341,776 )
Net cash used in investing activities     (341,776 )
         
Cash Flows From Financing Activities        
Deferred offering costs     (97,500 )
Capital contributions from parent     2,000,000  
Repayments of advances from parent     (394,712 )
Advances from parent     973,073  
Net cash provided by financing activities     2,480,861  
         
Net change in cash and cash equivalents     1,983,361  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period      
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period   $ 1,983,361  

  

See accompanying notes to financial statements

 

F-6
 

 

FORZA X1, INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOVEMBER 30, 2021

 

1. Significant Accounting Policies

 

Organization

 

Forza X1, Inc. (“Forza”, “FX1”, “Forza X1” “we”, “us or the “Company”) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Twin Vee PowerCats, Co. (“Parent”). On October 15, 2021, Electra Power Sports, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Twin Vee PowerCats,Co., was incorporated in the state of Delaware. On October 29, 2021, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment and changed the company name to Forza X1, Inc.

 

Prior to Forza X1 inception, Parent dedicated resources to designing and building prototype electric boats. These resources and expenditures were segregated in Twin Vee’s financial statement and have been carved out and included herein our financial statements for the period January 1, 2021, through the inception of Forza X1.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States “U.S. GAAP” required management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Included in those estimates are assumptions about useful life of fixed assets.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents include all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase. On November 30, 2021, the Company had $1,750,004 in cash equivalents.

 

Property and Equipment

 

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is provided using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets. The estimated useful lives of property and equipment range from three to seven years. Upon sale or retirement, the cost and related accumulated depreciation is eliminated from their respective accounts, and the resulting gain or loss is included in results of operations. Repairs and maintenance charges, which do not increase the useful lives of the assets, are charged to operations as incurred.

 

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

 

Management assesses the recoverability of its long-lived assets when indicators of impairment are present. If such indicators are present, recoverability of these assets is determined by comparing the undiscounted net cash flows estimated to result from those assets over the remaining life to the assets’ net carrying amounts. If the estimated undiscounted net cash flows are less than the net carrying amount, the assets would be adjusted to their fair value, based on appraisal or the present value of the undiscounted net cash flows.

 

Research and Development

 

Research and development costs are expensed when incurred. Such costs approximated $152,874 for the eleven-months ended November 30, 2021.

 

Advertising Costs

 

Advertising and marketing costs are expensed as incurred. Year to date, ending November 30, 2021, advertising and marketing costs incurred by the Company totaled $1,575, and are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying statements of operations.

 

F-7
 

 

FORZA X1, INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOVEMBER 30, 2021

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company is a C Corporation under the Internal Revenue Code and a similar section of the state code.

 

All income tax amounts reflect the use of the liability method under accounting for income taxes. Income taxes are provided for the tax effects of transactions reported in the financial statements and consist of taxes currently due plus deferred taxes arising primarily from differences between financial and tax reporting purposes.

 

Deferred income taxes, net of appropriate valuation allowances, are determined using the tax rates expected to be in effect when the taxes are actually paid. Valuation allowances are recorded against deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized. When an uncertain tax position meets the more likely than not recognition threshold, the position is measured to determine the amount of benefit or expense to recognize in the financial statements.

 

In accordance with U.S GAAP, the Company follows the guidance in FASB ASC Topic 740, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes. At November 30, 2021, the Company does not believe it has any uncertain tax positions that would require either recognition or disclosure in the accompanying financial statements.

 

The Company’s income tax returns are subject to review and examination by federal, state and local governmental authorities.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

All newly issued accounting pronouncements not yet effective have been deemed either immaterial or not applicable.

 

2. Going Concern

 

Since inception, the Company has incurred net operating losses and used cash in operations. As of November 30, 2021, the Company has incurred a net loss of $303,270 and used cash in operations of $155,724 for the eleven-months ended November 30, 2021. Losses have principally occurred as a result of the research and development efforts coupled with no operating revenue.

 

Without raising capital, there is a substantial concern about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern through December 31, 2022. The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. A successful transition to attaining profitable operations is dependent upon achieving a level of positive cash flows adequate to support the Company’s cost structure.

 

The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be required should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

  

3. Property and Equipment

 

At November 30, 2021, property and equipment consisted of the following:

 

    November 30,
    2021
Computer hardware and software   $ 8,998  
Prototype     142,526  
      151,524  
Less accumulated depreciation     (1,470 )
    $ 150,054  

 

Depreciation expense of property and equipment for the eleven months ended November 30, 2021, was $1,470.

  

4. Commitments and Contingencies

 

Covid-19

 

The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States has caused business disruptions through mandated and voluntary closings of multiple industries. While disruption is currently expected to be temporary, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the duration of the closings. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts future results, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus and the actions to contain it or treat its impact, among others. At this time, the Company cannot estimate with meaningful precision the potential impact to its financial and operational results.

 

F-8
 

 

FORZA X1, INC.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOVEMBER 30, 2021

 

5. Related Party Transaction

 

At November 30, 2021, the Company had $578,361 due to Twin Vee PowerCats, Co., our parent company (“Parent”). Parent funded our working capital needs, primarily for prototyping, consulting services, rent, interest and payroll, prior to their $2,000,000 investment. Associated with amounts advanced and due to Parent, during the eleven-months ended November 30, 2021, we recorded interest expense of $12,837 based on a rate of 6% interest on our average monthly balance.

 

During the eleven-month period ended November 30, 2021, we recorded management fees of $10,000, pursuant to a management agreement with Twin Vee PowerCats, Co., dated October 1, 2021 for various management services. The agreement provides for a monthly $5,000 management fee associated with the use of shared management resources, has a term of one year and will expire on September 30, 2022.

 

During the eleven-month period ended November 30, 2021, we recorded rent expense of $9,350 associated with our month- to- month arrangement to utilize certain space at our parent company’s facility. The Company incurs $850 per month for rent expense for approximately 1,000 square feet. While our Corporate headquarters is located at our Parent location, all of our employees and consultants work remotely, and the use of our Parent company’s facilities is limited.

 

6. Gain from Insurance Recovery

 

During May 2021, the Company experienced a thermal event on the electric boat prototype rendering it unusable for further testing. The Company recorded a loss on disposal of asset from fire of $190,252 and gain from insurance recovery of $130,000.

 

7. Subsequent Events

 

On December 6, 2021, we made a refundable deposit on a land purchase agreement that gave us the right to acquire a 14.5-acre parcel near the waterfront in Fort Pierce, Florida.

 

F-9
 

 

Shares of Common Stock

   

 

Forza X1, Inc.

  

 
PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS
 

 

ThinkEquity
 

, 2022

 

Through and including                      , 2022 (the 25th day after the date of this offering), all dealers effecting transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to a dealer’s obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as an underwriter and with respect to an unsold allotment or subscription.

 

 
 

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS

 

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

The following table sets forth the expenses to be incurred in connection with the offering described in this Registration Statement, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, all of which will be paid by us. All amounts are estimates except the SEC’s registration fee, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.’s filing fee and the Nasdaq listing fee.

 

    Amount to be Paid
SEC Registration Fee   $ 2,832  
FINRA filing fee     5,083  
Nasdaq listing fee     45,000  
Printing and engraving expenses     35,000  
Legal fees and expenses     700,000  
Accounting fees and expenses     150,000  
Transfer agent and registrar fees     5,000  
Miscellaneous expenses     57,085  
Total   $ 1,000,000  

   

Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

 

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law empowers a corporation to indemnify its directors and officers and to purchase insurance with respect to liability arising out of their capacity or status as directors and officers, provided that the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in our best interests, and, with respect to any criminal action, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s actions were unlawful. The Delaware General Corporation Law further provides that the indemnification permitted thereunder shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which the directors and officers may be entitled under the corporation’s bylaws, any agreement, a vote of stockholders or otherwise. The certificate of incorporation of the registrant to be in effect upon the completion of this offering provides for the indemnification of the registrant’s directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law. In addition, the bylaws of the registrant to be in effect upon the completion of this offering require the registrant to fully indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the registrant, or is or was a director or officer of the registrant serving at the registrant’s request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorney’s fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

 

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders; (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; (iii) for payments of unlawful dividends or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions; or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. The registrant’s certificate of incorporation to be in effect upon the completion of this offering provides that the registrant’s directors shall not be personally liable to it or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director and that if the Delaware General Corporation Law is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of the registrant’s directors shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, as so amended.

 

As permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, the registrant intends to enter into separate indemnification agreements with each of the registrant’s directors and certain of the registrant’s officers which require the registrant, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities which may arise by reason of their status as directors, officers or certain other employees.

 

The registrant expects to obtain and maintain insurance policies under which its directors and officers are insured, within the limits and subject to the limitations of those policies, against certain expenses in connection with the defense of, and certain liabilities which might be imposed as a result of, actions, suits or proceedings to which they are parties by reason of being or having been directors or officers. The coverage provided by these policies may apply whether or not the registrant would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

 

II-1
 

 

These indemnification provisions and the indemnification agreements entered into between the registrant and the registrant’s officers and directors may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of the registrant’s officers and directors for liabilities (including reimbursement of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

The proposed form of underwriting agreement between the registrant and the representative of the underwriters to be filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this registration statement provides for the indemnification by the underwriters of the registrant’s directors and officers and certain controlling persons against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act with respect to information provided by the underwriters specifically for inclusion in the registration statement.

 

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

 

None.

 

Item 16. Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules

 

(a) Exhibits.

 

The exhibit index attached hereto is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(b) Financial Statement Schedules.

 

(a) Exhibits. See the Exhibit Index immediately preceding the signature pages hereto, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

 

Item 17. Undertakings

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.

 

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

  (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

  (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

  (4) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

II-2
 

 

  a. Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424 (§ 230.424 of this chapter);

 

  b. Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

  c. The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

  d. Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

  

  (5) That, insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

  (6) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b) (1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

 

  (7) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

II-3
 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement on Form S-1 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Ft. Pierce, State of Florida, on the 23rd day of December , 2021.

 

  FORZA X1, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Joseph C. Visconti
  Name:  Joseph C. Visconti
  Title: Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
    (Principal Executive Officer)

  

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENTS that each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Joseph C. Visconti our true and lawful attorneys and agents with full power of substitution and resubstitution, with full power to sign for us, and in our names in the capacities indicated below, any and all amendments to this registration statement, any subsequent registration statements pursuant to Rule 462 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. This power of attorney may be executed in counterparts.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement on Form S-1 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
/s/ Joseph C. Visconti    Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)   December 23, 2021
Joseph C. Visconti        
         
/s/ Carrie Gunnerson    Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)    December 23, 2021
Carrie Gunnerson        
         
/s/ Jim Leffew    President and Director    December 23, 2021
Jim Leffew        
         
/s/ Bard Rockenbach    Director   December 23, 2021
Bard Rockenbach        
         
/s/ Neil Ross    Director   December 23, 2021
Neil Ross        
         
/s/ Kevin Schuyler    Director    December 23, 2021
Kevin Schuyler        
         
/s/ Steve Shallcross    Director   December 23, 2021
Steve Shallcross        
         
/s/ Preston Yarborough    Director   December 23, 2021
Preston Yarborough        

 

II-4
 

 EXHIBIT INDEX

  

Exhibit No.   Description of Exhibit
1.1+   Form of Underwriting Agreement by and between Forza X1, Inc. and ThinkEquity LLC, as representative of the underwriters
3.1*   Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on October 15, 2021
3.2*   Bylaws
3.3*   Certificate of Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on October 29, 2021
4.1+   Specimen Common Stock Certificate
4.2+   Form of Representative’s Warrant Agreement
5.1+   Opinion of Gracin & Marlow, LLP
10.1+#   Forza X1, Inc. 2022 Stock Incentive Plan and form of Incentive Plan Option Agreement, Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement, and Restricted Stock Unit Agreement
10.2*   Management Agreement, dated as of October 1, 2021, by and between Forza X1, Inc. and Twin Vee Powercats Co.
10.3*#   Employment Agreement, dated December 15, 2021, with Jim Leffew
10.4*†   Supply Agreement, dated December 20, 2021, by and between Forza X1, Inc. and American Battery Systems, Inc.
21.1*   List of Subsidiaries of the Registrant
23.1*   Consent of Grassi & Co., CPAs, P.C., Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
23.2+   Consent of Gracin & Marlow, LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1*   Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this initial Registration Statement)

 

* Filed herewith
+ To be filed by amendment
Certain portions of the Supply Agreement have been omitted in accordance with Item 601(b)(10) of Regulation S-K. Forza X1 hereby undertakes to furnish to the Securities and Exchange Commission supplementally copies of any of the omitted portions of the Supply Agreement upon request.
# Indicates a contract, compensatory plan or arrangement to which a director or executive officer is a party or in which one or more directors or executive officers are eligible to participate.

 

II-5

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 3.1

 

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

 OF

 ELECTRA POWER SPORTS, INC.

 

The undersigned, for the purpose of organizing a corporation to conduct the business and promote the purposes hereinafter stated, under the provisions and subject to the requirements of the laws of the State of Delaware hereby certifies that:

 

ARTICLE I

NAME

 

The name of this Corporation is ELECTRA POWER SPORTS, INC. (the “Corporation”).

 

ARTICLE II

REGISTERED OFFICE AND AGENT

 

The registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware shall be established and maintained at the office of The Corporation Trust Company, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, County of New Castle, and The Corporation Trust Company shall be the registered agent of the Corporation in charge thereof.

 

ARTICLE III

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of this Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which a Corporation may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or any applicable successor act thereto, as the same may be amended from time to time (“DGCL”).

 

ARTICLE IV

CAPITAL STOCK

 

A. This Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, “Common Stock” and “Preferred Stock.” The total number of shares which the Corporation is authorized to issue is Ten Million (10,000,000) shares. Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand (8,500,000) shares shall be Common Stock, each having a par value of $0.001; and One Million Five Hundred Thousand (1,500,000) shares shall be Preferred Stock, each having a par value of $0.001.

 

B. The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series. The Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized to provide for the issue of all of any of the shares of the Preferred Stock in one or more series, and to fix the number of shares and to determine or alter for each such series, such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designation, preferences, and relative, participating, optional, or other rights and such qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof, as shall be stated and expressed in the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors providing for the issuance of such shares and as may be permitted by the DGCL. The Board of Directors is also expressly authorized to increase or decrease the number of shares of any series subsequent to the issuance of shares of that series, but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding. In case the number of shares of any series shall be decreased in accordance with the foregoing sentence, the shares constituting such decrease shall resume the status that they had prior to the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of such series. The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, without a separate vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock, or of any series thereof, unless a vote of any such holders is required pursuant to the terms of any certificate of designation filed with respect to any series of Preferred Stock.

 

C.  Shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time as the Board of Directors shall determine, and on such terms and for such consideration as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.

 

 1

 

 

ARTICLE V

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

For the management of the business and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and in further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation, of its directors and of its stockholders or any class thereof, as the case may be, it is further provided that:

 

A. Board of Directors. The management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation shall be vested in its Board of Directors. The number of directors which shall constitute the Board of Directors shall be fixed exclusively by resolutions adopted by a majority of the authorized number of directors constituting the Board of Directors. In no event shall the number of directors be less than the minimum prescribed by law. The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws so provide. Directors need not be stockholders of the Corporation.

 

B. Removal of Directors. The Board of Directors or any individual director may be removed from office at any time (1) with cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least Sixty Percent (60%) of the voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation, entitled to vote at an election of directors; or (2) without cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least Sixty Percent (60%) of the voting power of all the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally at an election of directors.

 

C. Vacancies. Subject to any limitations imposed by applicable law and subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal or other causes and any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors, shall, unless the Board of Directors determines by resolution that any such vacancies or newly created directorships shall be filled by the stockholders and except as otherwise provided by applicable law, be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, and not by the stockholders. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the director for which the vacancy was created or occurred and until such director’s successor shall have been elected and qualified.

 

D. Bylaw Amendments. The Board of Directors is expressly empowered to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation. Any adoption, amendment or repeal of the Bylaws of the Corporation by the Board of Directors shall require the approval of a majority of the authorized number of directors. The stockholders shall also have power to adopt, amend or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation; provided, however, that, in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation required by law or by this Certificate of Incorporation, such action by stockholders shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election or directors, voting together as a single class.

 

 2

 

 

E. Director Election. The directors of the Corporation need not be elected by written ballot unless the Bylaws so provide.

 

F. Stockholder Nominations. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.

 

G. Committees of the Board. Pursuant to the Bylaws the Board may establish one or more committees of the Board to which may be delegated any or all of the powers and duties of the Board to the full extent permitted by law.

 

ARTICLE VI

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION

 

A. Liability of Directors. The liability of the directors for monetary damages shall be eliminated to the fullest extent under applicable law.

 

B. Indemnification. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Corporation is authorized to provide indemnification of (and advancement of expenses to) directors, officers and agents of the Corporation (and any other persons to which applicable law permits the Corporation to provide indemnification) through Bylaw provisions, agreements with such agents or other persons, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise in excess of the indemnification and advancement otherwise permitted by such applicable law. If applicable law is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article VI to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of a director to the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as so amended.

 

C. Repeal or Modification. Any repeal or modification of this Article VI shall only be prospective and shall not affect the rights or protections or increase the liability of any director under this Article VI in effect at the time of the alleged occurrence of any act or omission to act giving rise to liability or indemnification.

 

ARTICLE VII

FORUM FOR ADJUDICATION OF DISPUTES

 

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation; (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders; (3) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, the Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation; or (4) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director or officer or other employee of the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine. The choice of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation shall not apply to suits to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article VII.

 

 3

 

 

ARTICLE VIII

AMENDMENT

 

The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon the stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.

 

ARTICLE IX

INCORPORATOR

 

The name and mailing address of the incorporator of the Corporation are as follows: Hank Gracin, Gracin & Marlow, LLP, The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, New York 10174.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, the undersigned incorporator, for the purpose of forming a corporation under the laws of the State of Delaware, do make, file and record this Certificate of Incorporation, and do certify that the facts herein stated are true, and I have accordingly hereunto set my hand this 15th day of October, 2021.

 

 
  Hank Gracin, Incorporator

 

4

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 3.2 

 

BYLAWS OF

 

FORZA X1, INC.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
     
ARTICLE I — CORPORATE OFFICES 1
     
1.1. REGISTERED OFFICE 1
     
1.2. OTHER OFFICES 1
     
ARTICLE II — MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS 1
     
2.1. PLACE OF MEETINGS 1
     
2.2. ANNUAL MEETING 1
     
2.3. SPECIAL MEETING 1
     
2.4. ADVANCE NOTICE PROCEDURES 2
     
2.5. NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS 5
     
2.6. QUORUM 6
     
2.7. ADJOURNED MEETING; NOTICE 6
     
2.8. CONDUCT OF BUSINESS 6
     
2.9. VOTING 6
     
2.10. RECORD DATES 7
     
2.11. PROXIES 8
     
2.12. LIST OF STOCKHOLDERS ENTITLED TO VOTE 8
     
2.13. INSPECTORS OF ELECTION 8
     
ARTICLE III —DIRECTORS 9
     
3.1. POWERS 9
     
3.2. NUMBER OF DIRECTORS 9
     
3.3. ELECTION, QUALIFICATION AND TERM OF OFFICE OF DIRECTORS 9
     
3.4. RESIGNATION AND VACANCIES 9
     
3.5. PLACE OF MEETINGS; MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE 10
     
3.6. REGULAR MEETINGS 10
     

 

 

 

 

3.7. SPECIAL MEETINGS; NOTICE 10
     
3.8. QUORUM; VOTING 11
     
3.9. BOARD ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING 11
     
3.10. FEES AND COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS 11
     
3.11. REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS 11
     
ARTICLE IV — COMMITTEES 12
     
4.1. COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS 12
     
4.2. COMMITTEE MINUTES 12
     
4.3. MEETINGS AND ACTION OF COMMITTEES 12
     
4.4. SUBCOMMITTEES 13
     
4.5. POWERS DENIED TO COMMITTEES 13
     
ARTICLE V — OFFICERS 13
     
5.1. OFFICERS 13
     
5.2. COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS 13
     
5.3. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS 13
     
5.4. SUBORDINATE OFFICERS 14
     
5.5. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS 14
     
5.6. VACANCIES IN OFFICES 14
     
5.7. REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER CORPORATIONS 14
     
5.8. AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS 14
     
ARTICLE VI — STOCK 15
     
6.1. STOCK CERTIFICATES; PARTLY PAID SHARES 15
     
6.2. SPECIAL DESIGNATION ON CERTIFICATES 16
     
6.3. LOST, STOLEN OR DESTROYED CERTIFICATES 16
     
6.4. DIVIDENDS 17
     

 

 

 

 

6.5. TRANSFER OF STOCK 17
     
6.6. STOCK TRANSFER AGREEMENTS 17
     
6.7. REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS 17
     
6.8. FRACTIONAL SHARE INTERESTS 170
     
ARTICLE VII — MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE AND WAIVER 18
     
7.1. NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS 18
     
7.2. NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION 18
     
7.3. NOTICE TO STOCKHOLDERS SHARING AN ADDRESS 19
     
7.4. NOTICE TO PERSON WITH WHOM COMMUNICATION IS UNLAWFUL 19
     
7.5. WAIVER OF NOTICE 19

 

ARTICLE VIII — INDEMNIFICATION 19
     
8.1. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS IN THIRD PARTY PROCEEDINGS 19
     
8.2. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS IN ACTIONS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE CORPORATION 20
     
8.3. SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE 20
     
8.4. INDEMNIFICATION OF OTHERS 20
     
8.5. ADVANCED PAYMENT OF EXPENSES 20
     
8.6. LIMITATION ON INDEMNIFICATION 21
     
8.7. DETERMINATION; CLAIM 21
     
8.8. NON-EXCLUSIVITY OF RIGHTS 22
     
8.9. INSURANCE 22
     
8.10. SURVIVAL 22
     
8.11. EFFECT OF REPEAL OR MODIFICATION 22
     
8.12. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS 22

 

 

 

 

     
ARTICLE IX — GENERAL MATTERS 23
     
9.1. CONFLICT OF INTEREST 23
     
9.2. EXECUTION OF CORPORATE CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS 23
     
9.3. CHECKS, DRAFTS AND NOTES 23
     
9.4. FISCAL YEAR 23
     
9.5. SEAL 24
     
9.6. CONSTRUCTION; DEFINITIONS 24
     
9.7. GENERAL POWERS 24
     
9.8. AMENDMENTS 24

 

 

 

 

BYLAWS OF FORZA X1, INC.

 

ARTICLE I — CORPORATE OFFICES

 

1.1.         REGISTERED OFFICE

 

The registered office of Forza X1, Inc. shall be fixed in the corporation’s certificate of incorporation. References in these bylaws to the certificate of incorporation shall mean the certificate of incorporation of the corporation, as amended from time to time, including the terms of any certificate of designations of any series of Preferred Stock.

 

1.2.         OTHER OFFICES

 

The corporation’s board of directors may at any time establish other offices at any place or places where the corporation is qualified to do business.

 

ARTICLE II — MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

2.1.         PLACE OF MEETINGS

 

Meetings of stockholders shall be held at any place, within or outside the State of Delaware, designated by the board of directors. The board of directors may, in its sole discretion, determine that a meeting of stockholders shall not be held at any place, but may instead be held solely by means of remote communication as authorized by Section 211(a)(2) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). In the absence of any such designation or determination, stockholders’ meetings shall be held at the corporation’s principal executive office.

 

2.2.         ANNUAL MEETING

 

The annual meeting of stockholders shall be held on such date, at such time, and at such place (if any) within or without the State of Delaware as shall be designated from time to time by the board of directors and stated in the corporation’s notice of the meeting. At the annual meeting, directors shall be elected and any other proper business may be transacted.

 

2.3.         SPECIAL MEETING

 

(i)            A special meeting of the stockholders, other than those required by statute, may be called at any time only by (A) the direction of a majority of the board of directors, (B) the chairperson of the board of directors, (C) the chief executive officer or (D) the president (in the absence of a chief executive officer). A special meeting of the stockholders may not be called by any other person or persons. The board of directors may cancel, postpone or reschedule any previously scheduled special meeting at any time, before or after the notice for such meeting has been sent to the stockholders.

 

(ii)           The notice of a special meeting shall include the purpose for which the meeting is called. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the board of directors, the chairperson of the board of directors, the chief executive officer or the president (in the absence of a chief executive officer). Nothing contained in this Section 2.3(ii) shall be construed as limiting, fixing or affecting the time when a meeting of stockholders called by action of the board of directors may be held.

 

 1

 


2.4.         ADVANCE NOTICE PROCEDURES

 

(i)            Advance Notice of Stockholder Business. At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be brought: (A) pursuant to the corporation’s proxy materials with respect to such meeting, (B) by or at the direction of a majority of the board of directors, or (C) by a stockholder of the corporation who (1) is a stockholder of record at the time of the giving of the notice required by this Section 2.4(i) and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting and (2) has timely complied in proper written form with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.4(i). In addition, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, such business must be a proper matter for stockholder action pursuant to these bylaws and applicable law. Except for proposals properly made in accordance with Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) and the rules and regulations thereunder (as so amended and inclusive of such rules and regulations), and included in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the board of directors, for the avoidance of doubt, clause (C) above shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to bring business before an annual meeting of stockholders.

 

(a)          To comply with clause (C) of Section 2.4(i) above, a stockholder’s notice must set forth all information required under this Section 2.4(i) and must be timely received by the secretary of the corporation. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be received by the secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than the 45th day nor earlier than the 75th day before the one-year anniversary of the date on which the corporation first mailed its proxy materials or a notice of availability of proxy materials (whichever is earlier) for the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that no annual meeting was held in the previous year or if the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days prior to or delayed by more than 60 days after the one-year anniversary of the date of the previous year’s annual meeting, then, for notice by the stockholder to be timely, it must be so received by the secretary not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of (i) the 90th day prior to such annual meeting, or (ii) the tenth day following the day on which Public Announcement (as defined below) of the date of such annual meeting is first made. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described in this Section 2.4(i)(a). “Public Announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or a comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act.

 

(b)           To be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the secretary must set forth as to each matter of business the stockholder intends to bring before the annual meeting: (1) a brief description of the business intended to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting, (2) the name and address, as they appear on the corporation’s books, of the stockholder proposing such business and any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below), (3) the class and number of shares of the corporation that are held of record or are beneficially owned by the stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person and any derivative positions held or beneficially held by the stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person, (4) whether and the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person with respect to any securities of the corporation, and a description of any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short position or any borrowing or lending of shares), the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, or to manage the risk or benefit from share price changes for, or to increase or decrease the voting power of, such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person with respect to any securities of the corporation, (5) any material interest of the stockholder or a Stockholder Associated Person in such business, and (6) a statement whether either such stockholder or any Stockholder Associated Person will deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the corporation’s voting shares required under applicable law to carry the proposal (such information provided and statements made as required by clauses (1) through (6), a “Business Solicitation Statement”). In addition, to be in proper written form, a stockholder’s notice to the secretary must be supplemented not later than ten days following the record date for notice of the meeting to disclose the information contained in clauses (3) and (4) above as of the record date for notice of the meeting. For purposes of this Section 2.4, a “Stockholder Associated Person” of any stockholder shall mean (i) any person controlling, directly or indirectly, or acting in concert with, such stockholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of stock of the corporation owned of record or beneficially by such stockholder and on whose behalf the proposal or nomination, as the case may be, is being made, or (iii) any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such person referred to in the preceding clauses (i) and (ii).

 

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(c)           Without exception, no business shall be conducted at any annual meeting except in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Section 2.4(i) and, if applicable, Section 2.4(ii). In addition, business proposed to be brought by a stockholder may not be brought before the annual meeting if such stockholder or a Stockholder Associated Person, as applicable, takes action contrary to the representations made in the Business Solicitation Statement applicable to such business or if the Business Solicitation Statement applicable to such business contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The chairperson of the annual meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare at the annual meeting that business was not properly brought before the annual meeting and in accordance with the provisions of this Section 2.4(i), and, if the chairperson should so determine, he or she shall so declare at the annual meeting that any such business not properly brought before the annual meeting shall not be conducted.

 

(ii)           Advance Notice of Director Nominations at Annual Meetings. Notwithstanding anything in these bylaws to the contrary, only persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.4(ii) shall be eligible for election or re-election as directors at an annual meeting of stockholders. Nominations of persons for election or re-election to the board of directors of the corporation shall be made at an annual meeting of stockholders only (A) by or at the direction of the board of directors or (B) by a stockholder of the corporation who (1) was a stockholder of record at the time of the giving of the notice required by this Section 2.4(ii) and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the annual meeting and (2) has complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.4(ii). In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be made by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to the secretary of the corporation.

 

(a)            To comply with clause (B) of Section 2.4(ii) above, a nomination to be made by a stockholder must set forth all information required under this Section 2.4(ii) and must be received by the secretary of the corporation at the principal executive offices of the corporation at the time set forth in, and in accordance with, the final three sentences of Section 2.4(i)(a) above.

 

(b)           To be in proper written form, such stockholder’s notice to the secretary must set forth:

 

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(1)             as to each person (a “nominee”) whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director: (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of the nominee, (B) the principal occupation or employment of the nominee, (C) the class and number of shares of the corporation that are held of record or are beneficially owned by the nominee and any derivative positions held or beneficially held by the nominee, (D) whether and the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of the nominee with respect to any securities of the corporation, and a description of any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short position or any borrowing or lending of shares), the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, or to manage the risk or benefit of share price changes for, or to increase or decrease the voting power of the nominee, (E) a description of all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and each nominee and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nominations are to be made by the stockholder, (F) a written statement executed by the nominee acknowledging that as a director of the corporation, the nominee will owe a fiduciary duty under Delaware law with respect to the corporation and its stockholders, and (G) any other information relating to the nominee that would be required to be disclosed about such nominee if proxies were being solicited for the election or re-election of the nominee as a director, or that is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the 1934 Act (including without limitation the nominee’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement, if any, as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected or re-elected, as the case may be); and

 

(2)             as to such stockholder giving notice, (A) the information required to be provided pursuant to clauses (2) through (5) of Section 2.4(i)(b) above, and the supplement referenced in the second sentence of Section 2.4(i)(b) above (except that the references to “business” in such clauses shall instead refer to nominations of directors for purposes of this paragraph), and (B) a statement whether either such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person will deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of a number of the corporation’s voting shares reasonably believed by such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person to be necessary to elect or re-elect such nominee(s) (such information provided and statements made as required by clauses (A) and (B) above, a “Nominee Solicitation Statement”).

  

(c)           At the request of the board of directors, any person nominated by a stockholder for election or re-election as a director must furnish to the secretary of the corporation (1) that information required to be set forth in the stockholder’s notice of nomination of such person as a director as of a date subsequent to the date on which the notice of such person’s nomination was given and (2) such other information as may reasonably be required by the corporation to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director or audit committee financial expert of the corporation under applicable law, securities exchange rule or regulation, or any publicly-disclosed corporate governance guideline or committee charter of the corporation and (3) that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee; in the absence of the furnishing of such information if requested, such stockholder’s nomination shall not be considered in proper form pursuant to this Section 2.4(ii).

 

(d)          Without exception, no person shall be eligible for election or re-election as a director of the corporation at an annual meeting of stockholders unless nominated in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Section 2.4(ii). In addition, a nominee shall not be eligible for election or re-election if a stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person, as applicable, takes action contrary to the representations made in the Nominee Solicitation Statement applicable to such nominee or if the Nominee Solicitation Statement applicable to such nominee contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The chairperson of the annual meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare at the annual meeting that a nomination was not made in accordance with the provisions prescribed by these bylaws, and if the chairperson should so determine, he or she shall so declare at the annual meeting, and the defective nomination shall be disregarded.

 

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(iii)          Advance Notice of Director Nominations for Special Meetings.

 

(a)           For a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected or re-elected, nominations of persons for election or re-election to the board of directors shall be made only (1) by or at the direction of the board of directors or (2) by any stockholder of the corporation who (A) is a stockholder of record at the time of the giving of the notice required by this Section 2.4(iii) and on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the special meeting and (B) delivers a timely written notice of the nomination to the secretary of the corporation that includes the information set forth in Sections 2.4(ii)(b) and (ii)(c) above. To be timely, such notice must be received by the secretary at the principal executive offices of the corporation not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which Public Announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the board of directors to be elected or re-elected at such meeting. A person shall not be eligible for election or re-election as a director at a special meeting unless the person is nominated (i) by or at the direction of the board of directors or (ii) by a stockholder in accordance with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 2.4(iii). In addition, a nominee shall not be eligible for election or re-election if a stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person, as applicable, takes action contrary to the representations made in the Nominee Solicitation Statement applicable to such nominee or if the Nominee Solicitation Statement applicable to such nominee contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

 

(b)          The chairperson of the special meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare at the meeting that a nomination or business was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by these bylaws, and if the chairperson should so determine, he or she shall so declare at the meeting, and the defective nomination or business shall be disregarded.

 

(iv)         Other Requirements and Rights. In addition to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.4, a stockholder must also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 2.4. Nothing in this Section 2.4 shall be deemed to affect any rights of:

 

(a)           a stockholder to request inclusion of proposals in the corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the 1934 Act; or

 

(b)           the corporation to omit a proposal from the corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the 1934 Act.

 

2.5.          NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS

 

Whenever stockholders are required or permitted to take any action at a meeting, a written notice of the meeting shall be given which shall state the place, if any, date and hour of the meeting, the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such meeting, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. Except as otherwise provided in the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, the written notice of any meeting of stockholders shall be given not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. Notice need not be given to any stockholder who submits a written waiver of notice signed by him or her before or after the time stated therein. Attendance of a stockholder at a meeting of stockholders shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the stockholder attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders need be specified in any written waiver of notice.

 

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2.6.          QUORUM

 

The holders of a majority of the stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the stockholders. Where a separate vote by a class or series or classes or series is required, a majority of the outstanding shares of such class or series or classes or series, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter, except as otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws.

 

If a quorum is not present or represented at any meeting of the stockholders, then either (i) the chairperson of the meeting, or (ii) the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, present in person or represented by proxy, shall have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present or represented. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum is present or represented, any business may be transacted that might have been transacted at the meeting as originally noticed.

 

2.7.          ADJOURNED MEETING; NOTICE

 

When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, unless these bylaws otherwise require, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time, place, if any, thereof, and the means of remote communications, if any, by which stockholders and proxy holders may be deemed to be present in person and vote at such adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting, the corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 30 days, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting and a new record date shall be fixed. If after the adjournment a new record date for stockholders entitled to vote is fixed for the adjourned meeting, the board of directors shall fix a new record date for notice of such adjourned meeting in accordance with Section 213(a) of the DGCL and Section 2.10 of these bylaws, and shall give notice of the adjourned meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such adjourned meeting as of the record date fixed for notice of such adjourned meeting.

 

2.8.          CONDUCT OF BUSINESS

 

The chairperson of any meeting of stockholders shall determine the order of business and the procedure at the meeting, including such regulation of the manner of voting and the conduct of business. The chairperson of any meeting of stockholders shall be designated by the board of directors; in the absence of such designation, the chairperson of the board, if any, the chief executive officer (in the absence of the chairperson) or the president (in the absence of the chairperson of the board and the chief executive officer), or in their absence any other executive officer of the corporation, shall serve as chairperson of the stockholder meeting.

 

2.9.          VOTING

 

The stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.10 of these bylaws, subject to Section 217 (relating to voting rights of fiduciaries, pledgors and joint owners of stock) and Section 218 (relating to voting trusts and other voting agreements) of the DGCL.

 

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Except as may be otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, each stockholder shall be entitled to one vote for each share of capital stock held by such stockholder.

 

Except as otherwise required by law, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the subject matter shall be the act of the stockholders. Except as otherwise required by law, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, directors shall be elected by a plurality of the voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors. Where a separate vote by a class or series or classes or series is required, in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of the majority of shares of such class or series or classes or series present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting shall be the act of such class or series or classes or series, except as otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws.

 

2.10.        RECORD DATES

 

In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the board of directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the board of directors and which record date shall not be more than 60 nor less than 10 days before the date of such meeting. If the board of directors so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the board of directors determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of the meeting shall be the date for making such determination.

 

If no record date is fixed by the board of directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.

 

A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the board of directors may fix a new record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the adjourned meeting, and in such case shall also fix as the record date for stockholders entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting the same or an earlier date as that fixed for determination of stockholders entitled to vote in accordance with the provisions of Section 213 of the DGCL and this Section 2.10 at the adjourned meeting.

 

In order that the corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the board of directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to such action. If no record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the board of directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

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2.11.        PROXIES

 

Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy authorized by an instrument in writing or by a transmission permitted by law filed in accordance with the procedure established for the meeting, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. The revocability of a proxy that states on its face that it is irrevocable shall be governed by the provisions of Section 212 of the DGCL. A written proxy may be in the form of a telegram, cablegram, or other means of electronic transmission which sets forth or is submitted with information from which it can be determined that the telegram, cablegram, or other means of electronic transmission was authorized by the person.

 

2.12.        LIST OF STOCKHOLDERS ENTITLED TO VOTE

 

The officer who has charge of the stock ledger of the corporation shall prepare and make, at least 10 days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting; provided, however, if the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote is less than 10 days before the meeting date, the list shall reflect the stockholders entitled to vote as of the tenth day before the meeting date. The stockholder list shall be arranged in alphabetical order and show the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. The corporation shall not be required to include electronic mail addresses or other electronic contact information on such list. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder for any purpose germane to the meeting for a period of at least 10 days prior to the meeting (i) on a reasonably accessible electronic network, provided that the information required to gain access to such list is provided with the notice of the meeting, or (ii) during ordinary business hours, at the corporation’s principal place of business. In the event that the corporation determines to make the list available on an electronic network, the corporation may take reasonable steps to ensure that such information is available only to stockholders of the corporation. If the meeting is to be held at a place, then the list shall be produced and kept at the time and place of the meeting during the whole time thereof, and may be examined by any stockholder who is present. If the meeting is to be held solely by means of remote communication, then the list shall also be open to the examination of any stockholder during the whole time of the meeting on a reasonably accessible electronic network, and the information required to access such list shall be provided with the notice of the meeting. Such list shall presumptively determine the identity of the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and the number of shares held by each of them.

 

2.13.        INSPECTORS OF ELECTION

 

Before any meeting of stockholders, the board of directors shall appoint an inspector or inspectors of election to act at the meeting or its adjournment. The number of inspectors shall be either one (1) or three (3). If any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, then the chairperson of the meeting may, and upon the request of any stockholder or a stockholder’s proxy shall, appoint a person to fill that vacancy.

 

Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath to execute faithfully the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. The inspector or inspectors so appointed and designated shall (i) ascertain the number of shares of capital stock of the corporation outstanding and the voting power of each share, (ii) determine the shares of capital stock of the corporation represented at the meeting and the validity of proxies and ballots, (iii) count all votes and ballots, (iv) determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by the inspectors, and (v) certify their determination of the number of shares of capital stock of the corporation represented at the meeting and such inspector or inspectors’ count of all votes and ballots.

 

In determining the validity and counting of proxies and ballots cast at any meeting of stockholders of the corporation, the inspector or inspectors may consider such information as is permitted by applicable law. If there are three (3) inspectors of election, the decision, act or certificate of a majority is effective in all respects as the decision, act or certificate of all.

 

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ARTICLE III —DIRECTORS

 

3.1.          POWERS

 

The business and affairs of the corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the board of directors, except as may be otherwise provided in the DGCL or the certificate of incorporation.

 

3.2.          NUMBER OF DIRECTORS

 

The board of directors shall consist of one or more members, each of whom shall be a natural person. Unless the certificate of incorporation fixes the number of directors, the number of directors shall be determined from time to time solely by resolution of the board of directors. No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director before that director’s term of office expires.

 

3.3.          ELECTION, QUALIFICATION AND TERM OF OFFICE OF DIRECTORS

 

Except as provided in Section 3.4 of these bylaws, each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy, shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which elected and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal. Directors need not be stockholders unless so required by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws. The certificate of incorporation or these bylaws may prescribe other qualifications for directors.

 

3.4.          RESIGNATION AND VACANCIES

 

Any director may resign at any time upon notice given in writing or by electronic transmission to the corporation; provided, however, that if such notice is given by electronic transmission, such electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the director. A resignation is effective when the resignation is delivered unless the resignation specifies a later effective date or an effective date determined upon the happening of an event or events. Acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. A resignation which is conditioned upon the director failing to receive a specified vote for reelection as a director may provide that it is irrevocable. Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, when one or more directors resign from the board of directors, effective at a future date, a majority of the directors then in office, including those who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such vacancy or vacancies, the vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or resignations shall become effective.

 

Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, vacancies and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors elected by all of the stockholders having the right to vote as a single class shall be filled only by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director. If the directors are divided into classes, a person so elected by the directors then in office to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such director shall have been chosen and until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.

 

If, at the time of filling any vacancy or any newly created directorship, the directors then in office constitute less than a majority of the whole board of directors (as constituted immediately prior to any such increase), the Court of Chancery may, upon application of any stockholder or stockholders holding at least 10% of the voting stock at the time outstanding having the right to vote for such directors, summarily order an election to be held to fill any such vacancies or newly created directorships, or to replace the directors chosen by the directors then in office as aforesaid, which election shall be governed by the provisions of Section 211 of the DGCL as far as applicable.

 

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3.5.          PLACE OF MEETINGS; MEETINGS BY TELEPHONE

 

The board of directors may hold meetings, both regular and special, either within or outside the State of Delaware.

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, members of the board of directors, or any committee designated by the board of directors, may participate in a meeting of the board of directors, or any committee, by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

 

3.6.          REGULAR MEETINGS

 

Regular meetings of the board of directors may be held without notice at such time and at such place as shall from time to time be determined by the board of directors.

 

3.7.          SPECIAL MEETINGS; NOTICE

 

Special meetings of the board of directors for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the chairperson of the board of directors, the chief executive officer, the president, or a majority of the authorized number of directors, at such times and places as he or she or they shall designate.

 

Notice of the time and place of special meetings shall be:

 

(i)            delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone;

 

(ii)           sent by United States first-class mail, postage prepaid;

 

(iii)          sent by facsimile; or

 

(iv)          sent by electronic mail,

 

directed to each director at that director’s address, telephone number, facsimile number or electronic mail address, as the case may be, as shown on the corporation’s records.

 

If the notice is (i) delivered personally by hand, by courier or by telephone, (ii) sent by facsimile or (iii) sent by electronic mail, it shall be delivered or sent at least 24 hours before the time of the holding of the meeting. If the notice is sent by United States mail, it shall be deposited in the United States mail at least four days before the time of the holding of the meeting. Any oral notice may be communicated to the director. The notice need not specify the place of the meeting (if the meeting is to be held at the corporation’s principal executive office) nor the purpose of the meeting.

 

3.8.          QUORUM; VOTING

 

At all meetings of the board of directors, a majority of the total authorized number of directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. If a quorum is not present at any meeting of the board of directors, then the directors present thereat may adjourn the meeting from time to time, without notice other than announcement at the meeting, until a quorum is present. A meeting at which a quorum is initially present may continue to transact business notwithstanding the withdrawal of directors, if any action taken is approved by at least a majority of the required quorum for that meeting.

 

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The vote of a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the board of directors, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws.

 

If the certificate of incorporation provides that one or more directors shall have more or less than one vote per director on any matter, every reference in these bylaws to a majority or other proportion of the directors shall refer to a majority or other proportion of the votes of the directors.

 

3.9.          BOARD ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT WITHOUT A MEETING

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the board of directors, or of any committee thereof, may be taken without a meeting if all members of the board of directors or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission and the writing or writings or electronic transmission or transmissions are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the board of directors or committee. Such filing shall be in paper form if the minutes are maintained in paper form and shall be in electronic form if the minutes are maintained in electronic form.

 

3.10.        FEES AND COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS

 

Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, the board of directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation of directors.

 

3.11.        REMOVAL OF DIRECTORS

 

A director may be removed from office by the stockholders of the corporation only for cause.

 

No reduction of the authorized number of directors shall have the effect of removing any director prior to the expiration of such director’s term of office.

 

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ARTICLE IV — COMMITTEES

 

4.1.          COMMITTEES OF DIRECTORS

 

The board of directors may designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the directors of the corporation. The board of directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such member or members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the board of directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the board of directors or in these bylaws, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the board of directors in the management of the business and affairs of the corporation, and may authorize the seal of the corporation to be affixed to all papers that may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority to (i) approve or adopt, or recommend to the stockholders, any action or matter (other than the election or removal of directors) expressly required by the DGCL to be submitted to stockholders for approval, or (ii) adopt, amend or repeal any bylaw of the corporation.

 

4.2.          COMMITTEE MINUTES

 

Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the board of directors when required.

 

4.3.          MEETINGS AND ACTION OF COMMITTEES

 

Meetings and actions of committees shall be governed by, and held and taken in accordance with, the provisions of:

 

(i)            Section 3.5 (place of meetings; meetings by telephone);

 

(ii)           Section 3.6 (regular meetings);

 

(iii)          Section 3.7 (special meetings; notice);

 

(iv)          Section 3.8 (quorum; voting);

 

(v)           Section 3.9 (action by written consent without a meeting); and

 

(vi)         Section 7.5 (waiver of notice) with such changes in the context of those bylaws as are necessary to substitute the committee and its members for the board of directors and its members. However:

 

(vii)         the time of regular meetings of committees may be determined by resolution of the committee;

 

(viii)        special meetings of committees may also be called by resolution of the committee; and

 

(ix)          notice of special meetings of committees shall also be given to all alternate members, who shall have the right to attend all meetings of the committee. The board of directors may adopt rules for the government of any committee not inconsistent with the provisions of these bylaws.

 

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Any provision in the certificate of incorporation providing that one or more directors shall have more or less than one vote per director on any matter shall apply to voting in any committee or subcommittee, unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws.

 

4.4.          SUBCOMMITTEES

 

Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, these bylaws or the resolutions of the board of directors designating the committee, a committee may create one or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one or more members of the committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee.

 

4.5.          POWERS DENIED TO COMMITTEES

 

Committees of the board of directors shall not, in any event, have any power or authority to amend the corporation’s certificate of incorporation (except that a committee may, to the extent authorized in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of shares adopted by the board of directors as provided in Section 151(a) of the DGCL, fix the designations and any of the preferences or rights of such shares relating to dividends, redemption, dissolution, any distribution of assets of the corporation or the conversion into, or the exchange of such shares for, shares of any other class or classes or any other series of the same or any other class or classes of stock of the corporation or fix the number of shares of any series of stock or authorize the increase or decrease of the shares of any series), adopt an agreement of merger or consolidation, recommend to the stockholders the sale, lease, or exchange of all or substantially all of the corporation’s property and assets, recommend to the stockholders a dissolution of the corporation or a revocation of a dissolution, or to amend the bylaws of the corporation. Further, no committee of the board of directors shall have the power or authority to declare a dividend, to authorize the issuance of stock, or to adopt a certificate of ownership and merger pursuant to Section 253 of the DGCL, unless the resolution or resolutions designating such committee expressly so provides.

 

ARTICLE V — OFFICERS

 

5.1.          OFFICERS

 

The officers of the corporation shall be a president and a secretary. The corporation may also have, at the discretion of the board of directors, a chairperson of the board of directors, a vice chairperson of the board of directors, a chief executive officer, a chief financial officer or treasurer, one or more vice presidents, one or more assistant vice presidents, one or more assistant treasurers, one or more assistant secretaries, and any such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of these bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person.

 

5.2.          COMPENSATION OF OFFICERS

 

The board of directors shall have power to fix the compensation of all officers of the company. It may authorize any officer, upon whom the power of appointing subordinate officers may have been conferred, to fix the compensation of such subordinate officers.

 

5.3.          APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS

 

The board of directors shall appoint the officers of the corporation, except such officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.3 of these bylaws, subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or any other cause shall be filled in the manner prescribed in this Section 5 for the regular election to such office.

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5.4.          SUBORDINATE OFFICERS

 

The board of directors may appoint, or empower the chief executive officer or, in the absence of a chief executive officer, the president, to appoint, such other officers and agents as the business of the corporation may require. Each of such officers and agents shall hold office for such period, have such authority, and perform such duties as are provided in these bylaws or as the board of directors may from time to time determine.

 

5.5.          REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS

 

Subject to the rights, if any, of an officer under any contract of employment, any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, by an affirmative vote of the majority of the board of directors at any regular or special meeting of the board of directors or, except in the case of an officer chosen by the board of directors, by any officer upon whom such power of removal may be conferred by the board of directors.

 

Any officer may resign at any time by giving written or electronic notice to the corporation; provided, however, that if such notice is given by electronic transmission, such electronic transmission must either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the officer. Any resignation shall take effect at the date of the receipt of that notice or at any later time specified in that notice. Unless otherwise specified in the notice of resignation, the acceptance of the resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation is without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the corporation under any contract to which the officer is a party.

 

5.6.          VACANCIES IN OFFICES

 

Any vacancy occurring in any office of the corporation shall be filled by the board of directors or as provided in Section 5.3.

 

5.7.          REPRESENTATION OF SHARES OF OTHER CORPORATIONS

 

The chairperson of the board of directors, the president, any vice president, the treasurer, the secretary or assistant secretary of this corporation, or any other person authorized by the board of directors or the president or a vice president, is authorized to vote, represent, and exercise on behalf of this corporation all rights incident to any and all shares of any other corporation or corporations standing in the name of this corporation. The authority granted herein may be exercised either by such person directly or by any other person authorized to do so by proxy or power of attorney duly executed by such person having the authority.

 

5.8.          AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS

 

In addition to the duties of each officer as set out below, all officers of the corporation shall respectively have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the business of the corporation as may be designated from time to time by the board of directors and, to the extent not so provided, as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the control of the board of directors.

 

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(a)              Chairperson of the Board

  

The chairperson of the board shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and directors, and shall have such other duties as may be assigned to him or her from time to time by the board of directors.

 

(b)              President

 

Unless the board of directors otherwise determines, the president shall be the chief executive officer and head of the company. Unless there is a chairperson of the board, the president shall preside at all meetings of directors and stockholders. Under the supervision of the board of directors, the president shall have the general control and management of its business and affairs, subject, however, to the right of the board of directors to confer any specific power, except such as may be by statute exclusively conferred on the president, upon any other officer or officers of the company. The president shall perform and do all acts and things incident to the position of president and such other duties as may be assigned to the president from time to time by the board of directors.

 

(c)               Treasurer

 

The treasurer shall have the care and custody of all the funds and securities of the company that may come into his or her hands as treasurer, and the power and authority to endorse checks, drafts and other instruments for the payment of money for deposit or collection when necessary or proper and to deposit the same to the credit of the company in such bank or banks or depository as the board of directors, or the officers or agents to whom the board of directors may delegate such authority, may designate, and may endorse all commercial documents requiring endorsements for or on behalf of the company. The treasurer may sign all receipts and vouchers for the payments made to the company. The treasurer shall render an account of his or her transactions to the board of directors as often as the board of directors or the committee shall require the same. The treasurer shall enter regularly in the books to be kept by him or her for that purpose full and adequate account of all moneys received and paid by him or her on account of the company. The treasurer shall perform all acts incident to the position of treasurer, subject to the control of the board of directors. The treasurer shall when requested, pursuant to vote of the board of directors, give a bond to the company conditioned for the faithful performance of his or her duties, the expense of which bond shall be borne by the company.

 

(d)              Secretary

 

The secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the board of directors and of the stockholders; he or she shall attend to the giving and serving of all notices of the company. Except as otherwise ordered by the board of directors, he or she shall attest the seal of the company upon all contracts and instruments executed under such seal and shall affix the seal of the company thereto and to all certificates of shares of capital stock of the company. The secretary shall have charge of the stock certificate book, transfer book and stock ledger, and such other books and papers as the board of directors may direct. The secretary shall, in general, perform all the duties of secretary, subject to the control of the board of directors.

 

ARTICLE VI — STOCK

 

6.1.          STOCK CERTIFICATES; PARTLY PAID SHARES

 

The shares of the corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the board of directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of its stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the corporation. Every holder of stock represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the corporation by the chairperson of the board of directors or vice-chairperson of the board of directors, or the president or a vice-president, and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer, or the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation representing the number of shares registered in certificate form. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be a facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the corporation with the same effect as if such person were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue. The corporation shall not have power to issue a certificate in bearer form.

 

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The corporation may issue the whole or any part of its shares as partly paid and subject to call for the remainder of the consideration to be paid therefor. Upon the face or back of each stock certificate issued to represent any such partly-paid shares, or upon the books and records of the corporation in the case of uncertificated partly-paid shares, the total amount of the consideration to be paid therefor and the amount paid thereon shall be stated. Upon the declaration of any dividend on fully-paid shares, the corporation shall declare a dividend upon partly-paid shares of the same class, but only upon the basis of the percentage of the consideration actually paid thereon.

 

6.2.          SPECIAL DESIGNATION ON CERTIFICATES

 

If the corporation is authorized to issue more than one class of stock or more than one series of any class, then the powers, the designations, the preferences, and the relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificate that the corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock; provided, however, that, except as otherwise provided in Section 202 of the DGCL, in lieu of the foregoing requirements there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate that the corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated stock, the corporation shall send to the registered owner thereof a written notice containing the information required to be set forth or stated on certificates pursuant to this section 6.2 or Sections 156, 202(a) or 218(a) of the DGCL or with respect to this section 6.2 a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, the rights and obligations of the holders of uncertificated stock and the rights and obligations of the holders of certificates representing stock of the same class and series shall be identical.

 

6.3.          LOST, STOLEN OR DESTROYED CERTIFICATES

 

Except as provided in this Section 6.3, no new certificates for shares shall be issued to replace a previously issued certificate unless the latter is surrendered to the corporation and cancelled at the same time. The corporation may issue a new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in the place of any certificate theretofore issued by it, alleged to have been lost, stolen or destroyed, and the corporation may require the owner of the lost, stolen or destroyed certificate, or such owner’s legal representative, to give the corporation a bond sufficient to indemnify it against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares.

 

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6.4.          DIVIDENDS

 

The board of directors, subject to any restrictions contained in the certificate of incorporation or applicable law, may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of the corporation’s capital stock. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the corporation’s capital stock, subject to the provisions of the certificate of incorporation.

 

The board of directors may set apart out of any of the funds of the corporation available for dividends a reserve or reserves for any proper purpose and may abolish any such reserve. Such purposes shall include but not be limited to equalizing dividends, repairing or maintaining any property of the corporation, and meeting contingencies.

 

6.5.          TRANSFER OF STOCK

 

Transfers of record of shares of stock of the corporation shall be made only upon its books by the holders thereof, in person or by an attorney or legal representative duly authorized, and, if such stock is certificated, upon the surrender of a certificate or certificates for a like number of shares, properly endorsed or accompanied by proper evidence of succession, assignation or authority to transfer; provided, however, that such succession, assignment or authority to transfer is not prohibited by the certificate of incorporation, these bylaws, applicable law or contract.

 

6.6.          STOCK TRANSFER AGREEMENTS

 

The corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of any one or more classes of stock of the corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the DGCL.

 

6.7.          REGISTERED STOCKHOLDERS

 

The corporation:

 

(i)            shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends and to vote as such owner;

 

(ii)           shall be entitled to hold liable for calls and assessments the person registered on its books as the owner of shares; and

 

(iii)          shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of another person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Delaware.

 

6.8.          FRACTIONAL SHARE INTERESTS

 

The corporation may, but shall not be required to, issue fractions of a share. If the corporation does not issue fractions of a share, it shall (i) arrange for the disposition of fractional interests by those entitled thereto, (ii) pay in cash the fair value of fractions of a share as of the time when those entitled to receive such fractions are determined, or (iii) issue scrip or warrants in registered or bearer form that shall entitle the holder to receive a certificate for a full share upon the surrender of such scrip or warrants aggregating a full share. A certificate for a fractional share shall, but scrip or warrants shall not unless otherwise provided therein, entitle the holder to exercise voting rights, to receive dividends thereon, and to participate in any of the assets of the corporation in the event of liquidation. The board of directors may cause scrip or warrants to be issued subject to the conditions that they shall become void if not exchanged for certificates representing full shares before a specified date, or subject to the conditions that the shares for which scrip or warrants are exchangeable may be sold by the corporation and the proceeds thereof distributed to the holders of scrip or warrants, or subject to any other conditions that the board of directors may impose.

 

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ARTICLE VII — MANNER OF GIVING NOTICE AND WAIVER

 

7.1.          NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETINGS

 

Notice of any meeting of stockholders, if mailed, is given when deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, directed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the corporation’s records. An affidavit of the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation or of the transfer agent or other agent of the corporation that the notice has been given shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

 

7.2.          NOTICE BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION

 

Without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders pursuant to the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, any notice to stockholders given by the corporation under any provision of the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws shall be effective if given by a form of electronic transmission consented to by the stockholder to whom the notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice to the corporation. Any such consent shall be deemed revoked if:

 

(i)           the corporation is unable to deliver by electronic transmission two consecutive notices given by the corporation in accordance with such consent; and

 

(ii)           such inability becomes known to the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation or to the transfer agent, or other person responsible for the giving of notice.

 

However, the inadvertent failure to treat such inability as a revocation shall not invalidate any meeting or other action.

 

Any notice given pursuant to the preceding paragraph shall be deemed given:

 

(i)            if by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

 

(ii)           if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice;

 

(iii)          if by a posting on an electronic network together with separate notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the giving of such separate notice; and

 

(iv)          if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed to the stockholder.

 

An affidavit of the secretary or an assistant secretary or of the transfer agent or other agent of the corporation that the notice has been given by a form of electronic transmission shall, in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.

 

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An “electronic transmission” means any form of communication, not directly involving the physical transmission of paper, that creates a record that may be retained, retrieved, and reviewed by a recipient thereof, and that may be directly reproduced in paper form by such a recipient through an automated process.

 

7.3.          NOTICE TO STOCKHOLDERS SHARING AN ADDRESS

 

Except as otherwise prohibited under the DGCL, without limiting the manner by which notice otherwise may be given effectively to stockholders, any notice to stockholders given by the corporation under the provisions of the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws shall be effective if given by a single written notice to stockholders who share an address if consented to by the stockholders at that address to whom such notice is given. Any such consent shall be revocable by the stockholder by written notice to the corporation. Any stockholder who fails to object in writing to the corporation, within 60 days of having been given written notice by the corporation of its intention to send the single notice, shall be deemed to have consented to receiving such single written notice.

 

7.4.          NOTICE TO PERSON WITH WHOM COMMUNICATION IS UNLAWFUL

 

Whenever notice is required to be given, under the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, to any person with whom communication is unlawful, the giving of such notice to such person shall not be required and there shall be no duty to apply to any governmental authority or agency for a license or permit to give such notice to such person. Any action or meeting which shall be taken or held without notice to any such person with whom communication is unlawful shall have the same force and effect as if such notice had been duly given. In the event that the action taken by the corporation is such as to require the filing of a certificate under the DGCL, the certificate shall state, if such is the fact and if notice is required, that notice was given to all persons entitled to receive notice except such persons with whom communication is unlawful.

 

7.5.          WAIVER OF NOTICE

 

Whenever notice is required to be given to stockholders, directors or other persons under any provision of the DGCL, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, a written waiver, signed by the person entitled to notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time of the event for which notice is to be given, shall be deemed equivalent to notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the stockholders or the board of directors, as the case may be, need be specified in any written waiver of notice or any waiver by electronic transmission unless so required by the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws.

 

ARTICLE VIII — INDEMNIFICATION

 

8.1.          INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS IN THIRD PARTY PROCEEDINGS

 

Subject to the other provisions of this Article VIII, the corporation shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as now or hereinafter in effect, any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”) (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director of the corporation or an officer of the corporation, or while a director of the corporation or officer of the corporation is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such Proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe such person’s conduct was unlawful. The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that such person’s conduct was unlawful.

 

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8.2.        INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS IN ACTIONS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE CORPORATION

 

Subject to the other provisions of this Article VIII, the corporation shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as now or hereinafter in effect, any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the corporation, or while a director or officer of the corporation is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation; except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

 

8.3.          SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE

 

To the extent that a present or former director or officer of the corporation has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding described in Section 8.1 or Section 8.2, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith.

 

8.4.          INDEMNIFICATION OF OTHERS

 

Subject to the other provisions of this Article VIII, the corporation shall have power to indemnify its employees and its agents to the extent not prohibited by the DGCL or other applicable law. The board of directors shall have the power to delegate the determination of whether employees or agents shall be indemnified to such person or persons as the board of determines.

 

8.5.          ADVANCED PAYMENT OF EXPENSES

 

Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an officer or director of the corporation in defending any Proceeding shall be paid by the corporation in advance of the final disposition of such Proceeding upon receipt of a written request therefor (together with documentation reasonably evidencing such expenses) and an undertaking by or on behalf of the person to repay such amounts if it shall ultimately be determined that the person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article VIII or the DGCL. Such expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by former directors and officers or other employees and agents may be so paid upon such terms and conditions, if any, as the corporation deems reasonably appropriate and shall be subject to the corporation’s expense guidelines. The right to advancement of expenses shall not apply to any claim for which indemnity is excluded pursuant to these bylaws, but shall apply to any Proceeding referenced in Section 8.6(ii) or 8.6(iii) prior to a determination that the person is not entitled to be indemnified by the corporation.

 

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8.6.          LIMITATION ON INDEMNIFICATION

 

Subject to the requirements in Section 8.3 and the DGCL, the corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any person pursuant to this Article VIII in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding):

 

(i)            for which payment has actually been made to or on behalf of such person under any statute, insurance policy, indemnity provision, vote or otherwise, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid;

 

(ii)           for an accounting or disgorgement of profits pursuant to Section 16(b) of the 1934 Act, or similar provisions of federal, state or local statutory law or common law, if such person is held liable therefor (including pursuant to any settlement arrangements);

 

(iii)         for any reimbursement of the corporation by such person of any bonus or other incentive-based or equity-based compensation or of any profits realized by such person from the sale of securities of the corporation, as required in each case under the 1934 Act (including any such reimbursements that arise from an accounting restatement of the corporation pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), or the payment to the corporation of profits arising from the purchase and sale by such person of securities in violation of Section 306 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), if such person is held liable therefor (including pursuant to any settlement arrangements);

 

(iv)         initiated by such person against the corporation or its directors, officers, employees, agents or other indemnitees, unless (a) the board of directors authorized the Proceeding (or the relevant part of the Proceeding) prior to its initiation, (b) the corporation provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the corporation under applicable law, (c) otherwise required to be made under Section 8.7 or (d) otherwise required by applicable law; or

 

(v)           if prohibited by applicable law; provided, however, that if any provision or provisions of this Article VIII shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (1) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Article VIII (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph or clause containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby; and (2) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Article VIII (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph or clause containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

8.7.          DETERMINATION; CLAIM

 

If a claim for indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Article VIII is not paid in full within 90 days after receipt by the corporation of the written request therefor, the claimant shall be entitled to an adjudication by a court of competent jurisdiction of his or her entitlement to such indemnification or advancement of expenses. The corporation shall indemnify such person against any and all expenses that are incurred by such person in connection with any action for indemnification or advancement of expenses from the corporation under this Article VIII, to the extent such person is successful in such action, and to the extent not prohibited by law. In any such suit, the corporation shall, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, have the burden of proving that the claimant is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses.

 

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8.8.          NON-EXCLUSIVITY OF RIGHTS

 

The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Article VIII shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification or advancement of expenses may be entitled under the certificate of incorporation or any statute, bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office. The corporation is specifically authorized to enter into individual contracts with any or all of its directors, officers, employees or agents respecting indemnification and advancement of expenses, to the fullest extent not prohibited by the DGCL or other applicable law.

 

8.9.          INSURANCE

 

The corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of the DGCL.

 

8.10.        SURVIVAL

 

The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred by this Article VIII shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

 

8.11.        EFFECT OF REPEAL OR MODIFICATION

 

Any amendment, alteration or repeal of this Article VIII shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal.

 

8.12.        CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

 

For purposes of this Article VIII, references to the “corporation” shall include, in addition to the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article VIII with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued. For purposes of this Article VIII, references to “other enterprises” shall include employee benefit plans; references to “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan (excluding any “parachute payments” within the meanings of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended); and references to “serving at the request of the corporation” shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner “not opposed to the best interests of the corporation” as referred to in this Article VIII.

 

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ARTICLE IX — GENERAL MATTERS

 

9.1.          CONFLICT OF INTEREST

 

No contract or transaction between the corporation and one or more of its directors or officers, or between the corporation and any other corporation, partnership, association, or other organization in which one or more of its directors or officers are directors or officers, or have a financial interest, shall be void or voidable solely for this reason, or solely because the director or officer is present at or participates in the meeting of the board of directors of or committee thereof that authorized the contract or transaction, or solely because his, her or their votes are counted for such purpose, if: (i) the material facts as to his or her relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the board of directors or the committee and the board of directors or committee in good faith authorizes the contract or transaction by the affirmative vote of a majority of the disinterested directors, even though the disinterested directors be less than a quorum; or (ii) the material facts as to his or her relationship or interest and as to the contract or transaction are disclosed or are known to the stockholders of the corporation entitled to vote thereon, and the contract or transaction as specifically approved in good faith by vote of such stockholders; or (iii) the contract or transaction is fair as to the corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved, or ratified, by the board of directors, a committee or the stockholders. Common or interested directors may be counted in determining the presence of a quorum at a meeting of the board of directors or of a committee that authorizes the contract or transaction.

 

9.2.          EXECUTION OF CORPORATE CONTRACTS AND INSTRUMENTS

 

Except as otherwise provided by law, the certificate of incorporation or these bylaws, the board of directors may authorize any officer or officers, or agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute any document or instrument in the name of and on behalf of the corporation; such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Unless so authorized or ratified by the board of directors or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.

 

9.3.          CHECKS, DRAFTS AND NOTES

 

All checks, drafts, or orders for the payment of money, and all notes and acceptances of the corporation shall be signed by such officer or officers, or such agent or agents, as the board of directors may designate.

 

9.4.          FISCAL YEAR

 

The fiscal year of the corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the board of directors and may be changed by the board of directors.

 

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9.5.          SEAL

 

The corporation may adopt a corporate seal, which shall be adopted and which may be altered by the board of directors. The corporation may use the corporate seal by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any other manner reproduced.

 

9.6.          CONSTRUCTION; DEFINITIONS

 

Unless the context requires otherwise, the general provisions, rules of construction, and definitions in the DGCL shall govern the construction of these bylaws. Without limiting the generality of this provision, the singular number includes the plural, the plural number includes the singular, and the term “person” includes both an entity and a natural person.

 

9.7.          GENERAL POWERS

 

In addition to the powers and authority expressly conferred upon them by these by-laws, the Board of Directors may exercise all such powers of the corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as are not by statute or by the corporation’s certificate of incorporation or by these bylaws directed or required to be exercised or done by the stockholders.

 

9.8.          AMENDMENTS.

 

These bylaws may be amended or repealed and new bylaws may be adopted by the board of directors or the holders of a majority of the voting power of the corporation.

 

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EXHIBIT 3.3

 

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT TO THE

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF

ELECTRA POWER SPORTS, INC.

 

ELECTRA POWER SPORTS, INC., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, DOES HEREBY CERTIFY:

 

FIRST: That the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended by replacing the first sentence of ARTICLE 1 in its entirety with:

 

“The name of the corporation is FORZA X1, INC. (the “Corporation”).”

 

SECOND: That the foregoing amendment was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to be signed by Joseph Visconti, its Chief Executive Officer, this 28th day of October, 2021.

 

  /s/ Joseph Visconti
  Joseph Visconti, Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 5.1

 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

To The Board of Directors and the Stockholder of

Forza X1, Inc.

Fort Pierce, Florida

 

Opinion on the Financial Statement

 

We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Forza X1, Inc. (the “Company”), which comprise the balance sheet at November 30, 2021, and the related statements of operations, changes in stockholder’s equity and cash flows for the eleven months then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements. In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at November 30, 2021 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the eleven months ended November 30, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Going Concern

 

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that Forza X1, Inc., will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company’s operating loss and negative cash from operations raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s evaluation of the events and conditions, and management’s plans regarding those matters, are also described in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

 

Basis for Opinion

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

GRASSI & CO., CPAs, P.C.

 

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.

 

Jericho, New York

December 23, 2021

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 10.2

 

MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT FOR FORZA X1

 

THIS MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is executed effective as of October 1, 2021 (the “Commencement Date”), by and between Forza X1, Inc. a Delaware corporation (“Company”), and Twin Vee PowerCats Co., a Delaware corporation (“Manager”).

 

BACKGROUND

 

Company is designing and developing electric powered boats for recreational use. Company is currently working toward an initial public offering. Company desires to obtain the benefits of Manager’s experience in taking a company public on the Nasdaq and managing its affairs.

 

Manager went public (NASDAQ: VEEE) in July 2021 and has recent experience in the process. Manager wishes to provide guidance and support as well as perform certain services on behalf of Company for a fee.

 

Manager is willing to perform such services with regard to the management, operation, maintenance and servicing of the Property and such obligations of Company relating thereto.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the terms, covenants and conditions contained in this Agreement, Company and Manager hereby agree as follows:

 

1)                   TERM: The “Term” of this Agreement shall commence on October 1, 2021 for a period of one year, with the option of extending it for an additional term.

 

2)                   MANAGER’S SERVICES: Company engages Manager to provide the following services as needed:

 

a. Human Resources: Provide HR coverage and consultation for Company.
b. Accounting Services: Provide accounting and accounts payable services on behalf of Company.
c. Investor Relations: Work with and talk with investors about Twin Vee Electric division and the creation of the Forza brand. Additionally, speak with investors when the IPO is submitted.
d. Shareholder Relations: Maintain and update shareholder records as necessary and work with shareholders as required.
e. Consultation during Initial Public Offering Process: Work with and assist auditors, attorneys, investment bankers, and other entities to provide Company with best chance for a successful initial public offering.
f. Company and Asset Review: Review assets owned or operated by Company as well as and other subsidiary companies and sell or wind down as needed to provide a stronger financial foundation for Company.

 

3)                   MANAGEMENT FEE: In exchange for the services provided for in Paragraph 2, as well as executive fees, human resources, accounts payable and accounting, Company shall provide Manager $5,000 a month. Payment shall be due to Manager by the fifth of each month.

 

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4)                   GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement will be governed by and interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, excluding principles of conflicts of law. Any legal action between the parties under or relating to this Agreement shall be brought only in St. Lucie County Circuit Court or the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the parties each hereby irrevocably submit to their jurisdiction and waive any objection to jurisdiction or venue in those Florida courts. The parties hereby irrevocably waive any right to a trial by jury and agree that any litigated dispute shall be resolved in a nonjury trial. Each party shall be responsible for its own attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses associated with the litigation.

 

5)                   BINDING EFFECT. The covenants, obligations and conditions herein contained shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legal representatives, and assigns of the parties hereto.

 

6)                   ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Agreement supersedes all other agreements of any nature and contains the entire agreement between the parties with respect to its subject matter. There are no other agreements, understandings, representations or warranties between the parties relating to the subject matter of this Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof, superseding all prior agreements or undertakings, oral or written.

 

7)                   MODIFICATION. The parties hereby agree that this document contains the entire agreement between the parties and this Agreement shall not be modified, changed, altered or amended in any way except through a written amendment signed by all of the parties hereto.

 

8)                   NOTICE. Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement or under state law shall be delivered to Company and to Manager at the following addresses:

 

  Company: Forza X1, Inc.
    3101 US Highway 1
    Ft. Pierce, FL 34982
    joseph@twinvee.com
     
  Manager: Twin Vee PowerCats Co.
    3101 US Highway 1
    Ft. Pierce, FL 34982
    carrie@twinvee.com

 

9)                 SEVERABILITY. If any provision of this Agreement is declared invalid by any tribunal exercising competent jurisdiction, then such provision shall be deemed automatically adjusted to conform to the requirements for validity as declared at such time, and, as so adjusted, shall be deemed a provision of this Agreement as though originally included herein. In the event that the provision invalidated is of such a nature that it cannot be so adjusted, the provision shall be deemed deleted from this Agreement as though the provision had never been entered into. In either case, the remaining provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

 

10)               AUTHORIZATION AND BINDING OBLIGATION: Both parties have the requisite power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly executed and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of the parties.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first written above

 

COMPANY   MANAGER:
FORZA X1, INC.   TWIN VEE POWERCATS CO.
     
Signed: /s/ Joseph Visconti   Signed: /s/ Carrie Gunnerson
  Joseph Visconti     Carrie Gunnerson
Its: Chairman and CEO   Its: Chief Financial Officer

 

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EXHIBIT 10.3

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), effective as of December 15, 2021 (the “Effective Date”) of Forza X1, Inc., a Delaware corporation, with its principal place of business located at 3101 S. US-1, Ft. Pierce, Florida 34982 (the “Company”), is entered into by and between Jim Leffew, an individual currently residing in South Carolina (“Executive”), and the Company. Except as otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms and phrases shall have the meaning described thereto in Section 13 of this Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive desire to set forth the terms and conditions under which Executive shall be employed, and upon which Executive shall be compensated by the Company.

 

WHEREAS, the Company desires to employ Executive as its President for the period and upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, Executive desires to serve in such capacities for such period and upon such terms.

 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals, the mutual promises and agreements hereinafter set forth, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and Executive agree as follows:

 

1.             Term. The Company agrees to employ Executive, and Executive accepts such employment with the Company, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement. Executive’s employment shall commence as of the Effective Date and unless earlier terminated as provided herein, the initial term of this Agreement will be for a period of three (3) years, commencing on the date of this Agreement (the “Initial Term”); provided that thereafter this Agreement will be extended for additional three (3) year periods unless, no later than sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the Initial Term or any such three (3) year extension period, as the case may be, either the Company or Executive provides notice to the other of its intent to terminate this Agreement upon the completion of the Initial Term or any such three (3) year extension period (the “Term”).

 

2.             Title; Duties; Board; Principal Place of Employment.

 

(a)           Title; Duties. During the Term, Executive shall serve as the President for the Company, reporting directly to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and the Company’s Board of Directors (“Board”). Executive shall perform such specific duties as are commensurate with such positions and such other duties as may be assigned to Executive from time to time by the Chief Executive Officer and/or the Board.

 

(b)           Principal Place of Employment. Executive’s services shall be performed remotely from South Carolina. However, from time to time, Executive may also be required by his job responsibilities to travel on Company business to Company’s headquarters in Ft. Pierce, Florida or to other locations, and Executive agrees to do so.

 

3.             Outside Activities. Executive shall serve the Company faithfully and to the best of his ability, shall use his business judgment, skill and best efforts to the advancement of the interests of the Company during the Term. Executive shall not engage, directly or indirectly, in any other business, investment or activity that (a) interferes with the performance of Executive’s duties under this Agreement, (b) is contrary to the interests of the Company or any of its affiliates, or (c) requires any portion of Executive’s business time; provided, however, that, to the extent that the following does not impair Executive’s ability to perform Executive’s duties pursuant to this Agreement, Executive, with the Board’s prior written approval (which approval may be withheld in the sole discretion of the Board), may serve on the board or committee of any non-profit, educational, religious, charitable or other similar organization, may have speaking engagements, and may serve as a member of the Board of Directors or equivalent of other organizations or companies (collectively, “Outside Activities”), provided, however, that if, after it provides prior written approval for an Outside Activity, the Board determines in good faith that such Outside Activity is inconsistent with applicable law or Company policy, or conflicts with Executive’s obligations under this Agreement, Executive will cease any such Outside Activity upon written notice from the Board.

 

 
 

 

4.             Cash Compensation.

 

(a)           Base Salary. During the Term of this Agreement, Executive shall receive a base salary at a gross rate of One Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($125,000) per annum (the “Base Salary”), payable in substantially equal installments in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices for payment of its employees, as in effect from time to time. Upon the Company’s successful initial public offering, Executive Base Salary shall be increased to Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) per annum. Executive’s Base Salary shall be subject to upward adjustment from time to time, as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), or a committee thereof, in its sole discretion, but shall not be adjusted downward.

 

(b)           Bonuses - Other Compensation. Executive shall be eligible to receive a target annual performance cash bonus of up to 100% of Executive’s then-Base Salary (“Annual Target Bonus”). Executive’s Annual Target Bonus is not guaranteed and will be based on the Company’s performance and/or Executive’s individual performance as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Committee”) in its discretion. The actual payout for this award will be calculated based solely on achievement against performance measures approved by the Committee. Each year, specific targets will be approved by the Committee in the year’s first quarter and communicated to Executive following such approval. Performance against these goals will be assessed after year end, with payout made no later than March 15 of the year following the year in respect of which the bonus was earned, subject to Executive’s continued employment through the bonus period. In addition, during the Term of this Agreement, the Board, in its sole discretion, may award additional compensation to Executive other than as specifically provided by this Agreement.

 

(c)            Health Insurance. During the Term of this Agreement, the Company shall pay for the cost of medical and dental insurance coverage for Executive and spouse in accordance with the Company’s medical and dental plan as in effect from time to time.

 

5.             Equity Compensation.

 

(a)           Initial Stock Option Grants. Effective upon the closing of the Company’s planned initial public offering subject to Board approval, Executive shall be granted an incentive stock option to purchase shares of Company common stock under the Company’s proposed 2022 Stock Option Plan. Subject to underwriter approval, the number of shares subject to the option are expected to equal 400,000 shares of Company common stock. The option shall vest and become exercisable in thirty-six (36) equal monthly installments commencing on the first day of the month following the issuance date, subject to Executive’s continued employment through each such vesting date.

 

(b)           Equity Grants. In its sole discretion, the Board may grant to Executive from time-to-time stock options to purchase shares of Company common stock or such other equity awards as it may determine.

 

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6.             Executive Benefits.

 

(a)           Generally. During the Term of this Agreement, Executive shall be eligible to participate in all benefit and fringe benefit plans made available to other executive officers of the Company. Any such participation shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plan documents, applicable law, generally applicable Company policies, and the discretion of the Company, all as provided for in or contemplated by such plans. Subject to the terms of such plans and applicable law, the Company may alter, modify, add to or delete its employee benefit plans at any time, in its sole discretion, without recourse by Executive.

 

(b)           Vacation. Executive shall be entitled to four (4) weeks per year paid vacation time as provided in the Company’s vacation policies and procedures as in effect from time to time. Executive may take accrued vacation at such time or times as are mutually agreed upon by Executive and the Company. All matters relating to vacation time, including but not limited to accrual, carryover and forfeiture of vacation time, shall be governed by, and Executive agrees to be bound by, the Company’s policies and procedures regarding vacation time as in effect from time to time.

 

(c)            401(k). Executive shall be eligible to make contributions to a 401(k) Retirement Plan sponsored by the Company. The Company’s current practice is to match Executive’s contribution to Executive’s 401(k) Retirement Plan as follows: 100% Company matching contribution on the first 3% of salary that Executive contributes; and 50% Company matching contribution on the next 2% of salary that Executive contributes.

 

7.             Expenses. The Company will reimburse Executive for reasonable travel, entertainment and other expenses incurred by Executive in the furtherance of the performance of Executive’s duties hereunder, in accordance with the Company’s expense reimbursement policy as in effect from time to time. The Company and/or the Board may periodically audit or review such expenses to ensure they are for legitimate business expenses.

 

8.             Deduction and Withholding. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, any payments or benefits hereunder shall be subject to the withholding of such amounts, if any, relating to tax and other payroll deductions, as the Company reasonably determines it should withhold pursuant to any applicable law or regulation.

 

9.             Termination of Agreement.

 

(a)           Termination Date. Executive’s employment and this Agreement (except as otherwise provided hereunder) shall terminate upon the first to occur of any of the following, at the time set forth therefore (the “Termination Date”):

 

(i)            Mutual Termination. At any time by the mutual written agreement of Company and Executive;

 

(ii)           Death or Disability. Immediately upon the death of Executive or, subject to applicable law, a determination by Company that Executive has a Disability;

 

(iii)          Voluntary Termination By Executive. Ninety (90) days following Executive’s written notice to Company of termination of employment; provided, however, that Company may waive all or a portion of such notice period and accelerate the effective date of such termination (termination pursuant to this Subsection being referred to herein as “Voluntary” termination);

 

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(iv)          Termination For Cause By Company. Immediately following notice of termination for “Cause” given by Company (as defined below) and failure by Executive to Cure (as defined below), if applicable, with such notice specifying such Cause (termination pursuant to this Subsection being referred to herein as termination for “Cause”);

 

(v)           Termination Without Cause By Company. The Company may terminate without Cause Executive’s employment under this Agreement at any time (termination pursuant to this Subsection being referred to herein as termination “Without Cause”); or

 

(vi)          Termination For Good Reason by Executive. Subject to the notice and remedy provisions described in Section 14(d) below, at the election of Executive for Good Reason so long as the Separation From Service (as such phrase is defined in Code Section 409A; Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(h)) on account of any such condition occurs not later than sixty (60) days following the expiration of the thirty-day (30-day) remedy period described in Section 14(d) below.

 

(b)           No Limitation on Remedies. Termination pursuant to this Section 9 shall be in addition to and without prejudice to any other right or remedy to which Company may be entitled at law, in equity, or under this Agreement.

 

10.           Basic Rights at Termination. In the event Executive’s employment with the Company is terminated for any reason, Executive will be entitled to any (a) unpaid Base Salary accrued up to the effective date of termination; (b) benefits or compensation as provided under the terms of any employee benefit and compensation agreements or plans applicable to Executive; (c) unreimbursed business expenses required to be reimbursed to Executive in accordance with and subject to Company’s policies applicable thereto; and (d) rights of indemnification to which Executive may be entitled as of the Termination Date under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, this Agreement, or separate indemnification agreement, as applicable. In addition, Executive will be entitled to the amounts and benefits specified in Section 11 of this Agreement, to the extent applicable.

 

11.           Termination Benefits.

 

(a)            Termination Without Cause or Resignation for Good Reason. If Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or if Executive resigns for Good Reason during the first six (6) months following the Effective Date, Executive will receive a severance payment equal to Executive’s monthly Base Salary as is in effect on the Termination Date multiplied by three (3) (less applicable tax withholdings), such amounts to be paid out monthly in substantially equal installments over the three (3) month period following such termination in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll policies. If Executive’s employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or if Executive resigns for Good Reason after the first six (6) months following the Effective Date, Executive will receive a severance payment equal to Executive’s monthly Base Salary as is in effect on the Termination Date multiplied by six (6) (less applicable tax withholdings), such amounts to be paid out monthly in substantially equal installments over the six (6) month period following such termination in accordance with the Company’s normal payroll policies.

 

(b)           Voluntary Termination Without Good Reason or Termination for Cause. If Executive’s employment is terminated voluntarily by him without Good Reason or is terminated for Cause by the Company, then, except as otherwise provided in the first sentence of Section 10 above or Section 11(d), (i) all further vesting of Executive’s outstanding equity awards will terminate immediately; and (ii) all payments of compensation by the Company to Executive hereunder will terminate immediately.

 

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(c)           Termination Due to Death or Disability. If Executive’s employment is terminated due to death or Disability, and (x) such termination is not In Connection with a Change of Control, all outstanding, unvested equity awards that were awarded under the Company’s proposed 2022 Stock Option Plan will then vest, or (y) such termination is In Connection with a Change of Control, all outstanding, unvested equity awards granted under any of the Company’s equity incentive plans will then vest. All outstanding vested stock options (including those that vested under (x) or (y) herein, will remain exercisable until the first to occur of: the six (6) month anniversary of the date of termination, the expiration date of the stock options, or such earlier time as provided under the applicable plan or grant agreement with respect to a Change of Control. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(c), the first sentence of Section 10 above, or Section 11(d), all payments of compensation by the Company to Executive hereunder will terminate immediately upon Executive’s termination.

 

(d)           Separation Agreement and Release of Claims. The receipt of any severance or other benefits pursuant to Sections 11(a) or 11(b) will be subject to and conditioned on Executive first signing and not otherwise revoking a separation agreement and release of claims in substantially the form appended hereto as Exhibit A (the “Release Agreement”), which Release Agreement shall contain Executive’s affirmation of his obligation not to compete with the Company as described in Section 15 herein. For this purpose, the Release Agreement must be signed by Executive and returned to the Company no later than thirty (30) days following the Termination Date in accordance with the terms of the Release Agreement. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, no severance or other benefits will be paid or provided unless the Release Agreement becomes effective, and any severance amounts or benefits otherwise payable between the Termination Date and the forty-fifth (45th) day following the Termination Date will be paid on such forty-fifth (45th) day.

 

(e)           No Duty to Mitigate. Executive will not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment contemplated by this Agreement, nor will any earnings that Executive may receive from any other source reduce any such payment.

 

12.            Section 280G; Parachute Payments. If any payment or distribution by the Company to or for the benefit of Executive, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or otherwise pursuant to or by reason of any other agreement, policy, plan, program or arrangement or the lapse or termination of any restriction on or the vesting or exercisability of any payment or benefit (each a “Payment”), would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Code Section 4999 (or any successor provision thereto) or to any similar tax imposed by state or local law (such tax or taxes are hereafter collectively referred to as the “Excise Tax”), then the aggregate amount of Payments payable to Executive shall be reduced to the aggregate amount of Payments that may be made to Executive without incurring an excise tax (the “Safe-Harbor Amount”) in accordance with the immediately following sentence; provided that such reduction shall only be imposed if the aggregate after-tax value of the Payments retained by Executive (after giving effect to such reduction) is equal to or greater than the aggregate after-tax value (after giving effect to the Excise Tax) of the Payments to Executive without any such reduction. Any such reduction shall be made in the following order: (i) first, any future cash payments (if any) shall be reduced (if necessary, to zero); (ii) second, any current cash payments shall be reduced (if necessary, to zero); (iii) third, all non-cash payments (other than equity or equity derivative related payments) shall be reduced (if necessary, to zero); and (iv) fourth, all equity or equity derivative payments shall be reduced.

 

13.           Definitions.

 

(a)           Cause. (A) Executive’s conviction of or plea of nolo contendere to a felony; (B) Executive’s commission of fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement against any person; (C) the theft or misappropriation by Executive of any property or money of the Company or an affiliate; (D) Executive’s breach of the terms of this Agreement; or (E) the willful or gross neglect of Executive’s duties, the willful or gross misconduct in performance of Executive’s duties or the willful violation by Executive of any material Company policy. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Cause shall not exist with respect to subsection (D) or (E), until and unless Executive fails to cure such breach, neglect or misconduct (if such breach, neglect or misconduct is capable of cure) within ten (10) days after written notice from the Board.

 

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(b)           Code. shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

 

(c)           Change of Control. For purposes of this Agreement, “Change of Control” will mean the occurrence of any of the following events:

 

(i)            The consummation by the Company of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity) more than 50% of the total voting power represented by the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation;

 

(ii)           The approval by the stockholders of the Company, or if stockholder approval is not required, approval by the Board, of either (1) a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or (2) an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets; or

 

(iii)          Any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) becoming the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 50% or more of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding voting securities.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change of Control will not be deemed to have occurred unless such event would also be a Change in Control under Code Section 409A or would otherwise be a permitted distribution event under Code Section 409A.

 

(d)           Disability. For purposes of this Agreement, “Disability” will mean Executive’s inability to substantially perform his duties under this Agreement as a result of incapacity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or to last for a period of twelve (12) months.

 

(e)           Good Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” means the occurrence of any of the following conditions, without Executive’s express written consent; provided, however, that Executive’s employment is terminated no later than one hundred eighty (180) days following the initial existence of one or more of the following conditions; provided further, that Executive must provide the Company notice of Good Reason within ninety (90) days of the initial existence of one of the following conditions, upon which notice the Company shall then have thirty (30) days in which to remedy the condition, under which circumstances the Company shall not be required to pay any amounts specified in Section 11 of this Agreement:

 

(i)            A material diminution in Executive’s authority, duties or responsibilities in effect immediately prior to such diminution;

 

(ii)           A material diminution in Executive’s Base Salary that persists for longer than twelve (12) months; or

 

(iii)          Any other action or inaction that constitutes a material breach by the Company of this Agreement.

 

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(f)            In Connection with a Change of Control. For purposes of this Agreement, a termination by Company of Executive’s employment with the Company is “In Connection with a Change of Control” if Executive’s employment is terminated by Company without Cause or by Executive for Good Reason within twelve (12) months following a Change of Control.

 

14.           Return of Company Property and Records. Upon any termination of employment for any reason or no reason, or upon the Company’s request at any time, Executive shall immediately return to the Company all property of the Company in Executive’s possession (including computers, smart phones and other portable electronic devices) and all documents and other materials in any medium including but not limited to electronic, which relate in any way to the Company, including notebooks, correspondence, memos, drawings or diagrams, computer files and databases, graphics and formulas, whether prepared by Executive or by others and whether required by Executive’s work or for his personal use, whether copies or originals, unless Executive first obtains the Company’s written consent to keep such records.

 

15.           Non-Competition. In consideration of the rights and benefits hereunder, including but not limited to the payments and benefits referenced in Section 11(g), Executive agrees that so long as he is an employee of the Company and for a period of twelve (12) months after the date of termination of Executive’s employment for any reason (the “Restricted Period”), Executive shall not, without the prior written consent of the Company, own any interest in, control, participate in, work for, become employed by, or provide services to (whether as an employee, consultant, independent contractor or otherwise) any individual or entity that competes with the Company in the design, manufacture or marketing of recreational and commercial power catamaran boats. This Section 15 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

16.           Non-Solicitation. In consideration of the rights and benefits hereunder, Executive agrees that during the Restricted Period, he shall not, without the prior written consent of the Company: (i) solicit or encourage any employee of the Company or its affiliates to leave the employment of the Company or such affiliate; or (ii) solicit or encourage any client of the Company or any of its affiliates (including any investors in funds managed by the Company or its affiliates) to cease to do business with the Company or its affiliates. The only exceptions to the restrictions in this paragraph are: (i) clients (if any) with which Executive had a significant and provable business relationship prior to his employment with the Company, and (ii) where Executive has the express, prior written consent of the Board to be released in whole or part from this section of the Agreement. This Section 16 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

17.           Confidentiality. Executive agrees that during Executive’s employment with the Company, will have access to confidential information and/or proprietary information about the Company and/or its clients, including, but not limited to, investment strategies, programs or ideas, trade secrets, methods, models, passwords, access to computer files, financial information and records, forecasts, computer software programs, agreements and/or contracts between the Company and its respective clients, client contracts, prospective contracts, creative policies and ideas, public relations and public affairs campaigns, media materials, budgets, practices, concepts, strategies, methods of operation, technical and scientific information, discoveries, developments, formulas, specifications, know-how, design inventions, marketing and business strategies and financial or business projects, and information about or received from clients and other companies with which the Company does business. The foregoing shall be collectively referred to as “Confidential Information.” Any information that is not readily available to the public shall be considered to be Confidential Information, even if it is not specifically marked as such, unless the Company advises Executive otherwise in writing. Such Confidential Information is not readily available to the public and accordingly, Executive agrees that he will not at any time, whether during his employment with the Company or thereafter, disclose to anyone, (other than in furtherance of the business of the Company) any Confidential Information, or utilize such Confidential Information for his own benefit, or for the benefit of third parties. Executive also agrees to preserve and protect the confidentiality of any third party information similar to the Confidential Information to the same extent, and on the same basis, as the Company’s Confidential Information. To the extent that any Confidential Information shall become the subject of any search warrant, court order, lawful subpoena, governmental investigation disclosure request or mandate, or the like (a “Disclosure Request”), Executive will notify the Company immediately, provide the Company adequate opportunity to oppose such Disclosure Request and reasonably assist the Company, at no cost to Executive, in opposing such Disclosure Request or seeking a protective order or such other limitation on disclosure as may be reasonably requested by the Company. If, after providing the notice and assistance required by the immediately preceding sentence, Executive is still required by lawful order to disclose any Confidential Information, Executive shall only disclose such information as is specifically required by such lawful order. The confidentiality protections available in this Agreement are in addition to, and not exclusive of, any and all other rights, including those provided under copyright, officer or director fiduciary duties and trade secret and confidential information laws. This confidentiality covenant has no temporal, geographical or territorial restriction. This Section 17 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

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Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, nothing in this Agreement shall (x) prohibit Executive from making reports of possible violations of federal law or regulation to any governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or of any other whistleblower protection provisions of federal law or regulation, or (y) require notification or prior approval by the Company of any such report; provided that, Executive is not authorized to disclose communications with counsel that were made for the purpose of receiving legal advice or that contain legal advice or that are protected by the attorney work product or similar privilege.

 

DEFEND TRADE SECRETS ACT NOTICE AND RELATED PROVISIONS: The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 provides as follows: (1) An individual shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that is made in confidence to a federal, state or local government official or to an attorney and such disclosure is made (a) solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law or (b) in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding if such filing is made under seal. (2) An individual may disclose a trade secret to that individual’s attorney for the purpose of filing a lawsuit for retaliation by an employer for reporting a suspected violation of law and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding provided the individual files any document containing the trade secret under seal and the individual does not disclose the trade secret except pursuant to court order. The Defend Trade Secrets Act also provides that a court enforcing that law may, if a trade secret is found to have been willfully and maliciously misappropriated, award (a) “exemplary damages” in an amount of up to two times the amount of damages awarded for actual loss caused by the misappropriation of a trade secret and damages for unjust enrichment caused by the misappropriation of the trade secret, or a reasonable royalty for the misappropriation, and (b) reasonable attorneys’ fees against the misappropriating party.

 

18.           Intellectual Property Assignment. For the purposes of this Agreement, the “business of the Company” is defined as the design, manufacture or marketing of recreational and commercial power catamaran boats. In the course of Executive’s employment, Executive may develop, conceive, generate, or contribute to, alone and/or jointly with others, tangible and intangible property including without limitation, inventions, improvements, business systems, works of authorship, algorithms, software, hardware, knowhow, designs, techniques, methods, documentation and other material, regardless of the form or media in or on which it is stored, some or all of which property may be protected by patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trade-marks, industrial designs or mask works, that relates to the business of the Company or to the Company’s actual or demonstrably anticipated research and development, or relates to or incorporates any Confidential Information, and whether or not made on the Company’s time or premises or using the Company’s resources, equipment, supplies or facilities, (which tangible and intangible property is collectively referred to in this Agreement as “Proprietary Property”).

 

All right, title and interest in and to Confidential Information and Proprietary Property (including, without limitation, the Proprietary Property described below), belongs to the Company, and Executive has no rights in any such Confidential Information and Proprietary Property. For greater certainty, all right, title and interest (including without limitation any intellectual property rights) in and to all Confidential Information and Proprietary Property that Executive may acquire or hold in the course of his employment is hereby assigned to the Company. Executive acknowledges that a Company customer or other third party (referred to in this Agreement as “Customer”) may, under the terms of its agreement with the Company, own the applicable right, title and interest (including without limitation any intellectual property rights) in certain Proprietary Property (referred to in this Agreement as “Customer Proprietary Property”) and Executive agrees to abide by any and all terms of said Customer agreements as they relate to Customer Proprietary Property and Customer confidential information.

 

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Executive agrees that all of the work product that Executive helps to develop while employed with the Company is the exclusive property and Confidential Information of the Company. Any such work product will be considered to be a work made for hire. Executive agrees to make full disclosure to the Company of and to properly document any development of Proprietary Property that Executive is involved in, and to provide written documentation describing such development to the Company, promptly after its creation. At the request and expense of the Company, both during and after employment, Executive will do all acts necessary and sign all documentation requested by the Company in order to assign all right, title and interest in and to the Proprietary Property to the Company (or to the applicable Customer, in relation to Costumer Proprietary Property) and to enable the Company (or the applicable Customer in relation to Customer Proprietary Property) to register (and to assist the Company to protect and defend its rights in and under any) patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, mask works, industrial designs and such other protections as the Company (or such Customer) deems advisable anywhere in the world. Executive hereby constitutes and appoints the Company and each and every director of the Company as Executive’s true and lawful attorney with full power of substitution in Executive’s name of and on Executive’s behalf with no restriction or limitation in that regard, to execute and deliver all such documentation as may be necessary to permit any intellectual property application to be completed as provided in this Agreement; the foregoing power of attorney shall be irrevocable (to the fullest extent permitted by law) and is a power coupled with an interest and shall bind Executive and Executive’s heirs, executors and legal personal representatives.

 

All notes, data, tapes, reference items, sketches, drawings, memoranda, records, documentation and other material regardless of the form or media in or on which it is stored, that is in or comes into Executive’s possession or control, and that is in any way obtained, developed, conceived, generated or contributed to by Executive, alone and/or jointly with others, during or as a result of Executive’s employment, is and remains Proprietary Property within the meaning of this Agreement.

 

The Company and Executive agree and understand that the Company claims no right and agrees to release to Executive all rights in any tangible or intangible property, provided that (i) it was developed by Executive entirely on Executive’s own time, without using the Company’s or any Customer’s resources, equipment, supplies, facilities, or funds, (ii) it does not relate to the business of the Company or Customer or to the Company’s or Customer’s actual or demonstrably anticipated research and development, (iii) it does not relate to or incorporate any Confidential Information or result from any work performed by Executive for the Company or the Customer; and (iv) it was disclosed by Executive to the Company promptly after its creation.

 

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such property includes the excluded property listed on the attached Exhibit B. If disclosure would cause Executive to violate any prior confidentiality agreement, Executive understands that Executive is not to list details of such items in Exhibit B but instead to include a general/generic listing and to inform the Company that details have not been listed for that reason. If there is no attached Exhibit B, there is no such excluded property.

 

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19.           Cooperation. Following the date of termination or expiration of this Agreement for any reason, upon the receipt of reasonable notice from the Company (including outside counsel to the Company) or their affiliates, Executive hereby agrees that he will respond and provide information with regard to matters in which he has knowledge as a result of his employment and association with the Company. Executive also agrees that he will provide reasonable assistance to the Company and its affiliates and their respective representatives in the defense of any claims that may be made against the Company or any of its affiliates, and will assist the Company and its affiliates in the prosecution of any claims that may be made by the Company or any of its affiliates to the extent that such claims may relate to the Term. Executive hereby agrees to promptly inform the Company (to the extent Executive is legally permitted to do so) if Executive is asked to assist in any investigation of the Company or any of its affiliates or their actions, regardless of whether a lawsuit or other proceeding has then been filed with respect to such investigation. This Section 19 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

 

20.           Indemnification. Subject to applicable law, Executive will be provided indemnification to the maximum extent permitted by the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws, this Agreement, or separate indemnification agreement, as applicable, including, if applicable, any directors and officers insurance policies, with such indemnification to be on terms determined by the Board or any of its committees, but on terms no less favorable than provided to any other Company executive officer or director and subject to the terms of any separate written indemnification agreement.

 

21.           Section 409A. The following rules shall apply, to the extent necessary, with respect to distribution of the payments and benefits, if any, to be provided to Executive under this Agreement. Subject to the provisions in this Section, the severance payments pursuant to this Agreement shall begin only upon the date of Executive’s “separation from service” (determined as set forth below) which occurs on or after the date of Executive’s termination of employment.

 

(a)           This Agreement is intended to comply with or be exempt from Code Section 409A and the parties hereto agree to interpret, apply and administer this Agreement in the least restrictive manner necessary to comply therewith or be exempt therefrom and without resulting in any increase in the amounts owed hereunder by the Company.

 

(b)           It is intended that each installment of the severance payments and benefits provided under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate “payment” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code and the guidance issued thereunder (“Section 409A”). Neither Executive nor the Company shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such payments or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A.

 

(c)           If, as of the date of Executive’s “separation from service” from the Company, Executive is a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A), then: each installment of the severance payments and benefits due under this Agreement that, in accordance with the dates and terms set forth herein, will in all circumstances, regardless of when the separation from service occurs, be paid within the short-term deferral period (as defined in Section 409A) shall be treated as a short-term deferral within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) to the maximum extent permissible under Section 409A; and each installment of the severance payments and benefits due under this Agreement that is not described in the preceding sentence and that would, absent this subsection, be paid within the six (6) month period following Executive’s “separation from service” from the Company shall not be paid until the date that is six (6) months and one day after such separation from service (or, if earlier, Executive’s death), with any such installments that are required to be delayed being accumulated during the six (6) month period and paid in a lump sum on the date that is six (6) months and one day following Executive’s separation from service and any subsequent installments, if any, being paid in accordance with the dates and terms set forth herein; provided, however, that the preceding provisions of this sentence shall not apply to any installment of severance payments and benefits if and to the maximum extent that such installment is deemed to be paid under a separation pay plan that does not provide for a deferral of compensation by reason of the application of Treasury Regulation 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) (relating to separation pay upon an involuntary separation from service). Any installments that qualify for the exception under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii) must be paid no later than the last day of the second taxable year following the taxable year in which the separation from service occurs.

 

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(d)           The determination of whether and when Executive’s separation from service from the Company has occurred shall be made in a manner consistent with, and based on the presumptions set forth in, Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h). Solely for purposes of this Section, “Company” shall include all persons with whom the Company would be considered a single employer as determined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A- 1(h)(3).

 

(e)           All reimbursements and in-kind benefits provided under this Agreement shall be made or provided in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A to the extent that such reimbursements or in-kind benefits are subject to Section 409A, including, where applicable, the requirements that (i) any reimbursement is for expenses incurred during Executive’s lifetime (or during a shorter period of time specified in this Agreement), (ii) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement during a calendar year may not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other calendar year, (iii) the reimbursement of an eligible expense will be made on or before the last day of the calendar year following the year in which the expense is incurred and (iv) the right to reimbursement is not subject to set off or liquidation or exchange for any other benefit.

 

(f)            Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall have no liability to Executive or to any other person if the payments and benefits provided in this Agreement that are intended to be exempt from or compliant with Section 409A are not so exempt or compliant.

 

22.           Notices. Any notice hereunder by either party to the other shall be given in writing by personal delivery or by registered mail, return receipt requested, addressed, if to the Company, to the attention of the Company’s Chairman of the Board of Directors at the Company’s principal offices or to such other address as the Company may designate in writing to Executive, and if to Executive, to his most recent home address on file with the Company. Notice shall be deemed given, if by personal delivery, on the date of such delivery or, if by registered mail, on the date shown on the applicable return receipt.

 

23.           Entire Agreement; Modification. This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement between the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof, and supersedes all prior understandings and agreements, whether written or oral. This Agreement may not be amended, supplemented, revised or otherwise modified except by a writing signed by the parties hereto.

 

24.           Assignment. This Agreement may not be assigned, in whole or in part, by any party without the prior written consent of the other party, except that the Company may, without the consent of Executive, assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any corporation, firm or other business entity with or into which the Company may merge or consolidate, or to which the Company may sell or transfer all or substantially all of its assets. After any such assignment by the Company, the Company shall be discharged from all further liability hereunder and such assignee shall have all the rights and obligations of the Company under this Agreement.

 

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25.           Captions, Sections and Headings. Captions, sections and headings herein have been inserted solely for convenience of reference and in no way limit the scope or substance of any provision of this Agreement.

 

26.           Severability. If any of the provisions of this Agreement is held to be excessively broad by any agency, tribunal or court of competent jurisdiction, it shall be reformed and construed by limiting and reducing it so as to be enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by law. If any portion or provision of this Agreement shall to any extent be declared illegal or unenforceable by any agency, tribunal or court of competent jurisdiction, even after the reformation and construction as described in the preceding sentence, then the remainder of this Agreement, or the application of such portion or provision in circumstances other than those as to which it is so declared illegal or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby, and each portion and provision of this Agreement shall be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

27.           Injunctive Relief. Executive acknowledges and agrees that the Company’s remedies at law for a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement would be inadequate and, in recognition of this fact, Executive agrees that, in the event of such a breach or threatened breach, in addition to any remedies at law, the Company, without posting any bond, shall be entitled to obtain equitable relief in the form of specific performance, temporary restraining orders, temporary or permanent injunctions or any other equitable remedy which may then be available.

 

28.           Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida applicable to contracts executed and performed in such state without giving effect to conflicts of laws principles.

 

29.          Opportunity to Obtain Counsel; Acknowledgments. In connection with the preparation of this Agreement, Executive acknowledges and agrees that: (a) Executive has been advised that his interests may be opposed to the interests of Company and, accordingly, Company counsel’s representation in the negotiation of this Agreement may not be in the best interests of Executive; and (b) Executive has been advised to and has so retained separate legal counsel. Executive warrants and agrees that he has read and fully understands the terms and conditions of this Agreement. By signing this Agreement, Executive is affirming that he has freely and of Executive’s own volition acknowledged and agreed to all terms and conditions contained in this Agreement. Executive acknowledges that he had at least ten (10) business days to consider the terms of this Agreement prior to it becoming effective in accordance with its terms.

 

30.           Construction and Interpretation. Should any provision of this Agreement require judicial interpretation, the parties hereto agree that the court interpreting or construing the same shall not apply a presumption that the terms hereof shall be more strictly construed against one party by reason of the rule of construction that a document is to be more strictly construed against the party that itself, or through its agent, prepared the same, and it is expressly agreed and acknowledged that Company and Executive and each of his and its representatives, legal and otherwise, have participated in the preparation hereof.

 

31.           No Third Party Beneficiary. The terms and provisions of this Agreement are intended solely for the benefit of each party hereto and Company’s successors or assigns, and it is not the intention of the parties to confer third-party beneficiary rights upon any other person.

 

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32.           Waiver. No waiver of any provision hereof shall be effective unless made in writing and signed by the waiving party. The failure of either party to require the performance of any term or obligation of this Agreement, or the waiver by either party of any breach of this Agreement, shall not prevent any subsequent enforcement of such term or obligation or be deemed a waiver of any subsequent breach.

 

33.           Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument, and in pleading or proving any provision of this Agreement it shall not be necessary to produce more than one such counterpart. No counterpart shall be effective until each party has executed at least one counterpart. For the convenience of the parties, facsimile and pdf signatures shall be accepted as originals.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement as a binding contract as of the date first above written.

 

FORZA X1, INC.   EXECUTIVE
     
By: /s/ Joseph Visconti   /s/ Jim Leffew
Name: Joseph Visconti   Jim Leffew
Title: Chief Executive Officer    

 

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EXHIBIT A

 

FORM OF GENERAL RELEASE OF ALL CLAIMS

 

This General Release of All Claims is made as of ______________, 202_ (“General Release”), by and between FORZA X1, INC. (the “Company”), and Jim Leffew (the “Executive”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive are parties to an Employment Agreement dated as of December 15, 2021 (the “Employment Agreement”);

 

WHEREAS, the Company wishes to terminate Executive’s employment with the Company without Cause or the Executive wishes to resign with Good Reason;

 

WHEREAS, defined terms not defined in this General Release have the meanings given to them in the Employment Agreement;

 

WHEREAS, the execution of this General Release is a condition precedent to the payment of certain payments or benefits following the Executive’s termination, as set forth in Section 11 of the Employment Agreement;

 

WHEREAS, in consideration for Executive’s signing of this General Release, as well as Executive’s continued compliance with the Employment Agreement, including without limitation the non-competition and other restrictive covenants contained in Sections 15 through 17 of the Employment Agreement, the Company will provide such payments or benefits to which the Executive may be entitled pursuant to Section 11 of the Employment Agreement; and

 

WHEREAS, Executive and the Company intend that this General Release shall be in full satisfaction of the obligations described in Section 11(f) of the Employment Agreement owed by Executive to the Company.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the Company and Executive agree as follows:

 

1.              Executive, for himself or herself, Executive’s spouse, heirs, administrators, children, representatives, executors, successors, assigns, and all other persons claiming through Executive, if any (collectively, “Releasers”), does hereby release, waive, and forever discharge the Company and each of its respective agents, subsidiaries, parents, affiliates, related organizations, members, partners, shareholders, employees, officers, directors, attorneys, successors, and assigns (collectively, the “Releasees”) from, and does fully waive any obligations of Releasees to Releasers for, any and all liability, actions, charges, causes of action, demands, damages, or claims for relief, remuneration, sums of money, accounts or expenses (including attorneys’ fees and costs) of any kind whatsoever, whether known or unknown or contingent or absolute, which heretofore has been or which hereafter may be suffered or sustained, directly or indirectly, by Releasers in consequence of, arising out of, or in any way relating to: (a) Executive’s employment with the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates; (b) the termination of Executive’s employment with the Company and any of its subsidiaries or affiliates; (c) the Employment Agreement; or (d) any events occurring on or prior to the date of this General Release. The foregoing release and discharge, waiver and covenant not to sue includes, but is not limited to, all claims and any obligations or causes of action arising from such claims, under common law including wrongful or retaliatory discharge, breach of contract (including but not limited to any claims under the Employment Agreement and any claims under any equity incentive arrangements between Executive, on the one hand, and the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, on the other hand) and any action arising in tort including libel, slander, defamation or intentional infliction of emotional distress, and claims

 

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under any federal, state or local statute including the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (“ADEA”), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title VII”), the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and 1871 (42 U.S.C. § 1981), the National Labor Relations Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Executive Retirement Income Security Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the discrimination or employment laws of any state or municipality, and/or any claims under any express or implied contract which Releasers may claim existed with Releasees. This also includes a release of any claims for wrongful discharge and all claims for alleged physical or personal injury, emotional distress relating to or arising out of Executive’s employment with the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or the termination of that employment; and any claims under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act or any similar law, which requires, among other things, that advance notice be given of certain work force reductions. This release and waiver does not apply to: (i) any right to indemnification now existing under the Company’s governing documents; (ii) any rights to the receipt of Executive benefits under any Executive benefit plan which vested on or prior to the date of this General Release; (iii) the right to receive certain payments or benefits under Section 11 of the Employment Agreement; and (iv) the right to continuation health coverage pursuant to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.

 

2.              Excluded from this General Release and waiver are any claims which cannot be waived by law, including but not limited to the right to participate in an investigation conducted by certain government agencies. Executive does, however, waive Executive’s right to any monetary recovery should any agency (such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) pursue any claims on Executive’s behalf. Executive represents and warrants that Executive has not filed any complaint, charge, or lawsuit against the Releasees with any government agency or any court.

 

3.              Executive agrees never to seek personal recovery from Releasees in any forum for any claim covered by the above waiver and release language. If Executive violates this General Release by suing Releasees, Executive shall be liable to the Releasees for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other litigation costs incurred in defending against such a suit and Executive shall reimburse the Releasees for their costs and expenses. Nothing in this General Release is intended to reflect any party’s belief that Executive’s waiver of claims under ADEA is invalid or unenforceable, it being the intent of the parties that such claims are waived.

 

4.              To the extent, if any, that Executive has rights in any invention, improvement, discovery, process, program, product or system developed by Executive during his employment with the Company, Executive hereby irrevocably transfers, assigns and conveys such rights to the Company and agrees that the Company shall be and remain the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title and interest in and to any such invention, improvement, discovery, process, program, product or system, including, but not limited to, all patent, copyright, trade secret and other proprietary rights therein that may be secured in any place under laws now or hereinafter in effect.

 

5.              Executive agrees that neither this General Release, nor the furnishing of the consideration for this General Release, shall be deemed or construed at any time to be an admission by the Company, any Releasees or Executive of any improper or unlawful conduct.

 

6.              Executive acknowledges and recites that:

 

(a)            Executive has executed this General Release knowingly and voluntarily;

 

(b)            Executive has read and understands this General Release in its entirety;

 

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(c)                 Executive has been advised and directed orally and in writing (and this subparagraph (c)) constitutes such written direction) to seek legal counsel and any other advice Executive wishes with respect to the terms of this General Release before executing it;

 

(d)                 By execution of this General Release, Executive expressly waives any and all claims relating to age discrimination and disability or handicap discrimination and releases any rights he may have under Title VII, ADEA, the ADA, and/or any State or local laws;

 

(e)                 Executive hereby acknowledges that the waiver of his rights and/or claims existing under Title VII, ADEA and ADA and/or any State or local laws is in consideration for payments or benefits to which the Executive is entitled under Section 11of the Employment Agreement;

 

(f)                  Executive’s execution of this General Release has not been forced by any Executive or agent of the Company, and Executive has had an opportunity to negotiate about the terms of this General Release; and

 

(g)                 Executive has been offered twenty-one (21) calendar days after receipt of this General Release to consider its terms before executing it.

 

7.              This General Release shall be governed by the internal laws (and not the choice of laws) of the State of Florida, except for the application of pre-emptive Federal law.

 

8.              Executive shall have seven (7) days from the date Executive executes this General Release to revoke Executive’s waiver of any ADEA claims by providing written notice of the revocation to the Company. In the event that Executive revokes this General Release, the Company shall have no obligation to make any payments or benefits under Section 11 of the Employment Agreement that were expressly conditioned on the execution of this release.

 

9.              Nothing in this General Release shall relieve Executive of his obligations under Sections 15 (Non-Competition), 16 (Non-Solicitation), or 17 (Confidentiality) of the Employment Agreement and Executive hereby agrees to comply with his obligations as set forth in Sections 15, 16, and 17 of the Employment Agreement.

 

10.            If this General Release is found to be invalid or unenforceable in any way, the Executive shall execute and deliver to the Company a revised release which will effectuate Executive’s intention to release the Releasees, as set forth herein, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

PLEASE READ THIS AGREEMENT CAREFULLY. IT CONTAINS A RELEASE OF ALL KNOWN AND UNKNOWN CLAIMS.

 

Date: _______________________________    
    Executive

 

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EXHIBIT B

 

EXCLUDED PROPERTY FROM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ASSIGNMENT

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 10.4

CERTAIN IDENTIFIED INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS EXHIBIT BECAUSE IT IS BOTH NOT MATERIAL AND IS THE TYPE THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL. [***] INDICATES THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN REDACTED.

  

SUPPLY AGREEMENT

This Supply Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into by and between Forza X1, Inc. (“Buyer”), a Delaware corporation whose mailing address and electronic mail address for notices is Attn: Joseph Visconti, 3101 South US Highway 1, Ft. Pierce, Florida 34982 (joseph@twinvee.com) and American Battery Systems, Inc. (“ABS”), a Delaware corporation, with a place of business at 3768 South Lapeer Rd, Lake Orion, MI 48359, effective as of December 20, 2021 (the “Effective Date”). Buyer or ABS may be collectively referred to as the “Parties” or individually as a “Party.”

 

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Buyer is a manufacturer of sport boats.

WHEREAS, ABS is willing to supply Batteries (as defined herein) for Buyer boats in accordance with this Agreement.

WHEREAS, Buyer is willing to purchase Batteries from ABS in accordance with this Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the promises made herein, as well as other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, Buyer and ABS agree to be legally bound as follows:

AGREEMENT

1.             Scope. This Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions between Buyer and ABS including its Affiliates (as defined herein) regarding the purchase and supply of automotive-grade batteries as described as the Proliance Intelligent Battery Series (“Packs”) and the necessary battery management software (“BMS”), (the necessary cells, modules, packs and BMS together as “Battery” or “Batteries,” as the case may be).

2.             Term. This Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date and, unless terminated as set forth herein, shall remain in effect until five (5) years after the Effective Date. The effective period of this Agreement is referred to as the “Term”.

3.             Minimum Quantity Commitment. During the Term, Buyer shall purchase, and ABS shall deliver, the minimum monthly quantities in the attached Schedule 1(“Minimum Quantity”), subject to the other terms hereof. The Parties agree and acknowledge that the quoted pricing is based on the Minimum Quantity and therefore the initial order for the 12-month period commencing June 1, 2022 and consisting of [***] units of Batteries is a firm obligation of Buyer. Thereafter, Minimum Quantity orders shall be based on the rolling annual Forecast below and for each quarter the Minimum Quantity may be reduced, but the entire quarterly obligation becomes firm on the first day of each quarter.

4.            Forecast. Buyer shall provide on or about January 1 each year a written rolling annual forecasts indicating Buyer’s projected demand for Batteries (each such forecast, a “Forecast”). ABS will accept each Forecast unless it notifies Buyer in writing to the contrary within five (5) Business Days (as defined below) after receiving a Forecast. If ABS rejects a Forecast, the parties hereto will promptly confer and mutually agree upon a revised Forecast. Subject to the Minimum Quantity obligations, Buyer may reduce the Battery quantities one calendar quarter in advance without penalty for such reduction.

 

 
 

 

5.             Battery Pricing. ABS shall provide Batteries, including the BMS, as detailed in the attached Schedule 2.

 

6.             Purchase Orders.

(a)           Buyer shall issue a rolling quarterly Purchase Order for Batteries. ABS will accept all Purchase Orders (as defined herein) that Buyer issues by the delivery date requested in such Purchase Order so long as the number of Batteries indicated does not exceed the quantity specified in the applicable accepted Forecast with respect to the relevant delivery period and Buyer is current on payment of past invoices. “Purchase Order” means Buyer’s written or electronically transmitted instruction to ABS that ABS accepts for deliver Batteries pursuant to applicable delivery or performance dates and locations.

(b)           Unless mutually agreed in writing otherwise, all Purchase Orders will be governed by the terms and conditions of this Agreement. As between Buyer and ABS, any different or additional terms in any proposal, acknowledgement form or any other document will be of no force or effect and will not become part of the agreement between the Parties.

(c)           ABS may not invoice for Batteries until title transfer, which will be deemed to occur when Buyer or its designee assumes the risk of loss or damage. Payment terms are 30 days from the date of receipt of an invoice. All amounts payable will be stated and paid in United States Dollars.

 

(d)          Buyer shall pay interest on all late undisputed payments at the lesser of the rate of 1.0% per month or the highest rate permissible under applicable law, calculated daily and compounded monthly. Buyer shall reimburse ABS for all costs incurred in collecting any late undisputed payments, including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees. In addition to all other remedies available under the Agreement or at law (which ABS does not waive by the exercise of any rights hereunder), ABS shall be entitled to suspend the delivery of any Batteries if Buyer fails to pay any amounts when due hereunder and such failure continues for ten (10) days following written notice thereof. Buyer shall not withhold payment of any amounts due and payable by reason of any set-off of any claim or dispute with ABS, whether relating to Seller’s breach, bankruptcy or otherwise.

7.            Manufacture & Delivery. The Batteries will be delivered within a reasonable time after ABS receipt of Buyer’s Purchase Order, subject to availability of Batteries but no later than six (6) weeks after receipt of Buyer’s Purchase Order. ABS shall not be liable for any delays, loss or damage in transit. Unless otherwise agreed in writing by the parties: All Batteries will be shipped FCA (Incoterms 2020) ABS’s premises at 50 Ovonic Way, Springboro, Ohio, 45066. For any international shipment, Buyer shall be responsible for export clearance and shall, at its own risk and expense, obtain any import and export license or other official authorization, and carry out all customs formalities, necessary for the exportation of the Batteries from the United States and the importation of the Batteries into the country specified as the shipping destination. ABS may, in its sole discretion, without liability or penalty, make partial shipments of Batteries to Buyer. Each shipment will constitute a separate sale, and Buyer shall pay for the units shipped whether such shipment is in whole or partial fulfillment of Buyer’s purchase order.

 

8.             Supply Constraint. If ABS’s ability to manufacture and deliver any Batteries in accordance with the then current accepted Forecast is constrained for any reason (other than a Force Majeure Event), ABS will promptly notify Buyer of the supply constraint and ABS’s plan to resolve it, and will provide Buyer reasonable periodic updates regarding the steps taken to resolve the supply constraint.

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9.             Acceptance. Buyer shall inspect the Batteries within twenty (20) days of receipt (“Inspection Period”). Buyer will be deemed to have accepted the Batteries unless it notifies ABS in writing of any Nonconforming Batteries during the Inspection Period and furnishes such written evidence or other documentation as required by ABS. “Nonconforming Batteries “ means only the following: (i) the Batteries shipped are different than identified in Buyer’s Purchase Order; (ii) the Batteries are labeled or packaged incorrectly identifying their contents; (iii) the Batteries are damaged in transit or (iv) the Batteries fail to meet their Specifications (as defined below). If Buyer timely notifies ABS of any Nonconforming Batteries, ABS shall replace such Nonconforming Batteries with conforming Batteries within ten days of such notification. If requested by ABS, Buyer shall ship, at ABS’s expense and risk of loss, the Nonconforming Batteries to ABS’s facility located at 50 Ovonic Way, Springboro, Ohio, 45066, USA. ABS shall, after receiving Buyer’s shipment of Nonconforming Batteries, ship to Buyer the replaced Batteries in accordance with the terms of Section 8. Acceptance testing and inspection of Batteries will be performed at Buyer’s facility (or other applicable delivery destination specified in the Purchase Order) by ABS’s (as necessary) and Buyer’s personnel. For avoidance of doubt, if acceptance is delayed with respect to any Purchase Order beyond the date that payment thereunder is due, Buyer shall nevertheless make such payment when due, provided that Buyer shall be entitled to return (at ABS’s expense) any Batteries that are rightfully rejected and promptly receive conforming replacement Batteries therefor.

10.           Warranties.

(a)          ABS represents and warrants that: (a) it has the right to enter into this Agreement and its performance of this Agreement will be free and clear of liens and encumbrances; (b) entering into this Agreement will not cause ABS to breach any other agreements to which it is a party; (c) the Batteries will be new and comprised of new materials when delivered; (d) neither the Batteries nor any portion thereof infringes any patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, or other proprietary right (“Intellectual Property Right”) of a third party; (e) when delivered to Buyer, the Batteries will conform to all applicable laws in the United States. ABS further warrants (the “Product Limited Warranty” as more specifically defined in the attached Schedule 3) that the Batteries will meet the Specifications and be free from any defects in material and workmanship or due to design. “Specifications” means the specifications and requirements set forth in Schedules 4 and any relevant drawings consistent with such specifications that ABS provides and Buyer approves in writing.

(b)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Product Warranty shall be void and of no force or effect if (i) the Battery is altered or repaired by any person other than ABS or ABS’s authorized service representative, (ii) either Buyer or any person that subsequently obtains the Battery shall fail in any material respect to install, operate, maintain, store and transport the Battery in accordance with any guidelines or instructions provided by ABS, (iii) cell temperature is at any time outside the range set forth in the Specifications, which temperature is not caused by or attributable to ABS, or (iv) the Battery is at any time exposed to ambient temperatures outside the range set forth in the Specifications. Further, ABS shall have no liability or obligation under the Product Warranty, and no Battery shall be deemed to violate the Product Warranty, as a result of any failure, condition or problem attributable to (i) accident, (ii) fire, (iii) immersion in liquid, (iv) natural disasters, war, riot, terrorism, or other events or occurrences that are beyond ABS’s reasonable control, or (v) if not attributable to ABS, electrical overloading or external electrical shorts, power failure surges, inrush current or lightning.

11.           Remedies for Defective Batteries.

(a)           “Defective Battery” or “Defective Batteries” means any Battery that: (i) fails to comply with the applicable Product Warranty or Specifications at any time during the applicable warranty period, or (ii) fails to comply with any applicable law or regulation at time of delivery.

(b)           If, after acceptance, Buyer gives notice to ABS that more than two (2) percent of the Batteries delivered over the course of any calendar quarter or two (2) percent during a calendar year are Defective Batteries, the Parties will promptly convene a quality control committee (“QCC”) to determine the cause. Buyer and ABS may each designate three (3) of their respective qualified personnel to participate in the QCC. ABS will provide a sufficient number of qualified manufacturing, materials and quality engineers to effectively conduct the necessary analyses and to document the QCC findings. The QCC will conduct weekly meetings until the cause has been determined and documented to Buyer’s reasonable satisfaction. Based on such determination of the QCC, ABS will take appropriate remedial steps approved by the QCC to reduce the defect rate to less than two (2) percent per calendar quarter or two (2) percent per calendar year.

 
 

 

12.           Return of Batteries. At its expense and provided ABS elects to have the Defective Batteries returned, ABS will accept the return of any Defective Batteries that Buyer returns and will ship replacement Batteries as soon as reasonably practicable.

13.           Support Services. ABS will provide the support services set forth on Schedule 5.

14.          Limits of Liability. EXCEPT FOR ANY VIOLATION OF ANY OBLIGATION WITH RESPECT TO PAY AMOUNTS OWING UNDER ANY PURCHASE ORDER, (I) IN NO EVENT WILL EITHER PARTY BE LIABLE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, AND (II) IN NO EVENT WILL EITHER PARTY’S LIABILITY TO THE OTHER ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT EXCEED, IN THE AGGREGATE, THE AMOUNTS PAID OR PAYABLE BY BUYER TO ABS DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTH PERIOD PRECEDING THE TIME THAT SUCH LIABILITY FIRST ACCRUES.

15.           Indemnification.

(a)           ABS’s Obligations. ABS agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless, reimburse and compensate Buyer and each of their shareholders, directors, officers, employees and agents (collectively “Buyer Indemnities”) from and against any and all costs, fees, expenses, damages that any Buyer Indemnitee is obligated to pay to the Claimant (as hereinafter defined), and reasonable attorneys’ fees (“Losses”) arising out of any claim brought by any third party (the “Claimant”) against Buyer to the extent that such Losses arise from any actual or alleged:

(i)            Noncompliance by ABS with any of its representations, warranties or obligations under this Agreement (other than the Product Warranty);

(ii)           Gross Negligence, recklessness or willful misconduct of ABS;

(iii)         Infringement of any Intellectual Property Right (as defined herein) by the Batteries provided by ABS;

(b)         Buyer’s Obligations. Buyer agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless, reimburse and compensate ABS, ABS’s Affiliates, and each of their shareholders, directors, officers, employees and agents (collectively “ABS Indemnities”) from and against any and all Losses (“Losses”) arising out of any claim brought by the Claimant against ABS to the extent that such Losses arise from any actual or alleged:

(i)            Gross Negligence, recklessness or willful misconduct of Buyer; or

 

(ii)           Noncompliance by Buyer with any of its representations, warranties or obligations under this Agreement.

(c)           Process. The indemnified party shall tender sole control of the defense and settlement of any indemnified claim to the indemnifying party and shall reasonably cooperate with the indemnifying party in such defense; provided that the indemnifying party shall not settle any claim without the indemnified party’s consent, not to be unreasonably withheld, delayed or conditioned. The indemnified party may at its option participate in the defense of any claim with its own counsel, at its expense.

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16.           Duty to Correct. If a third-party claims that any Batteries infringe such third party’s Intellectual Property Right, ABS will, in addition to its obligations in this Agreement, promptly notify Buyer in writing and, at its own expense, keep Buyer informed of ABS’s defenses. If a third party obtains a final non-appealable judgment against ABS arising out of a claim by such party alleging that the Batteries infringe an Intellectual Property Right(s) of such third party, ABS will exercise the first of the following remedies that is practicable: (a) obtain from such third party the right for Buyer to use, import and sell such Batteries in Buyer products; (b) modify the Batteries so they are non-infringing and in compliance with this Agreement; or (c) replace the Batteries with non-infringing versions that comply with the requirements of any Specifications and this Agreement.

 
 

 

17.           Termination.

(a)            Termination by Buyer for Cause. Subject to Section 19(b), Buyer may terminate for cause, effective upon delivery of a termination notice. Subject to Section 19(b), Cause for Buyer means:

(i)            A material breach of any warranty or other term of this Agreement that is not cured in accordance with Section 17 (b); or

(ii)          ABS’s assignment for the benefit of creditors, voluntary bankruptcy or involuntary bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings that are not dismissed within ninety (90) days.

(b)           Cure. If ABS breaches any warranty or other term of this Agreement, if such breach is reasonably capable of being cured ABS may cure such breach within thirty (30) days of ABS’s receipt of written notice thereof from Buyer.

(c)          Termination by ABS for Cause. ABS may terminate this Agreement for non-payment of an undisputed Purchase Order when due or other material breach of this Agreement by Buyer, if:

(i)            ABS first provides Buyer written notice specifying the undisputed amounts past due or other breach hereof and ABS’s intent to terminate this Agreement if the past due amount is not paid or other breach cured; and

(ii)            Buyer does not either:

(1)          pay the past due amounts within ten (10) days of notice of such default, in the event of a payment default; or

(2)          if such breach is reasonably capable of being cured, cure such breach within thirty (30) days of Buyer’s receipt of written notice thereof from ABS.

(d)           ABS’s Obligations Following Termination For Any Reason. Notwithstanding any claimed or actual breach by Buyer (but provided that Buyer is current in its payment obligations), ABS shall cooperate during the transition to a successor supplier (“Transition Support”), which consists of the following: (i) ABS shall continue production and delivery of all Batteries ordered by Buyer consistent with the accepted Forecast, at the prices and other terms stated in this Agreement, without premium or other condition, during the entire period reasonably needed by Buyer to complete the transition to the alternate supplier(s) (but not exceeding one hundred twenty (120) days); (ii) If the transition occurs for reasons other than Buyer’s termination for cause, Buyer will, at the end of the transition period, pay the reasonable, actual cost of any of ABS’s assistance provided that ABS has advised Buyer prior to incurring such amounts of its estimate of such costs. If the parties disagree on the cost of Transition Support, Buyer will pay the agreed portion to ABS without prejudice to ABS’s right to seek to recover any disputed amounts.

 

(e)           Mutual Termination Without Cause. Either Party may terminate this Agreement without cause by providing the other party no less than twelve (12) months prior written notice of its intent to terminate. In the event of a termination under this Section, there shall be no continued Transition Support and the Agreement shall terminate at the end of the 12-month notice period.

18.          Intellectual Property. Ownership of ABS’s patents, trademarks, copyrights, and other proprietary intellectual property rights in any way related to the Batteries (collectively, the “ABS Intellectual Property”), including, without limitation, all proprietary rights, trade secrets, United States domestic patents and foreign patents (provisional and non-provisional) and patent applications (together with all patents issuing therefrom or claiming the benefit or priority thereof) in all countries of the world, all reissues, reexams, divisional, continuation, and continuation-in-part applications, and improvements of any of the foregoing, and all derivative and other works in any way relating to or arising out of the ABS Intellectual Property, shall be and at all times remain the sole and exclusive property of ABS. Buyer, on behalf of itself and each of its employees, agents and contractors (the “Representatives”), agrees that it will not challenge the validity of, or claim any right to an ownership interest in, any portion of the ABS Intellectual Property.

 

 
 

 

19.           Miscellaneous.

(a)           Incorporation by Reference. The terms and conditions in the Recitals and the Schedules hereto are incorporated herein by this reference.

(b)           Relationship of Parties. Nothing in this Agreement creates a joint venture, partnership, franchise, employment or agency relationship or fiduciary duty of any kind. Neither Party will have the power to, nor will it hold itself out as having the power to, act for or in the name of or to bind the other Party. Except as expressly provided, this Agreement is not for the benefit of any third parties.

(c)           No Waiver; Governing Law. The failure of either Party to enforce any right resulting from breach of any provision of this Agreement shall not be deemed a waiver of any right relating to a subsequent breach of such provision or of any other right hereunder. This Agreement shall be governed by, construed in accordance with, and the rights and obligations of the Parties determined under, the laws of the State of Michigan, without regard to its conflicts of law principles. The Parties agree that any and all claims, actions, causes of action, suits and similar proceedings relating to this Agreement shall be filed and maintained only in the courts of the State of Michigan sitting in Oakland County or the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and, with respect to any such proceeding, each Party irrevocably (a) agrees and consents to be subject to the jurisdiction of such courts and (b) waives any objection which it may have at any time to the laying of venue of any such proceeding brought in any such court, waives any claim that such proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum and further waives the right to object, with respect to such proceeding, that such court does not have jurisdiction over such party.

(d)           Joint Negotiation. ABS and Buyer have participated in the negotiation of this Agreement. Each of the Parties acknowledges such negotiation in order to avoid the application of any rule construing contractual language against the drafter and agrees that this Agreement shall be construed without prejudice to the party who memorialized it in final form.

(e)           Compliance with Laws. Buyer represents and warrants that it is in compliance with (a) the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, and each of the assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) and any other enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto, and (b) the Uniting and Strengthening America By Providing Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept And Obstruct Terrorism (USA Patriot Act of 2001).

 

(f)            U.S. Export Control Administration Regulations and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

 

(i)                   Buyer acknowledges and agrees that certain export control laws, including the U.S. Export Administration Act, the U.S. Export Administration Regulations and the U.S. Boycott Regulations, may result in the imposition of sanctions in the event that, directly or indirectly, the Batteries supplied by ABS are exported to various countries. Buyer agrees to comply with all such applicable export control laws.

 

(ii)                 Buyer represents and warrants that it (i) is not a person whose property or interest in property is blocked or subject to blocking pursuant to Section 1 of the Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001 Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism (66 Fed. Reg. 49079(2001)), (ii) does not engage in any dealings or transactions prohibited by Section 2 of such executive order, or is otherwise associated with any such person in any manner violative of Section 2, (iii) neither is itself nor, to its knowledge, its bank, insurance company, shipping line, freight forwarder, customer for the Batteries or other end user of the Batteries a person on the list of Specially Designated Nationals, Blocked Persons and Specially Designated Global Terrorists or subject to the limitations or prohibitions under any other U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control regulations or executive order, (iv) neither is itself nor, to its knowledge, its bank, insurance company, shipping line, freight forwarder, customer for the Batteries or other end user of the Batteries a person on the list of Denied Persons and Denied Entities or subject to the limitations or prohibitions under the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Export Administration regulations, guidelines or orders, or (v) neither is itself nor, to its knowledge, its bank, insurance company, shipping line, freight forwarder or customer for the Batteries or other end user of the Batteries a person on the Debarred Parties List or subject to the limitations or prohibitions under the U.S. Department of State regulations, guidelines or orders.

 

 
 

 

(iii)                If any transactions by Buyer are found which are not authorized by the Office of Foreign Assets Control or Patriot Act, this Agreement will immediately and automatically terminate. Buyer agrees that it will not allow the Batteries to be sold to customers in, nor will it provide support to customers in, “No Trade Countries”, and Buyer will not allow the Batteries to be sold to, nor will it provide support to, any “Specially Designated Natioals”.

 

(g)           Assignment. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective heirs, executors, personal representatives, successors and permitted assigns. The rights and obligations hereunder shall not be assigned or delegated, as the case may be, by either Party without the prior written consent of the other Party. Except as expressly provided herein, nothing in this Agreement is intended to confer any rights or remedies upon any person, other than the Parties and their respective heirs, executors, personal representatives, successors and permitted assigns.

(h)          Notices. Any notice required or permitted hereunder will be in writing and will be given to the appropriate Party at the address first set forth above, or at such other address as the Party may hereafter specify in writing. Such notice will be deemed given: upon personal delivery to the appropriate address; or three (3) Business Days after the date of mailing if sent by certified or registered mail; or one (1) Business Day after the date of deposit with a commercial courier service offering next business day service with confirmation of delivery. “Business Day” means any day on which banks are open for business in Detroit, MI.

(i)            Force Majeure. Neither Party will be liable for any failure to perform caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control including, but not limited to, acts of God, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornados, fires, acts of war, hostilities, invasions, terrorism, civil disorder, riots, blockade, embargo, utility disruptions, including power and water, or accident (each, a “Force Majeure Event”), provided: (i) it promptly notifies the other Party and uses reasonable efforts to correct its failure to perform; and (ii) it has taken such commercially reasonable efforts to protect against and mitigate the impact of the force majeure event if such event was reasonably foreseeable or was of a kind for which such precautionary measures are customarily taken in the applicable industry. For the avoidance of doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic is not a force majeure event, but any governmental actions taken in response thereto after the date hereof (e.g., orders requiring the closure of manufacturing facilities or suspension of shipping) may be Force Majeure Events. In the event the Force Majeure Event shall continue for more than thirty (30) days the non-affected Party may thereupon terminate this Agreement.

(j)            Severability. If a court finds any provision of this Agreement or any right or obligation invalid or unenforceable, this Agreement shall be immediately deemed amended to: (i) include a provision that reflects the intent of the Parties, or, if (i) is not possible, (ii) to exclude such provision and the parties shall negotiate in good faith a substitute provision that reflect the Parties’ intent at the time of entering into this Agreement.

(k)           Related Documents; Precedence. The terms and conditions of any Purchase Order and the terms and conditions of any schedules, attachments and other documents referenced herein or therein are incorporated into the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In the event of any conflict in the documents which constitute this Agreement, the order of precedence will be (i) this Agreement; (ii) any other schedules, attachments and other documents referenced and incorporated herein and therein; and (iii) any Purchase Order.

(l)            Counterparts. This agreement may be executed in two (2) or more counterparts including signing an electronic or facsimile copy. Each counterpart shall be deemed an original and all counterparts together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

 
 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Agreement on the date specified beneath their respective signatures below, with the intent that it shall become effective on and as of the Effective Date.

 

  BUYER:
   
  Forza X1, Inc., a Delaware company
   
  By: /s/ Joseph Visconti
    Joseph Visconti
   
  Its: Chief Executive Officer
   
  Dated: December 20, 2021
   
  ABS:
   
  American Battery System, Inc., a Delaware corporation
   
  By: /s/ Ivan Menjak
    Ivan Menjak
   
  Its: Vice President, Business Development
   
  Dated: December 20, 2021

 

 
 

 

Schedule 1

 

Minimum Quantity

 

Initial Purchase Order commences on production of Batteries June 1, 2022, until May 31, 2023 with a total firm commitment to purchase [***] Batteries in accordance with Schedule below. [***]

 

 
 

 

Schedule 2

 

BATTERY PACK PRICING

 

Time Period   Product Type     Price per Unit  
Effective Date to October 30, 2022   Prototype     $[***]  
After November 1, 2022   Production     $[***]  

 

 
 

 

Schedule 3

 

PROLIANCE™ T350-50 BATTERY PACK

LITHIUM ION LIMITED WARRANTY

 

American Battery Solutions, Inc. (“Manufacturer”) warrants to the original purchaser from Manufacturer or from a dealer or distributor authorized by Manufacturer (“Customer”) that its Proliance™ T350-50 Lithium Ion (“Battery(ies)”) listed in the table below, if used in an approved application, will be free from defects in material and/or workmanship under normal use and service during the period commencing on the earlier of the date on which the Battery is purchased or six (6) months after the date of manufacture and continuing for the duration stated in the table below (the “Warranty Period”). If the Battery becomes unusable (not merely discharged) due to defect in material and/or workmanship within the Warranty Period, subject to the exclusions listed below, Manufacturer will credit, replace, or repair, if serviceable, the Battery. This warranty is extended only to a Customer and is non-transferable.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions outlined herein, Manufacturer warrants to Customer that the Battery(ies) will deliver 60% or more of rated Amp-hour capacity when tested at 70-85˚F (21-29˚C) for the application-specific Warranty Period as per Table 1 below.

 

Table 1 – Warranty Period

Product Free Replacement or Repair Period Pro-Rated Credit Period Total Warranty Period (Years)
MOTIVE APPLICATIONS
Proliance™ T350-50 Battery Pack 12 months or 25 MWh discharged (whichever comes first) 0 1

 

DEFINITIONS

 

Battery Management System (“BMS”) - means the printed circuit board together with the communications, firmware, and software found in the BMS.

 

Motive Application - means product applications where the Battery is routinely exposed to vibration, lateral and/or vertical forces as a result of installation on or inside moving equipment. Examples include, but are not limited to, golf cars, floor cleaning machines, aerial work platforms, utility vehicles, personal electric vehicles, leisure boats.

 

 
 

 

WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS

 

This Limited Warranty does not cover Batteries sold by Manufacturer to third-party Original Equipment Manufacturers (“OEMs”). Please contact the OEM for warranty information.

 

Without the involvement of the Manufacturer in system design and Manufacturer’s express written authorization, Batteries shall not be used as a primary or backup power source for life support systems or other medical equipment, or any use where product failure could lead to injury to persons or loss of life or catastrophic property damage. Use in this manner is at purchaser’s or end users own risk. To the extent permitted by law, Manufacturer disclaims any and all liability arising out of any such use. By purchasing the Batteries, Customer agrees that it will not use the Batteries for such uses or market or re-sell the Batteries for such uses, and Customer agrees to indemnify and hold Manufacturer harmless from and against any claims asserted against, and any liabilities incurred by, Manufacturer as a result of Customer’s violation of this provision. Further, Manufacturer reserves the right to refuse to service any Battery used for these purposes and disclaims any and all liability arising out of Manufacturer’s refusal to service.

 

This warranty does not cover defects that are caused by normal wear and tear, normal capacity degradation over battery lifetime, inadequate maintenance, insufficient ventilation, transportation, storage or faulty repair, misuse, neglect, accident or abuse, modification to the Battery, failure to observe operating instructions and parameters or improper installation. This warranty does not cover defects caused by external influences while in the Customer’s possession, including unusual physical or electrical stress such as power surges, uncontrolled voltages and currents, system harmonics, lightning, flood, fire, exposure to excessive hot or cold temperatures, or accidents. This warranty does not cover any damage that may occur as a result of improper connection, incorporation, charging (undercharging, overcharging, over-discharging), or installation.

 

For further clarity, this warranty is also void if the data logger is destroyed or altered or if the Battery:

 

1. is damaged due to shipping or mishandling,
2. operates (charge or discharge) below or above its authorized temperature range (as measured and logged by the Battery internal data logger which can be read by any CAN-capable diagnostic tool with ABS CAN database. See ABS for CAN database),
3. operates at an average temperature exceeding 80°F (27°C) over the life of the Battery (as measured and logged by the Battery internal data logger),
4. is not maintained in accordance with the parameters as set forth in the English language version of the User’s Guide,
5. is charged with a battery charger, charging algorithm or unregulated charge source that does not comply with the Manufacturer’s recommendation as set forth in the English language version of the User’s Guide,
6. is subjected to excess vibration as might be caused by out of balance or improperly operated pads in floor burnishing machines,
7. manufacturing date codes, safety certification numbers or serial and tracking numbers are destroyed or altered,
8. is disassembled, altered, or repaired by someone other than an authorized Manufacturer’s agent.
9. is not installed with adequate balance of system components,
10. is directly connected to DC motors without proper safety protection, motor controllers, and external motor voltage clamping systems, as recommended below,
11. is not properly protected from inrush currents, as recommended below,
12. is installed with other makes and/or models in the same string,
13. improper connection or usage of the CAN bus interface on the Battery as set forth in the English language version of the User Guide,
14. is cycled by a regenerative cycler that can cause voltage spikes above recommended thresholds, which can damage the internal components of the battery,
15. is used in application other than that for which it was designed and intended,
16. is misapplied or improperly sized for the application (including current requirements exceeding battery capability at different temperatures and states of charge including normal lifetime degradation in battery capacity and current capability as defined in the User’s Guide),
17. is subjected to breakage, freezing, wreckage, impact or collision, fire, water damage, melted and broken terminal including over torqueing the terminals,
18. is damaged due to improper installation, loose terminal connections, under-sized cabling, incorrect connections (series or parallel) (cannot be used in series) for desired voltage and Amp-hour requirements, installed in reverse polarity,
19. is subjected to environmental damage, inappropriate storage conditions as defined by the User’s Guide or is exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures as defined in the User’s Guide,
20. in need of repair due to actions or omissions by anyone other than Manufacturer,
21. is charged below freezing temperatures,
22. is opened, modified, or tempered with,
23. is discharged/tested with machines designed for lead batteries, or
24. is re-sold through any online e-commerce marketplace.

 

 
 

 

This Limited Warranty does not cover a Battery that has reached its normal end of life due to usage, which may occur prior to the Warranty Period. A battery can deliver only a fixed amount of energy over its life which will occur over different periods of time depending on the application and usage. The Manufacturer reserves the right to deny a warranty claim if the Product is determined, upon inspection, to be at its normal end of life even if within the Warranty Period.

 

EXCLUSION FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE DATA ACCESS

 

In order to provide this Limited Warranty, Manufacturer may require the ability to update and upgrade the Battery’s Firmware and Software. Any failure to install system updates or upgrades when provided or to provide data logged information upon request will void this Limited Warranty.

 

DISCLAIMER

 

EXCEPT FOR THE LIMITED WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE, SELLER MAKES NO WARRANTY WHATSOEVER, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE BATTERIES, INCLUDING ANY (A) WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY; OR (B) WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE; (C) WARRANTY IMPLIED BY OR ARISING OUT OF ANY COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, USAGE OF TRADE OR OTHERWISE, ALL OF WHICH ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED AND WAVIED BY CUSTOMER.

 

BREACH OF WARRANTY REMEDY

 

MANUFACTURER SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE LIABILITY OF MANUFACTURER UNDER ANY WARRANTY CLAIM EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE FOR THE APPLICABLE BATTERIES. Manufacturer will not be responsible for any expenses for transportation, installation, freight, recharging, electrical system tests, loss of time, loss of use of equipment, service calls, labor, use of rentals, or other expenses which would be considered as incidental or consequential damages. The only remedy available under this warranty is Battery replacement.

 

HOW TO MAKE A WARRANTY CLAIM

 

To process a claim under this Limited Warranty, please contact your place or purchase. Proof of purchase will be required. Claims of defective material and/or workmanship must be submitted in writing within ten (10) days of discovery and prior to the expiration of the applicable Warranty Period. If the Battery needs to be returned for inspection, the Manufacturer will issue a Return Materials Authorization (“RMA”). Return the Battery, at your expense in accordance with the UNDOT 3480 shipping requirements for Class 9 Hazardous Goods, to your authorized Manufacturer distributor or dealer. Acceptance of the Battery for inspection does not mean the Manufacturer will accept the warranty claim. Please refer to the Manufacturer’s website for a list of distributors and dealers or call the Manufacturer’s customer service department at 248-462-6364.

 

NON-MANUFACTURER WARRANTIES:

 

Your authorized Proliance™ distributor or dealer may offer its own warranty in addition to this Warranty, which warranty may vary in warranty period, scope of coverage, or exclusions. Manufacturer is not responsible for any such additional distributor or dealer-provided warranties.

 

 
 

 

WARNINGS

 

PROPERLY PROTECT THE BATTERY WITHIN THE OVERALL INSTALLATION

 

Proper grounding, isolation, fusing, breakers and disconnects must be correctly used throughout the balance of systems to effectively isolate and protect all components of the system against faults, short circuits, reverse polarity, or component failure. The sizing of all system components should be determined using established electrical codes and standards and evaluated by certified engineers, electricians, and licensed installers. Although every Battery has system protection and fuses to protect the Battery from operation outside of its pre-set limits, additional balance of system protections must always be included (such as charge controllers) to protect the Battery from high voltage sources such as open PV voltage. The internal circuitry, protection and fusing will not protect the Battery from extreme electrical phenomena.

 

DC MOTOR VOLTAGE SPIKES

 

In operation, DC motors represent an inductive load. If the Battery’s BMS disconnects from a DC motor while it is operating, a voltage transient will result unless there is proper protection included in the system. Direct connection to DC motors without proper protection, motor controllers, and/or external motor voltage clamping systems (such as high power anti-parallel diodes or braking resistor systems) may result in damage to the internal Battery protection system, creating potentially damaging conditions, and will void the warranty.

 

DC MOTOR INRUSH CURRENT

 

When typical DC motors become energized, a much larger amount of current than normal rushes into the motor until it reaches its steady-state speed. Initial inrush currents can significantly exceed the steady state levels. Inrush current limiters must be used when connecting the Battery to DC motors to protect the Battery’s BMS and electronics. Failure to do so will void the warranty.

 

A CLOSE UP OF A LOGO

DESCRIPTION AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED

For a Proliance Distributor near you, call + 1.248.462.6364 or visit www.americanbatterysolutions.com 3768 South Lapeer Rd, Orion, MI 48359 USA

 

© 2020 American Battery Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved. American Battery Solutions, Inc. is not liable for damages that may result from any information provided in or omitted from this publication, under any circumstances. American Battery Solutions, Inc. reserves the right to make adjustments to this publication at any time, without notice or obligation.

 

 
 

 

Schedule 4

Specifications

 

[***]

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 21.1

 

List of Subsidiaries

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We hereby consent to the inclusion in this Offering Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated December 23, 2021, which includes an explanatory paragraph as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, relating to the financial statements of Forza X1, Inc. as of and for the eleven months ended November 30, 2021. We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” appearing therein.

 

SIGNATURE

Grassi & Co., CPAs, P.C.

Jericho, New York

December 23, 2021