CEREBRAS SYSTEMS INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT
Exhibit 4.3
Execution Version
CEREBRAS SYSTEMS INC.
AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS’ RIGHTS AGREEMENT
This Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of June 25, 2024 by and among Cerebras Systems Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and each of the investors listed on Schedule A hereto, each of which is referred to in this Agreement as an “Investor,” each of the stockholders listed on Schedule B hereto, each of whom is referred to herein as a “Key Holder,” any Additional Purchaser (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) that becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with Section 7.14 hereof and any holder of a Lender Warrant that becomes a party to this Agreement in accordance with Section 7.14 hereof.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company and certain of the Investors and Key Holders are parties to that certain Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement dated as of October 18, 2021 (the “Prior Agreement”);
WHEREAS, the Company and certain of the Investors are parties to that certain Series F- 1 Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of May 30, 2024 by and among the Company and certain of the Investors, as amended from time to time (the “Purchase Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, to induce the Company to enter into the Purchase Agreement and to induce certain of the Investors to invest funds in the Company pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Investors and the Company hereby agree to amend and restate the Prior Agreement in its entirety as set forth herein and that this Agreement shall govern the rights of the Investors to cause the Company to register shares of Common Stock issuable to the Investors, to receive certain information from the Company, and to participate in future equity offerings by the Company, and shall govern certain other matters as set forth in this Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement:
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s principal or any other Person who or which, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Person or such Person’s principal, including, without limitation, any general partner, managing member or partner, officer or director of such Person such Person’s principal or any venture capital fund now or hereafter existing that is controlled by one or more general partners or managing members of, or shares the same management company with, such Person or such
Person’s principal (but, for the avoidance of doubt, excluding any portfolio companies under the management of such Persons, principals or venture capital funds). For purposes of this definition, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by,” or “under common control with” shall mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of (a) the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise, or (b) the power to elect or appoint at least 50% of the directors, managers, general partners, or persons exercising similar authority with respect to such Person. Affiliates in relation to Falcon Q LP, Alpha Wave Ventures II, LP and Alpha Wave Holdings, LP (collectively, “Falcon Edge”) shall also (x) include all investment funds, persons or accounts under the management of Falcon Edge Capital LP or any of its Affiliates and shall include RMG Holdings, LLC, Xx. Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Mr. Xxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx, Blue Xxxx Capital Limited and Xx. Xxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx (together, the “Falcon Edge Related Parties”) and (y) exclude all portfolio companies under the management of Falcon Edge Related Parties.
“Automatic Shelf Registration Statement” shall have the meaning given to that term in SEC Rule 405.
“Budget” shall have the meaning given to that term in Section 2.1.1.
“business day” means a weekday on which banks are open for general banking business in San Francisco, California.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Common Stock” means shares of the Company’s common stock.
“Competitor” means a Person engaged, directly or indirectly (including through any partnership, limited liability company, corporation, joint venture or similar arrangement (whether now existing or formed hereafter)), in the design, production or manufacture and sale of (a) semiconductor chips and wafers, integrated circuit chip sets, systems-on-a-chip, microprocessors, components, devices, units and packaging, and/or (b) computing systems, appliances, and other hardware equipment and/or (c) software (including, but not limited to, source code, object code, algorithms), in each case that is capable of use in accelerated machine learning or artificial intelligence work, as well as the provision of related services; provided no venture capital fund or its Affiliates shall, either now or in the future, be deemed to be a Competitor solely because of such fund’s or such fund’s Affiliates’ investment in a Competitor of the Company; provided further that in no event shall Falcon Edge be deemed to be a Competitor of the Company under this Agreement.
“Damages” means any loss, damage, or liability (joint or several) to which a party hereto may become subject under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, or other federal or state law, insofar as such loss, damage, or liability (or any action in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon (a) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any registration statement of the Company, including any preliminary prospectus or final prospectus contained therein or any amendments or supplements thereto, and any free-writing prospectus and any issuer information (as defined in Rule 433 of the Securities Act) filed or required to be filed pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or any other document incident to such registration prepared by or on behalf of the Company or used or referred to by the Company; (b) an omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein, or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; or (c) any violation or alleged violation by the indemnifying party (or any of its agents or Affiliates) of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any state securities law, or any rule or regulation promulgated under the Securities Act, the
Exchange Act, or any state securities law.
“Demand Notice” means notice sent by the Company to the Holders specifying that a demand registration has been requested as provided in Section 3.1.1.
“Derivative Securities” means any securities or rights convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for (in each case, directly or indirectly), Common Stock, including options and warrants.
“Deemed Liquidation Event” has the meaning set forth for such term in the certificate of incorporation of the Company most recently filed with the Delaware Secretary of State that contains such a definition.
“EPTH” means Expansion Project Technologies Holding 8 SPV RSC Ltd. and its Affiliates.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Excluded Registration” means (a) a registration relating to the sale of securities to employees of the Company or a subsidiary pursuant to an equity incentive, stock option, stock purchase, or similar plan; (b) a registration relating to an SEC Rule 145 transaction; (c) a registration on any form that does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of the Registrable Securities; or (d) a registration in which the only Common Stock being registered is Common Stock issuable upon conversion of debt securities that are also being registered.
“Form S-1” means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any successor registration form under the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC.
“Form S-3” means such form under the Securities Act as in effect on the date hereof or any registration form under the Securities Act subsequently adopted by the SEC that permits incorporation of substantial information by reference to other documents filed by the Company with the SEC.
“Free Writing Prospectus” means a free-writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
“Fully Exercising Investor” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.
“Holder” means any holder of Registrable Securities who is a party to this Agreement.
“Immediate Family Member” means a child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother- in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, of a natural person referred to herein.
“Initiating Holders” means, collectively, Holders who properly initiate a registration request under this Agreement.
“Investor Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.
“IPO” means the Company’s first underwritten public offering of its Common Stock under the Securities Act.
“Key Holder Registrable Securities” means (a) the shares of Common Stock held by the Key Holders, and (b) any Common Stock issued as (or issuable upon the conversion or exercise of any warrant, right, or other security that is issued as) a dividend or other distribution with respect to, or in exchange for or in replacement of such shares.
“Lender Registrable Securities” means (a) the Common Stock issuable or issued upon the exercise of any Lender Warrant and (b) the Common Stock issuable or issued upon conversion of the Preferred Stock issuable or issued pursuant to the exercise of any Lender Warrant; provided, however, that before the holder of any Lender Warrant shall be entitled to exercise any rights under this Agreement, such holder must either (i) become a party to this Agreement as a “Lender” or (ii) agree to be bound by the terms of this Agreement related to registration rights applicable to the Lender Registrable Securities in a separate written agreement between such holder and the Company (including, without limitation, in a Lender Warrant).
“Lender Warrant” means any warrant to purchase shares of capital stock of the Company issued to banks, equipment lessors or other financial institutions pursuant to a debt financing or equipment leasing transaction where the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), including at least one of the Preferred Directors (as such term is defined in the Restated Certificate), has approved the grant to the holder thereof of “piggyback” registration rights.
“Major Investor” means any Investor that, individually or together with such Investor’s Affiliates, holds at least 2,794,108 shares of Registrable Securities (as adjusted for any stock split, stock dividend, combination, or other recapitalization or reclassification effected after the date hereof).
“MOZN” means MOZN Holding RSC Limited together with any of its Affiliates.
“New Securities” means, collectively, equity securities of the Company, whether or not currently authorized, Derivative Securities and any rights, options, or warrants to purchase such equity securities, or securities of any type whatsoever that are, or may become, convertible or exchangeable into or exercisable for (in each case, directly or indirectly) such equity securities; provided however, that “New Securities” shall exclude: (a) Exempted Securities (as defined in the Restated Certificate); and (b) shares of Series F-1 Preferred Stock.
“Offer Notice” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.1.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company, association or other entity.
“Preferred Directors” shall have the meaning set forth for such term in the certificate of incorporation of the Company most recently filed with the Delaware Secretary of State that contains such a definition.
“Preferred Stock” means, collectively, the Series A Preferred Stock, the Series B Preferred Stock, the Series C Preferred Stock, the Series D Preferred Stock, the Series E Preferred Stock, the Series F Preferred Stock, and the Series F-1 Preferred Stock.
“Pro Rata Amount” means, for each Major Investor, that portion of the New Securities identified in an Offer Notice which equals the proportion that the Common Stock issued and held, or issuable (directly or indirectly) upon conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of the Preferred Stock and any other Derivative Securities then held, by such Major Investor bears to the total Common Stock of the Company then outstanding (assuming full conversion and/or exercise, as applicable, of all Preferred Stock and other Derivative Securities).
“Registrable Securities” means (a) the Common Stock issuable or issued upon conversion of shares of the Preferred Stock held by the Investors; (b) the Key Holder Registrable Securities, provided, however, that such Key Holder Registrable Securities shall not be deemed Registrable Securities and the Key Holders shall not be deemed Holders for the purposes of Sections 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.10, 4 and 7.6; (c) the Lender Registrable Securities, provided, however, that such Lender Registrable Securities shall not be deemed Registrable Securities and the Lenders shall not be deemed Holders for the purposes of Sections 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.10, 4 and 7.6; and (d) any Common Stock of the Company currently held by the Investors or acquired by the Investors; excluding in all cases, however, any Registrable Securities sold by a Person in a transaction in which the applicable rights under this Agreement are not assigned pursuant to Section 7.1, and excluding for purposes of Section 3 any shares for which registration rights have terminated pursuant to Section 6.2 of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall in no event be obligated to register any Preferred Stock of the Company, and Holders of Registrable Securities will not be required to convert their Preferred Stock into Common Stock in order to exercise the registration rights granted hereunder, until immediately before the closing of the offering to which the registration relates.
“Registrable Securities then outstanding” means the number of shares determined by adding the number of shares of outstanding Common Stock that are Registrable Securities and the number of shares of Common Stock issuable (directly or indirectly) pursuant to then exercisable and/or convertible securities that are Registrable Securities.
“Restated Certificate” means the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (as may be amended from time to time).
“Restricted Securities” means the securities of the Company required to bear the legend set forth in Section 3.12.2 hereof.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“SEC Rule 144” means Rule 144 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.
“SEC Rule 145” means Rule 145 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.
“SEC Rule 405” means Rule 405 promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act.
“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Selling Expenses” means all underwriting discounts, selling commissions, and stock transfer taxes applicable to the sale of Registrable Securities, and fees and disbursements of counsel for any Holder, except for the fees and disbursements of the Selling Holder Counsel borne and paid by the Company as provided in Section 3.6.
“Selling Holder Counsel” means one counsel for the selling Holders.
“Series A Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Series B Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Series C Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series C Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Series D Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series D Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Series E Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series E Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Series F Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series F Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Series F-1 Preferred Stock” means shares of the Company’s Series F-1 Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share.
“Standoff Period” means the period commencing on the date of the final prospectus relating to the IPO of the Company’s Common Stock and ending on the date specified by the Company and the managing underwriter (such period not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days).
“Stock Sale” means a sale by the Company’s stockholders, in one transaction or series of related transactions, of equity securities that represent, immediately prior to such transaction or transactions, a majority by voting power of the equity securities of the Company pursuant to an agreement approved by the Board and entered into by the Company.
“Voting Agreement” means that certain Amended and Restated Voting Agreement dated of even date hereof by and among the Company and the Investors.
2. INFORMATION RIGHTS.
2.1 Delivery of Financial Statements.
2.1.1 Information to be Delivered. The Company shall deliver the following to each Major Investor, provided that the Board has not reasonably determined that such Major Investor is a Competitor:
(a) As soon as practicable, but in any event within fifteen (15) days of being made available to the Company after the end of each fiscal year of the Company, but in any event within 180 days after the end of such fiscal year, (i) a balance sheet as of the end of such year, (ii) statements of income and of cash flows for such year, and (iii) a statement of stockholders’ equity as of the end of such year, all of which shall be audited and certified by independent public accountants of nationally recognized standing selected by the Company, unless otherwise approved by the Board (including at least one Preferred Director).
(b) As soon as practicable, but in any event within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three (3) quarters of each fiscal year of the Company, unaudited statements of income and of cash flows for such fiscal quarter, and an unaudited balance sheet and a statement of stockholders’ equity as of the end of such fiscal quarter, all prepared in accordance with GAAP (except that such financial statements may (i) be subject to normal year- end audit adjustments and (ii) not contain all notes thereto that may be required in accordance with GAAP).
(c) As soon as practicable, but in any event within thirty (30) days of the end of each month, an unaudited income statement and statement of cash flows for such month, and an unaudited balance sheet and statement of stockholders’ equity as of the end of such month, all prepared in accordance with GAAP (except that such financial statements may (i) be subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and (ii) not contain all notes thereto that may be required in accordance with GAAP).
(d) As soon as practicable, but in any event within thirty (30) days before the end of each fiscal year, a budget and business plan for the next fiscal year, approved by the Board and prepared on a monthly basis, including balance sheets, income statements, and statements of cash flow for such months (the “Budget”) and, promptly after prepared, any other budgets or revised budgets prepared by the Company.
(e) Consolidation. If, for any period, the Company has any subsidiary whose accounts are consolidated with those of the Company, then in respect of such period the financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 2.1.1 shall be the consolidated and consolidating financial statements of the Company and all such consolidated subsidiaries.
2.1.2 Suspension or Termination. Notwithstanding anything else in this Section 2.1 to the contrary but subject to Section 6.1, the Company may cease providing the information set forth in this Section 2.1 during the period starting with the date sixty (60) days before the Company’s good-faith estimate of the date of filing of a registration statement if it reasonably concludes it must do so to comply with the SEC rules applicable to such registration statement and related offering; provided that the Company’s covenants under this Section 2.1 shall be reinstated at such time as the Company is no longer actively employing its reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective.
2.2 Inspection. The Company shall permit each Major Investor, at such Major Investor’s expense, and on such Major Investor’s written request, to visit and inspect the Company’s properties; examine its books of account and records; and discuss the Company’s affairs, finances, and accounts with its officers, during normal business hours of the Company as may be reasonably requested by the Major Investor; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated pursuant to this Section 2.2 to provide access to any information that it reasonably and in good faith considers to be confidential information (unless covered by an enforceable confidentiality agreement, in form reasonably acceptable to the Company), a trade secret or the disclosure of which would adversely affect the attorney-client privilege between the Company and its counsel.
2.3 Confidentiality. Each Investor agrees that such Investor will keep confidential and will not disclose, divulge, or use for any purpose (other than to monitor its investment in the Company) any confidential information obtained from the Company pursuant to the terms of this Section 2 unless such confidential information (a) is known or becomes known to the public in general (other than as a result of a breach of this Section 2.3 by such Investor), (b) is or has been independently developed or conceived by the Investor without use of the Company’s confidential information, or (c) is or has been made known or disclosed to the Investor by a third party without a breach of any obligation of confidentiality such third party may have to the Company; provided, however, that an Investor may disclose confidential information (i) to its attorneys, accountants, consultants, and other professionals to the extent necessary to obtain their services in connection with monitoring its investment in the Company; (ii) to any existing Affiliate, partner, member, stockholder, or wholly owned subsidiary of such Investor in the ordinary course of business, but only if such Investor informs such Person that such information is confidential and directs such Person to maintain the confidentiality of such information; or (iii) as may otherwise be required by law if the Investor promptly notifies the Company of such disclosure and takes reasonable steps to minimize the extent of any such required disclosure.
3. REGISTRATION RIGHTS.
3.1 Demand Registration.
3.1.1 Form S-1 Demand. If at any time after the earlier of (a) five (5) years after the date of this Agreement or (b) one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of the registration statement for the IPO, the Company receives a request from Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a Form S-1 registration statement with respect to any Registrable Securities then outstanding (and the Registrable Securities subject to such request have an anticipated aggregate offering price, net of Selling Expenses, of at least $25,000,000), then the Company shall (i) within ten (10) days after the date such request is given, give a Demand Notice to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (ii) use commercially reasonable efforts to as soon as practicable, and in any event within ninety (90) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-1 registration statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities that the Initiating Holders requested to be registered and any additional Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company within twenty (20) days after the date the Demand Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Section 3.1.3 and Section 3.3.
3.1.2 Form S-3 Demand. If at any time when it is eligible to use a Form S-3 registration statement, the Company receives a request from Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities then outstanding that the Company file a Form S-3 registration statement with respect to outstanding Registrable Securities of such Holders having an anticipated aggregate offering price, net of Selling Expenses, of at least $5,000,000, then the Company shall (a) within ten (10) days after the date such request is given, give a Demand Notice to all Holders other than the Initiating Holders; and (b) use commercially reasonable efforts to as soon as practicable, and in any event within forty-five (45) days after the date such request is given by the Initiating Holders, file a Form S-3 registration statement under the Securities Act covering all Registrable Securities requested to be included in such registration by any other Holders, as specified by notice given by each such Holder to the Company within twenty (20) days of the date the Demand Notice is given, and in each case, subject to the limitations of Section 3.1.3 and Section 3.3.
3.1.3 Delay. Notwithstanding the foregoing obligations, if the Company furnishes to Holders requesting a registration pursuant to this Section 3.1 a certificate signed by the Company’s chief executive officer stating that in the good faith judgment of the Board it would be materially detrimental to the Company and its stockholders for such registration statement to either become effective or remain effective for as long as such registration statement otherwise would be required to remain effective, because such action would (a) materially interfere with a significant acquisition, corporate reorganization, or other similar transaction involving the Company; (b) require premature disclosure of material information that the Company has a bona fide business purpose for preserving as confidential; or (c) render the Company unable to comply with requirements under the Securities Act or Exchange Act, then the Company shall have the right to defer taking action with respect to such filing, and any time periods with respect to filing or effectiveness thereof shall be tolled correspondingly, for a period of not more than ninety (90) days after the request of the Initiating Holders is given; provided, however, that (i) the Company may not invoke this right more than once in any twelve (12) month period and (ii) the Company shall not register any securities for its own account or that of any other stockholder during such ninety (90) day period other than an Excluded Registration.
3.1.4 Limitations. The Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Section 3.1.1: (a) during the period that is sixty (60) days before the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is one hundred eighty (180) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated registration, provided, that the Company is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; (b) after the Company has effected two (2) registrations pursuant to Section 3.1.1; or (c) if the Initiating Holders propose to dispose of shares of Registrable Securities that may be immediately registered on Form S-3 pursuant to a request made pursuant to Section 3.1.2. The Company shall not be obligated to effect, or to take any action to effect, any registration pursuant to Section 3.1.2: (i) during the period that is thirty (30) days before the Company’s good faith estimate of the date of filing of, and ending on a date that is ninety (90) days after the effective date of, a Company-initiated registration, provided, that the Company is actively employing in good faith commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective; or (ii) if the Company has effected two (2) registrations pursuant to Section 3.1.2 within the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the date of such request. A registration shall not be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Section 3.1.4 until such time as the applicable registration statement has been declared effective by the SEC,
unless the Initiating Holders withdraw their request for such registration, elect not to pay the registration expenses therefor, and forfeit their right to one registration on Form S-1 or S-3, as applicable, pursuant to Section 3.6, in which case such withdrawn registration statement shall be counted as “effected” for purposes of this Section 3.1.4.
3.2 Company Registration. If the Company proposes to register (including, for this purpose, a registration effected by the Company for stockholders other than the Holders) any of its Common Stock under the Securities Act in connection with the public offering of such securities solely for cash (other than in an Excluded Registration), the Company shall, at such time, promptly give each Holder notice of such registration. Upon the request of each Holder given within twenty (20) days after such notice is given by the Company, the Company shall, subject to the provisions of Section 3.3, cause to be registered all of the Registrable Securities that each such Holder has requested to be included in such registration. The Company shall have the right to terminate or withdraw any registration initiated by it under this Section 3.2 before the effective date of such registration, whether or not any Holder has elected to include Registrable Securities in such registration. The expenses (other than Selling Expenses) of such withdrawn registration shall be borne by the Company in accordance with Section 3.6.
3.3 Underwriting Requirements.
3.3.1 Inclusion. If, pursuant to Section 3.1, the Initiating Holders intend to distribute the Registrable Securities covered by their request by means of an underwriting, they shall so advise the Company as a part of their request made pursuant to Section 3.1, and the Company shall include such information in the Demand Notice. The underwriter(s) will be selected by the Company, subject only to the reasonable approval of the holders of a majority of Registrable Securities held by the Initiating Holders. In such event, the right of any Holder to include such Holder’s Registrable Securities in such registration shall be conditioned upon such Holder’s participation in such underwriting. All Holders proposing to distribute their securities through such underwriting shall (together with the Company as provided in Section 3.4(e)) enter into an underwriting agreement in customary form with the underwriter(s) selected for such underwriting. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 3.3, if the managing underwriter(s) advise(s) the Initiating Holders in writing that marketing factors require a limitation on the number of shares to be underwritten, then the Initiating Holders shall so advise all Holders of Registrable Securities that otherwise would be underwritten pursuant hereto, and the number of Registrable Securities that may be included in the underwriting shall be allocated among such Holders of Registrable Securities, including the Initiating Holders, in proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the number of Registrable Securities owned or held by each Holder or in such other proportion as shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling Holders; provided, however, that the number of Registrable Securities owned or held by the Holders to be included in such underwriting shall not be reduced unless all other securities are first entirely excluded from the underwriting. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest one hundred (100) shares.
3.3.2 Underwriter Cutback. In connection with any offering involving an underwriting of shares of the Company’s capital stock pursuant to Section 3.2, the Company shall not be required to include any of the Holders’ Registrable Securities in such underwriting unless
the Holders accept the terms of the underwriting as agreed upon between the Company and its underwriters. If the total number of securities, including Registrable Securities, requested by stockholders to be included in such offering exceeds the number of securities to be sold (other than by the Company) that the underwriters in their reasonable discretion determine is compatible with the success of the offering, then the Company shall be required to include in the offering only that number of such securities, including Registrable Securities, which the underwriters and the Company in their sole discretion determine will not jeopardize the success of the offering. If the underwriters determine that less than all of the Registrable Securities requested to be registered can be included in such offering, then the Registrable Securities that are included in such offering shall be allocated among the selling Holders in proportion (as nearly as practicable to) the number of Registrable Securities owned or held by each selling Holder or in such other proportions as shall mutually be agreed to by all such selling Holders. To facilitate the allocation of shares in accordance with the above provisions, the Company or the underwriters may round the number of shares allocated to any Holder to the nearest one hundred (100) shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall (a) the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced unless all other securities (other than securities to be sold by the Company) are first entirely excluded from the offering, (b) the number of Registrable Securities included in the offering be reduced below 30% of the total number of securities included in such offering, unless such offering is the IPO, in which case the selling Holders may be excluded further if the underwriters make the determination described above and no other stockholder’s securities are included in such offering or (c) notwithstanding clause (b) above, any Registrable Securities which are not Key Holder Registrable Securities be excluded from such underwriting unless all Key Holder Registrable Securities are first excluded from such offering For purposes of the provision in this Section 3.3.2 concerning apportionment, for any selling Holder that is a partnership, limited liability company, or corporation, the partners, members, retired partners, retired members, stockholders, and Affiliates of such Holder, or the estates and Immediate Family Members of any such partners, retired partners, members, and retired members and any trusts for the benefit of any of the foregoing Persons, shall be deemed to be a single “selling Holder,” and any pro rata reduction with respect to such “selling Holder” shall be based upon the aggregate number of Registrable Securities owned or held by all Persons included in such “selling Holder,” as defined in this sentence.
3.3.3 Registration Not Effected. For purposes of Section 3.1, a registration shall not be counted as “effected” if, as a result of an exercise of the underwriter’s cutback provisions in Section 3.3.1, fewer than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of Registrable Securities that Holders have requested to be included in such registration statement are actually included.
3.4 Obligations of the Company. Whenever required under this Section 3 to effect the registration of any Registrable Securities, the Company shall, as expeditiously as reasonably possible:
(a) prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement with respect to such Registrable Securities and use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause such registration statement to become effective as promptly as practicable, and, upon the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities registered thereunder, keep such registration statement effective for a period of up to one hundred twenty (120) days or, if earlier, until the
distribution contemplated in the registration statement has been completed; provided, however, that (i) such 120-day period shall be extended for a period of time equal to the period the Holder refrains, at the request of an underwriter of Common Stock (or other securities) of the Company, from selling any securities included in such registration, and (ii) in the case of any registration of Registrable Securities on Form S-3 that are intended to be offered on a continuous or delayed basis, subject to compliance with applicable SEC rules, such 120-day period shall be extended for up to sixty (60) days, if necessary, to keep the registration statement effective until all such Registrable Securities are sold;
(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and supplements to such registration statement, the prospectus and, if required, any Free Writing Prospectus used in connection with such registration statement as may be necessary to comply with the Securities Act in order to enable the disposition of all securities covered by such registration statement;
(c) furnish to the selling Holders such numbers of copies of a prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus and any Free Writing Prospectus, as required by the Securities Act, and such other documents as the Holders may reasonably request in order to facilitate their disposition of their Registrable Securities;
(d) use its commercially reasonable efforts to register and qualify the securities covered by such registration statement under such other securities or blue- sky laws of such jurisdictions as shall be reasonably requested by the selling Holders; provided that the Company shall not be required to qualify to do business or to file a general consent to service of process in any such states or jurisdictions, unless the Company is already subject to service in such jurisdiction and except as may be required by the Securities Act;
(e) in the event of any underwritten public offering, enter into and perform its obligations under an underwriting agreement, in usual and customary form, with the underwriter(s) of such offering;
(f) use its reasonable efforts to cause all such Registrable Securities covered by such registration statement to be listed on a national securities exchange or trading system and each securities exchange and trading system (if any) on which similar securities issued by the Company are then listed;
(g) provide a transfer agent and registrar for all Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Agreement and provide a CUSIP number for all such Registrable Securities, in each case not later than the effective date of such registration;
(h) promptly make available for inspection by the selling Holders, any managing underwriter(s) participating in any disposition pursuant to such registration statement, and any attorney or accountant or other agent retained by any such underwriter or selected by the selling Holders, all financial and other records, pertinent corporate documents, and properties of the Company, and cause the Company’s officers, directors, employees, and independent accountants to supply all information reasonably requested by any such seller, underwriter, attorney, accountant, or agent, in each case, as necessary or advisable to verify the
accuracy of the information in such registration statement and to conduct appropriate due diligence in connection therewith;
(i) notify each selling Holder, promptly after the Company receives notice thereof, of the time when such registration statement has been declared effective or a supplement to any prospectus or Free-Writing Prospectus forming a part of such registration statement has been filed;
(j) after such registration statement becomes effective, notify each selling Holder of any request by the SEC that the Company amend or supplement such registration statement or prospectus or Free-Writing Prospectus;
(k) use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain for the underwriters one or more “cold comfort” letters, dated the effective date of the related registration statement (and, if such registration includes an underwritten public offering, dated the date of the closing under the underwriting agreement), signed by the Company’s independent public accountants in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by “cold comfort” letters;
(l) use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain for the underwriters on the date such securities are delivered to the underwriters for sale pursuant to such registration a legal opinion of the Company’s outside counsel with respect to the registration statement, each amendment and supplement thereto, the prospectus included therein (including the preliminary prospectus) and such other documents relating thereto in customary form and covering such matters of the type customarily covered by legal opinions of such nature;
(m) to the extent the Company is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in SEC Rule 405 at the time any request for registration is submitted to the Company in accordance with Section 3.1, if so requested, file an Automatic Shelf Registration Statement to effect such registration; and
(n) if at any time when the Company is required to re-evaluate its well-known seasoned issuer status for purposes of an outstanding Automatic Shelf Registration Statement used to effect a request for registration in accordance with Section 3.1.2 the Company determines that it is not a well-known seasoned issuer and (i) the registration statement is required to be kept effective in accordance with this Agreement and (ii) the registration rights of the applicable Holders have not terminated, use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly amend the registration statement on a form the Company is then eligible to use or file a new registration statement on such form, and keep such registration statement effective in accordance with the requirements otherwise applicable under this Agreement.
3.5 Furnish Information. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of the Company to take any action pursuant to this Section 3 with respect to the Registrable Securities of any selling Holder that such Holder shall furnish to the Company such information regarding itself, the Registrable Securities held by it, and the intended method of disposition of such securities as is reasonably required to effect the registration of such Holder’s Registrable Securities.
3.6 Expenses of Registration. All expenses (other than Selling Expenses) incurred in connection with registrations, filings, or qualifications pursuant to Section 3, including all registration, filing, and qualification fees; printers’ and accounting fees; fees and disbursements of counsel for the Company; and the reasonable fees and disbursements of one Selling Holder Counsel, not to exceed $30,000, shall be borne and paid by the Company; provided, however, that (a) the Company shall not be required to pay for any expenses of any registration proceeding begun pursuant to Section 3.1 if the registration request is subsequently withdrawn at the request of the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities to be registered (in which case all selling Holders shall bear such expenses pro rata based upon the number of Registrable Securities that were to be included in the withdrawn registration), unless the Holders of a majority of the Registrable Securities agree to forfeit their right to one registration pursuant to Section 3.1.1 or Section 3.1.2, as the case may be, and (b) if, at the time of such withdrawal, the Holders shall have learned of a material adverse change in the condition, business, or prospects of the Company not known to the Holders at the time of their request and have withdrawn the request with reasonable promptness after learning of such information, then the Holders shall not be required to pay any of such expenses and shall not forfeit their right to one registration pursuant to Section 3.1.1 or Section 3.1.2. All Selling Expenses relating to Registrable Securities registered pursuant to this Section 3 shall be borne and paid by the Holders pro rata on the basis of the number of Registrable Securities registered on their behalf.
3.7 Delay of Registration. No Holder shall have any right to obtain or seek an injunction restraining or otherwise delaying any registration pursuant to this Agreement as the result of any controversy that might arise with respect to the interpretation or implementation of this Section 3.
3.8 Indemnification. If any Registrable Securities are included in a registration statement under this Section 3:
3.8.1 Company Indemnification. To the extent permitted by law, the Company will indemnify and hold harmless each selling Holder, and the partners, members, officers, directors, and stockholders of each such Holder; legal counsel and accountants for each such Holder; any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act) for each such Holder; and each Person, if any, who controls such Holder or underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any Damages, and the Company will pay to each such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 3.8.1 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed nor shall the Company be liable for any Damages to the extent that they arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of any such Holder, underwriter, controlling Person, or other aforementioned Person expressly for use in connection with such registration.
3.8.2 Selling Holder Indemnification. To the extent permitted by law, each selling Holder, severally and not jointly, will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, and
each of its directors, each of its officers who has signed the registration statement, each Person (if any), who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act, legal counsel and accountants for the Company, any underwriter (as defined in the Securities Act), any other Holder selling securities in such registration statement, and any controlling Person of any such underwriter or other Holder, against any Damages, in each case only to the extent that such Damages arise out of or are based upon actions or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished by or on behalf of such selling Holder expressly for use in connection with such registration; and each such selling Holder will pay to the Company and each other aforementioned Person any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred thereby in connection with investigating or defending any claim or proceeding from which Damages may result, as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that (a) the indemnity agreement contained in this Section 3.8.2 shall not apply to amounts paid in settlement of any such claim or proceeding if such settlement is effected without the consent of the Holder, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, and (b) that in no event shall the aggregate amounts payable by any Holder by way of indemnity or contribution under Sections 3.8.2 and 3.8.4 exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such Holder (net of any Selling Expenses paid by such Holder), except in the case of fraud or willful misconduct by such Holder.
3.8.3 Procedures. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 3.8 of notice of the commencement of any action (including any governmental action) for which a party may be entitled to indemnification hereunder, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against any indemnifying party under this Section 3.8, give the indemnifying party notice of the commencement thereof. The indemnifying party shall have the right to participate in such action and, to the extent the indemnifying party so desires, participate jointly with any other indemnifying party to which notice has been given, and to assume the defense thereof with counsel mutually satisfactory to the parties; provided, however, that an indemnified party (together with all other indemnified parties that may be represented without conflict by one counsel) shall have the right to retain one separate counsel, with the fees and expenses to be paid by the indemnifying party, if representation of such indemnified party by the counsel retained by the indemnifying party would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between such indemnified party and any other party represented by such counsel in such action. The failure to give notice to the indemnifying party within a reasonable time of the commencement of any such action shall relieve such indemnifying party of any liability to the indemnified party under this Section 3.8, solely to the extent that such failure prejudices the indemnifying party’s ability to defend such action.
3.8.4 Contribution. To provide for just and equitable contribution to joint liability under the Securities Act in any case in which either (a) any party otherwise entitled to indemnification hereunder makes a claim for indemnification pursuant to this Section 3.8 but it is judicially determined (by the entry of a final judgment or decree by a court of competent jurisdiction and the expiration of time to appeal or the denial of the last right of appeal) that such indemnification may not be enforced in such case, notwithstanding the fact that this Section 3.8 provides for indemnification in such case, or (b) contribution under the Securities Act may be required on the part of any party hereto for which indemnification is provided under this Section 3.8, then, and in each such case, such parties will contribute to the aggregate losses, claims, damages, liabilities, or expenses to which they may be subject (after contribution from others) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of each of the indemnifying party and
the indemnified party in connection with the statements, omissions, or other actions that resulted in such loss, claim, damage, liability, or expense, as well as to reflect any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and of the indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or allegedly untrue statement of a material fact, or the omission or alleged omission of a material fact, relates to information supplied by the indemnifying party or by the indemnified party and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information, and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission; provided, however, that:
(i) in any such case, (A) no Holder will be required to contribute any amount in excess of the public offering price of all such Registrable Securities offered and sold by such Holder pursuant to such registration statement, and (B) no Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) will be entitled to contribution from any Person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation; and
(ii) in no event shall a Holder’s liability pursuant to this Section 3.8.4, when combined with the amounts paid or payable by such Holder pursuant to Section 3.8.2, exceed the proceeds from the offering received by such Holder (net of any Selling Expenses) paid by such Holder), except in the case of fraud or willful misconduct by such Holder.
3.8.5 Underwriting Agreement Controls. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that the provisions on indemnification and contribution contained in the underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering are in conflict with the foregoing provisions, the provisions in the underwriting agreement shall control.
3.8.6 Survival. Unless otherwise superseded by an underwriting agreement entered into in connection with the underwritten public offering, the obligations of the Company and Holders under this Section 3.8 shall survive the completion of any offering of Registrable Securities in a registration under this Section 3, and otherwise shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
3.9 Reports under the Exchange Act. With a view to making available to the Holders the benefits of SEC Rule 144 and any other rule or regulation of the SEC that may at any time permit a Holder to sell securities of the Company to the public without registration or pursuant to a registration on Form S-3, the Company shall:
(a) use commercially reasonable efforts to make and keep available adequate current public information, as those terms are understood and defined in SEC Rule 144, at all times after the effective date of the registration statement filed by the Company for the IPO;
(b) use commercially reasonable efforts to file with the SEC in a timely manner all reports and other documents required of the Company under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Company has become subject to such reporting requirements); and
(c) furnish to any Holder, so long as the Holder owns any Registrable Securities, forthwith upon request (i) to the extent accurate, a written statement by the Company that it has complied with the reporting requirements of SEC Rule 144 (at any time after ninety (90) days after the effective date of the registration statement filed by the Company for the IPO), the Securities Act, and the Exchange Act (at any time after the Company has become subject to such reporting requirements), or that it qualifies as a registrant whose securities may be resold pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after the Company so qualifies); and (ii) such other information as may be reasonably requested in availing any Holder of any rule or regulation of the SEC that permits the selling of any such securities without registration (at any time after the Company has become subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act) or pursuant to Form S-3 (at any time after the Company so qualifies to use such form).
3.10 Limitations on Subsequent Registration Rights. From and after the date of this Agreement, the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Holders of at least 65% of the Registrable Securities then outstanding, enter into any agreement with any holder or prospective holder of any securities of the Company that would allow such holder or prospective holder to include such securities in any registration if such agreement (a) would allow such holder or prospective holder to include a portion of its securities in any “piggyback” registration if such inclusion could reduce the number of Registrable Securities that selling Holders could be entitled to include in such registration under Sections 3.2 and 3.3.2 hereof or (b) would allow such holder or prospective holder to initiate a demand for registration of any of its securities at a time earlier than the Holders of Registrable Securities can demand registration under Section 3.1 hereof. This Section 3.10 shall not apply with respect to the grant of “piggyback” registration rights to a holder of a Lender Warrant.
3.11 “Market Stand-off” Agreement. Each Holder hereby agrees that, during the Standoff Period, such Holder will not, without the prior written consent of the Company or the managing underwriter,
(a) lend, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right, or warrant to purchase or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of Common Stock, or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable (directly or indirectly) for Common Stock, held immediately before the effective date of the registration statement for such offering; or
(b) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of such securities, whether any such transaction described in clause (a) or (b) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or other securities, in cash, or otherwise.
The foregoing provisions of this Section 3.11 shall apply only to the IPO and shall not apply to the sale of any shares to an underwriter pursuant to an underwriting agreement, and shall be applicable to the Holders only if all officers, directors, and stockholders individually owning more than one percent (1%) of the Company’s outstanding Common Stock (after giving effect to conversion into Common Stock of all outstanding Preferred Stock) are similarly bound. For purposes of this Section 3.11, the term “Company” shall include any wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company
into which the Company merges or consolidates. In order to enforce the foregoing covenant, the Company shall have the right to place restrictive legends on the certificates representing the shares subject to this Section 3.11 and to impose stop transfer instructions with respect to such shares until the end of such period. The underwriters in connection with such registration are intended third-party beneficiaries of this Section 3.11 and shall have the right, power, and authority to enforce the provisions hereof as though they were a party hereto. Each Holder further agrees to execute such agreements as may be reasonably requested by the underwriters in connection with such registration that are consistent with this Section 3.11 or that are necessary to give further effect thereto.
3.12 Restrictions on Transfer.
3.12.1 Agreement Binding. The Preferred Stock and the Registrable Securities shall not be sold, pledged, or otherwise transferred, and the Company shall not recognize and shall issue stop-transfer instructions to its transfer agent with respect to any such sale, pledge, or transfer, except upon