20%, 25%, 331/3%, 50% or 662/3% of the company’s voting rights (whether exercisable or not) to notify the company and SIX Exchange Regulation AG of such acquisition or disposal in writing within four trading days. Within two trading days after the receipt of such notification, the company must publish such information through SIX Exchange Regulation AG’s electronic reporting and publishing platform.
As of the date of this Prospectus, our articles of association contain an opting-out provision. Hence, a purchaser of shares in the Company is not obliged to make a public tender offer in accordance with the provisions of the FMIA.
Pursuant to Article 663c of the CO, Swiss corporations whose shares are listed on a stock exchange must specify the significant shareholders and their shareholdings in the notes to the balance sheet, where these are known or ought to be known. Significant shareholders are defined as shareholders and groups of shareholders linked through voting rights who own more than five percent of all voting rights.
Upcoming Changes to Swiss Corporate Law
On January 1, 2023, new amendments to Swiss corporate law will come into force. These changes were geared towards greater flexibility for share capital and equity distributions, enhancement of shareholders’ rights in terms of better corporate governance, and modernization of shareholders’ meetings. Companies have a two-year transition period in order to adapt these regulations.
Share Capital and Nominal Value
Under the new amendment, existing companies may state their share capital to a currency other than Swiss Francs at the end of a business year, provided that (i) the chosen currency is the most relevant currency to the company’s activities, (ii) the share capital in the foreign currency corresponds to an equivalent value of at least CHF 100,000, (iii) the accounting and financial reporting are done in the same currency, and (iv) the foreign currency is one in which the Swiss Federal Council has declared as suitable for the purpose (namely the Swiss Franc, US Dollar, Euro, British Pound and Japanese Yen). Further, the nominal value of shares may be set below the current minimum of CHF 0.01 to any amount higher than zero.
Intended Acquisition of Assets and Repayment Obligations
Currently, in the case of an anticipated acquisition of assets (beabsichtigte Sachübernahme), where a company intends or undertakes to acquire certain assets soon after incorporation or a capital increase, current Swiss law imposes a qualified majority for the shareholders’ meeting and strict transparency rules. This has led to questions regarding when an acquisition meets the thresholds of a relevant acquisition of assets. The amendments have removed these rules; however, transparency for acquisition of assets remain in place, and the new law provides for a repayment obligation in case of an unfair advantage or disadvantage.
Where an acquisition of assets is made in connection with a contribution in kind or another manner in which a shareholder makes a contribution in kind where the value of the contributed asset exceeds the shareholder’s capital contribution obligation and, in consideration, the company grants another consideration in return to the shareholder on top of issuing shares. In such cases, the respective consideration must be disclosed in the articles of association and in the commercial register.
Participation Capital
The amendments will allow listed companies limited by shares to provide for participation capital (non-voting stock) up to ten times the amount of she share capital. Furthermore, the amendment distinguishes between shareholders and holders of participation capital when it comes to calculating the thresholds necessary to reach a quorum for certain decisions. By way of example, under the new amendments, shareholders of listed companies can initiate a special investigation if they hold at least 5% of the share capital or voting rights, even if the share capital does not exceed the participation capital.
Arbitration
A company’s articles of association may contain an arbitration clause regarding corporate disputes, which is binding on all parties, including the company and its shareholders. The seat of the arbitration tribunal must be in Switzerland.
Virtual Shareholders Meetings
Swiss companies may now hold virtual shareholders meetings, provided that the possibility of virtual shareholders meetings is spelled out in the company’s articles of association.
Stock Exchange Listing
Our ordinary shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol “RLF” and over the counter in the United States under the symbol “RLFTF.” Our ADSs trade in the over-the-counter market under the symbol “RLFTD,” and we have applied to list our ADSs on Nasdaq under the symbol “RLFT.”
Warrants to be Issued as Part of this Offering
The following summary of certain terms and provisions of the warrants to be issued as part of this offering (the “Warrants”) that are being offered hereby is not complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the provisions of the Warrants, the form of which is filed as Exhibit 4.5 to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors should carefully review the terms and provisions of the form of Warrants for a complete description of the terms and conditions of the Warrants.
Duration and Exercise Price
Each Warrant included in the Units will have an initial exercise price equal to 120% of the price of the corresponding ADS. The Warrants will be immediately exercisable and will expire on the fifth anniversary of the original issuance date. The exercise price and number of Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, reorganizations or similar events affecting our ordinary shares and the exercise price. The Warrants will be issued separately from the Shares included in the Units. A Warrant to purchase three quarters of a Warrant Share will be included in each Unit purchased in this offering.
Exercisability
The Warrants will be exercisable, at the option of each holder, in whole or in part, by delivering to us a duly executed exercise notice accompanied by payment in full for the number of Warrant Shares purchased upon such exercise (except in the case of a cashless exercise as discussed below). A holder (together with its affiliates) may not exercise any portion of the Warrant to the extent that the holder would own more than 4.99% of the outstanding ordinary shares immediately after exercise, except that upon at least 61 days’ prior notice from the holder to us, the holder may increase the amount of ownership of outstanding stock after exercising the holder’s Warrants up to 9.99% of the number of shares of our ordinary shares outstanding immediately after giving effect to the exercise, as such percentage ownership is determined in accordance with the terms of the Warrants. Purchasers of Warrants in this offering may also elect prior to the issuance of the Warrants to have the initial exercise limitation set at 9.99% of our outstanding ordinary shares.
Fractional Shares
No fractional Warrant Shares will be issued upon the exercise of the Warrants. Rather, the number of Warrant Shares to be issued will be rounded up, to the nearest whole number, or the Company shall pay a cash adjustment in respect of the fractional share.
Transferability
Subject to applicable laws, the Warrants may be offered for sale, sold, transferred or assigned without our consent. There is currently no trading market for the Warrants.
Exchange Listing
There is no trading market available for the Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system. We do not intend to list the Warrants on any securities exchange or nationally recognized trading system.
Rights as Shareholder
Except as otherwise provided in the Warrants or by virtue of such holder’s ownership of Warrant Shares, the holders of the Warrants do not have the rights or privileges of holders of our ordinary shares, including any voting rights, until they exercise their Warrants.
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