Cepton (CPTN) DEFM14AProxy related to merger

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

_________________________________

SCHEDULE 14A

_________________________________

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Check the appropriate box:

Cepton, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

N/A
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):

CEPTON, INC.
399 West Trimble Road
San Jose, California 95131

November 20, 2024

Dear Stockholder,

You are cordially invited to attend a special meeting of stockholders of Cepton, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”). The meeting will be held on December 20, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, conducted solely online via live webcast (the “Special Meeting”). We believe that a virtual meeting provides expanded access, improved communication and cost savings for our stockholders. You will be able to attend and participate in the Special Meeting online, vote your shares electronically and submit your questions prior to the meeting at www.proxyvote.com (or scan the barcode on your proxy card) and during the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CPTN2024SM at the meeting date and time described in the accompanying Proxy Statement. There is no physical location for the Special Meeting.

At the Special Meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on a proposal to adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended from time to time), dated as of July 29, 2024 (which we refer to as the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., a corporation organized under the laws of Japan (“Parent” or “Koito”), and Project Camaro Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”). We refer to the merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company as the “merger.” At the Special Meeting, you will also be asked to consider and vote on a proposal for the adjournment of the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the Special Meeting. A copy of the Merger Agreement is attached as Annex A to the Proxy Statement.

The proposed transaction constitutes a “going private transaction” under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules. Upon completion of the transaction, our common stock and public warrants will no longer trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market. In addition, our common stock and public warrants will be deregistered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and we will no longer file periodic reports with the SEC.

The Board of Directors of Cepton (the “Board”) referred consideration of any potential transaction involving the Company to a Special Committee (the “Special Committee”) of the Board, including the authority to, among other things, review, evaluate, negotiate, approve or not approve and recommend or not recommend to the Board and our stockholders any proposal made by Parent. The Special Committee unanimously (i) determined that the terms of the Merger Agreement, the other transaction documents and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger consideration and the merger, are advisable, fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company and its stockholders, and (ii) recommended that the Board (A) approve, adopt and declare advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders the Merger Agreement, the other transaction documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and (B) submit to our stockholders, and recommend the adoption of, the Merger Agreement.

In evaluating the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, the Special Committee consulted with its own independent legal and financial advisors and, in making its recommendation to the Board, considered a number of factors. In evaluating the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the Merger, and, in making its determination, including its recommendation to our stockholders, the Board considered a number of factors, including the recommendation of the Special Committee. Such factors considered by the Special Committee and the Board are described more fully in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

The Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee, whose analyses and determinations the Board adopted as its own in its evaluation of the fairness of the merger), after considering the factors more fully described in the enclosed Proxy Statement: (1) determined that the merger, and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement are advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and (2) approved the Merger Agreement, the merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

The Board recommends that you vote: (1) “FOR” the adoption of the Merger Agreement; and (2) “FOR” the adjournment of the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the Special Meeting.

Please use this opportunity to take part in the affairs of the Company by voting on the business to come before this Special Meeting. Whether or not you plan to attend the virtual Special Meeting, please sign, date and return the accompanying proxy card or voting instruction form in the postage-paid envelope provided or submit your proxy or voting instructions electronically via the internet or by telephone. See “About the Special Meeting and the Transaction — How do I vote?” in the Proxy Statement for more details. You may also vote your shares online during the Special Meeting. Instructions for each type of voting are included on your proxy card or voting instruction form. Returning the proxy card or voting instruction form or submitting your proxy or voting instructions electronically does not deprive you of your right to attend the virtual Special Meeting and to vote your shares online during the virtual Special Meeting.

Very truly yours,

Jun Pei
Chairman of the Board, President
and Chief Executive Officer

NEITHER THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE MERGER, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE MERGER OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

CEPTON, INC.
399 West Trimble Road
San Jose, California 95131

_________________________________

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD DECEMBER 20, 2024

_________________________________

Notice is given that a special meeting of stockholders (which we refer to, together with any adjournment, postponement or other delay thereof, as the “Special Meeting”) of Cepton, Inc., a Delaware corporation (which we refer to as the “Company” or “Cepton”), will be held on December 20, 2024, at 9:00 a.m., Pacific time, for the following purposes:

Proposal 1 — Approval of a proposal to adopt the Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended from time to time), dated July 29, 2024 (the “Merger Agreement”), by and among the Company, KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., a corporation organized under the laws of Japan (“Parent” or “Koito”), and Project Camaro Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), a Delaware corporation and an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (the “Transaction Proposal”).

Proposal 2 — Approval of a proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or time, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to approve the Transaction Proposal (the “Adjournment Proposal”)

Such other business as may properly come before the meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

IMPORTANT — NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING.    The Special Meeting will be held by means of a live interactive webcast on the internet at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CPTN2024SM. In accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), we have elected to provide access to our proxy materials by sending you this full set of proxy materials, including a proxy card. Accordingly, the Proxy Statement and accompanying proxy card will first be mailed to our stockholders on or about November 26, 2024. Our proxy materials are also available to our stockholders free of charge at http://investors.cepton.com.

The stockholders of record of our common stock as of the close of business on November 15, 2024, will be entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Holders of our shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”) or warrants shall not be entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. For a period of 10 days ending on the day before the Special Meeting date, a complete list of stockholders of record of our common stock entitled to vote at the Special Meeting will be available for inspection in our principal executive offices at 399 West Trimble Road, San Jose, California 95131.

Your vote is important to us.    Whether or not you plan to attend the virtual Special Meeting, we urge you to submit your proxy or voting instructions as soon as possible to ensure your shares are represented at the Special Meeting. The voting procedures are described under “About the Special Meeting and the Transaction” in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

Cepton’s Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee, whose analyses and determinations the Board adopted as its own in its evaluation of the fairness of the merger) recommends that you vote: (1) “FOR” the adoption of the Merger Agreement; and (2) “FOR” the adjournment of the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the Merger Agreement at the time of the Special Meeting.

The stockholders or beneficial owners of record who do not vote in favor of the proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement will have the right to seek appraisal of the “fair value” of their shares of our common stock (exclusive of any elements of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger and together with interest (as described in the accompanying Proxy Statement) to be paid on the amount determined to be “fair value”) in lieu of receiving $3.17 in cash per share, without interest and subject to any applicable withholding taxes, for each

share of our common stock that they own if the merger is completed, as determined in accordance with Section 262 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (which we refer to as the “DGCL”). To do so, a record stockholder or beneficial owner must properly demand appraisal before the vote is taken on the Merger Agreement and comply with all other requirements of the DGCL, which are summarized in the accompanying Proxy Statement.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Jun Pei
President and Chief Executive Officer
November 20, 2024

CEPTON, INC.
399 West Trimble Road
San Jose, California 95131

PROXY STATEMENT
FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

December 20, 2024

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA

Record Date; Shares Entitled to Vote; Quorum

Only our common stockholders as of the close of business on the record date are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Special Meeting. You will need the control number included on your proxy card or otherwise provided by your bank, broker or other nominee to access the stockholder list during the Special Meeting.

As of the record date, there were 16,051,981 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. Each share of our common stock issued and outstanding as of the close of business on the record date is entitled to one vote per share on each matter properly submitted for a vote at the special meeting.

The presence, in person or by proxy, of the holders of a majority of all outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote at the Special Meeting as of the record date shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Special Meeting.

Vote Required; Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes

Approval of the Transaction Proposal requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our common stock outstanding as of the record date and entitled to vote on the proposal. Adoption of the Merger Agreement by our stockholders is a condition to the closing of the merger (the “Closing”).

Approval of the Adjournment Proposal to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the Transaction Proposal at the time of the Special Meeting requires the affirmative vote of a majority in voting power of the shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote at our Special Meeting and are voted “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Adjournment Proposal.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CEPTON, INC.
399 West Trimble Road
San Jose, California 95131

PROXY STATEMENT
General

These proxy materials are being furnished to you in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Cepton, Inc. for use at the special meeting of stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) to be held on December 20, 2024 at 9:00 a.m., Pacific Time. The Special Meeting will be conducted virtually via live webcast. This Proxy Statement contains important information for you to consider when deciding how to vote on the matters to be brought before the Special Meeting. Please read it carefully.

On or about November 26, 2024, the proxy materials for the Special Meeting, including this Proxy Statement, were first sent to our common stockholders entitled to vote at the Special Meeting.

Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “Cepton, Inc.,” “Cepton,” “the Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” are used in these proxy materials to refer to Cepton, Inc. We are incorporated in the state of Delaware and the Company’s website can be found at http://www.cepton.com. Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “CPTN”. Information contained on or accessible through Cepton’s website is not a part of this Proxy Statement.

Unless otherwise defined in the Proxy Statement, capitalized terms are defined below in the text or under “Merger Agreement” in Proposal 1.

About the Special Meeting and the Transaction

The Company is furnishing this Proxy Statement to its common stockholders as part of the solicitation of proxies by the Board for use at the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. This Proxy Statement provides the Company’s stockholders with the information they need to know to be able to vote at the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. The following questions and answers are intended to briefly address some commonly asked questions regarding the Transaction, the Merger Agreement and the Special Meeting. These questions and answers may not address all of the questions that may be important to you as a stockholder of the Company. Please refer to the detailed information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement, including the Merger Agreement and the documents referred to or incorporated by reference in this Proxy Statement, which you should read carefully and in their entirety. You may obtain the information incorporated by reference in this Proxy Statement without charge by following the instructions under “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 91 or “Incorporation of Certain Information By Reference” beginning on page 94.

Q.     Who is soliciting my vote?

A.     This Proxy Statement and the enclosed proxy card are furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board for use at the Special Meeting.

Q.     Why am I receiving this Proxy Statement?

A.     On July 29, 2024, we announced our entry into the Merger Agreement, which provides that Parent will acquire Cepton for $3.17 in cash per share of our common stock, without interest and subject to any applicable withholding taxes, for each share of our common stock that you own at the Effective Time. In order to complete the merger, among other conditions, our stockholders must vote on a proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement (the “Transaction Proposal”). We are also requesting that stockholders approve a proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or time, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to approve the Transaction Proposal (the “Adjournment Proposal”).

This Proxy Statement, which you should read carefully, contains important information about the merger, the Merger Agreement, the Special Meeting and the matters to be voted on at the Special Meeting. The enclosed materials allow you to submit a proxy to vote your shares of our common stock without attending the Special Meeting and to ensure that your shares of our common stock are represented and voted at the Special Meeting.

You have been identified as a stockholder of the Company as of the close of business on the Record Date (defined below) and are invited to attend the Special Meeting to vote on the proposals described in this Proxy Statement. However, you do not need to attend the meeting to vote your shares. See below under “How do I vote?”

Although it is not currently expected, the Special Meeting may be adjourned or postponed. If there is no quorum, the holders of a majority of shares present at the meeting in person or represented by proxy may adjourn the meeting to another date. Virtual attendance at our Special Meeting constitutes presence in person for the Special Meeting.

Q.     What is the Transaction and what effects will it have on the Company?

A.     The proposed merger is the acquisition of the Company by Parent. If the Transaction Proposal is approved by our stockholders and the other closing conditions set out in the Merger Agreement are satisfied or waived, Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation (the “Surviving Corporation”). As a result of the merger, the Company will become an indirect controlled subsidiary of Parent owned by Parent and the Rollover Participants, and our common stock and the public warrants will no longer be publicly traded and will no longer be listed on Nasdaq. In addition, our common stock and warrants will be deregistered under the Exchange Act, and we will no longer file periodic reports with the SEC.

After careful consideration, our Board (excluding the Koito Designees and acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee, whose analyses and determinations the Board adopted as its own in its evaluation of the fairness of the merger) has determined that the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated

thereby are fair to and in the best interests of the Company and the Company’s stockholders and has approved the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby. In addition, the Board (excluding the Koito Designees) believes that the merger is fair to our “unaffiliated security holders,” as such term is defined in Rule 13e-3 of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, the Board (excluding the Koito Designees) recommends that its stockholders vote “FOR” the approval of the Transaction Proposal and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to approve the Transaction Proposal.

Q.     What will I receive if the merger is completed?

A.     Upon completion of the merger, you will be entitled to receive $3.17 in cash per share of our common stock, without interest and subject to any applicable withholding taxes, for each share of our common stock that you own immediately prior to the Effective Time, unless you have properly exercised, and not validly withdrawn or subsequently lost, your appraisal rights under the DGCL. For example, if you own 100 shares of our common stock, you will receive $317 in cash in exchange for your shares, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes.

Q.     How does the per share price compare to the market price of our common stock?

A.     This amount constitutes a premium of approximately 25 percent over our closing stock price on July 26, 2024, the last full trading day prior to the public announcement of our entry into the Merger Agreement.

Q.     What will happen to the Company’s incentive awards?

A.     Restricted Stock Units.    As of immediately prior to the Effective Time, certain of the outstanding awards of restricted stock units (which we refer to as “Company RSUs”) will automatically vest and be cancelled and converted into, for each share of our common stock subject to the award immediately prior to the Effective Time, the right to receive a payment equal to the per share merger consideration, subject to all applicable federal, state and local tax withholdings and deductions (the “RSU Payment”). In the case of a Company RSU that is subject to certain vesting conditions (achievement for these purposes will be determined in accordance with the terms expressly specified in the award agreement) will, upon satisfaction of such vesting conditions, be cancelled and converted into, for each share of our common stock subject to the award immediately prior to the Effective Time the right to receive the RSU Payment.

Stock Options.    As of immediately prior to the Effective Time, each outstanding option will be cancelled and, in exchange therefor, the holder of such cancelled option will be entitled to receive a payment in cash of an amount equal to the product of (1) the total number of shares of our common stock subject to such option and (2) the excess of the per share merger consideration over the aggregate exercise price per share of such option, subject to all applicable federal, state and local tax withholdings and deductions. To the extent the exercise price per share of any outstanding options exceeds the per share merger consideration, such option will be cancelled without consideration.

Performance-Based Stock Units.    Each award of performance-based restricted stock units of the Company (“Company PSU”) that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will vest as to the number of Company PSUs determined in accordance with the applicable award agreement and will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (without interest), at or promptly after the Effective Time, an amount in cash (without interest) determined by multiplying the per share price by the number of shares of our common stock underlying such vested Company PSUs, less any withholding taxes. Any Company PSU that is not vested as of immediately prior to the Effective Time will be canceled at the Effective Time without payment of any consideration therefor.

Q.     What will happen to the Company’s warrants?

A.     The exercise price for the Company’s warrants is $115.00 per share, which exceeds the per share merger consideration under the Merger Agreement. Accordingly, at the Effective Time, each outstanding warrant will, in accordance with its terms under the Warrant Agreement, automatically and without any required action on the part of the holder thereof, cease to represent a warrant exercisable for shares of our common stock and will become a warrant exercisable for the merger consideration. If a holder properly exercises a warrant within

30 days following the public disclosure of the consummation of the merger pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC, the Warrant Price, as defined in the Warrant Agreement, with respect to such exercise will be reduced by an amount (in dollars and in no event less than zero) equal to the difference of (a) the Warrant Price in effect prior to such reduction minus (b) (i) the per share merger consideration minus (ii) the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the Warrant Agreement).

Q.     When and where is the Special Meeting?

A.     The meeting will be held on December 20, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, conducted solely online via live webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CPTN2024SM, and can also be accessed by phone at +1-800-690-6903. There is no physical location for the Special Meeting.

Q.     What am I being asked to vote on at the Special Meeting?

A.     At the Special Meeting, holders of the Company’s common stock will be asked to consider and vote on the Transaction Proposal and the Adjournment Proposal.

Q.     How does the Board recommend that I vote?

A.     After careful consideration, the Board (excluding the Koito Designees) recommends (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee, whose analyses and determinations the Board adopted as its own in its evaluation of the fairness of the merger) that you vote your shares of our common stock “FOR” the approval of the Transaction Proposal and “FOR” the approval of the Adjournment Proposal.

Pursuant to an engagement letter, the Special Committee retained Craig-Hallum as its financial advisor in connection with the merger. On July 28, 2024, at a meeting of the Special Committee, Craig-Hallum rendered its oral opinion to the Special Committee, subsequently confirmed in writing on July 29, 2024, that, as of the date of the Merger Agreement and based upon and subject to the qualifications, limitations and assumptions stated in its opinion, the per share merger consideration to be paid to the Unaffiliated Stockholders in the merger is fair, from a financial point of view.

For a discussion of the factors that the Board and Special Committee considered in determining to approve the execution and delivery of the Merger Agreement by the Company and to recommend the approval of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, please see the section entitled “Special Factors — Reasons for the Transaction; Recommendations of the Special Committee and the Board.” In considering the recommendation of the Board that you vote to adopt the Merger Agreement, you should be aware that the Company’s directors and executive officers may have interests in the Transaction that may be different from, or in addition to, those of the Company stockholders generally. These interests include, among others:

•        Parent will contribute its shares of our common stock as well as its shares of Preferred Stock to Holdco (as defined below) and will not receive the per share merger consideration.

•        Certain directors and executive officers that are Rollover Participants will not receive the per share merger consideration in respect of each of the Rollover Shares (as defined below) in the same manner as all of our other stockholders. For more information about the Rollover Participants, see “Rollover Agreement” in Proposal 1.

•        Our directors and executive officers will receive per share merger consideration for their shares of common stock underlying certain of their equity awards in the same manner as all of our other equity award holders (after giving effect to any acceleration under the terms of the award that may apply in connection with the merger). For more information about the treatment of equity awards, see “Special Factors — Effect of the Merger on Our Capital Stock and Equity Awards.”

•        We entered into new employment agreements with named executive officers, Dr. Jun Pei and Dr. Dongyi Liao, which provide for certain severance and other separation benefits.

For a discussion of these interests, please see the section entitled “Interests of Certain Persons in the Transaction.”

Q.     May the Board change its recommendation?

A.     If the Company receives an Acquisition Proposal (as defined below) that was not received as a result of a breach of the Merger Agreement, and the Board determines that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal (as defined below) or would reasonably be expected to lead to a Superior Proposal, then at any time prior to obtaining the Requisite Stockholder Approval (as defined below), the Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee) may effect a Company Board Recommendation Change (as defined below) with respect to such Acquisition Proposal and, after complying with the terms of the Merger Agreement, terminate the Merger Agreement if, in each case, the Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee) determines in good faith that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal and that the failure to take such action would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties pursuant to applicable law; provided, that the Board may not effect a Company Board Recommendation Change or terminate the Merger Agreement unless (A) the Company has given prior written notice to Parent of its intention to take such action, (B) the Company has negotiated with Parent in good faith (to the extent requested by Parent) regarding any modifications to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement proposed by Parent in writing following delivery by the Company of such notification, and (C) if Parent has delivered to the Company a written, binding and irrevocable offer to alter the terms or conditions of the Merger Agreement, the Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee) has determined in good faith, after considering the terms of such offer by Parent, that such Acquisition Proposal continues to be a Superior Proposal and that the failure to make such Company Board Recommendation Change would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties pursuant to applicable law.

Q.     Who is entitled to vote at the Special Meeting?

A.     All holders of shares of the Company’s common stock as of the Record Date, which is the close of business on November 15, 2024, are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting. Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of our common stock held on the Record Date. As of the close of business on the Record Date, there were 16,051,981 shares of our common stock outstanding. Neither the Company’s holders of warrants to purchase shares of common stock nor the holders of our non-voting Preferred Stock are entitled to vote at the Special Meeting.

Q.     What is the difference between holding shares as a stockholder of record and in “street name” as a beneficial owner?

A.     Our stockholders may hold their shares of our common stock through a broker, bank or other nominee (that is, in “street name”) rather than directly in their own name. Summarized below are some of the differences between shares held of record and those owned beneficially in “street name.”

•        Stockholder of Record.    If your shares are registered directly in your name with the Company’s transfer agent, Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company (“Continental”), you are considered, with respect to those shares, the stockholder of record and this Proxy Statement was sent directly to you by the Company. As the stockholder of record, you have the right to vote your shares at the Special Meeting or to grant your proxy directly to certain officers of the Company to vote your shares at the Special Meeting.

•        Beneficial Owner.    If your shares are held through a broker, bank or other nominee, you are considered the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name”, and this Proxy Statement was forwarded to you by your broker, bank or other nominee. As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other nominee how to vote your shares on your behalf at the Special Meeting, or you may contact your broker, bank or other nominee to obtain a “legal proxy” giving you the right to vote at the Special Meeting.

Q.     Why are you holding a virtual meeting instead of a physical meeting?

A.     We have decided to hold our Special Meeting virtually. We believe that hosting a virtual meeting will enable greater stockholder attendance and participation from any location around the world.

Q.     How can I attend the virtual Special Meeting?

A.     The Special Meeting will be a completely virtual meeting of stockholders, which will be conducted exclusively by live webcast. You are entitled to participate in the Special Meeting only if you were a stockholder of the Company as of the close of business on the Record Date, or if you hold a valid proxy for the Special Meeting. No physical meeting will be held.

You will be able to attend the Special Meeting online and submit your questions during the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CPTN2024SM or by phone at +1-800-690-6903. You also will be able to vote your shares online by attending the Special Meeting by webcast.

To participate in the Special Meeting, you will need to review the information included on your proxy card, voting instruction form or on the Notice. In addition, if you hold your shares through an intermediary, such as a broker, bank or other nominee, you must register in advance using the instructions below.

The virtual Special Meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m., Pacific Time. We encourage you to access the meeting prior to the start time leaving ample time for the check in.

Q.     How do I register to attend the Special Meeting virtually on the internet?

A.     If you are a stockholder of record (i.e., you hold your shares through our transfer agent, Continental), you do not need to register to attend the Special Meeting virtually on the internet. Please follow the instructions on the proxy card or notice that you received.

If you hold your shares through an intermediary, such as a broker, bank or other nominee, you must register in advance to attend the Special Meeting virtually on the internet. To register to attend the Special Meeting online by webcast you must submit proof of your proxy power (legal proxy) reflecting your holdings of shares of common stock of Cepton, Inc., along with your name and email address, to Continental. Requests for registration must be labeled as “Legal Proxy” and be received no later than 05:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on December 19, 2024. You should contact the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares to obtain your legal proxy.

You will receive a confirmation of your registration by email after Continental receives your registration materials.

Requests for registration should be directed to Continental at the following:

By email: Forward the email from the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares, or attach an image of your legal proxy, to proxy@continentalstock.com.

By phone: You may call +1-917-262-2373.

Q.     How do I vote?

A.     You may vote your shares during the Special Meeting by participating in the live webcast at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CPTN2024SM. You may vote your shares before the Special Meeting via the internet, by telephone, or by mail. If you vote via the internet or by telephone, you do not need to mail in a proxy card or voting instructions.

Stockholder of Record:    If you hold your shares of common stock as a record holder, you can vote your shares without attending the Special Meeting in the following ways:

•        By Internet — Visit www.proxyvote.com (or scan the barcode on your proxy card) before the Special Meeting. Have your proxy card available when you access the website.

•        By Telephone — Dial +1-800-690-6903. Have your proxy card available when you call.

•        By Mail — Complete, sign and return the accompanying proxy card using the enclosed postage-paid envelope.

Shares Registered in Street Name:    If you hold your shares of common stock in “street name,” which means your shares are held of record by a broker, bank or other nominee, you will receive instructions from your broker, bank or other nominee on how to vote your shares without attending the Special Meeting. Your broker, bank or other nominee will allow you to deliver your voting instructions over the internet and may also permit you to vote by telephone. In addition, you may submit your voting instructions by completing, dating and signing the voting instruction form that was included with this Proxy Statement and promptly returning it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope.

Whether or not you plan to attend the virtual Special Meeting, we urge you to vote your shares by completing and returning the proxy card or voting instruction form as promptly as possible, or by voting by telephone or via the internet, prior to the Special Meeting to ensure that your shares will be represented at the Special Meeting if you are unable to attend.

Q.     What is the deadline for voting?

A.     If you are a stockholder of record, your proxy must be received by telephone or internet by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on December 19, 2024, the day before the Special Meeting, in order for your shares to be voted at the Special Meeting. If you are a stockholder of record and you cause your shares to be voted by completing, signing, dating and returning the enclosed proxy card by mail, your proxy card must be received before the Special Meeting for your shares to be voted at the Special Meeting.

If you hold your shares in “street name,” please comply with the deadlines for voting provided by the broker, bank or other nominee that holds your shares.

Q.     How can I change or revoke my vote?

A.     If you are a stockholder of record, you may change or revoke a previously submitted proxy at any time before it is exercised by one of the following methods:

•        signing another proxy card with a later date and returning it to us by mail or by submitting a new proxy electronically by telephone or the internet after the date of the earlier submitted proxy (your latest telephone or internet voting instructions will be followed) but prior to the Special Meeting;

•        delivering to the Corporate Secretary of the Company a written notice of revocation prior to the voting of the proxy at the Special Meeting; or

•        by attending the Special Meeting and voting at the virtual Special Meeting using the control number on the enclosed proxy card. Attendance at the Special Meeting will not, by itself, revoke your proxy.

Written notices of revocation should be addressed to:

CEPTON, INC.
399 West Trimble Road
San Jose, California 95131
Attn: Corporate Secretary

Any change to your proxy that is provided by telephone or the internet must be submitted by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on December 19, 2024, the day before the Special Meeting.

If your shares are held in “street name,” you must contact your broker, bank or other nominee to find out how to change or revoke your voting instructions.

Q.     How will my shares be voted on the proposals at the Special Meeting?

A.     The shares of common stock represented by all properly submitted proxies will be voted at the Special Meeting as instructed or, if no instruction is given, will be voted “FOR” the Transaction Proposal and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal.

Q.     What happens if I do not give specific voting instructions?

A.     If you are a stockholder of record and you properly submit a signed proxy card or submit your proxy by telephone or the internet but do not specify how you want to vote your shares on a particular proposal, then the named proxy holders will vote your shares in accordance with the recommendations of the Board on all matters presented in this Proxy Statement. See above under “How does the Board recommend that I vote?”

In accordance with applicable stock exchange rules, if you hold your shares through a brokerage account and you fail to provide voting instructions to your broker, your broker may generally vote your uninstructed shares of common stock in its discretion on routine matters at a stockholder meeting. However, a broker cannot vote shares of common stock held in “street name” on non-routine matters unless the broker receives voting instructions from the stockholder. Generally, if a broker exercises this discretion on routine matters at a stockholder meeting, a stockholder’s shares will be voted on the routine matter in the manner directed by the broker but will constitute a “broker non-vote” on all of the non-routine matters to be presented at the stockholder meeting. The Transaction Proposal is a non-routine matter. Accordingly, if you hold your shares in “street name” through a brokerage account, your broker will not be able to exercise its discretion to vote uninstructed shares on the Transaction Proposal. The Adjournment Proposal is a routine matter. Accordingly, if you hold your shares in “street name” through a brokerage account, your broker will be able to exercise its discretion to vote uninstructed shares on the Adjournment Proposal at the Special Meeting.

Q.     What will happen if I abstain from voting or fail to vote on the proposals or fail to instruct my broker, bank or other nominee how to vote on the proposals?

A.     You may vote “FOR,” “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN.” If a stockholder abstains from voting, that abstention will have the same effect as if the stockholder voted “AGAINST” the Transaction Proposal and will have no impact on the Adjournment Proposal to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the Transaction Proposal at the time of the Special Meeting. Abstentions will be counted as present for purposes of determining whether a quorum exists.

A “broker non-vote” generally occurs when a bank, broker or other nominee holding shares on your behalf does not vote on a proposal because the bank, broker or other nominee has not received your voting instructions and lacks discretionary power to vote your shares. If there are broker non-votes, each broker non-vote will count as a vote “AGAINST” the Transaction Proposal, but will have no effect on the Adjournment Proposal if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies if there are insufficient votes to adopt the Transaction Proposal at the time of the Special Meeting.

Q.     Who will count the votes?

A.     The votes will be counted by the inspector of elections appointed for the Special Meeting.

Q.     What do I do if I receive more than one proxy or set of voting instructions?

A.     If you received more than one proxy card or voting instruction form, your shares are likely registered in different names or with different addresses or are in more than one account. You must separately vote the shares shown on each proxy card or voting instruction form that you received in order for all of your shares to be voted at the Special Meeting.

Q.     How many votes must be present to hold the Special Meeting?

A.     A majority of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote as of the Record Date must be present at the Special Meeting, in person or by proxy, in order to conduct business at the Special Meeting. This is called a “quorum.” Virtual attendance at our Special Meeting constitutes presence in person for the Special Meeting. Both abstentions and broker non-votes are counted as present for the purpose of determining the presence of a quorum. If a quorum is not present at the Special Meeting, we expect that the Special Meeting will be adjourned to solicit additional proxies as permitted by our Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”).

Q.     What vote is required for the Company’s stockholders to approve the Transaction Proposal?

A.     Approval of the Transaction Proposal requires a quorum and the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of our common stock outstanding as of the Record Date and entitled to vote thereon at the Special Meeting. Virtual attendance at our Special Meeting constitutes presence in person for the Special Meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name” (that is, your shares are held in an account at and registered in the name of a brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or similar organization), if you do not provide voting instructions with respect to your shares of common stock, your shares will not be voted on any “non-routine” proposals. This vote is called a “broker non-vote.” The Transaction Proposal is a “non-routine” proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes shall not be counted as votes “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Transaction Proposal.

The affirmative vote by all of the Supporting Stockholders, together with the affirmative vote of Parent, will be sufficient to approve the Transaction Proposal, subject to a Company Board Recommendation Change. See “The Voting Support Agreements” in Proposal 1 for more information.

Q.     What vote of the Company’s stockholders is required to approve the Adjournment Proposal?

A.     Approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires a quorum and the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the Special Meeting and are voted “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Adjournment Proposal. Virtual attendance at our Special Meeting constitutes presence in person for the Special Meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name”, your broker or other organization may vote your shares under limited circumstances if you do not provide voting instructions before the Special Meeting. These circumstances include voting your shares on so-called “routine matters.” The Adjournment Proposal is a “routine” matter. Abstentions shall not be counted as votes “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Adjournment Proposal.

Q.     How many votes can be cast by all stockholders?

A.     Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote. There is no cumulative voting. There were 16,051,981 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote on the Record Date.

Q.     When do you expect the Transaction to be completed?

A.     We are working towards completing the Transaction as soon as possible. Assuming timely satisfaction of closing conditions, including approval by our stockholders of the Transaction Proposal, we anticipate that the Transaction will be completed in the first quarter of calendar year 2025.

Q.     What happens if the Transaction is not completed?

A.     If the Transaction Proposal is not approved by the stockholders of the Company or if the Transaction is not completed for any other reason, our stockholders will not receive any payment for their shares of our common stock in connection with the merger. Instead: (1) we will remain an independent public company; (2) our common stock and warrants will continue to be listed and traded on Nasdaq and registered under the Exchange Act; and (3) we will continue to file periodic reports with the SEC.

In certain specified circumstances in which the Merger Agreement is terminated, we have agreed to pay Parent a termination fee. If the Merger Agreement is terminated in certain specified circumstances for a failure to obtain CFIUS (defined below) approval, Parent has agreed to pay us a termination fee.

For more information, see the section of this Proxy Statement captioned “The Merger Agreement — Termination Fee; Effect of Termination.”

Q.     What conditions must be satisfied to complete the Transaction?

A.     The Company and Parent are not required to complete the Transaction unless a number of conditions are satisfied or waived. These conditions include, among others: (i) the approval of the Transaction Proposal by our stockholders at the Special Meeting; (ii) no temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other judgment or order or other legal or regulatory restraint or prohibition preventing the consummation of the merger issued by a court or other governmental authority of competent jurisdiction

is in effect and no law has been enacted, entered, enforced or deemed applicable to the Transaction by a governmental authority of competent jurisdiction, that prohibits, makes illegal, or enjoins the consummation of the Transaction, (iii) the Company has obtained CFIUS (defined below) approval and such CFIUS approval is in full force and effect; and (iv) customary conditions in favor of each of the parties regarding the accuracy of the other party’s representations and warranties (subject to customary materiality qualifiers) and the other party’s performance and compliance with its covenants, obligations and conditions contained in the Merger Agreement (subject to customary materiality qualifiers). For a more complete summary of the conditions that must be satisfied or waived prior to the completion of the Transaction, see “The Merger Agreement — Conditions to the Transaction” in Proposal 1.

Q.     Is the Transaction expected to be taxable to U.S. stockholders?

A.     Yes. The merger will be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a U.S. Holder (defined below) will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received in the merger and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the Company’s common stock exchanged therefor.

A Non-U.S. Holder (as defined below) generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to the exchange of our capital stock for cash in the merger unless such Non-U.S. Holder has certain connections to the United States, but may be subject to backup withholding tax unless the Non-U.S. Holder complies with certain certification procedures or otherwise establishes a valid exemption from backup withholding tax. A more complete description of material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the merger is provided in the section of this Proxy Statement captioned “The Merger Agreement — Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Transaction” in Proposal 1. Because particular circumstances may differ, we recommend that you consult your tax advisor to determine the U.S. federal income tax consequences relating to the merger in light of your own particular circumstances and any consequences arising under U.S. federal non-income tax laws or the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction. This discussion is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice to any holder.

Q.     Do any of the Company’s directors or officers have interests in the Transaction that may differ from or be in addition to my interests as a stockholder?

A.     As of the Record Date, the directors and executive officers of the Company beneficially owned and were entitled to vote, in the aggregate, 5,372,657 shares (or approximately 33.5%) of our common stock (not including any shares of our common stock deliverable upon exercise or conversion of or underlying any options, warrants or the Company restricted stock unit awards). The directors and executive officers of the Company have informed the Company that they currently intend to vote all such shares of our common stock “FOR” the approval of the Transaction Proposal and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to approve the Transaction Proposal.

In addition, concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Dr. Jun Pei, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Dr. Jun Ye, a member of the Board, and Mr. Mark McCord, the chairman of the Company’s technology advisory board and former Chief Technology Officer, entered into Voting Support Agreements. Each Voting Support Agreement will result in all of the outstanding shares of common stock beneficially owned by Messrs. Pei, Ye and McCord as of the Record Date for the Special Meeting to, among other things, be voted in favor of the Transaction Proposal, subject to a Company Board Recommendation Change. See “Voting Support Agreements” in Proposal 1 for more information.

Further, concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Dr. Jun Pei, Dr. Mark McCord and Mr. Yupeng Cui, as stockholders of the Company holding 28.8% of our outstanding common stock as of the Record Date, entered into a Rollover Agreement, pursuant to which, immediately prior to the Effective Time, Dr. Jun Pei, Dr. Mark McCord and Mr. Yupeng Cui will contribute the Rollover Shares, making up one-half of the shares of our common stock held by each such Rollover Participant as of the date of the Rollover Agreement, to Holdco in exchange for equity interests in Holdco. A copy of the Rollover Agreement is attached as Annex C to this Proxy Statement. See “Rollover Agreement” in Proposal 1 for more information.

In considering the recommendation of the Board with respect to the Transaction Proposal, you should be aware that our directors and executive officers may have interests in the Transaction that may be different from, in conflict with or in addition to the interests of our stockholders generally. These interests include, among others:

•        As noted above, certain directors and executive officers that are Rollover Participants will not receive the per share merger consideration in respect of each of the Rollover Shares in the same manner as all of our other stockholders.

•        Our directors and executive officers will receive per share merger consideration for their shares of common stock underlying certain of their equity awards in the same manner as all of our other equity award holders (after giving effect to any acceleration under the terms of the award that may apply in connection with the merger). For more information about the treatment of equity awards, see “Special Factors — Effect of the Merger on Our Capital Stock and Equity Awards.”

•        We entered into new employment agreements with named executive officers, Dr. Jun Pei and Dr. Dongyi Liao, which provide for certain severance and other separation benefits.

The Board was aware of and considered these interests, at the time, among other matters, in evaluating and negotiating the Merger Agreement, approving the Merger Agreement and the Transaction and in recommending that the Merger Agreement be adopted by the stockholders of the Company. See “Interests of Certain Persons in the Transaction.”

Q.     What happens if I sell my shares of the Company’s common stock after the Record Date but before the Special Meeting?

A.     The Record Date for stockholders entitled to vote at the Special Meeting is earlier than both the date of the Special Meeting and the consummation of the Transaction. If you sell or transfer your shares of our common stock after the Record Date but before the Special Meeting, unless special arrangements (such as provision of a proxy) are made between you and the person to whom you sell or transfer your shares and each of you notifies Cepton in writing of such special arrangements, you will transfer the right to receive an amount in cash equal to the per share merger consideration with respect to such shares, if the merger is completed, to the person to whom you sell or transfer your shares, but you will retain your right to vote those shares at the Special Meeting. Even if you sell or transfer your shares of our capital stock after the Record Date, we encourage you to sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card (a prepaid reply envelope is provided for your convenience) or grant your proxy electronically over the internet or by telephone (using the instructions found on the proxy card).

You will lose appraisal rights if you transfer the shares before the Effective Time of the merger. For more information, see the section of this Proxy Statement captioned “The Transaction — Appraisal Rights” in Proposal 1.

Q.     What governmental and regulatory approvals are required?

A.     The Merger Agreement requires the Company to make notice filings to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) and obtain CFIUS approval for the merger to be consummated.

Q.     Am I entitled to appraisal rights under the DGCL?

A.     Our common stockholders and beneficial owners of our common stock are entitled, under certain circumstances, to seek appraisal of their shares in connection with the merger under Delaware law. Pursuant to Section 262(d) of the DGCL, this Proxy Statement serves as notice that record or beneficial owners of our capital stock may be entitled to appraisal rights under Section 262 of the DGCL in connection with the merger. Under Section 262 of the DGCL, if the merger is consummated, our stockholders (including beneficial owners of shares of our common stock) will be entitled to seek appraisal of their shares of our common stock if they (1) do not vote in favor of the adoption of the Transaction Proposal; (2) properly demand appraisal of their shares; (3) continuously hold of record or beneficially own their shares through the Effective Time of the merger; (4) meet certain statutory requirements described in this Proxy Statement; and (5) do not withdraw their demands or otherwise lose their rights to appraisal. This means that these

persons will be entitled to have their shares of our common stock appraised by the Delaware Court of Chancery and to receive payment in cash of the “fair value” of their shares of our common stock, exclusive of any elements of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with (unless the Delaware Court of Chancery in its discretion determines otherwise for good cause shown) interest, if any, on the amount determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery to be the fair value from the Effective Time of the merger through the date of payment of the judgment at a rate of five percent over the Federal Reserve discount rate (including any surcharge) as established from time to time during the period between the Effective Time of the merger and the date of payment of the judgment, compounded quarterly (except that, if at any time before the entry of judgment in the proceeding, the Surviving Corporation makes a voluntary cash payment to each person seeking appraisal, interest will accrue thereafter only upon the sum of (x) the difference, if any, between the amount so paid and the fair value of the shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery and (y) interest theretofore accrued, unless paid at that time). The Surviving Corporation is under no obligation to make such voluntary cash payment prior to such entry of judgment. Due to the complexity of the appraisal process, persons who wish to seek appraisal of their shares are encouraged to seek the advice of legal counsel with respect to the exercise of appraisal rights. The DGCL requirements for exercising appraisal rights are described in additional detail in this Proxy Statement, which description is qualified in its entirety by Section 262 of the DGCL regarding appraisal rights, available at the following URL, accessible without subscription or cost, which is incorporated herein by reference: https://delcode.delaware.gov/title8/c001/sc09/index.html#262.

Q.     Who will solicit and pay the cost of soliciting proxies?

A.     The Company has engaged Advantage Proxy (the “proxy solicitor”) to assist in the solicitation of proxies for the Special Meeting. The expense of soliciting proxies will be borne by the Company. The Company estimates that it will pay the proxy solicitor a fee of approximately $7,500, plus reimbursement of related expenses. The Company has also agreed to reimburse the proxy solicitor for certain reasonable and documented fees and expenses and will indemnify the proxy solicitor and all of its directors, officers, employees and agents against certain claims, expenses, losses, damages and/or liabilities. The Company may also reimburse banks, brokers or their agents for their expenses in forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners of our common stock. Our directors, officers and employees may also solicit proxies by telephone, by facsimile, by mail, on the internet or in person. They will not be paid any additional amounts for soliciting proxies.

Q.     Who can help answer any other questions I might have?

A.     If you have additional questions about the Transaction, need assistance in submitting your proxy or voting your shares of our common stock or need additional copies of the Proxy Statement or the enclosed proxy card, please contact Advantage Proxy, our proxy solicitor using the contact information below:

Advantage Proxy
24925 13th Place South
Des Moines, Washington 98198
(206) 870-8565

SPECIAL FACTORS

The following, together with the summary of the Merger Agreement set forth under “The Merger Agreement,” is a description of the material aspects of the merger. While we believe that the following description covers the material aspects of the merger, the description may not contain all of the information that is important to you. We encourage you to read carefully this entire document, including the Merger Agreement attached to this proxy statement as Annex A, for a more complete understanding of the merger. The following description is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the Merger Agreement. You may obtain additional information without charge as described under “Where You Can Find More Information.”

We are asking our stockholders to consider and vote on Proposal and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the merger. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, Merger Sub will merge with and into Cepton, with Cepton surviving as an indirect controlled subsidiary of Parent. If the merger is completed, the holders of our common stock immediately prior to the merger (other than Rollover Shares, Excluded Shares (as defined below), Subsidiary Shares (as defined below) and Dissenting Shares (as defined below)) will have the right to receive the per share merger consideration of $3.17 per share of common stock in cash, without interest, less any applicable tax withholding, subject to and in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement.

Effect of the Merger

The Merger Agreement provides that, subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and in accordance with the DGCL, Merger Sub will merge with and into Cepton. As a result, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub will cease and Cepton will survive the merger and continue to exist after the merger as an indirect controlled subsidiary of Koito.

Effect of the Merger for Parent

The Merger Agreement provides that Merger Sub will merge with and into the Company, with the Company as the Surviving Corporation as an indirect controlled subsidiary of Parent. Following the merger, the Surviving Corporation will cease to be a publicly traded company and, as a result of the merger, will become an indirect controlled subsidiary of Parent. As a result, Parent will control the Surviving Corporation and benefit from the Surviving Corporation’s future earnings, growth and value.

At the Effective Time, (i) the directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time will be the directors of the Surviving Corporation and (ii) the officers of the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time will be the officers of the Surviving Corporation, in each case until their respective successors are duly elected or appointed and qualified in accordance with applicable law or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.

At the Effective Time, the certificate of incorporation of the Company will be amended and restated in its entirety to read as set forth in Exhibit A to the Merger Agreement, and as so amended and restated, will be the certificate of incorporation of the Surviving Corporation. At the Effective Time, the Company’s by-laws will be amended and restated to read as set forth in the by-laws of Merger Sub in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, except that all references therein to Merger Sub will be amended to become references to the Surviving Corporation, and the by-laws, as so amended and restated, will be the by-laws of the Surviving Corporation.

Following the completion of the merger, there will be no further market for the shares of our common stock or warrants and, as promptly as practicable following the Effective Time and in compliance with applicable law, our common stock and warrants will be delisted from Nasdaq, deregistered under the Exchange Act and will cease to be publicly traded. See the section of this proxy statement entitled “The Transaction — Plans for the Company after the Merger.” As such, the Surviving Corporation will be relieved of the requirements applicable to public companies, including, among other things, the pressure to meet analyst forecasts and the requirements and restrictions on trading that directors, officers and beneficial owners of more than 10% of the shares of the common shares face as a result of the provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. The Surviving Corporation will also be relieved of the obligation to separately prepare and furnish information to its shareholders. Parent will benefit from any regulatory compliance cost savings realized by the Surviving Corporation after it becomes a private company.

The primary detriments of the merger to Parent include the fact that all of the risk of any possible decrease in the future earnings, growth or value of the Company following the merger will be borne by Parent. Additionally, Parent’s ownership of the Surviving Corporation will be illiquid, with no public trading market for the securities of the Surviving Corporation.

Effect on Cepton if the Merger is Not Completed

If the Merger Agreement is not adopted by our stockholders, or if the merger is not completed for any other reason, our stockholders will not receive any payment for their shares of our common stock in connection with the merger. Instead, (1) Cepton will remain an independent public company; (2) our common stock and warrants will continue to be listed and traded on Nasdaq and registered under the Exchange Act; and (3) we will continue to file periodic reports with the SEC. In addition, if the merger is not completed, we expect that: (a) Cepton’s management will continue to operate the business as it is currently being operated and (b) our stockholders will continue to be subject to the same risks and opportunities to which they are currently subject, including risks related to the highly competitive industry in which we operate and adverse economic conditions.

Furthermore, if the merger is not completed, and depending on the circumstances that cause the merger not to be completed, there can be no assurance as to the price at which our common stock may trade, and the price of our common stock could decline significantly.

Accordingly, there can be no assurance as to the effect of the merger not being completed on the future value of your shares of our common stock. If the merger is not completed, the Company’s Board will continue to evaluate and review, among other things, our business, operations, strategic direction and capitalization, and will make whatever changes it deems appropriate. If the Merger Agreement is not adopted by our stockholders or if the merger is not completed for any other reason, our business, prospects or results of operation may be adversely impacted.

In specified circumstances in which the Merger Agreement is terminated, we have agreed to pay Koito the applicable termination fee.

Effect of the Merger on Our Capital Stock and Equity Awards

The Merger Agreement provides that each share of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than Rollover Shares, shares held as treasury stock immediately prior to the Effective Time (the “Excluded Shares”), shares held by any subsidiary of the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time (the “Subsidiary Shares”) and Dissenting Shares (as defined below)) will be converted into the right to receive, subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Merger Agreement, an amount in cash per share, without interest, equal to the per share merger consideration. At the Effective Time, each share of Preferred Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will remain outstanding and shall not be cancelled. The earnout shares (“Earnout Shares”) shall be treated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2021, by and among the Company, GCAC Merger Sub Inc. and Cepton Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“Cepton Technologies”), as amended, pursuant to which, at the Effective Time, the Earnout Shares will (i) be deemed unearned as the per share merger consideration does not exceed the share price milestone thresholds applicable to the Earnout Shares and (ii) be cancelled.

The Merger Agreement also provides that at or immediately prior to the Effective Time:

•        each Company Option that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, whether or not vested or exercisable, will be cancelled, and the holder of any such option will be entitled to receive, at or promptly after the merger, an amount in cash, less any withholding taxes, determined by multiplying (a) the excess, if any, of the per share price over the applicable exercise price per share of the Company Option by (b) the number of shares of our common stock subject to such Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time;

•        each Company RSU that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, whether or not vested, will be canceled, and the holder of any such Company RSU will be entitled to receive (without interest), at or promptly after the Effective Time, for each such Company RSU an amount in cash, less any withholding taxes, determined by multiplying the per share price by the number of shares of our common stock underlying such Company RSU immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided, that as to any such Company RSU that is not vested as of the Effective Time, the per share merger consideration for such unvested Company RSU will remain subject to the vesting conditions that applied to such

Company RSU immediately prior to the Effective Time (including any provisions for accelerated vesting of such Company RSU in connection with a termination of the holder’s employment) and will be payable only if and to the extent such vesting conditions are satisfied; and

•        each Company PSU that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall vest as to the number of Company PSUs determined in accordance with the applicable award agreement and shall be canceled and converted into the right to receive (without interest), at or promptly after the Effective Time, an amount in cash (without interest) determined by multiplying the per share price by the number of shares of our common stock underlying such vested Company PSUs, less any withholding taxes. Any Company PSU that is not vested as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be canceled at the Effective Time without payment of any consideration therefor.

Further, the exercise price for the Company’s warrants is $115.00 per share, which exceeds the per share merger consideration under the Merger Agreement. Accordingly, at the Effective Time, each outstanding warrant will, in accordance with its terms under the Warrant Agreement, automatically and without any required action on the part of the holder thereof, cease to represent a warrant exercisable for shares of our common stock and will become a warrant exercisable for the merger consideration. If a holder properly exercises a warrant within 30 days following the public disclosure of the consummation of the merger pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC, the Warrant Price, as defined in the Warrant Agreement, with respect to such exercise will be reduced by an amount (in dollars and in no event less than zero) equal to the difference of (a) the Warrant Price in effect prior to such reduction minus (b) (i) the per share merger consideration minus (ii) the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the Warrant Agreement).

Any shares for which any stockholder has properly demanded appraisal in accordance with Section 262 of the DGCL (the “Dissenting Shares”) will be treated as described under “The Transaction — Appraisal Rights.” All Subsidiary Shares (if any) shall be converted into such number of shares of common stock of the Surviving Corporation such that each such subsidiary owns the same percentage of the outstanding capital stock of the Surviving Corporation immediately following the merger as such subsidiary owned in the Company immediately prior to the merger. All shares of our common stock that are held in the treasury of the Company, will be cancelled and will cease to exist, with no payment being made with respect thereto. All shares of our common stock owned of record by Parent and Merger Sub or any of their respective subsidiaries will remain outstanding as shares of common stock of the Surviving Corporation and will not be cancelled but will not be entitled to an amount in cash per share. Each share of Preferred Stock of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall remain outstanding and shall not be canceled.

Litigation Relating to the Merger

Between October 3 and 9, 2024, the Company received four demand letters (“Demand Letters”) from purported shareholders alleging that the Company’s disclosures in its preliminary proxy statement filed by the Company with the SEC on September 25, 2024 (the “Preliminary Proxy statement”) were deficient. The Demand Letters demand that the Company make certain additional disclosures, and state that the shareholders reserve their rights to take action if the Company does not make the requested supplemental disclosures. One of the Demand Letters also attached a draft proposed complaint, stating that the shareholder would be prepared to file if the Company does not make the requested supplemental disclosures.

In addition, on November 1, 2024, an alleged shareholder of the Company filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against the Company and the members of its Board. The complaint, which is captioned Bailey v. Cepton et al., Case No.: 5:24-cv-7581 (the “Complaint”), alleges that the Preliminary Proxy Statement contained misleading disclosures and omissions, purportedly in violation of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act. The Complaint also asserts a claim for control person liability under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. The Complaint seeks, among other things, an injunction enjoining the consummation of the merger and rescissory damages if the merger is consummated without the Company having made the supplemental disclosures. The Company believes that the disclosures included in our Preliminary Proxy Statement, as amended from time to time and subject to the filing of a definitive proxy statement, complied fully with applicable law and that the Demand Letters and the Complaint are without merit.

Accounting Treatment

The merger will be accounted for in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Company, as the Surviving Corporation in the merger, is considered the acquirer for accounting purposes. The merger will result in the recognition of assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair value.

Payment Procedures

Prior to the Effective Time, we expect that Koito will enter into an agreement with a paying agent designated by Koito, and reasonably acceptable to the Company, to act as paying agent for purposes of effecting the payment of the aggregate per share price. Prior to the Effective Time, Parent will make available (or cause to be made available) to the paying agent an amount in cash sufficient to pay the aggregate merger consideration to be paid in respect of our common stock.

Promptly after the Effective Time, Koito will cause the paying agent to send to each holder of shares of our common stock at the Effective Time a letter of transmittal and instructions for use in such exchange. Each holder of shares of our common stock that have been converted into the right to receive the merger consideration will be entitled to receive the merger consideration upon (i) surrender to the paying agent of a certificate, together with a properly completed letter of transmittal or (ii) receipt of an “agent’s message” by the paying agent in the case of a book-entry transfer of uncertificated shares.

Financing of the Merger

The consummation of the merger is not conditioned upon Parent or Merger Sub obtaining the proceeds of any financing. Parent estimates that the total funds necessary to complete the merger will be approximately $45.4 million, including related fees and expenses. Parent expects these amounts to be funded with available cash on its balance sheet.

Fees and Expenses

The Company will be responsible for paying all fees and expenses owed by it in connection with the merger, whether or not the Merger is consummated. The estimated fees and expenses incurred or expected to be incurred by the Company in connection with the merger are as follows:

It is expected that the Koito Entities will incur approximately $8 million of legal, financial, accounting and other advisory fees. The estimate for legal fees set forth in this Proxy Statement does not include any amounts attributable to any existing or future litigation challenging the merger. Except as explicitly provided for otherwise in the Merger Agreement, whether or not the merger is consummated, all expenses incurred by any party to the Merger Agreement or on its behalf in connection with the Merger Agreement and associated transactions will be paid by the party incurring those expenses. Parent will be responsible for paying the applicable filing fee for the submission of the notice to CFIUS of $7,500.

Delisting and Deregistration of Our Common Stock

If the merger is completed, our common stock and public warrants will no longer be traded on Nasdaq and will be deregistered under the Exchange Act. At that time, we will no longer be required to file periodic reports, current reports and proxy and information statements with the SEC with respect to our common stock.

Background of the Merger

The following chronology summarizes the key meetings and events that led to the signing of the Merger Agreement. This chronology does not purport to catalogue every conversation of or among the Board, its committees, their respective representatives or other parties.

The Board regularly evaluates the Company’s strategic direction and ongoing business plans with a view toward strengthening the Company’s business and enhancing stockholder value. As part of this evaluation, the Board has, from time to time, considered a variety of strategic alternatives. These have included, among others, (1) the continuation of, and potential improvements to, the Company’s current business plan; (2) potential expansion opportunities through acquisitions, partnerships or other commercial relationships; (3) various capital raising alternatives; and (4) other financial and strategic alternatives, including the sale of the Company.

On August 29, 2022, Koito provided the Company a non-binding letter of intent outlining the terms of a proposed equity financing (the “LOI”) and a draft exclusivity agreement. The LOI and draft exclusivity agreement were distributed to the Board and the Board met the same day. The Board met, with members of Cepton management, Koito management and representatives of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Cepton’s outside legal counsel (which we refer to as “O’Melveny”) in attendance. Dr. Jun Pei invited Mr. Takayuki Katsuda, a Koito-appointed Board member, and other Koito representatives to discuss the proposed equity financing outlined in the LOI. Koito’s representative provided an overview of the LOI, highlighting Koito’s interest in advancing the proposed transaction and the process followed to prepare the LOI. Mr. Hull Xu, former CFO of Cepton, summarized the proposed financing terms, which included: (1) an investment of up to $100 million in non-voting convertible preferred stock; (2) a conversion price at the lesser of $1.50 or the 5-day VWAP preceding the closing date plus a premium, subject to further negotiation; (3) convertibility at any time by Koito with customary terms and conditions, including preferred dividends, liquidation preferences, protective provisions, and anti-dilution provisions; (4) the right for Koito to nominate additional Board members proportional to its as-converted shareholding; (5) customary governance protections, registration rights, and access to management and financial reporting; (6) a proposed 60-day exclusivity period to be detailed in a separate agreement; (7) each party covering its own transaction expenses; and (8) the requirements for Cepton shareholder approval for the proposed transaction. The Board, without the presence of the Koito-appointed members of the Board, discussed the proposed financing’s terms and structure, weighing its advantages and disadvantages, and explored other potential financing sources. The non-Koito members of the Board also reviewed the terms of the proposed exclusivity agreement, which requested the Company to negotiate exclusively with Koito for a period of 60 days. After discussion, the Board, by a vote of six to one (with Mr. Xiaogang (Jason) Zhang dissenting), authorized Cepton management to enter into a revised exclusivity agreement with Koito, covering a 30-day period and incorporating other discussed revisions, and the parties entered into the exclusivity agreement on September 6, 2022.

On October 6, 2022, the Company and Koito entered into an agreement to extend the exclusivity period to 60 days after the original date of the agreement.

During the period following the exclusivity extension the Company and Koito negotiated terms of an investment and financing transaction. On October 27, 2022, the Company and Koito entered into the Investment Agreement for the issuance and sale to Koito of 100,000 shares of Preferred Stock for a purchase price of $100.0 million. The sale of the Preferred Stock and related matters were approved by Cepton’s stockholders on January 11, 2023, and the issuance and sale of the Preferred Stock was completed on January 19, 2023. The Preferred Stock is convertible into shares of our common stock at an approximate conversion price of $25.85 per share (subject to adjustment). In connection with the investment, the Company also borrowed ¥5.8 billion (approximately $39.4 million) pursuant to the Secured Term Loan Agreement (as defined below). Additionally, the Company and Koito entered into an Investor Rights Agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, immediately following the closing of the investment transaction, the Company was obligated to include two designees of Parent on the Board and Koito was provided certain consent rights so long as Koito maintained at least 75% of the number of shares of common stock of the Company held as of the date of the closing of such transaction. Koito currently holds 1,962,474 shares of our common stock, equivalent to approximately 12.2% of our common stock outstanding as of November 15, 2024, as well as 100,000 shares of Preferred Stock, convertible into shares of our common stock, which together with the shares of our common stock already held by Koito, would be equivalent to approximately 30.4% of our common stock outstanding as of November 15, 2024 on an as-converted basis. Cepton’s revenue from Koito was $6.7 million, $3.2 million and $3.1 million, representing 51.3%, 43.1% and 68.9% of our total revenues, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. For details of our relationship with Koito, please see “Interests of Certain Persons in the Transaction — Relationship with Koito.”

On June 2, 2023, Dr. Pei informed Koito-appointed board members, Mr. Hideharu Konagaya and Mr. Takayuki Katsuda (the “Koito Designees”), and members of Koito management on a call that certain executives of a LiDAR company listed on a U.S. stock exchange (“Party A”) approached him regarding a potential merger. Koito informed Dr. Pei that Party A was a competitor to the Company and Koito in relation to a potential business arrangement with a global original equipment manufacturer (“OEM-A”) and for that reason discussions with OEM-A should be avoided. The discussions with Party A did not result in a formal offer or indication of interest.

On July 24, 2023, a second publicly traded LiDAR company (“Party B”) submitted to the Company an unsolicited letter of intent proposing a merger transaction for stock consideration in the surviving company, and on July 26, 2023, Dr. Pei informed the Board of such proposal. On August 16, 2023, the Board held a special meeting and allowed a prospective financial advisor to provide a presentation on the merits of Party B’s offer. The Koito Designees recused themselves from the special Board meeting and after some discussion, the Board determined not to pursue the transaction. Over the next several months, Koito and the Company considered the possibility of a take-private transaction in addition to other strategic alternatives.

On October 3, 2023, Dr. Pei received an unsolicited non-binding letter of interest from a potential strategic acquirer (“Party C”), which he promptly shared with the Board. Party C proposed an acquisition of Cepton by a merger transaction for stock consideration in the surviving company; however, the Board determined not to pursue the transaction.

On October 10, 2023, the Koito Designees requested permission to share the letter from Party C with Koito and its advisors, and the Company approved sharing the letter with Koito the same day.

On October 27, 2023, Mr. Hideharu Konagaya, one of the Koito Designees, contacted Dr. Ye, the Company’s lead independent director, by email to request a meeting to discuss potential strategic alternatives between the Company and Koito, including a potential acquisition of the Company by Koito (the “Potential Transaction”).

On October 30, 2023, Mr. Konagaya and Koito’s legal counsel, Davis Polk & Wardell LLP (“Davis Polk”) met with Dr. Ye via videoconference to discuss the Potential Transaction. During this meeting, Mr. Konagaya requested that the Company establish a special committee to evaluate the Potential Transaction.

On October 31, 2023, the Board (other than the Koito Designees) held a special meeting. Also present were members of Cepton’s management and representatives of O’Melveny. Mr. Xu and O’Melveny reviewed with the Board discussions held by Dr. Ye with Koito and Koito’s interest in a Potential Transaction, noting that Koito had not yet made any firm commitment with respect to any Potential Transaction and had not indicated any proposed acquisition price. Mr. Xu proposed the formation of the Special Committee to: (1) evaluate a Potential Transaction and any future proposals from Koito, (2) explore other strategic alternatives for the Company, (3) negotiate and make decisions regarding any transactions, (4) seek input from management and engage external advisors, and (5) recommend to the Board any proposals, strategic alternative transactions, change-in-control transactions or other take-private transactions. The Board (other than the Koito Designees) unanimously approved the creation of the Special Committee, consisting of independent directors Dr. Ye, Dr. Mei (May) Wang, Mr. George Syllantavos, and Mr. Xiaogang (Jason) Zhang, and delegated full power and exclusive authority to exercise all powers of the Board as described above. Following the recusal of Dr. Pei, the Special Committee then met to deliberate on the evaluation process for the Potential Transaction and other strategic alternatives. They discussed the need for external legal and financial advisors and authorized Mr. Xu to meet with potential advisors and organize presentations by such advisors to the Special Committee to aid in their determination of who to retain in connection with the evaluation of the Potential Transaction.

On November 2, 2023, O’Melveny introduced Dr. Ye and Mr. Xu to Cooley LLP (“Cooley”) to potentially serve as a legal counsel to the Special Committee. O’Melveny also held a telephonic meeting with Davis Polk to discuss the Potential Transaction where Davis Polk explained that Koito was still engaged in preparations for the Potential Transaction.

On November 15, 2023, the Special Committee retained Cooley as its legal counsel for the Potential Transaction.

On November 27, 2023, Mr. Xu received an engagement proposal from a potential financial advisor. The Special Committee held several discussions with the potential financial advisor from December 2023 through the first week of January 2024, but the Special Committee determined not to formally engage such financial advisor.

On November 29, 2023, O’Melveny had a follow-up conference call with Davis Polk to further discuss the Potential Transaction.

On December 5, 2023, Mr. Konagaya and an employee of Koito had a call with Mr. Xu where Mr. Xu urged the need for a decision from Koito regarding moving forward with the Potential Transaction and explained the impact a delay would have on Cepton’s business.

As previously disclosed in public reports filed with the SEC and described under the heading “Interests of Certain Persons in the Transaction — Relationship with Koito,” the Company and Koito were selected by a certain global OEM (“OEM-B”) as the sole LiDAR provider to support a significant ADAS program through 2027 (the “Series Production Award”). Following the Series Production Award, Koito issued purchase orders to the Company for LiDAR components under the Series Production Award. On December 11, 2023, Koito informed the Company that OEM-B decided to re-scope its ADAS product offerings and, as a result, all outstanding purchase orders from Koito to the Company that related to the OEM-B series production award were canceled. As is customary when an automotive program changes, and as disclosed in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2024, the Company has submitted project investment cost recovery claims related to the cancellation.

On December 21, 2023, Koito delivered a non-binding, preliminary indication of interest (the “IOI”) to the Special Committee regarding a Potential Transaction. The IOI expressed Koito’s desire to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of the Company not already owned by Koito for $3.17 per share, subject to Dr. Pei and certain other executives of the Company who had not yet been identified rolling over all of their outstanding shares of the Company into the continuing entity. Koito also stated the terms of any potential agreement between the Company and Koito would be contingent on certain conditions, including satisfactory completion of due diligence, retention of key employees, negotiation and agreement of transaction structure and transaction documents, approval of the proposed transaction by Koito’s board of directors, and approval by a simple majority vote of the Company’s outstanding shares, as well as its expectation that the Rollover Participants and certain other principal stockholders of the Company would enter into customary voting support agreements. The letter also stated that Koito, in its capacity as a stockholder of the Company, was only interested in acquiring the shares of common stock of the Company that Parent or, in part, the Rollover Participants did not currently own, and accordingly Koito was not interested in (and would not as a stockholder support or consent to) a disposition or sale of Koito’s shares of our common stock or Preferred Stock or any alternative change of control transaction involving the Company. On the same day, Koito publicly filed with the SEC an amendment to its Schedule 13D with respect to its ownership of Company capital stock noting that it had delivered the IOI to the Company. In response, the Company issued a press release and filed a Current Report on Form 8-K with the SEC noting the same.

On December 22, 2023, Dr. Ye and Mr. Xu met with Cooley to discuss the IOI and the role of the Special Committee in evaluating the Potential Transaction. In the following week, Dr. Ye and Cooley continued discussions on the same topic.

On December 27, 2023, Cooley contacted Davis Polk via email to request clarification of the terms of the rollover. On December 28, 2023, Dr. Ye, members of Cepton’s management, O’Melveny, Cooley, and Davis Polk held a telephonic meeting to discuss the rollover arrangements, where Dr. Pei requested that the rollover be limited to 50% of his shares of common stock.

On December 30, 2023, Dr. Ye provided an update to the other members of the Special Committee via email on the status of the Potential Transaction.

On January 3, 2024, Cooley shared a non-disclosure agreement (“NDA”) with Davis Polk regarding the Potential Transaction.

On January 4, 2024, Davis Polk shared an initial diligence request with O’Melveny.

On January 5, 2024, Mr. Xu resigned as chief financial officer of the Company to pursue other opportunities.

On January 8, 2024, Davis Polk sent a supplemental due diligence request list. The Special Committee discussed via a series of emails the possible engagement of Craig-Hallum as financial advisor to the Special Committee. Craig-Hallum was considered due to their extensive expertise in the business sector and their prior experience working with members of the Special Committee. The Special Committee also discussed the ramifications of the absence of a standstill provision in the proposed form of the NDA with Koito. In the following week, discussions between the Special Committee and Craig-Hallum concerning Craig-Hallum’s possible engagement continued.

On January 11, 2024, members of the Special Committee met with representatives of Craig-Hallum to discuss the possible engagement of Craig-Hallum as the Special Committee’s financial advisor. Also present were representatives of Cooley. Later, on the same day, the Special Committee met again with representatives of Cooley in attendance. During the meeting, Dr. Ye reviewed for the Special Committee his prior discussions with Koito, and Cooley outlined the negotiation process and legal framework for the Special Committee’s evaluation of the Potential Transaction. Dr. Ye and Mr. Syllantavos reviewed for the Special Committee a summary of their discussions with representatives of Craig-Hallum and summarized Craig-Hallam’s qualifications, industry experience, and proposed financial terms for serving as the Special Committee’s financial advisor. After discussion, the Special Committee unanimously agreed to retain Craig-Hallum. Dr. Ye and Mr. Syllantavos were authorized to negotiate and finalize the engagement letter with Craig-Hallum.

On January 12, 2024, negotiations regarding the NDA were completed and the NDA was executed between the Company and Koito, which included certain customary restrictions. The NDA did not place restrictions on the Company’s ability to solicit a transaction from a third party. The same day, Craig-Hallum provided a proposed engagement letter to the Special Committee to act as financial advisor to the Special Committee which was negotiated over the following week.

On January 17, 2024, the Special Committee and the Company executed the engagement letter with Craig-Hallum and Craig-Hallum began its preliminary financial analyses of the Potential Transaction.

On January 22, 2024, representatives of O’Melveny and Davis Polk had a call to discuss timing expectations for the transaction documents.

On January 23, 2024, the Special Committee met, with members of Cepton management and representatives of O’Melveny, Cooley and Craig-Hallum in attendance. Cepton management provided an update on the Company’s virtual data room, which hosts diligence materials. Representatives of Craig-Hallum provided a presentation on a summary of the terms of the IOI and the Potential Transaction, their preliminary assessment of the IOI, including their preliminary premiums paid analysis based on a review of 17 transactions announced since January 1, 2021, potential process alternatives available to Cepton, and possible responses to Koito relating to price, timing of any rollover and employment agreements, diligence and other matters. The Committee was also informed that Koito’s first draft of the Merger Agreement was anticipated soon, and that O’Melveny and Cooley would collaborate on preparing a response, with input from the Special Committee.

Between January 2024 and March 2024, representatives of Craig-Hallum were authorized to conduct a market check, contacting twelve potential strategic acquirors, including Party A. Of the twelve potential strategic acquirors contacted, three parties requested follow up conference calls that were held on January 29, 2024, January 30, 2024 and February 6, 2024, respectively, two parties requested a confidentiality agreement with the Company, one of which was executed, and such party was granted access to the Company’s electronic data room. Ultimately, none of the parties elected to proceed and no alternative offers were received by the Special Committee.

On January 24, 2024, representatives from Craig-Hallum held an initial call with SMBC Nikko, Koito’s financial advisor, stating that while the offer price was deemed inadequate, the Special Committee was open to providing due diligence information while negotiating the terms of the Potential Transaction. Concurrently, Davis Polk, O’Melveny, and Cooley discussed the anticipated process for legal documentation.

On January 26, 2024, the due diligence process between Koito and its advisors and the Company and its advisors commenced, and the Company provided Koito with access to an online data room containing due diligence information. Also on January 26, 2024, Davis Polk, on behalf of Koito, distributed a draft Merger Agreement to O’Melveny, on behalf of Cepton, and Cooley provided a copy of the Merger Agreement to the Special Committee as well as an update on the overall process.

On January 29, 2024, representatives of O’Melveny and Cooley held a conference call to discuss the Merger Agreement and agree on a summary of the material issues.

On January 31, 2024, Craig-Hallum requested that Koito increase its offer price, and on February 1, 2024, Craig-Hallum and SMBC Nikko had a call to discuss the offer price.

On February 5, 2024, representatives of O’Melveny distributed a revised draft of the Merger Agreement to Davis Polk. Thereafter, members of Cepton management and representatives of O’Melveny, and representatives of each of Koito and Davis Polk had regular discussions to negotiate the terms of the Merger Agreement. The principal areas of negotiation in the Merger Agreement included (1) the scope of representations and warranties of Koito; (2) the process by which the parties’ would submit the CFIUS notice; (3) inclusion as a closing condition the approval of a majority of the voting power of the shares of common stock held by the Unaffiliated Stockholders (the “majority-of-the-minority condition”); (4) the circumstances in which each party would have the right to terminate the Merger Agreement; (5) the ability of the Company to solicit offers that may lead to an Acquisition Proposal (defined below) for a specified period following execution of the Merger Agreement (the “go-shop provisions”), (6) the deletion of obligations of the Company to proceed with a meeting of the Company’s stockholders to approve the Potential Transaction even if there is a Company Board Recommendation Change (the “force-the-vote provisions”) (7) the circumstances in which either party would have to pay a termination fee to the other party and the amount thereof; and (8) a covenant with respect to the terms of employment for continuing employees of the Company following the Closing. On the same day, Craig-Hallum and SMBC Nikko held a call where SMBC Nikko informed Craig-Hallum that Koito declined to increase the offer price based on the Company’s market performance and the performance of the LiDAR sector. SMBC Nikko also requested access to the members of Cepton’s management, and on February 6, 2024, Craig-Hallum delivered to SMBC Nikko via email authorization to set up management interviews.

On February 8, 2024, the Company provided to Koito certain management projections through the data room. On February 9, 2024, Davis Polk shared a revised draft of the Merger Agreement with O’Melveny. The draft Merger Agreement (1) rejected the Company’s go-shop provisions, (2) revised the conditions under which Koito may terminate the Merger Agreement in connection with the CFIUS approval process, (3) rejected the majority-of-the-minority condition as a closing condition and reinserted a condition that the Company obtain approval of the majority voting power outstanding and entitled to vote, (4) reinserted the force-the-vote provisions, (5) accepted the Company’s proposed covenant to continue employment of Company employees for a period of one year on substantially comparable terms of employment as in effect immediately prior to the Closing and (6) rejected the Company’s right to terminate the Merger Agreement if the Board receives a Superior Proposal (as defined below). The revised draft of the Merger Agreement contemplated that Dr. Jun Pei, Dr. Jun Ye and Dr. Mark McCord would execute customary voting support agreements.

On February 13, 2024, the Special Committee met, with members of Cepton management and representatives of O’Melveny, Cooley and Craig-Hallum in attendance. Craig-Hallum provided a presentation on the status of outreach to other potential strategic acquirors as described above. Additionally, Craig-Hallum presented to the Special Committee (1) its analysis of implied enterprise value based on the offer price from Koito, (2) its selected comparable public companies analysis, (3) its updated premiums paid analysis as of February 12, 2024 and (4) its discounted cash flow and cost of capital analysis. Dr. Pei and O’Melveny also provided feedback on Koito’s initial rollover term sheet received by the Company on February 12, 2024. Members of the Cepton management team then left the meeting after which Cooley reviewed key issues in the revised Merger Agreement from Koito. The Special Committee directed Cooley to revise the Merger Agreement to: (1) include the Company’s right to terminate the agreement for a superior third-party proposal, (2) limit Koito’s termination rights related to the CFIUS condition, (3) negotiate a higher termination fee, (4) accept the removal of the Company’s go-shop provisions, (5) accept the inclusion of the force-the-vote provision, (6) reinstate the majority-of-the-minority condition as a closing condition and (7) request that Dr. Mark McCord and Mr. Yupeng Cui be added as rollover participants in addition to Dr. Pei, who would also roll over 50% of their respective shares of our common stock. Following the various reports to the Special Committee by advisors, the Special Committee authorized delivery of a counteroffer of $3.65 per share to Koito; however, Koito did not immediately respond to the $3.65 per share counteroffer. On February 16, 2024, representatives of O’Melveny circulated a revised draft of the Merger Agreement accordingly.

On February 18, 2024, O’Melveny distributed a draft of the disclosure letter to the Merger Agreement to Davis Polk. In the weeks following February 18, 2024, O’Melveny and Davis Polk regularly negotiated the disclosure letter.

On February 22, 2024, Koito informed the Company through SMBC Nikko that Koito is evaluating the Potential Transaction and aimed to obtain approval at Koito’s scheduled board meeting during the week of March 25, 2024.

On February 27, 2024, Davis Polk sent a revised Merger Agreement draft to Cooley and O’Melveny, rejecting the majority-of-the-minority condition and proposing a reverse termination fee payable by Koito.

On March 5, 2024, Craig-Hallum and Cooley delivered to the Special Committee electronic communications regarding the current status of the Potential Transaction, the negotiations and a proposed plan of action in order to come to a resolution on the per share price before further negotiating the Merger Agreement. The requirement for agreement on price prior to proceeding with the Merger Agreement was also communicated to SMBC Nikko through Craig-Hallum.

On March 8, 2024, the representatives of O’Melveny distributed a draft of the Merger Agreement, which settled the remaining key areas of negotiation including acceptance of Koito’s removal of the majority-of-the-minority condition as a closing condition; however, final agreement on the merger consideration remained an outstanding issue.

On March 12, 2024, the representatives of O’Melveny distributed a draft of the Rollover Agreement in response to the initial draft of the same received from the representatives of Davis Polk on February 29, 2024. The principal areas of negotiation in the Rollover Agreement included (1) the restrictive period applicable to the non-competition and non-solicitation covenants and (2) the activities of the Rollover Participants that would not be considered Competitive Activity (as such term is defined in the Rollover Agreement).

On March 14, 2024, Dr. Ye reached out to Koito via email to request a call and check on the status of the transaction. Dr. Ye followed up via email on March 18, 2024.

On March 27, 2024, the representatives of Cooley and Davis Polk held a conference call to discuss the transaction status and next steps.

On March 30, 2024, the Company and Koito entered into a letter agreement regarding the OEM-B Cancellation Project Cost Recovery (the “Letter Agreement”). The Letter Agreement provided that due to OEM-B’s decision to re-scope its ADAS product offerings, Koito’s purchase orders with the Company were cancelled, leading the Company to request $38,922,335 for project cost recovery. Koito agreed to make an advance payment to the Company by March 31, 2024, with the remaining amount to be settled after final audit results and further consultation.

On March 31, 2024 and as reported in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter, the Company and Koito were notified of a new series production by OEM-A, which would utilize the Company’s near-range LiDAR.

On April 2, 2024, the Special Committee convened a meeting. Also in attendance were members of Cepton’s management and representatives of Cooley and Craig-Hallum. Dr. Pei provided an update on the Company’s business, and the Special Committee discussed strategies to accelerate negotiations with Koito.

On April 3, 2024, there were several meetings held, including a meeting between representatives of Koito and the Company to discuss the Company’s business. Dr. Ye also met with Koito and representatives of SMBC Nikko and Craig-Hallum to discuss the feedback Koito received from their stakeholders regarding the Potential Transaction and their general concerns about the LiDAR market, which led such stakeholders to propose delaying the Potential Transaction for several months. Koito expressed that, despite these concerns, Koito desired to continue cooperative efforts with the Company in the interim. Discussions also explored the possibility of Koito providing financial support to the Company until the Proposed Transaction terms could be agreed upon.

On May 31, 2024, Dr. Jun Ye and representatives of Craig-Hallum met with Koito and SMBC Nikko. Koito indicated readiness to resume work on the Potential Transaction but was not yet prepared to address the Company’s $3.65 per share counteroffer.

On June 6, 2024, Craig-Hallum provided the management projections to Koito through the data room, which was updated from the projections provided on February 8, 2024, to account for actual financial results of the Company as of March 31, 2024, and on June 11, 2024, Craig-Hallum uploaded the same model including additional details to the data room.

On June 10, 2024, Mr. Jun Toyota, Mr. Katsuda and Dr. Pei met with another global OEM (“OEM-C”) with regard to the Company’s and Koito’s outstanding bid for a series production award from OEM-C that would utilize the Company’s LiDAR technology. However, OEM-C expressed certain reservations about the lack of clarity on the Proposed Transaction and the Company’s future financial condition.

On June 24, 2024, SMBC Nikko informed Craig-Hallum that Koito was willing to proceed with the Proposed Transaction only at the initial offer price of $3.17 per share. Koito planned to seek board approval for the Potential Transaction in late July. The unchanged offer price of $3.17 reflected Koito’s view of the value of the Company based on the management projections and additional details provided by Craig-Hallum on June 6, 2024, which Koito continued to believe was fair for the reasons stated in “— Position of the Koito Entities as to the Fairness of the Merger,” including the fact it continued to represent a premium to the trading price of the Company’s common stock notwithstanding that the initial offer price had been disclosed to the market.

On June 26, 2024, the Special Committee convened a meeting. Also in attendance were representatives of Cooley and Craig-Hallum. Craig-Hallum provided a presentation on its updated enterprise valuation analyses of Koito’s offer based on most recent share data and financial information from Cepton’s management team. It also presented to the Special Committee (1) its updated selected comparable public companies analysis as of June 25, 2024, (2) its updated premiums paid analysis as of June 25, 2024, (3) its updated discounted cash flow analysis based on a transaction date of June 25, 2024, (4) the accumulated net operating loss valuation analysis, and (5) a review of the generally poor recent stock price performance of the Company and other publicly traded companies in the LiDAR sector, noting that the Company’s stock price had been performing better over recent months than many of its industry peers. The Special Committee discussed Craig-Hallum’s analysis, the Company’s business status, the deteriorating condition and performance of the companies in the LiDAR industry sector over the course of the first half of 2024, and the potential that the favorable performance of the Company’s common stock relative to many of its industry peers could be due to price support afforded by the public disclosure of the existence of the IOI. Based on the above presentation and discussion, the Special Committee authorized Cooley and Craig-Hallum to re-engage with Koito’s advisors, indicating that the Company was prepared to proceed at $3.17 per share, provided Koito accepted the Company’s positions on outstanding terms and made a strong commitment on its desire to complete the Potential Transaction on the time schedule laid out.

On July 1, 2024, Craig-Hallum communicated to SMBC Nikko that the Special Committee was willing to move forward at $3.17 per share, subject to the conditions noted above.

In the weeks following July 4, 2024, the Company, Koito and representatives of Davis Polk, Cooley and O’Melveny finalized the Merger Agreement, the Rollover Agreement and the related disclosure letter.

On July 8, 2024, members of Cepton management, representatives of O’Melveny, Davis Polk, Craig-Hallum and SMBC Nikko met to conduct a bring-down diligence call.

On July 18, 2024, O’Melveny and Davis Polk held a call to discuss the status of the draft legal documents. O’Melveny separately held a call with Dr. Pei and Koito’s human resources advisors to discuss the employment arrangements and compensation for certain senior employees of the Company.

On July 25, 2024, Dr. Jun Pei and other executives of the Company and employees of Koito met with OEM-C, where they learned that OEM-C had decided internally to award a series production award to the Company and Koito.

On July 28, 2024, the Special Committee held a special meeting to consider the proposed final terms of the Potential Transaction, including the form of Merger Agreement. Also in attendance were representatives of Cooley and Craig-Hallum. Representatives of Cooley reviewed with the Special Committee its fiduciary duties and the key terms of the Merger Agreement. The Special Committee members then discussed the premium price to be paid in the Potential Transaction, the deal protections and other material terms set forth in the Merger Agreement, considerations of alternative opportunities available to the Company, the importance of scale in the global automotive market and the liquidity needs of the Company. Representatives of Craig-Hallum highlighted for the Special Committee the above-described process that had been conducted in respect of the market check with other prospective strategic partners and its final valuation analysis of other comparable public M&A transactions as of July 2024. Representatives of Craig-Hallum then presented to the Special Committee its financial analysis of Koito’s $3.17 per share of Cepton common stock consideration to be paid by Koito to the Cepton stockholders pursuant to the Merger Agreement, including its updated premiums paid analysis as of July 26, 2024, its discounted cash flow analysis (assuming a transaction date of July 26, 2024) and its updated accumulated net operating loss valuation (assuming a transaction date of July 26, 2024). Craig-Hallum then delivered its oral opinion, which was subsequently confirmed in writing, to the effect that, based on and subject to the assumptions in the written opinion which was delivered on July 29, 2024 and is attached as Annex D to this Proxy Statement, Craig-Hallum was of the opinion that the merger consideration to be paid by Koito to the Unaffiliated Stockholders in the merger, is fair, from

a financial point of view. After such discussion and presentation, the Special Committee unanimously (i) determined that the terms of the Merger Agreement, the other transaction documents and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger consideration and the merger, are advisable, fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company and its stockholders, (ii) recommend that the Board (A) approve, adopt and declare advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders the Merger Agreement, the other transaction documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and (B) submit to the stockholders of the Company, and recommend the adoption of, the Merger Agreement. Later that day, the Board, following the recusal of the Koito Designees and acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee, held a meeting and (i) determined that the Merger Agreement and all transaction documents contemplated by the Merger Agreement were advisable, fair to and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, (ii) approved and adopted the Merger Agreement and all transaction documents contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (iii) authorized and empowered the Company to perform its obligations under the Merger Agreement and under the transaction documents to which the Company is a party and (iv) submit to the Company’s stockholders the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement for adoption. Subsequently, Koito’s board approved the transaction on July 29, 2024, Japan time.

On July 29, 2024, the Company and Koito executed the Merger Agreement and publicly announced the Merger Agreement with their respective press releases and the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K and Koito filed an amendment to its Schedule 13D disclosing the Merger Agreement.

Reasons for the Transaction; Recommendations of the Special Committee and the Board

As described under “Background of the Merger,” the Board duly established the Special Committee and delegated to it the exclusive power and authority, among other things, to (i) review, evaluate, negotiate, and determine the advisability of a potential transaction, including the authority to determine not to proceed with such a transaction; (ii) oversee the processes and procedures related to assessment of a potential transaction; (iii) propose, accept, reject or negotiate the price, structure, terms and conditions of a potential transaction; (iv) determine whether the potential transaction is fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company and our stockholders; (v) with respect to any actions required to be taken by the Board with respect to the potential transaction, recommend to the Board what action should be taken; (vi) from time to time and at full meetings of the Board provide reports to the Board regarding the activities of the Special Committee; and (vii) take such other actions relating to the potential transaction as the Special Committee deems necessary, appropriate or advisable. The Board did not retain an unaffiliated representative to act solely on behalf of the Company’s Unaffiliated Stockholders for purposes of negotiating the terms of the merger or preparing a report concerning the fairness of the merger. However, the Board considered the analysis and recommendations of the Special Committee, among other factors, in the course of reaching its determination and recommendations discussed in this section.

In evaluating and approving the merger and in making their determinations and recommendations, the Special Committee and the Board gave careful consideration to a number of factors including, among others, the following:

•        Premium.    The cash consideration to be received by the Unaffiliated Stockholders in the transaction represents a premium of approximately 25% to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on Nasdaq on July 26, 2024, the most recent trading day prior to the signing of the Merger Agreement, and a premium of approximately 26% to the closing price of the Company’s common stock on Nasdaq on June 26, 2024, one month prior to the signing of the Merger Agreement.

•        Compelling Value Relative to Alternatives.    The Special Committee conducted a pre-signing market check process involving outreach by Craig-Hallum to potential counterparties for acquisition transactions viewed in the judgment of the Special Committee as being the most likely to have interest in the Company and its business. The Special Committee determined that it was unlikely that any of those parties would complete a transaction on terms that were superior to the merger, taking into account, among other things, the stock ownership position of Koito in the Company and the fact that Koito was consistent in its position that it has no interest in (and would not as a stockholder support or consent to) a disposition or sale of its holdings in the Company or any alternative change of control transaction involving the Company. The Special Committee also considered the Company’s standalone business strategy in the context of current economic and market conditions and the Management Projections (defined below) and concluded that the merger would provide greater and more certain value to the Unaffiliated Stockholders than would reasonably be expected from the continued execution of the Company’s strategic plan.

•        Certainty and Immediate Liquidity.    The cash consideration of $3.17 per share of our common stock provides certainty, immediate value and liquidity to the Unaffiliated Stockholders while eliminating the effect on our stockholders of likely further dilution, long-term business and execution risk or to financial markets or economic conditions.

•        Continuation as an Independent Business; Business Performance & Outlook Reliant on Additional Capital.    The Special Committee noted the continuing deterioration in the financial condition and performance of companies in the LiDAR industry sector over the course of the first half of 2024 and that there were limited signals that the state of the industry would reverse itself in the foreseeable future. In this context, the Special Committee considered the near term and long term prospects for the Company continuing as an independent business. As part of this analysis, the Special Committee considered the composition, status and trends of the Company’s assets and liabilities on its balance sheet and the general going concern value of the Company’s business. The Special Committee also reviewed the possibility of a liquidation of the Company’s business and the many cost and operational challenges that would accompany such a move. The Special Committee concluded that the Company’s existing cash balance was not likely to be sufficient to reach positive net income and would require further significant investment for research and development of the Company’s technology, sales and marketing efforts and additional spending to continue the path to commercialization. Broader macroeconomic factors like those discussed are likely to limit opportunities for the Company to obtain necessary capital to continue investment and operations, before it reaches positive cash flow and the ability to self-fund operations.

•        Delays and Uncertainty in Large-scale Automotive LiDAR Adoption.    As noted above, the last several years have been characterized by program delays by automotive OEMs and cancellations and uncertainty in the timing of adoption of LiDAR into series production automobiles, especially in the US and European markets, in which the Company is primarily focused, and this market outlook remains uncertain.

•        Importance of Scale.    The importance of scale in the global automotive market, which is highly competitive, dominated by very large automotive OEMs who generally rely on large, established suppliers with significant resources, and characterized by significant pricing pressure.

•        Negotiated Transaction.    The Merger Agreement is the result of a comprehensive negotiation process with Koito that was undertaken by the Company and its legal and financial advisors with the oversight and participation of the Special Committee. The Merger Agreement includes terms and conditions that are reasonable in the judgment of the Special Committee and the Board with the advice of their legal and financial advisors.

•        Ability to Respond to Unsolicited Superior Proposals.    Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, the Board will remain able to respond to any unsolicited written Acquisition Proposal that constitutes a Superior Proposal under the Merger Agreement.

•        Opinion of Craig-Hallum.    At a meeting of the Special Committee on July 28, 2024, Craig-Hallum rendered to the Special Committee its oral opinion that, as of such date and based upon and subject to the various assumptions made, procedures followed, matters considered and qualifications and limitations set forth therein, the merger consideration was fair, from a financial point of view, to the Unaffiliated Stockholders of the Company. Such opinion was subsequently confirmed in writing on July 29, 2024.

•        Supported by Significant Stockholders.    The merger must be approved by holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to Voting Support Agreements, certain significant stockholders of the Company (Dr. Jun Pei, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, Dr. Jun Ye, a member of the Company’s Board, and Dr. Mark McCord, the former Chief Technology Officer of the Company) have agreed to vote all of their shares of our common stock in favor of the merger. Koito has also agreed to vote all of its shares of Company capital stock in favor of the merger. The combination of these voting commitments makes approval of the merger by Company stockholders highly likely.

•        Business and Macroeconomic Conditions.    The current and prospective business and financial environment in which the Company operates, including international, national and local economic conditions, the competitive environment, and financial and capital markets, the likely effect of these factors on the Company and the execution of its plans as a standalone company, including the increased challenges faced by companies in the Company’s industry of its scale in raising capital.

•        Deal Certainty.    Koito’s obligation to complete the merger is subject to a limited number of conditions that the Special Committee believe, with the advice of their legal and financial advisors, are reasonable in the circumstances. The merger is not subject to any financing condition.

•        Regulatory Approval.    The proposed transaction must be approved by CFIUS. Based on the assessment of the regulatory risk profile of the proposed transaction with Koito, the Special Committee, in consultation with the Company’s advisors regarding regulatory considerations, does not expect there to be regulatory impediments to the consummation of the merger. If the parties are unable to secure CFIUS approval of the proposed merger and the Merger Agreement is terminated for such reason, Koito will be obligated to pay the Company a reverse termination fee of $5,000,000.

•        Appraisal Rights.    The holders of our common stock may, upon compliance with certain conditions, exercise their appraisal rights under applicable Delaware law and, if ultimately successful, receive fair value for their shares of our common stock.

•        Appropriateness of Deal Protections.    The termination fee payable by the Company of $1,250,000, the reverse termination fee payable by Koito of $5,000,000, Koito’s right to match a superior proposal and other deal protection measures contained in the Merger Agreement are, in the view of the Special Committee, after receiving legal and financial advice, appropriate for a transaction of this nature.

•        Profile of Purchaser.    The Special Committee considered Koito’s historical familiarity with the Company and its business and the advice of the Company’s advisors regarding Koito’s commitment, creditworthiness, track record as a strategic-minded investor, and anticipated ability to complete the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

•        Treatment of Employees.    Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Koito has agreed that for 12 months following the consummation of the merger (or such shorter time as a continuing employee may be employed by the Company or its Subsidiaries), each continuing employee’s compensation and benefits (other than equity or equity-based compensation, retention and change of control payments, defined pension benefits and retiree medical benefits)will be maintained at a level that are substantially comparable in the aggregate to such compensation and benefits as in effect immediately prior to such closing.

•        Stakeholder Considerations.    The Special Committee considered the effect of the transaction with Koito on the Company’s stakeholders, including its stockholders, employees, creditors, customers, suppliers and governments and concluded that the transaction would not be adverse to their interests.

•        Role of the Special Committee.    The evaluation and negotiation process was supervised by the Special Committee, which is composed entirely of independent directors and was advised by experienced and qualified financial and legal advisors. The Special Committee met regularly with its advisors.

The Special Committee and the Board (with the support and advice from their legal and financial advisors) also considered a number of potential issues regarding and risks resulting from the merger and the Merger Agreement, including, among others:

•        the risks to the Company and its stakeholders, including the stockholders, if the merger is not completed, including the costs to the Company in pursuing the merger and the temporary diversion of the Company’s management from the conduct of the Company’s business in the ordinary course;

•        the fact that, following the consummation of the merger, the Company will no longer exist as an independent public company and the stockholders will forego any future increase in value that might result from future growth and the potential achievement of the Company’s long-term plans, balanced against the fact that the stockholders will no longer be taking any risks of the Company’s business;

•        the conditions to Koito’s obligations to complete the merger and the right of Koito to terminate the Merger Agreement under certain circumstances;

•        the terms of the Merger Agreement, including those in respect of: (i) restricting the Company from soliciting third parties to make an Acquisition Proposal and (ii) the fact that if the Merger Agreement is terminated under certain circumstances, including in the event that the Company makes a change in recommendation or enters into an agreement in respect of a superior proposal, the Company must pay the termination fee of $1,250,000 to Koito;

•        the fact that, if the merger is not consummated and the Board decides to seek another transaction, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to find a party willing to pay an equivalent or more attractive price than the cash consideration to be paid under the merger, or that the stockholders would be able to receive cash or other consideration for their shares of common stock equal to or greater than the cash consideration payable in connection with the merger in any other future transaction that the Company may undertake; and

•        the fact that certain of the Company’s directors and/or officers, including the Rollover Participants, may receive additional or different benefits in their capacity as such in connection with the merger, than those received by the stockholders generally in connection with the merger.

The Special Committee and the Board reviewed and considered, but did not assign, a specific value to the Company’s value in a complete liquidation and the going concern value of the Company. However, based on their understanding of the Company and its business, cost structure, capital expenditure needs, historical performance and anticipated future performance, the Special Committee and the Board believed it was reasonable to conclude that value ascribed to the Company in the Koito proposal was substantially in excess of the Company’s liquidation or going concern value. Similarly, the Special Committee and the Board did not consider the net book value of the Company’s assets and liabilities to provide a useful or relevant valuation metric for the Company as a going concern given the nature of the Company’s business.

The foregoing summary of the information, factors and risks considered by the Special Committee and the Board is not, and is not intended to be, exhaustive. In view of the factors and the amount of information considered in connection with its evaluation of the merger, the Special Committee and the Board did not find it practical to, and did not, quantify or otherwise attempt to assign any relative weight to each specific factor considered in reaching its conclusions and recommendations. The Special Committee’s and the Board’s recommendations were made after consideration of all of the above-noted factors and in light of their collective knowledge of the business, financial condition and prospects of the Company, and were also based upon the advice of the Board’s and Special Committee’s financial advisors and the Company’s legal counsel. In addition, individual members of the Special Committee and the Board may have assigned different weights to different factors.

Opinion of Craig-Hallum to the Special Committee

Craig-Hallum rendered its opinion to the Special Committee that, as of July 29, 2024, and based upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth therein, the merger consideration to be paid to the Company’s Unaffiliated Stockholders pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement is fair from a financial point of view to such stockholders.

The full text of the written opinion of Craig-Hallum, dated July 29, 2024, which sets forth assumptions made, procedures followed, matters considered and limitations on the review undertaken in connection with the opinion, is attached as Annex D to this Proxy Statement. Craig-Hallum provided its opinion for the information and assistance of the Special Committee in connection with its consideration of the Merger Agreement and the merger. The Craig-Hallum opinion was not intended to and does not constitute a recommendation as to how any Cepton stockholder should vote or make any election with respect to the Merger Agreement, the merger, or any other matter.

In arriving at its opinion, Craig-Hallum, among other things:

•        reviewed Cepton’s audited financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2022, and 2023;

•        reviewed Cepton’s unaudited interim financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and Cepton’s preliminary unaudited interim financial statements for the three months ended June 30, 2024;

•        reviewed the Management Projections;

•        reviewed other internal documents, including the data room prepared by Cepton and its advisors, relating to the history, past and current operations, financial conditions and expected outlook of Cepton, provided by Cepton’s management and advisors;

•        reviewed documents related to the merger, including the Merger Agreement;

•        reviewed various press releases, internal presentation and marketing materials prepared by the management of Cepton, industry and market reports, research reports and white papers;

•        discussed the information above with members of the management of Cepton and had discussions concerning the information referred to above and the background and other elements of the merger, the financial condition, current operating results, and business outlook for Cepton; and

•        performed certain valuation and comparative analyses using generally accepted valuation and analytical techniques including an analysis of comparable public companies that Craig-Hallum deemed relevant, a review of publicly available information for selected M&A transactions to determine the premiums (or discounts) paid over recent trading prices prior to announcement of the transaction, and a discounted cash flow analysis.

In conducting its review and rendering its opinion, Craig-Hallum relied upon and assumed, without independent verification, the accuracy and completeness of all data, material and other information furnished, or otherwise made available to, discussed with, or reviewed by Craig-Hallum or publicly available, and did not attempt to independently verify, and assumed no responsibility for the independent verification, of such information; relied upon the assurances of the management of Cepton that the Management Projections and estimates of net operating loss tax benefits prepared by Cepton management were reasonably prepared in good faith on bases reflecting the best currently available estimates and judgments of the management of Cepton as to the future financial results and condition of Cepton, and Craig-Hallum expressed no opinion with respect to such projections or the assumptions on which they were based; relied upon and assumed that there were no material changes in assets, financial condition, results of operations, business or prospects of Cepton since the date of the last financial statements made available to Craig-Hallum prior to the date of its opinion; and assumed that Cepton was not party to any material pending transaction, including any external financing, recapitalization, acquisition or merger, other than the merger.

Craig-Hallum was not asked to undertake, and did not undertake, an independent verification of any information provided to or reviewed by Craig-Hallum, nor was Craig-Hallum furnished with any such verification, and Craig-Hallum does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness thereof. Craig-Hallum did not conduct a physical inspection of any of the properties or assets of Cepton. Craig-Hallum did not make an independent evaluation or appraisal of the assets or the liabilities (contingent or otherwise) of Cepton, nor was Craig-Hallum furnished with any such evaluations or appraisals, nor did Craig-Hallum evaluate the solvency of Cepton under any state or federal laws. See below under the heading “— Certain Unaudited Prospective Financial Information” for an explanation of the Management Projections provided to Craig-Hallum and the related variables and assumptions taken into account in the preparation of such projections.

Craig-Hallum also assumed that the final executed form of the Merger Agreement did not differ in any material respects from the latest draft provided to Craig-Hallum and that the merger will be consummated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement without waiver, modification or amendment of any material term, condition or agreement, and that, in the course of obtaining the necessary regulatory or third-party consents and approvals (contractual or otherwise) for the merger, no delay, limitation, restriction or condition will be imposed that would have an adverse effect on Cepton or the contemplated benefits of the merger. Craig-Hallum is not a legal, tax or regulatory advisor and relied upon, without independent verification, the assessment of Cepton and its legal, tax and regulatory advisors with respect to such matters.

Craig-Hallum expressed no opinion with respect to any transaction to which Cepton may be a party other than the merger. Craig-Hallum expressed no opinion as to the amount, nature or fairness of the consideration or compensation to be received in or as a result of the merger by securityholders other than the Unaffiliated Stockholders. Craig-Hallum’s opinion did not address any other aspect or implication of the merger, the Merger Agreement or any other agreement or understanding entered into in connection with the merger or otherwise.

Craig-Hallum was not requested to opine as to, and its opinion did not address, the decision to undertake or the terms of any offering of debt or equity securities, the basic business decision to proceed with or effect the merger, or any solvency or fraudulent conveyance consideration relating to the merger.

Craig-Hallum’s opinion was necessarily based upon economic, market, monetary, regulatory and other conditions as they existed and could be evaluated, and the information made available to Craig-Hallum, as of the date of its opinion. Craig-Hallum did not express any opinion as to the prices or trading ranges at which our common stock will trade at any time. Furthermore, Craig-Hallum did not express any opinion as to the impact of the merger on the solvency or viability of the Surviving Corporation in the merger or the ability of the Surviving Corporation to pay its obligations when they become due.

Craig-Hallum delivered its opinion on July 29, 2024. Craig-Hallum assumed no responsibility for updating or revising its opinion based on circumstances or events occurring after the date thereof and has not updated its opinion. Craig-Hallum’s opinion was approved by Craig Hallum’s fairness opinion committee in accordance with established procedures.

The consideration to be paid pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement was determined through arm’s-length negotiations between the Special Committee and Koito, which was approved by the Special Committee and was subsequently approved by the Board. In addition, Craig-Hallum’s opinion and its presentation to the Special Committee were one of many factors taken into consideration by the Special Committee in deciding to approve the merger.

Summary of Financial Analyses

In accordance with customary investment banking practice, Craig-Hallum employed generally accepted valuation methods in reaching its financial opinion. The following is a summary of the material financial analyses contained in the presentation that was made by Craig-Hallum to the Special Committee on July 28, 2024, and that were utilized by Craig-Hallum in connection with providing its opinion. However, the following summary does not purport to be a complete description of the financial analyses performed by Craig-Hallum, nor does the order of analyses described represent the relative importance or weight given to those analyses by Craig-Hallum. Some of the summaries in the financial analyses include information presented in tabular format. The tables must be read together with the full text of each summary and are alone not a complete description of Craig-Hallum’s financial analyses. The following quantitative information is based on market data as it existed on or before July 26, 2024, and is not necessarily indicative of current or future market conditions.

For purposes of its stand-alone analyses performed on Cepton, Craig-Hallum utilized the Management Projections for fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 through December 31, 2028, prepared by and furnished to Craig-Hallum by the management of Cepton. Information regarding the cash, number of fully diluted shares of common stock outstanding and net operating losses for Cepton was provided by Cepton management.

Comparable Public Company Analysis

Craig-Hallum reviewed and compared certain financial information for Cepton to corresponding financial information, ratios and public market multiples for the following publicly traded companies, which, in the exercise of its professional judgment, Craig-Hallum determined to be relevant to its analysis. In selecting comparable public companies, Craig-Hallum focused on businesses in the LiDAR technology industries listed on major US exchanges.

Selected Companies:

•        Aeva Technologies, Inc.

•        AEye, Inc.

•        Hesai Group

•        Innoviz Technologies Ltd

•        Luminar Technologies, Inc.

•        Microvision, Inc.

•        Ouster, Inc.

Craig-Hallum obtained financial metrics and projections for the selected companies from SEC EDGAR and S&P Capital IQ. In its analysis, Craig-Hallum derived and compared multiples for Cepton and the selected companies, calculated as follows:

•        Total enterprise value (“TEV”) as a multiple of estimated revenue for calendar year 2024 (“CY 2024E”)

•        TEV as a multiple of estimated revenue for calendar year 2025 (“CY 2025E”)

•        TEV as a multiple of estimated adjusted gross profit for CY 2024E

•        TEV as a multiple of estimated adjusted gross profit for CY 2025E

TEV refers to market capitalization-calculated utilizing the treasury stock method-plus all outstanding debt, plus Preferred Stock, plus any minority interest and less cash and cash equivalents (“net debt”). This analysis indicated the following:

Based upon the foregoing, Craig-Hallum presented the ranges for each metric. Craig-Hallum then applied the respective representative ranges to calendar year 2024 estimated revenue and gross profit, and calendar year 2025 estimated revenue and gross profit resulting in ranges of implied total enterprise values. A summary of these implied total enterprise value ranges is shown in the table below.

____________

*        U.S. dollars in millions

Although Craig-Hallum selected the companies reviewed in the analysis because, among other things, their businesses are reasonably similar to that of Cepton, no selected company is identical to Cepton. In evaluating the financial multiples for the selected companies, Craig-Hallum made judgments and assumptions with regard to industry performance, general business, economic, market and financial conditions, and other matters. Accordingly, Craig-Hallum’s comparison of selected companies to Cepton and analysis of the results of such comparisons was not purely quantitative, but instead necessarily involved qualitative considerations and professional judgments concerning differences in financial and operating characteristics and other factors that could affect the relative value of Cepton.

The table below reflects Cepton’s implied transaction multiples, which are within the representative ranges shown above, calculated based on the total outstanding shares of our common stock, including shares of our common stock held by Koito and the Rollover Participants, using the treasury stock method and based on the per share merger consideration of $3.17.

Premiums Paid Analysis

Craig-Hallum reviewed publicly available information for selected completed M&A transactions to determine the implied premiums paid in such M&A transactions over recent trading prices of the relevant target companies at certain dates immediately prior to announcement of the relevant transaction. Craig-Hallum selected M&A transactions completed or announced but not closed since January 1, 2021, involving U.S. or Canada-based target companies, that were 100% cash transactions acquiring greater than 50% of the target company, with transaction values ranging from $20 million to $250 million, where the target company’s industry classification is technology.

Based on these criteria, Craig-Hallum reviewed 30 M&A transactions and compared the implied premiums paid in those selected M&A transactions over certain time periods to the premium that would be paid to the Unaffiliated Stockholders of the common stock of the Company based on the per share price.

For each of these transactions, Craig-Hallum calculated the premium per share paid by the acquirer by comparing the announced transaction value per share to the target company’s historical share price as of the following dates: (i) closing price on the last trading day prior to announcement of the transaction or first reference in the public news media about the transaction (the “1-Day Price”), (ii) closing price 7 calendar days prior to announcement of the transaction or first reference in the public news media about the transaction (the “1-Week Price”), and (iii) closing price 30 calendar days prior to announcement of the transaction or first reference in the public news media about the transaction (the “1-Month Price”). The 1-Day Price premiums were calculated by dividing the transaction offer price per share by the target’s closing share price one day prior to announcement of the transaction and subtracting one. The 1-Week Price premiums were calculated by dividing the transaction offer price per share by the target’s closing share price one week prior to announcement of the transaction and subtracting one. The 1-Month Price premiums were calculated by dividing the transaction offer price per share by the target’s closing share price one month prior to announcement of the transaction and subtracting one.

This analysis indicated the following implied premiums:

This analysis indicated the following approximate implied equity price per share range for Cepton:

Discounted Cash Flow Analysis

Craig-Hallum conducted a discounted cash flow analysis for Cepton on a stand-alone basis, which is designed to estimate the implied value of a company by calculating the present value of the estimated future unlevered free cash flows and terminal value of the company. Craig-Hallum calculated a range of implied TEVs of Cepton based on forecasts of future unlevered free cash flows for the remainder of fiscal year 2024 as of July 28, 2024, through fiscal year 2028 provided by the management of Cepton. Craig-Hallum first calculated unlevered free cash flows (calculated as net operating profit after tax plus stock-based compensation, plus expected net proceeds from Koito claim reimbursement with respect to a project for OEM-B in the amount of approximately $17.8 million (as provided by Cepton management) exclusively in calendar year 2024) of Cepton for fiscal years 2024 to 2028, using an assumed federal tax rate of 21.0% and an assumed state tax rate of 8.8%, in each case as provided by Cepton management.

Craig-Hallum then calculated terminal values for Cepton using the terminal value method based on revenue multiples. The terminal value was calculated by applying a range of terminal revenue multiples of 1.0x to 3.0x (selected based on Craig-Hallum’s professional judgment after consideration of comparable public company

multiples) to Cepton management’s revenue forecast for fiscal year 2028. In addition, Craig-Hallum added Cepton’s net operating loss carryforwards expected to be utilized by Cepton’s management to reduce future domestic federal and state taxes, in each case based on internal estimates of Cepton’s management.

These unlevered free cash flows, terminal values and net operating loss carryforwards were then discounted to their respective present values as of July 28, 2024, using a median discount rate of 20.4% (selected based on Craig-Hallum’s professional judgment and derived from an analysis of the estimated weighted average cost of capital using Cepton comparable company data) to calculate a range of implied total enterprise values for Cepton. From this analysis, Craig-Hallum presented the range of the values produced from the discounted cash flow analysis as set forth in the following table:

____________

*        U.S. dollars in millions

In comparison, the implied total enterprise value of Cepton calculated based on the total outstanding shares of our common stock, including shares of our common stock held by Koito and the Rollover Participants, using the treasury stock method and based on the per share merger consideration of $3.17, is $105.0 million.

Miscellaneous

The foregoing summary of material financial analyses does not purport to be a complete description of the analyses or data presented by Craig-Hallum. The preparation of a fairness opinion is a complex process and is not necessarily susceptible to partial analysis or summary description. Craig-Hallum believes that the summary set forth above and its analyses must be considered as a whole and that selecting portions of it, without considering all of its analyses, could create an incomplete view of the processes underlying the analyses and its opinion. No single factor or analysis was determinative of Craig-Hallum’s fairness determination. Rather, Craig-Hallum considered the totality of the factors and analyses performed in arriving at its opinion. Craig-Hallum based its analyses on assumptions that it deemed reasonable, including those concerning general business and economic conditions and industry-specific factors. The other principal assumptions upon which Craig-Hallum based its analysis have been described under the description of each analysis in the foregoing summary. Analyses based upon forecasts of future results are inherently uncertain, as they are subject to numerous factors or events beyond the control of the parties and their advisors. Accordingly, forecasts and analyses used or made by Craig-Hallum are not necessarily indicative of actual future results, which may be significantly more or less favorable than suggested by those analyses. Moreover, Craig-Hallum’s analyses are not, and do not, purport to be appraisals or otherwise reflective of the prices at which securities may trade at the present time or at any time in the future or at which businesses actually could be bought or sold.

As part of its investment banking business, Craig-Hallum and its affiliates are continually engaged in the valuation of businesses and their securities in connection with mergers and acquisitions. Craig-Hallum was selected as financial advisor to the Special Committee on the basis of Craig-Hallum’s experience and its familiarity with Cepton and the industry in which it operates.

Under the terms of the engagement letter dated January 17, 2024, Cepton has paid Craig-Hallum (i) a fee of $350,000 for rendering its written opinion, and (ii) a non-refundable retainer fee of $50,000. Furthermore, pursuant to the terms of the engagement letter, Cepton has agreed to pay Craig-Hallum a cash transaction fee (based on a percentage of the aggregate value associated with the merger) upon consummation of the merger, which cash transaction fee currently is estimated to be approximately $1,150,000. In addition, Cepton has agreed to reimburse Craig-Hallum for reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the engagement and to indemnify Craig-Hallum against certain liabilities that may arise out of its engagement by Cepton and the rendering of the opinion.

Craig-Hallum’s analyses were prepared solely as part of Craig-Hallum’s analysis of the fairness, from a financial point of view, to the Unaffiliated Stockholders of the merger consideration to be paid by Koito under the terms of the Merger Agreement and were provided to the Special Committee for its analysis of the Merger Agreement and the merger. The opinion of Craig-Hallum was only one of the factors taken into consideration by the Special Committee in making its determination to approve the Merger Agreement and the merger.

In the ordinary course of its business, Craig-Hallum and its affiliates may actively trade securities of Cepton for its own account or the account of its customers and, accordingly, may at any time hold a long or short position in such securities. Craig-Hallum has not received fees or other compensation from Cepton or Koito in the past two years prior to the issuance of its opinion. Craig-Hallum and its affiliates may from time to time perform various investment banking and financial advisory services for other clients and customers that may have conflicting interests with Cepton, for which Craig-Hallum would expect to receive compensation.

Consistent with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, Craig-Hallum has adopted policies and procedures to establish and maintain the independence of Craig-Hallum’s research department and personnel. As a result, Craig-Hallum’s research analysts may hold opinions, make statements or investment recommendations and/or publish research reports with respect to the transaction and other participants in the transaction that differ from the opinions of Craig-Hallum’s investment banking personnel.

Certain Unaudited Prospective Financial Information

Other than in connection with our regular earnings press releases and related investor materials, the Company does not, as a matter of course, publicly disclose long-term consolidated forecasts as to future performance, earnings or other results given, among other reasons, the uncertainty, unpredictability and subjectivity of the underlying assumptions and estimates. However, the Company is including a summary of certain previously nonpublic, unaudited prospective financial information for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024 through the fiscal year ending December 31, 2028 that members of the Company’s management provided to the Special Committee and the Special Committee’s advisors in connection with their evaluation of the merger (the “Management Projections”). The Management Projections were prepared on a stand-alone basis and do not take into account any of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement or any changes to the Company’s operations or strategy that may be implemented after the completion of the merger. You should note that Management Projections constitute forward-looking statements. The Management Projections are not included in this Proxy Statement to influence any decision on whether to vote for the merger or any other proposal presented at the Special Meeting, but rather are included in this Proxy Statement to give stockholders access to certain non-public information that was provided to the Board, the Special Committee, Craig-Hallum and the Koito Entities, as applicable, for the purposes described above. By including the Management Projections in this Proxy Statement, none of the Company, the Board, the Special Committee, Craig-Hallum, the Koito Entities or any other person has made or makes any representation to any person regarding the Company’s ultimate performance as compared to the information contained in the Management Projections. The inclusion of the Management Projections should not be regarded as an indication of the Company, the Board, the Special Committee, Craig-Hallum, the Koito Entities or any other person considered, or now considers, them to be necessarily predictive of actual future results, and such information should not be relied on as such. Further, the inclusion of the Management Projections in this Proxy Statement does not constitute an admission or representation by the Company that the information presented is material.

The Management Projections were not prepared with a view toward public disclosure or complying with GAAP. In addition, the Management Projections were not prepared with a view toward compliance with published guidelines of the SEC or the guidelines established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for preparation or presentation of prospective financial information. The Management Projections were prepared by, and are the responsibility of, the Company’s management team. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP, has not audited, reviewed, examined, compiled nor applied agreed-upon procedures with respect to the Management Projections and, accordingly, KPMG LLP does not express an opinion or any other form of assurance with respect thereto. The KMPG LLP report incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement relates solely to the Company’s previously issued financial statements. It does not extend to the Management Projections and should not be read to do so.

Certain Assumptions

In preparing the Management Projections described below, the Company’s management team used various assumptions that are subject to change, including, but not limited to, the following principal assumptions:

•        the Company is operating as a standalone public company;

•        in operating expenses, we factored in increased costs (such as legal fees) related to the merger in 2024; however, we did not factor in any success fees payable to Craig-Hallum;

•        we did not include the entirety of the $38,922,335 we claimed with respect to project cost recovery pursuant to the Letter Agreement; and

•        we did not include any claims from our suppliers who may be impacted by the OEM-B series production award cancellation.

THE COMPANY DOES NOT INTEND TO UPDATE OR OTHERWISE REVISE THE ABOVE MANAGEMENT PROJECTIONS TO REFLECT CIRCUMSTANCES EXISTING AFTER THE DATE WHEN MADE OR TO REFLECT THE OCCURRENCE OF FUTURE EVENTS, EVEN IN THE EVENT THAT ANY OR ALL OF THE ASSUMPTIONS UNDERLYING SUCH MANAGEMENT PROJECTIONS ARE NO LONGER APPROPRIATE, EXCEPT AS MAY BE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

Position of the Koito Entities as to the Fairness of the Merger

Under the SEC rules governing “going private” transactions, each of the Koito Entities is an affiliate of the Company that is engaged in the “going private” transaction and, therefore, is required to express its beliefs as to the fairness of the merger to the “unaffiliated security holders” as defined under Rule 13e-3 under the Exchange Act. The Koito Entities are making the statements included in this section solely for purposes of complying with the requirements of Rule 13e-3 and related rules and regulations under the Exchange Act. However, no Koito Entity is making any recommendation to any unaffiliated security holder as to how such stockholder should vote on any proposal, and the views of each of Koito Entities should not be construed as a recommendation to any unaffiliated security holder as to how such stockholder should vote. Each Koito Entity has interests in the merger that are different from those of the unaffiliated security holders.

The Koito Entities believe that the merger (which is the Rule 13e-3 transaction for which the Schedule 13E-3 was filed with the SEC) is fair to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders on the basis of the factors described below.

The Koito Entities believe that the Special Committee, which negotiated the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including the merger, with the assistance of the independent financial advisor and legal counsel selected and retained by the Special Committee, represented the interests of the Company’s unaffiliated security holders. While Parent is represented by the Koito Designees, the merger was negotiated and approved by the Special Committee. The Koito Designees are not members of the Special Committee. The Koito Entities, including the Koito Designees, did not participate in the deliberations of the Board regarding, or receive advice from the Company’s or the Special Committee’s legal or financial advisors as to, the fairness of the merger. The Koito Entities have not performed, or engaged a financial advisor to perform, any valuation or other analysis for the purpose of assessing the fairness of the merger to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders.

However, the Koito Entities believe, based on the knowledge and analysis by the Koito Entities of available information regarding the Company and the factors considered by, and the analysis and resulting conclusions of, the Special Committee described in the section entitled “Special Factors — Reasons for the Transaction; Recommendations of the Special Committee and the Board” (which analysis and resulting conclusions the Koito Entities adopt, based on Koito Entities’ review thereof subsequent to the execution of the Merger Agreement), that the merger is substantively and procedurally fair to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders.

In particular, the Koito Entities considered the following substantive factors, among others, which are not presented in any relative order of importance:

•        the current and historical market prices and volatility of our common stock, and the fact the merger consideration to be received by the unaffiliated security holders represents a premium of approximately 25% to the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on July 26, 2024, which was the last trading day prior to the signing of the Merger Agreement, and a premium of approximately 26% to the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on June 26, 2024, one month prior to the signing of the Merger Agreement;

•        the fact that the merger consideration is all cash and without any financing contingencies, which provides immediate certainty of value and liquidity to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders, since such unaffiliated security holders are able to realize the merger consideration of $3.17 per share for each of their shares of our common stock;

•        the merger will eliminate the Company’s unaffiliated security holders’ exposure to the various risks and uncertainties related to continued ownership of our common stock and the future growth, profitability and financial stability of the Company, which include among others:

•        the Company is an early-stage company with a history of losses that expects to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future;

•        that the Company expects to incur substantial R&D costs and devote significant resources to identifying and commercializing new products;

•        the Company’s need to raise additional capital to meet its future funding requirements;

•        the uncertainties associated with the market adoption of LiDAR and the selection of the Company’s products for inclusion in ADAS and autonomous driving systems by automotive OEMs, automotive tier 1 suppliers or other customers.

•        that the Company has limited experience in managing its supply chain to manufacture and deliver its products on scale and that there are risks with its transition to an outsourced manufacturing business model;

•        general macroeconomic risks including conditions in the automotive industry and the global economy; and

•        the other risk factors disclosed in the Company’s most recent SEC filings;

•        the Special Committee received an opinion from Craig-Hallum, dated July 29, 2024, as to the fairness, from a financial point of view and as of such date to the Unaffiliated Stockholders of the $3.17 per share merger consideration to be paid to such holders in connection with the merger, which opinion was based upon and subject to the factors and assumptions set forth therein as more fully described in the section entitled “Special Factors — Opinion of Craig-Hallum to the Special Committee,” notwithstanding that the opinion of Craig-Hallum was provided for the information and assistance of the Special Committee and none of the Koito Entities are entitled to, and did not, rely on such opinion;

•        the fact that the Special Committee conducted a pre-signing market check process involving outreach by Craig-Hallum to potential strategic acquirors and determined that it was unlikely that any of those parties would complete a transaction on terms that were superior to the merger;

•        the fact that the Board, other than the Koito Designees and acting upon the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee, determined that the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger, are advisable, fair to, and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders; and

•        the fact that the Supporting Stockholders, who collectively represent approximately 38.7% of the voting power of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock, have irrevocably and unconditionally agreed to vote their shares in favor of the Merger Agreement and related transactions.

In addition, the Koito Entities considered the following procedural factors, which are not presented in any relative order of importance:

•        the Board was fully informed about the extent to which the interests of the Koito Entities in the merger differed from those of the Company’s unaffiliated security holders;

•        the fact that Koito publicly disclosed its interest in acquiring the Company in a Schedule 13D/A on December 21, 2023, approximately seven months prior to entering the Merger Agreement, and that from that time until the Merger Agreement was signed on July 29, 2024, and the Company did not receive a better offer from a third party prior to the execution of the Merger Agreement;

•        the fact that the parties publicly disclosed the execution of the Merger Agreement on July 29, 2024 and, following such announcement, the Company did not receive any unsolicited inquiries from any third parties regarding a potential acquisition of all or a portion of the Company;

•        the Board established the Special Committee comprised solely of independent directors who are not affiliated with the Koito Entities, and who are independent and disinterested with respect to the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, to consider the Koito Entities’ proposal and to negotiate with the Koito Entities, and the Special Committee was deliberative in its process to determine whether the merger was fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company and its shareholders (including the Company’s unaffiliated security holders) and to analyze, evaluate and negotiate the terms of the merger;

•        the Koito Entities, including the Koito Designees, did not participate in or have any influence on the deliberative process of, or the conclusions reached by, the Special Committee or the negotiating positions of the Special Committee;

•        the Merger Agreement allows the Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee), subject to specific limitations and requirements set forth in the Merger Agreement, to withdraw its recommendation in favor of the merger in response to a superior proposal or intervening event, subject to the Company paying the Koito Entities the termination fee of $1,250,000 in the case of an actual termination of the Merger Agreement;

•        the fact that the Special Committee retained, and had the benefit of advice from, experienced and qualified legal and financial advisors; and

•        the availability of appraisal rights to the Company’s stockholders who comply with all of the required procedures under Delaware law for exercising appraisal rights, which allow such holders to seek appraisal of the fair value of their shares.

The Koito Entities also considered a variety of risks and other countervailing factors related to the substantive and procedural fairness of the proposed merger. In particular, the Koito Entities considered the following factors, which are not presented in any relative order of importance:

•        the Company’s unaffiliated security holders will not participate in any future earnings, appreciation in value or growth of the Company’s business and will not benefit from any potential sale of the Company or its assets to a third party in the future;

•        the risk that the merger might not be completed in a timely manner or at all, the consequences of which might include (i) the potential loss of value to the Company’s stockholders, (ii) a negative impact on the operations and prospects of the Company, including the potential loss of key personnel and (iii) an adverse impact on the market’s perception of the Company’s prospects;

•        the restrictions on the conduct of the Company’s business prior to the completion of the merger set forth in the Merger Agreement, which may delay or prevent the Company from undertaking business opportunities that may arise and certain other actions it might otherwise take with respect to the operations of the Company pending completion of the merger;

•        the negative effect that the pendency of the merger, or a failure to complete the merger, could potentially have on the Company’s business and relationships with its employees, vendors and customers;

•        the fact that Parent, in making its proposal to engage in the merger, indicated that it is not interested in considering or participating in any alternative change of control transaction involving the Company and that Parent’s current ownership of approximately 12.2% (excluding shared voting power that Parent may be deemed to have as a result of the Voting Support Agreements) in the Company as well as its rights under the terms of the Preferred Stock, including its ability to require the Company to repurchase its Preferred Stock at the liquidation preference of $100 million plus accrued and unpaid dividends or to convert its Preferred Stock at 1.1 times the conversation rate then in effect upon the occurrence of a fundamental change, and its rights under the Investor Rights Agreement, would likely be considered by third parties in considering whether or not to make an unsolicited acquisition proposal and may have the effect of limiting the Company’s alternative financing options;

•        the risk that the parties may be delayed in obtaining, or unable to obtain, CFIUS approval without the imposition of any Burdensome Condition;

•        the fact that the Merger Agreement provides that, during the period from the date of the Merger Agreement until the effective time of the merger, the Company is subject to certain restrictions on its ability to solicit alternative acquisition proposals from third parties and to provide non-public information to third parties and to engage in negotiations with third parties regarding alternative acquisition proposals, subject to customary exceptions;

•        the fact that the Company has incurred and will continue to incur significant transaction costs and expenses in connection with the potential transaction, regardless of whether the merger is consummated;

•        the risks related to amounts that may be payable by the Company upon the termination of the Merger Agreement, including the termination fee of $1,250,000, and the process required to terminate the merger; and

•        the fact that an all-cash transaction would be taxable to certain of the Company stockholders that are U.S. holders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The Koito Entities concluded that approval by a majority of the Unaffiliated Stockholders is not necessary for approval of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby as such approval is not required under Delaware law, and the Koito Entities believe that the various procedural safeguards that have been adopted, as described above, have ensured the procedural fairness of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby. As such, the Koito Entities believe that the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby are procedurally fair to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders. The foregoing discussion of the information and factors considered and given weight by the Koito Entities in connection with the fairness of the merger is not intended to be exhaustive but is believed to include all material factors considered by them. The Koito Entities did not find it practicable to, and did not, quantify or otherwise attach relative weights to the foregoing factors in reaching their conclusion as to the fairness of the merger. Rather, the Koito Entities reached their position as to the fairness of the merger after considering all of the foregoing factors as a whole. The Koito Entities believe these factors provide a reasonable basis upon which to form their position regarding the fairness of the merger to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders. This position should not, however, be construed as a recommendation to any Company stockholder to approve the Merger Agreement. The Koito Entities make no recommendation as to how Company stockholders should vote their shares relating to the merger. The Koito Entities attempted to negotiate the terms of a transaction that would be most favorable to them, and not to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders, and, accordingly, did not negotiate the Merger Agreement with a goal of obtaining terms that were fair to such stockholders.

The Koito Entities did not consider net book value, which is an accounting concept, for purposes of reaching its determination and recommendations, because, in the Koito Entities’ view, net book value is indicative of neither the Company’s market value nor its value as a going concern, but rather is an indicator of historical costs.

In addition, the Koito Entities did not conduct a going-concern valuation of our common stock for purposes of determining the substantive fairness of the merger to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders because, following the merger, the Surviving Corporation will have a significantly different capital structure and because the Koito Entities believe that the trading price of our common stock at any given time represents the best available indicator of the Company’s going-concern value at that time, so long as the trading price at that time is not impacted by speculation regarding the likelihood of a potential transaction.

Moreover, the Koito Entities did not consider the liquidation value of the Company in determining the substantive fairness of the merger to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders because (i) of their belief that liquidation sales generally result in proceeds substantially less than the sales of a going concern; (ii) of the impracticability of determining a liquidation value given the significant execution risk involved in any breakup; (iii) they considered the Company to be a viable going concern; and (iv) the Koito Entities anticipate that the Company’s operations will continue to be conducted substantially as they currently are being conducted.

Finally, the Koito Entities did not consider the purchase prices of our common stock paid by the Koito Entities, or the conversion price applicable to its shares of Preferred Stock, in previous purchases during the years preceding the signing of the Merger Agreement in determining the substantive fairness of the merger to the Company’s unaffiliated security holders because they did not consider those prices to represent the best available indicator of Company’s value as of the signing of the Merger Agreement but rather to be indicative of historical prices, as described above.

Reasons of the Koito Entities for the Merger

Under the SEC rules governing “going private” transactions, each of the Koito Entities is an affiliate of the Company that is engaged in the “going private” transaction and, therefore, each is required to express its purposes and reasons for the merger to the Company’s “unaffiliated security holders,” as defined under Rule 13e-3 of the Exchange Act. The Koito Entities are making the statements included in this section solely for the purpose of complying with the requirements of Rule 13e-3 and related rules under the Exchange Act. However, the Koito Entities are not making any recommendation to any stockholder of the Company as to how that stockholder should vote on any proposal, and the views of each of the Koito Entities should not be construed as a recommendation to any stockholder of the Company as to how such stockholder should vote. The Koito Entities have interests in the merger that are different from those of other stockholders.

For the Koito Entities, the purpose of the merger is to enable them to acquire control of the Company, through a transaction in which the stockholders of the Company (other than Parent, Merger Sub or their respective affiliates, the Rollover Participants in respect of any Rollover Shares, and any subsidiary of the Company holding shares of our common stock) will be cashed out for $3.17 per share, and Parent will bear the risks and rewards of the ownership of the Company after completion of the merger, including any future earnings and growth of the Company as a result of improvements to the Company operations, synergies that may result from the merger, successful OEM orders and other benefits of operating the Company. In the opinion of the Koito Entities, the merger will provide a number of benefits to the Koito Entities and the Company that would follow from the Company becoming an indirect controlled subsidiary of Parent, including, but not limited to:

•        the Company should have greater flexibility to collaborate with Parent and its other subsidiaries in various business endeavors, including but not limited to research and development and competing for OEM orders.

•        the Company should have more efficient access to capital from Parent or its lenders, and the Company’s current and future business partners, including customers and potential customers such as OEMs, should have greater confidence in the financial condition of the Company due to support from Parent (whether direct or indirect);

•        the Koito Entities should have greater control over the Company, which may allow them to improve the Company’s operations such as by controlling costs or to redirect research and development or otherwise pursue activities that could provide earnings or growth over time;

•        the Koito Entities and the Company will no longer need to spend as much time and resources negotiating agreements between themselves, including the removal of restrictions on related-party transactions that apply to listed companies; and

•        the Company will cease to be a public reporting company, reducing management time and attention spent on those activities, as well as operating costs, and allowing management to focus on longer term returns rather than on short-term or quarterly results.

Although the Koito Entities believe that there will be opportunities associated with their investment in the Company, the Koito Entities realize that there are also substantial risks (including the risks and uncertainties relating to the prospects of the Company) and that such opportunities may never be fully realized. In deciding to pursue the merger, the Koito Entities considered and took into account various risks and other factors that potentially could adversely affect them. These included the likelihood that the Company’s operations and future growth would require further investments and the possibility that the merger could result in the loss of key employees of the Company or otherwise disrupt the Company’s business operations. The Koito Entities also considered that its directors, officers and other employees would expend considerable time and effort in negotiating, implementing and completing the merger, and in doing so their time would be diverted from other important business opportunities and operational matters. The Koito Entities will also incur significant transaction costs and expenses in connection with the merger, regardless of whether the merger is completed, and there is a risk that the merger may not be completed despite the Koito Entities’ efforts. Further, following the merger, there will be no trading market for the equity securities of the Company, making the Koito Entities’ investment in the Company illiquid.

The Koito Entities considered making further investments into the Company instead of pursing the merger but determined that such options were impracticable given Parent’s existing ownership of the Company and the amounts of future investments necessary to fund the Company’s growth. Due to this and the other reasons described above, the Koito Entities have undertaken to pursue the merger at this time. The Koito Entities also believe that structuring the transaction as a merger is preferable to other transaction structures, because it (1) will enable the Koito Entities to acquire all of the shares of our common stock held by the Unaffiliated Stockholders at the same time, (2) will allow the Company to cease to be a publicly registered and reporting company and (3) represents an opportunity for the Unaffiliated Stockholders to receive $3.17 per share in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes, subject to and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement.

If the merger is not completed for any reason, Parent and its affiliates reserve the right to acquire additional shares of the Company through private purchases, market transactions, tender or exchange offers or otherwise on terms and at prices that may be more or less favorable than those provided in the Merger Agreement, or, subject to any applicable legal restrictions, to dispose of any or all shares of the Company acquired by them. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event that the merger is not completed, the terms of the Preferred Stock and the Investor Rights Agreement will remain in place in accordance with their terms.

Proposal 1: Approval of the TRANSACTION (INCLUDING ADOPTION OF the
Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended from time to time), dated July 29, 2024)

The Transaction

The rights and obligations of the parties to the Merger Agreement are governed by the specific terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and not by any summary or other information provided in this Proxy Statement. Therefore, this discussion of the merger is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Merger Agreement, a copy of which is attached as Annex A to this Proxy Statement and incorporated into this Proxy Statement by reference. You should read the entire Merger Agreement carefully as it is the legal document that governs the merger.

Parties Involved in the Merger

Cepton, Inc.

Cepton is a Silicon Valley innovator of LiDAR-based solutions for automotive, smart cities, smart spaces and smart industrial applications. With its patented LiDAR technology, Cepton aims to take LiDAR mainstream and achieve a balanced approach to performance, cost and reliability, while enabling scalable and intelligent 3D perception solutions across industries. Founded in 2016 and led by industry veterans with decades of collective experience across a wide range of advanced LiDAR and imaging technologies, Cepton is focused on the mass market commercialization of high-performance, high-quality LiDAR solutions. Cepton is headquartered in San Jose, CA and has a center of excellence facility in Troy, MI to provide local support to automotive customers in the Metro Detroit area. Cepton also has a presence in Germany to serve European customers.

Neither the Company nor to the Company’s knowledge, none of the Company’s directors or executive officers has been convicted in a criminal proceeding during the past five years (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors) or has been a party to any judicial or administrative proceeding during the past five years (except for matters that were dismissed without sanction or settlement) that resulted in a judgment, decree or final order enjoining the person from future violations of, or prohibiting activities subject to, federal or state securities laws, or a finding of any violation of federal or state securities laws. Other than Dong (Dennis) Chang, Xiaogang (Jason) Zhang, and George Syllantavos, each of the Company’s directors and executive officers is a citizen of the United States.

Our common stock and public warrants are listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols “CPTN” and “CPTNW,” respectively. Our corporate office is located at 399 West Trimble Road, San Jose, California 95131, and our telephone number is (408) 459-7579.

Parent

Parent is a joint stock corporation (kabushiki kaisha) incorporated under the laws of Japan with the name KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD and whose shares are listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Parent’s principal business is the production and sale of automotive lighting equipment in Japan and overseas, as well as the production and sale of railroad car control equipment, aircraft components and seats for railroad cars and aircraft. The principal office address of Parent is Sumitomo Fudosan Osaki Twin Bldg. East, 5-1-18, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0001, Japan. The telephone number for the principal office of Parent is +81-3-3443-7111.

The following table sets forth the name, present principal occupation or employment and material occupations, positions, offices or employments for the past five years of each executive officer and director of Parent. During the past five years, none of the persons listed in this section has been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors). In addition, during the past five years, none of the persons listed in this section has been a party to any judicial or administrative proceeding (except for matters that were dismissed without sanction or settlement) that resulted in a judgment, decree or final order enjoining the person from future violations of, or prohibiting activities subject to, federal or state securities laws, or a finding of any violation of federal or state securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, the principal office address of Parent and business address of each

listed director and officer is Sumitomo Fudosan Osaki Twin Bldg. East, 5-1-18, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0001, Japan and Parent’s telephone number is +81-3-3443-7111. Parent, a Japanese kabushiki kaisha, is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Merger Sub

Merger Sub, a Delaware corporation, was formed on July 22, 2024, as an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, solely for the purpose of completing the merger and has conducted no business activities other than those related to the structuring and negotiation of the merger. The principal executive office address of Merger Sub is Sumitomo Fudosan Osaki Twin Bldg. East, 5-1-18, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0001, Japan. The telephone number for the principal office of Merger Sub is +81-3-3443-7111.

The following table sets forth the name, present principal occupation or employment and material occupations, positions, offices or employments for the past five years of each executive officer and director of Merger Sub. During the past five years, none of the persons listed in this section has been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors). In addition, during the past five years, none of the persons listed in this section has been a party to any judicial or administrative proceeding (except for matters that were dismissed without sanction or settlement) that resulted in a judgment, decree or final order enjoining the person from future violations of, or prohibiting activities subject to, federal or state securities laws, or a finding of any violation of federal or state securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, the principal office address of Merger Sub and business address of each listed director and officer is Sumitomo Fudosan Osaki Twin Bldg. East, 5-1-18, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0001, Japan and its telephone number is +81-3-3443-7111. Merger Sub is a Delaware corporation, was formed solely for the purpose of completing the Merger and has conducted no business activities other than those related to the structuring and negotiation of the Merger. Merger Sub is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Parent.

Recommendation of the Special Committee

After careful consideration, including a thorough review of the Merger Agreement, the other transaction documents and the terms of the merger, and taking into account the presentations made to the Special Committee and various other factors discussed and considered by the Special Committee, and after due consideration of its fiduciary duties under applicable law, the Special Committee has determined that the terms of the Merger Agreement, the other transaction documents and the transactions contemplated thereby, including the merger consideration and the merger, are advisable, fair to, and in the best interests of, the Company and its stockholders. Accordingly, the Special Committee unanimously recommended that the Board (A) approve, adopt and declare advisable and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders the Merger Agreement, the other transaction documents and the transactions contemplated thereby and (B) submit to the stockholders of the Company, and recommend the adoption of, the Merger Agreement.

Recommendation of the Board

The Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee, whose analyses and determinations the Board adopted as its own in its evaluation of the merger), including a majority of directors who are not employees of the Company, has determined that the merger is fair to and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, including the unaffiliated security holders as defined under Rule 13e-3 under the Exchange Act, and approved, adopted and declared advisable the Merger Agreement and the other transaction documents to which the Company is a party. Accordingly, the Board (other than the Koito Designees) unanimously approved the Merger Agreement and recommends that Company stockholders vote “FOR” the Transaction Proposal.

Closing and Effective Time of the Merger

The Merger Agreement provides that, subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will merge with and into Cepton. As a result, the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub will cease and Cepton will survive the merger and continue to exist after the merger as an indirect controlled subsidiary of Koito.

The merger will take place no later than the seventh business day after satisfaction or waiver of all conditions described in the section of this Proxy Statement captioned “The Merger Agreement — Conditions to the Transaction.”

The merger will become effective at the time when Cepton, Koito and Merger Sub cause to be executed and filed a certificate of merger with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with the relevant provisions of the DGCL, or such later date and time as is agreed upon by the parties and specified in the certificate of merger.

Plans for the Company After the Merger

Following completion of the merger, Merger Sub will have been merged with and into the Company, with the Company as the Surviving Corporation. Shares of our common stock and warrants are currently listed on Nasdaq and registered under the Exchange Act. Following completion of the merger, there will be no further market for the shares of our common stock or warrants and, as promptly as practicable following the Effective Time and in compliance with applicable law, our common stock and warrants will be delisted from Nasdaq, deregistered under the Exchange Act and will cease to be publicly traded.

At the Effective Time, (i) the directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time will be the directors of the Surviving Corporation and (ii) the officers of the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time will be the officers of the Surviving Corporation, in each case until their respective successors are duly elected or appointed and qualified in accordance with applicable law or until their earlier death, resignation or removal.

The Koito Entities currently anticipate that the Company’s operations will initially be conducted after the merger substantially as they currently are being conducted, except that the Company will cease to be a publicly traded company and will instead be a privately held indirect subsidiary of Parent. Following the completion of the merger, the Company will no longer be subject to the Exchange Act and Nasdaq compliance and reporting requirements and the related direct and indirect costs and expenses, and may experience positive effects on profitability as a result of the elimination of such costs and expenses. In addition, the Koito Entities will continue to evaluate the Company’s assets, corporate and capital structure, capitalization, operations, business and properties to determine what additional changes, if any, would be desirable following the merger to enhance the business and operations of the Company. The Koito Entities intend to retain the Company’s personnel, although the Koito Entities reserve the right to make changes to personnel if they deem that it is beneficial to business of the Koito Entities or the Company or in light of future developments. In addition, the Koito Entities may seek to collaborate more closely with the Company in various business endeavors, including research and development and competing for OEM orders, improve the Company’s operations such as by controlling costs or redirect research and development efforts or otherwise pursue activities that could provide earnings or growth over time. However, no definitive plans, arrangements, commitments, understandings, or contracts for this are currently contemplated nor exist.

As of the date of this proxy statement, other than the merger and except as described above or elsewhere in this proxy statement, the Koito Entities have no current intentions, plans, proposals or negotiations that would relate to or result in any of the following:

•        an extraordinary transaction, such as a merger, reorganization or liquidation, involving the Company or its subsidiaries;

•        the purchase, sale or transfer of a material amount of the assets of the Company or its subsidiaries;

•        any material changes the composition of its management; or

•        any material change in the Company’s corporate structure or business.

Nevertheless, the Koito Entities expressly reserve the right to make any such changes to the Company or its operations after consummation of the merger if they deem that it is beneficial to business of the Koito Entities or the Company or in light of future developments.

Appraisal Rights

If the merger is consummated, our stockholders (including beneficial owners of shares of common stock) who (1) do not vote in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement; (2) properly demand appraisal of their shares; (3) continuously hold of record or beneficially own their shares through the Effective Time of the merger; (4) otherwise comply with the procedures of Section 262 of the DGCL; and (5) do not withdraw their demands or otherwise lose their rights to appraisal may, subject to the conditions thereof, seek appraisal of their shares in connection with the merger under Section 262 of the DGCL. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references in Section 262 and in this summary to a “stockholder” are to a record holder of shares, all references in Section 262 and in this summary to “beneficial owner” mean a person who is the beneficial owner of shares of stock held either in voting trust or by a nominee on behalf of such person, and all references in Section 262 and in this summary to the word “person” mean any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity.

The following discussion is not a complete statement of the law pertaining to appraisal rights under the DGCL and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of Section 262, which is available at the following URL, accessible without subscription or cost, which is incorporated herein by reference: https://delcode.delaware.gov/title8/c001/sc09/index.html#262.

The following summary does not constitute any legal or other advice and does not constitute a recommendation that our stockholders exercise their appraisal rights under Section 262. STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CAREFULLY REVIEW THE FULL TEXT OF SECTION 262 AS WELL AS THE INFORMATION DISCUSSED BELOW.

Under Section 262, if the merger is completed, holders of record of shares of our common stock or beneficial owners who (1) deliver a written demand for appraisal of such person’s shares of our common stock to Cepton prior to the vote on the adoption of the Merger Agreement; (2) do not vote, in person or by proxy, in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement; (3) continuously hold of record or beneficially own such shares on the date of making the demand for appraisal through the Effective Time of the merger; and (4) otherwise comply with the procedures and satisfy certain ownership, as appliable, thresholds set forth in Section 262 may be entitled to have their shares of our common stock appraised by the Delaware Court of Chancery and to receive payment in cash, in lieu of the consideration set forth in the Merger Agreement, for the “fair value” of their shares of our common stock, exclusive of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with (unless the Delaware Court of Chancery in its discretion determines otherwise for good cause shown) interest, if any, on the amount determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery to be the fair value from the Effective Time of the merger through the date of payment of the judgment (or in certain circumstances described herein, on the difference between the amount determined to be the fair value and the amount paid by the Surviving Corporation in the merger to each person entitled to appraisal prior to the entry of judgment in the appraisal proceeding) as described further below. However, after an appraisal petition has been filed, the Delaware Court of Chancery, at a hearing to determine persons entitled to appraisal rights, will dismiss appraisal proceedings as to all holders of shares of a class or series of stock that, immediately prior to the merger, were listed on a national securities exchange who are otherwise entitled to appraisal rights unless (1) the total number of shares of the class or series of stock for which appraisal rights have been pursued or perfected exceeds 1% of the outstanding shares of such class or series as measured in accordance with subsection (g) of Section 262 or (2) the value of the per share price in respect of such shares exceeds $1 million. We refer to these conditions as the “ownership thresholds.” Given that the shares of our common stock are listed on Nasdaq (and assuming such shares remain so listed up until the merger), then the Delaware Court of Chancery will dismiss any appraisal proceedings as to all holders of our common stock who are otherwise entitled to appraisal rights unless one of the ownership thresholds is satisfied.

Under Section 262, where a merger agreement is to be submitted for adoption at a meeting of stockholders, the corporation, not less than 20 days prior to the meeting, must notify each of its stockholders of record as of the record date for notice of such meeting that appraisal rights are available and include in the notice a copy of Section 262 or information directing the stockholders to a publicly available electronic resource at which Section 262 may be accessed without subscription or cost. This Proxy Statement constitutes the Company’s notice to our stockholders that appraisal rights are available in connection with the merger, and the full text of Section 262 is available at the following URL: https://delcode.delaware.gov/title8/c001/sc09/index.html#262. In connection with the merger, any holder of record or beneficial owner of shares of our common stock who wishes to exercise appraisal rights, or who wishes to preserve such person’s right to do so, should review Section 262 carefully. Failure to strictly comply with the requirements of Section 262 in a timely and proper manner may result in the loss of appraisal rights under

the DGCL. A person who loses appraisal rights will be entitled to receive the per share price described in the Merger Agreement, without interest, less any applicable withholding taxes. Because of the complexity of the procedures for exercising the right to seek appraisal of shares of our common stock, we believe that if a person is considering exercising such rights, such person should seek the advice of legal counsel.

Stockholders or beneficial owners wishing to exercise the right to seek an appraisal of their shares of our common stock must do ALL of the following:

•        such person must not vote in favor of the proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement;

•        such person must deliver to Cepton a written demand for appraisal before the vote on the Merger Agreement at the Special Meeting; and

•        such person must continuously hold of record or beneficially own the shares of our common stock from the date of making the demand through the Effective Time of the merger (a person will lose appraisal rights if the person transfers the shares before the Effective Time of the merger).

Because a proxy that does not contain voting instructions will, unless revoked, be voted in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement, each person who votes by proxy and who wishes to exercise appraisal rights must vote against the adoption of the Merger Agreement or abstain.

Filing Written Demand

A person wishing to exercise appraisal rights must deliver to Cepton, before the vote on the adoption of the Merger Agreement at the Special Meeting, a written demand for the appraisal of such person’s shares. In addition, that person must not vote or submit a proxy in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement. A vote in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement, in person at the Special Meeting or by proxy (whether by mail or via the internet or telephone), will constitute a waiver of your appraisal rights in respect of the shares so voted and will nullify any previously filed written demands for appraisal. A person exercising appraisal rights must own or hold, as applicable, beneficially or of record, the shares on the date the written demand for appraisal is delivered and must continue to hold or own, as applicable, the shares through the Effective Time of the merger. A proxy that is submitted and does not contain voting instructions will, unless revoked, be voted in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement, and it will constitute a waiver of such person’s right of appraisal and will nullify any previously delivered written demand for appraisal. Therefore, a stockholder who submits a proxy and who wishes to exercise appraisal rights must submit a proxy containing instructions to vote against the adoption of the Merger Agreement or abstain from voting on the adoption of the Merger Agreement. Neither voting against the Transaction Proposal nor abstaining from voting or failing to vote on the Transaction Proposal will, in and of itself, constitute a written demand for appraisal satisfying the requirements of Section 262. The written demand for appraisal must be in addition to and separate from any proxy or vote on the adoption of the Merger Agreement. A proxy or vote against the adoption of the Merger Agreement will not constitute a demand. A person’s failure to make the written demand prior to the taking of the vote on the adoption of the Merger Agreement at the Special Meeting will constitute a waiver of appraisal rights.

In the case of a written demand for appraisal made by a stockholder of record, the demand must reasonably inform Cepton of the identity of the stockholder and that the stockholder intends thereby to demand an appraisal of such stockholder’s shares. A proxy or vote against the merger will not constitute such demand. In the case of a written demand for appraisal made by a beneficial owner, the demand must reasonably identify the record holder of the shares for which the demand is made, be accompanied by documentary evidence of such beneficial owner’s beneficial ownership of such stock and a statement that such documentary evidence is a true and correct copy of what it purports to be and provide an address at which such beneficial owner consents to receive notices given by the Surviving Corporation and to be set forth on the verified list (as defined below).

All written demands for appraisal pursuant to Section 262 should be mailed or delivered to:

CEPTON, INC.
399 West Trimble Road
San Jose, California 95131
Attention: Corporate Secretary

At any time within 60 days after the Effective Time of the merger, any person entitled to appraisal rights who has not commenced an appraisal proceeding or joined that proceeding as a named party may withdraw such person’s demand for appraisal and accept the terms offered pursuant to the Merger Agreement, by delivering to Cepton, as the Surviving Corporation, a written withdrawal of the demand for appraisal. Any withdrawal of a demand for appraisal made more than 60 days after the Effective Time of the merger may only be made with the written approval of the Surviving Corporation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no appraisal proceeding in the Delaware Court of Chancery will be dismissed as to any person without the approval of the Delaware Court of Chancery, and such approval may be conditioned upon such terms as the Delaware Court of Chancery deems just, including, without limitation, a reservation of jurisdiction (which we refer to as a “reservation”) for any application (as defined below) to the Delaware Court of Chancery; provided, however, that this will not affect the right of any person who has not commenced an appraisal proceeding or joined that proceeding as a named party to withdraw such person’s demand for appraisal and to accept the terms offered in connection with the merger within 60 days after the Effective Time of the merger. If the Delaware Court of Chancery does not approve the dismissal of an appraisal proceeding with respect to a person, such person will be entitled to receive only the fair value determined in any such appraisal proceeding, which value could be less than, equal to or more than the per share price being offered pursuant to the Merger Agreement.

Notice by the Surviving Corporation

If the merger is completed, within 10 days after the Effective Time of the merger, the Surviving Corporation will notify each stockholder (including any beneficial owner) of each constituent corporation who has submitted a demand for appraisal in accordance with Section 262, and who has not voted in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement, that the merger has become effective and the Effective Time thereof.

Filing a Petition for Appraisal

Within 120 days after the Effective Time of the merger, but not thereafter, the Surviving Corporation or any person who has complied with Section 262 and is otherwise entitled to appraisal rights under Section 262 may commence an appraisal proceeding by filing a petition in the Delaware Court of Chancery, with a copy served on the Surviving Corporation in the case of a petition filed by any person other than the Surviving Corporation, demanding a determination of the fair value of the shares held by all dissenting stockholders entitled to appraisal. The Surviving Corporation is under no obligation, and has no present intention, to file a petition, and stockholders and beneficial owners should not assume that the Surviving Corporation will file a petition or initiate any negotiations with respect to the fair value of the shares of our capital stock. Accordingly, any persons who desire to have their shares appraised should initiate all necessary action to perfect their appraisal rights in respect of their shares of our common stock within the time and in the manner prescribed in Section 262. The failure to file such a petition within the period specified in Section 262 could nullify a previous written demand for appraisal.

Within 120 days after the Effective Time of the merger, any person who has complied with the requirements for an appraisal of such person’s shares pursuant to Section 262 will be entitled, upon written request, to receive from the Surviving Corporation a statement setting forth the aggregate number of shares not voted in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement and with respect to which Cepton has received demands for appraisal, and the aggregate number of stockholders or beneficial owners holding or owning such shares (provided that, where a beneficial owner makes a demand for appraisal directly, the record holder of such shares will not be considered a separate stockholder holding such shares for purposes of this aggregate number). Such statement must be given within 10 days after receipt by the Surviving Corporation of the written request for such a statement or within 10 days after the expiration of the period for delivery of demands for appraisal, whichever is later.

If a petition for an appraisal is duly filed by any person other than the Surviving Corporation, service of a copy thereof must be made upon the Surviving Corporation, which must within 20 days after such service to file with the Delaware Register in Chancery a duly verified list (which we refer to as the “verified list”) containing the names and addresses of all persons who have demanded appraisal for their shares and with whom agreements as to the value of their shares have not been reached. The Delaware Court of Chancery may order the Register in Chancery to give notice of the time and place fixed for the hearing of such petition to the Surviving Corporation and all of the persons shown on the verified list at the addresses stated therein. The costs of any such notice are borne by the Surviving Corporation.

After notice is provided to the applicable persons as required by the Delaware Court of Chancery, at the hearing on such petition, the Delaware Court of Chancery will determine the persons who have complied with Section 262 and who have become entitled to appraisal rights thereunder. The Delaware Court of Chancery may require the persons who demanded appraisal for their shares and who hold stock represented by certificates to submit their stock certificates to the Register in Chancery for notation thereon of the pendency of the appraisal proceedings. Accordingly, persons holding stock represented by stock certificates and wishing to seek appraisal of their shares are cautioned to retain their stock certificates pending resolution of the appraisal proceedings. If any person fails to comply with this requirement, the Delaware Court of Chancery may dismiss the proceedings as to such person. Upon application by the Surviving Corporation or by any person entitled to participate in the appraisal proceeding, the Delaware Court of Chancery may, in its discretion, proceed to trial upon the appraisal prior to the final determination of the persons entitled to an appraisal. Any person whose name appears on the verified list may participate fully in all proceedings until it is finally determined that such person is not entitled to appraisal rights under Section 262.

Given that the shares of our common stock are listed on Nasdaq (and assuming such shares remain so listed up until the merger), the Delaware Court of Chancery will dismiss any appraisal proceedings as to all holders of shares of our common stock who are otherwise entitled to appraisal rights unless one of the ownership thresholds is met. For the avoidance of doubt and assuming that the shares of our Preferred Stock are not listed on a national securities exchange as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, satisfaction of one of the ownership thresholds will not be required with respect to our Preferred Stock.

Determination of Fair Value

After the Delaware Court of Chancery determines the persons entitled to appraisal and, with respect to our common stock, that at least one of the ownership thresholds above has been satisfied in respect of persons seeking appraisal rights, then the appraisal proceeding will be conducted in accordance with the rules of the Delaware Court of Chancery, including any rules specifically governing appraisal proceedings. Through such proceeding, the Delaware Court of Chancery will determine the “fair value” of the shares of our common stock, exclusive of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger, together with interest, if any, to be paid upon the amount determined to be the fair value. Unless the Delaware Court of Chancery in its discretion determines otherwise for good cause shown, interest from the Effective Time of the merger through the date of payment of the judgment will be compounded quarterly and will accrue at 5% over the Federal Reserve discount rate (including any surcharge) as established from time to time during the period between the Effective Time of the merger and the date of payment of the judgment. However, the Surviving Corporation has the right, at any time prior to the Delaware Court of Chancery’s entry of judgment in the proceedings, to make a voluntary cash payment to each person seeking appraisal. If the Surviving Corporation makes a voluntary cash payment pursuant to subsection (h) of Section 262, interest will accrue thereafter only on the sum of (x) the difference, if any, between the amount paid by the surviving corporation in such voluntary cash payment and the fair value of the shares as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery and (y) interest accrued before such voluntary cash payment, unless paid at that time.

In determining fair value, the Delaware Court of Chancery will take into account all relevant factors. In Weinberger v. UOP, Inc., the Supreme Court of Delaware discussed the factors that could be considered in determining fair value in an appraisal proceeding, stating that “proof of value by any techniques or methods which are generally considered acceptable in the financial community and otherwise admissible in court” should be considered, and that “[f]air price obviously requires consideration of all relevant factors involving the value of a company.” The Delaware Supreme Court stated that, in making this determination of fair value, the court must consider market value, asset value, dividends, earnings, prospects, the nature of the enterprise and any other facts that could be ascertained as of the date of the merger that “throw any light on future prospects of the merged corporation.” Section 262 provides that fair value is to be “exclusive of any element of value arising from the accomplishment or expectation of the merger.” In Cede & Co. v. Technicolor, Inc., the Delaware Supreme Court stated that such exclusion is a “narrow exclusion [that] does not encompass known elements of value,” but which rather applies only to the speculative elements of value arising from such accomplishment or expectation. In Weinberger, the Supreme Court of Delaware also stated that “elements of future value, including the nature of the enterprise, which are known or susceptible of proof as of the date of the merger and not the product of speculation, may be considered.”

Persons considering seeking appraisal should be aware that the fair value of their shares as so determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery could be more than, the same as or less than the consideration they would receive pursuant to the merger if they did not seek appraisal of their shares and that an opinion of an investment banking

Required Vote

At the Special Meeting, the only vote or approval of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Company necessary under applicable law, the Nasdaq rules, our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws to consummate the Transaction is the affirmative vote and approval of a majority of the voting power of outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. Virtual attendance at Company Stockholder Meeting constitutes presence in person for the Company Stockholder Meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name,” if you do not provide voting instructions with respect to your shares of common stock, your shares will not be voted on any “non-routine” proposals. This vote is called a “broker non-vote.” The Transaction Proposal is a “non-routine” proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes shall not be counted as votes for or against the Transaction Proposal.

The affirmative vote by Parent of all shares of our common stock beneficially owned by Parent in accordance with the Merger Agreement and the affirmative vote of all shares of our common stock beneficially owned by the Supporting Stockholders pursuant to the Voting Support Agreements will be sufficient to approve the Transaction Proposal, subject to a Company Board Recommendation Change.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS
A VOTE IN FAVOR OF PROPOSAL 1.

The Merger Agreement

This section describes the material terms of the Merger Agreement. The description of the Merger Agreement in this section and elsewhere in this Proxy Statement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Merger Agreement, a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 2.1 to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 29, 2024, and is included as Annex A to this Proxy Statement. The form of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation is included as Exhibit A to the Merger Agreement. This summary does not purport to be complete and may not contain all of the information about the Merger Agreement that is important to you. We encourage you to read the Merger Agreement carefully and in its entirety.

Explanatory Note Regarding the Merger Agreement

The Merger Agreement, a copy of which is included as Annex A to this Proxy Statement, and this summary of its terms are included in this Proxy Statement to provide you with information regarding its terms. Factual disclosures about the Company contained in this Proxy Statement or in the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC may supplement, update or modify the factual disclosures about the Company contained in the Merger Agreement. The representations, warranties and covenants made in the Merger Agreement by the Company and Parent were made solely to the parties to, and solely for the purposes of, the Merger Agreement and as of specific dates and were qualified and subject to important limitations agreed to by the Company and Parent in connection with negotiating the terms of the Merger Agreement. Except to the extent specifically provided in the Merger Agreement, the Company’s stockholders and other investors are not third-party beneficiaries under the Merger Agreement. In particular, in your review of the representations and warranties contained in the Merger Agreement and described in this summary, it is important to bear in mind that the representations and warranties were negotiated for the principal purposes of establishing the circumstances in which a party to the Merger Agreement may have the right not to consummate the Merger if the representations and warranties of the other party prove to be untrue due to a change in circumstance or otherwise, and allocating risk between the parties to the Merger Agreement, rather than establishing matters as facts. The representations and warranties may also be subject to a contractual standard of materiality different from those generally applicable to stockholders and reports and documents filed with the SEC. Moreover, information concerning the subject matter of the representations and warranties may have changed since the date of the Merger Agreement.

The Merger

The Merger Agreement provides for, among other things, at the Closing, and on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein and in accordance with the DGCL, at the Effective Time, Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company, and the separate corporate existence of Merger Sub will cease and the Company will continue its corporate existence under the DGCL as the Surviving Corporation.

At the Effective Time:

•        each share of our capital stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than Rollover Shares, Excluded Shares, Subsidiary Shares and Dissenting Shares) will be converted into the right to receive, subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Merger Agreement, $3.17 per share, without interest, and less any applicable withholding taxes. From and after the Effective Time, all of the shares of our common stock converted into the right to receive the merger consideration will no longer be outstanding and will automatically be cancelled and retired and will cease to exist, and each holder of shares of our common stock outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time will thereafter cease to have any rights with respect to such shares, except the right to receive the merger consideration, without interest, in accordance with the Merger Agreement;

•        each outstanding warrant will, in accordance with its terms under the Warrant Agreement, automatically and without any required action on the part of the holder thereof, cease to represent a warrant exercisable for shares of our common stock and will become a warrant exercisable for the merger consideration. If a holder properly exercises a warrant within 30 days following the public disclosure of the consummation of the merger pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC, the Warrant Price, as defined in the Warrant Agreement, with respect to such exercise will be reduced by an amount

(in dollars and in no event less than zero) equal to the difference of (a) the Warrant Price in effect prior to such reduction minus (b) (i) the per share merger consideration minus (ii) the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the Warrant Agreement);

•        each share of Preferred Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will remain outstanding and will not be cancelled;

•        the Earnout Shares will be treated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2021, by and among the Company, GCAC Merger Sub Inc. and Cepton Technologies, as amended, pursuant to which, at the Effective Time, the Earnout Shares will (i) be deemed unearned as the per share merger consideration does not exceed the share price milestone thresholds applicable to the Earnout Shares and (ii) be cancelled.

Representations and Warranties

Under the Merger Agreement, the Company made customary representations and warranties in respect of the Company relating to organization and good standing, corporate power and enforceability, Company Board approval (acting on the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee) and anti-takeover laws, requisite stockholder approval, non-contravention, requisite governmental approvals, capitalization, subsidiaries, SEC reports, financial statements and internal controls, no undisclosed liabilities, absence of certain changes, material contracts, real property, environmental matters, intellectual property, products, tax matters, employee benefits, labor matters, compliance with Laws, anti-corruption and international trade, legal proceedings and orders, insurance, related party transactions, brokers, opinion of financial advisor, and exclusivity of representations and warranties from Parent and Merger Sub.

Under the Merger Agreement, Parent made customary representations and warranties in respect of Parent and Merger Sub relating to organization and good standing, corporate power and enforceability, non-contravention, requisite governmental approvals, brokers, sufficiency of funds, solvency; legal proceedings, ownership of common stock, shareholder and management arrangements, and exclusivity of representations or warranties from the Company.

Covenants Regarding Conduct of Business by the Company Pending the Closing

The Company made certain covenants under the Merger Agreement, including, among others, the covenants set forth below.

•        Except (a) as expressly contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (b) as required by applicable Law or certain data security requirements, (c) as approved in advance in writing by Parent (which approval will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), or (d) as set forth in the Company’s disclosure letter, during the period from July 29, 2024, until the earlier to occur of the termination of the Merger Agreement and the Effective Time, the Company will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, conduct its business in all material respects in the ordinary course of business and use reasonable best efforts to preserve intact in all material respects its current business organization, ongoing businesses and significant relationships with third parties.

•        Except (a) as expressly contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (b) as required by applicable Law, (c) as approved in advance in writing by Parent (which approval will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), or (d) as set forth in the Company’s disclosure letter, in addition to and without prejudice to the rights of Parent under the Investor Rights Agreement (including Section 2.05 (Investor Consent) thereof), during the period from July 29, 2024, until the earlier to occur of the termination of the Merger Agreement and the Closing, the Company may not, and may not permit any of its subsidiaries to, directly or indirectly:

•        amend its certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other similar organizational documents, other than in immaterial respects;

•        (i) split, combine or reclassify any shares of its capital stock, (ii) declare, set aside or pay any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, stock or property or any combination thereof) in respect of its capital stock, except for dividends or other such distributions by any of its wholly owned Subsidiaries or (iii) redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire or offer to redeem, repurchase,

or otherwise acquire any Company Securities or any Company Subsidiary Securities, except as required by the terms of the Company’s equity incentive plan or to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the exercise of a Company Option or settlement of a Company RSU or Company PSU;

•        (i) issue, deliver or sell, or authorize the issuance, delivery or sale of any shares of Company Securities or Subsidiary Securities, other than the issuance of (a) any shares of our common stock upon the exercise of Company Options in accordance with the terms of those options on July 29, 2024, (b) any shares of our common stock upon the settlement of Company RSUs or Company PSUs in accordance with the terms of those restricted stock units on July 29, 2024, and (c) any Subsidiary Securities to the Company or any other Subsidiary of the Company or (ii) amend any term of any Company Security or any Subsidiary Security, except as required by the terms of any employee plan;

•        incur any capital expenditures or any obligations or liabilities in respect thereof, except for (i) those contemplated by the capital expenditure budget that was made available to Parent prior to July 29, 2024, and (ii) any unbudgeted capital expenditures not to exceed $500,000 individually or $1,000,000 in the aggregate;

•        acquire (by merger, consolidation, acquisition of stock or assets or otherwise), directly or indirectly, any assets, securities, properties, interests or businesses, other than (i) assets, supplies, parts, products and other properties in the ordinary course of business of the Company and its Subsidiaries in a manner that is consistent with past practice, and (ii) acquisitions with a purchase price (including assumed indebtedness) that does not exceed $10,000 individually or $250,000 in the aggregate;

•        sell, lease, license, sublicense, otherwise transfer, abandon, permit to lapse, fail to maintain, fail to enforce or protect, or create or incur any lien on, any of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ assets, securities, properties, interests or businesses, other than (i) sales of inventory products or obsolete equipment in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (ii) sales of assets, securities, properties, interests or businesses with a sale price (including any related assumed indebtedness) that does not exceed $10,000 individually or $25,000 in the aggregate, and (iii) entering into non-exclusive licenses in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

•        other than as permitted by the Merger Agreement, make any loans, advances or capital contributions to, or investments in, any other Person, including advances of employment-related expenses to employees of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than loans or advances among the Company and any of its wholly owned Subsidiaries and capital contributions to or investments in its wholly owned Subsidiaries), other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice;

•        create, incur, assume, suffer to exist or otherwise be liable with respect to any indebtedness for borrowed money or guarantees thereof;

•        other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (i) enter into any contract which would be a material contract, or (ii) amend or modify in any material respect or terminate any material contract or otherwise waive, release or assign any material rights, claims or benefits of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

•        settle any material lawsuit before a governmental authority, except for settlements that involve monetary remedies with a value not in excess of $100,000 (net of amounts covered by insurance or indemnification agreements with third parties) and do not impose material, equitable relief against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries;

•        except as listed in the Company’s disclosure letter or required by applicable Law or under the terms of any employee plan in effect as of July 29, 2024, (i) grant any or enter into any employment or consulting agreements with the Company’s service providers whose service begins after July 29, 2024 (other than pursuant to severance agreements, employment or consulting

agreements that are in the ordinary course of business, consistent with past practice and otherwise permitted by the Merger Agreement), (ii) grant any retention or termination pay to, or amend any severance, retention, termination, employment, consulting, bonus, change-in-control agreement with any current or former service provider of the Company, (iii) increase the compensation or benefits provided to any current or former service provider of the Company (other than increases in base compensation of not more than 3.5% to employees other than Key Employees), (iv) grant any equity or equity-based awards to, or discretionarily accelerate the vesting or payment of any such awards held by, any current or former service provider of the Company, (v) establish, adopt, enter into or amend any employee plan or collective bargaining agreement (and will not implement the Company’s employee stock purchase plan), (vi) hire any employees other than to fill vacancies arising due to terminations of employment of employees other than Key Employees, or (vii) terminate the employment of any Key Employees other than for cause;

•        change the Company’s methods of accounting, except as required by concurrent changes in GAAP or in Regulation S-X of the Exchange Act, as agreed to by its independent public accountants;

•        make or change any material tax election, change any annual tax accounting period, adopt or change any method of tax accounting, amend any material tax returns or file claims for material tax refunds, enter into any material closing agreement, settle any material tax claim, audit or assessment, or surrender any right to claim a material tax refund, offset or other reduction in tax liability or seek or obtain any ruling from a governmental authority with respect to Taxes; or

•        agree, resolve or commit to do any of the foregoing.

No Solicitation; Company Board Recommendation Change

From July 29, 2024 until the earlier to occur of the termination of the Merger Agreement and the Effective Time, without Parent’s written consent, the Company may not, must procure that its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees do not and will not, and must use reasonable best efforts to procure that the investment bankers, attorneys, accountants and other advisors or representatives of the Company and its Subsidiaries do not and will not, directly or indirectly: (i) solicit, initiate, knowingly facilitate or knowingly encourage any inquiry, indication of interest, offer or proposal (other than an inquiry, indication of interest, offer or proposal by Parent or Merger Sub pursuant to the Merger Agreement) relating to an Acquisition Transaction (an “Acquisition Proposal”) or Acquisition Transaction, or (ii) enter into, or undertake to enter into, any contract for an Acquisition Transaction, or any contract requiring the Company to abandon, terminate or fail to consummate the Transaction, other than a confidentiality agreement entered into in connection with the Company’s consideration of an Acquisition Transaction or Acquisition Proposal in compliance with the terms of the Merger Agreement. From the date of the Merger Agreement and through the earlier to occur of the Effective Time or the termination of the Merger Agreement in accordance with its terms, the Company, its Subsidiaries and their respective representatives must (a) promptly advise Parent in writing of the receipt of any Acquisition Proposal (including the specific terms thereof and the identity of the other individual or entity or individuals or entities involved), (b) promptly furnish to Parent a copy of such Acquisition Proposal in addition to a copy of any information provided to or by any third party relating thereto, and (c) keep Parent reasonably informed, on a prompt basis, of the status and terms of any such Acquisition Proposal. Any breach of the terms of the Merger Agreement no solicitation provision by any Subsidiary or Representative of the Company (as if it were a party hereto) shall be deemed a breach by the Company.

The term “Acquisition Transaction” means any transaction or series of related transactions (other than the Transaction) involving:

(a)     any direct or indirect purchase or other acquisition by any Person or “group” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons of shares of capital stock of the Company, including pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer, that if consummated in accordance with its terms would result in such Person or “group” of Persons beneficially owning (i) more than 20% of our common stock outstanding (on an as-converted, exchanged or exercised basis, if applicable) or (ii) securities convertible, exchangeable or exercisable into more than 20% of our common stock outstanding (on an as-converted, exchanged or exercised basis, if applicable), in either case, after giving effect to the consummation of such purchase or other acquisition;

(b)    any direct or indirect purchase, lease, exchange, transfer, exclusive license or other acquisition by any Person or “group” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons, or stockholders of any such Person or group of Persons, of more than 20% of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole (measured by the fair market value thereof as of the date of such purchase or acquisition); or

(c)     any merger, consolidation, business combination, joint venture, repurchase, redemption, share exchange, recapitalization, reorganization, liquidation, dissolution or other similar transaction involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to which any Person or “group” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons, or stockholders of any such Person or group of Persons, would beneficially own equity of the Company representing (i) more than 20% of our common stock outstanding (on an as-converted, exchanged or exercised basis, if applicable) or (ii) securities convertible into more than 20% of our common stock outstanding (on an as-converted, exchanged or exercised basis, if applicable), in either case, after giving effect to the consummation of such transaction.

A “Company Board Recommendation Change” means for the Company Board, to withhold, withdraw, amend, qualify or modify, or publicly propose to withhold, withdraw, amend, qualify or modify, the Company Board Recommendation in a manner adverse to the Transaction; publicly adopt, approve or recommend an Acquisition Proposal; in connection with a tender or exchange offer by a third party; fail to recommend against such offer by the close of business on the tenth (10th) U.S. Business Day after its commencement; or fail to include the Company Board Recommendation in the Proxy Statement; provided, that, (a) the determination by the Company Board that an Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal, (b) the disclosure by the Company of such determination, (c) the delivery by the Company of the notice of an Intervening Event, or (d) the making of any “stop, look, and listen” communication by the Company, shall not constitute a Company Board Recommendation Change.

Superior Proposal

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Merger Agreement, if the Company receives an Acquisition Proposal that was not received as a result of a breach of the no solicitation provision described in the preceding paragraph and the Company Board determines that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal or would reasonably be expected to lead to a Superior Proposal, then (i) the Company may respond to, engage in discussions with and provide information regarding the Company to, the person making such proposal, and (ii) at any time prior to obtaining the Requisite Stockholder Approval, the Company Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee) may effect a Company Board Recommendation Change with respect to such Acquisition Proposal and, after complying with the no solicitation provision described in the preceding paragraph, terminate the Merger Agreement in accordance with the provisions therein, if, in each case the Company Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee) has determined in good faith (after consultation with outside counsel and its financial advisor) that such Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal and that the failure to take such action would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties pursuant to applicable Law; provided, that the Company Board may not effect a Company Board Recommendation Change or terminate the Merger Agreement pursuant to the terms thereof unless (A) the Company has notified Parent, in writing and at least five business days prior to effecting a Company Board Recommendation Change, of its intention to take such action (which notice will not constitute a Company Board Recommendation Change), (B) the Company has negotiated with Parent in good faith (to the extent requested by Parent) regarding any modifications to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement proposed by Parent in writing during such five business day period following delivery by the Company of such notification, and (C) if Parent has delivered to the Company a written, binding and irrevocable offer to alter the terms or conditions of the Merger Agreement during such five business day period, the Company Board (acting on the recommendation of the Special Committee) has determined in good faith (after consultation with outside counsel and its financial advisor), after considering the terms of such offer by Parent, that such Acquisition Proposal continues to be a Superior Proposal and that the failure to make such Company Board Recommendation Change would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties pursuant to applicable Law.

The term “Superior Proposal” means any bona fide written Acquisition Proposal for an Acquisition Transaction that the Company Board or the Special Committee has determined in good faith (after consultation with its financial advisors and outside legal counsel) (a) has terms more favorable from a financial point of view to the Unaffiliated Stockholders than the Transaction (taking into account any proposal by Parent to amend the terms of the Merger Agreement), and (b) is reasonably likely to be consummated on its terms (in the case of each of clauses (a) and (b), taking into account any legal, regulatory, financial, timing, financing and other aspects of such proposal, including the identity of the Person making the proposal). For purposes of the reference to an “Acquisition Proposal” in this definition, all references to “20%” in the definition of “Acquisition Transaction” will be deemed to be references to “50%.”

Intervening Event

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Merger Agreement, upon the occurrence of an Intervening Event, the Company Board (acting on the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee) may effect a Company Board Recommendation Change if the Company Board (acting on the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee) determines in good faith (after consultation with its financial advisor and outside legal counsel) that the failure to do so would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties pursuant to applicable Law; provided, that, the Company Board may not effect such a Company Board Recommendation Change unless: (i) the Company has notified Parent, in writing and at least five business days prior to effecting a Company Board Recommendation Change, of its intention to take such action, (ii) the Company has negotiated with Parent in good faith (to the extent requested by Parent) regarding any modifications to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement proposed by Parent in writing during such five (5) business day period following delivery by the Company of such notification, and (iii) if Parent has delivered to the Company a written, binding and irrevocable offer to alter the terms or conditions of the Merger Agreement during such five business day period, the Company Board (acting on the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee) has determined in good faith (after consultation with outside counsel and its financial advisor), after considering the terms of such offer by Parent, that the failure to make a Company Board Recommendation Change in response to such Intervening Event would reasonably be expected to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties pursuant to applicable Law.

The term “Intervening Event” means any change, event, effect or circumstance that has materially affected the business, financial condition or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (other than any event, occurrence, fact or change resulting from a breach of the Merger Agreement by the Company), in each case that (i) is not known or is not reasonably foreseeable by, or if known or reasonably foreseeable, the effect of which was not known or reasonably foreseeable, the Company Board as of the date of the Merger Agreement, which change, event, effect or circumstance becomes known to the Company Board prior to receipt of the Requisite Stockholder Approval and (ii) does not relate to any Acquisition Proposal, Parent or Merger Sub; provided that in no event shall the following constitute, or be taken into account in determining the existence of, an Intervening Event: (A) the fact that the Company and its Subsidiaries meet or exceed any internal or public projections, forecasts, guidance, estimates, milestones, budgets or internal or published financial or operating predictions of revenue, earnings, cash flow, cash position or other operating metrics (it being understood that the underlying cause of any such events may be taken into consideration when determining whether an Intervening Event has occurred); (B) change in the market price, or change in trading volume, of the capital stock of the Company, in and of itself (it being understood that the underlying cause of such change may be taken into consideration when determining whether an Intervening Event has occurred); or (C) any item set forth in the Company’s disclosure letter under the heading “Intervening Event” (which, as of the date of the Merger Agreement, included no such items).

“Stop, Look, and Listen”

Nothing contained in the Merger Agreement will prevent the Company or the Company Board from issuing a “stop, look and listen” communication pursuant to Rule 14d-9(f) under the Exchange Act or complying with Rule 14d-9, Item 1012(a) of Regulation M-A promulgated under the Exchange Act or Rule 14e-2 under the Exchange Act with respect to an Acquisition Proposal or from making any disclosure to the Company’s stockholders if the Company Board (acting on the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee) determines (after consultation with outside legal counsel) that its failure to do so would be reasonably likely to be inconsistent with its fiduciary duties under applicable Law; provided that any Company Board Recommendation Change may only be made as described under “— Superior Proposal” and “— Intervening Event” above. A factually accurate public statement that describes the Company’s receipt of an Acquisition Proposal and the operation of the Merger Agreement with respect thereto (without including a reaffirmation) shall not be deemed a Company Board Recommendation Change.

Stockholder Litigation

From and after July 29, 2024, the Company shall as promptly as reasonably practicable advise Parent of any claim, action, suit or proceeding (including derivative claims) commenced against the Company and/or its directors or executive officers relating to the Merger Agreement, the Transaction, any other Transaction Documents or any transactions contemplated thereby. The Company will give Parent the opportunity to participate in the defense or settlement of any such claim, action, suit or proceeding and will give reasonable and good faith consideration to Parent’s views with respect thereto. The Company may not agree to any settlement of any such claim, action, suit or proceeding without Parent’s prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).

No Control of the Other Party’s Business

Parent and the Company acknowledged and agreed that the restrictions set forth in the Merger Agreement are not intended to give Parent, on the one hand, or the Company, on the other hand, directly or indirectly, the right to control or direct the business or operations of the other at any time prior to the Closing. Prior to the Closing Date, Parent and the Company will exercise, consistent with the terms, conditions and restrictions of the Merger Agreement, complete control and supervision over their own business and operations.

Requisite Stockholder Approval

The only vote or approval of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Company necessary under applicable Law, the Nasdaq rules, the Charter or the Bylaws to consummate the Transaction is the affirmative vote and approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon.

Consents, Approvals and Filings

Filing Under Antitrust Laws

Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Parent and the Company will (i) make the filings listed in the Company’s disclosure letter required to be made under applicable antitrust laws in connection with the Transaction, (ii) cooperate and coordinate (and cause its respective controlled affiliates to cooperate and coordinate) with each other in the making of any such filings with any governmental authority (if any) under applicable antitrust laws in connection with the Transaction; (iii) supply each other (or cause each other to be supplied) with any information that may be required in order to make such filings; (iv) supply (or cause to be supplied) any additional information that reasonably may be required or requested by the governmental authorities of any applicable jurisdiction in which any such filing is made; (v) use reasonable best efforts to take all action necessary, proper or advisable to cause the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods pursuant to any antitrust laws (to the extent applicable to the Merger Agreement or the Transaction); and (vi) obtain any required consents pursuant to any antitrust laws (to the extent applicable to the Merger Agreement or the Transaction), in each case as promptly as reasonably practicable.

CFIUS Notice

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, Parent and the Company will use reasonable best efforts to obtain the CFIUS approval. Parent and the Company will use mutual, reasonable efforts to submit, no later than 10 business days after July 29, 2024 (unless a longer date is agreed in writing by the parties), a draft joint voluntary notice to CFIUS with respect to the Transaction. After receipt of confirmation that CFIUS has no further comments or inquiries related to the draft CFIUS notice, Parent and the Company will promptly, and in any event no later than 10 business days after such confirmation, submit a formal joint voluntary notice to CFIUS with respect to the Transaction. Parent is responsible for paying the applicable filing fee for the submission of the CFIUS notice. The Company and Parent will permit counsel for the other party reasonable opportunity to review in advance, and consider in good faith, the views of the other party in connection with, any proposed written communication to CFIUS pertaining to the substance of the draft CFIUS notice, CFIUS notice or substantive matters related to the CFIUS process, and any party engaging in telephonic or other oral discussions with CFIUS will promptly inform the other party of such discussion; provided that this notice requirement will not apply to the extent such communications (i) involve confidential business information, or (ii) relate purely to administrative

matters such as the scheduling of calls, submission logistics and non-substantive process steps. No party may independently participate in any in-person meeting, video conference, or teleconference with any governmental authority with respect to any filings, review, investigation or other inquiry without giving the other party sufficient prior notice of the meeting and, to the extent permitted by such governmental authority, the opportunity to attend and/or participate in such meeting. Notwithstanding anything in the Merger Agreement to the contrary, Parent’s obligations to use reasonable best efforts to obtain the CFIUS approval shall not obligate Parent to agree to any Burdensome Condition. The final CFIUS notice was submitted on September 13, 2024 and accepted for review on September 24, 2024. At the end of the 45-day review period, the parties received confirmation that CFIUS concluded its investigation as of November 7, 2024, communicating that there are no unresolved national security issues with respect to the Transaction.

Schedule 13E-3

The Company and Parent will cooperate to, concurrently with the preparation and filing of this Proxy Statement, jointly prepare and file with the SEC a Rule 13e-3 Transaction Statement on Schedule 13E-3 relating to the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement. No filing of the Schedule 13E-3 may be made by either party without providing the other parties with a reasonable opportunity to review and comment thereon.

Other Covenants and Agreements

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, Parent will (and will cause its controlled affiliates to, if applicable), on the one hand, and the Company will (and will cause its controlled affiliates to, if applicable), on the other hand, use their respective reasonable best efforts to (i) take (or cause to be taken) all actions, (ii) do (or cause to be done) all things, and (c) assist and cooperate with the other party in doing (or causing to be done) all things, in each case as are necessary, proper or advisable pursuant to applicable law or otherwise to consummate and make effective, as promptly as practicable, the Transaction.

At all times beginning on July 29, 2024, and continuing until the earlier to occur of the termination of the Merger Agreement and the Closing, the Company will afford Parent reasonable access, consistent with applicable law, during normal business hours, upon reasonable advance notice provided in writing to the interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company, or another person designated in writing by the Company, to the properties, books and records and personnel of the Company, subject to the ability of the Company to restrict or otherwise prohibit such access as more particularly set forth in the Merger Agreement.

At the Effective Time, (i) the directors of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time will be the directors of the Surviving Corporation, and (ii) the officers of the Company immediately prior to the Effective Time will be the officers of the Surviving Corporation, in each case until their respective successors are duly elected or appointed and qualified in accordance with applicable Law or until their earlier death, resignation or removal. Prior to the Closing, the Company will use its reasonable best efforts to deliver to Parent a letter executed by each director of the Company as requested by Parent, effectuating his or her resignation as member of the Company Board, to be effective as of the Effective Time.

Conduct of Business of Parent and Merger Sub

Parent and Merger Sub agreed that, from July 29, 2024 until the earlier of the Effective Time and the valid termination of the Merger Agreement, neither will take any action (including any action with respect to a third party) that would, or would reasonably be expected to, individually or in the aggregate, prevent or materially delay, impede or hinder the ability of Parent or Merger Sub to consummate the Transaction.

Obligations of Merger Sub

Parent guaranteed the due, prompt and faithful performance and discharge by, and compliance with, all of the obligations, covenants, terms, conditions and undertakings of Merger Sub under the Merger Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof, including any such obligations, covenants, terms, conditions and undertakings that are required to be performed, discharged or complied with following the Effective Time by the Surviving Corporation. Parent will take all action necessary to cause Merger Sub and, following the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation, to perform their respective obligations pursuant to the Merger Agreement and to

consummate the Transaction upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. Parent and Merger Sub will be jointly and severally liable for the failure by either of them to perform and discharge any of their respective covenants, agreements and obligations pursuant to the Merger Agreement.

Conditions to the Transaction

The respective obligations of Parent and the Company to consummate the Transaction are subject to the satisfaction or waiver (where permissible pursuant to applicable Law) prior to the Closing of each of the following conditions:

•        the Company’s receipt of the Requisite Stockholder Approval at the Special Meeting; and

•        no temporary restraining order, preliminary or permanent injunction or other judgment or order or other legal or regulatory restraint or prohibition preventing the consummation of the Transaction, in each case, issued by a court or other governmental authority of competent jurisdiction will be in effect, and no law will have been enacted, entered, enforced or deemed applicable to the Transaction by a governmental authority of competent jurisdiction, that in each case prohibits, makes illegal, or enjoins the consummation of the Transaction.

The obligations of Parent to consummate the Merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver (where permissible pursuant to applicable law) prior to the Closing of each of the following conditions, any of which may be waived exclusively by Parent:

•        other than the Company Fundamental Representations and the representation and warranty of the Company relating to the absence of certain changes, the representations and warranties of the Company set forth in the Merger Agreement will be true and correct (without giving effect to any materiality or Company Material Adverse Effect qualifications set forth therein) as of July 29, 2024, and as of the date of the Closing as if made at and as of the date of the Closing (except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such earlier date), except for such failures to be true and correct that have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Company Material Adverse Effect;

•        the Company Fundamental Representations will be true and correct in all material respects (except those representations and warranties of the Company contained in the Company capitalization section of the Merger Agreement, which will be true and correct (other than de minimis inaccuracies)) as of July 29, 2024, and as of the date of the Closing as if made at and as of the date of the Closing (except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such earlier date);

•        the Company will have performed and complied in all material respects with the covenants, obligations and conditions of the Merger Agreement required to be performed and complied with by it at or prior to the Closing;

•        the CFIUS approval will have been obtained, and such CFIUS approval will be in full force and effect;

•        no Company Material Adverse Effect will have occurred after July 29, 2024; and

•        Parent will have received a certificate of the Company, validly executed for and on behalf of the Company and in its name by a duly authorized officer thereof, certifying that the closing conditions relating to the Company’s representations and warranties, the Company’s performance obligations, governmental approvals, and Company Material Adverse Effect have been satisfied.

The obligations of the Company to consummate the Transaction are subject to the satisfaction or waiver (where permissible pursuant to applicable law) prior to the Closing of each of the following conditions, any of which may be waived exclusively by the Company:

•        the Parent Fundamental Representations will be true and correct in all material respects as of July 29, 2024, and as of the Closing Date as if made at and on the Closing Date (except to the extent that any such representation and warranty expressly speaks as of an earlier date, in which case such representation and warranty will be true and correct as of such earlier date);

•        Parent will have performed and complied in all material respects with the covenants, obligations and conditions of the Merger Agreement required to be performed and complied with by Parent at or prior to the Closing; and

•        the Company will have received a certificate of Parent, validly executed for and on behalf of Parent and in its name by a duly authorized officer thereof, certifying that the closing conditions relating to Parent’s representations and warranties and Parent’s performance obligations have been satisfied.

Company Material Adverse Effect

Under the Merger Agreement, certain representations and warranties of the Company and Parent are qualified, in whole or in part, by a material adverse effect standard. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, a “Company Material Adverse Effect” means any change, event, effect, occurrence or circumstance that, individually or in the aggregate, (x) has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise), or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (y) prevents or materially impairs or materially delays, or would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially impair or materially delay, the consummation of the Transaction; provided, however, that, with respect to clause (x) above, none of the following, and no change, event, effect, occurrence or circumstance to the extent arising out of or resulting from the following (in each case, by itself or when aggregated), will be deemed to be or constitute a Company Material Adverse Effect or will be taken into account when determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur (subject to the limitations set forth below):

(a)     changes generally affecting the global or national economy, credit or financial or capital markets, in the United States or elsewhere in the world, including changes in interest or exchange rates; and changes in conditions in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business;

(b)    changes or prospective changes in, or issuances of new, Law or GAAP or accounting standards, or any changes or prospective changes in the interpretation or enforcement of any of the foregoing, or any changes or prospective changes in general legal, regulatory or political conditions, including any Law, directive, pronouncement or guideline issued by a Governmental Authority, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization or industry group providing for business closures, “sheltering-in-place” or other restrictions that relate to, or arise out of, an epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including the COVID-19 pandemic) or any change in such law, regulation, statute, directive, pronouncement or guideline or interpretation thereof following July 29, 2024;

(c)     any geopolitical conditions, outbreak of hostilities, acts of war, sabotage, cyberterrorism, terrorism, military actions, earthquakes, volcanic activity, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, mudslides, wildfires or other natural disasters, weather conditions, epidemics and other force majeure events (including any escalation or general worsening thereof);

(d)    the execution, announcement or performance of the Merger Agreement or the consummation of the Transaction, including the impact thereof on relationships, contractual or otherwise, with customers, suppliers, distributors, partners, employees or regulators, or any claims (or threats of claims) or litigation (or threats of litigation) arising from allegations of breach of fiduciary duty or violation of Law relating to the Merger Agreement, the Transaction or this Proxy Statement, or the identity of, or any facts and circumstances relating solely to, Parent, Merger Sub or any of their controlled affiliates;

(e)     any action taken by the Company or its Subsidiaries that is expressly required by the Merger Agreement or with Parent’s express written consent or at Parent’s express written request, or the failure to take any action by the Company or its Subsidiaries if that action is expressly prohibited by the Merger Agreement;

(f)     any change or prospective change in the Company’s credit ratings (it being understood that the underlying cause of such change may be taken into consideration when determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred);

(g)    any decline in the market price, or change in trading volume, of the capital stock of the Company (it being understood that the underlying cause of such change may be taken into consideration when determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred);

(h)    any failure to meet any internal or public projections, forecasts, guidance, estimates, milestones, budgets or internal or published financial or operating predictions of revenue, earnings, cash flow, cash position or other operating metrics (it being understood that the exception in this clause (h) shall not prevent or otherwise affect a determination that the underlying cause of any such change, decline or failure referred to herein (if not otherwise falling within any of the exceptions provided by clauses (a) through (g) hereof) is a Material Adverse Effect);

(i)     any breach by Parent of the Merger Agreement; and

(j)     any item set forth in the Company’s disclosure letter under the heading “Company Material Adverse Effect”

except, in each case of clauses (a) to (c), to the extent that such change, event, effect or circumstance has had a disproportionate adverse effect on the Company relative to other companies operating in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, in which case only the incremental disproportionate adverse impact may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred.

Termination of the Merger Agreement

The Merger Agreement may be terminated prior to the Closing as follows:

•        at any time prior to the Effective Time (whether prior to or after the receipt of the Requisite Stockholder Approval) by mutual written agreement of Parent and the Company;

•        by Parent or the Company, at any time prior to the Effective Time (whether prior to or after the receipt of the Requisite Stockholder Approval) if: (i) any permanent injunction or other judgment or order issued by any court of competent jurisdiction or other legal or regulatory restraint or prohibition preventing the consummation of the Transaction is in effect, or any action has been taken by any governmental authority of competent jurisdiction, that, in each case, prohibits, makes illegal, or enjoins the consummation of the Transaction in any such case, and has become final and non-appealable; or (ii) any statute, rule, regulation, or order has been enacted, entered, enforced, or deemed applicable to the Transaction that permanently prohibits, makes illegal, or enjoins the consummation of the Transaction, except that the right to terminate the Merger Agreement as described in this paragraph will not be available to any party that has breached its obligations to resist appeal, obtain consent pursuant to, resolve or lift, as applicable, such statute, rule, regulation, or order;

•        by Parent or the Company, at any time prior to the Effective Time (whether prior to or after the receipt of the Requisite Stockholder Approval) if the Closing has not occurred by 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on April 29, 2025 or such later date as may be agreed by the parties (the “End Date”); provided, however, that if on the End Date any of the conditions to the Transaction related to CFIUS approval have not been satisfied, but all other conditions to the Transactions have been satisfied or waived or are then capable of being satisfied if the Closing were to take place on such date, then the End Date, at the election of either Parent or the Company, be extended to 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on July 29, 2025; provided, that this right to terminate the Merger Agreement will not be available to any party whose action or failure to act (which action or failure to act constitutes a breach by such party of the Merger Agreement) has been the primary cause of, or primarily resulted in, either (i) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the obligations of the terminating party to consummate the Transaction set forth in the Merger Agreement prior to the End Date or (ii) the failure of the Closing to have occurred prior to the End Date;

•        by Parent or the Company, at any time prior to the Effective Time, if the Company fails to obtain the Requisite Stockholder Approval at the Special Meeting (or any adjournment or postponement thereof) at which a vote on the Transaction is taken, except that this right to terminate the Merger Agreement will not be available to (x) any party whose action or failure to act (which action or failure to act constitutes a breach by such party of the Merger Agreement) has been the primary cause of, or primarily resulted in, the failure to obtain the Requisite Stockholder Approval at the Company Stockholder Meeting (or any adjournment or postponement thereof) or (y) Parent if Parent and its controlled affiliates fail to vote all shares of common stock beneficially owned by them as of the Record Date for the Special Meeting in favor of any matters necessary for consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement;

•        by Parent, at any time prior to the Company’s receipt of the Requisite Stockholder Approval, if the Company Board has effected a Company Board Recommendation Change; provided, that any such termination pursuant to this provision must occur within five (5) business days of the Company Board Recommendation Change;

•        by Parent, at any time prior to the Effective Time, if the Company has breached or failed to perform in any material respect any of its representations, warranties, covenants, or other agreements contained in the Merger Agreement, which breach or failure to perform would result in a failure of a condition to be fulfilled set forth therein, except that Parent will not be entitled to terminate the Merger Agreement prior to the earlier of (i) the day immediately preceding the End Date (as it may be extended) and (ii) the date that is 30 days after the delivery by Parent to the Company of written notice of such breach, stating Parent’s intention to terminate the Merger Agreement, pursuant to the provisions set forth therein, and the basis for such termination, it being understood that Parent will not be entitled to terminate the Merger Agreement if such breach has been cured prior to the end of such period; provided, however, that Parent will not have the right to terminate the Merger Agreement if Parent is then in breach of any representation, warranty, agreement, or covenant contained in the Merger Agreement which breach would result in a failure of a closing condition set forth therein; and

•        by the Company, at any time prior to the Effective Time, if Parent or Merger Sub has breached or failed to perform in any material respect any of its respective representations, warranties, covenants, or other agreements contained in the Merger Agreement, which breach or failure to perform would result in a failure of a condition to be fulfilled set forth therein, except that the Company will not be entitled to terminate the Merger Agreement prior to the earlier of (i) the day immediately preceding the End Date (as it may be extended) and (ii) the date that is 30 days after the delivery by the Company to Parent of written notice of such breach stating the Company’s intention to terminate the Merger Agreement and the basis for such termination, it being understood that the Company will not be entitled to terminate the Merger Agreement if such breach has been cured within the Parent Breach Notice Period (to the extent capable of being cured) or prior to the end of such period; provided, however, that the Company will not have the right to terminate the Merger Agreement if the Company is then in breach of any representation, warranty, agreement, or covenant contained in the Merger Agreement which breach would result in a failure of a closing condition set forth therein; and

•        by the Company, at any time prior to the Company’s receipt of the Requisite Stockholder Approval, if the Company Board (acting on the unanimous recommendation of the Special Committee) determines to terminate the Merger Agreement with respect to a Superior Proposal as defined in the Merger Agreement; provided that, (i) the Company must have complied with the provisions of the Merger Agreement related to Superior Proposals and (ii) prior to or substantially concurrently with such termination, the Company pays to Parent the Company Termination Fee.

Termination Fee; Effect of Termination

The Merger Agreement provides that the Company will be required to pay to Parent a termination fee equal to $1,250,000, if the Merger Agreement is terminated (i) by Parent pursuant to the Company Board Recommendation Change or termination for a breach by the Company of the non-solicitation provisions of the Merger Agreement, (ii) by the Company pursuant to the Superior Proposal Termination provision of the Merger Agreement, (iii) either party pursuant to the provisions described under “— Termination of the Merger Agreement” above in clauses (c) (End Date) and (d) (No Requisite Stockholder Approval), in each case if prior to such termination an Acquisition Proposal has been publicly disclosed and not withdrawn or otherwise made to the Company Board or the Special Committee and not withdrawn, and the Company consummates any Acquisition Proposal within 12 months following the termination of the Merger Agreement (with all references in the definition of Acquisition Proposal to “20%” deemed to be references to “50%” for purposes of this paragraph).

The Merger Agreement provides that Parent will be required to pay to the Company a termination fee of $5,000,000, if the Merger Agreement is terminated (i) by either party pursuant to the provisions described under “— Termination of the Merger Agreement” above in clause (c) (End Date) and the conditions related to CFIUS approval in the Merger Agreement are not waived or satisfied, (ii) by either party pursuant to the provisions described under “— Termination of the Merger Agreement” above in clause (b) (Illegality), to the extent relating to the CFIUS approval, or (iii) by the Company for Termination for Parent Breach, by reason of a breach by Parent of the CFIUS provision of the Merger Agreement.

The Merger Agreement further provides that if either party fails to promptly pay any amount due to the other party pursuant to such termination fees, and the other party commences a suit that results in a final and non-appealable judgment against the failing party for the amounts set forth in the Merger Agreement, the failing party will pay to the other party all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, costs and expenses of enforcement (including reasonable and documented attorney’s fees incurred in connection with any such action).

Any proper and valid termination of the Merger Agreement will be effective immediately upon the delivery of written notice by the terminating party to the other party. In the event that the Merger Agreement is terminated and the Merger abandoned pursuant to the provisions therein, written notice thereof will be given to the other party or parties, specifying the provisions of the Merger Agreement pursuant to which such termination is made, and the Merger Agreement will forthwith become null and void and of no effect without liability on the part of any party thereto (or any of its representatives), and all rights and obligations of any party hereto will cease; provided, however, that, except as otherwise provided in the Merger Agreement, no such termination will relieve any party thereto of any liability or damages (which the parties acknowledge and agree will not necessarily be limited to reimbursement of expenses or out-of-pocket costs), and, in the case of liabilities or damages payable by Parent and Merger Sub, would include the benefits of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement lost by the Company’s stockholders (taking into consideration all relevant matters, including lost stockholder premium and the time value of money), which will be deemed in such event to be damages of such party, resulting from any knowing and intentional breach of the Merger Agreement prior to such termination, in which case, except as otherwise provided in the Merger Agreement, the aggrieved party will be entitled to all rights and remedies available at law or in equity; and provided, further, that certain specified provisions will survive the termination of the Merger Agreement. Nothing in the Merger Agreement will limit or prevent any party from exercising any rights or remedies it may have under the Remedies provision of the Merger Agreement, in lieu of terminating the Merger Agreement.

Survival

The representations, warranties, covenants, and agreements contained herein and in any certificate or other writing delivered pursuant hereto will not survive the Effective Time except any covenant or agreement by the parties that by its terms contemplates performance after the Effective Time.

Fees and Expenses

Except as set forth in the Merger Agreement, (a) all fees and expenses (except for any Transfer Taxes) incurred in connection with the Merger Agreement and the Transaction will be paid by the party incurring such fees and expenses whether or not the Transaction is consummated, and (b) any Transfer Taxes incurred in connection with the Merger Agreement or the Transaction will be paid by the party which has a legal obligation to do so.

Specific Performance

Parent and the Company will be entitled, in addition to any other remedy to which they are entitled at law or in equity, to an injunction, specific performance, and other equitable relief to prevent breaches (or threatened breaches) of the Merger Agreement in accordance with their specified terms and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions in the Merger Agreement.

Amendments; Waivers

The Merger Agreement may be amended by Parent and the Company at any time prior to the Effective Time, except after the Company has received the Requisite Stockholder Approval, no amendment to the Merger Agreement that requires the approval of the Company’s stockholders, pursuant to applicable Law, may become effective without such approval. The Merger Agreement will not be amended or modified except by execution of an instrument in writing signed on behalf of Parent and the Company (pursuant to authorized action by the Company Board (or a committee thereof)).

At any time and from time to time prior to the Closing, Parent or the Company may, to the extent legally allowed and except as otherwise set forth in the Merger Agreement: (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other party, as applicable; (b) waive any inaccuracies in the representations and warranties made to such party contained therein or in any document delivered pursuant thereto; and (c) subject to the requirements of applicable law, waive compliance with any of the agreements or conditions for the benefit of such party contained therein. Any agreement on the part of any party to any such extension or waiver will be valid only if set forth in an instrument in writing signed by such party. Any delay in exercising any right pursuant to the Merger Agreement will not constitute a waiver of such right.

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Merger

The following discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Merger. This summary does not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax consequences of the Merger. This summary is based on the Code, Treasury Regulations, judicial decisions, and published rulings and administrative pronouncements of the IRS, in each case in effect as of the date hereof. These authorities may change or may be subject to differing interpretations, including with retroactive effect. Any such changes could affect the accuracy of the statements and conclusions set forth in this summary. This summary does not describe any state, local or non-U.S. tax law considerations, or any aspect of U.S. federal tax law other than income taxation (e.g., estate or gift tax, the Medicare contribution tax, or the alternative minimum tax).

The Company has not sought and will not seek any rulings from the IRS regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position to that described in this summary regarding the tax consequences of the Merger.

This discussion is limited to (i) U.S. Holders (as defined below) of our common stock who exchange their shares of our common stock for cash pursuant to the Merger, and (ii) who hold such shares solely as “capital assets” within the meaning of the Code. This discussion does not address the U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to a holder’s particular circumstances, including any holders who receive consideration other than cash in connection with the Merger. In addition, this discussion does not address consequences relevant to holders subject to special rules under the Code, including:

•        U.S. expatriates and former citizens or long-term residents of the United States;

•        persons who, prior to the merger, hold our common stock as part of a hedge, straddle or other risk reduction strategy, or as part of a conversion or constructive sale transaction or other integrated investment;

•        banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions;

•        brokers, dealers or traders in securities;

•        real estate investment trusts or regulated investment companies;

•        S corporations and their shareholders;

•        passive foreign investment companies or controlled foreign corporations, in each case as defined in the Code;

•        tax-exempt organizations (including private foundations) or governmental organizations;

•        persons who hold or received shares of our common stock pursuant to the exercise of any employee stock option or otherwise as compensation;

•        persons subject to special tax accounting rules (including rules requiring recognition of gross income based on a taxpayer’s applicable financial statement); and

•        persons that do not have the U.S. dollar as their functional currency.

HOLDERS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE MERGER BASED ON THEIR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.

U.S. Holders

For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is any beneficial owner of our common stock that for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is or is treated as:

•        a citizen or individual resident of the United States;

•        a corporation created or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia;

•        an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

•        a trust that (i) is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and the control of one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code), or (ii) has a valid election in effect to be treated as a “United States person” for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

The tax treatment of the Merger of a partner in a partnership (or other entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) may depend on both the partner’s status and the activities of such partnership. Partnerships (or other entities or arrangements classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that exchange our common stock pursuant to the Merger should consult their own tax advisers regarding the tax consequences to them of the Merger.

Taxation of the Merger

The Merger will be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a U.S. Holder will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received in the Merger and the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in our common stock exchanged therefor.

If a U.S. Holder acquired our common stock by purchasing it, the U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares will generally equal the amount the U.S. Holder paid for the relevant shares. If a U.S. Holder’s holding period in shares of our common stock exchanged in the Merger is greater than one year as of the date of the Merger, the gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss. Long-term capital gains of certain non-corporate U.S. Holders, including individuals, are generally subject to U.S. federal income tax at preferential rates. The deductibility of a capital loss is subject to limitations. If a U.S. Holder acquired different blocks of our common stock at different times, such U.S. Holder must determine its adjusted tax basis and holding period separately with respect to each block of our common stock.

Non-U.S. Holders

For purposes of this discussion, a “Non-U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our common stock that is neither a U.S. Holder nor a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Taxation of the Merger

Subject to the discussion under “— Information Reporting and Backup Withholding” below, any gain realized by a Non-U.S. Holder pursuant to the Merger generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless:

•        the gain is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business of such Non-U.S. Holder in the United States (or, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by such Non-U.S. Holder in the United States), in which case such gain generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis at rates generally applicable to U.S. persons, and, if the Non-U.S. Holder is a corporation, such gain may also be subject to an additional “branch profits tax” at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty);

•        such Non-U.S. Holder is an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year in which the Merger occurs and certain other specified conditions are met, in which case such gain generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty), which gain may be offset by certain U.S. source capital losses of such Non-U.S. Holder provided such Non-U.S. Holder has timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses and all other requirements are met; or

•        the Company is or has been a “United States real property holding corporation” as such term is defined in Section 897(c) of the Code (“USRPHC”), at any time during the shorter of the five-year period ending on the Closing Date or such Non-U.S. Holder’s holding period with respect to the applicable shares of our common stock (the “Relevant Period”) and, if shares of our common stock are treated as regularly traded on an established securities market (within the meaning of Section 897(c)(3) of the Code), such Non-U.S. Holder owns or has owned, directly or constructively, more than five percent (5%) of our common stock at any time during the Relevant Period.

With respect to the third bullet point above (if applicable to a particular Non-U.S. Holder), any gain realized by such Non-U.S. Holder pursuant to the Merger will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis at rates generally applicable to U.S. persons. Although there can be no assurances in this regard, we believe that we are not, and have not been, a USRPHC at any time during the five-year period preceding the Merger. Non-U.S. Holders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding the possible consequences to them if we are or were a USRPHC.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

Proceeds from the Merger may be subject to information reporting to the IRS and possible United States backup withholding. Backup withholding will not apply, however, to a U.S. Holder that furnishes a correct taxpayer identification number and makes other required certifications, or that is otherwise exempt from backup withholding and establishes such exempt status.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, and a holder generally may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules by timely filing the appropriate claim for refund with the IRS and furnishing any required information.

THE DISCUSSION SET FORTH ABOVE IS NOT INTENDED TO CONSTITUTE A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF ALL TAX CONSIDERATIONS APPLICABLE TO THE MERGER. HOLDERS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND NON-U.S. TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE MERGER BASED ON THEIR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.

Defined Terms

“Burdensome Condition” means any condition, restriction or other action required, imposed or requested by CFIUS that would reasonably be expected to impose a material burden or have a material adverse impact on Parent’s or its Affiliates’ ability to retain or operate their respective businesses, operations, product lines or assets (including those acquired in the Merger) from and after the Closing.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

“Closing” means the consummation of the merger.

“Closing Date” means the day on which Closing occurs.

“Company Fundamental Representations” means the representations and warranties relating to organization and good standing, corporate power and enforceability, Company Board approval, anti-takeover laws, Requisite Stockholder Approval, non-contravention, certain capitalization matters, and brokers.

“Company Securities” means (i) shares of capital stock of, or other equity or voting interest in, the Company; (ii) securities of the Company convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of capital stock of, or other equity or voting interest in, the Company; (iii) options, warrants, earnouts or other rights or binding arrangements to acquire from the Company, or that obligate the Company to issue, any capital stock of, or other equity or voting interest in, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of capital stock of, or other equity or voting interest in, the Company; (iv) obligations of the Company to grant, extend or enter into any subscription, warrant, right, convertible or exchangeable security, or other similar contract relating to any capital stock of, or other equity or voting interest (including any voting debt) in, the Company; (v) restricted shares, restricted share units, stock appreciation rights, performance shares, contingent value rights, “phantom” stock or similar securities or rights that are derivative of, or provide economic benefits based, directly or indirectly, on the value or price of, any capital stock of, or other securities or ownership interests in, the Company; (vi) other obligations of the Company to make any payment based on the price or value of any of the items in the foregoing clauses (i) through (v).

“DGCL” means the Delaware General Corporation Law.

“Investor Rights Agreement” means the Investor Rights Agreement, dated as of January 19, 2023, between the Company and Parent.

“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service or any successor thereto.

“Key Employee” means Dr. Jun Pei, Dr. Liqun Han and Dr. Dongyi Liao.

“Law” means any federal, national, state, county, municipal, provincial, local, foreign, supranational or multinational law, act, statute, constitution, common law, ordinance, code, decree, writ, order, judgment, injunction, rule, regulation, ruling or requirement issued, enacted, adopted, promulgated, implemented or otherwise put into effect by or under the authority of any Governmental Authority.

“Person” means any individual, corporation (including any non-profit corporation), limited liability company, joint stock company, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, joint venture, estate, trust, firm, Governmental Authority or other enterprise, association, organization or entity.

“Requisite Stockholder Approval” means only vote or approval of the holders of any class or series of capital stock of the Company necessary under applicable Law, the Nasdaq rules, the Company’s charter or the Bylaws to consummate the Transaction is the affirmative vote and approval of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon.

“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person (other than a natural Person) of which securities or other ownership interests (a) having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors or other persons performing similar functions or (b) representing more than 50% of such securities or ownership interests, in each case, are at the time directly or indirectly owned by such first Person.

“Subsidiary Securities” has the same meaning ascribed to “Company Securities”, except that all references to “the Company” therein shall be deemed to be replaced with “any Subsidiary of the Company”.

“Transaction” means the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

“U.S. Business Day” means a “business day” as determined in accordance with Rule 100 of Regulation M promulgated by the SEC.

“Unaffiliated Stockholders” means the stockholders of the Company, other than Parent, Merger Sub or any of their respective affiliates or the Rollover Participants.

VOTING SUPPORT AGREEMENTS

This section describes the material terms of the Voting Support Agreements. The description of the Voting Support Agreements in this section and elsewhere in this Proxy Statement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the form of the Voting Support Agreement, a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 29, 2024 and included as Annex B to this Proxy Statement. We encourage you to read the form of Voting Support Agreement carefully and in its entirety.

Concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Parent and the Company entered into with each of Dr. Jun Pei, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Dr. Jun Ye, a member of the Board, and Dr. Mark McCord, the chairman of the Company’s technology advisory board and former Chief Technology Officer (the “Supporting Stockholders”), Voting Support Agreements in their capacities as stockholders (each, a “Voting Support Agreement”). Pursuant to the Voting Support Agreements, each Supporting Stockholder agreed, subject to the terms of the Voting Support Agreements, to cause the outstanding shares of our common stock beneficially owned by such Supporting Stockholder (the “Covered Shares”) as of the Record Date for the Special Meeting to, among other things, (a) appear at such meeting or otherwise cause the Covered Shares to be counted as present for the purpose of establishing a quorum, (b) be voted to approve any matters necessary or reasonably requested by the Company for consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, (c) be voted against any Acquisition Proposal or Acquisition Transaction and any other action that would reasonably be expected to materially impede, interfere with, delay, postpone or adversely affect any of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement and (d) be subject to a voting proxy pursuant to which Parent will be such Supporting Stockholder’s attorney-in-fact and proxy. The aggregate number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by the Supporting Stockholders and required to be voted or cause to be voted in favor of the adoption of the Merger Agreement pursuant to the Voting Support Agreements represents approximately 38.7% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, and along with the shares of our common stock beneficially owned by Koito (excluding the shares of our common stock to which the shares of Preferred Stock held by Koito are convertible), approximately 50.9% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. The affirmative vote by all of the Supporting Stockholders, together with the affirmative vote of Parent, will be sufficient to establish a quorum and approve the Transaction Proposal.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Company Board Recommendation Change prior to the time of the Company Stockholder Meeting, the number of shares of our common stock that will be voted pursuant to the Voting Support Agreements will be reduced such that the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by the Supporting Stockholders together with the number of shares of our common stock beneficially owned by Parent will equal, in the aggregate, 35% of the total number of outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote at the Special Meeting, which will not be sufficient to establish a quorum and may or may not be sufficient to approve the Transaction Proposal (if a quorum is present).

The Voting Support Agreements also include exclusivity provisions that subject the Supporting Stockholders to restrictions similar to those described above under “The Merger Agreement — No Solicitation; Company Board Recommendation Change.”

Proposal 2: Vote on Adjournment

If at the Special Meeting there are not sufficient votes to approve the Transaction Proposal and adopt the Merger Agreement, we intend to move to vote on this Adjournment Proposal. We do not intend to move to a vote on this Adjournment Proposal if the Transaction Proposal is approved by the requisite number of shares of our common stock at the Special Meeting.

In this Adjournment Proposal, the Company’s stockholders are being asked to approve a proposal that will give the Board authority to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or time, if necessary, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the Transaction Proposal if there are insufficient votes at the time of the Special Meeting to approve the Transaction Proposal. If the stockholders approve this Adjournment Proposal, we could adjourn the Special Meeting and any adjourned session of the Special Meeting and use the additional time to solicit additional proxies, including the solicitation of proxies from stockholders that have previously voted. Among other things, approval of this Adjournment Proposal could mean that, even if we had received proxies representing a sufficient number of votes against the Transaction Proposal to defeat that proposal, we could adjourn the Special Meeting without a vote on the Transaction Proposal and seek to convince the holders of those shares to change their votes to votes in favor of the Transaction Proposal.

Required Vote

Approval of the Adjournment Proposal requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote thereon at the Special Meeting and are voted “FOR” or “AGAINST” the Adjournment Proposal. Virtual attendance at our Special Meeting constitutes presence in person for the Special Meeting. If you hold your shares in “street name” (that is, your shares are held in an account at and registered in the name of a brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or similar organization), your broker or other organization may vote your shares under limited circumstances if you do not provide voting instructions before the Special Meeting. These circumstances include voting your shares on so-called “routine matters.” The Adjournment Proposal is a “routine” matter. Abstentions shall not be counted as votes for or against the Adjournment Proposal.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS (OTHER THAN THE KOITO DESIGNEES) RECOMMENDS A VOTE IN FAVOR OF PROPOSAL 2 IF THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT VOTES AT THE SPECIAL MEETING TO APPROVE THE TRANSACTION PROPOSAL.

Interests of Certain Persons in the Transaction

In considering the recommendation of the Board to vote “FOR” the proposals presented at the Special Meeting, you should be aware that the current executive officers and directors of the Company have interests in the Transaction that may be different from, or in addition to, the interests of our stockholders generally. The Board was aware of and considered these interests, among other matters, in evaluating the Merger Agreement and the other transaction documents and in recommending to our stockholders that they vote in favor of the proposals presented at the Special Meeting.

Relationship with Koito

In 2017, Cepton Technologies and Koito began engaging with OEM-B in relation to its next generation advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) program for vehicle models expected to commence production in 2023. Following approximately two years of engagement including design, testing validation and integration workstreams, Cepton Technologies and Koito were selected in 2019 as the sole LiDAR provider to support OEM-B’s ADAS program with a series production award covering multiple vehicle platforms and models through 2027, and in 2019 Mr. Takayuki Katsuda, a senior managing corporate officer of Koito, was appointed to the board of Cepton Technologies. In February 2020, Koito participated in Cepton Technologies’ Series C funding round by purchasing 5,971,147 shares of Cepton Technologies’ Series C Preferred Stock for approximately $50 million, and Cepton Technologies announced a strategic partnership with Koito. As part of the collaboration, Koito obtained non-exclusive rights to manufacture and sell LiDARs based on Cepton Technologies’ MMT® LiDAR sensor design to OEM-B, using key components and technologies from Cepton Technologies. The LiDARs would have been manufactured by Koito and supplied by Koito to OEM-B to fulfill the needs of its series productions program. In September 2021, Koito issued a development work order the (“Work Order”) to Cepton relating the pre-production development phase, which began in January 2020. The Work Order specified development milestones to be achieved by Cepton, the estimated delivery dates for each milestone and the estimated fees to be paid to Cepton in connection with each milestone.

In connection with our Business Combination, which closed on February 10, 2022, Koito purchased an additional 5,000,000 shares of our common stock in a private placement for $50 million and, following such transaction, Koito became the owner of a total of 19,624,741 shares of our common stock (now 1,962,474 shares, following a 10-for-1 reverse stock split which took effect on September 21, 2023) and Mr. Takayuki Katsuda became a member of our Board.

Thereafter, we entered into the Investment Agreement, pursuant to which we issued to Koito 100,000 shares of Preferred Stock for a purchase price of $100.0 million on January 19, 2023. The Investment Agreement was approved by the Board on October 27, 2022 and by our stockholders on January 11, 2023. The Preferred Stock is convertible into shares of our common stock at a conversion price of $25.85 per share (subject to adjustment) and grants certain rights to Koito including the ability to require us to repurchase our Preferred Stock at the liquidation preference of $100 million plus accrued and unpaid dividends or to convert its Preferred Stock at 1.1 times the conversation rate then in effect upon the occurrence of a fundamental change. The 100,000 shares of Preferred Stock held by Koito are the only shares of Preferred Stock outstanding.

Concurrently with the execution of the Investment Agreement, we entered into a Secured Term Loan Agreement with Koito to borrow ¥5.8 billion (approximately $39.4 million) (the “Secured Term Loan Agreement”). The loan accrued interest at a rate equal to 1.0% per annum and was payable at maturity. The Secured Term Loan Agreement entered into with Koito was a related party transaction issued at a below market interest rate. To reflect what a similar debt instrument would be issued at with a market interest rate, the Company recorded a $2.0 million debt discount accounted for as a capital contribution within additional paid-in capital in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022. Amortization of the debt discount, in accordance with the effective interest method, was recorded as interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income (loss). The loan was set to mature on the earlier of three business days after the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Investment Agreement and the date on which the Investment Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms. On November 7, 2022, the Company borrowed ¥5.8 billion (approximately $39.4 million) under the Secured Term Loan Agreement. Obligations under the Secured Term Loan Agreement were secured by interest in substantially all of the Company’s assets, including all patents. The agreement contained customary affirmative and negative covenants. On January 24, 2023, the Company repaid all outstanding principal and accrued interest under the Secured Term Loan Agreement with the proceeds of the issuance of the Preferred Stock to Koito.

Concurrently with the issuance of our Preferred Stock to Koito, we entered into an investor rights agreement on January 19, 2023 (the “Investor Rights Agreement”) with Koito which provides Koito with certain board and committee designation rights, investor consent rights, pre-emptive rights and registrations rights. Pursuant to the

Investor Rights Agreement, Koito is entitled to nominate up to two designees to our Board, and Mr. Hideharu Konagaya, a senior management director and executive vice president of Koito, was appointed to our Board in addition to Mr. Takayuki Katsuda. Together with the rights under the Preferred Stock, Koito’s rights under the Investor Rights Agreement would likely be considered by third parties in considering whether or not to make an unsolicited acquisition proposal and may have the effect of limiting the Company’s alternative financing options.

Separately, on December 11, 2023, Koito informed Cepton that OEM-B has decided to re-scope its ADAS product offerings and, as a result, all outstanding purchase orders from Koito to us that relate to the OEM-B series production award have been cancelled. As a result of the series production award cancellation, Cepton sent a claim to Koito seeking recovery of a significant amount in project losses. The claim covers costs associated with materials, tooling, engineering, and other related project costs. Cepton is seeking recovery during 2024; however, a formal recovery timeline and total amount have not been agreed to and are unknown at this time.

On February 7, 2024, the Company and Koito entered into a master outsourcing agreement, pursuant to which Koito outsourced to the Company certain work regarding protypes of software, hardware, systems, testing methods and/or programs that may be used in Koito’s products, as well as testing and diagnostic systems related to such products.

On March 30, 2024, the Company and Koito entered into the Letter Agreement providing that due to OEM-B’s decision to re-scope its ADAS product offerings, Koito’s purchase orders with the Company were cancelled, leading the Company to request $38,922,335 for project cost recovery. Koito agreed to make an advance payment of $4 million to the Company by March 31, 2024, with the remaining amount to be settled after final audit results and further consultation.

In March 2024, Cepton and Koito were notified of a new series production award by OEM-A, which will utilize the Company’s near-range LiDAR.

On April 4, 2024, further discussions were held between the Company and Koito regarding services to be outsourced to the Company, and on May 9, 2024, the Company entered into the Statement of work. Pursuant to the Statement of Work, the Company received $10 million in commencement and milestone payments from Koito for the quarter ending June 30, 2024.

Cepton’s revenue from Koito was $6.7 million, $3.2 million and $3.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

See “Special Factors — Background of the Merger” for details of the key meetings and events that led to the signing of the Merger Agreement. See also “The Transaction — Parties Involved in the Merger — Parent” for more information regarding Parent. The table below sets forth the beneficial ownership of our common stock and resulting interests in the Company’s net book value and net loss of the Koito Entities prior to, and immediately after, the merger, based on the Company’s net book value at June 30, 2024 and net loss for the six months ended June 30, 2024, as if the merger were completed on such date.

____________

(1)      Based on shares of our common stock held by Parent, as a fraction of the shares of our common stock outstanding as of June 30, 2024, based on information provided to the Koito Entities by the Company, but excluding the shares of Preferred Stock held by Parent.

(2)      Based on the expected post-closing ownership of the equity of Holdco, taking into account the contribution by Parent to Holdco of Parent’s shares of our common stock, Parent’s shares of Preferred Stock (taking into account dividends accrued but unpaid as of December 31, 2024) and the funds necessary to complete the merger in exchange for equity of Holdco as a fraction of the total contributions to be made to Holdco (which includes, in addition to Parent’s contribution, the Rollover Shares to be contributed by the Rollover Participants).

Interests of Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger

In considering the recommendation of the Board that you vote to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement, you should be aware that aside from their interests as stockholders, the Company’s directors and executive officers may have interests in the Merger that are different from, or in addition to, those of stockholders generally. For instance, the Koito Designees on the Board are executives of Koito and therefore may have a substantial interest in the Transaction that is different from the interests of the Unaffiliated Stockholders. The Board was aware of and considered these interests, among other matters, in evaluating and negotiating the Merger Agreement and the Merger, and in recommending to stockholders that the Merger Agreement be adopted. For additional information, see the sections entitled “Special Factors — Background of the Merger” and “The Transaction — Reasons for the Merger; Recommendations of the Special Committee and the Board”. These interests are described in more detail below.

Treatment of Equity Awards in the Merger

As described above in the section entitled “Special Factors — Effect of the Merger on Our Capital Stock and Equity Awards,” the Company’s equity awards will be subject to the following treatment in connection with the Merger:

•        Company Options.    Each Company Option that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, whether or not vested or exercisable, will be cancelled, and the holder of such option will be entitled to receive, at or promptly after the Effective Time, an amount in cash, less any withholding taxes, determined by multiplying (i) the excess, if any, of the per-share merger consideration over the applicable exercise price per share of the Company Option by (ii) the number of shares of our common stock subject to such Company Option immediately prior to the Effective Time. Any Company Option that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time with a per-share exercise price that is greater than or equal to the per-share merger consideration will be cancelled at the Effective Time without payment.

•        Company RSUs.    Each Company RSU that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, whether or not vested, will be canceled, and the holder of such Company RSU will be entitled to receive (without interest), at or promptly after the Effective Time, for each such Company RSU an amount in cash, less any withholding taxes, determined by multiplying (i) the per share merger consideration by (ii) the number of shares of our common stock underlying such Company RSU immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided, that as to any such Company RSU that is not vested as of the Effective Time, the merger consideration for such unvested Company RSU will remain subject to the vesting conditions that applied to such Company RSU immediately prior to the Effective Time (including any provisions for accelerated vesting of such Company RSU in connection with a termination of the holder’s employment) and will be payable only if and to the extent such vesting conditions are satisfied.

•        Company PSUs.    Each Company PSU that is outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time will vest as to the number of Company PSUs determined in accordance with the applicable award agreement and will be canceled and converted into the right to receive (without interest), at or promptly after the Effective Time, an amount in cash (without interest) determined by multiplying (i) the per-share merger consideration by (ii) the number of shares of our common stock underlying such vested Company PSUs, less any withholding taxes. Any Company PSU that is not vested as of immediately prior to the Effective Time will be canceled at the Effective Time without payment of any consideration therefor. As of the date hereof, it is expected that the outstanding Company PSUs will not vest and will be cancelled without payment at the Effective Time.

Equity Interests of Our Directors and Executive Officers

The following table sets forth for each of our named executive officers and each member of our Board (1) the number of shares of our common stock directly held by such individual; (2) the number of shares of our common stock subject to such individual’s outstanding and unvested Company RSUs; and (3) the number of shares of our common stock subject to such individual’s outstanding Company Options, in each case assuming the following and such additional assumptions set forth in the footnotes to the table:

•        each figure in this table represents an estimate of the shares or values, as applicable, estimated to be outstanding as of December 31, 2024 (which, solely for purposes of this Proxy Statement, is the assumed closing date of the merger);

•        no additional equity awards are granted to such individuals prior to December 31, 2024; and

•        the value of these shares of our common stock (including share covered by equity awards) is equal to the per share merger consideration in the merger of $3.17.

The equity awards held by the Company’s non-employee directors that are then unvested will be fully vested upon (or immediately prior to) the Effective Time.

____________

(1)      Represents shares of our common stock estimated to be directly held by the individual as of December 31, 2024. For purposes of these amounts, we have assumed no other acquisitions or dispositions of shares of our common stock. For additional information regarding beneficial ownership of common stock, see the section of this Proxy Statement captioned “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management.”

(2)      The number of unvested Company RSUs is presented assuming that each award will continue to vest on its existing vesting schedule through December 31, 2024 (without any accelerated vesting or forfeiture of such award prior to that date). As noted above, it is expected that the outstanding Company PSUs will not vest and will be cancelled without payment at the Effective Time. Accordingly, Company PSUs are not reflected in this table.

(3)      The number of outstanding Company Options is presented assuming that each award will not be exercised or forfeited prior to December 31, 2024 and that all then-outstanding Company Options will be fully vested on that date. The value of the outstanding Company Options reported in this table is determined by multiplying (i) the number of shares subject to the Company Option by (ii) the excess (if any) of the $3.17 per-share price over the exercise price of the Company Option.

(4)      Mr. Takayuki Katsuda and Mr. Hideharu (Harry) Konagaya are not eligible for compensation under our director compensation policy due to their association with Koito.

Further, concurrently with the execution of the Merger Agreement, Dr. Jun Pei, Dr. Mark McCord and Mr. Yupeng Cui, as stockholders of the Company holding 28.8% of our outstanding common stock as of the Record Date, entered into a Rollover Agreement, pursuant to which, immediately prior to the Effective Time, Dr. Jun Pei, Dr. Mark McCord and Mr. Yupeng Cui will contribute the Rollover Shares, making up one-half of the shares of common stock owned by each such Rollover Participant as of the date of the Rollover Agreement, to Holdco in exchange for equity interests in Holdco. A copy of the Rollover Agreement is attached as Annex C to this Proxy Statement. For more discussion on the terms of the Rollover Agreement see “Rollover Agreement” in Proposal 1.

Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers

Each of the NEOs are party to existing employment agreements with the Company. The existing employment agreements do not have a specified term and provide that the executive’s employment with the Company is at-will. Each employment agreement provides for the executive to receive a base salary and to participate in the Company’s benefit plans made available to employees generally and for certain severance benefits upon a termination of the executive’s employment under certain conditions as set forth below.

Dr. Jun Pei’s employment agreement provides for an initial annual base salary of $320,000 and is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus as determined by the Compensation Committee and to participate in the Company’s benefit plans made available to employees generally. If Dr. Jun Pei’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company without “cause” or by him for “good reason” (as defined in the agreement), he will receive severance of 18 months base salary, payable in installments over an 18-month period, payment of his COBRA premiums for 18 months, and 18 months’ accelerated vesting of his then-outstanding and unvested equity awards granted by the Company. However, if such a termination of his employment occurs in connection with or within 18 months following a change in control of the Company, his severance will equal the sum of 18 months of his base salary and 1.5 times his annual target bonus for the year of termination (or, if no target bonus has been established, the amount of his target bonus for the prior year or the amount of his actual bonus for the prior year and provided that his severance will not be less than $900,000 if such termination occurs within two years after the Closing) and will be paid in a lump sum; and his then-outstanding equity awards granted by the Company will be fully vested. Dr. Jun Pei’s right to receive these severance benefits is subject to his providing a release of claims to the Company and his continued compliance with his confidentiality, non-solicitation and other covenants in favor of the Company.

The agreements for Mr. Mitchell Hourtienne and Dr. Dongyi Liao each provide the executive will receive an initial annual base salary of $280,000 and is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus as determined by the Compensation Committee and to participate in the Company’s benefit plans made available to employees generally. If the executive’s employment with the Company is terminated by the Company without “cause” or by the executive for “good reason” (as defined in the agreement), the executive will receive severance of 12 months base salary, payable in installments over a 12-month period, payment of his COBRA premiums for 12 months, and 12 months’ accelerated vesting of his then-outstanding and unvested equity awards granted by the Company. However, if such a termination of the executive’s employment occurs in connection with or within 18 months following a change in control of the Company, the executive’s severance will equal the sum of 12 months of his base salary and his annual target bonus for the year of termination (or, if no target bonus has been established, the amount of his target bonus or actual bonus for the prior year) and will be paid in a lump sum, and his then-outstanding equity awards granted by the Company will be fully vested. In each case, the executive’s right to receive these severance benefits is subject to his providing a release of claims to the Company and his continued compliance with his confidentiality, non-solicitation and other covenants in favor of the Company.

Golden Parachute Compensation

The following table sets forth the information required by Item 402(t) of Regulation S-K regarding certain compensation for each of our named executive officers that is based on, or that otherwise relates to, the merger and based on the terms of the existing employment agreements to which each such officer is a party. This compensation is referred to as “golden parachute” compensation by the applicable SEC disclosure rules, and in this section such term is used to describe the merger-related compensation payable (or that may become payable in certain circumstances) to our named executive officers. Our “named executive officers” for purposes of the disclosure in this Proxy Statement are Dr. Jun Pei, Mitchell Hourtienne and Dr. Dongyi Liao. For additional details regarding the terms of the payments quantified below, see the above section “Interests of Certain Persons in the Transaction — Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers.”

The amounts in the table are estimated using the following assumptions and such additional assumptions as may be set forth in the footnotes to the table:

•        the effective time of the merger will occur on December 31, 2024 (which is the assumed closing date of the merger solely for purposes of this golden parachute compensation disclosure);

•        no additional equity awards are granted to the named executive officers prior to December 31, 2024;

•        the value of the shares of our common stock covered by equity awards is equal to the per share merger consideration in the merger of $3.17; and

•        named executive officer experienced a qualifying termination of his employment at the effective time of the merger that resulted in severance benefits becoming payable to such named executive officer under his employment agreement.

The amounts reported below are estimated based on these and other assumptions that may or may not actually occur or be accurate on the date that the merger closes, and reflect estimated values of severance cash compensation, unvested equity incentives and other benefits. Accordingly, the ultimate values to be received by a named executive officer in connection with the merger may differ from the amounts set forth below. We believe that these compensation elements are reasonable, aligned with the market standard and are part of our executive remuneration program designed to incentivize executives to drive stockholder value creation and act in the best interest of stockholders, despite potential risk of a job loss. No additional stock grants were made, or are being made, as a result of or in connection with the merger. To be eligible to receive severance compensation, a named executive officer must experience a qualifying termination of his employment during the two-year period after closing of the merger for Dr. Jun Pei or 18 months after closing of the merger for Mr. Mitchell Hourtienne and Dr. Dongyi Liao, making these double-trigger benefits. This treatment is aligned with what we believe to be the best market practice.

As required by applicable SEC rules, all amounts below that are determined using the per share value of our common stock have been calculated based on the per share merger consideration.

Golden Parachute Compensation

____________

(1)      Cash.    This column reflects the amount of “double-trigger” payments to which the named executive officer may become entitled under their employment agreement. The amount becomes payable if, for Dr. Pei during the two-year period after the closing of the merger and for Mr. Hourtienne and Dr. Liao during the 18 month period after closing of the merger, their employment with the Company or its affiliates is terminated for a reason other than “cause” or they resign for “good reason,” as such terms are defined in the named executive officer’s employment agreement, subject to the named executive officer timely signing and not revoking a release of claims and continued compliance with the confidentiality, non-solicitation and other covenants in favor of the Company. Such termination is referred to as a “qualifying termination.”

The amounts represent a lump sum cash severance payment equal to the sum of (1) 18 months for Dr. Pei and 12 months for the other current named executive officers, of such named executive officer’s annual base salary as in effect as of December 31, 2024; and (2) 1.5 times the annual target bonus for Dr. Pei (or, if no target bonus has been established, the amount of Dr. Pei’s actual bonus for the prior year and provided that his severance will not be less than $900,000) and 100% of the annual target bonus for the other current named executive officers (or, if no target bonus has been established, the amount of his target bonus or actual bonus for the prior year), in each case, as in effect for fiscal year 2024.None of the executives had a target bonus for 2023 or 2024 or received any actual bonus for 2023.

(2)      Equity.    The amounts in this column represent the value of outstanding Company Options, unvested Company RSUs and unvested Company PSUs (based on the assumptions described above and after giving effect to the treatment of these equity awards at the Effective Time as described above under “Interests of Certain persons in the Transaction — Interests of Directors and Executive Officers in the Merger — Treatment of Equity Awards in the Merger”). Each of the current named executive officers would be entitled under their employment agreements to accelerated vesting of their then-outstanding and unvested equity awards upon a qualifying termination

(3)      Perquisites/Benefits.    The amounts reported in this column represent the estimated cost to provide the health and welfare benefits described above (including reimbursement of COBRA premiums for the applicable period) to the executive following a qualifying termination in connection with the Transaction.

(4)      Tax Reimbursement.    None of the named executive officers is entitled to a “gross-up” payment for any excise taxes that may be due by reason of Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code.

(5)      Total.    This amount represents the sum of all amounts reported in the preceding columns.

New Employment Agreements with Named Executive Officers

In connection with the merger, our Compensation Committee approved the terms of new employment agreements, which were subsequently entered into between Cepton Technologies and Dr. Pei and Dr. Liao. These agreements were negotiated with Koito and will be effective upon the Closing.

Each of the new employment agreements provides for the executive to receive an annual base salary ($332,800 in the case of Dr. Pei and $300,000 in the case of Dr. Liao), effective for fiscal 2025 (and retroactive to January 1, 2025 if the closing of the Merger occurs after that date), and to participate in benefit plans made available generally to employees of Cepton Technologies. Each executive will also be awarded a retention bonus for each of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026, in an amount equal to 100% of the executive’s base salary and subject to the executive’s continued employment through the end of the applicable fiscal year. After fiscal 2026, each executive will be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus as determined by the board of directors of Cepton Technologies (the “Cepton Technologies Board”). Each executive will also be eligible to receive grants of long-term cash incentive awards (“LTI Awards”), which may be granted annually or at such other frequency as determined by the Cepton Technologies Board, with the first such award (the “Initial LTI Award”) granted in fiscal 2025. LTI Awards will vest subject to continued employment by the executive and the achievement of performance goals established annually on a rolling basis by the Cepton Technologies Board. The Initial LTI Award will have a grant target value of $166,400 for Dr. Pei and $150,000 for Dr. Liao, and the payout of the Initial LTI Award will be between 0% and 200% of such target subject to actual performance. If the executive’s employment is terminated by Cepton Technologies without “cause” or by the executive for “good reason” (as defined in the agreement), the executive will receive severance of 18 months base salary, payable in installments over an 18-month period, payment of COBRA premiums for 18 months, and vesting of the portion of the executive’s LTI Awards that would have vested within 18 months after the termination date (with performance deemed achieved at the target level and the time-based vesting requirement being treated as 36 monthly installments for this purpose). However, if such a termination of the executive’s employment occurs in connection with or within 18 months following a change in control of Cepton Technologies, the executive’s severance will equal the sum of 18 months of his base salary and one and one-half times his target annual bonus (or retention bonus, if applicable) for the year of termination or, if no such target bonus has been established for the applicable year, the target bonus (or retention bonus, if applicable) for the prior year (or, if no such target annual bonus has been established, the amount of his actual annual bonus (or retention bonus, if applicable) for the prior year) and will be paid in a lump sum; and his then-outstanding LTI Awards will be fully vested. The executive’s right to receive these severance benefits is subject to his providing a release of claims to Cepton Technologies and his continued compliance with his confidentiality, non-solicitation and other covenants in favor of Cepton Technologies.

Section 280G Mitigation Actions

Several employees, including our executive officers, who are eligible to receive payments in connection with the merger may be subject to an excise tax under Section 280G of the Code, and such payments would not be deductible by the Company for federal income tax purposes. The Company is evaluating these potential adverse impacts under Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code on the employees and the Company, and with Koito’s consent, may take certain reasonable actions during calendar year 2024 in an effort to mitigate these potential tax effects if the closing of the merger occurs in calendar year 2025. Such actions may include (1) accelerating the payment of any cash incentives that may be awarded to the employee for 2024 so that such amounts are paid in December 2024 instead of early in 2025, and (2) accelerating the vesting and payment date of the employee’s Company RSUs that may be scheduled to vest after 2024 to a date in December 2024.

Market Price of Common Stock

Our common stock is listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “CPTN.”

The closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on July 26, 2024, the last trading day prior to the public announcement of the execution of the Merger Agreement, was $2.53 per share. As of September 24, 2024, there were approximately 34 holders of record of our common stock.

Our net book value per share as of September 30, 2024 was approximately $(3.24) calculated based on 16,051,981 shares outstanding as of such date.

On November 19, 2024, the most recent practicable date before this Proxy Statement was mailed to our stockholders, the closing price for our common stock on Nasdaq was $3.11 per share.

We have never declared or paid a cash dividend on our common stock, and we intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our capital stock as of September 1, 2024 for:

•        each of our named executive officers;

•        each of our directors;

•        all of our current directors and named executive officers as a group; and

•        each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock.

We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and thus it represents sole or shared voting or investment power with respect to our securities. Unless otherwise indicated below, to our knowledge, the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to all shares that they beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable. The information does not necessarily indicate beneficial ownership for any other purpose, including for purposes of Sections 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

We have based our calculation of the percentage of beneficial ownership on 16,051,981 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 1, 2024. In accordance with SEC rules, we have deemed shares of our common stock subject to Company Options or warrants that are currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty (60) days of September 1, 2024 and shares of our common stock underlying Company RSUs that are currently releasable or releasable within sixty (60) days of September 1, 2024 to be outstanding and to be beneficially owned by the person holding the common stock, Company Options, warrants or Company RSUs for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of that person. We did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o Cepton, Inc., 399 West Trimble Road, San Jose, California 95131. The information provided in the table is based on our records, information filed with the SEC and information provided to us, except where otherwise noted.

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*        Less than one percent.

(1)      Includes 4,112,583 shares of common stock into which the 100,000 shares of Preferred Stock owned by Koito are convertible (taking into account dividends accrued but unpaid as of June 30, 2024), subject to adjustment, at any time following January 19, 2024. The business address of Koito is 5-1-18, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

(2)      Consists of 847 shares of common stock owned by Dr. McCord and 1,030,924 shares of common stock owned by the McCord Trust, dated January 7, 2020, of which Dr. McCord is a trustee.

(3)      Consists of 963,098 shares of common stock.

(4)      Consists of (i) 138,194 shares of common stock owned by Dr. Pei, (ii) 1,399 shares of common stock held by Dr. Pei’s spouse, and (iii) 2,445,426 shares of common stock held by the Pei 2000 Trust, of which Dr. Pei is a trustee.

(5)      Consists of (i) 2,081,849 shares of common stock owned by Dr. Ye, (ii) 244,923 shares of common stock owned by the Lynnelle Lin Ye Irrevocable Trust dated December 8, 2020 of which Dr. Ye is a trustee, (iii) 244,923 shares of common stock owned by the Brion Qi Ye Irrevocable Trust dated December 8, 2020, of which Dr. Ye is a trustee, and (iv) 20,000 shares of common stock owned by the Ye-Wang Family Trust, dated March 31, 2007, of which Dr. Ye is a trustee.

(6)      Consists of 244,921 shares of common stock issuable pursuant to Company Options exercisable within 60 days of September 1, 2024.

(7)      Consists of 33,356 shares of common stock issuable pursuant to Company Options exercisable within 60 days of September 1, 2024.

(8)      Consists of (i) 53,592 shares of common stock owned by Mr. Syllantavos, and (ii) 61,750 shares of common stock issuable to Magellan Investments Corp. pursuant to warrants that are exercisable within 60 days of September 1, 2024. Mr. Syllantavos is the president and the sole director of Magellan Investments Corp.

(9)      Mr. Katsuda is the Senior Managing Corporate Officer and Head of Engineering Headquarters of Koito. The business address of Mr. Katsuda is c/o Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd., 5-1-18, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

(10)    Mr. Konagaya is the Executive Vice President and Head of the Procurement Department of Koito. The business address of Mr. Konagaya is c/o Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd., 5-1-18, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

(11)    Consists of 17,692 shares of common stock.

Where You Can Find More Information

The Company files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including us. The address of that site is www.sec.gov.

You can also review the Company’s SEC filings on its website at http://investors.cepton.com. Through links on the “Investors” portion of our website, we make available free of charge our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, any amendments to those reports and other information filed with, or furnished to, the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Such material is made available through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The information contained on or that can be accessed through our website does not constitute part of this Proxy Statement, other than documents that we file with the SEC that are specifically incorporated by reference into this Proxy Statement.

Any person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this Proxy Statement is delivered may request copies of this Proxy Statement or other information concerning us, without charge, by written or telephonic request directed to our Corporate Secretary at Cepton, Inc., 399 West Trimble Road, San Jose, California 95131 or by telephone at (408) 459-7579, or from the SEC through the SEC website at the address provided above.

Because the merger is a “going private” transaction, we have filed with the SEC a Transaction Statement on Schedule 13E-3 with respect to the merger. The Schedule 13E-3, including any amendments and exhibits filed or incorporated by reference as a part of it, is available for inspection as set forth above. The Schedule 13E-3 will be amended to report promptly any material changes in the information set forth in the most recent Schedule 13E-3 filed with the SEC.

Other Information

Other Matters to be Presented at the Special Meeting

We do not know of any matters to be presented at the Special Meeting other than those described in this Proxy Statement. If any other matters are properly brought before the Special Meeting, proxies will be voted in accordance with the best judgment of the person or persons voting the proxies.

Stockholder Communication with Board Members

Any stockholder may contact the Board, a committee of the Board or a specified individual director by writing to the attention of the Board (or a specified individual director or committee) and sending such communication to the attention of our Corporate Secretary at our executive offices as identified in this Proxy Statement. Each communication from a stockholder should include the following information in order to permit us to confirm your status as a stockholder and enable us to send a response if deemed appropriate:

•        the name, mailing address and telephone number of the stockholder sending the communication;

•        the number and type of our securities owned by such stockholder; and

•        if the stockholder is not a record owner of our securities, the name of the record owner of our securities beneficially owned by the stockholder.

Our Corporate Secretary will forward all appropriate communications to the Board, the applicable committee of the Board or individual members of the Board as specified in the communication. Our Corporate Secretary may, but is not required to, review all correspondence addressed to the Board, a committee of the Board or any individual member of the Board, for any inappropriate correspondence more suitably directed to management.

Submission of Future Stockholder Proposals

If the merger is completed, we will have no public stockholders and there will be no public participation in any future meetings of the stockholders of the Company. However, if the merger is not completed, our stockholders will continue to be entitled to attend and participate in our stockholders’ meetings.

Our Bylaws provide that, for stockholder director nominations or other proposals to be considered at an annual meeting, the stockholder must give timely notice thereof in writing to our Secretary at 399 West Trimble Road, San Jose, California 95131. To be timely for the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, a stockholder’s notice must be received by our Secretary at our principal executive offices later than January 8, 2025, and must comply with Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act regarding the inclusion of stockholder proposals in Company-sponsored proxy materials. If we change the date of the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders by more than 30 days from the anniversary of the 2024 annual meeting, your written proposal must be received within a reasonable time before we begin to print and mail our proxy materials for the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders. If you intend to nominate an individual for election to our Board at our 2025 annual meeting of stockholders or wish to present a proposal at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders but do not intend for such proposal to be included in the Proxy Statement for such meeting, our Bylaws require that, among other things, stockholders give written notice of the nomination or proposal to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices no later than March 19, 2025 (the 90th day before the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting) nor earlier than February 17, 2025 (the 120th day before the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting) for the Annual Meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that we change the date of the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders to a date that is more than 30 days before or more than 70 days after the anniversary of the 2024 annual meeting, than the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting or, if later, the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such annual meeting was first made. Stockholder proposals not intended to be included in the Proxy Statement or nominations for director candidates that do not meet the notice requirements set forth above and further described in Section 2.4 of our Bylaws will not be acted upon at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders.

In addition, a stockholder who intends to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than the Company’s nominees at the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders must provide written notice to our Corporate Secretary setting forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act, unless the required information

has been provided in a preliminary or definitive Proxy Statement previously filed by the stockholder. Such written notice must be provided in accordance with Rule 14a-19 no later than April 18, 2025. If we change the date of the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders by more than 30 days from the date of this year’s annual meeting, your written notice must be received by the later of 60 days prior to the date of the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders or the 10th calendar day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders is first made. The notice requirement under Rule 14a-19 is in addition to the applicable notice requirements under our Bylaws as noted above.

Delivery of Proxy Materials to Stockholders Sharing an Address

To reduce the expenses of delivering duplicate proxy materials and to help the environment by conserving natural resources, we may take advantage of the SEC’s “householding” rules that permit us to deliver only one set of proxy materials to stockholders who share an address, unless otherwise requested. If you share an address with another shareholder and have received only one set of proxy materials, you may request a separate copy of these materials at no cost to you by contacting us at Cepton, Inc., Attention: Corporate Secretary, 399 West Trimble Road, San Jose, California 95131 or (408) 459-7579. For future meetings, you may request separate voting materials, or request that we send only one set of proxy materials to you if you are receiving multiple copies, by calling or writing to us at the phone number and address given above.

Annex A

EXECUTION VERSION

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

by and among

CEPTON, INC.,

KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

and

PROJECT CAMARO MERGER SUB, INC.

Dated as of July 29, 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

This AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of July 29, 2024, by and among Cepton, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD., a corporation organized under the laws of Japan (“Parent”), and Project Camaro Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary of Parent (“Merger Sub”). The Company, Parent and the Merger Sub are sometimes referred to herein individually, as a “Party” and collectively, as the “Parties.” All capitalized terms that are used in this Agreement and not otherwise defined shall have the respective meanings given to them in Section 1.01.

WITNESSETH:

WHEREAS, the Company, Parent and Merger Sub desire to effect the merger of Merger Sub with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation (the “Surviving Corporation”) and an indirect Subsidiary of Parent (the “Merger”) on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement and in accordance with the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as amended (the “DGCL”), pursuant to which, except as otherwise provided in Article 2, each outstanding share of the Company Common Stock (as defined below), issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into the right to receive the Merger Consideration (as defined below);

WHEREAS, the board of directors of the Company (the “Company Board”) (acting upon the unanimous recommendation of a special committee thereof consisting only of independent and disinterested directors (the “Special Committee”)), at a meeting duly called and held, has (i) determined that the Merger and the other transactions contemplated hereby (collectively, the “Transaction”), are fair to and in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders other than Parent, Merger Sub or any of their respective Affiliates or the Rolling Stockholders (such other stockholders, the “Unaffiliated Stockholders”), (ii) approved, adopted and declared advisable this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which the Company is a party, (iii) directed that this Agreement and the Transaction be submitted to the Company Stockholders for adoption, and (iv) subject to the terms of this Agreement, resolved to recommended that the Company Stockholders adopt this Agreement and approve the Transaction (such recommendation, the “Company Board Recommendation”);

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Merger Sub has approved, and declared advisable, this Agreement and the Transaction;

WHEREAS, the board of directors of Parent has approved this Agreement and the Transaction, and Parent, in its capacity as the sole member of Project Camaro Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Holdco”), shall cause Holdco, in its capacity as the sole stockholder of Merger Sub, to approve the adoption of this Agreement;

WHEREAS, concurrently with this Agreement, Parent, Holdco and each of the Rolling Stockholders has entered into rollover agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “Rollover Agreement”), pursuant to which, immediately prior to the Effective Time, the Rolling Stockholders and Parent will contribute an agreed number of the shares of Company Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock owned by the Rolling Stockholders and Parent to Holdco in exchange for equity interests in Holdco;

WHEREAS, Parent has entered into a letter agreement with each of the Key Employees (the “New Employment Letter Agreements”), containing, among other things, the principal terms of the new employment agreement to be entered into between such Key Employee and Cepton Technologies (as defined below) (the “New Employment Agreements”) prior to the Closing, which would supersede the New Employment Letter Agreement in its entirety and would become effective immediately upon the Closing;

WHEREAS, concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, Parent and the Supporting Stockholders have executed and delivered voting support agreements, dated as of the date hereof (the “Voting Support Agreements”), pursuant to which, among other things, such Supporting Stockholders have agreed, subject to the terms thereof, to vote, or cause to be voted, all of the shares of Company Common Stock beneficially owned by such Supporting Stockholders in favor of the adoption of this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, concurrently with the execution of this Agreement, Parent has caused to be delivered to the Company the waiver of any and all approval, consent or notice rights required to be obtained from or provided to Parent or any of its Affiliates in connection with the approval of the Transaction pursuant to the Investor Rights Agreement (the “Koito Approval”).

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises and the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein, as well as other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged and accepted, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the Parties agree as follows:

Article 1
Definitions & Interpretations

Section 1.01.    Certain Definitions. For all purposes of and pursuant to this Agreement, the following capitalized terms have the following respective meanings:

“Acquisition Proposal” means any inquiry, indication of interest, offer or proposal (other than an inquiry, indication of interest, offer or proposal by Parent or Merger Sub pursuant to this Agreement) relating to an Acquisition Transaction.

“Acquisition Transaction” means any transaction or series of related transactions (other than the Transaction) involving:

(a)        any direct or indirect purchase or other acquisition by any Person or “group” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons of shares of capital stock of the Company, including pursuant to a tender offer or exchange offer, that if consummated in accordance with its terms would result in such Person or “group” of Persons beneficially owning (i) more than 20% of the Company Common Stock outstanding (on an as-converted, exchanged or exercised basis, if applicable) or (ii) securities convertible, exchangeable or exercisable into more than 20% of the Company Common Stock outstanding (on an as-converted, exchanged or exercised basis, if applicable), in either case, after giving effect to the consummation of such purchase or other acquisition;

(b)        any direct or indirect purchase, lease, exchange, transfer, exclusive license or other acquisition by any Person or “group” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons, or stockholders of any such Person or group of Persons, of more than 20% of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole (measured by the fair market value thereof as of the date of such purchase or acquisition); or

(c)        any merger, consolidation, business combination, joint venture, repurchase, redemption, share exchange, recapitalization, reorganization, liquidation, dissolution or other similar transaction involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to which any Person or “group” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons, or stockholders of any such Person or group of Persons, would beneficially own equity of the Company representing (i) more than 20% of the Company Common Stock outstanding (on an as-converted, exchanged or exercised basis, if applicable) or (ii) securities convertible into more than 20% of the Company Common Stock outstanding (on an as-converted, exchanged or exercised basis, if applicable), in either case, after giving effect to the consummation of such transaction.

“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person. For purposes of this definition, the term “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as used with respect to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of that Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities or partnership or other ownership interests, by Contract or otherwise; provided that the Company and any of its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Parent and any of its Subsidiaries, including Merger Sub, on the other hand, shall not be deemed to be Affiliates of one another.

“Anti-Corruption Laws” means all applicable Laws and all other statutory or regulatory requirements relating to anti-corruption, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, the U.K. Bribery Act 2010 and any other Law implementing the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions applicable to the Company.

“Antitrust Law” means the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, the Federal Trade Commission Act and all other Laws that are designed or intended to prohibit, restrict or regulate actions having the purpose or effect of monopolization or restraint of trade or significant impediments or lessening of competition or the creation or strengthening of a dominant position through merger or acquisition, in any case that are applicable to the Transaction.

“Audited Company Balance Sheet” means the consolidated balance sheet (and the notes thereto) of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2023 set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Company with the SEC on April 1, 2024.

“Business Combination Agreement” means the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of August 4, 2021, by and among the Company, GCAC Merger Sub Inc. and Cepton Technologies, as amended.

“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday or Sunday or a day on which commercial banks are authorized or required by Law to be closed in New York City, New York, or Tokyo, Japan.

“Burdensome Condition” means any condition, restriction or other action required, imposed or requested by CFIUS that would reasonably be expected to impose a material burden or have a material adverse impact on the Parent’s or its Affiliates’ ability to retain or operate their respective businesses, operations, product lines or assets (including those acquired in the Merger) from and after the Closing.

“CARES Act” means the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (H.R. 748).

“Cepton Technologies” means Cepton Technologies, Inc., a Subsidiary of the Company.

“CFIUS” means the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or any successor entity, and any member agency thereof acting on its behalf.

“CFIUS Approval” means either (a) a written notice shall have been issued by CFIUS that it has concluded that the Transaction does not constitute a “covered transaction” and is not subject to review under Section 721, (b) a written notice shall have been issued by CFIUS stating that it has determined that there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the Transaction and that it has concluded all action under Section 721, and no Burdensome Condition shall have been unilaterally imposed by CFIUS, or (c) in the event that CFIUS has sent a report to the President of the United States requesting the decision of the President pursuant to Section 721, (1) the President has announced a decision not to take any action to suspend, prohibit or place any limitations that would constitute a Burdensome Condition on the Transaction or (2) having received a report from CFIUS requesting the President’s decision, the President has not taken any action after 15 days from the date the President received such report from CFIUS.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

“Company Board” means the board of directors of the Company.

“Company Board Recommendation Change” means for the Company Board, to withhold, withdraw, amend, qualify or modify, or publicly propose to withhold, withdraw, amend, qualify or modify, the Company Board Recommendation in a manner adverse to the Transaction; publicly adopt, approve or recommend an Acquisition Proposal; in connection with a tender or exchange offer by a third party; fail to recommend against such offer by the close of business on the tenth (10th) U.S. Business Day after its commencement; or fail to include the Company Board Recommendation in the Proxy Statement; provided, that, for the avoidance of doubt, but subject to compliance by the Company with the terms of Section 6.03, none of (a) the determination by the Company Board in accordance with Section 6.03(b) that an Acquisition Proposal constitutes a Superior Proposal, (b) the disclosure by the Company of such determination in accordance with Section 6.03(b), (c) the delivery by the Company of the notice required by Section 6.03(c) or (d) the making of any communication in accordance with Section 6.03(d), shall in itself constitute a Company Board Recommendation Change.

“Company Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.00001 per share, of the Company.

“Company Fundamental Representations” means the representations and warranties set forth in the first, fourth and fifth sentences of Section 4.01 (Organization; Good Standing); Section 4.02 (Corporate Power; Enforceability); Section 4.03(a) (Company Board Approval); Section 4.03(b) (Anti-Takeover Laws); Section 4.04 (Requisite Stockholder Approval); Section 4.05(a) (Non-Contravention); Section 4.07 (Company Capitalization); and Section 4.26 (Brokers).

“Company Material Adverse Effect” means any change, event, effect, occurrence or circumstance that, individually or in the aggregate, (x) has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, a material adverse effect on the business, condition (financial or otherwise), or results of operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or (y) prevents or materially impairs or materially delays, or would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially impair or materially delay, the consummation of the Transaction; provided, however, that, with respect to clause (x) above, none of the following, and no change, event, effect, occurrence or circumstance to the extent arising out of or resulting from the following (in each case, by itself or when aggregated), will be deemed to be or constitute a Company Material Adverse Effect or will be taken into account when determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur (subject to the limitations set forth below):

(i)        changes generally affecting the global or national economy, credit or financial or capital markets, in the United States or elsewhere in the world, including changes in interest or exchange rates; and changes in conditions in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business;

(ii)       changes or prospective changes in, or issuances of new, Law or GAAP or accounting standards, or any changes or prospective changes in the interpretation or enforcement of any of the foregoing, or any changes or prospective changes in general legal, regulatory or political conditions, including any Law, directive, pronouncement or guideline issued by a Governmental Authority, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization or industry group providing for business closures, “sheltering-in-place” or other restrictions that relate to, or arise out of, an epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak (including the COVID-19 pandemic) or any change in such law, regulation, statute, directive, pronouncement or guideline or interpretation thereof following the date of this Agreement;

(iii)      any geopolitical conditions, outbreak of hostilities, acts of war, sabotage, cyberterrorism, terrorism, military actions, earthquakes, volcanic activity, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, mudslides, wildfires or other natural disasters, weather conditions, epidemics and other force majeure events (including any escalation or general worsening thereof);

(iv)       the execution, announcement or performance of this Agreement or the consummation of the Transaction, including the impact thereof on relationships, contractual or otherwise, with customers, suppliers, distributors, partners, employees or regulators, or any claims (or threats of claims) or litigation (or threats of litigation) arising from allegations of breach of fiduciary duty or violation of Law relating to this Agreement, the Transaction or the Proxy Statement (as defined herein), or the identity of, or any facts and circumstances relating solely to, Parent, Merger Sub or any of their controlled Affiliates;

(v)        any action taken by the Company or its Subsidiaries that is expressly required by this Agreement or with Parent’s express written consent or at Parent’s express written request, or the failure to take any action by the Company or its Subsidiaries if that action is expressly prohibited by this Agreement;

(vi)      any change or prospective change in the Company’s credit ratings (it being understood that the underlying cause of such change may be taken into consideration when determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred);

(vii)     any decline in the market price, or change in trading volume, of the capital stock of the Company (it being understood that the underlying cause of such change may be taken into consideration when determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred);

(viii)    any failure to meet any internal or public projections, forecasts, guidance, estimates, milestones, budgets or internal or published financial or operating predictions of revenue, earnings, cash flow, cash position or other operating metrics (it being understood that the exception in this clause (viii) shall not prevent or otherwise affect a determination that the underlying cause of any such change, decline or failure referred to herein (if not otherwise falling within any of the exceptions provided by clauses (i) through (vii) hereof) is a Material Adverse Effect);

(ix)      any breach by Parent or Merger Sub of this Agreement; and

(x)        any item set forth on Section 1.01 of the Company Disclosure Letter under the heading “Company Material Adverse Effect.”

except, in each case of clauses (i) to (iii), to the extent that such change, event, effect or circumstance has had a disproportionate adverse effect on the Company relative to other companies operating in the industries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, in which case only the incremental disproportionate adverse impact may be taken into account in determining whether a Company Material Adverse Effect has occurred.

“Company Options” means any compensatory options to purchase shares of Company Common Stock, whether granted pursuant to any of the Company Stock Plans or otherwise. For the avoidance of doubt, Company Options shall not include any option to purchase shares of Company Stock under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan or any Warrants.

“Company Products” means all Lidar devices, Software and other products, services, programs and items (tangible and intangible), in each case, which are currently marketed, licensed, sold or offered for sale by the Company and any services performed by or on behalf of the Company, or from which the Company or its Subsidiaries have derived within the three years preceding the date hereof or is currently deriving revenue from the sale, license, maintenance or other provision thereof.

“Company PSUs” means any performance-based restricted stock units of the Company, whether granted pursuant to any of the Company Stock Plans or otherwise.