DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE EXCHANGE ACT of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)
The following descriptions of the common stock of CeriBell, Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our”) and certain provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended from time to time (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended from time to time (the “Bylaws”), and Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement, dated April 22, 2021, by and among the Company and the investors listed therein, as amended on September 16, 2022 (the “Investors’ Rights Agreement”) is a summary and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and Investors’ Rights Agreement and applicable provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).
General
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes capital stock consisting of 500,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share.
Common Stock
Voting Rights
Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the voting shares are able to elect all of the directors.
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably any dividends that our board of directors may declare out of funds legally available.
Right to Receive Liquidation Distribution
In the event of our liquidation, dissolution, or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities, subject to the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock.
No Preemptive or Similar Rights
Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, or subscription rights, and there are no redemption or sinking-fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences, and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.
Preferred Stock
Under the terms of our Certificate of Incorporation, our board of directors is authorized to direct us to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the discretion to determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights,
dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.
Our board of directors may authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in control of our Company that may otherwise benefit holders of our common stock and may adversely affect the market price of the common stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of common stock. We have no current plans to issue any shares of preferred stock.
Registration Rights
Certain holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to certain rights with respect to registration of such shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). These shares are referred to as registrable securities. The holders of these registrable securities possess registration rights pursuant to the terms of our Investors’ Rights Agreement and are described in additional detail below. The registration of shares of our common stock pursuant to the exercise of the registration rights described below would enable the holders to trade these shares without restriction under the Securities Act when the applicable registration statement is declared effective. We will pay the registration expenses, other than underwriting discounts, selling commissions, stock transfer taxes, fees and disbursements of more than one special counsel for the holders, and the compensation of regular employees of the company, of the shares registered pursuant to the demand, piggyback, and Form S-3 registrations described below.
Generally, in an underwritten offering, the managing underwriter, if any, has the right, subject to specified conditions and limitations, to limit the number of shares the holders may include. The demand, piggyback, and Form S-3 registration rights described below will terminate upon the earliest to occur of (1) the date five years after the consummation of our Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) or (2) with respect to each stockholder, such time after the completion of the IPO at which Rule 144 of the Securities Act or another similar exemption under the Securities Act is available for the sale of all of such stockholder’s shares without limitation, during a three-month period without registration.
Demand Registration Rights
Certain holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to certain demand registration rights. Beginning six months following the IPO, investors holding, collectively, not less than 20% of registrable securities may, on not more than two occasions, request that we register all or a portion of their shares, subject to certain specified exceptions. Such request for registration must cover securities the anticipated aggregate offering price of which is at least $25.0 million and the proposed sale price of which is at least $22.98 per share. If such holders exercise their demand registration rights, then they will be entitled to register their shares, subject to specified conditions and limitations in the corresponding offering.
Piggyback Registration Rights
In the event that we propose to register any of our securities under the Securities Act in another offering, either for our own account or for the account of other security holders, the holders of registrable securities will be entitled to certain “piggyback” registration rights allowing them to include their shares in such registration, subject to specified conditions and limitations.
S-3 Registration Rights
Certain holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to certain Form S-3 registration rights. Any holder or holders of registrable securities may, with respect to not more than two such registrations within any 12-month period, request that we register all or a portion of their shares on Form S-3 if we are qualified to file a registration statement on Form S-3, subject to specified exceptions. Such request for registration on Form S-3 must cover securities with aggregate proceeds, net of underwriting discounts and expenses related to the issuance, which equal or exceed $3.0 million. The right to have such shares registered on Form S-3 is further subject to other specified conditions and limitations.
Warrants
The following table sets forth information about outstanding warrants to purchase shares of our stock as of December 31, 2024.
Class of Stock Underlying |
Issue Date |
Number of Shares |
Exercise Price |
Expiration Date |
|
Common Stock |
5/1/2020 |
45,726 |
$ |
7.6540 |
May 1, 2030 |
Common Stock |
3/10/2022 |
15,228 |
$ |
11.49 |
March 10, 2032 |
Common Stock |
2/6/2024 |
41,345 |
$ |
11.49 |
February 6, 2034 |
Anti-Takeover Provisions
Among other things, our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws:
The amendment of any of these provisions would require approval by the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of all of our then-outstanding common stock.
The combination of these provisions make it more difficult for our existing stockholders to replace our board of directors as well as for another party to obtain control of us by replacing our board of directors. Because our board of directors has the power to retain and discharge our officers, these provisions could also make it more difficult for existing stockholders or another party to effect a change in management. In addition, the authorization of undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to effect a change in control of our company.
These provisions are intended to enhance the likelihood of continued stability in the composition of our board of directors and its policies and to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to reduce our vulnerability to hostile takeovers and to discourage certain tactics that may be used in proxy fights. However, such provisions could have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our shares and may have the effect of delaying changes in control or management of our company. As a consequence, these provisions may also inhibit fluctuations in the market price of our stock that could result from actual or rumored takeover attempts. We believe that the benefits of these provisions, including increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure our company, outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging takeover proposals because negotiation of takeover proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.
Choice of Forum
Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) is the exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty; any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the DGCL, our Certificate of Incorporation, or our Bylaws (as either may be amended from time to time); or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided that, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction; and provided further that, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware dismisses any such action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, such action may be brought in another state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware. Our Certificate of Incorporation also provides that the federal district courts of the United States of America are the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action against us or any of our directors, officers, employees, or agents and arising under the Securities Act. Nothing in our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws precludes stockholders that assert claims under the Exchange Act from bringing such claims in state or federal court, subject to applicable law.
If any action the subject matter of which is within the scope described above is filed in a court other than a court located within the State of Delaware (a “Foreign Action”), in the name of any stockholder, such stockholder shall be deemed to have consented to the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located within the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the applicable provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation and having service of process made upon such stockholder in any such action by service upon such stockholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such stockholder. Although our Certificate of Incorporation contains the choice of forum provision described above, it is possible that a court could find that such a provision is inapplicable for a particular claim or action or that such provision is unenforceable.
This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees, or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims, although our stockholders are not deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Furthermore, the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable.
Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law
We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combination with any interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, with the following exceptions:
In general, Section 203 defines a “business combination” to include the following:
In general, Section 203 defines an “interested stockholder” as an entity or person who, together with the person’s affiliates and associates, beneficially owns, or within three years prior to the time of determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation.
The statute could prohibit or delay mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts and, accordingly, may discourage attempts to acquire us even though such a transaction may offer our stockholders the opportunity to sell their stock at a price above the prevailing market price.
Limitations on Liability and Indemnification Matters
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws limit our directors’ and officers’ liability and provide that we shall indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under the DGCL. The DGCL provides that directors and officers of a corporation will not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duties as directors or officers, except for liability for any:
These limitations of liability do not apply to liabilities arising under federal securities laws and do not affect the availability of equitable remedies such as injunctive relief or recession.
The DGCL, our Certificate of Incorporation, and our Bylaws provide that we will, in certain situations, indemnify our directors and officers and may indemnify other employees and other agents, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Any indemnified person is also entitled, subject to certain limitations, to advancement, direct payment, or reimbursement of reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding.
In addition, we have entered, and intend to continue to enter, into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and officers. These indemnification agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify our directors and officers for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, and settlement amounts incurred by a director or officer in any action or proceeding arising out of their services as a director or officer, or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request.
We maintain a directors’ and officers’ insurance policy pursuant to which our directors and officers are insured against liability for actions taken in their capacities as directors and officers. We believe that these provisions in our Certificate of incorporation and Bylaws and these indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, or control persons, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy, as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, LLC. The transfer agent and registrar’s address is 51 Mercedes Way, Edgewood, NY 11717.
Stock Exchange Listing
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “CBLL.”