aimd_def14c.htm

DEF 14C 1 aimd_def14c.htm DEF 14C aimd_def14c.htm

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14C

(Rule 14c−101)

Information Statement Pursuant to Section 14(c) of the Securities

Exchange Act of 1934

Check the appropriate box:

☐ Preliminary Information Statement

☐ Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14c-5(d) (2))

☒ Definitive Information Statement

AINOS, INC.

(Name of Registrant As Specified in Its Charter)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

☒ No fee required

☐ Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14c-5(g) and 0-11.

(1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

(2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

(3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

(4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

(5) Total fee paid:

☐ Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

☐ Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a) (2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

(1) Amount Previously Paid:

(2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

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(4) Date Filed:

AINOS, INC.

8880 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 800

San Diego California 92108

(858) 869-2986

NOTICE OF ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE HOLDERS OF THE MAJORITY

VOTING POWER OF THE COMPANY’S COMMON STOCK

WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU FOR A PROXY

AND YOU ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SEND US A PROXY

Dear Shareholders:

Ainos, Inc., a Texas corporation (the “Company”) is providing this notice that on February 16, 2023, the holders of shares of issued and outstanding common stock of the Company as of the close of business on February 16, 2023 (the “Record Date”), which constitute approximately 73.44% of the voting power of the Company, approved by written consent the action items set forth below (collectively, the “Action Items”) in lieu of a meeting of shareholders. On December 31, 2022, the Compensation Committee of the Company (the “Committee”) unanimously approved the 2023 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) (as defined below) and submitted its recommendation for approval by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”). The Board also approved the Plan unanimously on December 31, 2023 and the submission of the Plan to the Company’s shareholders for approval.

The Action Items are the following:

o To approve the 2023 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2023 Plan”)

Pursuant to Rule 14c-2 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Action Items will not be effective until 20 days after the date that a copy of this Information Statement is mailed to each of our shareholders.

No action is required by you. The accompanying Information Statement is furnished only to inform our shareholders who did not execute the written consent of the Action Items, in accordance with the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and regulations and the Texas Business Organizations Code. This Information Statement will be mailed on or about April 10, 2023 to all of our shareholders of record as of the close of business on the Record Date.

		By Order of the Board of Directors,

		/s/ Chun-Hsien Tsai
		Chun-Hsien Tsai Chief Executive Officer

Dated: April 4, 2023

INFORMATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(c) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 AND REGULATION 14C PURSUANT THERETO

April 4, 2023

AINOS, INC.

8880 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 800

San Diego California 92108

(858) 869-2986

This Information Statement is distributed by Ainos, Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us”) to inform our shareholders of actions taken without a meeting by the written consent of the holders of 14,696,420 shares of issued and outstanding common stock of the Company (the “Majority Shareholders”) as of the close of business on February 16, 2023 (the “Record Date”), which constitute approximately 73.44% of the voting power of the Company (the “Written Consent”).

NONE OF THE ACTION ITEMS HAVE BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, NOR HAS THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE FAIRNESS OR MERITS OF THE ACTION ITEMS, NOR UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS INFORMATION STATEMENT. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS UNLAWFUL.

WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU FOR A PROXY, AND YOU ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SEND US A PROXY

This Information Statement has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission” or the “SEC”) and is being furnished by the Board to the holders of record as of the Record Date of our outstanding common stock, pursuant to Rule 14c-2 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Section 6.202(d) of the Texas Business Organizations Code (the “Texas Code”).

The cost of preparing, printing and mailing this Information Statement will be paid by us. We will reimburse brokerage firms and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for reasonable expenses incurred by them in sending this Information Statement to the beneficial owners of our common stock.

This Information Statement informs shareholders that on December 31, 2022, the Committee unanimously approved the Plan and submitted its recommendation for approval by the Board. On December 31, 2022, our Board, and on February 16, 2023, the Majority Shareholders, adopted and approved the Plan. As of the Record Date, there were 20,011,602 shares of common stock outstanding, and the Majority Shareholders beneficially owned 14,696,420 shares of issued and outstanding common stock and approximately 73.44% of the voting power of the Company. Accordingly, the Written Consent executed by the Majority Shareholders pursuant to the Texas Code and the Company’s charter documents is sufficient to approve the Action Items and no further shareholder action is required to approve the Action Items. No payment was made to any person or entity in consideration of execution of the Written Consent.

Accordingly, all necessary corporate approvals to effectuate the Action Items have been obtained. We are not seeking approval from our remaining shareholders. This Information Statement is furnished solely for the purpose of informing our shareholders, in the manner required by the Exchange Act and the Texas Code, of the approval of the Action Items. Pursuant to Section 14(c) of the Exchange Act and Rule 14c-2 promulgated pursuant thereto, the Action Items will not be effective until at least 20 days after the date this Information Statement is mailed to each of our shareholders. The Plan is will not become effective before a date which is twenty (20) calendar days after a Form 14-C Definitive Information Statement is first provided to Stockholders.

The Action Items approved by the Majority Shareholders by written consent are not corporate actions for which shareholders of a Texas corporation are entitled to a dissenter’s right under Section 21.460 and Section 10.354, et seq. of the Texas Code.

Our shareholders as of the Record Date are being furnished copies of this Information Statement. This Information Statement will be mailed or furnished to our shareholders on or about March April 10, 2023.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT

THIS INFORMATION STATEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS

Q. Why did I receive this Information Statement?

A. The Exchange Act and the Texas Code require us to provide you with information regarding the Action Items, even though your vote is neither required nor requested to approve the Action Items.

Q. Why am I not being asked to vote on the Action Items?

A. The Board unanimously adopted, approved and recommended the approval of the Action Item and determined that the Action Item is advisable and in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders. The Action Items have also been approved by the written consent of the Majority Shareholders. Such approval is sufficient under the Texas Code and no further approval by our shareholders is required. Therefore, your vote is not required and is not being sought. We are not asking you for a proxy and you are requested not to send us a proxy.

Q. What do I need to do now?

A. Nothing. This Information Statement is provided to you solely for your information and does not require or request you to do anything.

THE 2023 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

This section describes the material provisions of the Incentive Plan, but does not purport to describe all of the terms of the Incentive Plan. The following summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Incentive Plan, which is attached as Appendix A hereto.

Purpose of the Plan. The purpose of the Incentive Plan is to provide a means through which the Company, and the other members of the Company Group, may attract and retain key personnel, and to provide a means whereby directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors of the Company and the other members of the Company Group can acquire and maintain an equity interest in the Company, or be paid incentive compensation measured by reference to the value of common stock, thereby strengthening their commitment to the welfare of the Company Group and aligning their interests with those of the Company’s shareholders. For purposes of the Incentive Plan, the term “Company Group” means the Company, its subsidiaries, if any, and any other affiliates of the Company designated as a member of the Company Group by the Committee.

Number of Reserved Shares. Subject to a change in capital structure or a change in control, the aggregate number of shares which may be issued or transferred pursuant to awards under the Incentive Plan will be equal to up to twenty percent (20%) of shares of outstanding common stock of the Company existing as of December 31^st of the previous calendar year (the “Plan Share Reserve”). From and after the effective date of the prior 2021 Stock Incentive Plan, no further grants will be made under any stock incentive plans adopted by the Company prior to October 6, 2021. The “Effective Date”, with respect to the 2023 Stock Incentive Plan, means the date that the Plan is approved by the shareholders of the Company. Each award granted under the Incentive Plan will reduce the Plan Share Reserve by the number of shares underlying the award and the Plan Share Reserve may be adjusted by the Compensation Committee to include up to twenty percent (20%) of shares of outstanding common stock of the Company existing as of December 31^st of the previous calendar year

Additional Limits. Subject to a change in capital structure or a change in control, no more than 10,000,000 shares may be issued in the aggregate pursuant to the exercise of incentive stock options granted under the Incentive Plan. The maximum number of shares subject to awards granted during a single fiscal year to any non-employee director, taken together with any cash fees paid to such non-employee director during the fiscal year, will not exceed US$600,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such awards based on the grant date fair value of such awards for financial reporting purposes).

Committee as Administrator. The Committee will administer the Incentive Plan and shall exclusive authority to adjust the Plan Share Reserve as described in the Plan. To the extent required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (if the Board is not acting as the Committee under the Incentive Plan) it is intended that each member of the Committee will, at the time such member takes any action with respect to an award under the Incentive Plan that is intended to qualify for the exemptions provided by Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act be a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3. However, the fact that a Committee member will fail to qualify as a “non-employee director” will not invalidate any award granted by the Committee that is otherwise validly granted under the Incentive Plan.

Eligibility. Participation in the Incentive Plan will be limited to Eligible Persons. An “Eligible Person” means any (i) individual employed by any member of the Company Group; provided, however, that no such employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement will be an Eligible Person unless and to the extent that such eligibility is set forth in such collective bargaining agreement or in an agreement or instrument relating thereto; (ii) director or officer of any member of the Company Group; or (iii) consultant or advisor to any member of the Company Group who may be offered securities registrable pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act, who, in the case of each of clauses (i) through (iii) above has entered into an award agreement or who has received written notification from the Committee or its designee that they have been selected to participate in the Incentive Plan.

International Participants. With respect to participants who reside or work outside of the U.S., the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of the Incentive Plan and create or amend sub-plans or amend outstanding awards with respect to such participants in order to conform such terms with the requirements of local law, to obtain more favorable tax or other treatment for a participant or any member of the Company Group, or to facilitate administration of the Incentive Plan.

Options.

General. Each option granted under the Incentive Plan will be evidenced by an award agreement, which agreement need not be the same for each participant. Each option so granted will be subject to the conditions set forth in this section, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Incentive Plan as may be reflected in the applicable award agreement. All options granted under the Incentive Plan will be nonqualified stock options unless the applicable award agreement expressly states that the option is intended to be an incentive stock option. Incentive stock options will be granted only to Eligible Persons who are employees of a member of the Company Group, and no incentive stock option will be granted to any Eligible Person who is ineligible to receive an incentive stock option under the Code. No option will be treated as an incentive stock option unless the Incentive Plan has been approved by the shareholders of the Company in a manner intended to comply with the shareholder approval requirements of Section 422(b)(1) of the Code, provided that any option intended to be an incentive stock option will not fail to be effective solely on account of a failure to obtain such approval, but rather such option will be treated as a nonqualified stock option unless and until such approval is obtained. In the case of an incentive stock option, the terms and conditions of such grant will be subject to, and comply with, such rules as may be prescribed by Section 422 of the Code. If for any reason an option intended to be an incentive stock option (or any portion thereof) will not qualify as an incentive stock option, then, to the extent of such non-qualification, such option or portion thereof will be regarded as a nonqualified stock option appropriately granted under the Incentive Plan.

Exercise Price. Except as otherwise provided by the Committee in the case of substitute awards, the exercise price (“Exercise Price”) per share for each option will not be less than 100% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value of such share; provided, however, that in the case of an incentive stock option granted to an employee who, at the time of the grant of such option, owns stock representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock of any member of the Company Group that also qualifies as a “subsidiary corporation” under Section 424(f) of the Code, the Exercise Price per share will not be less than 110% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value per share.

Vesting and Expiration. Options will vest and become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates or upon such event or events as determined by the Committee. Options will expire upon a date determined by the Committee, not to exceed ten years from the date of grant (the “Option Period”); provided, that if the Option Period (other than in the case of an incentive stock option) would expire at a time when trading in the shares is prohibited by applicable laws, then the Option Period will be automatically extended until the thirtieth day following the expiration of such prohibition. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event will the Option Period exceed five years from the date of grant in the case of an incentive stock option granted to a participant who on the date of grant owns stock representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any member of the Company Group that qualifies as a “subsidiary corporation” under Section 424(f) of the Code.

Method of Exercise and Form of Payment. No shares will be issued pursuant to any exercise of an option until payment in full of the Exercise Price therefore is received by the Company and the participant has paid to the Company (or one or more of its subsidiaries or affiliates, as applicable) an amount equal to any satisfy tax obligations relating to a Participant’s participation in the ESPP which are legally applicable to the Participant (“Tax-Related Items”). Options that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of a notice of exercise in such form and accordance with such procedures as the Committee may specify from time to time accompanied by payment of the Exercise Price. The Exercise Price will be payable: (i) in cash, check, cash equivalent and/or shares valued at the Fair Market Value at the time the option is exercised (including, pursuant to procedures approved by the Committee, by means of attestation of ownership of a sufficient number of shares in lieu of actual issuance of such shares to the Company); provided, that such shares are not subject to any pledge or other security interest and have been held by the participant for at least six months (or such other period as established from time to time by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment applying generally accepted accounting principles); or (ii) by such other method as the Committee may permit, in its sole discretion, including, without limitation (A) in other property having a fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the Exercise Price; (B) by means of a broker-assisted “cashless exercise” pursuant to which the Company is delivered (including telephonically to the extent permitted by the Committee) a copy of irrevocable instructions to a stockbroker to sell the shares otherwise issuable upon the exercise of the option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the Exercise Price; or (C) a “net exercise” procedure effected by withholding the minimum number of shares otherwise issuable in respect of an option that are needed to pay the Exercise Price. The permissible methods of payment of the Exercise Price with respect to a particular option grant may be specified in the applicable award agreement. Any fractional shares will be settled in cash.

Notification upon Disqualifying Disposition of an Incentive Stock Option. Each participant awarded an incentive stock option under the Incentive Plan will notify the Company in writing immediately after the date the participant makes a disqualifying disposition of any shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such incentive stock option. A disqualifying disposition is any disposition (including, without limitation, any sale) of such shares before the later of (i) the date that is two years after the date of grant of the incentive stock option, or (ii) the date that is one year after the date of exercise of the incentive stock option. We may, if determined by the Committee and in accordance with procedures established by the Committee, retain possession, as agent for the applicable participant, of any shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an incentive stock option until the end of the period described in the preceding sentence, subject to complying with any instructions from such participant as to the sale of such shares.

No Rights as a Shareholder. Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Incentive Plan or any award agreement, no Person will be entitled to the privileges of ownership in respect of shares which are subject to awards hereunder until such shares have been issued or delivered to such Person.

Effective Date; Duration. The Incentive Plan will be effective as of the Effective Date. The expiration date of the Incentive Plan, on and after which date no awards may be granted hereunder, will be the tenth anniversary of the earlier of the date the Board adopts the Incentive Plan and the date the Company’s shareholders approve the Incentive Plan; provided, however, that such expiration will not affect awards then outstanding, and the terms and conditions of the Incentive Plan will continue to apply to such awards.

Stock Appreciation Rights.

General. Each SAR granted under the Incentive Plan will be evidenced by an award agreement, which agreement need not be the same for each participant. Each SAR so granted will be subject to the conditions set forth in this section, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Incentive Plan as may be reflected in the applicable award agreement.

SAR Base Price. Except as otherwise provided by the Committee in the case of substitute awards, the SAR Base Price for each SAR will not be less than 100% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value of such share. The “SAR Base Price” means, as to any stock appreciation right, the price per share designated as the base value above which appreciation in value is measured.

Vesting and Expiration. SARs will vest and become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates or upon such event or events as determined by the Committee. SARs will expire upon a date determined by the Committee, not to exceed ten years from the date of grant.

Time and Conditions of Exercise. A SAR will entitle the participant (or other person entitled to exercise the SAR pursuant to the Incentive Plan) to exercise all or a specified portion of the SAR (to the extent then exercisable pursuant to its terms) and to receive from the Company an amount equal to the excess of the aggregate Fair Market Value of the shares on the date the SAR is exercised over the SAR Base Price, less applicable Tax-Related Items, subject to any limitations the Committee may impose.Payment of the amounts determined under this section will be in cash, in shares (based on the Fair Market Value of the shares as of the date the SAR is exercised) or a combination of both, as determined by the Committee in the award agreement. Any fractional shares will be settled in cash. SARs that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of a notice of exercise to the Company (in such form as the Committee may specify from time to time). Until the shares are issued (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company), no dividends or Dividend Equivalent Right will be paid, and no right to vote or receive dividends or Dividend Equivalent Rights or any other rights as a shareholder will exist with respect to the shares subject to a SAR, notwithstanding the exercise of the SAR.

Tandem SARs. A SAR may be granted in connection with an option, either at the time of grant or at any time thereafter during the term of the option. A SAR granted in connection with an option will entitle the holder, upon exercise, to surrender the option or any portion thereof to the extent unexercised, with respect to the number of shares as to which such SAR is exercised, and to receive payment of an amount computed as described in this section. The option will, to the extent and when surrendered, cease to be exercisable. A SAR granted in connection with an option hereunder will have a SAR Base Price equal to the Exercise Price of the option, will be exercisable at such time or times, and only to the extent, that the related option is exercisable, and will expire no later than the related option expires. If a related option is exercised in whole or in part, then the SAR related to the shares purchased terminates as of the date of such exercise.

Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.

Restricted stock awards and restricted stock unit awards may be granted subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be established by the Commission and set forth in the applicable award agreement.

Rights as Stockholder. A participant generally will have the rights and privileges of a stockholder as to shares of restricted stock, including the right to vote such restricted stock. To the extent shares of restricted stock are forfeited, all rights of the participant to such shares and as a stockholder with respect thereto will terminate without further obligations on the part of the Company. A participant will have no rights or privileges as a stockholder as to restricted stock units.

Vesting. Restricted stock and restricted stock units will vest and any applicable restricted period will lapse in such manner and on such date or dates or upon such event or events as determined by the Committee.

Other Equity-Based Awards.

The Committee may grant other equity based awards under the Incentive Plan, denominated in shares or based upon the value or otherwise related to the shares, to Eligible Persons, alone or in tandem with other awards, in such amounts and, dependent on such other conditions as the Committee will from time to time in its sole discretion determine. Each such award will be evidenced by an award agreement and will be subject to such conditions not inconsistent with the Incentive Plan as may be reflected in the applicable award agreement.

New Plan Benefits

No awards have been granted, and no shares have been issued under the Incentive Plan. Future grants under the Incentive Plan will be made at the discretion of our Compensation Committee and accordingly, are not yet determinable. In addition, the value of the awards granted under the Incentive Plan will depend on a number of factors, including the fair market value of our common stock on future dates and the exercise decisions made by the participants. Consequently, it is not possible to determine the benefits that might be received by participants receiving discretionary grants under the Incentive Plan.

Federal Income Tax Consequences. The following is a brief summary of the principal United States federal income tax consequences of participation in the Incentive Plan, based on current United States federal income tax law. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive, does not constitute tax advice and, among other things, does not describe state, local or foreign tax consequences, which may be substantially different. Participants will be urged to consult their own advisors as to specific tax consequences.

Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any provision of the Incentive Plan or award agreement to the contrary, it is intended that the provisions of the Incentive Plan comply with Section 409A of the Code, and all provisions of the Incentive Plan will be construed and interpreted in a manner consistent with the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code. Each participant is solely responsible and liable for the satisfaction of all taxes and penalties that may be imposed on or in respect of such participant in connection with the Incentive Plan (including any taxes and penalties under Section 409A of the Code), and neither the Service Recipient nor any other member of the Company Group will have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold such participant (or any beneficiary) harmless from any or all of such taxes or penalties. With respect to any award that is considered “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code, references in the Incentive Plan to “termination of employment” (and substantially similar phrases) will mean “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, each of the payments that may be made in respect of any award granted under the Incentive Plan is designated as separate a payment.

Notwithstanding anything in the Incentive Plan or award agreement to the contrary, if a participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, no payments in respect of any awards that are “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code and which would otherwise be payable on the date of or a date or period that is by reference to the participant’s “separation from service” (as defined in Section 409A of the Code) will be made to such participant prior to the date that is six months after the date of such participant’s “separation from service” or, if earlier, the date of the participant’s death. Unless the award agreement provides otherwise, following any applicable six month delay, all such delayed payments will be paid in a single lump sum on the earliest date permitted under Section 409A of the Code that is also a business day.

Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an award agreement or otherwise, in the event that the timing of payments in respect of any award (that would otherwise be considered “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code) would be accelerated upon the occurrence of (A) a Change in Control, no such acceleration will be permitted unless the event giving rise to the Change in Control satisfies the definition of a change in the ownership or effective control of a corporation, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of a corporation pursuant to Section 409A of the Code; or (B) a Disability, no such acceleration will be permitted unless the Disability also satisfies the definition of “Disability” pursuant to Section 409A of the Code.

WHERE YOU CAN OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This Information Statement should be read in conjunction with certain reports that we previously filed with the Commission. We are subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and, in accordance therewith, we file reports, proxy statements and other information including annual and quarterly reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q with the Commission. Reports and other information that we file can be obtained upon written request addressed to the Commission, Public Reference Section, 100 F Street NW, Washington D.C. 20549, at prescribed rates. The Commission maintains a website on the Internet (http://www.sec.gov) that contains the filings of issuers that file electronically with the Commission through the EDGAR system. Copies of such filings may also be obtained by writing to Ainos, Inc., 8880 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 800, San Diego, California 92108.

DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS AND HOUSEHOLDING

The Commission has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries such as brokers, to satisfy the delivery requirements for Information Statements with respect to two or more shareholders sharing the same address by delivering a single Information Statement addressed to those shareholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially provides extra convenience for shareholders, is environmentally friendly, and represents cost savings for companies.

For this Information Statement, the Company’s transfer agent or brokers may be householding this Information Statement and the documents incorporated by reference that we are enclosing with the Information Statement. A single Information Statement will be delivered to multiple shareholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the effected shareholders. Once you have received notice from your broker or the Company that either of them will be householding communications to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent.

If at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive separate periodic reports, or if you currently receive multiple copies of the Information Statement or other periodic reports at your address and would like to request householding by the Company, please notify your broker if your shares are not held directly in your name. If you own your shares directly rather than through a brokerage account, you should direct your written request directly to:

AINOS, INC.,

Attn: Chief Executive Officer

8880 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 800

San Diego California 92108

(858) 869-2986 Telephone

Or by electronic mail:

Lawrence Lin, Executive Vice President of Operations: Lawrence@Ainos.com

And

Chrystal Shelton, Administrator: Chrystal@Ainos.com

OTHER MATTERS

Only one Information Statement is being delivered to multiple shareholders sharing an address. If you are a shareholder at a shared address to which a single copy of this Information Statement was delivered and you desire to obtain a separate copy of the documents delivered, please contact the person at the address or telephone number described below.

We hereby undertake to deliver promptly upon written or oral request a separate copy of the Information Statement to a shareholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the documents was delivered.

As a matter of regulatory compliance, the Company is sending you this Information Statement that describes the purpose and effect of the Action Items. Your consent to the approval of the Action Items is not required and is not being solicited in connection herewith. This Information Statement is intended to provide the Company’s shareholders information required by the rules and regulations of the Exchange Act and the Texas Code.

WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU FOR A PROXY AND YOU ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SEND US A PROXY. THE ATTACHED MATERIAL IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS INFORMATION STATEMENT,

PLEASE CONTACT:

AINOS, INC.,

Attn: Corporate Secretary,

8880 Rio San Diego Drive, Suite 800

San Diego California 92108

(858) 869-2986 Telephone

		By Order of the Board of Directors,

		/s/ Chun-Hsien Tsai

		Chun-Hsien Tsai Chief Executive Officer

Appendix A

Ainos, Inc. 2023 Stock Incentive Plan

AINOS, INC.

2023 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

(As Adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company on December 31, 2022,

and approved by the stockholders of the Company on February 16, 2023)

1. Purpose. The purpose of the Ainos, Inc. 2023 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to provide a means through which the Company, and the other members of the Company Group, may attract and retain key personnel, and to provide a means whereby directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors of the Company and the other members of the Company Group can acquire and maintain an equity interest in the Company, or be paid incentive compensation measured by reference to the value of Common Stock, thereby strengthening their commitment to the welfare of the Company Group and aligning their interests with those of the Company’s stockholders.

(a) Successor to and Continuation of Prior Plan. The Plan is the successor to the Company’s 2021 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Prior Plan”). As of the Effective Date of the Plan, no additional stock awards will be granted under the Prior Plan. All Awards granted on or after the Effective Date will be granted under this Plan. All stock awards granted under the Prior Plan will remain subject to the terms of the Prior Plan.

(i) Any shares that would otherwise remain available for future grants under the Prior Plan as of the Effective Date (the “Prior Plan’s Available Reserve”) will cease to be available under the Prior Plan at such time. Instead, that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Prior Plan’s Available Reserve will be added to the Plan Share Reserve and will be immediately available for grants and issuance pursuant to Stock Awards hereunder.

(ii) In addition, from and after the Effective Date, any shares subject, at such time, to outstanding stock awards granted under the Prior Plan that (i) expire or terminate for any reason prior to exercise or settlement; (ii) are forfeited because of the failure to meet a contingency or condition required to vest such shares or otherwise return to the Company; or (iii) are reacquired, withheld (or not issued) to satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with an award or to satisfy the purchase price or exercise price of a stock award (such shares the “Returning Shares”) will immediately be added to the Plan Share Reserve as and when such shares become Returning Shares, up to the maximum number set forth in Plan.

2. Definitions. The following definitions shall be applicable throughout the Plan.

(a) “Adjustment Event” has the meaning given to such term in Section 11(a) of the Plan.

(b) “Affiliate” means any Person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Company. The term “control” (including, with correlative meaning, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as applied to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting or other securities, by contract or otherwise.

(c) “Applicable Laws” means applicable laws, rules, regulations and the requirements relating to the administration of equity-based awards, and the related Shares under U.S. state corporate laws, U.S. federal and state and non-U.S. securities laws, the Code, the rules and regulations of any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and the applicable laws of any non-U.S. country or jurisdiction where Awards are, or will be, granted under the Plan or where Participants reside or provide services, as such laws, rules, regulations and requirements shall be in place from time to time..

(d) “Award” means, individually or collectively, any Incentive Stock Option, Nonqualified Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Dividend Equivalent Rights and Other Equity-Based Award granted under the Plan.

(e) “Award Agreement” means the document or documents by which each Award is evidenced, electronically or otherwise.

(f) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

(g) “Cause” means, as to any Participant, unless the applicable Award Agreement states otherwise, (i) ”Cause,” as defined in any employment or consulting agreement between the Participant and the Service Recipient in effect at the time of such Termination; or (ii) in the absence of any such employment or consulting agreement (or the absence of any definition of “Cause” contained therein), the Participant’s (A) willful neglect in the performance of the Participant’s duties for the Service Recipient or willful or repeated failure or refusal to perform such duties; (B) engagement in conduct in connection with the Participant’s employment or service with the Service Recipient, which results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, material harm to the business or reputation of the Company or any other member of the Company Group; (C) conviction of, or plea of guilty or no contest to, (I) any felony; or (II) any other crime that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, material harm to the business or reputation of the Company or any other member of the Company Group; (D) material violation of the written policies of the Service Recipient, including, but not limited to, those relating to sexual harassment or the disclosure or misuse of confidential information, or those set forth in the manuals or statements of policy of the Service Recipient; (E) fraud or misappropriation, embezzlement or misuse of funds or property belonging to the Company or any other member of the Company Group; or (F) act of personal dishonesty that involves personal profit in connection with the Participant’s employment or service to the Service Recipient.

(h) “Change in Control” means:

(i) the acquisition (whether by purchase, merger, consolidation, combination or other similar transaction) by any Person of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of more than 50% (on a fully diluted basis) of either (A) the then outstanding Shares, taking into account as outstanding for this purpose such Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or warrants, the conversion of convertible stock or debt, and the exercise of any similar right to acquire such Common Stock; or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors; provided, however, that for purposes of this Plan, the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (I) any acquisition by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company; (II) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company; and (III) in respect of an Award held by a particular Participant, any acquisition by the Participant or any group of Persons including the Participant (or any entity controlled by the Participant or any group of Persons including the Participant);

(ii) during any period of twelve (12) months, individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided that any person becoming a director subsequent to the Effective Date, whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without written objection to such nomination) shall be an Incumbent Director; provided, however, that no individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest, as such terms are used in Rule 14a-12 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act, with respect to directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director; or

(iii) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company Group (taken as a whole) to any Person that is not an Affiliate of the Company.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, a transaction shall not constitute a Change in Control if it is effected for the purpose of changing the place of incorporation or form of organization of the ultimate parent entity (including where the Company is succeeded by an issuer incorporated under the laws of another state, country or foreign government for such purpose and whether or not the Company remains in existence following such transaction) where all or substantially all of the persons or group that beneficially own all or substantially all of the combined voting power of the Company’s voting securities immediately prior to the transaction beneficially own all or substantially all of the combined voting power of the Company in substantially the same proportions of their ownership after the transaction.

(i) “Change in Control Consideration” has the meaning given to such term in Section 11(b) of the Plan.

(j) “Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor thereto. Reference in the Plan to any section of the Code shall be deemed to include any regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, regulations or guidance.

(k) “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or any other committee comprised of members of the Board, or any properly delegated subcommittee thereof or, if no such committee or subcommittee thereof exists, the Board.

(l) “Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value USD 0.01 per share (and any stock or other securities into which such Common Stock may be converted or into which it may be exchanged).

(m) “Company” means Ainos, Inc., a Texas corporation, and any successor thereto.

(n) “Company Group” means, collectively, the Company and its Subsidiaries, and any other Affiliate of the Company designated as a member of the Company Group by the Committee.

(o) “Continuing Entity” has the meaning given to such term in Section 11(b) of the Plan.

(p) “Date of Grant” means the date on which the granting of an Award is authorized, or such later date as may be specified in such authorization.

(q) “Designated Foreign Subsidiaries” means all members of the Company Group that are organized under the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United States of America that may be designated by the Board or the Committee from time to time.

(r) “Detrimental Activity” means any of the following: (i) unauthorized disclosure of any confidential or proprietary information of any member of the Company Group; (ii) any activity that would be grounds to terminate the Participant’s employment or service with the Service Recipient for Cause; or (iii) a breach by the Participant of any non-competition, non-solicitation, or other agreement containing restrictive covenants with any member of the Company Group.

(s) “Disability” means, as to any Participant, unless the applicable Award Agreement states otherwise, (i) “Disability,” as defined in any employment or consulting agreement between the Participant and the Service Recipient in effect at the time of such Termination; or (ii) in the absence of any such employment or consulting agreement (or the absence of any definition of “Disability” contained therein), a condition entitling the Participant to receive benefits under a long-term disability plan of the Service Recipient or other member of the Company Group in which such Participant is eligible to participate, or, in the absence of such a plan, the complete and permanent inability of the Participant by reason of illness or accident to perform the duties of the occupation at which the Participant was employed or served when such disability commenced. Any determination of whether Disability exists in the absence of a long-term disability plan shall be made by the Company (or its designee) in its sole and absolute discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (a) for purposes of Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan, “Disability” means that the Participant is disabled within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, and (b) with respect to an Award that is subject to Section 409A of the Code where the Award is paid or settled on a date or period that is by reference to the Participant’s Disability, no such event will constitute a Disability for purposes of the Plan or any Award Agreement unless such event also constitutes a “disability” as defined under Section 409A of the Code.

(t) “Dividend Equivalent Right” means a right to receive the equivalent value of dividends paid on the Shares with respect to Shares underlying an Award that is a full-value award prior to settlement of the Award in accordance with the provision of Section 13(c).

(u) “Effective Date” means the date that the Plan is approved by the shareholders of the Company.

(v) “Eligible Person” means any (i) individual employed by any member of the Company Group; provided, however, that no such employee covered by a collective bargaining agreement shall be an Eligible Person unless and to the extent that such eligibility is set forth in such collective bargaining agreement or in an agreement or instrument relating thereto; (ii) director or officer of any member of the Company Group; or (iii) consultant or advisor to any member of the Company Group who may be offered securities registrable pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-8 under the Securities Act, who, in the case of each of clauses (i) through (iii) above has entered into an Award Agreement or who has received written notification from the Committee or its designee that they have been selected to participate in the Plan.

(w) “Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any successor thereto. Reference in the Plan to any section of (or rule promulgated under) the Exchange Act shall be deemed to include any rules, regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section or rule, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, rules, regulations or guidance.

(x) “Exercise Price” has the meaning given to such term in Section 7(b) of the Plan.

(y) “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the fair market value of a Share, as reasonably determined by the Company, which may include, without limitation, the closing sales price on the trading day immediately prior to or on such date, or a trailing average of previous closing prices prior to such date.

(z) “GAAP” has the meaning given to such term in Section 7(d) of the Plan.

(aa) “Grant Date Fair Market Value” means, as of a Date of Grant, (i) if the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the closing sales price of the Common Stock reported on the primary exchange on which the Common Stock is listed and traded on such date, or, if there are no such sales on that date, then on the last preceding date on which such sales were reported; (ii) if the Common Stock is not listed on any national securities exchange but is quoted in an inter-dealer quotation system on a last sale basis, the average between the closing bid price and ask price reported on such date, or, if there is no such sale on that date, then on the last preceding date on which a sale was reported; or (iii) if the Common Stock is not listed on a national securities exchange or quoted in an inter-dealer quotation system on a last sale basis, the amount determined by the Committee acting in good faith, under a reasonable methodology and reasonable application in compliance with Section 409A of the Code to the extent such determination is necessary for Awards under the Plan to comply with, or be exempt from, Section 409A of the Code.

(bb) “Immediate Family Members” has the meaning given to such term in Section 13(b) of the Plan.

(cc) “Incentive Stock Option” means an Option which is designated by the Committee as an incentive stock option as described in Section 422 of the Code and otherwise meets the requirements set forth in the Plan.

(dd) “Indemnifiable Person” has the meaning given to such term in Section 4(e) of the Plan.

(ee) “Non-Employee Director” means a member of the Board who is not an employee of any member of the Company Group.

(ff) “Nonqualified Stock Option” means an Option which is not designated by the Committee, or otherwise fails to qualify, as an Incentive Stock Option.

(gg) “Option” means an Award granted under Section 7 of the Plan.

(hh) “Option Period” has the meaning given to such term in Section 7(c) of the Plan.

(ii) “Other Equity-Based Award” means an Award that is not an Option, Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit, that is granted under Section 10 of the Plan and is (i) payable by delivery of Common Stock, and/or (ii) measured by reference to the value of Common Stock.

(jj) “Participant” means an Eligible Person who has been selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan and has been granted an Award pursuant to the Plan.

(kk) “Performance-Based Award” has the meaning given to such term in Section 11(b) of the Plan.

(ll) “Permitted Transferee” has the meaning given to such term in Section 13(b) of the Plan.

(mm) “Person” means any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act).

(nn) “Plan” means this Ainos, Inc. 2023 Stock Incentive Plan, as it may be amended and/or restated from time to time.

(oo) “Plan Share Reserve” has the meaning given to such term in Section 5(b) of the Plan.

(pp) “Qualifying Director” means a person who is with respect to actions intended to obtain an exemption from Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.

(qq) “Qualifying Termination” means, unless otherwise defined in the Award Agreement, a Termination (i) by the Service Recipient other than for Cause, or (ii) by reason of such Participant’s death or Disability, in each case on or within a twelve (12) months following a Change in Control, or such other period as specified by the Committee.

(rr) “Restricted Period” means the period of time determined by the Committee during which an Award is subject to restrictions, including vesting conditions.

(ss) “Restricted Stock” means Common Stock, subject to certain specified restrictions (which may include, without limitation, a requirement that the Participant remain continuously employed or provide continuous services for a specified period of time), granted under Section 8 of the Plan.

(tt) “Restricted Stock Unit” means an unfunded and unsecured promise to deliver Shares, cash, other securities or other property, subject to certain restrictions (which may include, without limitation, a requirement that the Participant remain continuously employed or provide continuous services for a specified period of time), granted under Section 8 of the Plan.

(uu) “SAR Base Price” means, as to any Stock Appreciation Right, the price per Share designated as the base value above which appreciation in value is measured.

(vv) “SEC” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

(ww) “Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any successor thereto. Reference in the Plan to any section of (or rule promulgated under) the Securities Act shall be deemed to include any rules, regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section or rule, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, rules, regulations or guidance.

(xx) “Service Recipient” means, with respect to an individual holding a given Award, the member of the Company Group by which the original recipient of such Award is, or following a Termination was most recently, principally employed or to which such original recipient provides, or following a Termination was most recently providing, services, as applicable.

(yy) “Share” means a share of Common Stock.

(zz) “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Other-Equity Based Award designated in an applicable Award Agreement as a stock appreciation right, granted under Section 9 of the Plan.

(aaa) “Subsidiary” means, with respect to any specified Person:

(i) any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of such entity’s voting securities (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency and after giving effect to any voting agreement or stockholders’ agreement that effectively transfers voting power) is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person (or a combination thereof); and

(ii) for purposes of granting Incentive Stock Options, any Person or other entity that qualifies as a “subsidiary corporation” under Section 424(f) of the Code.

(bbb) “Substitute Award” has the meaning given to such term in Section 5(f) of the Plan.

(ccc) “Sub-Plans” means any sub-plan to the Plan that has been adopted by the Board or the Committee for the purpose of (i) accommodating and incorporating the legal and/or regulatory requirements of a Designated Foreign Subsidiary or otherwise outside the U.S. where an Eligible Person is located in order to permit the offering of Awards to such Eligible Person, (ii) to facilitate the administration of the Plan or (iii) to obtain favorable tax treatment that may be available in a jurisdiction where an Eligible Person is located.. Each Sub-Plan shall be designed to comply with Applicable Laws applicable to offerings in the local jurisdictions. Although any Sub-Plan may be designated a separate and independent plan from the Plan in order to comply with Applicable Laws, the Plan Share Reserve and the other limits specified in Section 5 of the Plan shall apply in the aggregate to the Plan and any Sub-Plan adopted hereunder.

(ddd) “Tax-Related Items” means any U.S. federal, state, and/or local taxes and/or any non-U.S. taxes (including, without limitation, income tax, social insurance contributions (or similar contributions), payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account, employment tax, stamp tax and any other tax or tax-related item related to participation in the Plan and legally applicable to a Participant, including any employer liability for which the Participant is liable pursuant to Applicable Laws or the applicable Award Agreement.

(eee) “Termination” means the termination of a Participant’s employment or service, as applicable, with the Service Recipient for any reason (including death).

(fff) “U.S.” means the United States of America.

3. Effective Date; Duration. The Plan shall be effective as of the Effective Date. The expiration date of the Plan, on and after which date no Awards may be granted hereunder, shall be the tenth (10^th) anniversary of the earlier of the date the Board adopts the Plan and the date the Company’s shareholders approve the Plan; provided, however, that such expiration shall not affect Awards then outstanding, and the terms and conditions of the Plan shall continue to apply to such Awards.

4. Administration.

(a) General. The Committee shall administer the Plan. To the extent required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act (if the Board is not acting as the Committee under the Plan) it is intended that each member of the Committee shall, at the time such member takes any action with respect to an Award under the Plan that is intended to qualify for the exemptions provided by Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act be a Qualifying Director. However, the fact that a Committee member shall fail to qualify as a Qualifying Director shall not invalidate any Award granted by the Committee that is otherwise validly granted under the Plan.

(b) Committee Authority. Subject to the provisions of the Plan and Applicable Laws, the Committee shall have the sole and plenary authority, in addition to other express powers and authorizations conferred on the Committee by the Plan, to (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant; (iii) determine the number of Shares to be covered by, or with respect to which payments, rights, or other matters are to be calculated in connection with, Awards; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award; (v) determine whether any Award subject to vesting may receive accelerated vesting treatment; (vi) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances Awards may be settled in, or exercised for, cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited, or suspended and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled, forfeited, or suspended; (vii) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances the delivery of cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards, or other property and other amounts payable with respect to an Award shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the Participant or of the Committee; (viii) interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any defect in and/or supply any omission in the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to, or Award granted under, the Plan; (ix) establish, amend, suspend, or waive any rules and regulations and appoint such agents as the Committee shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; (x) amend outstanding Awards subject to the provisions of Section 11(b) for the Plan; adopt Sub-Plans; and (xi) make adjustments to the Plan Share Reserve in accordance with this Plan, (xii)make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan, including to accommodate any specific requirements of local laws, regulations, and procedures for any jurisdiction.

(c) Delegation. Except to the extent prohibited by Applicable Laws, the Committee may allocate all or any portion of its responsibilities and powers to any one or more of its members and may delegate all or any part of its responsibilities and powers to any person or persons selected by it. Any such allocation or delegation may be revoked by the Committee at any time. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee may delegate to one or more officers of any member of the Company Group, the authority to act on behalf of the Committee with respect to any matter, right, obligation, or election which is the responsibility of, or which is allocated to, the Committee herein, and which may be so delegated as a matter of law, except with respect to grants of Awards to persons (i) who are Non-Employee Directors, or (ii) who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

(d) Finality of Decisions. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations, and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all Persons, including, without limitation, any member of the Company Group, any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award, and any stockholder of the Company.

(e) Indemnification. No member of the Board, the Committee or any employee or agent of any member of the Company Group (each such Person, an “Indemnifiable Person”) shall be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken or any determination made with respect to the Plan or any Award hereunder (unless constituting fraud or a willful criminal act or omission). Each Indemnifiable Person shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense (including attorneys’ fees) that may be imposed upon or incurred by such Indemnifiable Person in connection with or resulting from any action, suit or proceeding to which such Indemnifiable Person may be a party or in which such Indemnifiable Person may be involved by reason of any action taken or omitted to be taken or determination made with respect to the Plan or any Award hereunder and against and from any and all amounts paid by such Indemnifiable Person with the Company’s approval, in settlement thereof, or paid by such Indemnifiable Person in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding against such Indemnifiable Person, and the Company shall advance to such Indemnifiable Person any such expenses promptly upon written request (which request shall include an undertaking by the Indemnifiable Person to repay the amount of such advance if it shall ultimately be determined, as provided below, that the Indemnifiable Person is not entitled to be indemnified); provided, that the Company shall have the right, at its own expense, to assume and defend any such action, suit or proceeding and once the Company gives notice of its intent to assume the defense, the Company shall have sole control over such defense with counsel of the Company’s choice. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be available to an Indemnifiable Person to the extent that a final judgment or other final adjudication (in either case not subject to further appeal) binding upon such Indemnifiable Person determines that the acts, omissions or determinations of such Indemnifiable Person giving rise to the indemnification claim resulted from such Indemnifiable Person’s fraud or willful criminal act or omission or that such right of indemnification is otherwise prohibited by law or by the organizational documents of any member of the Company Group. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of or otherwise supersede any other rights of indemnification to which such Indemnifiable Persons may be entitled under the organizational documents of any member of the Company Group, as a matter of law, under an individual indemnification agreement or contract or otherwise, or any other power that the Company may have to indemnify such Indemnifiable Persons or hold such Indemnifiable Persons harmless.

(f) Board Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Plan, the Board may, in its sole discretion, at any time and from time to time, grant Awards and administer the Plan with respect to such Awards. Any such actions by the Board shall be subject to Applicable Laws. In any such case, the Board shall have all the authority granted to the Committee under the Plan.

5. Grant of Awards; Shares Subject to the Plan; Limitations.

(a) Grants. The Committee may, from time to time, grant Awards to one or more Eligible Persons.

(b) Share Reserve. Subject to Section 11 of the Plan, the aggregate number of Shares which may be issued or transferred pursuant to Awards under the Plan shall be equal to up to twenty percent (20%) of shares of outstanding common stock of the Company existing as of December 31^st of the previous calendar year (the “Plan Share Reserve”), and from and after the Effective Date, no further grants shall be made under the Prior Plans. Further, the number of Shares underlying any award granted under any stock incentive plans adopted by the Company prior to October 6, 2021 (the “Prior Plans”) that expires, terminates or is canceled or forfeited for any reason whatsoever under the terms of the Prior Plans, shall increase the Plan Share Reserve. Each Award granted under the Plan will reduce the Plan Share Reserve by the number of Shares underlying the Award and the Plan Share Reserve may be adjusted by the Compensation Committee to include up to twenty percent (20%) of shares of outstanding common stock of the Company existing as of December 31^st of the previous calendar year.

(c) Additional Limits. Subject to Section 11 of the Plan, no more than 10,000,000 Shares may be issued in the aggregate pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan. The maximum number of Shares subject to Awards granted during a single fiscal year to any Non-Employee Director, taken together with any cash fees paid to such Non-Employee Director during the fiscal year, shall not exceed USD 600,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such Awards based on the grant date fair value of such Awards for financial reporting purposes).

(d) Share Counting. Other than with respect to Substitute Awards, to the extent that an Award expires or is canceled, forfeited, or terminated without issuance to the Participant of the full number of Shares to which the Award related, the unissued shares will be returned for future grant under the Plan. Shares that have actually been issued under the Plan under any Award will not be returned to the Plan and will not become available for issuance under the Plan.. Shares withheld in payment of the Exercise Price or Tax-Related Items with respect to Awards will be returned to the Plan Share Reserve for future grants of Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Plan Share Reserve. To the extent an award under the Plan is paid out in cash rather than Shares, such cash payment shall not reduce the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan Share Reserve

(e) Source of Shares. Shares issued by the Company in settlement of Awards may be authorized and unissued shares, shares held in the treasury of the Company, shares purchased on the open market or by private purchase or a combination of the foregoing.

(f) Substitute Awards. Awards may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, be granted under the Plan in assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by an entity directly or indirectly acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines (“Substitute Awards”). Substitute Awards shall not be counted against the Plan Share Reserve; provided, that Substitute Awards issued in connection with the assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding options intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code shall be counted against the aggregate number of Shares available for Awards of Incentive Stock Options under the Plan. Subject to applicable stock exchange requirements, available shares under a stockholder-approved plan of an entity directly or indirectly acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines (as appropriately adjusted to reflect the acquisition or combination transaction) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan.

6. Eligibility. Participation in the Plan shall be limited to Eligible Persons.

7. Options.

(a) General. Each Option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which agreement need not be the same for each Participant. Each Option so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. All Options granted under the Plan shall be Nonqualified Stock Options unless the applicable Award Agreement expressly states that the Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option. Incentive Stock Options shall be granted only to Eligible Persons who are employees of a member of the Company Group, and no Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to any Eligible Person who is ineligible to receive an Incentive Stock Option under the Code. No Option shall be treated as an Incentive Stock Option unless the Plan has been approved by the stockholders of the Company in a manner intended to comply with the stockholder approval requirements of Section 422(b)(1) of the Code, provided that any Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall not fail to be effective solely on account of a failure to obtain such approval, but rather such Option shall be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option unless and until such approval is obtained. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the terms and conditions of such grant shall be subject to, and comply with, such rules as may be prescribed by Section 422 of the Code. If for any reason an Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option (or any portion thereof) shall not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, then, to the extent of such nonqualification, such Option or portion thereof shall be regarded as a Nonqualified Stock Option appropriately granted under the Plan.

(b) Exercise Price. Except as otherwise provided by the Committee in the case of Substitute Awards, the exercise price (“Exercise Price”) per Share for each Option shall not be less than 100% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value of such Share; provided, however, that in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to an employee who, at the time of the grant of such Option, owns stock representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock of any member of the Company Group that also qualifies as a “subsidiary corporation” under Section 424(f) of the Code, the Exercise Price per Share shall not be less than 110% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value per Share.

(i) Options shall vest and become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates or upon such event or events as determined by the Committee.

(ii) Options shall expire upon a date determined by the Committee, not to exceed ten (10) years from the Date of Grant (the “Option Period”); provided, that if the Option Period (other than in the case of an Incentive Stock Option) would expire at a time when trading in the Shares is prohibited by Applicable Laws, then the Option Period shall be automatically extended until the thirtieth (30^th) day following the expiration of such prohibition. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall the Option Period exceed five (5) years from the Date of Grant in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Participant who on the Date of Grant owns stock representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any member of the Company Group that qualifies as a “subsidiary corporation” under Section 424(f) of the Code.

(d) Method of Exercise and Form of Payment. No Shares shall be issued pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in full of the Exercise Price therefore is received by the Company and the Participant has paid to the Company (or one or more of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, as applicable) an amount equal to any Tax-Related Items. Options that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of a notice of exercise in such form and accordance with such procedures as the Committee may specify from time to time accompanied by payment of the Exercise Price. The Exercise Price shall be payable: (i) in cash, check, cash equivalent and/or Shares valued at the Fair Market Value at the time the Option is exercised (including, pursuant to procedures approved by the Committee, by means of attestation of ownership of a sufficient number of Shares in lieu of actual issuance of such shares to the Company); provided, that such Shares are not subject to any pledge or other security interest and have been held by the Participant for at least six (6) months (or such other period as established from time to time by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment applying generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”)); or (ii) by such other method as the Committee may permit, in its sole discretion, including, without limitation (A) in other property having a fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the Exercise Price; (B) by means of a broker-assisted “cashless exercise” pursuant to which the Company is delivered (including telephonically to the extent permitted by the Committee) a copy of irrevocable instructions to a stockbroker to sell the Shares otherwise issuable upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the Exercise Price; or (C) a “net exercise” procedure effected by withholding the minimum number of Shares otherwise issuable in respect of an Option that are needed to pay the Exercise Price. The permissible methods of payment of the Exercise Price with respect to a particular Option grant may be specified in the applicable Award Agreement. Any fractional Shares shall be settled in cash.

(e) Notification upon Disqualifying Disposition of an Incentive Stock Option. Each Participant awarded an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan shall notify the Company in writing immediately after the date the Participant makes a disqualifying disposition of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Incentive Stock Option. A disqualifying disposition is any disposition (including, without limitation, any sale) of such Shares before the later of (i) the date that is two (2) years after the Date of Grant of the Incentive Stock Option, or (ii) the date that is one (1) year after the date of exercise of the Incentive Stock Option. The Company may, if determined by the Committee and in accordance with procedures established by the Committee, retain possession, as agent for the applicable Participant, of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option until the end of the period described in the preceding sentence, subject to complying with any instructions from such Participant as to the sale of such Shares.

8. Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.

(a) General. Each grant of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Unit so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 8, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement.

(b) Book-Entry; Escrow or Similar Arrangement. Upon the grant of Restricted Stock, the Committee shall cause Share(s) to be held in book-entry form subject to the Company’s directions and, if the Committee determines that the Restricted Stock shall be held by the Company or in escrow rather than issued to the Participant pending the release of the applicable restrictions, the Committee may require the Participant to additionally execute and deliver to the Company (i) an escrow agreement satisfactory to the Committee, if applicable; and (ii) the appropriate stock power (endorsed in blank) with respect to the Restricted Stock covered by such agreement. Subject to the restrictions set forth in this Section 8, Section 13(c) of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement, a Participant generally shall have the rights and privileges of a stockholder as to shares of Restricted Stock, including, without limitation, the right to vote such Restricted Stock. To the extent shares of Restricted Stock are forfeited, all rights of the Participant to such shares and as a stockholder with respect thereto shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company. A Participant shall have no rights or privileges as a stockholder as to Restricted Stock Units.

(c) Vesting. Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall vest, and any applicable Restricted Period shall lapse, in such manner and on such date or dates or upon such event or events as determined by the Committee.

(d) Issuance of Restricted Stock and Settlement of Restricted Stock Units.

(i) Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any shares of Restricted Stock, the restrictions set forth in the applicable Award Agreement shall be of no further force or effect with respect to such shares, except as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If an escrow arrangement is used, upon such expiration, the Company shall issue to the Participant, or the Participant’s beneficiary, without charge, the shares of Restricted Stock which have not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (rounded down to the nearest full share).

(ii) Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award Agreement or otherwise, upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any outstanding Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall issue to the Participant or the Participant’s beneficiary, without charge, one (1) Share (or other securities or other property, as applicable) for each such outstanding Restricted Stock Unit; provided, however, that the Committee may, in its sole discretion, elect to (A) pay cash or part cash and part Shares in lieu of issuing only Shares in respect of such Restricted Stock Units; or (B) defer the issuance of Shares (or cash or part cash and part Shares, as the case may be) beyond the expiration of the Restricted Period if such extension would not cause adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code. If a cash payment is made in lieu of issuing Shares in respect of such Restricted Stock Units, the amount of such payment shall be equal to the Fair Market Value per Share as of the date upon which the Restricted Stock Units are settled. Unless the Committee provides otherwise, any fractional Shares may be settled in cash or rounded to the next whole number of Shares, in the sole discretion of the Company.

9. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

(a) General. Each SAR granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which agreement need not be the same for each Participant. Each SAR so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 9, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement.

(b) SAR Base Price. Except as otherwise provided by the Committee in the case of Substitute Awards, the SAR Base Price for each SAR shall not be less than 100% of the Grant Date Fair Market Value of such Share.

(i) SARs shall vest and become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates or upon such event or events as determined by the Committee.

(ii) SARs shall expire upon a date determined by the Committee, not to exceed ten (10) years from the Date of Grant.

(d) Time and Conditions of Exercise. A SAR shall entitle the Participant (or other person entitled to exercise the SAR pursuant to the Plan) to exercise all or a specified portion of the SAR (to the extent then exercisable pursuant to its terms) and to receive from the Company an amount equal to the excess of the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date the SAR is exercised over the SAR Base Price, less applicable Tax-Related Items, subject to any limitations the Committee may impose.Payment of the amounts determined under this Section 9(d) shall be in cash, in Shares (based on the Fair Market Value of the Shares as of the date the SAR is exercised) or a combination of both, as determined by the Committee in the Award Agreement. Any fractional Shares shall be settled in cash. SARs that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of a notice of exercise to the Company (in such form as the Committee may specify from time to time). Until the Shares are issued (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company), no dividends or Dividend Equivalent Right shall be paid, and no right to vote or receive dividends or Dividend Equivalent Rights or any other rights as a shareholder shall exist with respect to the Shares subject to a SAR, notwithstanding the exercise of the SAR.

(e) Tandem SARs. A SAR may be granted in connection with an Option, either at the time of grant or at any time thereafter during the term of the Option. A SAR granted in connection with an Option will entitle the holder, upon exercise, to surrender the Option or any portion thereof to the extent unexercised, with respect to the number of Shares as to which such SAR is exercised, and to receive payment of an amount computed as described in Section 9(d). The Option shall, to the extent and when surrendered, cease to be exercisable. A SAR granted in connection with an Option hereunder will have a SAR Base Price equal to the Exercise Price of the Option, will be exercisable at such time or times, and only to the extent, that the related Option is exercisable, and will expire no later than the related Option expires. If a related Option is exercised in whole or in part, then the SAR related to the Shares purchased terminates as of the date of such exercise.

10. Other Equity-Based Awards. The Committee may grant Other Equity-Based Awards under the Plan, denominated in Shares or based upon the value or otherwise related to the Shares, to Eligible Persons, alone or in tandem with other Awards, in such amounts and, dependent on such other conditions as the Committee shall from time to time in its sole discretion determine. Each Other Equity-Based Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement and shall be subject to such conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement.

11. Changes in Capital Structure and Similar Events. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan to the contrary, the following provisions shall apply to all Awards granted hereunder:

(a) General. In the event of (i) any dividend (other than regular cash dividends) or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, split-off, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event that affects the Shares (including a Change in Control); or (ii) unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Company, including changes in Applicable Laws, that the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, could result in substantial dilution or enlargement of the rights intended to be granted to, or available for, Participants (any event in (i) or (ii), an “Adjustment Event”), the Committee shall, in respect of any such Adjustment Event, make such proportionate substitution or adjustment, if any, as it deems equitable, to any or all of (A) the Plan Share Reserve, or any other limit applicable under the Plan with respect to the number of Awards which may be granted hereunder; (B) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or other property) which may be issued in respect of Awards or with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan or any Sub-Plan; and (C) the terms of any outstanding Award, including, without limitation, (I) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or other property) subject to outstanding Awards or to which outstanding Awards relate; (II) the Exercise Price or SAR Base Price with respect to any Option or SAR, as applicable or any amount payable as a condition of issuance of Shares (in the case of any other Award); or (III) any applicable performance measures; provided, that in the case of any “equity restructuring” (within the meaning of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (or any successor pronouncement thereto)), the Committee shall make an equitable or proportionate adjustment to outstanding Awards to reflect such equity restructuring.

(b) Change in Control. In the event of a Change in Control, without limiting the foregoing and unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, the following provisions shall apply.

(i) Outstanding Awards with Time-Based Vesting. All outstanding Awards subject to vesting based on the Participant’s continued service over a period of time (“Time-Based Awards”) shall be assumed by the surviving or acquiring entity, or its Affiliates (the “Continuing Entity”), or substituted for new cash or equity-based awards of such Continuing Entity, as provided in the merger or acquisition agreement, or if no such assumption or substitution is provided for, all outstanding Time-Based Awards shall become fully vested and, to the extent applicable, exercisable and all forfeiture restrictions on such Awards shall lapse. To the extent that any Time-Based Awards are to be assumed or substituted, the Committee may provide that the vesting of any unvested portion of any one or more of such Awards will automatically accelerate upon a Participant’s Qualifying Termination.

(ii) Outstanding Awards with Performance-Based Vesting. All outstanding unvested Awards subject to vesting based on the achievement of performance criteria (“Performance-Based Awards”) shall vest in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Award Agreement.

(iii) Cancellation of Awards. In connection with a Change in Control, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, but shall not be obligated to, provide for cancellation of all or any portion of any one or more outstanding Awards and payment to the holders of such Awards, with respect to the portion of such Awards that are vested as of such cancellation (including, without limitation, any Awards that would vest in accordance with the terms of such Award or in accordance with this Section 11(b)(i) or (ii) hereof, as applicable), the value of the vested portion of such Awards, if any, as determined by the Committee (which value, if applicable, may be based upon the per-share consideration received or to be received by the holders of the Shares upon the occurrence of the Change in Control (the “Change in Control Consideration”), including, without limitation, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Change in Control Consideration over the per-share Exercise Price or SAR Base Price, as applicable, of such Option or SAR, multiplied by the number of Shares underlying the vested portion of each such Option or SAR. Payments to holders with respect to the vested portion of such cancelled Awards pursuant to this Section 11(b)(iii) shall be made in cash or, in the sole discretion of the Committee, in such other form of consideration necessary for such holders to receive the property, cash, securities, and/or other consideration (or any combination thereof) as such holders would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of the Change in Control as if such holders had been, immediately prior to such Change in Control, the holder of the number of Shares covered by the vested portion of such cancelled Awards (less any applicable Exercise Price or SAR Base Price). The unvested portion of any outstanding Award, and the vested portion of any Option or SAR having an Exercise or Strike Price equal to, or in excess of, the Change in Control Consideration, may be canceled and terminated without any payment or consideration therefor.

For purposes of Section 11(b)(i) above, the assumption or substitution of an Award may include conversion of the Shares underlying such Award into shares of the Continuing Entity, or, subject to any limitations or reductions as may be necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code, into cash, property or other securities having an equivalent value as the Award, which conversion shall not affect any continued vesting requirements of the Award (other than as provided in Clause (i) above upon a Participant’s Qualifying Termination). For the avoidance of doubt, any such substitution of an Award shall not provide for the acceleration of any vesting requirements of the Award (other than as provided in Clause (i) above upon a Participant’s Qualifying Termination) and no Awards shall vest solely as a result of such assumption or substitution.

(c) Other Requirements. Prior to any payment or adjustment contemplated under this Section 11, the Committee may require a Participant to (i) represent and warrant as to the unencumbered title to the Participant’s Awards; (ii) bear such Participant’s pro rata share of any post-closing indemnity obligations, and be subject to the same post-closing purchase price adjustments, escrow terms, offset rights, holdback terms, and similar conditions as the other holders of Common Stock, subject to any limitations or reductions as may be necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code; and (iii) deliver customary transfer documentation as reasonably determined by the Committee.

(d) Fractional Shares. Any adjustment provided under this Section 11 may provide for the elimination of any fractional share that might otherwise become subject to an Award.

(e) Binding Effect. Any adjustment, substitution, determination of value or other action taken by the Committee under this Section 11 shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes.

12. Amendments and Termination.

(a) Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Board or the Committee may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided, that no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination shall be made without stockholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with Applicable Laws; provided, further, that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary, except that no such consent shall be required to the extent that the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, that any such action is necessary or desirable to facilitate compliance with Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment shall be made to Section 12(c) of the Plan without stockholder approval.

(b) Amendment of Award Agreements. The Committee may, to the extent consistent with the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, any Award theretofore granted or the associated Award Agreement, prospectively or retroactively (including after a Participant’s Termination); provided, that, other than pursuant to Section 11, any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant with respect to any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant, except that no such consent shall be required to the extent that the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, that any such action is necessary or desirable to facilitate compliance with Applicable Laws.

(c) No Repricing. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, without stockholder approval, except as otherwise permitted under Section 11 of the Plan, (i) no amendment or modification may reduce the Exercise Price of any Option or the SAR Base Price of any SAR; (ii) the Committee may not cancel any outstanding Option or SAR and replace it with a new Option or SAR (with a lower Exercise Price or SAR Base Price, as the case may be) or other Award or cash payment that is greater than the intrinsic value (if any) of the cancelled Option or SAR; and (iii) the Committee may not take any other action which is considered a “repricing” for purposes of the stockholder approval rules of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the securities of the Company are listed or quoted.

13. General.

(a) Award Agreements. Each Award under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which shall be delivered to the Participant to whom such Award was granted and shall specify the terms and conditions of the Award and any rules applicable thereto, including, without limitation, the effect on such Award of the death, Disability or Termination of a Participant, or of such other events as may be determined by the Committee. For purposes of the Plan, an Award Agreement may be in any such form (written or electronic) as determined by the Committee (including, without limitation, a Board or Committee resolution, an employment agreement, a notice, a certificate or a letter) evidencing the Award. The Committee need not require an Award Agreement to be signed by the Participant or a duly authorized representative of the Company.

(b) Nontransferability.

(i) Each Award shall be exercisable only by such Participant to whom such Award was granted during the Participant’s lifetime, or, if permissible under Applicable Laws, by the Participant’s legal guardian or representative. No Award may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant (unless such transfer is specifically required pursuant to a domestic relations order or by Applicable Laws) other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against any member of the Company Group; provided, that the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance.

(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing and subject to Applicable Laws, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit Awards (other than Incentive Stock Options) to be transferred by a Participant residing in the U.S., without consideration, subject to such rules as the Committee may adopt consistent with any applicable Award Agreement to preserve the purposes of the Plan, to (A) any person who is a “family member” of the Participant, as such term is used in the instructions to Form S-8 under the Securities Act or any successor form of registration statement promulgated by the SEC (collectively, the “Immediate Family Members”); (B) a trust solely for the benefit of the Participant and the Participant’s Immediate Family Members; (C) a partnership or limited liability company whose only partners or stockholders are the Participant and the Participant’s Immediate Family Members; or (D) a beneficiary to whom donations are eligible to be treated as “charitable contributions” for federal income tax purposes (each transferee described in clauses (A), (B), (C) and (D) above is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Transferee”); provided, that the Participant gives the Committee advance written notice describing the terms and conditions of the proposed transfer and the Committee notifies the Participant in writing that such a transfer would comply with the requirements of the Plan. For the avoidance of doubt, Awards granted to Participants residing outside the U.S. are not transferable to Permitted Transferees.

(iii) The terms of any Award transferred in accordance with clause (ii) above shall apply to the Permitted Transferee and any reference in the Plan, or in any applicable Award Agreement, to a Participant shall be deemed to refer to the Permitted Transferee, except that (A) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to transfer any Award, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution; (B) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to exercise any transferred Option unless there shall be in effect a registration statement on an appropriate form covering the Shares to be acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Option if the Committee determines, consistent with any applicable Award Agreement, that such a registration statement is necessary or appropriate; (C) neither the Committee nor the Company shall be required to provide any notice to a Permitted Transferee, whether or not such notice is or would otherwise have been required to be given to the Participant under the Plan or otherwise; and (D) the consequences of a Participant’s Termination under the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement shall continue to be applied with respect to the Participant, including, without limitation, that an Option shall be exercisable by the Permitted Transferee only to the extent, and for the periods, specified in the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.

(i) The Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant Dividend Equivalent Rights, payable in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, on a current or deferred basis, on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, including, without limitation, payment directly to the Participant, withholding of such amounts by the Company subject to vesting of the Award or reinvestment in additional Shares.

(ii) Any dividend or Dividend Equivalent Right otherwise payable in respect of any Share of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Unit (or other full-value Award) that remains subject to vesting conditions at the time of payment of such dividend shall not be paid to the Participant to the extent the underlying Award does not vest.

(d) Tax Withholding. The Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates shall be entitled to withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company or one or more of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, as applicable, the amount of any Tax-Related Items attributable to any Awards. The Company may defer making payment or delivery of Shares under an Award if any such Tax-Related Items may be pending unless and until indemnified to its satisfaction, and the Company shall have no liability to any Participant for exercising the foregoing right. The Committee may, in its sole discretion and subject to such rules as it may adopt, permit or require a Participant to pay all or a portion of the Tax-Related Items arising in connection with an Award by, without limitation: (i) having the Participant pay an amount in cash (by check or wire transfer), (ii) having the Company withhold Shares otherwise issuable pursuant to the Award that have an aggregate Fair Market Value approximately equal to the amount to be withheld, (iii) the delivery of Shares (which are not subject to any pledge or other security interest) that have been both held by the Participant and vested for at least six (6) months (or such other period as established from time to time by the Committee to avoid adverse accounting treatment under applicable accounting standards) having an aggregate Fair Market Value approximately equal to the amount to be withheld, (iii) selling Shares issued pursuant to such Award and having the Company withhold from the proceeds of the sale of such Shares, (v) having the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate, as applicable, withhold from any cash compensation payable to the Participant, (vi) requiring the Participant to repay the Company or Subsidiary or Affiliate, as applicable, in cash or in Shares, for Tax-Related Items paid on the Participant’s behalf, or (vii) any other method of withholding determined by the Committee that is permissible under Applicable Laws.

(e) No Claim to Awards; No Rights to Continued Employment; Waiver. No employee of any member of the Company Group, or other Person, shall have any claim or right to be granted an Award under the Plan or, having been selected for the grant of an Award, to be selected for a grant of any other Award. There is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant and may be made selectively among Participants, whether or not such Participants are similarly situated. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Participant any right to be retained in the employ or service of the Service Recipient or any other member of the Company Group, nor shall it be construed as giving any Participant any rights to continued service on the Board. The Service Recipient or any other member of the Company Group may at any time dismiss a Participant from employment or discontinue any consulting relationship, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or any Award Agreement. By accepting an Award under the Plan, a Participant shall thereby be deemed to have waived any claim to continued exercise or vesting of an Award or to damages or severance entitlement related to non-continuation of the Award beyond the period provided under the Plan or any Award Agreement, except to the extent of any provision to the contrary in any written employment contract or other agreement between the Service Recipient and/or any member of the Company Group and the Participant, whether any such agreement is executed before, on or after the Date of Grant.

(f) International Participants. With respect to Participants who reside or work outside of the U.S., the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of the Plan and create or amend Sub-Plans or amend outstanding Awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the requirements of local law, to obtain more favorable tax or other treatment for a Participant or any member of the Company Group, or to facilitate administration of the Plan.

(g) Termination. Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, unless determined otherwise by the Committee at any point following such event: (i) neither a temporary absence from employment or service due to illness, vacation or leave of absence nor a transfer from employment or service with one member of the Company Group to employment or service with another member of the Company Group (or vice-versa) shall be considered a Termination; and (ii) if a Participant undergoes a Termination of employment, but such Participant continues to provide services to the Company Group in a non-employee capacity, such change in status shall not be considered a Termination for purposes of the Plan. Further, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in the event that any Service Recipient ceases to be a member of the Company Group (by reason of sale, divestiture, spin-off or other similar transaction), unless a Participant’s employment or service is transferred to another entity that would constitute a member of the Company Group immediately following such transaction, such Participant shall be deemed to have suffered a Termination hereunder as of the date of the consummation of such transaction.

(h) No Rights as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Plan or any Award Agreement, no Person shall be entitled to the privileges of ownership in respect of Shares which are subject to Awards hereunder until such shares have been issued or delivered to such Person.

(i) Government and Other Regulations.

(i) The obligation of the Company to settle Awards in Shares or other consideration shall be subject to all Applicable Laws and to such approvals by governmental or regulatory agencies as may be required. Notwithstanding any terms or conditions of any Award to the contrary, the Company shall be under no obligation to offer to sell or to sell, and shall be prohibited from offering to sell or selling, any Shares pursuant to an Award unless such Shares have been properly registered for sale pursuant to the Securities Act or other applicable securities laws or unless the Company has received an opinion of counsel (if the Company has requested such an opinion), satisfactory to the Company, that such Shares may be offered or sold without such registration pursuant to an available exemption therefrom and the terms and conditions of such exemption have been fully complied with. The Company shall be under no obligation to register for sale under the Securities Act or other applicable securities laws any of the Shares to be offered or sold under the Plan. The Committee shall have the authority to provide that all Shares issued under the Plan shall be subject to such stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan, the applicable Award Agreement, the Federal securities laws, or the rules, regulations and other requirements of the SEC, any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the securities of the Company are listed or quoted and any other Applicable Laws and other requirements, and, without limiting the generality of Section 8 of the Plan, the Committee may cause such Shares issued under the Plan in book-entry form to be held subject to the Company’s instructions or subject to appropriate stop-transfer orders. Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, the Committee reserves the right to add any additional terms or provisions to any Award granted under the Plan that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or advisable in order that such Award complies with the legal requirements of any governmental entity or regulatory agency to whose jurisdiction the Award is subject.

(ii) The Committee may cancel an Award or any portion thereof if it determines, in its sole discretion, that legal or contractual restrictions and/or blockage and/or other market considerations would make the Company’s acquisition of Shares from the public markets, the Company’s issuance of Common Stock to the Participant, the Participant’s acquisition of Common Stock from the Company and/or the Participant’s sale of Common Stock to the public markets, illegal, impracticable or inadvisable. If the Committee determines to cancel all or any portion of an Award in accordance with the foregoing, the Company shall, subject to any limitations or reductions as may be necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code, (A) in the case of Options or SARs, provide the Participant with a cash payment or grant of Shares, subject to deferred vesting and delivery consistent with the vesting restrictions applicable to such Award, equal to the excess of (I) the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Award or portion thereof canceled (determined as of the applicable exercise date, or the date that the Shares would have been vested or issued, as applicable); over (II) the aggregate Exercise Price or SAR Base Price (in the case of an Option or SAR, respectively) or any amount payable to the Company as a condition of issuance of Shares (in the case of any other Award), or (B) in the case of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units or Other Equity-Based Awards that are full value Awards, provide the Participant with a cash payment or grant of Shares, subject to deferred vesting and delivery consistent with the vesting restrictions applicable to such Award, equal to the value of such Award or the underlying shares in respect thereof.

(j) No Section 83(b) Elections Without Consent of Company. No election under Section 83(b) of the Code or under a similar provision of law may be made unless expressly permitted by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement or by action of the Committee in writing prior to the making of such election. If a Participant, in connection with the acquisition of Shares under the Plan or otherwise, is expressly permitted to make such election and the Participant makes the election, the Participant shall notify the Company of such election within ten (10) days after filing notice of the election with the Internal Revenue Service or other governmental authority, in addition to any filing and notification required pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code or other applicable provision.

(k) Payments to Persons Other Than Participants. If the Committee shall find that any Person to whom any amount is payable under the Plan is unable to care for the Participant’s affairs because of illness or accident, or is a minor, or has died, then any payment due to such Person or the Participant’s estate (unless a prior claim therefor has been made by a duly appointed legal representative) may, if the Committee so directs the Company, be paid to the Participant’s spouse, child, relative, an institution maintaining or having custody of such Person, or any other Person deemed by the Committee to be a proper recipient on behalf of such Person otherwise entitled to payment. Any such payment shall be a complete discharge of the liability of the Committee and the Company therefor.

(l) Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of equity-based awards otherwise than under the Plan, and such arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.

(m) No Trust or Fund Created. Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between any member of the Company Group, on the one hand, and a Participant or other Person, on the other hand. No provision of the Plan or any Award shall require the Company, for the purpose of satisfying any obligations under the Plan, to purchase assets or place any assets in a trust or other entity to which contributions are made or otherwise to segregate any assets, nor shall the Company be obligated to maintain separate bank accounts, books, records or other evidence of the existence of a segregated or separately maintained or administered fund for such purposes. Participants shall have no rights under the Plan other than as unsecured general creditors of the Company, except that insofar as they may have become entitled to payment of additional compensation by performance of services, they shall have the same rights as other service providers under general law.

(n) Reliance on Reports. Each member of the Committee and each member of the Board shall be fully justified in acting or failing to act, as the case may be, and shall not be liable for having so acted or failed to act in good faith, in reliance upon any report made by the independent public accountant of any member of the Company Group and/or any other information furnished in connection with the Plan by any agent of the Company or the Committee or the Board, other than himself or herself.

(o) Relationship to Other Benefits. No payment under the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, profit sharing, group insurance or other benefit plan of the Company except as otherwise specifically provided in such other plan or as required by Applicable Laws.

(p) Governing Law. The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Texas applicable to contracts made and performed wholly within the State of Texas, without giving effect to the conflict of laws provisions thereof. EACH PARTICIPANT WHO ACCEPTS AN AWARD IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUIT, ACTION, OR OTHER PROCEEDING INSTITUTED BY OR AGAINST SUCH PARTICIPANT IN RESPECT OF THE PARTICIPANT’S RIGHTS OR OBLIGATIONS HEREUNDER.

(q) Severability. If any provision of the Plan or any Award or Award Agreement is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or as to any Person or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the Applicable Laws, or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be construed or deemed stricken as to such jurisdiction, Person or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award shall remain in full force and effect.

(r) Obligations Binding on Successors. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon any successor corporation or organization resulting from the merger, consolidation or other reorganization of the Company, or upon any successor corporation or organization succeeding to substantially all of the assets and business of the Company.

(s) Section 409A of the Code.

(i) Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan or Award Agreement to the contrary, it is intended that the provisions of the Plan comply with Section 409A of the Code, and all provisions of the Plan shall be construed and interpreted in a manner consistent with the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code. Each Participant is solely responsible and liable for the satisfaction of all taxes and penalties that may be imposed on or in respect of such Participant in connection with the Plan (including any taxes and penalties under Section 409A of the Code), and neither the Service Recipient nor any other member of the Company Group shall have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold such Participant (or any beneficiary) harmless from any or all of such taxes or penalties. With respect to any Award that is considered “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code, references in the Plan to “termination of employment” (and substantially similar phrases) shall mean “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, each of the payments that may be made in respect of any Award granted under the Plan is designated as separate a payment.

(ii) Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or Award Agreement to the contrary, if a Participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, no payments in respect of any Awards that are “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code and which would otherwise be payable on the date of or a date or period that is by reference to the Participant’s “separation from service” (as defined in Section 409A of the Code) shall be made to such Participant prior to the date that is six (6) months after the date of such Participant’s “separation from service” or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death. Unless the Award Agreement provides otherwise, following any applicable six (6) month delay, all such delayed payments will be paid in a single lump sum on the earliest date permitted under Section 409A of the Code that is also a business day.

(iii) Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award Agreement or otherwise, in the event that the timing of payments in respect of any Award (that would otherwise be considered “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code) would be accelerated upon the occurrence of (A) a Change in Control, no such acceleration shall be permitted unless the event giving rise to the Change in Control satisfies the definition of a change in the ownership or effective control of a corporation, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of a corporation pursuant to Section 409A of the Code; or (B) a Disability, no such acceleration shall be permitted unless the Disability also satisfies the definition of “Disability” pursuant to Section 409A of the Code.

(t) Clawback/Repayment. All Awards shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment to the extent necessary to comply with (i) any clawback, forfeiture or other similar policy adopted by the Board or the Committee as in effect at the time of the applicable Award grant; and (ii) Applicable Laws. Further, to the extent that the Participant receives any amount in excess of the amount that the Participant should otherwise have received under the terms of the Award for any reason (including, without limitation, by reason of a financial restatement, mistake in calculations or other administrative error), the Participant shall be required to repay any such excess amount to the Company.

(u) Detrimental Activity. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if a Participant has engaged in any Detrimental Activity, as determined by the Committee, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide for one or more of the following:

(i) cancellation of any or all of such Participant’s outstanding Awards; and

(ii) forfeiture and prompt repayment to the Company by the Participant, of any gain realized on the vesting, exercise or settlement of any Awards previously granted to such Participant.

(v) Right of Offset. The Company will have the right to offset against its obligation to deliver Shares (or other property or cash) under the Plan or any Award Agreement any outstanding amounts (including, without limitation, travel and entertainment or advance account balances, loans, repayment obligations under any Awards, or amounts repayable to the Company pursuant to tax equalization, housing, automobile or other employee programs) that the Participant then owes to any member of the Company Group and any amounts the Committee otherwise deems appropriate pursuant to any tax equalization policy or agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Award is “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Committee will have no right to offset against its obligation to deliver Shares (or other property or cash) under the Plan or any Award Agreement unless such offset can be implemented in a manner that does not subject the Participant to the additional tax imposed under Section 409A of the Code in respect of an outstanding Award.

(w) Expenses; Titles and Headings. The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company Group. The titles and headings of the sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only, and in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings, shall control.

(x) Compliance With Laws, etc. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall a Participant be permitted to exercise or be issued Shares under an Award in a manner which the Committee determines would violate the Applicable Laws.

(y) Waiver. A waiver by the Company of breach of any provision of the Plan shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of the Plan, or of any subsequent breach by any Participant.