Exhibit 3.1
CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATIONS
of
SERIES A JUNIOR PARTICIPATING PREFERRED STOCK
of
ACELYRIN, INC.
(Pursuant to Section 151 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law)
ACELYRIN, INC., a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the “Corporation”), hereby certifies that the following resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company as required by Section 151 of the General Corporation Law at a meeting duly called and held on March 12, 2025:
RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation (hereinafter called the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) in accordance with the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, pursuant to which 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”), are authorized and none of which have been issued as of the date hereof, the Board hereby creates a series of Preferred Stock and states the designation and number of shares, and fixes the relative rights, preferences and limitations thereof as follows:
Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock:
Section 1. Designation and Amount. The shares of such series shall be designated as “Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock” (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares constituting the Series A Preferred Stock shall be 150,000. Such number of shares may be increased or decreased by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided that no decrease shall reduce the number of shares of Series A Preferred Stock to a number less than the number of shares then outstanding plus the number of shares reserved for issuance upon the exercise of outstanding options, rights or warrants or upon the conversion of any outstanding securities issued by the Company convertible into shares of Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 2. Dividends and Distributions.
(A) Subject to the rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock (or any other stock) ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock, in preference to the holders of Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Common Stock”) of the Company and of any other junior stock, shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for the purpose, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the last
business day of March, June, September and December in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a “Quarterly Dividend Payment Date”), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, in an amount (if any) per share (rounded to the nearest cent), subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1,000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable in kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions, other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise) declared on the Common Stock since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series A Preferred Stock. In the event the Company shall at any time after March 13, 2025 (the “Effective Date”), declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying (x) such amount by (y) a fraction, (1) the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and (2) the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (A) of this Section 2 immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).
(C) Dividends due pursuant to paragraph (A) of this Section 2 shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest. Dividends paid on the shares of Series A Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding. The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be not more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.
Section 3. Voting Rights. The holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:
(A) Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1,000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Company. In the event the Company shall at any time after the Effective Date declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying (x) such number by (y) a fraction, (1) the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and (2) the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) Except as otherwise provided herein or in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Company having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Company.
(C) Except as set forth herein or as otherwise provided by law, holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.
Section 4. Certain Restrictions.
(A) Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series A Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series A Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Company shall not:
(i) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock;
(ii) declare or pay dividends, or make any other distributions, on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series A Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series A Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled; or
(iii) redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock, provided, that the Company may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the
Company ranking junior (as to dividends and upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series A Preferred Stock.
(B) The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Company to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Company unless the Company could, under paragraph (A) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.
Section 5. Reacquired Shares. Any shares of Series A Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and canceled promptly after the acquisition thereof. The Corporation shall take all such actions as are necessary to cause all such shares to become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock that may be reissued as part of a new series of Preferred Stock subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein or in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, including any Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or as otherwise required by law.
Section 6. Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.
(A) Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, prior and in preference to any distribution of any assets of the Company to the holders of shares of Common Stock, an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock plus an amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends. In the event the Company shall at any time after the Effective Date declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
(B) If the assets of the Company legally available for distribution to the holders of shares of Series A Preferred Stock upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company are insufficient to pay the full preferential amount set forth in the first sentence of paragraph (A) above, then the entire assets of the Company legally available for distribution to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be distributed among such holders in proportion to the shares of Series A Preferred Stock then held by them.
(C) The foregoing rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up provided to the holders of Series A Preferred Stock shall be subject to the rights of the holders of any other series of Preferred Stock (or any other stock) that by its terms is ranking prior and superior to the Series A Preferred Stock upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up.
Section 7. Consolidation, Merger, etc. In case the Company shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash and/or other property, then in any such case each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed into an amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1,000 times the aggregate amount of stock, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged. In the event the Company shall at any time after the Effective Date declare or pay any dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or effect a subdivision or combination or consolidation of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of a dividend in shares of Common Stock) into a greater or lesser number of shares of Common Stock, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.
Section 8. No Redemption. The shares of Series A Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.
Section 9. Amendment. The Corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation shall not be amended in any manner, including in a merger or consolidation, which would alter, change or repeal the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series A Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, voting together as a single class.
Section 10. Fractional Shares. Series A Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share that shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series A Preferred Stock.
Section 10. Ranking. The Series A Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and as to the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise, and shall rank senior to the Common Stock as to such matters.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Certificate of Designations is executed on behalf of the Company by its Chief Executive Officer this 13th day of March, 2025.
| ACELYRIN, INC. | ||
| By: |
/s/ Mina Kim | |
| Mina Kim | ||
| Chief Executive Officer | ||