Introduction
This Amendment No. 2 to Rule 13E-3 Transaction Statement on Schedule 13E-3, together with the exhibits thereto (this “Transaction Statement”), is being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) pursuant to Section 13(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the “Exchange Act”), jointly by the following persons (each, a “Filing Person,” and collectively, the “Filing Persons”): (i) Highpower International, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and the issuer of the common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), that is subject to the Rule 13e-3 transaction, (ii) HPJ Parent Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (“Parent”), (iii) HPJ Merger Sub Corp., a Delaware corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub” and, together with Parent, the “Parent Parties”), (iv) Mr. Dang Yu (George) Pan, an individual and Chairman of the Board of Directors (the “Board”), Chief Executive Officer and a stockholder of the Company, (v) Advance Pride International Limited, a British Virgin Islands company 100% owned by Mr. Pan (“Advance Pride”), (vi) Mr. Wen Liang Li, an individual and director and stockholder of the Company, (vii) Mr. Wen Wei Ma, an individual, employee and stockholder of the Company, (viii) Essence International Financial Holdings Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong, (ix) Essence International Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong (“Essence International Financial”), (x) Essence International Advanced Products and Solutions SPC, a segregated portfolio company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, (xi) Essence International Capital Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong, and (xii) Essence Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong.
On June 28, 2019, the Company, Parent and Merger Sub entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”). Pursuant to, and upon the terms and conditions contained in, the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company (the “Merger”), with the Company surviving the Merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent. Concurrently with the filing of this Transaction Statement, the Company is filing with the SEC an amended proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) pursuant to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act relating to a special meeting of the stockholders of the Company at which the holders of Common Stock will be asked to consider and vote on a proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement. The adoption of the Merger Agreement by the affirmative vote of the holders of (i) at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote thereon and (ii) at least a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote thereon held by stockholders, other than shares of Common Stock held by Messrs. Pan (directly and indirectly through Advance Pride), Liang Li or Ma, or Essence International Financial or any of their respective affiliates, are conditions to the consummation of the Merger. A copy of the Proxy Statement is attached hereto as Exhibit (a)(2)(i), and a copy of the Merger Agreement is attached as Annex A to the Proxy Statement.
Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger, each share of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger (other than Excluded Shares (as hereinafter defined) and shares held by any of the Company’s stockholders who are entitled to and properly exercise appraisal rights under Delaware law (“Dissenting Stockholders”)) will be converted into the right to receive $4.80 in cash, without interest, less any applicable withholding taxes (the “Per Share Merger Consideration”), whereupon all such shares will be automatically canceled upon the conversion thereof and will cease to exist, and the holders of such shares will cease to have any rights with respect thereto other than the right to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration. Shares of Common Stock held by (i) Messrs. Pan, Liang Li or Ma, including any of their respective affiliates (which shares will be contributed to Parent prior to the Merger), (ii) Parent, the Company or any of their respective subsidiaries (such shares held by the persons listed in (i) or (ii), collectively, the “Excluded Shares”) or (iii) the Dissenting Stockholders will not be entitled to receive the Per Share Merger Consideration.
Each option to purchase shares of Common Stock (each, a “Company stock option”), whether vested or unvested and whether with an exercise price per share that is greater or less than or equal to $4.80, that is outstanding immediately prior to the date when the certificate of merger with respect to the Merger is accepted by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, or at such later time as may be agreed in writing by Parent, Merger Sub and the Company and specified in the certificate of merger (such date, the “Effective Time”), will be canceled and converted into the right to receive, on the next regularly scheduled employee