As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 16, 2023
Registration Number 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Florida | 5995 | 84-2794274 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
11900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 630
North Miami, Florida, 33181
(954) 826-0329
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)
Harrison Gross
Chief Executive Officer
11900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 630
North Miami, Florida, 33181
(954) 826-0329
(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
with Copies to:
Barry I. Grossman, Esq. Sarah W. Williams, Esq. Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP 1345 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10105 Phone: (212) 370-1300 Fax: (212) 370-7889 |
Leslie Marlow, Esq. Hank Gracin, Esq. Patrick J. Egan, Esq. Blank Rome LLP 1271 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Phone: (212) 885-5000 Fax: (212) 885-5001 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to public:
As soon as practicable after the effective date hereof.
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, 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, 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 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 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, a 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 to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to 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 June 16, 2023 |
Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
Up to 7,142,857 Units consisting of
7,142,857 Shares of Common Stock or 7,142,857 Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase 7,142,857 shares of Common Stock
and
7,142,857 Warrants to purchase 7,142,857 Shares of Common Stock
and
Placement Agent Warrants to Purchase an Aggregate of Up To Shares of Common Stock
We are offering on a best efforts basis up to 7,142,857 units (the “Units”), each consisting of one share of our common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, and one warrant (the “Common Warrants”) to purchase one share of common stock, at an assumed offering price of $2.10 per Unit, which is equal to the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) on June 7, 2023 pursuant to this prospectus. Each Common Warrant will have an exercise price of $ per share of common stock (equal to 100% of the public offering price of each Unit sold in this offering), will be exercisable immediately, and will expire five years from the date of issuance.
We are also offering pre-funded warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”), to purchase up to an aggregate of shares of common stock to those purchasers whose purchase of shares of common stock in this offering would result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding common stock following the consummation of this offering in lieu of the shares of our common stock that would result in ownership in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%). Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable for one share of common stock at an exercise price of $0.00001 per share. Each Pre-Funded Warrant is being issued together with the same Common Warrant described above being issued with each share common stock. The assumed combined public offering price for each such Pre-Funded Warrant, together with the Common Warrant, will be equal to the price per Unit including one share of common stock less the $0.00001 per share exercise price of each such Pre-Funded Warrant. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable upon issuance and will expire when exercised in full. For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of shares of common stock we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis.
The shares of our common stock and Pre-Funded Warrants, if any, and the accompanying Common Warrants can only be purchased together in this offering but will be issued separately and will be immediately separable upon issuance. We are also registering the shares of common stock issuable from time to time upon exercise of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants included in the units offered hereby.
Because this is a best-efforts offering, the placement agent does not have an obligation to purchase any securities, and, as a result, there is a possibility that we may not be able to sell the securities. We expect that the offering will end two trading days after we first enter into a securities purchase agreement relating to the offering and the offering will settle delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”). Accordingly, we and the placement agent have not made any arrangements to place investor funds in an escrow account or trust account since the placement agent will not receive investor funds in connection with the sale of the securities offered hereunder.
We have engaged Maxim Group LLC (the “placement agent” or “Maxim”) to act as our exclusive placement agent in connection with this offering. The placement agent has agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to arrange for the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus. The placement agent is not purchasing or selling any of the securities we are offering and the placement agent is not required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities. We have agreed to pay to the placement agent the placement agent fees set forth in the table below, which assumes that we sell all of the securities offered by this prospectus. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in escrow, trust or similar arrangement. We will bear all costs associated with the offering. See “Plan of Distribution” on page 94 of this prospectus for more information regarding these arrangements.
Our common stock and our Listed Warrants (as defined below) are currently listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “LUCY” and “LUCYW,” respectively. The last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq on June 7, 2023 was $2.10 per share of common stock. There is no established public trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system, including Nasdaq. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants will be limited.
The actual combined public offering price per share and Common Warrant and the actual combined public offering price per Pre-Funded Warrant and Common Warrant will be determined between us, the placement agent and investors in this offering based on market conditions at the time of pricing and may be at a discount to the current market price of our common stock. Therefore, the recent market price used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the final offering price.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13.
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.
Number of |
Per Unit(1) | Total | ||||||||||
Public Offering Price | $ | $ | ||||||||||
Placement Agent fees(2) | $ | $ | ||||||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | $ |
(1) | Assumes all Units consist of one share of common stock and one Common Warrant. | |
(2) | The Placement Agent will receive compensation in addition to the placement agent fees described above. See “Plan of Distribution” for a description of compensation payable to the Placement Agent. |
We expect to deliver the shares of common stock and Common Warrants, or Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants, constituting the Units against payment in New York, New York on or about , 2023.
Maxim Group LLC
The date of this prospectus is , 2023
Table of Contents
i
About this Prospectus
We and the placement agents have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectuses prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus is an offer to sell only the securities offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted or where the person making the offer or sale is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is not permitted to make such offer or sale. The information contained in this prospectus is current only as of the date on the front cover of the prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
Persons who come into possession of this prospectus and any applicable free writing prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions as to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus and any such free writing prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction. See “Plan of Distribution” for additional information on these restrictions.
Industry and Market Data
Unless otherwise indicated, information in this prospectus concerning economic conditions, our industry, our markets and our competitive position is based on a variety of sources, including information from third-party industry analysts and publications and our own estimates and research. Some of the industry and market data contained in this prospectus are based on third-party industry publications. This information involves a number of assumptions, estimates and limitations.
The industry publications, surveys and forecasts and other public information generally indicate or suggest that their information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. None of the third-party industry publications used in this prospectus were prepared on our behalf. The industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in “Risk Factors” in this prospectus. These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these publications.
Trademarks
This prospectus contains references to our trademarks and service marks and to those belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the® or ™ symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent possible under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by any other companies.
ii
Prospectus Summary
This summary highlights certain information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. Because it is only a summary, it does not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in our securities and it is qualified in its entirety by, and should be read in conjunction with, the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. Before you decide to invest in our securities, you should read the entire prospectus carefully, including “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 and the financial statements and related notes included in this prospectus.
Unless the context indicates otherwise, as used in this prospectus, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company,” “Innovative Eyewear” and “our business” refer to Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
Our Company
We develop and sell smart eyeglasses and sunglasses, which are designed to allow our customers to remain connected to their digital lives, while also offering prescription eyewear and sun protection. Founded and headquartered in Miami, Florida, we were initially organized as a Florida limited liability company effective August 15, 2019. We were founded by Lucyd Ltd., the inventor and licensor of the technology that our products are based upon which is a portfolio company of Tekcapital Europe Ltd. (“Tekcapital”). Tekcapital is a U.K. based university intellectual property accelerator. Tekcapital builds portfolio companies around new technologies. On March 26, 2020, we converted from a Florida limited liability company into a Florida corporation.
In January 2020, we introduced our first beta product and began market testing.
In January 2021, we officially launched our first commercial product, Lucyd Lyte® (“Lucyd Lyte”). This initial product offering embodied our goal of creating smart eyewear for all day wear that looks like and is priced similarly to designer eyewear, but is also light weight and comfortable, and enables the wearer to remain connected to their digital lives. The product was initially launched with six styles, and in September 2021, an additional six styles were added.
We recently launched version 2.0 of our Lucyd Lyte eyewear, and our current product offering consists of 16 version 1.0 models and 15 version 2.0 models, which offers a similar amount of style variety as many traditional eyewear collections. All styles are each available with 70 different lens types, resulting in hundreds of variations of products currently available.
Additionally, Lucyd Lyte glasses enable the wearer to listen to music, take and make calls, and use voice assistants to perform many common smartphone tasks hands-free. Some of the many things our customers can do with their Lucyd Lyte glasses include:
1. | “Send a voice message to (contact)”: this command begins the recording of an audio message to be sent to named contact. |
2. | “Send a text to (contact)”: begins recording of a speech-to-text message to be sent by SMS to named contact. |
3. | “Call (contact)”: speed-dials the named contact. |
4. | “Send $___ to (contact)”: this command allows our user to send money to a contact via Venmo or Apple Pay. Follow the digital assistant’s prompts to confirm. |
5. | “Check my messages”: this command reads out our user’s latest incoming text messages and offers a prompt to reply to each. Close out the digital assistant to end the readout. |
6. | “Check my mailbox”: this command announces the number of unread emails, and reads them out with a prompt to continue after each one. In the prompt after each one, our customers can tell their digital assistant “Reply” and dictate an email response to the previous email. |
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7. | “Find (cuisine type) food nearby”: this command reads through a list of nearby restaurants and their ratings, and prompts our user for directions or to call after each one. |
8. | “Call me an Uber”: this command prompts our user on which type of Uber ride they want, then asks to confirm to send a car to our user’s location. |
9. | “What time is it?”: announces the current time. |
10. | “Play (song/album/artist)”: this command begins playing the requested song, album or artist via Apple Music. |
11. | “Get me directions to (location)”: this command begins navigating on phone, with audible directions on glasses. |
12. | “Take a memo”: this command begins recording a speech-to-text memo in Notes. Say “Read my Notes” to play back. |
Since the launch of Lucyd Lyte, we witnessed interest and demand from customers throughout the United States and have sold thousands of our smart glasses. Within six months of the launch of Lucyd Lyte, several optical stores in the United States and Canada have on- boarded the product and we have had discussions with several other large eyewear chains (by number of locations) regarding onboarding our product. We believe smart eyewear is a product category whose time has come, and we believe we are well positioned to capitalize on and help develop this exciting new sectorwhere eyewear meets electronics in a user-friendly, mass market format, priced similarly to designer eyewear.
In first quarter of 2022 we introduced a virtual try-on kiosk for select retail stores. This device introduces our products to prospective retail customers and enables them to digitally try-on our line of smart glasses in a touch free manner.
We anticipate introducing six styles of co-branded smart eyewear, six to twelve additional styles of Lucyd Lyte glasses, and our first Bluetooth safety glasses in 2023. In addition, we anticipate the following upgrades to accessory products in 2023:
● | The patent-pending Lucyd charging dock will be upgraded to feature a charging status LED and USB data capability, enabling it to be used as a USB hub for computers in addition to a charging hub. |
● | The Lucyd virtual try-on kiosk will be upgraded with a store control panel enabling the kiosk owner to change the display into Spanish language mode and control which frames and lens options are shown in the digital experience. |
In the fourth quarter of 2022, we introduced key features in the Vyrb app, including live broadcasts for up to 100 users in one digital “room”, and the ability to upload external audio content into Vyrb, enabling longstanding content creators to import their existing libraries swiftly into the platform. Also in the fourth quarter of 2022, we completed development of core audio eyewear product improvements, such as upgrading all frames to quadraphonic sound, which have been rolled out across all new eyewear models as of January 2023.
Recently in April 2023, we have introduced a major software upgrade for our glasses with the launch of the Lucyd app for iOS/Android. This free application enables the user to converse with the extremely popular ChatGPT AI language model on the glasses, to instantly gain the benefit of one of the world’s most powerful AI assistants in a handsfree ergonomic interface. The app deploys a powerful and unique Siri and Google Voice integration with the Open AI API for ChatGPT, developed internally by the company. The Company has filed a patent application directed to this software upgrade. We believe this development makes all Lucyd eyewear perhaps the smartest smartglasses available today, represents a significant marketing opportunity for the company’s core smartglass product, and creates a potential in-app purchase revenue stream for the company.
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Our Market Opportunity
According to Statista, the total addressable market for eyewear in the U.S. is projected to be $33.8 billion in 2023. The market for digital assistants like Siri, Google Voice, Bixby and Alexa has grown rapidly worldwide, and is projected at $4.5 billion in revenue in 2023. The worldwide hearables market was estimated at $69.0 billion in 2022. We view the popularity of hearables as an important catalyst for the smart eyewear market.
The common denominator among markets for the hearables and digital assistant is that they facilitate real-time access to digital data, whether it is through music, calls, navigational directions, or information, among other uses. The combination of hearables and digital assistants provides a transparent, ergonomic interface between the users and their digital lives. At Innovative Eyewear, we are dedicated to a touch-free interface and untethering our customers eyes from their smartphone screens, through our smart eyewear product.
The synergistic fusion of these three markets enables, in our view, an opportunity to create a completely new experience of connected eyewear, which smoothly delivers the functionality of both optical glasses and headphones, eliminating the need for either on its own. Nevertheless, several orthodoxies of the eyewear industry still hold, namely: if you want to sell a lot of eyewear, we believe it should be attractive, stylish, comfortable (e.g., lightweight, which we believe to be approximately 1oz) and cost roughly the same as traditional eyewear. This is what we have sought to achieve, and in our view have accomplished with the introduction of Lucyd Lyte eyewear.
Our Business Strategy
When we organized Innovative Eyewear in 2019, there were, in our view, no attractive smart eyewear that addressed the basic consumer need for good looking designer glasses that were stylish, comfortable, lightweight and provided the functionality of hearables, and priced around the same as regular glasses.
All of our products are designed in Miami, manufactured in China, and sold through e-commerce, channels, including on our website (Lucyd.co), BestBuy.com, DicksSportingGoods.com and Amazon.com, or sold by over 200 optical and sporting goods retailers. Additionally, we are pursuing online and in-store big box retailers, and in-store and online specialty. Based on the existing demand for our products, our current distribution capabilities and our recently consummated supply agreements, we anticipate that our products will be available in a larger number of new third-party retail locations in 2023.
We believe that people care about what they wear on their faces, and because we understand that customers have diverse preferences about the shape, size, and design of their eyewear, we aim to continuously introduce new models in an effort to offer a wide variety of designs. We continuously present new models of eyewear to our network of followers to vote on those styles they find most appealing. We view this as community approved design.
One of our key opportunities is converting traditional eyeglass and sunglass wearers to smart eyewear consumers, since these customers are already familiar with wearing optical products. According to a 2021 report of the Vision Council, a non-profit trade association that serves member companies of the optical industry, there are 160 million prescription and 220 million non-prescription glasses wearers in the US. As many as four billion people worldwide wear glasses, according to an article published by Reference.com in April 2020.
Competition
The smart eyewear industry in which we operate is competitive and subject to changes in practice. While we believe that our products are hybrid of eyeglasses and audio technology, which gives us a unique product that provides us with competitive advantages, we may face competition from many different entities now and in the future. As of now, we face competition from the following products:
● | Bose Corporation’s Bose Frames. These are a Bluetooth eyewear product, but in a bulkier form factor and with what we believe to be comparable models at a higher list price ($249 MSRP) than Lucyd Lyte 2.0 ($199). |
● | Amazon’s Echo Glasses. Another entry in the Bluetooth eyewear space offered at a $249 list price. Not available directly from the manufacturer in prescription, and in only one frame shape. The cost of the Amazon Echo Glasses is higher than Lucyd Lyte. While lightweight like Lucyd Lyte glasses, Amazon Echo Glasses have, in our view, a less fashionable form factor, and the battery life is about half of that of Lucyd Lyte. |
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● | Snapchat Spectacles. This is a camera-focused smart eyewear product and, in our view, not a direct competitor as to its style, weight, pricing and suitability for all-day wear, as compared with our products; however, Snapchat Spectacles may introduce further entries in the space that may directly compete with Lucyd Lyte. Snapchat Spectacles Version 3 have a list price of $380. |
● | Ray-Ban Stories Glasses. Developed in association with Facebook, are a camera-focused smart eyewear product, and despite the fact they are available in prescription, in our view not a direct competitor; Ray-Ban may, however, introduce further entries in the space that may directly compete with Lucyd Lyte. Ray-Ban Spectacles have a well-known and respected brand, and a list price starting at $299, which makes them 50% more expensive than Lucyd Lyte. They weigh considerably more (20-70% depending upon the Lyte model) than Lucyd Lyte glasses, have a shorter battery life, thicker temple profiles and are not water resistant. |
All of the competitors discussed above have substantially greater manufacturing, financial, research and development, personnel and marketing resources than we do. As a result, although we believe our products are currently superior, our competitors may be able to develop superior products, and compete more aggressively and sustain their competitive advantage over a longer period of time than us. Our products may be rendered obsolete in the face of competition.
Our Competitive Strengths
A Unique Solution to a Common Problem. While immensely useful, smartphones can present a safety hazard to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists because smartphones can distract people from the task or activity at hand. In 2021, pedestrian deaths were at a 40-year high according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, and experts believe smartphones were partially to blame. Recent data from the Governors Highway Safety Association indicates that from 2010 to 2020, the number of pedestrian deaths rose by 54%, while all other traffic deaths increased by 13% (Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2021 Preliminary Data (https://www.ghsa.org/resources/Pedestrians22). We believe that the distraction created by smartphones originates in two forms: (1) via headphones or earbuds, where the user is deprived of full audible situational awareness; and (2) via the visual interface of the phone, which distracts the user completely from their surroundings. Lucyd Lyte open ear audio helps address this problem by having the speakers mounted at the temples (in the arms) of the glasses. There is nothing in the ear canal and, as a result, individuals can better maintain situational awareness, such as hearing the traffic around them, as well as nearby sounds. Many of our competitors have relatively bulky speakers enclosed within the temples, while Lucyd Lyte’s speakers and temples are thin, which allows them to look similar to traditional designer glasses. Furthermore, through the quick and easy touch controls on the Lucyd Lyte, the wearer can perform many tasks that they would normally pull out their phone for, untethering the eyes of the user from their smartphones throughout the day and enabling them to remain more visually vigilant and aware of the traffic around them.
Affordable Price Point. Our Lucyd Lyte eyewear provides both optical-quality glasses and a Bluetooth headset together, at roughly the same price as a traditional pair of designer glasses, which is core to the disruptive potential of our product. Our Lucyd Lyte line of smart eyewear enables prescription and sunglass wearers to interact with digital assistants and social media without having to take their eyes off the road and are nearly handsfree, thereby improving the safety and convenience of taking calls, listening to music and audibly accessing digital information on the go. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (“MSRP”) for Lucyd Lyte 2.0 eyewear starts at $199, with advanced options and customizations available at higher price points, which are at the discretion of the customer. A basic prescription lens upgrade is offered for $40. By comparison, most of our U.S.-based competitors offer products that are more expensive, starting at approximately $249 or higher, with higher costs to add prescriptions.
Quality. All of our frames can be outfitted in-house or by optical resellers with any combination of prescription, sunglass, readers and blue light formats. Our frame fronts are made with what we believe are high quality optical materials to ensure easy lens fitting by any optician.
Customizable Product Offering. There are 70 lens types available for Lucyd Lyte, making it the most customizable smart eyewear in the world. Innovative Eyewear has a partnership with a high-quality optical lab in Boston to produce prescription and custom lenses for our frames quickly and affordably. Our contract with a third-party optical lab also allows us to offer direct prescription fulfillment to our customers.
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Comfort. At just 1.0-1.45 ounces, our eyewear has a feather-light fit, suitable for all day vision correction or sun protection (traditional glasses weigh about 1 ounce). This is especially important while on the go. Our 1.0 ounce titanium aviators are among the lightest smart eyewear ever made.
Long Battery Life. At 12 hours of playback per charge, Lucyd Lyte 2.0 glasses outpace most, if not all, of the competition on battery life.
Capital Light Business Model. All of our products are sold through multiple e-commerce channels, including on our website (Lucyd.co), BestBuy.com, DicksSportingGoods.com and Amazon.com, and are distributed through optical or other retailers (such as, but not limited to, Metro Optics Eyewear and Marca Eyewear Group, Inc.). We believe this capital light approach is highly scalable and efficient in the deployment of resources. We view “capital light” as being more efficient by obviating the need to build factories and retail stores, while partnering with existing companies in both of these groups.
Multi-channel approach. We sell our products both through multiple online channels and multiple categories of brick-and-mortar retail stores. We believe this multi-channel approach provides us with an advantage against our competitors who sell in a narrower selection of channels.
Experienced management team. We have an experienced board of directors with more than 80 years of combined experience in the eyewear industry, and a management team with substantial experience in software and electronics engineering and operating eyewear and technology companies.
Exercise of Warrants Issued in our Initial Public Offering (the “Listed Warrants”)
Since December 31, 2022, holders of the Listed Warrants issued in our initial public offering have exercised 879,720 Listed Warrants for 879,720 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $3.75 per share.
Risks Associated with our Business
Our business and ability to execute our business strategy are subject to a number of risks of which you should be aware before you decide to buy our common stock. In particular, you should carefully consider the following risks, which are discussed more fully in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this prospectus:
● | The optical industry is highly competitive, and if we do not compete successfully, our business may be adversely impacted. |
● | We have a history of losses, and we may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability. |
● | We have limited experience in scaling a smart eyewear business. If we are unable to manage our expected growth effectively, our brand “Lucyd”, and financial performance may suffer, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. |
● | Our ability to generate net revenue will depend upon many factors, some of which we may have no control over. |
● | Increases in component costs, shipping costs, long lead times, supply shortages, and supply changes could disrupt our supply chain; factors such as wage rate increases and inflation can have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results. |
● | We currently derive all of our revenue from sales of our glasses. A decline in sales of our eyewear would negatively affect our business, financial condition, and results of operation. |
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● | We face significant risks due to our dependency on foreign supply and manufacturing chains, geopolitical and economic changes, and changes in public perception about internationally sourced and manufactured products. |
● | If we fail to cost-effectively retain our existing customers or to acquire new customers, our business, financial condition, and results of operations would be harmed. |
● | Our profitability and cash flows may be negatively affected if we are not successful in managing our inventory balances and inventory shrinkage. |
● | If we fail to maintain and enhance our brand, our ability to engage or expand our base of customers will be impaired, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations may suffer. |
● | We rely heavily on our information technology systems, as well as those of our third-party vendors, business partners, and service providers, for our business to effectively operate and to safeguard confidential information; any significant failure, inadequacy, interruption, or data security incident could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and operations. |
● | Our e-commerce and multichannel channel business faces distinct risks, and our failure to successfully manage it could have a negative impact on our profitability. |
● | If we fail to adapt and respond effectively to rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards and changing customer needs or requirements, our solutions may become less competitive. |
● | We depend on highly skilled personnel to grow and operate our business, and if we are unable to hire, retain, and motivate our personnel, we may not be able to grow effectively. |
● | Certain technological advances, greater availability of, or increased consumer preferences for, vision correction alternatives to prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, and future drug development for the correction of vision-related problems may reduce the demand for our products and adversely impact our business and profitability. |
● | We could be adversely affected by product liability, product recall or personal injury issues. |
● | We license our technology from Lucyd Ltd., the majority stockholder of the Company, and our inability to maintain this license could materially affect our business, financial condition, and operating results. |
● | Failure to adequately maintain and protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights could harm our brand, devalue our proprietary content, and adversely affect our ability to compete effectively. |
● | We may incur costs to defend against, face liability or for being vulnerable to intellectual property infringement claims brought against us by others or in asserting our own intellectual property rights against competitors. |
● | We face risks associated with suppliers from whom our products are sourced and are dependent on a limited number of suppliers. |
● | Our projects could be hindered due to our dependence on third parties to complete many of our contracts. |
● | We depend on search engines, social media platforms, digital application stores, content-based online advertising, and other online sources to attract consumers to and promote our website and our mobile applications, which may be affected by third-party interference beyond our control; and, as we grow, our the cost of acquiring new customers may continue to rise and become uneconomical. |
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● | Our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders will continue to have substantial control over our company after this offering, which could limit your ability to influence the outcome of key transactions, including a change of control. |
● | The market price of our common stock has been volatile and can fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for purchasers of our Units in this offering. |
● | Our management will have broad discretion in how we use the net proceeds of this offering and might not use them effectively. |
● | You will experience immediate and substantial dilution as a result of this offering and may experience additional dilution in the future. |
● | The best-efforts structure of this offering may have an adverse effect on our business plan. |
Corporate Information
We were initially organized as a limited liability company under the laws of the State of Florida on August 15, 2019. We converted the Company from a Florida limited liability company into a Florida corporation on March 25, 2020. Our principal executive office is located at 11900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 630, North Miami, FL, 33181, and our phone number is (786) 785-5178. We maintain a website at www.lucyd.co. Following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, we intend to announce material information to the public through filings with the SEC, the investor relations page of our website, as well as press releases, public conference calls, and investor conferences.
The reference to our website is intended to be an inactive textual reference only. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus and investors should not rely on such information in deciding whether to purchase shares of our common stock.
Our “Lucyd” logo, the Lucyd Lyte name and the slogan “Upgrade your Eyewear” and our other registered or common law trademarks mentioned in this prospectus are the exclusive licensed property of Innovative Eyewear Inc. Other trade names, trademarks, and service used in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners.
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). As a result, we are permitted to, and intend to, rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:
● | being permitted to present only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of related “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this prospectus; |
● | not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act); |
● | reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements; and |
● | exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. |
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In addition, an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This provision allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of some accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of this extended transition period. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of: (i) our reporting $1.235 billion or more in annual gross revenues; (ii) the end of fiscal year 2028; (iii) our issuance, in a three year period, of more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt; and (iv) the end of the fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700 million on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter.
We have elected to take advantage of certain of the reduced disclosure obligations and may elect to take advantage of other reduced reporting requirements in future filings. As a result, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different than the information you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests.
To the extent that we continue to qualify as a “smaller reporting company,” as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, 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: (1) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; (2) scaled executive compensation disclosures; and (3) the ability to provide only two years of audited financial statements, instead of three years.
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The Offering
Units offered by us |
Up to 7,142,857 Units on a best-efforts basis, at an assumed public offering price of $2.10 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one share of common stock and one Common Warrant.
We are also offering to each purchaser, with respect to the purchase of Units that would otherwise result in the purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeding 4.99% of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the consummation of this offering, the opportunity to purchase one Pre-Funded Warrant in lieu of one share of common stock. A holder of Pre-Funded Warrants will not have the right to exercise any portion of its Pre-Funded Warrant if the holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own in excess of 4.99% (or, at the election of the holder, such limit may be increased to up to 9.99%) of the number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable for one share of common stock. The purchase price per Pre-Funded Warrant will be equal to the price per Unit, minus $0.00001, and the exercise price of each Pre-Funded Warrant will equal $0.00001 per share. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable (subject to the beneficial ownership cap) and may be exercised at any time in perpetuity until all of the Pre-Funded Warrants are exercised in full. The Units will not be certificated or issued in stand-alone form. The shares of common stock, and/or Pre-Funded Warrants, and the Common Warrants comprising the units are immediately separable upon issuance and will be issued separately in this offering. | |
Common stock to be outstanding after this offering(1) | Up to 15,560,096 shares of common stock if 7,142,857 Units are offered and sold in this offering, at an assumed public offering price of $2.10 per Unit, equal to the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on June 7, 2023. | |
Use of proceeds | Assuming 7,142,857 Units are sold in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $2.10 per Unit, which represents the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on June 7, 2023, and assuming no issuance of pre-funded warrants and no exercise of Common Warrants issued in connection with this offering, we estimate that our net proceeds from the this offering will be approximately $13.69 million, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. However, this is a best efforts offering with no minimum number of securities or amount of proceeds as a condition to closing, and we may not sell all or any of these securities offered pursuant to this prospectus; as a result, we may receive significantly less in net proceeds. Approximately $13.69 million of the net proceeds received by us from this offering will be used for working capital and general purposes. See “Use of Proceeds.” | |
Description of the Common Warrants | The Common Warrants will have an exercise price of $ per share of common stock, will be immediately exercisable and will expire five years from the date of issuance. Each Common Warrant is exercisable for one share of common stock, subject to adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, stock combinations, reclassifications, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock. |
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A holder may not exercise any portion of a Common Warrant to the extent that the holder, together with its affiliates and any other person or entity acting as a group, would own more than 4.99% of our outstanding shares of common stock after exercise, as such ownership percentage is determined in accordance with the terms of the Common Warrants, except that upon notice from the holder to us, the holder may waive such limitation up to a percentage, not in excess of 9.99%. This prospectus also relates to the offering of the common stock issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants. |
To better understand the terms of the Common Warrants, you should carefully read the “Description of Securities We Are Offering” section of this prospectus. You should also read the form of Common Warrant, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement that includes this prospectus. | ||
Nasdaq Symbol and Trading | Our common stock and our Listed Warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “LUCY” and “LUCYW,” respectively. There is no established public trading market for the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Pre-Funded Warrants or Common Warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants will be limited. | |
Risk Factors | Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 and the other information in this prospectus for a discussion of the factors you should consider carefully before you decide to invest in our securities. | |
Lock-Up | In connection with this offering, our directors and executive officers and our largest shareholder have agreed not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any of our securities for a period of ninety (90) days following the closing of the offering of the Units. Additionally, we have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common stock for a period of six (6) months after this offering is completed without the prior written consent of the placement agent (the “Lock-Up Period”), provided, however, if the aggregate gross proceeds from the offering are less than $5,000,000, the Lock-Up Period shall be reduced from six (6) months to ninety (90) days. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information. | |
Best Efforts Offering | We have agreed to offer and sell the securities offered hereby to the purchasers through the placement agent. The placement agent is not required to buy or sell any specific number or dollar amount of the securities offered hereby, but it will use its reasonable best efforts to solicit offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution” on page 94 of this prospectus. |
The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding upon completion of this offering is based on 8,417,239 shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 7, 2023, and excludes:
● | 2,464,500 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options currently outstanding, at a weighted average exercise price of $2.39 per share; |
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● | 1,080,280 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of our Listed Warrants, at an exercise price of $3.75 per share; |
● | 58,800 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the representative’s warrants issued to Maxim Group LLC in connection with our initial public offering, at an exercise price of $8.228 per share; |
● | 165,931 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan; and |
● | 300,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants issued in April 2023 pursuant to the warrant exercise inducement letter agreement at an exercise price of $3.75 per share. |
Unless otherwise indicated, this prospectus reflects and assumes the following:
● | No Pre-Funded Warrants are included in the Units offered hereby; |
● | No exercise of the Common Warrants included in the Units offered hereby; and |
● | No exercise of the warrants to be issued to the placement agent |
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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this prospectus may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Our forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about us and our industry, as well as statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. Additionally, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. We intend the forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws. Words such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” and similar expressions, as well as statements in future tense, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.
Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and may not be accurate indications of when such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information we have when those statements are made or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to:
● | our lack of operating history; |
● | our expected use of proceeds from this offering and relationships with our current customers; |
● | our expectations regarding the time during which we will be an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act; |
● | our estimates regarding future revenue, expenses and needs for additional financing; |
● | our ability to compete in our industry; |
● | our ability to expand the number of retail stores that sell our products; |
● | our ability to expand the production of our products; |
● | the impact of governmental laws and regulation; |
● | difficulties with certain vendors, suppliers and distributors we rely on or will rely on; |
● | failure to maintain our corporate culture as we grow and changes in consumer recognition of our brand; |
● | changes in senior management, loss of one or more key personnel or an inability to attract, hire, integrate and retain highly skilled personnel; |
● | the ability of our product to perform in a safe and efficient manner; and |
● | our ability to adapt and respond effectively to rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards and changing customer needs or requirements. |
The foregoing does not represent an exhaustive list of matters that may be covered by the forward-looking statements contained herein or risk factors that we are faced with. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve risks and uncertainties, and our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those set forth under the section of this prospectus entitled “Risk Factors” elsewhere in this prospectus. The factors set forth under the “Risk Factors” section and other cautionary statements made in this prospectus should be read and understood as being applicable to all related forward-looking statements wherever they appear in this prospectus. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus represent our judgment as of the date of this prospectus. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on such statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available or other events occur in the future. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained above and throughout this prospectus.
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Risk Factors
Any investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, which we believe represent certain of the material risks to our business, together with the information contained elsewhere in this prospectus, before you make a decision to invest in our securities. Please note that the risks highlighted here are not the only ones that we may face. For example, additional risks presently unknown to us or that we currently consider immaterial or unlikely to occur could also impair our operations. If any of the following events occur or any additional risks presently unknown to us actually occur, our business, financial condition and operating results may be materially adversely affected. In that event, the trading price of our securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Relating to Our Business, Strategy and Industry
The optical industry is highly competitive, and if we do not compete successfully, our business may be adversely impacted.
We compete directly with large, integrated optical players that sell both at the retail level and online such as Ray-Ban® that have multiple products, well regarded brands and retail banners, as well as established and well-regarded consumer electronics companies such as Bose®. This diversified and capable competition takes place both in physical retail locations as well as online, for smart glasses. To compete effectively, we must continue to create, invest in, or acquire, advanced technology, incorporate this technology into our products, obtain regulatory approvals in a timely manner where required, and process and successfully market our products.
Most if not all of our competitors have significantly greater financial and operational resources, longer operating histories, greater brand recognition, and broader geographic presence than we do. As a result, they may be able to outmaneuver us in the marketplace and offer capable products at more competitive prices, which may adversely affect our business. They also are able to spend far more than we do for advertising. We may be at a substantial disadvantage to larger competitors with greater economies of scale. If our costs are greater compared to those of our competitors, the pricing of our products may not be as attractive, thus depressing sales or the profitability of our products and services. Our competitors may expand into markets in which we currently operate, and we remain vulnerable to the marketing power and high level of customer recognition of these larger competitors and to the risk that these competitors or others could attract our customer base. Some of our competitors are vertically integrated and are also engaged in the manufacture and distribution of glasses and many of our competitors operate under a variety of brands and price points. These competitors can advantageously leverage this structure to better compete and access the market with significant market power could make it more difficult for us to compete. We purchase some of our product components from suppliers who may be affiliates of one or more competitors or may compete with ourselves in the future.
We may not continue to be able to successfully compete against existing or future competitors. Our inability to respond effectively to competitive pressures, improved performance by our competitors, and changes in the retail and e-commerce markets could result in lost market share and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We have a history of losses, and we may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability.
We had a net loss of $1,430,810 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, a net loss of $5,681,833 for the year ended December 31, 2022, and a net loss of $3,244,506 for the year ended December 31, 2021. As of March 31, 2023, we had an accumulated deficit of $11,736,797. Because we have a short operating history it is difficult for us to predict our future operating results. We will need to generate and sustain increased revenue and manage our costs to achieve profitability. Even if we do, we may not be able become or increase our profitability.
Our ability to generate profit depends on our ability to strengthen and expand our brand, continue to provide exciting products customers love, expand sales and improve margins. We are aiming to achieve profitability in the next two years, and between now and then we plan to efficiently invest in the business to bring it to scale by:
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● | enhancing our products with new designs, functionality, and technology to widen our appeal and delight customers in a wide variety of demographic groups; and, |
● | investing in our product development, supply chain and sales and marketing capabilities to leverage external resources as efficiently as possible to ensure that smart glasses are affordable for the majority of the world’s population who need them. |
However, we may not succeed in any of the foregoing, and the planned investments may not result in profitability.
We have limited experience in the smart eyewear space. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, our brand “Lucyd”, and our financial performance may suffer, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.
The smart eyewear industry is newly emerging. Whilst our directors have more than 80 years of combined experience in the eyewear industry, the smart eyewear market presents numerous new challenges. To effectively manage these challenges and continue to grow, we must continue to invest in the design of new frames and technology, expand our product line and effectively integrate several new technologies into eyewear. Achieving this could strain our existing resources, and we could experience ongoing operating difficulties in managing our business and bringing it to scale. Failure to scale could harm our competitive position and future success, including our ability to retain and recruit personnel and to effectively execute our corporate objectives.
Our ability to generate net revenue will depend upon many factors, some of which we may have no control over.
The industry for stylish, affordable smart glasses, is rapidly evolving and may not develop as we expect. Even if our net revenue continues to increase, our net revenue growth rates may decline in the future as a result of a variety of factors, including macroeconomic factors, increased competition, and the maturation of our business. As a result, you should not rely on our net revenue growth rate for any prior period as an indication of our future performance. Overall growth of our net revenue will depend on a number of factors, including our ability to:
● | Increase exogenous distribution of our products in optical stores, big box retailers, specialty retailers and through multiple e-commerce channels; |
● | Price our products so that we are able to attract new customers, and expand our relationships with existing customers; |
● | Accurately forecast our net revenue and plan our operating expenses accordingly; |
● | Successfully compete with other companies that are currently in, or may in the future enter, the smart eyewear industry or the markets in which we compete, and respond to developments from these competitors such as pricing changes and the introduction of new products and features, noting that most, if not all, of our competitors have stronger balance sheets and larger staffs to devote to their products; |
● | Comply with existing and new laws and regulations applicable to our business; |
● | Develop new product offerings, with services and features, including in response to new trends, competitive dynamics, or the needs of customers; |
● | Successfully identify and acquire or invest in businesses, products, or technologies that we believe could complement or expand our business; |
● | Avoid interruptions or disruptions in our supply chain from natural disasters and political uncertainty; |
● | Provide customers with a high-quality experience and customer service and support that meets their needs; |
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● | Hire, integrate, and retain talented sales, customer experience, product design, and development and other personnel; |
● | Effectively manage growth of our business, personnel, and operations; |
● | Effectively manage our costs related to our business and operations; and, |
● | Enhance our reputation and the value of the Lucyd brand. |
Because we have a limited history operating our business, it is difficult to evaluate our current business and future prospects, including our ability to plan for and model future growth. Our limited operating experience combined with the rapidly evolving nature of the market in which we sell our products and services, substantial uncertainty concerning how these markets may develop, and other economic factors beyond our control, reduces our ability to accurately forecast quarterly or annual revenue. Failure to manage our future growth effectively could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.
We also expect to continue to expend substantial financial and other resources to grow our business, and we may fail to allocate our resources in a manner that results in increased net revenue growth in our business. Additionally, we may encounter unforeseen operating expenses, difficulties, complications, delays, and other unknown factors that may result in losses in future periods. If our net revenue growth does not meet our expectations in future periods, our business, financial condition, and results of operations may be harmed, and we may not achieve or sustain profitability in the future.
Increases in component costs, shipping costs, long lead times, supply shortages, and supply changes could disrupt our supply chain and factors such as wage rate increases and inflation can have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.
Meeting customer demand partially depends on our ability to obtain timely and adequate delivery of components for our products and services. All of the components that go into the manufacturing of our products and services are sourced from a limited number of third-party suppliers predominantly in the U.S., and China. Our contract manufacturers purchase and provide many of these components on our behalf, including sun lenses, demo lenses, hinge and chip sets and other electronic components, and we do not have long-term arrangements with most of our component suppliers. We are therefore subject to the risk of shortages and long lead times in the supply of these components and the risk that our suppliers discontinue or modify components used in our products. In addition, the lead times associated with certain components are lengthy and may preclude rapid changes in design, quantities, and delivery schedules. Our ability to meet temporary unforeseen increases in demand has been, and may in the future be, impacted by our reliance on the availability of components from these suppliers. We may in the future experience component shortages, and the predictability of the availability of these components may be limited, which may be heightened in light of Covid-19 safety measures undertaken in China, our principal country of manufacturing. In the event of a component shortage or supply interruption from suppliers of these components, we may experience supply chain delays. Developing alternate sources of supply for these components may be time-consuming, difficult, and costly, and we may not be able to source these components on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all, which may undermine our ability to fill our orders in a timely manner. Any interruption or delay in the supply of any of these parts or components, or the inability to obtain these parts or components from alternate sources at acceptable prices and within a reasonable amount of time, would harm our ability to timely ship our products to our customers.
In addition, substantially all of our components are shipped directly from our contract manufacturers to our warehouse facility in Miami or to a third-party optical laboratory in the United States, where lenses are cut and mounted into frames. These laboratories process most of the glasses ordered by our customers. Once processed at the laboratories, the finished products are then sorted and shipped using third-party carriers to our customers. Our eyeglasses are also shipped directly to our third-party distribution center in the United States for shipment directly to our customers and resellers. We depend in large part on the orderly operation of this distribution process, which depends, in turn, on adherence to shipping schedules and effective management of our optical laboratory network and third-party distribution center. Increases in transportation costs (including increases in fuel costs), issues with overseas shipments, supplier-side delays, as well as reductions in the transportation capacity of carriers, labor strikes or shortages in the transportation industry, disruptions to the national and international transportation infrastructure, and unexpected delivery interruptions or delays also have the potential to derail our distribution process.
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Moreover, volatile economic conditions may make it more likely that our suppliers and logistics providers may be unable to timely deliver supplies, or at all, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to timely locate alternative suppliers of comparable quality at an acceptable price. In addition, international supply chains may be impacted by events outside of our control, including but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic, and limit our ability to procure timely delivery of supplies or finished goods and services. We face additional risks related to the manufacturing facility we contract with in China and suppliers in China, including port of entry risks such as longshoremen strikes, import restrictions, foreign government regulations, trade restrictions, customs, and duties.
We source components from suppliers located in China. Effective September 1, 2019, the U.S. government implemented a 15% tariff on specified products imported into the U.S. from China and effective February 14, 2020, the 15% tariff was reduced to 7.5%. In June 2020, the U.S. government granted a temporary exclusion for plastic and metal frames with a retroactive effective date of September 1, 2019, and such exclusion expired in September 2020. Given the recent change in the U.S. presidential administration, there is uncertainty whether there will be, and the resulting impacts of, any changes to U.S. government trade policy. If we are unable to mitigate the full impact of the enacted tariffs or if there is a further escalation of tariffs, costs on a significant portion of our products may increase further and our financial results may be negatively affected. While it is too early to predict how the current and future China tariffs will impact our business, our financial results may also be impacted by any resulting economic slowdown.
The inability to fulfill, or any delays in processing, customer orders through third party optical laboratory optical laboratory could result in the loss of customers, issuances of refunds or credits, and may also adversely affect our income and reputation. The success of our retail and e-commerce sales depends on the timely receipt of products by our customers and any repeated, intermittent or long-term disruption in, or failures of, the operations of our distribution center and/or optical laboratories could result in lower sales and profitability, a loss of loyalty to our brands, and excess inventory.
Furthermore, increases in compensation, wage pressure, and other expenses for our employees, may adversely affect our profitability. Increases in minimum wages and other wage and hour regulations can exacerbate this risk. These cost increases may be the result of inflationary pressures which could further reduce our sales or profitability. Increases in other operating costs, may increase our cost of products sold or selling, general, and administrative expenses. Our competitive price model and pricing pressures in the optical retail industry may inhibit our ability to reflect these increased costs in the prices of our products, in which case such increased costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We currently derive all of our revenue from sales of our glasses. A decline in sales of our eyewear would negatively affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We derive all of our revenue from the sale of one product line, our Lucyd Lyte smart eyewear. Our glasses are sold in highly competitive markets with limited barriers to entry. Introduction by competitors of comparable products at lower price points, a maturing product lifecycle, a decline in consumer spending, or other factors could result in a material decline in our revenue. Because we derive most of our revenue from the sale of our glasses, any material decline in sales of our glasses would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and operating results.
We face significant risks due to our dependency on foreign supply and manufacturing chains, geopolitical and economic changes, and changes in public perception about internationally sourced and manufactured products.
Since our component materials are sourced in China, our production may face additional risks such as, but not limited to: increased shipping costs, imposition of additional import or trade restrictions, increased custom duties and tariffs, legal or economic restrictions on our supplier and manufacturer’s ability to meet our needs, unforeseen delays in customs clearance of goods, transportation delays, issues with ports of entry, new and adverse foreign government regulations, political instability, war, natural disasters, and overall economic uncertainty. Our overseas sourcing and manufacturing could also suffer due to health-related concerns surrounding infectious diseases, such as Covid-19 safety measures in China, our primary country of supply. Public opinion about internationally sourced and manufactured products could be changed by negative press, which could have an impact on our customers’ confidence and satisfaction and could also have a negative impact on our public image and brand perception.
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If we fail to cost-effectively retain our existing customers or to acquire new customers, our business, financial condition, and results of operations would be harmed.
The growth of our business is dependent upon our ability to continue to grow by cost-effectively retaining our existing customers and adding new customers. Although we believe that many customers originate from word-of-mouth and paid and non-paid referrals, we expect to continue to expend resources and run marketing campaigns to acquire additional customers, all of which could impact our overall profitability. If we are not able to continue to expand our customer base, or fail to retain customers, our net revenue will grow slower than expected or decline.
The growth of our e-commerce channel is critical to our continued customer retention and growth. Historically, consumers have been slower to adopt online shopping for glasses than e-commerce offerings in other industries such as consumer electronics and apparel. Improving upon the consumer in-store experience through an online platform is difficult due to broad consumer demands on selection, quality, convenience, and affordability. Changing traditional optical retail habits is difficult, and if consumers and retailers do not embrace smart eyewear as we expect, our business and operations could be harmed.
Our ability to attract new customers and increase net revenue from existing customers also depends in large part on our ability to enhance and improve our existing products and to introduce new products and services, in each case, in a timely manner. We also must be able to identify and originate styles and trends as well as to anticipate and react to changing consumer demands in a timely manner. The success of new and/or enhanced products and services depends on several factors, including their timely introduction and completion, sufficient demand, and cost-effectiveness. New products that we develop may not be well received and could negatively impact our financial performance.
Our number of customers may decline materially or fluctuate as a result of many factors, including, among other things:
● | the quality, consumer appeal, price, and reliability of products and services offered by us; |
● | intense competition in the optical retail industry by better financed participants; |
● | negative publicity related to our brand or brand influencers; |
● | the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or a future outbreak of disease or similar public health concern; |
● | customer dissatisfaction with changes we make to our products and services. |
In addition, if we are unable to provide high-quality support to customers or help resolve issues in a timely and acceptable manner, our ability to attract new customers and retain customers could be adversely affected. If our number of customers declines or fluctuates for any of these reasons among others, our business would suffer.
Our profitability and cash flows may be negatively affected if we are not successful in managing our inventory balances and inventory shrinkage.
Efficient inventory management is a key component of our business success and profitability. To be successful, we must maintain sufficient inventory levels to meet our customers’ demands without allowing those levels to increase to such an extent that the costs to hold the goods unduly impact our financial results. We must balance the need to maintain inventory levels that are sufficient to ensure competitive lead times against the risk of inventory obsolescence because of changing customer requirements, fluctuating commodity prices, changes to our products, product transfers, or the life cycle of our products. If we fail to adequately forecast demand for any product, or fail to determine the optimal product mix for production purposes, we may face production capacity issues in processing sufficient quantities of a given product. If our buying and distribution decisions do not accurately predict customer trends or spending levels in general or if we inappropriately price products, we may have to record potential write-downs relating to the value of obsolete or excess inventory. Conversely, if we underestimate future demand for a particular product or do not respond quickly enough to replenish our best performing products, we may have a shortfall in inventory of such products, likely leading to unfulfilled orders, reduced net revenue, and customer dissatisfaction. In addition, because we source components from suppliers located in China, our inventory management may be impacted by enactment or further escalation of tariffs, import restrictions, foreign government regulations, trade restrictions, customs, and duties.
Maintaining adequate inventory requires significant attention and monitoring of market trends, local markets, developments with suppliers, and our distribution network, and it is not certain that we will be effective in our inventory management.
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If we fail to maintain and enhance our brand, our ability to engage or expand our base of customers will be impaired, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations may suffer.
Maintaining and enhancing our appeal and reputation as a stylish, innovative, and coveted brand is critical to attracting and expanding our relationships with customers. The successful promotion of our brand and the market’s awareness of our products and services will depend on a number of factors, including our marketing efforts, ability to continue to develop our products and services, and ability to successfully differentiate our offerings from competitive offerings. We expect to invest substantial resources to promote and maintain our brand, but there is no guarantee that our brand development strategies will enhance the recognition of our brand or lead to increased sales. The strength of our brand will depend largely on our ability to provide stylish, technologically enhanced products and quality services at competitive prices. Brand promotion activities may not yield increased net revenue, and even if they do, the increased net revenue may not offset the expenses we incur in promoting and maintaining our brand and reputation. In order to protect our brand, we also plan to expend substantial resources to register and defend our trademarks and to prevent others from using the same or substantially similar marks. Despite these efforts, we and Lucyd Ltd. may not always be successful in protecting the trademarks we license from Lucyd Ltd. Our trademarks may be diluted, and we may suffer harm to our reputation, or other harm to our brand. If our efforts to cost-effectively promote and maintain our brand are not successful, our results of operations and our ability to attract and engage customers, partners, and employees may be adversely affected.
Unfavorable publicity regarding our products, customer service, or privacy and security practices could also harm our reputation and diminish confidence in, and the use of, our products and services. In addition, negative publicity related to key brands that we have partnered with may damage our reputation, even if the publicity is not directly related to us. If we fail to maintain, protect, and enhance our brand successfully or to maintain loyalty among customers, or if we incur substantial expenses in unsuccessful attempts to maintain, protect, and enhance our brand, we may fail to attract or increase the engagement of customers, and our business, financial condition, and results of operations may suffer.
We rely heavily on our information technology systems, as well as those of our third-party vendors, business partners, and service providers, for our business to effectively operate and to safeguard confidential information; any significant failure, inadequacy, interruption, or data security incident could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and operations.
We rely heavily on our in-house information technology and enterprise resource planning systems for many functions across our operations, including managing our supply chain and inventory, processing customer transactions in our stores, allocating lens processing jobs to the appropriate laboratories, our financial accounting and reporting, compensating our employees, and operating our website, mobile applications and in-store systems. Our ability to effectively manage our business and coordinate the manufacturing, sourcing, distribution, and sale of our products depends significantly on the reliability and capacity of these systems. We are critically dependent on the integrity, security, and consistent operations of these systems, which are highly reliant on the coordination of our internal business and engineering teams. We also collect, process, and store sensitive and confidential information, including our proprietary business information and that of our customers, employees, suppliers, and business partners. The secure processing, maintenance, and transmission of this information is critical to our operations.
Our systems may be subject to damage or interruption from power outages or damages, telecommunications problems, data corruption, software errors, network failures, acts of war or terrorist attacks, fire, flood, global pandemics, and natural disasters; our existing safety systems, data backup, access protection, user management, and information technology emergency planning may not be sufficient to prevent data loss or long-term network outages. In addition, we may have to upgrade our existing information technology systems or choose to incorporate new technology systems from time to time in order for such systems to support the increasing needs of our expanding business. Costs and potential problems and interruptions associated with the implementation of new or upgraded systems and technology or with maintenance or adequate support of existing systems could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations.
Our systems and those of our third-party service providers and business partners may be vulnerable to security incidents, attacks by hackers, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced or lost data, human errors or other similar events. If unauthorized parties gain access to our networks or databases, or those of our third-party service providers or business partners, they may be able to steal, publish, delete, use inappropriately, or modify our private and sensitive third-party information including personal health information, credit card information, and personal identification information. In addition, employees may intentionally or inadvertently cause data or security incidents that result in unauthorized release of personal or confidential information. Because the techniques used to circumvent security systems can be highly sophisticated, change frequently, are often not recognized until launched against a target, and may originate from less regulated and remote areas around the world, we may be unable to proactively address all possible techniques or implement adequate preventive measures for all situations.
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Security incidents compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of this information and our systems could result from cyber-attacks, computer malware, viruses, social engineering (including spear phishing and ransomware attacks), credential stuffing, supply chain attacks, efforts by individuals or groups of hackers and sophisticated organizations, including state-sponsored organizations, errors or malfeasance of our personnel, and security vulnerabilities in the software or systems on which we rely. We anticipate that these threats will continue to grow in scope and complexity over time and such incidents have occurred in the past, and may occur in the future, resulting in unauthorized, unlawful, or inappropriate access to, inability to access, disclosure of, or loss of the sensitive, proprietary and confidential information that we handle.
We also rely on a number of third-party service providers to operate our critical business systems, provide us with software, and process confidential and personal information, such as the payment processors that process customer credit card payments, which expose us to security risks outside of our direct control and our ability to monitor these third-party service providers’ data security is limited. These service providers could experience a security incident that compromises the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the systems they operate for us or the information they process on our behalf. Cybercrime and hacking techniques are constantly evolving, and we or our third-party service providers may be unable to anticipate attempted security breaches, react in a timely manner, or implement adequate preventative measures, particularly given the increasing use of hacking techniques designed to circumvent controls, avoid detection, and remove or obfuscate forensic artifacts. While we have taken measures designed to protect the security of the confidential and personal information under our control, we cannot assure you that any security measures that we or our third-party service providers have implemented will be effective against current or future security threats. Moreover, we or our third-party service providers may be more vulnerable to such attacks in remote work environments, which have increased in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A security breach may also cause us to breach our contractual obligations. Our agreements with certain customers, business partners, or other stakeholders may require us to use industry-standard or reasonable measures to safeguard personal information. We also may be subject to laws that require us to use industry-standard or reasonable security measures to safeguard personal information. A security incident could lead to claims by our customers, business partners, or other relevant stakeholders that we have failed to comply with such legal or contractual obligations. In addition, our inability to comply with data privacy obligations in our contracts or our inability to flow down such obligations to our vendors, collaborators, other contractors, or consultants may cause us to breach our contracts. As a result, we could be subject to legal action, or our customers or business partners could end their relationships with us. There can be no assurance that the limitations of liability in our contracts would be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from liabilities or damages.
In addition, any such access, disclosure or other loss or unauthorized use of information or data, whether actual or perceived, could result in legal claims or proceedings, regulatory investigations or actions, and other types of liability under laws that protect the privacy and security of personal information, including federal, state and foreign data protection and privacy regulations, violations of which could result in significant penalties and fines in the EU and United States. In addition, although we seek to detect and investigate all data security incidents, security breaches, and other incidents of unauthorized access to our information technology systems and data can be difficult to detect and any delay in identifying such breaches or incidents may lead to increased harm and legal exposure of the type described above.
The cost of investigating, mitigating, and responding to potential security breaches and complying with applicable breach notification obligations to individuals, regulators, partners, and others can be significant. Further, defending a suit, regardless of its merit, could be costly, divert management attention, and harm our reputation. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, revenues, results of operations, or cash flows. Any material disruption or slowdown of our systems or those of our third-party service providers and business partners, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Our risks are likely to increase as we continue to expand, grow our customer base, and process, store, and transmit increasing amounts of proprietary and sensitive data.
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Our e-commerce and multichannel channel business faces distinct risks, and our failure to successfully manage it could have a negative impact on our profitability.
As an e-commerce and multichannel retailer, we encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced by businesses with significant online and in-store sales. The successful operation of our business as well as our ability to provide a positive shopping experience that will generate orders and drive subsequent visits depends on efficient and uninterrupted operation of our e-commerce order-taking and fulfillment operations. If we are unable to allow real-time and accurate visibility to product availability when customers are ready to purchase, quickly and efficiently fulfill our customers’ orders using the fulfillment and payment methods they demand, provide a convenient and consistent experience for our customers regardless of the ultimate sales channel, or effectively manage our online sales, our ability to compete and our results of operations could be adversely affected. Risks associated with our e-commerce and multichannel business include:
● | uncertainties associated with our websites, mobile applications and in-store virtual try-on kiosks including changes in required technology interfaces, website downtime and other technical failures, costs and technical issues as we upgrade our systems software, inadequate system capacity, computer viruses, human error, security breaches, legal claims related to our systems operations, and fulfillment; |
● | our partnership with select third-party apps, through which we sell a portion of our products, are subject to changes in their technology interfaces, website downtime and other technical failures, costs, and issues; |
● | disruptions in internet service or power outages; |
● | reliance on third parties for computer hardware and software, as well as delivery of merchandise to our customers; |
● | rapid technology changes; |
● | credit or debit card fraud and other payment processing related issues; |
● | cybersecurity and consumer privacy; and |
● | natural disasters or adverse weather conditions. |
In addition, we must keep up to date with competitive technology trends, including the use of new or improved technology, creative user interfaces, virtual and augmented reality, and other e-commerce marketing tools such as paid search and mobile application, among others, which may increase our costs and which may not increase sales or attract customers. Our competitors, most of whom have significantly greater resources than we do, may also be able to benefit from changes in e-commerce technologies, which could harm our competitive position.
If we fail to adapt and respond effectively to rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards and changing customer needs or requirements, our solutions may become less competitive.
Our success depends on our customers’ willingness to adopt and use our products, as well as our ability to adapt and enhance our products. To attract new customers and increase revenue from existing customers, we need to continue to enhance and improve our products and to meet customer needs at prices that customers are willing to pay. Such efforts will require adding new features, expanding related applications and responding to technological advancements, which will increase our research and development costs. If we are unable to develop solutions that address customers’ needs or enhance and improve our platform in a timely manner, we may not be able to increase or maintain market acceptance of our products. Further, we may make changes to our products that customers do not find useful. We may also face unexpected problems or challenges in connection with new applications or feature introductions.
Moreover, many competitors expend a considerably greater amount of funds on their research and development programs, and those that do not may be acquired by larger companies that would allocate greater resources to competitors’ research and development programs. If we fail to compete effectively with the research and development programs of competitors, our business could be harmed. Our ability to grow is also subject to the risk of future disruptive technologies. If new technologies emerge that are able to deliver smart eyewear products at lower prices, more efficiently, more conveniently or more securely, such technologies could adversely affect our ability to compete.
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We depend on highly skilled personnel to grow and operate our business, and if we are unable to hire, retain, and motivate our personnel, we may not be able to grow effectively.
Our success and future growth depend largely upon the continued services of our management team, including our Chief Executive Officer Harrison Gross. From time to time, there may be changes in our executive management team resulting from the hiring or departure of our executives. Our executive officers are employed on an at-will basis, which means they may terminate their employment with us at any time. The loss of one or more of our executive officers, or the failure by our executive team to effectively work with our employees and lead our company, could harm our business. We do not maintain key person life insurance with respect to any member of management or other employee.
In addition, our future success will depend, in part, upon our continued ability to identify and hire skilled employees with the skills and technical knowledge that we require, including software design and programming, eyewear design, marketing, merchandising, operations, and other key management skills and knowledge. Such efforts will require significant time, expense, and attention as there is intense competition for such individuals.
Certain technological advances, greater availability of, or increased consumer preferences for, vision correction alternatives to prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, and future drug development for the correction of vision-related problems may reduce the demand for our products and adversely impact our business and profitability.
Technological advances in vision care, including the development of new or improved products, as well as future drug development for the correction of vision-related problems, could significantly change how vision care may be conducted and make our existing products less attractive or even obsolete. The greater availability and acceptance, or reductions in the cost, of vision correction alternatives to prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses, such as corneal refractive surgery procedures, including radial keratotomy, photorefractive keratotomy, or PRK, and LASIK, may reduce the demand for our products, lower our sales, and thereby adversely impact our business and profitability.
We could be adversely affected by product liability, product recall or personal injury issues.
We could be adversely impacted by the supply of defective products, including the infiltration of counterfeit products into the supply chain or product mishandling issues. Product liability or personal injury claims may be asserted against us with respect to any of the products we sell or services we provide.
If the products that we sell, including those that we process, package, or label, are defective or otherwise result in product liability or personal injury claims against us, our business could be adversely affected and we could be subject to adverse regulatory action. If our products or services do not meet applicable governmental safety standards or our customers’ expectations regarding quality or safety, we could experience lost sales and increased costs, be exposed to legal and reputational risk, and face fines or penalties which could materially adversely affect our financial results.
Refunds, cancellations, and warranty claims could harm our business.
We allow our customers to return our products, subject to our refund policy, which allows any customer to return our products for any reason and receive a full refund within the first 7 days for sales made through our website, 30 days for sales made through Amazon, and 30 days for sales to most wholesale retailers and distributors (although certain sales to independent distributors are ineligible for returns). At the time of sale, we establish a reserve for returns, based on historical experience and expected future returns, which is recorded as a reduction of sales. If we experience a substantial increase in refunds, our cancellation reserve levels might not be sufficient and our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be harmed.
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We expect a number of factors to cause our results of operations and operating cash flows to fluctuate on a quarterly and annual basis, which may make it difficult to predict our future performance.
Our results of operations could vary significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year because of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. As a result, comparing our results of operations on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. In addition to other risk factors discussed in this section, factors that may contribute to the variability of our quarterly and annual results include:
● | our ability to accurately forecast and achieve net revenues and appropriately plan our expenses; |
● | changes to financial accounting standards and the interpretation of those standards, which may affect the way we recognize and report our financial results; |
● | the effectiveness of our internal controls; |
● | the early-stage nature of our business and the need to scale our operations and, |
● | the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business. |
The impact of one or more of the foregoing and other factors may cause our results of operations to vary significantly. As such, quarter-to-quarter and year-over-year comparisons of our results of operations may not be meaningful and should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance.
We may require additional capital to support the growth of our business, and this capital might not be available on acceptable terms, if at all.
We have funded our operations since inception primarily through net proceeds from the sale of convertible loan notes common stock sales through two registered crowdfunds and our initial public offering. We cannot be certain when, or if, our operations will generate sufficient cash to fully fund our ongoing operations or the growth of our business. We intend to continue to make investments to support the development of our products and services and will require additional funds for such development. We may need additional funding for marketing expenses and to develop and expand sales resources, develop new products and improve existing products with new features or enhance our products and services with new technology, improve our operating infrastructure, or acquire complementary businesses and technologies. Accordingly, we might need or may want to engage in future equity or debt financings to secure additional funds. Additional financing may not be available on terms favorable to us, if at all. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to invest in future growth opportunities, which could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In particular, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption in the credit and financial markets in the United States and worldwide, which may reduce our ability to access capital and negatively affect our liquidity in the future. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us, our ability to develop our products and services, support our business growth, and respond to business challenges could be significantly impaired, and our business may be adversely affected.
If we incur additional debt, the debt holders would have rights senior to holders of common stock to make claims on our assets, and the terms of any additional debt could include restrictive covenants that restrict our operations, including our ability to pay dividends on our common stock. Furthermore, if we issue additional equity securities, stockholders will experience dilution, and the new equity securities could have rights senior to those of our common stock. Because our decision to issue securities in the future will depend on numerous considerations, including factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, or nature of any future issuances of debt or equity securities. As a result, our stockholders bear the risk of future issuances of debt or equity securities reducing the value of our common stock and diluting their interests.
The occurrence of any of these foregoing risks could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations and expose us to unknown risks or liabilities.
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Eyeglasses are regulated as medical devices by the FDA, and our failure, or the failure of any third-party manufacturer or optical laboratory, to obtain and maintain the necessary agency authorizations for our products could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are an FDA registered eyewear importer, and we also engage in certain manufacturing, packaging, shipping and labeling activities that subject us and our overseas manufacturing partners to oversight by the FDA under the FDCA and its implementing regulations. The FDA regulates, among other things, with respect to medical devices: design, development and manufacturing, testing, labeling, content, and language of instructions for use and storage; clinical trials; product safety; establishment registration and device listing; marketing, sales and distribution; premarket clearance, classification and approval; recordkeeping procedures; advertising and promotion; recalls and field safety corrective actions; post market surveillance, including reporting of deaths or serious injuries and malfunctions that, if they were to recur, could lead to death or serious injury; post-market approval studies; and product import and export. The regulations to which we are subject are simpler than most medical products due to the relatively low risk classification of eyewearregularly, only our lenses are reviewed for FDA clearance. Regulatory changes could result in restrictions on our ability to carry on or expand our operations, higher than anticipated costs, or lower than anticipated sales. The FDA enforces its regulatory requirements through, among other means, periodic unannounced inspections. Failure to comply with applicable regulations could jeopardize our or our contract manufacturers’ ability to manufacture and sell our products and result in FDA enforcement actions such as: warning letters; fines; injunctions; civil penalties; termination of distribution; recalls or seizures of products; delays in the introduction of products into the market; total or partial suspension of production; refusal to grant future clearances or approvals; withdrawals or suspensions of clearances or approvals, resulting in prohibitions on sales of our products; and in the most serious cases, criminal penalties.
Due to the nature of Vyrb as a social media application, and our collection of customer data in the process of taking orders, we are subject to rapidly changing and increasingly stringent laws, regulations, obligations, and industry standards relating to privacy, data security, and data protection. The restrictions and costs imposed by these laws and other obligations, or our actual or perceived failure to comply with them, could subject us to liabilities that adversely affect our business, operations, and financial performance.
We collect, process, store, and use a wide variety of data from current and prospective customers, including personal information, such as home addresses and geolocation, and health information related to their ophthalmic prescriptions. These activities are regulated by a variety of federal, state, local, and foreign privacy, data security, and data protection laws and regulations, which have become increasingly stringent in recent years.
Domestic privacy and data security laws are complex and changing rapidly. Many states have enacted laws regulating the online collection, use, and disclosure of personal information and requiring that companies implement reasonable data security measures. Laws in all states and U.S. territories also require businesses to notify affected individuals, governmental entities, and/or credit reporting agencies of certain security incidents affecting personal information. These laws are not consistent, and compliance with them in the event of a widespread data breach is complex and costly.
Further, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) took effect on January 1, 2020. The CCPA gives California residents expanded rights related to their personal information, including the right to access and delete their personal information, and receive detailed information about how their personal information is used and shared. The CCPA also created restrictions on “sales” of personal information that allow California residents to opt-out of certain sharing of their personal information and may restrict the use of cookies and similar technologies for advertising purposes. Our e-commerce platform, including our websites and mobile applications, rely on these technologies and could be adversely affected by the CCPA’s restrictions. The CCPA prohibits discrimination against individuals who exercise their privacy rights, provides for civil penalties for violations, and creates a private right of action for data breaches that is expected to increase data breach litigation. Additionally, a new California ballot initiative, the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA, was recently passed in California. The CPRA will restrict use of certain categories of sensitive personal information that we handle; further restrict the use of cross-context behavioral advertising techniques on which our products may rely in the future; establish restrictions on the retention of personal information; expand the types of data breaches subject to the private right of action; and establish the California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforce the new law, as well as impose administrative fines. The majority of the CPRA’s provisions will go into effect on January 1, 2023, and additional compliance investment and potential business process changes will likely be required. Similar laws have been proposed in other states and at the federal level, reflecting a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the United States. Compliance with such laws could be difficult and costly to achieve and we could be subject to fines and penalties in the event of non-compliance.
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Additionally, we are subject to certain health information privacy and security laws as a result of the health information that we receive in connection with our products and services. These laws and regulations include not be adequate to indemnify us for the full extent of our potential liabilities.
Finally, since the Vyrb social app allows users to create and share various types of multimedia content in a public space operated by the Company, the Company has a basic responsibility to ensure that illegal or otherwise personally harmful content is removed from the platform with speed, which if we fail to do so, could potentially result in legal action against the Company.
Our business could be adversely impacted by changes in the internet and mobile device accessibility of users. Companies and governmental agencies may restrict access to our products and services, our mobile applications, website, application stores, or the internet generally, which could negatively impact our operations.
Our business depends on customers accessing our products and services via a mobile device or a personal computer, and the internet. We may operate in jurisdictions that provide limited internet connectivity. Internet access and access to a mobile device or personal computer are frequently provided by companies with significant market power that could take actions that degrade, disrupt, or increase the cost of consumers’ ability to access our products and services. In addition, the internet infrastructure that we and our customers rely on in any particular geographic area may be unable to support the demands placed upon it and could interfere with the speed and availability of our products and services. Any such failure in internet or mobile device or computer accessibility, even for a short period of time, could adversely affect our results of operations.
Governmental agencies in any of the countries in which we or our customers are located could block access to or require a license for our mobile applications, website, or the internet generally for a number of reasons, including security, confidentiality, or regulatory concerns. In addition, companies may adopt policies that prohibit their employees from using our products and services. If companies or governmental entities block, limit, or otherwise restrict customers from accessing our products and services, our business could be negatively impacted, the number of customers could decline or grow more slowly, and our results of operations could be adversely affected.
We could incur significant liabilities related to, and significant costs in complying with, environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations.
Our operations are subject to various national, state, and local environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations that govern, among other things, the health and safety of our employees and the end-users of our products and the materials used in, and the recycling of, our products and their packaging. Non-compliance with, or liability related to, these laws and regulations, which tend to become more stringent over time, could result in substantial fines or penalties, injunctive relief, civil, or criminal sanctions, and could expose us to costs of investigation or remediation, as well as tort claims for property damage or personal injury.
In addition, a number of governmental authorities, both in the United States and abroad, have considered, and are expected to consider, legislation aimed at reducing the amount of plastic non-recyclable waste. Programs have included banning certain types of products, mandating certain rates of recycling and/or the use of recycled materials, imposing deposits or taxes on single-use plastic bags, paper bags, reusable bags, and packaging materials. Such legislation, as well as voluntary initiatives, aimed at reducing the level of plastic wastes could result in increased cost of packaging for our products or otherwise require us to alter our current packaging and bagging practices. Additional regulatory efforts addressing other environmental or safety concerns in the future could similarly impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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From time to time, we may be subject to legal proceedings, regulatory disputes, and governmental inquiries that could cause us to incur significant expenses, divert our management’s attention, and materially harm our business, financial condition, and operating results.
From time to time, we may be subject to claims, lawsuits, government investigations, and other proceedings involving products liability, competition and antitrust, intellectual property, privacy, false advertising, consumer protection, securities, tax, labor and employment, commercial disputes, and other matters that could adversely affect our business operations and financial condition. As we grow, we may see a rise in the number and significance of these disputes and inquiries. Litigation and regulatory proceedings may be protracted and expensive, and the results are difficult to predict. Certain of these matters include speculative claims for substantial or indeterminate amounts of damages and include claims for injunctive relief. Additionally, our litigation costs could be significant. Adverse outcomes with respect to litigation or any of these legal proceedings may result in significant settlement costs or judgments, penalties and fines, or require us to modify our products or services, all of which could negatively affect our revenue growth. The results of litigation, investigations, claims, and regulatory proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, and determining reserves for pending litigation and other legal and regulatory matters requires significant judgment. There can be no assurance that our expectations will prove correct, and even if these matters are resolved in our favor or without significant cash settlements, these matters, and the time and resources necessary to litigate or resolve them, could harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Risks Related to Intellectual Property
We license some of our technology from Lucyd Ltd., the majority stockholder of the Company, and our inability to maintain this license could materially affect our business, financial condition, and operating results.
Some of our current intellectual property is licensed from Lucyd Ltd., the majority stockholder of the Company, pursuant to a license agreement we entered into with Lucyd Ltd. on April 1, 2020 (the “License Agreement”). Pursuant to the License Agreement, we acquired an exclusive, worldwide license that is royalty-free, fully paid up, and perpetual license for the exclusive use of certain assets of Lucyd Ltd. related to Innovative Eyewear current products and trademarks. There can be no assurance that the license will not be terminated by Lucyd Ltd. and if we are unable to continue to license the technology (because of, for example, intellectual property infringement claims brought by third-parties against us or against Lucyd Ltd.) then our business, financial condition and operating results would be adversely affected. Please see “BusinessMaterial Agreements” for a more complete description of the License Agreement.
Failure to adequately maintain and protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights could harm our brand, devalue our proprietary content, and adversely affect our ability to compete effectively.
Our success depends to a significant degree on Lucyd Ltd.’s ability to obtain, maintain, protect, and enforce our owned and licensed intellectual property rights, including those in our proprietary technologies, know-how, and brand. To protect our rights to our intellectual property, we rely on a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret laws, domain name registrations, confidentiality agreements, and other contractual arrangements with our employees, affiliates, clients, strategic partners, and others. However, the protective steps we have taken and plan to take may be inadequate to deter misappropriation or other violation of or otherwise protect our intellectual property rights. We may be unable to detect the unauthorized use of, or take appropriate steps to enforce, our intellectual property rights. Effective patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret protection may not be available to us or available in every jurisdiction in which we offer or intend to offer our services. Failure to adequately protect our intellectual property could harm our brand, devalue our proprietary technology and content, and adversely affect our ability to compete effectively. Further, even if we are successful, defending our intellectual property rights could result in the expenditure of significant financial and managerial resources, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights adequately, our competitors may gain access to our licensed intellectual property and proprietary technology and develop and commercialize substantially identical offerings or technologies. Any patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights that we have or may obtain may be challenged or circumvented by others or invalidated or held unenforceable through administrative process, including re-examination, inter partes review, interference and derivation proceedings, and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions (e.g., opposition proceedings), or litigation. There can be no assurance that our patent applications will result in issued patents and we may be unable to obtain or maintain patent protection for our technology. In addition, any patents issued from pending or future patent applications or licensed to us in the future may not provide us with claims sufficiently broad to provide meaningful competitive advantages or may be successfully challenged by third parties. Competitors may also invent around and avoid our patents. There is also no guarantee that our pending trademark applications for any mark will proceed to registration; our pending applications may be opposed by a third party prior to registration; and even those trademarks that are registered could be challenged by a third party, including by way of revocation or invalidity actions. For example, we have registrations in a number of foreign countries in which we are not currently offering goods or services, and those registrations could be subject to invalidation proceedings if we cannot demonstrate use of the marks by the applicable use deadlines in those countries. In addition, because patent applications in the United States are currently maintained in secrecy for a period of time prior to issuance, and patent applications in certain other countries generally are not published until more than 18 months after they are first filed, and because publication of discoveries in scientific or patent literature often lags behind actual discoveries, we cannot be certain that we were the first creator of inventions covered by our pending patent applications or that we were the first to file patent applications on such inventions. To maintain a proprietary market position in foreign countries, we may seek to protect some of our proprietary inventions through foreign counterpart patent applications. Statutory differences in patentable subject matter may limit the protection we can obtain on some of our inventions outside of the United States. The diversity of patent laws may make our expenses associated with the development and maintenance of intellectual property in foreign jurisdictions more expensive than we anticipate. We probably will not be able to obtain the same patent protection in every market in which we may otherwise be able to potentially generate revenue. Further, the laws of some foreign countries may not be as protective of intellectual property rights as those in the United States, and mechanisms for enforcement of intellectual property rights may be inadequate. Moreover, policing unauthorized use of our technologies, trade secrets, and intellectual property may be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. Despite our precautions, it may be possible for unauthorized third parties to copy our offerings and capabilities and use information that we regard as proprietary to create offerings that compete with ours. Third parties may apply to register our trademarks or other trademarks similar to our trademarks in jurisdictions before us, thereby creating risks relating to our ability to use and register our trademarks in those jurisdictions. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark ownership or infringement claims brought by owners of other rights, including registered trademarks, in our marks or marks similar to ours. Any claims of infringement, brand dilution, or consumer confusion related to our brand (including our trademarks) or any failure to renew key license agreements on acceptable terms could damage our reputation and brand identity and substantially harm our business and results of operations. The value of our intellectual property could diminish if others assert rights in or ownership of our trademarks and other intellectual property rights, or trademarks that are similar to our trademarks. We may be unable to successfully resolve these types of conflicts to our satisfaction. In some cases, litigation or other actions may be necessary to protect or enforce our trademarks and other intellectual property rights.
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We generally enter into confidentiality and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants, as well as confidentiality agreements with other third parties, including suppliers and other partners. However, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that has or may have had access to our proprietary information, know-how, and trade secrets. Moreover, no assurance can be given that these agreements will be effective in controlling access to our proprietary information or the distribution, use, misuse, misappropriation, reverse engineering, or disclosure of our proprietary information, know-how, and trade secrets. Further, these agreements may not prevent our competitors from independently developing technologies that are substantially equivalent or superior to our offerings and capabilities. These agreements may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach.
We may be required to spend significant resources to monitor and protect our intellectual property rights. Litigation may be necessary in the future to enforce our intellectual property rights and to protect our trade secrets. Litigation brought to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights could be costly, time-consuming, and distracting to management, and could result in the impairment or loss of portions of our intellectual property rights. Further, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights may be met with defenses, counterclaims, and countersuits attacking the validity and enforceability of our intellectual property rights, and if such defenses, counterclaims, or countersuits are successful, we could lose valuable intellectual property rights. Further, any changes in law or interpretation of any such laws, particularly intellectual property laws, may impact our ability to protect, register, or enforce our intellectual property rights. Our inability to protect our proprietary technology against unauthorized copying or use, as well as any costly litigation or diversion of our management’s attention and resources, could delay further sales or the implementation of our offerings and capabilities, impair the functionality of our offerings and capabilities, delay introductions of new offerings, result in our substituting inferior or more costly technologies into our offerings, or injure our reputation.
Domain names generally are regulated by internet regulatory bodies, and the regulation of domain names is subject to change. Regulatory bodies have and may continue to establish additional top-level domains, appoint additional domain name registrars, or modify the requirements for holding domain names. We may not be able to, or it may not be cost-effective to, acquire or maintain all domain names that utilize the name “Lucyd Ltd.” or “Innovative Eyewear” in all of the countries in which we currently conduct or intend to conduct business. If we lose the ability to use a domain name, we could incur significant additional expenses to market our products within that country, including the development of new branding. This could substantially harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
We may incur costs to defend against, face liability or for being vulnerable to intellectual property infringement claims brought against us by others.
Third parties may assert claims against us alleging that we infringe upon, misappropriate, dilute or otherwise violate their intellectual property rights, particularly as we expand our business and the number of products we offer. These risks have been amplified by the increase in third parties whose sole or primary business is to assert such claims. We may be particularly vulnerable to such claims, as companies having a substantial online presence are frequently subject to litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. As we gain an increasingly high public profile, the possibility of intellectual property rights claims against us grows. Our competitors and others may now and in the future have significantly larger and more mature patent portfolios than us.
We rely on contracts and releases for ownership of copyrighted materials and the right to use images of individuals on our webpage and marketing material, and we may be subject to claims that we did not properly obtain rights, consent, a release, or permission to use certain content or imagery. Many potential litigants have the ability to dedicate substantial resources to the assertion of their intellectual property rights. Any claim of infringement by a third party, even those without merit, could cause us to incur substantial costs defending against the claim, could distract our management from our business, could require us to cease use of such intellectual property, and could create ongoing obligations if we are subject to agreements or injunctions (stipulated or imposed) preventing us from engaging in certain acts. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, we risk compromising our confidential information during this type of litigation. Our defense of any claim, regardless of its merit, could be expensive and time consuming and could divert management resources. We cannot predict the outcome of lawsuits and cannot ensure that the results of any such actions will not have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Successful infringement claims against us could result in significant monetary liability or prevent us from selling some of our products. In addition, resolution of claims may require us to redesign or rebrand our products, license rights from third parties on potentially unfavorable terms, cease using certain brand names or other intellectual property rights altogether, make substantial payments for royalty or license fees, legal fees, settlement payments or other costs or damages, or admit liability. Such outcomes could encourage others to bring claims against us. To the extent we seek a license to continue offerings or operations found or alleged to infringe third-party intellectual property rights, such a license may be non-exclusive, and therefore our competitors may have access to the same technology licensed to us. In the event we are required to develop alternative, non-infringing technology, this could require significant time (during which we would be unable to continue to offer our affected offerings), effort and expense, and may ultimately not be successful. Any of these events could harm our business and cause our results of operations, liquidity, and financial condition to suffer.
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Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties
We face risks associated with suppliers from whom our products are sourced and are dependent on a limited number of suppliers.
We purchase all of the inputs for our products, including eyeglass frames, temples with electronics embedded within them, prescription lenses, sun lenses, demo lenses, hinges, packaging materials and other components, parts, and raw materials, directly or indirectly from domestic and international suppliers. For our business to be successful, our suppliers must be willing and able to provide us with inputs in substantial quantities, in compliance with regulatory requirements, at acceptable costs and on a timely basis. Our ability to obtain a sufficient selection or volume of inputs on a timely basis at competitive prices could suffer as a result of any deterioration or change in our supplier relationships or events that adversely affect our suppliers.
We typically do not enter into long-term contracts with our suppliers and, as such, we operate without significant contractual assurances of continued supply, pricing or access to inputs. Any of our suppliers could discontinue supplying us with desired inputs in sufficient quantities or offer us less favorable terms on future transactions for a variety of reasons. The benefits we currently experience from our suppliers’ relationships could be adversely affected if our suppliers:
● | discontinue selling products to us; |
● | raise their prices; |
● | increase lead times for products and/or key components |
We also source inputs directly from suppliers outside of the United States, including China. Global sourcing and foreign trade involve numerous factors and uncertainties beyond our control including increased shipping costs, the imposition of additional import or trade restrictions, including legal or economic restrictions on overseas suppliers’ ability to produce and deliver inputs, increased custom duties and tariffs, unforeseen delays in customs clearance of goods, more restrictive quotas, loss of a most favored nation trading status, currency exchange rates, transportation delays, port of entry issues and foreign government regulations, political instability, and economic uncertainties in the countries from which we or our suppliers source our products.
Additionally, sourcing could be impacted by current and future travel restrictions and/or the shut-down of certain businesses globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We rely on a limited number of contract manufacturers and logistics partners for our products. A loss of any of these partners could negatively affect our business.
We rely on a limited number of third-party suppliers and contract manufacturers for the components that go into the manufacturing of our products. In particular, our frames are provided by only a handful of suppliers. We also assemble and fulfill prescription glasses at a single third-party optical laboratory. Our reliance on a limited number of contract manufacturers and logistics partners for our products increases our risks of being unable to deliver our products in a timely and cost-effective manner. In the event of interruption from any of our contract manufacturers or our own fulfillment capabilities, we should be able to increase capacity from other sources or develop alternate or secondary sources without incurring material additional costs or substantial delays.
Our business could be adversely affected if one or more of our manufacturers is impacted by a natural disaster, an epidemic such as COVID-19, or other interruption at a particular location. In particular, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused, and will likely continue to cause, interruptions in the development, manufacturing (including the sourcing of key components), and shipment of our products, which could adversely impact our revenue, gross margins, and operating results.
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Additionally, we do not own or operate a warehouse or a warehouse management company or system, and we currently rely on three third-party warehouses. Because a significant percentage of our products are stored in and shipped out of third-party warehouses, we face significant risks such as, but not limited to: our operations could be disrupted and our inventory could be destroyed by earthquakes, floods, fires or other natural disasters or other events outside of our control, or the control of our third-party warehouse. Our dependence on third-party warehouses also exposes us to the risk that the warehouse may experience operational disruptions due to security or computer viruses, software and hardware failure, power interruptions and other system failures. If we encounter problems with our third-party warehouse, we may be unable to meet customer expectations, manage our inventory and fulfillment capacity, complete sales, fulfill orders in a timely fashion, and our ability to achieve objectives for operating efficiencies could be adversely affected, all of which could harm our reputation and our relationship with our customers.
Our projects could be hindered due to our dependence on third parties to complete many of our contracts.
In the current economic environment, third parties may find it difficult to obtain sufficient financing to help fund their operations. The inability to obtain financing could adversely affect a third party’s ability to provide materials, equipment or services which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In addition, a failure by a third-party subcontractor, supplier or manufacturer to comply with applicable laws, regulations or client requirements could negatively impact our business and, for government clients, could result in fines, penalties, suspension or even debarment being imposed on us, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We depend on search engines, social media platforms, digital application stores, content-based online advertising, and other online sources to attract consumers to and promote our website and our mobile applications, which may be affected by third-party interference beyond our control and as we grow our customer acquisition costs may rise.
Our success depends in part on our ability to attract consumers to our website, mobile applications, and retail partners to convert them into customers in a cost-effective manner. We depend, in large part, on search engines, social media platforms, digital application stores, content-based online advertising, and other online sources for traffic to our website, mobile applications, and select application partners.
With respect to search engines, we are included in search results as a result of both paid search listings, where we purchase specific search terms that result in the inclusion of our advertisement, and free search listings, which depend on algorithms used by search engines. For paid search listings, if one or more of the search engines or other online sources on which we rely for purchased listings modifies or terminates its relationship with us, our expenses could rise, we could lose consumers and traffic to our website could decrease, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We plan to rely primarily on third-party insurance policies to insure our operations-related risks. If our insurance coverage is insufficient for the needs of our business or our insurance providers are unable to meet their obligations, we may not be able to mitigate the risks facing our business, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We procure third-party insurance policies or plan to procure policies to cover various operations-related risks including employment practices liability, workers’ compensation, property and business interruptions, cybersecurity and data breaches, crime, directors’ and officers’ liability, and general business liabilities. We rely on a limited number of insurance providers, and should such providers discontinue or increase the cost of coverage, we cannot guarantee that we would be able to secure replacement coverage on reasonable terms or at all. If our insurance carriers change the terms of our policies in a manner not favorable to us, our insurance costs could increase. Further, if the insurance coverage we maintain is not adequate to cover losses that occur, or if we are required to purchase additional insurance for other aspects of our business, we could be liable for significant additional costs. Additionally, if any of our insurance providers becomes insolvent, it would be unable to pay any operations-related claims that we make.
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General Risk Factors
Failure to establish and maintain effective internal controls in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could have a material adverse effect on our business and stock price.
Since the completion of our initial public offering in August 2022, we have been required to comply with the SEC’s rules implementing Sections 302 and 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which will require management to certify financial and other information in our quarterly and annual reports and provide an annual management report on the effectiveness of controls over financial reporting. Though we will be required to disclose changes made in our internal controls and procedures on a quarterly basis, we are not required to make our first annual assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 until the year following our first annual report required to be filed with the SEC. As an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of certain temporary exemptions from various reporting requirements, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act (and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder). Once we no longer qualify as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act and lose the ability to rely on the exemptions related thereto discussed above and depending on our status as per Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, our independent registered public accounting firm may also need to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting under Section 404.
Based on the number of personnel available to serve the Company’s accounting function, management believes we are not able to adequately segregate responsibility over financial transaction processing and reporting. Further, the Company does not have a formal internal control environment in place and operating effectively. As such, we have identified these issues as material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and insufficient controls with respect to revenue recognition, and we may identify additional material weaknesses in the future that may cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations or result in material misstatements of our financial statements. If our remediation of such material weaknesses is not effective, or if we fail to develop and maintain an effective system of internal controls and internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable laws and regulations could be materially and adversely affected and the market price of our common stock could be negatively affected, which could require additional financial and management resources.
Changes in tax treatment of companies engaged in e-commerce may adversely affect the commercial use of our sites and our financial results.
Due to the global nature of the Internet, it is possible that various states or foreign countries might attempt to impose additional or new regulation on our business or levy additional or new sales, income, or other taxes relating to our activities. Tax authorities at the international, federal, state, and local levels are currently reviewing the appropriate treatment of companies engaged in e-commerce and digital services. New or revised international, federal, state, or local tax regulations or court decisions may subject us or our customers to additional sales, income and other taxes. For example, on June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a 5-4 majority decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc., 17-494 where the Court held, among other things, that a state may require an out-of-state seller with no physical presence in the state to collect and remit sales taxes on goods the seller ships to consumers in the state, overturning existing court precedent. Other new or revised taxes and, in particular, digital taxes, sales taxes, VAT, and similar taxes could increase the cost of doing business online and decrease the attractiveness of selling products over the Internet. New taxes and rulings could also create significant increases in internal costs necessary to capture data and collect and remit taxes. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.
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An overall decline in the health of the economy and other factors impacting consumer spending, such as recessionary conditions, governmental instability, inclement weather, and natural disasters, may affect consumer purchases, which could reduce demand for our products and harm our business, financial conditions, and results of operations.
Our business depends on consumer demand for our products and, consequently, is sensitive to a number of factors that influence consumer confidence and spending, such as general economic conditions, consumer disposable income, energy and fuel prices, recession and fears of recession, unemployment, minimum wages, availability of consumer credit, consumer debt levels, conditions in the housing market, interest rates, tax rates and policies, inflation, consumer confidence in future economic conditions and political conditions, war and fears of war, inclement weather, natural disasters, terrorism, outbreak of viruses or widespread illness, and consumer perceptions of personal well-being and security. However, as eyewear is a necessary medical device for a large segment of the population, we believe our business is more insulated from economic forces compared to other consumer electronics.
We are an “emerging growth company,” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we may take advantage of certain exemptions from reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” including the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Pursuant to Section 107 of the JOBS Act, as an emerging growth company, we have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to the financial statements of issuers who are required to comply with the effective dates for new or revised accounting standards that are applicable to public companies, which may make our common stock less attractive to investors. In addition, if we cease to be an emerging growth company, we will no longer be able to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of our listing; (2) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenue is $1.235 billion or more; (3) the date on which we have, during the previous rolling three-year period, issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and (4) the date on which we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer” under the rules of the SEC.
We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive if we choose to rely on these exemptions. For example, if we do not adopt a new or revised accounting standard, our future results of operations may not be comparable to the results of operations of certain other companies in our industry that adopted such standards. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and our stock price may be more volatile.
If our estimates or judgments relating to our critical accounting policies prove to be incorrect, our results of operations could be adversely affected.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our financial statements and accompanying notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. We base our estimates on short duration historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, as provided in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of OperationsCritical Accounting Policies and Estimates.” The results of these estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities, and equity, and the amount of revenue and expenses. Significant estimates and judgments involve: inventory valuation; intangible assets; income taxes; valuation of our common stock and equity awards; revenue recognition, including revenue-related reserves; shipping and handling; and the computation of earnings/loss per share. Our results of operations may be adversely affected if our assumptions change or if actual circumstances differ from those in our assumptions, which could cause our results of operations to fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors, resulting in a decline in the market price of our common stock.
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Our current insurance coverage may not be adequate, and we may not be able to obtain insurance at acceptable rates, or at all.
We currently have General Liability and Product Liability policies covering our business. These policies may not provide sufficient coverage in the face of significant claims or multiple claims. Claims exceeding our insurance coverage could create significant increases in internal costs. This even could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and operating results.
We may decide to pursue strategic licensing deals to accelerate our growth. These potential brand acquisitions may not be successful. We may not be able to successfully integrate future IP acquisitions or generate sufficient revenues from future acquisitions, which could cause our business to suffer.
If we license an intellectual property (IP) from a company, there can be no assurance that we will be able to profitably manage this intellectual property or successfully integrate a new business unit without substantial costs, delays or other operational or financial problems. There can be no assurance that the IP we acquire in the future will achieve anticipated revenues and earnings. Additionally:
● | the key personnel operating the acquired IP may decide not to work with us; |
● | we may be unable to maintain uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies among acquired IPs; |
● | we may be unable to successfully implement infrastructure, logistics and systems integration; |
● | we may be held liable for legal claims (including environmental claims) arising out of activities of the acquired IP prior to our acquisitions, some of which we may not have discovered during our due diligence, and we may not have indemnification claims available to us or we may not be able to realize on any indemnification claims with respect to those legal claims; |
● | we will assume risks associated with deficiencies in the internal controls of acquired IPs; |
● | we may not be able to realize the cost savings or other financial benefits we anticipated; and |
● | our ongoing business may be disrupted or receive insufficient management attention. |
Future acquisitions may require us to obtain additional equity or debt financing, which may not be available on attractive terms. Moreover, to the extent an acquisition transaction financed by non-equity consideration results in additional goodwill, it will reduce our tangible net worth, which might have an adverse effect on our credit and bonding capacity.
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Risks Related to Our Common Stock
Our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders have substantial control over our company, which could limit your ability to influence the outcome of key transactions, including a change of control.
Our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders and their affiliates own 5,189,085 shares of our common stock, or approximately 62% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, based on the number of shares outstanding as of June 7, 2023. As a result, these stockholders are able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and the approval of mergers, acquisitions or other extraordinary transactions. They may also have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree and which may be adverse to your interests. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change of control of our company, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common stock as part of a sale of our company and might ultimately affect the market price of our common stock.
Lucyd Ltd., our principal stockholder, beneficially owns greater than 50% of our outstanding shares of common stock, which causes us to be deemed a “controlled company” under the rules of NASDAQ.
Lucyd Ltd. currently controls approximately 62% of the voting power of our capital stock. As a result, Lucyd Ltd. owns more than 50% of our outstanding shares and as such, we are a “controlled company” under the rules of NASDAQ. Under these rules, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, a group or another company is a “controlled company” and, as such, can elect to be exempt from certain corporate governance requirements, including requirements that:
● | a majority of the Board of Directors consist of independent directors; |
● | the board maintain a nominations committee with prescribed duties and a written charter; and |
● | the board maintain a compensation committee with prescribed duties and a written charter and comprised solely of independent directors. |
As a “controlled company,” we may elect to rely on some or all of these exemptions, however, we do not intend take advantage of any of these exemptions. Despite the fact we do not intend to take advantage of these exemptions, our status as a “controlled company” could make our common stock less attractive to some investors or otherwise harm our stock price.
Separately, although our audit committee is currently in compliance and we intend to maintain compliance with NASDAQ rules, we are permitted to phase-in our compliance with the independent audit committee requirements set forth in NASDAQ rules, as follows: (1) one independent member of the audit committee at the time of listing, (2) a majority of independent members of the audit committee within 90 days of listing, and (3) all independent members of the audit committee (i.e., at least three members) within one year of listing. During these phase-in periods, our stockholders would not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies who have more ‘independent’ members of its audit committee and, if, within the phase-in periods, we are not able to recruit additional directors who would qualify as independent, or otherwise comply with the NASDAQ listing requirements, we may be subject to enforcement actions by NASDAQ.
We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our capital stock, and we do not intend to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We expect to retain future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends on our capital stock will be at the discretion of our board of directors. Accordingly, you must rely on the sale of your common stock after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gain on your investment.
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Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly and could fall below the expectations of securities analysts and investors due to the introduction of technologically more advanced products, seasonality and other factors, some of which are beyond our control, resulting in a decline in our stock price.
Our quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly because of several factors, including:
● | labor availability and costs for hourly and management personnel; |
● | changes in interest rates; |
● | macroeconomic conditions, both nationally and locally; |
● | changes in consumer preferences and competitive conditions; |
● | expansion to new markets; |
● | weather conditions in the regions we operate; |
● | increases in infrastructure costs; and |
● | fluctuations in commodity prices. |
Unanticipated fluctuations in our quarterly operating results could result in a decline in our stock price.
Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of NASDAQ could result in a de-listing of our common stock and Listed Warrants.
If we fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements of NASDAQ, such as the corporate governance requirements or the minimum closing bid price requirement, NASDAQ may take steps to de-list our common stock and Listed Warrants. Such a de-listing would likely have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and Listed Warrants and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock and Listed Warrants when you wish to do so. In the event of a de-listing, we would take actions to restore our compliance with NASDAQ’s listing requirements, but we can provide no assurance that any such action taken by us would allow our common stock and Listed Warrants to become listed again, stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our common stock and Listed Warrants, prevent our common stock and Listed Warrants from dropping below the NASDAQ minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with NASDAQ’s listing requirements.
If our shares are delisted from NASDAQ and become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.
The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not obtain or retain a listing on NASDAQ and if the price of our common stock is less than $5.00, our common stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, and therefore stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.
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Risks Relating to this Offering
The market price of our common stock has been volatile and can fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for purchasers of our Units in this offering.
The market price of our common stock is highly volatile, and since our initial public offering in August 2022, the market price of our common stock has ranged from $0.70 to $7.00 per share. You may be unable to sell your shares of common stock at or above the offering price. The market price of our securities could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a variety of factors, which include:
● | actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly or annual operating results; |
● | publication of research reports by securities analysts about us or our competitors or our industry; |
● | the public’s reaction to our press releases, our other public announcements and our filings with the SEC; |
● | our failure or the failure of our competitors to meet analysts’ projections or guidance that we or our competitors may give to the market; |
● | additions and departures of key personnel; |
● | strategic decisions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, joint ventures, strategic investments or changes in business strategy; |
● | the passage of legislation or other regulatory developments affecting us or our industry; |
● | speculation in the press or investment community; |
● | changes in accounting principles; |
● | terrorist acts, acts of war or periods of widespread civil unrest; |
● | natural disasters and other calamities; and |
● | changes in general market and economic conditions. |
In addition, the stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock and warrants, regardless of our actual operating performance. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been initiated against companies following periods of volatility in their stock price. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources, and could also require us to make substantial payments to satisfy judgments or to settle litigation.
Our management will have broad discretion in how we use the net proceeds of this offering and might not use them effectively.
Our management will have considerable discretion over the use of proceeds from this offering. You will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used in a manner which you may consider most appropriate. Our management might spend a portion or all of the net proceeds from this offering in ways that our stockholders do not desire or that might not yield a favorable return. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business. Furthermore, you will have no direct say on how our management allocates the net proceeds of this offering. Until the net proceeds are used, they may be placed in investments that do not produce significant income or that may lose value.
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You will experience immediate and substantial dilution as a result of this offering and may experience additional dilution in the future.
You will incur immediate and substantial dilution as a result of this offering. After giving effect to the sale by us of 7,142,857 Units in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $2.10 per Unit, and after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, investors in this offering can expect an immediate dilution of $0.82 per share. Additionally, to the extent that these warrants, or options we will grant to our officers, directors and employees, are ultimately exercised, you will sustain future dilution. We may also acquire new businesses or finance strategic alliances by issuing equity, which may result in additional dilution to our stockholders. Following the completion of this offering, our board of directors has the authority, without action or vote of our stockholders, to issue all or any part of our authorized but unissued shares of common stock, including shares issuable upon the exercise of options, or shares of our authorized but unissued preferred stock. Issuances of common stock or voting preferred stock would reduce your influence over matters on which our stockholders vote and, in the case of issuances of preferred stock, would likely result in your interest in us being subject to the prior rights of holders of that preferred stock. See the section entitled “Dilution.”
The best-efforts structure of this offering may have an adverse effect on our business plan.
The placement agent is offering the Units in this offering on a best-efforts basis. The placement agent is not required to purchase any securities, but will use their best efforts to sell the securities offered. As a “best efforts” offering, there can be no assurance that the offering contemplated hereby will ultimately be consummated or will result in any proceeds being made available to us. The success of this offering will impact our ability to use the proceeds to execute our business plan. An adverse effect on the business may result from raising less than anticipated, and from the fact that there is no minimum raise.
Purchasers who purchase our securities in this offering pursuant to a securities purchase agreement may have rights not available to purchasers that purchase without the benefit of a securities purchase agreement.
In addition to rights and remedies available to all purchasers in this offering under federal securities and state law, the purchasers that enter into a securities purchase agreement will also be able to bring claims of breach of contract against us. The ability to pursue a claim for breach of contract provides those investors with the means to enforce the covenants uniquely available to them under the securities purchase agreement.
Additionally, in connection with this offering, we may agree to amend the terms of certain of our outstanding warrants held by certain significant purchasers in this offering who will enter into the securities purchase agreement. Any such amendments may, among other things, decrease the exercise prices to be the same as the exercise prices of the Common Warrants offered in this offering, or increase the term of exercise of those warrants.
There is no public market for the Common Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants being offered by us in this offering.
There is no established public trading market for the Common Warrants or the Pre-Funded Warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the Common Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants on any national securities exchange or other nationally recognized trading system. Without an active market, the liquidity of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will be limited.
The Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants are speculative in nature.
The Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants offered hereby do not confer any rights of share of common stock ownership on their holders, such as voting rights or the right to receive dividends, but rather merely represent the right to acquire shares of common stock at a fixed price. Specifically, commencing on the date of issuance, holders of the Common Warrants may acquire the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants at an exercise price of $ per share of common stock, and holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants may acquire the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of such warrants at an exercise price of $0.00001 per share of common stock. Moreover, following this offering, the market value of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants is uncertain and there can be no assurance that the market value of the Common Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants will equal or exceed their respective public offering prices. There can be no assurance that the market price of the shares of common stock will ever equal or exceed the exercise price of the Common Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants, and consequently, whether it will ever be profitable for holders of Common Warrants to exercise the Common Warrants or for holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants to exercise the Pre-Funded Warrants.
Holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Common Warrants offered hereby will have no rights as common stockholders with respect to the shares our common stock underlying the warrants until such holders exercise their warrants and acquire our common stock, except as otherwise provided in the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Common Warrants.
Until holders of the Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants acquire shares of our common stock upon exercise thereof, such holders will have no rights with respect to the shares of our common stock underlying such warrants, except to the extent that holders of such Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will have certain rights to participate in distributions or dividends paid on our common stock as set forth in the Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants. Upon exercise of the Common Warrants and the Pre-Funded Warrants, the holders will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common stockholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise date.
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Use of Proceeds
We estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of all Units offered in this offering will be approximately $13.69 million, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, based on an assumed offering price of $2.10 per Unit, equal to the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on June 7, 2023. We estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of 50% of the Units offered in this offering will be approximately $6.72 million, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, based on an assumed offering price of $2.10 per Unit, equal to the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on June 7, 2023. We estimate that our net proceeds from the sale of 25% of the Units offered in this offering will be approximately $3.23 million, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, based on an assumed offering price of $2.10 per Unit, equal to the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on June 7, 2023.
We intend to use the net proceeds of this offering primarily for working capital and general purposes.
The amounts and timing of these expenditures will depend on numerous factors, including the development of our current business initiatives. As of the date of this prospectus, we cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds from this offering and our management will have discretion and flexibility in applying the net proceeds of this offering. We may use the proceeds of this offering for purposes with which you do not agree. See “Risk Factors.”
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Capitalization
The following table sets forth our cash and equivalents and capitalization as of March 31, 2023:
● | on an actual basis; |
● | on a pro forma as adjusted basis, giving effect to (x) our issuance of 471,120 shares of our common stock at $3.75 per share pursuant to the exercise of certain Listed Warrants the receipt of aggregate gross proceeds of $1,766,000 from such issuances and the issuance of 300,000 warrants issued in April 2023 pursuant to the warrant exercise inducement letter agreement and (y) our issuance and sale of 7,142,857 Units in this offering based on the assumed public offering price of $2.10 per Unit, equal to the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on June 7, 2023, after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us and the receipt by us of the proceeds of such sale. |
The pro forma as adjusted information set forth in the table below is illustrative only and will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering as determined at pricing. You should read the information in this table together with our audited financial statements and related notes and unaudited interim condensed financial statements and related notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
Actual |
Pro Forma |
|||||||
(unaudited) | (unaudited) | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 3,449,828 | $ | 18,907,125 | ||||
Stockholders equity: | ||||||||
Common stock (par value $0.00001, 50,000,000 shares authorized, and 7,715,757 issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2023), 8,186,877 issued and outstanding pro forma, 15,329,734 issued and outstanding pro forma as adjusted | 77 | 153 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 16,287,020 | 32,647,480 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit | (11,736,797 | ) | (12,640,036 | ) | ||||
Total stockholders equity | $ | 4,550,300 | $ | 20,007,597 | ||||
Total capitalization | $ | 4,550,300 | $ | 20,007,597 |
A decrease in the number of Units offered by us to 4,761,905 Units (resulting in gross proceeds of $10,000,000) would decrease cash, total stockholders’ equity, and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $4,650,000 from the amounts presented in the table above, assuming the assumed offering price of $2.10 per Unit remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
A decrease in the number of Units offered by us to 2,380,952 Units (resulting in gross proceeds of $5,000,000) would decrease cash, total stockholders’ equity, and total capitalization on a pro forma as adjusted basis by approximately $9,300,000 from the amounts presented in the table above, assuming the assumed offering price of $2.10 per Unit remains the same, and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
The pro forma 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 our common stock to be outstanding upon completion of this offering is based on 7,715,757 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2023, and excludes:
● | 2,464,500 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options currently outstanding, at a weighted average exercise price of $2.39 per share; |
● | 1,080,280 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of our Listed Warrants, at an exercise price of $3.75 per share; |
● | 58,800 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the representative’s warrants issued to Maxim Group LLC in connection with our initial public offering, at an exercise price of $8.228 per share; |
● | 165,931 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan; and |
● | 300,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants issued in April 2023 pursuant to that certain warrant exercise inducement letter agreement at an exercise price of $3.75 per share. |
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Dilution
If you purchase securities in this offering, your interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the assumed public offering price of $2.10 per Unit and the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately upon the consummation of this offering.
As of March 31, 2023, we had a historical net tangible book value of $4,199,801, or $0.54 per share of common stock. Our historical net tangible book value per share represents total tangible assets less total liabilities, divided by the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2023.
After giving effect to the issuance of 471,120 shares of our common stock at $3.75 per share pursuant to the exercise of certain Listed Warrants and the receipt of aggregate gross proceeds of $1,766,000 from such issuances and the issuance of 300,000 warrants issued in April 2023 pursuant to the warrant exercise inducement letter agreement, our pro forma net tangible book value as of March 31, 2023 would have been $5,966,501 or $0.73 per share of common stock.
After giving effect to (x) the issuance of 471,120 shares of our common stock at $3.75 per share pursuant to the exercise of certain Listed Warrants and the receipt of aggregate gross proceeds of $1,766,000 from such issuances and the issuance of 300,000 warrants issued in April 2023 pursuant to the warrant exercise inducement letter agreement and (y) the sale of 7,142,857 Units in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $2.10 per Unit, and after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses, but assuming no issuance of Pre-Funded Warrants and no exercise of the Common Warrants included in the Units offered hereby, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2023 would have been $19,657,098 or $1.28 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $0.74 per share of common stock to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $0.82 per share to purchasers of Units in this offering.
The following table illustrates the pro forma as adjusted dilution on a per share of common stock basis:
Assumed public offering price per Unit | $ | 2.10 | ||||||
Net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2023 | $ | 0.54 | ||||||
Pro forma increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors | $ | 0.74 | ||||||
Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share as of March 31, 2023, after giving effect to the offering | $ | 1.28 | ||||||
Dilution per share to new investors in the offering | $ | 0.82 |
A decrease in the number of Units offered by us to 4,761,905 Units (resulting in gross proceeds of $10,000,000) would decrease our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2023 after this offering by approximately $4,650,000, or approximately $0.12 per share, from the amounts presented in the table above, and would change the dilution to investors in this offering to approximately $0.94 per share, assuming that the number of Units offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, after deducting the estimated underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
A decrease in the number of Units offered by us to 2,380,952 Units (resulting in gross proceeds of $5,000,000) would decrease our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value as of March 31, 2023 after this offering by approximately $9,300,000, or approximately $0.30 per share, from the amounts presented in the table above, and would change the dilution to investors in this offering to approximately $1.12 per share, assuming that the number of Units offered by us, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same, after deducting the estimated underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses payable by us.
The dilution information discussed above is illustrative only and may change based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering.
The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding upon completion of this offering is based on 7,715,757 shares of our common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2023, and excludes:
● | 2,464,500 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options currently outstanding, at a weighted average exercise price of $2.39 per share; |
● | 1,080,280 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of our Listed Warrants, at an exercise price of $3.75 per share; |
● | 58,800 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the representative’s warrants issued to Maxim Group LLC in connection with our initial public offering, at an exercise price of $8.228 per share; |
● | 165,931 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan; and |
● | 300,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants issued in April 2023 pursuant to that certain warrant exercise inducement letter agreement at an exercise price of $3.75 per share. |
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MARKET INFORMATION FOR SECURITIES AND DIVIDEND POLICY
Our common stock and our Listed Warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “LUCY” and “LUCYW,” respectively. The last reported sale price of our common stock Nasdaq on June 7, 2023 was $2.10 per share of common stock.
Holders of Record
As of June 7, 2023, we had approximately 3,787 holders of record of our common stock. Because many of our shares of common stock are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, this number is not indicative of the total number of stockholders represented by these stockholders of record.
Dividends
We have not declared or paid dividends to stockholders since inception and do not plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain earnings, if any, to finance our growth.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
None
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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 the accompanying “Index to Consolidated Financial Statements” included within this Registration Statement on Form S-1. Data as of and for the periods ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 has been derived from our audited financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus. Data as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 has been derived from our unaudited condensed financial statements appearing at the end of this prospectus. Results for any interim period should not be construed as an inference of what our results would be for any full fiscal year or future period. This discussion and other parts of this prospectus contain forward-looking statements, such as those relating to our plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, and beliefs, which involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those discussed in the sections titled “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Overview
We develop and sell smart eyeglasses and sunglasses, which are designed to allow our customers to remain connected to their digital lives, while also offering vision correction and protection. Our flagship product, Lucyd Lyte, enables the wearer to listen to music, take and make calls, and use voice assistants to perform many common smartphone tasks hands-free. Innovative Eyewear owns the exclusive rights to the Lucyd brand and the Lyte product line.
The mission of our company is to upgrade the world’s eyewear, by adding useful tech features to comfortable and stylish sunglasses and eyeglasses. Our products enable seamless Bluetooth connection to your digital life and prescription vision correction in one affordable and convenient package. Our flagship brand of smart eyewear is called Lucyd, and Lucyd eyewear is enjoyed by thousands of people around the world who want the convenience and utility of wireless headphones and glasses in one. Furthermore, we are revolutionizing the concept of eyewear overall, by enabling connection to the powerful ChatGPT AI assistant right on our glasses, using a novel and ergonomic voice interface. The Company believes the advent of this powerful feature to our eyewear will significantly enhance user adoption of Lucyd frames, and will provide a new revenue stream for the business in the form of in-app purchases.
Since the launch of Lucyd Lyte, we have witnessed interest and demand from customers throughout the United States and have sold thousands of our smart eyeglasses. Within six months of the launch of Lucyd Lyte, several optical stores in the United States and Canada onboarded the product and we have had discussions with several other large eyewear chains (by number of locations) regarding retailing our product in both traditional eyewear and sporting goods locations. Our early partnerships include selling through BestBuy.com and DicksSportingGoods.com, and we are developing long-standing relationships with these retailers in an effort to bring the smart eyewear product category to mainstream retail. We believe smart eyewear is a product category whose time has come, and we believe we are well positioned to capitalize on and help develop this exciting new sector where vision correction and protection meets fashion meets connectivity in a user-friendly, mass market format, priced similarly to designer eyewear.
All of our products are designed in Miami, manufactured in Asia, and currently sold through two major types of channels:
1. | e-commerce, primarily via our website (Lucyd.co) and marketplaces such as Amazon, Bestbuy.com, and DicksSportingGoods.com; and |
2. | a growing network of independent eyewear and sporting goods stores. |
We apply a manufacturer suggested retail price (“MSRP”) of $199 (for our standard frames) to $229 (for our titanium frames) for non-prescription, polarized sunglass and blue light blocking glasses across our online channels, with our wholesale pricing offering volume discounts to these prices. Please refer to discussion in the Components of Results of Operations section below for more details regarding our pricing structure.
Our business model is capital light, as we have elected not to build our own manufacturing facilities and Company-owned retail distribution, but rather have contracted with existing sources of production and proven consumer-facing retail distribution.
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Key Factors Affecting Performance
Expansion of retail points of purchase
In addition to sustained growth of our e-commerce business, our future revenues are correlated positively with our placement of Lucyd glasses in optical stores, as well as sporting goods stores and other specialty stores such as cellular shops. To address this, we assembled a team with decades of experience in the eyewear industry and are offering a strong co-op marketing program and reordering incentives program. We currently offer an expansive line of 16 different styles and several accessories, with plans to continuously expand this offering over time.
Retail store client retention and re-orders
Our ability to sustain and increase revenue is correlated positively with our ability to receive re-orders from stores, either directly or through our wholesale distributors. To support our sales to retail stores directly, we offer a strong co-op marketing program that includes free and paid store display materials. As part of this strategy, we have launched the Lucyd Digital Try-on Display for our resellers to help educate their in-store customers about Lucyd Lyte and enable customers to try them on virtually. This proprietary virtual try on software and display is central to our efforts to introduce traditional retail customers to Lucyd eyewear, and we are planning further enhancements to our merchandising displays to enable more immersive experiences.
Investing in business growth
We believe that people care about what they wear on their faces, and because we understand that customers have diverse preferences about the shape, size and design of their eyewear, we aim to continuously invest in the design and development of new models in an effort to provide the consumer with a wide selection of styles, colors and finishes.
We are offering a strong co-op marketing program with retail stores, and intend to expand our sales, marketing and brand ambassador teams to broaden our brand awareness and online presence. We will also increase our general and administrative expenses in the foreseeable future to cover the additional costs for finance, compliance, supply chain, quality assurance and investor relations as we grow as a public company.
Key Performance Indicators
Store Count (B2B)
We believe that one of the key indicators for our business is the number of retail stores onboarded to sell Lucyd Lyte. We started onboarding our first retail stores in June 2021. Currently, we have over 280 retail stores selling Lucyd Lyte primarily in the United States and Canada, across 230 unique wholesale accounts. This represents a growth of 50 new wholesale accounts in the first quarter of 2023, primarily across independent optical stores, optical buying groups and regional optical chains. Based on the existing demand for our products, current distribution and recently consummated supply agreements, we anticipate that our products will be available in a significant number of new third-party retail locations in 2023.
We expect this number to gradually increase as we continue to improve our product, roll out our co-op marketing program and introduce more of our virtual try-on kiosks into retail stores, to facilitate customer education and product sell-through.
Customer Ratings (B2C)
The Lucyd Lyte 2.0 product is receiving significantly higher ratings online compared to our previous products, indicating that customers are appreciative of improvements in product design, functionality and build quality. The fifteen new sunglass styles carry an average rating of 4.1/5 on Amazon, compared to the 3.7/5 rating for the previous Lucyd Lyte 1.0 line. We believe this is a very strong signal of early positive feedback on our products that indicates our ability to grow and scale with America’s largest online retailer and other platforms.
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Number of online orders (B2C)
For our e-commerce business, we track the number of online orders as an indicator of the success of our online marketing efforts. As of March 31, 2023, we received a total of 13,174 orders from customers online. We believe that the addition of new styles, as well as further investment in brand awareness, product ambassadors, and influencer campaigns, will enable continued growth of online orders in the foreseeable future. We expect to allocate a significant portion of our advertising expenditures towards influencer marketing programs.
Components of Results of Operations
Net Revenue
Our revenue is generated from the sales of prescription and non-prescription optical glasses, sunglasses, and shipping charges, which are charged to the customer, associated with these purchases. We sell products through our retail store resellers, distributors, and on our own website Lucyd.co and on Amazon.
Our flagship product line increased in price with the launch of the version 2.0 models, from $149 to $199 on acetate models, and $179 to $229 on titanium models for non-prescription glasses across all of our online channels. In addition, we introduced a minimum advertised price on the new models of $169 and $199, respectively, to support our retail partners with guaranteed minimum pricing.
When adding a prescription lens upgrade to our glasses on the Lucyd.co website, the price can increase from between $40 for a basic clear prescription lens, all the way up to $450 for the latest Transitions® progressive bifocal lens. Glasses with prescription lenses are only available through our website Lucyd.co, while our sales through Amazon and to our retail partners only include non-prescription glasses.
U.S. consumers enjoy free USPS first class postage, with faster delivery options available for extra cost, for sales processed through our website. For Amazon sales, shipping is free for U.S consumers while international customers pay shipping charges. Any costs associated with fees charged by the online platforms (Shopify for Lucyd.co website and Amazon) are not recharged to customers. We charge applicable state sales taxes for both online channels and all other marketplaces on which we sell.
Our wholesale pricing for eyewear sold to retail store partners and distributors includes volume discounts, due to the nature of large quantity orders. The pricing includes shipping charges, while excluding any state sales tax charges applicable. Due to the nature of wholesale retail orders, no e-commerce fees are applicable.
Cost of Goods Sold
Cost of goods sold includes the costs incurred to acquire materials, assemble, and sell our finished products.
For retail sales placed on one of our e-commerce channels, these costs include (i) product costs held at the lesser of cost and net realizable value and inclusive of inventory reserves, (ii) freight, import, and inspection costs, (iii) optical laboratory costs for prescription glasses, (iv) merchant fees, (v) fees paid to third-party e-commerce platforms, and (vi) cost of shipping the product to the consumer.
For wholesale sales these costs include (i) product costs stated at the lesser of cost and net realizable value and inclusive of inventory reserves, (ii) freight, import, and inspection costs, and (iii) credit card fees.
When consumers place their orders directly on our online store, we save approximately 12-15% on marketplace fees compared to when consumers place their orders directly from third-party platforms like Amazon and eBay.
We expect our cost of goods sold to fluctuate as a percentage of net revenue primarily due to product mix, customer preferences and resulting demand, customer shipping costs, and management of our inventory and merchandise mix.
Over time we expect our total cost of goods sold on a per unit basis to decrease as a result of an increase in scale. Increase in scale is achieved as a result of increase in volumes from both business to consumer and business to business (retail store) orders. We continue to expand our products with line extensions and new models and broaden our presence in retail stores carrying our products.
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Gross Profit and Gross Margin
We define gross profit as net revenues less cost of goods sold. Gross margin is gross profit expressed as a percentage of net revenues. Our gross margin may fluctuate in the future based on a number of factors, including the cost at which we can obtain, transport, and assemble our inventory, the rate at our vendor network expands, and how effective we can be at controlling costs, in any given period.
We anticipate our cost of goods sold, on a per unit basis, will decrease with scale, and this will likely have a positive impact on our gross margins.
Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses consist primarily of:
● | general & administrative expenses that include primarily consulting and payroll expenses, IT & software, legal, postage and non-customer product shipping, and other administrative expense; |
● | sales and marketing expenses including cost of online and TV advertising, marketing agency fees, influencers, trade shows, and other initiatives; |
● | related party management fees for a range of back-office services provided by Tekcapital LLC; and |
● | research and development expenses related to (i) development of new styles and features of our smart eyewear, (ii) development and improvement of our e-commerce website, and (iii) development of our Lucyd and Vyrb social media apps for wearables. |
Interest and Other Income, Net
Interest and other income, net, consists primarily of interest expense paid on convertible note loan due to the Parent.
Provision for Income Taxes
Provision for income taxes consists of income taxes related to foreign and domestic federal and state jurisdictions in which we conduct business, adjusted for allowable credits, deductions, and valuation allowance against deferred tax assets.
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Results of Operations
Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022:
Three months ended March 31, 2023 |
% of Revenues |
Three months ended March 31, 2022 |
% of Revenues |
Change between the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 |
% Change |
|||||||||||||||||||
Revenues, net | $ | 144,921 | 100 | % | $ | 236,022 | 100 | % | $ | (91,101 | ) | -39 | % | |||||||||||
Less: Cost of Goods Sold | (134,630 | ) | 93 | % | (161,632 | ) | 68 | % | 27,002 | -17 | % | |||||||||||||
Gross Profit | 10,291 | 7 | % | 74,390 | 32 | % | (64,099 | ) | -86 | % | ||||||||||||||
Operating Expenses: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
General and administrative | (993,772 | ) | 686 | % | (606,972 | ) | 257 | % | (386,800 | ) | 64 | % | ||||||||||||
Sales and marketing | (259,297 | ) | 179 | % | (584,796 | ) | 248 | % | 325,499 | -56 | % | |||||||||||||
Research & development | (151,169 | ) | 104 | % | (35,807 | ) | 15 | % | (115,362 | ) | 322 | % | ||||||||||||
Related party management fee | (35,000 | ) | 24 | % | (35,000 | ) | 15 | % | - | 0 | % | |||||||||||||
Total Operating Expenses | (1,439,238 | ) | 993 | % | (1,262,575 | ) | 535 | % | (176,663 | ) | 14 | % | ||||||||||||
Other Income (Expense) | 76 | 0 | % | (499 | ) | 0 | % | 575 | -115 | % | ||||||||||||||
Interest Expense | (1,939 | ) | 1 | % | (17,875 | ) | 8 | % | 15,936 | -89 | % | |||||||||||||
Total Other Expense | (1,863 | ) | 1 | % | (18,374 | ) | 8 | % | 16,511 | -90 | % | |||||||||||||
Net Loss | $ | (1,430,810 | ) | 987 | % | $ | (1,206,559 | ) | 511 | % | $ | (224,251 | ) | 19 | % |
Revenue
Our revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2023 were $144,921, representing a decrease of approximately 39% as compared to revenues of $236,022 during the three months ended March 31, 2022. Our revenue is generated entirely from sales of eyewear products, namely smart frames, lenses, and accessories. The decline in revenue was primarily attributable to manufacturing and shipping delays of new product as a result of factory shutdowns related to COVID-19 outbreaks in China.
For the three months ended March 31, 2023, approximately 35% of sales were processed on our online store (Lucyd.co), 31% on Amazon, and 34% with reseller partners. This sales channel mix positively impacted our revenue for the period as compared with the prior year period, due to the fact we charge additional $35 to $275 for our prescription lenses available only on Lucyd.co. For the three months ended March 31, 2023, on our Lucyd.co retail channel we generated $33,350 of revenue from sales of non-prescription frames and accessories and $16,918 was generated from sales of frames with prescription lenses. All of the $45,045 in sales generated on Amazon.com during the period were for non-prescription frames and accessories as we only offer prescription lenses through our website. Of the $50,268 in online retail sales generated through Lucyd.co, $16,918 related to frames with prescription lenses and $33,350 of glasses sold were with non-prescription lenses. E-commerce sales are the most material portion of our sales to date.
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For the three months ended March 31, 2022, approximately 24% of sales were processed on our online store (Lucyd.co), 26% on Amazon, and 50% with retail store partners. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, we generated $207,306 of revenue from sales of nonprescription frames and $28,716 was generated from sales of frames with prescription lenses. All of the $61,576 in sales generated on Amazon.com during the period were for non-prescription frames as we only offer prescription lenses through our website. Of the $56,194 in online sales generated through Lucyd.co, $28,814 related to frames with prescription lenses and $27,380 of glasses sold were with non-prescription lenses.
Despite the decline in sales, there have recently been several notable advances in our technology products and partnerships which speak to the potential to grow revenues well beyond the current level:
● | Key hardware improvements include the development of a new proprietary four-speaker audio temple for the Lucyd Lyte flagship line, the increase in battery life of all of our flagship to 12 hours of playback, which is longer than the vast majority of wireless audio products, and design improvements to the frames overall that were the result of hiring two new expert eyewear designers. |
● | Key software improvements include the development of a live broadcasting feature on the Company’s proprietary Vyrb mobile app, the ability to import any form of audio content into Vyrb to support the migration of existing audio content creators to the platform, and the introduction of the Company’s Digital Try-on Display into dozens of retail stores, to offer an immersive product experience for in-store shoppers at our partner locations. |
● | The upcoming launch of the co-branded Powered by Lucyd line later this year, made possible by the exclusive agreements with Authentic Brands Group for the Nautica, Eddie Bauer, and Reebok brands, represents significant revenue potential. We intend to partner with existing sales channels and expect to be able to increase our presence in other retail channels via these brands, which are household names in dozens of countries. |
We currently have a brick and mortar retail store presence in approximately 280 stores.
Cost of goods sold
Our total cost of goods sold decreased to $134,630 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, as compared to $161,632 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. This decrease is largely reflective of the decrease in sales volumes during the current year period as compared with the prior year period, partially offset by higher fees and quality assurance costs in the current year period. Smart eyewear is a highly specialized product that has the combined specifications and component requirements of a wireless Bluetooth headset and optical eyewear in one, meaning it is expensive to manufacture in small quantities of a few thousand at a time. As demand and awareness for smart eyewear continues to grow over time, the Company expects that its per unit cost will decrease as its order volumes increase.
Cost of goods sold for the three months ended March 31, 2023 included the cost of frames of $73,798; cost of prescription lenses incurred with our third-party vendor of $22,123; affiliate referral fees, sales commission expense, and e-commerce platform fees of $27,009, and quality assurance costs related to our products sold of $11,700. Out of $134,630 of our total cost of goods sold for the three months ended March 31, 2023, $22,123 related to orders with prescription lenses, while $112,507 pertained to non-prescription orders.
Cost of goods sold for the three months ended March 31, 2022 included the cost of frames of $101,633; cost of prescription lenses incurred with our third-party vendor of $34,420; and affiliate referral fees, sales commission expense, e-commerce platform fees of $25,579. Out of $161,632 of our total cost of goods sold for the three months ended March 31, 2022, $44,304 related to orders with prescription lenses, while $117,328 pertained to non-prescription orders.
Over time, we expect third-party retail stores to become a key sales channel as we onboard additional stores. We anticipate growth in both wholesale and e-commerce channel sales in 2023, and we also expect corresponding growth in total cost of goods sold, primarily from additional product related costs.
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Gross profit
Our gross profit was $10,291 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, as compared to $74,390 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. This decrease was primarily due to the aforementioned lower sales volumes driven by manufacturing and shipping delays of new product as a result of factory shutdowns related to COVID-19 outbreaks in China, and was also partially caused by higher fees and quality assurance costs.
We expect gross profit for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023 to improve, primarily due to economies of scale from large, anticipated orders. As we expect retail stores to become our primary sales channel as we on-board new stores, we also expect our overall gross margin to be better than that of the wholesale channel, since no e-commerce platform fees or prescription lens costs apply in wholesale channels.
Operating expenses
Our operating expenses increased by 14% to $1,439,238 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, as compared to $1,262,575 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. This increase was primarily due to the continued expansion and growth of our business and included, but was not limited to, the following:
General and administrative expenses
Our general and administrative expenses increased by 64% to $993,772 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, as compared to $606,972 for the three months ended March 31, 2023. This increase was primarily attributable to (i) increased costs associated with being a publicly-traded company, including but not limited to directors’ remuneration, insurance expense, and public and investor relations, which resulted in an increase in expense of approximately $166,000, and (ii) an increase of approximately $134,000 in employee-related costs, resulting from increases in our staffing and new employment agreements entered into with executives in the latter portion of 2022.
Sales and marketing expenses
Our sales and marketing expenses decreased by 56% to $259,297 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, as compared to $584,796 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a restructuring of the Company’s e-commerce business, including a full redevelopment of the main Lucyd.co e- commerce experience, as well as building and enhancing new product listings across Amazon and other third-party marketplaces, which have been completed as of March 31, 2023. While the Company was developing its brand presence across owned and third-party channels, the Company preserved marketing budgets as it focused on conversion optimization of its online listings. The Company intends to scale back up to its former level of advertising spend, but with a lower average cost of sale as a result of the improved web presence and product improvements.
We anticipate these costs to increase as we continue to invest in and build our brand, expand the number of e-commerce platforms on which we sell our products, invest in retail store co-op marketing programs to help educate our in-store customers about Lucyd Lytes, and increase our brand’s physical presence and role in the eyewear industry.
Research and development costs
Our research and development costs increased by 322% to $151,169 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, as compared to $35,807 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. This increase was primarily attributable to an expansion to the Company’s software initiatives to include the Lucyd app, and therefore increased the portion of the work hours spent by the CEO and CTO (as well as a portion of their stock-based compensation expense) on new software development on the Vyrb app, the new Lucyd app, and our glasses, as well as external coding teams we have engaged to write the programming for our software and enhance our software user experiences with code updates. Additionally, the Company hired a new software support agency to assist us in our software initiatives.
Related party management fee
Our related party management fee was $35,000 for each of the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, based on the terms of the management services agreement between us and an affiliate of our Parent.
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Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Year ended December 31, 2022 |
% of Revenues |
Year ended December 31, 2021 |
% of Revenues |
Change between the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 |
% Change |
|||||||||||||||||||
Revenues, net | $ | 659,788 | 100 | % | $ | 690,670 | 100 | % | $ | (30,882 | ) | -4 | % | |||||||||||
Less: Cost of Goods Sold | (716,077 | ) | 109 | % | (542,416 | ) | 79 | % | (173,661 | ) | 32 | % | ||||||||||||
Gross Profit | (56,289 | ) | -9 | % | 148,254 | 21 | % | (204,543 | ) | -138 | % | |||||||||||||
Operating Expenses: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
General and administrative | (2,796,669 | ) | 424 | % | (1,386,079 | ) | 201 | % | (1,410,590 | ) | 102 | % | ||||||||||||
Sales and marketing | (2,059,012 | ) | 312 | % | (1,771,012 | ) | 256 | % | (288,000 | ) | 16 | % | ||||||||||||
Research & development | (524,692 | ) | 80 | % | (86,261 | ) | 12 | % | (438,431 | ) | 508 | % | ||||||||||||
Related party management fee | (140,000 | ) | 21 | % | (109,975 | ) | 16 | % | (30,025 | ) | 27 | % | ||||||||||||
Total Operating Expenses | (5,520,373 | ) | 837 | % | (3,353,327 | ) | 486 | % | (2,167,046 | ) | 65 | % | ||||||||||||
Other Income (Expense): | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Interest Expense | (105,171 | ) | 16 | % | (39,433 | ) | 6 | % | (65,738 | ) | 0 | % | ||||||||||||
Total Other Expense | (105,171 | ) | 16 | % | (39,433 | ) | 6 | % | (65,738 | ) | 0 | % | ||||||||||||
Net Loss | $ | (5,681,833 | ) | 861 | % | $ | (3,244,506 | ) | 470 | % | $ | (2,437,327 | ) | 75 | % |
Revenue
Our revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022, were $659,788, representing a decrease of approximately 4% as compared to revenues of $690,670 during the year ended December 31, 2021. Our revenue is generated entirely from sales of eyewear products, namely smart frames, lenses, and accessories. The decline in revenue was primarily attributable to several factors, including unfavorable channel mix as described in the following paragraph, partially offset by higher unit volumes, and favorable price impacts as we increased the MSRP of our flagship product line with the launch of the version 2.0 models in the current year. Additionally, due to the relative age of the version 1.0 models on the market, we deployed significant discounts on those models to assist in inventory turnover. Finally, we experienced an increase in the rate of customer returns due to minor product imperfections that were the result of supplier inaccuracies in manufacturing. These manufacturing imperfections have been wholly addressed with our new version 2.0 product line. In addition, we anticipate that new licensing agreements which we entered into during 2022 will help to increase our sales in 2023 and beyond.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, approximately 32% of sales were processed on our online store (Lucyd.co), 38% on Amazon, and 30% with reseller partners. This sales channel mix impacted our revenue for the period, due to the fact we charge an additional $35 to $275 for our prescription lenses available only on Lucyd.co. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we generated $579,214 of revenue from sales of non-prescription frames and accessories and $80,574 was generated from sales of frames with prescription lenses. All of the $252,799 in sales generated on Amazon.com during the period were for non-prescription frames and accessories as we only offer prescription lenses through our website. Of the $208,477 in online sales generated through Lucyd.co, $80,574 related to frames with prescription lenses and $127,873 of glasses sold were with non-prescription lenses. E-commerce sales are the most material portion of our sales to date. There were several notable advances in the Company’s technology products and partnerships in 2022 which speak to the potential to grow revenues well beyond the current level.
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Key hardware improvements include the development of a new proprietary four-speaker audio temple for the Lucyd Lyte flagship line, the increase in battery life of all of our flagship to 12 hours of playback, which is longer than the vast majority of wireless audio products, and design improvements to the frames overall that were the result of hiring two new expert eyewear designers.
Key software improvements include the development of a live broadcasting feature on the Company’s proprietary Vyrb mobile app, the ability to import any form of audio content into Vyrb to support the migration of existing audio content creators to the platform, and the introduction of the Company’s Digital Try-on Display into dozens of retail stores, to offer an immersive product experience for in-store shoppers at our partner locations.
The Company believes that Nautica Powered by Lucyd line launching in 2023, made possible by the exclusive agreement with Authentic Brands Group for the Nautica brand, represents significant revenue potential in the coming year. The Company intends to partner with Nautica-branded sales channels, and expects to be able to increase our presence in other retail channels via the Nautica brand, a household name in dozens of countries.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately 41% of sales were processed on our online store (Lucyd.co), 39% on Amazon and 20% with retail store partners. This sales channel mix impacted our revenue for the period, due to the fact we charge additional $35 to $275 for our prescription lenses available only on Lucyd.co. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we generated $530,885 of revenue from sales of nonprescription frames and $159,815 was generated from sales of frames with prescription lenses. All of the $266,733 in sales generated on Amazon.com during the period were for non-prescription frames as we only offer prescription lenses through our website. Of the $282,364 in online sales generated through Lucyd.co, $159,785 related to frames with prescription lenses and $122,579 of glasses sold were with non-prescription lenses. Lucyd.co sales are the most material portion of our sales to date, aided by higher price compared to retail store pricing as well as additional revenue recorded due to sales of prescription lenses.
We expect that the online portion of our sales will gradually decrease on a percentage basis but remain an important component of our total sales as we onboard more retail stores. We pursued growth in retail store segment in the year ended 2021 and during 2022, growing our retail store presence to over 250 stores as of December 31, 2022.
Cost of goods sold
Our total cost of goods sold increased to $716,077 for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to $542,416 for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was primarily driven by the combination of (i) a $78,288 write-off of inventory as a result of our physical inventory count procedures performed in December 2022 and (ii) damaged inventory received from one of our suppliers in 2022, which resulted in write-offs of $69,532 of inventory. Subsequently, we have engaged new suppliers for our product sourcing. The Company faced a supply chain challenge in 2022, and received two shipments of glasses that included a few thousand defective units. Once the high rate of defects became apparent, the Company immediately undertook a second 100% inspection of all inventory, and discovered the extent of the issue. The Company then worked to pull any problematic units from standing inventory, and also offered immediate replacement to any customers experiencing issues with any units from these batches. As a result of these problems, the Company severed the relationship with that supplier and conducted a detailed research investigation in China to identify better potential manufacturers of our products, and settled on two new suppliers.
Although the Company was reimbursed for a portion of these units from the old supplier, in some cases the units were not discovered to be defective until many months after receipt from the manufacturer and were not able to be compensated.
Early customer feedback on the Lyte 2.0 products and feedback from our independent inspection team, indicates that our products from our new suppliers have improved reliability and build quality compared to the original Lyte product, therefore the Company expects significantly less damaged inventory in the future.
In regards to the Company’s overall cost of goods, they have remained relatively constant with an increase of only $4-5 per unit compared to the previous supplier - however the improved components and aesthetics allowed the company to adjust the retail MSRP of our products upward by $50, which compensates well for this increase. Our wholesale prices adjusted $10 upward to compensate for this increase.
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A positive development in COGs is a significant decrease in air shipping costs in the latter half of 2022 ($6.50 per unit at the height of the pandemic to $3.50 per unit in Q4 2022), with the company able to ship goods at approximately just over half the price per unit by air compared to 2021 and H1 2022, and with a new sea route available through our local 3PL partner at approximately $1.50/unit.
Smart eyewear is a highly specialized product that has the combined specifications and component requirements of a wireless Bluetooth headset and optical eyewear in one, meaning it is expensive to manufacture in small quantities of a few thousand at a time. As demand and awareness for smart eyewear continues to grow, the Company expects that its per unit cost will decrease as its order volumes increase.
Key components of cost of goods sold for the year ended December 31, 2022 included, but were not limited to, the cost of frames of $478,020, cost of prescription lenses incurred with our third-party vendor of $104,217, affiliate referral fees, sales commission expense, and e-commerce platform fees of $128,340, and quality assurance costs related to our products sold of $5,500. Out of our total cost of goods sold for the year ended December 31, 2022, $113,024 related to orders with prescription lenses, while $639,294 pertained to non-prescription orders.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, approximately 32% of sales were processed on our online store (Lucyd.co), 38% on Amazon, and 30% with reseller partners. This sales channel mix impacted our cost of goods sold, as the cost of prescription lenses attributable to our Lucyd.co sales increased our cost of goods sold through Lucyd.co while not impacting cost of goods sold for sales realized through Amazon or retail store partners. As we continue to grow our business, we expect that our cost of goods sold per unit will decrease as we realize economies of scale.
Key components of cost of goods sold for the year ended December 31, 2021 included, but were not limited to, the cost of frames of $303,909, cost of prescription lenses incurred with our third-party vendor of $144,957, affiliate referral fees, sales commission expense, e-commerce platform fees of $89,950, and quality assurance costs related to our products sold of $3,600. In Q4 2022, the company standardized all custom lens profit margins at 35%, except one variant, the basic Single Vision clear prescription lens, which is sold at a 17.5% margin to enable the company to advertise an competitive $40 basic prescription upgrade price.
A number of factors in 2022 caused our overall lens lab vendor costs to be higher than revenue from lenses sold:
● | Primarily, a large number of prescription units are provided annually as promotional items to influencers, investors, online and traditional media, and other press outlets for the purpose of gaining various forms of brand awareness, investor interest and site traffic for the company. |
● | The lens lab charges the Company $3,000 annually for the storage of frames in their facility. |
● | Improperly cut prescriptions, and pairs lost in transit, both infrequent occurrences, are typically replaced for free to enhance customer retention and customer lifetime value. |
● | When a frame does not properly fit a customer, sometimes a new lens set is provided for free in a different frame that will fit the customer properly. |
● | Warranty replacements sometimes require a new lens set to be made at no cost to the consumer. |
● | Our 7-day return policy provides customers comfort when trying our products, but sometimes causes a prescription pair to be returned (custom lenses are refunded in store credit, which may be used to purchase an additional lens set). With active customer care, we are able to keep our return rate low on Lucyd.co (our only prescription channel). |
● | In conclusion, prescription lenses can often be expensive, running to the hundreds of dollars per set for specialty and bifocal lenses, so a seemingly low number of free prescription pairs can cause a large deficit. However, prescription fitted smart eyewear is a USP of the Company and an incredibly useful tool for attracting positive media coverage. As we continue to scale up the volume of our ecommerce business, we fully expect the standardized lens profit margin to bring more revenue than overall lens costs in the future. |
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Out of our total cost of goods sold for the year ended December 31, 2021, $211,620 related to orders with prescription lenses, while $330,796 pertained to non-prescription orders. For the year ended December 31, 2021, approximately 41% of sales were processed on our online store (Lucyd.co), 39% on Amazon and 20% from retail store partners.
Over time, we expect third-party retail stores to become our primary sales channel as we onboard additional stores. Consequently, we expect sales of prescription lens, offered through our website to decrease, as our third-party retail partners outfit our Lyte frames with more prescriptions. As a result, over time we expect prescription lens costs to gradually decrease as a percentage of our overall cost of goods sold.
We anticipate growth in both wholesale and e-commerce channel sales in 2023, and we also expect corresponding growth in total cost of goods sold, primarily from additional product related costs.
Gross (deficit) profit
Our gross profit decreased to negative $56,289 for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to positive $148,254 for the year ended December 31, 2021. This decrease was primarily driven by the aforementioned inventory write-offs during the current year totaling $147,820.
We expect gross profit for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, to improve, primarily due to economies of scale from large, anticipated orders. As we expect retail stores to become our primary sales channel as we on board new stores, we also expect our overall gross margin to be better than that of the wholesale channel, since no e-commerce platform fees or prescription lens costs apply in wholesale channels.
Operating expenses
Our operating expenses increased by 65% to $5,520,373 for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to $3,353,327 for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was primarily due to the expansion of our business following the launch of Lucyd Lyte in January 2021 and included, but was not limited to, the following:
General and administrative expenses
Our general and administrative expenses increased by 102% to $2,796,669 for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to $1,386,079 for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was primarily attributable to (i) an increase of approximately $436,000 in employee-related costs, resulting from increases in our staffing and new employment agreements entered into with executives, (ii) increased costs associated with being a publicly-traded company, including directors’ remuneration, legal and insurance expense, and public and investor relations, which altogether resulted in an increase in expense of approximately $416,000, (iii) bad debt expense in the current year of approximately $116,000, and (iv) an increase in consulting fees of approximately $103,000 as a result of our growth and increased used of consultants.
Sales and marketing expenses
Our sales and marketing expenses increased by 16% to $2,059,012 for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to $1,771,012 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily due to our multi-prong sales and marketing strategy, growing continuously over the past two years after the launch of our main product in January 2021.
We anticipate these costs to further increase as we continue to invest in and build our brand, expand the number of e-commerce platforms we sell our products on, invest in retail store co-op marketing programs to help educate our in-store customers about Lucyd Lytes, and increase our brand’s physical presence and role in the eyewear industry.
Related party management fee
Our related party management fee was $140,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared with $109,975 for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was due to increased scope of assistance received under the agreement, corresponding to continuous scale-up of Company’s operations after launch of its flagship product in the first quarter of 2021. The management fees are related to the management services agreement between us and an affiliate of our Parent.
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Research and development costs
Our research and development costs increased by 508% to $524,692 for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared with $86,261 for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily due to stock-based compensation totaling $263,612 in addition to the increased cost of new frame development as the Company continued to expand its product line. Eyewear R&D includes the purchase and testing of new components, the compensation of staff involved primarily in frame design and the creation of new eyewear molds. Software R&D includes the portion of the work hours spent by the CEO and CTO on new software development on the Vyrb app and our glasses, and external coding teams we have engaged to write the programming for our software, and enhance our software user experiences with code updates. Other software costs such as the Apple Developer program are nominal fees only.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Cash Flow Data:
Years Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
Year ended | Year ended | |||||||
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
Net cash flows from operating activities | $ | (3,224,418 | ) | $ | (1,214,160 | ) | ||
Net cash flows from investing activities | (219,951 | ) | (118,454 | ) | ||||
Net cash flows from financing activities | 6,955,751 | 1,385,318 | ||||||
Net Change in Cash | $ | 3,511,382 | $ | 52,704 |
Net cash flows used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 are primarily reflective of our net loss for the year, which, when adjusted for non-cash expenses including (but not limited to) depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation expense was $2,993,639. This net loss was primarily due to increased operating costs to support the expansion of our business following the launch of Lucyd Lyte in 2021, including employee-related costs, sales and marketing, research and development, and various costs associated with being a publicly-traded company.
Net cash flows used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 are primarily related to capital expenditures to purchase equipment and software, as well as expenditures related to the growth and expansion of our patent portfolio.
Net cash flows provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 are mainly attributable to our initial public offering. On August 17, 2022, the Company closed on its initial public offering of 980,000 units, consisting of 980,000 shares of its common stock and 1,960,000 warrants to purchase 1,960,000 shares of common stock, at a combined offering price of $7.50 per unit in exchange for gross proceeds of approximately $7.35 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. Each share of common stock was sold together with two warrants, each warrant to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $7.50 per share. In addition, the Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 147,000 shares of common stock and/or warrants to purchase up to an additional 294,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, of which the underwriter exercised its option to purchase additional warrants to purchase 294,000 shares of common stock. After deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses, net proceeds received by the Company amounted to $6,189,734.
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Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022
Three months ended March 31, 2023 |
Three months ended March 31, 2022 |
|||||||
Net cash flows from operating activities | $ | (1,427,072 | ) | $ | (630,869 | ) | ||
Net cash flows from investing activities | (136,960 | ) | (82,661 | ) | ||||
Net cash flows from financing activities | 1,422,751 | 675,554 | ||||||
Net Change in Cash | $ | (141,281 | ) | $ | (37,976 | ) |
Net cash flows used in operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2023 are primarily reflective of our net loss for the quarter, resulting from our various operating costs to support and grow our business, including employee-related costs, sales and marketing, research and development, and various costs associated with being a publicly-traded company.
Net cash flows used in investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2023 are primarily related to the growth and expansion of our patent portfolio.
Net cash flows provided by financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2023 are mainly driven by investors’ exercise of warrants to purchase an aggregate of 408,600 shares of our common stock, at an adjusted exercise price of $3.75 per share, resulting in cash proceeds to us of $1,532,250.
Subsequent to March 31, 2023
Between April 1, 2023 and April 16, 2023, investors exercised warrants to purchase an aggregate of 321,120 shares of our common stock, at an adjusted exercise price of $3.75 per share, resulting in cash proceeds to us of $1,204,200.
On April 17, 2023, we entered into a warrant exercise inducement letter agreement with certain accredited investors that were existing holders of warrants to purchase an aggregate of 150,000 shares of our common stock for cash, wherein the investors agreed to exercise all of their existing warrants at an exercise price of $3.75 per share. The gross proceeds we received from this transaction, before deducting estimated expenses and fees, was $562,000. In consideration for the immediate exercise of the existing warrants for cash, the exercising holders received new warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 300,000 shares of common stock in a private placement pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Forward-looking
We expect that operating losses could continue in the foreseeable future as we continue to invest in the expansion and development of our business. We believe our existing cash and cash equivalents, proceeds from our August 2022 initial public offering, proceeds received from investors’ exercises of warrants, funds available under our existing credit facility, and cash flows from operating activities will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next twelve months.
However, our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to, growth in the number of retail store customers, the needs of our e-commerce business and retail distribution network, expansion of our product and software offerings, and the timing of investments in technology and personnel to support the overall growth of our business. To the extent that current and anticipated future sources of liquidity are insufficient to fund our future business activities and requirements, we may be required to seek additional equity or debt financing. The sale of additional equity would result in additional dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of debt financing would result in debt service obligations and the instruments governing such debt could provide for operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations. There can be no assurances that we will be able to raise additional capital. In the event that additional financing is required from outside sources, we may not be able to negotiate terms acceptable to us or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital when required, or if we cannot expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on our business opportunities because we lack sufficient capital, our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows would be adversely affected.
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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of March 31, 2023, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Developments and Estimates
Management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of our financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported revenue generated and expenses incurred during the reporting periods, as well as related disclosures. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities and the amount of revenue and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions, and any such differences may be material. We believe that the accounting policies discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving management’s judgments and estimates.
We believe that our application of accounting policies, and the estimates inherently required therein, are reasonable. We periodically re-evaluate these accounting policies and estimates and make adjustments when facts and circumstances dictate a change. Historically, we have found our application of accounting policies to be appropriate, and actual results have not differed materially from those determined using necessary estimates.
Inventory
Our inventory includes purchased eyewear and is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined on a specific identification method of inventory costing which attaches the actual cost to an identifiable unit of product. Provisions for excess, obsolete, or slow-moving inventory are recorded after periodic evaluation of historical sales, current economic trends, forecasted sales, estimated product life cycles, and estimated inventory levels. No provisions were determined as needed as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
As of December 31, 2022, we recorded an inventory prepayment in the amount of $197,750, related to a down payment for eyewear purchased from the manufacturer; this product was shipped during the three months ended March 31, 2023, and there was no prepayment balance remaining as of March 31, 2023.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets relate to:
● | Internally-developed and licensed utility and design patents. We amortize these assets over the estimated useful life of the patents. |
● | Capitalized software costs incurred due to development of the Vyrb app. We amortize these assets over the estimated useful life of the software application. |
We review our intangible assets for impairment whenever changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable.
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Income Taxes
We are taxed as a C corporation. We comply with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) ASC 740 for accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in a company’s financial statements, which prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. FASB ASC 740 also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, and disclosure. Based on our evaluation, we have concluded that there are no significant uncertain tax positions requiring recognition in our financial statements. We believe that our income tax positions would be sustained on audit and do not anticipate any adjustments that would result in a material change to the Company’s financial position.
We have incurred taxable losses since inception but are current in our tax filing obligations. We are not presently subject to any income tax audit in any taxing jurisdiction.
Stock-Based Compensation
We account for stock-based compensation to employees and directors in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, which requires that compensation expense be recognized in the financial statements for stock-based awards based on the grant date fair value. For stock option awards, the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model was used to estimate the fair value of share-based awards. The Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model incorporates various and highly subjective assumptions, including expected term and share price volatility. The expected term of the stock options was estimated based on the simplified method as allowed by Staff Accounting Bulletin 107 (SAB 107).
The share price volatility at the grant date is estimated using historical stock prices based upon the expected term of the options granted, using stock prices of comparably profiled public companies. The risk-free interest rate assumption is determined using the rates for U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds with maturities similar to those of the expected term of the award being valued.
Revenue Recognition
Our revenue is generated from the sales of prescription and non-prescription optical glasses, sunglasses, and shipping charges, which are charged to the customer, associated with these purchases. We sell products through our retail store resellers, distributors, and on our own website Lucyd.co and on Amazon.
To determine revenue recognition, we perform the following steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation. At contract inception, we assess the goods or services promised within each contract, determine those that are performance obligations, and assess whether each promised good or service is distinct. We then recognize as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied. In instances where the collectability of contractual consideration is not probable at the time of sale, the revenue is deferred on our balance sheet as a contract liability, and the associated cost of goods sold is deferred on our balance sheet as a contract asset; subsequently, we recognize such revenue and cost of goods sold as payments are received.
All revenue, including sales processed online and through our retail store resellers and distributors, is reported net of sales taxes collected from customers on behalf of taxing authorities, returns, and discounts.
For sales generated through our e-commerce channels, we identify the contract with a customer upon online purchase of our eyewear and transaction price at the manufacturer suggested retail price (“MSRP”) for non-prescription, polarized sunglass and blue light blocking glasses across all of our online channels. Our e-commerce revenue is recognized upon meeting of the performance obligation when the eyewear is shipped to end customers. Only U.S. consumers enjoy free USPS first class postage, with faster delivery options available for extra cost, for sales processed through our website and on Amazon. For Amazon sales, shipping is free for U.S consumers while international customers pay shipping charges on top of MSRP. Any costs associated with fees charged by the online platforms (Shopify for Lucyd.co website and Amazon) are not recharged to customers and are recorded as a component of cost of goods sold as incurred. The Company charges applicable state sales taxes in addition to the MSRP for both online channels and all other marketplaces on which the company sells products.
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For sales to our retail store partners, we identify the contract with a customer upon receipt of an order of our eyewear through our Shopify wholesale portal or direct purchase order. Our revenue is recognized upon meeting the performance obligation which is delivery of our eyewear products to the retail store and also recorded net of returns and discounts. Our wholesale pricing for eyewear sold to the retail store partners includes volume discounts, due to the nature of large quantity orders. The pricing includes shipping charges, while excluding any state sales tax charges applicable. Due to the nature of wholesale retail orders, no e-commerce fees are applicable.
For sales to distributors, we identify the contract with a customer upon receipt of an order of our eyewear through a direct purchase order and after collectability of substantially all of the contract consideration is probable. Our revenue is recognized upon meeting the performance obligation, which is delivery of our eyewear products to the distributor and is also recorded net of returns and discounts. Our wholesale pricing for eyewear sold to distributors includes volume discounts, due to the nature of large quantity orders. The pricing includes shipping charges, while excluding any state sales tax charges applicable. Due to the nature of wholesale distributor orders, no e-commerce fees are applicable.
The Company’s sales to both retail partners and through our e-commerce channels do not contain any variable consideration.
We allow our customers to return our products, subject to our refund policy, which allows any customer to return our products for any reason within the first:
● | 7 days for sales made through our website (Lucyd.co) |
● | 30 days for sales made through Amazon |
● | 30 days for sales to most wholesale retailers and distributors (although certain sales to independent distributors are ineligible for returns) |
For all of our sales, at the time of sale, we establish a reserve for returns, based on historical experience and expected future returns, which is recorded as a reduction of sales. Additionally, we review all individual returns received in the month following the balance sheet date pertaining to orders processed prior to the balance sheet date in order to determine whether an allowance for sales returns is necessary. The Company recorded an allowance for sales returns of $1,925 and $24,897 as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
Shipping and Handling
Costs incurred for shipping and handling are included in cost of goods sold at the time the related revenue is recognized. Amounts billed to a customer for shipping and handling are reported as revenues.
Earnings/loss per share
We present earnings and loss per share data by calculating the quotient of earnings/(loss) divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period as required by ASC 260-10-50. For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, all shares underlying the related party convertible debt and common stock options were excluded from the earnings per share calculation, due to their anti-dilutive effect.
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Business
Our History
We develop and sell smart eyeglasses and sunglasses, which are designed to allow our customers to remain connected to their digital lives, while also offering prescription eyewear and sun protection. Founded and headquartered in Miami, Florida, we were initially organized as a Florida limited liability company effective August 15, 2019. We were founded by Lucyd Ltd., the inventor and licensor of the technology that our products are based upon which is a portfolio company of Tekcapital Europe Ltd. (“Tekcapital”). Tekcapital is a U.K. based university intellectual property accelerator. Tekcapital builds portfolio companies around new technologies. On March 26, 2020, we converted from a Florida limited liability company into a Florida corporation.
Our Product
In January 2020, we introduced our first beta product and began market testing.
In January 2021, we officially launched our first commercial product, Lucyd Lyte® (“Lucyd Lyte”). This initial product offering embodied our goal of creating smart eyewear for all day wear that looks like and is priced similarly to designer eyewear, but is also light weight and comfortable, and enables the wearer to remain connected to their digital lives. The product was initially launched with six styles, and in September 2021, an additional six styles were added.
We recently launched version 2.0 of our Lucyd Lyte eyewear, and our current product offering consists of 16 version 1.0 models and 15 version 2.0 models, which offers a similar amount of style variety as many traditional eyewear collections. All styles are each available with 70 different lens types, resulting in hundreds of variations of products currently available.
Additionally, Lucyd Lyte glasses enable the wearer to listen to music, take and make calls, and use voice assistants to perform many common smartphone tasks hands-free. Some of the many things that can be done with Lucyd Lyte glasses include:
1. | “Send a voice message to (contact)”: this command begins the recording of an audio message to be sent to named contact. | |
2. | “Send a text to (contact)”: begins recording of a speech-to-text message to be sent by SMS to named contact. | |
3. | “Call (contact)”: speed-dials the named contact. | |
4. | “Send $___ to (contact)”: this command allows our user to send money to a contact via Venmo or Apple Pay. Follow the digital assistant’s prompts to confirm. | |
5. | “Check my messages”: this command reads out our user’s latest incoming text messages and offers a prompt to reply to each. Close out the digital assistant to end the readout. | |
6. | “Check my mailbox”: this command announces the number of unread emails, and reads them out with a prompt to continue after each one. In the prompt after each one, our customers can tell their digital assistant “Reply” and dictate an email response to the previous email. | |
7. | “Find (cuisine type) food nearby”: this command reads through a list of nearby restaurants and their ratings, and prompts our user for directions or to call after each one. |
8. | “Call me an Uber”: this command prompts our user on which type of Uber ride they want, then asks to confirm to send a car to our user’s location. |
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9. | “What time is it?”: announces the current time. |
10. | “Play (song/album/artist)”: this command begins playing the requested song, album or artist via Apple Music. | |
11. | “Get me directions to (location)”: this command begins navigating on phone, with audible directions on glasses. | |
12. | “Take a memo”: this command begins recording a speech-to-text memo in Notes. Say “Read my Notes” to play back. |
Since the launch of Lucyd Lyte, we witnessed interest and demand from customers throughout the United States and have sold thousands of our smart glasses. Within six months of the launch of Lucyd Lyte, several optical stores in the United States and Canada have on- boarded the product and we have had discussions with several other large eyewear chains (by number of locations) regarding onboarding our product. We believe smart eyewear is a product category whose time has come, and we believe we are well positioned to capitalize on and help develop this exciting new sectorwhere eyewear meets electronics in a user-friendly, mass market format, priced similarly to designer eyewear.
In first quarter of 2022 we introduced a virtual try-on kiosk for select retail stores. This device introduces our products to prospective retail customers and enables them to digitally try-on our line of smart glasses in a touch free manner.
We anticipate introducing six styles of co-branded smart eyewear, six to twelve additional styles of Lucyd Lyte glasses, and our first Bluetooth safety glasses in 2023. In addition, we anticipate the following upgrades to accessory products in 2023:
● | The patent-pending Lucyd charging dock will be upgraded to feature a charging status LED and USB data capability, enabling it to be used as a USB hub for computers in addition to a charging hub. |
● | The Lucyd virtual try-on kiosk will be upgraded with a store control panel enabling the kiosk owner to change the display into Spanish language mode and control which frames and lens options are shown in the digital experience. |
In the fourth quarter of 2022, we introduced key features in the Vyrb app, including live broadcasts for up to 100 users in one digital “room”, and the ability to upload external audio content into Vyrb, enabling longstanding content creators to import their existing libraries swiftly into the platform. Also in the fourth quarter of 2022, we completed development of core audio eyewear product improvements, such as upgrading all frames to quadraphonic sound, which have been rolled out across all new eyewear models as of January 2023.
Recently in April 2023, we have introduced a major software upgrade for our glasses with the launch of the Lucyd app for iOS/Android. This free application enables the user to converse with the extremely popular ChatGPT AI language model on the glasses, to instantly gain the benefit of one of the world’s most powerful AI assistants in a handsfree ergonomic interface. The app deploys a powerful and unique Siri and Google Voice integration with the Open AI API for ChatGPT, developed internally by the company. The Company has filed a patent application directed to this software upgrade. We believe this development makes all Lucyd eyewear perhaps the smartest smartglasses available today, represents a significant marketing opportunity for the company’s core smartglass product, and creates a potential in-app purchase revenue stream for the company.
Our Mission
Our mission is to Upgrade Your Eyewear®. Our smart eyewear is a fusion of headphones with glasses, bringing vision correction and protection together with digital connectivity and clear audio, while also offering a safer solution for listening to music outdoors (as compared to in-ear headphones). The convenience of having a Bluetooth headset and comfortable glasses in one, especially for those who are already accustomed to all-day eyewear use, offers a lifestyle upgrade at a price most consumers can afford.
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In a sense, we view this integration of technology and vison correction/protection as the next evolutionary step in the development of eyewear. Over the entire course of eyewear development and history, many of the innovations have dealt with improving the lenses of the glasses. Notably, eyewear frames have not improved much in the past 400 years, with the exception, in our view, of the utilization of plastic to reduce weight and provide a wider range of designs and finishes, and the introduction of new hinge types. We view the integration of Bluetooth technology into the arms of the glasses as one of the key next steps to Upgrade Your Eyewear®.
Our focus is to enhance one of the world’s most important wearables: eyewear.
Additionally, as part of our commitment to a great customer experience, we listen to feedback from our customers, and continuously strive to improve customer satisfaction and experience with our products. Our customers’ extensive feedback pointed to a need and desire for better interaction with social media while on-the-go. We are addressing this need by developing an exciting software application called Vyrb, which enables Lucyd Lyte users to hear and reply to social media posts, with their voice, hands-free, through their glasses (“Vyrb”). Other Vyrb users will be able hear these posts. Additionally, Vyrb offers Lucyd Lyte users external social media sharing features, which allow posts made on Vyrb to be exported to other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We launched Vyrb in December 2021 for both iOS and Android, and we believe that Vyrb is one of the first social applications designed specifically with a focus on smart glasses and other voice enabled wearables. We subsequently expanded Vyrb’s capabilities through software upgrades released in the fourth quarter of 2022, and anticipate the commercial launch of Vyrb in the fourth quarter of 2023.
We have made strong strides towards our goal of making smart eyewear accessible to the mass market. Several developments towards this end include developing our smart frames in two temple lengths, with a third length planned for 2023; the introduction of smart eyewear specifically for women and youth, which are typically missing from similar offerings; and the introduction of smart eyewear for adults with petite or narrow faces. In addition, we have launched an expansive offering consisting of 16 version 1.0 models and 15 version 2.0 models so far, which offer a similar amount of style variety as many traditional eyewear collections. When paired with the Vyrb application, Lucyd Lyte glasses will provide a new and safer wearable user experience suitable for everyone.
Our goal is to become a meaningful player in the smart eyewear market. Innovative Eyewear’s early successes have shown our ability to not only compete, but to lead in this rapidly changing and expanding technological eyewear market, and our goal is to continue spearheading innovation in the field.
Giving Back
We donate an optical frame for every Lucyd Lyte sold at retail locations.
We are also very active in supporting the various communities we serve through donations and support. From the beginning, Innovative Eyewear has supported those in need through its donation of glasses frames to New Eyes (https://new-eyes.org/about-us), a charity dedicated to helping children and adults in need of eyewear. We’ve partnered with New Eyes because they fit the Lucyd brand mission: enhancing the vision of people all over the world, and we believe that it simply is the right thing to do.
Additionally, university students, educators, healthcare workers, uniformed service members, and veterans are eligible for an ongoing 18% discount off all frames and lens upgrades on www.lucyd.co.
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Our Competitive Strengths
A Unique Solution to a Common Problem. While immensely useful, smartphones can present a safety hazard to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists because smartphones can distract people from the task or activity at hand. In 2021, pedestrian deaths were at a 40-year high according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, and experts believe smartphones were partially to blame. Recent data from the Governors Highway Safety Association indicates that from 2010 to 2020, the number of pedestrian deaths rose by 54%, while all other traffic deaths increased by 13% (Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2021 Preliminary Data (https://www.ghsa.org/resources/Pedestrians22). We believe that the distraction created by smartphones originates in two forms: (1) via headphones or earbuds, where the user is deprived of full audible situational awareness; and, (2) via the visual interface of the phone, which distracts the user completely from their surroundings. Lucyd Lyte open ear audio helps address this problem by having the speakers mounted at the temples (in the arms) of the glasses. There is nothing in the ear canal and, as a result, individuals can better maintain situational awareness, such as hearing the traffic around them, as well as nearby sounds. Many of our competitors have relatively bulky speakers enclosed within the temples, while Lucyd Lyte’s speakers and temples are thin, which allows them to look similar to traditional designer glasses. Furthermore, through the quick and easy touch controls on the Lucyd Lyte, the wearer can perform many tasks that they would normally pull out their phone for, untethering the eyes of the user from their smartphones throughout the day and enabling them to remain more visually vigilant and aware of the traffic around them.
Affordable Price Point. Our Lucyd Lyte eyewear provides both optical-quality glasses and a Bluetooth headset together, at roughly the same price as a traditional pair of designer glasses, which is core to the disruptive potential of our product. Our Lucyd Lyte line of smart eyewear enables prescription and sunglass wearers to interact with digital assistants and social media without having to take their eyes off the road and are nearly handsfree, thereby improving the safety and convenience of taking calls, listening to music and audibly accessing digital information on the go. The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (“MSRP”) for Lucyd Lyte 2.0 eyewear starts at $199, with advanced options and customizations available at higher price points, which are at the discretion of the customer. A basic prescription lens upgrade is offered for $40. By comparison, most of our U.S.-based competitors offer products that are more expensive, starting at approximately $249 or higher, with higher costs to add prescriptions.
Quality. All of our frames can be outfitted in-house or by optical resellers with any combination of prescription, sunglass, readers and blue light formats. Our frame fronts are made with what we believe are high quality optical materials to ensure easy lens fitting by any optician.
Customizable Product Offering. There are 70 lens types available for Lucyd Lyte, making it the most customizable smart eyewear in the world. Innovative Eyewear has a partnership with a high-quality optical lab in Boston to produce prescription and custom lenses for our frames quickly and affordably. Our contract with a third-party optical lab also allows us to offer direct prescription fulfilment to our customers.
Comfort. At just 1.0-1.45 ounces, our eyewear has a feather-light fit, suitable for all day vision correction or sun protection (traditional glasses weigh about 1 ounce). This is especially important while on the go. Our 1.0 ounce titanium aviators are among the lightest smart eyewear ever made.
Long Battery Life. At 12 hours of playback per charge, Lucyd Lyte 2.0 glasses outpace most, if not all, of the competition on battery life.
Capital Light Business Model. All of our products are sold through multiple e-commerce channels, including on our website (Lucyd.co), BestBuy.com, DicksSportingGoods.com and Amazon.com, and are distributed through optical or other retailers (such as, but not limited to, Metro Optics Eyewear and Marca Eyewear Group, Inc.). We believe this capital light approach is highly scalable and efficient in the deployment of resources. We view “capital light” as being more efficient by obviating the need to build factories and retail stores, while partnering with existing companies in both of these groups.
Multiple-Channel Approach. We sell our products both through multiple online channels and multiple categories of brick-and-mortar retail stores. We believe this multi-channel approach provides us with an advantage against our competitors who sell in a narrower selection of channels.
Experienced Management Team. We have an experienced board of directors with more than 80 years of combined experience in the eyewear industry, and a management team with substantial experience in software and electronics engineering and operating eyewear and technology companies.
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Our Business Strategy
When we organized Innovative Eyewear two years ago, there were, in our view, no attractive smart eyewear that addressed the basic consumer need for good looking designer glasses that were stylish, comfortable, lightweight and provided the functionality of hearables, and priced around the same as regular glasses.
All of our products are designed in Miami, manufactured in China, and sold through e-commerce, channels, including on our website (Lucyd.co), BestBuy.com, DicksSportingGoods.com and Amazon.com, or sold by over 200 optical and sporting goods retailers. Additionally, we are pursuing online and in-store big box retailers, and in-store and online specialty Based on the existing demand for our products, current distribution and recently consummated supply agreements, we anticipate that our products will be available in a significant number of new third-party retail locations in 2023.
We believe that people care about what they wear on their faces, and because we understand that customers have diverse preferences about the shape, size, and design of their eyewear, we aim to continuously introduce new models in an effort to offer a wide variety of designs. We continuously present new models of eyewear to our network of followers to vote on those styles they find most appealing. We view this as community approved design.
Sales
We have two major sales channels: (1) e-commerce via Lucyd.co and Amazon and, (2) our ongoing development of a network of eyewear, sporting goods and electronics resellers, including but not limited to, BestBuy.com, DicksSportingGoods.com and Brookstone, to offer our frames. Most of our resellers are experienced opticians who provide valuable feedback that informs the development of our product lines, which we would not receive if we were solely direct to consumer. Additionally, we have a robust presence on multiple e-commerce and social media platforms, which facilitates several customer on-ramps for the Lucyd brand, and numerous ad campaign strategies. Building on our early successes of driving traffic to Lucyd.co, the website run by a subsidiary of our majority stockholder, from Facebook and TikTok, we deploy high quality content on multiple platforms to continuously keep customers engaged and drive brand awareness.
We have two levels of margins, one for business to consumers (“B2C”), and one for business to business (“B2B”). The majority of our sales have been through e-commerce with current gross margins of approximately 75%; retail sales have gross margins of approximately 40%. Lens upgrades sold on Lucyd.co have a standardized profit margin of approximately 35%. As a company still in an early growth stage, we are investing heavily in our B2C and B2B efforts to capture as much market share as possible, which included in fiscal year 2022 several activities which impacted the gross deficit. Among these promotional activities were single-item B2C discounts, heavy B2B discounts on large bulk orders, a large number of free sample units provided to media, influencers and reviewers, and significant spending on upsells, promo items, and merchandising materials which were in many cases given to B2C and B2B customers for free. Additionally, the logistical costs of the high number of B2C returns in fiscal year 2022 contributed to the deficit. However, with the better establishment of the Lucyd brand expected in 2023, and with the current improvements to the product and increase in MSRP by $50, we expect to neutralize the gross deficit in fiscal year 2023 as our per-unit profitability is increasing. We expect that our retail sales will account for the majority of our sales by the end of 2023.
E-commerce Channels
1. | Company website: Lucyd.co |
Lucyd.co is our primary e-commerce point of sale. The site offers the most customization options of any of our sales channels and a full prescription lens lab, offering a total of 70 different lens combinations (21 key lens tints offered in plano, single prescription and progressive bifocal; seven types of reading lenses). Additionally, the Lucyd website ships worldwide and is used to provide a quick and smooth buying experience.
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2. | Amazon |
Amazon.com/lucyd is our brand shop on Amazon. It drives approximately half of our online sales, but limits the number of variations we can offer on our frames (e.g., prescription lenses are not permitted on Amazon). However, through Amazon, we are still able to offer color lens sunglass variants and blue light blocker pairs, in addition to our charging dock accessory item. We are constantly testing traffic flow to Lucyd.co vs. Amazon to ensure our online ad spend is fully optimized.
3. | Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, DicksSportingGoods.com, Brookstone.com, eBay and Touch of Modern |
In addition to our key online sales channel through Lucyd.co, our products are also sold on Walmart.com, BestBuy.com, DicksSportingGoods.com, Brookstone.com, and eBay.
4. | Social Selling |
Not only do we use social media to drive traffic to our main sales channels, but we also take advantage of intra-social shops as well, and have deployed shopping experiences through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to gain further brand awareness.
We also offer two affiliate platforms via shareasale.com and Shopify for peer-driven sales. The Shareasale program is for professional affiliate and deal promotion companies, and increases revenue on Lucyd.co by offering direct commissions in exchange for converting web traffic. The Shopify affiliate program enables Lucyd brand enthusiasts to get a financial reward for sharing the brand, and operates on similar terms as the Shareasale program where we provide a commission rate in exchange for converting web traffic.
Retail Channels
1. | Independent Eyewear Stores |
The core of our B2B business is formed by our relationship with numerous eyewear store retailers across the United States and Canada, which provide Lucyd Lyte frames directly to their optical customers. Many of these retail stores have placed multiple stocking orders since launching our wholesale business in June 2021. To support our resellers, we offer a strong co-op marketing program that includes free store display materials. As part of this strategy, we have launched a digital try-on kiosk for our resellers to help educate their in-store customers about Lucyd eyewear, and increase our brand’s physical presence in the optical industry. We have launched our in-store digital try-on kiosk to key retailers in December 2021 and we have upgraded the kiosk’s capabilities to allow for the customer to try different lens tints, explore an FAQ, download the company’s Vyrb social app, and enable in-store reordering from the kiosk.
2. | National Eyewear Chains |
Lucyd eyewear is currently being evaluated by multiple leading eyewear chains in the United States for potential inclusion in their brick-and-mortar stores. After the recent introduction of Ray Ban Stories smart eyewear, many retailers are keen to include one or more smart eyewear products in their stores and on their e-commerce platforms. Based on our current discussion with several major optical chains (by store size), we believe at least one major optical chain or national optical buying group will onboard our product line in 2023.
3. | Big Box Retail Stores (Electronics, sporting goods, general merchandise) |
In addition to mainstream optical channels, we have begun placing our products and are pursuing additional product placements with leading big box stores, either in their eyewear or electronics departments. Specifically, we have begun selling our products on Bestbuy.com and Dickssportinggoods.com.
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4. | License Agreements and Specialty Retail Stores |
We are leaving no stone unturned in our mission to bring smart eyewear mainstream. We have licensed three leading brands for smart eyewear – Nautica, Eddie Bauer, and Reebok – to produce new powered by Lucyd co-branded frames, which will be launched in 2023 and 2024 on Lucyd sales channels. In addition, we will seek to launch these co-branded frames in select Nautica, Eddie Bauer, and Reebok retail points of purchase. Additionally, we are pursuing other potential sales outlets including both in-store and online specialty retail.
Manufacturing and Supply Chain
Our products are designed and specified in the United States and subsequently manufactured in China. The products are designed in-house, 3-D CAD files are then produced with product renderings. We then subject these rendered images for focus group review, to determine which designs we should move to the prototype development stage. Pre-production prototypes are developed by our factories in China to our specifications. Our factories source components for the smart eyewear in China including plastic and titanium for the frames, electronic components, speakers, microphones and batteries. All packaging is designed in Miami and fabricated in China. Once completed, our products are tested in the United States, to assess functionality, fit and finish. Production orders are placed and fabricated in China based on anticipated demand, whereupon they undergo a rigorous thirteen-point third party product inspection process. The inspection is conducted on 100% of our manufactured products. Inspections include testing procedures to help ensure our customers receive only functional, high-quality products. For large bulk orders from clients, we are able to order this inventory on demand, due to the expected lead times in the traditional frame sourcing business.
All of our frames are manufactured with prefabricated, ready to wear sunglass or blue light lenses, and are directly shipped to the customer in this state if the customer declines purchasing custom lens upgrades. If a customer orders with prescription or specialty lenses, then the smart eyewear frames are sent to an optical contractor laboratory in Boston, Massachusetts, to have the lenses cut, ground and mounted in the frames, whereupon they are directly shipped to customers.
Our in-store kiosks are comprised of a fixture, a tablet, and proprietary software, which enable the prospective customer to virtually try on our smart glasses. The fixtures, which sport our Company name, are manufactured by a U.S.-based third-party company, and are designed to serve as a holding mechanism for the tablet. We purchase each tablet through Amazon.com, which is then fitted to the kiosk fixture. The Company currently utilizes Samsung’s tablets for its in-store kiosks. Once each tablet is fitted to its kiosk fixture, the tablet is loaded with software which ultimately presents the Company’s try-on application. This software-based chain of processes relies on the tablet’s built-in camera and enables the prospective buyer of our smart eyewear to virtually try-on the glasses, which are superimposed in different styles onto the customer’s face using the front-facing camera. The tablet is fitted to the kiosk and loaded with our software in our Miami facility, from where they are shipped to a third-party warehouse in Miami for distribution to retail stores.
Marketing
We employ a 360-degree marketing strategy that encompasses both brand and user generated content syndication across earned, owned and paid platforms (channels where the company pays a fee to have its product advertised). Long form and video content generation are a key focus points for the brand, they allow us to better leverage both emerging and critical smart eyewear narratives through persistent search engine optimization (SEO); increasing our organic brand awareness across the board, in addition to strategic loyalty, influencer and affiliate marketing campaigns.
Our online marketing strategy is primarily driven by pay-per-click advertisements on mainstream search engines, social media apps, and Amazon and other marketplaces. In addition, we support our primary efforts with influencer created and promoted “UGC” (user-generated content), email automations and newsletters, and website push notifications. We have also deployed nationwide broadcast cable TV campaigns and plan to use this channel in the future.
We believe we are trendsetters in creating relevant, omni-channel touchpoints that derive meaningful experiences and products designed for our customers.
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Our wholesale marketing strategy is primarily focused on traditional sales email and call outreach, national and regional optical trade shows, and optical and athletic trade advertisements.
From a brand perspective, strategically offering value-added optical smart eyewear coupled with expansive end-user customization our social audio app initiatives can potentially rapidly expand brand awareness and revenue. At Innovative Eyewear, we strive to lead and own critical narratives within the Bluetooth and smart eyewear space.
We seek to create memorable experiences and products that resonate with our customers, coupled with premium content and campaigns designed to expand our brand presence and market share. We also attend major regional eyewear and sporting goods trade shows to build awareness among our potential retail partners.
Our influencers
To accelerate brand awareness and product sales, we are embarking on an influencer strategy to engage leading figures in sports and the arts, who like and enjoy wearing Lucyd Lyte®. To date we have onboarded Chris Clark, a pro golfer, Monique Billings, a WNBA basketball player, and Hadar Adora, an up-and-coming musical artist. We plan to add additional influencers to enhance awareness and sell-through for a number of key demographics.
Influencers are a key part of our marketing strategy, as they help our products relate to large, variable audiences. Lucyd Lyte is a perfect fit for the fitness tech and audio product spaces, so athletes and musicians are a natural fit for our brand and the active lifestyles that Lucyd products promote. We plan to add A-list musical talent to the brand in the near future, as well as a host of audio content creators to support the Vyrb experience.
Our Market Opportunity
According to Statista, the total addressable market for eyewear in the U.S. is projected to be $33.8 billion in 2023. The market for digital assistants like Siri, Google Voice, Bixby and Alexa has grown rapidly worldwide, and is projected at $4.5 billion in revenue in 2023. The worldwide hearables market was estimated at $69.0 billion in 2022. We view the popularity of hearables as an important catalyst for the smart eyewear market.
The common denominator among markets for the hearables and digital assistant is that they facilitate real-time access to digital data, whether it is through music, calls, navigational directions, or information, among other uses. The combination of hearables and digital assistants provides a transparent, ergonomic interface between the users and their digital lives. At Innovative Eyewear, we are dedicated to a touch-free interface and untethering our customers eyes from their smartphone screens, through our smart eyewear product.
The synergistic fusion of these three markets enables, in our view, an opportunity to create a completely new experience of connected eyewear, which smoothly delivers the functionality of both optical glasses and headphones, eliminating the need for either on its own. Nevertheless, several orthodoxies of the eyewear industry still hold, namely: if you want to sell a lot of eyewear, we believe it should be attractive, stylish, comfortable (e.g., lightweight, which we believe to be approximately 1oz) and cost roughly the same as traditional eyewear. This is what we have sought to achieve, and in our view have accomplished with the introduction of Lucyd Lyte eyewear.
Intellectual Property
We license from Lucyd Ltd., a subsidiary of our majority stockholder, an intellectual property portfolio designed to protect our unique eyewear designs and certain technological features in current and anticipated future products. More recently, the company has begun filing patents under its own name.
We have licensed and filed or own 63 patents and pending patent applications to date, covering all of our current product designs and certain advanced features such as Vyrb, replaceable front frames, and multi-channel Bluetooth connectivity. The Company will seek to file new IP to protect new styles and features of its smart eyewear as they are introduced.
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Our current U.S. and foreign patent portfolio is as listed below:
Pending and Registered Patent Applications Licensed From Lucyd Ltd. | ||||||||||||||||
Application/Patent Number | Title | Country | Filing Date | Assignors/Assignee | Reel/Frame No. | Status | Grant Date | Anticipated Expiration Date | ||||||||
10,908,419 | Smartglasses and Methods and Systems for Using Artificial Intelligence to Control Mobile Devices Used for Displaying and Presenting Tasks and Applications and Enhancing Presentation and Display of Augmented Reality Information | US | June 28, 2018 |
Clifford M. Gross, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. |
046324/0147 | Issued | February 2, 2021 |
October 5, 2038
(Patent Term Adjustment – 99 days) | ||||||||
D899,493 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 20, 2020 | October 20, 2035 | ||||||||
D900,203 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 27, 2020 | October 27, 2035 | ||||||||
D899,494 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 20, 2020 | October 20, 2035 | ||||||||
D899,495 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 20, 2020 | October 20, 2035 | ||||||||
D899,496 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 20, 2020 | October 20, 2035 | ||||||||
D900,204 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 27, 2020 | October 27, 2035 | ||||||||
D900,205 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 27, 2020 | October 27, 2035 | ||||||||
D900,920 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | November 3, 2020 | November 3, 2035 | ||||||||
D900,206 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 27, 2020 | October 27, 2035 | ||||||||
D899,497 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 20, 2020 | October 20, 2035 | ||||||||
D899,498 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 20, 2020 | October 20, 2035 | ||||||||
D899,499 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 20, 2020 | October 20, 2035 | ||||||||
D899,500 | Smart Glasses | US | March 22, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 048856/0079 | Issued | October 20, 2020 | October 20, 2035 | ||||||||
D954,135 | Round Smartglasses Having Flat Connector Hinges | US | December 12, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 051469/0948 | Issued | June 7, 2022 | June 7, 2037 | ||||||||
D958,234 | Round Smartglasses Having Pivot Connector Hinges | US | December 12, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 051469/0948 | Issued | July 19, 2022 | July 19, 2037 | ||||||||
D955,467 | Sport Smartglasses Having Flat Connector Hinges | US | December 12, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 051469/0948 | Issued | June 21, 2022 | June 21, 2037 | ||||||||
D954,136 | Smartglasses Having Pivot Connector Hinges | US | December 12, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 051469/0948 | Issued | June 7, 2022 | June 7, 2037 | ||||||||
62/941,466 | Wireless Smartglasses with Quick Connect Front Frames | US | November 27, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 051165/0662 | Non-Provisional Application filed on November 25, 2020; U.S. App. No. 17/104,849 | n/a | November 27, 2020 |
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Application/Patent Number | Title | Country | Filing Date | Assignors/Assignee | Reel/Frame No. | Status | Grant Date | Anticipated Expiration Date | ||||||||
D954,137 | Flat Connector Hinges for Smartglasses Temples | US | December 19, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 051469/0948 | Issued | June 7, 2022 | June 7, 2037 | ||||||||
D974,456 | Pivot Hinges and Smartglasses Temples | US | December 19, 2019 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 051469/0948 | Issued | January 3, 2023 | January 3, 2038 | ||||||||
11,282,523 | Voice Assistant Management | US | March 25, 2020 |
Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd
|
052245/0348 | Issued | March 22, 2022 | June 27, 2040 | ||||||||
29/743,256 | Wayfarer Smartglasses | US | July 20, 2020 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 057651/0844 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
D951,334 | Round Smartglasses | US | July 20, 2020 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 057651/0844 | Issued | May 10, 2022 | May 10, 2037 | ||||||||
17/104,849 | Wireless Smartglasses with Quick Connect Front Frames | US | November 25, 2020 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 057652/0218 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/806,200 | Smartglasses | US | September 1, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 057652/0350 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/806,204 | Smartglasses | US | September 1, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 057652/0430 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/806,207 | Smartglasses | US | September 1, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 057652/0674 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/806,209 | Smartglasses | US | September 1, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 057652/0794 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
207516 | Smartglasses | Canada | October 29, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Issued | May 17, 2023 | October 29,2036 | ||||||||
207517 | Smartglasses | Canada | October 29, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Issued | May 23, 2023 | October 29, 2036 | ||||||||
207518 | Smartglasses | Canada | October 29, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Issued | May 23, 2023 | October 29, 2036 | ||||||||
207519 | Smartglasses | Canada | October 29, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Issued | May 23, 2023 | October 29, 2036 | ||||||||
29/814,016 | Safety Smartglasses | US | November 2, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 05872/0894 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/814,017 | Safety Shields | US | November 2, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | 058720/0955 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
63/274,920 | Safety Glasses | US | November 2, 2021 |
Clifford M. Gross / Lucyd Ltd. |
058720/0961 | Non-Provisional Application filed on October 21, 2022; U.S. App. No. 18/048,715 | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
207956 | Safety Smartglasses | Canada | November 17, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Issued | May 23, 2023 | November 17, 2036 | ||||||||
207957 | Safety Shields | Canada | November 17, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
2021307950576 | Safety Smartglasses | China | December 2, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
ZL 2021307955902 |
Safety Shields
|
China | December 2, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross, David Cohen, Harrison Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Issued | May 3, 2022 | December 1, 2036 | ||||||||
18/048,715 | Safety Glasses | US | October 21, 2022 | Clifford M. Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a |
Pending
|
n/a | n/a | ||||||||
3180624
|
Safety Glasses | Canada | November 1, 2022 | Clifford M. Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
202211367067X | Safety Glasses | China | November 2, 2022 | Clifford M. Gross / Lucyd Ltd. | n/a | Pending/published | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/815.040 | Charging Cradle | US | November 10, 2021 | Clifford M. Gross / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. | 058721/0019 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
63/297,056 | Charging Cradle for Smartglasses | US | January 6, 2022 | Clifford M. Gross / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. | 058721/0083 | Non-Provisional Application filed on December 29, 2022; U.S. App. No. 18/147,002 | n/a | n/a |
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Application/Patent Number | Title | Country | Filing Date | Assignors/Assignee | Reel/Frame No. | Status | Grant Date | Anticipated Expiration Date | ||||||||
212589 | Charging Cradle | Canada | May 9, 2022 | Clifford M. Gross / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. | n/a | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
ZL 2022302715131 | Charging Cradle | China | May 10, 2022 | Clifford M. Gross / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. | n/a | Issued | October 21, 2022 | May 9, 2037 | ||||||||
18/147,002 | Charging Cradle for Smartglasses | US | December 27, 2022 | Clifford M. Gross / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. | n/a | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,951
|
Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,952 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,957 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,958 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,959 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,960 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,961 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,965 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,966 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,968 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,970 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,972 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,974 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
29/870,975 | Smartglasses | US | February 9, 2023 |
Harrison Gross, David Cohen, Breno Fuzette, Matthew Gale / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. |
063418/0805 | Pending | n/a | n/a | ||||||||
18/189,547 | System, Apparatus, and Method For Using a Chatbot | US | March 24, 2023 | Harrison Gross, Clifford Gross / Innovative Eyewear, Inc. | 063106/0173 | Pending | n/a | n/a |
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Additionally, we have exclusively licensed the exclusive rights to 11 registered trademarks and applications as follows:
Trademark | Trademark Number | Status | Jurisdiction | |||
LUCYD | UK00003258030 | Registered | UK | |||
Lucyd Lens | UK00003258093 | Registered | UK | |||
Lucyd Loud | UK00003400531 | Registered | UK | |||
Upgrade your eyewear | UK00003400579 | Registered | UK | |||
GaaS | UK00003451728 | Registered | UK | |||
Vyrb | UK00003477240 | Registered | UK | |||
Lyte | UK00003526151 | Registered | UK | |||
Upgrade your eyewear | Application No. 90/407,646 | Application | US | |||
LUCYD | Application No. 90/407,723 | Application | US | |||
Lyte | Application No. 90/381051 | Application | US | |||
Vyrb | Application No. 90/820713 | Application | US |
Material Agreements
License Agreement between Innovative Eyewear, Inc. and Lucyd Ltd.
On April 1, 2020, we entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Lucyd Ltd. for all fields of use of the Lucyd® brand, and the associated intellectual property and assets (the “License Agreement”). We were founded by Lucyd Ltd., the inventor and licensor of the technology that our products are based upon, which is a portfolio company of Tekcapital, our majority stockholder. The License Agreement is a royalty-free, fully paid up, perpetual license, for the exclusive use of the following assets:
1. | All Lucyd intellectual property, including, all patents, patent applications and any continuations of such. | |
2. | All Lucyd trademarks. | |
3. | All Lucyd collateral material, artwork, subscriber lists, eyeglass model and frame shots and renders, as well as 3D models. | |
4. | All Lucyd logos such as, but not limited to: Lucyd® word mark, Lucyd Hexagon, Upgrade Your Eyewear® slogan and the Vyrb® trademark. | |
5. | All Lucyd company developed software and any new software developed by Innovative Eyewear, utilizing the Lucyd software, will be owned by Innovative Eyewear. | |
6. | Lucyd Store portals through Shopify, Amazon and Walmart. | |
7. | Relevant websites domain names including Lucyd.co, Lucyd.net, Lucyd.eu. | |
8. | All supply and endorsement agreements. | |
9. | All current inventory as of the execution date of license. |
10. | All social media accounts under the Lucyd name, including, but not limited to: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. | |
11. | All advertising material and trade show displays, brochures and related materials. |
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Under the terms of the License Agreement, we have the exclusive right to effectuate sublicenses, either exclusively or non-exclusively, to any or all of our licensed intellectual property, at its sole discretion. Upon execution of the License Agreement, we paid Lucyd Ltd. £1 for the life of the licensed assets, and the License Agreement shall continue in perpetuity, unless terminated according to the terms of the agreement. Additionally, we issued 3,750,000 shares of our common stock to Lucyd Ltd. as compensation for entering into the License Agreement and for the contribution of certain other assets. Lucyd Ltd. may terminate the license with immediate effect by providing written notice to us if, among other things: we commit a material breach, as such is defined by the terms of the agreement; or, if we suspend, or threaten to suspend, payment of our debts or are unable to pay our debts.
The License Agreement requires us to indemnify Lucyd against all liabilities, costs, expenses, damages, and losses (including but not limited to any direct, indirect or consequential losses, loss of profit, loss of reputation and all interest, penalties, and legal costs (calculated on a full indemnity basis) and all other reasonable professional costs and expenses) suffered or incurred by Lucyd Ltd. arising out of or in connection with actual or alleged infringement of third party intellectual property rights; our breach or non-performance of or the enforcement of License Agreement. We have the right to sublicense any of our rights under the License Agreement, provided that any sublicense also shall enter into a supplemental agreement satisfactory to Lucyd Ltd.
On October 5, 2021, the parties to the License Agreement executed an Addendum, to the exclusive license agreement, which clarified that Innovative Eyewear shall commercialize, continue with any on-going intellectual property prosecutions and pay all maintenance or other patent fees (the “Addendum”). For all new intellectual property, Innovative Eyewear will own and control it and be responsible for all prosecution and maintenance costs. The Addendum also confirms that Innovative Eyewear issued Lucyd Ltd. 3,750,000 shares of its common stock as consideration for the license.
Sales Representation Agreement
On March 4, 2021, we entered into a commission-only, sale representation agreement with D. Landstrom Associates, Inc. for prospecting a wholesale relationship with Walmart, Target and Best Buy stores in the United States (the “Representation Agreement”). The Representation Agreement provides for D. Landstrom to act as our commission based, manufacturer’s representative, with the exclusive right to solicit offers on behalf of us to purchase our products in the United States, for the named big box stores. The term of the Representation Agreement is five years. Contract may be terminated for “good cause” with 90 days’ notice by either party. Upon termination, commissions of orders procured will extend 180 days beyond termination date. Thus far, the representation has resulted in a successful launch of the Company’s products on BestBuy.com.
Distribution Agreement
On June 30, 2021, we entered into a distribution agreement with 8 Points Inc., a subsidiary of Marca Eyewear Group Inc., for exclusive distribution of Lucyd Lyte products in Canada (the “Distribution Agreement”). The Distribution Agreement provides that 8 Points Inc. will have exclusive purchase and distribution rights and obligations in Canada. The term of the Distribution Agreement is 3.5 years and either party may terminate by providing 180 days’ notice to the other party. The distributor will perform services, which shall include, but shall not be limited to the following):
1. | Sales of our products into retail distribution by servicing potential purchasers and by generating new business within the Territory (as defined in the Distribution Agreement). |
2. | Handling of all account inquiries on sales made pursuant to this Distribution Agreement. | |
3. | Innovative Eyewear will receive all Canadian returns on a timely basis. Currently, distributor will organize customer returns such that all returns will be shipped in bulk to Company’s distribution center in Miami, Florida. |
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4. | Company will provide marketing activities to support the sales of all the collections sold by the Distributor in the territory. |
5. | Distributor will provide logistic service to distribute the product in the territory covering all provinces and provide internal customer service and warehousing and shipping, as well as after purchase care to customer. | |
6. | Distributor will provide a minimum purchase of $4.6 million worth of Lucyd Lyte products over 30 months to maintain exclusivity for sales in Canada. | |
7. | Monthly minimum committed purchases increase incrementally over the term of the Distribution Agreement. In the event that 8 Points Inc. does not meet the minimum monthly purchase requirements then we may convert 8 Points Inc. exclusive contract to a non-exclusive contract or terminate the Distribution Agreement. |
The distributor has not met the requirements to maintain exclusivity; as such, we have converted the Distribution Agreement to a non-exclusive contract in accordance with the terms of the agreement as outlined above.
Other License Agreements
In 2022 and 2023, we entered into various multi-year license agreements which grant us the right to sell certain branded smart eyewear. These agreements require us to pay royalties based on a percentage of net retail and wholesale sales during the period of the license, and also require guaranteed minimum royalty payments. The aggregate future minimum payments due under these license agreements are as follows:
2023 | $ | - | ||
2024 | 161,210 | |||
2025 | 436,000 | |||
2026 | 834,000 | |||
2027 | 1,290,000 | |||
Thereafter (through 2033) | 10,550,000 | |||
Total | $ | 13,271,210 |
The Next Step
Vyrb Social Audio App
We believe eyewear should enable customers to freely interact with social media. While digital assistants, once enabled, can provide the basis for this interaction, we believe that the ability to receive and send social media posts with an individual’s voice may greatly enhance ease of use of these platforms on the go. To facilitate this, we have been developing Vyrb, our full stack social media application that enables the user to receive and send posts through Lucyd Lyte smart glasses with an individual’s voice. The application launched out of beta in December 2021, and the further development of the Vyrb app is continuing on pace, with two major features launched in December 2022: the ability to host live audio streams with up to 100 visitors and six live speakers at a time; and the ability to import external audio files into Vyrb, which allows longstanding podcasters and other content creators to add their content libraries into Vyrb. After the introduction of several more features and key user experience improvements, we anticipate a commercial launch of Vyrb in the fourth quarter of 2023. At or soon after this time, advertising and monetization features will be introduced into the app to make it a new revenue stream for our business.
We believe that Vyrb will enhance the utility of current and future Lucyd Lyte glasses by enabling users to be untethered from their smartphones, yet still be able to hear and make social media posts. A goal of our products is to free our customers from other technologies. As such, we are designing Vyrb with a transparent, voice-centric interface in mind, so that as soon as our customers can say “Ok Google,” they are connected to a world of engaging audio content and have the ability to create audio posts and messages. We believe social interaction via smart eyewear will be instrumental in bringing new, youthful customers to our company.
A number of companies recently have started to launch voice mediated social media applications, such as Clubhouse, Discord, Audlist, Listen and Riffr. We are designing Vyrb to host audiobooks, podcasts and entire music albums on the platform. With Vyrb, Lucyd Lyte customers are able to hear their social media feeds, post messages, hold gatherings and musical performances (by inviting other Vyrb users to connect with each other at a specific date and time), and enjoy social media with the authenticity of their own voice, all through their eyewear and without taking their phone out of their pocket.
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The Product and Market for Vyrb
Vyrb is being designed as a full social media experience to enhance voice-based communications on wearables and mobile devices. The sophistication of Vyrb’s interface enables a large array of in-app purchases and subscriptions, as well as easy connectivity with the Lucyd Lyte line of smart eyewear. In addition to an ad-driven revenue model that is typical of social media applications, the robust and highly variable selection of planned in-app purchases provide important improvements and fine-tuned customizations to help personalize the user experience. We plan to roll out these and other exciting features of Vyrb over the course of several software updates.
The Vyrb app is contemplated to feature an in-app item shop with a number of fun and useful upgrades, such as:
● | Loot Boxes Random packs of multiple upgrade items, a best-selling in-app purchase format frequently deployed in online video games. |
● | Skins Items that alter the appearance of the app to help personalize it to the user’s preferences, such as Dark Mode. |
● | Accents Items that change the accent used by the app’s text-to-speech engine, which is employed frequently to vocalize textual content. |
● | Metal Mics Items that lengthen the maximum allowable verbal post length and image/video sizes per post for users. |
● | Post Embellishments Items that can be used to animate posts in the feed to make them more prominent. |
● | Sound FX Packs Items that increase the number of audio emojis (Sound FX) available to the user, livening up their posts. |
● | Ad Tokens Items that can be spent to expand the reach of a feed post to a larger audience. |
● | Vyrb Gold A premium, monthly subscription to the app that blocks all ads and brings additional benefits like a more prominent username. |
● | Vyrb Gems In-app currency that can be spent to tip a user’s favorite content creators, to buy premium paywalled content and to buy certain other in-app purchases. Gems can also be traded to other users for their items on the Vyrb Marketplace module. Users will also be rewarded Gems for their engagement with ads on the platform, creating a positive feedback loop that rewards app engagement with premium content and experiences. |
● | Command Tokens Items that can be spent to create new custom voice assistant commands (based on Vyrb’s Voice Command Creation Interface). |
● | Mega-Tag Tokens Items that can expand the number of mega-tags available to the user (mega-tags are a unique Vyrb feature, they are automatically applied hashtags that make a user’s posts more discoverable to others). |
Users spend approximately 145 minutes per day on social media applications and regularly click on advertisements they view through their applications. We believe Vyrb is strategically positioned to become a prime advertisement space, allowing both visual and audible advertisements to be purchased. Vyrb ads will be shown in a user’s regular newsfeed, which we believe will create an opportunity and need for a subscription in-app purchase (Vyrb Gold) for a premium, ad-free browsing experience. For ease of use, Vyrb ads can be created by any user through the application in just moments: users will be able to purchase “Ad Token” items from the in-app store, and then use these tokens to turn standard posts into wide-reaching ads. A rapid-response reporting system will be developed and monitored to remove objectionable or illegal content from the platform. With its focus on high quality audio, we are designing Vyrb to lift up professional and creative audio content developers by helping them reach new audiences. To ensure a positive user experience, we are developing a system in Vyrb which will automatically promote positively reviewed content, and automatically remove content that has been reported in a high ratio compared to the number of viewers, providing the basis for user product discovery as well as a failsafe against any mistake in our manual and algorithmic moderation of the application’s hosted content.
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Vyrb users will be able to purchase and support content from indie and professional creators via an in-app currency (referred to as “gems” in this document, a virtual point the user typically accumulates by viewing ad content or by purchasing them). Creators will receive gems from typical users as tips during live broadcasts, and in exchange for access to premium posts. The creators will then be able to cash out these gems at an exchange rate that provides profit to Vyrb. For example, users purchase the gems, its in-app loyalty token at a rate of $1 each, but creators only receive $0.75 for each gem they cash out. A 25% effective platform fee would put the content transaction fees of Vyrb at a lower rate than most digital content marketplaces. In the case of typical livestreaming applications, a functionality Vyrb supports, they are often exorbitant, taking as much as 50% in effective fees on in-app currency transactions.
To acquire the gems, users must buy them in the Vyrb Shop or gain them by engaging with sufficient ad content (e.g., using the application for an hour, or an amount of time that effectively pays for the gem). While Vyrb allows users the flexibility of choice of either buying or earning these gems, we believe that there is a huge revenue stream potential for us through a strategic implementation of the Vyrb Shop and peer-to-peer content transactions.
Also, we plan for users to be able to charge a fixed price to be able to access particular audio posts. For example, this feature could be used by a podcaster to sell their premium episodes, or by a recording artist to sell their music albums. In tandem with this feature, audio posts will be divisible into tracks to support long form content such as albums and audiobooks. Vyrb will take a flat percentage fee on all sales of premium content within the application by allowing creators to cash out gems they receive for selling their content. We believe the major benefit of this system is that it will provide audio content creators a new platform for rapidly creating, listing and selling their content, and help create an environment full of rich, unique and interactive audio experiences such as live “radio shows,” indie content and virtual concerts for typical Vyrb users.
We believe that Vyrb will effectively leverage multiple successful gamification models from the world of social media to provide a flexible and highly interactive user experience that can potentially draw high-value content creators. A fundamental aspiration of Vyrb is to provide a new platform and source of revenue for high quality audio content creators in particular; to that end, we designed Vyrb with a goal of providing a rapid, user-friendly platform for creators and consumers to share, sell and enjoy the best audio the web has to offer. We believe that through Vyrb, we can make the interaction between our users and our product a fun and rewarding experience, which can also be monetized by the company and content creators alike. By putting audio front and center, we hope to provide a new meeting ground for audio content creators and those who enjoy lots of music, podcasts and talk shows. We hope to provide a mutually beneficial relationship, where Vyrb takes a reasonable fee on the transacting of these parties in exchange for bringing them together.
Competition
The smart eyewear industry in which we operate is competitive and subject to changes in practice. While we believe that our products are hybrid of eyeglasses and audio technology, which gives us a unique product that provides us with competitive advantages, we may face competition from many different entities now and in the future. As of now, we face competition from the following products:
● | Bose Corporation’s Bose Frames. These are a Bluetooth eyewear product, but in a bulkier form factor and with what we believe to be comparable models at a higher list price ($249 MSRP) than Lucyd Lyte 2.0 ($199). |
● | Amazon’s Echo Glasses. Another entry in the Bluetooth eyewear space offered at a $249 list price. Not available directly from the manufacturer in prescription, and in only one frame shape. The cost of the Amazon Echo Glasses is higher than Lucyd Lyte. While lightweight like Lucyd Lyte glasses, Amazon Echo Glasses have, in our view, a less fashionable form factor, and the battery life is about half of that of Lucyd Lyte. |
● | Snapchat Spectacles. This is a camera-focused smart eyewear product and, in our view, not a direct competitor as to its style, weight, pricing and suitability for all-day wear, as compared with our products; however, Snapchat Spectacles may introduce further entries in the space that may directly compete with Lucyd Lyte. Snapchat Spectacles Version 3 have a list price of $380. |
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● | Ray-Ban Stories Glasses. Developed in association with Facebook, are a camera-focused smart eyewear product, and despite the fact they are available in prescription, in our view not a direct competitor; Ray-Ban may, however, introduce further entries in the space that may directly compete with Lucyd Lyte. Ray-Ban Spectacles have a well-known and respected brand, and a list price starting at $299, which makes them 50% more expensive than Lucyd Lyte. They weigh considerably more (20-70% depending upon the Lyte model) than Lucyd Lyte glasses, have a shorter battery life, thicker temple profiles and are not water resistant. |
All of the competitors discussed above have substantially greater manufacturing, financial, research and development, personnel and marketing resources than we do. As a result, although we believe our products are currently superior, our competitors may be able to develop superior products, and compete more aggressively and sustain their competitive advantage over a longer period of time than us. Our products may be rendered obsolete in the face of competition.
Legal Proceedings
We are not the subject of any material pending legal proceedings, however, may from time to time become a party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Except as discussed below, we are not the subject of any pending legal proceedings.
Employees
As of June 2, 2023, we had 10 full-time employees, with two in product development, one in sales, two in finance, one in customer service, one in administration, one in marketing, two in graphic design. Employees are supported by a number of consultants and part-time employees, including a group of 8 independent sales representatives.
Properties
Our executive offices are located at 11900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 630, North Miami, Florida 33181. Our executive offices are provided to us by the parent of our majority stockholder, Tekcapital. We consider our current office space adequate for our operations.
From June 1, 2020, through February 1, 2022, we paid Tekcapital $25,000 per fiscal quarter under a management service agreement, which included rent-free office space, utilities, advisory services and other services. This agreement was amended effective February 1, 2022 such that we are billed $35,000 per fiscal quarter and no longer receive rent-free office space. Since then, Tekcapital bills us for an allocation of rent paid by Tekcapital on our behalf, and we recognized $74,442 of expense related to rent for the year ended December 31, 2022. Our management service agreement with Tekcapital does not stipulate a specific maturity date, and can be terminated with 30 calendar days written notice by any party.
Other
Our telephone number is (954) 826-0329 and our Internet website address is www.lucyd.co. We make available free of charge on or through our Internet website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements on Schedule 14A, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such materials with, or furnish them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Alternatively, you may also access our reports at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
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MANAGEMENT
The following table sets forth certain information regarding our board of directors, our executive officers, and some of our key employees.
Name | Age | Position | ||
Harrison R. Gross | 30 | Chief Executive Officer and Director | ||
Konrad Dabrowski | 40 | Chief Financial Officer | ||
David Eric Cohen | 50 | Chief Technology Officer | ||
Frank Rescigna | 62 | Director | ||
Kristen Mclaughlin | 50 | Director | ||
Louis Castro | 64 | Director | ||
Olivia C. Bartlett | 64 | Director |
Harrison Gross is one of the founders of Innovative Eyewear and has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a director since August 2019, where he guides the company’s product and brand development. Prior to his employment at Innovative Eyewear, from August 2017 to August 2019, Mr. Gross served in various positions, including chief executive officer and media & UX lead, of Lucyd Ltd., our largest stockholder and the licensor of our technology which is also a smart eyewear development company where he developed the Lucyd brand identity and oversaw general operations and product development. Additionally, from November 2015 to August 2021, Mr. Gross served as the Digital Media Manager of Tekcapital PLC (“Tekcapital”) (LON: TEK), a university intellectual property investment firm that is the parent company of Tekcapital Europe Limited, and Lucyd Ltd, the holding company for Tekcapital’s shares in Innovative Eyewear, where he created, developed and marketed for the company’s licensed properties. Prior to that, from October 2013 to September 2014, Mr. Gross worked as a credit analyst for a Verizon, Inc. contractor, where he managed credit systems and provided support to Verizon agents. Mr. Gross is a graduate of Columbia University with a BA in Writing and received a BA in Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Mr. Gross is well qualified to serve as a director due to his substantial knowledge of our product and his experience in marketing, product and app development.
Konrad Dabrowski has served as our Chief Financial Officer on a part-time basis since August 2019. Between June 2017 and July 2020, Mr. Dabrowski has served as the group controller, and starting on July 2020 the chief financial officer of Tekcapital PLC (“Tekcapital”), where he co-manages the group’s investment strategy and oversees financial reporting for all of its portfolio companies. Prior to his employment at Tekcapital, from March 2016 to June 2017, Mr. Dabrowski was a Global Accounting Manager for Restaurant Brands International (NYSE:QSR), a multinational fast food holding company, where he oversaw accounting and tax projects for Burger King within the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) market. Prior to his employment at Restaurant Brands International, Mr. Dabrowski was an Audit Manager at Deloitte, where he managed end-to-end accounting audits for a portfolio of public and private corporate clients. Mr. Dabrowski has a Master’s in Finance and Banking from the Warsaw School of Economics and is a Certified Public Accountant.
David Eric Cohen is one of the founders of Innovative Eyewear and has served as our Chief Technology Officer since September 2019. Prior to his employment at Innovative Eyewear, from August 2017 to August 2019, Mr. Cohen served as the chief technology officer of Lucyd Ltd., a smart eyewear development company, where he led the company’s technological advancements and digital ad campaigns. Also, prior to his employment at Innovative Eyewear, from September 2009 to October 2019, Mr. Cohen served as President of Emaze Design Agency, a digital design agency, where he led the development of web and applications for e-commerce, web performance monitoring, website design and mobile applications. Prior to his employment at Emaze Design Agency, Mr. Cohen was lead Business Intelligence Specialist at Jewish General Hospital where he assisted with the data solutions and business processes and requirements. He received a BS in Computer Science from the Academy of Bordeaux and an MS in Advanced Technician & Information Systems Management from Hadassah University.
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Frank Rescigna has served as a director since August 2021. Mr. Rescigna has more than 25 years of brand building and sales experience in the eyewear industry. Prior to his directorship at Innovative Eyewear, from October 2019 to May 2021, Mr. Rescigna was the Director of Global Sales at House of Wu, a global wholesale luxury bridal and evening dress distributor, where he led the company’s sales strategy throughout the world. Prior to his employment at House of Wu, from September 2018 to September 2019, Mr. Rescigna was the President of Teka Eyewear, a boutique global wholesale luxury eyewear distributor specializing in exotic materials, where he managed all aspects of its sales organization and operations. Prior to his employment at Teka Eyewear, from March 2015 to August 2018, Mr. Rescigna was the Senior Vice President of Global Sales at Wiley X, a multi-brand global eyewear company that designs and distributes sunglasses, where he managed the company’s sales activities at the corporate and sales level. Prior to his employment at Wiley X, from February 2011 to February 2015, Mr. Rescigna was the President of Jewelry & Global Brand Licensing for Guess Inc. (NYSE: GES), a global fashion/lifestyle company with varying business models, distribution models and products, where he assisted the company with the expansion of its brand and new brands/products. Prior to his employment at Guess, from February 2004 to January 2011, Mr. Rescigna was the President of Viva International Group, a large eyewear company that designs, manufactures and distributes core and luxury global brands, where he led the company’s expansion and integration with its parent company Highmark Vision Holding Company. He received a degree in Opticianry from Middlesex College. Mr. Rescigna is well qualified to serve as a director due his substantial brand and sales experience and his experience in the eyewear industry.
Kristen Mclaughlin has served as one of our directors since August 2021. Ms. Mclaughlin has 20 years’ experience launching, managing and developing products in the eyewear, accessories, cosmetics and skincare industries. From March 2019 to April 2020, Ms. Mclaughlin served as the Global Marketing Director at DePasquale Companies, a skincare, hair care and cosmetics manufacturer, where she led the global marketing strategy and new product development. Prior to her employment at DePasquale Companies, from March 2000 to January 2019, Ms. Mclaughlin was employed at Silhouette International, an eyewear manufacturer, where she served as the Director of Marketing: Eyewear Manufacturer, Regional Sales Manager, and Brand Manager: Daniel Swarovski Crystal Eyewear. While at Silhouette International, Ms. Mclaughlin led the company’s brand portfolio in the U.S. and its brand direction, product development and campaign content. She has a BS and MBA from Ramapo College of New Jersey. Ms. Mclaughlin is well qualified to serve as a director due to her substantial experience in the eyewear industry and her experience in brand and product development.
Louis Castro has served as one of our directors since August 2021. Mr. Castro is an experienced public company director and chartered accountant. Mr. Castro is currently on the board of directors of the following public companies (1) Tekcapital where he has been a director since December 2019, (2) Orosur Mining Inc. (TSE:OMI), a company exploring for minerals in South America, where he has been chairman of the board since April 2020, (3) Stanley Gibbons Group plc (LON:SGI), a company that specializes in the retailing of collectable stamps and similar products, where he has been a director since June 2016, (4) Tomco Energy plc (LON:TOM), an oil exploration and technology company, where he has been a director since April 2021, (5) Predator Oil & Gas Holdings plc (LON:PRD), an oil and gas exploration company, where he has been a director since July 2020, and (6) Veteran Capital Corp. (TSX-V:VCC), a capital pool company, where he has been a director since January 2021. From September 2012 to June 2016, Mr. Castro was a director and, from September 2014 to June 2016 served as the Chief Financial Officer, of Eland Oil & Gas plc, a Nigerian focused upstream oil and natural gas exploration and production company, where he was responsible for the company’s finance, legal and corporate finance activities. Prior to his employment at Eland, from May 2011 to May 2014, Mr. Castro served as Head of Capital Markets and then as Chief Executive Officer of Northland Capital Partners, an investment bank, where he was responsible for the investment banks day-to-day activities. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales, has a double degree in Engineering Production and Economics from Birmingham University and attended the Postgraduate Advanced Course in Production Management and Methods at Cambridge University. Mr. Castro is well qualified to serve as a director due to his substantial experience as a director of public companies and his distinction as chartered accountant.
Olivia C. Bartlett has served as one of our directors since August 2021. Ms. Bartlett has been in the eyewear industry for over 40 years holding various roles including optician, optical manager, marketing manager and operations management. Since September 2015, Ms. Bartlett has been the Chief Operating Officer of Todd Rogers Eyewear, a specialty eyewear company, where she manages the day-to-day operations of the company. Prior to her time at Todd Rogers Eyewear, from March 2010 to May 2015, Ms. Bartlett was the sales representative for eyewear sales in the northeast of Massachusetts for Safilo USA, a specialty eyewear company. Additionally, from September 2013 to May 2018, Ms. Bartlett was an Adjunct Professor at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts. Since February 2020 Ms. Bartlett has been the President of the Opticians Association of America, a national organization representing the professional, business, educational, legislative and regulatory interests of opticianry. Prior to that, Ms. Bartlett was a director for ten years for the Opticians Association of Massachusetts. Ms. Bartlett has received a number of awards through her time in the industry, including but not limited to, the 2020 Eyecare Business Game Changer Award and the 2020 and 2018 Vision Monday Most Influential Woman Executive. Ms. Bartlett received her Massachusetts Opticians license in 1987 and is ABO certified. Ms. Bartlett received her BA in Political Science from Clark University. Ms. Bartlett is well qualified to serve as a director due to her substantial experience in the optical industry.
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Number and Terms of Office of Officers and Directors
Our board of directors consists of five members. Our directors are appointed for one-year terms to hold office until the next annual general meeting of our stockholders or until removed from office in accordance with our second amended and restated bylaws.
Our officers are appointed by the board of directors and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, rather than for specific terms of office. Our board of directors is authorized to appoint persons to the offices set forth in our second amended and restated bylaws, as it deems appropriate.
Director Independence and Committees of the Board of Directors
Director Independence
Of our directors, we have determined that Frank Rescigna, Mr. Louis Castro and Mss. Kristen Mclaughlin and Olivia Bartlett are “independent” directors under NASDAQ listing standards, while Harrison Gross is not independent under such standards. We have also determined that each of the three members of the Audit Committee is “independent” for purposes of Section 10A(m)(3) of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder and under the NASDAQ listing standards. Further, the Board has determined that each of the two members of both the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is “independent” under NASDAQ listing standards.
Board Committees
We have three standing committees of the Board: the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Each of the board committees act pursuant to a separate written charter adopted by our board of directors, each of which is available on our website at www.lucyd.co. Our board of directors may at any time or from time to time appoint certain other committees in its sole discretion as it deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its functions.
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee consists of Mr. Louis Castro (Chair) and Mss. Kristen Mclaughlin and Olivia Bartlett. The Board has determined that all of the members of the Audit Committee are “independent,” as defined by NASDAQ listing standards and by applicable SEC rules. In addition, the Board has determined that Mr. Castro is an audit committee financial expert, as that term is defined by the SEC rules, by virtue of having the following attributes through relevant experience: (i) an understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and financial statements; (ii) the ability to assess the general application of such principles in connection with the accounting for estimates, accruals, and reserves; (iii) experience preparing, auditing, analyzing, or evaluating financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Company’s financial statements, or experience actively supervising one or more persons engaged in such activities; (iv) an understanding of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting; and (v) an understanding of audit committee functions.
The function of the Audit Committee relates to oversight of the auditors, the auditing, accounting, and financial reporting processes, and the review of the Company’s financial reports and information. In addition, the functions of the Audit Committee will include, among other things, recommending to the Board the engagement or discharge of independent auditors, discussing with the auditors their review of the Company’s quarterly results and the results of their audit, and reviewing the Company’s internal accounting controls.
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Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee consists of Ms. Kristen Mclaughlin (Chair) and Mr. Louis Castro. The Board has determined that all of the members of the Compensation Committee are “independent,” as defined by NASDAQ listing standards. The responsibility of the Compensation Committee is to review and approve the compensation and other terms of employment of our President and Chief Executive Officer and our other executive officers, including all of the executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table under the heading “Executive Compensation” below (the “named executive officers”). Among its other duties, the Compensation Committee oversees all significant aspects of the Company’s compensation plans and benefit programs. The Compensation Committee annually reviews and approves corporate goals and objectives for the President and Chief Executive Officer’s compensation and evaluates the Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of those goals and objectives. The Compensation Committee also recommends to the Board the compensation and benefits for members of the Board. The Compensation Committee has also been appointed by the Board to administer our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan. The Compensation Committee does not delegate any of its authority to other persons.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consists of Mss. Olivia Bartlett (Chair) and Kristen Mclaughlin and Mr. Harrison Gross. The majority of committee members are independent under applicable NASDAQ rules and regulations. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for, among other things, considering potential board members, making recommendations to the full board as to nominees for election to the board, assessing the effectiveness of the board and implementing our corporate governance guidelines.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a formal code of ethics that applies to our directors and principal executives and financial officers or persons performing similar functions. A copy of our Code of Ethical Conduct can be found on our website under “Investors” at www.lucyd.co.
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Executive Compensation
The following table sets forth the aggregate compensation paid to our named executive officers for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Individuals we refer to as our “named executive officers” include our Chief Executive Officer, our Chief Financial Officer and our Chief Technology Officer.
Summary Compensation Table
Name and Principal Position | Year | Salary(1) ($) |
Bonus ($) |
Option Awards ($)(3) |
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) |
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($) |
All Other Compensation ($) |
Total ($) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Harrison Gross, | 2022 | 114,758 | - | - | - | - | - | 114,758 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Executive Officer | 2021 | 69,584 | - | 1,781,980 | (2) | - | - | - | 1,851,564 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Konrad Dabrowski, | 2022 | 105,500 | - | - | - | - | - | 105,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Financial Officer | 2021 | 21,885 | - | 158,388 | - | - | - | 180,273 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
David Eric Cohen, | 2022 | 70,270 | - | - | - | - | - | 70,270 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Chief Technology Officer | 2021 | 38,401 | - | 158,382 | - | - | - | 158,382 |
(1) | Salary amounts shown for Mr. Cohen include $34,500 and $38,401 paid in 2022 and 2021, respectively, to Mr. Cohen as an independent consultant, prior to his hire as an employee on October 1, 2022. |
(2) | Consists of 700,000 options to purchase common stock of the Company issued to Mr. Gross for services rendered to the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. |
(3) | These amounts have been calculated in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718. A discussion of assumptions used in valuation of option awards may be found in Note 2 to our Financial Statements for fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, included in this prospectus. These amounts reflect our accounting expense for these stock options and do not correspond to the actual value that may be recognized by our named executive officers. |
Employment Arrangements with our Executive Officers
Harrison Gross
On August 11, 2021, we entered into an employment agreement with Harrison Gross to serve in the capacity of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. We agreed to pay Mr. Gross an annual base salary of $85,800 for the remainder of 2021, and we also agreed that from the initial public offering date in August 2022, we increased his base salary to $150,000 per year. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, our Board may exercise its sole discretion to grant Mr. Gross an annual bonus, the amount of which bonus shall be determined in the sole discretion of our Board. Additionally, in 2021, we granted Mr. Gross an option to purchase 100,000 shares of our common stock.
The employment agreement has an initial term of three years, and will terminate on the third anniversary of the effective date unless Mr. Gross and the Company agree otherwise in writing. If we terminate the employment agreement for any reason other than for cause (as such is defined in the agreement) or Mr. Gross terminates his employment for good reason (as such is defined in the agreement): (1) Mr. Gross shall be entitled to payment of his base salary for the balance of the agreement’s term; (2) if Mr. Gross elects to continue group health insurance benefits, we shall reimburse Mr. Gross for any COBRA premiums he pays for the duration of COBRA’s coverage; and, (3) we shall provide Mr. Gross with payment of all accrued amounts (as defined in the agreement).
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Konrad Dabrowski
On August 11, 2021, we entered into an employment agreement with Konrad Dabrowski to serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company on a part-time basis, which agreement became effective on September 1, 2021. Mr. Dabrowski devotes 50% of his business time to our Company. We agreed to pay Mr. Dabrowski an annual base salary of $100,000. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, we may exercise our discretion to grant Mr. Dabrowski an annual bonus, the amount of which bonus shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Company. Additionally, in 2021, we granted Mr. Dabrowski an option to purchase 60,000 shares of our common stock.
Following the effective date, the employment agreement shall continue, unless terminated by Mr. Dabrowski or the Company. Mr. Dabrowski’s employment is at-will, which may be terminated by the Company or by Mr. Dabrowski at any time and for any reason. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, a sixty days’ written notice of termination or resignation is required. If Mr. Dabrowski notifies us of his resignation, or if we terminate Mr. Dabrowski’s employment agreement, the Company reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether Mr. Dabrowski will be required to actively work during the sixty-day notice period; however, Mr. Dabrowski will be entitled to receive his base salary for the duration of the sixty day notice period. The Company has the right to terminate Mr. Dabrowski’s employment agreement for cause (as defined in the agreement), which termination shall be effective immediately.
David Eric Cohen
David Cohen was an independent consultant for the company from inception until October 1, 2022, when we offered him a full-time letter of employment. He accepted and has been the full-time Chief Technology since then. The company pays him $140,000 annually to serve in this role. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, we may exercise our discretion to grant Mr. Cohen an annual bonus, the amount of which bonus shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Company.
Following the effective date, the employment agreement shall continue, unless terminated by Mr. Cohen or the Company. Mr. Cohen’s employment is at-will, which may be terminated by the Company or by Mr. Cohen at any time and for any reason. Pursuant to the terms of the employment agreement, a sixty days’ written notice of termination or resignation is required. If Mr. Cohen notifies us of his resignation, or if we terminate Mr. Cohen’s employment agreement, the Company reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether Mr. Cohen will be required to actively work during the sixty-day notice period; however, Mr. Cohen will be entitled to receive his base salary for the duration of the sixty day notice period. The Company has the right to terminate Mr. Cohen’s employment agreement for cause (as defined in the agreement), which termination shall be effective immediately.
Additionally, in 2021, we granted Mr. Cohen an option to purchase 60,000 shares of our common stock.
The following table sets forth all compensation paid to our Board members during the year ended December 31, 2022:
Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) |
Stock Awards ($) |
Option Awards ($) |
Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) |
Change in Pension Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings ($) |
All Other Compensation ($) |
Total ($) |
|||||||||||||||||||||
Frank Rescigna | 1,875 | - | - | - | - | - | 1,875 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Kristen Mclaughlin | 7,500 | - | - | - | - | - | 7,500 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Louis Castro | 11,250 | - | - | - | - | - | 11,250 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Olivia C. Bartlett | 3,750 | - | - | - | - | - | 3,750 |
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Outstanding Equity Awards
The following table sets forth outstanding equity awards to our named executive officers as of December 31, 2022. All options listed below are subject to time-based vesting.
Option awards | Stock awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name | Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#) exercisable |
Number of securities underlying unexercised options (#) unexercisable |
Equity incentive plan awards: Number of securities underlying unexercised unearned options (#) |
Option exercise price ($) |
Option expiration date |
Number of shares or units of stock that have not vested (#) |
Market value of shares of units of stock that have not vested ($) |
Equity incentive plan awards: Number of unearned shares, units or other rights that have not vested (#) |
Equity incentive plan awards: Market or payout value of unearned shares, units or other rights that have not vested ($) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Harrison Gross(i) | 250,000 | 125,000 | - | $ | 1.00 | 04/01/2024 | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Harrison Gross(ii) | 200,000 | 400,000 | - | $ | 3.56 | 05/05/2025 | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Harrison Gross(iii) | 44,432 | 55,568 | - | $ | 3.56 | 11/11/2024 | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Konrad Dabrowski(iv) | 26,656 | 33,344 | - | $ | 3.56 | 11/11/2024 | - | - | - | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
David Eric Cohen(v) | 26,656 | 33,344 | - | $ | 3.56 | 12/01/2024 | - | - | - | - |
The following awards were granted by the Company prior to the approval of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan:
(i) | Mr. Gross was issued stock options on April 1, 2020 to purchase 375,000 shares of our common stock (which vest in 6 equal installments of 62,500 options on each October 1 and April 1); and | |
(ii) | Mr. Gross was issued stock options on May 5, 2021 to purchase 600,000 shares of our common stock (of which, 200,000 options vested on May 5, 2022, 200,000 options vested on May 5, 2023, and 200,000 options shall vest on May 5, 2024). |
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Our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan was adopted by the Board and approved by our shareholders on July 1, 2021, under which:
(iii) | Mr. Gross was issued stock options on August 11, 2021 to purchase 100,000 shares of our common stock (which vest in 35 equal monthly installments of 2,777 options, and 1 installment of 2,805 options); | |
(iv) | Mr. Dabrowski was issued stock options on August 11, 2021 to purchase 60,000 shares of our common stock (which vest in 35 equal monthly installments of 1,666 options, and 1 installment of 1,690 options); and | |
(v) | Mr. Cohen was issued stock options on September 1, 2021, to purchase 60,000 shares of our common stock (which vest in 35 equal monthly installments of 1,666 options, and 1 installment of 1,690 options). |
Option Exercises and Stock Vested
There were no options exercised by our executive officers during the years ended December 31, 2022 or 2021.
Employee Benefit Plans
We currently do not provide retirement, health, or welfare benefits to any of our employees.
Non-qualified Deferred Compensation
None of our employees participate in or have account balances in non-qualified defined contribution plans or other non-qualified deferred compensation plans maintained by us. Our Compensation Committee may elect to provide our officers and other employees with non-qualified defined contribution or other non-qualified compensation benefits in the future if it determines that doing so is in the Company’s best interest.
2021 Equity Incentive Plan
General
Our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan was adopted by the Board and approved by our shareholders on July 1, 2021. The general purposes of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan are to (i) enable the Company and its subsidiaries to attract and retain the types of employees, consultants, and directors who will contribute to the Company’s long-range success; (ii) provide incentives that align the interests of employees, consultants, and directors with those of our shareholders; and (iii) promote the success of the Company’s business.
Description of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan
The following description of the principal terms of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan.
Administration. The 2021 Equity Incentive Plan is administered by a committee appointed by our Board, or in the Board’s discretion, by the Board (as applicable, the “Incentive Plan Administrator”). Subject to the terms of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, the Incentive Plan Administrator has the authority to (a) determine the eligible individuals who are to receive awards, (b) determine the terms and conditions of each award, including exercise price, vesting or performance criteria, performance period, and terms of the award, (c) determine whether vesting and performance criteria have been achieved, (d) accelerate the vesting or exercisability of, payment for or lapse of restrictions on, or otherwise modify or amend awards, (e) construe and interpret the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, including the ability to reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any defect in and/or supply any omission in the plan and award agreement; any instrument or agreement, (f) promulgate, amend, and rescind rules and regulations relating to the administration of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, and (g) exercise discretion to make any and all other determinations which it determines to be necessary or advisable for the administration of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan and awards granted thereunder. The Incentive Plan Administrator may also delegate its authority to a subcommittee or to one or more officers of the Company, subject to terms and conditions determined by the Incentive Plan Administrator. All decisions made by the Incentive Plan Administrator are final and binding on the Company and the participants.
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Types of Awards. The 2021 Equity Incentive Plan provides for the grant of stock options, which may be incentive stock options (“ISOs”) or nonqualified stock options (“NSOs”), stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance share awards, and other cash-based or equity-based awards, or collectively, awards.
Share Reserve. A total equal to 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock shall be available for the grant of awards under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan.
If options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units or any other awards are forfeited, cancelled or expire before being exercised or settled in full, the shares subject to such awards will again be available for issuance under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan. If restricted stock or shares issued upon exercise of an option are reacquired by the Company pursuant to a forfeiture provision, repurchase right or for any other reason, then such shares will again be available for issuance under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shares applied to pay the exercise price of an option or satisfy withholding taxes related to any award will not become available for issuance under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan.
Shares issued under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan may be authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares. As of December 31, 2022, awards covering 2,332,500 shares of Common Stock were issued, of which 1,685,000 option awards were granted by the Company prior to the approval of the Plan and 647,500 option awards were granted subject to the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan.
Incentive Stock Option Limit. No more than 25,000,000 shares of Common Stock may be issued under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan upon the exercise of ISOs.
Eligibility. Employees (including officers), non-employee directors and consultants who render services to the Company or a parent or subsidiary thereof (whether now existing or subsequently established) are eligible to receive awards under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan. ISOs may only be granted to employees of the Company or a parent or subsidiary thereof (whether now existing or subsequently established).
Stock Options. A stock option is the right to purchase a certain number of shares of stock at a fixed exercise price which, pursuant to the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of Common Stock on the date of grant. Subject to limited exceptions, an option may have a term of up to 10 years and will generally expire sooner if the optionholder’s service terminates. Options will vest at the rate determined by the Incentive Plan Administrator. An optionholder may pay the exercise price of an option in cash, or, with the Incentive Plan Administrator’s consent, with shares of stock the optionholder already owns, with proceeds from an immediate sale of the option shares, through a net exercise procedure or by any other method permitted by applicable law.
Tax Limitations on Incentive Stock Options. The aggregate fair market value, determined at the time of grant, of the Common Stock with respect to ISOs that are exercisable for the first time by an optionholder during any calendar year under all of the Company’s stock plans may not exceed $100,000. Options or portions thereof that exceed such limit will generally be treated as NSOs. No ISO may be granted to any person who, at the time of the grant, owns or is deemed to own stock possessing more than 10% of the Company’s total combined voting power or that of any of the Company’s affiliates unless (a) the option exercise price is at least 110% of the fair market value of Common Stock on the date of grant and (b) the term of the ISO does not exceed five years from the date of grant.
Stock Appreciation Rights. A stock appreciation right provides the recipient with the right to the appreciation in a specified number of shares of stock. The Incentive Plan Administrator determines the exercise price of stock appreciation rights granted under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, which may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of Common Stock on the date of grant. A stock appreciation right may have a term of up to 10 years and will generally expire sooner if the recipient’s service terminates. SARs will vest at the rate determined by the Incentive Plan Administrator. Upon exercise of a SAR, the recipient will receive an amount in cash, stock, or a combination of stock and cash determined by the Incentive Plan Administrator, equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares being exercised over their exercise price.
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Restricted Stock Awards. Shares of restricted stock may be issued under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan and may be subject to vesting, as determined by the Incentive Plan Administrator. Recipients of restricted stock generally have all of the rights of a shareholder with respect to those shares, including voting rights and dividends, except as provided in the award agreement.
Restricted Stock Units. A restricted stock unit is a right to receive a share, at no cost to the recipient, upon satisfaction of certain conditions, including vesting conditions, established by the Incentive Plan Administrator. RSUs vest at the rate determined by the Incentive Plan Administrator and any unvested RSUs will generally be forfeited upon termination of the recipient’s service. Settlement of restricted stock units may be made in the form of cash, stock or a combination of cash and stock, as provided in the award agreement and as determined by the Incentive Plan Administrator. Recipients of restricted stock units generally will have no voting or dividend rights prior to the time the vesting conditions are satisfied, and the award is settled.
Performance Share Award. A performance share award is a right to receive a share or share units based upon the Company’s performance during a specified performance period, as determined by the Incentive Plan Administrator. The Incentive Plan Administrator has the discretion to determine: (i) the number of shares or stock-denominated units subject to a Performance Share Award granted to any recipient; (ii) the performance period applicable to any award; (iii) the conditions that must be satisfied for a recipient to earn an award; and (iv) the other terms, conditions and restrictions of the award.
Cash Awards and Other Equity-Based Awards. The Incentive Plan Administrator may grant cash awards and other awards based in whole or in part by reference to Common Stock, either alone or in tandem with other awards. The Incentive Plan Administrator will determine the terms and conditions of any such awards.
Changes to Capital Structure. In the event of certain changes in capitalization, including a stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, or an extraordinary corporate transaction such as any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, or exchange, proportionate adjustments will be made in the number and kind of shares available for issuance under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, the limit on the number of shares that may be issued under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan as ISOs, the number and kind of shares subject to each outstanding award and/or the exercise price of each outstanding award.
Change in Control. If the Company is party to certain change in control transactions, each outstanding award will be treated as the Incentive Plan Administrator determines, which may include the continuation, assumption or substitution of an outstanding award, the cancellation of an outstanding award after an opportunity to exercise or the cancellation of an outstanding award in exchange for a payment equal to the value of the shares subject to such award less any applicable exercise price.
Transferability of Awards. Unless the Incentive Plan Administrator determines otherwise, an award generally will not be transferable other than by beneficiary designation, a will or the laws of descent and distribution. The Incentive Plan Administrator may permit transfer of an award in a manner consistent with applicable law.
Amendment and Termination. The Board may amend or terminate the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan at any time. Any such amendment or termination will not affect outstanding awards. If not sooner terminated, the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan will automatically terminate 10 years after its adoption by the Board. Shareholder approval is not required for any amendment of the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, unless required by applicable law, government regulation or exchange listing standards.
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Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
On occasion we may engage in certain related party transactions. All prior related party transactions were approved by our board of directors and a majority of our issued and outstanding shares of capital stock. Upon the consummation of offering, our policy is that all related party transactions will be reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors prior to our entering into any related party transactions.
License Agreement
On April 1, 2020, we entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Lucyd Ltd., the majority stockholder of the Company, for the use of the Lucyd brand, and the associated intellectual property and assets (the “License Agreement”). The License Agreement is royalty-free, fully paid up, and perpetual license for the exclusive use of certain assets of Lucyd Ltd. related to Innovative Eyewear current products and trademarks. As compensation for entrance into the License Agreement, we issued Lucyd Ltd. 3,750,000 shares of our common stock. On October 5, 2021, the parties to the License Agreement executed an Addendum, to the exclusive license agreement, which clarified that Innovative Eyewear shall commercialize, continue with any on-going intellectual property prosecutions and pay all maintenance or other patent fees (the “Addendum”). For all new intellectual property, Innovative Eyewear will own control it and be responsible for all prosecution and maintenance costs. The Addendum also confirms that Innovative Eyewear issued Lucyd Ltd. 3,750,000 shares of its common stock as consideration for the license. Please see “Business Material Agreements” for a more complete description of the License Agreement and Addendum.
Management Service Agreement
On June 1, 2020, we entered into a management service agreement with Tekcapital Europe Ltd., an affiliate of our majority stockholder, Lucyd Ltd., whose Chief Executive Officer is the father of our Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to which we agreed to pay Tekcapital Europe Ltd. $25,000 per fiscal quarter for rent-free office space, utilities, advisory services and any other services in accordance with Tekcapital Europe Ltd.’s areas of expertise. The management agreement provided for a perpetual term, with the right of either party to terminate for any reason with 30 days’ notice. Effective February 1, 2022, the original management service agreement was amended to have us billed at $35,000 quarterly for advisory and other services, and in addition, Tekcapital Europe Ltd. began to bill us for an allocation of rent paid by Tekcapital Europe Ltd. on our behalf.
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we incurred $140,000 and $100,000, respectively, under our management services agreement with Tekcapital Europe Ltd., and we also recognized $74,442 of rent expense for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Convertible Note Financing
On December 1, 2020, we issued a convertible note for an aggregate principal amount of up to $2,000,000 to Lucyd Ltd., the majority stockholder of the Company (the “Note”).
On June 1, 2021, we completed the partial conversion of an aggregate of $778,500 of the outstanding balance on the Note, at $1.00 per share, into an aggregate of 778,500 shares of common stock. On September 5, 2021, we completed the partial conversion of an aggregate of $500,002 of the outstanding balance on the Note, at $3.56 per share, into an aggregate of 140,449 shares of common stock.
On November 1, 2021, we executed an amended and restated Note, increasing the amount of available financing from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. On November 16, 2021, we completed the partial conversion of an aggregate of $901,271 of the outstanding balance of the Note, at $3.56 per share, into an aggregate of 253,166 shares of common stock.
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On August 15, 2022, in connection with our initial public offering, we completed the partial conversion of an aggregate of $2,002,280 of the outstanding balance of the Note, at $7.50 per share, into an aggregate of 266,970 shares of common stock. As of the date of this prospectus, $0 remains outstanding on the Note.
The Note has an interest rate of 10.0% per annum, is unsecured, matures on December 1, 2023 and provides for conversion, at the election of Lucyd Ltd., into our common stock upon the earlier of (i) the Company consummating an equity financing pursuant to which it raises an aggregate amount of not less than $750,000, (ii) the Company entering into a transaction pursuant to which the Company sells not less than 10% of the Company’s shares, excluding any and all convertible notes which are convertible into shares, (iii) the Company lists its shares on a national securities exchange or (iv) the holder determines to convert the Note. The Note can be converted by the Holder using the price of either (i) the per share purchase price paid for by investors under the terms of recent equity financing, (ii) the closing price of the Company’s trading shares on the relevant public exchange for the day immediately preceding the date of conversion of the Note or (iii) the valuation of the last equity investment. The principal amount and accrued but unpaid interest under each note will automatically convert into shares of our common stock at the stated conversion price per share.
Intercompany Loan and Debt Transfer Agreements
On June 1, 2021, we entered into an intercompany loan and debt transfer agreement, whereby Lucyd Ltd, Tekcapital plc, Tekcapital Europe Ltd or Tekcapital LLC incurred a debt on behalf of the Company in the amount of $387,328. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, there is no interest payable on the amount of the debt outstanding, unless we agree otherwise with Lucyd Ltd. The debt, along with any accrued interest and other amounts that may be due in connection with the debt, is repayable by the Company upon demand from Lucyd Ltd, at any time, unless we agree otherwise with Lucyd Ltd. The Company may prepay the whole or any part of the debt at any time unless we agree otherwise.
On September 5, 2021, we entered into an intercompany loan and debt transfer agreement, whereby Lucyd Ltd, Tekcapital plc, Tekcapital Europe Ltd or Tekcapital LLC incurred a debt on behalf of the Company in the amount of $500,002. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, there is no interest payable on the amount of the debt outstanding, unless we agree otherwise with Lucyd Ltd. The debt, along with any accrued interest and other amounts that may be due in connection with the debt, is repayable by the Company upon demand from Lucyd Ltd, at any time, unless we agree otherwise with Lucyd Ltd. The Company may prepay the whole or any part of the debt at any time unless we agree otherwise.
See “Executive Compensation” regarding the employment agreements with Harrison Gross and Konrad Dabrowski.
Statement of Policy
All future transactions between us and our officers, directors or five percent stockholders, and respective affiliates will be on terms no less favorable than could be obtained from unaffiliated third parties and will be approved by a majority of our independent directors who do not have an interest in the transactions and who had access, at our expense, to our legal counsel or independent legal counsel.
To the best of our knowledge, during the past three fiscal years, other than as set forth above, there were no material transactions, or series of similar transactions, or any currently proposed transactions, or series of similar transactions, to which we were or are to be a party, in which the amount involved exceeds the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed financial years, and in which any director or executive officer, or any security holder who is known by us to own of record or beneficially more than 5% of any class of our common stock, or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons, has an interest (other than compensation to our officers and directors in the ordinary course of business).
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Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and
Related Stockholder Matters
Based solely upon information made available to us, the following table sets forth information as of June 7, 2023, regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock:
● | each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding shares of common stock; |
● | each of our named executive officers and directors; and |
● | all our executive officers and directors as a group. |
The address of each holder listed in the following table, except as otherwise indicated, is 11900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 630, North Miami, Florida, 33181.
Name of Beneficial Owner | Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned(1) |
Percent of Common Stock Beneficially Owned(a) |
Pro Forma Percent of Common Stock Beneficially Owned(b) |
|||||||||
Named Executive Officers and Directors | ||||||||||||
Harrison Gross(2) | 806,371 | 8.74 | % | 4.93 | % | |||||||
Konrad Dabrowski(3) | 68,318 | * | % | * | % | |||||||
David Eric Cohen(4) | 58,318 | * | % | * | % | |||||||
Frank Rescigna(5) | 25,000 | * | % | * | % | |||||||
Kristen McLaughlin(6) | 25,000 | * | % | * | % | |||||||
Louis Castro(7) | 45,000 | * | % | * | % | |||||||
Olivia Bartlett(8) | 25,000 | * | % | * | % | |||||||
All directors and executive officers as a group (7 persons) | 1,053,007 | 11.12 | % | 6.34 | % | |||||||
5% Stockholders | ||||||||||||
Lucyd Ltd.(9) | 5,189,085 | 61.65 | % | 33.35 | % |
* | Less than 1%. |
(a) | Percentage ownership shown in this column is based on 8,417,239 shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 7, 2023. |
(b) | Percentage ownership shown in this column (pro forma) is based on 15,560,096 shares of common stock outstanding (8,417,239 shares of our common stock as of June 7, 2023, plus our issuance and sale of 7,142,857 shares of our common stock in this offering). |
(1) | We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which is generally determined by voting power and/or dispositive power with respect to securities. Unless otherwise noted, the shares of common stock listed above are owned as of the date of June 7, 2023, and are owned of record by each individual named as beneficial owner and such individual has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to the shares of common stock owned by each of them. |
(2) | Includes 806,371 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options held by Mr. Gross exercisable within 60 days of the date of June 7, 2023. |
(3) | Includes 68,318 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options held by Mr. Dabrowski exercisable within 60 days of the date of June 7, 2023. |
(4) | Includes 58,318 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options held by Mr. Cohen exercisable within 60 days of the date of June 7, 2023. |
(5) | Includes 25,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options held by Mr. Rescigna exercisable within 60 days of the date of June 7, 2023. |
(6) | Includes 25,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options held by Ms. McLaughlin exercisable within 60 days of the date of June 7, 2023. |
(7) | Includes 45,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options held by Mr. Castro exercisable within 60 days of the date of June 7, 2023. |
(8) | Includes 25,000 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of stock options held by Ms. Bartlett exercisable within 60 days of the date of June 7, 2023. |
(9) | Tekcapital plc, a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange, owns all issued and outstanding securities of Tekcapital Europe Ltd., which owns all issued and outstanding securities of Lucyd Ltd. As such, Tekcapital plc may be deemed to beneficially own the shares held by Lucyd Ltd. by virtue of their control over Lucyd Ltd. Tekcapital plc disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by Lucyd Ltd. Mr. Clifford Gross, the Chief Executive Officer of Tekcapital plc, is the father of Mr. Harrison Gross, our Chief Executive Officer. |
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Description of CAPITAL STOCK
General
Pursuant to our second amended and restated articles of incorporation, our authorized capital stock consists of fifty million (50,000,000) shares of Common Stock, $0.00001 par value and fifteen million (15,000,000) shares of preferred stock, $0.00001 par value. As of the date of this prospectus, there are 8,417,239 shares of common stock outstanding. In addition, as of the date of this prospectus, we had outstanding options to purchase an aggregate of 2,464,500 shares of our common stock, at a weighted average exercise price equal to $2.39 per share. Our authorized but unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock are available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded in the future. The following description summarizes the material terms of our capital stock. Because it is only a summary, it may not contain all the information that is important to you.
Common Stock
As of June 7, 2023, 8,417,239 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding held by 3,787 stockholders of record. Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and are not entitled to cumulative voting rights.
Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared by our Board of Directors out of funds legally available therefor, subject to any preferential distribution rights of third parties. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably our net assets available after the payment of all debts and other liabilities.
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock. All of the outstanding shares of our common stock are fully-paid and nonassessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of any indebtedness of our company.
Stock Options
As of the date of this prospectus, we had reserved the following shares of common stock for issuance:
● | 2,464,500 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under stock option agreements with a weighted average exercise price of $2.39 per share; and | |
● | 165,931 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan. |
Warrants Issued in our Initial Public Offering
In connection with our initial public offering, we sold Listed Warrants to purchase up to 2,254,000 shares of our common stock, of which 1,080,280 remain outstanding as of the date of this prospectus. The Listed Warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq and trade under the symbol “LUCYW.” The terms of the Listed Warrants sold in our initial public offering are described below. The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the warrants offered in our initial public offering is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by the provisions of the form of warrant, which was filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
Representative’s Warrants Issued in our Initial Public Offering
In connection with our initial public offering, we agreed to sell to the representative of the underwriters, for nominal consideration, warrants to purchase 58,800 shares of our common stock as additional consideration to the underwriters. The underwriters’ warrants have an exercise price of $8.228 per share and are exercisable for a period of five years and contain customary “cashless” exercise and registration rights provisions. The warrant issued to the underwriters were exercisable as of February 10, 2023.
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Florida Law and Certain Charter and Bylaw Provisions
Florida Anti-Takeover Law. As a Florida corporation, we are subject to certain anti-takeover provisions that apply to public corporations under Florida law.
Pursuant to Section 607.0901 of the Florida Business Corporation Act, or the FBCA, a publicly held Florida corporation may not engage in a broad range of business combinations or other extraordinary corporate transactions with an interested shareholder without the approval of the holders of two-thirds of the voting shares of the corporation (excluding shares held by the interested shareholder), unless:
● | The transaction is approved by a majority of disinterested directors before the shareholder becomes an interested shareholder; |
● | The interested shareholder has owned at least 80% of the corporation’s outstanding voting shares for at least five years preceding the announcement date of any such business combination; |
● | The interested shareholder is the beneficial owner of at least 90% of the outstanding voting shares of the corporation, exclusive of shares acquired directly from the corporation in a transaction not approved by a majority of the disinterested directors; or |
● | The consideration paid to the holders of the corporation’s voting stock is at least equal to certain fair price criteria. |
An interested shareholder is defined as a person who, together with affiliates and associates, beneficially owns more than 10% of a corporation’s outstanding voting shares. We have not made an election in our second amended and restated articles of incorporation to opt out of Section 607.0901.
In addition, we are subject to Section 607.0902 of the FBCA which prohibits the voting of shares in a publicly held Florida corporation that are acquired in a control share acquisition unless (i) the board of directors approved such acquisition prior to its consummation or (ii) after such acquisition, in lieu of prior approval by the board of directors, the holders of a majority of the corporation’s voting shares, exclusive of shares owned by officers of the corporation, employee directors or the acquiring party, approve the granting of voting rights as to the shares acquired in the control share acquisition. A control share acquisition is defined as an acquisition that immediately thereafter entitles the acquiring party to 20% or more of the total voting power in an election of directors.
Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.
Our second amended and restated articles of incorporation and second amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that could have the effect of discouraging potential acquisition proposals or tender offers or delaying or preventing a change of control of our company. These provisions are as follows:
● | they provide that special meetings of shareholders may be called by the board of directors, on the call of its board of directors or the person or persons authorized to do so by the second amended and restated bylaws, or at the request in writing by shareholders of record owning at least 25% of the issued and outstanding voting shares of common stock; and |
● | they do not include a provision for cumulative voting in the election of directors. Under cumulative voting, a minority shareholder holding a sufficient number of shares may be able to ensure the election of one or more directors. The absence of cumulative voting may have the effect of limiting the ability of minority shareholders to effect changes in the board of directors. |
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Elimination of Monetary Liability for Officers and Directors
Pursuant to the FBCA, our second amended and restated articles of incorporation exclude personal liability for our directors for monetary damages based upon any violation of their fiduciary duties as directors, except as to liability for any breach of the duty of loyalty, acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, or any transaction from which a director receives an improper personal benefit. This exclusion of liability does not limit any right which a director may have to be indemnified and does not affect any director’s liability under federal or applicable state securities laws. We have agreed to indemnify our directors against expenses, judgments, and amounts paid in settlement in connection with any claim against a director if he acted in good faith and in a manner he believed to be in our best interests.
Indemnification of Officers and Directors
Our second amended and restated articles of incorporation also contain provisions to indemnify the directors, officers, employees or other agents to the fullest extent permitted by the FBCA. These provisions may have the practical effect in certain cases of eliminating the ability of shareholders to collect monetary damages from directors. We are also a party to indemnification agreements with each of our directors. We believe that these provisions will assist us in attracting or retaining qualified individuals to serve as our directors.
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 pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The name, address and telephone number of our stock transfer agent is VStock Transfer, LLC, 18 Lafayette Pl, Woodmere, New York 11598, (212) 828-8436.
Listing
Our common stock and the Listed Warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “LUCY” and “LUCYW”, respectively.
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description of securities we are offering
We are offering up to 7,142,857 shares of our common stock and Common Warrants to purchase up to 7,142,857 shares of common stock. We are also offering Pre-Funded Warrants to those purchasers whose purchase of shares of common stock in this offering would result in the purchaser, together with its affiliates and certain related parties, beneficially owning more than 4.99% (or, at the election of the purchaser, 9.99%) of our outstanding shares of common stock following the consummation of this offering in lieu of the shares of common stock that would result in such excess ownership. Each Pre-Funded Warrant will be exercisable for one share of common stock. For each Pre-Funded Warrant we sell, the number of shares of common stock we are offering will be decreased on a one-for-one basis. No warrant for fractional shares of common stock will be issued, rather warrants will be issued only for whole shares of common stock. We are also registering the shares of common stock issuable from time to time upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants offered hereby.
Common Stock
The material terms and provisions of our common stock are described under the caption “Description of Capital Stock” in this prospectus.
Common Warrants
The following is a summary of certain terms and provisions of the Common Warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the Common Warrant, the form of which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of Common Warrant for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the Common Warrants.
Duration and Exercise Price
Each Common Warrant offered hereby will have an exercise price equal to $ (representing 100% of the price at which a share of common stock and accompanying Common Warrant are sold to the public in this offering). The Common Warrants will be immediately exercisable and may be exercised until the fifth anniversary of the issuance date. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our common stock and the exercise price. The Common Warrants will be issued separately from the common stock or Pre-Funded Warrants, respectively, and may be transferred separately immediately thereafter. The Common Warrants will be issued in certificated form only.
Exercisability
The Common Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of our common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of such holder’s Common Warrants to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding common stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of ownership of outstanding stock after exercising the holder’s Common Warrants up to 9.99% of the number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Common Warrants.
Cashless Exercise
If, at the time a holder exercises its Common Warrants, a registration statement registering the issuance or resale of the shares of common stock underlying the Common Warrants under the Securities Act is not then effective or available for the issuance of such shares, then in lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the net number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the Common Warrant.
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Fundamental Transactions
In the event of any fundamental transaction, as described in the Common Warrants and generally including any merger or consolidation with or into another entity, sale of all or substantially all of our assets, tender offer or exchange offer, or reclassification of our common stock, then upon any subsequent exercise of a Common Warrant, the holder will have the right to receive as alternative consideration, for each share of our common stock that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such fundamental transaction, the number of shares of common stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of our company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration receivable upon or as a result of such transaction by a holder of the number of shares of our common stock for which the Common Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such event. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a fundamental transaction, the holders of the Common Warrants have the right to require us or a successor entity to redeem the Common Warrants for cash in the amount of the Black-Scholes Value (as defined in each Common Warrant) of the remaining unexercised portion of the Common Warrants on the date of the consummation of such fundamental transaction, concurrently with or within 30 days following the consummation of a fundamental transaction.
However, in the event of a fundamental transaction which is not in our control, including a fundamental transaction not approved by our board of directors, the holders of the Common Warrants will only be entitled to receive from us or our successor entity, as of the date of consummation of such fundamental transaction the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of the Common Warrant that is being offered and paid to the holders of our common stock in connection with the fundamental transaction, whether that consideration is in the form of cash, stock or any combination of cash and stock, or whether the holders of our common stock are given the choice to receive alternative forms of consideration in connection with the fundamental transaction.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, a Common Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Common Warrant to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer.
Fractional Shares
No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon the exercise of the Common Warrants. Rather, the number of shares of common stock to be issued will, at our election, either be rounded up to the nearest whole number or we will pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price.
Trading Market
There is no established trading market for the Common Warrants, and we do not expect an active trading market to develop. We do not intend to apply to list the Common Warrants on any securities exchange or other trading market. Without a trading market, the liquidity of the Common Warrants will be extremely limited.
Right as a Stockholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Common Warrants or by virtue of the holder’s ownership of shares of our common stock, such holder of Common Warrants does not have the rights or privileges of a holder of our common stock, including any voting rights, until such holder exercises such holder’s Common Warrants.
Waivers and Amendments
No term of the Common Warrants may be amended or waived without the written consent of the majority of the holders of the Common Warrants purchased in this offering.
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Pre-Funded Warrants
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the Pre-Funded Warrants that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the Pre-Funded Warrant, the form of which will be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of Pre-Funded Warrant for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
Duration and Exercise Price
Each Pre-Funded Warrant offered hereby will have an initial exercise price per share of common stock equal to $0.00001. The Pre-Funded Warrants will be immediately exercisable and will expire when exercised in full. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of share dividends, share splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our shares of common stock and the exercise price.
Exercisability
The Pre-Funded Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of shares of common stock purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the Pre-Funded Warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of common stock immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of beneficial ownership of outstanding shares after exercising the holder’s Pre-Funded Warrants up to 9.99% of the number of our shares of common stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Pre-Funded Warrants. Purchasers of Pre-Funded Warrants in this offering may also elect prior to the issuance of the pre- funded warrants to have the initial exercise limitation set at 9.99% of our outstanding shares of common stock.
Cashless Exercise
In lieu of making the cash payment otherwise contemplated to be made to us upon such exercise in payment of the aggregate exercise price, the holder may elect instead to receive upon such exercise (either in whole or in part) the number of shares of common stock determined according to a formula set forth in the Pre-Funded Warrants.
Fractional Shares
No fractional shares of common stock will be issued upon the exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
Rather, at the Company’s election, the number of shares of common stock to be issued will be rounded up to the nearest whole number or the Company will pay a cash adjustment in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the exercise price.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, a Pre-Funded Warrant may be transferred at the option of the holder upon surrender of the Pre-Funded Warrants to us together with the appropriate instruments of transfer.
Trading Market
There is no trading market available for the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system, and we do not expect a trading market to develop. We do not intend to list the Pre-Funded Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading market. Without a trading market, the liquidity of the Pre-Funded Warrants will be extremely limited. The shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants are currently traded on Nasdaq.
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Right as a Shareholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Pre-Funded Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of shares of common stock, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our shares of common stock, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Pre-Funded Warrants. The Pre-Funded Warrants will provide that holders have the right to participate in distributions or dividends paid on our shares of common stock.
Fundamental Transaction
In the event of a fundamental transaction, as described in the Pre-Funded Warrants and generally including any reorganization, recapitalization or reclassification of our shares of common stock, the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of our properties or assets, our consolidation or merger with or into another person, the acquisition of more than 50% of our outstanding securities, or any person or group becoming the beneficial owner of 50% of the voting power represented by our outstanding shares of securities, the holders of the Pre-Funded Warrants will be entitled to receive upon exercise of the pre- funded warrants the kind and amount of securities, cash or other property that the holders would have received had they exercised the Pre-Funded Warrants immediately prior to such fundamental transaction on a net exercise basis.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We are offering on a best efforts basis up to 7,142,857 Units, at an assumed offering price of $2.10 per Unit, which is equal to the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on June 7, 2023 pursuant to this prospectus, for gross proceeds of up to approximately $15 million before deduction of placement agent commissions and offering expenses, in a best-efforts offering. There is no minimum amount of proceeds that is a condition to closing of this offering. The actual amount of gross proceeds, if any, in this offering could vary substantially from the gross proceeds from the sale of the maximum amount of securities being offered in this prospectus.
Because this is a best-efforts offering, the placement agent does not have an obligation to purchase any securities. We expect that the offering will end two trading days after we first enter into a securities purchase agreement relating to the offering and the offering will settle delivery versus payment (“DVP”)/receipt versus payment (“RVP”). Accordingly, we and the placement agent have not made any arrangements to place investor funds in an escrow account or trust account since the placement agent will not receive investor funds in connection with the sale of the securities offered hereunder.
Pursuant to a placement agency agreement, we have engaged Maxim Group LLC to act as our exclusive placement agent (“Maxim” or the “placement agent”) to solicit offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus. The placement agent is not purchasing or selling any securities, nor is it required to arrange for the purchase and sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities, other than to use its “reasonable best efforts” to arrange for the sale of the securities by us. Therefore, we may not sell the entire amount of securities being offered.
We will enter into a securities purchase agreement directly with the investors, at the investor’s option, who purchase our securities in this offering. Investors who do not enter into a securities purchase agreement shall rely solely on this prospectus in connection with the purchase of our securities in this offering. The placement agent may engage one or more subagents or selected dealers in connection with this offering.
The placement agency agreement provides that the placement agent’s obligations are subject to conditions contained in the placement agency agreement.
We will deliver the securities being issued to the investors upon receipt of investor funds for the purchase of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. We expect to deliver the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus DVP/RVP on or about two trading days after we first enter into a securities purchase agreement relating to the offering.
Placement Agent Fees, Commissions and Expenses
Upon the closing of this offering, we will pay the placement agent a cash transaction fee equal to 7.0% of the aggregate gross cash proceeds to us from the sale of the securities in the offering, and we agreed to reimburse the placement agent for certain out-of-pocket expenses of the placement agent payable by us, in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100,000.
The following table shows the public offering price, placement agent fees and proceeds, before expenses, to us.
Per Unit | Total | |||||||
Public Offering Price | $ | $ | ||||||
Placement Agent fees (7.0%) | $ | $ | ||||||
Proceeds, before expenses, to us | $ | $ |
We estimate that the total expenses of the offering, including registration, filing and listing fees, printing fees and legal and accounting expenses, but excluding the placement agent commission, will be approximately $259,000, all of which are payable by us. This figure includes, among other things, the placement agent’s fees and expenses (including the legal fees, costs and expenses for the placement agent’s legal counsel) up to $100,000.
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Placement Agent Warrants
We have also agreed to issue to the placement agent (or its permitted designees) common stock purchase warrants exercisable for a number of shares of our common stock equal to 4.0% of the total Units sold in this offering. The placement agent warrants will be registered as part of this registration statement and will be exercisable at any time, and from time to time, in whole or in part, commencing on the date that is 180 days from the commencement of sales of the securities in this offering, which is also the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, which period is in compliance with applicable FINRA rules and expiring on the five year anniversary of the commencement of sales of the securities in this offering. The placement agent warrants will be exercisable at a price equal to 125.0% of the public offering price of the Units. The placement agent 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 placement agent (or permitted assignees under FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2)) will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge, or hypothecate these placement agent warrants or the shares of common stock underlying the placement agent 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 placement agent warrants or the underlying shares of common stock for a period commencing 180 days from the commencement of sales of the securities, except that they may be assigned, in whole or in part, to any officer or partner, registered person or affiliate of the placement agent. The placement agent warrants shall not be redeemable and shall provide for cashless exercise in certain cases. The placement agent warrants will contain a provision for unlimited “piggyback” registration rights for a period of three (3) years following the commencement of sales in this offering. The placement agent warrants shall also further provide for anti-dilution protection (adjustment in the number and price of such warrants and the shares of our common stock underlying such warrants) resulting from certain corporate events (which would include dividends, reorganizations, mergers, etc.) and future issuance of common stock or common stock equivalents at prices (or with exercise and/or conversion prices) below the offering price per Unit in this offering.
Lock-Up Agreements
Each of our officers and directors and our largest shareholder have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common stock for a period of ninety (90) days after this offering is completed without the prior written consent of the placement agent. Additionally, we have agreed, subject to certain exceptions, not to offer, issue, sell, contract to sell, encumber, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise dispose of any shares of our common stock or other securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our common stock for a period of six (6) months after this offering is completed without the prior written consent of the placement agent (the “Lock-Up Period”), provided, however, if the aggregate gross proceeds from the offering are less than $5,000,000, the Lock-Up period shall be reduced from six (6) months to ninety (90) days.
The placement agent may in its sole discretion and at any time without notice release some or all of the shares subject to lock-up agreements prior to the expiration of the lock-up period. When determining whether or not to release shares from the lock-up agreements, the placement agent will consider, among other factors, the security holder’s reasons for requesting the release, the number of shares for which the release is being requested and market conditions at the time.
Indemnification
We have agreed to indemnify the placement agent against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to contribute to payments that the placement agent may be required to make for these liabilities.
Other Compensation
If within nine (9) months following the closing of this offering, we complete any financing of equity, equity-linked, convertible or debt or other capital-raising activity for which Maxim is not acting as underwriter or placement agent (other than the exercise by any person or entity of any options, warrants or other convertible securities) with any of the investors that were directly contacted or introduced to us by Maxim during the period from March 14, 2023 until November 30,2023, then we shall pay to Maxim upon the closing of such financing or receipt of such proceeds the compensation described in this Plan of Distribution, in each case only with respect to the portion of such financing received from such investors.
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Right of First Refusal
Pursuant to the terms of the placement agency agreement, subject to the closing of this offering, for a period of twelve (12) months after the commencement of sales of securities in this offering to the public in this offering, but in no event after the three year anniversary of the commencement of sales of securities in the Offering, Maxim shall have a right of first refusal to act as lead managing underwriter and book runner, lead placement agent, or lead sales agent, in each case with a minimum deal economics of seventy-five percent (75%), for any and all future public or private equity, equity-linked or debt (excluding commercial bank debt) offerings for which we retain the service of an underwriter, agent, advisor, finder or other person or entity in connection with such offering during such twelve (12) month period for us, or any successor to us or any of our subsidiaries. We shall not offer to retain any entity or person in connection with any such offering on terms more favorable than terms on which we offer to retain Maxim. Such offer shall be made in writing in order to be effective. Maxim shall notify us within ten (10) business days of its receipt of the written offer contemplated above as to whether or not it agrees to accept such retention. If Maxim should decline such retention, we shall have no further obligations to Maxim with respect to the offering for which we have offered to retain Maxim.
Regulation M
The placement agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, and any commissions received by it and any profit realized on the resale of the securities sold by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As an underwriter, the placement agent would be required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of our securities by the placement agent acting as principal. Under these rules and regulations, the placement agent (i) may not engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities and (ii) may not bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the Exchange Act, until it has completed its participation in the distribution.
Determination of Offering Price and Warrant Exercise Price
The actual offering price of the securities we are offering, and the exercise price of the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants included in the Units and Pre-Funded Units that we are offering, were negotiated between us, the placement agent and the investors in the offering based on the trading of our shares of common stock prior to the offering, among other things. Other factors considered in determining the public offering price of the securities we are offering, as well as the exercise price of the Common Warrants that we are offering include our history and prospects, 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, the general conditions of the securities markets at the time of the offering and such other factors as were deemed relevant.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on a website maintained by the placement agent. In connection with the offering, the placement agent or selected dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically. No forms of electronic prospectus other than prospectuses that are printable as Adobe® PDF will be used in connection with this offering.
Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the placement agent’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by the placement agent is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the placement agent in its capacity as placement agent and should not be relied upon by investors.
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Certain Relationships
The placement agent and its affiliates have and may in the future provide, from time to time, investment banking and financial advisory services to us in the ordinary course of business, for which they may receive customary fees and commissions.
On August 17, 2022, we consummated our initial public offering (the “IPO”) of 980,000 units at a price to the public of $7.50 per unit, each unit consisting of one share of our common stock and two warrants, with each warrant exercisable to acquire one share of our common stock. Maxim acted as the sole book-running manager in connection with the IPO. We received gross proceeds of approximately $7.35 million in the IPO, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions payable to Maxim of seven percent (7%) and non-accountable expenses of one percent (1%) of the gross proceeds and estimated IPO expenses. We also issued to Maxim warrants to purchase up to 58,800 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $8.228 per share. In addition, for a period of eighteen (18) months after the closing of the IPO, we granted to Maxim a right of first refusal to act as underwriter and book-running manager and/or placement agent for any and all future public or private equity and debt (excluding commercial bank debt and other customary exceptions) offerings undertaken during such period by us, or any of our successors or subsidiaries.
On April 17, 2023, we entered into a warrant exercise inducement letter agreement (“Inducement Letter”) with a certain accredited investor that is an existing holder of the warrants that we issued in the IPO to purchase an aggregate of 150,000 shares of our common stock for cash (the “Existing Warrants”), wherein the investor agreed to exercise all of its Existing Warrants at an exercise price of $3.75 per share. For acting as a financial advisor related to the Inducement Letter, we agreed to pay Maxim Group LLC a cash fee equal to eight percent (8.0%) of the total proceeds from the exercise of the Existing Warrants. The gross proceeds of the exercise of the Existing Warrants to the Company, before deducting estimated expenses and fees, were $562,000 and Maxim received a fee of $45,000.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is VStock Transfer, LLC, whose address is 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, NY 11598 and telephone number is (212) 828-8436.
Listing
Our common stock and Listed Warrants are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “LUCY”, and our Listed Warrants are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “LUCYW”.
Selling Restrictions
Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the placement agent that would permit a public offering of the securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by this prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such securities be distributed or published, in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.
Australia. No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), in relation to the offering.
This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001 (the Corporations Act) and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.
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Any offer in Australia of the securities may only be made to persons (the Exempt Investors) who are “sophisticated investors” (within the meaning of section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), “professional investors” (within the meaning of section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the securities without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.
The securities applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring securities must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.
This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.
Brazil. The offer of securities described in this prospectus will not be carried out by means that would constitute a public offering in Brazil under Law No. 6,385, of December 7, 1976, as amended, under the CVM Rule (Instrução) No. 400, of December 29, 2003. The offer and sale of the securities have not been and will not be registered with the Comissão de Valores Móbilearios in Brazil. The securities have not been offered or sold, and will not be offered or sold in Brazil, except in circumstances that do not constitute a public offering or distribution under Brazilian laws and regulations.
Canada. The securities may be sold in Canada 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.
Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus supplement (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.
Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33 105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33 105), the placement agent is not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.
Cayman Islands. No invitation, whether directly or indirectly, may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for our securities.
European Economic Area. In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a “Relevant Member State”) an offer to the public of any securities may not be made in that Relevant Member State, except that an offer to the public in that Relevant Member State of any securities may be made at any time under the following exemptions under the Prospectus Directive, if they have been implemented in that Relevant Member State:
● | to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; |
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● | to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150, natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the representatives 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 us or any placement agent of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive. |
For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public” in relation to any securities in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase any securities, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State, the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State, and the expression “2010 PD Amending Directive” means Directive 2010/73/EU.
Hong Kong. The contents of this prospectus have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. You are advised to exercise caution in relation to the offer. If you are in any doubt about any of the contents of this prospectus, you should obtain independent professional advice. Please note that (i) our shares may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong, by means of this prospectus or any document other than to “professional investors” within the meaning of Part I of Schedule 1 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) (SFO) and any rules made thereunder, or in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong) (CO) or which do not constitute an offer or invitation to the public for the purpose of the CO or the SFO, and (ii) no advertisement, invitation or document relating to our shares may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere) which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to the shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the SFO and any rules made thereunder.
Israel. This document does not constitute a prospectus under the Israeli Securities Law, 5728-1968, or the Securities Law, and has not been filed with or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. In the State of Israel, this document is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, and any offer of the shares is directed only at, investors listed in the first addendum, or the Addendum, to the Israeli Securities Law, consisting primarily of joint investment in trust funds, provident funds, insurance companies, banks, portfolio managers, investment advisors, members of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, underwriters, venture capital funds, entities with equity in excess of NIS 50 million and “qualified individuals”, each as defined in the Addendum (as it may be amended from time to time), collectively referred to as qualified investors (in each case purchasing for their own account or, where permitted under the Addendum, for the accounts of their clients who are investors listed in the Addendum). Qualified investors will be required to submit written confirmation that they fall within the scope of the Addendum, are aware of the meaning of same and agree to it.
The People’s Republic of China. This prospectus may not be circulated or distributed in the PRC and the shares may not be offered or sold, and will not offer or sell to any person for re-offering or resale directly or indirectly to any resident of the PRC except pursuant to applicable laws, rules and regulations of the PRC. For the purpose of this paragraph only, the PRC does not include Taiwan and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
Switzerland. The securities may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (the 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 or marketing material relating to the securities or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.
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Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, or 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, and the offer of securities has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes (CISA). Accordingly, no public distribution, offering or advertising, as defined in CISA, its implementing ordinances and notices, and no distribution to any non-qualified investor, as defined in CISA, its implementing ordinances and notices, shall be undertaken in or from Switzerland, and the investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under CISA does not extend to acquirers of securities.
Taiwan. The securities have not been and will not be registered with the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan pursuant to relevant securities laws and regulations and may not be sold, issued or offered within Taiwan through a public offering or in circumstances which constitutes an offer within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act of Taiwan that requires a registration or approval of the Financial Supervisory Commission of Taiwan. No person or entity in Taiwan has been authorized to offer, sell, give advice regarding or otherwise intermediate the offering and sale of the securities in Taiwan.
United Kingdom. This prospectus has only been communicated or caused to have been communicated and will only be communicated or caused to be communicated as an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act of 2000, or the FSMA) as received in connection with the issue or sale of our common stock in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to us. All applicable provisions of the FSMA will be complied with in respect to anything done in relation to our common stock in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
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CERTAIN MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following is a general discussion of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of Units, consisting of shares of common stock and Common Warrants, the acquisition, ownership and disposition of units consisting of Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Warrants (such units are referred to in this discussion as “pre-funded units”), the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of shares of common stock acquired as part of the Units, the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of Pre-Funded Warrants acquired as part of the pre-funded units, the exercise, disposition, or expiration of Common Warrants acquired as part of the Units or pre-funded units, the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of shares of common stock received upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, and the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of shares of common stock received upon exercise of the Common Warrants (the “warrant shares”), all as acquired pursuant to this prospectus. This discussion is based on current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), existing and proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations promulgated or proposed thereunder and current administrative and judicial interpretations thereof, all as in effect as of the date of this prospectus and all of which are subject to change or to differing interpretation, possibly with retroactive effect. This summary does not discuss the potential effects, whether adverse or beneficial, of any proposed legislation that, if enacted, could be applied on a retroactive or prospective basis. We have not sought and will not seek any rulings from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position.
This discussion is limited to U.S. holders and non-U.S. holders who hold Units, pre-funded units, shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants, or warrant shares, as applicable, as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code (generally, as property held for investment). This discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation, such as the U.S. alternative minimum income tax and the additional tax on net investment income, nor does it address any aspect of state, local or non-U.S. taxes, or U.S. federal taxes other than income taxes, such as federal estate and gift taxes. Except as provided below, this summary does not address tax reporting requirements. This discussion does not consider any specific facts or circumstances that may apply to a holder and does not address the special tax considerations that may be applicable to particular holders, such as:
● | insurance companies; | |
● | tax-exempt organizations and governmental organizations; | |
● | banks or other financial institutions; | |
● | brokers or dealers in securities or foreign currency; | |
● | traders in securities who elect to apply a mark-to-market method of accounting; | |
● | real estate investment trusts, regulated investment companies or mutual funds; | |
● | pension plans; | |
● | controlled foreign corporations; | |
● | passive foreign investment companies; | |
● | corporations organized outside the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia that are nonetheless treated as U.S. persons for U.S. federal income tax purposes; | |
● | persons that own (directly, indirectly or constructively) more than 5% of the total voting power or total value of our common stock; | |
● | corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; | |
● | persons subject to the alternative minimum tax; |
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● | U.S. expatriates and certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States; | |
● | persons that have a “functional currency” other than the U.S. dollar; | |
● | persons that acquire Units, pre-funded units, shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants or warrant shares as compensation for services; | |
● | owners that hold our stock as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion transaction, synthetic security or other integrated investment; | |
● | holders subject to special accounting rules; | |
● | S corporations (and shareholders thereof); | |
● | partnerships or other entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes (and partners or other owners thereof); and | |
● | U.S. holders that are subject to taxing jurisdictions other than, or in addition to, the United States with respect to their Units, pre-funded units, shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants or warrant shares, or that hold such securities in connection with a trade or business, permanent establishment or fixed base outside the United States. |
If an entity or arrangement taxable as a partnership (or other “pass-through entity) for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our Units, pre-funded units, shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants or warrant shares, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of such entity (or arrangement) and the partners (or other owners) of such entity generally will depend on the status of the partners, the activities of the entity and certain determinations made at the partner level. This summary does not address the tax consequences to any such owner. Partners (or other owners) of entities or arrangements that are classified as partnerships or as “pass-through” entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal, U.S. federal net investment income, U.S. federal alternative minimum, U.S. federal estate and gift, U.S. state and local, and non-U.S. tax consequences arising from and relating to the acquisition, ownership, and disposition our Units, pre-funded units, shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants or warrant shares.
For purposes of this discussion, the term “U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of our Units, pre-funded units, shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants or warrant shares that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
● | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; | |
● | a corporation created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; | |
● | an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or | |
● | a trust, if (1) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) the trust has a valid election to be treated as a U.S. person under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations. |
A “non-U.S. holder” is a beneficial owner of our Units, pre-funded units, shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants or warrant shares that is neither a U.S. holder nor a partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes).
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THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT, AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND NON-U.S. INCOME, ESTATE AND OTHER TAX CONSIDERATIONS OF ACQUIRING, HOLDING AND DISPOSING OF OUR UNITS, PRE-FUNDED UNITS, SHARES OF COMMON STOCK, PRE-FUNDED WARRANTS, COMMON WARRANTS OR WARRANT SHARES.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Acquisition of Units or Pre-Funded Units
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the acquisition by a U.S. holder or a non-U.S. holder of a Unit will be treated as the acquisition of one share of common stock and one Common Warrant. The purchase price for each Unit will be allocated among these three components in proportion to their relative fair market values at the time the Unit is purchased by the U.S. holder or non-U.S. holder. This allocation of the purchase price for each Unit will establish a U.S. holder’s or non-U.S. holder’s initial tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the one share of common stock and one Common Warrant that comprise each Unit.
For this purpose, we will allocate $ of the purchase price for the Unit to the share of common stock and $ of the purchase price for each Unit to the Common Warrant. However, the IRS will not be bound by such allocation of the purchase price for the Units, and therefore, the IRS or a U.S. court may not respect the allocation set forth above. Each U.S. holder and non-U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the allocation of the purchase price for the Units.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the acquisition by a U.S. holder or a non-U.S. holder of a pre-funded unit will be treated as the acquisition of one Pre-Funded Warrant and one Common Warrant. The purchase price for each pre-funded unit will be allocated among these three components in proportion to their relative fair market values at the time the pre-funded unit is purchased by the U.S. holder or non-U.S. holder. This allocation of the purchase price for each pre-funded unit will establish a U.S. holder’s or non-U.S. holder’s initial tax basis for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the one Pre-Funded Warrant and one Common Warrant that comprise each pre-funded unit.
For this purpose, we will allocate $ of the purchase price for the pre-funded unit to the Pre-Funded Warrant and $ of the purchase price for each Unit to the Common Warrant. However, the IRS will not be bound by such allocation of the purchase price for the pre-funded units, and therefore, the IRS or a U.S. court may not respect the allocation set forth above. Each U.S. holder and non-U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the allocation of the purchase price for the pre-funded units.
Treatment of Pre-Funded Warrants
Although it is not entirely free from doubt, we believe that a Pre-Funded Warrant should be treated as a separate class of common shares for U.S. federal income tax purposes and a U.S. holder or non-U.S. holder of Pre-Funded Warrants should generally be taxed in the same manner as a holder of shares of common stock except as described below. Accordingly, no gain or loss should be recognized upon the exercise of a Pre-Funded Warrant and, upon exercise, the holding period of a Pre-Funded Warrant should carry over to the shares of common stock received. Similarly, the tax basis of the Pre-Funded Warrant should carry over to the shares of common stock received upon exercise, increased by the exercise price of $0.00001 per share. However, such characterization is not binding on the IRS, and the IRS may treat the Pre-Funded Warrants as warrants to acquire shares of common stock. If so, the amount and character of a U.S. holder’s or non-U.S. holder’s gain with respect to an investment in Pre-Funded Warrants could change. Accordingly, each U.S. holder and non-U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisors regarding the risks associated with the acquisition of a Pre-Funded Warrant pursuant to this prospectus (including potential alternative characterizations). The balance of this discussion generally assumes that the characterization described above is respected for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
In certain limited circumstances, a U.S. holder may be permitted to undertake a cashless exercise of Pre-Funded Warrants into shares of common stock. The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise of Pre-Funded Warrants into shares of common stock is unclear, and the tax consequences of a cashless exercise could differ from the consequences upon the exercise of a Pre-Funded Warrant described in the preceding paragraph. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of Pre-Funded Warrants.
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U.S. Holders
U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Exercise, Disposition or Expiration of Common Warrants or Certain Adjustments to the Common Warrants
Exercise of Common Warrants
A U.S. holder should not recognize gain or loss on the exercise of Common Warrants and related receipt of warrant shares (unless cash is received in lieu of the issuance of a fractional warrant share). A U.S. holder’s initial tax basis in the warrant shares received on the exercise of Common Warrants should be equal to the sum of (a) such U.S. holder’s tax basis in such Common Warrants plus (b) the exercise price paid by such U.S. holder on the exercise of such Common Warrants. It is unclear whether a U.S. holder’s holding period for the warrant shares received on the exercise of Common Warrants would commence on the date of exercise of the Common Warrants or the day following the date of exercise of the Common Warrants.
In certain limited circumstances, a U.S. holder may be permitted to undertake a cashless exercise of Common Warrants into warrant shares. The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise of Common Warrants into warrant shares is unclear, and the tax consequences of a cashless exercise could differ from the consequences upon the exercise of Common Warrants described in the preceding paragraph. U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of Common Warrants.
Disposition of Common Warrants
A U.S. holder will recognize gain or loss on the sale or other taxable disposition of a Common Warrants in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between (a) the amount of cash plus the fair market value of any property received and (b) such U.S. holder’s tax basis in the Common Warrant sold or otherwise disposed of. Any such gain or loss generally will be a capital gain or loss, which will be long-term capital gain or loss if the Common Warrant is held for more than one year. Deductions for capital losses are subject to complex limitations under the Internal Revenue Code.
Expiration of Common Warrants Without Exercise
Upon the lapse or expiration of a Common Warrants, a U.S. holder will recognize a loss in an amount equal to such U.S. holder’s tax basis in the Common Warrant. Any such loss generally will be a capital loss and will be long-term capital loss if the Common Warrant is held for more than one year. Deductions for capital losses are subject to complex limitations under the Internal Revenue Code.
Certain Adjustments to the Common Warrants
Under Section 305 of the Internal Revenue Code, an adjustment to the number of warrant shares that will be issued on the exercise of the Common Warrants, or an adjustment to the exercise price of the Common Warrants, may be treated as a constructive distribution to a U.S. holder of the Common Warrants if, and to the extent that, such adjustment has the effect of increasing such U.S. holder’s proportionate interest in the “earnings and profits” or our assets, depending on the circumstances of such adjustment (for example, if such adjustment is to compensate for a distribution of cash or other property to our shareholders). Adjustments to the exercise price of Common Warrants made pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula that has the effect of preventing dilution of the interest of the holders of the Common Warrants should generally not be considered to result in a constructive distribution. Any such constructive distribution would be taxable whether or not there is an actual distribution of cash or other property. (See more detailed discussion of the rules applicable to distributions made by us at “Distributions on Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrant Shares” below).
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U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Acquisition, Ownership, and Disposition of Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrant Shares
Distributions on Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrant Shares
A U.S. holder that receives a distribution, including a constructive distribution, with respect to a share of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrant or warrant share (as well as any constructive distribution on a Common Warrant as described above) will be required to include the amount of such distribution in gross income as a dividend to the extent of our current and accumulated “earnings and profits”, as computed under U.S. federal income tax principles. To the extent that a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated “earnings and profits”, such distribution will be treated first as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of a U.S. holder’s tax basis in the shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or warrant shares and thereafter as gain from the sale or exchange of such shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or warrant shares (see “Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and/or Warrant Shares” below). Dividends received on shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or warrant shares may be eligible for a dividends received deduction, subject to certain restrictions relating to, among others, the corporate U.S. holder’s taxable income, holding period and debt financing. Dividends paid by us to non-corporate U.S. holders, including individuals, generally will be eligible for the preferential tax rates applicable to long-term capital gains for dividends, provided certain holding period and other conditions are satisfied. The dividend rules are complex, and each U.S. holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding the application of such rules.
Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and/or Warrant Shares
Upon the sale or other taxable disposition of shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or warrant shares, a U.S. holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (a) the amount of cash plus the fair market value of any property received and (b) such U.S. holder’s tax basis in such shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or warrant shares sold or otherwise disposed of. Gain or loss recognized on such sale or other taxable disposition generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if, at the time of the sale or other taxable disposition, the shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or warrant shares have been held for more than one year. Preferential tax rates may apply to long-term capital gain of a U.S. holder that is an individual, estate, or trust. There are no preferential tax rates for long-term capital gain of a U.S. holder that is a corporation. Deductions for capital losses are subject to significant limitations under the Internal Revenue Code.
Non-U.S. Holders
U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Exercise, Disposition or Expiration of Common Warrants or Certain Adjustments to the Common Warrants
Exercise of Common Warrants
A non-U.S. holder generally will not recognize gain or loss on the exercise of Common Warrants and related receipt of warrant shares (unless cash is received in lieu of the issuance of a fractional warrant share and certain other conditions are present, as discussed below under “Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Warrants and Warrant Shares”). A non-U.S. holder’s initial tax basis in the warrant shares received on the exercise of Common Warrants should be equal to the sum of (i) the non-U.S. holder’s tax basis in the Common Warrants, plus (ii) the exercise price paid by the non-U.S. holder on the exercise of the Common Warrants. It is unclear whether a non-U.S. holder’s holding period for the warrant shares received on the exercise of Common Warrants would commence on the date of exercise of the Common Warrants or the day following the date of exercise of the Common Warrants.
In certain limited circumstances, a non-U.S. holder may be permitted to undertake a cashless exercise of Common Warrants into warrant shares. The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a cashless exercise of Common Warrants into warrant shares is unclear, and the tax consequences of a cashless exercise could differ from the consequences upon the exercise of Common Warrants described in the preceding paragraph. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of a cashless exercise of Common Warrants.
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Disposition of Common Warrants
A non-U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss on the sale or other taxable disposition of a Common Warrant in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between (a) the amount of cash plus the fair market value of any property received and (b) such non-U.S. holder’s tax basis in the Common Warrant sold or otherwise disposed of. Any such gain or loss generally will be a capital gain or loss, which will be long-term capital gain or loss if the Common Warrant is held for more than one year. Any such gain recognized by a non-U.S. holder will be taxable for U.S. federal income tax purposes according to rules discussed under the heading “Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Warrants and Warrant Shares” below.
Expiration of Common Warrants without Exercise
Upon the lapse or expiration of a Common Warrant, a non-U.S. holder will recognize loss in an amount equal to such non-U.S. holder’s tax basis in the Common Warrant. Any such loss generally will be a capital loss and will be long-term capital loss if the Common Warrants are held for more than one year. Deductions for capital losses are subject to complex limitations under the Internal Revenue Code.
Certain Adjustments to the Common Warrants
Under Section 305 of the Internal Revenue Code, an adjustment to the number of warrant shares that will be issued on the exercise of the Common Warrants, or an adjustment to the exercise price of the Common Warrants, may be treated as a constructive distribution to a non-U.S. holder of the Common Warrants if, and to the extent that, such adjustment has the effect of increasing such non-U.S. holder’s proportionate interest in our “earnings and profits” or assets, depending on the circumstances of such adjustment (for example, if such adjustment is to compensate for a distribution of cash or other property to our shareholders). Adjustments to the exercise price of a Common Warrant made pursuant to a bona fide reasonable adjustment formula that has the effect of preventing dilution of the interest of the holders of the Common Warrants should generally not result in a constructive distribution. See the more detailed discussion of the rules applicable to distributions made by us under the heading “Distributions on Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrant Shares” below.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Acquisition, Ownership, and Disposition of Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrant Shares
Distributions on Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrant Shares
If we pay distributions of cash or property with respect to our shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or warrant shares, those distributions generally will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. If a distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will be treated as a tax-free return of the non-U.S. holder’s investment, up to such holder’s tax basis in its shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or warrants shares, as applicable. Any remaining excess will be treated as capital gain, subject to the tax treatment described below under the heading “— Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Warrants and Warrant Shares.” Dividends paid to a non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence. In the case of any constructive distribution, it is possible that this tax would be withheld from any amount owed to the non-U.S. holder, including, but not limited to, distributions of cash, shares of common stock or sales proceeds subsequently paid or credited to that holder. If we are unable to determine, at the time of payment of a distribution, whether the distribution will constitute a dividend, we may nonetheless choose to withhold any U.S. federal income tax on the distribution as permitted by U.S. Treasury Regulations. If we are a USRPHC (as defined below) and we do not qualify for the Regularly Traded Exception (as defined below), distributions which constitute a return of capital will be subject to withholding tax unless an application for a withholding certificate is filed to reduce or eliminate such withholding.
Distributions that are treated as effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by a non-U.S. holder within the United States are generally not subject to the 30% (or lower rate as may be specified by an applicable tax treaty) withholding tax if the non-U.S. holder provides a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI stating that the distributions are not subject to withholding because they are effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States. If a non-U.S. holder is engaged in a trade or business in the United States and the distribution is effectively connected with the conduct of that trade or business, the distribution will generally have the consequences described above for a U.S. holder (subject to any modification provided under an applicable income tax treaty). Any U.S. effectively connected income received by a non-U.S. holder that is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes may also, under certain circumstances, be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a 30% rate (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty).
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A non-U.S. holder who claims the benefit of an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and such holder’s country of residence generally will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, as applicable, and satisfy applicable certification and other requirements. A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. withholding tax under an income tax treaty generally may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim with the IRS. Non-U.S. holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their entitlement to benefits under a relevant income tax treaty.
Gain on Sale, Exchange or Other Taxable Disposition of Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants and Warrant Shares
Subject to the discussions below in “—Information Reporting and Backup Withholding” and “—Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act,” a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on gain recognized on a sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of our shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants, or warrant shares unless:
● | the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States and, if an applicable income tax treaty so provides, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the non-U.S. holder in the United States; in these cases, the non-U.S. holder will be taxed on a net income basis at the regular graduated rates and in the manner applicable to a U.S. holder, and, if the non-U.S. holder is a corporation, an additional branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, or a lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty, may also apply; | |
● | the non-U.S. holder is an individual present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other conditions are met, in which case the non-U.S. holder will be subject to a 30% tax (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the amount by which such non-U.S. holder’s capital gains allocable to U.S. sources exceed capital losses allocable to U.S. sources during the taxable year of the disposition; or | |
● | we are or have been a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the non-U.S. holder’s holding period or the 5-year period ending on the date of disposition of shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants or warrant shares; provided, with respect to the shares of common stock and warrant shares, that as long as our shares of common stock are regularly traded on an established securities market as determined under the U.S. Treasury Regulations (the “Regularly Traded Exception”), a non-U.S. holder would not be subject to taxation on the gain on the sale of shares of common stock or warrant shares under this rule unless the non-U.S. holder has owned: (i) more than 5% of our shares of common stock at any time during such 5-year or shorter period; (ii) Pre-Funded Warrants with a fair market value on the date acquired by such holder greater than the fair market value on that date of 5% of our shares of common stock; (iii) Common Warrants with a fair market value on the date acquired by such holder greater than the fair market value on that date of 5% of our shares of common stock; or (iv) aggregate equity securities of ours with a fair market value on the date acquired in excess of 5% of the fair market value of our shares of common stock on such date (in any case, a “5% Shareholder”). Since the Common Warrants are not expected to be listed on a securities market, the Common Warrants are unlikely to qualify for the Regularly Traded Exception. Special rules apply to the Pre-Funded Warrants. Non-U.S. holders holding Pre-Funded Warrants should consult their own tax advisors regarding such rules. In determining whether a non-U.S. holder is a 5% Shareholder, certain attribution rules apply in determining ownership for this purpose. We believe that we are not currently, and do not anticipate becoming in the future, a USRPHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, we can provide no assurances that we are not currently, or will not become, a USRPHC, or if we are or become a USRPHC, that the shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants, Common Warrants or warrant shares will meet the Regularly Traded Exception at the time a non-U.S. holder purchases such securities or sells, exchanges or otherwise disposes of such securities. Non-U.S. holders should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the consequences to them of investing in a USRPHC. If we are a USRPHC, a non-U.S. holder will be taxed as if any gain or loss were effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business as described above in “Distributions on Shares of Common Stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrant Shares” in the event that (i) such holder is a 5% Shareholder, or (ii) the Regularly Traded Exception is not satisfied during the relevant period. |
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Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Distributions on, and the payment of the proceeds of a disposition of, our shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and warrant shares generally will be subject to information reporting if made within the United States or through certain U.S.-related financial intermediaries. Information returns are required to be filed with the IRS and copies of information returns may be made available to the tax authorities of the country in which a holder resides or is incorporated under the provisions of a specific treaty or agreement.
Backup withholding may also apply if the holder fails to provide certification of exempt status or a correct U.S. taxpayer identification number and otherwise comply with the applicable backup withholding requirements. Generally, a holder will not be subject to backup withholding if it provides a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-9 or appropriate IRS Form W-8, as applicable. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules may be refunded or credited against the holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided certain information is timely filed with the IRS.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code (commonly referred to as “FATCA”) impose a separate reporting regime and potentially a 30% withholding tax on certain payments, including payments of dividends on our shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and warrant shares. Withholding under FATCA generally applies to payments made to or through a foreign entity if such entity fails to satisfy certain disclosure and reporting rules. These rules generally require (i) in the case of a foreign financial institution, that the financial institution agree to identify and provide information in respect of financial accounts held (directly or indirectly) by U.S. persons and U.S.-owned entities, and, in certain instances, to withhold on payments to account holders that fail to provide the required information, and (ii) in the case of a non-financial foreign entity, that the entity either identify and provide information in respect of its substantial U.S. owners or certify that it has no such U.S. owners.
FATCA withholding also potentially applies to payments of gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of our shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants and warrant shares. Proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations, however, would eliminate FATCA withholding on such payments, and the U.S. Treasury Department has indicated that taxpayers may rely on this aspect of the proposed U.S. Treasury Regulations until final U.S. Treasury Regulations are issued.
Non-U.S. holders typically will be required to furnish certifications (generally on the applicable IRS Form W-8) or other documentation to provide the information required by FATCA or to establish compliance with or an exemption from withholding under FATCA. FATCA withholding may apply where payments are made through a non-U.S. intermediary that is not FATCA compliant, even where the non-U.S. holder satisfies the holder’s own FATCA obligations.
The United States and a number of other jurisdictions have entered into intergovernmental agreements to facilitate the implementation of FATCA. Any applicable intergovernmental agreement may alter one or more of the FATCA information reporting and withholding requirements. You are encouraged to consult with your own tax advisor regarding the possible implications of FATCA on your investment in our shares of common stock, Pre-Funded Warrants or warrant shares, including the applicability of any intergovernmental agreements.
THE ABOVE SUMMARY IS NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF ALL TAX CONSIDERATIONS APPLICABLE TO PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS WITH RESPECT TO THE ACQUISITION, OWNERSHIP, AND DISPOSITION OF UNITS, PRE-FUNDED UNITS, SHARES OF COMMON STOCK, PRE-FUNDED WARRANTS, WARRANTS OR WARRANT SHARES. PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS AS TO THE TAX CONSIDERATIONS APPLICABLE TO THEM IN LIGHT OF THEIR OWN PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
108 |
Experts
Cherry Bekaert LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, as set forth in their report, which is included in this prospectus and elsewhere in this registration statement. Our consolidated financial statements are included in this prospectus and in the registration statement in reliance on Cherry Bekaert LLP’s report, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
Legal Matters
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel in connection with the registration of our securities under the Securities Act, and as such, will pass upon the validity of the securities offered hereby. Certain matters are being passed on for the placement agents by Blank Rome LLP, New York, New York.
Where You Can Find More Information
We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of common stock and Common Warrants offered hereby. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. For further information about us and the common stock and Common Warrants offered hereby, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits filed with the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any contract or any other document that is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement are not necessarily complete, and each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the full text of such contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement. The SEC also maintains an internet website that contains reports, proxy statements and other information about registrants, like us, that file electronically with the SEC. The address of that website is www.sec.gov.
We are required to file periodic reports, proxy statements, and other information with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act. These reports, proxy statements, and other information will be available on the website of the SEC referred to above.
We also maintain a website at www.lucyd.co, through which 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 or accessed through 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.
109 |
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
F-1 |
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders
Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
Miami, Florida
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the related statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years then ended and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable
basis for our opinion.
Emphasis of Matter
As more fully described in Note 3 to the financial statements, the Company has incurred historical net losses and sustained substantial cash losses. Our opinion is not modified with respect to this matter.
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.
/s/ Cherry Bekaert LLP
Tampa, Florida
March 24, 2023
F-2 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
BALANCE SHEETS
December 31, 2022 and 2021
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
TOTAL ASSETS | ||||||||
Current Assets | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 3,591,109 | $ | 79,727 | ||||
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $92,646 and $0, respectively | 110,258 | 43,394 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses | 210,673 | 68,381 | ||||||
Deferred offering costs | 111,149 | |||||||
Inventory prepayment | 197,750 | 64,715 | ||||||
Inventory | 94,701 | 275,501 | ||||||
Other current assets | 36,240 | 1,460 | ||||||
Total Current Assets | 4,240,731 | 644,327 | ||||||
Non-Current Assets | ||||||||
Patent costs, net | 137,557 | 87,306 | ||||||
Capitalized software costs | 110,073 | 72,400 | ||||||
Property and equipment, net | 119,744 | 20,284 | ||||||
Other non-current assets | 81,779 | |||||||
TOTAL ASSETS | $ | 4,689,884 | $ | 824,317 | ||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | ||||||||
Liabilities | ||||||||
Current Liabilities | ||||||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $ | 275,660 | $ | 167,050 | ||||
Deferred revenue | 30,000 | |||||||
Due to Parent and Affiliates | 232,989 | 160,722 | ||||||
Related party convertible debt | 61,356 | 289,029 | ||||||
Total Current Liabilities | 600,005 | 616,801 | ||||||
Non-Current Liabilities | ||||||||
Deferred revenue | 65,450 | |||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES | 665,455 | 616,801 | ||||||
Commitments and contingencies | ||||||||
Stockholders’ Equity | ||||||||
Common stock (par value $, shares authorized, and and shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively) | 73 | 60 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 14,330,343 | 4,842,836 | ||||||
Stock subscription receivable | (11,226 | ) | ||||||
Accumulated deficit | (10,305,987 | ) | (4,624,154 | ) | ||||
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | 4,024,429 | 207,516 | ||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | $ | 4,689,884 | $ | 824,317 |
See accompanying Notes to the Financial Statements.
F-3 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
Year
Ended December 31, | ||||||||
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Revenues, net | $ | 659,788 | $ | 690,670 | ||||
Less: Cost of Goods Sold | (716,077 | ) | (542,416 | ) | ||||
Gross (Deficit) Profit | (56,289 | ) | 148,254 | |||||
Operating Expenses: | ||||||||
General and administrative | (2,796,669 | ) | (1,386,079 | ) | ||||
Sales and marketing | (2,059,012 | ) | (1,771,012 | ) | ||||
Research and development | (524,692 | ) | (86,261 | ) | ||||
Related party management fee | (140,000 | ) | (109,975 | ) | ||||
Total Operating Expenses | (5,520,373 | ) | (3,353,327 | ) | ||||
Interest Expense | (105,171 | ) | (39,433 | ) | ||||
Net Loss | $ | (5,681,833 | ) | $ | (3,244,506 | ) | ||
Weighted average number of shares outstanding | 6,528,959 | 5,245,622 | ||||||
Loss per share, basic and diluted | $ | (0.87 | ) | $ | (0.62 | ) |
See accompanying Notes to the Financial Statements.
F-4 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
Common Stock | Additional Paid In | Stock Subscription | Accumulated | Total Stockholders’ | ||||||||||||||||||||
# Shares | Amount | Capital | Receivable | Deficit | Equity | |||||||||||||||||||
Balances, January 1, 2022 | 6,060,187 | $ | 60 | $ | 4,842,836 | $ | (11,226 | ) | $ | (4,624,154 | ) | $ | 207,516 | |||||||||||
Collection of stock subscription receivable | - | 6,684 | 6,684 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Write-off of uncollectible stock subscription receivable | - | (4,542 | ) | 4,542 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Shares issued for conversion of related party convertible note | 266,970 | 3 | 2,002,277 | 2,002,280 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Initial public offering (see Note 8) | 980,000 | 10 | 6,015,908 | 6,015,918 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | - | 1,473,864 | 1,473,864 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | (5,681,833 | ) | (5,681,833 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Balances, December 31, 2022 | 7,307,157 | $ | 73 | $ | 14,330,343 | $ | $ | (10,305,987 | ) | $ | 4,024,429 | |||||||||||||
Balances, January 1, 2021 | 4,131,469 | $ | 41 | $ | 845,417 | $ | (20,647 | ) | $ | (1,379,648 | ) | $ | (554,837 | ) | ||||||||||
Shares issued for conversion of related party convertible note | 1,172,115 | 12 | 2,179,760 | 2,179,772 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Issuance of shares, net of offering costs of $351,411 | 756,603 | 7 | 482,724 | (44,763 | ) | 437,968 | ||||||||||||||||||
Collection of stock subscription receivable | - | 54,184 | 54,184 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | - | 1,334,935 | 1,334,935 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | (3,244,506 | ) | (3,244,506 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Balances, December 31, 2021 | 6,060,187 | $ | 60 | $ | 4,842,836 | $ | (11,226 | ) | $ | (4,624,154 | ) | $ | 207,516 |
See accompanying Notes to the Financial Statements.
F-5 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Operating Activities | ||||||||
Net Loss | $ | (5,681,833 | ) | $ | (3,244,506 | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
Amortization | 10,466 | 7,179 | ||||||
Depreciation | 22,101 | 498 | ||||||
Non cash interest expense | 105,171 | 1,251 | ||||||
Stock based compensation expense | 1,473,864 | 1,334,935 | ||||||
Expenses paid by parent and affiliates | 960,362 | 867,618 | ||||||
Provision for doubtful accounts | 116,230 | - | ||||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts receivable | (183,094 | ) | (43,394 | ) | ||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | 67,951 | 157,536 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses | (142,292 | ) | (43,381 | ) | ||||
Inventory | 47,765 | (250,436 | ) | |||||
Other current assets | 1,460 | (1,460 | ) | |||||
Contract assets and liabilities | (22,569 | ) | ||||||
Net cash flows from operating activities | (3,224,418 | ) | (1,214,160 | ) | ||||
Investing Activities | ||||||||
Patent costs | (60,717 | ) | (25,272 | ) | ||||
Purchases of property and equipment | (121,561 | ) | (20,782 | ) | ||||
Capitalized software expenditures | (37,673 | ) | (72,400 | ) | ||||
Net cash flows from investing activities | (219,951 | ) | (118,454 | ) | ||||
Financing Activities | ||||||||
Proceeds from initial public offering (see Note 8) | 6,127,067 | |||||||
Proceeds from issuance of shares, net of offering costs | 492,152 | |||||||
Payment of deferred offering cost | (111,149 | ) | ||||||
Collection of stock subscription receivable | 6,684 | |||||||
Proceeds from related party convertible debt | 1,475,000 | 1,061,500 | ||||||
Repayment of related party convertible debt | (653,000 | ) | (57,185 | ) | ||||
Net cash flows from financing activities | 6,955,751 | 1,385,318 | ||||||
Net Change In Cash | 3,511,382 | 52,704 | ||||||
Cash at Beginning of Year | $ | 79,727 | $ | 27,023 | ||||
Cash at End of Year | $ | 3,591,109 | $ | 79,727 | ||||
Significant Non-Cash Transaction | ||||||||
Expenses paid for by Parent reported as increase in Due to Parent and Affiliates and related party convertible debt | 960,362 | 867,618 | ||||||
Write-off of uncollectible stock subscription receivable | (4,542 | ) | ||||||
Issuance of shares from conversion of related party convertible debt | 2,002,280 | 2,179,772 |
See accompanying Notes to the Financial Statements.
F-6 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
December 31, 2022 and 2021
NOTE 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION
Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (the “Company,” “us,” “we,” or “our”) is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Florida that develops and sells cutting-edge eyeglasses and sunglasses, which are designed to allow our customers to remain connected to their digital lives, while also offering prescription eyewear and sun protection. The Company was founded by Lucyd Ltd. (the “Parent” or “Lucyd”), a portfolio company of Tekcapital Plc through Tekcapital Europe, Ltd. (collectively, the “Parent and Affiliates”), which owned approximately 71% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of December 31, 2022. Innovative Eyewear licensed the exclusive rights to the Lucyd® brand from Lucyd Ltd., which includes the exclusive use of all of Lucyd’s intellectual property, including our main product, Lucyd Lyte® glasses.
NOTE 2 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) and in accordance with the accounting rules under Regulation S-X, as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for the fair presentation of the financial statements for the years presented have been included. The results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for future periods.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates, particularly given the significant economic disruptions and uncertainties associated with the ongoing economic environment, including potential supply chain constraints.
Receivables and Credit Policy
Trade receivables from customers are uncollateralized customer obligations due under normal trade terms. For direct-to-consumer sales, payment is required before product is shipped. Trade receivables are stated at the amount billed to the customer. Payments of trade receivables are allocated to the specific invoices identified on the customer’s remittance advice or, if unspecified, are applied to the earliest unpaid invoice. The Company, by policy, routinely assesses the financial strength of its customers. To comply with industry standards, we offer “net 30” payments on wholesale orders of $1,500 or more. For wholesale orders, to acquire an order on net 30 terms, the customer is provided a credit check application as well as a credit card authorization form. The authorization form explicitly states when and for much we will bill the customer via credit card.
Accounts receivable are reported net of the allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on the Company’s evaluation of each customer’s payment history, account aging, and financial position. The Company recognized bad debt expense of $116,230 for the year ended December 31, 2022, and no bad debt expense for the year ended December 31, 2021.
F-7 |
Capitalized Software
The Company incurred software development costs related to development of the Vyrb app. The Company capitalized these costs in accordance with ASC 985-20, “Software – Costs of Software to be Sold, Leased, or Marketed,” considering it is the Company’s intention to market and sell the software externally. Planning, designing, coding, and testing occurred necessary to meet Vyrb’s design specifications. As such, all coding, development, and testing costs incurred subsequent to establishing technical feasibility were capitalized. We have launched a beta version of the Vyrb application in December 2021 that demonstrates the functionality of the software. We expect an estimated useful life of five years for this product.
Inventory
Our inventory includes purchased eyewear and is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined on a specific identification method of inventory costing which attaches the actual cost to an identifiable unit of product. Provisions for excess, obsolete, or slow-moving inventory are recorded after periodic evaluation of historical sales, current economic trends, forecasted sales, estimated product life cycles, and estimated inventory levels. No provisions were determined as needed as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company recorded an inventory prepayment in the amount of $197,750 and $64,715, respectively, related to down payment on eyewear purchased from the manufacturer, prior to shipment of the product that occurred after December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets relate to patent costs received in conjunction with the initial capitalization of the Company and internally developed utility and design patents. The Company amortizes these assets over the estimated useful life of the patents. The Company reviews its intangible assets for impairment whenever changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives or lease terms if shorter. Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was approximately $22,100 and $500, respectively. For income tax purposes, accelerated depreciation methods are generally used. Repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
As of December 31, | Estimated Useful Lives | |||||||||
Property & Equipment | 2022 | 2021 | (in Years) | |||||||
Mobile Kiosk Display | $ | 63,395 | $ | 18,120 | 3 years | |||||
Computer Equipment | 44,901 | 2,662 | 3 Years | |||||||
Office Equipment | 17,273 | 3 Years | ||||||||
Internal-Use Software | 16,775 | 3 to 5 Years | ||||||||
Property and equipment, gross | 142,343 | 20,782 | ||||||||
Less: Accumulated depreciation | (22,599 | ) | (498 | ) | ||||||
Property and equipment, net | $ | 119,744 | $ | 20,284 |
F-8 |
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under an asset and liability approach that recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the difference between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the differences are expected to reverse.
The Company follows a more-likely-than-not threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken, or expected to be taken, in a tax return. Any interest and penalties accrued related to uncertain tax positions are recorded in tax expense.
The Company assesses the realizability of its net deferred tax assets on an annual basis. If, after considering all relevant positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized, the Company will reduce the net deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance. The realization of net deferred tax assets is dependent on several factors, including the generation of sufficient taxable income prior to the expiration of net operating loss carryforwards.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
For certain of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and cash advances provided by the Parent and Affiliates, the carrying amounts approximate fair value due to the short-term maturities of these instruments. The carrying value of the convertible note approximates fair value because the interest rate approximates market rates.
Concentrations of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and accounts receivable. The Company limits its credit risk with respect to cash by maintaining cash balances with high quality financial institutions. At times, the Company’s cash balances may exceed federally insured limits. Concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable are considered minimal due to collection history.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation to employees and directors in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, which requires that compensation expense be recognized in the financial statements for stock-based awards based on the grant date fair value. For stock option awards, the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model was used to estimate the fair value of share-based awards. The Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model incorporates various and highly subjective assumptions, including expected term and share price volatility. The expected term of the stock options was estimated based on the simplified method as allowed by Staff Accounting Bulletin 107 (SAB 107).
The share price volatility at the grant date is estimated using historical stock prices based upon the expected term of the options granted, using stock prices of comparably profiled public companies. The risk-free interest rate assumption is determined using the rates for U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds with maturities similar to those of the expected term of the award being valued.
The fair value of common stock used in the option pricing model for stock-based awards granted in 2021 was determined using the most recent price paid by independent investors through a Regulation Crowdfunding (“CF”) securities offering undertaken by the Company. For the majority of time during which stock option awards were granted by the Company in 2021, the Company had been raising funds from investors under Regulation CF campaigns, with a significant number of transactions from both accredited and non-accredited investors.
Revenue Recognition
Our revenue is generated from the sales of prescription and non-prescription optical glasses, sunglasses, and shipping charges, which are charged to the customer, associated with these purchases. We sell products through our retail store resellers, distributors, on our own website Lucyd.co, and on Amazon.
F-9 |
To determine revenue recognition, we perform the following steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation. At contract inception, we assess the goods or services promised within each contract and determine those that are performance obligations, and also assess whether each promised good or service is distinct. We then recognize as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied. In instances where the collectibility of contractual consideration is not probable at the time of sale, the revenue is deferred on our balance sheet as a contract liability, and the associated cost of goods sold is deferred on our balance sheet as a contract asset; subsequently, we recognize such revenue and cost of goods sold as payments are received.
All revenue, including sales processed online and through our retail store resellers and distributors, is reported net of sales taxes collected from customers on behalf of taxing authorities, returns, and discounts.
For sales generated through our e-commerce channels, we identify the contract with a customer upon online purchase of our eyewear and transaction price at the manufacturer suggested retail price (“MSRP”) for non-prescription, polarized sunglass and blue light blocking glasses across all of our online channels. Our e-commerce revenue is recognized upon meeting of the performance obligation when the eyewear is shipped to end customers. Only U.S. consumers enjoy free USPS first class postage, with faster delivery options available for extra cost, for sales processed through our website and on Amazon. For Amazon sales, shipping is free for U.S consumers while international customers pay shipping charges on top of MSRP. Any costs associated with fees charged by the online platforms (Shopify for Lucyd.co website and Amazon) are not recharged to customers and are recorded as a component of cost of goods sold as incurred. The Company charges applicable state sales taxes in addition to the MSRP for both online channels and all other marketplaces on which the company sells products.
For sales to our retail store partners, we identify the contract with a customer upon receipt of an order of our eyewear through our Shopify wholesale portal or direct purchase order. Our revenue is recognized upon meeting the performance obligation, which is delivery of the Company’s eyewear products to the retail store and is also recorded net of returns and discounts. Our wholesale pricing for eyewear sold to the retail store partners includes volume discounts, due to the nature of large quantity orders. The pricing includes shipping charges, while excluding any state sales tax charges applicable. Due to the nature of wholesale retail orders, no e-commerce fees are applicable.
For sales to distributors, we identify the contract with a customer upon receipt of an order of our eyewear through a direct purchase order and after collectibility of substantially all of the contract consideration is probable. Our revenue is recognized upon meeting the performance obligation, which is delivery of our eyewear products to the distributor and is also recorded net of returns and discounts. Our wholesale pricing for eyewear sold to distributors includes volume discounts, due to the nature of large quantity orders. The pricing includes shipping charges, while excluding any state sales tax charges applicable. Due to the nature of wholesale distributor orders, no e-commerce fees are applicable.
The Company’s sales do not contain any variable consideration.
We allow our customers to return our products, subject to our refund policy, which allows any customer to return our products for any reason within the first:
● | 7 days for sales made through our website (Lucyd.co) |
● | 30 days for sales made through Amazon |
● | 30 days for sales to most wholesale retailers and distributors (although certain sales to independent distributors are ineligible for returns) |
For all of our sales, at the time of sale, we establish a reserve for returns, based on historical experience and expected future returns, which is recorded as a reduction of sales. Additionally, we review all individual returns received in the month following the balance sheet date pertaining to orders processed prior to the balance sheet date in order to determine whether an allowance for sales returns is necessary. The Company recorded an allowance for sales returns of $24,897 and $22,266 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
F-10 |
Shipping and Handling
Costs incurred for shipping and handling are included in cost of revenue at the time the related revenue is recognized. Amounts billed to a customer for shipping and handling are reported as revenues.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In February 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842),” that requires organizations that lease assets, referred to as “lessees,” to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases with lease terms of more than 12 months. ASU 2016-02 also requires disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases and will include qualitative and quantitative requirements. The Company adopted ASU 2016-02 as of January 1, 2021. The Company’s management determined that the adoption of this guidance had no material impact on the Company’s financial statements due to the lack of long-term leasing arrangements.
In May 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, “Debt — Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20), and Derivatives and Hedging — Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contract’s in Entity’s Own Equity.” The guidance in ASU 2020-06 simplifies the accounting for convertible debt instruments and convertible preferred stock by removing the previous guidance related to debt with conversion and other options that required entities to account for beneficial conversion features and cash conversion features in equity, separately from the host convertible debt or preferred stock. In addition, the amendments revised the scope exception from derivative accounting in ASC 815-40 for freestanding financial instruments and embedded features that are both indexed to the issuer’s own stock and classified in stockholders’ equity, by removing certain criteria required for equity classification. The amendments in ASU 2020-06 further revised the guidance in ASC 260, Earnings Per Share, to require entities to calculate diluted earnings per share (EPS) for convertible instruments by using the if-converted method. The Company adopted ASU 2020-06 as of January 1, 2021. The Company’s management determined that the adoption of this guidance had no material impact on the Company’s financial statements due to the lack of beneficial conversion features contained within the Company’s debt.
Subsequent Events
In connection with the preparation of these financial statements, the Company has evaluated subsequent events through March 24, 2023, which is the date the financial statements were available to be issued.
NOTE 3 – GOING CONCERN
The Company has a limited operating history. The Company’s business and operations are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States. A host of factors beyond the Company’s control could cause fluctuations in these conditions. Adverse conditions may include recession, downturn, or otherwise, changes in regulations or restrictions in imports, competition, or changes in consumer taste including the economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. These adverse conditions could affect the Company’s financial condition and the results of its operations.
The Company meets its day to day working capital requirements through monies raised through sales of eyewear and issuances of equity, including past crowdfunding transactions, and more recently an initial public offering completed in August 2022. The Company also has issued a convertible note held by its parent company. The Company’s forecasts and projections indicate that the Company expects to have sufficient cash reserves and future income to operate within the level of its current facilities. The Company anticipates that its available liquidity will be sufficient to fund operations through at least the end of March 2024.
F-11 |
NOTE 4 – INCOME TAX PROVISION
The following is a reconciliation of tax computed at the statutory federal rate to the income tax benefit in the statements of operations:
2022 | 2021 | |||||||
Income tax benefit at the statutory federal rate | $ | 1,193,185 | $ | 681,346 | ||||
State income tax benefits, net of federal benefit | 35,149 | 110,647 | ||||||
Change in valuation allowance | (1,228,334 | ) | (791,993 | ) | ||||
Total | $ |
The components of the Company’s deferred tax assets are as follows:
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets or liabilities at the end of each period are determined using the tax rate expected to be in effect when taxes are actually paid or recovered.
A valuation allowance is established when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. A review of all available positive and negative evidence needs to be considered, including a company’s current and past performance, the market environment in which the company operates, length of carryback and carryforward periods, and existing contracts that will result in future profits. After reviewing all the evidence, the Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets.
At December 31, 2022, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards of $6,413,441 and state net operating loss carryforwards of $3,653,332, both of which do not expire.
The Company files Federal and Florida tax returns. The years that remain subject to examination are the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company does not believe that is has any liabilities for uncertain tax positions.
NOTE 5 – INTANGIBLE ASSETS
December 31, | December 31, | |||||||
Finite-lived intangible assets | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
Patent Costs | $ | 156,196 | $ | 95,480 | ||||
Intangible assets, gross | 156,196 | 95,480 | ||||||
Less: Accumulated amortization | (18,639 | ) | (8,174 | ) | ||||
Intangible assets, net | $ | 137,557 | $ | 87,306 |
Amortization expense totalled approximately $10,500 and $7,200 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Future amortization is expected to approximate $11,500 per year.
F-12 |
NOTE 6 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Convertible Note and Due to Parent and Affiliates
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had the availability of, but not the contractual right to, intercompany financing from the Parent and Affiliates in the form of either cash advances or borrowings under a convertible note (as discussed below). The convertible notes balances were $61,356 and $289,029 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
On December 1, 2020, the Company issued a convertible note to its Parent and Affiliates for up to $2,000,000 that bears interest at 10% per annum, which includes the option to convert the debt into the Company’s common stock at market price. The note can be converted into shares of common stock of the Company upon occurrence of certain conversion events, as defined.
On June 1, 2021, the Company converted related party borrowings totalling $778,500 into shares of common stock at $1.00 each.
On September 5, 2021, the Company converted related party borrowings totalling $500,002 into shares of common stock at $3.56 each.
On November 1, 2021, the Company amended and restated its December 1, 2020, convertible note agreement with Parent and Affiliates, increasing the amount of available financing from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000.
On November 16, 2021, the Company converted related party borrowings totalling $901,271 into shares of common stock at $3.56 per share.
On August 15, 2022, in connection with the Company’s initial public offering (see Note 8), the Company converted related party borrowings totalling $2,002,280 into shares of common stock at $7.50 per share.
Management Service Agreement
In 2020, the Company entered into a management services agreement with a related party (related through common ownership), for which the Company was billed $25,000 quarterly. Effective February 1, 2022, the original management services agreement was amended to have the Company billed at $35,000 quarterly. While the agreement does not stipulate a specific maturity date, it can be terminated with 30 calendar days written notice by any party.
The related party provides the following services:
● | Support and advice to the Company in accordance with their area of expertise; |
● | Research, technical review, legal review, recruitment, software development, marketing, public relations, and advertisement; and |
● | Advice, assistance, and consultation services to support the Company or in relation to any other related matter. |
During the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company incurred $140,000 and $100,000, respectively, under its management services agreement with Tekcapital Europe Ltd.
Rent of Office Space
Prior to the February 1, 2022 amendment of the aforementioned management services agreement, the Company was provided with rent-free office space by the Parent and Affiliates. Effective February 1, 2022, Tekcapital began to bill the Company for an allocation of rent paid by Tekcapital on the Company’s behalf. The Company recognized $74,442 of expense related to this arrangement for the year ended December 31, 2022.
F-13 |
NOTE 7 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Legal Matters
We are not the subject of any material pending legal proceedings, however, may from time to time become a party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business.
Leases
Our executive offices are located at 11900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 630 Miami, Florida 33181. Our executive offices are provided to us by the parent of our majority stockholder, Tekcapital (see Note 6). We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
License Agreements
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company entered into multi-year license agreements which grant the Company the right to sell certain branded smart eyewear. These agreements require the Company to pay royalties based on a percentage of net retail and wholesale sales during the period of the license, and also require guaranteed minimum royalty payments.
The aggregate future minimum payments due under these license agreements are as follows:
2023 | $ | 36,750 | ||
2024 | 161,210 | |||
2025 | 356,000 | |||
2026 | 654,000 | |||
2027 | 930,000 | |||
Thereafter (through 2032) | 7,200,000 | |||
Total | $ | 9,337,960 |
Other Commitments
See related party management services agreement discussed in Note 6.
F-14 |
NOTE 8 – STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Pursuant to a corporate resolution on July 1, 2021, the Company has authority to issue up to shares of preferred stock and shares of common stock. There were shares of preferred stock issued or outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
Initial Public Offering
On August 17, 2022, the Company closed on its initial public offering of units consisting of shares of its common stock and 1,960,000 warrants to purchase shares of common stock at a combined offering price of $per unit in exchange for gross proceeds of approximately $7.35 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. Each share of common stock was sold together with two warrants. Each warrant is exercisable to purchase one share of common stock at an initial exercise price of $7.50 per share, subject to certain adjustments as set forth in the warrant agreement. In addition, the Company granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 147,000 shares of common stock and/or warrants to purchase up to an additional 294,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, of which the Underwriter exercised its option to purchase additional warrants to purchase 294,000 shares of common stock concurrently with the closing.
The shares of common stock and warrants began trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on August 15, 2022, under the symbols “LUCY” and “LUCYW,” respectively.
Also, pursuant to the terms of the underwriting agreement for the offering, the Company issued by the Underwriter certain other warrants to purchase up to 58,800 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $8.228 per share.
The net proceeds received by the Company amounted to $6,189,734.
As of December 31, 2022, none of the aforementioned warrants had been exercised.
F-15 |
On July 1, 2021, an Equity Incentive Plan was approved, allowing for total of 20% of our issued and outstanding common stock immediately after the consummation of the initial public offering, less the number of outstanding option grants, or , of total issued shares to be available for the grant of awards under the Plan. 1,685,000 option awards were granted by the Company prior to the approval of the Plan, while 647,500 option awards were granted subject to the Plan.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company, granted option awards, of which 1,347,500 vest rateably over time and 340,000 vest based on certain performance conditions. There were option awards granted during the year ended December 31, 2022.
The fair value of options granted is calculated using the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model. The underlying assumptions used in the option pricing model for stock option awards granted in 2021 were as follows:
Attribute | |||
Share price at date of grant | $- $ | ||
Options life in years | - | ||
Risk free rate | % - % | ||
Expected volatility | % - % | ||
Expected dividend yield | |||
Grant date fair value of options | $- $ |
The weighted average grant date fair value of options outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $.
Details of the number of share options and the weighted average exercise price outstanding as of and during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:
Av. Exercise | ||||||||
price per share | Options | |||||||
$ | (Number) | |||||||
As at January 1, 2021 | 1.00 | 645,000 | ||||||
Granted | 3.23 | 1,687,500 | ||||||
Exercised | ||||||||
Forfeited | ||||||||
As at December 31, 2021 | 2.61 | 2,332,500 | ||||||
Exercisable as at December 31, 2021 | 1.87 | 395,269 | ||||||
As at January 1, 2022 | 2.61 | 2,332,500 | ||||||
Granted | ||||||||
Exercised | ||||||||
Forfeited | ||||||||
As at December 31, 2022 | 2.61 | 2,332,500 | ||||||
Exercisable as at December 31, 2022 | 2.18 | 1,198,577 |
As of December 31, 2022, the weighted average remaining contractual life of options was years for outstanding options, and years for exercisable options.
As of December 31, 2022, unrecognized stock option expense of $remains to be recognized over next years.
F-16 |
The Company calculates earnings/(loss) per share data by calculating the quotient of earnings/(loss) divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the respective period as required by ASC 260-10-50. Due to the net losses for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, all shares underlying the related party convertible debt, common stock warrants, and common stock options were excluded from the earnings per share calculation due to their anti-dilutive effect.
Calculation of net earnings per common share — basic and diluted:
NOTE 11 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
In February 2023, holders of the Company’s warrants (see Note 8) exercised warrants to purchase an aggregate of 408,600 shares of the Company’s common stock, at an adjusted exercise price of $3.75 per share, resulting in cash proceeds to the Company of $1,532,250.
F-17 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
March 31, 2023 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2022
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
TOTAL ASSETS | ||||||||
Current Assets | ||||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 3,449,828 | $ | 3,591,109 | ||||
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $92,646 | 127,642 | 110,258 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses | 185,313 | 210,673 | ||||||
Inventory prepayment | - | 197,750 | ||||||
Inventory | 743,084 | 94,701 | ||||||
Other current assets | 36,240 | 36,240 | ||||||
Total Current Assets | 4,542,107 | 4,240,731 | ||||||
Non-Current Assets | ||||||||
Patent costs, net | 240,426 | 137,557 | ||||||
Capitalized software costs | 110,073 | 110,073 | ||||||
Property and equipment, net | 137,572 | 119,744 | ||||||
Other non-current assets | 82,719 | 81,779 | ||||||
TOTAL ASSETS | $ | 5,112,897 | $ | 4,689,884 | ||||
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | ||||||||
Liabilities | ||||||||
Current Liabilities | ||||||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | $ | 292,226 | $ | 275,660 | ||||
Deferred revenue | 30,000 | 30,000 | ||||||
Due to Parent and Affiliates | 182,421 | 232,989 | ||||||
Related party convertible debt | - | 61,356 | ||||||
Total Current Liabilities | 504,647 | 600,005 | ||||||
Non-Current Liabilities | ||||||||
Deferred revenue | 57,950 | 65,450 | ||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES | 562,597 | 665,455 | ||||||
Commitments and contingencies | ||||||||
Stockholders’ Equity | ||||||||
Common stock (par value $ , shares authorized, and and shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively) | 77 | 73 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital | 16,287,020 | 14,330,343 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit | (11,736,797 | ) | (10,305,987 | ) | ||||
TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | 4,550,300 | 4,024,429 | ||||||
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY | $ | 5,112,897 | $ | 4,689,884 |
See accompanying Notes to the Financial Statements.
F-18 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
Revenues, net | $ | 144,921 | $ | 236,022 | ||||
Less: Cost of Goods Sold | (134,630 | ) | (161,632 | ) | ||||
Gross Profit | 10,291 | 74,390 | ||||||
Operating Expenses: | ||||||||
General and administrative | (993,772 | ) | (606,972 | ) | ||||
Sales and marketing | (259,297 | ) | (584,796 | ) | ||||
Research and development | (151,169 | ) | (35,807 | ) | ||||
Related party management fee | (35,000 | ) | (35,000 | ) | ||||
Total Operating Expenses | (1,439,238 | ) | (1,262,575 | ) | ||||
Other Income (Expense) | 76 | (499 | ) | |||||
Interest Expense | (1,939 | ) | (17,875 | ) | ||||
Total Other Expense | (1,863 | ) | (18,374 | ) | ||||
Net Loss | $ | (1,430,810 | ) | $ | (1,206,559 | ) | ||
Weighted average number of shares outstanding | 7,569,115 | 6,060,187 | ||||||
Loss per share, basic and diluted | $ | (0.19 | ) | $ | (0.20 | ) |
See accompanying Notes to the Financial Statements.
F-19 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)
For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022
(Unaudited)
Common Stock | Additional Paid In | Stock Subscription | Accumulated | Total Stockholders’ Equity | ||||||||||||||||||||
# Shares | Amount | Capital | Receivable | Deficit | (Deficit) | |||||||||||||||||||
Balances, January 1, 2023 | 7,307,157 | $ | 73 | $ | 14,330,343 | $ | $ | (10,305,987 | ) | $ | 4,024,429 | |||||||||||||
Stock based compensation | - | 424,431 | 424,431 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Exercise of warrants by stockholders | 408,600 | 4 | 1,532,246 | 1,532,250 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | (1,430,810 | ) | (1,430,810 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Balances, March 31, 2023 | 7,715,757 | $ | 77 | $ | 16,287,020 | $ | $ | (11,736,797 | ) | $ | 4,550,300 | |||||||||||||
Balances, January 1, 2022 | 6,060,187 | $ | 60 | $ | 4,842,836 | $ | (11,226 | ) | $ | (4,624,154 | ) | $ | 207,516 | |||||||||||
Stock based compensation | - | 416,951 | 416,951 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Net loss | - | (1,206,559 | ) | (1,206,559 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Balances, March 31, 2022 | 6,060,187 | $ | 60 | $ | 5,259,787 | $ | (11,226 | ) | $ | (5,830,713 | ) | $ | (582,092 | ) |
See accompanying Notes to the Financial Statements.
F-20 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
For the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022
(Unaudited)
2023 | 2022 | |||||||
Operating Activities | ||||||||
Net Loss | $ | (1,430,810 | ) | $ | (1,206,559 | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | ||||||||
Amortization | 5,956 | 1,739 | ||||||
Depreciation | 10,307 | 3,983 | ||||||
Non cash interest expense | 1,939 | 17,875 | ||||||
Stock based compensation expense | 424,431 | 416,951 | ||||||
Expenses paid by parent and affiliates | 62,204 | 235,719 | ||||||
Provision for doubtful accounts | 142 | |||||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | ||||||||
Accounts receivable | (17,526 | ) | (110,329 | ) | ||||
Accounts payable and accrued expenses | 14,627 | 38,042 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses | 25,360 | 13,114 | ||||||
Inventory | (450,633 | ) | (41,404 | ) | ||||
Other current assets | (10,000 | ) | ||||||
Other current liabilities | (64,629 | ) | ||||||
Contract assets and liabilities | 1,560 | |||||||
Net cash flows from operating activities | (1,427,072 | ) | (630,869 | ) | ||||
Investing Activities | ||||||||
Patent costs | (108,825 | ) | (31,744 | ) | ||||
Purchases of property and equipment | (28,135 | ) | (32,106 | ) | ||||
Capitalized software expenditures | (18,811 | ) | ||||||
Net cash flows from investing activities | (136,960 | ) | (82,661 | ) | ||||
Financing Activities | ||||||||
Payment of deferred offering cost | (59,446 | ) | ||||||
Proceeds from exercise of warrants by stockholders | 1,532,250 | |||||||
Proceeds from related party convertible debt | 735,000 | |||||||
Repayment of related party convertible debt | (109,499 | ) | ||||||
Net cash flows from financing activities | 1,422,751 | 675,554 | ||||||
Net Change In Cash | (141,281 | ) | (37,976 | ) | ||||
Cash at Beginning of Period | $ | 3,591,109 | $ | 79,727 | ||||
Cash at End of Period | $ | 3,449,828 | $ | 41,751 | ||||
Significant Non-Cash Transactions | ||||||||
Expenses paid for by Parent reported as increase in Due to Parent and Affiliates and related party convertible debt | 62,204 | 235,719 |
See accompanying Notes to the Financial Statements.
F-21 |
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March 31, 2023 and 2022 (Unaudited)
NOTE 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION
Innovative Eyewear, Inc. (the “Company,” “us,” “we,” or “our”) is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Florida that develops and sells cutting-edge eyeglasses and sunglasses, which are designed to allow our customers to remain connected to their digital lives, while also offering prescription eyewear and sun protection. The Company was founded by Lucyd Ltd. (the “Parent” or “Lucyd”), a portfolio company of Tekcapital Plc through Tekcapital Europe, Ltd. (collectively, the “Parent and Affiliates”), which owned approximately 67% of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock as of March 31, 2023. Innovative Eyewear licensed the exclusive rights to the Lucyd® brand from Lucyd Ltd., which includes the exclusive use of all of Lucyd’s intellectual property, including our main product, Lucyd Lyte® glasses.
NOTE 2 – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying condensed balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 (which has been derived from audited financial statements) and the unaudited interim condensed financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and pursuant to the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Certain information or footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes necessary for a comprehensive presentation of financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for the fair presentation of the financial statements for the periods presented have been included. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for future periods or the full year.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates, particularly given the significant economic disruptions and uncertainties associated with the ongoing economic environment, including potential supply chain constraints.
Receivables and Credit Policy
Trade receivables from customers are uncollateralized customer obligations due under normal trade terms. For direct-to-consumer sales, payment is required before product is shipped. Trade receivables are stated at the amount billed to the customer. Payments of trade receivables are allocated to the specific invoices identified on the customer’s remittance advice or, if unspecified, are applied to the earliest unpaid invoice. The Company, by policy, routinely assesses the financial strength of its customers. To comply with industry standards, we offer “net 30” payments on wholesale orders of $1,500 or more. For wholesale orders, to acquire an order on net 30 terms, the customer is provided a credit check application as well as a credit card authorization form. The authorization form explicitly states when and for much we will bill the customer via credit card.
Accounts receivable are reported net of the allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on the Company’s evaluation of each customer’s payment history, account aging, and financial position. The Company recognized bad debt expense of $142 for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and had an allowance for doubtful accounts of $92,646 as of March 31, 2023.
F-22 |
Capitalized Software
The Company incurred software development costs related to development of the Vyrb app. The Company capitalized these costs in accordance with ASC 985-20, “Software – Costs of Software to be Sold, Leased, or Marketed,” considering it is the Company’s intention to market and sell the software externally. Planning, designing, coding, and testing occurred necessary to meet Vyrb’s design specifications. As such, all coding, development, and testing costs incurred subsequent to establishing technical feasibility were capitalized. We launched a beta version of the Vyrb application in December 2021 that demonstrates the functionality of the software. We are planning the commercial launch of Vyrb in the fourth quarter of 2023, and expect an estimated useful life of five years for this product.
Inventory
Our inventory includes purchased eyewear and is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined on a specific identification method of inventory costing which attaches the actual cost to an identifiable unit of product. Provisions for excess, obsolete, or slow-moving inventory are recorded after periodic evaluation of historical sales, current economic trends, forecasted sales, estimated product life cycles, and estimated inventory levels. No provisions were determined as needed as of March 31, 2023 and as of December 31, 2022.
As of December 31, 2022, the Company recorded an inventory prepayment in the amount of $197,750, related to a down payment for eyewear purchased from the manufacturer; this product was shipped during the three months ended March 31, 2023, and there was no prepayment balance remaining as of March 31, 2023.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets relate to patent costs received in conjunction with the initial capitalization of the Company and internally developed utility and design patents. The Company amortizes these assets over the estimated useful life of the patents. The Company reviews its intangibles assets for impairment whenever changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives or lease terms if shorter. Depreciation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 was $10,307 and $3,983, respectively. For income tax purposes, accelerated depreciation methods are generally used. Repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes under an asset and liability approach that recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the difference between the financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect in the years in which the differences are expected to reverse.
The Company follows a more-likely-than-not threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken, or expected to be taken, in a tax return. Any interest and penalties accrued related to uncertain tax positions are recorded in tax expense.
The Company periodically assesses the realizability of its net deferred tax assets. If, after considering all relevant positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized, the Company will reduce the net deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance. The realization of net deferred tax assets is dependent on several factors, including the generation of sufficient taxable income prior to the expiration of net operating loss carryforwards.
F-23 |
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation to employees and directors in accordance with ASC Topic 718, which requires that compensation expense be recognized in the financial statements for stock-based awards based on the grant date fair value. For stock option awards, the Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model is used to estimate the fair value of share-based awards. The Black-Scholes-Merton option pricing model incorporates various and highly subjective assumptions, including expected term and share price volatility.
The expected term of the stock options is estimated based on the simplified method as allowed by Staff Accounting Bulletin 107 (SAB 107). The share price volatility at the grant date is estimated using historical stock prices of comparably profiled public companies based upon the expected term of the award being valued. The risk-free interest rate assumption is determined using the rates for U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bonds with maturities similar to those of the expected term of the award being valued.
Revenue Recognition
Our revenue is generated from the sales of prescription and non-prescription optical glasses, sunglasses, and shipping charges, which are charged to the customer, associated with these purchases. We sell products through our retail store resellers, distributors, on our own website Lucyd.co, and on Amazon.
To determine revenue recognition, we perform the following steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy a performance obligation. At contract inception, we assess the goods or services promised within each contract and determine those that are performance obligations, and also assess whether each promised good or service is distinct. We then recognize as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied. In instances where the collectability of contractual consideration is not probable at the time of sale, the revenue is deferred on our balance sheet as a contract liability, and the associated cost of goods sold is deferred on our balance sheet as a contract asset; subsequently, we recognize such revenue and cost of goods sold as payments are received.
All revenue, including sales processed online and through our retail store resellers and distributors, is reported net of sales taxes collected from customers on behalf of taxing authorities, returns, and discounts.
For sales generated through our e-commerce channels, we identify the contract with a customer upon online purchase of our eyewear and transaction price at the manufacturer suggested retail price (“MSRP”) for non-prescription, polarized sunglass and blue light blocking glasses across all of our online channels. Our e-commerce revenue is recognized upon meeting the performance obligation when the eyewear is shipped to end customers. Only U.S. consumers enjoy free USPS first class postage, with faster delivery options available for extra cost, for sales processed through our website and on Amazon. For Amazon sales, shipping is free for U.S consumers while international customers pay shipping charges on top of MSRP. Any costs associated with fees charged by the online platforms (Shopify for Lucyd.co website and Amazon) are not recharged to customers and are recorded as a component of cost of goods sold as incurred. The Company charges applicable state sales taxes in addition to the MSRP for both online channels and all other marketplaces on which the company sells products.
For sales to our retail store partners, we identify the contract with a customer upon receipt of an order of our eyewear through our Shopify wholesale portal or direct purchase order. Revenue is recognized upon meeting the performance obligation, which is delivery of the Company’s eyewear products to the retail store and is also recorded net of returns and discounts. Our wholesale pricing for eyewear sold to the retail store partners includes volume discounts, due to the nature of large quantity orders. The pricing includes shipping charges, while excluding any state sales tax charges applicable. Due to the nature of wholesale retail orders, no e-commerce fees are applicable.
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For sales to distributors, we identify the contract with a customer upon receipt of an order of our eyewear through a direct purchase order. Revenue is recognized upon meeting the performance obligation, which is delivery of our eyewear products to the distributor and is also recorded net of returns and discounts. Our wholesale pricing for eyewear sold to distributors includes volume discounts, due to the nature of large quantity orders. The pricing includes shipping charges, while excluding any state sales tax charges applicable. Due to the nature of wholesale orders, no e-commerce fees are applicable.
The Company’s sales do not contain any variable consideration.
We allow our customers to return our products, subject to our refund policy, which allows any customer to return our products for any reason within the first:
● | 7 days for sales made through our website (Lucyd.co) |
● | 30 days for sales made through Amazon |
● | 30 days for sales to most wholesale retailers and distributors (although certain sales to independent distributors are ineligible for returns) |
For all of our sales, at the time of sale, we establish a reserve for returns, based on historical experience and expected future returns, which is recorded as a reduction of sales. Additionally, we reviewed all individual returns received in April 2023 pertaining to orders processed prior to March 31, 2023. As a result, the Company determined that an allowance for sales returns was necessary. The Company recorded an allowance for sales returns of $1,925 and $24,897 as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
Shipping and Handling
Costs incurred for shipping and handling are included in cost of revenue at the time the related revenue is recognized. Amounts billed to a customer for shipping and handling are reported as revenues.
NOTE 3 – GOING CONCERN
The Company has a limited operating history. The Company’s business and operations are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States. A host of factors beyond the Company’s control could cause fluctuations in these conditions. Adverse conditions may include recession, downturn, or otherwise, changes in regulations or restrictions in imports, competition, or changes in consumer taste including the economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. These adverse conditions could affect the Company’s financial condition and the results of its operations.
The Company meets its day to day working capital requirements through monies raised through sales of eyewear and issuances of equity, including the initial public offering completed on August 2022 and subsequent exercises of warrants by stockholders. The Company also previously issued a convertible note held by its parent company, which was repaid in full during the three months ended March 31, 2023. The Company’s forecasts and projections indicate that the Company expects to have sufficient cash reserves and future income to operate within the level of its current facilities. The Company anticipates that its available liquidity will be sufficient to fund operations through at least the end of May 2024.
NOTE 4 – INCOME TAX PROVISION
At the end of each interim reporting period, the Company estimates its effective tax rate expected to be applied for the full year. This estimate is used to determine the income tax provision or benefit on a year-to-date basis and may change in subsequent interim periods. The Company has not recorded a tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 as it maintains a full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets.
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NOTE 5 – INTANGIBLE ASSETS
March 31, | December 31, | |||||||
Finite-lived intangible assets | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
Patent Costs | $ | 265,022 | $ | 156,196 | ||||
Intangible assets, gross | 265,022 | 156,196 | ||||||
Less: Accumulated amortization | (24,595 | ) | (18,639 | ) | ||||
Intangible assets, net | $ | 240,426 | $ | 137,557 |
Amortization expense totalled $5,956 and $1,739 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Future amortization is expected to approximate $23,800 per year.
NOTE 6 – RELATED PARTY ADVANCES AND OTHER INTERCOMPANY AGREEMENTS
Convertible Note and Due to Parent and Affiliates
During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and during 2022, the Company had the availability of, but not the contractual right to, intercompany financing from the Parent and Affiliates in the form of either cash advances or borrowings under a convertible note (as discussed below).
The convertible notes balances were $61,356 at December 31, 2022. In January 2023, the Company borrowed an additional $48,143 under such convertible notes, and subsequently repaid the outstanding balances of the convertible notes in full in February 2023, such that there were no amounts outstanding under convertible notes as of March 31, 2023.
Management Service Agreement
In 2020, the Company entered into a management services agreement with a related party (related through common ownership), for which the Company was billed $25,000 quarterly. Effective February 1, 2022, the original management services agreement was amended to have the Company billed at $35,000 quarterly. While the agreement does not stipulate a specific maturity date, it can be terminated with 30 calendar days written notice by any party.
The related party currently provides the following services:
● | Support and advice to the Company in accordance with their area of expertise; |
● | Research, technical review, legal review, recruitment, software development, marketing, public relations, and advertisement; and |
● | Advice, assistance, and consultation services to support the Company or in relation to any other related matter. |
During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred $35,000 in each period under its agreement with Tekcapital Europe Ltd.
Rent of Office Space
Prior to the February 1, 2022 amendment of the aforementioned management services agreement, the Company was provided with rent-free office space by the Parent and Affiliates. Effective February 1, 2022, Tekcapital began to bill the Company for an allocation of rent paid by Tekcapital on the Company’s behalf. The Company recognized $22,769 of expense related to this arrangement for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
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NOTE 7 – COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Legal Matters
We are not the subject of any material pending legal proceedings; however, we may from time to time become a party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business.
Leases
Our executive offices are located at 11900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 630 Miami, Florida 33181. Our executive offices are provided to us by the parent of our majority stockholder, Tekcapital (see Note 6). We consider our current office space adequate for our current operations.
License Agreements
In 2022, we entered into various multi-year global license agreements which grant us the right to utilize certain proprietary brands for our smart eyewear products. These agreements require us to pay royalties based on a percentage of net retail and wholesale sales, with combined future minimum noncancellable payments due under these license agreements of approximately $2.1 million over the next 5 calendar years.
Other Commitments
See related party management services agreement discussed in Note 6.
During the three months ended March 31, 2023, we granted the following option awards, all of which had an exercise price of $ per share, and expire on January 13, 2028:
● | Options to purchase an aggregate of 330,000 shares of common stock were issued to the Company’s officers and management, of which 1/3 vested immediately, 1/3 shall vest on January 13, 2024, and the remaining 1/3 shall vest on January 13, 2025. |
● | Options to purchase an aggregate of 75,000 shares of common stock were issued to non-management directors, which vest evenly over three years, whereby 1/3 shall vest on each of January 13, 2024, January 13, 2025, and January 13, 2026. |
● | Options to purchase an aggregate of 162,000 shares of common stock were issued to certain employees and consultants, which vest evenly over three years, whereby 1/3 shall vest on each of January 13, 2024, January 13, 2025, and January 13, 2026. |
● | Options to purchase an aggregate of 75,000 shares of common stock were issued an employee, which vest evenly over three years, whereby 1/6 of the options shall vest every six months. |
● | Options to purchase an aggregate of 6,000 shares of common stock were issued to a consultant, which vested immediately. |
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Details of the number of share options and the weighted average exercise price outstanding as of and during the three months ended March 31, 2023 are as follows:
Av. Exercise price per share $ |
Options (Number) |
|||||||
As at January 1, 2023 | 2.61 | 2,332,500 | ||||||
Granted | 1.28 | 648,000 | ||||||
Exercised | ||||||||
Forfeited | ||||||||
As at March 31, 2023 | 2.32 | 2,980,500 | ||||||
Exercisable as at March 31, 2023 | 2.16 | 1,339,154 |
As of March 31, 2023, the weighted average remaining contractual life of options was years for outstanding options, and years for exercisable options.
As of March 31, 2023, unrecognized stock option expense of $ remains to be recognized over next years.
NOTE 9 – STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
On August 17, 2022, as part of the Company’s initial public offering, the Company issued 1,960,000 warrants to purchase shares of common stock, which began trading and are currently trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, under the symbol “LUCYW.” Additionally, pursuant to the terms of the underwriting agreement for the offering, the Company issued to the underwriter certain other warrants to purchase up to 58,800 shares of the Company’s common stock.
In February 2023, holders of the Company’s publicly-traded warrants exercised such warrants to purchase an aggregate of 408,600 shares of the Company’s common stock, at an adjusted exercise price of $3.75 per share, resulting in cash proceeds to the Company of $1,532,250. As of March 31, 2023, 1,551,400 of such warrants remain outstanding.
None of the warrants issued to the underwriter have been exercised as of March 31, 2023.
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The Company calculates earnings/(loss) per share data by calculating the quotient of earnings/(loss) divided by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the respective period as required by ASC 260-10-50. Due to the net losses for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, all shares underlying the related party convertible debt, common stock warrants, and common stock options were excluded from the earnings per share calculation due to their anti-dilutive effect.
Calculation of net earnings per common share — basic and diluted:
NOTE 11 – SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Warrant Transactions
Between April 1, 2023 and April 16, 2023, holders of the Company’s warrants (see Note 9) exercised warrants to purchase an aggregate of 321,120 shares of the Company’s common stock, at an adjusted exercise price of $3.75 per share, resulting in cash proceeds to the Company of $1,204,200.
On April 17, 2023, the Company entered into a warrant exercise inducement letter agreement (“Inducement Letter”) with certain accredited investors that were existing holders of warrants to purchase an aggregate of 150,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for cash, wherein the investors agreed to exercise all of their existing warrants at an exercise price of $3.75 per share. The gross proceeds to the Company from this transaction, before deducting estimated expenses and fees, was $562,000. In consideration for the immediate exercise of the existing warrants for cash, the exercising holders received new warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 300,000 shares of common stock (the “New Warrants”) in a private placement pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The New Warrants are immediately exercisable upon issuance at an exercise price of $3.75 per common share and will expire on April 19, 2028. The New Warrants and the shares of common stock issuable upon their exercise, have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the SEC or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. The New Warrants were offered only to accredited investors.
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Up to 7,142,857 Units
consisting of
7,142,857 Shares of Common Stock or 7,142,857 Pre-Funded Warrants to purchase 7,142,857 shares of Common Stock
and
7,142,857 Warrants to purchase 7,142,857 Shares of Common Stock
and
Placement Agent Warrants to Purchase an Aggregate of Up To Shares of Common Stock
PROSPECTUS
Maxim Group LLC
, 2023
PART II INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following table sets forth the expenses in connection with this registration statement. All of such expenses are estimates, other than the filing fees payable to the Securities and Exchange Commission and to FINRA.
Amount to be paid | ||||
SEC registration fee | $ | 1,653 | ||
FINRA filing fee | $ | 2,750 | ||
Accounting fees and expenses | $ | 5,000 | ||
Legal fees and expenses | $ | 150,000 | ||
Total | $ | 159,403 |
Item 14. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
The Florida Business Corporation Act (the “FBCA”) provides that a corporation may indemnify a director or officer against liability if the director or officer acted in good faith, the director or officer acted in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation, and in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. A corporation may not indemnify a director or an officer except for expenses and amounts paid in settlement not exceeding, in the judgment of the board of directors, the estimated expense of litigating the proceeding to conclusion, actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the defense or settlement of such proceeding, including any appeal thereof, where such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the corporation.
The FBCA provides that a corporation must indemnify a director or officer who was wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which the individual was a party because he or she is or was a director or officer of the corporation against expenses incurred by the individual in connection with the proceeding.
A corporation may, before final disposition of a proceeding, advance funds to pay for or reimburse expenses incurred in connection with the proceeding by a director or an officer if the director or officer delivers to the corporation a signed written undertaking of the director or officer to repay any funds advanced if such director or officer is not entitled to indemnification.
Our amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws provides that we shall indemnify our directors, officers, employees and agents to the full extent permitted by FBCA, including in circumstances in which indemnification is otherwise discretionary under such law.
These indemnification provisions may be sufficiently broad to permit indemnification of our officers, directors and other corporate agents for liabilities (including reimbursement of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of our company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, 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.
We have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was one of our directors or officers, or is or was serving at our request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other business against any liability asserted against the person or incurred by the person in any of these capacities, or arising out of the person’s fulfilling one of these capacities, and related expenses, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify the person against the claim under the provisions of the FBCA. We do not currently maintain director and officer liability insurance on behalf of our director and officers; however, we intend to so purchase and maintain such insurance when economically feasible.
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Additionally, our second amended and restated articles of incorporation provides that we shall, to the maximum extent permitted from time to time under the law of the State of Florida, indemnify and upon request shall advance expenses to any person who is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, proceeding or claim, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such person is or was or has agreed to be a director or officer of ours or while a director or officer is or was serving at our request as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee or agent of any corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees and expenses), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement incurred in connection with the investigation, preparation to defend or defense of such action, suit, proceeding or claim; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not require us to indemnify or advance expenses to any person in connection with any action, suit, proceeding or claim initiated by or on behalf of such person or any counterclaim against us initiated by or on behalf of such person. Such indemnification shall not be exclusive of other indemnification rights arising under any by-law, agreement, vote of directors or stockholders or otherwise and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs and legal representatives of such person. Any person seeking indemnification shall be deemed to have met the standard of conduct required for such indemnification unless the contrary shall be established. Any repeal or modification of our second amended and restated articles of incorporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of ours with respect to any acts or omissions of such director or officer occurring prior to such repeal or modification.
Expenses incurred by such a person in defending a civil or criminal action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that such person is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of ours, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request, as a director, officer or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including any employee benefit plan, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity shall be paid by us in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be determined that he is not entitled to be indemnified by us as authorized by relevant sections of the FBCA. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we shall not be required to advance such expenses to a person who is a party to an action, suit or proceeding brought by us and approved by a majority of our Board of Directors that alleges willful misappropriation of corporate assets by such person, disclosure of confidential information in violation of such person’s fiduciary or contractual obligations to us or any other willful and deliberate breach in bad faith of such person’s duty to us or our stockholders.
We shall not indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless the initiation thereof was approved by our Board of Directors.
The indemnification rights provided in our bylaws, which will be in effect upon the consummation of this offering, shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which those indemnified may be entitled under any by-law, agreement or vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in their official capacities and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, continue as to such person who has ceased to be a director or officer, and inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.
If the FBCA Law is amended to expand further the indemnification permitted to indemnitees, then we shall indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by the FBCA, as so amended.
We may, to the extent authorized from time to time by our Board of Directors, grant indemnification rights to other employees or agents of ours or other persons serving us and such rights may be equivalent to, or greater or less than, those set forth in our bylaws, which will be in effect upon the consummation of this offering.
Our obligation to provide indemnification under our bylaws, which will be in effect upon the consummation of this offering, shall be offset to the extent of any other source of indemnification or any otherwise applicable insurance coverage under a policy maintained by us or any other person.
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To assure indemnification under our bylaws, which will be in effect upon the consummation of this offering, of all directors, officers, employees or agents who are determined by us or otherwise to be or to have been “fiduciaries” of any employee benefit plan of ours that may exist from time to time, the FBCA shall, for the purposes of our bylaws be interpreted as follows: an “other enterprise” shall be deemed to include such an employee benefit plan, including without limitation, any plan of ours that is governed by the Act of Congress entitled “Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,” as amended from time to time; we shall be deemed to have requested a person to serve an employee benefit plan where the performance by such person of his duties to us also imposes duties on, or otherwise involves services by, such person to the plan or participants or beneficiaries of the plan; and excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan pursuant to such Act of Congress shall be deemed “fines.”
Our bylaws, which will be in effect upon the consummation of this offering, shall be deemed to be a contract between us and each 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 person is or was, or has agreed to become, a director or officer of ours, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at our request, as a director, officer or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including any employee benefit plan, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, at any time while this by-law is in effect, and any repeal or modification thereof shall not affect any rights or obligations then existing with respect to any state of facts then or theretofore existing or any action, suit or proceeding theretofore or thereafter brought based in whole or in part upon any such state of facts.
The indemnification provision of our bylaws, which will be in effect upon the consummation of this offering, does not affect directors’ responsibilities under any other laws, such as the federal securities laws or state or federal environmental laws.
We may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer or employee of ours, or is or was serving at our request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against liability asserted against him and incurred by him in any such capacity, or arising out of his status as such, whether or not we would have the power to indemnify him against liability under the provisions of this section. We currently maintain such insurance.
The right of any person to be indemnified is subject to our right, in lieu of such indemnity, to settle any such claim, action, suit or proceeding at our expense of by the payment of the amount of such settlement and the costs and expenses incurred in connection therewith.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling our company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person in a successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered herewith, we will, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to the court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by us is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
The Registrant plans to enter into an placement agency agreement, which provides that the placement agents are obligated, under some circumstances, to indemnify the Registrant’s directors, officers and controlling persons against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
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Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
During the last three years, the Company has not issued unregistered securities to any person, except as described below. None of these transactions involved any underwriters, underwriting discounts or commissions, except as specified below, or any public offering, and, unless otherwise indicated below, the Company believes that each transaction was exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act by virtue of Section 4(a)(2) thereof and/or Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder, and/or Regulation S promulgated thereunder regarding offshore offers and sales. All recipients had adequate access, though their relationships with the Company, to information about the Company.
Convertible Promissory Notes
On December 1, 2020, we issued a convertible note for an aggregate principal amount of up to $2,000,000 to Lucyd Ltd., the majority stockholder of the Company (the “Note”). On June 1, 2021, we completed the partial conversion of $778,500 of the outstanding balance on the Note into an aggregate of 778,500 shares of common stock. On September 5, 2021, we completed the partial conversion of an aggregate of $500,002 of the outstanding balance on the Note, at $3.56 per share, into an aggregate of 140,449 shares of common stock. On November 1, 2021, the Company executed an amended and restated Note, increasing the amount of available financing from $2,000,000 to $3,000,000. On November 16, 2021, we completed the partial conversion of an aggregate of $901,270.96 of the outstanding balance on the Note, at $3.56 per share, into an aggregate of 253,166 shares of common stock. On August 14, 2022, we completed the partial conversion of an aggregate of $2,002,280 of the outstanding balance on the Note, at $7.50 per share, into an aggregate of 266,970 shares of common stock. As of the date of this prospectus, $0 remains outstanding on the Note.
Regulation CF Offerings
In June 2020, the Company commenced an offering pursuant to Regulation CF of the Securities Act, through the intermediary portal, StartEngine.com, pursuant to which we offered shares of our common stock for $1.00 per share. The offering was terminated in April 2021 and we issued 1,091,717 shares of common stock for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,091,717.
On July 12, 2021, the Company issued an aggregate of 1,000 shares of common stock for $1.00 per share to an individual investor, pursuant to a subscription agreement with the Company, for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,000.
In July 2021, the Company launched its second Crowdfunded offering of common stock in which it raised $149,480, amounting to 45,355 shares, offset by $115,523 in offering costs.
Warrant Exercise Inducement and Issuance
On April 17, 2023, we entered into a warrant exercise inducement letter agreement (“Inducement Letter”) with a certain accredited investor that is an existing holder of Listed Warrants to purchase an aggregate of 150,000 shares of the Company’s common stock for cash (the “Existing Warrants”), wherein the investor agreed to exercise all of its Existing Warrants at an exercise price of $3.75 per share. The Existing Warrants were previously issued in an initial public offering which closed on August 17, 2022. For acting as a financial advisor related to the Inducement Letter, we agreed to pay Maxim Group LLC a cash fee equal to eight percent (8.0%) of the total proceeds from the exercise of the Existing Warrants. The gross proceeds of the exercise of the Existing Warrants to the Company, before deducting estimated expenses and fees, are expected to be approximately $562,000. In consideration for the immediate exercise of the Existing Warrants for cash, the exercising holder received new warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 300,000 shares of common stock (the “New Warrants”) in a private placement pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The New Warrants are immediately exercisable upon issuance at an exercise price of $3.75 per share of common stock and will expire on April 19, 2028.
Stock Options
Since our inception, we have issued options exercisable for an aggregate of 2,980,000 shares of common stock. Of these options, 2,464,500 options remain outstanding as of the date of this prospectus, at a weighted average exercise price of $2.39 per share.
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Item 16. Exhibits
The following is a list of exhibits filed as a part of this registration statement:
* | Filed herewith. | |
# | Indicates management contract or compensatory plan. |
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Item 17. Undertakings
(1) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes: |
(a) | 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; | |
(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 SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and | |
(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, 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 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant hereby undertakes 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: |
(i) | 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); | |
(ii) | 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; | |
(iii) | 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 | |
(iv) | Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser. |
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(5) | The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that: |
(a) | For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance on Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the undersigned 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; and | |
(b) | For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. |
(6) | Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue. |
II-7 |
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Miami, State of Florida, on June 16, 2023.
Innovative Eyewear, Inc. | |||
By: | /s/ Harrison Gross | ||
Name: | Harrison Gross | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL BY THESE PRESENT, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Harrison Gross as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with the full power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place or stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration statement (including post-effective amendments), and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this registration statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the Securities Act, and all post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Person | Capacity | Date | ||
/s/ Harrison Gross | Chief Executive Officer and Director | June 16, 2023 | ||
Harrison Gross | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||
/s/ Konrad Dabrowski | Chief Financial Officer | June 16, 2023 | ||
Konrad Dabrowski | (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | |||
/s/ Kristen McLaughlin | Director | June 16, 2023 | ||
Kristen McLaughlin | ||||
/s/ Louis Castro | Director | June 16, 2023 | ||
Louis Castro | ||||
/s/ Olivia C. Bartlett | Director | June 16, 2023 | ||
Olivia C. Bartlett |
II-8 |
Exhibit 1.1
PLACEMENT AGENCY AGREEMENT
[ ], 2023
Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
11900 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 630
Miami, Florida 33181
Attn: Harrison Gross, Chief Executive Officer
Dear Mr. Harrison:
This letter agreement (the “Agreement”) constitutes the agreement between Maxim Group LLC (“Maxim” or the “Placement Agent”) and Innovative Eyewear, Inc., a Florida corporation (together with its subsidiaries, the “Company”), that Maxim shall serve as the exclusive placement agent for the Company, on a “reasonable best efforts” basis, for the proposed placement to certain purchasers (the “Purchasers”) of up to an aggregate of (i) [___] common units (each a “Common Unit” and collectively, the “Common Units”), with each Common Unit consisting of (A) one share (each a “Share” and collectively, the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”), (B) one common stock purchase warrant (each a “Warrant” and collectively, the “Warrants”) to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”) exercisable immediately and expiring five years after the date of issuance at an exercise price of $[__] per share of Common Stock, and (ii) [____] pre-funded units (each a “Pre-Funded Unit” and collectively, the “Pre-Funded Units”), with each Pre-Funded Unit consisting of (A) one pre-funded warrant (each a “Pre-Funded Warrant” and collectively, the “Pre-Funded Warrants”), with each Pre-Funded Warrant exercisable to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”) at an exercise price of $0.00001 per share, (B) one Warrant. The Common Units, the Pre-Funded Units and the securities included therein (i.e., the Shares, the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, the Warrants and the Warrant Shares are referred to herein as the “Securities.” The documents executed and delivered by the Company and the Purchasers in connection with the Offering (as defined below), including, without limitation, a securities purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Transaction Documents.” The purchase price to the Purchasers for each Common Unit is $[__] and the purchase price to the Purchasers for each Pre-Funded Unit is $[__]. The Placement Agent may retain other brokers or dealers to act as sub-agents or selected-dealers on its behalf in connection with the Offering.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event that the Placement Agent determines that any of the terms provided for hereunder do not comply with a rule of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), including but not limited to FINRA Rule 5110, then the Company shall agree to amend this Agreement in writing upon the request of the Placement Agent to comply with any such rules; provided that any such amendments shall not provide for terms that are less favorable to the Company than the terms of this Agreement.
Section 1. Agreement to Act as Placement Agent.
(a) On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company herein contained, and subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the Placement Agent shall be the exclusive placement agent in connection with the offering and sale by the Company of the Securities pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-[ ]) (and including any registration statement prepared and filed by the Company in accordance with Rule 462(b) pursuant to the Securities Act) (the “Registration Statement”), with the terms of such offering (the “Offering”) to be subject to market conditions and negotiations between the Company, the Placement Agent and the prospective Purchasers. The Placement Agent will act on a reasonable best efforts basis and the Company agrees and acknowledges that there is no guarantee of the successful placement of the Securities, or any portion thereof, in the prospective Offering. Under no circumstances will the Placement Agent or any of its “Affiliates” (as defined below) be obligated to underwrite or purchase any of the Securities for its own account or otherwise provide any financing. The Placement Agent shall act solely as the Company’s agent and not as principal. The Placement Agent shall have no authority to bind the Company with respect to any prospective offer to purchase the Securities and the Company shall have the sole right to accept offers to purchase the Securities and may reject any such offer, in whole or in part. Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, payment of the purchase price for, and delivery of, the Securities shall be made at the closing (the “Closing” and the date on which the Closing occurs, the “Closing Date”). The Closing shall occur via “Delivery Versus Payment” (“DVP”), i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Shares directly to the account designated by the Placement Agent and, upon receipt of such Shares, the Placement Agent shall electronically deliver such Shares to the applicable Purchaser and payment shall be made by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire transfer to the Company, and delivery of the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Warrants shall be delivered via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system for the account of the applicable Purchaser as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. As compensation for services rendered, the Company shall pay to the Placement Agent the fees and expenses set forth below:
(i) | a cash fee equal to seven percent 7.0% of the gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Securities at the Closing; | |
(ii) | Warrants to purchase such number of shares of Common Stock equal to four percent (4.0%) of the total number of Units sold in the Offering (the “Placement Agent Warrants”). The Placement Agent Warrants will be exercisable six (6) months after the commencement of the sale of the Units in the Offering (the effective date of the Registration Statement) and will expire five (5) years after such commencement of sales of the Units in the Offering. The Placement Agent Warrants will be exercisable at a price equal to 125% of the Securities sold in the Placement. The Placement Agent (or permitted assignees under FINRA Rule 5110(e)(2)) will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge, or hypothecate the Placement Agent Warrants or the shares of common stock underlying the Placement Agent 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 Placement Agent Warrants or the underlying shares of common stock for a period commencing on the date that is 180 days from the commencement of sales of the securities in the Offering, except that they may be assigned, in whole or in part, to any officer or partner, registered person or affiliate of the Placement Agent, and will expire on the five-year anniversary of the commencement of sales of the securities in the Offering. The Placement Agent Warrants shall not be redeemable and shall provide for cashless exercise in certain cases. The Placement Agent Warrants will also contain unlimited “piggyback” registration rights for a period of three (3) years following the commencement of sales in this Offering at the Company’s expense; and | |
(iii) | reimbursement of the Placement Agent’s accountable expenses, including the Placement Agent’s legal counsel’s legal fees, up to $100,000 minus any amount previously paid by the Company to the Placement Agent as an advance. However, in the event this Agreement shall terminate prior to the consummation of the Offering, the Placement Agent, shall be entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses upon providing reasonable documentation relating to the incurrence of such expenses; provided, however, such expenses shall not exceed the aggregate amount of $50,000, taken together and not individually. |
The Placement Agent reserves the right to reduce any item of compensation or adjust the terms thereof as specified herein in the event that a determination shall be made by FINRA to the effect that the Placement Agent’s aggregate compensation is in excess of FINRA Rules or that the terms thereof require adjustment.
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(b) The Placement Agent’s engagement hereunder shall become effective on the date hereof and shall continue until the earlier of (i) the Closing Date and (ii) [____], 2023 (the “Termination Date”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the provisions concerning confidentiality, indemnification and contribution contained herein and the Company’s obligations contained in the indemnification provisions will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement, and the Company’s obligation to pay fees actually earned and payable and to reimburse expenses actually incurred and reimbursable pursuant to Section 1 hereof and which are permitted to be reimbursed under the FINRA Rules, will survive any expiration or termination of this Agreement. All such fees and reimbursements due shall be paid to the Placement Agent on or before the Termination Date (in the event such fees and reimbursements are earned or owed as of the Termination Date) or upon the closing of the Offering or any applicable portion thereof (in the event such fees are due pursuant to the terms of Section 1 hereof).
(c) Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to limit the ability of the Placement Agent or its Affiliates to pursue, investigate, analyze, invest in, or engage in investment banking, financial advisory or any other business relationship with Persons (as defined below) other than the Company. As used herein (i) “Persons” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind and (ii) “Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
Section 2. Representations, Warranties and Covenants of the Company. The Company hereby represents, warrants and covenants to the Placement Agent as of the date hereof, and as of the Closing Date, unless such representation, warranty or agreement specifies a different date or time, as follows:
(a) Securities Law Filings. The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) the Registration Statement under the Securities Act, which was filed on [___], 2023, as amended on [______], 2023, and declared effective on [______], 2023 for the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act. Following the determination of pricing among the Company and the prospective Purchasers introduced to the Company by Placement Agent, the Company will file with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and 424(b) under the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations (the “Rules and Regulations”) of the Commission promulgated thereunder, a final prospectus relating to the placement of the Securities, their respective pricings and the plan of distribution thereof and will advise the Placement Agent of all further information (financial and other) with respect to the Company required to be set forth therein. Such registration statement, at any given time, including the exhibits thereto filed at such time, as amended at such time, is hereinafter called the “Registration Statement”; such prospectus in the form in which it appears in the Registration Statement at the time of effectiveness, is hereinafter called the “Preliminary Prospectus”; and the final prospectus, in the form in which it will be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rules 430A and/or 424(b) (including the Preliminary Prospectus as it may be amended or supplemented) is hereinafter called the “Final Prospectus.” The Registration Statement at the time it originally became effective is hereinafter called the “Original Registration Statement.” Any reference in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Original Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein (the “Incorporated Documents”), if any, which were or are filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), at any given time, as the case may be; and any reference in this Agreement to the terms “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, the Original Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the date of this Agreement, or the issue date of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be, deemed to be incorporated therein by reference. All references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which is “contained,” “included,” “described,” “referenced,” “set forth” or “stated” in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus (and all other references of like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements and schedules and other information which is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus, as the case may be. As used in this paragraph and elsewhere in this Agreement, “Time of Sale Disclosure Package” means the Preliminary Prospectus, the Transaction Documents, the final terms of the Offering provided to the Purchasers (orally or in writing), and any issuer free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 433 of the Act (each, an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus”), if any, that the parties hereto shall hereafter expressly agree in writing to treat as part of the Time of Sale Disclosure Package. The term “any Prospectus” shall mean, as the context requires, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Final Prospectus and any supplement to either thereof. The Company has not received any notice that the Commission has issued or intends to issue a stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or intends to commence a proceeding for any such purpose.
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(b) Assurances. The Original Registration Statement, as amended, (and any further documents to be filed with the Commission) contains all exhibits and schedules as required by the Securities Act. Each of the Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto, at the time it became effective, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations and did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading. The Final Prospectus, as of its date, complied or will comply in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations. The Final Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, did not and will not contain as of the date thereof any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting any facts or events arising after the date thereof which represent, individually or in the aggregate, a fundamental change in the information set forth therein is required to be filed with the Commission. Except for this Agreement and the Transaction Documents, there are no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby that (i) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or (ii) will not be filed within the requisite time period under the Rules and Regulations. Except for this Agreement and the Transaction Documents, there are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Final Prospectus, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which have not been described or filed as required. The foregoing shall not apply to statements in, or omissions from, any such document made in reliance upon, and in conformity with, information furnished to the Company by the Placement Agent specifically for use in the preparation thereof.
(c) Offering Materials. Neither the Company nor any of its directors and officers has distributed and none of them will distribute, prior to the Closing Date, any offering material in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities other than the Time of Sale Disclosure Package.
(d) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has full legal right, power and authority to enter into this Agreement and perform the transactions contemplated hereby. This Agreement has been duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
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(e) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated pursuant to the Time of Sale Disclosure Package, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby to which it is a party do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s, or any of its subsidiaries’, certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction upon any of the properties or assets of the Company, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company is bound or affected, or (iii) subject to any required approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii), such as would not reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect on: (x) the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document; (y) the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company; or (z) the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (any of (x), (y), or (z), a “Material Adverse Effect”).
(f) Reliance. The Company has not relied upon the Placement Agent or legal counsel for the Placement Agent for any legal, tax or accounting advice in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities.
(g) Forward-Looking Statements. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act (“Forward-Looking Statement”) contained in the Time of Sale Disclosure Package has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith.
(h) Certificates. Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Placement Agent or counsel shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Purchasers as to the matters covered thereby.
(i) Representations and Warranties Incorporated by Reference. Each of the representations and warranties (together with any related disclosure schedules thereto) made by the Company to the Purchasers in the Purchase Agreement is hereby incorporated herein by reference (as though fully restated herein) and is hereby made to, and in favor of, the Placement Agent.
(j) FINRA Affiliations. There are no affiliations with any FINRA member firm among the Company’s officers, directors or, to the knowledge of the Company, any 5.0% or greater stockholder of the Company.
Section 3. Delivery and Payment. The Closing shall occur at the offices of Blank Rome LLP, located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 (“Placement Agent Counsel”) (or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Placement Agent and the Company, including remotely via electronic transmission). Subject to the terms and conditions hereof and of the Purchase Agreement, at the Closing, payment of the purchase price for the Securities sold on the Closing Date shall be made by Federal Funds wire transfer, against delivery of such Securities, and such Securities shall be registered in such name or names and shall be in such denominations, as the Placement Agent may request at least one business day before the Closing Date. Deliveries of the documents with respect to the purchase of the Securities, if any, shall be made at the offices of Placement Agent Counsel. All actions taken at the Closing shall be deemed to have occurred simultaneously.
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Section 4. Covenants and Agreements of the Company. The Company further covenants and agrees with the Placement Agent as follows:
(a) Registration Statement Matters. The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly after it receives notice thereof of the time when any amendment to the Registration Statement has been filed or becomes effective or any supplement to the Final Prospectus has been filed and will furnish the Placement Agent with copies thereof. The Company will file promptly all reports and any definitive proxy or information statements required to be filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Section 13(a), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the date of any Prospectus and for so long as the delivery of a prospectus is required in connection with the Offering. The Company will advise the Placement Agent, promptly after it receives notice thereof (i) of any request by the Commission to amend the Registration Statement or to amend or supplement any Prospectus or for additional information, and (ii) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto or any order directed at any Incorporated Document, if any, or any amendment or supplement thereto or any order preventing or suspending the use of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Final Prospectus or any prospectus supplement or any amendment or supplement thereto or any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement, of the suspension of the qualification of the Securities for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, of the institution or threatened institution of any proceeding for any such purpose, or of any request by the Commission for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or a Prospectus or for additional information. The Company shall use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or prevention or suspension of such use. If the Commission shall enter any such stop order or order or notice of prevention or suspension at any time, the Company will use its best efforts to obtain the lifting of such order at the earliest possible moment, or will file a new registration statement and use its best efforts to have such new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Company agrees that it shall comply with the provisions of Rules 424(b), 430A, 430B and 430C, as applicable, under the Securities Act, including with respect to the timely filing of documents thereunder, and will use its reasonable efforts to confirm that any filings made by the Company under such Rule 424(b) are received in a timely manner by the Commission.
(b) Blue Sky Compliance. The Company will cooperate with the Placement Agent and the Purchasers in endeavoring to qualify the Securities for sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions (United States and foreign) as the Placement Agent and the Purchasers may reasonably request and will make such applications, file such documents, and furnish such information as may be reasonably required for that purpose, provided the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction where it is not now so qualified or required to file such a consent, and provided further that the Company shall not be required to produce any new disclosure document. The Company will, from time to time, prepare and file such statements, reports and other documents as are or may be required to continue such qualifications in effect for so long a period as the Placement Agent may reasonably request for distribution of the Securities. The Company will advise the Placement Agent promptly of the suspension of the qualification or registration of (or any such exemption relating to) the Securities for offering, sale or trading in any jurisdiction or any initiation or threat of any proceeding for any such purpose, and in the event of the issuance of any order suspending such qualification, registration or exemption, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal thereof at the earliest possible moment.
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(c) Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus and Other Matters. The Company will comply with the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, so as to permit the completion of the distribution of the Securities as contemplated in this Agreement, the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus. If during the period in which a prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with the distribution of Securities contemplated by the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), any event shall occur as a result of which, in the judgment of the Company or in the opinion of the Placement Agent or counsel for the Placement Agent, it becomes necessary to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend or supplement the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any Incorporated Document to comply with any law, the Company will promptly prepare and file with the Commission, and furnish at its own expense to the Placement Agent and to dealers, an appropriate amendment to the Registration Statement or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus that is necessary in order to make the statements in the Incorporated Documents and any Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, as the case may be, not misleading, or so that the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus, as so amended or supplemented, will comply with law. Before amending the Registration Statement or supplementing the Incorporated Documents or any Prospectus in connection with the Offering, the Company will furnish the Placement Agent with a copy of such proposed amendment or supplement and will not file any such amendment or supplement to which the Placement Agent reasonably objects.
(d) Copies of any Amendments and Supplements to a Prospectus. The Company will furnish the Placement Agent, without charge, during the period beginning on the date hereof and ending on the Closing Date, as many copies of any Prospectus or prospectus supplement and any amendments and supplements thereto, as the Placement Agent may reasonably request.
(e) Free Writing Prospectus. The Company covenants that it will not, unless it obtains the prior written consent of the Placement Agent, make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus” (as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act) required to be filed by the Company with the Commission or retained by the Company under Rule 433 of the Securities Act. In the event that the Placement Agent expressly consents in writing to any such free writing prospectus (a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus”), the Company covenants that it shall (i) treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and (ii) comply with the requirements of Rule 164 and 433 of the Securities Act applicable to such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including in respect of timely filing with the Commission, legending and record keeping.
(f) Transfer Agent. The Company will maintain, at its expense, a registrar and transfer agent for the Common Stock for at least three years after the Closing Date.
(g) Earnings Statement. As soon as practicable and in accordance with applicable requirements under the Securities Act, but in any event not later than 18 months after the Closing Date, the Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Placement Agent an earnings statement, covering a period of at least 12 consecutive months beginning after the Closing Date, that satisfies the provisions of Section 11(a) and Rule 158 under the Securities Act.
(h) Periodic Reporting Obligations. During the Prospectus Delivery Period, the Company will duly file, on a timely basis, with the Commission and the market or exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading (the “Trading Market”) all reports and documents required to be filed under the Exchange Act within the time periods and in the manner required by the Exchange Act.
(i) Reserved.
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(j) No Manipulation of Price. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or that has constituted or might reasonably be expected to constitute, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company.
(k) Acknowledgment. The Company acknowledges that any advice given by the Placement Agent to the Company is solely for the benefit and use of the Board of Directors of the Company and may not be used, reproduced, disseminated, quoted or referred to, without the Placement Agent’s prior written consent.
(l) Publicity. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent may, subsequent to the Closing, make public its involvement with the Offering. The Company agrees that, until 45 days after the final Closing Date, it will not issue press releases or engage in any other publicity, without Maxim’s prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), other than normal and customary releases issued in the ordinary course of the Company’s business. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Company be prohibited from issuing any press releases or engaging in any other publicity required by law, except that including the name of the Placement Agent therein shall require the prior written consent of the Placement Agent.
(m) Reliance on Others. The Company confirms that it will rely on its own counsel and accountants for legal and accounting advice.
(n) Research Matters. By entering into this Agreement, the Placement Agent does not provide any promise, either explicitly or implicitly, of favorable or continued research coverage of the Company and the Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Placement Agent’s selection as a placement agent for the Offering was in no way conditioned, explicitly or implicitly, on the Placement Agent providing favorable or any research coverage of the Company. In accordance with the FINRA Rules, the parties acknowledge and agree that the Placement Agent has not directly or indirectly offered favorable research, a specific rating or a specific price target, or threatened to change research, a rating or a price target, to the Company or inducement for the receipt of business or compensation.
(o) Trading Market. The Company will use its best efforts to maintain the listing of its Common Stock on the Trading Market for a period of at least three years after the Closing Date.
(p) Engagement of Professionals. The Company will retain a nationally recognized, PCAOB registered firm of independent certified public accountants reasonably acceptable to Maxim for a period of at least three years after the Closing Date. The Company will retain a financial public relations firm reasonably acceptable to Maxim for a period of two years after the Closing Date. The Company will retain a financial printer reasonably acceptable to Maxim to handle the printing and related aspects of the Offering.
(q) Subsequent Equity Sales. From the date hereof until six (6) months after the Closing Date, the Company shall not (i) issue, enter into any agreement to issue or announce the issuance or proposed issuance of any shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents or (ii) file any registration statement or any amendment or supplement thereto, other than (A) the Final Prospectus on Form S-8 in connection with any employee benefit plan (the “Lock-Up Period”), provided, however, if the aggregate gross proceeds from the Offering are less than $5,000,000, the duration of the Lock-Up Period shall be reduced from six (6) months to ninety (90) days. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 4(q) shall not apply in respect of an Exempt Issuance. “Exempt Issuance” means the issuance of (a) the Securities hereunder; (b) shares of Common Stock or options to employees, officers or directors of the Company pursuant to the Company’s 2021 Equity Incentive Plan or pursuant to the compensation agreements previously authorized by the Board of Directors provided however, any such issuances to consultants shall be limited to 100,000 shares; (c) securities upon the exercise or exchange of or conversion of securities exercisable or exchangeable for or convertible into shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding on the date of this Agreement, provided that such securities have not been amended since the date of this Agreement to increase the number of such securities or to decrease the exercise price, exchange price or conversion price of such securities (other than in connection with stock splits or combinations) or to extend the term of such securities and (d) securities issued pursuant to acquisitions or strategic transactions and the payment of contractor invoices in the ordinary course of business approved by a majority of the disinterested directors of the Company, provided that such securities are issued as “restricted securities” (as defined in Rule 144) and carry no registration rights that require or permit the filing of any registration statement in connection therewith during the Lock-Up Period, and provided that any such issuance shall only be to a Person (or to the equityholders of a Person) which is, itself or through its subsidiaries, an operating company or an owner of an asset in a business synergistic with the business of the Company and shall provide to the Company additional benefits in addition to the investment of funds, but shall not include a transaction in which the Company is issuing securities primarily for the purpose of raising capital or to an entity whose primary business is investing in securities.
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Section 5. Conditions of the Obligations of the Placement Agent. The obligations of the Placement Agent hereunder shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company set forth in Section 2 hereof, in each case as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as though then made, to the timely performance by each of the Company of its covenants and other obligations hereunder on and as of such dates, and to each of the following additional conditions:
(a) Accountants’ Comfort Letter. At the pricing of the Offering and the Closing, the Placement Agent shall have received, and the Company shall have caused to be delivered to the Placement Agent, a cold “comfort letter” and a bring-down “comfort letter”, respectively, from Cherry Bekaert LLP, the current independent registered public accounting firm of the Company, addressed to the Placement Agent, dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent. The letter shall not disclose any change in the condition (financial or other), earnings, operations, business or prospects of the Company from that set forth in the Incorporated Documents or the applicable Prospectus or prospectus supplement, which, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Offering of the Securities as contemplated by such Prospectus.
(b) Compliance with Registration Requirements; No Stop Order; No Objection from the FINRA. Each Prospectus shall have been duly filed with the Commission, as appropriate; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any part thereof shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; no order preventing or suspending the use of any Prospectus shall have been issued and no proceeding for that purpose shall have been initiated or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company shall have been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange; all requests for additional information on the part of the Commission shall have been complied with; and, prior to the date hereof, FINRA shall have raised no objection to the fairness and reasonableness of the placement terms and arrangements.
(c) Corporate Proceedings. All corporate proceedings and other legal matters in connection with this Agreement, the Registration Statement and each Prospectus, and the registration, sale and delivery of the Securities, shall have been completed or resolved in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent’s counsel, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information as it may reasonably have requested to enable such counsel to pass upon the matters referred to in this Section 5.
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(d) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, in the Placement Agent’s sole judgment after consultation with the Company, there shall not have occurred any Material Adverse Effect or any material adverse change or development involving a prospective material adverse change in the condition or the business activities, financial or otherwise, of the Company from the latest dates as of which such condition is set forth in the Registration Statement and Prospectus (“Material Adverse Change”).
(e) Opinion of Counsel for the Company. The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date the favorable opinion of (i) Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, legal counsel to the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, including, without limitation, a negative assurance letter addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent and (ii) Special Regulatory Counsel and Special Intellectual Property Counsel such counsel’s written opinion, addressed to the Placement Agent and the Purchasers and dated as of the Closing Date, in form and substance satisfactory to the Placement Agent.
(f) Officers’ Certificate. The Placement Agent shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate of the Company, dated as of the Closing Date, signed by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, to the effect that, and the Placement Agent shall be satisfied that, the signers of such certificate have reviewed the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents, the Final Prospectus, the Transaction Documents and this Agreement and to the further effect that:
(i) The representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct as if made on and as of the Closing Date (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date), and the Company has complied with all the agreements and satisfied all the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date;
(ii) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the use of the Final Prospectus has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened under the Securities Act; no order having the effect of ceasing or suspending the distribution of the Securities or any other securities of the Company has been issued by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, contemplated by any securities commission, securities regulatory authority or stock exchange in the United States;
(iii) When the Registration Statement became effective, at the time of sale, and at all times subsequent thereto up to the delivery of such certificate, the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, when such documents became effective or were filed with the Commission, and any Prospectus, contained all material information required to be included therein by the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and in all material respects conformed to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, as the case may be, and the Registration Statement and the Incorporated Documents, if any, and any Prospectus, did not and do not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (provided, however, that the preceding representations and warranties contained in this paragraph (iii) shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Placement Agent expressly for use therein) and, since the effective date of the Registration Statement, there has occurred no event required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder to be set forth in the Incorporated Documents which has not been so set forth; and
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(iv) Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement, the Incorporated Documents and the Final Prospectus, there has not been: (a) any Material Adverse Change; (b) any transaction that is material to the Company taken as a whole, except transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business; (c) any obligation, direct or contingent, that is material to the Company taken as a whole, incurred by the Company, except obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business; (d) any material change in the capital stock (except changes thereto resulting from the exercise of outstanding stock options or warrants) or outstanding indebtedness of the Company; (e) any dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made on the capital stock of the Company; or (f) any loss or damage (whether or not insured) to the property of the Company which has been sustained or will have been sustained which has a Material Adverse Effect.
(g) Reserved.
(h) Stock Exchange Listing. The Common Stock shall be registered under the Exchange Act and shall be listed on the Trading Market, and the Company shall not have taken any action designed to terminate, or likely to have the effect of terminating, the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act or delisting or suspending from trading the Common Stock from the Trading Market, nor shall the Company have received any information suggesting that the Commission or the Trading Market is contemplating terminating such registration or listing except as disclosed in any Prospectus.
(i) Lock-Up Agreements. On the Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received the executed lock-up agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, from each of the directors and officers and any holder of 10% or more of the outstanding Common Stock.
(j) Warrant Agency Agreement. On the Closing Date, the Company shall have executed and delivered the duly executed one or more warrant agency agreements by and between the Company and the transfer agent, acting as warrant agent.
(k) Warrants. On the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or shall cause to be delivered the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Warrants and the Placement Agent Warrants registered in such name or names and in such denominations as the Placement Agent may request at least one business day before the applicable Closing Date.
(l) Chief Financial Officer Certificate. On the date of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, the Placement Agent shall have received a certificate of Chief Financial Officer addressed to the Placement Agent and in form and substance satisfactory in all respects to the Placement Agent and Placement Agent’s counsel.
(m) Additional Documents. On or before each Closing Date, the Placement Agent and counsel for the Placement Agent shall have received such information and documents as they may reasonably require for the purposes of enabling them to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated herein, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations and warranties, or the satisfaction of any of the conditions or agreements, herein contained.
If any condition specified in this Section 5 is not satisfied when and as required to be satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by the Placement Agent by notice to the Company at any time on or prior to a Closing Date, which termination shall be without liability on the part of any party to any other party, except that Sections 1(a), 7 and 8 shall at all times be effective and shall survive such termination.
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Section 6. Further Agreements.
(a) Other Activities. The Company acknowledges that the Placement Agent has been, and may in the future be, engaged to provide services as an underwriter, placement agent, finder, advisor or investment banker to other companies in the industry in which the Company is involved. The Company acknowledges and agrees that nothing contained in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of the Placement Agent or of any member, manager, officer, employee, agent or representative of the Placement Agent, to be a member, manager, partner, officer, director, employee, agent or representative of, investor in, or to engage in, any other business, whether or not of a similar nature to the Company’s business, nor to limit or restrict the right of the Placement Agent to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association; provided that the Placement Agent and any of its members, managers, officers, employees, agents or representatives shall not use the Information to the detriment of the Company.
(b) Placement Agent Introductions. Upon Closing of the Offering, or if the Termination Date is prior to the Closing of the Offering (other than a termination for “Cause”), then if within nine (9) months following such time, the Company completes any financing of equity, equity-linked, or debt financing, or any other capital raising activity with, or receives any proceeds from any of the investors contacted or introduced to the Company by the Placement Agent, then the Company will pay the Placement Agent upon the closing of such financing or receipt of proceeds the compensation equivalent to that set forth in Section 1(a) hereof.
Section 7. Indemnification and Contribution.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each person controlling the Placement Agent (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act), and the directors, officers, agents and employees of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each such controlling person (the Placement Agent, and each such entity or person. an “Indemnified Person”) from and against any losses, claims, damages, judgments, assessments, costs and other liabilities (collectively, the “Liabilities”), and shall reimburse each Indemnified Person for all fees and expenses (including the reasonable fees and expenses of one counsel for all Indemnified Persons, except as otherwise expressly provided herein) (collectively, the “Expenses”) as they are incurred by an Indemnified Person in investigating, preparing, pursuing or defending any action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation (collectively, an “Action”), whether or not any Indemnified Person is a party thereto, (i) caused by, or arising out of or in connection with, any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any Incorporated Document, or any Prospectus or by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (other than untrue statements or alleged untrue statements in, or omissions or alleged omissions from, information relating to an Indemnified Person furnished in writing by or on behalf of such Indemnified Person expressly for use in the Incorporated Documents) or (ii) otherwise arising out of or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person’s actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions; provided, however, that, in the case of clause (ii) only, the Company shall not be responsible for any Liabilities or Expenses of any Indemnified Person that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person’s (x) gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any of the advice, actions, inactions or services referred to above or (y) use of any offering materials or information concerning the Company in connection with the offer or sale of the Securities in the Offering which were not authorized for such use by the Company and which use constitutes gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Company also agrees to reimburse each Indemnified Person for all Expenses as they are incurred in connection with enforcing such Indemnified Person’s rights under this Agreement.
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(b) Upon receipt by an Indemnified Person of actual notice of an Action against such Indemnified Person with respect to which indemnity may be sought under this Agreement, such Indemnified Person shall promptly notify the Company in writing; provided that failure by any Indemnified Person so to notify the Company shall not relieve the Company from any liability which the Company may have on account of this indemnity or otherwise to such Indemnified Person, except to the extent the Company shall have been prejudiced by such failure. The Company shall, if requested by the Placement Agent, assume the defense of any such Action including the employment of counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent, which counsel may also be counsel to the Company. Any Indemnified Person shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Indemnified Person unless: (i) the Company has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel or (ii) the named parties to any such Action (including any impeded parties) include such Indemnified Person and the Company, and such Indemnified Person shall have been advised in the reasonable opinion of counsel that there is an actual conflict of interest that prevents the counsel selected by the Company from representing both the Company (or another client of such counsel) and any Indemnified Person; provided that the Company shall not in such event be responsible hereunder for the fees and expenses of more than one firm of separate counsel for all Indemnified Persons in connection with any Action or related Actions, in addition to any local counsel. The Company shall not be liable for any settlement of any Action effected without its written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld). In addition, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any pending or threatened Action in respect of which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder (whether or not such Indemnified Person is a party thereto) unless such settlement, compromise, consent or termination includes an unconditional release of each Indemnified Person from all Liabilities arising out of such Action for which indemnification or contribution may be sought hereunder. The indemnification required hereby shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as such expense, loss, damage or liability is incurred and is due and payable.
(c) In the event that the foregoing indemnity is unavailable to an Indemnified Person other than in accordance with this Agreement, the Company shall contribute to the Liabilities and Expenses paid or payable by such Indemnified Person in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect (i) the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement or (ii) if the allocation provided by the immediately preceding clause is not permitted by applicable law, not only such relative benefits but also the relative fault of the Company, on the one hand, and the Placement Agent and any other Indemnified Person, on the other hand, in connection with the matters as to which such Liabilities or Expenses relate, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations; provided that in no event shall the Company contribute less than the amount necessary to ensure that all Indemnified Persons, in the aggregate, are not liable for any Liabilities and Expenses in excess of the amount of fees actually received by the Placement Agent pursuant to this Agreement. For purposes of this paragraph, the relative benefits to the Company, on the one hand, and to the Placement Agent on the other hand, of the matters contemplated by this Agreement shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as (a) the total value paid or contemplated to be paid to or received or contemplated to be received by the Company in the transaction or transactions that are within the scope of this Agreement, whether or not any such transaction is consummated, bears to (b) the fees paid to the Placement Agent under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, no person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act, as amended, shall be entitled to contribution from a party who was not guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation.
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(d) The Company also agrees that no Indemnified Person shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with advice or services rendered or to be rendered by any Indemnified Person pursuant to this Agreement, the transactions contemplated thereby or any Indemnified Person’s actions or inactions in connection with any such advice, services or transactions except for Liabilities (and related Expenses) of the Company that are finally judicially determined to have resulted solely from such Indemnified Person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with any such advice, actions, inactions or services.
(e) The reimbursement, indemnity and contribution obligations of the Company set forth herein shall apply to any modification of this Agreement and shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any termination of, or the completion of any Indemnified Person’s services under or in connection with, this Agreement.
Section 8. Representations and Indemnities to Survive Delivery. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or any person controlling the Company, of its officers, and of the Placement Agent set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Placement Agent, the Company, or any of its or their partners, officers or directors or any controlling person, as the case may be, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities sold hereunder and any termination of this Agreement. A successor to a Placement Agent, or to the Company, its directors or officers or any person controlling the Company, shall be entitled to the benefits of the indemnity, contribution and reimbursement agreements contained in this Agreement.
Section 9. Notices. All communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be mailed, hand delivered, e-mailed or telecopied and confirmed to the parties hereto as follows:
If to the Placement Agent:
Maxim Group LLC
300 Park Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Attention: Clifford A. Teller, Co-President
Email: cteller@maximgrp.com
With a copy to:
Blank Rome LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Attention: Leslie Marlow, Esq. or Patrick J. Egan, Esq.
Email: leslie.marlow@blankrome.com or patrick.egan@blankrome.com
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If to the Company:
Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
11900 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 630
Miami, Florida 33181
Attention: Harrison Gross
Email: hgross@lucyd.co
With a copy to:
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
Attention: Barry I. Grossman, Esq.
Email: bigrossman@egsllp.com
Any party hereto may change the address for receipt of communications by giving written notice to the others.
Section 10. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, and to the benefit of the employees, officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 7 hereof, and to their respective successors, and personal representative, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.
Section 11. Partial Unenforceability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other section, paragraph or provision hereof. If any section, paragraph or provision of this Agreement is for any reason determined to be invalid or unenforceable, there shall be deemed to be made such minor changes (and only such minor changes) as are necessary to make it valid and enforceable.
Section 12. Governing Law Provisions. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been made and delivered in New York City and both this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby shall be governed as to validity, interpretation, construction, effect and in all other respects by the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company: (i) agrees that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement and/or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be instituted exclusively in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (ii) waives any objection which it may have or hereafter to the venue of any such suit, action or proceeding, and (iii) irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in any such suit, action or proceeding. Each of the Placement Agent and the Company further agrees to accept and acknowledge service of any and all process which may be served in any such suit, action or proceeding in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and agrees that service of process upon the Company mailed by certified mail to the Company’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company, in any such suit, action or proceeding, and service of process upon the Placement Agent mailed by certified mail to the Placement Agent’s address shall be deemed in every respect effective service process upon the Placement Agent, in any such suit, action or proceeding. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor its affiliates, and the respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives of the Placement Agent, its affiliates and each other person, if any, controlling the Placement Agent or any of its affiliates, shall have any liability (whether direct or indirect, in contract or tort or otherwise) to the Company for or in connection with the engagement and transaction described herein except for any such liability for losses, claims, damages or liabilities incurred by us that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of such individuals or entities. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provision of this Agreement, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorney’s fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
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Section 13. General Provisions.
(a) This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties to this Agreement and supersedes all prior written or oral and all contemporaneous oral agreements, understandings and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the terms of the letter of engagement between the parties dated March 14, 2023, shall continue to be effective pursuant to the terms thereof, including, but not limited to, the ongoing right of first refusal provisions in favor of Maxim included therein. Upon the Closing of the Offering, for a period of twelve (12) months from such Closing, but in no event after the three year anniversary of the commencement of sales of securities in the Offering, the Company grants Maxim the right of first refusal to act as lead managing underwriter and book runner, lead placement agent, or lead sales agent, in each case with a minimum deal economics of seventy-five percent (75%), for any and all future public or private equity, equity-linked or debt (excluding commercial bank debt) offerings for which the Company retains the service of an underwriter, agent, advisor, finder or other person or entity in connection with such offering during such twelve (12) month period of the Company, or any successor to or any subsidiary of the Company. The Company shall not offer to retain any entity or person in connection with any such offering on terms more favorable than terms on which it offers to retain Maxim. Such offer shall be made in writing in order to be effective. Maxim shall notify the Company within ten (10) business days of its receipt of the written offer contemplated above as to whether or not it agrees to accept such retention. If Maxim should decline such retention, the Company shall have no further obligations to Maxim with respect to the offering for which it has offered to retain Maxim, except as otherwise provided for herein
(b) This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each one of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement may not be amended or modified unless in writing by all of the parties hereto, and no condition herein (express or implied) may be waived unless waived in writing by each party whom the condition is meant to benefit. Section headings herein are for the convenience of the parties only and shall not affect the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
(c) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Securities: (i) the Placement Agent has acted at arm’s length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to the Company or any other person, (ii) the Placement Agent owes the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and (iii) the Placement Agent may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Placement Agent arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Securities.
[The remainder of this page has been intentionally left blank.]
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If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign below whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts hereof, shall become a binding agreement in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours, | |||
MAXIM GROUP LLC | |||
By: | |||
Name: | |||
Title: |
The foregoing Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first written above.
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC. | |||
By: | |||
Name: | Harrison Gross | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
[Signature Page to Placement Agency Agreement]
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Exhibit A
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
A-1
Exhibit 4.5
PRE-FUNDED COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
Warrant Shares: [_______] | Initial Exercise Date: [_______, 2023 |
THIS PRE-FUNDED COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, _____________ or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) until this Warrant is exercised in full (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Innovative Eyewear, Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida (the “Company”), up to [___] shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b).
Section 1. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.00001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Registration Statement” means the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-[ ]).
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer, LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Warrant Agency Agreement” means that certain warrant agency agreement, dated on or about the Initial Exercise Date, between the Company and the Warrant Agent.
“Warrant Agent” means the Transfer Agent and any successor warrant agent of the Company.
“Warrants” means this Warrant and other Common Stock purchase warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement.
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Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of Warrant. Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company of a duly executed facsimile copy (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
b) Exercise Price. The aggregate exercise price of this Warrant, except for a nominal exercise price of $0.00001 per Warrant Share, was pre-funded to the Company on or prior to the Initial Exercise Date and, consequently, no additional consideration (other than the nominal exercise price of $0.00001 per Warrant Share) shall be required to be paid by the Holder to any Person to effect any exercise of this Warrant. The Holder shall not be entitled to the return or refund of all, or any portion, of such pre-paid aggregate exercise price under any circumstance or for any reason whatsoever. The remaining unpaid exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $0.00001, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing ((A-B)(X)) by (A), where:
(A) = | as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b)(68) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day; |
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(B) = | the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and |
(X) = | the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. |
If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).
d) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise delivered on or prior to 12:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date, which may be delivered at any time after the time of execution of the Purchase Agreement, the Company agrees to deliver the Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Initial Exercise Date and the Initial Exercise Date shall be the Warrant Share Delivery Date for purposes hereunder, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received by such Warrant Share Delivery Date.
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ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
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v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.
vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
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e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
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Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
c) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation). To the extent that this Warrant has not been partially or completely exercised at the time of such Distribution, such portion of the Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until the Holder has exercised this Warrant.
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d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.
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e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
f) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by facsimile or email to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least 20 calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
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Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
a) Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent (or, in the event a Holder elects to receive a Definitive Certificate (as defined in the Warrant Agency Agreement), the Company) shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Warrant Agent (or, in the event a Holder elects to receive a Definitive Certificate, the Company) for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” pursuant to Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) and Section 2(d)(iv) herein, in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.
b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
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c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
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e) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or their respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Warrant and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
h) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Exercise, shall be in writing and delivered personally, or e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at 11900 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 630, Miami, Florida 33181, Attention: Harrison Gross, Chief Executive Officer, email address: [ ], or such other facsimile number, email address or address as the Company may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Company hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile or e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the facsimile number, e-mail address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Company. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.
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i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder or the beneficial owner of this Warrant, on the other hand.
m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC. | |||
By: | |||
Name: | Harrison Gross | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
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NOTICE OF EXERCISE
To: | Innovative eyewear, inc. |
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
☐ | in lawful money of the United States; or |
☐ | if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c). |
(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: | |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: | |
Name of Authorized Signatory: | |
Title of Authorized Signatory: | |
Date: |
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To
assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information.
Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
Name: | ||
(Please Print) | ||
Address: | ||
(Please Print) | ||
Phone Number: |
| |
Email Address: |
Dated: | _______________ __, ______ |
||
Holder’s Signature: | |||
Holder’s Address: |
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Exhibit 4.6
COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
Warrant Shares: [_______] | Initial Exercise Date: [_______, 2023 |
THIS COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, _____________ or its assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after the date hereof (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on [_____], 20281 (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from Innovative Eyewear, Inc., a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida (the “Company”), up to [___] shares (as subject to adjustment hereunder, the “Warrant Shares”) of Common Stock. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b). This Warrant shall initially be issued and maintained in the form of a security held in book-entry form and the Depository Trust Company or its nominee (“DTC”) shall initially be the sole registered holder of this Warrant, subject to a Holder’s right to elect to receive a Warrant in certificated form pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agency Agreement, in which case this sentence shall not apply.
Section 1. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Warrant, the following terms have the meanings indicated in this Section 1:
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person, as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Bid Price” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the bid price of the Common Stock for the time in question (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.
1 | Insert the date that is the 5th year anniversary of the Initial Exercise Date; provided, however, that, if such date is not a Trading Day, insert the immediately following Trading Day. |
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company or the Subsidiaries which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Registration Statement” means the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-[ ]) and any prospectus included therein in compliance with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.
“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange, OTCQB or OTCQX (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer, LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598, and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the holders of a majority in interest of the Warrants then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
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“Warrant Agency Agreement” means that certain warrant agency agreement, dated on or about the Initial Exercise Date, between the Company and the Warrant Agent.
“Warrant Agent” means the Transfer Agent and any successor warrant agent of the Company.
“Warrants” means this Warrant and other Common Stock purchase warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the Registration Statement.
Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of Warrant. Subject to the provisions of Section 2(e) herein, exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before 5:00 p.m. New York City Time on the Termination Date by delivery to the Company or Warrant Agent (or such other office or agency of the Company as it may designate by notice in writing to the registered Holder at the address of the Holder appearing on the books of the Company) of a duly executed facsimile copy or PDF copy submitted by e-mail (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise in the form annexed hereto (the “Notice of Exercise”). Within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period (as defined in Section 2(d)(i) herein) following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the Warrant Shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company or the Warrant Agent until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company or Warrant Agent for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company or Warrant Agent shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise within one (1) Business Day of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing in this Section 2(a), a holder whose interest in this Warrant is a beneficial interest in certificate(s) representing this Warrant held in book-entry form through DTC (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), shall effect exercises made pursuant to this Section 2(a) by delivering to DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable) the appropriate instruction form for exercise, complying with the procedures to effect exercise that are required by DTC (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable), subject to a Holder’s right to elect to receive a Definitive Certificate (as defined in the Warrant Agency Agreement) pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agency Agreement, in which case this sentence shall not apply.
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b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $[_____]2, subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Cashless Exercise. If at the time of exercise hereof there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing ((A-B)(X)) by (A), where:
(A) = | as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b)(68) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) at the option of the Holder, either (y) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise or (z) the Bid Price of the Common Stock on the principal Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg L.P. as of the time of the Holder’s execution of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day; |
(B) = | the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and |
(X) = | the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. |
If Warrant Shares are issued in such a cashless exercise, the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
2 | Insert [__]% of the price of each share of common stock sold in the Offering. |
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d) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by the Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by the Holder or (B) this Warrant is being exercised via cashless exercise, and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is the earliest of (i) two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company or the Warrant Agent of the Notice of Exercise, (ii) one (1) Trading Day after delivery of the aggregate Exercise Price to the Company and (iii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period after the delivery to the Company or the Warrant Agent of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). Upon delivery of the Notice of Exercise, the Holder shall be deemed for all corporate purposes to have become the holder of record of the Warrant Shares with respect to which this Warrant has been exercised, irrespective of the date of delivery of the Warrant Shares, provided that payment of the aggregate Exercise Price (other than in the case of a cashless exercise) is received within the earlier of (i) two (2) Trading Days and (ii) the number of Trading Days comprising the Standard Settlement Period following delivery of the Notice of Exercise. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the Warrant Agent shall not, in any event, be subject to, or responsible for, liquidated damages as contemplated by this Section 2(d)(i). The Company agrees to maintain a transfer agent that is a participant in the FAST program so long as this Warrant remains outstanding and exercisable. As used herein, “Standard Settlement Period” means the standard settlement period, expressed in a number of Trading Days, on the Company’s primary Trading Market with respect to the Common Stock as in effect on the date of delivery of the Notice of Exercise.
ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise.
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iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause the Transfer Agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(d)(i) above pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof. Notwithstanding the forgoing, the Warrant Agent shall not, in any event, be subject to, or responsible for, Buy-In penalties contemplated by this Section 2(d)(iv).
v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall round up to the nearest whole share.
vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
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e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates (such Persons, “Attribution Parties”)), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates and Attribution Parties shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates or Attribution Parties. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates and Attribution Parties) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within one Trading Day confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates or Attribution Parties since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 4.99% (or, upon election by a Holder prior to the issuance of any Warrants, 9.99%) of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
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Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification.
b) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
c) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation). To the extent that this Warrant has not been partially or completely exercised at the time of such Distribution, such portion of the Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until the Holder has exercised this Warrant.
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d) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company or any Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock or 50% or more of the voting power of the common equity of the Company, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off, merger or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires 50% or more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or 50% or more of the voting power of the common equity of the Company (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction; provided, however, that, if the Fundamental Transaction is not within the Company’s control, including not approved by the Company’s Board of Directors, the Holder shall only be entitled to receive from the Company or any Successor Entity the same type or form of consideration (and in the same proportion), at the Black Scholes Value of the unexercised portion of this Warrant, that is being offered and paid to the holders of Common Stock of the Company in connection with the Fundamental Transaction, whether that consideration be in the form of cash, stock or any combination thereof, or whether the holders of Common Stock are given the choice to receive from among alternative forms of consideration in connection with the Fundamental Transaction;
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provided, further, that if holders of Common Stock of the Company are not offered or paid any consideration in such Fundamental Transaction, such holders of Common Stock will be deemed to have received common stock of the Successor Entity (which Entity may be the Company following such Fundamental Transaction) in such Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value of this Warrant based on the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of (1) the 30 day volatility, (2) the 100 day volatility or (3) the 365 day volatility, each of clauses (1)-(3) as obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg (determined utilizing a 365 day annualization factor) as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the highest VWAP during the period beginning on the Trading Day immediately preceding the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction (or the consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, if earlier) and ending on the Trading Day of the Holder’s request pursuant to this Section 3(d) and (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable contemplated Fundamental Transaction and the Termination Date and (E) a zero cost of borrow. The payment of the Black Scholes Value will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds (or such other consideration) within the later of (i) five Business Days of the Holder’s election and (ii) the date of consummation of the Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(d) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall be added to the term “Company” under this Warrant (so that from and after the occurrence or consummation of such Fundamental Transaction, each and every provision of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to each of the Company and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally), and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally with the Company, may exercise every right and power of the Company prior thereto and the Successor Entity or Successor Entities shall assume all of the obligations of the Company prior thereto under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if the Company and such Successor Entity or Successor Entities, jointly and severally, had been named as the Company herein. For the avoidance of doubt, the Holder shall be entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this Section 3(d) regardless of (i) whether the Company has sufficient authorized shares of Common Stock for the issuance of Warrant Shares and/or (ii) whether a Fundamental Transaction occurs prior to the Initial Exercise Date.
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e) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
f) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by facsimile or email to the Holder at its last facsimile number or email address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to deliver such notice or any defect therein or in the delivery thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided in this Warrant constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
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Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
a) Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company or the Warrant Agent within three (3) Trading Days of the date on which the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant in full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
b) New Warrants. If this Warrant is not held in global form through DTC (or any successor depositary) this Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Warrant Register. The Warrant Agent (or, in the event a Holder elects to receive a Definitive Certificate, the Company) shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Warrant Agent (or, in the event a Holder elects to receive a Definitive Certificate, the Company) for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company and the Warrant Agent may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
Section 5. Miscellaneous.
a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” basis pursuant to Section 2(c) or to receive cash payments pursuant to Sections 2(d)(i) and 2(d)(iv) herein, in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.
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b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
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e) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or their respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Warrant and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action, suit or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, the prevailing party in such action, suit or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for their reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.
f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
h) Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Holders hereunder including, without limitation, any Notice of Exercise, shall be in writing and delivered personally, or e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service, addressed to the Company, at 11900 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 630, Miami, Florida 33181, Attention: Harrison Gross, Chief Executive Officer, email address: hgross@lucyd.co, or such other facsimile number, email address or address as the Company may specify for such purposes by notice to the Holders. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries to be provided by the Company hereunder shall be in writing and delivered personally, by facsimile or e-mail, or sent by a nationally recognized overnight courier service addressed to each Holder at the facsimile number, e-mail address or address of such Holder appearing on the books of the Company. Any notice or other communication or deliveries hereunder shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date, (ii) the next Trading Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or via e-mail at the e-mail address set forth in this Section on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (iii) the second Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Warrant, where this Warrant provides for notice of any event to the Holder, if this Warrant is held in global form by DTC (or any successor depositary), such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to DTC (or any successor depositary) pursuant to the procedures of DTC (or such successor depositary), subject to a Holder’s right to elect to receive a Warrant in certificated form pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agent Agreement, in which case this sentence shall not apply. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.
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i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company, on the one hand, and the Holder or the beneficial owner of this Warrant, on the other hand.
m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
o) Warrant Agency Agreement. If this Warrant is held in global form through DTC (or any successor depositary), this Warrant is issued subject to the Warrant Agency Agreement. To the extent any provision of this Warrant conflicts with the express provisions of the Warrant Agency Agreement, the provisions of this Warrant shall govern and be controlling.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC. | |||
By: | |||
Name: | Harrison Gross | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
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NOTICE OF EXERCISE
To: | Innovative eyewear, inc. |
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
☐ | in lawful money of the United States; or |
☐ | if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c). |
(3) Please issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number:
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER] | |
Name of Investing Entity: | |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: | |
Name of Authorized Signatory: | |
Title of Authorized Signatory: | |
Date: |
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing Warrant, execute this form and supply required information.
Do not use this form to purchase shares.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
Name: | ||
(Please Print) | ||
Address: | ||
(Please Print) | ||
Phone Number: | ||
Email Address: |
Dated: |
_______________ __, ______ |
||
Holder’s Signature: | |||
Holder’s Address: |
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Exhibit 4.7
Placement Agent Warrant
THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE WARRANT BY ITS ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER, ASSIGN, PLEDGE OR HYPOTHECATE, OR BE THE SUBJECT OF ANY HEDGING, SHORT SALE, DERIVATIVE, PUT, OR CALL TRANSACTION THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE EFFECTIVE ECONOMIC DISPOSITION OF THIS PURCHASE WARRANT OR THE UNDERLYING SECURITIES FOR A PERIOD OF ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY (180) DAYS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE COMMENCEMENT DATE (DEFINED BELOW) EXCEPT AS HEREIN PROVIDED AND THE REGISTERED HOLDER OF THIS PURCHASE WARRANT AGREES THAT IT WILL NOT SELL, TRANSFER, ASSIGN, PLEDGE OR HYPOTHECATE, OR BE THE SUBJECT OF ANY HEDGING, SHORT SALE, DERIVATIVE, PUT, OR CALL TRANSACTION THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE EFFECTIVE ECONOMIC DISPOSITION OF, THIS PURCHASE WARRANT OR THE UNDERLYING SECURITIES FOR A PERIOD OF ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY (180) DAYS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE COMMENCEMENT DATE TO ANYONE OTHER THAN (I) MAXIM PARTNERS LLC OR ANY UNDERWRITER OR A SELECTED DEALER IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING, OR (II) A BONA FIDE OFFICER OR PARTNER OF MAXIM PARTNERS LLC, OR OF ANY SUCH UNDERWRITER OR SELECTED DEALER.
THIS PURCHASE WARRANT IS NOT EXERCISABLE PRIOR TO [ ], 2023. VOID AFTER 5:00 P.M., EASTERN TIME, [ ], 2028.
WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
Warrant Shares: [ ] | Initial Issuance Date: [ ], 2023 |
Initial Exercise Date: [ ], 2023 |
THIS WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK (the “Warrant”) certifies that, for value received, Maxim Partners LLC, or its assigns (the “Holder”), is entitled, upon the terms and subject to the limitations on exercise and the conditions hereinafter set forth, at any time on or after [ ], 2023 (the “Initial Exercise Date”) and, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(A), prior to at 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on May [ ], 2028, the date that is five (5) years following the Initial Issuance Date (the “Termination Date”) but not thereafter, to subscribe for and purchase from INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), up to [ ] shares of common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, of the Company (the “Warrant Shares”), as subject to adjustment hereunder. The purchase price of one share of Common Stock under this Warrant shall be equal to the Exercise Price, as defined in Section 2(b). “Commencement Date” means the date that sales of the securities issued in the Offering commences.
Section 1. Definitions. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Underwriting Agreement dated [ ], 2023, by and between the Company and Maxim Group LLC, as representative of the underwriters set forth therein.
Section 2. Exercise.
a) Exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant may be made, in whole or in part, at any time or times on or after the Initial Exercise Date and on or before the Termination Date by delivery to the Company (or such other office or agency of the Company as it may designate by notice in writing to the registered Holder at the address of the Holder appearing on the books of the Company) of a duly executed facsimile copy (or e-mail attachment) of the Notice of Exercise Form annexed hereto. Within two (2) Trading Days following the date of exercise as aforesaid, the Holder shall deliver the aggregate Exercise Price for the shares specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise by wire transfer or cashier’s check drawn on a United States bank unless the cashless exercise procedure specified in Section 2(c) below is specified in the applicable Notice of Exercise. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise Form be required. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Shares available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Shares available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Shares purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Shares purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Shares purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise Form within two (2) Business Days of receipt of such notice. The Holder and any assignee, by acceptance of this Warrant, acknowledge and agree that, by reason of the provisions of this paragraph, following the purchase of a portion of the Warrant Shares hereunder, the number of Warrant Shares available for purchase hereunder at any given time may be less than the amount stated on the face hereof.
b) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of the Common Stock under this Warrant shall be $[ ], subject to adjustment hereunder (the “Exercise Price”).
c) Cashless Exercise. If at any time on or after the Initial Exercise Date, there is no effective registration statement registering, or the prospectus contained therein is not available for the issuance of the Warrant Shares to the Holder, then this Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive the number of Warrant Shares equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:
(A) = | as applicable: (i) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is (1) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a day that is not a Trading Day or (2) both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof on a Trading Day prior to the opening of “regular trading hours” (as defined in Rule 600(b)(64) of Regulation NMS promulgated under the federal securities laws) on such Trading Day, (ii) the VWAP on the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if such Notice of Exercise is executed during “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day and is delivered within two (2) hours thereafter (including until two (2) hours after the close of “regular trading hours” on a Trading Day) pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof or (iii) the VWAP on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise if the date of such Notice of Exercise is a Trading Day and such Notice of Exercise is both executed and delivered pursuant to Section 2(a) hereof after the close of “regular trading hours” on such Trading Day; |
(B) = | the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and |
(X) = | the number of Warrant Shares that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise. |
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“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of a share of Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on the OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for Common Stock are then reported on the Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of the Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
If Warrant Shares are issued in such a “cashless exercise,” the parties acknowledge and agree that in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act, the Warrant Shares shall take on the registered characteristics of the Warrants being exercised, and the holding period of the Warrants being exercised may be tacked on to the holding period of the Warrant Shares. The Company agrees not to take any position contrary to this Section 2(c).
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, on the Termination Date, this Warrant shall be automatically exercised via cashless exercise pursuant to this Section 2(c).
d) Mechanics of Exercise.
i. Delivery of Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. The Company shall cause the Warrant Shares purchased hereunder to be transmitted by its Transfer Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s or its designee’s balance account with The Depository Trust Company through its Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) if the Company is then a participant in such system and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder, or (B) the Warrant Shares are eligible for resale by the Holder without volume or manner-of-sale limitations pursuant to Rule 144 and, in either case, the Warrant Shares have been sold by the Holder prior to the Warrant Share Delivery Date (as defined below), and otherwise by physical delivery of a certificate, registered in the Company’s share register in the name of the Holder or its designee, for the number of Warrant Shares to which the Holder is entitled pursuant to such exercise to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is two (2) Trading Days after the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise (such date, the “Warrant Share Delivery Date”). If the Warrant Shares can be delivered via DWAC, the Transfer Agent shall have received from the Company, at the expense of the Company, any legal opinions or other documentation required by it to deliver such Warrant Shares without legend (subject to receipt by the Company of reasonable back up documentation from the Holder, including with respect to affiliate status) and, if applicable and requested by the Company prior to the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Transfer Agent shall have received from the Holder a confirmation of sale of the Warrant Shares (provided the requirement of the Holder to provide a confirmation as to the sale of Warrant Shares shall not be applicable to the issuance of unlegended Warrant Shares upon a cashless exercise of this Warrant if the Warrant Shares are then eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144(b)(1)). The Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have been issued, and Holder or any other person so designated to be named therein shall be deemed to have become a holder of record of such shares for all purposes, as of the date the Warrant has been exercised, with payment to the Company of the Exercise Price (or by cashless exercise, if permitted) and all taxes required to be paid by the Holder, if any, pursuant to Section 2(d)(vi) prior to the issuance of such shares, having been paid. If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares subject to a Notice of Exercise by the second Trading Day following the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares subject to such exercise (based on the VWAP of the Common Stock on the date of the applicable Notice of Exercise), $10 per Trading Day (increasing to $20 per Trading Day on the fifth Trading Day after such liquidated damages begin to accrue) for each Trading Day after the second Trading Day following such Warrant Share Delivery Date until such Warrant Shares are delivered or Holder rescinds such exercise.
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ii. Delivery of New Warrants Upon Exercise. If this Warrant shall have been exercised in part, the Company shall, at the request of a Holder and upon surrender of this Warrant certificate, at the time of delivery of the Warrant Shares, deliver to the Holder a new Warrant evidencing the rights of the Holder to purchase the unpurchased Warrant Shares called for by this Warrant, which new Warrant shall in all other respects be identical with this Warrant.
iii. Rescission Rights. If the Company fails to cause its Transfer Agent to deliver to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, then the Holder will have the right to rescind such exercise; provided, however, that the Holder shall be required to return any Warrant Shares or Common Stock subject to any such rescinded exercise notice concurrently with the return to the Holder of the aggregate Exercise Price paid to the Company for such Warrant Shares and the restoration of the Holder’s right to acquire such Warrant Shares pursuant to this Warrant (including, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right).
iv. Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Warrant Shares Upon Exercise. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause its transfer agent to transmit to the Holder the Warrant Shares pursuant to an exercise on or before the Warrant Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Warrant Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (A) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Warrant Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (B) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Warrant Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (A) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and, upon request of the Company, evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.
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v. No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional shares or scrip representing fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of this Warrant. As to any fraction of a share which the Holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase upon such exercise, the Company shall, at its election, either pay a cash adjustment in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price or round up to the next whole share.
vi. Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Warrant Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Warrant Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Warrant Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event that Warrant Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees required for same-day processing of any Notice of Exercise and all fees to the Depository Trust Company (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions) required for same-day electronic delivery of the Warrant Shares.
vii. Closing of Books. The Company will not close its stockholder books or records in any manner which prevents the timely exercise of this Warrant, pursuant to the terms hereof.
viii. Signature. This Section 2 and the exercise form attached hereto set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Holder in order to exercise this Purchase Warrant. Without limiting the preceding sentences, no ink-original exercise form shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any exercise form be required in order to exercise this Purchase Warrant. No additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Holder to exercise this Purchase Warrant. The Company shall honor exercises of this Purchase Warrant and shall deliver Shares underlying this Purchase Warrant in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth herein.
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e) Holder’s Exercise Limitations. The Company shall not effect any exercise of this Warrant, and a Holder shall not have the right to exercise any portion of this Warrant, pursuant to Section 2 or otherwise, to the extent that after giving effect to such issuance after exercise as set forth on the applicable Notice of Exercise, the Holder (together with the Holder’s Affiliates, and any other Persons acting as a group together with the Holder or any of the Holder’s Affiliates), would beneficially own in excess of the Beneficial Ownership Limitation (as defined below). For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the number of shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its Affiliates shall include the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant with respect to which such determination is being made, but shall exclude the number of shares of Common Stock which would be issuable upon (i) exercise of the remaining, nonexercised portion of this Warrant beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates and (ii) exercise or conversion of the unexercised or nonconverted portion of any other securities of the Company (including, without limitation, any other Common Stock Equivalents) subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitation contained herein beneficially owned by the Holder or any of its Affiliates. Except as set forth in the preceding sentence, for purposes of this Section 2(e), beneficial ownership shall be calculated in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, it being acknowledged by the Holder that the Company is not representing to the Holder that such calculation is in compliance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the Holder is solely responsible for any schedules required to be filed in accordance therewith. To the extent that the limitation contained in this Section 2(e) applies, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be in the sole discretion of the Holder, and the submission of a Notice of Exercise shall be deemed to be the Holder’s determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable (in relation to other securities owned by the Holder together with any Affiliates) and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable, in each case subject to the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. In addition, a determination as to any group status as contemplated above shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. For purposes of this Section 2(e), in determining the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, a Holder may rely on the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock as reflected in (A) the Company’s most recent periodic or annual report filed with the Commission, as the case may be, (B) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (C) a more recent written notice by the Company or the Transfer Agent setting forth the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding. Upon the written or oral request of a Holder, the Company shall within two Trading Days confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock then outstanding. In any case, the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be determined after giving effect to the conversion or exercise of securities of the Company, including this Warrant, by the Holder or its Affiliates since the date as of which such number of outstanding shares of Common Stock was reported. The “Beneficial Ownership Limitation” shall be 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The Holder, upon notice to the Company, may increase or decrease the Beneficial Ownership Limitation provisions of this Section 2(e), provided that the Beneficial Ownership Limitation in no event exceeds 9.99% of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of this Warrant held by the Holder and the provisions of this Section 2(e) shall continue to apply. Any increase in the Beneficial Ownership Limitation will not be effective until the 61st day after such notice is delivered to the Company. The provisions of this paragraph shall be construed and implemented in a manner otherwise than in strict conformity with the terms of this Section 2(e) to correct this paragraph (or any portion hereof) which may be defective or inconsistent with the intended Beneficial Ownership Limitation herein contained or to make changes or supplements necessary or desirable to properly give effect to such limitation. The limitations contained in this paragraph shall apply to a successor holder of this Warrant.
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Section 3. Certain Adjustments.
a) Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (i) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (ii) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (iii) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (iv) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event, and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 3(a) shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification. For the purposes of clarification, the Exercise Price of this Warrant will not be adjusted in the event that the Company or any Subsidiary thereof, as applicable, sells or grants any option to purchase, or sell or grant any right to reprice, or otherwise dispose of or issue (or announce any offer, sale, grant or any option to purchase or other disposition) any Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents, at an effective price per share less than the Exercise Price then in effect.
b) Reserved.
c) Subsequent Rights Offerings. In addition to any adjustments pursuant to Section 3(a) above, if at any time the Company grants, issues or sells any Common Stock Equivalents or rights to purchase stock, warrants, securities or other property pro rata to the record holders of any class of shares of Common Stock (the “Purchase Rights”), then the Holder will be entitled to acquire, upon the terms applicable to such Purchase Rights, the aggregate Purchase Rights which the Holder could have acquired if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date on which a record is taken for the grant, issuance or sale of such Purchase Rights, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the grant, issue or sale of such Purchase Rights (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Purchase Right would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Purchase Right to such extent (or beneficial ownership of such shares of Common Stock as a result of such Purchase Right to such extent) and such Purchase Right to such extent shall be held in abeyance for the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation).
d) Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend (other than cash dividends) or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of shares or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, to the extent that the Holder’s right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the Beneficial Ownership Limitation). To the extent that this Warrant has not been partially or completely exercised at the time of such Distribution, such portion of the Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until the Holder has exercised this Warrant.
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e) Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (i) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (ii) the Company, directly or indirectly, effects any sale, lease, license, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other disposition of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (iii) any, direct or indirect, purchase offer, tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to sell, tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property and has been accepted by the holders of 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, (iv) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions effects any reclassification, reorganization or recapitalization of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property, or (v) the Company, directly or indirectly, in one or more related transactions consummates a stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination (including, without limitation, a reorganization, recapitalization, spin-off or scheme of arrangement) with another Person or group of Persons whereby such other Person or group acquires more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (not including any shares of Common Stock held by the other Person or other Persons making or party to, or associated or affiliated with the other Persons making or party to, such stock or share purchase agreement or other business combination) (each a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon any subsequent exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable by holders of Common Stock as a result of such Fundamental Transaction for each share of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 2(e) on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant in accordance with the provisions of this Section 3(e) pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.
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f) Calculations. All calculations under this Section 3 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 3, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding.
g) Notice to Holder.
i. Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 3, the Company shall promptly deliver to the Holder by facsimile or email a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and any resulting adjustment to the number of Warrant Shares and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.
ii. Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (A) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock, (B) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock, (C) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights, (D) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property, or (E) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company, then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be delivered by facsimile or email a notice to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to provide such notice or any defect therein shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. To the extent that any notice provided hereunder constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Holder shall remain entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice except as may otherwise be expressly set forth herein.
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Section 4. Transfer of Warrant.
a) Transferability. Pursuant to FINRA Rule 5110(e)(1)(A), neither this Warrant nor any Warrant Shares issued upon exercise of this Warrant shall be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or hypothecated, or be the subject of any hedging, short sale, derivative, put, or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of the securities by any person for a period of 180 days immediately following the commencement of sales of the offering pursuant to which this Warrant is being issued, except the transfer of any security:
i. by operation of law or by reason of reorganization of the Company;
ii. to any FINRA member firm participating in the offering and the officers or partners thereof, if all securities so transferred remain subject to the lock-up restriction in this Section 4(a) for the remainder of the time period;
iii. if the aggregate amount of securities of the Company held by the Holder or related person do not exceed 1% of the securities being offered;
iv. that is beneficially owned on a pro-rata basis by all equity owners of an investment fund, provided that no participating member manages or otherwise directs investments by the fund, and participating members in the aggregate do not own more than 10% of the equity in the fund; or
v. the exercise or conversion of any security, if all securities received remain subject to the lock-up restriction in this Section 4(a) for the remainder of the time period.
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Subject to the foregoing restriction, any applicable securities laws and the conditions set forth in Section 4(d), this Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company unless the Holder has assigned this Warrant in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company within three (3) Trading Days of the date the Holder delivers an assignment form to the Company assigning this Warrant full. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Shares without having a new Warrant issued.
b) New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 4(a), as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for the Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the initial issuance date of this Warrant and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Warrant Shares issuable pursuant thereto.
c) Warrant Register. The Company shall register this Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the “Warrant Register”), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary.
d) Representation by the Holder. The Holder, by the acceptance hereof, represents and warrants that it is acquiring this Warrant and, upon any exercise hereof, will acquire the Warrant Shares issuable upon such exercise, for its own account and not with a view to or for distributing or reselling such Warrant Shares or any part thereof in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law, except pursuant to sales registered or exempted under the Securities Act.
Section 5. Registration Rights.
a) Reserved.
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b) “Piggy-Back” Registration.
i. Grant of Right. The Holder shall have the right, for a period of no more than three (3) years from the Initial Exercise Date in compliance with applicable FINRA Rule rules, to include the Warrant Shares as part of any other registration of securities filed by the Company (other than in connection with a universal shelf registration statement or pursuant to Form S-8 or any equivalent form); provided, however, that if, solely in connection with any primary underwritten public offering for the account of the Company, the managing underwriter(s) thereof shall, in its reasonable discretion, impose a limitation on the number of Shares which may be included in the Registration Statement because, in such underwriter(s)’ judgment, marketing or other factors dictate such limitation is necessary to facilitate public distribution, then the Company shall be obligated to include in such Registration Statement only such limited portion of the Warrant Shares with respect to which the Holder requested inclusion hereunder as the underwriter shall reasonably permit. Any exclusion of Warrant Shares shall be made pro rata among the Holders seeking to include Warrant Shares in proportion to the number of Warrant Shares sought to be included by such Holders; provided, however, that the Company shall not exclude any Warrant Shares unless the Company has first excluded all outstanding securities, the holders of which are not entitled to inclusion of such securities in such Registration Statement or are not entitled to pro rata inclusion with the Warrant Shares.
ii. Terms. The Company shall bear all fees and expenses attendant to registering the Warrant Shares pursuant to Section 5(b)(i) hereof, but the Holders shall pay any and all underwriting commissions and the expenses of any legal counsel selected by the Holders to represent them in connection with the sale of the Warrant Shares. In the event of such a proposed registration, the Company shall furnish the then Holders of outstanding Warrant Shares with not less than thirty (30) days written notice prior to the proposed date of filing of such registration statement. Such notice to the Holders shall continue to be given for each registration statement filed by the Company during the three (3) year period following the Initial Exercise Date until such time as all of the Warrant Shares have been sold by the Holder. The holders of the Warrant Shares shall exercise the “piggy-back” rights provided for herein by giving written notice within ten (10) days of the receipt of the Company’s notice of its intention to file a registration statement. Except as otherwise provided in this Warrant, there shall be no limit on the number of times the Holder may request registration under this Section 5(b)(ii); provided, however, that such registration rights shall terminate on the third (3rd) anniversary of the Commencement Date in accordance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(D). For the avoidance of doubt, the registration rights granted pursuant to Section 5(b)(i) hereof shall not apply to any universal registration statement of the Company or any use by the Company of such registration statement.
c) General Terms
i. Indemnification. The Company shall indemnify the Holder(s) of the Warrant Shares to be sold pursuant to any registration statement hereunder and each person, if any, who controls such Holders within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any claim whatsoever) to which any of them may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from such registration statement but only to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions pursuant to which the Company has agreed to indemnify the Underwriters contained in Section 6.1 of the Underwriting Agreement. The Holder(s) of the Warrant Shares to be sold pursuant to such registration statement, and their successors and assigns, shall severally, and not jointly, indemnify the Company, against all loss, claim, damage, expense or liability (including all reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses reasonably incurred in investigating, preparing or defending against any claim whatsoever) to which they may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, arising from information furnished by or on behalf of such Holders, or their successors or assigns, in writing, for specific inclusion in such registration statement to the same extent and with the same effect as the provisions contained in Section 6.2 of the Underwriting Agreement pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to indemnify the Company.
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ii. Exercise of Warrants. Nothing contained in this Warrant shall be construed as requiring the Holder(s) to exercise their Warrants prior to or after the initial filing of any registration statement or the effectiveness thereof.
Section 6. Miscellaneous.
a) No Rights as Stockholder Until Exercise; No Settlement in Cash. This Warrant does not entitle the Holder to any voting rights, dividends or other rights as a stockholder of the Company prior to the exercise hereof as set forth in Section 2(d)(i), except as expressly set forth in Section 3. Without limiting any rights of a Holder to receive Warrant Shares on a “cashless exercise” pursuant to Section 2(c), in no event shall the Company be required to net cash settle an exercise of this Warrant.
b) Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any certificate relating to the Warrant Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.
c) Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Trading Day, then, such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Trading Day.
d) Authorized Shares.
The Company covenants that, during the period the Warrant is outstanding, it will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares to provide for the issuance of the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of any purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company further covenants that its issuance of this Warrant shall constitute full authority to its officers who are charged with the duty of issuing the necessary Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the purchase rights under this Warrant. The Company will take all such reasonable action as may be necessary to assure that such Warrant Shares may be issued as provided herein without violation of any applicable law or regulation, or of any requirements of the Trading Market upon which the Common Stock may be listed. The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares which may be issued upon the exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant will, upon exercise of the purchase rights represented by this Warrant and payment for such Warrant Shares in accordance herewith, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges created by the Company in respect of the issue thereof (other than taxes in respect of any transfer occurring contemporaneously with such issue).
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Except and to the extent as waived or consented to by the Holder, the Company shall not by any action, including, without limitation, amending its certificate of incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect the rights of Holder as set forth in this Warrant against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will (i) not increase the par value of any Warrant Shares above the amount payable therefor upon such exercise immediately prior to such increase in par value, (ii) take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this Warrant and (iii) use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain all such authorizations, exemptions or consents from any public regulatory body having jurisdiction thereof, as may be, necessary to enable the Company to perform its obligations under this Warrant.
Before taking any action which would result in an adjustment in the number of Warrant Shares for which this Warrant is exercisable or in the Exercise Price, the Company shall obtain all such authorizations or exemptions thereof, or consents thereto, as may be necessary from any public regulatory body or bodies having jurisdiction thereof.
e) Jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement.
f) Restrictions. The Holder acknowledges that the Warrant Shares acquired upon the exercise of this Warrant, if not registered, and the Holder does not utilize cashless exercise, will have restrictions upon resale imposed by state and federal securities laws.
g) Nonwaiver and Expenses. No course of dealing or any delay or failure to exercise any right hereunder on the part of Holder shall operate as a waiver of such right or otherwise prejudice the Holder’s rights, powers or remedies. Without limiting any other provision of this Warrant or the Underwriting Agreement, if the Company willfully and knowingly fails to comply with any provision of this Warrant, which results in any material damages to the Holder, the Company shall pay to the Holder such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover any costs and expenses including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, including those of appellate proceedings, incurred by the Holder in collecting any amounts due pursuant hereto or in otherwise enforcing any of its rights, powers or remedies hereunder.
h) Notices. Any notice, request or other document required or permitted to be given or delivered to the Holder by the Company shall be delivered in accordance with the notice provisions of the Underwriting Agreement.
i) Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by the Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Shares, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall give rise to any liability of the Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.
j) Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrantand hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.
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k) Successors and Assigns. Subject to applicable securities laws, this Warrant and the rights and obligations evidenced hereby shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the successors and permitted assigns of Holder. The provisions of this Warrant are intended to be for the benefit of any Holder from time to time of this Warrant and shall be enforceable by the Holder or holder of Warrant Shares.
l) Amendment. This Warrant may be modified or amended or the provisions hereof waived with the written consent of the Company and the Holder.
m) Severability. Wherever possible, each provision of this Warrant shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Warrant shall be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision shall be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provisions or the remaining provisions of this Warrant.
n) Headings. The headings used in this Warrant are for the convenience of reference only and shall not, for any purpose, be deemed a part of this Warrant.
********************
(Signature Page Follows)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its officer thereunto duly authorized as of the date first above indicated.
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC. | ||
By: | ||
Name: | Harrison Gross | |
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
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NOTICE OF EXERCISE
TO: | INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC. |
(1) The undersigned hereby elects to purchase ________ Warrant Shares of the Company pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant (only if exercised in full), and tenders herewith payment of the exercise price in full, together with all applicable transfer taxes, if any.
(2) Payment shall take the form of (check applicable box):
☐ | in lawful money of the United States; or |
☐ | if permitted the cancellation of such number of Warrant Shares as is necessary, in accordance with the formula set forth in subsection 2(c), to exercise this Warrant with respect to the maximum number of Warrant Shares purchasable pursuant to the cashless exercise procedure set forth in subsection 2(c). |
(3) Please register and issue said Warrant Shares in the name of the undersigned or in such other name as is specified below:
The Warrant Shares shall be delivered to the following DWAC Account Number or by physical delivery of a certificate to:
(4) Accredited Investor. If the Warrant is being exercised via cash exercise, the undersigned is an “accredited investor” as defined in Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: | |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: | |
Name of Authorized Signatory: | |
Title of Authorized Signatory: | |
Date: |
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ASSIGNMENT FORM
(To assign the foregoing warrant, execute this form and supply required information.
Do not use this form to exercise the warrant.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, [___] all of or [___] shares of the foregoing Warrant and all rights evidenced thereby are hereby assigned to
whose address is | ||
. | ||
Dated: | _______________ __, ______ | ||
Holder’s Signature: | |||
Holder’s Address: |
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Exhibit 4.8
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
and
VSTOCK TRANSFER LLC, as
Warrant Agent
Warrant Agency Agreement
Dated as of __, 2023
WARRANT AGENCY AGREEMENT
WARRANT AGENCY AGREEMENT, dated as of ____, 2023 (“Agreement”), between Innovative Eyewear, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Florida (the “Company”), and VStock Transfer LLC (the “Warrant Agent”).
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, pursuant to a registered offering by the Company of [___ Units (the “Offering”), with each Unit consisting of one share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”) (or one pre-funded warrant (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) and one warrant (the “Warrants”) to purchase one share of Common Stock (the “Warrant Shares”) at a price of $[___ per share (or [__]% of the price of each share of common stock sold in the Offering); and
WHEREAS, upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth and pursuant to an effective registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-[ ]) (the “Registration Statement”), and the terms and conditions of the Warrant Certificates, the Company wishes to issue the Warrants in book entry form entitling the respective holders of the Warrants (the “Holders,” which term shall include a Holder’s transferees, successors and assigns and “Holder” shall include, if the Warrants are held in “street name,” a Participant (as defined below) or a designee appointed by such Participant); and
WHEREAS, the shares of Common Stock (or Pre-Funded Warrants) and Warrants to be issued in connection with the Offering shall be immediately separable and will be issued separately, but will be purchased together in the Offering; and
WHEREAS, the Company wishes the Warrant Agent to act on behalf of the Company, and the Warrant Agent is willing so to act, in connection with the issuance, registration, transfer, exchange, exercise and replacement of the Warrants and, in the Warrant Agent’s capacity as the Company’s transfer agent, the delivery of the Warrant Shares (as defined below).
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, all capitalized terms not herein defined shall have the meanings hereby indicated:
(a) “Affiliate” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
(b) “Business Day” means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, any day which is a federal legal holiday in the United States or any day on which the Nasdaq Stock Market is authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close.
(c) “Close of Business” on any given date means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date is not a Business Day it means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the next succeeding Business Day.
(d) “Person” means an individual, corporation, association, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, government or political subdivision thereof or governmental agency or other entity.
(e) “Warrant Certificate” means the certificate in substantially the form attached as Exhibit 1 hereto, representing such number of Warrant Shares as is indicated therein, provided that any reference to the delivery of a Warrant Certificate in this Agreement shall include delivery of a Definitive Certificate or a Global Warrant (each as defined below).
All other capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Warrant Certificate.
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Section 2. Appointment of Warrant Agent. The Company hereby appoints the Warrant Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Warrant Agent hereby accepts such appointment.
Section 3. Global Warrants.
(a) The Warrants shall be registered securities and shall be evidenced by a global warrant with respect to the Common Warrants (the “Global Warrants”), in the form of the Warrant Certificate, which shall be deposited with the Warrant Agent and registered in the name of Cede & Co., a nominee of The Depository Trust Company (the “Depositary”), or as otherwise directed by the Depositary. Ownership of beneficial interests in the Warrants shall be shown on, and the transfer of such ownership shall be effected through, records maintained by (i) the Depositary or its nominee for each Global Warrant or (ii) institutions that have accounts with the Depositary (such institution, with respect to a Warrant in its account, a “Participant”).
(b) If the Depositary subsequently ceases to make its book-entry settlement system available for the Warrants, the Company may instruct the Warrant Agent regarding other arrangements for book-entry settlement. In the event that the Warrants are not eligible for, or it is no longer necessary to have the Warrants available in, book-entry form, the Warrant Agent shall provide written instructions to the Depositary to deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation each Global Warrant, and the Company shall instruct the Warrant Agent to deliver to each Holder a Warrant Certificate.
(c) A Holder has the right to elect at any time or from time to time a Warrant Exchange (as defined below) pursuant to a Warrant Certificate Request Notice (as defined below). Upon written notice by a Holder to the Company and the Warrant Agent for the exchange of some or all of such Holder’s Global Warrants for a separate certificate in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1 (such separate certificate, a “Definitive Certificate”) evidencing the same number of Warrants, which request shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 2 (a “Warrant Certificate Request Notice” and the date of delivery of such Warrant Certificate Request Notice by the Holder, the “Warrant Certificate Request Notice Date” and the surrender by the Holder to the Warrant Agent of a number of Global Warrants for the same number of Warrants evidenced by a Warrant Certificate, a “Warrant Exchange”), the Company and the Warrant Agent shall promptly effect the Warrant Exchange and the Company and the Warrant Agent shall promptly issue and deliver to the Holder a Definitive Certificate for such number of Warrants in the name set forth in the Warrant Certificate Request Notice. Such Definitive Certificate shall be dated the original issue date of the Warrants, shall be executed by facsimile by an authorized signatory of the Company, shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1, and shall be reasonably acceptable in all respects to such Holder. In connection with a Warrant Exchange, the Company agrees to deliver the Definitive Certificate to the Holder within ten (10) Business Days of the Warrant Certificate Request Notice pursuant to the delivery instructions in the Warrant Certificate Request Notice (“Warrant Certificate Delivery Date”). If the Company and the Warrant Agent fail for any reason to deliver to the Holder the Definitive Certificate subject to the Warrant Certificate Request Notice by the Warrant Certificate Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares evidenced by such Definitive Certificate (based on the VWAP (as defined in the Warrants) of the Common Stock on the Warrant Certificate Request Notice Date), $10 per Business Day for each Business Day after such Warrant Certificate Delivery Date until such Definitive Certificate is delivered or, prior to delivery of such Warrant Certificate, the Holder rescinds such Warrant Exchange. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon the date of delivery of the Warrant Certificate Request Notice, the Holder shall be deemed to be the holder of the Definitive Certificate and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, the Definitive Certificate shall be deemed for all purposes to contain all of the terms and conditions of the Warrants evidenced by such Warrant Certificate and the terms of this Agreement, other than Sections 3(c), 3(d) and 9 herein, shall not apply to the Warrants evidenced by the Definitive Certificate. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Warrant Agent shall act as warrant agent with respect to any Definitive Certificate requested and issued pursuant to this section. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, in the event of inconsistency between any provision in this Agreement and any provision in a Definitive Certificate, as it may from time to time be amended, the terms of such Definitive Certificate shall control.
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(d) A Holder of a Definitive Certificate (pursuant to a Warrant Exchange or otherwise) has the right to elect at any time or from time to time a Global Warrants Exchange (as defined below) pursuant to a Global Warrants Request Notice (as defined below). Upon written notice by a Holder to the Company and the Warrant Agent for the exchange of some or all of such Holder’s Warrants evidenced by a Definitive Certificate for a beneficial interest in Global Warrants held in book-entry form through the Depositary evidencing the same number of Warrants, which request shall be in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 3 (a “Global Warrants Request Notice” and the date of delivery of such Global Warrants Request Notice by the Holder, the “Global Warrants Request Notice Date” and the surrender upon delivery by the Holder of the Warrants evidenced by Definitive Certificates for the same number of Warrants evidenced by a beneficial interest in Global Warrants held in book-entry form through the Depositary, a “Global Warrants Exchange”), the Warrant Agent shall promptly effect the Global Warrants Exchange and shall promptly issue and deliver to the Holder Global Warrants for such number of Warrants in the Global Warrants Request Notice, which beneficial interest in such Global Warrants shall be delivered by the Depositary’s Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system to the Holder pursuant to the instructions in the Global Warrants Request Notice. In connection with a Global Warrants Exchange, the Warrant shall deliver the beneficial interest in such Global Warrants to the Holder within ten (10) Business Days of the Global Warrants Request Notice pursuant to the delivery instructions in the Global Warrant Request Notice (“Global Warrants Delivery Date”). If the Company fails for any reason to deliver to the Holder Global Warrants subject to the Global Warrants Request Notice by the Global Warrants Delivery Date, the Company shall pay to the Holder, in cash, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, for each $1,000 of Warrant Shares evidenced by such Global Warrants (based on the VWAP (as defined in the Warrants) of the Common Stock on the Global Warrants Request Notice Date), $10 per Business Day for each Business Day after such Global Warrants Delivery Date until such Global Warrants are delivered or, prior to delivery of such Global Warrants, the Holder rescinds such Global Warrants Exchange. The Company covenants and agrees that, upon the date of delivery of the Global Warrants Request Notice, the Holder shall be deemed to be the beneficial holder of such Global Warrants.
Section 4. Form of Warrant Certificates. The Warrant Certificate, together with the form of election to purchase Common Stock (“Notice of Exercise”) and the form of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof, shall be in the form of Exhibit 1 hereto.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration. The Global Warrants shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President, by facsimile signature, and have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof which shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, by facsimile signature. The Global Warrants shall be countersigned by the Warrant Agent by facsimile signature and shall not be valid for any purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Global Warrants shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Warrant Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such Global Warrant, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Warrant Agent, issued and delivered with the same force and effect as though the person who signed such Global Warrants had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Global Warrant may be signed on behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of the execution of such Global Warrant, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Global Warrants, although at the date of the execution of this Warrant Agreement any such person was not such an officer.
The Warrant Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at one of its offices, or at the office of one of its agents, books for registration and transfer of the Global Warrants issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective Holders of the Global Warrant, the number of warrants evidenced on the face of each of such Global Warrant and the date of each of such Global Warrant. The Warrant Agent will create a special account for the issuance of Global Warrants. The Warrant Agent will keep or cause to be kept at one of its offices, books for the registration and transfer of any Definitive Certificates issued hereunder. Such Warrant Agent books shall show the names and addresses of the respective Holders of the Definitive Certificates, the number of warrants evidenced on the face of each such Definitive Certificate and the date of each such Definitive Certificate.
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Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Warrant Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Warrant Certificates. With respect to the Global Warrants, subject to the provisions of the Warrant Certificate and the last sentence of this first paragraph of Section 6 and subject to applicable law, rules or regulations, or any “stop transfer” instructions the Company may give to the Warrant Agent, at any time after the closing date of the Offering, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the Termination Date (as such term is defined in the Warrant Certificate), any Global Warrant or Global Warrants may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Global Warrant or Global Warrants, entitling the Holder to purchase a like number of shares of Common Stock as the Global Warrant or Global Warrants surrendered then entitled such Holder to purchase. Any Holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Global Warrant shall make such request in writing delivered to the Warrant Agent, and shall surrender the Global Warrant to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the principal office of the Warrant Agent. Any requested transfer of Warrants, whether in book-entry form or certificate form, shall be accompanied by reasonable evidence of authority of the party making such request that may be required by the Warrant Agent. Thereupon the Warrant Agent shall, subject to the last sentence of this first paragraph of Section 6, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Global Warrant or Global Warrants, as the case may be, as so requested. The Company may require payment from the Holder of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge or any bond or other fees required by the Warrant Agent that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Global Warrants. The Company shall compensate the Warrant Agent per the fee schedule mutually agreed upon by the parties hereto and provided separately on the date hereof.
Upon receipt by the Warrant Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Warrant Certificate, which evidence shall include an affidavit of loss, or in the case of mutilated certificates, the certificate or portion thereof remaining, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity in customary form and amount (but, with respect to any Definitive Certificates, shall not include the posting of any bond by the Holder), and satisfaction of any other reasonable requirements established by Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of Delaware, and reimbursement to the Company and the Warrant Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Warrant Agent and cancellation of the Warrant Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant Certificate of like tenor to the Warrant Agent for delivery to the Holder in lieu of the Warrant Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Warrants; Exercise Price; Termination Date.
(a) The Warrants shall be exercisable commencing on the Initial Exercise Date. The Warrants shall cease to be exercisable and shall terminate and become void as set forth in the Warrant Certificate. Subject to the foregoing and to Section 7(b) below, the Holder of a Warrant may exercise the Warrant in whole or in part upon surrender of the Warrant Certificate, if required, with the executed Notice of Exercise and payment of the Exercise Price, which may be made, at the option of the Holder, by wire transfer or by certified or official bank check in United States dollars, to the Warrant Agent at the principal office of the Warrant Agent or to the office of one of its agents as may be designated by the Warrant Agent from time to time. In the case of the Holder of a Global Warrant, the Holder shall deliver the executed Notice of Exercise and the payment of the Exercise Price as described herein. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, a holder whose interest in a Global Warrant is a beneficial interest in a Global Warrant held in book-entry form through the Depositary (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), shall effect exercises by delivering to the Depositary (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable) the appropriate instruction form for exercise, complying with the procedures to effect exercise that are required by the Depositary (or such other clearing corporation, as applicable). The Company acknowledges that the bank accounts maintained by the Warrant Agent in connection with the services provided under this Agreement will be in its name and that the Warrant Agent may receive investment earnings in connection with the investment at Warrant Agent risk and for its benefit of funds held in those accounts from time to time. Neither the Company nor the Holders will receive interest on any deposits or Exercise Price. No ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise be required. The Company hereby acknowledges and agrees that, with respect to a holder whose interest in a Global Warrant is a beneficial interest in a Global Warrant held in book-entry form through the Depositary (or another established clearing corporation performing similar functions), upon delivery of irrevocable instructions to such holder’s Participant to exercise such warrants, that solely for purposes of Regulation SHO that such holder shall be deemed to have exercised such warrants.
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(b) Upon receipt of a Notice of Exercise for a Cashless Exercise, provided the requirements for a Cashless Exercise have been met, the Company will promptly calculate and transmit to the Warrant Agent the number of Warrant Shares issuable in connection with such Cashless Exercise and deliver a copy of the Notice of Exercise to the Warrant Agent, which shall issue such number of Warrant Shares in connection with such Cashless Exercise.
(c) Upon the exercise of the Warrant Certificate pursuant to the terms of Section 2 of the Warrant Certificate, the Warrant Agent shall cause the Warrant Shares underlying such Warrant Certificate or Global Warrant to be delivered to or upon the order of the Holder of such Warrant Certificate or Global Warrant, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such Holder, no later than the Warrant Share Delivery Date (as such term is defined in the Warrant Certificate). If the Company is then a participant in the DWAC system of the Depositary and either (A) there is an effective registration statement permitting the issuance of the Warrant Shares to or resale of the Warrant Shares by Holder or (B) the Warrant is being exercised via Cashless Exercise, then the certificates for Warrant Shares shall be transmitted by the Warrant Agent to the Holder by crediting the account of the Holder’s broker with the Depositary through its DWAC system. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Company becomes obligated to pay any amounts to any Holders pursuant to Section 2(d)(i) or 2(d)(iv) of the Warrant Certificate, such obligation shall be solely that of the Company and not that of the Warrant Agent. Notwithstanding anything else to the contrary in this Agreement, except in the case of a Cashless Exercise, if any Holder fails to duly deliver payment to the Warrant Agent of an amount equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Warrant Shares to be purchased upon exercise of such Holder’s Warrant as set forth in Section 7(a) hereof by the Warrant Share Delivery Date, the Warrant Agent will not obligated to deliver such Warrant Shares (via DWAC or otherwise) until following receipt of such payment, and the applicable Warrant Share Delivery Date shall be deemed extended by one day for each day (or part thereof) until such payment is delivered to the Warrant Agent.
(d) The Warrant Agent shall deposit all funds received by it in payment of the Exercise Price for all Warrants in the account of the Company maintained with the Warrant Agent for such purpose (or to such other account as directed by the Company in writing) and shall advise the Company via email at the end of each day on which notices of exercise are received or funds for the exercise of any Warrant are received of the amount so deposited to its account.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Warrant Certificates. All Warrant Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Warrant Agent for cancellation or in canceled form, or, if surrendered to the Warrant Agent, shall be canceled by it, and no Warrant Certificate shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Warrant Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Warrant Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Warrant Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Warrant Agent shall destroy such canceled Warrant Certificates, subject to any applicable law, rule or regulation requiring the Warrant Agent to retain such canceled certificates or subject to any applicable policies of the Warrant Agent.
Section 9. Certain Representations; Reservation and Availability of Shares of Common Stock or Cash.
(a) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the Warrant Agent, constitutes a valid and legally binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, and the Warrants have been duly authorized, executed and issued by the Company and, assuming due authentication thereof by the Warrant Agent pursuant hereto and payment therefor by the Holders as provided in the Registration Statement, constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms and entitled to the benefits hereof; in each case except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally or by general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
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(b) As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of (i) 50,000,000 shares of Common Stock, of which approximately 8,417,239 shares of Common Stock are issued and outstanding as of June 5, 2023, and [ ] shares of Common Stock are reserved for issuance upon exercise of the Warrants, and (ii) 15,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.00001 per share, of which no shares are issued and outstanding as of June 5, 2023. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement, there are no other outstanding obligations, warrants, options or other rights to subscribe for or purchase from the Company any class of capital stock of the Company.
(c) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock or its authorized and issued shares of Common Stock held in its treasury, free from preemptive rights, the number of shares of Common Stock that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Warrants.
(d) The Warrant Agent will create a special account for the issuance of Common Stock upon the exercise of Warrants.
(e) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the original issuance or delivery of the Warrant Certificates or certificates evidencing Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrants. The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax or governmental charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the transfer or delivery of Warrant Certificates or the issuance or delivery of certificates for Common Stock in a name other than that of the Holder of the Warrant Certificate evidencing Warrants surrendered for exercise or to issue or deliver any certificate for shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of any Warrants until any such tax or governmental charge shall have been paid (any such tax or governmental charge being payable by the Holder of such Warrant Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s reasonable satisfaction that no such tax or governmental charge is due.
Section 10. Common Stock Record Date. Each Person in whose name any certificate for shares of Common Stock is issued (or to whose broker’s account is credited shares of Common Stock through the DWAC system) upon the exercise of Warrants shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record for the Common Stock represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date on which submission of the Notice of Exercise was made, provided that the Warrant Certificate evidencing such Warrant is duly surrendered (but only if required herein) and payment of the Exercise Price (and any applicable transfer taxes) is received on or prior to the Warrant Share Delivery Date; provided, however, that if the date of submission of the Notice of Exercise is a date upon which the Common Stock transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding day on which the Common Stock transfer books of the Company are open.
Section 11. Adjustment of Exercise Price, Number of Shares of Common Stock or Number of the Company Warrants. The Exercise Price, the number of shares covered by each Warrant and the number of Warrants outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate. In the event that at any time, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate, the Holder of any Warrant thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than shares of Common Stock, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Warrant shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the shares contained in Section 3 of the Warrant Certificate and the provisions of Sections 7, 11 and 12 of this Agreement with respect to the shares of Common Stock shall apply on like terms to any such other shares. All Warrants originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Exercise Price pursuant to the Warrant Certificate shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Exercise Price, the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Warrants, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.
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Section 12. Certification of Adjusted Exercise Price or Number of Shares of Common Stock. Whenever the Exercise Price or the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of each Warrant is adjusted as provided in Section 11 or 13, the Company shall (a) promptly prepare a certificate setting forth the Exercise Price of each Warrant as so adjusted, and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) promptly file with the Warrant Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Stock a copy of such certificate and (c) instruct the Warrant Agent to send a brief summary thereof to each Holder of a Warrant Certificate.
Section 13. Fractional Shares of Common Stock.
(a) The Company shall not issue fractions of Warrants or distribute Warrant Certificates which evidence fractional Warrants. Whenever any fractional Warrant would otherwise be required to be issued or distributed, the actual issuance or distribution shall reflect a rounding of such fraction to the nearest whole Warrant (rounded down).
(b) The Company shall not issue fractions of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of Warrants or distribute stock certificates which evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. Whenever any fraction of a share of Common Stock would otherwise be required to be issued or distributed, the actual issuance or distribution in respect thereof shall be made in accordance with Section 2(d)(v) of the Warrant Certificate.
Section 14. Conditions of the Warrant Agent’s Obligations. The Warrant Agent accepts its obligations herein set forth upon the terms and conditions hereof, including the following to all of which the Company agrees and to all of which the rights hereunder of the Holders from time to time of the Warrant Certificates shall be subject:
(a) Compensation and Indemnification. The Company agrees promptly to pay the Warrant Agent the compensation detailed on Exhibit 4 hereto for all services rendered by the Warrant Agent and to reimburse the Warrant Agent for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable counsel fees) incurred without gross negligence or willful misconduct finally adjudicated to have been directly caused by the Warrant Agent in connection with the services rendered hereunder by the Warrant Agent. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Warrant Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or expense incurred without gross negligence, or willful misconduct on the part of the Warrant Agent, finally adjudicated to have been directly caused by Warrant Agent hereunder, including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending against any claim of such liability. The Warrant Agent shall be under no obligation to institute or defend any action, suit, or legal proceeding in connection herewith or to take any other action likely to involve the Warrant Agent in expense, unless first indemnified to the Warrant Agent’s satisfaction. The indemnities provided by this paragraph shall survive the resignation or discharge of the Warrant Agent or the termination of this Agreement. Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Warrant Agent be liable under or in connection with the Agreement for indirect, special, incidental, punitive or consequential losses or damages of any kind whatsoever, including but not limited to lost profits, whether or not foreseeable, even if the Warrant Agent has been advised of the possibility thereof and regardless of the form of action in which such damages are sought, and the Warrant Agent’s aggregate liability to the Company, or any of the Company’s representatives or agents, under this Section 14(a) or under any other term or provision of this Agreement, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise, is expressly limited to, and shall not exceed in any circumstances, one (1) year’s fees received by the Warrant Agent as fees and charges under this Agreement, but not including reimbursable expenses previously reimbursed to the Warrant Agent by the Company hereunder.
(b) Agent for the Company. In acting under this Warrant Agreement and in connection with the Warrant Certificates, the Warrant Agent is acting solely as agent of the Company and does not assume any obligations or relationship of agency or trust for or with any of the Holders of Warrant Certificates or beneficial owners of Warrants.
(c) Counsel. The Warrant Agent may consult with counsel satisfactory to it, which may include counsel for the Company, and the written advice of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the advice of such counsel.
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(d) Documents. The Warrant Agent shall be protected and shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken or omitted by it in reliance upon any Warrant Certificate, notice, direction, consent, certificate, affidavit, statement or other paper or document reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been presented or signed by the proper parties.
(e) Certain Transactions. The Warrant Agent, and its officers, directors and employees, may become the owner of, or acquire any interest in, Warrants, with the same rights that it or they would have if it were not the Warrant Agent hereunder, and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, it or they may engage or be interested in any financial or other transaction with the Company and may act on, or as depositary, trustee or agent for, any committee or body of Holders of Warrant Securities or other obligations of the Company as freely as if it were not the Warrant Agent hereunder. Nothing in this Warrant Agreement shall be deemed to prevent the Warrant Agent from acting as trustee under any indenture to which the Company is a party.
(f) No Liability for Interest. Unless otherwise agreed with the Company, the Warrant Agent shall have no liability for interest on any monies at any time received by it pursuant to any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Warrant Certificates.
(g) No Liability for Invalidity. The Warrant Agent shall have no liability with respect to any invalidity of this Agreement or the Warrant Certificates (except as to the Warrant Agent’s countersignature thereon).
(h) No Responsibility for Representations. The Warrant Agent shall not be responsible for any of the recitals or representations herein or in the Warrant Certificate (except as to the Warrant Agent’s countersignature thereon), all of which are made solely by the Company.
(i) No Implied Obligations. The Warrant Agent shall be obligated to perform only such duties as are herein and in the Warrant Certificates specifically set forth and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement or the Warrant Certificates against the Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent shall not be under any obligation to take any action hereunder which may tend to involve it in any expense or liability, the payment of which within a reasonable time is not, in its reasonable opinion, assured to it. The Warrant Agent shall not be accountable or under any duty or responsibility for the use by the Company of any of the Warrant Certificates authenticated by the Warrant Agent and delivered by it to the Company pursuant to this Agreement or for the application by the Company of the proceeds of the Warrant Certificate. The Warrant Agent shall have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by the Company in the performance of its covenants or agreements contained herein or in the Warrant Certificates or in the case of the receipt of any written demand from a Holder of a Warrant Certificate with respect to such default, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any duty or responsibility to initiate or attempt to initiate any proceedings at law.
Section 15. Purchase or Consolidation or Change of Name of Warrant Agent. Any corporation into which the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent shall be party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust business of the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent, shall be the successor to the Warrant Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto, provided that such corporation would be eligible for appointment as a successor Warrant Agent under the provisions of Section 17. In case at the time such successor Warrant Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement any of the Warrant Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Warrant Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Warrant Agent and deliver such Warrant Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Warrant Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Warrant Agent may countersign such Warrant Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Warrant Agent or in the name of the successor Warrant Agent; and in all such cases such Warrant Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Warrant Certificates and in this Agreement.
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In case at any time the name of the Warrant Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Warrant Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Warrant Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver such Warrant Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time any of the Warrant Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Warrant Agent may countersign such Warrant Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases such Warrant Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Warrant Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 16. Duties of Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company, by its acceptance hereof, shall be bound:
(a) The Warrant Agent may consult with legal counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company (who may be legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Warrant Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(b) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Warrant Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of the Company; and such certificate shall be full authentication to the Warrant Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.
(c) Subject to the limitation set forth in Section 14, the Warrant Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct, or for a breach by it of this Agreement.
(d) The Warrant Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Warrant Certificate (except its countersignature thereof) by the Company or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.
(e) The Warrant Agent shall not be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Warrant Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Warrant Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Warrant Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for the adjustment of the Exercise Price or the making of any change in the number of shares of Common Stock required under the provisions of Section 11 or 13 or responsible for the manner, method or amount of any such change or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such adjustment or change (except with respect to the exercise of Warrants evidenced by the Warrant Certificates after actual notice of any adjustment of the Exercise Price); nor shall it by any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Warrant Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common Stock will, when issued, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(f) Each party hereto agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the other party hereto for the carrying out or performing by any party of the provisions of this Agreement.
(g) The Warrant Agent is hereby authorized to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or Vice President of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be liable and shall be indemnified and held harmless for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer, provided Warrant Agent carries out such instructions without gross negligence or willful misconduct.
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(h) The Warrant Agent and any shareholder, director, officer or employee of the Warrant Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Warrants or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Warrant Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the Warrant Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other legal entity.
(i) The Warrant Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself or by or through its attorney or agents, and the Warrant Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorney or agents or for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, provided reasonable care was exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
Section 17. Change of Warrant Agent. The Warrant Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon 30 days’ notice in writing sent to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and to the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. The Company may remove the Warrant Agent or any successor Warrant Agent upon 30 days’ notice in writing, sent to the Warrant Agent or successor Warrant Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and to the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. If the Warrant Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Warrant Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of 30 days after such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Warrant Agent or by the Holder of a Warrant Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Warrant Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the Holder of any Warrant Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Warrant Agent, provided that, for purposes of this Agreement, the Company shall be deemed to be the Warrant Agent until a new warrant agent is appointed. Any successor Warrant Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or of a state thereof, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Warrant Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. After appointment, the successor Warrant Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Warrant Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Warrant Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Warrant Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Warrant Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. However, failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 17, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Warrant Agent or the appointment of the successor Warrant Agent, as the case may be.
Section 18. Issuance of New Warrant Certificates. Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Warrants to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Warrant Certificates evidencing Warrants in such form as may be approved by its Board of Directors to reflect any adjustment or change in the Exercise Price per share and the number or kind or class of shares of stock or other securities or property purchasable under the several Warrant Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 19. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made (i) by the Warrant Agent or by the Holder of any Warrant Certificate to or on the Company, (ii) subject to the provisions of Section 17, by the Company or by the Holder of any Warrant Certificate to or on the Warrant Agent or (iii) by the Company or the Warrant Agent to the Holder of any Warrant Certificate shall be deemed given (a) on the date delivered, if delivered personally, (b) on the first Business Day following the deposit thereof with Federal Express or another recognized overnight courier, if sent by Federal Express or another recognized overnight courier, (c) on the fourth Business Day following the mailing thereof with postage prepaid, if mailed by registered or certified mail (return receipt requested), and (d) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or email attachment at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Business Day and (e) the next Business Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile or email attachment on a day that is not a Business Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Business Day, in each case to the parties at the following addresses (or at such other address for a party as shall be specified by like notice):
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(a) | If to the Company, to: |
Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
11900 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 630
Miami, Florida 33181
Attention: Konrad Dabrowski
E-mail Address: finance@lucyd.co
(b) | If to the Warrant Agent, to: |
[ ]
[ ]
[ ]
For any notice delivered by email to be deemed given or made, such notice must be followed by notice sent by overnight courier service to be delivered on the next business day following such email, unless the recipient of such email has acknowledged via return email receipt of such email.
(c) If to the Holder of any Warrant Certificate to the address of such Holder as shown on the registry books of the Company. Any notice required to be delivered by the Company to the Holder of any Warrant may be given by the Warrant Agent on behalf of the Company. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, where this Agreement provides for notice of any event to a Holder of any Warrant, such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the Depositary (or its designee) pursuant to the procedures of the Depositary or its designee.
Section 20. Supplements and Amendments.
(a) The Company and the Warrant Agent may from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any Holders of Global Warrants in order to (i) add to the covenants and agreements of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of the Global Warrants, (ii) to surrender any rights or power reserved to or conferred upon the Company in this Agreement, (iii) to cure any ambiguity, (iv) to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, or (v) to make any other provisions with regard to matters or questions arising hereunder which the Company and the Warrant Agent may deem necessary or desirable, provided that such addition, correction or surrender shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Global Warrants or Warrant Certificates in any material respect.
(b) In addition to the foregoing, with the consent of Holders of Warrants entitled, upon exercise thereof, to receive not less than a majority of the shares of Common Stock issuable thereunder, the Company and the Warrant Agent may modify this Agreement for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Warrant Agreement or modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Global Warrants; provided, however, that no modification of the terms (including but not limited to the adjustments described in Section 11) upon which the Warrants are exercisable or the rights of holders of Warrants to receive liquidated damages or other payments in cash from the Company or reducing the percentage required for consent to modification of this Agreement may be made without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Warrant Certificate affected thereby; provided further, however, that no amendment hereunder shall affect any terms of any Warrant Certificate issued in a Warrant Exchange. As a condition precedent to the Warrant Agent’s execution of any amendment, the Company shall deliver to the Warrant Agent a certificate from a duly authorized officer of the Company that states that the proposed amendment complies with the terms of this Section 20.
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Section 21. Successors. All covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Warrant Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 22. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give any Person other than the Company, the Holders of Warrant Certificates and the Warrant Agent any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement. This Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Warrant Agent and the Holders of the Warrant Certificates. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, to the extent any provision of a Warrant Certificate conflicts with any provision of this Agreement, the provisions of the Warrant Certificate shall govern and be controlling.
Section 23. Governing Law. This Agreement and each Warrant Certificate and Global Warrant issued hereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to the conflicts of law principles thereof.
Section 24. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 25. Captions. The captions of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.
Section 26. Information. The Company agrees to promptly provide to the Holders of the Warrants any information it provides to the holders of the Common Stock, except to the extent any such information is publicly available on the EDGAR system (or any successor thereof) of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
[Signature page follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC. | |||
By: | |||
Name: | Harrison Gross | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
VSTOCK TRANSFER LLC | |||
By: | |||
Name: | |||
Title: |
14
Exhibit 1
Form of Warrant Certificate
15
Exhibit 2
Form of Warrant Certificate Request Notice
WARRANT CERTIFICATE REQUEST NOTICE
To: VSTOCK TRANSFER LLC, as Warrant Agent for INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC. (the “Company”)
The undersigned Holder of Common Stock Purchase Warrants (“Warrants”) in the form of Global Warrants issued by the Company hereby elects to receive a Warrant Certificate evidencing the Warrants held by the Holder as specified below:
1. | Name of Holder of Warrants in form of Global Warrants: _____________________________ |
2. | Name of Holder in Warrant Certificate (if different from name of Holder of Warrants in form of Global Warrants): _____________________________ |
3. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Global Warrants: ___________ |
4. | Number of Warrants for which Warrant Certificate shall be issued: ___________ |
5. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Global Warrants after issuance of Warrant Certificate, if any: ___________ |
6. | Warrant Certificate shall be delivered to the following address: |
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that, in connection with this Warrant Exchange and the issuance of the Warrant Certificate, the Holder is deemed to have surrendered the number of Warrants in form of Global Warrants in the name of the Holder equal to the number of Warrants evidenced by the Warrant Certificate.
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: | |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: | |
Name of Authorized Signatory: | |
Title of Authorized Signatory: | |
Date: |
16
Exhibit 3
Form of Global Warrant Request Notice
GLOBAL WARRANT REQUEST NOTICE
To: VSTOCK TRANSFER LLC, as Warrant Agent for INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC. (the “Company”)
The undersigned Holder of Common Stock Purchase Warrants (“Warrants”) in the form of Warrants Certificates issued by the Company hereby elects to receive a Global Warrant evidencing the Warrants held by the Holder as specified below:
1. | Name of Holder of Warrants in form of Warrant Certificates: _____________________________ |
2. | Name of Holder in Global Warrant (if different from name of Holder of Warrants in form of Warrant Certificates): _____________________________ |
3. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Warrant Certificates: ___________ |
4. | Number of Warrants for which Global Warrant shall be issued: ___________ |
5. | Number of Warrants in name of Holder in form of Warrant Certificates after issuance of Global Warrant, if any: ___________ |
6. | Global Warrant shall be delivered to the following address: |
The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees that, in connection with this Global Warrant Exchange and the issuance of the Global Warrant, the Holder is deemed to have surrendered the number of Warrants in form of Warrant Certificates in the name of the Holder equal to the number of Warrants evidenced by the Global Warrant.
[SIGNATURE OF HOLDER]
Name of Investing Entity: | |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Investing Entity: | |
Name of Authorized Signatory: | |
Title of Authorized Signatory: | |
Date: |
17
Exhibit 4
Warrant Agent Fee Schedule
18
Exhibit 5.1
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1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, 11th FLOOR NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10017 |
TELEPHONE: (212) 370-1300 | |
FACSIMILE: (212) 370-7889 | |
www.egsllp.com |
June 16, 2023
Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
11900 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 630
North Miami, Florida, 33181
Re: | Registration Statement on Form S-1 |
Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Innovative Eyewear, Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), in a public offering pursuant to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), on June 16, 2023, relating to the offering by the Company of units (the “Units”) consisting of (a) (i) shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”) or (ii) Pre-Funded Warrants (the “Pre-Funded Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Pre-Funded Warrant Shares”) in lieu thereof of Shares and (b) accompanying Common Stock Warrants (the “Common Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Common Warrant Shares”). The Registration Statement also relates to the issuance by the Company of Placement Agent Warrants (the “Placement Agent Warrants” and, together with the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Common Warrants, the “Warrants”) to purchase shares of Common Stock (the “Placement Agent Warrant Shares” and, together with the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares and Common Warrants, the “Warrant Shares”). The Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares are covered by the Registration Statement and we understand that the Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares are to be offered and sold in the manner described in the Prospectus. This opinion is being delivered at the request of the Company and in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K promulgated by the Commission.
For purposes of rendering the opinions set forth below, we have examined such documents and reviewed such questions of law as we have considered necessary and appropriate for the purposes of our opinion including (i) the Registration Statement, including the exhibits filed therewith, (ii) the Prospectus, (iii) the Company’s second amended and restated articles of incorporation and second amended and restated bylaws, as currently in effect, (iv) the form of Securities Purchase Agreement, (v) the form of Placement Agency Agreement (vi) the form of Common Warrant, (vii) the form of Pre-Funded Warrant, (viii) the form of Warrant Agency Agreement, (ix) the form of Representative’s Warrant, and (x) the corporate resolutions and other actions of the Company that authorize and provide for the filing of the Registration Statement, and we have made such other investigation as we have deemed appropriate. We have not independently established any of the facts so relied on.
We have also assumed that all of the shares of Common Stock issuable or eligible for issuance pursuant to exercise of the Warrants following the date hereof will be issued for not less than par value.
1. Units. When the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act and when the offering is completed as contemplated by the Registration Statement, such Units will be legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in accordance with their terms except: (a) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); (b) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws; (c) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought; (d) we express no opinion as to whether a state court outside of the State of New York or a federal court of the United States would give effect to the choice of New York law provided for in the Warrant; and (e) with respect to the Common Stock, we express no opinion to the extent that future issuances of the Common Stock may cause the number of shares of Common Stock underlying the Units, to exceed the number that remain authorized but unissued.
2. Common Stock. When the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act and when the offering is completed as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
3. Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants. When the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act and when the Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants underlying the Units are issued, delivered and paid for as part of the Units, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, such Common Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants will be legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms except: (a) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); (b) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws; (c) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought; and(d) we express no opinion as to whether a state court outside of the State of New York or a federal court of the United States would give effect to the choice of New York law provided for in the Warrant.
4. Common Warrant Shares and Pre-Funded Warrant Shares: When the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act and when the offering is completed as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Common Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Common Warrants will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
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5. Placement Agent Warrants. When the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act and when the Placement Agent Warrants are issued and delivered, as contemplated by the Registration Statement, such Placement Agent Warrants will be legally binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms except: (a) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); (b) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws; (c) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought; and (d) we express no opinion as to whether a state court outside of the State of New York or a federal court of the United States would give effect to the choice of New York law provided for in the Placement Agent Warrants.
6. Placement Agent Warrant Shares: When the Registration Statement becomes effective under the Act and when the offering is completed as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Placement Agent Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
The opinions expressed in this opinion letter are limited to the Business Corporation Act of the State of Florida and the federal laws of the United States of America, as in effect on the date hereof. We are not opining on, and we assume no responsibility for, the applicability or effect on any of the matters covered herein of: (a) any other laws; (b) the laws of any other jurisdiction; or (c) the laws of any country, municipality or other political subdivision or local government agency or authority. The opinions set forth below are rendered as of the date of this opinion letter. We assume no obligation to update or supplement such opinions to reflect any change of law or fact that may occur.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours, | |
/s/ Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP |
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Exhibit 10.15
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
This Securities Purchase Agreement (this “Agreement”) is dated as of [___], 2023, between Innovative Eyewear, Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), and each purchaser identified on the signature pages hereto (each, including its successors and assigns, a “Purchaser” and collectively the “Purchasers”).
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), the Company desires to issue and sell to each Purchaser, and each Purchaser, severally and not jointly, desires to purchase from the Company, securities of the Company as more fully described in this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION of the mutual covenants contained in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and each Purchaser agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
1.1 Definitions. In addition to the terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, for all purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:
“Acquiring Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.5.
“Action” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(j).
“Affiliate” means any Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a Person as such terms are used in and construed under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Applicable Laws” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“Authorizations” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“Board of Directors” means the board of directors of the Company.
“BR” means Blank Rome LLP, with offices located at 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020.
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in The City of New York are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided, however, for clarification, commercial banks shall not be deemed to be authorized or required by law to remain closed due to “stay at home”, “shelter-in-place”, “non-essential employee” or any other similar orders or restrictions or the closure of any physical branch locations at the direction of any governmental authority so long as the electronic funds transfer systems (including for wire transfers) of commercial banks in The City of New York generally are open for use by customers on such day.
“Closing” means the closing of the purchase and sale of the Securities pursuant to Section 2.1.
“Closing Date” means the Trading Day on which all of the Transaction Documents have been executed and delivered by the applicable parties thereto, and all conditions precedent to (i) the Purchasers’ obligations to pay the Subscription Amount and (ii) the Company’s obligations to deliver the Securities, in each case, have been satisfied or waived, but in no event later than the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date hereof.
“Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.00001 per share, and any other class of securities into which such securities may hereafter be reclassified or changed.
“Common Stock Equivalents” means any securities of the Company which would entitle the holder thereof to acquire at any time Common Stock, including, without limitation, any debt, preferred stock, right, option, warrant or other instrument that is at any time convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or otherwise entitles the holder thereof to receive, Common Stock.
“Common Unit” means a fixed combination of one Share and one Warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock.
“Common Unit Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Common Units purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Common Unit Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Company Counsel” means Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP, with offices located at 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105.
“Disclosure Time” means, (i) if this Agreement is signed on a day that is not a Trading Day or after 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) and before midnight (New York City time) on any Trading Day, 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day immediately following the date hereof, [unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent, and (ii) if this Agreement is signed between midnight (New York City time) and 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, no later than 9:01 a.m. (New York City time) on the date hereof[, unless otherwise instructed as to an earlier time by the Placement Agent.
“Evaluation Date” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(s).
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“FCPA” means the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
“FDA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“FDCA” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“Final Prospectus” means the supplement to the Prospectus complying with Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act that is filed with the Commission and delivered by the Company to each Purchaser at the Closing.
“FTC” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(n).
“GAAP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
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“Indebtedness” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(aa).
“Intellectual Property Rights” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(p).
“Liens” means a lien, charge, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other restriction.
“Lock-Up Agreement” means the Lock-Up Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, by and among the Company and the directors and officers of the Company, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Purchasers.
“Material Adverse Effect” shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Section 3.1(b).
“Per Common Unit Purchase Price” equals $[ ], subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
“Per Pre-Funded Unit Purchase Price” equals $[__], subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.
“Placement Agency Agreement” means the Placement Agency Agreement by and between the Company and the Placement Agent dated the date hereof.
“Placement Agent” means Maxim Group LLC.
“Placement Agent Warrants” means the warrants to purchase such number of shares of Common Stock equal to four percent (4%) of the total number of Units sold in this offering issuable to the Placement Agent pursuant to Section 1(a) of the Placement Agency Agreement.
“Placement Agent Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants.
“Pre-Funded Unit” means a fixed combination of one Pre-Funded Warrant to purchase one Pre-Funded Warrant Share and one Warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock.
“Pre-Funded Unit Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for Pre-Funded Units purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Pre-Funded Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Pre-Funded Warrants” means, collectively, the Pre-Funded Common Stock purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Pre-Funded Warrants shall be issued pursuant to the Registration Statement, exercisable immediately and shall expire when exercised in full, in the form of Exhibit B attached hereto.
“Pre-Funded Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants.
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“Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary prospectus included in the Registration Statement, as originally filed or as part of any amendment thereto.
“Proceeding” means an action, claim, suit, investigation or proceeding (including, without limitation, an informal investigation or partial proceeding, such as a deposition), whether commenced or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened.
“Prospectus” means the final pricing prospectus filed for the Registration Statement.
“Purchaser Party” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.8.
“Registration Statement” means the effective registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-[ ]) filed with Commission and which registers the sale of the Units, the Shares, Pre-Funded Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, the Warrants, the Warrant Shares, the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, the Placement Agent. Warrants and the Placement Agent Warrant Shares
“Required Approvals” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(e).
“Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“Rule 424” means Rule 424 promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Securities Act, as such Rule may be amended or interpreted from time to time, or any similar rule or regulation hereafter adopted by the Commission having substantially the same purpose and effect as such Rule.
“SEC Reports” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.1(h).
“Securities” means the Shares, the Warrants, the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Warrant Shares and the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issued or issuable to each Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement.
“Short Sales” means all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act (but shall not be deemed to include locating and/or borrowing shares of Common Stock).
“Special Intellectual Property Counsel” means Company Counsel.
“Special Regulatory Counsel” means Diaz Trade Law.
“Subscription Amount” means, as to each Purchaser, the aggregate amount to be paid for the Common Units and Pre-Funded Units purchased hereunder as specified below such Purchaser’s name on the signature page of this Agreement and next to the heading “Subscription Amount,” in United States dollars and in immediately available funds.
“Trading Day” means a day on which the principal Trading Market is open for trading.
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“Trading Market” means any of the following markets or exchanges on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question: the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing).
“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Warrants, the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Placement Agency Agreement and the Placement Agent Warrant, all exhibits and schedules thereto and hereto, and any other documents or agreements executed in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.
“Transfer Agent” means VStock Transfer, LLC, the current transfer agent of the Company, with a mailing address of 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, New York 11598 and any successor transfer agent of the Company.
“Units” means, collectively, the Common Units and Pre-Funded Units.
“VWAP” means, for any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the Trading Market on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted as reported by Bloomberg L.P. (based on a Trading Day from 9:30 a.m. (New York City time) to 4:02 p.m. (New York City time)), (b) if OTCQB or OTCQX is not a Trading Market, the volume weighted average price of the Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on OTCQB or OTCQX as applicable, (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted for trading on OTCQB or OTCQX and if prices for the Common Stock are then reported in The Pink Open Market (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price per share of the Common Stock so reported, or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Purchasers of a majority in interest of the Securities then outstanding and reasonably acceptable to the Company, the fees and expenses of which shall be paid by the Company.
“Warrant Agency Agreement” means that certain warrant agency agreement, dated as of [__], 2023, by and between the Company and the Transfer Agent.
“Warrants” means, collectively, the purchase warrants delivered to the Purchasers at the Closing in accordance with Section 2.2(a) hereof, which Warrants shall be immediately exercisable and will expire five (5) years from the Closing Date, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto.
“Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrants.
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ARTICLE II.
PURCHASE AND SALE
2.1 Closing. On the Closing Date, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, substantially concurrent with the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the parties hereto, the Company agrees to sell, and the Purchasers, severally and not jointly, agree to purchase, up to an aggregate of [ ] Units, with each Unit consisting of one Share of Common Stock (or Pre-Funded Warrants in lieu thereof) and one Warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock. Each Purchaser’s Subscription Amount as set forth on the signature page hereto executed by such Purchaser shall be made available for “Delivery Versus Payment” (“DVP”) settlement with the Company or its designee. The Company shall deliver to each Purchaser its respective Shares, Pre-Funded Warrants and Warrants, and the Company and each Purchaser shall deliver the other items set forth in Section 2.2 deliverable at the Closing. Upon satisfaction of the covenants and conditions set forth in Sections 2.2 and 2.3, the Closing shall occur at the offices of BR or such other location as the parties shall mutually agree or virtually in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. Unless otherwise directed by the Placement Agent, settlement of the Shares shall occur via DVP (i.e., on the Closing Date, the Company shall issue the Shares registered in the Purchasers’ names and addresses and released by the Transfer Agent directly to the account(s) at the Placement Agent identified by each Purchaser; upon receipt of such Shares, the Placement Agent shall promptly electronically deliver such Shares to the applicable Purchaser, and payment therefor shall be made by the Placement Agent (or its clearing firm) by wire transfer to the Company), and delivery of the Pre-Funded Warrants and the Warrants shall be made via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) for the account of the applicable Purchaser. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary hereunder, to the extent that a Purchaser determines, in its sole discretion, that such Purchaser (together with such Purchaser’s Affiliates, and any Person acting as a group together with such purchaser or any of such Purchaser’s Affiliates) would beneficially own in excess of 9.99% of the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to giving effect to the issuance of the Common Stock on the Closing Date (“Beneficial Ownership Maximum”), such Purchaser may elect to receive only the Beneficial Ownership Maximum at the Closing with the balance of any Shares purchased hereunder, if any, held in abeyance for such Purchaser and issued immediately following the Closing, upon issuance of a Pre-Funded Warrant to purchase such number of Shares of Common Stock as would have exceeded the Beneficial Ownership Maximum, provided in no event shall such Purchaser’s beneficial ownership ever exceed the Beneficial Ownership Maximum. The determination pursuant to the provisions of the previous sentence of whether any Purchaser’s beneficial ownership exceeds the Beneficial Ownership Maximum shall be in the sole discretion of such Purchaser and the Company shall have no obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to any Notice(s) of Exercise (as defined in the Pre-Funded Warrants) delivered on or prior to 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Trading Day prior to the Closing Date, which may be delivered at any time after the time of execution of this Agreement, the Company agrees to deliver the applicable Pre-Funded Warrant Shares subject to such notice(s) by 4:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the Closing Date and the Closing Date shall be the Warrant Share Delivery Date (as defined in the Pre-Funded Warrants) for purposes hereunder.
2.2 Deliveries.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to each Purchaser the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by the Company;
(ii) a legal opinion of Company Counsel, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and the Purchaser;
(iii) a legal opinion of Special Intellectual Property Counsel, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and the Purchaser;
(iv) a legal opinion of Special Regulatory Counsel, in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Placement Agent and the Purchaser;
(v) the Company shall have provided each Purchaser with the Company’s wire instructions, on Company letterhead and executed by the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer;
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(vi) a copy of the irrevocable instructions to the Transfer Agent instructing the Transfer Agent to deliver on an expedited basis via The Depository Trust Company Deposit or Withdrawal at Custodian system (“DWAC”) Shares equal to such Purchaser’s Common Unit Subscription Amount divided by the Per Share Purchase Price, registered in the name of such Purchaser;
(vii) the Prospectus and Final Prospectus (which may be delivered in accordance with Rule 172 under the Securities Act); and
(viii) a Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase up to a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 100% of such Purchaser’s Shares with an exercise price equal to $[ ], subject to adjustment therein;
(ix) for each Purchaser of Pre-Funded Warrants pursuant to Section 2.1, a Pre-Funded Warrant registered in the name of such Purchaser to purchase a number of Pre-Funded Warrant Shares equal to such Purchaser’s Pre-Funded Unit Subscription Amount divided by the sum of the Per Pre-Funded Unit Purchase Price plus the exercise price equal to $0.00001, with an exercise price equal to $0.00001, subject to adjustment therein; and
(x) the duly executed Lock-Up Agreements.
(b) On or prior to the Closing Date, each Purchaser shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Company, the following:
(i) this Agreement duly executed by such Purchaser; and
(ii) such Purchaser’s Subscription Amount, which shall be made available for “Delivery Versus Payment” settlement with the Company or its designee.
2.3 Closing Conditions.
(a) The obligations of the Company hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Purchasers contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);
(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of each Purchaser required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed; and
(iii) the delivery by each Purchaser of the items set forth in Section 2.2(b) of this Agreement.
(b) The respective obligations of the Purchasers hereunder in connection with the Closing are subject to the following conditions being met:
(i) the accuracy in all material respects (or, to the extent representations or warranties are qualified by materiality or Material Adverse Effect, in all respects) when made and on the Closing Date of the representations and warranties of the Company contained herein (unless as of a specific date therein in which case they shall be accurate as of such date);
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(ii) all obligations, covenants and agreements of the Company required to be performed at or prior to the Closing Date shall have been performed;
(iii) the delivery by the Company of the items set forth in Section 2.2(a) of this Agreement;
(iv) there shall have been no Material Adverse Effect with respect to the Company since the date hereof;
(v) the Registration Statement shall be effective on the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or shall be pending or contemplated by the Commission and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of the Placement Agent; and
(vi) from the date hereof to the Closing Date, trading in the Common Stock shall not have been suspended by the Commission or the Company’s principal Trading Market, and, at any time prior to the Closing Date, trading in securities generally as reported by Bloomberg L.P. shall not have been suspended or limited, or minimum prices shall not have been established on securities whose trades are reported by such service, or on any Trading Market, nor shall a banking moratorium have been declared either by the United States or New York State authorities nor shall there have occurred any material outbreak or escalation of hostilities or other national or international calamity of such magnitude in its effect on, or any material adverse change in, any financial market which, in each case, in the reasonable judgment of such Purchaser, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to purchase the Securities at the Closing.
ARTICLE III.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
3.1 Representations and Warranties of the Company. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, the Company hereby makes the following representations and warranties to each Purchaser:
(a) Subsidiaries. The Company does not have any subsidiaries.
(b) Organization and Qualification. The Company is an entity duly incorporated or otherwise formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation, with the requisite power and authority to own and use its properties and assets and to carry on its business as currently conducted. The Company is not in violation nor default of any of the provisions of its respective certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents. The Company is duly qualified to conduct business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other entity in each jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted or property owned by it makes such qualification necessary, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing, as the case may be, would not reasonably be expected to result in: (i) a material adverse effect on the legality, validity or enforceability of any Transaction Document, (ii) a material adverse effect on the results of operations, assets, business, prospects or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Company, or (iii) a material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform in any material respect on a timely basis its obligations under any Transaction Document (any of (i), (ii) or (iii), a “Material Adverse Effect”) and no Proceeding has been instituted in any such jurisdiction revoking, limiting or curtailing or seeking to revoke, limit or curtail such power and authority or qualification.
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(c) Authorization; Enforcement. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents to which the Company is a party and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Company and no further action is required by the Company, the Board of Directors or the Company’s stockholders in connection herewith or therewith other than in connection with the Required Approvals. This Agreement and each other Transaction Document to which it is a party has been (or upon delivery will have been) duly executed by the Company and, when delivered in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof, will constitute the valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, possessory liens, rights of set off, merger, consolidation, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the statutory limitation of the time within which proceedings may be brought or availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
(d) No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a party, the issuance and sale of the Securities and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby do not and will not (i) conflict with or violate any provision of the Company’s certificate or articles of incorporation, bylaws or other organizational or charter documents, or (ii) conflict with, or constitute a default (or an event that with notice or lapse of time or both would become a default) under, result in the creation of any Lien upon any of the properties or assets of the Company, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, anti-dilution or similar adjustments, acceleration or cancellation (with or without notice, lapse of time or both) of, any agreement, credit facility, debt or other instrument (evidencing a Company debt or otherwise) or other understanding to which the Company is a party or by which any property or asset of the Company is bound or affected, except as set forth in the SEC Reports or (iii) subject to the Required Approvals, conflict with or result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment, injunction, decree or other restriction of any court or governmental authority to which the Company is subject (including federal and state securities laws and regulations), or by which any property or asset of the Company is bound or affected; except in the case of each of clauses (ii) and (iii) such as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(e) Filings, Consents and Approvals. The Company is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, provincial, local or other governmental authority or other Person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Transaction Documents, other than: (i) the filings required pursuant to Section 4.4 of this Agreement, (ii) such as have been obtained or made under the Securities Act, (iii) the filing with the Commission of the Final Prospectus, (iii) application(s) to each applicable Trading Market for the listing of the Shares, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares and Warrant Shares for trading thereon in the time and manner required thereby, (iv) such filings as are required to be made under applicable state securities laws and (v) such as those that, if not obtained, given or made, would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Required Approvals”).
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(f) Issuance of the Securities; Registration.
(i) The Shares are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants are duly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the applicable Transaction Documents, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Pre-Funded Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Placement Agent Warrant Shares, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Placement Agent Warrants, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, free and clear of all Liens imposed by the Company. The Company has reserved from its duly authorized capital stock the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Agreement, the Pre-Funded Warrants, the Warrants and the Placement Agent Warrants. The Pre-Funded Warrants, Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants have been duly authorized by the Company and, when executed and delivered by the Company against payment therefor pursuant to this Agreement, will be valid and binding agreements of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws relating to or affecting the rights and remedies of creditors or by general equitable principles.
(ii) The Company has prepared and filed the Registration Statement in conformity with the requirements of the Securities Act, which became effective on [____], 2023 (the “Effective Date”), including the Prospectus, and such amendments and supplements thereto as may have been required to the date of this Agreement. The Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act and no stop order preventing or suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or suspending or preventing the use of the Prospectus has been issued by the Commission and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company, are threatened by the Commission. The Company, if required by the rules and regulations of the Commission, shall file the Final Prospectus with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b). At the time the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto became effective, at the date of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto was issued and at the Closing Date, conformed and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. All corporate action required to be taken for the authorization, issuance and sale of the Shares, Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, Warrant Shares, Placement Agent Warrants and Placement Agent Warrant Shares has been duly and validly taken. The Securities conform in all material respects to all statements with respect thereto contained in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus.
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(g) Capitalization. The capitalization of the Company is as disclosed in the SEC Reports as of the date thereof. The Company has not issued any capital stock since its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act, except as disclosed or contemplated in the SEC Reports. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, Person has any right of first refusal, preemptive right, right of participation, or any similar right to participate in the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. The Securities will not be subject to the preemptive rights of any holders of any security of the Company or similar contractual rights granted by the Company. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip rights to subscribe to, calls or commitments of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities, rights or obligations convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire, any shares of Common Stock, or contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company is or may become bound to issue additional shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents. The issuance and sale of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities to any Person (other than the Purchasers). Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company with any provision that adjusts the exercise, conversion, exchange or reset price of such security or instrument upon an issuance of securities by the Company. Except a set forth in the SEC Reports, there are no outstanding securities or instruments of the Company that contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company is or may become bound to redeem a security of the Company. The Company does not have any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement. All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, have been issued in compliance with all federal and state securities laws, and none of such outstanding shares was issued in violation of any preemptive rights or similar rights to subscribe for or purchase securities. No further approval or authorization of any stockholder, the Board of Directors or others is required for the issuance and sale of the Securities. There are no stockholders agreements, voting agreements or other similar agreements with respect to the Company’s capital stock to which the Company is a party or, to the knowledge of the Company, between or among any of the Company’s stockholders.
(h) SEC Reports; Financial Statements. The Company has filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) thereof, for two years preceding the date hereof (or such shorter period as the Company was required by law or regulation to file such material) (the foregoing materials, including the exhibits thereto and documents incorporated by reference therein, together with the Registration Statement, Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, being collectively referred to herein as the “SEC Reports”) on a timely basis or has received a valid extension of such time of filing and has filed any such SEC Reports prior to the expiration of any such extension. As of their respective dates, the SEC Reports complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, as applicable, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Company is not and has never been an issuer subject to Rule 144(i) under the Securities Act. The financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the Commission with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved (“GAAP”), except as may be otherwise specified in such financial statements or the notes thereto and except that unaudited financial statements may not contain all footnotes required by GAAP, and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of the Company as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, immaterial, year-end audit adjustments. The agreements and documents described in the Registration Statement and the SEC Reports conform in all material aspects to the descriptions thereof contained therein and there are no agreements or other documents required by the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder to be described in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the SEC Reports or to be filed with the Commission as exhibits to the Registration Statement, that have not been so described or filed. Each agreement or other instrument (however characterized or described) to which the Company is a party or by which it is or may be bound or affected and (i) that is referred to in the Registration Statement or the SEC Reports, or (ii) is material to the Company’s business, has been duly authorized and validly executed by the Company, is in full force and effect in all material respects and is enforceable against the Company and, to the Company’s knowledge, the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms, except (x) as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, (y) as enforceability of any indemnification or contribution provision may be limited under the federal and state securities laws, and (z) that the remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to the equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefore may be brought. None of such agreements or instruments has been assigned by the Company, and neither the Company nor, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, any other party is in default thereunder and, to the best of the Company’s knowledge, no event has occurred that, with the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both, would constitute a default thereunder that has had or that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To the best of the Company’s knowledge, performance by the Company of the material provisions of such agreements or instruments will not result in a violation of any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any governmental agency or court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its assets or businesses, including, without limitation, those relating to environmental laws and regulations. The other financial and statistical information included in the SEC Reports present fairly, in all material respects, the information included therein and have been prepared on a basis consistent with that of the financial statements that are included in the SEC Reports and the books and records of the respective entities presented therein.
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(i) Material Changes; Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. Since the date of the latest financial statements included within the SEC Reports, except as set forth in the SEC Reports, (i) there has been no event, occurrence or development that has had or that would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the Company has not incurred any liabilities (contingent or otherwise) other than (A) trade payables and accrued expenses incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (B) liabilities not required to be reflected in the Company’s financial statements pursuant to GAAP or disclosed in filings made with the Commission, (iii) the Company has not altered its method of accounting, (iv) the Company has not declared or made any dividend or distribution of cash or other property to its stockholders or purchased, redeemed or made any agreements to purchase or redeem any shares of its capital stock and (v) the Company has not issued any equity securities to any officer, director or Affiliate, except pursuant to existing Company equity plans and employee stock purchase plans, and the issuance of Common Stock Equivalents as disclosed in the SEC Reports. The Company does not have pending before the Commission any request for confidential treatment of information. Except for the issuance of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement or as set forth in the SEC Reports, no event, liability, fact, circumstance, occurrence or development has occurred or exists or is reasonably expected to occur or exist with respect to the Company or their respective businesses, prospects, properties, operations, assets or financial condition that would be required to be disclosed by the Company under applicable securities laws at the time this representation is made or deemed made that has not been publicly disclosed at least 1 Trading Day prior to the date that this representation is made. Unless otherwise disclosed in SEC Reports filed prior to the date hereof, the Company has not: (i) issued any securities or incurred any liability or obligation, direct or contingent, for borrowed money; or (ii) declared or paid any dividend or made any other distribution on or in respect to its capital stock.
(j) Litigation. There has not been and to the knowledge of the Company, there is not pending or contemplated, any action, suit, inquiry, notice of violation, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its properties before or by any court, arbitrator, governmental or administrative agency or regulatory authority (federal, state, county, local or foreign) (collectively, an “Action”) that, if there were an unfavorable decision, would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Actions set forth in the SEC Reports, (i) adversely affects or challenges the legality, validity or enforceability of any of the Transaction Documents or the Securities or (ii) could, if there were an unfavorable decision, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company, nor to the Company’s knowledge, any director or officer thereof, is or has been the subject of any Action involving a claim of violation of or liability under federal or state securities laws or a claim of breach of fiduciary duty. To the knowledge of the Company there has not been, and there is not pending or contemplated, any investigation by the Commission involving the Company or any current or former director or officer of the Company. There are no Actions required to be disclosed in the SEC Reports that have not been disclosed. The Commission has not issued any stop order or other order suspending the effectiveness of any registration statement filed by the Company under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act.
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(k) Labor Relations. No labor dispute exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent with respect to any of the employees of the Company, which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. None of the Company’s employees is a member of a union that relates to such employee’s relationship with the Company, and the Company is not a party to a collective bargaining agreement, and the Company believes that its relationships with its employees are good. To the knowledge of the Company, no executive officer of the Company, is, or is now expected to be, in violation of any material term of any employment contract, confidentiality, disclosure or proprietary information agreement or non-competition agreement, or any other contract or agreement or any restrictive covenant in favor of any third party, and the continued employment of each such executive officer does not subject the Company to any liability with respect to any of the foregoing matters that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company is in compliance with all U.S. federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations relating to employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment and wages and hours, except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(l) Compliance. The Company: (i) is not in default under or in violation of (and no event has occurred that has not been waived that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would result in a default by the Company under), nor has the Company received notice of a claim that it is in default under or that it is in violation of, any indenture, loan or credit agreement or any other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties is bound (whether or not such default or violation has been waived), (ii) is not in violation of any judgment, decree or order of any court, arbitrator or other governmental authority or (iii) is not or has not been in violation of any statute, rule, ordinance or regulation of any governmental authority, including without limitation all foreign, federal, state and local laws relating to taxes, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, product quality and safety and employment and labor matters or in each case as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(m) Environmental Laws. The Company (i) is in compliance with all federal, state, local and foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants, contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands, or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations, issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder (“Environmental Laws”); (ii) has received all permits licenses or other approvals required of them under applicable Environmental Laws to conduct their respective businesses; and (iii) is in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval where in each clause (i), (ii) and (iii), the failure to so comply or receive would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
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(n) Regulatory Permits. (1) The Company possesses all certificates, licenses, authorizations, approvals, clearances, consents, registration and permits issued by the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory authorities including, without limitation, those administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”), or by any foreign, federal, state or local governmental or regulatory authority performing functions similar to those performed by the FDA and the FTC, or reasonably necessary to conduct their respective businesses as described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, except where the failure to possess such permits would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect (each, an “Authorization”), and the Company has not received any notice of proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any Authorization or the noncompliance with any ordinance, law, rule or regulation applicable to the Company. The disclosures in the Registration Statement, if any concerning the effects of federal, state, local and all foreign regulation on the Company’s business as currently contemplated are correct in all material respects. The Company is and has been in material compliance with any term of any such Authorizations, except for any violations which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has not failed to file with the applicable regulatory authorities (including the FDA or any foreign, federal, state or local governmental or regulatory authority performing functions similar to those performed by the FDA) any filing, declaration, listing, registration, report or submission that is required to be so filed for the Company’s business operation as currently conducted. All such filings were in material compliance with applicable laws when filed and no deficiencies have been asserted in writing by any applicable regulatory authority (including, without limitation, the FDA or any foreign, federal, state or local governmental or regulatory authority performing functions similar to those performed by the FDA) with respect to any such filings, declarations, listings, registrations, reports or submissions.
(2) The Company: (i) are and at all times has been in substantial compliance with all statutes, rules, or regulations applicable to the ownership, testing, development, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, marketing, labeling, promotion, advertising, sale, offer for sale, storage, import, export or disposal of any product manufactured or distributed by the Company, including but not limited to the U.S. Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”) (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.), the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. § 41-58) and the rules and regulations of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“Applicable Laws”), except as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (ii) has not received any warning letter, untitled letter or other correspondence or notice from any other governmental authority alleging or asserting noncompliance with any Applicable Laws or any Authorizations; (iii) possesses all material Authorizations and such Authorizations are valid and in full force and effect and are not in material violation of any term of any such Authorizations; (iv) has not received notice of any claim, action, suit, proceeding, hearing, enforcement, investigation, arbitration or other action from any governmental authority or third party alleging that any product operation or activity is in violation of any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and has no knowledge that any such governmental authority or third party is considering any such claim, litigation, arbitration, action, suit, investigation or proceeding; (v) has not received notice that any governmental authority has taken, is taking or intends to take action to limit, suspend, modify or revoke any Authorizations and has no knowledge that any such governmental authority is considering such action and the FDA has not sent any warning letters; imposed any fines, penalties or injunctions; or required or requested termination of any distribution of the Company’s products; requested or required any recalls or seizures of products; or withdrawals or suspensions of clearances or approvals, resulting in prohibitions on sales of our products; (vi) has filed, obtained, maintained or submitted all material reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments as required by any Applicable Laws or Authorizations and that all such reports, documents, forms, notices, applications, records, claims, submissions and supplements or amendments were complete and correct on the date filed (or were corrected or supplemented by a subsequent submission); and (vii) to the Company’s knowledge, has not, either voluntarily or involuntarily, initiated, conducted, or issued or caused to be initiated, conducted or issued, any recall, market withdrawal or replacement, safety alert, post-sale warning, or other notice or action relating to the alleged lack of safety or efficacy of any product or any alleged product defect or violation and, to the Company’s knowledge, no third party has initiated, conducted or intends to initiate any such notice or action.
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(3) The Company is not aware of any manufacturing site (whether Company-owned or that of a third-party manufacturer for the Company’s products) that performs manufacturing activity for the Company subject to a governmental authority (including the FDA) shutdown or import or export prohibition.
(4) The statements included in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus under the caption: “Business—Government Regulation” are true and correct in all material respects; and to the Company’s knowledge, there are no health care laws which as of this date are material to the business of the Company which is not described in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus.
(o) Title to Assets. The Company has good and marketable title in fee simple or has valid and marketable rights to lease or otherwise use to all real property and all personal property owned by them that is material to the business of the Company, free and clear of all Liens, except for (i) Liens incurred in connection with purchase money security interests and equipment financings, (ii) Liens as do not materially affect the value of such property and do not materially interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property by the Company and (ii) Liens for the payment of federal, provincial, state or other taxes, for which appropriate reserves have been made therefor in accordance with GAAP and, the payment of which is neither delinquent nor subject to penalties. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with which the Company is in compliance except where the failure to be in compliance could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(p) Intellectual Property. The Company has, or has rights to use, all patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, trade names, trade secrets, inventions, copyrights, licenses and other intellectual property rights and similar rights necessary or required for use in connection with their respective businesses as described in the SEC Reports and which the failure to do so would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect (collectively, the “Intellectual Property Rights”). The Company has not received a notice (written or otherwise) that any of, the Intellectual Property Rights has expired, terminated or been abandoned, or is expected to expire or terminate or be abandoned, within two (2) years from the date of this Agreement. The Company has not received, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included within the SEC Reports, a written notice of a claim or otherwise has any knowledge that the operations of their respective businesses violate or infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any Person, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the knowledge of the Company, all such Intellectual Property Rights are enforceable and there is no existing infringement by another Person of any of the Intellectual Property Rights. The Company has taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their intellectual properties, except where failure to do so would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
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(q) Insurance. The Company is insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company is engaged, including, but not limited to, directors and officers insurance coverage in an amount sufficient to run the Company’s current business. The Company does not have any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business without a significant increase in cost.
(r) Transactions With Affiliates and Employees. Except as set forth in the SEC Reports, none of the officers or directors of the Company and, to the knowledge of the Company, none of the employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, providing for the borrowing of money from or lending of money to or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee, stockholder, member or partner, in each case in excess of $120,000 other than for (i) payment of salary, bonus or consulting fees for services rendered, (ii) reimbursement for expenses incurred on behalf of the Company and (iii) other employee benefits, including stock option agreements under any equity incentive plan of the Company.
(s) Sarbanes-Oxley; Internal Accounting Controls. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with any and all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended that are effective as of the date hereof, and any and all applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission thereunder that are effective as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The Company maintains a system of internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that is effective to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP, including that: (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset and liability accountability, (iii) access to assets or incurrence of liabilities is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization, and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets and liabilities is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Company maintains disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Commission, including, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer or officers and its principal financial officer or officers, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Company has not received any notice or correspondence from any accountant, Governmental Entity or other Person relating to any potential material weakness in any part of the internal controls over financial reporting of the Company. The Company’s certifying officers have evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures of the Company as of the end of the period covered by the most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act (such date, the “Evaluation Date”). The Company presented in its most recently filed periodic report under the Exchange Act the conclusions of the certifying officers about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based on their evaluations as of the Evaluation Date. Since the Evaluation Date, there have been no changes in the internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in the Exchange Act) of the Company that have materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the internal control over financial reporting of the Company.
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(t) Certain Fees. No brokerage or finder’s fees or commissions are or will be payable by the Company or Affiliate of the Company to any broker, financial advisor or consultant, finder, placement agent, investment banker, bank or other Person with respect to the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents other than the compensation payable to the Placement Agent pursuant to the terms of the Placement Agency Agreement. The Purchasers shall have no obligation with respect to any fees or with respect to any claims made by or on behalf of other Persons for fees of a type contemplated in this Section that may be due in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.
(u) Investment Company. The Company is not and immediately after receipt of payment for the Securities, will not be required to register as an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Company shall conduct its business in a manner so that it will not become an “investment company” subject to registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(v) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the SEC Reports, no Person has any right to cause the Company to effect the registration under the Securities Act of any securities of the Company.
(w) Listing and Maintenance Requirements. The Common Stock is registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company has taken no action designed to, or which to its knowledge is likely to have the effect of, terminating the registration of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act nor has the Company received any notification that the Commission is contemplating terminating such registration. The Company has not, in the 12 months preceding the date hereof, received notice from any Trading Market on which the Common Stock is or has been listed or quoted to the effect that the Company is not in compliance with the listing or maintenance requirements of such Trading Market. The Company has no reason to believe that it will not in the foreseeable future continue to be, in compliance with all such listing and maintenance requirements. The Common Stock is currently eligible for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation and the Company is current in payment of the fees to the Depository Trust Company (or such other established clearing corporation) in connection with such electronic transfer.
(x) Application of Takeover Protections. The Company and the Board of Directors have taken all necessary action, if any, in order to render inapplicable any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or other similar anti-takeover provision under the Company’s certificate of incorporation (or similar charter documents) or the laws of its state of incorporation that is or could become applicable to the Purchasers as a result of the Purchasers and the Company fulfilling their obligations or exercising their rights under the Transaction Documents, including without limitation as a result of the Company’s issuance of the Securities and the Purchasers’ ownership of the Securities.
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(y) Disclosure. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, the Company confirms that neither it nor any other Person acting on its behalf has provided any of the Purchasers or their agents or counsel with any information that it believes constitutes or might constitute material, non-public information which is not otherwise disclosed in the Final Prospectus. The Company understands and confirms that the Purchasers will rely on the foregoing representation in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All of the disclosure furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Purchasers regarding the Company, its business and the transactions contemplated hereby, is true and correct and does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The press releases disseminated by the Company during the twelve months preceding the date of this Agreement taken as a whole do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made and when made, not misleading. There are no documents required to be filed with the Commission in connection with the transaction contemplated hereby that (a) have not been filed as required pursuant to the Securities Act or (b) will not be filed within the requisite time period. There are no contracts or other documents required to be described in the Prospectus, or to be filed as exhibits or schedules to the Registration Statement, which have not been described or filed as required. The statistical and market-related data included in the Prospectus, if any, are based on or derived from sources that the Company reasonably and in good faith believes are reliable and accurate or represent the Company’s good faith estimates that are made on the basis of data derived from such sources. The Company has obtained all consents required for the inclusion of such statistical and market-related data in the Prospectus. No forward-looking statement (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act) contained in the Prospectus has been made or reaffirmed without a reasonable basis or has been disclosed other than in good faith. The Company acknowledges and agrees that no Purchaser makes or has made any representations or warranties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby other than those specifically set forth in Section 3.2 hereof.
(z) No Integrated Offering. Assuming the accuracy of the Purchasers’ representations and warranties set forth in Section 3.2, neither the Company, nor any of its controlled Affiliates, nor any Person acting on its or their behalf has, directly or indirectly, made any offers or sales of any security or solicited any offers to buy any security, under circumstances that would cause this offering of the Securities to be integrated with prior offerings by the Company for purposes of (i) the Securities Act and (ii) any applicable shareholder approval provisions of any Trading Market on which any of the securities of the Company are listed or designated.
(aa) Solvency. Based on the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of the Closing Date, assuming the Company receives the maximum offering amount of $5,000,0000, after giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder, (i) the fair saleable value of the Company’s assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature, (ii) the Company’s assets do not constitute unreasonably small capital to carry on its business as now conducted and as proposed to be conducted including its capital needs taking into account the particular capital requirements of the business conducted by the Company, consolidated and projected capital requirements and capital availability thereof, and (iii) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its liabilities when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction within one year from the Closing Date. For the avoidance of doubt, such reorganization does not include the Company’s mergers, acquisitions or other strategic transactions which are not for the primary purpose of avoiding bankruptcy. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Indebtedness” means (x) any liabilities for borrowed money or amounts owed in excess of $50,000 (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business), (y) all guaranties, endorsements and other contingent obligations in respect of indebtedness of others, whether or not the same are or should be reflected in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet (or the notes thereto), except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business; and (z) the present value of any lease payments in excess of $50,000 due under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP. The Company is not in default with respect to any Indebtedness.
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(bb) Tax Status. Except for matters that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Company (i) has made or filed or secured extensions for filing of, all applicable United States federal, state and local income and all foreign income and franchise tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject, (ii) has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations and (iii) has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all material taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company know of no basis for any such claim. The term “taxes” mean all federal, state, local, foreign, and other net income, gross income, gross receipts, sales, use, ad valorem, transfer, franchise, profits, license, lease, service, service use, withholding, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, property, windfall profits, customs, duties or other taxes, fees, assessments, or charges of any kind whatsoever, together with any interest and any penalties, additions to tax, or additional amounts with respect thereto. The term “returns” means all returns, declarations, reports, statements, and other documents required to be filed in respect to taxes.
(cc) Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company, nor to the knowledge of the Company, any agent or other person acting on behalf of the Company, has (i) directly or indirectly, used any funds for unlawful contributions, gifts, entertainment or other unlawful expenses related to foreign or domestic political activity, (ii) made any unlawful payment to foreign or domestic government officials or employees or to any foreign or domestic political parties or campaigns from corporate funds, (iii) failed to disclose fully any contribution made by the Company (or made by any person acting on its behalf of which the Company is aware) which is in violation of law, or (iv) violated in any material respect any provision of FCPA. The Company has taken reasonable steps to ensure that its accounting controls and procedures are sufficient to cause the Company to comply in all material respects with the FCPA.
(dd) Illegal or Unauthorized Payments; Political Contributions. Neither the Company nor any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or other representatives of the Company or any other business entity or enterprise with which the Company is or has been affiliated or associated, has, directly or indirectly, made or authorized any payment, contribution or gift of money, property, or services, whether or not in contravention of applicable law, (i) as a kickback or bribe to any Person or (ii) to any political organization, or the holder of or any aspirant to any elective or appointive public office except for personal political contributions not involving the direct or indirect use of funds of the Company.
(ee) Accountants. The Company’s registered independent accounting firm is Cherry Bekaert LLP. To the knowledge and belief of the Company, such accounting firm is a registered public accounting firm as required by the Exchange Act and shall express its opinion with respect to the financial statements to be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
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(ff) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchasers’ Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that each of the Purchasers is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company further acknowledges that no Purchaser is acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and any advice given by any Purchaser or any of their respective representatives or agents in connection with the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby is merely incidental to the Purchasers’ purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to each Purchaser that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the transactions contemplated hereby by the Company and its representatives.
(gg) Acknowledgment Regarding Purchaser’s Trading Activity. Anything in this Agreement or elsewhere herein to the contrary notwithstanding (except for Sections 3.2(f) and 4.13 hereof), it is understood and acknowledged by the Company that: (i) none of the Purchasers has been asked by the Company to agree, nor has any Purchaser agreed, to desist from purchasing or selling, long and/or short, securities of the Company, or “derivative” securities based on securities issued by the Company or to hold the Securities for any specified term; (ii) past or future open market or other transactions by any Purchaser, specifically including, without limitation, Short Sales or “derivative” transactions, before or after the closing of this or future, private, placement transactions, may negatively impact the market price of the Company’s publicly-traded securities; (iii) any Purchaser, and counter-parties in “derivative” transactions to which any such Purchaser is a party, directly or indirectly, presently may have a “short” position in the Common Stock, and (iv) each Purchaser shall not be deemed to have any affiliation with or control over any arm’s length counter-party in any “derivative” transaction. The Company further understands and acknowledges that (y) one or more Purchasers may engage in hedging activities at various times during the period that the Securities are outstanding, including, without limitation, during the periods that the value of the Warrant Shares deliverable with respect to Securities are being determined, and (z) such hedging activities (if any) could reduce the value of the existing stockholders’ equity interests in the Company at and after the time that the hedging activities are being conducted. The Company acknowledges that such aforementioned hedging activities do not constitute a breach of any of the Transaction Documents.
(hh) Regulation M Compliance. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has, (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities, (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or, paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities, or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any Person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company, other than, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), compensation paid to the Placement Agent in connection with the placement of the Securities.
(ii) D&O Questionnaires. To the Company’s knowledge, all information contained in the questionnaires most recently completed by each of the Company’s directors and officers and beneficial owner of 5% or more of the Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents is true and correct in all respects and the Company has not become aware of any information which would cause the information disclosed in such questionnaires become inaccurate and incorrect.
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(jj) Cybersecurity. The Company’s information technology assets and equipment, computers, systems, networks, hardware, software, websites, applications, and databases (collectively, “IT Systems”) are adequate for, and operate and perform in all material respects as required in connection with the operation of the business of the Company as currently conducted, free and clear of all material bugs, errors, defects, Trojan horses, time bombs, malware and other corruptants that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company’s business. The Company has implemented and maintained commercially reasonable physical, technical and administrative controls, policies, procedures, and safeguards to maintain and protect their material confidential information and the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of all IT Systems and data (including all personal, personally identifiable, sensitive, confidential or regulated data (“Personal Data”) used in connection with their businesses There have been no breaches, violations, outages or unauthorized uses of or access to the IT Systems or Personal Data in use or possession of the Company, and the Company is presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Personal Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Personal Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, in each case, except for such breaches, violations, outages, unauthorized uses of or access to, or non-compliance, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(kk) Compliance with Data Privacy Laws. The Company is, and at all prior times was, in compliance with all applicable state, federal, and international data privacy and security laws and regulations (collectively, the “Privacy Laws”), except where the failure to so comply would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. To ensure compliance with the Privacy Laws, the Company has in place and take appropriate steps reasonably designed to ensure compliance in all material respects with their policies and procedures relating to data privacy and security and the collection, storage, use, disclosure, handling, and analysis of Personal Data (the “Policies”). The Company has at all times made all disclosures to users or customers required by applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, and none of such disclosures made or contained in any Policy have, to the knowledge of the Company, been inaccurate or in violation of any applicable laws and regulatory rules or requirements, except for any disclosures, inaccuracies or violations that would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Company further certifies that it: (i) has not received notice of any actual or potential liability under or relating to, or actual or potential violation of, any of the Privacy Laws, and has no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in any such notice; (ii) is not currently conducting or paying for, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation, or other corrective action pursuant to any Privacy Law; or (iii) is not a party to any order, decree, or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under any Privacy Law, in each case except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(ll) Stock Option Plans or Equity Incentive Plans. Each stock option granted by the Company under the Company’s stock option plan or equity incentive plan was granted (i) in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan or equity incentive plan and (ii) with an exercise price at least equal to the fair market value of the Common Stock on the date such stock option would be considered granted under GAAP and applicable law. No stock option granted under the Company’s stock option plan or equity incentive plan has been backdated. The Company has not knowingly granted, and there is no and has been no Company policy or practice to knowingly grant, stock options prior to, or otherwise knowingly coordinate the grant of stock options with, the release or other public announcement of material information regarding the Company or its financial results or prospects.
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(mm) Office of Foreign Assets Control. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any director, officer, agent, employee or controlled affiliate of the Company is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department (“OFAC”).
(nn) U.S. Real Property Holding Corporation. The Company is not and has never been a U.S. real property holding corporation within the meaning of Section 897 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Company shall so certify upon Purchaser’s request.
(oo) Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.
(pp) Money Laundering. The operations of the Company are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, as amended, applicable money laundering statutes and applicable rules and regulations thereunder (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”), and no Action or Proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.
(qq) Other Covered Persons. Other than the Placement Agent, the Company is not aware of any person that has been or will be paid (directly or indirectly) remuneration for solicitation of purchasers in connection with the sale of any Securities.
(rr) FINRA Affiliation. No officer, director or any beneficial owner of 5% or more of the Company’s Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents has any direct or indirect affiliation or association with any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) (as determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of FINRA) that is participating in the offering. Except for securities purchased on the open market, no Company Affiliate is an owner of stock or other securities of any member of FINRA. No Company Affiliate has made a subordinated loan to any member of FINRA. No proceeds from the sale of the Securities (excluding compensation as disclosed in the Prospectus to the Placement Agent) will be paid to any FINRA member, any persons associated with a FINRA member or an affiliate of a FINRA member. Except as disclosed in the Registration Statement and Prospectus and except for securities issued to the Placement Agent as disclosed in the Prospectus, no person to whom securities of the Company have been privately issued within the 180-day period prior to the initial filing date of the Prospectus is a FINRA member, is a person associated with a FINRA member or is an affiliate of a FINRA member. No FINRA member participating in the offering has a conflict of interest with the Company. For this purpose, a “conflict of interest” exists when a FINRA member, the parent or affiliate of a FINRA member or any person associated with a FINRA member in the aggregate beneficially own 5% or more of the Company’s outstanding subordinated debt or common equity, or 5% or more of the Company’s preferred equity. “FINRA member participating in the offering” includes any associated person of a FINRA member that is participating in the offering, any member of such associated person’s immediate family and any affiliate of a FINRA member that is participating in the offering. “Any person associated with a FINRA member” means (1) a natural person who is registered or has applied for registration under the rules of FINRA and (2) a sole proprietor, partner, officer, director, or branch manager of a FINRA member, or other natural person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions, or a natural person engaged in the investment banking or securities business who is directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by a FINRA member. When used in this Section 3.1(rr) the term “affiliate of a FINRA member” or “affiliated with a FINRA member” means an entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with a FINRA member. The Company will advise the Placement Agent and BR if it learns that any officer, director or owner of 5% or more of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents is or becomes an affiliate or associated person of a FINRA member firm.
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(ss) Officers’ Certificate. Any certificate signed by any duly authorized officer of the Company and delivered to the Purchasers shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company to the Purchasers as to the matters covered thereby.
(tt) Board of Directors. The qualifications of the persons serving as board members and the overall composition of the Board of Directors comply with SOX and the rules promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company and the rules of the Trading Market. At least one member of the Board of Directors qualifies as a “financial expert” as such term is defined under SOX and the rules promulgated thereunder and the rules of the Trading Market. In addition, at least a majority of the persons serving on the Board of Directors qualify as “independent” as defined under the rules of the Trading Market.
(uu) Ineligible Issuer Status. At the time of filing the Registration Statement and at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined under Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
(vv) Emerging Growth Company. From the time of the initial confidential submission of the Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly in or through any Person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”). “Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Securities Act.
(ww) No Relationships with Customers and Suppliers. No relationship, direct or indirect, exists between or among the Company, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or any of the Company’s affiliates, on the other hand, which is required to be described in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or a document incorporated by reference therein and which is not so described.
3.2 Representations and Warranties of the Purchasers. Each Purchaser, for itself and for no other Purchaser, hereby represents and warrants as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date to the Company as follows (unless as of a specific date therein, in which case they shall be accurate as of such date):
(a) Organization; Authority. Such Purchaser is either an individual or an entity duly incorporated or formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or formation with full right, corporate, partnership limited liability company or similar power and authority to enter into and to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents and otherwise to carry out its obligations hereunder and thereunder. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents and performance by such Purchaser of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership, limited liability company or similar action, as applicable, on the part of such Purchaser. Each Transaction Document to which it is a party has been duly executed by such Purchaser, and when delivered by such Purchaser in accordance with the terms hereof, will constitute the valid and legally binding obligation of such Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except: (i) as limited by general equitable principles and applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws of general application affecting enforcement of creditors’ rights generally, (ii) as limited by laws relating to the availability of specific performance, injunctive relief or other equitable remedies and (iii) insofar as indemnification and contribution provisions may be limited by applicable law.
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(b) Understandings or Arrangements. Such Purchaser is acquiring the Securities hereunder in the ordinary course of its business. Such Purchaser is acquiring such Securities as principal for his, her or its own account and has no direct or indirect arrangement or understandings with any other persons to distribute or regarding the distribution of such Securities in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable state securities law (this representation and warranty not limiting such Purchaser’s right to sell such Securities pursuant to a registration statement or otherwise in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws).
(c) Purchaser Status. At the time such Purchaser was offered the Securities, it was, and as of the date hereof it is, and on each date on which it exercises any Warrants, it will be an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7), (a)(8), (a)(9), (a)(12) or (a)(13) under the Securities Act.
(d) Experience of Such Purchaser. Such Purchaser, either alone or together with its representatives, has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in business and financial matters so as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Securities, and has so evaluated the merits and risks of such investment. Such Purchaser is able to bear the economic risk of an investment in the Securities and, at the present time, is able to afford a complete loss of such investment.
(e) Access to Information. Such Purchaser acknowledges that it has had the opportunity to review the Transaction Documents (including all exhibits and schedules thereto) and the SEC Reports and has been afforded, (i) the opportunity to ask such questions as it has deemed necessary of, and to receive answers from, representatives of the Company concerning the terms and conditions of the offering of the Securities and the merits and risks of investing in the Securities; (ii) access to information about the Company and its financial condition, results of operations, business, properties, management and prospects sufficient to enable it to evaluate its investment; and (iii) the opportunity to obtain such additional information that the Company possesses or can acquire without unreasonable effort or expense that is necessary to make an informed investment decision with respect to the investment. Such Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate of the Placement Agent has provided such Purchaser with any information or advice with respect to the Securities nor is such information or advice necessary or desired. Neither the Placement Agent nor any Affiliate has made or makes any representation as to the Company or the quality of the Securities and the Placement Agent and any Affiliate may have acquired non-public information with respect to the Company which such Purchaser agrees need not be provided to it. In connection with the issuance of the Securities to such Purchaser, neither the Placement Agent nor any of its Affiliates has acted as a financial advisor or fiduciary to such Purchaser.
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(f) Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Other than consummating the transactions contemplated hereunder, such Purchaser has not, nor has any Person acting on behalf of or pursuant to any understanding with such Purchaser, directly or indirectly executed any purchases or sales, including Short Sales, of the securities of the Company during the period commencing as of the time that the Registration Statement was initially publicly filed with the Commission. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the representation set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement. Other than to other Persons party to this Agreement or to such Purchaser’s representatives, including, without limitation, its officers, directors, partners, legal and other advisors, employees, agents and Affiliates, such Purchaser has maintained the confidentiality of all disclosures made to it in connection with this transaction (including the existence and terms of this transaction). Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
The Company acknowledges and agrees that the representations contained in this Section 3.2 shall not modify, amend or affect such Purchaser’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in this Agreement or any representations and warranties contained in any other Transaction Document or any other document or instrument executed and/or delivered in connection with this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained herein shall constitute a representation or warranty, or preclude any actions, with respect to locating or borrowing shares in order to effect Short Sales or similar transactions in the future.
ARTICLE IV.
OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES
4.1 Warrant Shares and Pre-Funded Warrant Shares. If all or any portion of a Warrant or Pre-Funded Warrant is exercised at a time when there is an effective registration statement to cover the issuance or resale of the Warrant Shares or the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, as applicable, or if the Warrant or Pre-Funded Warrant is exercised via cashless exercise, the Warrant Shares or Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, as applicable, issued pursuant to any such exercise shall be issued free of all legends. If at any time following the date hereof the Registration Statement (or any subsequent registration statement registering the sale or the resale of the Warrant Shares or Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, as applicable) is not effective or is not otherwise available for the sale of the Warrant Shares or Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, the Company shall immediately notify the holders of the Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants, as applicable, in writing that such registration statement is not then effective and thereafter shall promptly notify such holders when the registration statement is effective again and available for the sale or resale of the Warrant Shares or Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, as applicable (it being understood and agreed that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Company to issue, or any Purchaser to sell, any of the Warrant Shares or Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, as applicable, in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws). The Company shall use commercially reasonable best efforts to keep a registration statement (including the Registration Statement) registering the issuance or resale of the Warrant Shares and the Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, as applicable, effective during the term of the Warrants and Pre-Funded Warrants, as applicable.
4.2 Furnishing of Information. Until the earlier of the time that (i) no Purchaser owns any Securities, or (ii) the Warrants have expired, the Company covenants to timely file (or obtain extensions in respect thereof and file within the applicable grace period) all reports required to be filed by the Company after the date hereof pursuant to the Exchange Act even if the Company is not then subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.
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4.3 Integration. The Company shall not sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the Securities Act) that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the Securities Act of the sale of the Warrants or Warrant Shares or that would be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities for purposes of the rules and regulations of any Trading Market such that it would require shareholder approval prior to the closing of such other transaction unless shareholder approval is obtained before the closing of such subsequent transaction.
4.4 Securities Laws Disclosure; Publicity. The Company shall (a) by the Disclosure Time, issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby, and (b) file a Current Report on Form 8-K, including the Transaction Documents as exhibits thereto, with the Commission within the time required by the Exchange Act. From and after the issuance of such press release, the Company represents to the Purchasers that it shall have publicly disclosed all material, non-public information delivered to any of the Purchasers by the Company, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, controlled Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement agent, in connection with the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. In addition, effective upon the issuance of such press release, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees, controlled Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, on the one hand, and any of the Purchasers or any of their Affiliates on the other hand, shall terminate and be of no further force or effect. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. The Company and each Purchaser shall consult with each other in issuing any other press releases with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby, and neither the Company nor any Purchaser shall issue any such press release nor otherwise make any such public statement without the prior consent of the Company, with respect to any press release of any Purchaser, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld or delayed, except if such disclosure is required by law, in which case the disclosing party shall promptly provide the other party with prior notice of such public statement or communication. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not publicly disclose the name of any Purchaser, or include the name of any Purchaser in any filing with the Commission or any regulatory agency or Trading Market, without the prior written consent of such Purchaser, except (a) as required by federal securities law in connection with the filing of final Transaction Documents with the Commission and (b) to the extent such disclosure is required by law or Trading Market regulations, in which case the Company shall provide the Purchasers with prior notice of such disclosure permitted under this clause (b) and reasonably cooperate with such Purchaser regarding such disclosure.
4.5 Shareholder Rights Plan. No claim will be made or enforced by the Company or, with the consent of the Company, any other Person, that any Purchaser is an “Acquiring Person” under any control share acquisition, business combination, poison pill (including any distribution under a rights agreement) or similar anti-takeover plan or arrangement in effect or hereafter adopted by the Company, or that any Purchaser could be deemed to trigger the provisions of any such plan or arrangement, by virtue of receiving Securities under the Transaction Documents or under any other agreement between the Company and the Purchasers.
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4.6 Non-Public Information. Except with respect to the material terms and conditions of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents, which shall be disclosed pursuant to Section 4.4, the Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other Person acting on its behalf will provide any Purchaser or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto such Purchaser shall have consented in writing to the receipt of such information and agreed in writing with the Company to keep such information confidential. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or controlled Affiliates delivers any material, non-public information to a Purchaser without such Purchaser’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Purchaser shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, controlled Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, or a duty to the Company or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, Affiliates or agents, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Purchaser shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company, the Company shall simultaneously with the delivery of such notice file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. The Company understands and confirms that each Purchaser shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company.
4.7 Use of Proceeds. Except as set forth in the Prospectus, the Company shall use the net proceeds from the sale of the Securities hereunder for working capital purposes and general business purposes and shall not use such proceeds in violation of FCPA or OFAC regulations.
4.8 Indemnification of Purchasers. Subject to the provisions of this Section 4.8, the Company will indemnify and hold each Purchaser and its directors, officers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title), each Person who controls such Purchaser (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act and Section 20 of the Exchange Act), and the directors, officers, shareholders, agents, members, partners or employees (and any other Persons with a functionally equivalent role of a Person holding such titles notwithstanding a lack of such title or any other title) of such controlling persons (each, a “Purchaser Party”) harmless from any and all losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation that any such Purchaser Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to (a) any breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by the Company in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents or (b) any action instituted against the Purchaser Parties in any capacity, or any of them or their respective Affiliates, by any stockholder of the Company who is not an Affiliate of such Purchaser Party, with respect to any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents (unless such action is solely based upon a material breach of such Purchaser Party’s representations, warranties or covenants under the Transaction Documents or any agreements or understandings such Purchaser Party may have with any such stockholder or any violations by such Purchaser Party of state or federal securities laws or any conduct by such Purchaser Party which is finally judicially determined to constitute fraud, gross negligence or willful misconduct). If any action shall be brought against any Purchaser Party in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to this Agreement, such Purchaser Party shall promptly notify the Company in writing, and the Company shall have the right to assume the defense thereof with counsel of its own choosing reasonably acceptable to the Purchaser Party. Any Purchaser Party shall have the right to employ separate counsel in any such action and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Purchaser Party except to the extent that (i) the employment thereof has been specifically authorized by the Company in writing, (ii) the Company has failed after a reasonable period of time to assume such defense and to employ counsel or (iii) in such action there is, in the reasonable opinion of counsel, a material conflict on any material issue between the position of the Company and the position of such Purchaser Party, in which case the Company shall be responsible for the reasonable fees and expenses of no more than one such separate counsel. The Company will not be liable to any Purchaser Party under this Agreement (y) for any settlement by a Purchaser Party effected without the Company’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; or (z) to the extent, but only to the extent that a loss, claim, damage or liability is attributable to any Purchaser Party’s breach of any of the representations, warranties, covenants or agreements made by such Purchaser Party in this Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents. The indemnification required by this Section 4.8 shall be made by periodic payments of the amount thereof during the course of the investigation or defense, as and when bills are received or are incurred, provided that, in the event that it is judicially determined in a final judgement not subject to appeal by a court of competent jurisdiction that such Purchaser Party was not entitled to receive payments for legal and other expenses pursuant to this subparagraph, the Purchaser Party will promptly return all sums that had been advanced pursuant hereto. The indemnity agreements contained herein shall be in addition to any cause of action or similar right of any Purchaser Party against the Company or others and any liabilities the Company may be subject to pursuant to law.
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4.9 Reservation of Common Stock. As of the date hereof, the Company has reserved and the Company shall continue to reserve and keep available at all times, free of preemptive rights, a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock for the purpose of enabling the Company to issue the Shares pursuant to this Agreement, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Pre-Funded Warrants, Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Warrants and Placement Agent Warrant Shares pursuant to any exercise of the Placement Agent Warrants.
4.10 Listing of Common Stock. The Company hereby agrees to use commercially reasonable best efforts to maintain the listing or quotation of the Common Stock on the Trading Market on which it is currently listed, and concurrently with the Closing, the Company shall have applied to list or quote all of the Shares and Warrant Shares, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares and Placement Agent Warrant Shares on such Trading Market and promptly secure the listing of all of the Shares, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, Warrant Shares and Placement Agent Warrant Shares on such Trading Market. The Company further agrees, if the Company applies to have the Common Stock traded on any other Trading Market, it will then include in such application all of the Shares, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, Warrant Shares and Placement Agent Warrant Shares, and will take such other action as is necessary to cause all of the Shares, Pre-Funded Warrant Shares, Warrant Shares and Placement Agent Warrant Shares to be listed or quoted on such other Trading Market as promptly as possible. The Company will then take all action reasonably necessary to continue the listing and trading of its Common Stock on a Trading Market and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Trading Market. The Company agrees to maintain the eligibility of the Common Stock for electronic transfer through the Depository Trust Company or another established clearing corporation, including, without limitation, by timely payment of fees to the Depository Trust Company or such other established clearing corporation in connection with such electronic transfer.
4.11 [Reserved.]
4.12 Equal Treatment of Purchasers. No consideration (including any modification of this Agreement) shall be offered or paid to any Person to amend or consent to a waiver or modification of any provision of this Agreement unless the same consideration is also offered to all of the parties to this Agreement. For clarification purposes, this provision constitutes a separate right granted to each Purchaser by the Company and negotiated separately by each Purchaser, and is intended for the Company to treat the Purchasers as a class and shall not in any way be construed as the Purchasers acting in concert or as a group with respect to the purchase, disposition or voting of Securities or otherwise.
4.13 Certain Transactions and Confidentiality. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that neither it nor any Affiliate acting on its behalf or pursuant to any understanding with it will execute any purchases or sales, including Short Sales of any of the Company’s securities during the period commencing with the execution of this Agreement and ending at such time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Each Purchaser, severally and not jointly with the other Purchasers, covenants that until such time as the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are publicly disclosed by the Company pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, such Purchaser will maintain the confidentiality of the existence and terms of this transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Company expressly acknowledges and agrees that (i) no Purchaser makes any representation, warranty or covenant hereby that it will not engage in effecting transactions in any securities of the Company after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4, (ii) no Purchaser shall be restricted or prohibited from effecting any transactions in any securities of the Company in accordance with applicable securities laws from and after the time that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are first publicly announced pursuant to the initial press release as described in Section 4.4 and (iii) no Purchaser shall have any duty of confidentiality or duty not to trade in the securities of the Company to the Company or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, Affiliates, or agent, including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, after the issuance of the initial press release as described in Section 4.4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of a Purchaser that is a multi-managed investment vehicle whereby separate portfolio managers manage separate portions of such Purchaser’s assets and the portfolio managers have no direct knowledge of the investment decisions made by the portfolio managers managing other portions of such Purchaser’s assets, the covenant set forth above shall only apply with respect to the portion of assets managed by the portfolio manager that made the investment decision to purchase the Securities covered by this Agreement.
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4.15 Exercise Procedures. The form of Notice of Exercise included in the Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants set forth the totality of the procedures required of the Purchasers in order to exercise the Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants. No additional legal opinion, other information or instructions shall be required of the Purchasers to exercise their Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants or the Placement Agent to exercise their Placement Agent Warrants. Without limiting the preceding sentences, no ink-original Notice of Exercise shall be required, nor shall any medallion guarantee (or other type of guarantee or notarization) of any Notice of Exercise form be required in order to exercise the Warrants or Pre-Funded Warrants or Placement Agent Warrants. The Company shall honor exercises of the Warrants, Pre-Funded Warrants and Placement Agent Warrants and shall deliver Warrant Shares, Pre-Funded Warrants Shares and Placement Agent Warrant Shares in accordance with the terms, conditions and time periods set forth in the Transaction Documents.
4.16 Lock-Up Agreements. The Company shall not amend, modify, waive or terminate any provision of any of the Lock-Up Agreements except to extend the term of the lock-up period and shall enforce the provisions of each Lock-Up Agreement in accordance with its terms. If any party to a Lock-Up Agreement breaches any provision of a Lock-Up Agreement, the Company shall promptly use its best efforts to seek specific performance of the terms of such Lock-Up Agreement.
ARTICLE V.
MISCELLANEOUS
5.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated by any Purchaser, as to such Purchaser’s obligations hereunder only and without any effect whatsoever on the obligations between the Company and the other Purchasers, by written notice to the other parties, if the Closing has not been consummated on or before the fifth (5th) Trading Day following the date hereof; provided, however, that no such termination will affect the right of any party to sue for any breach by any other party (or parties).
5.2 Fees and Expenses. Except as expressly set forth in the Transaction Documents to the contrary, each party shall pay the fees and expenses of its advisers, counsel, accountants and other experts, if any, and all other expenses incurred by such party incident to the negotiation, preparation, execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement. The Company shall pay all Transfer Agent fees (including, without limitation, any fees required for same-day processing of any instruction letter delivered by the Company), stamp taxes and other taxes and duties levied in connection with the delivery of any Securities to the Purchasers.
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5.3 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the exhibits and schedules thereto, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.
5.4 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of: (a) the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto at or prior to 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a Trading Day, (b) the next Trading Day after the time of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile number or email attachment at the email address as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto on a day that is not a Trading Day or later than 5:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any Trading Day, (c) the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as set forth on the signature pages attached hereto. To the extent that any notice provided pursuant to any Transaction Document constitutes, or contains, material, non-public information regarding the Company, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice with the Commission pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K.
5.5 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived, modified, supplemented or amended except in a written instrument signed, in the case of an amendment, by the Company and Purchasers which purchased at least 50.1% in interest of the Shares and Pre-Funded Warrants based on the initial Subscription Amounts hereunder (or, prior to the Closing, by the Company and each Purchaser) or, in the case of a waiver, by the party against whom enforcement of any such waived provision is sought, provided that if any amendment, modification or waiver disproportionately and adversely impacts a Purchaser (or group of Purchasers), the consent of such disproportionately impacted Purchaser (or group of Purchasers) shall also be required. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of any party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right. Any proposed amendment or waiver that disproportionately, materially and adversely affects the rights and obligations of any Purchaser relative to the comparable rights and obligations of the other Purchasers shall require the prior written consent of such adversely affected Purchaser. Any amendment effected in accordance with this Section 5.5 shall be binding upon each Purchaser and holder of Securities and the Company.
5.6 Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof.
5.7 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and permitted assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Purchaser (other than by merger). Any Purchaser may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom such Purchaser assigns or transfers any Securities, provided that such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions of the Transaction Documents that apply to the “Purchasers.”
5.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. The Placement Agent shall be a third-party beneficiary of the representations and warranties of the Company in Section 3.1 and the representations and warranties of the Purchasers in Section 3.2. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person, except as otherwise set forth in Section 4.8 and this Section 5.8.
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5.9 Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of the Transaction Documents shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal Proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and any other Transaction Documents (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, partners, members, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, Borough of Manhattan for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein (including with respect to the enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents), and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any Action or Proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such Action or Proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such Proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such Action or Proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If any party shall commence an Action or Proceeding to enforce any provisions of the Transaction Documents, then, in addition to the obligations of the Company under Section 4.7, the prevailing party in such Action or Proceeding shall be reimbursed by the non-prevailing party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such Action or Proceeding.
5.10 Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities.
5.11 Execution. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, all of which when taken together shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to each other party, it being understood that the parties need not sign the same counterpart. In the event that any signature is delivered by facsimile transmission or by e-mail delivery of a “.pdf” format data file (including any electronic signature covered by the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 200, Uniform Electronic Transaction Act, the Electronic Signatures and Records Act or other applicable law, e.g., www.docusign.com), such signature shall create a valid and binding obligation of the party executing (or on whose behalf such signature is executed) with the same force and effect as if such facsimile or “.pdf” signature page were an original thereof.
5.12 Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, and the parties hereto shall use their commercially reasonable efforts to find and employ an alternative means to achieve the same or substantially the same result as that contemplated by such term, provision, covenant or restriction. It is hereby stipulated and declared to be the intention of the parties that they would have executed the remaining terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions without including any of such that may be hereafter declared invalid, illegal, void or unenforceable.
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5.13 Rescission and Withdrawal Right. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in (and without limiting any similar provisions of) any of the other Transaction Documents, whenever any Purchaser exercises a right, election, demand or option under a Transaction Document and the Company does not timely perform its related obligations within the periods therein provided, then such Purchaser may rescind or withdraw, in its sole discretion from time to time upon written notice to the Company, any relevant notice, demand or election in whole or in part without prejudice to its future actions and rights; provided, however, that, in the case of a rescission of an exercise of a Warrant, the applicable Purchaser shall be required to return any Common Stock subject to any such rescinded exercise notice concurrently with the return to such Purchaser of the aggregate exercise price paid to the Company for such shares and the restoration of such Purchaser’s right to acquire such shares pursuant to such Purchaser’s Warrant (including, if applicable, issuance of a replacement warrant certificate evidencing such restored right.
5.14 Replacement of Securities. If any certificate or instrument evidencing any Securities is mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation thereof (in the case of mutilation), or in lieu of and substitution therefor, a new certificate or instrument, but only upon receipt of evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction. The applicant for a new certificate or instrument under such circumstances shall also pay any reasonable third-party costs (including customary indemnity) associated with the issuance of such replacement Securities.
5.15 Remedies. In addition to being entitled to exercise all rights provided herein or granted by law, including recovery of damages, each of the Purchasers and the Company will be entitled to specific performance under the Transaction Documents. The parties agree that monetary damages may not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of any breach of obligations contained in the Transaction Documents and hereby agree to waive and not to assert in any Action for specific performance of any such obligation the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
5.16 Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to any Purchaser pursuant to any Transaction Document or a Purchaser enforces or exercises its rights thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other Person under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.
5.17 Independent Nature of Purchasers’ Obligations and Rights. The obligations of each Purchaser under any Transaction Document are several and not joint with the obligations of any other Purchaser, and no Purchaser shall be responsible in any way for the performance or non-performance of the obligations of any other Purchaser under any Transaction Document. Nothing contained herein or in any other Transaction Document, and no action taken by any Purchaser pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute the Purchasers as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that the Purchasers are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Each Purchaser shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights including, without limitation, the rights arising out of this Agreement or out of the other Transaction Documents, and it shall not be necessary for any other Purchaser to be joined as an additional party in any Proceeding for such purpose. Each Purchaser has been represented by its own separate legal counsel in its review and negotiation of the Transaction Documents. For reasons of administrative convenience only, each Purchaser and its respective counsel have chosen to communicate with the Company through BR. BR does not represent any of the Purchasers and only represents the Placement Agent. The Company has elected to provide all Purchasers with the same terms and Transaction Documents for the convenience of the Company and not because it was required or requested to do so by any of the Purchasers. It is expressly understood and agreed that each provision contained in this Agreement and in each other Transaction Document is between the Company and a Purchaser, solely, and not between the Company and the Purchasers collectively and not between and among the Purchasers. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, each of the Purchasers has been advised, and is being advised by this Agreement, to consult with an attorney before executing this Agreement, and each Purchase has consulted (or had an opportunity to consult) with counsel of such Purchaser’s choice concerning the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents for a reasonable period of time prior to the execution hereof and thereof.
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5.18 Liquidated Damages. The Company’s obligations to pay any partial liquidated damages or other amounts owing under the Transaction Documents is a continuing obligation of the Company and shall not terminate until all unpaid partial liquidated damages and other amounts have been paid notwithstanding the fact that the instrument or security pursuant to which such partial liquidated damages or other amounts are due and payable shall have been canceled.
5.19 Saturdays, Sundays, Holidays, etc. If the last or appointed day for the taking of any action or the expiration of any right required or granted herein shall not be a Business Day, then such action may be taken or such right may be exercised on the next succeeding Business Day.
5.20 Construction. The parties agree that each of them and/or their respective counsel have reviewed and had an opportunity to revise the Transaction Documents and, therefore, the normal rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of the Transaction Documents or any amendments thereto. In addition, each and every reference to share prices and shares of Common Stock in any Transaction Document shall be subject to adjustment for reverse and forward stock splits, stock dividends, stock combinations and other similar transactions of the Common Stock that occur after the date of this Agreement.
5.21 WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. IN ANY ACTION, SUIT, OR PROCEEDING IN ANY JURISDICTION BROUGHT BY ANY PARTY AGAINST ANY OTHER PARTY, THE PARTIES EACH HEREBY KNOWINGLY AND INTENTIONALLY, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ABSOLUTELY, UNCONDITIONALLY, IRREVOCABLY AND EXPRESSLY WAIVES FOREVER TRIAL BY JURY.
(Signature Pages Follow)
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC. | |||
By: | |||
Name: | Harrison Gross | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer |
Address for Notice:
11900 Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 630
Miami, Florida 33181
Email: hgross@lucyd.co
Facsimile:
With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10105
Attention: | Barry I. Grossman, Esq. |
Facsimile: | (212) 370-7889 |
Email: bigrossman@egsllp.com
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
SIGNATURE PAGE FOR PURCHASER FOLLOWS]
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[PURCHASER SIGNATURE PAGES TO INNOVATIVE EYEWEAR, INC.
SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized signatories as of the date first indicated above.
Name of Purchaser: | |
Signature of Authorized Signatory of Purchaser: | |
Name of Authorized Signatory: | |
Title of Authorized Signatory: | |
Email Address of Authorized Signatory: | |
Facsimile Number of Authorized Signatory: |
Address for Notice to Purchaser:
Address for Delivery of the Securities to Purchaser (if not same as address for notice):
DWAC for Shares: | |||
Common Unit Subscription Amount: | $ | ||
Common Units: | |||
Pre-Funded Unit Subscription Amount: | $ | ||
Pre-Funded Units: |
Pre-Funded Warrants: | Beneficial Ownership Blocker ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99% | ||
Warrants: | Beneficial Ownership Blocker ☐ 4.99% or ☐ 9.99% |
EIN Number: |
☐ | Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, by checking this box (i) the obligations of the above-signed to purchase the securities set forth in this Agreement to be purchased from the Company by the above-signed, and the obligations of the Company to sell such securities to the above-signed, shall be unconditional and all conditions to Closing shall be disregarded, (ii) the Closing shall occur no later than the second (2nd) Trading Day following the date of this Agreement and (iii) any condition to Closing contemplated by this Agreement (but prior to being disregarded by clause (i) above) that required delivery by the Company or the above-signed of any agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) shall no longer be a condition and shall instead be an unconditional obligation of the Company or the above-signed (as applicable) to deliver such agreement, instrument, certificate or the like or purchase price (as applicable) to such other party on the Closing Date. |
35
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We hereby consent to the incorporation in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of our report dated March 24, 2023, relating to the financial statements of Innovative Eyewear, Inc (the “Company”) appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company as of and for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, and to the reference to us under the heading “Experts” in this Registration Statement.
/s/ Cherry Bekaert LLP
Tampa, Florida
June 16, 2023
Exhibit 107
Calculation of Filing Fee Table
S-1
(Form Type)
Innovative Eyewear, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
(1) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). |
(2) | Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act, there are also being registered an indeterminable number of additional securities as may be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions. |
(3) | Calculated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act based on an estimate of the proposed maximum offering price. |
(4) | No separate registration fee required pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act. |
(5) | Estimated solely for the purposes of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act. We have agreed to issue, upon the closing of this offering, placement agent’s warrants to Maxim Group LLC (or its designees) entitling it to purchase up to 4.0% of the aggregate shares of Common Stock in this offering. We have calculated the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the common stock underlying the representative’s warrants by assuming that such warrants are exercisable at a price per share equal to 125% of the price per share sold in this offering. |