ESS Tech 8K Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement | GWH 7 May 21

Exhibit 10.1

SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT

ACON S2 Acquisition Corp.

133 Connecticut Avenue NW, Ste. 700

Washington, DC 20036

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This Subscription Agreement (this “Subscription Agreement”) is being entered into as of the date set forth on the signature page hereto, by and between ACON S2 Acquisition Corp., a Cayman Islands exempted company (“ACON”), which shall be domesticated as a Delaware corporation prior to the closing of the Transaction (as defined herein), and the undersigned subscriber (the “Investor”), in connection with the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of the date hereof (as may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among ACON, ESS Tech, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and SCharge Merger Sub, Inc. a Delaware corporation (“Merger Sub”), pursuant to which, among other things, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving company in the merger and, after giving effect to such merger, becoming a subsidiary of ACON, on the terms and subject to the conditions therein (such merger, the “Transaction”). In furtherance of the Transaction, certain existing shareholders in the Company will sign transaction support agreements (the “Existing Shareholder Support Arrangements”) pursuant to which they will, among other things, agree to consent to the consummation of the Transaction. In connection with the Transaction, ACON is seeking commitments from interested investors to purchase, following the Domestication (as defined below) and prior to the closing of the Transaction, shares of ACON’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Shares”), in a private placement for a purchase price of $10.00 per share (the “Per Share Purchase Price”). On or about the date of this Subscription Agreement, ACON is entering into (a) separate subscription agreements (the “Insider Subscription Agreements”) with certain existing securityholders of the Company (“Insider PIPE Investors”, and such investment, the “Insider PIPE Investment”) and (b) separate subscription agreements (the “Other PIPE Agreements,” and together with the Insider Subscription Agreements, the “Other Subscription Agreements”) with certain other investors other than the Insider PIPE Investors (the “Other Investors” and, together with Insider PIPE Investors and the Investor, the “Investors”), pursuant to which the Investors, severally and not jointly, have agreed to purchase on the closing date of the Transaction, inclusive of the Shares subscribed for by the Investor, an aggregate amount of up to [•] Shares, at the Per Share Purchase Price.

Prior to the closing of the Transaction (and as more fully described in, and on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in, the Merger Agreement), ACON will domesticate as a Delaware corporation in accordance with Section 388 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and Part XII of the Cayman Islands Companies Law (2020 Revision) (the “Domestication”). The aggregate purchase price to be paid by the Investor for the subscribed Shares (as set forth on the signature page hereto) is referred to herein as the “Subscription Amount.”

In connection therewith, and in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual representations, warranties and covenants, and subject to the conditions, set forth herein, and intending to be legally bound hereby, each of the Investor and ACON acknowledges and agrees as follows:

1. Subscription. The Investor hereby subscribes for and agrees to purchase from ACON, and ACON agrees to issue and sell to the Investor, the number of Shares set forth on the signature page of this Subscription Agreement on the terms and subject to the conditions provided for herein. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that, as a result of the Domestication, the Shares that will be purchased by the Investor and issued by ACON pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions hereto shall be shares of common stock in a Delaware corporation (and not, for the avoidance of doubt, ordinary shares in a Cayman Islands exempted company).

2. Closing. The closing of the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares contemplated hereby (the “Closing”) is contingent upon the substantially concurrent consummation of the Transaction. The Closing shall occur on the date of, and substantially concurrently with and conditioned upon the effectiveness of, the Transaction. Upon (a) satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Section 3 below and (b) delivery of written notice from (or on behalf of) ACON to the Investor (the “Closing Notice”) that ACON reasonably expects all conditions to the closing of the Transaction to be satisfied or waived on a date that is not less than five (5) business days from the date on which the Closing Notice is delivered to the Investor, the Investor shall deliver to ACON, three (3) business days prior to the

closing date specified in the Closing Notice (the “Closing Date”), (i) the Subscription Amount by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by ACON in the Closing Notice and (ii) any other information that is reasonably requested in the Closing Notice in order for ACON to issue the Investor’s Shares, including, without limitation, the legal name of the person in whose name such Shares are to be issued and a duly executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or W-8, as applicable. On the Closing Date, ACON shall issue a number of Shares to the Investor set forth on the signature page to this Subscription Agreement and subsequently cause such Shares to be registered in book entry form in the name of the Investor on ACON’s share register; provided, however, that ACON’s obligation to issue the Shares to the Investor is contingent upon ACON having received the Subscription Amount in full accordance with this Section 2. In the event that (i) ACON does not accept the subscription or (ii) the consummation of the Transaction does not occur within ten (10) business days after the anticipated Closing Date specified in the Closing Notice, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by ACON and the Investor, ACON shall promptly (but in no event later than fifteen (15) business days after the anticipated Closing Date specified in the Closing Notice) return the Subscription Amount so delivered by the Investor to ACON by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account specified by the Investor, and any book entries shall be deemed cancelled. Notwithstanding such return or cancellation, unless and until this Subscription Agreement is terminated in accordance with Section 8 herein, the Investor shall remain obligated (A) to redeliver funds to ACON in escrow following ACON’s delivery to the Investor of a new Closing Notice and (B) to consummate the Closing immediately prior to or substantially concurrently with the consummation of the Transaction. For purposes of this Subscription Agreement, “business day” shall mean a day other than a Saturday or Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.

In lieu of the foregoing paragraph for Fidelity and Van Eck investors: [The closing of the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares contemplated hereby (the “Closing”) is contingent upon the substantially concurrent consummation of the Transaction. The Closing shall occur on the date of, and substantially concurrently with and conditioned upon the effectiveness of, the Transaction. Upon (a) satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in this Section 2 and Section 3 below and (b) delivery of written notice from (or on behalf of) ACON to the Investor (the “Closing Notice”), that ACON reasonably expects all conditions to the closing of the Transaction to be satisfied or waived on a date that is not less than five (5) business days from the date on which the Closing Notice is delivered to the Investor (the “Closing Date”), the Investor shall deliver to ACON at least three (3) business days prior to the Closing Date such information that is reasonably requested in the Closing Notice in order for ACON to issue the Shares, including, without limitation, the legal name of the person in whose name such Shares are to be issued and a duly executed Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 or W-8, as applicable. On the Closing Date, (1) the Investor shall deliver to ACON the Subscription Amount by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by ACON in the Closing Notice (which account(s) shall not be escrow account(s)) against delivery of the Shares as set forth in the following clause (2), and (2) ACON shall issue the number of Shares to the Investor set forth on the signature page to this Subscription Agreement in book-entry form in the name of the Investor (or its nominee) or as otherwise directed by the Investor, free and clear of any liens or other restrictions (other than those arising under applicable securities laws), on ACON’s share register. If the closing of the Transaction does not occur within one (1) business day after the Closing, ACON shall promptly (but not later than one (1) business day thereafter) return the Subscription Amount to the Investor, and any book entries shall be deemed cancelled. Notwithstanding such return or cancellation, unless and until this Subscription Agreement is terminated in accordance with Section 8 herein, the Investor shall remain obligated (A) to redeliver funds to ACON following ACON’s delivery to the Investor of a new Closing Notice and (B) to consummate the Closing immediately prior to or substantially concurrently with the consummation of the Transaction. For purposes of this Subscription Agreement, “business day” shall mean a day, other than a Saturday or Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.]

3. Closing Conditions.

a. The obligation of the parties hereto to consummate the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement is subject to the following conditions:

(i) no applicable governmental authority shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any judgment, order, law, rule or regulation (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) which is then in effect and has the effect of making consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby illegal or otherwise restraining or prohibiting consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, and no such governmental authority shall have instituted or threatened in writing a proceeding seeking to impose any such restraint or prohibition; and

(ii) all conditions precedent to the closing of the Transaction under the Merger Agreement shall have been satisfied (as determined by the parties to the Merger Agreement and other than those conditions under the Merger Agreement which, by their nature, are to be satisfied at the closing of the Transaction, including to the extent that any such condition is dependent upon the consummation of the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement or the Other Subscription Agreements) or waived by the parties to the Merger Agreement.

b. The obligation of ACON to consummate the sale and issuance of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement shall be subject to the following conditions (which may be waived in writing by ACON; provided, that ACON provides prior written notice to the Placement Agent (as defined below) of any such waiver):

(i) all representations and warranties of the Investor contained in this Subscription Agreement are true and correct in all material respects (other than representations and warranties that are qualified as to materiality, which representations and warranties shall be true in all respects) at and as of the Closing Date, and consummation of the Closing shall constitute a reaffirmation by the Investor of each of the representations and warranties of the Investor contained in this Subscription Agreement as of the Closing Date; and

(ii) the Investor shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Subscription Agreement.

c. The obligation of the Investor to consummate the purchase of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement shall be subject to the following conditions (which may be waived in writing by the Investor):

(i) all representations and warranties of ACON contained in this Subscription Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects (other than representations and warranties that are qualified as to materiality, which representations and warranties shall be true in all respects) at and as of the Closing Date, and consummation of the Closing shall constitute a reaffirmation by ACON of each of the representations and warranties of ACON contained in this Subscription Agreement in all material respects as of the Closing Date;

(ii) ACON shall have performed or complied in all material respects with all agreements and covenants required by this Subscription Agreement to be satisfied or complied with by it at or prior to the Closing;

(iii) no amendment or modification of, or waiver under, the Merger Agreement shall have occurred that would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the economic benefits that the Investor would reasonably expect to receive under this Subscription Agreement;

(iv) no suspension of the qualification of the Shares for offering or sale or trading by The Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) or the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) shall be in effect, and the Shares acquired hereunder shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange, as applicable, subject to official notice of issuance; and

(v) there shall have been no amendment, waiver or modification to the Other Subscription Agreements (including via a side letter or other agreement) that materially benefits the Other Investors thereunder unless the Investor has been offered the same benefits, provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, this Section 3(c)(v) shall not apply to (i) any document entered into in connection with the Insider PIPE Investment, provided, however, that such Insider PIPE Investment shall be with respect to the same class of Shares being acquired by the Investor hereunder and at the same Per Share Purchase Price, or (ii) any document entered into for the purchase of the Company’s equity securities (or warrants to purchase such securities) between the Company and certain of the existing securityholders of the Company, as described in the Merger Agreement (including any schedules thereto).

4. Further Assurances. At the Closing, the parties hereto shall execute and deliver such additional documents and take such additional actions as the parties reasonably may deem to be practical and necessary in order to consummate the subscription as contemplated by this Subscription Agreement.

5. ACON Representations and Warranties. Except with respect to ACON’s ongoing review of the implications of the SEC’s issuance of the Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, made on April 12, 2021 on the accounting treatment of the Warrants (as defined below), and any actions taken by ACON in connection with such review or statement, including, for the avoidance of doubt, any restatement of ACON’s historical financial statements, ACON represents and warrants to the Investor and the Placement Agent that:

a. ACON is an exempted company duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Cayman Islands (to the extent such concept exists in such jurisdiction). ACON has all power (corporate or otherwise) and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as presently conducted and to enter into, deliver and perform its obligations under this Subscription Agreement. As of the Closing Date, following the Domestication, ACON will be duly incorporated, validly existing as a corporation and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware with all power (corporate or otherwise) and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as currently contemplated to be conducted and to perform its obligations under this Subscription Agreement.

b. As of the Closing Date, the Shares will be duly authorized and, when issued and delivered to the Investor against full payment therefor in accordance with the terms of this Subscription Agreement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, free and clear of any liens or other restrictions, and will not have been issued in violation of or subject to any preemptive or similar rights created under ACON’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws (each as amended to the Closing Date) or under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

c. This Subscription Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by ACON and, assuming that this Subscription Agreement constitutes the valid and binding agreement of the Investor, this Subscription Agreement constitutes the legal, valid and binding agreement of ACON, enforceable against ACON in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited or otherwise affected by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally, and (ii) principles of equity, whether considered at law or equity.

d. The execution and delivery of this Subscription Agreement, the sale and issuance of the Shares and the compliance by ACON with all of the provisions of this Subscription Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein will not conflict with or result in a breach or violation of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of ACON or any of its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of (i) any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease, license or other agreement or instrument to which ACON or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which ACON or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of ACON is subject that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition, stockholders’ equity or results of operations of ACON and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”) or materially affect the validity of the Shares or the legal authority of ACON to comply in all material respects with the terms of this Subscription Agreement; (ii) result in any violation of the provisions of the organizational documents of ACON; or (iii) result in any violation of any statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over ACON or any of their properties that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or materially affect the validity of the Shares or the legal authority of ACON to comply in all material respects with this Subscription Agreement.

e. As of their respective dates, all reports (the “SEC Reports”) required to be filed by ACON with the SEC complied in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “Securities Act”) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder, and none of the SEC Reports, when filed, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The financial statements of ACON included in the SEC Reports comply in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto as in effect at the time of filing and fairly present in all material respects the financial position of ACON as of and for the dates thereof and the results of operations and cash flows for the periods then ended, subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal, year-end audit adjustments. A copy of each SEC Report is available to the Investor via the SEC’s EDGAR system. There are no outstanding or unresolved comments in comment letters received by ACON from the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the SEC with respect to any of the SEC Reports.

f. ACON is not required to obtain any consent, waiver, authorization or order of, give any notice to, or make any filing or registration with, any court or other federal, state, local or other governmental authority, self-regulatory organization or other person in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by ACON of this Subscription Agreement (including, without limitation, the issuance of the Shares), other than (i) filings with the SEC, (ii) filings required by applicable state securities laws, (iii) filings required by Nasdaq or such other applicable stock exchange on which ACON’s common equity is then listed, and (iv) the failure of which to obtain would not be reasonably likely to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

g. Except for such matters as have not had and would not be reasonably likely to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, there is no (i) action, suit, claim or other proceeding, in each case by or before any governmental authority pending, or, to the knowledge of ACON, threatened against ACON or (ii) judgment, decree, injunction, ruling or order of any governmental entity or arbitrator outstanding against ACON.

h. As of the date hereof, the authorized capital stock of ACON consists of 500,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 (“Class A Shares”), 50,000,000 Class B ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 (the “Class B Shares”), and 5,000,000 preference shares, par value $0.0001 per share. As of the date of hereof, 25,000,000 Class A Shares are issued and outstanding and 6,250,000 Class B Shares are issued and outstanding, and 13,000,000 warrants to acquire Class A Shares issued and outstanding (the “Warrants”). All issued and outstanding Class A Shares and Class B Shares have been duly authorized and validly issued, are fully paid and are non-assessable. Except as set forth above and pursuant to the Other Subscription Agreements, the Merger Agreement and the other agreements and arrangements referred to therein, as of the date hereof, there are no outstanding options, warrants or other rights to subscribe for, purchase or acquire from ACON any Class A Shares, Class B Shares or other equity interests in ACON, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such equity interests. As of the date hereof, ACON has no subsidiaries, other than Merger Sub, and does not own, directly or indirectly, interests or investments (whether equity or debt) in any person, whether incorporated or unincorporated. There are no stockholder agreements, voting trusts or other agreements or understandings to which ACON is a party or by which it is bound relating to the voting of any securities of ACON, other than (1) as set forth in the SEC Reports and (2) as contemplated by the Merger Agreement. Other than Class B Shares, which have the anti-dilution rights described in ACON’s amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that will be waived in connection with the Transaction, or as set forth in the Merger Agreement (including any schedules thereto), there are no securities or instruments issued by or to which ACON is a party containing anti-dilution or similar provisions that will be triggered by the issuance of the Shares hereunder or to be issued pursuant to any Other Subscription Agreement. Following the Domestication, and immediately prior to the Closing (assuming that no elections to redeem any Class A Shares in connection with the consummation of the Transaction have been validly made), the authorized share capital of ACON will consist of (i) no shares of preferred stock, with a par value of $0.0001 per share (“Preferred Shares”), and (ii) 500,000,000 shares of common stock, with a par value of $0.0001 per share (the “Common Shares”). Following the Domestication, and immediately prior to the Closing (assuming that no elections to redeem any Class A Shares in connection with the consummation of the Transaction have been validly made): 25,000,000 Common Shares and no Preferred Shares will be issued and outstanding, 13,000,000 warrants to purchase Common Shares will be issued and outstanding, and [no] Common Shares will be subject to issuance upon exercise of outstanding options.

i. As of the date hereof, the issued and outstanding Class A Shares are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act and are listed for trading on Nasdaq under the symbol “STWO” (it being understood that the trading symbol will be changed in connection with the Transaction). There is no suit, action, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the knowledge of ACON, threatened against ACON by Nasdaq or the SEC, respectively, to prohibit or terminate the listing of the Class A Shares or, when issued, the Common Shares, on Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange, as applicable, or to deregister the Class A Shares or, when registered and issued in connection with the Domestication, the Common Shares, under the Exchange Act. ACON has taken no action that is designed to terminate the registration of the Class A Shares under the Exchange Act, other than in connection with the Domestication and subsequent registration under the Exchange Act of the Common Shares.

j. Other than the Placement Agent (as defined below), ACON has not engaged any broker, finder, commission agent, placement agent or arranger in connection with the sale of the Shares, and ACON is not under any obligation to pay any broker’s fee or commission in connection with the sale of the Shares other than to the Placement Agent.

k. Assuming the accuracy of the Investor’s representations and warranties set forth in Section 6 of this Subscription Agreement, no registration under the Securities Act is required for the offer and sale of the Shares by ACON to the Investor under this Subscription Agreement. The Shares (i) were not offered by any form of general solicitation or general advertising and (ii) are not being offered in a manner involving a public offering under, or in a distribution in violation of, the Securities Act, or any state securities laws.

l. ACON is in compliance with all applicable laws, except where such non-compliance would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. ACON has not received any written communication from a governmental authority that alleges that ACON is not in compliance with or is in default or violation of any applicable law, except where such non-compliance, default or violation would not reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

m. Other than the Other Subscription Agreements, the Merger Agreement and other agreements expressly contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the Existing Shareholder Support Arrangements or as described in the SEC Reports, ACON has not entered into any side letter or similar agreement with any Other Investor or other investor in connection with such Other Investor’s or other investor’s direct or indirect investment in ACON. No Other Subscription Agreement includes terms and conditions that are more favorable to the Other Investor thereunder than the Investor hereunder, other than terms particular to the regulatory requirements of such Other Investor or its affiliates or related funds that are mutual funds or are otherwise subject to regulations related to the timing of funding and the issuance of the related Shares. For the avoidance of doubt, this Section 5(m) shall not apply to (i) any document entered into in connection with the Insider PIPE Investment, provided, however, that such Insider PIPE Investment shall be with respect to the same class of Shares being acquired by the Investor hereunder and at the same Per Share Purchase Price, or (ii) any document entered into for the purchase of the Company’s equity securities (or warrants to purchase such securities) between the Company and certain of the existing securityholders of the Company, as described in the Merger Agreement (including any schedules thereto).

6. Investor Representations and Warranties. The Investor represents and warrants to ACON and the Placement Agent that:

a. The Investor (i) is a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act) or an institutional “accredited investor” (within the meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act), in each case, satisfying the applicable requirements set forth on Schedule A, (ii) is acquiring the Shares only for his, her or its own account and not for the account of others, or if the Investor is subscribing for the Shares as a fiduciary or agent for one or more investor accounts, each owner of each such account is a qualified institutional buyer, the Investor has full investment discretion with respect to each such account, and the full power and authority to make the acknowledgements, representations and agreements herein on behalf of each owner of each such account, and (iii) is not acquiring the Shares with a view to, or for offer or sale in connection with, any distribution thereof in violation of the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction (and shall provide the requested information set forth on Schedule A). The Investor is not an entity formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the Shares.

b. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Shares are being offered in a transaction not involving any public offering within the meaning of the Securities Act and that the offer and sale of the Shares have not been registered under the Securities Act. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Shares may not be offered, resold, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of by the Investor absent an effective registration statement under the Securities Act except (i) to ACON or a subsidiary thereof, (ii) to non-U.S. persons pursuant to offers and sales that occur outside the United States within the meaning of Regulation S under the Securities Act or (iii) pursuant to another applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act, and in each of clauses (i) and (iii) in accordance with any applicable securities laws of the states and other jurisdictions of the United States, and that any certificates representing the Shares shall contain a restrictive legend to such effect. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Shares will be subject to the foregoing transfer restrictions and, as a result of these transfer restrictions, the Investor may not be able to readily offer, resell, transfer, pledge or otherwise dispose of the Shares and may be required to bear the financial risk of an investment in the Shares for an indefinite period of time. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Shares will not be eligible for offer, resale, transfer, pledge or disposition pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act until at least one year from the date that ACON files a Current Report on Form 8-K following the Closing Date that includes the “Form 10” information required under the applicable SEC rules and regulations. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that it has been advised to consult legal counsel prior to making any offer, resale, transfer, pledge or disposition of any of the Shares. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor is purchasing the Shares from ACON. The Investor further acknowledges that there have been no representations, warranties, covenants and agreements made to the Investor by or on behalf of ACON, the Company, any of their respective affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing or any other person or entity, expressly or by implication, other than those representations, warranties, covenants and agreements of ACON expressly set forth in Section 5 of this Subscription Agreement.

c. Either (1) the Investor’s acquisition and holding of the Shares will not constitute or result in a non-exempt prohibited transaction under Section 406 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any applicable similar law or (2) the Investor is not a Benefit Plan Investor as contemplated by ERISA.

d. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor has received and has had an opportunity to review such information as the Investor deems necessary in order to make an investment decision with respect to the Shares, including, without limitation, with respect to ACON, the Transaction and the business of the Company and its subsidiaries. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Investor acknowledges that he, she or it has had an opportunity to review the SEC Reports. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor and the Investor’s professional advisor(s), if any, have received and reviewed the offering materials made available to the Investor and had an opportunity to ask such questions, receive such answers and obtain such information as the Investor and such Investor’s professional advisor(s), if any, have deemed necessary to make an investment decision with respect to the Shares. The Investor further acknowledges that the information provided to the Investor may change after the date hereof and ACON is under no obligation to inform the Investor regarding any such changes, except to the extent such changes would reasonably be expected to cause the failure of ACON to satisfy a condition to the Investor’s obligations at the Closing set forth in Section 3(c).

e. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that the Investor has determined based on its own independent review and such professional advice as it has deemed appropriate, that the purchase of the Shares and participation in the Transaction are consistent with the Investor’s financial needs, objectives and condition and comply and are consistent with all material investment policies, guidelines and other restrictions applicable to the Investor.

f. The Investor became aware of this offering of the Shares solely by means of direct contact between the Investor and ACON, the Company or a representative of ACON or the Company (including the Placement Agent, as defined below), and the Shares were offered to the Investor solely by direct contact between the Investor and ACON, the Company or a representative of ACON or the Company. The Investor did not become aware of this offering of the Shares, nor were the Shares offered to the Investor, by any other means. The Investor acknowledges that the Shares (i) were not offered to it by any form of general solicitation or general advertising and (ii) to its knowledge, are not being offered to it in a manner involving a public offering under, or in a distribution in violation of, the Securities Act, or any state securities laws. The Investor acknowledges that it is not relying upon, and has not relied upon, any statement, representation or warranty made by any person, firm or corporation (including, without

limitation, ACON, the Company, the Placement Agent, any of their respective affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing), other than the representations and warranties of ACON contained in Section 5 of this Subscription Agreement, in making its investment or decision to invest in ACON, and except for the foregoing, the Investor is relying exclusively on its own sources of information, investment analysis and due diligence (including professional advice it deems appropriate) with respect to the Transaction, the Shares and the business, condition (financial and otherwise), management, operations, properties and prospects of ACON, including but not limited to all business, legal, regulatory, accounting, credit and tax matters. The Investor acknowledges that none of ACON, the Placement Agent, or their respective representatives has acted as an investment adviser, broker or dealer to the Investor.

g. The Investor acknowledges that it is aware that there are substantial risks incident to the purchase and ownership of the Shares, including, without limitation, those set forth in ACON’s filings with the SEC. The Investor has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of an investment in the Shares, and the Investor has sought such accounting, legal and tax advice as the Investor has considered necessary to make an informed investment decision.

h. Alone, or together with any professional advisor(s), the Investor has adequately analyzed and considered the risks of an investment in the Shares and determined that the Shares are a suitable investment for the Investor and that the Investor is able at this time and in the foreseeable future to bear the economic risk of a total loss of the Investor’s investment in ACON. The Investor acknowledges specifically that a possibility of total loss exists.

i. In making its decision to purchase the Shares, the Investor has relied solely upon independent investigation made by the Investor. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Investor has not relied on any statements or other information provided by or on behalf of the Placement Agent or any of its affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing concerning ACON, the Company, the Transaction, the Merger Agreement, this Subscription Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, the Shares or the offer and sale of the Shares.

j. The Investor acknowledges that no federal or state agency has passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Shares or made any findings or determination as to the fairness of this investment.

k. The Investor, if not an individual, has been duly formed or incorporated and is validly existing and is in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation or incorporation, with power and authority to enter into, deliver and perform its obligations under this Subscription Agreement.

l. The execution, delivery and performance by the Investor of this Subscription Agreement are within the powers of the Investor, have been duly authorized and will not constitute or result in a breach or default under or conflict with any order, ruling or regulation of any court or other tribunal or of any governmental commission or agency, or any agreement or other undertaking, to which the Investor is a party or by which the Investor is bound, and, if the Investor is not an individual, will not conflict with or violate any provisions of the Investor’s organizational documents, including, without limitation, its incorporation or formation papers, bylaws, indenture of trust or partnership or operating agreement, as may be applicable. The signature on this Subscription Agreement is genuine, and the signatory, if the Investor is an individual, has legal competence and capacity to execute the same or, if the Investor is not an individual, the signatory has been duly authorized to execute the same, and this Subscription Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Investor and, assuming that this Subscription Agreement constitutes the valid and binding agreement of ACON, constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Investor, enforceable against the Investor in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited or otherwise affected by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium or other laws relating to or affecting the rights of creditors generally, and (ii) principles of equity, whether considered at law or equity.

m. The Investor is not (i) a person or entity named on the List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) or in any Executive Order issued by the President of the United States and administered by OFAC (“OFAC List”), or a person or entity prohibited by any OFAC sanctions program, (ii) a Designated National as defined in the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. Part 515, or (iii) a non-U.S. shell bank or providing banking services

indirectly to a non-U.S. shell bank. The Investor agrees to provide law enforcement agencies, if requested thereby, such records as required by applicable law, provided that the Investor is permitted to do so under applicable law. If the Investor is a financial institution subject to the Bank Secrecy Act (31 U.S.C. Section 5311 et seq.) (the “BSA”), as amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (the “PATRIOT Act”), and its implementing regulations (collectively, the “BSA/PATRIOT Act”), the Investor maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to comply with applicable obligations under the BSA/PATRIOT Act. To the extent required, it maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed for the screening of its investors against the OFAC sanctions programs, including the OFAC List. To the extent required by applicable law, the Investor maintains policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the funds held by the Investor and used to purchase the Shares were legally derived.

n. The Investor acknowledges that no disclosure or offering document has been prepared by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. or any of its affiliates (the “Placement Agent”) in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares.

o. The Investor acknowledges that neither the Placement Agent, nor any of its affiliates nor any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing have made any independent investigation with respect to ACON, the Company or its subsidiaries or any of their respective businesses, or the Shares, or the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of any information supplied to the Investor by ACON.

p. The Investor acknowledges that in connection with the issue and purchase of the Shares, the Placement Agent has acted solely as placement agent in connection with the Transaction and has not acted as underwriter and in any other capacity and shall not be construed as a financial advisor or fiduciary to the Investor in connection with the Transaction.

q. The Investor acknowledges that Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. acted as an underwriter in connection with the initial public offering of ACON and, upon the closing of the Transaction, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. shall be entitled to receive its portion of the deferred underwriting commissions described in the Prospectus (as defined below), pursuant to the underwriting agreement by and among ACON, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, dated September 16, 2020.

r. The Investor, when required to deliver payment to ACON pursuant to Section 2 above, will have, sufficient funds to pay the Subscription Amount and consummate the sale, purchase and issuance of the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement.

s. The Investor acknowledges that the purchase and sale of Shares hereunder meets the exemptions from filing under FINRA Rule 5123(b)(1).

t. The Investor acknowledges that the Placement Agent may have acquired, or during the term of the Shares may acquire, non-public information with respect to ACON, which the Investor agrees need not be provided to it.

u. The Investor is not a “foreign person” or a “foreign entity,” as defined in Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, including, without limitation, all implementing regulations thereof (the “DPA”). The Investor is not controlled by a “foreign person,” as defined in the DPA. The Investor does not permit any foreign person affiliated with the Investor, whether affiliated as a limited partner or otherwise, to obtain through the Investor any of the following with respect to ACON or the Company: (i) access to any “material nonpublic technical information” (as defined in the DPA) in the possession of ACON or the Company; (ii) membership or observer rights on the board of directors or equivalent governing body of ACON or the Company or the right to nominate an individual to a position on the board of directors or equivalent governing body of ACON or the Company; (iii) any involvement, other than through the voting of shares, in the substantive decision-making of ACON or the Company regarding (x) the use, development, acquisition, or release of any “critical technology” (as defined in the DPA), (y) the use, development, acquisition, safekeeping, or release of “sensitive personal data” (as defined in the DPA) of U.S. citizens maintained or collected by ACON or the Company, or (z) the management, operation, manufacture, or supply of “covered investment critical infrastructure” (as defined in the DPA); or (iv) “control” (as defined in the DPA) of ACON or the Company.

v. The Investor acknowledges the SEC’s issuance of the Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, made on April 12, 2021, and ACON’s ongoing review of the implications of such statement on the accounting treatment of the Warrants, and the Investor agrees that any actions taken by ACON in connection with such review or in response to such statement, including, for the avoidance of doubt, any restatement of ACON’s historical financial statements, shall not be deemed to constitute a breach of any of the representations, warranties or covenants in this Subscription Agreement.

7. Registration Rights.

a. In the event that the Shares are not registered in connection with the consummation of the Transaction, ACON agrees that, within thirty (30) calendar days after the consummation of the Transaction (the “Filing Date”), it will file with the SEC (at its sole cost and expense) a registration statement registering the offering of the resale of the Shares (the “Registration Statement”), and it shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to have the Registration Statement declared effective as soon as practicable after the filing thereof but no later than the earlier of (i) sixty calendar days (or ninety (90) calendar days if the SEC notifies ACON that it will review the Registration Statement) following the Closing and (ii) five (5) business days after ACON is notified (orally or in writing, whichever is earlier) by the SEC that the Registration Statement will not be reviewed or will not be subject to further review (such date, the “Effectiveness Date”). ACON agrees to cause such Registration Statement, or another shelf registration statement that includes the Shares to be sold pursuant to this Subscription Agreement, to remain effective until the earliest of (i) the third anniversary of the Closing, (ii) the date on which the Investor ceases to hold any Shares issued pursuant to this Subscription Agreement, or (iii) on the date on which the Investor is able to sell all of its Shares issued pursuant to this Subscription Agreement (or shares received in exchange therefor) under Rule 144 of the Securities Act within ninety (90) days without limitation as to the amount of such securities that may be sold and without the requirement for ACON to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144(c) (or Rule 144(i)(2), if applicable). The Investor agrees to disclose its ownership and any other information reasonably requested to ACON upon request to assist it in making the determination described above. ACON’s obligations to include the Shares issued pursuant to this Subscription Agreement (or shares issued in exchange therefor) for resale in the Registration Statement are contingent upon the Investor furnishing in writing to ACON such information regarding the Investor, the securities of ACON held by the Investor and the intended method of disposition of such Shares, which shall be limited to non-underwritten public offerings, as shall be reasonably requested by ACON to effect the registration of such Shares, and shall execute such documents in connection with such registration as ACON may reasonably request that are customary of a selling stockholder in similar situations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the SEC prevents ACON from including any or all of the Shares proposed to be registered under the Registration Statement due to limitations on the use of Rule 415 of the Securities Act for the resale of the Shares by the applicable shareholders or otherwise, such Registration Statement shall register for resale such number of Shares which is equal to the maximum number of Shares as is permitted by the SEC. In such event, the number of Shares to be registered for each selling shareholder named in the Registration Statement shall be reduced pro rata among all such selling shareholders and as promptly as practicable after being permitted to register additional Shares under Rule 415 under the Securities Act, ACON shall file a new Registration Statement to register such Shares not included in the initial Registration Statement and cause such Registration Statement to become effective as promptly as practicable consistent with the terms of this Section 7. For purposes of clarification, any failure by ACON to file the Registration Statement by the Filing Date or to effect such Registration Statement by the Effectiveness Date shall not otherwise relieve ACON of its obligations to file or effect the Registration Statement set forth in this Section 7. For purposes of this Section 7, “Shares” shall mean, as of any date of determination, the Shares acquired by the Investor pursuant to this Subscription Agreement and any other equity security issued or issuable with respect to such Shares by way of stock split, dividend, distribution, recapitalization, merger, exchange, replacement or similar event, and “Investor” shall include any affiliate of the undersigned Investor to which the rights under this Section 7 have been duly assigned.

a. ACON shall advise the Investor within three (3) business days (at ACON’s expense): (i) when a Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has become effective; (ii) of the issuance by the SEC of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for such purpose; (iii) of the receipt by ACON of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Shares included therein for sale in any jurisdiction or the initiation or threatening of any proceeding for such purpose; and (iv) subject to the provisions in this Subscription Agreement, of the occurrence of any event that requires the making of any changes in any Registration Statement or prospectus so that, as of such date, the statements therein are not misleading and do not omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary

to make the statements therein (in the case of a prospectus, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made) not misleading (provided that any such notice pursuant to this Section 7(b)(iv) shall solely provide that the use of the Registration Statement or prospectus has been suspended without setting forth the reason for such suspension). ACON shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to obtain the withdrawal of any order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement as soon as reasonably practicable. Upon receipt of any written notice from ACON of the happening any event contemplated in clauses (ii) through (iv) above during the period that the Registration Statement is effective or if as a result of the occurrence of such event the Registration Statement or related prospectus contains any 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, in light of the circumstances under which they were made (in the case of the prospectus) not misleading, the undersigned agrees that (1) it will immediately discontinue offers and sales of the Shares under the Registration Statement (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, sales conducted pursuant to Rule 144) until the undersigned receives copies of a supplemental or amended prospectus (which ACON agrees to promptly prepare) that corrects the misstatement(s) or omission(s) referred to above and receives notice that any post-effective amendment has become effective or unless otherwise notified by ACON that it may resume such offers and sales, and (2) it will maintain the confidentiality of any information included in such written notice delivered by ACON except (A) for disclosure to the Investor’s employees, agents and professional advisers who need to know such information and are obligated to keep it confidential, (B) for disclosures to the extent required in order to comply with reporting obligations to its limited partners who have agreed to keep such information confidential and (C) as required by law or subpoena. Upon the occurrence of any event contemplated in clauses (i) through (iv) above, except for such times as ACON is permitted hereunder to suspend, and has suspended, the use of a prospectus forming part of a registration statement, ACON shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to as soon as reasonably practicable prepare a post-effective amendment to such registration statement or a supplement to the related prospectus, or file any other required document so that, as thereafter delivered to purchasers of the Shares included therein, such prospectus will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that ACON may suspend the use of any such Registration Statement if it determines in good faith, upon advice of legal counsel that, in order for such registration statement not to contain a material misstatement or omission, an amendment thereto would be needed to include information that would at that time not otherwise be required in a current, quarterly or annual report under the Exchange Act, provided, that (i) ACON shall not so delay filing or so suspend the use of the Registration Statement on more than two (2) occasions, or for a period of more than sixty (60) consecutive days or more than a total of one hundred twenty (120) calendar days, in each case in any three hundred sixty (360) day period, and (ii) ACON shall use commercially reasonable efforts to make such registration statement available for the sale by the Investor of such securities as soon as practicable thereafter.

b. For as long as the Investor holds Shares, ACON will use commercially reasonable efforts to file all reports necessary to enable the undersigned to resell the Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement. For as long as the Investor holds Shares, ACON will use commercially reasonable efforts to file all reports necessary to enable the undersigned to resell the Shares pursuant to Rule 144 of the Securities Act (when Rule 144 of the Securities Act becomes available to the Investor). In addition, in connection with any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposition of the Shares by the Investor pursuant to Rule 144 or pursuant to any other exemption under the Securities Act such that the Shares held by the Investor become freely tradable and upon compliance by the Investor with the requirements of this Section 7(c), if requested by the Investor, ACON shall cause the transfer agent for the Shares (the “Transfer Agent”) to remove any restrictive legends related to the book entry account holding such Shares and make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry Shares sold or disposed of without restrictive legends within three (3) trading days of any such request therefor from the Investor, provided that ACON and the Transfer Agent have timely received from the Investor customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to ACON and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith. Subject to receipt from the Investor by ACON and the Transfer Agent of customary representations and other documentation reasonably acceptable to ACON and the Transfer Agent in connection therewith, the Investor may request that ACON remove any legend from the book entry position evidencing its Shares and ACON will, if required by the Transfer Agent, cause an opinion of ACON’s counsel be provided, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Transfer Agent, to the effect that the removal of such restrictive legends in such circumstances may be effected under the Securities Act, following the earliest of such time as such Shares (i) (x) are subject to or (y) have been or are about to be sold or transferred pursuant to an effective registration statement, (ii) have been or are about to be sold pursuant to Rule 144, or (iii) are eligible for resale under Rule 144(b)(1) or any successor provision without the requirement for ACON to be in compliance with the current public information requirement under Rule 144 and without volume or manner-of-sale restrictions applicable to the sale or transfer of

such Shares. If restrictive legends are no longer required for such Shares pursuant to the foregoing, ACON shall, in accordance with the provisions of this section and within three (3) trading days of any request therefor from the Investor accompanied by such customary and reasonably acceptable representations and other documentation referred to above establishing that restrictive legends are no longer required, deliver to the Transfer Agent irrevocable instructions that the Transfer Agent shall make a new, unlegended entry for such book entry Shares. ACON shall be responsible for the fees of its Transfer Agent, its legal counsel and all DTC fees associated with such issuance.

c. Indemnification.

(i) ACON agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, to the extent permitted by law, the Investor, its directors, officers, employees and agents, and each person who controls the Investor (within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act) and each affiliate of the Investor (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including, without limitation, any reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) caused by any untrue or alleged untrue statement of material fact contained in any Registration Statement, prospectus included in any Registration Statement or preliminary prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as the same are caused by or contained in any information furnished in writing to ACON by or on behalf of the Investor expressly for use therein.

(ii) The Investor agrees, severally and not jointly with any person that is a party to the Other Subscription Agreements or any other selling shareholder under the Registration Statement, to indemnify and hold harmless ACON, its directors and officers and agents and each person who controls ACON (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) resulting from any untrue statement of material fact contained in the Registration Statement, prospectus or preliminary prospectus or any amendment thereof or supplement thereto or any omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing by the Investor expressly for use therein. In no event shall the liability of the Investor be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by the Investor upon the sale of the Shares purchased pursuant to this Subscription Agreement giving rise to such indemnification obligation.

(iii) Any person entitled to indemnification herein shall (1) give prompt written notice to the indemnifying party of any claim with respect to which it seeks indemnification (provided that the failure to give prompt notice shall not impair any person’s right to indemnification hereunder to the extent such failure has not prejudiced the indemnifying party) and (2) permit such indemnifying party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party. If such defense is assumed, the indemnifying party shall not be subject to any liability for any settlement made by the indemnified party without its consent. An indemnifying party who elects not to assume the defense of a claim shall not be obligated to pay the fees and expenses of more than one counsel for all parties indemnified by such indemnifying party with respect to such claim, unless in the reasonable judgment of legal counsel to any indemnified party a conflict of interest exists between such indemnified party and any other of such indemnified parties with respect to such claim. No indemnifying party shall, without the consent of the indemnified party, consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement which cannot be settled in all respects by the payment of money (and such money is so paid by the indemnifying party pursuant to the terms of such settlement) or which settlement 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 to such claim or litigation.

(iv) The indemnification provided for under this Subscription Agreement shall remain in full force and effect regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the indemnified party or any officer, director, employee, agent, affiliate or controlling person of such indemnified party and shall survive the transfer of the Shares purchased pursuant to this Subscription Agreement.

(v) If the indemnification provided under this Section 7(d) from the indemnifying party is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party in respect of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses referred to herein, then the indemnifying party, in lieu of indemnifying the indemnified party, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by the indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative fault of the indemnifying party and the indemnified party, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative fault of the indemnifying party and indemnified party shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether any action in question, including any untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or omission or alleged omission to state a material fact, was made by, or relates to information supplied by, such indemnifying party or indemnified party, and the indemnifying party’s and indemnified party’s relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such action. The amount paid or payable by a party as a result of the losses or other liabilities referred to above shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other fees, charges or expenses reasonably incurred by such party in connection with any investigation or proceeding. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution pursuant to this Section 7(d) from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. In no event shall the liability of the Investor be greater in amount than the dollar amount of the net proceeds received by the Investor upon the sale of the Shares purchased pursuant to this Subscription Agreement giving rise to such contribution obligation.

8. Termination. This Subscription Agreement shall terminate and be void and of no further force and effect, and all rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall terminate without any further liability on the part of any party in respect thereof, upon the earliest to occur of (a) such date and time as the Merger Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, (b) upon the mutual written agreement of each of the parties hereto, or (c) the Termination Date (as defined in the Merger Agreement as in effect on the date hereof) or the Extended Termination Date (as defined in the Merger Agreement as in effect as of the date hereof), as applicable, if the Closing has not occurred by such date (the termination events described in clauses (a)–(d) above, collectively, the “Termination Events”); provided that nothing herein will relieve any party from liability for any willful breach hereof prior to the time of termination, and each party will be entitled to any remedies at law or in equity to recover losses, liabilities or damages arising from any such willful breach. ACON shall notify the Investor of the termination of the Merger Agreement as promptly as practicable after the termination of such agreement. Upon the occurrence of any Termination Event, this Subscription Agreement shall be void and of no further effect and any monies paid by the Investor to ACON in connection herewith shall promptly (and in any event within one (1) business day) following the Termination Event be returned to the Investor.

9. Trust Account Waiver. The Investor acknowledges that ACON is a blank check company with the powers and privileges to effect a merger, asset acquisition, reorganization or similar business combination involving ACON and one or more businesses or assets. The Investor further acknowledges that, as described in ACON’s prospectus relating to its initial public offering dated September 16, 2020 (the “Prospectus”) available at www.sec.gov, substantially all of ACON’s assets consist of the cash proceeds of ACON’s initial public offering and private placement of its securities, and substantially all of those proceeds have been deposited in a trust account (the “Trust Account”) for the benefit of ACON, its public shareholders and the underwriters of ACON’s initial public offering. Except with respect to interest earned on the funds held in the Trust Account that may be released to ACON to pay its tax obligations, if any, the cash in the Trust Account may be disbursed only for the purposes set forth in the Prospectus. For and in consideration of ACON entering into this Subscription Agreement, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Investor hereby irrevocably waives any and all right, title and interest, or any claim of any kind it has or may have in the future, in or to any monies held in the Trust Account, and agrees not to seek recourse against the Trust Account, as a result of or arising out of this Subscription Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby, regardless of whether such claim arises based on contract, tort, equity or any other theory of legal liability; provided, however, that nothing in this Section 9 shall be deemed to limit the Investor’s right, title, interest or claim to any monies held in the Trust Account by virtue of its record or beneficial ownership of Class A Shares acquired by means other than pursuant to this Subscription Agreement, including pursuant to an exercised redemption right with respect to any such Class A Shares, except to the extent that the Investor has otherwise agreed in writing with ACON, the Company or any of their respective affiliates to not exercise such redemption right.

10. No Short Sales. The Investor hereby agrees that, from the date of this Subscription Agreement until the Closing, none of the Investor, its controlled affiliates, or any person or entity acting on behalf of the Investor or any of its controlled affiliates or pursuant to any understanding with the Investor or any of its controlled affiliates will engage in any Short Sales with respect to securities of ACON. For purposes of this Section 10, “Short Sales” shall include, without limitation, all “short sales” as defined in Rule 200 promulgated under Regulation SHO under the Exchange Act, and all types of direct and indirect stock pledges (other than pledges in the ordinary course of business as part of prime brokerage arrangements), forward sale contracts, options, puts, calls, swaps and similar arrangements (including, without limitation, on a total return basis), and sales and other transactions through non-U.S. broker dealers or foreign regulated brokers.

11. Miscellaneous.

a. Neither this Subscription Agreement nor any rights that may accrue to the Investor hereunder (other than the Shares acquired hereunder, if any) may be transferred or assigned. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Investor may assign its rights and obligations under this Subscription Agreement to one or more funds or accounts managed by the investment manager or investment advisor that manages the Investor (or an affiliate that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such investment manager or investment advisor), to a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Investor or, with ACON’s prior written consent, to another person, provided, in each case, that any assignee agrees in writing to be bound by the terms hereof as if it were an original party hereto and that no such assignment shall relieve the Investor of its obligations hereunder if any such assignee fails to perform such obligations.

b. ACON may request from the Investor such additional information as ACON may deem necessary to register the resale of the Shares and evaluate the eligibility of the Investor to acquire the Shares, and the Investor shall provide such information as may reasonably be requested, to the extent readily available and to the extent consistent with the Investor’s internal policies and procedures; provided that ACON agrees to keep any such information provided by the Investor confidential except (i) as required by the federal securities law or pursuant to other routine proceedings of regulatory authorities or (ii) to the extent such disclosure is required by law, at the request of the staff of the SEC or regulatory agency or under the regulations of any national securities exchange on which ACON’s securities are listed for trading. The Investor acknowledges that ACON may file a copy of this Subscription Agreement with the SEC as an exhibit to a periodic report or a registration statement of ACON.

c. The Investor acknowledges that (i) ACON will rely on the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties of the Investor contained in this Subscription Agreement and (ii) the Placement Agent will rely on the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties contained in Section 6, Section 12 and Section 13 of this Subscription Agreement. Prior to the Closing, the Investor agrees to promptly notify ACON if any of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties set forth in Section 6 are no longer accurate.

d. ACON, the Company and the Placement Agent are each entitled to rely upon the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties contained in this Subscription Agreement and each is irrevocably authorized to produce this Subscription Agreement or a copy hereof to any interested party in any administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters covered hereby; provided, however, nothing in this Section 11(d) shall give the Company or the Placements Agent any rights other than those expressly set forth in this Section 11(d).

e. All of the agreements, representations and warranties made by each party hereto in this Subscription Agreement shall survive the Closing.

f. This Subscription Agreement may not be terminated other than pursuant to the terms of Section 8. The provisions of this Subscription Agreement may not be modified, amended or waived except by an instrument in writing signed by each of the parties hereto, provided, however, that Section 6, Section 11(d), this Section 11(f), Section 11(g), and Section 12 of this Subscription Agreement may not be amended, terminated or waived in a manner that is material and adverse to the Placement Agent without the prior written consent of the Placement Agent. No failure or delay of either party in exercising any right or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such right or power, or any course of conduct, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies of the parties hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have hereunder.

g. This Subscription Agreement (including the schedule hereto) constitutes the entire agreement, and supersedes all other prior agreements, understandings, representations and warranties, both written and oral, among the parties, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Except as set forth in Section 7(d), Section 11(c), Section 11(d), Section 11(f) this Section 11(g) and Section 12 with respect to the persons specifically referenced therein, this Subscription Agreement shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any person other than the parties hereto, and their respective successor and assigns, and the parties hereto acknowledge that such persons so referenced are third party beneficiaries of the acknowledgments, understandings, agreements, representations and warranties contained in this Subscription Agreement for the purposes of, and to the extent of, the rights granted to them, if any, pursuant to such provisions.

h. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Subscription Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives, and permitted assigns, and the agreements, representations, warranties, covenants and acknowledgments contained herein shall be deemed to be made by, and be binding upon, such heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns.

i. If any provision of this Subscription Agreement shall be adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality or enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Subscription Agreement shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall continue in full force and effect.

j. This Subscription Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts (including by facsimile or electronic mail or in .pdf) and by different parties in separate counterparts, with the same effect as if all parties hereto had signed the same document. All counterparts so executed and delivered shall be construed together and shall constitute one and the same agreement.

k. The Investor hereby consents to (i) the publication and disclosure in any Form 8-K or Form 6-K filed by ACON with the SEC in connection with the execution and delivery of this Subscription Agreement, the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and the Proxy Statement (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and (ii) as and to the extent otherwise required by the federal securities laws, exchange rules, the SEC or any other securities authorities or any rules and regulations promulgated thereby, any other documents or communications provided by the Company or ACON to any governmental entity or to any securityholders of the Company, of the Investor’s identity and beneficial ownership of the subscribed Shares and the nature of the Investor’s commitments, arrangements and understandings under and relating to this Subscription Agreement and, if deemed appropriate by the Company or ACON, a copy of this Subscription Agreement, all solely to the extent required by applicable law or any regulation or stock exchange listing requirement. The Investor will promptly provide any information reasonably requested by ACON for any regulatory application or filing made or approval sought in connection with the Transaction (including filings with the SEC). Notwithstanding the foregoing, ACON shall provide to the Investor a copy of any proposed disclosure relating to the Investor in accordance with the provisions of this Section 11(k) in advance of any publication thereof and shall include such revisions to such proposed disclosure as the Investor shall reasonably request. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Subscription Agreement, ACON shall not, and shall cause to the Placement Agent and the Company not to, publicly disclose the name of the Investor, its investment advisor or any of their respective affiliates or advisers, or include the name of the Investor, its investment advisor or any of their respective affiliates or advisers in any press release, without the prior written consent of the Investor.

l. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that irreparable damage would occur in the event that any of the provisions of this Subscription Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that the parties shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Subscription Agreement, without posting a bond or undertaking and without proof of damages, to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Subscription Agreement, this being in addition to any other remedy to which such party is entitled at law, in equity, in contract, in tort or otherwise.

m. THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK (REGARDLESS OF THE LAWS THAT MIGHT OTHERWISE GOVERN UNDER APPLICABLE PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS THEREOF) AS TO ALL MATTERS (INCLUDING ANY ACTION, SUIT, LITIGATION, ARBITRATION, MEDIATION, CLAIM, CHARGE, COMPLAINT, INQUIRY, PROCEEDING, HEARING, AUDIT, INVESTIGATION OR REVIEWS BY OR BEFORE ANY GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY RELATED HERETO), INCLUDING MATTERS OF VALIDITY, CONSTRUCTION, EFFECT, PERFORMANCE AND REMEDIES.

n. THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AND THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SOLELY IN RESPECT OF THE INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT AND THE DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT AND IN RESPECT OF THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, AND HEREBY WAIVE, AND AGREE NOT TO ASSERT, AS A DEFENSE IN ANY ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING FOR INTERPRETATION OR ENFORCEMENT HEREOF OR ANY SUCH DOCUMENT THAT IS NOT SUBJECT THERETO OR THAT SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING MAY NOT BE BROUGHT OR IS NOT MAINTAINABLE IN SAID COURTS OR THAT VENUE THEREOF MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE OR THAT THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT OR ANY SUCH DOCUMENT MAY NOT BE ENFORCED IN OR BY SUCH COURTS, AND THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS WITH RESPECT TO SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE HEARD AND DETERMINED BY SUCH A NEW YORK STATE OR FEDERAL COURT. THE PARTIES HEREBY CONSENT TO AND GRANT ANY SUCH COURT JURISDICTION OVER THE PERSON OF SUCH PARTIES AND OVER THE SUBJECT MATTER OF SUCH DISPUTE AND AGREE THAT MAILING OF PROCESS OR OTHER PAPERS IN CONNECTION WITH SUCH ACTION, SUIT OR PROCEEDING IN THE MANNER PROVIDED IN SECTION 11(o) OF THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT OR IN SUCH OTHER MANNER AS MAY BE PERMITTED BY LAW SHALL BE VALID AND SUFFICIENT SERVICE THEREOF.

EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT ANY CONTROVERSY WHICH MAY ARISE UNDER THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY IS LIKELY TO INVOLVE COMPLICATED AND DIFFICULT ISSUES, AND THEREFORE EACH SUCH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT SUCH PARTY MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT. EACH PARTY CERTIFIES AND ACKNOWLEDGES THAT (I) NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER; (II) SUCH PARTY UNDERSTANDS AND HAS CONSIDERED THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FOREGOING WAIVER; (III) SUCH PARTY MAKES THE FOREGOING WAIVER VOLUNTARILY AND (IV) SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVER AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 11(n).

o. All notices, requests, demands, claims, and other communications hereunder shall be in writing. Any notice, request, demand, claim, or other communication hereunder shall be deemed duly given, delivered and received (i) when delivered personally to the recipient, (ii) when sent by electronic mail, on the date of transmission to such recipient, with no mail undeliverable or other rejection notice, (iii) one (1) business day after being sent to the recipient by reputable overnight courier service (charges prepaid), with confirmation of receipt, or (iv) four (4) business days after being mailed to the recipient by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested and postage prepaid, and, in each case, addressed to the intended recipient at its address specified on the signature page hereof or to such electronic mail address or address as subsequently modified by written notice given in accordance with this Section 11(o).

12. Non-Reliance and Exculpation. The Investor acknowledges that it is not relying upon, and has not relied upon, any statement, representation or warranty made by any person, firm or corporation (including, without limitation, the Placement Agent, the Company or any of their respective affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing), other than the statements, representations and warranties of ACON expressly contained in Section 5 of this Subscription Agreement, in making its investment or decision to invest in ACON. The Investor acknowledges and agrees that none of (i) any Other Investor pursuant to any Other Subscription Agreement (including such investor’s affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of such investor), (ii) the Placement Agent, its affiliates or any control persons, officers, directors, employees, partners, agents or representatives of any of the foregoing, or (iii) the Company or any of its affiliates, shall have any liability to the Investor, or any other investor, pursuant to, arising out of or relating to this Subscription Agreement or any other subscription agreement related to the private placement of the Shares, the negotiation hereof or thereof or its subject matter, or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, including, without limitation, with respect to any action heretofore or hereafter taken or omitted to be taken by any of them in connection with the purchase of the Shares or with respect to any claim (whether in tort, contract or otherwise) for breach of this Subscription Agreement or in respect of any written or oral representations made or alleged to be made in connection herewith, as expressly provided herein, or for any actual or alleged inaccuracies, misstatements or omissions with respect to any information or materials of any kind furnished by ACON, the Company, the Placement Agent or any Non-Party Affiliate concerning ACON, the Company, the Placement Agent, any of their controlled affiliates, this Subscription Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. For purposes of this Subscription Agreement, “Non-Party Affiliates” means each former, current or future officer, director, employee, partner, member, manager, direct or indirect equityholder or affiliate of ACON, the Company, the Placement Agent or any of ACON’s, the Company’s or the Placement Agent’s controlled affiliates or any family member of the foregoing.

13. Non-Recourse. This Subscription Agreement may only be enforced against, and any claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of, or related to any breach of any term or condition of this Subscription Agreement may only be brought against, the entities that are expressly named as parties hereto and then only to the extent of the specific obligations set forth herein with respect to such party.

14. Disclosure. ACON shall, by 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first (1st) business day immediately following the date of this Subscription Agreement, issue one or more press releases or file with the SEC a Current Report on Form 8-K (collectively, the “Disclosure Document”) disclosing all material terms of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the Other Subscription Agreements, the Merger Agreement, the Transaction and any other material, nonpublic information that ACON has provided to the Investor at any time prior to the filing of the Disclosure Document. Upon the issuance of the Disclosure Document, the Investor shall not be in possession of any material, non-public information received from ACON or any of its officers, directors, or employees or agents, and the Investor shall no longer be subject to any confidentiality or similar obligations under any current agreement, whether written or oral, with ACON, the Placement Agent or any of their respective affiliates, relating to the transactions contemplated by this Subscription Agreement.

15. Separate Obligations. For the avoidance of doubt, all obligations of the Investor hereunder are separate and several from the obligations of any Other Investor. The decision of Investor to purchase the Shares pursuant to this Subscription Agreement has been made by Investor independently of any Other Investor or any other investor and independently of any information, materials, statements or opinions as to the business, financial condition or results of operations of ACON, the Company, or any of their respective subsidiaries which may have been made or given by any Other Investor or by any agent or employee of any Other Investor, and neither Investor nor any of its agents or employees shall have any liability to any Other Investor (or any other person) relating to or arising from any such information, materials, statements or opinions. Nothing contained herein or in any Other Subscription Agreement, and no action taken by Investor or Other Investors pursuant hereto or thereto, shall be deemed to constitute Investor and Other Investor as a partnership, an association, a joint venture or any other kind of entity, or create a presumption that Investor and Other Investors are in any way acting in concert or as a group with respect to such obligations or the transactions contemplated by this Subscription Agreement and the Other Subscription Agreements. The Investor acknowledges that no Other Investor has acted as agent for Investor in connection with making its investment hereunder and no Other Investor will be acting as agent of Investor in connection with monitoring its investment in the Shares or enforcing its rights under this Subscription Agreement. The Investor shall be entitled to independently protect and enforce its rights, including without limitation the rights arising out of this Subscription Agreement, and it shall not be necessary for any Other Investor to be joined as an additional party in any proceeding for such purpose.

16. Massachusetts Business Trust. If Investor is a Massachusetts Business Trust, a copy of the Declaration of Trust of Investor or any affiliate thereof is on file with the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and notice is hereby given that the Subscription Agreement is executed on behalf of the trustees of Investor or any affiliate thereof as trustees and not individually and that the obligations of the Subscription Agreement are not binding on any of the trustees, officers or stockholders of Investor or any affiliate thereof individually but are binding only upon Investor or any affiliate thereof and its assets and property.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Investor has executed or caused this Subscription Agreement to be executed by its duly authorized representative as of the date set forth below.


Name of Investor:		State/Country of Formation or Domicile:

By:
Name:
Title:

Name in which Shares are to be registered (if different):		Date: ________, 2021

Investor’s EIN:

Business Address-Street:		Mailing Address-Street (if different):

City, State, Zip:		City, State, Zip:

Attn:		Attn:

Telephone No.:		Telephone No.:
Facsimile No.: Email:		Facsimile No.:

Number of Shares subscribed for:

Aggregate Subscription Amount: $		Price Per Share: $10.00

You must pay the Subscription Amount by wire transfer of United States dollars in immediately available funds to the account specified by ACON in the Closing Notice.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, ACON has accepted this Subscription Agreement as of the date set forth below.


ACON S2 ACQUISITION CORP.



By:


Name: Adam Kriger
Title: Managing Partner

Date: May 6, 2021

SCHEDULE A

ELIGIBILITY REPRESENTATIONS OF THE INVESTOR

A.	QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYER STATUS

(Please check if applicable):

☐ The Investor is a “qualified institutional buyer” (as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act (a “QIB”)).

** OR **

B.	INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITED INVESTOR STATUS

(Please check the applicable subparagraphs, to the extent applicable):

☐ The Investor is an “accredited investor” (within the meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act or an entity in which all of the equity holders are accredited investors within the meaning of Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act), and has marked and initialed the appropriate box below indicating the provision under which the Investor qualifies as an “accredited investor.”

☐ The Investor is not a natural person.

Rule 501(a), in relevant part, states that an “accredited investor” shall mean any person who comes within any of the below listed categories, or who the issuer reasonably believes comes within any of the below listed categories, at the time of the sale of the securities to that person. The Investor has indicated, by marking and initialing the appropriate box below, the provision(s) below which apply to the Investor and under which the Investor accordingly qualifies as an “accredited investor.”

☐ Any bank, registered broker or dealer, insurance company, registered investment company, business development company, or small business investment company;

☐ Any plan established and maintained by a state, its political subdivisions, or any agency or instrumentality of a state or its political subdivisions for the benefit of its employees, if such plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000;

☐ Any employee benefit plan, within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, if a bank, insurance company, or registered investment adviser makes the investment decisions, or if the plan has total assets in excess of $5,000,000;

☐ Any organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, corporation, Massachusetts or similar business trust, or partnership, not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered, with total assets in excess of $5,000,000;

☐ Any trust with assets in excess of $5,000,000, not formed to acquire the securities offered, whose purchase is directed by a sophisticated person; or

☐ Any entity in which all of the equity owners are accredited investors meeting one or more of the above tests.

This page should be completed by the Investor

and constitutes a part of the Subscription Agreement.

ESS Tech (GWH) 8-KEntry into a Material Definitive Agreement