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Table of Contents

]

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2023

or

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from _____ to _____

Commission file number: 001-33170

Graphic

NETLIST, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

95-4812784

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

111 Academy, Suite 100

Irvine, California

92617

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

(949) 435-0025

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes     No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes     No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer 

Accelerated filer 

Non-accelerated filer 

Smaller reporting company 

Emerging growth company 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes    No 

As of November 6, 2023, there were 253,535,779 outstanding shares of the registrant’s common stock.

Table of Contents

NETLIST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Form 10-Q

For the Quarter Ended September 30, 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

PART I. — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1

Financial Statements

3

Item 2

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

21

Item 3

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

28

Item 4

Controls and Procedures

28

PART II. — OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1

Legal Proceedings

28

Item 1A

Risk Factors

29

Item 5

Other Information

56

Item 6

Exhibits

57

SIGNATURES

58

2

Table of Contents

PART I. — FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.

Financial Statements

NETLIST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands, except par value)

September 30,

December 31,

    

2023

    

2022

(unaudited)

ASSETS

Current Assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$

43,226

$

25,011

Restricted cash

7,350

18,600

Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $44 (2023) and $137 (2022)

4,544

8,242

Inventories

9,175

10,686

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

738

1,308

Total current assets

65,033

63,847

Property and equipment, net

846

1,138

Operating lease right-of-use assets

1,754

2,043

Other assets

549

295

Total assets

$

68,182

$

67,323

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current Liabilities:

Accounts payable

$

27,360

$

28,468

Revolving line of credit

4,935

Accrued payroll and related liabilities

1,401

1,588

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

1,777

2,635

Long-term debt due within one year

447

Total current liabilities

30,538

38,073

Operating lease liabilities

1,350

1,744

Other liabilities

211

270

Total liabilities

32,099

40,087

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders' equity:

Preferred stock, $0.001 par value—10,000 shares authorized: Series A preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 1,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding

Common stock, $0.001 par value—450,000 shares authorized; 253,531 (2023) and 232,557 (2022) shares issued and outstanding

254

233

Additional paid-in capital

306,409

250,428

Accumulated deficit

(270,580)

(223,425)

Total stockholders' equity

36,083

27,236

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$

68,182

$

67,323

See accompanying Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

3

Table of Contents

NETLIST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

September 30,

October 1,

    

2023

    

2022

    

2023

    

2022

Net sales

$

16,725

$

34,424

$

35,772

$

139,982

Cost of sales

16,285

32,244

34,533

129,691

Gross profit

440

2,180

1,239

10,291

Operating expenses:

Research and development

2,268

2,550

6,824

7,679

Intellectual property legal fees

12,891

5,577

32,908

11,716

Selling, general and administrative

3,160

3,767

9,515

11,429

Total operating expenses

18,319

11,894

49,247

30,824

Operating loss

(17,879)

(9,714)

(48,008)

(20,533)

Other income, net:

Interest income, net

507

34

840

38

Other income, net

33

82

14

74

Total other income, net

540

116

854

112

Loss before provision for income taxes

(17,339)

(9,598)

(47,154)

(20,421)

Provision for income taxes

1

1

Net loss

$

(17,339)

$

(9,598)

$

(47,155)

$

(20,422)

Loss per share:

Basic and diluted

$

(0.07)

$

(0.04)

$

(0.20)

$

(0.09)

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:

Basic and diluted

247,420

231,739

240,974

231,194

See accompanying Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Statements.

4

Table of Contents

B

NETLIST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders Equity (Unaudited)

(In thousands)

Additional

Total

Common Stock

Paid-in

Accumulated

Stockholders'

    

Shares

    

Amount

    

Capital

    

Deficit

    

Equity

Balance, December 31, 2022

232,557

$

233

$

250,428

$

(223,425)

$

27,236

Net loss

(15,788)

(15,788)

Issuance of common stock, net

4,920

5

10,537

10,542

Exercise of stock options

381

264

264

Stock-based compensation

1,077

1,077

Restricted stock units vested and distributed

712

1

(1)

Balance, April 1, 2023

238,570

239

262,305

(239,213)

23,331

Net loss

(14,028)

(14,028)

Issuance of common stock, net

2,422

2

11,008

11,010

Exercise of stock options

129

140

140

Stock-based compensation

1,196

1,196

Restricted stock units vested and distributed

186

Balance, July 1, 2023

241,307

241

274,649

(253,241)

21,649

Net loss

(17,339)

(17,339)

Issuance of common stock, net

11,679

13

30,493

30,506

Exercise of stock options

151

122

122

Stock-based compensation

1,145

1,145

Restricted stock units vested and distributed

394

Balance, September 30, 2023

253,531

$

254

$

306,409

$

(270,580)

$

36,083

See accompanying Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Statements.

5

Table of Contents

NETLIST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Stockholders Equity (Unaudited) (Continued)

(In thousands)

Additional

Total

Common Stock

Paid-in

Accumulated

Stockholders'

    

Shares

    

Amount

    

Capital

    

Deficit

    

Equity

Balance, January 1, 2022

230,113

$

231

$

243,866

$

(190,055)

$

54,042

Net loss

(5,872)

(5,872)

Issuance of common stock, net

303

1,767

1,767

Exercise of stock options

197

138

138

Stock-based compensation

682

682

Restricted stock units vested and distributed

533

1

(1)

Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards

(117)

(591)

(591)

Balance, April 2, 2022

231,029

232

245,861

(195,927)

50,166

Net loss

(4,952)

(4,952)

Issuance of common stock, net

354

1,973

1,973

Exercise of stock options

72

47

47

Stock-based compensation

790

790

Restricted stock units vested and distributed

50

Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards

(17)

(108)

(108)

Balance, July 2, 2022

231,488

232

248,563

(200,879)

47,916

Net loss

(9,598)

(9,598)

Exercise of stock options

135

96

96

Stock-based compensation

892

892

Restricted stock units vested and distributed

693

1

(1)

Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of equity awards

(222)

(630)

(630)

Balance, October 1, 2022

232,094

$

233

$

248,920

$

(210,477)

$

38,676

See accompanying Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Statements.

6

Table of Contents

NETLIST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)

(In thousands)

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

    

2023

    

2022

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net loss

$

(47,155)

$

(20,422)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

Depreciation and amortization

292

241

Non-cash lease expense

476

476

Stock-based compensation

3,418

2,364

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable

3,698

2,059

Inventories

1,511

(2,721)

Prepaid expenses and other assets

316

255

Accounts payable

(1,108)

(1,775)

Accrued payroll and related liabilities

(187)

406

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

(1,340)

1,422

Net cash used in operating activities

(40,079)

(17,695)

Cash flows from investing activities:

Acquisition of property and equipment

(396)

Net cash used in investing activities

(396)

Cash flows from financing activities:

Net borrowings (repayments) under line of credit

(4,935)

1,000

Principal repayments under finance lease

(158)

(77)

Payments on notes payable

(447)

(561)

Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net

52,058

3,740

Proceeds from exercise of stock options

526

281

Payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards

(1,329)

Net cash provided by financing activities

47,044

3,054

Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

6,965

(15,037)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period

43,611

58,479

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period

$

50,576

$

43,442

Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period:

Cash and cash equivalents

$

43,226

$

23,342

Restricted cash

7,350

20,100

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period

$

50,576

$

43,442

See accompanying Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Statements.

7

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NETLIST, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

Note 1—Description of Business

Netlist, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively the “Company,” “Netlist,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) provides high-performance memory solutions to enterprise customers in diverse industries. Our products in various capacities and form factors and our line of custom and specialty memory products bring leading performance to customers in a variety of industries globally and cloud service providers. Netlist also licenses its intellectual property.

Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the condensed consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022, included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 28, 2023 (the “2022 Annual Report”).

In the opinion of management, all adjustments for the fair presentation of the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been made. The adjustments are of a normal recurring nature except as otherwise noted. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for other periods or the full fiscal year. The Company has evaluated events occurring subsequent to September 30, 2023 through the filing date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and concluded that there were no events that required recognition and disclosures other than those discussed elsewhere in the notes hereto.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Netlist, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Fiscal Year

The Company’s fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period that ends on the Saturday nearest to December 31. The Company’s fiscal year 2023 will include 52 weeks and ends on December 30, 2023. Each quarter of fiscal year 2023 will be comprised of 13 weeks. Unless otherwise stated, references to particular years, quarters, months and periods refer to the Company’s fiscal years ended in January and the associated quarters, months and periods of those fiscal years.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions made by management include, but not limited to, the determination of inventory reserves, allowance for doubtful accounts, and the discount rate used for lease obligation. Actual results may differ materially from those estimates.

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Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

Currently, there are no Accounting Standards Updates that the Company is required to adopt that are likely to have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements that have not been previously discussed in the Company's 2022 Annual Report.

Note 3—Supplemental Financial Information

Inventories

Inventories consisted of the following (in thousands):

September 30,

December 31,

    

2023

    

2022

Raw materials

$

6,563

$

8,223

Work in process

16

185

Finished goods

2,596

2,278

$

9,175

$

10,686

Loss Per Share

The following table shows the computation of basic and diluted loss per share of common stock (in thousands, except per share data):

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

September 30,

October 1,

2023

    

2022

    

2023

    

2022

Numerator: Net loss

$

(17,339)

$

(9,598)

$

(47,155)

$

(20,422)

Denominator: Weighted-average basic shares outstanding - basic and diluted

247,420

231,739

240,974

231,194

Net loss per share - basic and diluted

$

(0.07)

$

(0.04)

$

(0.20)

$

(0.09)

The table below shows potentially dilutive weighted average common share equivalents, consisting of shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options and warrants using the treasury stock method and the shares vesting of issuable upon the restricted stock units (“RSUs”). These potential weighted average common share equivalents have been excluded from the diluted net loss per share calculations above as their effect would be anti-dilutive (in thousands):

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

September 30,

October 1,

2023

    

2022

    

2023

    

2022

Weighted average common share equivalents

2,860

4,323

3,377

5,451

Disaggregation of Net Sales

The following table shows disaggregated net sales by major source (in thousands):

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

September 30,

October 1,

    

2023

2022

    

2023

2022

Resales of third-party products

$

13,688

$

25,717

$

29,186

$

120,470

Sale of the Company's modular memory subsystems

3,037

8,707

6,586

19,512

Total net sales

$

16,725

$

34,424

$

35,772

$

139,982

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Major Customers and Products

The Company’s net product sales have historically been concentrated in a small number of customers. The following table sets forth the percentage of net product sales made to customers that each comprise 10% or more of total product sales:

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

September 30,

October 1,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Customer A

19%

42%

31%

42%

Customer B

25%

15%

13%

16%

Customer C

*

17%

*

*

*

Less than 10% of net sales during the period.

As of September 30, 2023, two customers represented approximately 31% and 25% of aggregated gross accounts receivables, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, one customer represented approximately 69% of aggregate gross accounts receivables. The loss of a major customer or a reduction in sales to or difficulties collecting payments from these customers could significantly reduce the Company’s net sales and adversely affect its operating results. The Company mitigates risks associated with foreign and domestic receivables by purchasing comprehensive credit insurance.

The Company resells certain component products to end-customers that are not reached in the distribution models of the component manufacturers, including storage customers, appliance customers, system builders and cloud and datacenter customers. For both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, resales of these products represented approximately 82% of net product sales. For the three and nine months ended October 1, 2022, resales of these products represented approximately 75% and 86% of net product sales, respectively.

Note 4—Standby Letters of Credit

Standby Letters of Credit

On December 1, 2022, Silicon Valley Bank issued on our behalf to a third party an irrevocable letter of credit in the amount of $100,000. On May 15, 2023 and June 6, 2023, Citibank, N.A. issued on the Company’s behalf to third parties irrevocable letters of credit in the amount of $5.0 million and $2.0 million, respectively. The standby letters of credit are valid for a one-year term. As of September 30, 2023, the amount of outstanding letters of credit was approximately $7.1 million, and no amount has been drawn from the letters of credit. A standby letter of credit is a guarantee of payment issued by a bank on our behalf that is used as payment of last resort should we fail to fulfill a contractual commitment with a third party.

Note 5—Debt

The Company’s debt consisted of the following (in thousands):

September 30,

December 31,

    

2023

    

2022

Notes payable

$

$

447

Less: amounts due within one year

(447)

Long-term debt

$

$

Insurance Policy Finance Agreement

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As of December 31, 2022, we had $0.4 million in short-term notes payable for the financing of insurance policies. On January 4, 2023, we entered into a short-term note payable for $0.4 million bearing interest at 7.2% to finance insurance policies. Principal and interest payments on this note began January 15, 2023 and were made evenly based on a straight line amortization over a 9-month period with the final payment made on September 15, 2023. As a result, as of September 30, 2023, there was no outstanding balance for the financing of insurance policies.

Note 6—Leases

The Company has operating and finance leases primarily associated with office and manufacturing facilities and certain equipment. The determination of which discount rate to use when measuring the lease obligation was deemed a significant judgment.

Lease cost and supplemental condensed consolidated cash flow information related to operating and finance leases were as follows (in thousands):

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

September 30,

October 1,

    

2023

    

2022

    

2023

    

2022

Lease cost:

Operating lease cost

$

192

$

195

$

581

$

591

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:

Operating cash flows from operating leases

$

166

$

167

$

504

$

486

Operating cash flows from finance leases

2

4

8

7

Financing cash flows from finance leases

54

50

158

77

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations:

Operating leases

$

$

$

$

588

Finance leases

$

$

$

$

372

Lease modification to increase operating lease assets

$

$

$

187

$

204

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2022, finance lease costs were immaterial.

Supplemental condensed consolidated balance sheet information related to leases was as follows (in thousands):

September 30,

December 31,

2023

2022

Operating Leases

Operating lease right-of-use assets

$

1,754

$

2,043

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

$

633

$

451

Operating lease liabilities

1,350

1,744

Total operating lease liabilities

$

1,983

$

2,195

Finance Leases

Property and equipment, at cost

$

488

$

488

Accumulated depreciation

(194)

(121)

Property and equipment, net

$

294

$

367

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

$

142

$

211

Other liabilities

8

96

Total finance lease liabilities

$

150

$

307

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The following table includes supplemental information:

September 30,

December 31,

2023

2022

Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term (in years)

Operating leases

3.1

3.9

Finance leases

0.8

1.5

Weighted Average Discount Rate

Operating leases

5.7%

5.5%

Finance leases

4.4%

4.4%

Maturities of lease liabilities as of September 30, 2023, were as follows (in thousands):

Operating

Finance

Fiscal Year

Leases

Leases

2023 (remainder of the year)

$

179

$

55

2024

702

91

2025

624

5

2026

639

3

2027

23

Total lease payments

2,167

154

Less: imputed interest

(184)

(4)

Total

$

1,983

$

150

Note 7Commitments and Contingencies

Contingent Legal Expenses

We may retain the services of law firms that specialize in patent licensing and enforcement and patent law in connection with our licensing and enforcement activities. These law firms may be retained on a contingent fee basis whereby such law firms are paid on a scaled percentage of any negotiated fee, settlements or judgments awarded based on how and when the fees, settlements or judgments are obtained.

Litigation and Patent Reexaminations

The Company is, from time to time, a party to litigation that arises in the normal course of its business operations. We own numerous patents and continue to seek to grow and strengthen our patent portfolio, which covers various aspects of our innovations and includes various claim scopes. We plan to pursue avenues to monetize our intellectual property portfolio, in which we would generate revenue by selling or licensing our technology, and we intend to vigorously enforce our patent rights against alleged infringers of such rights. We dedicate substantial resources to protecting and enforcing our intellectual property rights, including with patent infringement proceedings we file against third parties and defense of our patents against challenges made by way of reexamination and review proceedings at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) and Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB” or the “Board”). We expect these activities to continue for the foreseeable future, with no guarantee that any ongoing or future patent protection or litigation activities will be successful, or that we will be able to monetize our intellectual property portfolio.

Any litigation, regardless of its outcome, is inherently uncertain, involves a significant dedication of resources, including time and capital, and diverts management’s attention from our other activities. As a result, any current or future claims, allegations, or challenges by or against third parties, whether eventually decided in our favor or settled, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, the outcome of pending or future litigation and/or related patent reviews and reexaminations, as well as any delay in their resolution, could affect our ability to continue to sell our products, protect against competition in the current and expected markets for our products or license or otherwise monetize our intellectual property rights in the future.

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Google Litigations

On December 4, 2009, Netlist filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Google, Inc. (“Google”) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (the “NDCA”), seeking damages and injunctive relief based on Google’s alleged infringement of our U.S. Patent No. 7,619,912 (the “‘912 Patent”). The current judge assigned to the case, Hon. Chief Judge Seeborg, entered an order via stipulation on October 17, 2022 staying the NDCA Google case until the resolution of a pending case filed by Netlist, Inc. against Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Samsung Semiconductor Inc., and Samsung Electronics America Inc. (collectively, “Samsung”) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (“EDTX”) (Netlist, Inc. v. Samsung Elecs. Co., Ltd. et al., Case No. 2:22-cv-00293-JRG).

On July 26, 2022, Netlist filed patent infringement claims against Google Cloud EMEA Limited, Google Germany GmbH, Redtec Computing GmbH, and Google, seeking damages based on those defendants’ infringement of European Patents EP 2,454,735 (“EP735”) and EP 3,404,660 (“EP660”), which both generally relate to load reduced dual in line memory modules (“LRDIMM”) technologies. As of the reporting date, Google has submitted its statements of defense. As of the reporting date, the date for oral hearings before the Dusseldorf Court is currently scheduled for April 11, 2024.

On October 15, 2021, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (“SEC”) and Samsung Semiconductor Inc. (“SSI”) initiated a declaratory judgement action against Netlist in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (“DDE”) (Samsung Elecs. Co., Ltd., et. al. v. Netlist, Inc., Case No. 1:21-cv-01453-RGA). On September 12, 2022, Netlist amended its Counterclaims to include counterclaims against Google, LLC and Alphabet, Inc (together, “Google”). On November 15, 2022, Google responded to Netlist’s Counterclaims by filing a Motion to Dismiss or alternatively to sever and stay the counterclaims. As of the reporting date, the Court heard oral arguments for Google’s Motion to Dismiss or alternatively, Sever and Stay and Dismiss Willfulness and Indirect Infringement Allegations. On October 10, 2023, the DDE Court entered an order granting-in-part and denying-in-part SECL and SSI’s prior motion to stay the matter in light of pending IPRs and a Ninth Circuit appeal, in effect staying claims with respect to the ‘218 and ‘595 patents, while allowing claims under the ‘523 patent to proceed. On October 20, 2023, the Court held a claim construction hearing involving all parties. As part of the hearing, the Court also sought feedback from parties as to the issue of whether the matter should be stayed pending review of the Ninth Circuit’s recent unpublished decision on the underlying Central District of California action. As of the reporting date, the case remains set for Jury Trial to commence on February 3, 2025.

Micron Litigations

On April 28, 2021, Netlist filed a complaint for patent infringement against Micron Technology, Inc. (“Micron”) in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Waco Division (“WDTX”) (Case No. 6:21-cv00431 & Case No. 6:21-cv-00430). These proceedings are based on the alleged infringement by Micron’s LRDIMM and Micron’s non-volatile dual in line memory modules (“NVDIMM”) enterprise memory modules under four U.S. patents – U.S. Patent Nos. 10,489,314 (the “‘314 Patent”), 9,824,035 (the “‘035 Patent”), 10,268,608 (the “‘608 Patent”), and 8,301,833 (the “‘833 Patent”). The case was assigned to Hon. Judge Lee Yeakel, and the parties completed briefing on their claim construction arguments. On May 11, 2022, Judge Yeakel entered a stay of the case pending the resolution of Micron’s requested Inter Partes Review (“IPR”) proceedings against the four patents asserted by Netlist in this case (the ‘833, ‘035, ‘608, and ‘314 Patents). On May 4, 2023, the case was reassigned to Docket II in the WDTX Austin Division, given Hon. Judge Yeakel’s retirement. As of the reporting date, the matter remains and assigned to Docket II pending reassignment to an Article III Judge.

As noted above, Micron filed requests to bring IPR proceedings against Netlist’s ‘314, ‘035, ‘608, and ‘833 Patents. The PTAB granted Micron’s request for the ‘035, ‘833, and ‘314 Patents, but denied its request for the ‘608 Patent. The PTAB further denied Micron’s request for rehearing on the ‘608 Patent’s institution denial. Oral arguments were presented for the ‘035 Patent IPR on April 19, 2023, with the PTAB finding claims 2 and 6 of the ‘035 Patent patentable. On August 28, 2023, the PTAB determined that all challenged claims of the ‘833 patent were unpatentable. On October 30, 2023, the PTAB determined that all challenged claims of the ‘314 patent were patentable.

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On March 31, 2022, Netlist filed patent infringement claims against Micron in Dusseldorf, Germany (“Micron Dusseldorf Action”), seeking damages based on their infringement of EP735 and EP660. On June 24, 2022, Netlist requested injunctive relief. Micron initiated a nullity proceeding against the asserted EP patents in this action, making Netlist’s response to the same as November 19, 2022. Primary briefing in the Micron Dusseldorf Action has concluded, while the German Federal Patent Court entered a preliminary opinion on EP735 and EP660 in a related invalidity proceedings that have been consolidated as of the reporting date. As of the reporting date, the Micron Dusseldorf Action is scheduled for oral hearings April 11, 2024.

On June 10, 2022, Netlist filed a complaint for patent infringement against Micron in the EDTX, Marshall Division (Case No. 2:22-cv-00203-JRG-RSP). These proceedings are based on the alleged infringement by Micron for the sale of its LRDIMMs, its memory modules utilizing on-board power management (“PMIC”), and its high bandwidth memory (“HBM”) components, under six U.S. Netlist patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 8,787,060 (the “‘060 Patent”), 9,318,160 (the “‘160 Patent), 10,860,506 (the “‘506 Patent”), 10,949,339 (the “‘339 Patent”), 11,016,918 (the “‘918 Patent”), and 11,232,054 (the “‘054 Patent”). The claim construction hearing took place before Hon. Magistrate Judge Roy Payne on July 26, 2023, and on October 30, 3023 the Court entered an Order confirming the Claim Construction outcome. The Jury Trial is scheduled to begin on January 22, 2024.

On August 1, 2022, Netlist filed a complaint for patent infringement against Micron in the EDTX (Case No. 2:22-cv-00294) under the ‘912 Patent, for Micron’s alleged infringement by the sale of its LRDIMMs and RDIMMs. On August 15, 2022, Netlist filed its first amended complaint, further addressing Micron’s infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 9,858,215 (the “‘215 Patent”) and 11,093,417 (the “‘417 Patent”). On October 21, 2022, Hon. Chief Judge Gilstrap ordered that this Micron action and a parallel action by Netlist against defendants Samsung on the same patents (Case No. 2:22-cv-00293-JRG) be consolidated and set for a joint scheduling conference on November 17, 2022, further instructing that the Samsung action be considered the “LEAD CASE” and that any further filings from either action be submitted in that case for all pretrial matters. The claim construction hearing was advanced and took place before Hon. Chief Judge Gilstrap on September 26, 2023. As of the reporting date, the Court has not yet entered an Order confirming the Claim Construction outcomes, but the consolidated case has a docket control order listing trial beginning on April 15, 2024.

On November 18, 2022, Micron filed IPR requests contesting the validity of the ‘912, ‘339, and ‘506 Patents, along with motions requesting joinder to the pending Samsung IPRs related to the same patents (see below). As of the reporting date, Micron’s ‘912, ‘339, and ‘506 Patent IPRs have been joined with the corresponding Samsung IPR proceedings for the same respective patents. Oral hearings for the joined Samsung ‘339 and ‘506 Patents IPRs were held on July 19, 2023 and July 20, 2023, respectively. On June 30, 2023, the PTAB resumed the trial on the Samsung ‘912 Patent IPR (which included Micron’s claims via joinder) following USPTO Director Katherine Vidal’s sua sponte Director Review and scheduled the ‘912 Patent IPR for an oral hearing on January 31, 2024. On October 17, 2023 and October 18, 2023, the PTAB issued final written decisions stating that all challenged claims of the ‘506 and ‘339 Patents were unpatentable, respectively.

On January 6, 2023, Micron filed IPR requests contesting the validity of the ‘918 and ‘054 Patents, along with motions requesting joinder to the pending Samsung IPRs related to the same patents (see below). On June 23, 2023, the matters were joined with the corresponding Samsung IPRs on the same patents. On September 5, 2023, oral hearings for the ‘918 and ‘054 Patent IPRs were held. The matters are set for final written decisions, which may issue on or before December 7, 2023.

On May 8, 2023, Micron filed IPR requests contesting the validity of the ‘060 and ‘160 Patents, along with motions requesting joinder to the pending Samsung IPRs related to the same patents (see below). On October 26, 2023, the PTAB instituted the Micron ‘060 and ‘160 Patent IPRs and joined them with the earlier-filed ‘060 and ‘160 IPRs.

Samsung Litigations

On May 28, 2020, Netlist filed a complaint against Samsung in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California for Samsung’s breach of the parties’ Joint Development and License Agreement (“JDLA”). On July 22, 2020,

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Netlist amended its complaint to seek a declaratory judgment that it properly terminated the JDLA in light of Samsung’s material breaches. On October 14, 2021, the Court entered summary judgment in Netlist’s favor and confirmed Netlist properly terminated the JDLA as of July 15, 2020. On February 15, 2022, the Court entered a final judgment in favor of Netlist on each of its three claims and confirmed that the licenses granted by Netlist under the JDLA were terminated. On February 25, 2022, Samsung filed a Notice of Appeal, and the Federal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a Time Schedule Order on February 28, 2022. On August 4, 2022, Netlist filed a cross-appeal seeking the Appeal Court’s reconsideration of the District Court’s finding that the fees Netlist paid to PwC were consequential damages, rather than recoverable general damages. On June 8, 2023, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments from both parties on the matter following completion of all briefing. On October 17, 2023, the Ninth Circuit panel issued an unpublished memorandum affirming-in-part and reversing-and-remanding-in-part the District Court’s rulings. On November 8, 2023, the Ninth Circuit issued a mandate to the California Central District Court.

On October 15, 2021, Samsung initiated a declaratory judgement action against Netlist in the DDE (Samsung Elecs. Co., Ltd., et. al. v. Netlist, Inc., Case No. 1:21-cv-01453-RGA), where it requested in relevant part that the DDE declare that Samsung does not infringe Netlist’s U.S. Patent Nos. 9,858,218 (the “‘218 Patent”), 10,217,523 (the “‘523 Patent”), 10,474,595 (the “‘595 Patent”), and the ‘506, ‘339, ‘912 and ‘918 Patents, while later seeking leave to add the ‘054 Patent (issued Jan. 25, 2022) to its action. On August 1, 2022, Hon. Judge Andrews dismissed all of Samsung’s counts related to Netlist’s ‘912, ‘506, ‘339, and ‘918 Patents, and denied Samsung’s request to bring its ‘054 claims in Delaware. On September 12, 2022, Netlist amended its Counterclaims to include counterclaims tying Google to the action. On November 15, 2022, Google responded to Netlist’s Counterclaims by filing a Motion to Dismiss or alternatively to Sever and Stay the counterclaims. On May 22, 2023, the Court heard oral arguments on Google’s Motion to Dismiss or alternatively, Sever and Stay and Dismiss Willfulness and Indirect Infringement Allegations. On October 10, 2023, the Court entered an order granting-in-part and denying-in-part Samsung’s prior motion to stay the matter in light of pending IPRs and a Ninth Circuit appeal, staying claims with respect to the ‘218 and ‘595 patents, while allowing claims under the ‘523 patent to proceed. As of the reporting date, the Court has not entered an Order on Google’s motion, but the Claim Construction hearing was held on October 20, 2023, and the Jury Trial is still scheduled to begin on February 3, 2025. Samsung has since filed another Motion to Stay given the recent Ninth Circuit decision. As of the reporting date, the parties are briefing the issues for the Court.

On November 19, 2021, Samsung filed IPR requests contesting the validity of the ‘218, the ‘595, and the ‘523 Patents. Netlist filed its initial responses to Samsung’s IPR petitions on February 18, 2022, contesting the institution of any IPR on the grounds propounded. As of the reporting date, the PTAB issued a final written decision finding all of the claims of the ‘523 Patent valid and patentable, while finding all of the claims of the ‘218 and ‘595 Patents unpatentable.

On December 20, 2021, Netlist filed a complaint for patent infringement against Samsung in the EDTX (Case No. 2:21-cv-00463-JRG) under the ‘506, ‘339, and ‘918 Patents. On May 3, 2022, Netlist entered a First Amended Complaint pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“FRCP”) Rule 15, adding claims for infringement under three additional patents: the ‘060, ‘160, and ‘054 Patents. Netlist brought claims under the ‘339, ‘918, ‘054, ‘060, and ‘160 Patents in its Jury Trial, which concluded on April 21, 2023, with the entry of the jury’s verdict into the public record. The jury unanimously found that Samsung willfully infringed Netlist’s ‘339, ‘918, ‘054, ‘060, and ‘160 Patents through the sale of their DDR4 LRDIMMs, DDR5 DIMMs, and HBMs, and that none of the patent claims asserted at trial were invalid. The jury awarded Netlist, Inc. a total of approximately $303 million for Samsung’s infringement. On May 30, 2023, Hon. Chief Judge Gilstrap conducted a bench trial to assess the merits of Samsung’s affirmative defenses excusing its infringement of only the ‘339, ‘918, and ‘054 Patents. On August 11, 2023, Chief Judge Gilstrap issued a memorandum and Order denying Samsung’s requested relief and finding that the ‘918 and ‘054 patents were not unenforceable due to equitable estoppel, prosecution laches, or unclean hands, and that the ‘339 patent was not unenforceable due to unclean hands. The same day, the Court entered a Final Judgment against the Samsung Defendants for $303 million for Samsung’s willful infringement through the date of trial, but declined awarding enhanced damages. As of the reporting date, the parties have filed post-judgment motions., including a motion by Samsung to vacate the final judgment in light of the Ninth Circuit’s recent decision. The parties are briefing all of the post-judgment motions, and as of the reporting date the Court has not yet entered its final order.

On February 17, 2022, Samsung filed an IPR request contesting the validity of only claim 16 within the ‘912 Patent. Samsung then filed two additional IPR requests contesting the validity of the ‘506 and ‘339 Patents. Netlist filed

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its Patent Owner’s Preliminary Response for the ‘912 and ‘339 Patent IPRs on July 21, 2022, and for the ‘506 Patent IPR on July 28, 2022. On January 19, 2023, the PTAB instituted IPR trials on both the ‘912 and ‘339 Patents. The following day, the PTAB instituted an IPR trial on the ‘506 Patent. On October 19, 2022, the PTAB instituted IPR trials on the ‘912 and ‘339 Patents, while two days later it instituted an IPR trial on the ’506 Patent. On January 5, 2023, USPTO Director Katherine K. Vidal entered an Order in the ‘912 Patent proceeding mandating a sua sponte Director review of the Board’s decision granting institution of the ‘912 Patent, and staying the underlying proceedings in lieu of a supplemental briefing schedule set by the Director herself. On February 3, 2023, Director Vidal entered a decision requiring the assigned Board to reevaluate Netlist’s request for discovery on the admitted relationship between Samsung and Google and reassess whether Google is a “Real Party in Interest.” On June 30, 2023, the Board resumed the trial on the Samsung ‘912 Patent IPR, which now also includes Micron’s claims via joinder (see above), and scheduled the ‘912 Patent IPR for further substantive briefing and an oral hearing on January 31, 2024. On October 17, 2023 and October 18, 2023, the PTAB issued final written decisions stating that all challenged claims of the ‘506 and ‘339 Patents were unpatentable, respectively.

On May 17, 2022, Samsung filed two IPR petitions contesting the validity of Netlist’s ‘918 and ‘054 Patents. On December 6, 2022, the Board instituted an IPR trial for the ‘054 Patent, and then instituted an IPR trial for the ‘918 Patent the next day. Micron has joined these Samsung IPRs on the ‘918 and ‘054 Patents, and oral arguments were heard on September 7, 2023. As of the reporting date, the Board has not issued a final written decision regarding Samsung’s IPR of either the ‘918 Patent or ‘054 Patent, which Micron has joined.

On June 3, 2022, Netlist filed patent infringement lawsuits against Samsung in Dusseldorf, Germany, seeking damages for Samsung’s infringement of Netlist’s Patents EP735 and EP660. An Oral Hearing was held in the Dusseldorf Court on September 5, 2023 to determine the question of infringement specifically. The Court confirmed at the hearing that an Order would issue either staying the matter until a decision was reached on validity by the German Federal Patent Court, or a dismissal of the case if there were no infringement. On September 25, 2023, the Dusseldorf Court entered a stay of the matter until the German Federal Patent Court renders a decision in the nullity actions currently pending for the EP735 Patent and EP660 Patent. As of the reporting date, the German Federal Patent Court’s oral hearing on the EP735 Patent is set for March 2024, while the hearing on the EP660 Patent is set for July 2024.

On August 1, 2022, Netlist filed a complaint for patent infringement against Samsung in the EDTX (Case No. 2:22-cv-00293) under the ‘912 Patent, which relates generally to technologies to implement rank multiplication. On August 15, 2022, Netlist filed its first amended complaint here, further addressing Samsung’s infringement of the ‘215 and ‘417 Patents. On October 21, 2022, Hon. Chief Judge Gilstrap ordered that this action and a parallel action by Netlist against Micron on the same patents (22-cv-00294-JRG) be consolidated and set for a joint scheduling conference on November 17, 2022, further instructing that this Samsung action be considered the “LEAD CASE” and that any further filings from either action be submitted in therefore all pretrial matters. The claim construction hearing was advanced and took place before Hon. Chief Judge Gilstrap on September 26, 2023. As of the reporting date, the Court has not yet entered an Order confirming the Claim Construction outcomes, and the consolidated case still has a docket control order listing trial beginning on April 15, 2024.

On August 26, 2022, Samsung filed two IPR petitions contesting the validity of Netlist’s ‘060 and ‘160 Patents. On January 19, 2023, Netlist filed its Patent Owner Preliminary Responses in those proceedings. As of the reporting date, the Board instituted trials for both IPRs and set substantive briefing deadlines, including the date for oral argument on both IPRs as January 11, 2024.

On January 10, 2023, Samsung filed two IPR petitions contesting the validity of the ‘215 and ‘417 Patents. The Board accorded these IPRs a filing date of January 10, 2023 and Netlist filed its Patent Owner Preliminary Responses by the May 9, 2023 deadline. On August 1, 2023, the Board entered an Order instituting a trial for both of Samsung’s IPR petitions. The Board simultaneously set a schedule for briefing deadlines, and the date for oral arguments on May 3, 2024.

On April 27, 2023, Samsung filed an IPR petition contesting the validity of the ‘608 Patent. The Board accorded Samsung’s IPR petition a filing date on June 14, 2023. As of the reporting date, Netlist’s has submitted its preliminary response to the petition. The PTAB will enter its institution decision on or before December 14, 2023.

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On October 9, 2023, Samsung initiated a declaratory judgement action against Netlist in the District of Delaware (Samsung Elecs. Co., Ltd., et. al. v. Netlist, Inc., Case No. 1:23-cv-01122-RGA), where it requested in relevant part that the DDE declare that Samsung does not infringe Netlist’s U.S. Patent No. 11,386,024 (the “‘024 Patent”) and that Netlist allegedly breached its contractual obligations to JEDEC and thus harmed Samsung as a third-party beneficiary.

Other Contingent Obligations

In the ordinary course of our business, we have made certain indemnities, commitments and guarantees pursuant to which we may be required to make payments in relation to certain transactions. These may include, among others: (i) intellectual property indemnities to our customers and licensees in connection with the use, sale and/or license of our products; (ii) indemnities to vendors and service providers pertaining to claims based on our negligence or willful misconduct; (iii) indemnities involving the accuracy of representations and warranties in certain contracts; (iv) indemnities to our directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted under the laws of the State of Delaware; (v) indemnities pertaining to all obligations, demands, claims, and liabilities claimed or asserted by any other party in connection with transactions contemplated by applicable investment or loan documents, as applicable; and (vi) indemnities or other claims related to certain real estate leases, under which we may be required to indemnify property owners for environmental and other liabilities or may face other claims arising from our use of the applicable premises. The duration of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees varies and, in certain cases, may be indefinite. The majority of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees do not provide for any limitation of the maximum potential for future payments we could be obligated to make. Historically, we have not been obligated to make significant payments as a result of these obligations, and no liabilities have been recorded for these indemnities, commitments and guarantees in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Note 8—Stockholders’ Equity

Serial Preferred Stock

The Company’s authorized capital stock includes 10,000,000 shares of serial preferred stock, with a par value of $0.001 per share. No shares of preferred stock were outstanding as of September 30, 2023 or December 31, 2022.

On April 17, 2017, the Company entered into a rights agreement (as amended from time to time, the “Rights Agreement”) with Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as rights agent. In connection with the adoption of the Rights Agreement and pursuant to its terms, the Company’s board of directors authorized and declared a dividend of one right (each, a “Right”) for each outstanding share of the Company’s common stock to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 18, 2017 (the “Record Date”), and authorized the issuance of one Right for each share of the Company’s common stock issued by the Company (except as otherwise provided in the Rights Agreement) between the Record Date and the Distribution Date (as defined below).

Each Right entitles the registered holder, subject to the terms of the Rights Agreement, to purchase from the Company, when exercisable and subject to adjustment, one unit consisting of one one-thousandth of a share (a “Unit”) of Series A Preferred Stock of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”), at a purchase price of $6.56 per Unit, subject to adjustment. Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, including certain exceptions specified therein, a distribution date for the Rights (the “Distribution Date”) will occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 business days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired or otherwise obtained beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the then-outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, and (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined by the Company’s board of directors) following the commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would result in a person or group becoming an Acquiring Person. The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date and, unless earlier redeemed or exchanged by the Company pursuant to the terms of the Rights Agreement (as amended on April 16, 2018, April 16, 2019 and August 14, 2020) will expire on the close of business on April 17, 2024.

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In connection with the adoption of the Rights Agreement, the Company’s board of directors approved a Certificate of Designation of the Series A Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”) designating 1,000,000 shares of its serial preferred stock as Series A Preferred Stock and setting forth the rights, preferences and limitations of the Preferred Stock. The Company filed the Certificate of Designation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 17, 2017.

Common Stock

September 2021 Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement

On September 28, 2021, the Company entered into a purchase agreement (the “September 2021 Purchase Agreement”) with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“Lincoln Park”), pursuant to which the Company has the right to sell to Lincoln Park up to an aggregate of $75 million in shares of its common stock subject to the conditions and limitations set forth in the September 2021 Purchase Agreement. As consideration for entering into the September 2021 Purchase Agreement, the Company issued to Lincoln Park 218,750 shares of its common stock as initial commitment shares in a noncash transaction on September 28, 2021 and will issue up to 143,750 additional shares of its common stock as additional commitment shares on a pro rata basis in connection with any additional purchases. The Company will not receive any cash proceeds from the issuance of these additional commitment shares.

The Company controls the timing and amount of any sales of its common stock to Lincoln Park. There is no upper limit on the price per share that Lincoln Park must pay for the Company’s common stock under the September 2021 Purchase Agreement, but in no event will shares be sold to Lincoln Park on a day the closing price is less than the floor price specified in the September 2021 Purchase Agreement. In all instances, the Company may not sell shares of its common stock to Lincoln Park under the September 2021 Purchase Agreement if that would result in Lincoln Park beneficially owning more than 9.99% of its common stock.

The September 2021 Purchase Agreement does not limit the Company’s ability to raise capital from other sources at the Company’s sole discretion, except that, subject to certain exceptions, the Company may not enter into any Variable Rate Transaction (as defined in the September 2021 Purchase Agreement, including the issuance of any floating conversion rate or variable priced equity-like securities) during the 36 months after the date of the September 2021 Purchase Agreement. The Company has the right to terminate the September 2021 Purchase Agreement at any time, at no cost to the Company.

During 2022, Lincoln Park purchased an aggregate of 1,050,000 shares of our common stock for a net purchase price of $4.4 million under the September 2021 Purchase Agreement. In connection with the purchases, we issued to Lincoln Park an aggregate of 8,502 shares of our common stock as additional commitment shares in noncash transactions. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, Lincoln Park purchased an aggregate of 7,865,000 shares of our common stock for a net purchase price of $23.4 million under the September 2021 Purchase Agreement. In connection with the purchases, we issued to Lincoln Park an aggregate of 44,939 shares of our common stock as additional commitment shares in noncash transactions.

2023 Offering

On August 14, 2023, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “2023 Purchase Agreement”) with certain investors, pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to the investors in a registered offering (the “2023 Offering”) an aggregate of 11,111,112 shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 11,111,112 shares of our common stock at a per share purchase price of $2.70 per share. The 2023 Offering closed on August 17, 2023. The net proceeds to the Company from the 2023 Offering were approximately $28.6 million, after deducting placement agent fees and offering costs paid by the Company. The warrants are exercisable at any time on or after the issuance date, have a term of five years from the issuance date, and have an exercise price of $3.20 per share and contain customary 4.99%/9.99% blocker provisions.

In addition, pursuant to the 2023 Purchase Agreement, the Company and our director and executive officers entered into lock-up agreements (the “Lock-Up Agreements”), pursuant to which they agreed not to offer for sale,

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contract to sell, or sell any shares of the Company’s common stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, shares of the Company’s common stock, for a period of 90 days from the closing of the 2023 Offering, subject to certain customary exceptions.

The 2023 Purchase Agreement also provides that the Company may not effect or enter into any Variable Rate Transactions (as defined in the 2023 Purchase Agreement) until the six month anniversary of the closing date of the 2023 Offering. Sales of the Company’s common stock pursuant to the September 2021 Purchase Agreement are permitted after 90 days following the closing of the 2023 Offering.

Note 9—Stock-Based Awards

As of September 30, 2023, the Company had 131,596 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under its Amended and Restated 2006 Incentive Plan (“Amended 2006 Plan”). Stock options granted under the Amended 2006 Plan generally vest at a rate of at least 25% per year over four years and expire 10 years from the grant date. RSUs granted for employees and consultants generally vest in equal installments annually and fully vest over a four-year term from the grant date.

Stock Options

The following table summarizes the activity related to stock options during the nine months ended September 30, 2023:

Weighted-

Number of

Average

Shares

Exercise

(in thousands)

    

Price

Outstanding as of December 31, 2022

4,866

$

0.93

Granted

Exercised

(661)

0.80

Expired or forfeited

(152)

2.18

Outstanding as of September 30, 2023

4,053

$

0.90

Restricted Stock Units

The following table summarizes the activity related to RSUs during the nine months ended September 30, 2023:

Weighted-

Average

Number of

Grant-Date

Shares

Fair Value

(in thousands)

per Share

Balance nonvested as of December 31, 2022

3,442

$

3.36

Granted

1,589

3.35

Vested

(1,292)

2.54

Forfeited

(196)

3.92

Balance nonvested as of September 30, 2023

3,543

$

3.62

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Stock-Based Compensation

The following table summarizes the stock-based compensation expense by line item in the condensed consolidated statements of operations (in thousands):

Three Months Ended

    

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

September 30,

October 1,

2023

2022

2023

2022

Cost of sales

$

19

$

22

$

90

$

41

Research and development

231

283

691

674

Selling, general and administrative

895

587

2,637

1,649

Total

$

1,145

$

892

$

3,418

$

2,364

As of September 30, 2023, the Company had approximately $10.5 million, net of estimated forfeitures, of unearned stock-based compensation, which it expects to recognize over a weighted-average period of approximately 2.7 years.

Note 10—Warrants

Warrant activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 is as follows:

Weighted

Number of

Average

Shares

Exercise

    

(in thousands)

    

Price

Outstanding as of December 31, 2022

$

Granted

11,111

3.20

Exercised

Expired

Outstanding as of September 30, 2023

11,111

$

3.20

Note 11—Subsequent Events

2023 SVB Credit Agreement

On November 7, 2023, we entered into a loan and security agreement (the “2023 SVB Credit Agreement”) with Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizen Bank & Trust Company, which provides for a revolving line of credit up to $10.0 million. The borrowing base is limited to 85% of eligible accounts receivable, subject to certain adjustments. Borrowings accrue interest on advance at a per annum rate equal to the greater of 8.50% and the Wall Street Journal prime rate (“Prime Rate”). The maturity date is November 7, 2025.

The 2023 SVB Credit Agreement requires letters of credit to be secured by cash, which is classified as restricted cash in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. As of November 9, 2023, outstanding borrowings were $0, and availability under the revolving line of credit was $10.0 million.

The 2023 SVB Credit Agreement subjects the Company to certain affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants with respect to the Company’s liquidity and restrictions on the payment of dividends. As of November 9, 2023, the Company was in compliance with its covenants under the 2023 SVB Credit Agreement.

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Item 2.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&A”) and other parts of this report include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and often address future events or our future performance. Words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “believe,” “should,” “could” and similar words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.

Forward-looking statements contained in this MD&A include statements about, among other things: 

our beliefs regarding the market and demand for our products or the component products we resell;
our ability to collect any damages awarded to us under Final Judgment against Samsung;
our ability to develop and launch new products that are attractive to the market and stimulate customer demand for these products;
our plans relating to our intellectual property, including our goals of monetizing, licensing, expanding and defending our patent portfolio;
our expectations and strategies regarding outstanding legal proceedings and patent reexaminations relating to our intellectual property portfolio;
our expectations with respect to any strategic partnerships or other similar relationships we may pursue;
the competitive landscape of our industry;
general market, economic and political conditions;
our business strategies and objectives;
our expectations regarding our future operations and financial position, including revenues, costs and prospects, and our liquidity and capital resources, including cash flows, sufficiency of cash resources, efforts to reduce expenses and the potential for future financings;
our ability to remediate any material weakness, maintain effective internal control over financial reporting; and
the impact of the above factors and other future events on the market price and trading volume of our common stock.

All forward-looking statements reflect management’s present assumptions, expectations and beliefs regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include those described under “Risk Factors” in Part II, Item 1A of this report. In light of these risks and uncertainties, our forward-looking statements should not be relied on as predictions of future events. All forward-looking statements reflect our assumptions, expectations and beliefs only as of the date they are made, and except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason.

The following MD&A should be read in conjunction with our condensed consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in Part I, Item 1 of this report, as well as our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 28, 2023 (the “2022 Annual Report”). All information presented herein is based on our fiscal calendar, and references to particular years, quarters, months or periods refer to our fiscal years ended in January or December and the associated quarters, months and periods of those fiscal years. Each of the terms the “Company,” “Netlist,” “we,” “us,” or “our” as used herein refers collectively to Netlist, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise stated.

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Overview

Netlist provides high-performance memory solutions to enterprise customers in diverse industries. Our products in various capacities and form factors and our line of custom and specialty memory products bring leading performance to customers in a variety of industries globally and cloud service providers. Netlist also licenses its intellectual property.

During the third quarter of 2023, we recorded net sales of $16.7 million, gross profit of $0.4 million and net loss of $17.3 million. We have historically financed our operations primarily with proceeds from issuances of equity and debt securities and cash receipts from revenues. We have also funded our operations with a revolving line of credit and term loans under a bank credit facility. See “Recent Developments” and “Liquidity and Capital Resources” below for more information.

Recent Developments

2023 SVB Credit Agreement

On November 7, 2023, we entered into a loan and security agreement (the “2023 SVB Credit Agreement”) with Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizen Bank & Trust Company, which provides for a revolving line of credit up to $10.0 million. The borrowing base is limited to 85% of eligible accounts receivable, subject to certain adjustments. Borrowings accrue interest on advance at a per annum rate equal to the greater of 8.50% and the Wall Street Journal prime rate (“Prime Rate”). The maturity date is November 7, 2025.

The 2023 SVB Credit Agreement requires letters of credit to be secured by cash, which is classified as restricted cash in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. As of November 9, 2023, outstanding borrowings were $0, and availability under the revolving line of credit was $10.0 million.

The 2023 SVB Credit Agreement subjects the Company to certain affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants with respect to the Company’s liquidity and restrictions on the payment of dividends. As of November 9, 2023, the Company was in compliance with its covenants under the 2023 SVB Credit Agreement.

2023 Offering

On August 14, 2023, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with certain investors, pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell to the investors in a registered offering (the “2023 Offering”) an aggregate of 11,111,112 shares of our common stock and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 11,111,112 shares of our common stock at a per share purchase price of $2.70 per share. The 2023 Offering closed on August 17, 2023. The net proceeds to us from the 2023 Offering were approximately $28.6 million, after deducting placement agent fees and offering costs paid by us. The warrants are exercisable at any time on or after the issuance date, have a term of five years from the issuance date, and have an exercise price of $3.20 per share and contain customary 4.99%/9.99% blocker provisions.

On August 14, 2023 and in connection with the 2023 Offering, we entered into a Placement Agency Agreement (the “Placement Agreement”) with Roth Capital Partners, LLC (“Roth”), pursuant to which Roth agreed to act as the Company’s placement agent in connection with the 2023 Offering. Pursuant to the terms of the Placement Agreement, in consideration for its placement agent services, we agreed to pay Roth a cash fee in an amount equal to 4% of the aggregate gross proceeds received by us in connection with the closing of the 2023 Offering.

In addition, pursuant to the 2023 Purchase Agreement, the Company and its director and executive officers entered into the Lock-Up Agreements, pursuant to which they agreed not to offer for sale, contract to sell, or sell any shares of the Company’s common stock or any securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, shares of the Company’s common stock, for a period of 90 days from the closing of the 2023 Offering, subject to certain customary exceptions.

The 2023 Purchase Agreement also provides that the Company may not effect or enter into any Variable Rate Transactions (as defined in the 2023 Purchase Agreement) until the six month anniversary of the closing date of the 2023

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Offering. Sales of the Company’s common stock pursuant to the September 2021 Purchase Agreement are permitted after 90 days following the closing of the 2023 Offering.

Final Judgment Against Samsung

On August 11, 2023, a final judgment was entered in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, which upheld the jury trial verdict on April 21, 2023 that awarded Netlist $303 million in damages against Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Samsung Semiconductor Inc., and Samsung Electronics America Inc. (collectively, “Samsung”) for their willful infringement of five Netlist patents: U.S. Patent Nos. 10,949,339, 11,016,918, 11,232,054, 8,787,060, and 9,318,160. The products found to infringe these patents were Samsung DDR4 LRDIMMs, DDR5 UDIMMs, DDR5 SODIMMs, and DDR5 RDIMMs, and HBM2, HBM2E, and HBM3 components. An appeal may be filed before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Should any party file an appeal, that could cause a lengthy delay in our ability to collect a damages award from Samsung, lead to a reduction of the damages award, or lead to a remand or reversal of the jury’s verdict.

September 2021 Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement

On September 28, 2021, we entered into a purchase agreement (the “September 2021 Purchase Agreement”) with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“Lincoln Park”), pursuant to which we have the right to sell to Lincoln Park up to an aggregate of $75 million in shares of our common stock over the 36-month term of the September 2021 Purchase Agreement subject to the conditions and limitations set forth in the September 2021 Purchase Agreement.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, Lincoln Park purchased an aggregate of 7,865,000 shares of our common stock for a net purchase price of $23.4 million under the September 2021 Purchase Agreement. In connection with the purchases, we issued to Lincoln Park an aggregate of 44,939 shares of our common stock as additional commitment shares in noncash transactions.

Economic Conditions, Challenges and Risks

Our performance, financial condition and prospects are affected by a number of factors and are exposed to a number of risks and uncertainties. We operate in a competitive and rapidly evolving industry in which new risks emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of the risks we may face, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors could cause actual results to differ from our expectations. See the discussion of certain risks that we face under “Risk Factors” in Part II, Item 1A of this report.

In recent periods, there has been a significant increase in worldwide supply of semiconductor memory and storage that has led to declines in demand and average selling prices for our products, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, or financial condition. Our suppliers generally seek to increase wafer output, improve yields, and reduce die size, which could result in further increases in worldwide supply and downward pressure on prices.

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Results of Operations

Net Sales and Gross Profit

Net sales and gross profit for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2022 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

%

September 30,

October 1,

%

    

2023

    

2022

    

Change

    

Change

    

2023

    

2022

    

Change

    

Change

Net sales

$

16,725

$

34,424

$

(17,699)

(51%)

$

35,772

$

139,982

$

(104,210)

(74%)

Cost of sales

16,285

32,244

(15,959)

(49%)

34,533

129,691

(95,158)

(73%)

Gross profit

$

440

$

2,180

$

(1,740)

(80%)

$

1,239

$

10,291

$

(9,052)

(88%)

Gross margin percentage

3%

6%

(3%)

3%

7%

(4%)

Net Sales

Net sales include resales of certain components, modules, and other products, which include dual in-line memory modules (“DIMMs”) and solid-state drives (“SSDs”). Net sales also include sales of Netlist’s own products.

Net sales decreased by approximately $17.7 million during the third quarter of 2023 compared to the same period of 2022, primarily as a result of a $8.7 million decrease in the sale of registered DIMM (“RDIMM”) and discrete memory component products, a $5.5 million decrease in sales of Netlist’s flash and SSD products, and an $3.5 million decrease in sales of low-profile memory subsystem products.

Net sales decreased by approximately $104.2 million during the first nine months of 2023 compared to the same period of 2022, primarily as a result of a $72.1 million decrease in the sale of RDIMM and discrete memory component products, a $11.1 million decrease in sales of Netlist’s flash and SSD products, and a $21.0 million decrease in sales of low-profile memory subsystem products.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

Product gross profit and product gross margin percentage decreased during the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 compared to the same periods of 2022, primarily as a result of lower sales across all product groups and a softer pricing environment.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2022, were as follows (dollars in thousands):

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

%

September 30,

October 1,

%

    

2023

    

2022

    

Change

    

Change

    

2023

    

2022

    

Change

    

Change

Research and development

$

2,268

$

2,550

$

(282)

(11%)

$

6,824

$

7,679

$

(855)

(11%)

Percentage of net sales

14%

7%

19%

5%

Intellectual property legal fees

$

12,891

$

5,577

7,314

131%

$

32,908

$

11,716

21,192

181%

Percentage of net sales

77%

16%

92%

8%

Selling, general and administrative

$

3,160

$

3,767

(607)

(16%)

$

9,515

$

11,429

(1,914)

(17%)

Percentage of net sales

19%

11%

27%

8%

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Research and Development

Research and development expenses decreased during the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 compared to the same periods of 2022 due primarily to a decrease in employee headcount and related overhead.

Intellectual Property Legal Fees

Intellectual property legal fees consist of fees incurred for patent drafting and prosecution, opposition to third-party post-grant patent proceedings, and patent enforcement and licensing. Although we expect intellectual property legal fees to generally increase over time as we continue to expand, protect and enforce our patent portfolio, these increases may not be linear but may occur in lump sums depending on the due dates of filings and their associated fees, and the arrangements we may make with our legal advisors in connection with enforcement proceedings, which may include fee arrangements or contingent fee arrangements in which we would pay these legal advisors on a scaled percentage of any negotiated fees, settlements or judgments awarded to us based on if, how and when the fees, settlements or judgments are obtained. See Note 7 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this report for further discussion.

Intellectual property legal fees increased during the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 compared to the same periods of 2022 due primarily to higher legal expenses incurred to protect and enforce our patent portfolio.

Selling, General and Administrative

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased during the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 compared to the same periods of 2022 due primarily to a decrease in employee headcount and overhead and outside services.

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Other Income, Net

Other income, net for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and October 1, 2022 was as follows (dollars in thousands):

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

%

September 30,

October 1,

%

    

2023

    

2022

    

Change

    

Change

    

2023

    

2022

    

Change

    

Change

Interest income, net

$

507

$

34

$

473

$

840

$

38

$

802

Other income, net

33

82

(49)

14

74

(60)

Total other income, net

$

540

$

116

$

424

366%

$

854

$

112

$

742

663%

Interest income, net increased during the third quarter and first nine months of 2023 compared to the same periods of 2022, primarily as a result of higher interest rate earned on higher cash balances. Other income, net included a one-time gain from a sanction judgment during the third quarter and first nine months of 2022 resulting in a decrease in other income for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2023 compared to the same periods of 2022.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our primary sources of cash are historically proceeds from issuances of equity and receipts from revenues. In addition, we have received proceeds from our entry into a Strategic Product Supply and License Agreement with SK hynix, Inc., a South Korean memory semiconductor supplier (“SK hynix”), on April 5, 2021 (the “Strategic Agreement”), which we use to support our operations.

The following tables present selected financial information as of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 and for the first nine months of 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):

September 30,

December 31,

    

2023

    

2022

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

$

50,576

$

43,611

Long-term debt due within one year

447

Working capital

34,495

25,774

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

October 1,

    

2023

    

2022

Net cash used in operating activities

$

(40,079)

$

(17,695)

Net cash used in investing activities

(396)

Net cash provided by financing activities

47,044

3,054

During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, net cash used in operating activities was primarily a result of net loss of $47.2 million, non-cash adjustments to net loss of $4.2 million, and net cash inflows from changes in operating assets and liabilities of $2.9 million due to a decrease in accounts receivable and in inventories, partially offset by a decrease in accounts payable and a decrease in accrued expenses and other liabilities. Net cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 primarily consisted of $23.4 million in net proceeds from issuance of common stock under the September 2021 Purchase Agreement, $28.6 million in net proceeds from the 2023 Offering, $0.5 million in proceeds from exercise of stock options, offset by $4.9 million in net repayments under the credit agreement between the Company and Silicon Valley Bank, dated October 31, 2009, which was terminated on April 28, 2023 (the “2009 SVB Credit Agreement”), and $0.4 million in payments of notes payable to finance insurance policies.

During the nine months ended October 1, 2022, net cash used in operating activities was primarily a result of net loss of $20.4 million, non-cash adjustments to net loss of $3.1 million, and net cash outflows from changes in operating assets and liabilities of $0.4 million driven predominantly by an increase in inventories due to higher purchases to support increased sales and a decrease in accounts payable, partially offset by a decrease in accounts receivable and an

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increase in accrued expenses and other liabilities. Net cash provided by financing activities during the nine months ended October 1, 2022 primarily consisted of $1.0 million in net borrowings under the 2009 SVB Credit Agreement, $3.7 million in net proceeds from issuance of common stock under the September 2021 Purchase Agreement, $0.3 million in proceeds from exercise of stock options, offset by $0.6 million in payments of note payable to finance insurance policies and $1.3 million in payments for taxes related to net share settlement of equity awards.

Capital Resources

2023 Offering

On August 14, 2023, we entered into the 2023 Purchase Agreement with certain investors, pursuant to which we agreed to issue and sell to the investors an aggregate of 11,111,112 shares of our common stock and warrants purchase up to an aggregate of 11,111,112 shares of our common stock at a per share purchase price of $2.70 per share. The 2023 Offering closed on August 17, 2023. The net proceeds to us from the 2023 Offering were $28.6 million, after deducting placement agent fees and offering costs paid by us.

September 2021 Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement

On September 28, 2021, we entered into the September 2021 Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park, pursuant to which we have the right to sell to Lincoln Park up to an aggregate of $75.0 million in shares of our common stock over the 36-month term of the September 2021 Purchase Agreement subject to the conditions and limitations set forth in the September 2021 Purchase Agreement. As of September 30, 2023, $36.3 million remains available under the September 2021 Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park.

Sufficiency of Cash Balances and Potential Sources of Additional Capital

We believe our existing balance of cash and cash equivalents together with cash receipts from revenues, the equity financing available under the September 2021 Purchase Agreement, funds raised through the 2023 Offering and other future equity offerings and taking into account cash expected to be used in our operations, will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for at least the next 12 months.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditure or capital resources that is material to investors.

Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

The preparation of our condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the condensed consolidated financial statements, and the reported amounts of net sales and expenses during the reporting period. By their nature, these estimates and assumptions are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. We base our estimates and assumptions on our historical experience, knowledge of current conditions and our beliefs of what could occur in the future considering available information. We review our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Actual results may differ from our estimates, which may result in material adverse effects on our consolidated operating results and financial position.

Our critical accounting policies and estimates are discussed in Note 2 to the condensed consolidated financial statements in this report and in the notes to consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of our 2022 Annual Report and in the MD&A in our 2022 Annual Report. There have been no significant changes to our critical accounting policies since our 2022 Annual Report.

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Item 3. 

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Foreign Currency Exchange Risk

The majority of our sales and our expenses are denominated in U.S. dollars. Since we operate in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), a percentage of our operational expenses are denominated in Chinese Renminbi (“RMB”) and exchange volatility could positively or negatively impact those operating costs. Additionally, we may hold certain assets and liabilities in local currency on our consolidated balance sheet. As the operational expenses in RMB is immaterial, we do not believe that foreign exchange volatility has a material impact on our current business or results of operations.

Item 4. 

Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

Our management conducted an evaluation, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) promulgated under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on this evaluation, due to the elimination of our audit committee in August 2020, our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of September 30, 2023.

Notwithstanding the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, we have concluded that the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-Q fairly present, in all material respects, our financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented in conformity with U.S. GAAP.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Remediation Initiatives

In an effort to address the identified material weakness and enhance our internal controls related to our lack of an independent board and audit committee, we continue to maintain our financial reporting process we followed to prepare consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP for audit committee meetings on a quarterly and annual basis. We engage all departments groups to identify risks to the achievement of our goals as a basis for determining how the risks should be managed. Our Chief Executive Officer and sole director will oversee the process to ensure all required disclosures are made in our consolidated financial statements on a quarterly and annual basis.

PART II. — OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. 

Legal Proceedings

The information under “Litigation and Patent Reexaminations” in Note 7 to the condensed consolidated financial statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this report is incorporated herein by reference.

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Item 1A. Risk Factors

We are subject to a number of risks that if realized could affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Some of the more significant challenges and risks include the following:

Significant increases in worldwide supply of semiconductor memory and storage could lead to declines in demand and average selling prices for our products, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, or financial condition;
We have historically incurred losses and may continue to incur losses;
We maintain our cash at financial institutions, often in balances that exceed federally insured limits;
We may not be able to collect the damages awarded to us in our litigation with Samsung, which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results;
The vast majority of our net product sales in recent periods have been generated from resales of products, including products sourced from SK hynix, and any decline in these product resales could significantly harm our performance;
We are subject to risks relating to our focus on developing our Compute Express Link (“CXL”) products for our target customer markets;
Sales to a small number of customers have historically represented a significant portion of our net product sales, and the loss of, or a significant reduction in sales to, any one of these customers could materially harm our business;
We are subject to risks of disruption in the supply of component products;
Our customers require that our products undergo a lengthy and expensive qualification process without any assurance of sales;
If we are unable to timely and cost-effectively develop new or enhanced products that achieve customer and market acceptance or technologies we can monetize, our revenues and prospects could be materially harmed;
We face intense competition in our industry, and we may not be able to compete successfully in our target markets;
Our operating results may be adversely impacted by worldwide economic and political uncertainties and specific conditions in the markets we address and in which we or our strategic partners or competitors do business, including the cyclical nature of and volatility in the memory market and semiconductor industry;
Our lack of a significant backlog of unfilled orders and the difficulty inherent in estimating customer demand makes it difficult to forecast our short-term requirements, and any failure to optimally calibrate our production capacity and inventory levels to meet customer demand could adversely affect our revenues, gross margin and earnings;
Declines in our average sale prices, driven by volatile prices for components and other factors, may result in declines in our revenues and gross margin;
Our manufacturing operations involve significant risks;
We depend on third parties to design and manufacture components for our products and the component products we resell, which exposes us to risks;
If our products or the component products we resell do not meet quality standards or are defective or used in defective systems, we may be subject to quality holds, warranty claims, recalls or liability claims;
Our indemnification obligations for the infringement by our products of the rights of others could require us to pay substantial damages;
We depend on certain key employees, and our business could be harmed if we lose the services of any of these employees or are unable to attract and retain other qualified personnel;
We rely on our internal and third-party sales representatives to market and sell our products and the component products we resell, and any failure by these representatives to perform as expected could reduce our sales;
Our operations could be disrupted by power outages, natural disasters, cyber-attacks or other factors;

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Difficulties with our global information technology systems, including any unauthorized access or cyber-attacks, could harm our business;
If we do not effectively manage any future growth we may experience, our resources, systems and controls may be strained and our results of operations may suffer;
If we acquire businesses or technologies or pursue other strategic transactions or relationships in the future, these transactions could disrupt our business and harm our operating results and financial condition;
Increased prices and inflation could negatively impact our margin performance and our financial results;
Geopolitical risks associated with the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and recent events in Israel and Palestine could result in increased market volatility and uncertainty, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations;
We are exposed to additional business, regulatory, political, operational, financial and economic risks related to our international sales and operations;
Our failure to comply with environmental and other applicable laws and regulations could subject us to significant fines and liabilities or cause us to incur significant costs;
Regulations related to “conflict minerals” may cause us to incur additional expenses and could limit the supply and increase the cost of certain metals used in manufacturing our products;
We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to remediate the material weakness, or if we identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect our business;
We are required to comply with certain provisions of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (“Section 404”), that place significant demands on our resources, and the transition to the higher reporting and control standards that applies to us as a “large accelerated filer” may cause management distraction and increased costs;
We may be unsuccessful in monetizing our intellectual property portfolio;
We are and expect to continue to be involved in other legal and administrative proceedings to enforce or protect our intellectual property rights and to defend against claims that we infringe the intellectual property rights of others;
If our proprietary rights are not protected, our customers or our competitors might gain access to our proprietary designs, processes and technologies, which could adversely affect our operating results;
We may become involved in non-patent related litigation and administrative proceedings that may materially adversely affect us;
We may not have sufficient working capital to fund our planned operations, and, as a result, we may need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available when needed, on acceptable terms or at all;
The price and trading volume of our common stock has and may continue to fluctuate significantly in reaction to real or perceived developments in our business;
We expect to incur additional indebtedness to support the growth of our business and to facilitate effective working capital. Our level of indebtedness and the terms of such indebtedness could adversely affect our operations and liquidity;
Adverse developments affecting financial institutions, companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally could adversely affect our operations and liquidity;
There is a limited market for our common shares, and the trading price of our common shares is subject to volatility;
Future issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase our common stock, including pursuant to our equity incentive plans, could result in additional dilution to the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause the price of our common stock to decline;
Sales of our common stock, or the perception that such sales could occur, could cause the market price of our stock to drop significantly, regardless of the state of our business;
As a sole director, Chun K. Hong has significant control over all corporate decisions that may not be in the best interest of our other stockholders;
Anti-takeover provisions under our charter documents and Delaware law, as well as our rights agreement, could delay or prevent a change of control and could also limit the market price of our common stock; and

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We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock, and any return to investors is expected to result, if at all, only from potential increases in the price of our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Business, Operations and Industry

Significant increases in worldwide supply of semiconductor memory and storage could lead to declines in demand and average selling prices for our products, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, or financial condition.

Our suppliers generally seek to increase wafer output, improve yields, and reduce die size, which could result in significant increases in worldwide supply and downward pressure on prices. Increases in worldwide supply of semiconductor memory and storage also result from fabrication capacity expansions, either by way of new facilities, increased capacity utilization, or reallocation of other semiconductor production to semiconductor memory and storage production. Increases in worldwide supply of semiconductor memory and storage could lead to declines in average selling prices and a decrease in short-term and/or long-term demand resulting in industry oversupply and could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, or financial condition.

We have historically incurred losses and may continue to incur losses.

Since the inception of our business in 2000, we have only experienced two fiscal years (2006 and 2021) with profitable results. In order to sustain profitability, or to achieve and sustain positive cash flows from operations, we must reduce operating expenses and/or increase our revenues and gross margin. Although we have in the past engaged in a series of cost reduction actions, such expense reductions alone will not make us profitable or allow us to sustain profitability if it is achieved, and eliminating or reducing strategic initiatives could limit our opportunities and prospects. Our ability to sustain profitability will depend on increased revenue growth from, among other things, increased demand for our product offerings and our ability to monetize our intellectual property. We may not be successful in any of these pursuits, and we may not be able to sustain profitability if achieved.

We maintain our cash at financial institutions, often in balances that exceed federally insured limits.

We hold our cash and cash equivalents that we use to meet our working capital needs in deposit accounts at multiple financial institutions. The balance held in these accounts may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) standard deposit insurance limit or similar government guarantee schemes. If a financial institution in which we hold such funds fails or is subject to significant adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets, we could be subject to a risk of loss of all or a portion of such uninsured funds or be subject to a delay in accessing all or a portion of such uninsured funds. Any such loss or lack of access to these funds could adversely impact our short-term liquidity and ability to meet our obligations.

We may not be able to collect the damages awarded to us in our litigation with Samsung, which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results

As previously reported, in our litigation with Samsung, we were awarded damages of approximately $303 million. The outcome of the trial is subject to appeal, though we have no knowledge as to whether Samsung will or will not appeal the judgment. An appeal by Samsung would likely cause a lengthy delay in our ability to collect the award and could result in a reversal or reduction of the award. With or without an appeal, we would need to successfully collect damages awarded to us. In addition, if the judgment is appealed and we are unable to sustain our operations through an appeal process, we may be required to raise additional capital through proceeds from other litigated matters or debt or equity financing. We cannot be certain that we will prevail or settle in any other ongoing litigation, or that any additional financing we may need will be available on terms acceptable to us, or at all. If we do not receive funds from other litigation matters or secure financing in the future, we may be forced to liquidate our assets or discontinue our operations altogether.

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The vast majority of our net product sales in recent periods have been generated from resales of products, including products sourced from SK hynix, and any decline in these product resales could significantly harm our performance.

The vast majority of our net product sales in recent periods have been generated from resales of computer memory and storage components and products, including but not limited to SSDs, NAND flash and DIMMs. We resell products to end-customers that are not reached in the distribution models of the component manufacturers, including storage customers, appliance customers, system builders and cloud and datacenter customers.

These resales are subject to a number of risks. For example, demand for any computer memory or storage products could decline at any time for a number of reasons, including, among others, changing customer requirements or preferences, product obsolescence, introduction of more advanced or otherwise superior competing products by our competitors, the ability of our customers to obtain these products or substitute products from alternate sources (including from the manufacturer directly), customers reducing their need for these products generally, or the other risk factors described in this report. We have no long-term agreements or other commitments with respect to sales of these or any of the other products we sell. As a result, any decrease in demand for these products from us would reduce our sale levels and could materially adversely impact our revenues. Additionally, opportunistic purchases of products for resale, when coupled with a decrease in demand, may cause us to write off excess inventory which would adversely affect our operating performance.

We may experience supply shortages at any time and for a variety of reasons, including, among others, spikes in customer demand that cannot be satisfied, any problems that arise with SK hynix’s manufacturing operations or facilities that cause disruptions or delays, or any failure to comply with the terms of the agreements regarding the supply of these products. If we choose, or if we are forced, to seek to supply the component products we resell from other suppliers, we may not be able to identify other suppliers that are available and able to produce the particular components with the specific product specifications and in the quantities our customers require, or we may not be able to make arrangements with any other suppliers in a timely manner to avoid delays in satisfying customer orders. Further, even if we are able to make arrangements with other suppliers for sufficient component products to replace any undersupply from SK hynix, we may not be able to make these arrangements on financial and other terms comparable to those we have negotiated with SK hynix. As a result, any inability to obtain sufficient component products from SK hynix could increase our cost of sales for component product resales if we are forced to pay higher prices to obtain the products from other suppliers. Moreover, all of our supply arrangements for these component products and any arrangements we may establish with other suppliers, are subject to the other supply and manufacturing risks discussed elsewhere in these risk factors.

Increased reliance on product resales also has a substantial impact on our results of operations. Because the cost of the component products we purchase for resale is added to our cost of sales for these products, our gross margin on resales of component products is significantly lower than our gross margin on sales of our own memory subsystem products. As a result, increased resales of component products as a percentage of our total product sales have a significant negative impact on our gross margin and gross margin percentage. This gross margin and gross margin percentage differential between memory product sales and component product resales would be amplified if our costs to purchase component products were to increase. The occurrence of any one or more of these risks could cause our performance to materially suffer.

We are subject to risks relating to our focus on developing our CXL products for our target customer markets.

We have historically derived revenues from sales of our high-performance memory products to original equipment manufacturers (“OEM”) in the server, high-performance computing and communications markets. Although we expect these memory products to continue to account for a portion of our revenues, we have experienced declines in sales of these products in recent periods, and these declines could continue or intensify in the future. We believe market acceptance of these products or derivative products that incorporate our technology is critical to our success, and any continued decline in sales of these products could have a material adverse impact on our performance and long-term prospects.

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We have invested significant research and development time and capital in the design of application-specific integrated circuits (“ASIC”) and hybrid devices, including our CXL technology-based memory expansion controller. These products are subject to significant risks, including:

we are dependent on a limited number of suppliers for the non-volatile memory, volatile memory, ASICs, and other components that are essential to the functionality of these products, and in the past, we have experienced supply chain disruptions and shortages of volatile and non-volatile memory components required to create these products as a result of issues that are specific to our suppliers or the industry as a whole;
CXL and some of our other next-generation products may require additional time including the services and attention of key employees who have competing demands on their available time and may require capital investment to bring the products to market;
our development and commercialization strategies for these products;
we are required to demonstrate the quality and reliability of our products to and qualify them with our customers before purchases are made, which requires investments of time and resources in significant and unpredictable amounts prior to the receipt of any revenues from these customers; and
our memory expansion controller products or other new products, such as CXL, may contain currently undiscovered flaws, the correction of which could result in increased costs and time to market.

These and other risks associated with our memory subsystem products could impair our ability to obtain customer or market acceptance of these products or obtain such acceptance in a timely manner, which would reduce our achievable revenues from these products and limit our ability to recoup our investments in developing these technologies.

Additionally, if the demand for servers deteriorates, if the demand for our products to be incorporated in servers continues to decline, or if demand for our products deteriorates because customers in our other target markets change their requirements or preferences or otherwise reduce their need for these types of products generally, our operating results would be adversely affected, and we would be forced to diversify our product portfolio and our target customer markets in order to try to replace revenues lost from the further decreases in product sales. We may not be able to achieve this diversification, and any inability to do so may adversely affect our business, operating performance and prospects.

Sales to a small number of customers have historically represented a significant portion of our net product sales, and the loss of, or a significant reduction in sales to, any one of these customers could materially harm our business.

Our target markets are characterized by a limited number of large companies, and consolidation in one or more of these markets may further increase this concentration. As a result, sales to small numbers of customers have historically represented a substantial portion of our net product sales, and we expect this concentration to continue. Additionally, the composition of major customers and their respective contributions to our net product sales have fluctuated and will likely continue to fluctuate from period to period as our existing and prospective customers progress through the life cycle of the products they produce and sell and experience resulting fluctuations in their product demand. We believe our performance depends in significant part on our ability to establish and maintain relationships with and effect substantial sales to our large customers.

We do not have long-term agreements with any of our customers and, as result, any or all of them could decide at any time to decrease, delay or discontinue their purchase of our products or the component products we resell. In addition, the prices customers pay for products are subject to fluctuations, and large or key customers may exert pressure on us to make concessions in the prices at which we sell products to them. Further, we may not be able to sell some of our products developed for one customer to a different customer because our products are often customized to address specific customer requirements, and even if we are able to sell these products to another customer, our margin on these products may be reduced. Additionally, although customers are generally allowed only limited rights of return after purchasing our products or the component products we resell, we may determine that it is in our best interest to accept returns from certain large or key customers even if we are not contractually obligated to accept them in order to maintain

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good relations with these customers. Any returns beyond our expectations could negatively impact our operating results. Moreover, because a few customers often account for a substantial portion of our net product sales, the failure of any one of these customers to pay on a timely basis would negatively impact our cash flows. As a result, our net product sales and operating results could be materially adversely affected by the loss of any of our customers, particularly our large or key customers, a decrease in product sales to any of our customers, including as a result of normal fluctuations in demand or other factors, reductions in the prices at which we sell products to any of our customers, including as a result of price concessions or general declines in average sale prices, or difficulties collecting payments from any of our customers.

Our ability to maintain or increase our product sales to our key customers depends on a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include our customers’ continued sales of servers and other computing systems that incorporate our memory subsystems, our customers’ continued incorporation of our products or the component products we resell into their systems, and our customers’ sales activity and business results. Because of these and other factors, sales to these customers may not continue and the amount of such sales may not reach or exceed historical levels in any future period.

We are subject to risks of disruption in the supply of component products.

Our ability to fulfill customer orders for or produce qualification samples of our products, as well as orders for the components and/or products we resell, is dependent on a sufficient supply of SSDs, field programmable gate arrays, ASICs, volatile memory components, and non-volatile memory components. Further, there are a relatively small number of suppliers of these components, and we typically purchase from only a subset of these suppliers. As a result, our inventory purchases have historically been concentrated in a small number of suppliers, including SK hynix, from which we obtained a large portion of our products purchased for resale. We also use consumables and other components, including printed circuit boards, to manufacture our memory subsystems, which we sometimes procure from single or limited sources to take advantage of volume pricing discounts.

From time to time, shortages in SSDs, volatile memory components, and/or non-volatile memory components have required some suppliers to limit the supply of these components. In the past, we have experienced supply chain disruptions and shortages of SSDs, volatile memory components, and/or non-volatile memory components required to create certain of our memory subsystem products, and we have been forced to procure the component products we resell from other suppliers to the extent sufficient product is not available from SK hynix to meet customer demand or in the event of other SK hynix supply issues. We are continually working to secure adequate supplies of the components necessary to fill customers’ orders in a timely manner. If we are unable to obtain a sufficient supply of SSDs, volatile memory components, non-volatile memory components and/or other essential components, as a result of a natural disaster, political unrest military conflict, medical epidemics, climate change, economic instability, equipment failure or other cause, to avoid interruptions or failures in the delivery of our products as required by our customers or the delivery of these components to customers to whom we resell them directly, these customers may reduce future orders for these products or not purchase these products from us at all, which could cause our net product sales to decline and harm our operating results. In addition, our reputation could be harmed due to failures to meet our customers’ demands and, even assuming we are successful in resolving supply chain disruptions, we may not be able to replace any lost business and we may lose market share to our competitors. Further, if our suppliers are unable to produce qualification samples of our products on a timely basis or at all, we could experience delays in the qualification process with existing or prospective customers, which could have a significant impact on our ability to sell our products. Moreover, if we are not able to obtain these components in the amounts needed on a timely basis and at commercially reasonable prices, we may not be able to develop or introduce new products, we may experience significant increases in our cost of sales if we are forced to procure components from alternative suppliers and are not able to negotiate favorable terms with these suppliers, or we may be forced to cease our sales of products dependent on the components or resales of the components we sell to customers directly.

Our dependence on a small number of suppliers and the components we resell expose us to several risks, including the inability to obtain an adequate supply of these components, increases in their costs, delivery delays and poor quality. Additionally, our customers qualify certain of the components provided by our suppliers for use in their systems. If one of our suppliers experiences quality control or other problems, it may be disqualified by one or more of

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our customers. This would disrupt our supplies of these components, and would also reduce the number of suppliers available to us and may require that we qualify a new supplier, which we may not be able to do.

Declines in customer demand for our products in recent periods have caused us to reduce our purchases of SSDs, volatile memory components, and non-volatile memory components for use in our products. Such declines or other fluctuations could continue in the future. If we fail to maintain sufficient purchase levels with some suppliers, our ability to obtain supplies of these raw materials may be impaired due to the practice of some suppliers of allocating their products to customers with the highest regular demand.

Frequent technology changes and the introduction of next-generation versions of component products may also result in the obsolescence of our inventory on-hand, which could involve significant time and costs to replace, reduce our net product sales and gross margin and adversely affect our operating performance and financial condition.

Our customers require that our products undergo a lengthy and expensive qualification process without any assurance of sales.

Our prospective customers generally test and evaluate our memory subsystems before purchasing our products and integrating them into their systems. This extensive qualification process involves rigorous reliability testing and evaluation of our products, which may continue for nine months or longer and is often subject to delays. In addition to qualification of specific products, some of our customers may also require us to undergo a technology qualification if our product designs incorporate innovative technologies that the customer may not have previously encountered. Such technology qualifications often take substantially longer than product qualifications and can take over a year to complete. Even after our products are qualified with existing or new customers, the customer may take several months to begin purchasing the product or may decide not to purchase the product at all, as qualification does not ensure product sales. As a result, we could receive no or limited revenues from a customer even after our investment of time and resources in the qualification process with this customer, which could adversely affect our operating results.

Even after successful qualification and sales of our products to a customer, because the qualification process is both product-specific and platform-specific, our existing customers sometimes require us to re-qualify our products or to qualify our new products for use in new platforms or applications. For example, as our OEM customers transition from prior generation architectures to current generation architectures, we must design and qualify new products for use by these customers. Our net product sales to these customers can decline significantly during this re-qualification process.

Likewise, changes in our products, our manufacturing facilities, our production processes or our component suppliers may require a new qualification process. For example, if our SSD, volatile memory component, and non-volatile memory component suppliers discontinue production of these products or components, it may be necessary for us to design and qualify new products for our customers. As a result, some customers may require us, or we may decide, to purchase an estimated quantity of discontinued memory components necessary to ensure a steady supply of existing products until products with new components can be qualified. Purchases of this nature may affect our liquidity. Additionally, our forecasts of quantities required during the transition may be incorrect, which could adversely impact our results of operations through lost revenue opportunities or charges related to excess and obsolete inventory.

We must devote substantial resources, including design, engineering, sales, marketing and management efforts, to qualify our products with prospective customers in anticipation of sales. Significant delays or other difficulties in the qualification process could result in an inability to keep pace with rapid technology change or new competitive products. If we experience delays or do not succeed in qualifying a product with an existing or prospective customer, we would not be able to sell that product to that customer, which may result in excess and obsolete inventory that we may not be able to sell to another customer and could reduce our net product sales and customer base, any of which could materially harm our operating results and business.

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If we are unable to timely and cost-effectively develop new or enhanced products that achieve customer and market acceptance or technologies we can monetize, our revenues and prospects could be materially harmed.

Our industry is characterized by rapid technological change, evolving industry standards and rapid product obsolescence. As a result, continuous development of new technology, processes and product innovations is necessary in order to be successful. We believe the continued and timely development of new products and technologies and improvement of existing products and technologies are critical to our business and prospects for growth.

In order to develop and introduce new or enhanced products and technologies, we need to:

retain and continue to attract new engineers with expertise in memory subsystems and our other key technology competencies;
identify and adjust to the changing requirements and preferences of our existing and potential future customers and markets;
identify and adapt to emerging technological trends and evolving industry standards in our markets;
continue to develop and enhance our design tools, manufacturing processes and other technologies on which we rely to produce new products or product enhancements;
design and introduce cost-effective, innovative and performance-enhancing features that differentiate our products and technologies from those of our competitors;
secure licenses to enable us to use any technologies, processes or other rights needed for the manufacture or use of any new products or product enhancements we may develop, which licenses may not be available when needed, on acceptable terms or at all;
maintain or develop new relationships with suppliers of components required for any new or enhanced products and technologies;
qualify any new or enhanced products for use in our customers’ products; and
develop and maintain effective commercialization and marketing strategies.

We may not be successful at any of these activities. As a result, we may not be able to successfully develop new or enhanced products or technology or we may experience delays in this process. Failures or delays in product development and introduction could result in the loss of, or delays in generating, net products sales or other revenues and the loss of key customer relationships. Even if we develop new or enhanced products or technologies, they may not meet our customers’ requirements, gain market acceptance or attract monetization opportunities, as our product and technology development efforts are inherently risky due to the challenges of foreseeing changes or developments in technology, predicting changes in customer requirements or preferences or anticipating the adoption of new industry standards. Moreover, we have invested significant resources in our product and technology development efforts, which would be lost if we fail to generate revenues from these efforts. If any of these risks occur, our revenues, prospects and reputation could be materially adversely affected.

We face intense competition in our industry, and we may not be able to compete successfully in our target markets.

Our products are primarily targeted to OEMs in the server, high-performance computing and communications markets. In addition, we resell certain component products to storage customers, appliance customers, system builders and cloud and datacenter customers. These markets are intensely competitive, as numerous companies vie for business opportunities at a limited number of large OEMs and other customers. We face competition from volatile memory component suppliers, memory module providers, and logic suppliers for many of our products. We also face competition from the manufacturers and distributors of the component products we resell to customers, as these manufacturers and distributors could decide at any time to sell these component products to these customers directly. Additionally, if and to the extent we enter new markets or pursue licensing arrangements to monetize our technologies and intellectual property portfolio, we may face competition from a large number of competitors that produce solutions utilizing similar or competing technologies.

Some of our customers and suppliers may have proprietary products or technologies that are competitive with our products or the components we resell to them or could develop internal solutions or enter into strategic relationships

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with, or acquire, other high-density memory module or component providers. Any of these actions could reduce our customers’ demand for our products or the component products we resell. Additionally, some of our significant suppliers could choose to sell component products to customers directly, which would adversely affect our ability to resell these products, or may choose to manufacture competitive memory subsystem products themselves or reduce our supply of essential components of our products, which could adversely affect our ability to manufacture and sell our memory subsystems.

We believe our ability to compete in our current target markets and potential future markets will depend in part on our ability to successfully and timely develop, introduce and sell at attractive prices new and enhanced products or technologies and otherwise respond to changing market requirements, which we may not be able to do faster and better than our competitors. Moreover, many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical, marketing, distribution and other resources, broader product lines, lower cost structures, greater brand recognition, more influence on industry standards, more extensive or established patent portfolios and longer standing relationships with customers and suppliers. We may not be able to compete effectively against any of these organizations. If we are unable to compete effectively, then our market position and prospects could deteriorate and our revenues could decline.

Our operating results may be adversely impacted by worldwide economic and political uncertainties and specific conditions in the markets we address and in which we or our strategic partners or competitors do business, including the cyclical nature of and volatility in the memory market and semiconductor industry.

Changes in domestic and global economic and political conditions make it difficult for our customers, our vendors and us to accurately forecast and plan future business activities, and these conditions have caused and could continue to cause U.S. and foreign businesses to slow or decrease spending on our products and the products we resell.

In addition, sales of our products and the products we resell are dependent on demand by customers in our target markets. These markets are characterized by wide fluctuations in product supply and demand and have been cyclical in the past, which may result in substantial period-to-period fluctuations in our operating results. In addition, these markets have in the past experienced significant downturns, often connected with or in anticipation of maturing product cycles, reductions in technology spending and declines in general economic conditions. During these downturns, product demand diminishes, production capacity exceeds demand, inventory levels increase and average sale prices decline, all of which would materially adversely impact our business and operating results. In addition, because many of our costs and operating expenses are relatively fixed, if we are unable to control our expenses adequately in response to reduced product demand and sales, our gross margin and cash flows would be negatively impacted. Further, such a downturn could decrease the perceived value of our intellectual property portfolio and reduce our ability to pursue our intellectual property monetization objectives.

During challenging economic times, our customers may face challenges gaining timely access to sufficient credit, which could impair their ability to make timely payments to us. This may negatively affect our liquidity and cash flows and require us to increase our allowance for doubtful accounts. Furthermore, our vendors may face similar issues gaining access to credit, which may limit their ability to supply components or provide trade credit to us. We are monitoring ongoing events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally. We are also monitoring the impacts that these events may have on our customers and vendors.

We cannot predict the timing, strength or duration of any economic slowdown or subsequent economic recovery, either generally or in our customer markets. If the economy or markets in which we operate experience such a slowdown, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The combination of our lengthy sales cycle coupled with any challenging macroeconomic conditions could compound the negative impact of any such downturn on the results of our operations.

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Our lack of a significant backlog of unfilled orders and the difficulty inherent in estimating customer demand makes it difficult to forecast our short-term requirements, and any failure to optimally calibrate our production capacity and inventory levels to meet customer demand could adversely affect our revenues, gross margin and earnings.

We make significant decisions regarding the levels of business we will seek and accept, production schedules, component procurement, personnel needs and other resource requirements based on our estimates of customer demand. We do not have long-term agreements with any of our customers. Instead, our product sales are made primarily pursuant to stand-alone purchase orders that we often receive no more than two weeks in advance of the desired delivery date and that may be rescheduled or cancelled on relatively short notice. The short-term nature of the commitments by many of our customers and our customers’ ability to cancel or defer purchase orders for any reason reduces our backlog of firm orders and our ability to accurately estimate future customer requirements for our products or the component products we resell. These facts, combined with the short turnaround times that apply to most orders, makes it difficult to predict our production and inventory needs and allocate production capacity and capital for inventory purchases effectively. As a result, we attempt to forecast the demand for the components needed to manufacture our products and to resell to customers directly, but any such forecasts could turn out to be wrong. Further, lead times for components vary significantly and depend on various factors, such as the specific supplier and the demand and supply for a component at any given time.

Our production expense and component purchase levels are to a large extent fixed in the short term. As a result, we may be unable to adjust spending on a timely basis to compensate for any unexpected shortfall in customer orders. If we overestimate customer demand, we may have excess component or finished goods inventory, which may not be able to be used in other products or resold and may become obsolete before any such use or resale. If there is a subsequent decline in the prices of components, the value of our inventory would fall and we may be required to write-down the value of our component inventory, which may result in a significant increase in our cost of sales and decrease in our gross margin. In the past, we have had to write-down inventory due to obsolescence, excess quantities and declines in market value below our costs. As a result, any significant shortfall of customer orders in relation to our expectations could hurt our operating results, cash flows and financial condition.

Conversely, any rapid increases in demand by our customers could strain our resources. If we underestimate customer demand, we may not have sufficient inventory of necessary components on hand to meet that demand and we may need to try to procure additional quantities, which may not be available or may only be available at high prices or on otherwise unfavorable terms. We also may not have sufficient manufacturing capacity at any given time to meet any demands for rapid increases in production of our memory subsystem products. Any shortages of inventory or manufacturing capacity could lead to delays in the delivery of products, which may force us to forego sales opportunities, reduce our net product sales and damage our customer relationships.

In addition, if our product demand forecasts are wrong, we may understate or overstate the provision required for excess and obsolete inventory. If our inventories are determined to be overvalued, we would be required to recognize additional expense in our cost of sales at the time of the determination. Conversely, if our inventories are determined to be undervalued, we may have over-reported our costs of sales in previous periods and would be required to recognize additional gross margin at the time the inventories are sold.

Declines in our average sale prices, driven by volatile prices for components and other factors, may result in declines in our revenues and gross margin.

Our industry has historically been characterized by declines in average sale prices. If sale price declines are not offset by corresponding decreases in costs or increases in sales volume or sales of products with higher margins, these sale price declines could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

The prices customers pay for the products we sell can fluctuate due to many factors, including, among others, competitive conditions in our key customer markets, changes in customer requirements or preferences, volatility in the market prices for SSDs, volatile memory components, non-volatile memory components, and other components or products, and changes in manufacturing efficiencies or capacities related to the aforementioned. Market prices for component products have historically constituted a substantial portion of the total cost of our memory subsystems and in

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recent periods have constituted the vast majority of the cost of resales of these products to customers directly. As a result, fluctuations in the prices for these component products, due to overcapacity in worldwide supply or increased manufacturing efficiencies, implementation of new manufacturing processes or expansion of manufacturing capacity by component suppliers, among other factors, significantly impact our costs to sell our products or component products.

Once our prices with a customer are negotiated, we are generally unable to revise pricing with that customer until our next regularly scheduled price adjustment. As a result, if market prices for essential components increase, we generally cannot pass the price increases through to our customers for products purchased under an existing purchase order. Consequently, we are exposed to the risks associated with the volatility of prices for these components and our cost of sales could increase and our gross margin could decrease in the event of sudden price increases. Alternatively, if there are declines in the prices of these components, we may be required to reduce our selling prices for subsequent purchase orders, which may result in a decline in our net product sales.

Our manufacturing operations involve significant risks.

We maintain a manufacturing facility in the PRC at which we produce a portion of our products. These manufacturing activities require significant resources to maintain. For instance, we must continuously review and improve our manufacturing processes in order to maintain satisfactory manufacturing yields and product performance, try to lower our costs and otherwise remain competitive. As we manufacture new and more complex products, the risk of encountering delays, difficulties or higher costs increases. In addition, the start-up costs associated with implementing new manufacturing technologies, methods and processes, including the purchase of new equipment and any resulting manufacturing delays and inefficiencies, could negatively impact our results of operations.

Additionally, we could experience a prolonged disruption, material malfunction, interruption or other loss of operations at our manufacturing facility for any number of reasons, including the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, or cyber-attacks, or catastrophic weather events, or we may need to add manufacturing capacity to satisfy any increased demand for our products. Under these circumstances, we may be forced to rely on third parties for our manufacturing needs, which could increase our manufacturing costs, decrease our gross margin, decrease our control over manufacturing processes, limit our ability to satisfy customer requirements and demand and delay new product development until we could secure a relationship with a third-party manufacturer, which we may not be able to do in a timely manner, on acceptable terms or at all. If any of these risks occur, our operations, performance and customer relationships could be severely harmed.

We also may need to expand our existing manufacturing facility or establish a new facility in the future. Any need to expand or replace our manufacturing facility would be expensive and time-consuming and could also subject us to factory audits by our customers that could themselves result in delays, unexpected costs or customer losses if we cannot meet the standards of any such audits. Further, we may not be able to replace or increase our manufacturing capacity at all. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We depend on third parties to design and manufacture components for our products and the component products we resell, which exposes us to risks.

Components that are used in our products, as well as all of the component products we resell, are designed and manufactured by third parties. In addition, some of our memory subsystem products rely on significantly customized components. The ability and willingness of third parties to enter into these engagements with us and perform in accordance with these engagements is largely outside our control. If one or more of our design or manufacturing partners experiences a manufacturing disruption for any number of factors including labor disruptions, catastrophic weather events, political instability, acts of terror or war, and military hostilities in multiple geographies (including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and recent events in Israel and Palestine), and the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, fails to dedicate adequate resources to the production of the components we use in our products or the components we resell, experiences financial instability or otherwise fails to perform its obligations to us in a timely manner or at satisfactory quality levels, our ability to bring products to market or deliver products to our customers, as well as our reputation, could suffer and our business and prospects could be materially harmed. In the event of any failure by our component

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manufacturers, we may have no readily available alternative source of supply for these components, since, in our experience, the lead time needed to establish a relationship with a new design or manufacturing partner is substantial, and the time for our OEM customers to re-qualify our products with components from a new vendor is also significant. Additionally, even if an alternative manufacturer is available, we may not be able to engage the manufacturer on acceptable terms, which could result in increased costs, timing requirements or other adverse changes. Further, we may not be able to redesign the customized components used in our products to be manufactured by a new manufacturer, in which case we could infringe on the intellectual property of our current design or manufacturing partner when we manufacture the products with a new design or manufacturing partner. Such an occurrence could force us to stop selling certain of our products or could expose us to lawsuits, license payments or other liabilities.

Our dependence on third-party manufacturers exposes us to many other risks, including, among others: reduced control over delivery schedules, quality, manufacturing yields and costs; the potential lack of adequate capacity during periods of excess demand; limited warranties on products supplied to us; and potential infringement or misappropriation of our intellectual property or the intellectual property of others. We are dependent on our manufacturing partners to manufacture components with acceptable quality and manufacturing yields, to deliver these components to us on a timely basis and at an acceptable cost and to allocate a portion of their manufacturing capacity sufficient to meet our needs. However, these component manufacturers may not be able to achieve these tasks. Additionally, our manufacturing partners may not continue to devote adequate resources to produce our products or the component products we resell, or continue to advance the process design technologies on which the customer qualifications of our products are based. Any of these risks could limit our ability to meet customer demand and materially adversely affect our business and operating results.

If our products or the component products we resell do not meet quality standards or are defective or used in defective systems, we may be subject to quality holds, warranty claims, recalls or liability claims.

Our customers require our products and the component products we resell to meet strict quality standards. If the products fail to meet these standards, our customers may discontinue purchases from us until we are able to resolve the quality issues that are causing these failures, which we may not be able to do. These “quality holds” can be costly and time-consuming to resolve. In addition, if the products we sell are defectively manufactured, contain defective components or are used in defective or malfunctioning systems, we could be subject to warranty and product liability claims, product recalls, safety alerts or advisory notices.

Although we generally attempt to contractually limit our exposure to incidental and consequential damages, if these contract provisions are not enforced or if liabilities arise that are not effectively limited, we could incur substantial costs in defending or settling product liability claims. While we currently have product liability insurance, it may not provide coverage under certain circumstances and it may not be adequate to satisfy claims made against us. We also may be unable to maintain insurance in the future at satisfactory rates or in adequate amounts.

Warranty and product liability claims, product “quality holds,” product recalls, safety alerts or advisory notices, regardless of their coverage by insurance or their ultimate outcome, could have a material adverse effect on our business, performance and financial condition, as well as our ability to attract and retain customers.

Our indemnification obligations for the infringement by our products of the rights of others could require us to pay substantial damages.

As is common in our industry, we have a number of agreements in which we have agreed to defend, indemnify and hold harmless our customers and suppliers from damages and costs that may arise from the infringement by our products of third-party patents, trademarks or other proprietary rights. The scope of these indemnities varies, the duration of these indemnities is generally perpetual after execution of an agreement, and the maximum potential amount of future payments we could be required to make under these indemnities is often unlimited. Any indemnification claims by customers could require us to incur significant legal fees and could potentially result in our payment of substantial damages, and our insurance generally would not cover these fees or damages. As a result, the occurrence of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

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We depend on certain key employees, and our business could be harmed if we lose the services of any of these employees or are unable to attract and retain other qualified personnel.

To date, we have been highly dependent on the experience, relationships and technical knowledge of certain key employees. We believe our future success will be dependent on our ability to retain the services of these key employees, develop their successors and properly manage the transition of their roles should departures occur. The loss of these key employees or their inability to continue to provide their services could delay the development and introduction of new or enhanced products or technologies, negatively impact our ability to sell our existing products, limit our ability to pursue our other business goals and strategies and otherwise harm our business. We do not have employment agreements with any of our employees other than Chun K. Hong, our President, Chief Executive Officer and sole member of our board of directors, and as a result most of our employees may terminate their employment with us at any time.

Our future success also depends on our ability to attract, retain and motivate highly skilled engineering, manufacturing and other technical and sales personnel. Competition for these personnel is intense. We may not be successful in attracting new engineers or other technical personnel or in retaining or motivating our existing personnel. If we are unable to hire and retain personnel with the skills necessary to keep pace with the evolving technologies in our markets, our ability to continue to provide our existing products and to develop new or enhanced products and technologies would be negatively impacted, which could harm our business. In addition, a general shortage of experienced engineers or other technical personnel could lead to increased recruiting, relocation and compensation costs to attract new recruits, which may increase our operating expenses or make these hires more difficult or impossible if increased recruiting costs exceed our resources.

A significant portion of our workforce consists of contract personnel. We invest considerable time and expense to train these contract personnel; however, they typically may terminate their relationships with us at any time. As a result, we may experience high turnover rates in this contract personnel workforce, which may require us to expend additional resources to attract, train and retain replacements. Additionally, if we convert any of these contract personnel to permanent employees, we may have to pay finder’s fees to the contract agency. These risks associated with our contract personnel workforce may involve increased costs or delays or failures in meeting customer requirements or developing new or enhanced products or technologies, any of which could materially adversely affect our business and operating performance.

We are also subject to employment laws and regulations, including the changing regulatory landscape. For example, in California, State Assembly Bill 5 (“AB5”), which went into effect in January 2020, codifies a test to determine whether a worker is an employee under California law. AB5 provides a mechanism for determining whether workers of a hiring entity are employees or independent contractors, but AB5 does not result in any immediate change in how workers are classified. If the State of California, cities or municipalities, or workers disagree with how a hiring entity classifies workers, AB5 sets forth the test for evaluating their classification. The legal and other costs associated with any misclassification of our personnel can be substantial and could materially adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

We rely on our internal and third-party sales representatives to market and sell our products and the component products we resell, and any failure by these representatives to perform as expected could reduce our sales.

We primarily market and sell our products and the component products we resell through a direct sales force and a network of independent sales representatives. We have expended significant resources to build our internal sales and marketing function, but compared to many of our competitors, we have relatively little experience creating a sales and marketing platform and developing a team to implement it. We may be unsuccessful in these efforts.

Our sales representatives generally may terminate their relationships with us at any time. As a result, our performance depends in part on our ability to retain existing and attract additional sales representatives that will be able to effectively market and support our products or the component products we resell, especially in markets in which we have not previously distributed these products. Our efforts to attract, train and retain these sales representatives to be knowledgeable about our industry, products and technologies are costly and time-consuming. If these efforts fail, our investments in these sales representatives may not produce the expected or any benefits and our ability to market and sell

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our products or the component products we resell may be limited, which could materially harm our financial condition and operating results. Further, our reliance on independent sales representatives subjects us to risks, as we have very little control over their activities and they are generally free to market and sell other, potentially competing, products. As a result, these independent sales representatives could devote insufficient time or resources to marketing our products or the component products we resell, could market them in an ineffective manner or could otherwise be unsuccessful in selling adequate quantities of these products.

Our operations could be disrupted by power outages, natural disasters, cyber-attacks or other factors.

Due to the geographic concentration of our manufacturing operations in our PRC facility and our small number of suppliers, including SK hynix for many of the components and/or products we resell, a disruption resulting from equipment or power failures, quality control issues, human errors, government intervention, cyber-attacks or natural disasters, including earthquakes and floods, could require significant costs to repair and could interrupt or interfere with product manufacture and sale and cause significant delays in product shipments, which could harm our customer relationships, financial condition and results of operations. In the past, our PRC facility has suffered water damage as a result of heavy rains and floods, which forced us to temporarily halt manufacturing at the facility while necessary repairs or equipment replacements were made. This incident caused us to incur additional expenses because we were forced to shift our manufacturing activities to a third-party facility in the PRC to mitigate the disruption in product shipments to our customers. If manufacturing at the PRC facility is disrupted for similar or other reasons in the future, we may again be subject to increased expenses in order to engage a third-party manufacturer, or, if we are not able to secure alternative manufacturing capabilities, our ability to sell products and our relationships with our customers could be materially harmed. Additionally, we may be forced to bear significant costs in order to repair any damage to our manufacturing equipment and facility. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Difficulties with our global information technology systems, including any unauthorized access or cyber-attacks, could harm our business.

We store key data about our business, including certain customer data, information about our and our customers’ intellectual property and other proprietary information, on our global information technology systems. Any failure or malfunctioning of our global information technology systems, errors or misuse by system users, cyber-attacks, difficulties migrating stand-alone systems to our centralized systems or inadequacy of the systems in addressing the needs of our operations could disrupt our ability to timely and accurately manufacture and ship products, divert management’s and key employees’ attention from other business matters and involve significant costs and other resources to repair or otherwise resolve, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any such event could also disrupt our ability to timely and accurately process, report and evaluate key operating metrics and key components of our results of operations, financial position and cash flows and could adversely affect our ability to complete other important business processes, such as maintenance of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting.

While our information technology systems include security measures designed to prevent unauthorized access, employee error, employee malfeasance or other causes, including intentional misconduct by computer hackers, could circumvent these measures and result in unauthorized access to these systems. Because the techniques used to gain unauthorized access to information technology systems evolve frequently and often are not recognized until successful, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures in a timely manner. Any security breach could require significant resources to correct, if correction is possible, and could result in disruption to our business, misappropriation or loss of data, loss of confidence in us by our customers, damage to our reputation and legal liability. Further, any failure to implement appropriate security measures to protect our information or any breach or other failure of our systems that results in unauthorized access, manipulation, disclosure or loss of this information could result in our violation of any U.S. or foreign data protection laws that are applicable to us, including the California Consumer Privacy Act which went into effect in January 2020. These laws and their interpretation and application are constantly evolving, and they could be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our current practices or they could become more stringent over time. Efforts to comply with applicable data protection laws or any new interpretations of their application could involve significant time and substantial costs or require us to change our

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business practices and compliance procedures, and any failures to so comply could subject us to substantial civil or criminal fines or sanctions. Any of these outcomes could have a material negative impact on our business, performance and prospects.

If we do not effectively manage any future growth we may experience, our resources, systems and controls may be strained and our results of operations may suffer.

Any future growth we may experience could strain our resources, management, information and telecommunication systems and operating and financial controls. To manage future growth effectively, including any expansion of volume in our manufacturing facility in the PRC, we must be able to improve and expand our systems and controls, which we may not be able to do in a timely or cost-effective manner. In addition, our management team has relatively limited experience managing a rapidly growing business. As a result, they may not be able to manage any future growth we may experience. A failure to manage any growth we may experience or improve or expand our existing systems and controls, or unexpected difficulties in doing so, could harm our business and results of operations.

If we acquire businesses or technologies or pursue other strategic transactions or relationships in the future, these transactions could disrupt our business and harm our operating results and financial condition.

From time to time, we evaluate opportunities to acquire businesses or technologies or pursue other strategic transactions or relationships, including collaboration or joint development arrangements, which might complement our current product offerings or enhance our intellectual property portfolio or technical capabilities.

Acquisitions and other strategic transactions or relationships entail a number of risks that could adversely affect our business and operating results, including, among others:

difficulties integrating the operations, technologies or products of acquired companies or working with third parties with which we may partner on joint development or collaboration relationships;
the diversion of management’s time and attention from the daily operations of our business;
insufficient increases in revenues to offset increased expenses associated with an acquisition or strategic transaction or relationship;
difficulties retaining business relationships with our existing suppliers and customers or the suppliers and customers of an acquired company;
overestimation of potential synergies or other benefits, or a delay in realizing these synergies or other benefits;
entering markets in which we have no or limited experience and in which competitors have stronger market positions;
the potential loss of our key employees or an acquired company;
exposure to contingent liabilities of an acquired company;
depletion of cash resources to fund an acquisition or other strategic transaction or establish a strategic relationship, or dilution of existing stockholders or increased leverage relative to our earnings or to our equity capitalization if we issue debt or equity securities for these purposes;
adverse tax consequences; and
incurrence of material charges, such as depreciation, deferred compensation charges, in-process research and development charges, the amortization of amounts related to deferred stock-based compensation expense and identifiable purchased intangible assets or impairment of goodwill.

If any of these risks occur, we may not be able to realize the intended benefits of an acquisition or strategic transaction or relationship, and our operating results, financial condition and business prospects could be materially negatively affected.

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Increased prices and inflation could negatively impact our margin performance and our financial results.

Increased inflation, including rising prices for raw materials, parts and components, freight, packaging, labor and energy increases, the costs to manufacture and distribute our products, and we may be unable to pass these costs on to our customers. Additionally, we are exposed to fluctuations in other costs such as packaging, freight, labor and energy prices. If inflation in these costs increases beyond our ability to control for them through measures such as implementing operating efficiencies, we may not be able to increase prices to sufficiently offset the effect of various cost increases without negatively impacting customer demand, thereby negatively impacting our margin performance and results of operations.

Geopolitical risks associated with the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and recent events in Israel and Palestine could result in increased market volatility and uncertainty, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The uncertain nature, scope, magnitude, and duration of hostilities stemming from Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, including the potential effects of such hostilities as well as sanctions, embargoes, asset freezes, cyber-attacks and other actions taken in response to such hostilities on the world economy and markets, and the recent events in Israel and Palestine have disrupted global markets and contributed to increased market volatility and uncertainty, which could have an adverse impact on macroeconomic and other factors that affect our business and supply chain. Any disruption in our supply chain could reduce our revenue and adversely impact our financial results. Such a disruption could occur as a result of any number of events, including, but not limited to, military conflicts, geopolitical developments, war or terrorism, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the recent events in Israel and Palestine, regional or global pandemics, and disruptions in utility and other services. Any inability to obtain adequate deliveries or any other circumstance that would require us to seek alternative sources of supply or to manufacture, assemble, and test such components internally could significantly delay our ability to ship our products, which could damage relationships with current and prospective customers and could harm our reputation and brand and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

In February 2022, in response to the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the United States and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states, as well as non-member states, announced targeted economic sanctions on Russia, including certain Russian citizens and enterprises, and the continuation of the conflict may trigger additional economic and other sanctions. The potential impacts of the conflict and related sanctions could include supply chain and logistics disruptions, macro financial impacts resulting from the exclusion of Russian financial institutions from the global banking system, volatility in foreign exchange rates and interest rates, inflationary pressures on raw materials and energy and heightened cybersecurity threats. We do not and cannot know if the conflict, which remains ongoing, could escalate and result in broader economic and security concerns which could adversely affect our, supply chain, suppliers, customers, and potential customers. It is not possible to predict the broader consequences of this conflict, which could include further sanctions, embargoes, regional instability, geopolitical shifts and adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions, the availability and cost of materials, supplies, labor, currency exchange rates and financial markets, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Laws and Regulations

We are exposed to additional business, regulatory, political, operational, financial and economic risks related to our international sales and operations.

We sell products to foreign corporations and deliver products to facilities located in foreign countries. To facilitate this process and to meet the long-term projected demand for our products, we have established a manufacturing facility in the PRC that performs most of the manufacturing activities for our memory subsystem products.

Selling and manufacturing in foreign countries subjects us to additional risks not present with our domestic operations, as we are operating in business and regulatory environments in which we have limited experience and that may impose materially different requirements. Further, the geographic distance from our headquarters in Irvine, California, compounds the difficulties of maintaining a manufacturing operation in the PRC. For instance, we may not be

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able to maintain the desired amount of control over production capacity and timing, inventory levels, product quality, delivery schedules, manufacturing yields or costs. Moreover, we will need to continue to overcome language and cultural barriers to effectively conduct these international operations. Failures in any of these areas could result in legal consequences or production delays and increased turnaround times, which could adversely affect our business. In addition, changes to the labor or other laws of the PRC or the economic and political conditions in the PRC, including increased industrialization in recent years, natural disasters, public health crises, including the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, and other catastrophic events, could increase the costs of employing a local workforce or conducting our manufacturing operations in the PRC. Any of these factors could negatively impact any cost savings we experience from locating our manufacturing facility in the PRC. Additionally, our management has limited experience creating or overseeing foreign operations generally, and the ongoing administration and operation of our PRC facility may require substantial amounts of time and attention by our management team, particularly if we encounter operational, legal or cultural difficulties or disruptions at our PRC facility.

To date, the majority of our net product sales have been denominated in U.S. dollars. In the future, however, some of our net product sales may be denominated in RMB. The Chinese government controls the procedures by which RMB is converted into other currencies, which generally requires government consent. As a result, RMB may not be freely convertible into other currencies at all times. If the Chinese government institutes changes in currency conversion procedures or imposes additional restrictions on currency conversion, our operations and our operating results could be negatively impacted. In addition, Chinese law imposes restrictions on the movement of funds outside of the PRC. If we need or decide to repatriate funds from our Chinese operations, we would be required to comply with the procedures and regulations of applicable Chinese law, and any failure to so comply could adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition. Further, if we are able to repatriate funds from our Chinese operations, these funds would be subject to U.S. taxes. In addition, fluctuations in the exchange rate between RMB and U.S. dollars may adversely affect our expenses, the value of our assets and liabilities and the comparability of our period-to-period results.

Our international operations and sales are subject to a number of additional risks, including, among others, timing and availability of export licenses; difficulties in accounts receivable collections; difficulties managing distributors; lack of a significant local sales presence in a number of markets; difficulties obtaining government approvals; compliance with anti-bribery, data protection and other applicable U.S. and foreign laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-bribery laws in the non-U.S. jurisdictions in which we operate, as well as a wide variety of other complex foreign laws, regulations and treaties; and potentially adverse tax consequences. In addition, the United States or foreign countries may implement quotas, duties, tariffs, taxes or other charges or restrictions on the importation or exportation of our products or the component products we resell, which could lead to a reduction in sales and profitability in that country. The implementation of tariffs by the United States on goods manufactured in other countries, including PRC, could cause the costs of our products to increase, which could significantly impair the gross margin we receive and thereby harm our operating results significantly.

In addition, international turmoil and the threat of future terrorist attacks have contributed to an uncertain political and economic climate, both in the United States and globally, and have negatively impacted the worldwide economy. The economies of the PRC and other countries in which we make sales have been volatile in recent years, resulting in significant fluctuations in local currencies and other instabilities. These conditions could continue or worsen, which could adversely affect our foreign operations and our performance. The occurrence of any of these risks related to our international operations, including our manufacturing facility in the PRC and our international sales, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and prospects for growth.

Our failure to comply with environmental and other applicable laws and regulations could subject us to significant fines and liabilities or cause us to incur significant costs.

We are subject to various and frequently changing U.S. federal, state and local and foreign laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment, including laws governing the discharge of pollutants into the air and water, the management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes and the clean-up of contaminated sites. In particular, some of our manufacturing processes may require us to handle and dispose of hazardous materials from time to time. For example, in the past our manufacturing operations have used lead-based solder in the assembly of our products. Today, we use lead-free soldering technologies in our manufacturing processes, as this is required for products entering the

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European Union. We could incur substantial costs, including clean-up costs, civil or criminal fines or sanctions and third-party claims for property damage or personal injury, as a result of violations of or noncompliance with these and other environmental laws and regulations. Although we have not incurred significant costs to date to comply with these laws and regulations, new laws or changes to current laws and regulations to make them more stringent could require us to incur significant costs to remain in compliance.

We also may be subject to a variety of laws and regulations relating to other matters, including workplace health and safety, labor and employment, foreign business practices (including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and applicable foreign anti-bribery laws), data protection, public reporting and taxation, among others. It is difficult and costly to manage the requirements of every authority having jurisdiction over our various activities and to comply with their varying standards. Additionally, any changes to existing regulations or adoption of new regulations may result in significant additional expense to us or our customers. Further, our failure to comply with any applicable laws and regulations may result in a variety of administrative, civil and criminal enforcement measures, including monetary penalties or imposition of sanctions or other corrective requirements, any of which could materially adversely affect our reputation and our business.

Regulations related to “conflict minerals” may cause us to incur additional expenses and could limit the supply and increase the cost of certain metals used in manufacturing our products.

The U.S. Congress has enacted laws, and the SEC has adopted rules, requiring disclosure of specified minerals, known as conflict minerals, that are necessary to the functionality or production of products manufactured or contracted to be manufactured by public companies. These laws and rules require companies to verify and disclose whether or not such minerals, as used in a company’s products or their manufacture, originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo or an adjoining country. Because our products contain certain conflict minerals and we or our manufacturers use these conflict minerals in the manufacture of our products, we are required to comply with these laws and disclosure rules. To comply, we are required to conduct a reasonable country of origin inquiry each year and, depending on the results of that inquiry, we may be required to exercise due diligence on the source and chain of custody of conflict minerals contained in or used to manufacture our products. Such due diligence must conform to a nationally or internationally recognized due diligence framework. We are also required to file a disclosure report with the SEC each year relating to our conflict mineral use.

The due diligence activities required to determine the source and chain of custody of minerals contained in our products or used in their manufacture are time-consuming and may result in significant costs. Due to the size and complexity of our supply chain, we face significant challenges verifying the origins of the minerals used in our products or their manufacture. Further, these rules could affect the availability in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices of certain minerals used in our products and their manufacture, which could result in increased material and component costs and additional costs associated with potential changes to our products, processes or sources of supply. Additionally, if we are unable to sufficiently verify the origin of the minerals used in our products through the due diligence measures we implement, we may not be able to satisfy customer preferences or requirements regarding the use of conflict minerals in the products they purchase, which could place us at a competitive disadvantage.

We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to remediate the material weakness, or if we identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect our business.

A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. In performing their audit of our internal control over financial reporting as required by Section 404 and the related rules and regulations of the SEC, our independent registered public accounting firm concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was ineffective as of

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December 31, 2022 due to one material weakness. The identified material weakness, as of December 31, 2022, relates to the lack of an independent board and audit committee and ineffective risk assessment and monitoring controls.

While the control deficiency identified did not result in any identified misstatements, a reasonable possibility exists that a material misstatement to the annual or interim condensed consolidated financial statements and disclosures will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

In an effort to address the identified material weakness and enhance our internal controls, our finance and accounting personnel are continuing to follow all of the same procedures that they undertook in preparation for independent audit committee meetings on a quarterly and annual basis. Our Chief Executive Officer and sole director will oversee these processes and review materials prepared by the finance and accounting staff as well as our independent registered public accounting firm on a quarterly and annual basis. If our measures are insufficient to address the material weakness, or if additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting occur in the future, we may not be able to timely or accurately report our results of operations or maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures. If we are unable to report financial information timely or accurately, or to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures, we could be required to restate our financial statements and be subject to, among other things, regulatory or enforcement actions, securities litigation, limitations on our ability to access capital markets, debt rating agency downgrades or rating withdrawals, or loss in confidence of our investors, any one of which could adversely affect the valuation of our common stock and our business prospects. We can give no assurance that the measures we have taken and plan to take in the future will remediate the material weakness identified or that any additional material weaknesses will not arise in the future due to a failure to implement and maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting.

We are required to comply with certain provisions of Section 404 that place significant demands on our resources, and the transition to the higher reporting and control standards that applies to us as a “large accelerated filer” may cause management distraction and increased costs.

Section 404 require us to evaluate our internal control over financial reporting and require management to report on the effectiveness of this internal control as of the end of each fiscal year.

Our Section 404 evaluations confirmed that enhancements, modifications and changes to our internal control over financial reporting are necessary and desirable. Implementing changes to comply with Section 404 may divert the attention of management, involve significant time and costs and could negatively impact our financial reporting functions during the transition, any of which could have a material negative effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property and Litigation

We may be unsuccessful in monetizing our intellectual property portfolio.

We dedicate substantial resources to developing technology innovations we believe are critical to our business. We intend to pursue monetization avenues for our intellectual property portfolio, potentially including licensing, royalty or other revenue-producing arrangements. However, other than monies received from SK hynix, we have not generated any such revenue stream from our intellectual property to date, and we may never be successful in achieving this objective.

Although we may pursue agreements with third parties to commercially license certain of our products and/or technologies, we may never successfully enter into any such agreement. Further, the terms of any such agreements we may reach with third-parties are uncertain and may not provide sufficient royalty or other revenues to us to justify our costs of developing and maintaining the related intellectual property or may otherwise include terms that are not favorable to us. Additionally, the pursuit of licensing arrangements would require by its nature that we relinquish certain of our rights to our technologies and intellectual property that we license to third parties, which could limit our ability to base our own products on such technologies or could reduce the economic value we receive from such technologies and intellectual property. Additionally, the establishment of arrangements to monetize our intellectual property may be more

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difficult or costly than expected, may require additional personnel and investments and may be a significant distraction for management.

Our ability to establish licensing, royalty, or similar revenues, and maintain or increase any such revenues we are able to establish, depends on a variety of factors, including, among others, the novelty, utility, performance, quality, breadth, depth and overall perceived value of our intellectual property portfolio, all as compared to that of our competitors, as well as our sales and marketing capabilities. Even if we are able to secure these revenues, they may be negatively affected by factors that are entirely or partially outside our control, including reductions in our customers’ sales prices, sales volumes and the general state of their business, as well as the terms of the license arrangements.

We maintain a system of controls over our intellectual property, including U.S. and foreign patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing arrangements, confidentiality procedures, non-disclosure agreements with employees, consultants, and vendors, and a general system of internal controls. Despite our system of controls over our intellectual property, it may be possible for our current or future competitors to obtain, copy, use, or disclose, illegally or otherwise, our product and process technology or other proprietary information. The laws of some foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property to the same degree as U.S. laws, and our confidentiality, non-disclosure, and non-compete agreements may be unenforceable or difficult and costly to enforce in foreign countries.

Additionally, our ability to maintain and develop intellectual property is dependent upon our ability to attract, develop, and retain highly skilled employees. If our competitors or future entrants into our industry are successful in hiring our employees, they may directly benefit from the knowledge these employees gained while they were under our employment, and this may also negatively impact our ability to maintain and develop intellectual property.

If we are not successful in monetizing our intellectual property portfolio, protecting our intellectual property, or retaining key employees, we may never recoup our investments of time, capital and other resources in the development, maintenance, defense and enforcement of this portfolio, which could materially harm our financial condition and prospects.

We are and expect to continue to be involved in other legal and administrative proceedings to enforce or protect our intellectual property rights and to defend against claims that we infringe the intellectual property rights of others.

As is common in the semiconductor industry, we have experienced substantial litigation regarding patent and other intellectual property rights. We are currently involved in litigation and proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB” or the “Board”) based on alleged third-party infringement of our patents, and lawsuits claiming we are infringing others’ intellectual property rights also have been and may in the future be brought against us.

Our business strategy includes litigating claims against others, such as our competitors and customers, to enforce our intellectual property, contractual and commercial rights, including, in particular, our patent portfolio and our trade secrets, as well as to challenge the validity and scope of the proprietary rights of others. This or other similar proceedings could also subject us to counterclaims or countersuits against us, or the parties we sue could seek to invalidate our patents or other intellectual property rights through reexamination or similar processes at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) or similar bodies. Further, any legal disputes with customers could cause them to cease buying or using our products or the component products we resell or delay their purchase of these products and could substantially damage our relationship with them.

Moreover, our ability to continue to pursue this strategy depends on our ability to obtain and protect patents, which is governed by an uncertain process. In addition to the patent issuance process established by law and the procedures of the USPTO, we must also comply with administrative procedures of the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (“JEDEC”) to protect our intellectual property within its industry standard-setting process. These procedures evolve over time, are subject to variability in their application and may be inconsistent with each other. Any failure to comply with the USPTO’s or JEDEC’s administrative procedures could jeopardize our ability to pursue patent infringement claims.

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Making use of new technologies and entering new markets increases the likelihood that others might allege that our products or the component products we resell infringe their intellectual property rights. The likelihood of this type of lawsuit may also be increased due to the limited pool of experienced technical personnel that we can draw on to meet our hiring needs. As a result, a number of our existing employees have worked for our existing or potential competitors at some point during their careers, and we anticipate a number of our future employees will have similar work histories. Moreover, lawsuits of this type may be brought, even if there is no merit to the claim, as a strategy to prevent us from hiring qualified candidates, drain our financial resources and divert management’s attention away from our business.

Litigation is inherently uncertain. An adverse outcome in existing or any future litigation could force us to, among other things:

relinquish patents or other protections of our technologies if they are invalidated, which would enable our competitors and others to freely use this technology;
compete with products that rely on technologies and other intellectual property rights that we believe we have the right to protect from third-party use;
accept terms of an arrangement to license our technologies to a third party that are not as favorable as we might expect;
receive little or no returns for our time and capital investments in the litigation;
cease manufacturing and/or selling products or using certain processes that are claimed to be infringing a third party’s intellectual property;
pay damages (which in some instances may be three times actual damages), including royalties on past or future sales, if we are found to infringe a third party’s intellectual property;
seek a license from a third-party intellectual property owner to use its technology in our products or the component products we resell, which may not be available on reasonable terms or at all; or
redesign any products that are claimed to be infringing a third party’s intellectual property, which may not be possible to do in a timely manner, without incurring significant costs or at all.

Moreover, any litigation, regardless of its outcome, involves a significant dedication of resources, including time and capital, and diverts management’s attention from our other activities. As a result, any current or future infringement claims or patent challenges by or against third parties, whether or not eventually decided in our favor or settled, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, the outcome of pending or future litigation and related patent reviews and reexaminations, as well as any delay in their resolution, could affect our ability to continue to sell our products, protect against competition in the current and expected markets for our products or license or otherwise monetize our intellectual property rights in the future.

If our proprietary rights are not protected, our customers or our competitors might gain access to our proprietary designs, processes and technologies, which could adversely affect our operating results.

We rely on a combination of patent protection, trade secret laws and restrictions on disclosure to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. We have submitted a number of patent applications regarding our proprietary processes and technology, many of which have resulted in issued patents. For our pending patent applications, it is uncertain when or if any of the claims in these applications will be allowed or result in issued patents, in which case the technologies or processes sought to be patented would remain unprotected from use by third parties. In addition, although we intend to continue filing patent applications with respect to new processes and technologies we develop, patent protection may not be available for some of these processes or technologies. Further, even if we are successful in obtaining patent protection, these protections could be limited in scope by the USPTO, a court or applicable foreign authorities or challenged by third parties by way of review or reexamination proceedings and subsequently invalidated, which would reduce the protections these patents are able to provide. Moreover, patent protection is limited as to duration and all of our issued patents will eventually expire, at which time the previously protected technologies would become widely available for use by third parties, including our competitors.

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Despite our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights, these efforts may not:

prevent challenges to or the invalidation or circumvention of our intellectual property rights;
keep our competitors or other third parties from independently developing similar products or technologies, duplicating, reverse engineering or otherwise using our products or technologies without our authorization or designing around any patents that may be issued to us;
prevent disputes with third parties regarding ownership of our intellectual property rights;
prevent disclosure of our trade secrets and know-how to third parties or into the public domain;
result in valid patents, including international patents, from any of our pending or future applications; or
otherwise adequately protect our intellectual property rights.

Moreover, monitoring for any unauthorized use of our technologies is costly, time-consuming and difficult. This is particularly true in foreign countries, such as the PRC, where we have established a manufacturing facility and where the laws may not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as applicable U.S. laws.

If some or all of the claims in our patent applications are not allowed, if any of our issued patents or other intellectual property protections are limited, invalidated or circumvented by third parties, or if we are not able to obtain extensions of existing patents upon their expiration or issuance of new patents to maintain protections provided by expiring patents, we could face increased competition for our products and technologies and be unable to execute on our strategy of monetizing our intellectual property. Any of these outcomes could significantly harm our business, operating results and prospects.

We may become involved in non-patent related litigation and administrative proceedings that may materially adversely affect us.

From time to time, we may become involved in various legal proceedings relating to matters incidental to the ordinary course of our business, including commercial, employment, class action, whistleblower and other litigation and claims, as well as governmental and other regulatory investigations and proceedings. Such matters can be time-consuming, divert management’s attention and resources and cause us to incur significant expenses. Furthermore, because litigation is inherently unpredictable, the results of these actions could subject us to monetary damages or other liabilities and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Related to Capitalization and Financial Markets

We may not have sufficient working capital to fund our planned operations, and, as a result, we may need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available when needed, on acceptable terms or at all.

To support our activities in the near term, we expect to rely on cash generated from our business, the cash received under the Strategic Agreement, proceeds from issuances of debt and equity securities, including our equity line with Lincoln Park, and proceeds from the 2023 Offering. Taking into account our planned activities and sources of capital, we believe we have sufficient cash resources to satisfy our capital needs for at least the next 12 months. However, our estimates of our operating revenues and expenses and working capital requirements could be incorrect, and we may use our cash resources faster than we anticipate. Further, some or all of our ongoing or planned investments may not be successful and could further deplete our capital without immediate, or any, cash returns.

Our capital requirements will depend on many factors, including, among others:

the costs associated with maintaining, defending and enforcing our intellectual property rights;
the acceptance of, and demand for, our products and the component products we resell to customers;
our success, and that of our strategic partners, in developing and selling products derived from our technology;
the extent and timing of any investments in developing, marketing and launching new or enhanced products or technologies;

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the costs of developing, improving and maintaining our internal design, testing and manufacturing processes;
our results of operations, including our levels of net product sales and any other revenues we may receive, including non-recurring engineering fees, licensing fees, royalties, or other fees;
the amount and timing of vendor payments and the collection of receivables, among other factors affecting our working capital;
our receipt of cash proceeds from the exercise of outstanding stock options to acquire our common stock;
the nature and timing of acquisitions or other strategic transactions or relationships in which we engage, if any; and
the costs associated with the continued operation, and any future growth, of our business.

Until we can generate sufficient revenues to finance our cash requirements from our operations, which we may never do, we may need to increase our liquidity and capital resources by one or more measures, which may include, among others, reducing operating expenses, restructuring our balance sheet by negotiating with creditors and vendors, entering into strategic partnerships or alliances, raising additional financing through the issuance of debt, equity or convertible securities or pursuing alternative sources of capital, such as through asset or technology sales or licenses or other alternative financing arrangements. Further, even if our near-term liquidity expectations prove correct, we may still seek to raise capital through one or more of these financing alternatives. However, we may not be able to obtain capital when needed or desired, on terms acceptable to us or at all.

Inadequate working capital would have a material adverse effect on our business and operations and could cause us to fail to execute our business plan, fail to take advantage of future opportunities or fail to respond to competitive pressures or customer requirements. A lack of sufficient funding may also require us to significantly modify our business model and/or reduce or cease our operations, which could include implementing cost-cutting measures or delaying, scaling back or eliminating some or all of our ongoing and planned investments in corporate infrastructure, research and development projects, legal proceedings, business development initiatives and sales and marketing activities, among other activities. Modification of our business model and operations could result in an impairment of assets, the effects of which cannot be determined. Furthermore, if we continue to issue equity or convertible debt securities to raise additional funds, our existing stockholders may experience significant dilution, and the new equity or debt securities may have rights, preferences and privileges that are superior to those of our existing stockholders. Additionally, because our common stock is no longer listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market, the challenges and risks of equity financings may significantly increase, including potentially increasing the dilution of any such financing or decreasing our ability to affect such a financing at all. If we incur additional debt, it may increase our leverage relative to our earnings or to our equity capitalization or have other material consequences. If we pursue asset or technology sales or licenses or other alternative financing arrangements to obtain additional capital, our operational capacity may be limited and any revenue streams or business plans that are dependent on the sold or licensed assets may be reduced or eliminated. Moreover, we may incur substantial costs in pursuing any future capital-raising transactions, including investment banking, legal and accounting fees, printing and distribution expenses and other similar costs, which would reduce the benefit of the capital received from the transaction.

The price and trading volume of our common stock has and may continue to fluctuate significantly in reaction to real or perceived developments in our business.

Our common stock has been publicly traded since November 2006. The price and trading volume of our common stock are volatile and have in the past fluctuated significantly. This volatility could continue, in which case an active trading market in our common stock may not be sustained and stockholders may not be able to sell their shares at a desired time or a desired price.

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The market price at which our common stock trades may be influenced by many factors, including, among others, the following:

the results of legal proceedings in which we are involved;
our operating and financial performance and prospects;
investor perceptions of us and the industry in which we operate;
our ability to meet investor and analyst expectations for our operating results;
the availability and level of research coverage of and market-making in our common stock;
changes in buy/sell recommendations by analysts;
any financial projections we may provide to the public, any changes to these projections or our failure to meet these projections;
our announcement of significant strategic transactions or relationships or the initiation of legal proceedings, including patent infringement actions;
general political, economic and market conditions, including volatility or uncertainty in these conditions; and
the other risk factors described in this report.

In addition, shares of our common stock and the public stock markets in general have experienced, and may continue to experience, extreme price and trading volume volatility, at times irrespective of the state of the business of any particular company. These fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Further, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a particular company’s securities, securities litigation can sometimes be instituted against us. Securities litigation, like other types of litigation, is expensive and time-consuming, and if such litigation is instituted against us in the future, we may incur substantial costs, management’s attention and resources may be diverted, and we could be subject to damages in the event of unfavorable results.

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We expect to incur additional indebtedness to support the growth of our business and to facilitate effective working capital. Our level of indebtedness and the terms of such indebtedness could adversely affect our operations and liquidity.

Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception and we expect to incur additional indebtedness to support the growth of our business and to facilitate effective working capital. Incurrence and maintenance of debt could have material adverse consequences on our business and financial condition, such as:

requiring us to dedicate a portion of our cash flows from operations and other capital resources to debt service, thereby reducing our ability to fund working capital, capital expenditures and other cash requirements;
increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions;
limiting our flexibility in planning for or reacting to changes and opportunities in our business and industry, which may place us at a competitive disadvantage; and
limiting our ability to incur additional debt when needed, on acceptable terms or at all.

Adverse developments affecting financial institutions, companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally could adversely affect our operations and liquidity.

Actual events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems.

Our access to our cash and cash equivalents in amounts adequate to finance our operations could be significantly impaired by the financial institutions with which we have arrangements directly facing liquidity constraints or failures. In addition, investor concerns regarding the United States or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit and liquidity sources, thereby making it more difficult for us to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all. Any material decline in available funding or our ability to access our cash and cash equivalents could adversely impact our ability to meet our operating expenses, result in breaches of our contractual obligations or result in violations of federal or state wage and hour laws, any of which could have material adverse impacts on our operations and liquidity.

In addition, if any parties with whom we conduct business are unable to access funds held in uninsured deposit accounts or pursuant to lending arrangements with a financial institution that is placed in receivership by the FDIC, such parties’ ability to pay their obligations to us or to enter into new commercial arrangements requiring additional payments to us could be adversely affected.

There is a limited market for our common shares, and the trading price of our common shares is subject to volatility. 

Netlist common shares began trading on the Over-the-Counter market in October 2018, following the decision to move trading of our common stock from The Nasdaq Capital Market. Because our stock is no longer listed on a registered national securities exchange, we are subject to certain “blue sky” laws of the various states which impose restrictions on our ability to offer and sell our securities. These “blue sky” laws may make it more difficult for us to raise capital or to issue our common stock for equity compensation or other strategic purposes, which could adversely affect our ability to fund our operations or to attract and retain employees. In addition, our stock may be defined as a “penny stock” under Rule 3a51-1 under the Exchange Act. “Penny stocks” are subject to Rule 15g-9, which imposes additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers that sell low-priced securities to persons other than established customers and institutional accredited investors. For transactions covered by this rule, a broker-dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and have received the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to sale. Consequently, the rule may affect the ability of broker-dealers to sell our common stock and affect the ability of holders to sell their shares of our

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common stock in the secondary market. To the extent our common stock is subject to the penny stock regulations, the market liquidity for the shares will be adversely affected.

Future issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase our common stock, including pursuant to our equity incentive plans, could result in additional dilution to the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

We have historically funded our operations in large part with proceeds from equity and convertible debt financings, and we expect to continue to do so in the future. In addition to capital-raising purposes, we may also issue securities from time to time at prices and on other terms as we determine for acquiring other businesses or assets in exchange for shares of our common stock or other securities, issuing securities to collaborators in connection with strategic partnerships, attracting and retaining employees with equity compensation, or other purposes. If we sell common stock or other equity or convertible debt securities in the future, our then-existing stockholders could be materially diluted by such issuances and new investors could gain rights, preferences and privileges senior to the holders of our common stock, which could cause the price of our common stock to decline.

Sales of our common stock, or the perception that such sales could occur, could cause the market price of our stock to drop significantly, regardless of the state of our business.

As of September 30, 2023, there were 253,531,404 shares of our common stock outstanding. In addition, 4,053,227 shares of our common stock are subject to outstanding stock options, 3,543,454 shares of our common stock are subject to outstanding unvested restricted stock units, and 11,111,112 shares of our common stock are subject to outstanding warrants. All outstanding shares of our common stock are eligible for sale in the public market under applicable federal securities laws, subject in certain cases to the requirements of Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and shares issued upon the exercise or conversion of outstanding stock options, warrants or convertible notes may also be eligible for sale in the public market, to the extent permitted by Rule 144 or other applicable securities laws and the provisions of the applicable stock option, warrant and convertible note agreements. If these shares are sold, or if it is perceived that they may be sold, in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could fall.

As a sole director, Chun K. Hong has significant control over all corporate decisions that may not be in the best interest of our other stockholders.

Our President, Chief Executive Officer and the sole member of our board of directors, Chun K. Hong, has the ability to exert substantial control over all matters requiring approval by our stockholders and our board of directors, including the election and removal of directors, any proposed merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets and other significant corporate transactions. This concentration of control could be disadvantageous to other stockholders with interests different from those of Mr. Hong.

Anti-takeover provisions under our charter documents and Delaware law, as well as our rights agreement, could delay or prevent a change of control and could also limit the market price of our common stock.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could delay or prevent a change of control of our Company or changes in our board of directors that our stockholders might consider favorable, including:

our board of directors is authorized, without prior stockholder approval, to designate and issue preferred stock, commonly referred to as “blank check” preferred stock, which may have rights senior to those of our common stock;
stockholder action by written consent is prohibited;
nominations for election to our board of directors and the submission of matters to be acted upon by stockholders at a meeting are subject to advance notice requirements; and
our board of directors is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal our bylaws.

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In addition, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which may prohibit certain business combinations with stockholders owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock. Further, we adopted a rights agreement that would, under certain specified circumstances and for so long as the rights issued under the rights agreement are outstanding, give the holders of our common stock the right to acquire additional shares of our capital stock, which would make it more difficult for a third party to acquire a significant percentage of our outstanding capital stock or attempt a hostile takeover of our Company.

These and other provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and of Delaware law, as well as the existence of our rights agreement, could make it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirers to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by our board of directors, including a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or other change of control transaction involving our Company. Any delay or prevention of a change of control transaction or changes in our board of directors could prevent the consummation of a transaction in which our stockholders could receive a substantial premium over the then-current market price for our common stock. In addition, these anti-takeover provisions could reduce the price that investors are willing to pay for shares of our common stock.

We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock, and any return to investors is expected to result, if at all, only from potential increases in the price of our common stock.

We intend to use all available funds to finance our operations. Accordingly, while all decisions about dividends are at the discretion of our board of directors, we have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock in the past, and we have no intention of declaring or paying any such dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, any return to investors is expected to result, if at all, only from potential increases in the price of our common stock.

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Item 5.Other Information

2023 SVB Credit Agreement

On November 7, 2023, we entered into the 2023 SVB Credit Agreement with Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizen Bank & Trust Company, which provides for a revolving line of credit up to $10.0 million. The borrowing base is limited to 85% of eligible accounts receivable, subject to certain adjustments. Borrowings accrue interest on advance at a per annum rate equal to the greater of 8.50% and the Prime Rate. The maturity date is November 7, 2025.

The 2023 SVB Credit Agreement requires letters of credit to be secured by cash, which is classified as restricted cash in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. As of November 9, 2023, outstanding borrowings were $0, and availability under the revolving line of credit was $10.0 million.

The 2023 SVB Credit Agreement subjects the Company to certain affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants with respect to the Company’s liquidity and restrictions on the payment of dividends. As of November 9, 2023, the Company was in compliance with its covenants under the 2023 SVB Credit Agreement.

Insider Trading Arrangements

During the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023, none of our directors or officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1 under the Exchange Act) adopted, modified or terminated a "Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement" or "non-Rule 105b-1 trading arrangement" (as those terms are defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K), except as follows:

On September 6, 2023, Gail Sasaki, the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, terminated a trading arrangement (the “Prior 10b5-1 Sales Plan”), with respect to the sale of up to 170,526 shares of the Company’s common stock held by Ms. Sasaki plus the net number of shares of the Company’s common stock after the withholding of shares to satisfy tax obligations upon the vesting of 145,218 restricted stock units (“RSUs”). The Prior 10b5-1 Sales Plan was adopted on December 16, 2022 and had a term that expires on December 1, 2023. As of the date of termination of the Prior 10b5-1 Sales Plan, Ms. Sasaki had sold 224,737 shares of common stock under its terms. On September 12, 2023, Ms. Sasaki adopted a trading arrangement (the “Sasaki 10b5-1 Sales Plan”) that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense in Rule 10b5-1(c) under the Exchange Act. The Sasaki 10b5-1 Sales Plan, which has a term that expires on December 31, 2024, provides for the sale of the net shares of the Company’s common stock (not currently determinable) that will be received by Ms. Sasaki after the withholding of shares to satisfy tax obligations upon the vesting of 109,375 RSUs pursuant to the terms of the Sasaki 10b5-1 Sales Plan.

On September 14, 2023, Chun K. Hong, the Company’s President, Chief Executive Officer and Sole Director, adopted a trading arrangement on behalf of Mr. Hong and the Chun Ki Hong Won Kyung Cha Community Property Trust dated 8/16/2004 (the “Trust”) (the “Hong 10b5-1 Sales Plan”) that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense in Rule 10b5-1(c) under the Exchange Act. The Hong 10b5-1 Sales Plan, which has a term that expires on December 31, 2024, provides for the sale, pursuant to the terms of the Hong 10b5-1 Sales Plan, of up to 936,270 shares of the Company’s common stock held by the Trust and the net shares of the Company’s common stock (not currently determinable) that will be received by Mr. Hong after the withholding of shares to satisfy tax obligations upon the vesting of 124,750 RSUs.

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Item 6.Exhibits

Filed

Incorporated by Reference

Exhibit No.

    

Exhibit Description

    

Herewith

    

Form

    

File No.

    

Filing Date

3.1

Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Netlist, Inc.

10-Q

001-33170

August 15, 2017

3.1.1

Certificate of Amendment to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Netlist, Inc.

10-Q

001-33170

August 15, 2017

3.1.2

Certificate of Amendment of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Netlist, Inc.

8-K

001-33170

August 17, 2018

3.1.3

Certificate of Amendment to the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Netlist, Inc.

8-K

001-33170

August 10, 2020

3.1.4

Certificate of Designation of the Series A Preferred Stock of Netlist, Inc.

10-Q

001-33170

August 15, 2017

3.2

Amended and Restated Bylaws of Netlist, Inc.

8-K

001-33170

December 20, 2012

3.2.1

Certificate of Amendment to Amended and Restated Bylaws of Netlist, Inc.

8-K

001-33170

December 29, 2017

3.2.2

Amendment to Amended and Restated Bylaws of Netlist, Inc.

8-K

001-33170

August 10, 2020

4.1

Form of Warrant

8-K

001-33170

August 15, 2023

10.1˄

Form of Securities Purchase Agreement, dated August 14, 2023, by and among Netlist, Inc. and the purchasers identified therein

8-K

001-33170

August 15, 2023

10.2˄

Placement Agency Agreement, dated August 14, 2023, by and between Netlist, Inc. and Roth Capital Partners, LLC.

8-K

001-33170

August 15, 2023

10.3

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

8-K

001-33170

August 15, 2023

10.4

Loan and Security Agreement, dated November 7, 2023, between Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company and Netlist, Inc.

X

31.1

Rule 13a-14(a) / 15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Executive Officer

X

31.2

Rule 13a-14(a) / 15d-14(a) Certification of Chief Financial Officer

X

32+

Section 1350 Certifications of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer

X

101.INS

Inline XBRL Instance Document

X

101.SCH

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document

X

101.CAL

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

X

101.LAB

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

X

101.PRE

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

X

101.DEF

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

X

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

+

Furnished herewith.

˄

Certain exhibits and schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Company hereby undertakes to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted exhibit or schedule upon request by the SEC.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Date:November 9, 2023

Netlist, Inc.

By:

/s/ Chun K. Hong

Chun K. Hong

President, Chief Executive Officer and Sole Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

By:

/s/ Gail Sasaki

Gail Sasaki

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

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Exhibit 10.4

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

This LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is dated as of the Effective Date by and between SILICON VALLEY BANK, a division of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company (“Bank”) and NETLIST, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Borrower”).  The parties agree as follows:

1.LOAN AND TERMS OF PAYMENT
1.1Revolving Line.
(a)Availability.  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and to deduction of Reserves, Bank shall make Advances not exceeding the Availability Amount.  Amounts borrowed under the Revolving Line may be prepaid or repaid as set forth on Schedule I hereto.
(b)Termination; Repayment.  The Revolving Line terminates on the Revolving Line Maturity Date, when the outstanding principal amount of all Advances, the accrued and unpaid interest thereon, and all other outstanding Obligations relating to the Revolving Line shall be immediately due and payable.
1.2Overadvances.  If, at any time, the sum of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of any Advances, exceeds the lesser of (i) the Revolving Line, or (ii) the Borrowing Base, Borrower shall immediately pay to Bank in cash the amount of such excess (such excess, the “Overadvance”).  Without limiting Borrower’s obligation to repay Bank any Overadvance, Borrower shall pay Bank interest on the outstanding amount of any Overadvance, on demand, at a rate per annum equal to the rate that is otherwise applicable to Advances plus five percent (5.00%).
1.3Payment of Interest on the Credit Extensions.
(a)Interest Payments.
(i)Advances.  Interest on the principal amount of each Advance is payable as set forth on Schedule I hereto.  
(b)Interest Rate.
(ii)Advances.  Subject to Section 1.3(c), the outstanding principal amount of any Advance shall accrue interest as set forth on Schedule I hereto.
(iii)All-In Rate.  Notwithstanding any terms in this Agreement to the contrary, if at any time the interest rate applicable to any Obligations is less than zero percent (0.00%), such interest rate shall be deemed to be zero percent (0.00%) for all purposes of this Agreement.
(c)Default Rate.  Immediately upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the outstanding Obligations shall bear interest at a rate per annum which is five percent (5.00%) above the rate that is otherwise applicable thereto (the “Default Rate”).  Fees and expenses which are required to be paid by Borrower pursuant to the Loan Documents (including, without limitation, Bank Expenses) but are not paid when due shall bear interest until paid at a rate equal to the highest rate applicable to the Obligations.  Payment or acceptance of the increased interest rate provided in this Section 1.33(c) is not a permitted alternative to timely payment and shall not constitute a waiver of any Event of Default or otherwise prejudice or limit any rights or remedies of Bank.
(d)Adjustment to Interest Rate.  Each change in the interest rate applicable to any amounts payable under the Loan Documents based on changes to the Prime Rate shall be effective on the effective date of any change to the Prime Rate and to the extent of such change.
(e)Interest Computation.  Interest shall be computed as set forth on Schedule I hereto.  In computing interest, the date of the making of any Credit Extension shall be included and the date of payment shall be


excluded; provided, however, that if any Credit Extension is repaid on the same day on which it is made, such day shall be included in computing interest on such Credit Extension.  
1.4Fees and Expenses.  Borrower shall pay to Bank:
(a)Unused Revolving Line Facility Fee.  Payable quarterly in arrears on the last calendar day of each calendar quarter occurring thereafter prior to the Revolving Line Maturity Date, and on the Revolving Line Maturity Date, a fee (the “Unused Revolving Line Facility Fee”) in an amount equal to fifteen-hundredths of one percent (0.15%) per annum of the average unused portion of the Revolving Line, as determined by Bank, computed on the basis of a year with the applicable number of days as set forth in Section 1.4(f), which shall be fully earned and non-refundable as of such date.  The unused portion of the Revolving Line, for purposes of this calculation, shall be calculated on a calendar year basis and shall equal the difference between (i) the Revolving Line, and (ii) the average for the period of the daily closing balance of the Revolving Line outstanding; and
(b)Bank Expenses.  All Bank Expenses incurred through and after the Effective Date, when due (or, if no stated due date, upon demand by Bank).  Borrower has paid to Bank a good faith deposit of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) (the “Good Faith Deposit”) to initiate Bank’s due diligence review process. On the Effective Date, Bank will refund the Good Faith Deposit, minus out-of-pocket expenses.

Unless otherwise provided in this Agreement or in a separate writing by Bank, Borrower shall not be entitled to any credit, rebate, or repayment of any fees earned by Bank pursuant to this Agreement notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement or the suspension or termination of Bank’s obligation to make loans and advances hereunder.  Bank may deduct amounts owing by Borrower under the clauses of this Section 1.44 pursuant to the terms of Section 1.5(c).  Bank shall provide Borrower written notice of deductions made pursuant to the terms of the clauses of this Section 1.44.

1.5Payments; Application of Payments; Debit of Accounts.  
(a)All payments (including prepayments) to be made by Borrower under any Loan Document shall be made in immediately available funds in Dollars, without setoff, counterclaim, or deduction, before 12:00 p.m. Pacific time on the date when due.  Payments of principal and/or interest received after 12:00 p.m. Pacific time are considered received at the opening of business on the next Business Day.  When a payment is due on a day that is not a Business Day, the payment shall be due the next Business Day, and additional fees or interest, as applicable, shall continue to accrue until paid.  
(b)Bank has the exclusive right to determine the order and manner in which all payments with respect to the Obligations may be applied.  Borrower shall have no right to specify the order or the accounts to which Bank shall allocate or apply any payments required to be made by Borrower to Bank or otherwise received by Bank under this Agreement when any such allocation or application is not specified elsewhere in this Agreement.
(c)Bank may debit any of Borrower’s deposit accounts maintained with Bank, including the Designated Deposit Account, for principal and interest payments or any other amounts Borrower owes Bank when due under the Loan Documents.  These debits shall not constitute a set-off.
1.6Change in Circumstances.
(a)Increased Costs.  If any Change in Law shall: (i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or advances, loans or other credit extended or participated in by, Bank, (ii) subject Bank to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes, and (C) Connection Income Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, letters of credit, commitment, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto, or (iii) impose on Bank any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or Credit Extensions made by Bank, and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to Bank of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Credit Extension (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Credit Extension), or to reduce the amount of

2


any sum received or receivable by Bank hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon written request of Bank, Borrower shall promptly pay to Bank such additional amount or amounts as will compensate Bank for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(b)Capital Requirements.  If Bank determines that any Change in Law affecting Bank regarding capital or liquidity requirements, has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on Bank’s capital as a consequence of this Agreement, the Revolving Line, any term loan facility, or the Credit Extensions made by Bank to a level below that which Bank could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration Bank’s policies with respect to capital adequacy and liquidity), then from time to time upon written request of Bank, Borrower shall promptly pay to Bank such additional amount or amounts as will compensate Bank for any such reduction suffered.
(c)Delay in Requests.  Failure or delay on the part of Bank to demand compensation pursuant to this Section 1.66 shall not constitute a waiver of Bank’s right to demand such compensation; provided that Borrower shall not be required to compensate Bank pursuant to subsection (a) for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than nine (9) months prior to the date that Bank notifies Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of Bank’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the nine (9) month period shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect).
1.7Taxes.  
(a)Payments Free of Taxes.  Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of Borrower under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any Taxes, except as required by Applicable Law.  If any Applicable Law (as determined in the good faith discretion of Borrower) requires the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by Borrower, then (i) Borrower shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding, (ii) Borrower shall timely pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with Applicable Law, and (iii) if such Tax is an Indemnified Tax, the sum payable by Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that after such deduction or withholding has been made (including such deductions and withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 1.7) Bank receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deduction or withholding been made.
(b)Payment of Other Taxes by Borrower.  Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) above, Borrower shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with Applicable Law.
(c)Tax Indemnification.  Without limiting the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) above, Borrower shall, and does hereby, indemnify Bank, within ten (10) days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 1.77) payable or paid by Bank or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to Bank and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority.  A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to Borrower by Bank shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(d)Evidence of Payments.  As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by Borrower to a Governmental Authority pursuant to this Section 1.7, Borrower shall deliver to Bank a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to Bank.
(e)Status of Bank.  If Bank (including any assignee or successor) is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document, it shall deliver to Borrower, at the time or times reasonably requested by Borrower, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by Borrower as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding.  In addition, Bank, if reasonably requested by Borrower, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by Applicable Law or reasonably requested by Borrower as will enable Borrower to determine whether or not Bank is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements.  Without

3


limiting the generality of the foregoing, Bank shall deliver whichever of IRS Form W-9, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, IRS Form W-8ECI or W-8IMY is applicable, as well as any applicable supporting documentation or certifications.
1.8Procedures for Borrowing.
(a)Advances.  Subject to the prior satisfaction of all other applicable conditions to the making of an Advance set forth in this Agreement (which must be satisfied no later than 12:00 p.m. Pacific time on the applicable Funding Date), to obtain an Advance, Borrower (via an individual duly authorized by an Administrator) shall notify Bank (which notice shall be irrevocable) by 12:00 p.m. Pacific time on the Funding Date of the Advance.  Such notice shall be made through Bank’s online banking program, provided, however, if Borrower is not utilizing Bank’s online banking program, then such notice shall be in a written format acceptable to Bank that is executed by an Authorized Signer.  In connection with any such notification, Borrower shall deliver to Bank by electronic mail or through Bank’s online banking program such reports and information, including without limitation, sales journals, cash receipts journals, accounts receivable aging reports, as Bank may reasonably request.  Bank shall have received satisfactory evidence that the Board has approved that such Authorized Signer may provide such notices and request Advances (which requirement may be deemed satisfied by the prior delivery of Borrowing Resolutions or a secretary’s certificate that certifies as to such Board approval).  
(b)Bank shall credit proceeds of a Credit Extension to the Designated Deposit Account.  Bank may make Advances under this Agreement based on instructions from an Authorized Signer or without instructions if such Advances are necessary to meet Obligations which have become due.
2.CONDITIONS OF CREDIT EXTENSIONS
2.1Conditions Precedent to Initial Credit Extension.  Bank’s obligation to make the initial Credit Extension is subject to the condition precedent that Bank shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Bank, such documents, and completion of such other matters, as Bank may reasonably deem necessary or appropriate, including, without limitation:
(a)duly executed Loan Documents;
(b)the Operating Documents of Borrower and long-form good standing certificates of Borrower certified by the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, and the Secretary of State of the State of California, as applicable, and the Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) of each other jurisdiction in which Borrower is qualified to conduct business, in each case as of a date no earlier than thirty (30) days prior to the Effective Date;
(c)a certificate duly executed by a Responsible Officer or secretary of Borrower with respect to Borrower’s (i) Operating Documents and (ii) Borrowing Resolutions;
(d)a duly executed Perfection Certificate of Borrower;
(e)evidence satisfactory to Bank that the insurance policies required by Section 5.8 hereof are in full force and effect;
(f)with respect to the initial Advance, a completed Borrowing Base Statement (and any schedules related thereto and including any other information requested by Bank with respect to Borrower’s Accounts); and
(g)payment of the fees and Bank Expenses then due as specified in Section 1.4 hereof.
2.2Conditions Precedent to all Credit Extensions.  Bank’s obligation to make each Credit Extension, including the initial Credit Extension, is subject to the following conditions precedent:
(a)receipt of Borrower’s Credit Extension request and the related materials and documents as required by and in accordance with Section 1.88;

4


(b)the representations and warranties in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date of any Credit Extension request  and as of the Funding Date of each Credit Extension; provided, however, that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof; and provided, further that those representations and warranties expressly referring to a specific date shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such date, and no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or result from the Credit Extension.  Each Credit Extension is Borrower’s representation and warranty on that date that the representations and warranties in this Agreement remain true and correct in all material respects; provided, however, that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof; and provided, further that those representations and warranties expressly referring to a specific date shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such date; and
(c)a Material Adverse Change shall not have occurred and be continuing.
2.3Covenant to Deliver.  Borrower shall deliver to Bank each item required to be delivered to Bank under this Agreement as a condition precedent to any Credit Extension.  A Credit Extension made prior to the receipt by Bank of any such item shall not constitute a waiver by Bank of Borrower’s obligation to deliver such item, and the making of any Credit Extension in the absence of a required item shall be in Bank’s sole discretion.
3.CREATION OF SECURITY INTEREST
3.1Grant of Security Interest.  
(a)Borrower hereby grants Bank, to secure the payment and performance in full of all of the Obligations, a continuing security interest in, and pledges to Bank, the Collateral, wherever located, whether now owned or hereafter acquired or arising, and all proceeds and products thereof.  
(b)Borrower acknowledges that it previously has entered, or may in the future enter, into Bank Services Agreements with Bank.  Regardless of the terms of any Bank Services Agreement, Borrower agrees that any amounts Borrower owes Bank thereunder shall be deemed to be Obligations hereunder and that it is the intent of Borrower and Bank to have all such Obligations secured by the first priority perfected security interest in the Collateral granted herein (subject to Permitted Liens).
3.2Authorization to File Financing Statements.  Borrower hereby authorizes Bank to file financing statements, without notice to Borrower, with all jurisdictions deemed necessary or appropriate by Bank to perfect or protect Bank’s interest or rights hereunder, including a notice that any disposition of the Collateral, by either Borrower or any other Person, shall be deemed to violate the rights of Bank under the Code.  Such financing statements may indicate the Collateral as “all assets of the Debtor” or words of similar effect.
3.3Termination.  If this Agreement is terminated, Bank’s Lien in the Collateral shall continue until the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations) are repaid in full in cash.  Upon payment in full in cash of the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations) and at such time as Bank’s obligation to make Credit Extensions has terminated, Bank shall, at Borrower’s sole cost and expense, terminate its security interest in the Collateral and all rights therein shall revert to Borrower.  In the event (a) all Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations), except for Bank Services, are satisfied in full, and (b) this Agreement is terminated, Bank shall terminate the security interest granted herein upon Borrower providing cash collateral acceptable to Bank in its sole discretion for Bank Services, if any.  In the event such Bank Services consist of outstanding Letters of Credit, Borrower shall provide to Bank cash collateral in an amount equal to at least (x) one hundred five percent (105%) of the face amount of all such Letters of Credit denominated in Dollars and (y) one hundred fifteen percent (115%) of the Dollar Equivalent of the face amount of all such Letters of Credit denominated in a Foreign Currency, plus, in each case, all interest, fees, and costs due or estimated by Bank to become due in connection therewith, to secure all of the Obligations relating to such  Letters of Credit.
4.REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

5


Borrower represents and warrants as follows:

4.1Due Organization, Authorization; Power and Authority.  
(a)Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries are each duly existing and in good standing as a Registered Organization in their respective jurisdiction of formation and are qualified and licensed to do business and is in good standing in any jurisdiction in which the conduct of their respective business or their ownership of property requires that they be qualified except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s business or operations.  
(b)All information set forth on the Perfection Certificate pertaining to Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries is true and correct (it being understood and agreed that Borrower may from time to time update certain information in the Perfection Certificate after the Effective Date to the extent permitted by one or more specific provisions in this Agreement and the Perfection Certificate shall be deemed to be updated to the extent such notice is provided to Bank of such permitted update).  
(c)The execution, delivery and performance by Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries of the Loan Documents to which it is a party have been duly authorized, and do not (i) conflict with any of Borrower’s or any such Subsidiary’s organizational documents, (ii) contravene, conflict with, constitute a default under or violate any material Applicable Law, (iii) contravene, conflict with or violate any applicable order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, determination or award of any Governmental Authority by which Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their property or assets may be bound or affected, (iv) require any action by, filing, registration, or qualification with, or Governmental Approval from, any Governmental Authority (except such Governmental Approvals which have already been obtained and are in full force and effect), or (v) conflict with, contravene, constitute a default or breach under, or result in or permit the termination or acceleration of, any material agreement by which Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is bound.  Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries are in default under any agreement to which it is a party or by which it is bound in which the default could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiary’s business or operations.  
4.2Collateral.  
(a)The security interest granted herein is and shall at all times continue to be a first priority perfected security interest in the Collateral (subject to Permitted Liens).  Borrower has good title to, rights in, and the power to transfer each item of the Collateral upon which it purports to grant a Lien hereunder, free and clear of any and all Liens except Permitted Liens.  
(b)Borrower has no Collateral Accounts at or with any bank or financial institution other than Bank or Bank’s Affiliates except for the Collateral Accounts described in the Perfection Certificate delivered to Bank in connection herewith and which Borrower has taken such actions as are necessary to give Bank a perfected security interest therein, pursuant to the terms of Section 5.9(c).  The Accounts are bona fide, existing obligations of the Account Debtors.  
(c)The Collateral is not in the possession of any third party bailee (such as a warehouse) except as otherwise provided in the Perfection Certificate or as permitted pursuant to Section 6.2.  None of the components of the Collateral shall be maintained at locations other than as provided in the Perfection Certificate or as permitted pursuant to Section 6.2.
(d)All Inventory is in all material respects of good and marketable quality, free from material defects.
(e)Borrower owns, or possesses the right to use to the extent necessary in its business, all Intellectual Property, licenses and other intangible assets that are used in the conduct of its business as now operated, except to the extent that such failure to own or possess the right to use such asset would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s business or operations, and no such asset, to the best knowledge of

6


Borrower, conflicts with the valid Intellectual Property, license, or intangible asset of any other Person to the extent that such conflict could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s business or operations.
(f)Except as noted on the Perfection Certificate or for which notice has been given to Bank pursuant to and in accordance with Section 5.11(b), Borrower is not a party to, nor is it bound by, any Restricted License.
4.3Accounts Receivable.  
(a)For each Account included in the most recent Borrowing Base Statement, on the date each Advance is requested and made, such Account shall be an Eligible Account.
(b)All statements made and all unpaid balances appearing in all invoices, instruments and other documents evidencing the Eligible Accounts are and shall be true and correct and all such invoices, instruments and other documents, and all of Borrower’s Books are genuine and in all respects what they purport to be.  All sales and other transactions underlying or giving rise to each Eligible Account shall comply in all material respects with all Applicable Law.  Borrower has no knowledge of any actual or imminent Insolvency Proceeding of any Account Debtor whose accounts are Eligible Accounts in any Borrowing Base Statement.  To the best of Borrower’s knowledge, all signatures and endorsements on all documents, instruments, and agreements relating to all Eligible Accounts are genuine, and all such documents, instruments and agreements are legally enforceable in accordance with their terms.  
4.4Litigation. There are no actions, investigations or proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of any Responsible Officer, threatened in writing by or against Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries which would reasonably be expected to result in damages or costs, including settlement payments, to Borrower of more than, individually or in the aggregate, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000).
4.5Financial Statements; Financial Condition. All consolidated financial statements for Borrower and any of its Subsidiaries delivered to Bank by submission to the Financial Statement Repository or otherwise submitted to Bank fairly present in all material respects Borrower’s consolidated financial condition and Borrower’s consolidated results of operations for the periods covered thereby, subject, in the case of unaudited financial statements, to normal year-end adjustments and the absence of footnote disclosures.  There has not been any material deterioration in Borrower’s consolidated financial condition since the date of the most recent financial statements submitted to the Financial Statement Repository or otherwise submitted to Bank.
4.6Solvency.  The fair salable value of Borrower’s consolidated assets (including goodwill minus disposition costs) exceeds the fair value of Borrower’s liabilities; Borrower is not left with unreasonably small capital after the transactions in this Agreement; and Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries are able to pay their debts (including trade debts) as they mature.
4.7Regulatory Compliance.  Borrower is not an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.  Borrower is not engaged as one of its important activities in extending credit for margin stock (under Regulations X, T and U of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors).  Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries (a) have complied in all material respects with all Applicable Law, and (b) have not violated any Applicable Law the violation of which could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s business or operations.  Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries have duly complied with, and their respective facilities, business, assets, property, leaseholds, real property and Equipment are in compliance with, Environmental Laws, except where the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s business or operations; there have been no outstanding citations, notices or orders of non-compliance issued to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or relating to their respective facilities, businesses, assets, property, leaseholds, real property or Equipment under such Environmental Laws.  Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries have obtained all consents, approvals and authorizations of, made all declarations or filings with, and given all notices to, all Governmental Authorities that are necessary to continue their respective businesses as currently conducted, except where the failure to obtain or make or file the same would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s business or operations.

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4.8Subsidiaries; Investments.  Borrower does not own any stock, unit, membership interest, partnership, or other ownership interest or other equity securities except for Permitted Investments.  
4.9Tax Returns and Payments; Pension Contributions.  
(a)Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries have timely filed, or submitted extensions for, all required tax returns and reports, and Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries have timely paid all foreign, federal, state and local taxes, assessments, deposits and contributions owed by Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries except (i) to the extent such taxes are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted, so long as such reserve or other appropriate provision, if any, as shall be required in conformity with GAAP shall have been made therefor, or (ii) if such taxes, assessments, deposits and contributions do not, individually or in the aggregate, exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000).  Borrower is unaware of any claims or adjustments proposed for any of Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiary’s prior tax years which could result in additional taxes becoming due and payable by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in excess of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) in the aggregate.  
(b)Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries have paid all amounts necessary to fund all present pension, profit sharing and deferred compensation plans in accordance with their terms, and neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries has withdrawn from participation in, and has not permitted partial or complete termination of, or permitted the occurrence of any other event with respect to, any such plan which could reasonably be expected to result in any liability of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, including any liability to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or its successors or any other Governmental Authority.
4.10Full Disclosure. No written representation, warranty or other statement of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in any report, certificate or written statement submitted to the Financial Statement Repository or otherwise submitted to Bank, as of the date such representation, warranty, or other statement was made, taken together with all such reports, certificates and written statements submitted to the Financial Statement Repository or otherwise submitted to Bank, contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained in the reports, certificates or written statements not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made (it being recognized by Bank that the projections and forecasts provided by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in good faith and based upon reasonable assumptions are not viewed as facts and that actual results during the period or periods covered by such projections and forecasts may differ from the projected or forecasted results).
4.11Sanctions.  Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is: (a) in violation of any Sanctions; or (b) a Sanctioned Person.  Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries, directors, officers, employees, agents or Affiliates: (i) conducts any business or engages in any transaction or dealing with any Sanctioned Person, including making or receiving any contribution of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit of any Sanctioned Person; (ii) deals in, or otherwise engages in any transaction relating to, any property or interests in property blocked pursuant to any Sanctions; (iii) engages in or conspires to engage in any transaction that evades or avoids, or has the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate, any of the prohibitions set forth in any Sanctions; or (iv) otherwise engages in any transaction that could cause Bank to violate any Sanctions.
5.AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

Borrower shall do all of the following:

5.1Use of Proceeds.  Cause the proceeds of the Credit Extensions to be used solely (a) as working capital or (b) to fund its general business purposes, and not for personal, family, household or agricultural purposes, and not in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization of the payment or giving of money, or anything else of value, to any Person in violation of any applicable anti-corruption law.
5.2Government Compliance.  
(a)Maintain its and all of its Subsidiaries’ legal existence (except as permitted under Section 6.3 with respect to Subsidiaries only) and good standing in their respective jurisdictions of formation and maintain

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qualification in each jurisdiction in which the failure to so qualify would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s business or operations.  Borrower shall comply, and have each Subsidiary comply, in all material respects, with all laws, ordinances and regulations to which it is subject.
(b)Obtain all of the Governmental Approvals necessary for the performance by Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries of their obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party, including any grant of a security interest to Bank.  Borrower shall promptly provide copies of any such obtained Governmental Approvals to Bank.
5.3Financial Statements, Reports. Deliver to Bank by submitting to the Financial Statement Repository:
(a)Borrowing Base Statement.  A Borrowing Base Statement (and any schedules related thereto and including any other information requested by Bank with respect to Borrower’s Accounts) (i) with each request for an Advance, (ii) within seven (7) days of each month when the outstanding balance of the Revolving Line is greater than Zero Dollars ($0.00), and (iii) within twenty (20) days after the end of each month when the outstanding balance of the Revolving Line is Zero Dollars ($0.00);
(b)Monthly Financial Statements.  As soon as available, but no later than thirty (30) days after the last day of each month, a company prepared consolidated and consolidating balance sheet and income statement covering Borrower’s and each of its Subsidiary’s operations for such month in a form reasonably acceptable to Bank;
(c)Compliance Statement.  Within thirty (30) days after the last day of each month and together with the statements set forth in Section 5.3(b), a duly completed Compliance Statement, confirming that as of the end of such month, Borrower was in full compliance with all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and setting forth calculations showing compliance with the financial covenants set forth in this Agreement and such other information as Bank may reasonably request;
(a)A/R and A/P Agings.  Within twenty (20) days after the end of each month, (i) monthly accounts receivable agings, aged by invoice date, (ii) monthly accounts payable agings, aged by invoice date, and outstanding or held check registers, if any, and (iii) monthly reconciliations of accounts receivable agings (aged by invoice date), transaction reports, Deferred Revenue report, and general ledger;
(d)Annual Operating Budget and Financial Projections.  Within thirty (30) days after to the end of each fiscal year of Borrower, and within seven (7) days of any updates or amendments thereto, (i) annual operating budgets (including income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements, by month) for the then-current fiscal year of Borrower, and (ii) annual financial projections for the then-current fiscal year (on a quarterly basis), in each case as approved by the Board, together with any related business forecasts used in the preparation of such annual financial projections;
(e)Annual Audited Financial Statements.  As soon as available, and in any event within one hundred eighty (180) days following the end of each fiscal year of Borrower, audited consolidated financial statements prepared under GAAP, consistently applied, together with an unqualified opinion on the financial statements from an independent certified public accounting firm reasonably acceptable to Bank;
(f)SEC Filings.  In the event that Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries becomes subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act within five (5) days of filing, notification of the filing and copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by Borrower and/or any of its Subsidiaries or any Guarantor with the SEC, any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of the SEC or with any national securities exchange, or distributed to its shareholders, as the case may be.  Documents required to be delivered pursuant to the terms hereof (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date on which Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries posts such documents, or provides a link thereto, on Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ website on the internet at Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ website address; provided, however,

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Borrower shall promptly notify Bank in writing (which may be by electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents;
(g)Security Holder and Subordinated Debt Holder Reports.  Within five (5) days of delivery, copies of all statements, reports and notices made available to Borrower’s security holders or to any holders of Subordinated Debt (solely in their capacities as security holders or holders of Subordinated Debt and not in any other role);
(h)Beneficial Ownership Information.  Prompt written notice of any changes to the beneficial ownership information set out in Section 14 of the Perfection Certificate.  Borrower understands and acknowledges that Bank relies on such true, accurate and up-to-date beneficial ownership information to meet Bank’s regulatory obligations to obtain, verify and record information about the beneficial owners of its legal entity customers;
(i)Legal Action Notice.  Prompt written notice of any legal actions, investigations or proceedings pending or threatened in writing against Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that could reasonably be expected to result in damages or costs to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of, individually or in the aggregate, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) or more;
(j)Tort Claim Notice.  If Borrower shall acquire a commercial tort claim, Borrower shall promptly notify Bank in a writing signed by Borrower of the general details thereof and grant to Bank in such writing a security interest therein and in the proceeds thereof, all upon the terms of this Agreement, with such writing to be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Bank;
(k)Government Filings.  Within five (5) days after the same are sent or received, copies of all correspondence, reports, documents and other filings by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries with any Governmental Authority regarding compliance with or maintenance of Governmental Approvals or Applicable Law or that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on any of the Governmental Approvals or otherwise on the business of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries;
(l)Registered Organization.  If Borrower is not a Registered Organization as of the Effective Date but later becomes one, promptly notify Bank of such occurrence and provide Bank with Borrower’s organizational identification number;
(m)Default.  Prompt written notice of the occurrence of a Default or Event of Default; and
(n)Other Information.  Promptly, from time to time, such other information regarding Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or compliance with the terms of any Loan Documents as reasonably requested by Bank.

Any submission by Borrower of a Compliance Statement, a Borrowing Base Statement or any other financial statement submitted to the Financial Statement Repository pursuant to this Section 5.3 or otherwise submitted to Bank shall be deemed to be a representation by Borrower that (i) as of the date of such Compliance Statement, Borrowing Base Statement or other financial statement, the information and calculations set forth therein are true and correct, (ii) as of the end of the compliance period set forth in such submission, Borrower is in complete compliance with all required covenants except as noted in such Compliance Statement, Borrowing Base Statement or other financial statement, as applicable, (iii) as of the date of such submission, no Events of Default have occurred or are continuing, (iv) all representations and warranties other than any representations or warranties that are made as of a specific date in Section 4 remain true and correct in all material respects as of the date of such submission except as noted in such Compliance Statement, Borrowing Base Statement or other financial statement, as applicable, (v) as of the date of such submission, Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries has timely filed all required tax returns and reports, and Borrower has timely paid all foreign, federal, state and local taxes, assessments, deposits and contributions owed by Borrower except as otherwise permitted pursuant to the terms of Section 4.9, and (vi) as of the date of such submission, no Liens have been levied or claims made against Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries relating to unpaid employee payroll or benefits of which Borrower has not previously provided written notification to Bank.

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5.4Accounts Receivable.  
(a)Schedules and Documents Relating to Accounts.  Borrower shall deliver to Bank transaction reports and schedules of collections, as provided in Section 5.3, on Bank’s standard forms; provided, however, that Borrower’s failure to execute and deliver the same shall not affect or limit Bank’s Lien and other rights in all of Borrower’s Accounts, nor shall Bank’s failure to advance or lend against a specific Account affect or limit Bank’s Lien and other rights therein.  If requested by Bank, Borrower shall furnish Bank with copies (or, at Bank’s request, originals) of all contracts, orders, invoices, and other similar documents, and all shipping instructions, delivery receipts, bills of lading, and other evidence of delivery, for any goods the sale or disposition of which gave rise to such Accounts.  In addition, Borrower shall deliver to Bank, on its request, the originals of all instruments, chattel paper, security agreements, guarantees and other documents and property evidencing or securing any Accounts, in the same form as received, with all necessary indorsements, and copies of all credit memos.
(b)Disputes.  Borrower shall promptly notify Bank of all disputes or claims relating to Accounts.  Borrower may forgive (completely or partially), compromise, or settle any Account for less than payment in full, or agree to do any of the foregoing so long as (i) Borrower does so in good faith, in a commercially reasonable manner, in the ordinary course of business, in arm’s-length transactions, and reports the same to Bank in the regular reports provided to Bank; (ii) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; and (iii) there shall not be an Overadvance after taking into account all such discounts, settlements and forgiveness.  
(c)Collection of Accounts.  Borrower shall direct Account Debtors to deliver or transmit all proceeds of Accounts into a lockbox account, or such other “blocked account” as specified by Bank (either such account, the “Cash Collateral Account”).  Whether or not an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, Borrower shall immediately deliver all payments on and proceeds of Accounts to the Cash Collateral Account.  Subject to Bank’s right to maintain a reserve pursuant to Section 5.4(d), all amounts received in the Cash Collateral Account shall be applied to immediately reduce the Obligations under the Revolving Line (unless Bank, in its sole discretion, at times when an Event of Default exists, elects not to so apply such amounts).  Borrower hereby authorizes Bank to transfer to the Cash Collateral Account any amounts that Bank reasonably determines are proceeds of the Accounts (provided that Bank is under no obligation to do so and this allowance shall in no event relieve Borrower of its obligations hereunder).
(d)Reserves.  Notwithstanding any terms in this Agreement to the contrary, at times when a Default or an Event of Default exists, Bank may hold any proceeds of the Accounts and any amounts in the Cash Collateral Account that are not applied to the Obligations pursuant to Section 5.4(c) above (including amounts otherwise required to be transferred to Borrower’s operating account with Bank) as a reserve to be applied to any Obligations regardless of whether such Obligations are then due and payable.
(e)Returns.  Provided no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, if any Account Debtor returns any Inventory to Borrower, Borrower shall promptly (i) determine the reason for such return, (ii) issue a credit memorandum to the Account Debtor in the appropriate amount in accordance with Borrower’s customary business practices, and (iii) provide a copy of such credit memorandum to Bank, upon request from Bank.  In the event any attempted return occurs after the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, Borrower shall hold the returned Inventory in trust for Bank, and immediately notify Bank of the return of the Inventory.  
(f)Verifications; Confirmations; Credit Quality; Notifications.  Bank may, from time to time, (i) verify and confirm directly with the respective Account Debtors the validity, amount and other matters relating to the Accounts, either in the name of Borrower or Bank or such other name as Bank may choose, and notify any Account Debtor of Bank’s security interest in such Account and/or (ii) conduct a credit check of any Account Debtor to approve any such Account Debtor’s credit.
(g)No Liability.  Bank shall not be responsible or liable for any shortage or discrepancy in, damage to, or loss or destruction of, any goods, the sale or other disposition of which gives rise to an Account, or for any error, act, omission, or delay of any kind occurring in the settlement, failure to settle, collection or failure to collect any Account, or for settling any Account in good faith for less than the full amount thereof, nor shall Bank be deemed to be responsible for any of Borrower’s obligations under any contract or agreement giving rise to an Account.  Nothing herein shall, however, relieve Bank from liability for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct.

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5.5Remittance of Proceeds.  Except as otherwise provided in Section 5.4(c), deliver, in kind, all proceeds arising from the disposition of any Collateral to Bank in the original form in which received by Borrower not later than the following Business Day after receipt by Borrower, to be applied to the Obligations (a) prior to an Event of Default, pursuant to the terms of Section 5.4(c) hereof, and (b) after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, pursuant to the terms of Section 8.4 hereof; provided that, if no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, Borrower shall not be obligated to remit to Bank the proceeds of the sale of worn out or obsolete Equipment disposed of by Borrower in good faith in an arm’s length transaction for an aggregate purchase price of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) or less (for all such transactions in any fiscal year).  Borrower agrees that it will not commingle proceeds of Collateral with any of Borrower’s other funds or property, but will hold such proceeds separate and apart from such other funds and property and in an express trust for Bank.  Nothing in this Section 5.5 limits the restrictions on disposition of Collateral set forth elsewhere in this Agreement.
5.6Taxes; Pensions.  
(a)Timely file, and require each of its Subsidiaries to timely file (in each case, unless subject to a valid extension), all required tax returns and reports and timely pay, and require each of its Subsidiaries to timely pay, all foreign, federal, state and local taxes, assessments, deposits and contributions owed by Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries, except for deferred payment of any taxes contested pursuant to the terms of Section 4.9(a) hereof, and shall deliver to Bank, on demand, appropriate certificates attesting to such payments, and pay, and require each of its Subsidiaries to pay, all amounts necessary to fund all present pension, profit sharing and deferred compensation plans in accordance with their terms.
(b)To the extent Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries defers payment of any contested taxes, (i) notify Bank in writing of the commencement of, and any material development in, the proceedings, and (ii) post bonds or take any other steps required to prevent the Governmental Authority levying such contested taxes from obtaining a Lien upon any of the Collateral that is other than a “Permitted Lien.”  
5.7Access to Collateral; Books and Records. At reasonable times, on one (1) Business Day’s notice (provided no notice is required if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing), Bank, or its agents, shall have the right to inspect the Collateral and the right to audit and copy Borrower’s Books.  Such inspections and audits shall be conducted no more often than once every twelve (12) months (or more frequently as Bank determines in its sole discretion that conditions warrant), unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, in which case such inspections and audits shall occur as often as Bank shall determine is necessary.  The foregoing inspections and audits shall be conducted at Borrower’s expense and the charge therefor shall be One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) per person per day (or such higher amount as shall represent Bank’s then-current standard charge for the same), plus out-of-pocket expenses.  In the event Borrower and Bank schedule an audit more than eight (8) days in advance, and Borrower cancels or seeks to or reschedules the audit with less than eight (8) days written notice to Bank, then (without limiting any of Bank’s rights or remedies) Borrower shall pay Bank a fee of Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000) plus any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Bank to compensate Bank for the anticipated costs and expenses of the cancellation or rescheduling.  
5.8Insurance.  
(a)Keep its business and the Collateral insured for risks and in amounts standard for companies in Borrower’s industry and location and as Bank may reasonably request.  Insurance policies shall be in a form, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies that are not Affiliates of Borrower, and in amounts that are satisfactory to Bank.
(b)All property policies shall have a lender’s loss payable endorsement showing Bank as lender loss payee.  All liability policies shall show, or have endorsements showing, Bank as an additional insured.  Bank shall be named as lender loss payee and/or additional insured with respect to any such insurance providing coverage in respect of any Collateral.
(c)Ensure that proceeds payable under any property policy are, at Bank’s option, payable to Bank on account of the Obligations.

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(d)At Bank’s request, Borrower shall deliver certified copies of insurance policies and evidence of all premium payments.  Each provider of any such insurance required under this Section 5.8 shall agree, by endorsement upon the policy or policies issued by it or by independent instruments furnished to Bank, that it will give Bank thirty (30) days prior written notice before any such policy or policies shall be canceled or altered in any material respect.  If Borrower fails to obtain insurance as required under this Section 5.8 or to pay any amount or furnish any required proof of payment to third persons and Bank, Bank may make all or part of such payment or obtain such insurance policies required in this Section 5.8, and take any action under the policies Bank deems prudent.
5.9Accounts.
(a)Maintain account balances in Borrower’s, any of its Subsidiaries’, and any Guarantor’s operating accounts and depository accounts at or through Bank representing at least eighty percent (80%) of the cash and Cash Equivalent assets (including off-balance and investment/securities accounts) of Borrower, such Subsidiary and such Guarantor maintained at all financial institutions (the “Minimum Banking Requirement”).  For the avoidance of doubt, the Dollar Equivalent value of amounts held in deposit accounts securing letters of credit at financial institutions other than Bank shall not be included in the calculation of the Minimum Banking Requirement.
(b)In addition to the foregoing, Borrower, any Subsidiary of Borrower and any Guarantor, shall utilize Bank as their primary provider of business credit cards, Letters of Credit, and cash management services; provided however, notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event a vendor of Borrower will not accept a Letter of Credit from Bank, Borrower may obtain such Letter of Credit from a financial institution other than Bank.
(c)In addition to and without limiting the restrictions in (a), Borrower shall provide Bank five (5) days prior written notice before establishing any Collateral Account at or with any bank or financial institution other than Bank or Bank’s Affiliates.  For each Collateral Account that Borrower at any time maintains, Borrower shall cause the applicable bank or financial institution (other than Bank) at or with which any Collateral Account is maintained to execute and deliver a Control Agreement or other appropriate instrument with respect to such Collateral Account to perfect Bank’s Lien in such Collateral Account in accordance with the terms hereunder which Control Agreement may not be terminated without the prior written consent of Bank.  The provisions of the previous sentence shall not apply to (i) deposit accounts exclusively used for payroll, payroll taxes, and other employee wage and benefit payments to or for the benefit of Borrower’s employees and identified to Bank by Borrower as such, (ii) for any Collateral Account at or with any bank or financial institution other than Bank where the aggregate balance of cash and Cash Equivalent assets held in such account is less than Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000), and (iii) for any Collateral Account at or with any bank or financial institution other than Bank cash securing any letters of credit maintained with such Bank.
5.10Minimum Liquidity Ratio.  Maintain at all times, subject to periodic reporting, tested monthly (as of the last day of each month), a Liquidity Ratio of at least 4.00 to 1.00 (the “Minimum Liquidity Ratio Covenant”).

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 5.10 or in Section 7, in the event Borrower fails to comply with the requirements of the Minimum Liquidity Ratio Covenant (the “LR Event of Default”), such LR Event of Default will be waived, without further action by either party hereto, if during the period from the month-end reporting due date of Borrower’s monthly reporting that evidences or would evidence such LR Event of Default through the ninetieth (90th) day thereafter (the “LR Cure Period”) Borrower receives proceeds from the issuance of Borrower’s equity securities in an amount sufficient to cause Borrower’s Liquidity Ratio to be at least 4.00 to 1.00 (the “LR Cure”); provided, however, during the LR Cure Period, Bank has no obligation to make any new Advances to Borrower, and the proceeds of all collections of Accounts shall be applied to the outstanding Obligations pursuant to the terms of Section 8.4 of the Loan Agreement.

5.11Protection of Intellectual Property Rights.  
(a)(i) Protect, defend and maintain the validity and enforceability of Borrower’s and each Subsidiary’s Intellectual Property, except to the extent that such failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s business or operations; (ii) promptly advise Bank in writing of infringements or any other event that could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the value Borrower’s and each Subsidiary’s Intellectual Property; and (iii) not allow any Intellectual Property material to

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Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s business to be abandoned, forfeited or dedicated to the public without Bank’s written consent.
(b)Provide written notice to Bank within ten (10) days of entering or becoming bound by any Restricted License (other than over-the-counter software that is commercially available to the public).  Borrower shall take such steps as Bank requests to obtain the consent of, or waiver by, any person whose consent or waiver is necessary for (i) any such Restricted License to be deemed “Collateral” and for Bank to have a security interest in it that might otherwise be restricted or prohibited by law or by the terms of any such Restricted License, whether now existing or entered into in the future, and (ii) Bank to have the ability in the event of a liquidation of any Collateral to dispose of such Collateral in accordance with Bank’s rights and remedies under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
5.12Litigation Cooperation.  From the date hereof and continuing through the termination of this Agreement, make available to Bank, without expense to Bank, Borrower and its officers, employees and agents and Borrower’s books and records, to the extent that Bank may deem them reasonably necessary to prosecute or defend any third-party suit or proceeding instituted by or against Bank with respect to any Collateral or relating to Borrower.
5.13Online Banking.  

(a)Utilize Bank’s online banking platform for all matters requested by Bank which shall include, without limitation (and without request by Bank for the following matters), uploading information pertaining to Accounts and Account Debtors, requesting approval for exceptions, requesting Credit Extensions, and uploading financial statements and other reports required to be delivered by this Agreement (including, without limitation, those described in Section 5.3 of this Agreement).

(b)Comply with the terms of Bank’s online banking agreement as in effect from time to time and ensure that all persons utilizing Bank’s online banking platform are duly authorized to do so by an Administrator.  Bank shall be entitled to assume the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of any information, instruction or request for a Credit Extension submitted via Bank’s online banking platform and to further assume that any submissions or requests made via Bank’s online banking platform have been duly authorized by an Administrator.

5.14Formation or Acquisition of Subsidiaries.  Notwithstanding and without limiting the negative covenants contained in Sections 6.3 and 6.7 hereof, at the time that Borrower or any Guarantor forms any Subsidiary or acquires any Subsidiary after the Effective Date (including, without limitation, pursuant to a Division), Borrower and such Guarantor shall (a) cause such new Subsidiary to provide to Bank a joinder to this Agreement to become a co-borrower hereunder or a guaranty to become a Guarantor hereunder (as determined by Bank in its sole discretion), together with documentation, all in form and substance satisfactory to Bank (including being sufficient to grant Bank a first priority Lien (subject to Permitted Liens) in and to the assets of such newly formed or acquired Subsidiary), (b) provide to Bank appropriate certificates and powers and financing statements, pledging all of the direct or beneficial ownership interest in such new Subsidiary, in form and substance satisfactory to Bank; and (c) provide to Bank all other documentation in form and substance satisfactory to Bank, including one or more opinions of counsel satisfactory to Bank, which in its opinion is appropriate with respect to the execution and delivery of the applicable documentation referred to above.  Any document, agreement, or instrument executed or issued pursuant to this Section 5.14 shall be a Loan Document.
5.15Inventory; Returns.  Keep all Inventory in good and marketable condition, free from material defects.  Returns and allowances between Borrower and its Account Debtors shall follow Borrower’s customary practices as they exist at the Effective Date.  Borrower shall promptly notify Bank of all returns, recoveries, disputes and claims that involve more than Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000).
5.16Further Assurances.  Execute any further instruments and take such further action as Bank reasonably requests to perfect, protect, ensure the priority of or continue Bank’s Lien on the Collateral or to effect the purposes of this Agreement.

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5.17Sanctions.  (a) Not, and not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, engage in any of the activities described in Section 4.11 in the future; (b) not, and not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, become a Sanctioned Person; (c) ensure that the proceeds of the Obligations are not used to violate any Sanctions; and (d) deliver to Bank any certification or other evidence requested from time to time by Bank in its sole discretion, confirming each such Person’s compliance with this Section 5.17.  In addition, have implemented, and will consistently apply while this Agreement is in effect, procedures to ensure that the representations and warranties in Section 4.11 remain true and correct while this Agreement is in effect.
5.18Post-Closing Conditions.  Borrower shall as soon as possible, and in any event, not later than thirty (30) days following the Effective Date, deliver to Bank:
(a)a duly executed landlord’s consent in favor of Bank for Borrower’s leased location at 111 Academy Way, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92617, by the respective landlord thereof;
(b)evidence, satisfactory to Bank, that the insurance endorsements required by Section 5.8 hereof are in full force and effect, together with appropriate evidence showing lender loss payable and additional insured clauses endorsements in favor of Bank; and
(c)evidence, satisfactory to Bank, that the Liens securing Indebtedness owed by Borrower to SVIC No. 28 New Technology Business Investment L.L.P. have been terminated and any documents and/or filings evidencing the perfection of such Liens, including without limitation any financing statements and/or control agreements, have been terminated.
6.NEGATIVE COVENANTS

Borrower shall not do any of the following without Bank’s prior written consent:

6.1Dispositions.  Convey, sell, lease, transfer, assign, or otherwise dispose of (including, without limitation, pursuant to a Division) (collectively, “Transfer”), or permit any of its Subsidiaries to Transfer, all or any part of its business or property, except for Transfers (a) of Inventory in the ordinary course of business; (b) of worn-out or obsolete Equipment that is, in the reasonable judgment of Borrower, no longer economically practicable to maintain or useful in the ordinary course of business of Borrower; (c) consisting of Permitted Liens and Permitted Investments; (d) consisting of the sale or issuance of any stock, partnership, membership, or other ownership interest or other equity securities of Borrower permitted under Section 6.2 of this Agreement; (e) consisting of Borrower’s or its Subsidiaries’ use or transfer of money or Cash Equivalents in a manner that is not prohibited by the terms of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents; and (f) of non-exclusive licenses for the use of the property of Borrower or its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business.
6.2Changes in Business, Management, Control, or Business Locations.  (a) Engage in or permit any of its Subsidiaries to engage in any business other than the businesses currently engaged in by Borrower and such Subsidiary, as applicable, or reasonably related thereto; (b) liquidate or dissolve or permit any of its Subsidiaries to liquidate or dissolve; (c) fail to provide notice to Bank of any Key Person departing from or ceasing to be employed by Borrower within five (5) days after such Key Person’s departure from Borrower; (d) permit, allow or suffer to occur any Change in Control; or (e) without at least thirty (30) days prior written notice to Bank, (i) add any new offices or business locations, including warehouses (unless such new offices or business locations contain less than Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) in Borrower’s assets or property) or deliver any portion of the Collateral valued, individually or in the aggregate, in excess of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) to a bailee at a location other than to a bailee and at a location already disclosed in the Perfection Certificate, (ii) change its jurisdiction of organization, (iii) change its organizational structure or type, (iv) change its legal name, or (v) change any organizational number (if any) assigned by its jurisdiction of organization.  If Borrower intends to add any new offices or business locations, including warehouses, containing in excess of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) of Borrower’s assets or property, then Borrower will cause the landlord of any such new offices or business locations, including warehouses, to execute and deliver a landlord consent in form and substance satisfactory to Bank.  If Borrower intends to deliver any portion of the Collateral valued, individually or in the aggregate, in excess of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) to a bailee, and Bank and such bailee are not already parties to a bailee

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agreement governing both the Collateral and the location to which Borrower intends to deliver the Collateral, then Borrower will cause such bailee to execute and deliver a bailee agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Bank.
6.3Mergers or Acquisitions.  Merge or consolidate, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to merge or consolidate, with any other Person, or acquire, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to acquire, all or substantially all of the stock, partnership, membership, or other ownership interest or other equity securities or property of another Person (including, without limitation, by the formation of any Subsidiary or pursuant to a Division).  A Subsidiary may merge or consolidate into another Subsidiary or into Borrower.
6.4Indebtedness.  Create, incur, assume, or be liable for any Indebtedness, or permit any Subsidiary to do so, other than Permitted Indebtedness.
6.5Encumbrance.  Create, incur, allow, or suffer to exist any Lien on any of its property, or assign or convey any right to receive income, including the sale of any Accounts, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to do so, except for Permitted Liens, permit any Collateral not to be subject to the first priority security interest granted herein, or enter into any agreement, document, instrument or other arrangement (except with or in favor of Bank) with any Person which directly or indirectly prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting Borrower or any Subsidiary from assigning, mortgaging, pledging, granting a security interest in or upon, or encumbering any of Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s Intellectual Property, except as is otherwise permitted in Section 6.1 hereof and the definition of “Permitted Liens” herein.
6.6Maintenance of Collateral Accounts.  Maintain any Collateral Account except pursuant to the terms of Section 5.9(c).
6.7Distributions; Investments.  (a) Pay any dividends or make any distribution or payment or redeem, retire or purchase any stock, partnership, membership, or other ownership interest or other equity securities; or (b) directly or indirectly make any Investment (including, without limitation, by the formation of any Subsidiary) other than Permitted Investments, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to do so.
6.8Transactions with Affiliates.  Directly or indirectly enter into or permit to exist any material transaction with any Affiliate of Borrower, except for transactions that are in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business, upon fair and reasonable terms that are no less favorable to Borrower than would be obtained in an arm’s length transaction with a non-affiliated Person.
6.9Subordinated Debt.  Except as expressly permitted under the terms of the subordination, intercreditor, or other similar agreement to which any Subordinated Debt is subject: (a) make or permit any payment on such Subordinated Debt; or (b) amend any provision in any document relating to such Subordinated Debt which would increase the amount thereof, provide for earlier or greater principal, interest, or other payments thereon, or adversely affect the subordination thereof to Obligations owed to Bank.
6.10Compliance.  (a) Become an “investment company” or a company controlled by an “investment company”, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or undertake as one of its important activities extending credit to purchase or carry margin stock (as defined in Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System), or use the proceeds of any Credit Extension for that purpose; (b)(i) fail to meet the minimum funding requirements of ERISA, (ii) permit a Reportable Event or Prohibited Transaction, as defined in ERISA, to occur, (iii) fail to comply with the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act or (iv) violate any other law or regulation, if the foregoing subclauses (i) through (iv), individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s business or operations, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to do so; or (c) withdraw or permit any Subsidiary to withdraw from participation in, permit partial or complete termination of, or permit the occurrence of any other event with respect to, any present pension, profit sharing and deferred compensation plan which could reasonably be expected to result in any liability of Borrower, including any liability to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or its successors or any other Governmental Authority.
7.EVENTS OF DEFAULT

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Any one of the following shall constitute an event of default (an “Event of Default”) under this Agreement:

7.1Payment Default.  Borrower fails to (a) make any payment of principal or interest on any Credit Extension on its due date, or (b) pay any other Obligations within three (3) Business Days after such Obligations are due and payable (which three (3) Business Day cure period shall not apply to payments due on the Revolving Line Maturity Date).  During the cure period, the failure to make or pay any payment specified under clause (b) hereunder is not an Event of Default (but no Credit Extension will be made during the cure period);
7.2Covenant Default.
(a)Borrower fails or neglects to perform any obligation in Section 5 (other than Sections 5.2 (Government Compliance), 5.12 (Litigation Cooperation), 5.17 (Inventory; Returns) and 5.18 (Further Assurances)) or violates any covenant in Section 6; or
(b)Borrower fails or neglects to perform, keep, or observe any other term, provision, condition, covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement or any Loan Documents, and as to any default (other than those specified in this Section 7) under such other term, provision, condition, covenant or agreement that can be cured, has failed to cure the default within ten (10) days after the occurrence thereof; provided, however, that if the default cannot by its nature be cured within the ten (10) day period or cannot after diligent attempts by Borrower be cured within such ten (10) day period, and such default is likely to be cured within a reasonable time, then Borrower shall have an additional period (which shall not in any case exceed thirty (30) days) to attempt to cure such default, and within such reasonable time period the failure to cure the default shall not be deemed an Event of Default (but no Credit Extensions shall be made during such cure period).  Cure periods provided under this section shall not apply, among other things, to financial covenants or any other covenants that are required to be satisfied, completed or tested by a date certain or any covenants set forth in clause (a) above;
7.3Material Adverse Change.  A Material Adverse Change occurs;
7.4Attachment; Levy; Restraint on Business.  
(a)(i) The service of process seeking to attach, by trustee or similar process, any funds of Borrower or any Subsidiary, or (ii) a notice of lien or levy is filed against any of Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ assets by any Governmental Authority, and the same under subclauses (i) and (ii) hereof are not, within ten (10) days after the occurrence thereof, discharged or stayed (whether through the posting of a bond or otherwise); provided, however, no Credit Extensions shall be made during any ten (10) day cure period; or
(b)(i) any material portion of Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ assets is attached, seized, levied on, or comes into possession of a trustee or receiver, or (ii) any court order enjoins, restrains, or prevents Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from conducting all or any material part of its business;
7.5Insolvency.  (a) Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is unable to pay its debts (including trade debts) as they become due or otherwise becomes insolvent; (b) Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries begins an Insolvency Proceeding; or (c) an Insolvency Proceeding is begun against Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and is not dismissed or stayed within thirty (30) days (but no Credit Extensions shall be made while any of the conditions described in clause (a) exist or until any Insolvency Proceeding is dismissed);
7.6Other Agreements.  There is, under any agreement to which Borrower, any of Borrower’s Subsidiaries, or any Guarantor is a party with a third party or parties, (a) any default resulting in a right by such third party or parties, whether or not exercised, to accelerate the maturity of any Indebtedness in an amount individually or in the aggregate in excess of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000); or (b) any breach or default by Borrower, any of Borrower’s Subsidiaries, or Guarantor, the result of which could have a material adverse effect on Borrower’s, any of Borrower’s Subsidiaries’, or any Guarantor’s business or operations;
7.7Judgments; Penalties.  One or more fines, penalties or final judgments, orders or decrees for the payment of money in an amount, individually or in the aggregate, or litigation or other dispute resolution settlement

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payments by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, of at least Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) (not covered by independent third-party insurance as to which liability has been accepted by such insurance carrier) shall be rendered against Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries by any Governmental Authority, and the same are not, within ten (10) days after the acceptance, entry, assessment or issuance thereof, discharged, or after execution thereof, or stayed pending appeal, or such judgments are not discharged prior to the expiration of any such stay (provided that no Credit Extensions will be made prior to the discharge, or stay of such fine, penalty, judgment, order or decree);
7.8Misrepresentations.  Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any Person acting for Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries makes any representation, warranty, or other statement now or later in this Agreement, any Loan Document or in any writing delivered to Bank or to induce Bank to enter this Agreement or any Loan Document, and such representation, warranty, or other statement is incorrect in any material respect when made (it being agreed and acknowledged by Bank that the projections and forecasts provided by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in good faith and based upon reasonable assumptions are not viewed as facts and that actual results during the period or periods covered by such projections and forecasts may differ from the projected or forecasted results);
7.9Subordinated Debt.  If: (a) any document, instrument, or agreement evidencing any Subordinated Debt shall for any reason be revoked or invalidated or otherwise cease to be in full force and effect, or any Person (other than Bank) shall be in breach thereof or contest in any manner the validity or enforceability thereof or deny that it has any further liability or obligation thereunder; (b) a default or event of default (however defined) has occurred under any document, instrument, or agreement evidencing any Subordinated Debt, which default shall not have been cured or waived within any applicable grace period; or (c) the Obligations shall for any reason be subordinated or shall not have the priority contemplated by this Agreement or any applicable subordination or intercreditor agreement;
7.10Lien Priority.  There is a material impairment in the perfection or priority of Bank’s security interest in the Collateral;
7.11Guaranty.  (a) Any guaranty of any Obligations terminates or ceases for any reason to be in full force and effect; (b) any Guarantor does not perform any obligation or covenant under any guaranty of the Obligations; (c) any circumstance described in Sections 7.2(a), 7.2(a), 7.5, 7.6, 7.7, or 7.8 of this Agreement occurs with respect to any Guarantor, (d) the death, liquidation, winding up, or termination of existence of any Guarantor; or (e)(i) a material impairment in the perfection or priority of Bank’s Lien in the collateral provided by Guarantor or in the value of such collateral or (ii) a material adverse change in the general affairs, management, results of operation, condition (financial or otherwise) or the prospect of repayment of the Obligations occurs with respect to any Guarantor; or
7.12Governmental Approvals.  Any Governmental Approval shall have been (a) revoked, rescinded, suspended, modified in an adverse manner or not renewed in the ordinary course for a full term or (b) subject to any decision by a Governmental Authority that designates a hearing with respect to any applications for renewal of any of such Governmental Approval or that could result in the Governmental Authority taking any of the actions described in clause (a) above, and such decision or such revocation, rescission, suspension, modification or non-renewal (i) causes, or could reasonably be expected to cause, a Material Adverse Change, or (ii) adversely affects the legal qualifications of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to hold such Governmental Approval in any applicable jurisdiction and such revocation, rescission, suspension, modification or non-renewal could reasonably be expected to affect the status of or legal qualifications of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to hold any Governmental Approval in any other jurisdiction.
8.BANK’S RIGHTS AND REMEDIES
8.1Rights and Remedies.  Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, Bank may, without notice or demand, do any or all of the following:
(a)declare all Obligations immediately due and payable (but if an Event of Default described in Section 7.5 occurs all Obligations are immediately due and payable without any action by Bank);
(b)stop advancing money or extending credit for Borrower’s benefit under this Agreement or under any other agreement between Borrower and Bank;

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(c)demand that Borrower (i) deposit cash with Bank in an amount equal to at least (A) one hundred five percent (105%) of the aggregate face amount of any Letters of Credit denominated in Dollars remaining undrawn, and (B) one hundred fifteen percent (115%) of the Dollar Equivalent of the aggregate face amount of any Letters of Credit denominated in a Foreign Currency remaining undrawn (plus, in each case, all interest, fees, and costs due or estimated by Bank to become due in connection therewith), to secure all of the Obligations relating to such Letters of Credit, as collateral security for the repayment of any future drawings under such Letters of Credit, and Borrower shall forthwith deposit and pay such amounts, and (ii) pay in advance all letter of credit fees scheduled to be paid or payable over the remaining term of any Letters of Credit;
(d)terminate any FX Contracts (it being understood and agreed that (i) Bank is not obligated to deliver the currency which Borrower has contracted to receive under any FX Contract, and Bank may cover its exposure for any FX Contracts by purchasing or selling currency in the interbank market as Bank deems appropriate; (ii) Borrower shall be liable for all losses, damages, costs, margin obligations and expenses incurred by Bank arising from Borrower’s failure to satisfy its obligations under any FX Contract or the execution of any FX Contract; and (iii) Bank shall not be liable to Borrower for any gain in value of a FX Contract that Bank may obtain in covering Borrower’s breach);
(e)verify the amount of, demand payment of and performance under, and collect any Accounts and General Intangibles, settle or adjust disputes and claims directly with Account Debtors for amounts on terms and in any order that Bank considers advisable, and notify any Person owing Borrower money of Bank’s security interest in such funds.  Borrower shall collect all payments in trust for Bank and, if requested by Bank, immediately deliver the payments to Bank in the form received from the Account Debtor, with proper endorsements for deposit;
(f)make any payments and do any acts it considers necessary or reasonable to protect the Collateral and/or its security interest in the Collateral.  Borrower shall assemble the Collateral if Bank requests and make it available as Bank designates.  Bank may enter premises where the Collateral is located, take and maintain possession of any part of the Collateral, and pay, purchase, contest, or compromise any Lien which appears to be prior or superior to its security interest and pay all expenses incurred. Borrower grants Bank a license to enter and occupy any of its premises, without charge, to exercise any of Bank’s rights or remedies;
(g)apply to the Obligations any (i) balances and deposits of Borrower it holds, or (ii) amount held by Bank owing to or for the credit or the account of Borrower;
(h)ship, reclaim, recover, store, finish, maintain, repair, prepare for sale, advertise for sale, and sell the Collateral.  For use solely upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default, Bank is hereby granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free license or other right to use, without charge, Borrower’s labels, Patents, Copyrights, mask works, rights of use of any name, trade secrets, trade names, Trademarks, and advertising matter, or any similar property as it pertains to the Collateral, in completing production of, advertising for sale, and selling any Collateral and, in connection with Bank’s exercise of its rights under this Section 8.1, Borrower’s rights under all licenses and all franchise agreements inure to Bank’s benefit;
(i)place a “hold” on any account maintained with Bank and/or deliver a notice of exclusive control, any entitlement order, or other directions or instructions pursuant to any Control Agreement or similar agreements providing control of any Collateral;
(j)demand and receive possession of Borrower’s Books; and
(k)exercise all rights and remedies available to Bank under the Loan Documents or at law or equity, including all remedies provided under the Code or any Applicable Law (including disposal of the Collateral pursuant to the terms thereof).
8.2Power of Attorney.  Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints Bank as its true and lawful attorney-in-fact, (a) exercisable upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, to: (i) endorse Borrower’s name on any checks, payment instruments, or other forms of payment or security; (ii) sign Borrower’s name on any invoice or bill of lading for any Account or drafts against Account Debtors; (iii) demand, collect, sue, and give releases

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to any Account Debtor for monies due, settle and adjust disputes and claims about the Accounts directly with Account Debtors, and compromise, prosecute, or defend any action, claim, case, or proceeding about any Collateral (including filing a claim or voting a claim in any bankruptcy case in Bank’s or Borrower’s name, as Bank chooses); (iv) make, settle, and adjust all claims under Borrower’s insurance policies; (v) pay, contest or settle any Lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, or other claim in or to the Collateral, or any judgment based thereon, or otherwise take any action to terminate or discharge the same; and (vi) transfer the Collateral into the name of Bank or a third party as the Code permits; and (b) regardless of whether an Event of Default has occurred, to sign Borrower’s name on any documents necessary to perfect or continue the perfection of Bank’s security interest in the Collateral.  Bank’s foregoing appointment as Borrower’s attorney in fact, and all of Bank’s rights and powers, coupled with an interest, are irrevocable until such time as all Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations) have been satisfied in full, Bank is under no further obligation to make Credit Extensions and the Loan Documents have been terminated. Bank shall not incur any liability in connection with or arising from the exercise of such power of attorney and shall have no obligation to exercise any of the foregoing rights and remedies.
8.3Protective Payments.  If Borrower fails to obtain the insurance called for by Section 5.8 or fails to pay any premium thereon or fails to pay any other amount which Borrower is obligated to pay under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or which may be required to preserve the Collateral, Bank may obtain such insurance or make such payment, and all amounts so paid by Bank are Bank Expenses and immediately due and payable, bearing interest at the then highest rate applicable to the Obligations, and secured by the Collateral.  Bank will make reasonable efforts to provide Borrower with notice of Bank obtaining such insurance at the time it is obtained or within a reasonable time thereafter.  No payments by Bank are deemed an agreement to make similar payments in the future or Bank’s waiver of any Event of Default.
8.4Application of Payments and Proceeds.  Bank may apply any funds in its possession, whether from Borrower account balances, payments, proceeds realized as the result of any collection of Accounts or other disposition of the Collateral, or otherwise, to the Obligations in such order as Bank shall determine in its sole discretion.  Any surplus shall be paid to Borrower or other Persons legally entitled thereto; Borrower shall remain liable to Bank for any deficiency.  If Bank, in its commercially reasonable discretion, directly or indirectly, enters into a deferred payment or other credit transaction with any purchaser at any sale of Collateral, Bank shall have the option, exercisable at any time, of either reducing the Obligations by the principal amount of the purchase price or deferring the reduction of the Obligations until the actual receipt by Bank of cash therefor.
8.5Bank’s Liability for Collateral.  Bank’s sole duty with respect to the custody, safekeeping and physical preservation of the Collateral in its possession or under its control, under Section 9-207 of the Code or otherwise, shall be to deal with it in the same manner as Bank deals with its own property consisting of similar instruments or interests.  Borrower bears all risk of loss, damage or destruction of the Collateral.
8.6No Waiver; Remedies Cumulative.  Bank’s failure, at any time or times, to require strict performance by Borrower of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall not waive, affect, or diminish any right of Bank thereafter to demand strict performance and compliance herewith or therewith.  No waiver hereunder shall be effective unless signed by the party granting the waiver and then is only effective for the specific instance and purpose for which it is given.  Bank’s rights and remedies under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents are cumulative.  Bank has all rights and remedies provided under the Code, by law, or in equity.  Bank’s exercise of one right or remedy is not an election and shall not preclude Bank from exercising any other remedy under this Agreement or other remedy available at law or in equity, and Bank’s waiver of any Event of Default is not a continuing waiver.  Bank’s delay in exercising any remedy is not a waiver, election, or acquiescence.  
8.7Demand Waiver.  Borrower waives demand, notice of default or dishonor, notice of payment and nonpayment, notice of any default, nonpayment at maturity, release, compromise, settlement, extension, or renewal of accounts, documents, instruments, chattel paper, and guarantees held by Bank on which Borrower is liable.
9.NOTICES

All notices, consents, requests, approvals, demands, or other communication by any party to this Agreement or any other Loan Document must be in writing and shall be deemed to have been validly served, given, or delivered: (a) upon the earlier of actual receipt and three (3) Business Days after deposit in the U.S. mail, first class, registered

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or certified mail return receipt requested, with proper postage prepaid; (b) upon transmission, when sent by electronic mail; (c) one (1) Business Day after deposit with a reputable overnight courier with all charges prepaid; or (d) when delivered, if hand-delivered by messenger, all of which shall be addressed to the party to be notified and sent to the address or email address indicated below; provided that, for clause (b), if such notice, consent, request, approval, demand or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, it shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day of the recipient.  Bank or Borrower may change its mailing or electronic mail address by giving the other party written notice thereof in accordance with the terms of this Section 9.

If to Borrower:NETLIST, INC.

111 Academy Way, Suite 100

Irvine, CA 92617

Attn: Gail Sasaki, EVP and CFO

Email: gsasaki@netlist.com

If to Bank:

SILICON VALLEY BANK, a division of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company

4370 La Jolla Village Drive, Suite 450,

San Diego, CA 92122

Attn: Andrew Skalitzky, Director

Email: ASkalitzky@svb.com

with a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

DLA Piper (US)

4365 Executive Drive, Suite 1100

San Diego, CA 92121

Attn: Laurie Hutchins, Partner

Email: Laurie.Hutchins@us.dlapiper.com

10.CHOICE OF LAW, VENUE and JURY TRIAL WAIVER; JUDICIAL REFERENCE

Except as otherwise expressly provided in any of the Loan Documents, California law governs the Loan Documents without regard to principles of conflicts of law that would require the application of the laws of another jurisdiction.  Borrower and Bank each irrevocably and unconditionally submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the State and Federal courts in Santa Clara County, California; provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to operate to preclude Bank from bringing suit or taking other legal action in any other jurisdiction with respect to the Loan Documents or to realize on the Collateral or any other security for the Obligations, or to enforce a judgment or other court order in favor of Bank.  Borrower expressly, irrevocably and unconditionally submits and consents in advance to such jurisdiction in any action or suit commenced in any such court, and Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, any objection that it may have based upon lack of personal jurisdiction, improper venue, or forum non conveniens and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally consents to the granting of such legal or equitable relief as is deemed appropriate by such court.  Borrower hereby waives personal service of the summons, complaints, and other process issued in such action or suit and agrees that service of such summons, complaints, and other process may be made by registered or certified mail addressed to Borrower at the address set forth in, or subsequently provided by Borrower in accordance with, Section 9 of this Agreement and that service so made shall be deemed completed upon the earlier to occur of Borrower’s actual receipt thereof or three (3) days after deposit in the U.S. mails, proper postage prepaid.

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, BORROWER AND BANK EACH WAIVES ITS RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL OF ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR BASED UPON THIS AGREEMENT, THE LOAN DOCUMENTS OR ANY CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTION, INCLUDING CONTRACT, TORT, BREACH OF DUTY AND ALL OTHER CLAIMS.

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THIS WAIVER IS A MATERIAL INDUCEMENT FOR THE PARTIES HERETO TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT.  EACH PARTY HERETO HAS REVIEWED THIS WAIVER WITH ITS COUNSEL.

WITHOUT INTENDING IN ANY WAY TO LIMIT THE PARTIES’ AGREEMENT TO WAIVE THEIR RESPECTIVE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY, if the above waiver of the right to a trial by jury is not enforceable, the parties hereto agree that any and all disputes or controversies of any nature between them arising at any time shall be decided by a reference to a private judge, mutually selected by the parties (or, if they cannot agree, by the Presiding Judge of the Santa Clara County, California Superior Court) appointed in accordance with California Code of Civil Procedure Section 638 (or pursuant to comparable provisions of federal law if the dispute falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal courts), sitting without a jury, in Santa Clara County, California; and the parties hereby submit to the jurisdiction of such court.  The reference proceedings shall be conducted pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of California Code of Civil Procedure Sections 638 through 645.1, inclusive.  The private judge shall have the power, among others, to grant provisional relief, including without limitation, entering temporary restraining orders, issuing preliminary and permanent injunctions and appointing receivers.  All such proceedings shall be closed to the public and confidential and all records relating thereto shall be permanently sealed.  If during the course of any dispute, a party desires to seek provisional relief, but a judge has not been appointed at that point pursuant to the judicial reference procedures, then such party may apply to the Santa Clara County, California Superior Court for such relief.  The proceeding before the private judge shall be conducted in the same manner as it would be before a court under the rules of evidence applicable to judicial proceedings.  The parties shall be entitled to discovery which shall be conducted in the same manner as it would be before a court under the rules of discovery applicable to judicial proceedings.  The private judge shall oversee discovery and may enforce all discovery rules and orders applicable to judicial proceedings in the same manner as a trial court judge.  The parties agree that the selected or appointed private judge shall have the power to decide all issues in the action or proceeding, whether of fact or of law, and shall report a statement of decision thereon pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure Section 644(a).  Nothing in this paragraph shall limit the right of any party at any time to exercise self-help remedies, foreclose against collateral, or obtain provisional remedies.  The private judge shall also determine all issues relating to the applicability, interpretation, and enforceability of this paragraph.

This Section 10 shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the repayment of all Obligations.

11.GENERAL PROVISIONS
11.1Termination Prior to Maturity Date; Survival. All covenants, representations and warranties made in this Agreement shall continue in full force until this Agreement has terminated pursuant to its terms and all Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations) have been satisfied.  So long as Borrower has satisfied the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations, and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement and the repayment of all Obligations, and any Obligations under Bank Services Agreements that are cash collateralized in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Agreement), this Agreement may be terminated prior to the Revolving Line Maturity Date by Borrower, effective three (3) Business Days after written notice of termination is given to Bank.  Those obligations that are expressly specified in this Agreement as surviving this Agreement’s termination and the repayment of all Obligations shall continue to survive notwithstanding this Agreement’s termination and the repayment of all Obligations.
11.2Successors and Assigns.  This Agreement binds and is for the benefit of the successors and permitted assigns of each party.  Borrower may not assign or transfer this Agreement or any rights or obligations under it without Bank’s prior written consent (which may be granted or withheld in Bank’s sole discretion) and any other attempted assignment or transfer by Borrower shall be null and void.  Bank has the right, without the consent of or notice to Borrower, to sell, transfer, assign, negotiate, or grant participation in all or any part of, or any interest in, Bank’s obligations, rights, and benefits under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
11.3Indemnification; Damage Waiver, etc.
(a)General Indemnification.  Borrower shall indemnify, defend and hold Bank and its Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees, administrators, managers, advisors and representatives of Bank and its Affiliates (each, an “Indemnified Person”) harmless against: all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses (including Bank Expenses and the reasonable fees, charges and

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disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnified Person)  (collectively, “Claims”) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, (ii) any Credit Extension or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom, (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of hazardous materials on or from any property owned or operated by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any environmental liability related in any way to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by Borrower, Borrower’s equity holders, affiliates, creditors or any other person, and regardless of whether any Indemnified Person is a party thereto; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnified Person, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Person.  All amounts due under this Section 11.3 shall be payable promptly after demand therefor.
(b)Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc.  To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against Bank and its Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, trustees, administrators, managers, advisors and representatives of Bank and its Affiliates (each, a “Protected Person”), on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) or any loss of profits arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Credit Extension, or the use of the proceeds thereof.  No Protected Person shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed by it through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

This Section 11.3 shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the repayment of all Obligations until all statutes of limitation with respect to the Claims, losses, and expenses for which indemnity is given shall have run.

11.4Time of Essence.  Time is of the essence for the performance of all Obligations in this Agreement.
11.5Severability of Provisions.  Each provision of this Agreement is severable from every other provision in determining the enforceability of any provision.
11.6Amendments in Writing; Waiver; Integration.  No purported amendment or modification of any Loan Document, or waiver, discharge or termination of any obligation under any Loan Document, shall be effective unless, and only to the extent, expressly set forth in a writing signed by each party hereto.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no oral promise or statement, nor any action, inaction, delay, failure to require performance or course of conduct shall operate as, or evidence, an amendment, supplement or waiver or have any other effect on any Loan Document.  Any waiver granted shall be limited to the specific circumstance expressly described in it, and shall not apply to any subsequent or other circumstance, whether similar or dissimilar, or give rise to, or evidence, any obligation or commitment to grant any further waiver.  The Loan Documents represent the entire agreement about this subject matter and supersede prior negotiations or agreements.  All prior agreements, understandings, representations, warranties, and negotiations between the parties about the subject matter of the Loan Documents merge into the Loan Documents.
11.7Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties on separate counterparts, each of which, when executed and delivered, is an original, and all taken together, constitute one Agreement.  Delivery of an executed signature page of this Agreement by electronic mail transmission shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart hereof.
11.8Confidentiality.  Bank agrees to maintain the confidentiality of Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to Bank’s Subsidiaries and Affiliates and their respective employees, directors, agents, attorneys, accountants and other professional advisors (collectively, “Representatives” and, together with Bank, collectively, “Bank Entities”); (b) to prospective transferees, assignees, credit providers or purchasers of Bank’s interests under or in connection with this Agreement and their Representatives (provided,

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however, Bank shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain any such prospective transferee’s, assignee’s, credit provider’s, purchaser’s or their Representatives’ agreement to the terms of this provision); (c) as required by law, regulation, subpoena, or other order; (d) to Bank’s regulators or as otherwise required or requested in connection with Bank’s examination or audit; (e) in connection with the exercise of remedies under the Loan Documents or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder; and (f) to third-party service providers of Bank so long as such service providers have executed a confidentiality agreement with Bank with terms no less restrictive than those contained herein.  “Information” means all information received from Borrower regarding Borrower or its business, in each case other than information that is either: (i) in the public domain or in Bank’s possession when disclosed to Bank, or becomes part of the public domain (other than as a result of its disclosure by Bank in violation of this Agreement) after disclosure to Bank; or (ii) disclosed to Bank by a third party, if Bank does not know that the third party is prohibited from disclosing the information.
11.9Electronic Execution of Documents.  The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature” and words of like import in any Loan Document shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, including any Electronic Signature as defined in the Electronic Transactions Law (2003 Revision) of the Cayman Islands (the “Cayman Islands Electronic Signature Law”), if applicable, or the keeping of records in electronic form, including any Electronic Record, as defined in Cayman Islands Electronic Signature Law, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping systems, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any Applicable Law, including, without limitation, any state law based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or the Cayman Islands Electronic Signature Law; provided, however that sections 8 and 19(3) of the Cayman Islands Electronic Signature Law shall not apply to this Agreement or the execution or delivery thereof.
11.10Right of Setoff.   Borrower hereby grants to Bank a Lien and a right of setoff as security for all Obligations to Bank, whether now existing or hereafter arising upon and against all deposits, credits, collateral and property, now or hereafter in the possession, custody, safekeeping or control of Bank or any entity under the control of Bank (including a subsidiary of Bank) or in transit to any of them, and other obligations owing to Bank or any such entity.  At any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, without demand or notice, Bank may setoff the same or any part thereof and apply the same to any liability or Obligation of Borrower even though unmatured and regardless of the adequacy of any other collateral securing the Obligations.  ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO REQUIRE BANK TO EXERCISE ITS RIGHTS OR REMEDIES WITH RESPECT TO ANY OTHER COLLATERAL WHICH SECURES THE OBLIGATIONS, PRIOR TO EXERCISING ITS RIGHT OF SETOFF WITH RESPECT TO SUCH DEPOSITS, CREDITS OR OTHER PROPERTY OF BORROWER, ARE HEREBY KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVED.
11.11Captions and Section References.  The headings used in this Agreement are for convenience only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement.  Unless indicated otherwise, section references herein are to sections of this Agreement.
11.12Construction of Agreement.  The parties hereto mutually acknowledge that they and their attorneys have participated in the preparation and negotiation of this Agreement.  In cases of uncertainty this Agreement shall be construed without regard to which of the parties caused the uncertainty to exist.
11.13Relationship.  The relationship of the parties to this Agreement is determined solely by the provisions of this Agreement.  The parties do not intend to create any agency, partnership, joint venture, trust, fiduciary or other relationship with duties or incidents different from those of parties to an arm’s-length contract.
11.14Third Parties.  Nothing in this Agreement, whether express or implied, is intended to: (a) confer any benefits, rights or remedies under or by reason of this Agreement on any Persons other than the express parties to it and their respective permitted successors and assigns; (b) relieve or discharge the obligation or liability of any Person not an express party to this Agreement; or (c) give any Person not an express party to this Agreement any right of subrogation or action against any party to this Agreement.
11.15Anti-Terrorism Law.  Bank hereby notifies Borrower that, pursuant to the requirements of Anti-Terrorism Law, Bank may be required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies Borrower, which

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information may include the name and address of Borrower and other information that will allow Bank to identify Borrower in accordance with Anti-Terrorism Law. Borrower hereby agrees to take any action necessary to enable Bank to comply with the requirements of Anti-Terrorism Law.
12.accounting terms and other DEFINITIONS
12.1Accounting and Other Terms.  
(a)Accounting terms not defined in this Agreement shall be construed following GAAP.  Calculations and determinations must be made following GAAP (except for with respect to unaudited financial statements for the absence of footnotes and subject to year-end audit adjustments), provided that if at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document, and either Borrower or Bank shall so request, Borrower and Bank shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP; provided, further, that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (ii) Borrower shall provide Bank financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, all financial covenant and other financial calculations shall be computed with respect to Borrower only, and not on a consolidated basis.  Notwithstanding any terms in this Agreement to the contrary, for purposes of any financial covenant and other financial calculations in this Agreement (other than for purposes of updating the Borrowing Base) which are made in whole or in part based upon the Availability Amount as of the last day of a particular month, calculations relying on information from a Borrowing Base Statement shall be derived from the Borrowing Base Statement delivered within seven (7) days of month end when the outstanding balance of the Revolving Line is greater than Zero Dollars ($0.00), within twenty (20) days after the end of each month when the outstanding balance of the Revolving Line is Zero Dollars ($0.00), and with each request for an Advance, pursuant to Section 5.3(a) (and not, for clarity, any more recent Borrowing Base Statement delivered after such period), and the actual delivery date of such Borrowing Base Statement shall be deemed to be the last day of the applicable month.
(b)As used in the Loan Documents: (i) the words “shall” or “will” are mandatory, the word “may” is permissive, the word “or” is not exclusive, the words “includes” and “including” are not limiting, the singular includes the plural, and numbers denoting amounts that are set off in brackets are negative; (ii) the term “continuing” in the context of an Event of Default means that the Event of Default has not been remedied (if capable of being remedied) or waived; and (iii) whenever a representation or warranty is made to Borrower’s knowledge or awareness, to the “best of” Borrower’s knowledge, or with a similar qualification, knowledge or awareness means the actual knowledge, after reasonable investigation, of any Responsible Officer.
12.2Definitions.  Capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in this Section 12.2.  All other terms contained in this Agreement, unless otherwise indicated, shall have the meaning provided by the Code to the extent such terms are defined therein.  As used in this Agreement, the following capitalized terms have the following meanings:

Account” is, as to any Person, any “account” of such Person as “account” is defined in the Code with such additions to such term as may hereafter be made, and includes, without limitation, all accounts receivable and other sums owing to such Person.

Account Debtor” is any “account debtor” as defined in the Code with such additions to such term as may hereafter be made.

Administrator” is an individual that is named:

(a) as an “Administrator” in the “SVB Online Services” form completed by Borrower with the authority to determine who will be authorized to use SVB Online Services (as defined in Bank’s Online Banking Agreement as in effect from time to time) on behalf of Borrower; and

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(b) as an Authorized Signer of Borrower in an approval by the Board.

Advance” or “Advances” means a revolving credit loan (or revolving credit loans) under the Revolving Line.

Affiliate” is, with respect to any Person, each other Person that owns or controls directly or indirectly the Person, any Person that controls or is controlled by or is under common control with the Person, and each of that Person’s senior executive officers, directors, partners and, for any Person that is a limited liability company, that Person’s managers and members.  

Agreement” is defined in the preamble hereof.

Anti-Terrorism Law” means any law relating to terrorism or money-laundering, including Executive Order No. 13224 and the USA Patriot Act.

Applicable Law” means all applicable provisions of constitutions, laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, treaties, regulations, permits, licenses, approvals, interpretations and orders of courts or Governmental Authorities and all orders and decrees of all courts and arbitrators.

Authorized Signer” means any individual listed in Borrower’s Borrowing Resolution who is authorized to execute the Loan Documents, including making (and executing if applicable) any Credit Extension request, on behalf of Borrower.

Availability Amount” is (a) the lesser of (i) the Revolving Line or (ii) the amount available under the Borrowing Base, minus (b) the outstanding principal balance of any Advances.

Bank” is defined in the preamble hereof.

Bank Entities” is defined in Section 11.8.

Bank Expenses” are all audit fees, costs and reasonable expenses (including reasonable, out-of-pocket and documented attorneys’ fees and expenses) for preparing, amending, negotiating, administering, defending and enforcing the Loan Documents (including, without limitation, those incurred in connection with appeals or Insolvency Proceedings) or otherwise incurred with respect to Borrower or any Guarantor.

Bank Services”  are any products, credit services, and/or financial accommodations previously, now, or hereafter provided to Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries by Bank or any Bank Affiliate, including, without limitation, any letters of credit, cash management services (including, without limitation, merchant services, direct deposit of payroll, business credit cards, and check cashing services), interest rate swap arrangements, and foreign exchange services as any such products or services may be identified in Bank’s various agreements related thereto (each, a “Bank Services Agreement”).

Bank Services Agreement” is defined in the definition of Bank Services.

Board” is Borrower’s board of directors or equivalent governing body.

Borrower” is set forth in the first paragraph of this Agreement.

Borrower’s Books” are all Borrower’s books and records including ledgers, federal and state tax returns, records regarding Borrower’s assets or liabilities, the Collateral, business operations or financial condition, and all computer programs or storage or any equipment containing such information.

Borrowing Base” is eighty-five percent (85%) of Eligible Accounts, as determined by Bank from Borrower’s most recent Borrowing Base Statement (and as may subsequently be updated by Bank based upon information received by Bank including, without limitation, Accounts that are paid and/or billed following the date of

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the Borrowing Base Statement); provided, however, that Bank has the right to decrease the foregoing percentage in its sole discretion to mitigate the impact of events, conditions, contingencies, or risks which may adversely affect the Collateral or its value.

Borrowing Base Statement” is that certain statement of the value of certain Collateral in the form specified by Bank to Borrower from time to time.

Borrowing Resolutions” are, with respect to any Person, those resolutions adopted by such Person’s board of directors (and, if required under the terms of such Person’s Operating Documents, stockholders) and delivered by such Person to Bank approving the Loan Documents to which such Person is a party and the transactions contemplated thereby, together with a certificate executed by its secretary on behalf of such Person certifying (a) such Person has the authority to execute, deliver, and perform its obligations under each of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, (b) that set forth as a part of or attached as an exhibit to such certificate is a true, correct, and complete copy of the resolutions then in full force and effect authorizing and ratifying the execution, delivery, and performance by such Person of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, (c) the name(s) of the Person(s) authorized to execute the Loan Documents, including making (and executing if applicable) any Credit Extension request, on behalf of such Person, together with a sample of the true signature(s) of such Person(s), and (d) that Bank may conclusively rely on such certificate unless and until such Person shall have delivered to Bank a further certificate canceling or amending such prior certificate.

Business Day” is a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in the State of California are authorized or required by law to close, except that if any determination of a “Business Day” shall relate to an FX Contract, the term “Business Day” shall be a FX Business Day.

Cash Collateral Account” is defined in Section 5.4(c).

Cash Equivalents” are (a) marketable direct obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United States or any agency or any State thereof having maturities of not more than one (1) year from the date of acquisition; (b) commercial paper maturing no more than one (1) year after its creation and having the highest rating from either Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group or Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.; (c) Bank’s certificates of deposit issued maturing no more than one (1) year after issue; and (d) money market funds at least ninety-five percent (95%) of the assets of which constitute Cash Equivalents of the kinds described in clauses (a) through (c) of this definition.

Cayman Islands Electronic Signature Law” is defined in Section 11.9.

Change in Control” means (a) at any time, any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act), shall become, or obtain rights (whether by means of warrants, options or otherwise) to become, the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13(d)-3 and 13(d)-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the ordinary voting power for the election of directors, partners, managers and members, as applicable, of Borrower (determined on a fully diluted basis) other than by the sale of Borrower’s equity securities in a public offering or to venture capital or private equity investors so long as Borrower identifies to Bank the venture capital or private equity investors at least seven (7) Business Days prior to the closing of the transaction and provides to Bank a description of the material terms of the transaction; (b) during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months, a majority of the members of the Board of Borrower cease to be composed of individuals (i) who were members of that board or equivalent governing body on the first (1st) day of such period, (ii) whose election or nomination to that board or equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clause (i) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body or (iii) whose election or nomination to that board or other equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body; or (c) at any time, Borrower shall cease to own and control, of record and beneficially, directly or indirectly, one hundred percent (100%) of each class of outstanding stock, partnership, membership, or other ownership interest or other equity securities of each Subsidiary of Borrower free and clear of all Liens (except Permitted Liens).

Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the Effective Date, of:  (a) the adoption or taking effect of any law, rule, regulation or treaty; (b) any change in Applicable Law or in the administration, interpretation,

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implementation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority; or (c) the making or issuance of any request, rule, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority; provided that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (i) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith and (ii) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.

Claims” is defined in Section 11.3.

Code” is the Uniform Commercial Code, as the same may, from time to time, be enacted and in effect in the State of California; provided, that, to the extent that the Code is used to define any term herein or in any Loan Document and such term is defined differently in different Articles or Divisions of the Code, the definition of such term contained in Article or Division 9 shall govern; provided further, that in the event that, by reason of mandatory provisions of law, any or all of the attachment, perfection, or priority of, or remedies with respect to, Bank’s Lien on any Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code in effect in a jurisdiction other than the State of California, the term “Code” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as enacted and in effect in such other jurisdiction solely for purposes of the provisions thereof relating to such attachment, perfection, priority, or remedies and for purposes of definitions relating to such provisions.

Collateral” consists of all of Borrower’s right, title and interest in and to the following personal property:

(a)(i) all goods, Accounts (including health-care receivables), Equipment, Inventory, contract rights or rights to payment of money, leases, license agreements, franchise agreements, General Intangibles (except as provided below), commercial tort claims, documents, instruments (including any promissory notes), chattel paper (whether tangible or electronic), cash, deposit accounts, certificates of deposit, fixtures, letters of credit rights (whether or not the letter of credit is evidenced by a writing), securities, securities accounts, securities entitlements and all other investment property, supporting obligations, and financial assets, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, wherever located; and (ii) all Borrower’s Books relating to the foregoing, and any and all claims, rights and interests in any of the above and all substitutions for, additions, attachments, accessories, accessions and improvements to and replacements, products, proceeds and insurance proceeds of any or all of the foregoing.
(b)Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Collateral does not include any Intellectual Property; provided, however, the Collateral shall include all Accounts and all proceeds of Intellectual Property.  If a judicial authority (including a U.S. Bankruptcy Court) would hold that a security interest in the underlying Intellectual Property is necessary to have a security interest in such Accounts and such property that are proceeds of Intellectual Property, then the Collateral shall automatically, and effective as of the Effective Date, include the Intellectual Property to the extent necessary to permit perfection of Bank’s security interest in such Accounts and such other property of Borrower that are proceeds of the Intellectual Property.
(c)Pursuant to the terms of a certain negative pledge arrangement with Bank, Borrower has agreed not to encumber any of its Intellectual Property without Bank’s prior written consent.

Collateral Account” is any Deposit Account, Securities Account, or Commodity Account.

Commodity Account” is any “commodity account” as defined in the Code with such additions to such term as may hereafter be made.

Compliance Statement” is that certain statement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.

Concentration Limit” is defined in clause (aa) of the defined term “Eligible Accounts.”

Connection Income Taxes” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.

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Contingent Obligation” is, for any Person, any direct or indirect liability of that Person for (a) any direct or indirect guaranty by such Person of any indebtedness, lease, dividend, letter of credit, credit card or other obligation of another, (b) any other obligation endorsed, co-made, discounted or sold with recourse by that Person, or for which that Person is directly or indirectly liable; (c) any obligations for undrawn letters of credit for the account of that Person; and (d) all obligations from any interest rate, currency or commodity swap agreement, interest rate cap or collar agreement, or other agreement or arrangement designated to protect a Person against fluctuation in interest rates, currency exchange rates or commodity prices; but “Contingent Obligation” does not include endorsements in the ordinary course of business.  The amount of a Contingent Obligation is the stated or determined amount of the primary obligation for which the Contingent Obligation is made or, if not determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability for it determined by the Person in good faith; but the amount may not exceed the maximum of the obligations under any guarantee or other support arrangement.

Control Agreement” is any control agreement entered into among the depository institution at which Borrower maintains a Deposit Account or the securities intermediary or commodity intermediary at which Borrower maintains a Securities Account or a Commodity Account, Borrower, and Bank pursuant to which Bank obtains control (within the meaning of the Code) over such Deposit Account, Securities Account, or Commodity Account.

Copyrights” are any and all copyright rights, copyright applications, copyright registrations and like protections in each work of authorship and derivative work thereof, whether published or unpublished and whether or not the same also constitutes a trade secret.

Credit Extension” is any Advance, Overadvance, Letter of Credit, FX Contract, amount utilized for cash management services, or any other extension of credit by Bank for Borrower’s benefit.

Currency” is coined money and such other banknotes or other paper money as are authorized by law and circulate as a medium of exchange.

Default” means any event which with notice or passage of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default.

Default Rate” is defined in Section 1.3(c).

Deferred Revenue” is all amounts received or invoiced in advance of performance under contracts and not yet recognized as revenue.

Deposit Account” is any “deposit account” as defined in the Code with such additions to such term as may hereafter be made.

Designated Deposit Account” is the deposit account established by Borrower with Bank for purposes of receiving Credit Extensions.

Division” means, in reference to any Person which is an entity, the division of such Person into two (2) or more separate Persons, with the dividing Person either continuing or terminating its existence as part of such division, including, without limitation, as contemplated under Section 18-217 of the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act for limited liability companies formed under Delaware law, Section 17-220 of the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act for limited partnerships formed under Delaware law, or any analogous action taken pursuant to any other Applicable Law with respect to any corporation, limited liability company, partnership or other entity.

Dollar Equivalent” is, at any time, (a) with respect to any amount denominated in Dollars, such amount, and (b) with respect to any amount denominated in a Foreign Currency, the equivalent amount therefor in Dollars as determined by Bank at such time on the basis of the then-prevailing rate of exchange in San Francisco, California, for sales of the Foreign Currency for transfer to the country issuing such Foreign Currency.

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Dollars,” “dollars” or use of the sign “$” means only lawful money of the United States and not any other currency, regardless of whether that currency uses the “$” sign to denote its currency or may be readily converted into lawful money of the United States.

EBDA” shall mean the following (a) Net Income, plus (b) to the extent deducted in the calculation of Net Income, (i) depreciation expense, and (ii) amortization expense (including amortizing debt discount), plus (c) non-cash expenses related to stock-based compensation, plus (d) non-cash interest expenses arising in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business, plus (e) non-cash expenses arising in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business, minus (f) non-cash income.

Effective Date” is set forth on Schedule I hereto.

Eligible Accounts” means Accounts owing to Borrower which arise in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business that meet all Borrower’s representations and warranties in Section 4.3, and are due and owing from Account Debtors deemed creditworthy by Bank in its sole discretion.  Bank reserves the right, at any time after the Effective Date, in its sole discretion in each instance, to adjust any of the criteria set forth below and to establish new criteria.  Unless Bank otherwise agrees in writing, Eligible Accounts shall not include:

(a)Accounts (i) for which the Account Debtor is Borrower’s Affiliate, officer, employee, investor, or agent, or (ii) that are intercompany Accounts;
(b)Accounts that the Account Debtor has not paid within ninety (90) days of invoice date regardless of invoice payment period terms; provided, however, with respect to Accounts owing from Account Debtor World Wide Technology, such period of time shall be increased to one hundred twenty (120) days;
(c)Accounts with credit balances over ninety (90) days from invoice date, to the extent of such credit balances; provided, however, with respect to Accounts owing from Account Debtor World Wide Technology, such period of time shall be increased to one hundred twenty (120) days;
(d)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor if fifty percent (50%) or more of the Accounts owing from such Account Debtor have not been paid within ninety (90) days of invoice date; provided, however, with respect to Accounts owing from Account Debtor World Wide Technology, such period of time shall be increased to one hundred twenty (120) days;
(e)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor (i) which does not have its principal place of business in the United States or (ii) whose billing address (as set forth in the applicable invoice for such Account) is not in the United States, unless (A) in the case of both (i) and (ii) such Accounts are otherwise approved by Bank in writing, or (B) such Accounts are Eligible Foreign Accounts;
(f)Accounts billed from and/or payable to Borrower outside of the United States (sometimes called foreign invoiced accounts);
(g)Accounts in which Bank does not have a first priority, perfected security interest under all Applicable Law;
(h)Accounts billed and/or payable in a Currency other than Dollars;
(i)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor to the extent that Borrower is indebted or obligated in any manner to the Account Debtor (as creditor, lessor, supplier or otherwise - sometimes called “contra” accounts, accounts payable, customer deposits or credit accounts), but only to the extent of such Indebtedness or obligations;
(j)Accounts with or in respect of accruals for marketing allowances, incentive rebates, price protection, cooperative advertising and other similar marketing credits, unless otherwise approved by Bank in writing, but only to the extent of such credits;

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(k)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor which is a United States government entity or any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof unless Borrower has assigned its payment rights to Bank and the assignment has been acknowledged under the Federal Assignment of Claims Act of 1940, as amended;
(l)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor which is a government entity or any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof;
(m)Accounts with customer deposits and/or with respect to which Borrower has received an upfront payment, to the extent of such customer deposit and/or upfront payment;
(n)Accounts for demonstration or promotional equipment, or in which goods are consigned, or sold on a “sale guaranteed”, “sale or return”, “sale on approval”, or other terms if Account Debtor’s payment may be conditional;
(o)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor where goods or services have not yet been rendered to the Account Debtor (sometimes called memo billings or pre-billings);
(p)Accounts subject to contractual arrangements between Borrower and an Account Debtor where payments shall be scheduled or due according to completion or fulfillment requirements (sometimes called contracts accounts receivable, progress billings, milestone billings, or fulfillment contracts);
(q)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor the amount of which may be subject to withholding based on the Account Debtor’s satisfaction of Borrower’s complete performance (but only to the extent of the amount withheld; sometimes called retainage billings);
(r)Accounts subject to trust provisions, subrogation rights of a bonding company, or a statutory trust;
(s)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor that has been invoiced for goods that have not been shipped to the Account Debtor unless Bank, Borrower, and the Account Debtor have entered into an agreement acceptable to Bank wherein the Account Debtor acknowledges that (i) it has title to and has ownership of the goods wherever located, (ii) a bona fide sale of the goods has occurred, and (iii) it owes payment for such goods in accordance with invoices from Borrower (sometimes called “bill and hold” accounts);
(t)Accounts for which the Account Debtor has not been invoiced;
(u)Accounts that represent non-trade receivables or that are derived by means other than in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business;
(v)Accounts for which Borrower has permitted Account Debtor’s payment to extend beyond ninety (90) days (including Accounts with a due date that is more than ninety (90) days from invoice date);
(w)Accounts arising from chargebacks, debit memos or other payment deductions taken by an Account Debtor;
(x)Accounts arising from product returns and/or exchanges (sometimes called “warranty” or “RMA” accounts);
(y)Accounts in which the Account Debtor disputes liability or makes any claim (but only up to the disputed or claimed amount), or if the Account Debtor is subject to an Insolvency Proceeding (whether voluntary or involuntary), or becomes insolvent, or goes out of business;
(z)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor with respect to which Borrower has received Deferred Revenue (but only to the extent of such Deferred Revenue);

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(aa)Accounts owing from an Account Debtor, whose total obligations to Borrower exceed forty percent (40%) of all Accounts (the “Concentration Limit”), unless Bank approves in writing; provided, however, the Concentration Limit shall not apply to Accounts owing from Account Debtors with credit insurance satisfactory to Bank in its sole discretion, but such Accounts are “Eligible” only up to the Dollar amount that is subject to such credit insurance; and
(bb)Accounts for which Bank in its sole discretion determines collection to be doubtful, including, without limitation, accounts represented by “refreshed” or “recycled” invoices.

Eligible Foreign Accounts” means (i) Accounts that would constitute Eligible Accounts but for the fact that they are owing from an Account Debtor which does not have its principal place of business in the United States, (ii) are otherwise approved by Bank in writing, and (iii) for any Accounts owing from an Account Debtor located in China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, are covered in full by credit insurance satisfactory to Bank, and such Accounts are “Eligible” only up to the Dollar amount that is subject to such credit insurance.

Environmental Laws” means any Applicable Law (including any permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions) relating to pollution or the protection of health, safety or the environment or the release of any materials into the environment (including those related to hazardous materials, air emissions, discharges to waste or public systems and health and safety matters).

Equipment” is all “equipment” as defined in the Code with such additions to such term as may hereafter be made, and includes without limitation all machinery, fixtures, goods, vehicles (including motor vehicles and trailers), and any interest in any of the foregoing.

ERISA” is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and its regulations.

Event of Default” is defined in Section 7.

Exchange Act” is the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to Bank or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to Bank, (a) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed as a result of Bank being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or its applicable lending office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes, (b) U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of Bank with respect to an applicable interest in a Credit Extension or the Revolving Line pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (i) Bank acquires such interest in the Credit Extensions or Revolving Line or (ii) Bank changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 1.7, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to Bank’s assignor immediately before Bank became a party hereto or to Bank immediately before it changed its lending office, (c) Taxes attributable to Bank’s failure to comply with Section 1.7(e), and (d) any withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.

FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement, treaty or convention among Governmental Authorities and implementing such Sections of the Internal Revenue Code.

Financial Statement Repository” is Bank’s e-mail address specified in Section 9 or such other means of collecting information approved and designated by Bank after providing notice thereof to Borrower from time to time.

Foreign Currency” is the lawful money of a country other than the United States.

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Funding Date” is any date on which a Credit Extension is made to or for the account of Borrower which shall be a Business Day.

FX Business Day” is any day when (a) Bank’s Foreign Exchange Department is conducting its normal business and (b) the Foreign Currency being purchased or sold by Borrower is available to Bank from the entity from which Bank shall buy or sell such Foreign Currency.

FX Contract” is any foreign exchange contract by and between Borrower and Bank under which Borrower commits to purchase from or sell to Bank a specific amount of Foreign Currency at a set price or on a specified date.

GAAP” is generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other Person as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination.

General Intangibles” is all “general intangibles” as defined in the Code in effect on the date hereof with such additions to such term as may hereafter be made, and includes without limitation, all Intellectual Property, claims, income and other tax refunds, security and other deposits, payment intangibles, contract rights, options to purchase or sell real or personal property, rights in all litigation presently or hereafter pending (whether in contract, tort or otherwise), insurance policies (including without limitation key man, property damage, and business interruption insurance), payments of insurance and rights to payment of any kind.

Good Faith Deposit” is defined in Section 1.4(b).

Governmental Approval” is any consent, authorization, approval, order, license, franchise, permit, certificate, accreditation, registration, filing or notice, of, issued by, from or to, or other act by or in respect of, any Governmental Authority.

Governmental Authority” is any nation or government, any state or other political subdivision thereof, any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government, any securities exchange and any self-regulatory organization.

Guarantor” is any Person providing a Guaranty in favor of Bank.

Guaranty” is any guarantee of all or any part of the Obligations, as the same may from time to time be amended, restated, modified or otherwise supplemented.

Indebtedness” is (a) indebtedness for borrowed money or the deferred price of property or services, such as reimbursement and other obligations for surety bonds, letters of credit and credit cards, (b) obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar instruments, (c) capital lease obligations, (d) Contingent Obligations and (e) other short- and long-term obligations under debt agreements, lines of credit and extensions of credit.

Indemnified Person” is defined in Section 11.3.

Indemnified Taxes” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of Borrower under any Loan Document and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in clause (a), Other Taxes.

Information” is defined in Section 11.8.

Initial Audit” is Bank’s inspection of Borrower’s Accounts, the Collateral, and Borrower’s Books, with results satisfactory to Bank in its sole discretion.

33


Insolvency Proceeding” is any proceeding by or against any Person under the United States Bankruptcy Code, or any other bankruptcy or insolvency law, including assignments for the benefit of creditors, compositions, extensions generally with its creditors, or proceedings seeking reorganization, arrangement, receivership or other relief.

Intellectual Property” means, with respect to any Person, all of such Person’s right, title, and interest in and to the following:

(d)its Copyrights, Trademarks and Patents;
(e)any and all trade secrets and trade secret rights, including, without limitation, any rights to unpatented inventions, know-how and operating manuals;
(f)any and all source code;
(g)any and all design rights which may be available to such Person;
(h)any and all claims for damages by way of past, present and future infringement of any of the foregoing, with the right, but not the obligation, to sue for and collect such damages for said use or infringement of the Intellectual Property rights identified above; and
(i)all amendments, renewals and extensions of any of the Copyrights, Trademarks or Patents.

Internal Revenue Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, each as amended or modified from time to time.

Inventory” is all “inventory” as defined in the Code in effect on the date hereof with such additions to such term as may hereafter be made, and includes without limitation all merchandise, raw materials, parts, supplies, packing and shipping materials, work in process and finished products, including without limitation such inventory as is temporarily out of Borrower’s custody or possession or in transit and including any returned goods and any documents of title representing any of the above.

Investment” is any beneficial ownership interest in any Person (including stock, partnership, membership, or other ownership interest or other equity securities), and any loan, advance or capital contribution to any Person.

Key Person” is Borrower’s Chief Financial Officer, who is Gail Sasaki as of the Effective Date.

Letter of Credit” is a standby or commercial letter of credit issued by Bank upon request of Borrower based upon an application, guarantee, indemnity, or similar agreement.

Lien” is a claim, mortgage, deed of trust, levy, attachment charge, pledge, hypothecation, security interest or other encumbrance of any kind, whether voluntarily incurred or arising by operation of law or otherwise against any property.

Liquidity Ratio” means a ratio of (a) the sum of (i) Borrower’s unrestricted balance sheet cash and Cash Equivalents (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, the Dollar Equivalent value of amounts held in deposit accounts securing letters of credit at financial institutions other than Bank), plus (ii) the Availability Amount, divided by (b) the absolute value of Borrower’s trailing three (3) month average EBDA; provided, however, that, if Borrower has positive cash flow for such period, then the amount for this clause (b) shall deemed to be One Cent ($0.01).

Loan Documents” are, collectively, this Agreement and any schedules, exhibits, certificates, notices, and any other documents related to this Agreement, the Perfection Certificate, any Bank Services Agreement, any subordination agreement, any note, or notes or guaranties executed by Borrower or any Guarantor, landlord waivers and consents, bailee waivers and consents, and any other present or future agreement by Borrower and/or any

34


Guarantor with or for the benefit of Bank in connection with this Agreement or Bank Services, all as amended, restated, or otherwise modified in accordance with the terms thereof.

LR Cure” is defined in Section 5.10.

LR Cure Period” is defined in Section 5.10.

LR Event of Default” is defined in Section 5.10.

Material Adverse Change” is (a) a material impairment in the perfection or priority of Bank’s Lien in the Collateral or in the value of such Collateral; (b) a material adverse change in the business, operations, or condition (financial or otherwise) of Borrower; (c) a material impairment of the prospect of repayment of any portion of the Obligations; or (d) Bank determines, based upon information available to it and in its reasonable judgment, that there is a likelihood that Borrower shall fail to comply with one or more of the financial covenants in Section 5 during the next succeeding financial reporting period.

Minimum Liquidity Ratio Covenant” is defined in Section 5.10.

Net Income” means, as calculated on a consolidated basis for Borrower for any period as at any date of determination, the net profit (or loss), after provision for taxes, of Borrower for such period taken as a single accounting period.

Obligations” are Borrower’s obligations to pay when due any debts, principal, interest, fees, Bank Expenses, the Unused Revolving Line Facility Fee, and other amounts Borrower owes Bank now or later, whether under this Agreement, the other Loan Documents, or otherwise, including, without limitation, all obligations relating to Bank Services and interest accruing after Insolvency Proceedings begin and debts, liabilities, or obligations of Borrower assigned to Bank, and to perform Borrower’s duties under the Loan Documents.

OFAC” is the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Department of the Treasury and any successor thereto.

Operating Documents” are, for any Person, such Person’s formation documents, as certified by the Secretary of State (or equivalent agency) of such Person’s jurisdiction of organization on a date that is no earlier than thirty (30) days prior to the Effective Date, and, (a) if such Person is a corporation, its bylaws in current form, (b) if such Person is a limited liability company, its limited liability company agreement (or similar agreement), and (c) if such Person is a partnership or limited partnership, its partnership agreement or limited partnership agreement (or similar agreement), each of the foregoing with all current amendments or modifications thereto.

Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to Bank, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between Bank and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from Bank having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Credit Extension or Loan Document).

Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp, court, documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar Taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment.

Overadvance” is defined in Section 1.2.

Patents” means all patents, patent applications and like protections including without limitation improvements, divisions, continuations, renewals, reissues, extensions and continuations-in-part of the same.

Payment Date” is set forth on Schedule I hereto.

35


Perfection Certificate” is each Perfection Certificate delivered by Borrower in connection with this Agreement.

Permitted Indebtedness” is:

(a)Borrower’s Indebtedness to Bank under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents;
(b)Indebtedness existing on the Effective Date which is shown on the Perfection Certificate;
(c)Subordinated Debt;
(d)unsecured Indebtedness to trade creditors incurred in the ordinary course of business;
(e)Indebtedness incurred as a result of endorsing negotiable instruments received in the ordinary course of business;
(f)Indebtedness secured by Liens permitted under clauses (a) and (c) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” hereunder; and
(g)extensions, refinancings, modifications, amendments and restatements of any items of Permitted Indebtedness (a) through (f) above, provided that the principal amount thereof is not increased or the terms thereof are not modified to impose more burdensome terms upon Borrower or its Subsidiary, as the case may be.

Permitted Investments” are:

(a)Investments (including, without limitation, Subsidiaries) existing on the Effective Date which are shown on the Perfection Certificate;
(b)Investments consisting of Cash Equivalents;
(c)Investments consisting of the endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business;
(d)Investments consisting of deposit accounts (but only to the extent that Borrower is permitted to maintain such accounts pursuant to Section 5.9 of this Agreement) in which Bank has a first priority perfected security interest;
(e)Investments accepted in connection with Transfers permitted by Section 6.1;
(f)Investments consisting of the creation of a Subsidiary for the purpose of consummating a merger transaction permitted by Section 6.3 of this Agreement, which is otherwise a Permitted Investment;
(g)Investments (i) by Borrower in Subsidiaries for the ordinary and necessary current operating expenses of such Subsidiaries in an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) in the aggregate in any fiscal year, and (ii) by Subsidiaries (that are not a Borrower) in other Subsidiaries for the ordinary and necessary current operating expenses of such Subsidiaries in an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) in the aggregate in any fiscal year or in Borrower;
(h)Investments consisting of (i) travel advances and employee relocation loans and other employee loans and advances in the ordinary course of business, and (ii) loans to employees, officers, directors, partners, managers and members relating to the purchase of equity securities of Borrower or its Subsidiaries pursuant to employee equity purchase plans or similar agreements approved by the Board;

36


(i)Investments (including debt obligations) received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of customers or suppliers and in settlement of delinquent obligations of, and other disputes with, customers or suppliers arising in the ordinary course of business; and
(j)Investments consisting of notes receivable of, or prepaid royalties and other credit extensions, to customers and suppliers who are not Affiliates, in the ordinary course of business; provided that this paragraph (j) shall not apply to Investments of Borrower in any Subsidiary.

Permitted Liens” are:

(a)Liens existing on the Effective Date which are shown on the Perfection Certificate or arising under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents;
(b)Liens for taxes, fees, assessments or other government charges or levies, either (i) not due and payable or (ii) being contested in good faith and for which Borrower maintains adequate reserves on Borrower’s Books, provided that no notice of any such Lien has been filed or recorded under the Internal Revenue Code;
(c)purchase money Liens (i) on Equipment acquired or held by Borrower incurred for financing the acquisition of the Equipment securing no more than Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000) in the aggregate amount outstanding, or (ii) existing on Equipment when acquired, if the Lien is confined to the property and improvements and the proceeds of the Equipment;
(d)Liens to secure payment of workers’ compensation, employment insurance, old-age pensions, social security and other like obligations incurred in the ordinary course of business (other than Liens imposed by ERISA);
(e)Liens incurred in the extension, renewal or refinancing of the Indebtedness secured by Liens described in (a) through (c), but any extension, renewal or replacement Lien must be limited to the property encumbered by the existing Lien and the principal amount of the indebtedness may not increase;
(f)leases or subleases of real property granted in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business (or, if referring to another Person, in the ordinary course of such Person’s business), and leases, subleases, non-exclusive licenses or sublicenses of personal property (other than Intellectual Property) granted in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business (or, if referring to another Person, in the ordinary course of such Person’s business), if the leases, subleases, licenses and sublicenses do not prohibit granting Bank a security interest therein;
(g)non-exclusive licenses of Intellectual Property granted to third parties in the ordinary course of business;
(h)Liens arising from the acquisition of judgment preservation insurance and any associated funding relating to Borrower’s Intellectual Property;
(i)Liens arising from attachments or judgments, orders, or decrees in circumstances not constituting an Event of Default under Sections 7.2(a) and 7.7; and
(j)easements, rights-of-way, restrictions and other similar encumbrances affecting real property which, in the aggregate, are not substantial in amount, and which do not in any case materially detract from the value of the property subject thereto or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of the business of the applicable Person.

Person” is any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, company, trust, unincorporated organization, association, corporation, institution, public benefit corporation, firm, joint stock company, estate, entity or government agency.

Prime Rate” is set forth on Schedule I hereto.

37


Prime Rate Margin” is set forth on Schedule I hereto.

Protected Person” is defined in Section 11.3.

Registered Organization” is any “registered organization” as defined in the Code with such additions to such term as may hereafter be made.

Representatives” is defined in Section 11.8.

Reserves” means, as of any date of determination, such amounts as Bank may from time to time establish and revise in its sole discretion, reducing the amount of Advances and other financial accommodations which would otherwise be available to Borrower (a) to reflect events, conditions, contingencies or risks which, as determined by Bank in its sole discretion, do or may adversely affect (i) the Collateral or any other property which is security for the Obligations or its value (including without limitation any increase in delinquencies of Accounts), (ii) the assets, business or prospects of Borrower or any Guarantor, or (iii) the security interests and other rights of Bank in the Collateral (including the enforceability, perfection and priority thereof); or (b) to reflect Bank's reasonable belief that any collateral report or financial information furnished by or on behalf of Borrower or any Guarantor to Bank is or may have been incomplete, inaccurate or misleading in any material respect; or (c) in respect of any state of facts which Bank determines in its sole discretion constitutes a Default or an Event of Default.

Responsible Officer” is any of the Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer and Controller of Borrower.

Restricted License” is any material license or other material agreement with respect to which Borrower is the licensee (a) that prohibits or otherwise restricts Borrower from granting a security interest in Borrower’s interest in such license or agreement or any other property, or (b) for which a default under or termination of could interfere with Bank’s right to sell any Collateral.

Revolving Line” is set forth on Schedule I hereto.

Revolving Line Maturity Date” is set forth on Schedule I hereto.

Sanctioned Person” means a Person that: (a) is listed on any Sanctions list maintained by OFAC or any similar Sanctions list maintained by any other Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over Borrower; (b) is located, organized, or resident in any country, territory, or region that is the subject or target of Sanctions; or (c) is fifty percent (50%) or more owned or controlled by one (1) or more Persons described in clauses (a) and (b) hereof.

Sanctions” means the economic sanctions laws, regulations, embargoes or restrictive measures administered, enacted or enforced by the United States government and any of its agencies, including, without limitation, OFAC and the U.S. State Department, or any other Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over Borrower.

SEC” is the Securities and Exchange Commission, any successor thereto, and any analogous Governmental Authority.

Securities Account” is any “securities account” as defined in the Code with such additions to such term as may hereafter be made.

Subordinated Debt” is indebtedness incurred by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries subordinated to all of Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ now or hereafter indebtedness to Bank (pursuant to a subordination, intercreditor, or other similar agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Bank entered into between Bank and the other creditor), on terms acceptable to Bank.

Subsidiary” is, as to any Person, a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which shares of stock, partnership, membership, or other ownership interest or other equity securities having ordinary

38


voting power (other than stock, partnership, membership, or other ownership interest or other equity securities having such power only by reason of the happening of a contingency) to elect a majority of the board of directors or other managers of such corporation, partnership or other entity are at the time owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person.  Unless the context otherwise requires, each reference to a Subsidiary herein shall be a reference to a Subsidiary of Borrower or Guarantor.

Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

Trademarks” means, with respect to any Person, any trademark and servicemark rights, whether registered or not, applications to register and registrations of the same and like protections, and the entire goodwill of the business of such Person connected with and symbolized by such trademarks.

Transfer” is defined in Section 6.1.

Unused Revolving Line Facility Fee” is defined in Section 1.4(a).

USA Patriot Act” means the “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001” (Public Law 107-56, signed into law on October 26, 2001), as amended from time to time.

[Signature page follows]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the Effective Date.

BORROWER:

NETLIST, INC.

By:

/s/ Gail Sasaki

Name:

Gail Sasaki

Title:

CFO

[Signature Page to Loan and Security Agreement]


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the Effective Date.

BANK:

FIRST-CITIZENS BANK & TRUST COMPANY

By:

/s/ Andrew Skalitzky

Name:

Andrew Skalitzky

Title:

Director

[Signature Page to Loan and Security Agreement]


Exhibit 10.4

SCHEDULE I

LSA PROVISIONS

LSA Section

LSA Provision

1.1(a) – Revolving Line – Availability

Amounts borrowed under the Revolving Line may be prepaid or repaid and, prior to the Revolving Line Maturity Date, reborrowed, subject to the applicable terms and conditions precedent herein.

1.3(a)(i) – Interest Payments – Advances

Interest on the principal amount of each Advance is payable in arrears monthly (a) on each Payment Date, (b) on the date of any prepayment, and (c) on the Revolving Line Maturity Date.

1.3(a)(i) – Interest Rate – Advances

The outstanding principal amount of any Advance shall accrue interest at a floating rate per annum equal to the greater of (a) eight and one half percentage points (8.50%), and (b) the Prime Rate plus the Prime Rate Margin, which interest shall be payable in accordance with Section 1.3(a).

1.3(e) – Interest Computation

Interest shall be computed on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed and a 360-day year for any Credit Extension outstanding.

12.2 – “Effective Date”

Effective Date” is November 7, 2023.

12.2 – “Payment Date”

Payment Date” is the last calendar day of each month.

12.2 – “Prime Rate”

Prime Rate” is the rate of interest per annum from time to time published in the money rates section of The Wall Street Journal or any successor publication thereto as the “prime rate” then in effect; provided that if such rate of interest, as set forth from time to time in the money rates section of The Wall Street Journal, becomes unavailable for any reason as determined by Bank, the “Prime Rate” shall mean the rate of interest per annum announced by Bank as its prime rate in effect at its principal office in the State of California (such Bank announced Prime Rate not being intended to be the lowest rate of interest charged by Bank in connection with extensions of credit to debtors); provided that, in the event such rate of interest is less than zero percent (0.00%) per annum, such rate shall be deemed to be zero percent (0.00%) per annum for purposes of this Agreement.

12.2 – “Prime Rate Margin”

Prime Rate Margin” is zero percentage points (0.00%).

12.2 – “Revolving Line”

Revolving Line” is an aggregate original principal amount equal to Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000).

12.2 – “Revolving Line Maturity Date”

Revolving Line Maturity Date” is November 7, 2025.

I-1


Exhibit 10.4

EXHIBIT A

COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

TO:SILICON VALLEY BANK, a division of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company

FROM:NETLIST, INC.

Date:  ______________________

Under the terms and conditions of the Loan and Security Agreement between Borrower and Bank (as amended, modified, supplemented and/or restated from time to time, the “Agreement”), Borrower is in complete compliance for the period ending _______________ with all required covenants except as noted below.  Attached are the required documents evidencing such compliance, setting forth calculations prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied from one period to the next except as explained in an accompanying letter or footnotes.  Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings given them in the Agreement.

Please indicate compliance status by circling Yes/No under “Complies” column.

Reporting Covenants

Required

Complies

Monthly Financial Statements with

Compliance Statement

Monthly within 30 days

Yes No

Annual financial statements (CPA Audited)

FYE within 180 days

Yes No

10-Q, 10-K and 8-K

Within 5 days after filing with SEC

Yes No N/A

Borrowing Base Statements

(i) With each request for an Advance,

(ii) Monthly within 7 days when the outstanding balance of the Revolving Line is > than $0.00,

(iv)
Monthly within 20 days when the outstanding balance of the Revolving Line = $0.00

Yes No

A/R & A/P Agings, and Deferred Revenue

Report

Monthly within 20 days

Yes No

Board approved projections

FYE within 30 days and as amended/updated

Yes No

Financial Covenant

Required

Actual

Complies

Maintain as indicated:

Minimum Liquidity Ratio

≥ 4.00:1.00

_____:1.00

Yes No

Other Matters

Have there been any amendments of or other changes to the capitalization table of Borrower and to the Operating Documents of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries? If yes, provide copies of any such amendments or changes with this Compliance Statement.

Yes

No

The following financial covenant analysis and information set forth in Schedule 1 attached hereto are true and correct as of the date of this Compliance Statement.

The following are the exceptions with respect to the statements above: (If no exceptions exist, state “No exceptions to note.”)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Accounts:

1.Borrower’s total balance, including cash, in accounts in the name of Borrower maintained with Bank or Bank’s Affiliates:  $________________
2.Total aggregate balance, including cash, of Borrower at all institutions wherever located: $_______________
3.Is Borrower’s balance, including cash, in accounts in the name of Borrower maintained with Bank or Bank’s Affiliates greater than or equal to 80% of the total aggregate balance, including cash, of Borrower at all institutions wherever located (excluding the Dollar Equivalent value of amounts held in deposit accounts securing letters of credit at financial institutions other than Bank)?

Yes, in compliance ______________                       No, not in compliance ____________

4.Institutions (other than Bank) where Borrower maintains accounts and balances in such accounts:

Institution Name

Account Number

Balance

Control Agreement in favor of Bank obtained? (required 30 days after the Effective Date)

Yes, in compliance ______________                       No, not in compliance ____________

5.To the extent a Subsidiary exists, please also answer questions #1 through #4 above as to each such Subsidiary.

I-2


Exhibit 10.4

Schedule 1 to Compliance Statement

Financial Covenant of Borrower

In the event of a conflict between this Schedule and the Agreement, the terms of the Agreement shall govern.

Dated:____________________

I.Minimum Liquidity Ratio (Section 5.10)

Required:≥ 4.00:1.00

Actual:

A.

Aggregate value of Borrower’s unrestricted balance sheet cash and Cash Equivalents (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, the Dollar Equivalent value of amounts held in deposit accounts securing letters of credit at financial institutions other than Bank)

$​ ​

B.

Aggregate value of the Availability Amount

$​ ​

C.

Quick Assets (the sum of lines A and B)

$​ ​

D.

Borrower’s trailing 3-month average EBDA*

i.

Net Income

$​ ​

ii.

Depreciation expense and amortization expense (including amortizing debt discount)

$​ ​

iii.

Non-cash expenses related to stock-based compensation

$​ ​

iv.

Non-cash interest expenses arising in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business

$​ ​

v.

Non-cash expenses arising in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business

$​ ​

vi.

Non-cash income

$​ ​

E.

Liquidity Ratio (line C divided by the sum of lines D(i), D(ii), D(iii), D(iv), D(v), minus line D(vi))

​ ​

Actual:

Is line E greater than or equal to 4.00:1:00?

​ ​  No, not in compliance​ ​  Yes, in compliance

*Provided, however, that, for any determination of the Liquidity Ratio under this Agreement, if the sum of lines D(i), D(ii), D(iii), D(iv), D(v), minus line D(vi) is a positive number, then the Liquidity Ratio shall be deemed to equal at least 4.00 to 1.00.


Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION

I, Chun K. Hong, certify that:

1.I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Netlist, Inc.;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date:November 9, 2023

/s/ Chun K. Hong

Chun K. Hong

President, Chief Executive Officer and Sole Director


Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION

I, Gail Sasaki, certify that:

1.I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Netlist, Inc.;

2.Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date:November 9, 2023

/s/ Gail Sasaki

Gail Sasaki

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer


Exhibit 32

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Netlist, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Netlist”) for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about the date hereof (the “Report”), each of the undersigned officers of Netlist certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of such officer’s knowledge:

(1)the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2)the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of Netlist.

ugust

Date:November 9, 2023

/s/ Chun K. Hong

Chun K. Hong

President, Chief Executive Officer and Sole Director

Date:November 9, 2023

/s/ Gail Sasaki

Gail Sasaki

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Netlist and will be retained by Netlist and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.