Stockholders Agreement
On May 9, 2022, in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination and as contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the Issuer entered into a Stockholders Agreement (the “Stockholders Agreement”) with EAH and Zanite Sponsor LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Sponsor”). Pursuant to the terms of the Stockholders Agreement, among other things, (a) EAH has the right to nominate five directors to the Issuer’s initial board of directors (the “Board”), three of whom shall satisfy the independence requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), (b) the Sponsor has the right to nominate one director to the initial Board, and (c) EAH and the Sponsor have the right to jointly nominate one director to the initial Board, who shall satisfy the independence requirements of the NYSE. On March 16, 2022, Zanite and EAH entered into a Strategic Warrant Agreement with Acciona Logistica, S.A., pursuant to which the director to be mutually agreed upon by EAH and the Sponsor has been designated by Acciona Logistica, S.A.
The Stockholders Agreement further provides that, for so long as EAH directly or indirectly through any of its affiliates holds at least 10% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, EAH will also have the right to: (i) nominate a number of directors to the Board at least proportional to the number of shares of Common Stock owned by EAH directly or indirectly through any of its affiliates; and (ii) appoint a number of representatives to each committee of the Board that is at least proportional to the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock owned by EAH directly or indirectly through any of its affiliates. For so long as EAH directly or indirectly through any of its affiliates holds at least 20% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, EAH will also have the right to designate the chairperson of the Board (who need not be a nominee of EAH), and will also have certain financial data and information access rights.
In addition, for so long as EAH directly or indirectly through any of its affiliates holds at least 35% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the following actions may not be taken (or agreed to be taken) by the Issuer without the prior written consent of EAH: (a) the sale of greater than 30% of the assets or voting securities of the Issuer (subject to certain exceptions); (b) the voluntary liquidation or dissolution of the Issuer; (c) any amendment to or modification of the Issuer’s organizational documents that materially and adversely affects EAH in its capacity as a stockholder of the Issuer; (d) the relocation of the Issuer’s domicile; (e) any change to the Issuer’s corporate name; or (f) any change to the size of the Board.
Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement
On May 9, 2022, in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination and as contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the Issuer entered into an Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with EAH, the Sponsor and certain other holders of the Issuer’s equity securities that are party thereto, which provides such parties certain demand and piggyback registration rights with respect to their equity securities in the Issuer. Pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, the Issuer agreed to register for resale, pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), certain shares of Common Stock and other of the Issuer’s equity securities that are held by the parties thereto from time to time. The Registration Rights Agreement contains a three-year lock-up period, pursuant to which, subject to certain exceptions, EAH, the Sponsor and certain other parties thereto will be restricted from transferring the shares of Common Stock and warrants they own immediately following the Closing until the date that is three years after the Closing. The Registration Rights Agreement amends and restates the registration rights agreement that was entered into by Zanite, the Sponsor and the other parties thereto in connection with Zanite’s initial public offering.
Put Option Agreements
On December 21, 2021 and March 16, 2022, as applicable, Zanite entered into (a) subscription agreements with certain strategic PIPE Investors (the “Strategic Investors”), pursuant to which such Strategic Investors agreed to purchase 3,000,000 shares of Class A common stock at a purchase price of $10.00 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $30,000,000 (the “Investment”) and (b) warrant agreements with such Strategic Investors, pursuant to which Zanite agreed to issue to such Strategic Investors certain warrants which, if exercised by such Strategic Investors in accordance with the terms and conditions of each such respective warrant agreement, would allow the Strategic Investors to purchase up to 18,650,000 shares of Common Stock at a purchase price of $0.01 per share (the “penny warrants”). Upon the Closing, one Strategic Investor exercised certain penny warrants issued to it to purchase 800,000 shares of Common Stock for an aggregate purchase price of $8,000.
Concurrently with the entry into such subscription agreements, EAH entered into a put option agreement with each such Strategic Investor (the “Put Option Agreements”), who were provided with price protections in the amount of up to their Investment. One such Put Option Agreement provides the applicable Strategic Investor with price protections for up to an additional $20,000 that may be invested by such Strategic Investor to acquire up to 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock upon exercise of certain penny warrants.
Pursuant to the terms of the applicable Put Option Agreements, the Strategic Investors can exercise their put options (A) with respect to 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock, during the ten-year period commencing upon the Closing and, if so exercised, the applicable Strategic Investors would be entitled to receive credits for parts and services that are redeemable against EAH or one of its affiliates, which credits are to be used exclusively by the relevant Strategic Investor or its affiliates at the then prevailing price list specific to such Strategic Investor or its affiliates; (B) with respect to 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock, during the six-month period commencing on June 30, 2023 if the relevant Strategic Investor has negotiated in good faith a potential commercial partnership in regards to eVTOL application within the defense and security technology market (the “Negotiation Period”) and, if so exercised, would require EAH to purchase such shares at a purchase price of $10.00 per share; and (C) with respect to 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock underlying the warrants issued to such Strategic Investor at the Closing, which warrants are exercisable at a purchase price of $0.01 per share, during the Negotiation Period and, if so exercised, would require EAH to purchase such shares at a purchase price of $0.01 per share.