Exhibit 19.1
AvidXchange Holdings, Inc. Insider Trading Policy
Section 1. All Employees, Officers, and Directors, and each of their Family Members and Affiliates, Are Subject to this Policy. This Insider Trading Policy (“Policy”) applies to all employees (including full time and part time employees), outside directors, officers, and consultants of AvidXchange Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its affiliates (collectively, “AvidXchange” or the “Company”), their family members, and entities over which any of the foregoing individuals have or share voting or investment control. This Policy also applies to any other person who receives material nonpublic information from any AvidXchange insider or is otherwise designated by the Compliance Officer (as defined below). For purposes of this Policy, “family members” include people who live with you, are financially dependent on you, or whose transactions in securities are directed by you or are subject to your influence or control.
This Policy continues to apply following termination of employment or other relationship with AvidXchange until after the second trading day that any material non-public information in your possession has become public or is no longer material. Each employee, officer, consultant and director is personally responsible for the actions of their family members and other persons with whom they have a relationship who are subject to this policy, including any pre-clearances required.
As used in this Policy, the term “trading day” shall mean a day on which The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC or the primary quotation system or national securities exchange on which the Company’s common stock is then traded or listed, is open for trading. As used in this Policy, the term “business day” shall mean a day on which the Securities and Exchange Commission’s EDGAR system will receive and accept filings.
Section 2. Trading in AvidXchange Securities While in Possession of Material Nonpublic Information is Prohibited. The purchase or sale of securities by any person who possesses material nonpublic information is a violation of U.S. federal and state securities laws. It is important to avoid trading based on material nonpublic information, as well as the appearance of such trading.
No person subject to this Policy who is aware of material nonpublic information relating to AvidXchange may, directly or indirectly (through family members, other persons, entities or otherwise) buy, sell or otherwise trade in the securities of AvidXchange, or advise anyone else to do so, other than pursuant to a trading plan that complies with Rule 10b5-1 promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) or as specifically exempted in Section 9(B) of this Policy, or otherwise engage in any action to take personal advantage of that information. For purposes of this Policy, the term “trade” includes any transaction in AvidXchange securities, including gifts and pledges.
To ensure strict compliance with this Policy, each person subject to this Policy may, from time to time, have to forgo a proposed transaction even if such person planned to make the
transaction before learning material nonpublic information and even though such person may suffer economic loss or forgo anticipated profit by waiting.
Section 3. Trading in Other Public Companies’ Securities While in Possession of Material Nonpublic Information is Prohibited. No person subject to this Policy who possesses material nonpublic information relating to other publicly traded companies, including our vendors, customers and partners, as a result of such person’s employment with AvidXchange, the performance of services on our behalf, or other applicable relationship or affiliation with us, may, directly or indirectly (through family members, other persons, entities or otherwise), buy or sell securities of such companies, or advise anyone else to do so, or otherwise engage in any action to take personal advantage of that information.
Section 4. Certain Types of Transactions Are Prohibited.
2
Section 5. Sharing Material Nonpublic Information is Prohibited. No person subject to this Policy who possesses material nonpublic information relating to AvidXchange or any other publicly traded companies as a result of employment with AvidXchange, the performance of services on our behalf, or other applicable relationship or affiliation with us, may directly or indirectly (through family members, other persons, entities or otherwise) pass that information on to others outside the Company, including friends, family, or other acquaintances (referred to as “tipping”) until such information has been disseminated to the public. You must treat material nonpublic information about our business partners with the same care required with respect to such information related directly to AvidXchange.
Tipping includes passing information under circumstances that could suggest that you were trying to help another profit or avoid a loss. Exercise care when speaking with others who do not “need to know,” even if they are subject to this Policy, as well as when communicating with family, friends and others not associated with AvidXchange. To avoid the appearance of impropriety, refrain from discussing our business or prospects or making recommendations about buying or selling our securities or the securities of other companies with which we have a relationship. Inquiries about AvidXchange should be directed to our Communications, Investor Relations or Legal, Risk and Compliance teams.
Section 6. Recommendations Regarding Trading in AvidXchange Securities are Prohibited. No person subject to this Policy may make recommendations or express opinions on trading in AvidXchange securities, except to advise others not to trade in AvidXchange securities if doing so might violate the law or this Policy.
Section 7. Only Designated Spokespersons Are Authorized to Disclose Material Nonpublic Information. U.S. federal securities laws prohibit AvidXchange from selectively disclosing material nonpublic information. AvidXchange has established procedures for releasing material information in a manner that is designed to achieve broad dissemination of the information immediately upon its release. An employee or consultant may not, therefore, disclose material nonpublic information to anyone outside the Company, including family members and friends, other than in accordance with those established procedures.
Any inquiries about the Company should be directed to our Communications and Investor Relations teams. Additionally, the Legal team is responsible for handling legal matters that may involve certain disclosures.
3
Section 8. Employees Must Follow Company Guidelines Pertaining to Electronic Communications. Employees must follow the AvidXchange Disclosure and Regulation FD Policy and Social Media Policy with respect to any Internet electronic communication forums concerning the Company.
Section 9. Other Transactions in Company Securities.
Section 10. Directors, Officers and Certain Named Employees Are Subject to Additional Restrictions.
4
Section 11. Policy Violations Must Be Reported. Any person who violates this Policy, the Company’s Disclosure and Regulation FD Policy or any federal or state laws governing insider trading, or knows of any such violation by any other person, must report the violation immediately to the Compliance Officer or to the Company’s ethics hotline at:
Upon learning of any such violation, the Compliance Officer will determine whether the Company should release any material nonpublic information or whether the Company should report the violation to the SEC or other appropriate governmental authority.
Section 12. Insider Trading Compliance Officers. Unless the Board of Directors provides otherwise, the Company’s General Counsel shall act as the Company’s initial Insider Trading Compliance Officer (“Compliance Officer”); provided, however, that if the General Counsel is a party to a proposed trade, transaction or inquiry relating to this Policy, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer shall act as the Compliance Officer with respect to such proposed trade, transaction or inquiry. The Compliance Officer may delegate their authority to act as the Compliance Officer as they deem necessary or appropriate in their discretion. The duties of the Compliance Officer and his/her delegees may include the following:
5
The Compliance Officer may designate one or more individuals who may perform the Compliance Officer’s duties under this policy in the event that a Compliance Officer is unable or unavailable to perform such duties.
Section 13. Definition of “Material Nonpublic Information.”
6
Section 14. AvidXchange May Suspend All Trading Activities by Employees. In order to avoid any apparent or actual violation of this Policy and to protect both employees and the Company from any potential liability, from time to time AvidXchange may impose a “blackout” period during which some or all employees may not buy or sell AvidXchange securities. The Compliance Officer will impose such a blackout period if, in his or her judgment, there exists nonpublic information that would make trades by AvidXchange employees (or certain employees)
7
inappropriate in light of the risk that such trades could be viewed as violating applicable securities laws. If you are made aware of such a blackout period, do not disclose its existence to anyone.
Section 15. Violations of Insider Trading Laws or This Policy Can Result in Severe Consequences.
Section 16. This Policy Is Subject to Revision. AvidXchange may change the terms of this Policy from time to time to respond to developments in law and practice, and will take steps to inform all affected persons of any material changes. Nevertheless, it remains your responsibility
to ensure your understanding of and compliance with applicable law regardless of anything set forth in this Policy.
Section 17. All Persons Must Acknowledge Their Agreement to Comply with This Policy. The Policy will be available on the Company’s internal website and provided to all persons subject to this Policy upon adoption and to all new other persons at the start of their employment or relationship with the Company. Upon first receiving a copy of the Policy or any revised versions, each such person must sign an acknowledgment that they have received a copy and agree to comply with the Policy’s terms. This acknowledgment and agreement will constitute consent for AvidXchange to impose sanctions for violation of this Policy and to issue any necessary stop- transfer orders to the Company’s transfer agent to enforce compliance with this Policy.
Section 18. Director Affiliated Entities. Notwithstanding the forgoing, this Policy (including, for the avoidance of doubt, Appendix I to this Policy) does not apply to any entity with which a director is affiliated (a “Director Affiliated Entity”) if such entity engages in the investment of securities in the ordinary course of its business (e.g., an investment fund or partnership) and has established its own insider trading controls and procedures in compliance with applicable securities laws and the director has represented to the Company that such Director Affiliated Entity: (a) engages in the investment of securities in the ordinary course of its respective business; (b) has established insider trading controls and procedures in compliance with applicable securities laws; and (c) is aware such securities laws prohibit any person or entity who has material, nonpublic information concerning the Company from purchasing or selling securities of the
8
Company or from communicating such information to any other person under circumstances in which it is reasonably foreseeable that such person is likely to purchase or sell securities.
* * *
9
APPENDIX I
Special Restrictions on Transactions in Company Securities by Insiders
To minimize the risk of apparent or actual violations of the rules governing insider trading, we have adopted these special restrictions relating to transactions in our securities by our directors and the persons with the roles/titles listed on Exhibit A as employees who have frequent access to material nonpublic information concerning the Company (“Insiders”). Insiders are responsible for ensuring compliance with this Appendix I, including restrictions on all trading during certain periods, by family members and members of their households and by entities over which they exercise voting or investment control. Insiders should provide each of these persons or entities with a copy of this Policy.
Section 1. Trading Window. Any trade by an Insider that is subject to this Policy will be permitted only during an open “trading window.” Even when the window is open, all Company personnel are prohibited from trading in AvidXchange securities while in possession of material nonpublic information (see above). The trading window generally opens following the close of trading on the second full trading day following the public issuance of the Company’s earnings release for the most recent fiscal quarter and closes at the close of trading on the 16th day of the last month of a fiscal quarter (i.e., March 16, June 16, September 16, and December 16). In addition to when the trading window is scheduled to be closed, the Company may impose a special blackout period at its discretion due to the existence of material nonpublic information. The Compliance Officer may advise Insiders when the trading window opens and closes; provided that in any event, Insiders are charged with the knowledge of and compliance with this Policy.
Section 2. Trade Pre-Clearance Required. As part of this Policy, all purchases and sales of equity securities of the Company by Insiders, other than transactions that are not subject to the Policy (see Section 9(B) above) or transactions pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan authorized by the Compliance Officer, must be within the trading window and pre-cleared by the Compliance Officer. This requirement is intended to prevent inadvertent Policy violations, avoid trades involving the appearance of improper insider trading, facilitate timely Form 4 reporting by Section 16 Insiders and avoid transactions that are subject to disgorgement under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.
Requests for pre-clearance must be submitted via email to the Compliance Officer at least three (3) business days in advance of each proposed transaction. If the Insider does not receive a response from a Compliance Officer within two (2) days, the Insider must follow up to ensure that the message was received. Each Insider request for pre-clearance should include the nature of the proposed transaction, including the type of trade and number and type of securities, and the expected date of the transaction. In addition, each request by a Section 16 Insider for pre-clearance should also include the following information:
10
Once the proposed transaction is pre-cleared, the Insider may proceed with it on the approved terms, provided that they comply with all other securities law requirements, such as Rule 144 and prohibitions regarding trading on the basis of material nonpublic information, and with any special trading blackout imposed by the Company prior to the completion of the trade. For the avoidance of doubt, a lack of response from the Compliance Officer shall never be deemed to be a pre-clearance permitting the proposed transaction; only a response approving such proposed transaction shall constitute a pre-clearance. Obtaining such pre-clearance should not be understood to represent legal advice by the Company that a proposed transaction complies with securities laws.
Section 3. Pre-Clearance of Rule 10b5-1 Plans Required. Pre-clearance is required for the establishment of a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan at least five (5) full trading days prior to entry into or modification of the plan. The Rule 10b5-1 trading plan must meet all the requirements outlined below in Section 9 of this Appendix I. However, pre-clearance will not be required for individual transactions effected pursuant to a pre-cleared Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. All Section 16 Insiders must immediately report the results of transactions effected under a trading plan to the Compliance Officer since they will be reportable on Form 4 within two (2) business days following the execution of the trade, subject to an extension of not more than two (2) additional business days where the Section 16 Insider is not immediately aware of the execution of the trade. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any transactions by the Compliance Officer, or a delegee of the Compliance Officer under this Policy, shall be subject to pre-clearance by the Chief Financial Officer.
Section 4. Hardship Exemptions. The Compliance Officer may, on a case by case basis, authorize a transaction in AvidXchange securities outside of the trading window (but in no event during a special blackout period) due to financial or other hardship. Any request for a hardship exemption must be in writing and must describe the amount and nature of the proposed transaction and the circumstances of the hardship. The Insider requesting the hardship exemption must also certify to the Compliance Officer within two (2) business days prior to the date of the proposed trade that they are not in possession of material nonpublic information concerning AvidXchange. The existence of the foregoing procedure does not in any way obligate the Compliance Officer to approve any hardship exemption requested by an Insider.
Section 5. Brokers. All Insiders must ensure that their broker does not execute any transaction for the Insider (other than under a previously authorized Rule 10b5-1 trading plan) until the broker has verified with the Compliance Officer that the transaction has been pre-cleared.
11
Section 6. Reporting of Transactions Required. To facilitate timely reporting under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, Section 16 Insiders are required to on the same day as the trade date, or, with respect to transactions effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 plan, on the day the Insider is advised of the terms of the transaction, (a) report the details of each transaction to the Compliance Officer and (b) arrange with persons whose trades must be reported by the Insider under Section 16 (such as immediate family members living in the Insider’s household) to immediately report directly to the Company and to the Insider the following transaction details:
The transaction details set forth above must be reported to the Compliance Officer, with copies to AvidXchange personnel who will assist the Section 16 Insider in preparing their Form 4.
Section 7. Oversight by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors of the Company will be responsible for monitoring and recommending any modification to this Policy, if necessary or advisable, to the Board of Directors. The Committee will also review, at least annually, those individuals who are deemed to be executive officers for purposes of Section 16 and will recommend any changes regarding such status to the Board of Directors.
Section 8. Named Employees Considered Insiders. The Committee will review, at least annually, those individuals deemed to be “Insiders” for purposes of this Appendix I. Insiders shall include persons subject to Section 16 and such other persons as the Committee deems to be Insiders. Generally, Insiders shall be any person who by function of their employment or relationship with the Company is consistently in possession of material nonpublic information or performs an operational role, such as head of a division or business unit, that is material to the Company as a whole.
12
Section 9. Special Guidelines for 10b5-1 Trading Plans. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Insider will not be deemed to have violated this Policy for transactions that meet all of the enumerated criteria below:
13
14
* * *
15
EXHIBIT A
[Exhibit A is periodically amended and made available to employees of the Company]
16