EX-10.1 3 lb083_ex10-1.htm EXHIBIT 10.1

Exhibit 10.1

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

This Securities Purchase Agreement (as amended, supplemented, restated and/or modified from time to time, this “Agreement”) is entered into as of February 13, 2023, by and between Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and Crom Cortana Fund LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Investor”).

BACKGROUND

A. The board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) of the Company has authorized the issuance to Investor of the Note (as defined below) and the Warrant (as defined below).

B The Investor desires to purchase the Note and the Warrant on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing recitals and the covenants and agreements set forth herein, and intending hereby to be legally bound, the Company and the Investor hereby agree as follows:

1. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the following meanings specified or indicated below, and such meanings shall be equally applicable to the singular and plural forms of such defined terms:

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

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

“Acquisition” means the acquisition by the Company or any direct or indirect Subsidiary of the Company of a majority of the Equity Interests or substantially all of the assets and business of any Person, whether by direct purchase of Equity Interests, asset purchase, merger, consolidation or like combination.

“Affiliate” means a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified.

“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

“Blue Sky Application” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.3(a).

“Board of Directors” has the meaning set forth in the recitals.

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City.

“Capital Stock” means the Common Stock and any other classes of capital stock of the Company.

“Change of Control” means, with respect to the Company, on or after the date of this Agreement:

(a)

a change in the composition of the Board of Directors of the Company at a single shareholder meeting where a majority of the individuals that were directors of the Company immediately prior to the start of such shareholder meeting are no longer directors at the conclusion of such meeting, without prior written consent of the Investor;

(b)

a change, without prior written consent of the Investor, in the composition of the Board of Directors of the Company prior to the termination of this Agreement where a majority of the individuals that were directors as of the date of this Agreement cease to be directors of the Company prior to the termination of this Agreement;

(c)

other than a shareholder that holds such a position at the date of this Agreement, if a Person comes to have beneficial ownership, control or direction over more than forty percent (40%) of the voting rights attached to any class of voting securities of the Company; or

(d)

the sale or other disposition by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in a single transaction, or in a series of transactions, of all or substantially all of their respective assets.

For purposes of the Transaction Documents the following shall not constitute a “Change of Control”:

(i)

the transfer of beneficial ownership, control or direction of the voting rights attached to any class of voting securities of the Company as a bona fide gift, by will or intestacy or to a family member or trust or other estate planning entity for the benefit of the undersigned or family members (for purposes of this lock-up agreement, “family member” means any relationship by blood, marriage, domestic partnership or adoption, not more remote than first cousin); and

(ii)

the appointment of independent directors as required by the listing standards of any of the NYSE American, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or the New York Stock Exchange (or any successors to any of the foregoing) in connection with the listing of the Common Stock on such trading market.

“Closing” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(b).

“Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(b).

“Commitment Shares” means 25,000 shares of Common Stock issuable in accordance with Section 5.15.

“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share.

“Company” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

“Conversion Shares” means the Common Stock issuable upon the full or any partial conversion of the Note.

“Disclosure Letter” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.

“Effectiveness Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.2(a).

“Equity Interests” means and includes capital stock, membership interests and other similar equity securities, and shall also include warrants or options to purchase capital stock, membership interests or other equity interests.

“Event” means any event, change, development, effect, condition, circumstance, matter, occurrence or state of facts.

“Event of Default” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.

“Exempted Securities” means (a) shares of Common Stock or preferred shares or rights, warrants or options to purchase Common Stock or preferred shares issued as consideration for any Acquisition, (b) equity securities issued by reason of a dividend, stock split, split-up or other distribution on shares Common Stock, (c) shares of Common Stock or rights, warrants or options to purchase shares of Common Stock issued to employees or directors of, or consultants or advisors to, the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to a plan, agreement or arrangement approved by the Board of Directors (“Equity Plans”), (d) securities issuable in connection with the $4,500,000 total financing facility with Live Oak Banking Company, or (e) shares of Common Stock issued upon the exercise or conversion of options or warrants outstanding on the date hereof.

“Funding Amount” means an amount equal to Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars ($800,000).

“GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles.

“HSR Act” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.12.

“Investor” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.

“Investor Group” shall mean the Investor plus any other Person with which the Investor is considered to be part of a group under Section 13 of the 1934 Act or with which the Investor otherwise files reports under Sections 13 and/or 16 of the 1934 Act.

“Investor Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.11(a).

“Investor Shares” means the the Conversion Shares, the Warrant Shares, the Commitment Shares and any other shares issued or issuable to the Investor pursuant to this Agreement, Note or the Warrant.

“IP Rights” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.10.

“Law” means any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree, including, without limitation, any federal and state securities Laws.

“Legend Removal Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.1(c).

“Losses” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.11(a).

“Material Adverse Effect” means any material adverse effect on (i) the businesses, properties, assets, prospects, operations, results of operations or financial condition of the Company, or the Company and the Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (ii) the ability of the Company to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or to perform its obligations hereunder or under the Note or the Warrant; provided, however, that none of the following shall be deemed either alone or in combination to constitute, and none of the following shall be taken into account in determining whether there has been or would be, a Material Adverse Effect: (a) any adverse effect resulting from or arising out of general economic conditions; (b) any adverse effect resulting from or arising out of general conditions in the industries in which the Company and the Subsidiaries operate; (c) any adverse effect resulting from any changes to applicable Law; or (d) any adverse effect resulting from or arising out of any natural disaster or any acts of terrorism, sabotage, military action or war or any escalation or worsening thereof; provided, further, that any event, occurrence, fact, condition or change referred to in clauses (a) through (d) immediately above shall be taken into account in determining whether a Material Adverse Effect has occurred or could reasonably be expected to occur to the extent that such event, occurrence, fact, condition or change has a disproportionate effect on the Company and/or the Subsidiaries compared to other participants in the industries in which the Company and the Subsidiaries operate.

“Maximum Percentage” means 4.99%; provided, that if at any time after the date hereof the Investor Group beneficially owns in excess of 4.99% of any class of Equity Interests in the Company that is registered under the 1934 Act, then the Maximum Percentage shall automatically increase to 9.99% so long as the Investor Group owns in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests (and shall, for the avoidance of doubt, automatically decrease to 4.99% upon the Investor Group ceasing to own in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests).

“Money Laundering Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.25.

“Note” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

“Notice Termination Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.2.

“OFAC” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.23.

“Offer Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1.

“Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.

“Prepayment Right” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

“Press Release” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.10.

“Principal Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

“Proceedings” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.6.

“Prohibited Transaction” means a transaction with a third party or third parties in which the Company issues or sells (or arranges or agrees to issue or sell):

(a) any debt, equity or equity-linked securities (including options or warrants) that are convertible into, exchangeable or exercisable for, or include the right to receive shares of the Company’s Capital Stock:

(i) at a conversion, repayment, exercise or exchange rate or other price that is based on, and/or varies with, a discount to the future trading prices of, or quotations for, shares of Common Stock; or

(ii) at a conversion, repayment, exercise or exchange rate or other price that is subject to being reset at some future date after the initial issuance of such debt, equity or equity-linked security or upon the occurrence of specified or contingent events (other than warrants that may be repriced by the Company); or

(b) any securities in a capital or debt raising transaction or series of related transactions which grant to an investor the right to receive additional securities based upon future transactions of the Company on terms more favorable than those granted to such investor in such first transaction or series of related transactions;

and are deemed to include transactions generally referred to as at-the-market transactions (ATMs) or equity lines of credit and stand-by equity distribution agreements, and convertible securities and loans having a similar effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and for the avoidance of doubt, rights issuances, shareholder purchase plans, and Equity Plans, but each at a fixed price per share, shall not be deemed to be a Prohibited Transaction.

“Prospectus” means the prospectus included in any Registration Statement, as amended or supplemented by any prospectus supplement, with respect to the terms of the offering of any portion of the Investor Shares covered by such Registration Statement and by all other amendments and supplements to the prospectus, including post-effective amendments and all material incorporated by reference in such prospectus, and any “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act.

“register,” “registered” and “registration” refer to a registration made by preparing and filing a Registration Statement or similar document in compliance with the 1933 Act (as defined below), and the declaration or ordering of effectiveness of such Registration Statement or document.

“Registration Statement” means any registration statement of the Company filed under the 1933 Act that covers the resale of any of the Investor Shares pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement, including the Prospectus and amendments and supplements to such Registration Statement, and including post-effective amendments, all exhibits and all material incorporated by reference in such Registration Statement.

“Required Minimum” means, as of any date, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock then issued or potentially issuable in the future pursuant to the Transaction Documents, including any Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise in full of the Warrant or Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion in full of the Note, ignoring any conversion or exercise limits set forth therein.

“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Securities” means the Note, the Warrant, and the Investor Shares.

“Securities Termination Event” means either of the following has occurred:

(a) trading in securities generally in the United States has been suspended or limited for a consecutive period of greater than three (3) Business Days; or

(b) a banking moratorium has been declared by the United States or the New York State authorities and is continuing for a consecutive period of greater than three (3) Business Days.

“Subsequent Financing” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1.

“Subsidiaries” and “Subsidiary” have the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(b).

“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Note, the Warrant and any other documents or agreements executed or delivered in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.

“Warrant” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1.

“Warrant Shares” means the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Warrant.

2. PURCHASE AND SALE OF THE NOTE, THE WARRANT AND THE PURCHASE SHARES

2.1 Purchase and Sale of the Note, and the Warrant. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein at the Closing, the Company shall issue and sell to the Investor, and the Investor shall purchase from the Company, for the Funding Amount (a) a convertible promissory note, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Note”), in the principal amount of Eight Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($840,000) (the “Principal Amount”), and (b) a Common Stock purchase warrant, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, registered in the name of the Investor, pursuant to which the Investor shall have the right to acquire 700,000 shares of Common Stock at per share exercise price of $ 1.38 (the “Warrant”).

2.2 Closing. The closing of the offer and sale of the Note and the Warrant shall take place remotely via the exchange of documents and signature and shall occur no later than five (5) Business Days following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, subject to satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Section 6, or at such other time and place as the Company and the Investor agree upon, orally or in writing (the “Closing”, and the date the Closing is completed being the “Closing Date”).

2.3 Prepayment Right. As set forth in the Note, the Company may pre-pay the principal amount of the Note with the prior written consent of the Investor upon such terms as may be required by the Investor.

3. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY. The Company represents and warrants to the Investor and covenants with the Investor that as of the Closing Date, except as is set forth in the Disclosure Letter being delivered to the Investor as of the date hereof and updated and delivered to the Investor as of the Second Closing Date, as applicable (the “Disclosure Letter”), the following representations and warranties are true and correct:

3.1 Organization and Qualification. The Company is a corporation duly organized and validly existing in good standing under the Laws of the State of Nevada and has the requisite corporate power and authority to own its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted. The Company is duly qualified to do business and is in good standing (if a good standing concept exists in such jurisdiction) in every jurisdiction in which the ownership of its property or the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

3.2 Authorization; Enforcement; Compliance with Other Instruments. The Company has the requisite corporate power and authority to execute the Transaction Documents, to issue and sell the Note and the Warrant and issue the Commitment Shares pursuant hereto, and to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents, including issuing the Investor Shares on the terms set forth in this Agreement. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the issuance and sale of the Securities pursuant hereto, including without limitation the reservation of the Conversion Shares and the Warrant Shares for future insuance, have been duly and validly authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors and no further consent or authorization is required by the Company, its Board of Directors, its shareholders or any other Person in connection therewith. The Transaction Documents have been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Company and constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their respective terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar Laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of creditors’ rights and remedies.

3.3 No Conflicts. Upon receipt of a written waiver from Live Oak Banking Company in respect of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents by the Company and the issuance and sale of the Note and the Warrant and the issuance of the Commitment Shares hereunder will not (a) conflict with or result in a violation of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, (b) conflict with, or constitute a material default (or an event which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would become a material default) under, or give to others any right of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any material agreement to which the Company or any of the Subsidiaries is a party, or (c) subject to the making of the filings referred to in Section 5, violate in any material respect any Law applicable to the Company or any of the Subsidiaries or by which any of their properties or assets are bound or affected. Assuming the accuracy of the Investor’s representations in Section 4 and subject to the making of the filings referred to in Section 5, (i) no approval or authorization will be required from any governmental authority or agency, regulatory or self-regulatory agency or other third party in connection with the issuance of the Note, the Warrant and the Commitment Shares and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including the issuance of the Conversion Shares upon conversion of the Note and the Warrant Shares upon the exercise of the Warrant) and (ii) the issuance of the Note, the Warrant and the Commitment Shares, and the issuance of the Conversion Shares upon the conversion of the Note and the Warrant Shares upon exercise of the Warrant will be exempt from the registration and qualification requirements under the 1933 Act and all applicable state securities Laws.

3.4 Capitalization and Subsidiaries.

(a) The authorized Capital Stock of the Company consists of 3 billion shares of Common Stock. As of the close of business on December 31, 2022, 41,699,342 shares of Common Stock were issued and outstanding; and since December 31, 2022, and through the date of this Agreement, the Company has issued 0 additional shares of Common Stock. As of December 31, 2022, (i) an aggregate of 6,450,000 shares of Common Stock are issuable upon exercise of options granted, (ii) 5,678,836 shares of Common Stock are reserved for issuance upon exercise of outstanding warrants with exercise prices ranging from $0.00 to $4.00 per share, (iii) an aggregate of 2,500,000 of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the 2021 Stock Incentive Plan, and (iv) an aggregate of 12,344,681 shares of Common Stock for issuance upon the conversion of an affiliate note payable. The Company has duly reserved up to 25,000 shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to this Agreement, 700,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance upon conversion of the Note and has duly reserved up to 608,696 shares of Common Stock for issuance upon exercise of the Warrant. The Conversion Shares, when issued upon conversion of the Note in accordance with their terms, and the Warrant Shares, if and when issued upon exercise of the Warrant in accordance with their terms, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable and free from all taxes, liens and charges with respect to the issuance thereof. No shares of the Company’s Capital Stock are subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights or any liens or encumbrances suffered or permitted by the Company. The Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws previously provided to the Investor are true and correct copies of the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws as in effect as of the Closing Date. The Company is not in violation of any provision of its Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or Amended and Restated Bylaws.

(b) Schedule 3.4(b) lists each direct and indirect subsidiary of the Company (each, a “Subsidiary” and collectively, the “Subsidiaries”). The Company owns, directly or indirectly, all of the capital stock or other equity interests of each Subsidiary. No Subsidiary has any outstanding stock options, warrants or other instruments pursuant to which such Subsidiary may at any time or under any circumstances be obligated to issue any shares of its capital stock or other Equity Interests. Each Subsidiary is duly organized and validly existing in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation (if a good standing concept exists in such jurisdiction) and has all requisite power and authority to own its properties and to carry on its business as now being conducted.

(c) Except as otherwise set forth in this Section 3.4(c), neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is bound by any agreement or arrangement pursuant to which it is obligated to register the sale of any securities under the 1933 Act. There are no outstanding securities of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries which contain any redemption or similar provisions, and there are no contracts, commitments, understandings or arrangements by which the Company or any Subsidiary is or may become bound to redeem or purchase any security of the Company or any Subsidiary. There are no outstanding securities or instruments containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance of the Note, the Warrant or the Investor Shares. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has any stock appreciation rights or “phantom stock” plans or agreements or any similar plan or agreement.

(d) The issuance and sale of any of the Securities will not obligate the Company to issue shares of Common Stock or other securities, or to satisfy any related contractual obligations, to any other Person and will not result in the adjustment of the exercise, conversion, exchange, or reset price of any outstanding securities.

3.5 Financial Statements.

(a) As of their respective dates, the financial statements of the Company that have been provided to the Investor by the Company, have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, and audited by a firm that is a member of the Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board consistently applied, during the periods involved (except as may be otherwise indicated in such financial statements or the notes thereto, or, in the case of unaudited interim statements, to the extent they may exclude footnotes or may be condensed or summary statements) and fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company as of the dates thereof and the consolidated results of its operations and consolidated cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments). No other written information provided by or on behalf of the Company to the Investor in connection with the Investor’s purchase of the Note, the Warrant and the Purchase Shares contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstance under which they are or were made, not misleading.

(b) The Company and each of the Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain asset accountability, (iii) reasonable controls to safeguard assets are in place and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

3.6 Litigation and Regulatory Proceedings. Apart from certain employee litigation claims previously disclosed to the Investor, there are no material actions, causes of action, suits, claims, proceedings, inquiries or investigations (collectively, “Proceedings”) before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the executive officers of Company or any of the Subsidiaries, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of the Subsidiaries, the Common Stock or any other class of issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s Capital Stock, or any of the Company’s or the Subsidiaries’ officers or directors in their capacities as such and, to the knowledge of the executive officers of the Company, there is no reason to believe that there is any basis for any such Proceeding.

3.7 No Undisclosed Events, Liabilities or Developments. No event, development or circumstance has occurred or exists, or to the knowledge of the executive officers of the Company is reasonably anticipated to occur or exist that would reasonably be anticipated to have a Material Adverse Effect.

3.8 Compliance with Law. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries have conducted and are conducting their respective businesses in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws as advised by counsel to the Company.

3.9 Employee Relations. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is involved in any union labor dispute nor, to the knowledge of the Company, is any such dispute threatened. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is a party to any collective bargaining agreement. No executive officer (as defined in Rule 501(f) of the 1933 Act) has notified the Company that such officer intends to leave the Company’s employ or otherwise terminate such officer’s employment with the Company.

3.10 Intellectual Property Rights. The Company and each Subsidiary owns or possesses adequate rights or licenses to use all trademarks, trade names, service marks, service mark registrations, service names, patents, patent rights, copyrights, inventions, licenses, approvals, governmental authorizations, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights (collectively, “IP Rights”) necessary to conduct their respective businesses as now conducted. None of the material IP Rights of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries are expected to expire or terminate within three (3) years from the date of this Agreement. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating any IP Rights of any other Person. No claim has been asserted, and no Proceeding is pending, against the Company or any Subsidiary alleging that the Company or any Subsidiary is infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the IP Rights of any other Person, and, to the Company’s knowledge, no such claim or Proceeding is threatened, and the Company is not aware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any such claim or Proceeding. The Company and the Subsidiaries have taken commercially reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of all of their material IP Rights.

3.11 Environmental Laws. Except, in each case, as would not be reasonably anticipated to have a Material Adverse Effect, the Company and the Subsidiaries (a) are in compliance with any and all applicable Laws relating to the protection of human health and safety, the environment or hazardous or toxic substances or wastes, pollutants or contaminants, (b) have received and hold all permits, licenses or other approvals required of them under all such Laws to conduct their respective businesses and (c) are in compliance with all terms and conditions of any such permit, license or approval.

3.12 Title to Assets. The Company and the Subsidiaries have good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to their respective businesses, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company or any Subsidiary are held under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company and the Subsidiaries.

3.13 Insurance. The Company and each of the Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as management of the Company reasonably believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and the Subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries has been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for, and the Company has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew all existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers.

3.14 Regulatory Permits. The Company and the Subsidiaries have in full force and effect all certificates, approvals, authorizations and permits from all regulatory authorities and agencies necessary to own, lease or operate their respective properties and assets and conduct their respective businesses, and neither the Company nor any Subsidiary has received any notice of Proceedings relating to the revocation or modification of any such certificate, approval, authorization or permit, except for such certificates, approvals, authorizations or permits with respect to which the failure to hold would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

3.15 No Materially Adverse Contracts, Etc. Neither the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries is (a) subject to any charter, corporate or other legal restriction, or any judgment, decree or order which in the judgment of the Company’s officers has or is expected in the future to have a Material Adverse Effect or (b) a party to any contract or agreement which in the judgment of the Company’s management has or would reasonably be anticipated to have a Material Adverse Effect.

3.16 Taxes. The Company and the Subsidiaries each has made or filed, or caused to be made or filed, all United States federal and other material tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject and has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, required to be paid by it, regardless of whether such amounts are shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which it has set aside on its books provision reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction.

3.17 Solvency. After giving effect to the receipt by the Company of the proceeds from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (a) the Company’s fair saleable value of its assets exceeds the amount that will be required to be paid on or in respect of the Company’s existing debts and other liabilities (including known contingent liabilities) as they mature; and (b) the current cash flow of the Company, together with the proceeds the Company would receive, were it to liquidate all of its assets, after taking into account all anticipated uses of the cash, would be sufficient to pay all amounts on or in respect of its debt when such amounts are required to be paid. The Company does not intend to incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature (taking into account the timing and amounts of cash to be payable on or in respect of its debt). The Company has no knowledge of any facts or circumstances which lead it to believe that it will file for reorganization or liquidation under the bankruptcy or reorganization laws of any jurisdiction.

3.18 Investment Company. The Company is not, and is not an Affiliate of, an “investment company” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

3.19 Reserved.

3.20 No General Solicitation. Neither the Company, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any person acting on its behalf, has engaged in any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Regulation D) in connection with the offer or sale of the Note or the Warrant pursuant to this Agreement.

3.21 Acknowledgment Regarding the Investor’s Purchase of the Note and the Warrant. The Company’s Board of Directors has approved the execution of the Transaction Documents and the issuance and sale of the Note and the Warrant and the issuance of the Commitment Shares, based on its own independent evaluation and determination that the terms of the Transaction Documents are reasonable and fair to the Company and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. The Company is entering into this Agreement and is issuing and selling the each of the Note, the Warrant and the Purchase Shares voluntarily and without economic duress. The Company has had the right and opportunity to seek the advice of independent legal counsel of its own choosing in respect of the Transaction Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Investor is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length purchaser with respect to the Note, the Warrant and the Commitment Shares and the transactions contemplated hereby and that neither the Investor nor any person affiliated with the Investor is acting as a financial advisor to, or a fiduciary of, the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to execution of the Transaction Documents or the issuance of the Note, the Warrant and the Commitment Shares or any other transaction contemplated hereby.

3.22 No Brokers’, Finders’ or Other Advisory Fees or Commissions. No brokers, finders or other similar advisory fees or commissions will be payable by the Company or any Subsidiary or by any of their respective agents with respect to the issuance of the Note, the Warrant or the Commitment Shares or any of the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

3.23 OFAC. None of the Company nor any of the Subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or person acting on behalf of the Company and/or any Subsidiary has been or is currently subject to any United States sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”); and the Company will not directly or indirectly use any proceeds received from the Investor, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to its Subsidiaries or to any affiliated entity, joint venture partner or other person or entity, to finance any investments in, or make any payments to, any country or person currently subject to any of the sanctions of the United States administered by OFAC.

3.24 No Foreign Corrupt Practices. None of the Company or any of the Subsidiaries has, directly or indirectly: (a) made or authorized any contribution, payment or gift of funds or property to any official, employee or agent of any governmental authority of any jurisdiction except as otherwise permitted under applicable Law; or (b) made any contribution to any candidate for public office, in either case, where either the payment or the purpose of such contribution, payment or gift was, is, or would be prohibited under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or under any other legislation of any relevant jurisdiction covering a similar subject matter applicable to the Company or its Subsidiaries and their respective operations and the Company has instituted and maintained policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance with such legislation.

3.25 Anti-Money Laundering. The operations of each of the Company and the Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with all applicable anti-money laundering laws, regulations, rules and guidelines in its jurisdiction of incorporation and in each other jurisdiction in which such entity, as the case may be, conducts business (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental authority involving the Company or its Subsidiaries with respect to any of the Money Laundering Laws is, to the knowledge of the Company, pending, threatened or contemplated.

3.26 Disclosure. The Company confirms that neither it, nor to its knowledge, any other Person acting on its behalf has provided the Investor or its agents or counsel with any information that the Company believes constitutes material, non-public information. The Company understands and confirms that the Investor will rely on the foregoing representations and covenants in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. All disclosures provided to the Investor regarding the Company, its business and the transactions contemplated hereby, furnished by or on behalf of the Company (including the Company’s representations and warranties set forth in this Agreement) are true and correct in all material respects and do not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

4. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE INVESTOR. The Investor represents and warrants to the Company as follows:

4.1 Organization and Qualification. The Investor is a limited liability company, duly organized and validly existing in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.

4.2 Authorization; Enforcement; Compliance with Other Instruments. The Investor has the requisite power and authority to enter into this Agreement, to purchase the Note, and the Warrant and to perform its obligations under the Transaction Documents. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party have been duly and validly authorized by the Investor’s governing body and no further consent or authorization is required. The Transaction Documents to which it is a party have been duly and validly executed and delivered by the Investor and constitute valid and binding obligations of the Investor, enforceable against the Investor in accordance with their terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by general principles of equity or applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation or similar laws relating to, or affecting generally, the enforcement of creditors’ rights and remedies.

4.3 No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party by the Investor and the purchase of the Note and the Warrant by the Investor will not (a) conflict with or result in a violation of the Investor’s organizational documents, (b) conflict with, or constitute a material default (or an event which, with notice or lapse of time or both, would become a material default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any material agreement, contract, indenture mortgage, indebtedness or instrument to which the Investor is a party, or (c) violate in any material respect any Law applicable to the Investor or by which any of the Investor’s properties or assets are bound or affected. No approval or authorization will be required from any governmental authority or agency, regulatory or self-regulatory agency or other third party in connection with the purchase of the Note and the Warrant and the Commitment Shares and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

4.4 Investment Intent; Accredited Investor. The Investor is purchasing the Note and the Warrant and receiving the Commitment Shares for its own account, for investment purposes, and not with a view towards distribution. The Investor is an “accredited investor” as such term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D of the 1933 Act. The Investor is controlled by citizens of the United States of America. The Investor has, by reason of its business and financial experience, such knowledge, sophistication and experience in financial and business matters and in making investment decisions of this type that it is capable of (a) evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Note, the Warrant and the Investor Shares and making an informed investment decision, (b) protecting its own interests and (c) bearing the economic risk of such investment for an indefinite period of time.

4.5 No Other Representations. Except for the representations and warranties set forth in this Agreement and in other Transaction Documents, the Investor makes no other representations or warranties to the Company.

5. OTHER AGREEMENTS OF THE PARTIES.

5.1 Legends, etc.

(a) Securities may only be disposed of pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act, to the Company or pursuant to an available exemption from or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the 1933 Act, and in compliance with any applicable state securities laws.

(b) Certificates evidencing the Securities will contain the following legend, so long as is required by this Section 5.1(b) or Section 5.1(c):

[NEITHER THESE SECURITIES NOR THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THESE SECURITIES HAVE BEEN REGISTERED] [THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED] WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY. [THESE SECURITIES AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THESE SECURITIES] [THESE SECURITIES] MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.

The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Investor may from time to time pledge, and/or grant a security interest in some or all of the Securities, in accordance with applicable securities laws, pursuant to a bona fide margin agreement in connection with a bona fide margin account and, if required under the terms of such agreement or account, the Investor may transfer pledged or secured Securities to the pledgees or secured parties; provided that the Investor may not pledge or grant a security interest in any of the Securities if the applicable pledgee is not controlled by citizens of the United States of America. Such a pledge or transfer would not be subject to approval or consent of the Company and no legal opinion of legal counsel to the pledgee, secured party or pledgor shall be required in connection with the pledge, but such legal opinion may be required in connection with a subsequent transfer following default by the Investor transferee of the pledge. No notice shall be required of such pledge. At the Company’s expense, the Company will execute and deliver such reasonable documentation as a pledgee or secured party of Securities may reasonably request in connection with a pledge or transfer of the Securities including the preparation and filing of any required prospectus supplement under Rule 424(b)(3) of the 1933 Act or other applicable provision of the 1933 Act to appropriately amend the list of selling stockholders thereunder.

(c) Certificates evidencing the Investor Shares shall not contain any legend (including the legend set forth in Section 5.1(b)): (i) while a Registration Statement is effective under the 1933 Act, (ii) following any sale of such Investor Shares pursuant to Rule 144, (iii) while such Investor Shares are eligible for sale without restriction under Rule 144(k), or (iv) if such legend is not required under applicable requirements of the 1933 Act (including judicial interpretations and pronouncements issued by the Staff of the SEC). The Company shall cause its counsel to issue any legal opinion or instruction required by the Company’s transfer agent to comply with the requirements set forth in this Section. At such time as a legend is no longer required for the Investor Shares under this Section 5.1(c), the Company will, no later than three (3) Business Days following the delivery by the Investor to the Company or the Company’s transfer agent of a certificate representing Investor Shares containing a restrictive legend (such third Business Day, the “Legend Removal Date”), deliver or cause to be delivered to the Investor a certificate representing such Investor Shares that is free from all restrictive and other legends. The Company may not make any notation on its records or give instructions to any transfer agent of the Company that enlarge the restrictions on transfer set forth in this Section except as it may reasonably determine are necessary or appropriate to comply or to ensure compliance with those applicable laws that are enacted or modified after the Closing.

5.2 Furnishing of Information. The Company covenants that it will take such action as any holder of the Securities may reasonably request, all to the extent required from time to time to enable such Person to sell such Investor Shares without registration under the 1933 Act within the limitation of the exemptions provided by Rule 144 or other applicable exemptions.

5.3 Integration. The Company shall not, and shall use its best efforts to ensure that no Affiliate of the Company shall, sell, offer for sale or solicit offers to buy or otherwise negotiate in respect of any security (as defined in Section 2 of the 1933 Act) that will be integrated with the offer or sale of the Securities in a manner that would require the registration under the 1933 Act of the sale of the Securities to the Investor.

5.4 Notification of Certain Events. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Investor of (a) the occurrence or non-occurrence of any Event, the occurrence or non-occurrence of which would render any representation or warranty of the Company contained in this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, if made on or immediately following the date of such Event, untrue or inaccurate in any material respect, (b) the occurrence of any Event that, individually or in combination with any other Events, has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (c) any failure of the Company to comply with or satisfy any covenant or agreement to be complied with or satisfied by it hereunder or any Event that would otherwise result in the nonfulfillment of any of the conditions to the Investor’s obligations hereunder, (d) any written notice or other written communication from any Person alleging that the consent of such Person is or may be required in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, or (e) any Proceeding pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened against a party relating to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Transaction Document.

5.5 Available Stock. The Company shall at all times keep authorized and reserved and available for issuance, free of preemptive rights, such number of shares of Common Stock as are issuable upon repayment or conversion in full of the Note and exercise in full of the Warrant at any time. If the Company determines at any time that it does not have a sufficient number of authorized Common Stock to reserve and keep available for issuance as described in this Section 5.5, the Company shall use all commercially reasonable efforts to increase the number of authorized Common Stock.

5.6 Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the proceeds from the sale of the Note, the Warrant and the Purchase Shares to help fund a pending acquisition and for general corporate purposes.

5.7 Repayment of Note. Apart from payments in respect of Indebtedness owing to Live Oak Banking Company, the Company shall not make any voluntary cash prepayments on any Indebtedness at any time while any amounts are owing under the Note other than cash payments the Company is required to make pursuant to the express terms thereof existing on the date hereof. If the Company or any Subsidiary issues any debt, including any subordinated debt or convertible debt (other than the Note), any preferred shares or any other Equity Interests, other than Exempted Securities, unless otherwise waived in writing by and at the discretion of the Investor, the Company will immediately utilize the proceeds of such issuance (or cause such Subsidiary to immediately utilize the proceeds of such issuance) to repay the Note.

5.8 Intercreditor Agreement. In the event that the Company or any Subsidiary incurs debt or issues convertible debt securities to a seller as partial consideration paid to such seller in connection with an Acquisition, unless otherwise waived in writing by the Investor, as a condition to consummation of such Acquisition, the holder of such debt or convertible debt securities shall enter into an intercreditor agreement with the Company and the Investor on terms reasonably satisfactory to the Investor.

5.9 Prohibited Transactions. The Company hereby covenants and agrees not to enter into any Prohibited Transactions without the Investor’s prior written consent, until the later of (a) thirty (30) days after such time as the Note have been repaid in full, as applicable, and/or have been converted into Conversion Shares and (b) the date on which the Investor ceases to hold more than one and one half percent (1.5%) of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or have the right to acquire more than one and one half percent (1.5%) of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.

5.10 Publicity. The Company shall, by 9:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the Business Day immediately following the date hereof, issue a press release disclosing the material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby (the “Press Release”); provided, that the Company may not issue the Press Release unless it is mutually agreeable to the Company and the Investor. Following the execution of this Agreement, the Investor and its Affiliates and/or advisors may place announcements on their respective corporate websites and in financial and other newspapers and publications (including, without limitation, customary “tombstone” advertisements) describing the Investor’s relationship with the Company under this Agreement in a manner consistent with the Press Release and including the name and corporate logo of the Company. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, to comply with United States Treasury Regulations Section 1.6011-4(b)(3)(i), each of the Company and the Investor, and each employee, representative or other agent of the Company or the Investor, may disclose to any and all persons, without limitation of any kind, the U.S. federal and state income tax treatment, and the U.S. federal and state income tax structure, of the transactions contemplated hereby and all materials of any kind (including opinions or other tax analyses) that are provided to such party relating to such tax treatment and tax structure insofar as such treatment and/or structure relates to a U.S. federal or state income tax strategy provided to such recipient.

5.11 Indemnification of the Investor.

(a) The Company will indemnify and hold the Investor, its Affiliates and their respective directors, officers, managers, shareholders, members, partners, employees and agents and permitted successors and assigns (each, an “Investor Party”) harmless from any and all damages, losses, liabilities, obligations, claims, contingencies, damages, costs and expenses, including all judgments, amounts paid in settlements, court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of investigation and defense (collectively, “Losses”) that any such Investor Party may suffer or incur as a result of or relating to:

(i) any breach or inaccuracy of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made by the Company in any Transaction Document;

(ii) any misrepresentation made by the Company in any Transaction Document;

(iii) any Proceeding before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body based upon, or resulting from the execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of any of the Transaction Documents or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby, and whether or not the Investor is party thereto by claim, counterclaim, crossclaim, as a defendant or otherwise, or if such Proceeding is based upon, or results from, any of the items set forth in clauses (i) through (iii) above.

(b) In addition to the indemnity contained herein, the Company will reimburse each Investor Party for its reasonable legal and other expenses (including the cost of any investigation, preparation and travel in connection therewith) incurred in connection therewith, as such expenses are incurred.

5.12 Antitrust Notification. If the Investor determines, in its sole judgment and upon the advice of counsel, that the issuance of the Note, the Warrant or the Investor Shares pursuant to the terms hereof would be subject to the provisions of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”), the Company shall file as soon as practicable after the date on which the Company receives notice from the Investor of the applicability of the HSR Act and a request to so file with the United States Federal Trade Commission and the United States Department of Justice the notification and report form required to be filed by it pursuant to the HSR Act in connection with such issuance.

5.13 Change of Prime Broker, Custodian. The Investor has informed the Company of the names of its prime broker and its share custodian. The Investor shall notify the Company of any change in its prime broker or share custodian within three (3) Business Days of such change having taken effect.

5.14 Share Transfer Agent. The Company has informed the Investor of the name of its share transfer agent and represents and warrants that the transfer agent participates in the Depository Trust Company Fast Automated Securities Transfer program. The Company shall not change its share transfer agent without the prior written consent of the Investor.

5.15 Commitment Shares. As further inducement to enter into this Agreement the Company shall issue to the Investor on the Closing Date the Commitment Shares.

5.16 Set-Off.

(a) The Investor may set off any of its obligations to the Company (whether or not due for payment), against any of the Company’s obligations to the Investor (whether or not due for payment) under this Agreement and/or any other Transaction Document.

(b) The Investor may do anything necessary to effect any set-off undertaken in accordance with this Section 5.16 (including varying the date for payment of any amount payable by the Investor to the Company).

6. CLOSING CONDITIONS

6.1 Conditions Precedent to the Obligations of the Investor. The obligations of the Investor to fund the Note and acquire the Warrant and the Commitment Shares are subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Investor, at or before the Closing of each of the following conditions:

(a) Required Documentation. The Company must have delivered to the Investor (i) copies of all resolutions duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company, or any such other documentation of the Company approving the Agreement, the Transaction Documents and any of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby;

(b) Consents and Permits. The Company must have obtained and delivered to the Investor copies of all necessary permits, approvals, and registrations necessary to effect this Agreement, the Transaction Documents and any of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, including pursuant to Section 3.14 of this Agreement;

(d) No Event(s) of Default. The Investor must be of the reasonable opinion that no Event of Default has occurred and no Event of Default would result from the execution of this Agreement or any of the Transaction Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby;

(e) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Company contained herein shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date when made and as of the Closing Date as though made on and as of such date;

(f) Performance. The Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with all covenants, agreements and conditions required by the Transaction Documents to be performed, satisfied or complied with by it at or prior to the Closing;

(g) No Injunction. No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction that prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents;

(h) Limitation on Beneficial Ownership. The issuance of the Note, the Warrant and the Commitment Shares shall not cause the Investor Group to become, directly or indirectly, a “beneficial owner” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) of a number of Equity Interests of a class that is registered under the 1934 Act which exceeds the Maximum Percentage of the Equity Interests of such class that are outstanding at such time;

(i) Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions. The Company shall have provided irrevocable instructions, in a form acceptable to the Investor, executed by the Company’s share transfer agent providing for the reservation of shares of Common Stock in an amount equal to the Required Minimum.

(j) Funds Flow Request. The Company shall have delivered to the Investor a flow of funds request, substantially in the form set out in Exhibit C;

(k) The Company shall issue the Commitment Shares to the Investor.

6.2 Conditions Precedent to the Obligations of the Company. The obligations of the Company to issue the Note, the Warrant and the Commitment Shares are subject to the satisfaction or waiver by the Company, at or before the Closing, of each of the following conditions:

(a) Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of the Investor contained herein shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date when made and as of the Closing Date as though made on and as of such date;

(b) Performance. The Investor shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with all covenants, agreements and conditions required by the Transaction Documents to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Investor at or prior to the Closing; and

(c) No Injunction. No statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction that prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents.

7. EVENTS OF DEFAULT

7.1 Events of Default. The occurrence of any of the following events shall be an “Event of Default” under this Agreement:

(a) an Event of Default (as defined in the Note);

(b) any of the representations or warranties made by the Company or any of its agents, officers, directors, employees or representatives in any Transaction Document or public filing being inaccurate, false or misleading in any material respect, as of the date as of which it is made or deemed to be made, including as of the Closing Date, or any certificate or financial or other written statements furnished by or on behalf of the Company to the Investor or any of its representatives, is inaccurate, false or misleading, in any material respect, as of the date as of which it is made or deemed to be made, including as of the Closing Date; or

(c) a failure by the Company to comply with any of its covenants or agreements set forth in this Agreement, including those set forth in Section 9.

7.2 Investor Right to Investigate an Event of Default. If in the Investor’s reasonable opinion, an Event of Default has occurred, or is or may be continuing:

(a) the Investor may notify the Company that is wishes to investigate such purported Event of Default;

(b) the Company shall cooperate with the Investor in such investigation;

(c) the Company shall comply with all reasonable requests made by the Investor to the Company in connection with any investigation by the Investor and shall (i) provide all information requested by the Investor in relation to the Event of Default to the Investor; provided that the Investor agrees that any materially price sensitive information and/or non-public information will be subject to confidentiality, and (ii) provide all such requested information within three (3) Business Days of such request; and

(d) the Company shall pay all reasonable costs incurred by the Investor in connection with any such investigation.

7.3 Remedies Upon an Event of Default

(a) If an Event of Default occurs pursuant to Section 7.1(a), the Investor shall have such remedies as are set forth in the Note.

(b) If an Event of Default occurs pursuant to Section 7.1(b) or Section 7.1(c) and is not remedied within (i) two (2) Business Days for an Event of Default occurring by the Company’s failure to comply with Section 7.1(c), or (ii) five (5) Business Days for an Event of Default occurring pursuant to Section 7.1(b), the Investor may declare, by notice to the Company, effective immediately, all outstanding obligations by the Company under the Transaction Documents to be immediately due and payable in immediately available funds and the Investor shall have no obligation to consummate the Closing or to accept the conversion of the Note into Conversion Shares.

(c) If any Event of Default occurs and is not remedied within (i) two (2) Business Days for an Event of Default occurring by the Company’s failure to comply with Section 7.1(c), or (ii) five (5) Business Days for an Event of Default occurring pursuant to Section 7.1(b), the Investor may, by written notice to the Company, terminate this Agreement effective as of the date set forth in the Investor’s notice.

8. TERMINATION

8.1 Events of Termination. This Agreement:

(a) may be terminated:

(i) by the Investor on the occurrence or existence of a Securities Termination Event or a Change of Control;

(ii) by the mutual written consent of the Company and the Investor, at any time;

(iii) by either Party, by written notice to the other Party, effective immediately, if the Closing has not occurred within ten (10) Business Days of the date specified by this Agreement or such later date as the Company and the Investor agree in writing, provided that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 8.1(a)(iii) is not available to any party that is in material breach of or material default under this Agreement or whose failure to fulfill any obligation under this Agreement has been the principal cause of, or has resulted in the failure of the Closing to occur; or

(iv) by the Investor, in accordance with Section 7.3(c).

8.2 Automatic Termination. This Agreement will automatically terminate, without further action by the parties, at the time after the Closing Date when the applicable Principal Amount outstanding under the Note outstanding and any accrued but unpaid interest is reduced to zero (0), whether as a result of Conversion or repayment by the Company in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the Note.

8.3 Effect of Termination.

(a) Subject to Section 8.3(b), each party’s right of termination under Section 8.1 is in addition to any other rights it may have under this Agreement or otherwise, and the exercise of a right of termination will not be an election of remedies.

(b) If the Investor terminates this Agreement under Section 8.1(a)(i):

(i) the Investor may declare, by notice to the Company, all outstanding obligations by the Company under the Transaction Documents to be due and payable (including, without limitation, the immediate repayment of any Principal Amounts outstanding under the Note plus accrued but unpaid interest) without presentment, demand, protest or any other notice of any kind all of which are expressly waived by the Company, anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement or in any other Transaction Document notwithstanding; and

(ii) the Company must within five (5) Business Days of such notice being received, pay to the Investor in immediately available funds the outstanding Principal Amounts for the Note plus all accrued interest thereon (if any), unless the Investor terminates this Agreement as a result of an Event of Default and provided that (A) subsequent to the termination under Section 8.1(a)(i), the Investor is not prohibited by Law or otherwise from exercising its conversion rights pursuant to this Agreement or the Note, (B) the Investor actually exercises its conversion rights under this Agreement or the Note, and (C) the Company otherwise complies in all respects with its obligation to issue Conversion Shares in accordance with the Note (which obligation will survive termination).

(c) Upon termination of this Agreement, the Investor will not be required to fund any further amount after the date of termination of the Agreement, provided that termination will not affect any undischarged obligation under this Agreement, and any obligation of the Company to pay or repay any amounts owing to the Investor hereunder and which have not been repaid at the time of termination.

(d) Nothing in this Agreement will be deemed to release any party from any liability for any breach by such party of the terms and provisions of this Agreement or to impair the right of any party to compel specific performance by any other Party of its obligations under this Agreement.

9. REGISTRATION RIGHTS

9.1 Piggyback Registration Rights. If the Company at any time determines to file a registration statement under the 1933 Act to register the offer and sale, by the Company, of Common Stock (other than (x) on Form S-4 or Form S-8 under the 1933 Act or any successor forms thereto, (y) an at-the-market offering, or (z) a registration of securities solely relating to an offering and sale to employees or directors of the Company pursuant to any employee stock plan or other employee benefit plan arrangement), the Company shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, give written notice to the Investor of its intention to so register the offer and sale of Common Stock and, upon the written request, given within five (5) Business Days after delivery of any such notice by the Company, of the Investor to include in such registration the Investor Shares (which request shall specify the number of Investor Shares proposed to be included in such registration), the Company shall cause all such Investor Shares to be included in such registration statement on the same terms and conditions as the Common Stock otherwise being sold pursuant to such registered offering.

9.2 Company Obligations. The Company will use its best efforts to effect the registration of the Investor Shares in accordance with the terms hereof, and pursuant thereto the Company will, as expeditiously as possible:

(a) use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement to become effective and to remain continuously effective for a period that will terminate upon the first date on which all Investor Shares are either covered by the Registration Statement or may be sold without restriction, including volume or manner-of-sale restrictions, pursuant to Rule 144 or have been sold by the Investor (the “Effectiveness Period”) and advise the Investor in writing when the Effectiveness Period has expired;

(b) prepare and file with the SEC such amendments and post-effective amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as may be necessary to keep the Registration Statement effective for the Effectiveness Period and to comply with the provisions of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act with respect to the distribution of all of the Investor Shares covered thereby;

(c) provide copies to and permit counsel designated by the Investor to review all amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement no fewer than three (3) Business Days prior to its filing with the SEC and not file any document to which such counsel reasonably objects;

(d) furnish to the Investor and its legal counsel, without charge, (i) promptly after the same is prepared and publicly distributed, filed with the SEC, or received by the Company (but not later than two (2) Business Days after the filing date, receipt date or sending date, as the case may be) one copy of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, each preliminary prospectus and Prospectus and each amendment or supplement thereto, and each letter written by or on behalf of the Company to the SEC or the staff of the SEC, and each item of correspondence from the SEC or the staff of the SEC, in each case relating to the Registration Statement (other than any portion of any thereof which contains information for which the Company has sought confidential treatment), and (ii) such number of copies of a Prospectus, including a preliminary prospectus, and all amendments and supplements thereto and such other documents as the Investor may reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the Investor Shares that are covered by the related Registration Statement;

(e) immediately notify the Investor of any request by the SEC for the amending or supplementing of the Registration Statement or Prospectus or for additional information;

(f) use its commercially reasonable efforts to (i) prevent the issuance of any stop order or other suspension of effectiveness and, (ii) if such order is issued, obtain the withdrawal of any such order at the earliest possible moment and notify the Company of the issuance of any such order and the resolution thereof, or its receipt of notice of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for such purpose;

(g) prior to any public offering of Investor Shares, use its commercially reasonable efforts to register or qualify or cooperate with the Investor and its counsel in connection with the registration or qualification of such Investor Shares for offer and sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions requested by the Investor and do any and all other commercially reasonable acts or things necessary or advisable to enable the distribution in such jurisdictions of the Investor covered by the Registration Statement and the Company shall promptly notify the Investor of any notification with respect to the suspension of the registration or qualification of any of such Investor Shares for sale under the securities or blue sky laws of such jurisdictions or its receipt of notice of the initiation or threat of any proceeding for such purpose;

(h) immediately notify the Investor, at any time prior to the end of the Effectiveness Period, upon discovery that, or upon the happening of any event as a result of which, the Registration Statement or Prospectus includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (in the case of the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances in which they were made), and promptly prepare, file with the SEC and furnish to such holder a supplement to or an amendment of such Registration Statement or Prospectus as may be necessary so that such Registration Statement or Prospectus shall not include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading (in the case of such Prospectus, in light of the circumstances in which they were made);

(i) otherwise use its commercially reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable rules and regulations of the SEC under the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act;

(j) hold in confidence and not make any disclosure of information concerning the Investor provided to the Company unless (i) disclosure of such information is necessary to comply with federal or state securities laws, (ii) the disclosure of such information is necessary to complete the Registration Statement or to avoid or correct a misstatement or omission in the Registration Statement, (iii) the release of such information is ordered pursuant to a subpoena or other final, non-appealable order from a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction, or (iv) such information has been made generally available to the public other than by disclosure in violation of this Agreement or any other agreement, and upon learning that disclosure of such information concerning the Investor is sought in or by a court or governmental body of competent jurisdiction or through other means, give prompt written notice to the Investor and allow the Investor, at the Investor’s expense, to undertake appropriate action to prevent disclosure of, or to obtain a protective order for, such information; and

(k) take all other reasonable actions necessary to expedite and facilitate disposition by the Investor of all Investor Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement.

9.3 Indemnification.

(a) Indemnification by the Company. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the Investor Parties, from and against any Losses to which they may become subject under the 1933 Act or otherwise, arising out of, relating to or based upon: (i) any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any Registration Statement, any preliminary Prospectus, final Prospectus or other document, including any Blue Sky Application (as defined below), or any amendment or supplement thereof or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or, in the case of the Registration Statement, necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or, in the case of any preliminary Prospectus, final Prospectus or other document, necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not misleading; (ii) any Blue Sky Application or other document executed by the Company specifically for that purpose or based upon written information furnished by the Company filed in any state or other jurisdiction in order to qualify any or all of the Investor Shares under the securities laws thereof (any such application, document or information herein called a “Blue Sky Application”); (iii) any violation or alleged violation by the Company or its agents of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act or any similar federal or state law or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder applicable to the Company or its agents and relating to any action or inaction required of the Company in connection with the registration or the offer or sale of the Investor Shares pursuant to any Registration Statement; or (iv) any failure to register or qualify the Investor Shares included in any such Registration Statement in any state where the Company or its agents has affirmatively undertaken or agreed in writing that the Company will undertake such registration or qualification on the Investor’s behalf and will reimburse the Investor Indemnified Parties for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by them in connection with investigating, preparing or defending any such Losses; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable in any such case if and to the extent, but only to the extent, that any such Losses arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission so made in conformity with information furnished by the Investor or any such controlling Person in writing specifically for use in such Registration Statement or Prospectus.

(b) Conduct of Indemnification Proceedings. Any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall (i) give prompt notice to the indemnifying party of any claim, action, suit or proceeding with respect to which it seeks indemnification following such Person’s receipt of, or such Person otherwise become aware of, the commencement of such claim, action, suit or proceeding and (ii) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim, action, suit or proceeding with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party; provided, however, that any Person entitled to indemnification hereunder shall have the right to employ separate counsel and to participate in the defense of such claim, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such Person unless (A) the indemnifying party has agreed to pay such fees or expenses, (B) the indemnifying party shall have failed to assume the defense of such claim and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Person or (C) in the reasonable judgment of any such Person, based upon written advice of its counsel, a conflict of interest exists between such Person and the indemnifying party with respect to such claims (in which case, if the Person notifies the indemnifying party in writing that such Person elects to employ separate counsel at the expense of the indemnifying party, the indemnifying party shall not have the right to assume the defense of such claim on behalf of such Person); and provided, further, that the failure or delay of any indemnified party to give notice as provided herein shall not relieve the indemnifying party of its obligations hereunder, except to the extent that such failure or delay to give notice shall materially adversely affect the indemnifying party in the defense of any such claim or litigation. It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding in the same jurisdiction, be liable for fees or expenses of more than one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all such indemnified parties. No indemnifying party will, except with the consent of the indemnified party, consent to entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement that does not include as an unconditional term thereof the giving by the claimant or plaintiff to such indemnified party of a release from all liability in respect of such claim or litigation.

(c) Contribution. If for any reason the indemnification provided for in the preceding paragraph (a) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient to hold it harmless, other than as expressly specified therein, the indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such Losses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnified party and the indemnifying party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. No Person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the 1933 Act shall be entitled to contribution from any Person not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The indemnity and contribution agreements contained in this Section are in addition to any other rights or remedies that any indemnified party may have under applicable law, by separate agreement or otherwise.

10. RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 10 and applicable securities laws while the Note is outstanding, with the exception of any Indebtedness incurred to Live Oak Banking Company, if the Company proposes to issue any new Indebtedness (a “Subsequent Financing”), the Company shall first offer the Investor the opportunity to provide financing on the terms of such Indebtedness. The Investor shall be entitled to apportion the right of first offer hereby granted to it in such proportions as it deems appropriate among itself and its Affiliates.

10.1 The Company shall give notice (the “Offer Notice”) to the Investor, stating (a) its bona fide intention to issue such Indebtedness, and (b) the terms upon which it proposes to issue such Indebtedness.

10.2 By notification to the Company within two (2) days after the date the Offer Notice is received (the “Notice Termination Time”), the Investor may elect to provide financing on the terms specified in the Offer Notice. If the Company receives no such notice from the Investor as of such Notice Termination Time, the Investor shall be deemed to have notified the Company that it does not elect to participate in such Subsequent Financing. The closing of any Indebtedness pursuant to this Section 9 shall occur within five (5) days of the date that the Offer Notice is given and the date of the issuance of such Indebtedness pursuant to Section 10.3.

10.3 The Company may, during the five (5) day period following the expiration of the period provided in Section 10.2, issue the remaining portion of such Indebtedness to any Person or Persons at a price not less than, and upon terms no more favorable to the offeree than, those specified in the Offer Notice. If the Company does not enter into an agreement for the issuance of such Indebtedness within such period, or if such agreement is not consummated within thirty (30) days of the execution thereof, the right provided hereunder shall be deemed to be revived and such Indebtedness shall not be issued unless first reoffered to the Investors in accordance with this Section 10.

11. MOST FAVORED NATIONS

During the period where any monies are owed to the Investor pursuant to the Note, if the Company engages in any future financing transactions with a third party investor, the Company will provide the Investor with written notice (the “MFN Notice”) thereof promptly, but in no event, less than 10 days prior to closing any such financing transactions. Included with the MFN Notice shall be a copy of all documentation relating to such financing transaction and shall include, upon written request of the Investor, any additional information related to such subsequent investment as may be reasonably requested by the Investor. In the event the Investor determines that the terms of the subsequent investment are preferable to the terms of the securities of the Company issued to the Investor pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, the Investor will notify the Company in writing. Promptly after receipt of such written notice from the Investor, the Company agrees to amend and restate this Agreement and/or the Securities (which may include the conversion terms of the Note), to have such terms as are set forth in the instruments evidencing the subsequent investment as may be determined by the Investor in its sole discretion.

12. GENERAL PROVISIONS

12.1 Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email at the email address specified in this Section prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on a Business Day, (b) the next Business Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email at the email address specified in this Section on a day that is not a Business Day or later than 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on any date and earlier than 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on such date, (c) the Business Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The address for such notices and communications shall be as follows:

If to the Company:

Castellum, Inc.
3 Bethesda Metro Center
Suite 700
Bethesda, MD 20814
Telephone: (301) 524-4759
Email: jwright@castellumus.com
Attention: Jay Wright

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

Lucosky Brookman LLP

101 Wood Avenue South

Fifth Floor
Woodbridge, NJ 08830

Email: sbrookman@lucbro.com

Attention: Seth Brookman

If to the Investor:

Crom Cortana Fund LLC
228 Park Ave S

PMB 57033
New York, NY 10003-1502
Email: liam@crom-llc.com and john@crom-llc.com
Attention: Liam Sherif and John Chen

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

Email:
Attention:

or such other address as may be designated in writing hereafter, in the same manner, by such Person.

12.2 Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be excessive in scope or otherwise invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be adjusted rather than voided, if possible, so that it is enforceable to the maximum extent possible, and the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement will not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

12.3 Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of Nevada, without reference to principles of conflict of laws or choice of laws.

12.4 Jurisdiction and Venue. Any action, proceeding or claim arising out of, or relating in any way to this Agreement shall be brought and enforced in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The Company and the Investor irrevocably submit to the jurisdiction of such courts, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive, and hereby waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction or that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. The prevailing party in any such action shall be entitled to recover its reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees and out-of-pocket expenses relating to such action or proceeding.

12.5 WAIVER OF RIGHT TO JURY TRIAL. THE COMPANY AND THE INVESTOR HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE OTHER TRANSACTION DOCUMENTS.

12.6 Survival. The representations, warranties, agreements and covenants contained herein shall survive the Closing and the delivery of the Securities.

12.7 Entire Agreement. The Transaction Documents, together with the Exhibits and Schedules thereto, contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, with respect to such matters, which the parties acknowledge have been merged into such documents, exhibits and schedules.

12.8 Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Agreement may be waived or amended except in a written instrument signed by the Company and the Investor. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of either party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.

12.9 Construction. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party. This Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of this Agreement or any of the Transaction Documents.

12.10 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by, the Company and the Investor and their respective successors and assigns. The Company may not assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Investor. The Investor may assign any or all of its rights under this Agreement to any Person to whom the Investor assigns or transfers any Securities, provided such transferee agrees in writing to be bound, with respect to the transferred Securities, by the provisions hereof that apply to the “Investor” and such transferee is an accredited investor.

12.11 No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other Person.

12.12 Further Assurances. Each party hereto shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

12.13 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two identical counterparts, both of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. Signature pages delivered by facsimile or e-mail shall have the same force and effect as an original signature.

12.14 Specific Performance. The Company acknowledges that monetary damages alone would not be adequate compensation to the Investor for a breach by the Company of this Agreement and the Investor may seek an injunction or an order for specific performance from a court of competent jurisdiction if (a) the Company fails to comply or threatens not to comply with this Agreement or (b) the Investor has reason to believe that the Company will not comply with this Agreement.

[Signature Page Follows]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Securities Purchase Agreement as of the date first set forth above.

COMPANY:		INVESTOR:

CASTELLUM, INC.		CROM CORTANA FUND LLC

By:	/s/ Mark C. Fuller	By:	/s/ Liam Sherif
Name:	Mark C. Fuller	Name:	Liam Sherif
Title:	President & CEO	Title:	Managing Member

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF NOTE

[See attached]

EXHIBIT B

FORM OF WARRANT

[See attached]

EXHIBIT C

FLOW OF FUNDS REQUEST

Castellum, Inc. – Securities Purchase Agreement – Flow of Funds Request

In connection with the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated February 13, 2023 (the “Agreement”) between Castellum, Inc. (the “Company”) and Crom Cortana Fund LLC (the “Investor”), the Company irrevocably authorizes the Investor to distribute such funds as set out below, in the manner set out below, at the Closing.

Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this letter will have the meaning given to such terms in the Agreement.

Item	Amount
Net to Investor to pay off existing note	$	300,000.00
To the Company	$	500,000.00
Total	$	800,000.00

Please transfer the net amount of US $500,000.00 due at the Closing, to the following bank account:

Routing #: Wire Routing/ABA number: 055003201

Wells Fargo Account number: 6246644931

Phone: (301) 961-5320

Bank Name: Wells Fargo Bank, Potomac Promenade

Address: 9812 Falls Road Potomac, Maryland 20854

Yours sincerely,

CASTELLUM, INC.

By:	/s/ Mark C. Fuller
Name:	Mark C. Fuller
Title:	President & CEO