PROPOSAL 2 – APPROVAL OF THE ARTICLES AMENDMENT PROPOSAL
We are currently authorized by our articles of incorporation to issue up to 50,000,000 shares of Common Stock. Immediately prior to the closing of the Private Placement on April 3, 2024, we had 19,584,040 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding and 3,163,887 shares of Common Stock reserved for future issuance under the Company’s equity compensation plans, including for outstanding options. Pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, we issued and sold 3.4 million shares of Common Stock, 11,418 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, 2,732 shares of Series C Preferred Stock, and warrants to purchase 5,942 shares of Series B Preferred Stock and 1,441 shares of Series C Preferred Stock. If approved by our shareholders at the Special Meeting, such shares and warrants would be convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into 86,132,000 shares of Common Stock. Accordingly, we currently do not have a sufficient number of authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock to complete the Full Conversion. Therefore, the Full Conversion cannot be completed without the approval of the Articles Amendment Proposal.
After careful consideration, our Board of Directors unanimously approved, and recommends that shareholders approve, an amendment to the Company’s articles of incorporation to increase the number of shares of Common Stock that we are authorized to issue from 50,000,000 to 150,000,000.
The Articles Amendment
On April 1, 2024, and in connection with approving the Private Placement, the Board authorized and approved an amendment to our articles of incorporation to increase the number of shares of Common Stock that we are authorized to issue from 50,000,000 to 150,000,000 (the “Amendment”). The Amendment is subject to approval by our shareholders. The Board has recommended that our shareholders approve the Amendment and, therefore, we are asking shareholders to approve the Articles Amendment Proposal at the Special Meeting.
The Amendment, if approved, would amend Article II of the Company’s articles of incorporation. The complete text of the Amendment is set forth below. Except as provided below, Article II of the Company’s articles of incorporation would remain unchanged by this amendment. The relative rights of the holders of Common Stock under the articles of incorporation would also remain unchanged. Subsection A of Section 1 of Article II of the articles of incorporation, as amended by the proposed Amendment, is set forth below:
A. The Corporation is authorized to issue one hundred fifty million (150,000,000) shares of capital common stock with no stated par value.
If the Articles Amendment Proposal is approved by the shareholders, then the Amendment will be filed and become effective upon filing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, which we expect to occur promptly after the Special Meeting or any adjournment thereof.
Why We are Seeking Shareholder Approval
As required by the laws of our jurisdiction of incorporation, Virginia, the Board must approve any amendment to our articles of incorporation that increases the number of authorized shares of Common Stock and submit such amendment to shareholders for their approval. The affirmative vote of more than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Common Stock is required to approve the Articles Amendment Proposal under our articles of incorporation, as amended, and Virginia law.
We believe that the proposed Amendment is in the best interest of our shareholders because it will allow us to complete the Full Conversion and maintain flexibility to use capital stock for business and financial purposes in the future, including additional capital raising transactions, stock dividends, other stock splits and distributions, and in connection with equity-based benefit plans.
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