Promissory Note dated May 17, 2024 by and between Blue Star Foods Corp. and FirstFire Global Opportunities Fund, LLC

EX-10.84 5 ex10-84.htm

 

Exhibit 10.84

 

SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

This SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), dated as of May 17, 2024, by and between BLUE STAR FOODS CORP., a Delaware corporation, with headquarters located at 3000 NW 109th Avenue, Miami, FL 33172 (the “Company”), and FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, with its address at 1040 First Avenue, Suite 190, New York, NY 10022 (the “Buyer”).

 

WHEREAS:

 

A. The Company and the Buyer are executing and delivering this Agreement in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) and Rule 506(b) promulgated by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the 1933 Act; and

 

B. Buyer desires to purchase from the Company, and the Company desires to issue and sell to the Buyer, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, a Convertible Promissory Note of the Company, in the aggregate principal amount of $240,000.00 (as the principal amount thereof may be increased pursuant to the terms thereof, and together with any note(s) issued in replacement thereof or as a dividend thereon or otherwise with respect thereto in accordance with the terms thereof, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Note”), convertible into shares of common stock of the Company (the “Common Stock”), upon the terms and subject to the limitations and conditions set forth in such Note.

 

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and of the agreements and covenants herein contained, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Buyer hereby agree as follows:

 

1. Purchase and Sale of the Securities.

 

a. Purchase of Note. On the Closing Date (as defined below), the Company shall issue and sell to the Buyer and the Buyer agrees to purchase from the Company the Note, subject to the terms of the Note and this Agreement as the case may be.

 

b. Form of Payment. On the Closing Date, the Buyer shall pay the purchase price of $200,000.00 (the “Purchase Price”) for the Note by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in accordance with the Company’s written wiring instructions, against delivery of the Note and the Company shall deliver such duly executed Note on behalf of the Company, to the Buyer.

 

c. Closing Date. Subject to the satisfaction (or written waiver) of the conditions thereto set forth in Section 6 and Section 7 below, the date and time of the issuance and sale of the Note pursuant to this Agreement (the “Closing Date”) shall be 4:00 PM, Eastern Time on the date first written above, or such other mutually agreed upon time.

 

d. Closing. The closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the “Closing”) shall occur on the Closing Date at such location as may be agreed to by the parties (including via exchange of electronic signatures).

 

 

2. Buyer’s Representations and Warranties. The Buyer represents and warrants to the Company as of the Closing Date that:

 

a. Investment Purpose. As of the Closing Date, the Buyer is purchasing the Note and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion , or otherwise issued pursuant to the Note and such additional shares of Common Stock, if any, as are issuable on account of interest on the Note pursuant to this Agreement, such shares of Common Stock being collectively referred to herein as the “Conversion Shares” and, collectively with the Note, the “Securities”) for its own account and not with a present view towards the public sale or distribution thereof, except pursuant to sales registered or exempted from registration under the 1933 Act; provided, however, that by making the representations herein, the Buyer does not agree to hold any of the Securities for any minimum or other specific term and reserves the right to dispose of the Securities at any time in accordance with or pursuant to a registration statement or an exemption under the 1933 Act.

 

b. Accredited Investor Status. The Buyer is an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D (an “Accredited Investor”).

 

c. Reliance on Exemptions. The Buyer understands that the Securities are being offered and sold to it in reliance upon specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of, and the Buyer’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of the Buyer set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of the Buyer to acquire the Securities.

 

d. Information. The Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been, and for so long as any of the Securities remain outstanding will continue to be, furnished with all materials relating to the business, finances, and operations of the Company and materials relating to the offer and sale of the Securities which have been requested by the Buyer or its advisors. The Buyer and its advisors, if any, have been, and for so long as the Note remains outstanding will continue to be, afforded the opportunity to ask questions of the Company regarding its business and affairs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company has not disclosed to the Buyer any material nonpublic information regarding the Company or otherwise, and will not disclose such information unless such information is disclosed to the public prior to or promptly following such disclosure to the Buyer. Neither such inquiries nor any other due diligence investigation conducted by Buyer or any of its advisors or representatives shall modify, amend or affect Buyer’s right to rely on the Company’s representations and warranties contained in Section 3 below.

 

e. Governmental Review. The Buyer understands that no United States federal or state agency or any other government or governmental agency has passed upon or made any recommendation or endorsement of the Securities.

 

f. Transfer or Resale. The Buyer understands that (i) the sale or resale of the Securities have not been, and as of the Issue Date, are currently not being registered under the 1933 Act or any applicable state securities laws, and the Securities may not be transferred unless (a) the Securities are sold pursuant to an effective registration statement under the 1933 Act; (b) the Buyer shall have delivered to the Company, at the cost of the Company, an opinion of counsel (which may be the Legal Counsel Opinion (as defined below)) that shall be in form, substance, and scope customary for opinions of counsel in comparable transactions to the effect that the Securities to be sold or transferred may be sold or transferred pursuant to an exemption from such registration, which opinion shall be accepted by the Company; (c) the Securities are sold or transferred to an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144 promulgated under the 1933 Act (or a successor rule) (“Rule 144”)) of the Buyer who agrees to sell or otherwise transfer the Securities only in accordance with this Section 2(f) and who is an Accredited Investor; (d) the Securities are sold pursuant to Rule 144 or other applicable exemption and the Buyer shall have delivered to the Company, at the cost of the Company, an opinion of counsel that shall be in form, substance and scope customary for opinions of counsel in corporate transactions, which opinion shall be accepted by the Company; (ii) any sale of such Securities made in reliance on Rule 144 may be made only in accordance with the terms of said Rule and further, if said Rule is not applicable, any resale of such Securities under circumstances in which the seller (or the person through whom the sale is made) may be deemed to be an underwriter (as that term is defined in the 1933 Act) may require compliance with some other exemption under the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder; and (iii) neither the Company nor any other person is under any obligation to register such Securities under the 1933 Act or any state securities laws or to comply with the terms and conditions of any exemption thereunder (in each case). Nothing in this Section 2(f), including the availability of Rule 144 or another applicable exemption, shall circumvent the registration obligations of the Registration Rights Agreement.

 

 

g. Legends. The Buyer understands that until such time as the Securities, have been registered under the 1933 Act or may be sold pursuant to any applicable exemption without any restriction as to the number of securities as of a particular date that can then be immediately sold, the Securities may bear a restrictive legend in substantially the following form (and a stop-transfer order may be placed against transfer of the certificates for such Securities):

 

“NEITHER THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES ARE CONVERTIBLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED (I) IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR (B) AN OPINION OF COUNSEL (WHICH COUNSEL SHALL BE SELECTED BY THE HOLDER), IN A GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE FORM, THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER SAID ACT OR (II) UNLESS SOLD PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION UNDER SAID ACT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, THE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT OR OTHER LOAN OR FINANCING ARRANGEMENT SECURED BY THE SECURITIES.”

 

The legend set forth above shall be removed and the Company shall issue a certificate for the applicable shares of Common Stock without such legend to the holder of any Security upon which it is stamped or (as requested by such holder) issue the applicable shares of Common Stock to such holder by electronic delivery by crediting the account of such holder’s broker with The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”), if, unless otherwise required by applicable state securities laws, (a) such Security is registered for sale under an effective registration statement filed under the 1933 Act or otherwise may be sold pursuant to an applicable exemption without any restriction as to the number of securities as of a particular date that can then be immediately sold; or (b) the Company or the Buyer provides the Legal Counsel Opinion (as contemplated by and in accordance herewith) to the effect that a public sale or transfer of such Security may be made without registration under the 1933 Act, which opinion shall be accepted by the Company so that the sale or transfer is effected. The Company shall be responsible for the fees of its transfer agent and all DTC fees associated with any such issuance. The Buyer agrees to sell all Securities, including those represented by a certificate(s) from which the legend has been removed, in compliance with applicable prospectus delivery requirements, if any. In the event that the Company does not accept the opinion of counsel provided by the Buyer with respect to the transfer of Securities pursuant to an exemption from registration, under any applicable exemption at the Deadline (as defined in the Note), it will be considered an Event of Default pursuant to Section 3 of the Note.

 

h. Authorization; Enforcement. This Agreement has been duly and validly authorized by the Buyer and has been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Buyer, and this Agreement constitutes a valid and binding agreement of the Buyer enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and except as may be limited by the exercise of judicial discretion in applying principles of equity.

 

 

i. Manipulation of Price. The Buyer has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has: (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result, or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result, in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company; (ii) paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any Common Stock of the Company in the open market; or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company.

 

j. No Shorting. Buyer and its affiliates shall be prohibited from engaging directly or indirectly in any short selling or hedging transactions with respect to any securities of the Company while this Note is outstanding.

 

3. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to the Buyer as of the Closing Date that:

 

a. Organization and Qualification. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries (as defined below), if any, is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated, with full power and authority (corporate and other) to own, lease, use and operate its properties and to carry on its business as and where now owned, leased, used, operated and conducted. Schedule 3(a), if attached hereto, sets forth a list of all of the Subsidiaries of the Company and the jurisdiction in which each is incorporated. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to do business and is in good standing in every jurisdiction in which its ownership or use of property or the nature of the business conducted by it makes such qualification necessary except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect. “Material Adverse Effect” means any material adverse effect on the business, operations, assets, financial condition or prospects of the Company or its Subsidiaries, if any, taken as a whole, or on the transactions contemplated hereby or by the agreements or instruments to be entered into in connection herewith. “Subsidiaries” means any corporation or other organization, whether incorporated or unincorporated, in which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, any equity or other ownership interest.

 

b. Authorization; Enforcement. (i) The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into and perform this Agreement, the Note, and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and to issue the Securities, in accordance with the terms hereof and thereof; (ii) the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the Note, by the Company and the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including without limitation, the issuance of the Note as well as the issuance and reservation for issuance of the Conversion Shares issuable upon conversion of the Note) have been duly authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors and no further consent or authorization of the Company, its Board of Directors, its shareholders, or its debt holders is required; (iii) this Agreement, the Note, (together with any other instruments executed in connection herewith or therewith) have been duly executed and delivered by the Company by its authorized representative, and such authorized representative is the true and official representative with authority to sign this Agreement, the Note, and the other instruments documents executed in connection herewith or therewith and bind the Company accordingly; and (iv) this Agreement constitutes, and upon execution and delivery by the Company of the Note, and each of such instruments will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms.

 

 

c. Capitalization; Governing Documents. As of May 17, 2024, the authorized capital stock of the Company consists of: (i) 100,000,000 authorized shares of Common Stock, of which and 40,682,568 shares were outstanding; and (ii) 10,000 authorized shares of Series A Preferred Stock, of which -0- shares were outstanding. All of such outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company and the Conversion Shares, are, or upon issuance will be, duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. No shares of capital stock of the Company are subject to preemptive rights or any other similar rights of the shareholders of the Company or any liens or encumbrances imposed through the actions or failure to act of the Company. As of the effective date of this Agreement, other than as publicly announced prior to such date and reflected in the SEC Documents (as defined in this Agreement) of the Company (i) there are no outstanding options, warrants, scrip, rights to subscribe for, puts, calls, rights of first refusal, agreements, understandings, claims or other commitments or rights of any character whatsoever relating to, or securities or rights convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or arrangements by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is or may become bound to issue additional shares of capital stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; (ii) other than provided herein, there are no agreements or arrangements under which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is obligated to register the sale of any of its or their securities under the 1933 Act; and (iii) there are no anti-dilution or price adjustment provisions contained in any security issued by the Company (or in any agreement providing rights to security holders) that will be triggered by the issuance of any of the Securities. The Company has furnished to the Buyer true and correct copies of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation as in effect on the date hereof (“Certificate of Incorporation”), the Company’s Bylaws, as in effect on the date hereof (the “Bylaws”), and the terms of all securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock of the Company and the material rights of the holders thereof in respect thereto.

 

d. Issuance of Conversion Shares. The Conversion Shares are duly authorized and reserved for issuance and, upon conversion of the Note in accordance with its respective terms, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and free from all taxes, liens, claims and encumbrances with respect to the issue thereof and shall not be subject to preemptive rights or other similar rights of shareholders of the Company and will not impose personal liability upon the holder thereof.

 

e. No Broker-Dealer Acknowledgement. Absent a final adjudication from a court of competent jurisdiction stating otherwise, so long as any amount on the Note remains outstanding, the Company shall not to any person, institution, governmental or other entity, state, claim, allege, or in any way assert, that Holder is currently, or ever has been a broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

f. Acknowledgment of Dilution. The Company understands and acknowledges the potentially dilutive effect of the Conversion Shares to the Common Stock upon the conversion of the Note. The Company further acknowledges that its obligation to issue, upon conversion of the Note, the Conversion Shares, in accordance with this Agreement, the Note, is absolute and unconditional regardless of the dilutive effect that such issuance may have on the ownership interests of other shareholders of the Company.

 

 

g. Ranking; No Conflicts. The Note shall be a subordinate debt obligation of the Company. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the Note by the Company and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby (including, without limitation, the issuance and reservation for issuance of the Conversion Shares) will not (i) conflict with or result in a violation of any provision of the Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws; or (ii) violate or conflict with, or result in a breach of any provision of, or constitute a default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both could become a default) under, or give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, note, evidence of indebtedness, indenture, patent, patent license or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party; or (iii) result in a violation of any law, rule, regulation, order, judgment or decree (including federal and state securities laws and regulations and regulations of any self-regulatory organizations to which the Company or its securities is subject) applicable to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or by which any property or asset of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or affected (except for such conflicts, defaults, terminations, amendments, accelerations, cancellations and violations as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect); or (iv) trigger any anti-dilution or ratchet provision contained in any other contract in which the Company is a party thereto or any security issued by the Company. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of its Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws or other organizational documents and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in default (and no event has occurred which with notice or lapse of time or both could put the Company or any of its Subsidiaries in default) under, and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has taken any action or failed to take any action that would give to others any rights of termination, amendment, acceleration or cancellation of, any agreement, indenture or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which any property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or affected, except for possible defaults as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect. The businesses of the Company and its Subsidiaries, if any, are not being conducted, and shall not be conducted so long as the Buyer owns any of the Securities, in violation of any law, ordinance or regulation of any governmental entity. Except as specifically contemplated by this Agreement and as required under the 1933 Act and any applicable state securities laws, the Company is not required to obtain any consent, authorization or order of, or make any filing or registration with, any court, governmental agency, regulatory agency, self-regulatory organization or stock market or any third party in order for it to execute, deliver or perform any of its obligations under this Agreement and the Note, in accordance with the terms hereof or thereof or to issue and sell the Note in accordance with the terms hereof and, upon conversion of the Note, issue Conversion Shares. All consents, authorizations, orders, filings and registrations which the Company is required to obtain pursuant to the preceding sentence have been obtained or effected on or prior to the date hereof. The Company and its Subsidiaries are unaware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any of the foregoing.

 

h. SEC Documents; Financial Statements. The Company has timely filed all reports, schedules, forms, statements and other documents required to be filed by it with the SEC pursuant to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”) (all of the foregoing filed prior to the date hereof and all exhibits included therein and financial statements and schedules thereto and documents (other than exhibits to such documents) incorporated by reference therein, being hereinafter referred to herein as the “SEC Documents”). As of their respective dates, the SEC Documents complied in all material respects with the requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the SEC promulgated thereunder applicable to the SEC Documents, and none of the SEC Documents, at the time they were filed with the SEC, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. None of the statements made in any such SEC Documents is, or has been, required to be amended or updated under applicable law (except for such statements as have been amended or updated in subsequent filings prior the date hereof). As of their respective dates, the financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Documents complied as to form in all material respects with applicable accounting requirements and the published rules and regulations of the SEC with respect thereto. Such financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, during the periods involved and fairly present in all material respects the consolidated financial position of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries as of the dates thereof and the consolidated results of their operations and cash flows for the periods then ended (subject, in the case of unaudited statements, to normal year-end audit adjustments). Except as set forth in the financial statements of the Company included in the SEC Documents, the Company has no liabilities, contingent or otherwise, other than (i) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business subsequent to May 15, 2024, and (ii) obligations under contracts and commitments incurred in the ordinary course of business and not required under generally accepted accounting principles to be reflected in such financial statements, which, individually or in the aggregate, are not material to the financial condition or operating results of the Company. The Company is subject to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act. The Company has never been a “shell company” as described in Rule 144(i)(1)(i).

 

i. Absence of Certain Changes. Since May 15, 2024, there has been no material adverse change and no material adverse development in the assets, liabilities, business, properties, operations, financial condition, results of operations, prospects or 1934 Act reporting status of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

 

j. Absence of Litigation. There is no action, suit, claim, proceeding, inquiry or investigation before or by any court, public board, government agency, self-regulatory organization or body pending or, to the knowledge of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, threatened against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or their officers or directors in their capacity as such, that could have a Material Adverse Effect. The SEC Documents contain a complete list and summary description of any pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened proceeding against or affecting the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, without regard to whether it would have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company and its Subsidiaries are unaware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any of the foregoing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Buyer acknowledges the existence of all litigations disclosed and outstanding the SEC Documents.

 

k. Intellectual Property. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries owns or possesses the requisite licenses or rights to use all patents, patent applications, patent rights, inventions, know-how, trade secrets, trademarks, trademark applications, service marks, service names, trade names and copyrights (“Intellectual Property”) necessary to enable it to conduct its business as now operated (and, as presently contemplated to be operated in the future); there is no claim or action by any person pertaining to, or proceeding pending, or to the Company’s knowledge threatened, which challenges the right of the Company or of a Subsidiary with respect to any Intellectual Property necessary to enable it to conduct its business as now operated (and, as presently contemplated to be operated in the future); to the best of the Company’s knowledge, the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ current and intended products, services and processes do not infringe on any Intellectual Property or other rights held by any person; and the Company is unaware of any facts or circumstances which might give rise to any of the foregoing. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries have taken reasonable security measures to protect the secrecy, confidentiality and value of their Intellectual Property.

 

l. No Materially Adverse Contracts, Etc. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to any charter, corporate or other legal restriction, or any judgment, decree, order, rule or regulation which in the judgment of the Company’s officers has or is expected in the future to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is a party to any contract or agreement which in the judgment of the Company’s officers has or is expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

m. Tax Status. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has made or filed all federal, state and foreign income and all other tax returns, reports and declarations required by any jurisdiction to which it is subject (unless and only to the extent that the Company and each of its Subsidiaries has set aside on its books provisions reasonably adequate for the payment of all unpaid and unreported taxes) and has paid all taxes and other governmental assessments and charges that are material in amount, shown or determined to be due on such returns, reports and declarations, except those being contested in good faith and has set aside on its books provisions reasonably adequate for the payment of all taxes for periods subsequent to the periods to which such returns, reports or declarations apply. There are no unpaid taxes in any material amount claimed to be due by the taxing authority of any jurisdiction, and the officers of the Company know of no basis for any such claim. The Company has not executed a waiver with respect to the statute of limitations relating to the assessment or collection of any foreign, federal, state or local tax. None of the Company’s tax returns is presently being audited by any taxing authority.

 

n. Transactions with Affiliates. Except for arm’s length transactions pursuant to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries makes payments in the ordinary course of business upon terms no less favorable than the Company or any of its Subsidiaries could obtain from third parties and other than the grant of stock options described in the SEC Documents, none of the officers, directors, or employees of the Company is presently a party to any transaction with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (other than for services as employees, officers and directors), including any contract, agreement or other arrangement providing for the furnishing of services to or by, providing for rental of real or personal property to or from, or otherwise requiring payments to or from any officer, director or such employee or, to the knowledge of the Company, any corporation, partnership, trust or other entity in which any officer, director, or any such employee has a substantial interest or is an officer, director, trustee or partner.

 

 

o. Disclosure. All information relating to or concerning the Company or any of its Subsidiaries set forth in this Agreement and provided to the Buyer pursuant to the terms hereof and otherwise in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby is true and correct in all material respects and the Company has not omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements made herein or therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. No event or circumstance has occurred or exists with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or its or their business, properties, prospects, operations or financial conditions, which, under applicable law, rule or regulation, requires public disclosure or announcement by the Company but which has not been so publicly announced or disclosed (assuming for this purpose that the Company’s reports filed under the 1934 Act are being incorporated into an effective registration statement filed by the Company under the 1933 Act).

 

p. Acknowledgment Regarding Buyer’s Purchase of Securities. The Company acknowledges and agrees that the Buyer is acting solely in the capacity of arm’s length purchaser with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company further acknowledges that the Buyer is not acting as a financial advisor or fiduciary of the Company (or in any similar capacity) with respect to this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby and any statement made by the Buyer or any of its respective representatives or agents in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby is not advice or a recommendation and is merely incidental to the Buyer’s purchase of the Securities. The Company further represents to the Buyer that the Company’s decision to enter into this Agreement has been based solely on the independent evaluation of the Company and its representatives.

 

q. No Integrated Offering. Neither the Company, nor any of its affiliates, nor any person acting on its or their behalf, has directly or indirectly made any offers or sales in any security or solicited any offers to buy any security under circumstances that would require registration under the 1933 Act of the issuance of the Securities to the Buyer. The issuance of the Securities to the Buyer will not be integrated with any other issuance of the Company’s securities (past, current or future) for purposes of any shareholder approval provisions applicable to the Company or its securities.

 

r. No Brokers. Other than the use of Kingswood Capital, the Company has taken no action which would give rise to any claim by any person for brokerage commissions, transaction fees or similar payments relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

s. Permits; Compliance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries is in possession of all franchises, grants, authorizations, licenses, permits, easements, variances, exemptions, consents, certificates, approvals and orders necessary to own, lease and operate its properties and to carry on its business as it is now being conducted (collectively, the “Company Permits”), and there is no action pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened regarding suspension or cancellation of any of the Company Permits. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is in conflict with, or in default or violation of, any of the Company Permits, except for any such conflicts, defaults or violations which, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Since April 1, 2024, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notification with respect to possible conflicts, defaults or violations of applicable laws, except for notices relating to possible conflicts, defaults or violations, which conflicts, defaults or violations would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

 

t. Environmental Matters.

 

(i) There are, to the Company’s knowledge, with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any predecessor of the Company, no past or present violations of Environmental Laws (as defined below), releases of any material into the environment, actions, activities, circumstances, conditions, events, incidents, or contractual obligations which may give rise to any common law environmental liability or any liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 or similar federal, state, local or foreign laws and neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has received any notice with respect to any of the foregoing, nor is any action pending or, to the Company’s knowledge, threatened in connection with any of the foregoing. The term “Environmental Laws” means all federal, state, local or foreign laws relating to pollution or protection of human health or the environment (including, without limitation, ambient air, surface water, groundwater, land surface or subsurface strata), including, without limitation, laws relating to emissions, discharges, releases or threatened releases of chemicals, pollutants contaminants, or toxic or hazardous substances or wastes (collectively, “Hazardous Materials”) into the environment, or otherwise relating to the manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport or handling of Hazardous Materials, as well as all authorizations, codes, decrees, demands or demand letters, injunctions, judgments, licenses, notices or notice letters, orders, permits, plans or regulations issued, entered, promulgated or approved thereunder.

 

(ii) Other than those that are or were stored, used or disposed of in compliance with applicable law, no Hazardous Materials are contained on or about any real property currently owned, leased or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and no Hazardous Materials were released on or about any real property previously owned, leased or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries during the period the property was owned, leased or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except in the normal course of the Company’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ business.

 

(iii) There are no underground storage tanks on or under any real property owned, leased or used by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that are not in compliance with applicable law.

 

u. Title to Property. The Company and its Subsidiaries have good and marketable title in fee simple to all real property and good and marketable title to all personal property owned by them which is material to the business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except such as are described in Schedule 3(u), if attached hereto, or such as would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Any real property and facilities held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases with such exceptions as would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

v. Insurance. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as management of the Company believes to be prudent and customary in the businesses in which the Company and its Subsidiaries are engaged. Neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect. Upon written request the Company will provide to the Buyer true and correct copies of all policies relating to directors’ and officers’ liability coverage, errors and omissions coverage, and commercial general liability coverage.

 

w. Internal Accounting Controls. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient, in the judgment of the Company’s board of directors, to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

 

 

x. Foreign Corrupt Practices. Neither the Company, nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director, officer, agent, employee or other person acting on behalf of the Company or any Subsidiary has, in the course of his actions for, or on behalf of, the Company, used any corporate funds for any unlawful contribution, gift, entertainment or other unlawful expenses relating to political activity; made any direct or indirect unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee from corporate funds; violated or is in violation of any provision of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or made any bribe, rebate, payoff, influence payment, kickback or other unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee.

 

y. Solvency. The Company (after giving effect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) is solvent (i.e., its assets have a fair market value in excess of the amount required to pay its probable liabilities on its existing debts as they become absolute and matured) and currently the Company has no information that would lead it to reasonably conclude that the Company would not, after giving effect to the transaction contemplated by this Agreement, have the ability to, nor does it intend to take any action that would impair its ability to, pay its debts from time to time incurred in connection therewith as such debts mature. The Company’s financial statements for its most recent fiscal year end and interim financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business.

 

z. No Investment Company. The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as contemplated by this Agreement will not be an “investment company” required to be registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (an “Investment Company”). The Company is not controlled by an Investment Company.

 

aa. No Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. There is no transaction, arrangement, or other relationship between the Company or any of its Subsidiaries and an unconsolidated or other off- balance sheet entity that is required to be disclosed by the Company in its 1934 Act filings and is not so disclosed or that otherwise could be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

bb. No Disqualification Events. None of the Company, any of its predecessors, any affiliated issuer, any director, executive officer, other officer of the Company participating in the offering hereunder, any beneficial owner of twenty percent (20%) or more of the Company’s outstanding voting equity securities, calculated on the basis of voting power, nor any promoter (as that term is defined in Rule 405 under the 1933 Act) connected with the Company in any capacity at the time of sale (each, an “Issuer Covered Person”) is subject to any of the “Bad Actor” disqualifications described in Rule 506(d)(1)(i) to (viii) under the 1933 Act (a “Disqualification Event”), except for a Disqualification Event covered by Rule 506(d)(2) or (d)(3). The Company has exercised reasonable care to determine whether any Issuer Covered Person is subject to a Disqualification Event.

 

cc. Manipulation of Price. The Company has not, and to its knowledge no one acting on its behalf has: (i) taken, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or to result, or that could reasonably be expected to cause or result, in the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of any of the Securities; (ii) sold, bid for, purchased, or paid any compensation for soliciting purchases of, any of the Securities; or (iii) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting another to purchase any other securities of the Company.

 

 

dd. Bank Holding Company Act. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is subject to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “BHCA”) and to regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”). Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of any class of voting securities or twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the total equity of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates exercises a controlling influence over the management or policies of a bank or any entity that is subject to the BHCA and to regulation by the Federal Reserve.

 

ee. Illegal or Unauthorized Payments; Political Contributions. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or other representatives of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any other business entity or enterprise with which the Company or any Subsidiary is or has been affiliated or associated, has, directly or indirectly, made or authorized any payment, contribution or gift of money, property, or services, whether or not in contravention of applicable law, (i) as a kickback or bribe to any person; or (ii) to any political organization, or the holder of or any aspirant to any elective or appointive public office except for personal political contributions not involving the direct or indirect use of funds of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

ff. Breach of Representations and Warranties by the Company. The Company agrees that if the Company breaches any of the representations or warranties set forth in this Section 3 and in addition to any other remedies available to the Buyer pursuant to this Agreement, it will be considered an Event of Default under Section 3 of the Note.

 

4. ADDITIONAL COVENANTS, AGREEMENTS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

 

a. Best Efforts. The parties shall use their best efforts to satisfy timely each of the conditions described in Section 6 and 7 of this Agreement.

 

b. Use of Proceeds. The Company shall use the proceeds for working capital by the Company; provided further that none of the proceeds shall be used for the repayment of any indebtedness owed to officers, directors or employees of the Company or their affiliates or in violation or contravention of any applicable law, rule or regulation.

 

c. Usury. To the extent it may lawfully do so, the Company hereby agrees not to insist upon or plead or in any manner whatsoever claim, and will resist any and all efforts to be compelled to take the benefit or advantage of, usury laws wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, in connection with any action or proceeding that may be brought by the Buyer in order to enforce any right or remedy under this Agreement, the Note, and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this Agreement, the Note, and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby, it is expressly agreed and provided that the total liability of the Company under this Agreement, the Note, or any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby for payments which under applicable law are in the nature of interest shall not exceed the maximum lawful rate authorized under applicable law (the “Maximum Rate”), and, without limiting the foregoing, in no event shall any rate of interest or default interest, or both of them, when aggregated with any other sums which under applicable law in the nature of interest that the Company may be obligated to pay under this Agreement, the Note, and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby exceed such Maximum Rate. It is agreed that if the maximum contract rate of interest allowed by law applicable to this Agreement, the Note, and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby is increased or decreased by statute or any official governmental action subsequent to the date hereof, the new maximum contract rate of interest allowed by law will be the Maximum Rate applicable to this Agreement, the Note and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby from the effective date thereof forward, unless such application is precluded by applicable law. If under any circumstances whatsoever, interest in excess of the Maximum Rate is paid by the Company to the Buyer with respect to indebtedness evidenced by this Agreement, the Note, and any document, agreement or instrument contemplated thereby, such excess shall be applied by the Buyer to the unpaid principal balance of any such indebtedness or be refunded to the Company, the manner of handling such excess to be at the Buyer’s election.

 

 

d. Restriction on Activities. Commencing as of the date first above written, and until the earlier of payment of the Note in full or full conversion of the Note, the Company shall not, directly or indirectly, without the Buyer’s prior written consent, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld: (a) change the nature of its business in any material respect; or (b) sell, divest, acquire, change the structure of any material assets other than in the ordinary course of business.

 

e. Listing. The Company, for so long as the Buyer owns any of the Securities, will maintain the listing and trading of its Common Stock on the Principal Market or any equivalent replacement exchange or electronic quotation system (including but not limited to the Pink Sheets electronic quotation system) and will comply in all respects with the Company’s reporting, filing and other obligations under the bylaws or rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and such exchanges, as applicable. The Company shall promptly provide to the Buyer copies of any notices it receives from the Principal Market and any other exchanges or electronic quotation systems on which the Common Stock is then traded regarding the continued eligibility of the Common Stock for listing on such exchanges and quotation systems.

 

f. Corporate Existence. The Company will, so long as the Buyer beneficially owns any of the Securities, maintain its corporate existence and shall not sell all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, except in the event of a merger or consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, where the surviving or successor entity in such transaction (i) assumes the Company’s obligations hereunder and under the agreements and instruments entered into in connection herewith, and (ii) is a publicly traded corporation whose Common Stock is listed for trading or quotation on the Principal Market, any tier of the NASDAQ Stock Market, the New York Stock Exchange (including the NYSE American).

 

g. No Integration. The Company shall not make any offers or sales of any security (other than the Securities) under circumstances that would require registration of the Securities being offered or sold hereunder under the 1933 Act or cause the offering of the Securities to be integrated with any other offering of securities by the Company for the purpose of any stockholder approval provision applicable to the Company or its securities.

 

h. Breach of Covenants. The Company acknowledges and agrees that if the Company breaches any of the covenants set forth in this Section 4, in addition to any other remedies available to the Buyer pursuant to this Agreement, it will be considered an Event of Default under Section 3 of the Note.

 

i. Compliance with 1934 Act; Public Information Failures. For so long as the Buyer beneficially owns any of the Securities or common stock issued thereunder, the Company shall comply with the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act; and the Company shall continue to be subject to the reporting requirements of the 1934 Act. During the period that the Buyer beneficially owns the Note, if the Company shall (i) fail for any reason to satisfy the requirements of Rule 144(c)(1), including, without limitation, the failure to satisfy the current public information requirements under Rule 144(c), or (ii) if the Company has ever been an issuer described in Rule 144(i)(1)(i) or becomes such an issuer in the future, and the Company shall fail to satisfy any condition set forth in Rule 144(i)(2) (each, a “Public Information Failure”) then, as partial relief for the damages to the Buyer by reason of any such delay in or reduction of its ability to sell the Securities (which remedy shall not be exclusive of any other remedies available pursuant to this Agreement, the Note, or at law or in equity), the Company shall pay to the Buyer an amount in cash equal to three percent (3%) of the Purchase Price on each of the day of a Public Information Failure and on every thirtieth day (pro-rated for periods totaling less than thirty days) thereafter until the date such Public Information Failure is cured. The payments to which a Buyer shall be entitled pursuant to this Section 4(i) are referred to herein as “Public Information Failure Payments.” Public Information Failure Payments shall be paid on the earlier of (i) the last day of the calendar month during which such Public Information Failure Payments are incurred; and (ii) the third business day after the event or failure giving rise to the Public Information Failure Payments is cured. In the event the Company fails to make Public Information Failure Payments in a timely manner, such Public Information Failure Payments shall bear interest at the rate of eight percent (8%) per month (prorated for partial months) until paid in full. As used in this Agreement, the term “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in the city of New York, New York are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed.

 

 

j. Disclosure of Transactions and Other Material Information. By 9:00 a.m., New York time, three (3) Business Days following the date this Agreement has been fully executed and funded, the Company shall file a Current Report on Form 8-K describing the terms of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in the form required by the 1934 Act and attaching this Agreement, the form of Note (the “8-K Filing”). From and after the filing of the 8-K Filing with the SEC, the Buyer shall not be in possession of any material, nonpublic information received from the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, employees or agents that is not disclosed in the 8-K Filing. In addition, effective upon the filing of the 8-K Filing, the Company acknowledges and agrees that any and all confidentiality or similar obligations under any agreement, whether written or oral, between the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective officers, directors, affiliates, employees or agents, on the one hand, and the Buyer or any of its affiliates, on the other hand, shall terminate.

 

k. Legal Counsel Opinions. Upon the request of the Buyer from to time to time, the Company shall be responsible, at its cost, for promptly supplying to the Company’s transfer agent and the Buyer a customary legal opinion letter of its counsel (the “Legal Counsel Opinion”) to the effect that the resale of the Conversion Shares by the Buyer or its affiliates, successors and assigns is exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act pursuant to Rule 144, provided the requirements of Rule 144 are satisfied and provided the Conversion Shares are not then registered under the 1933 Act for resale pursuant to an effective registration statement, or other applicable exemption, provided the requirements of such other applicable exemption are satisfied. Buyer will take no action or inaction that would invalidate the proposed opinion. Buyer will provide the customary representations to counsel in order to provide such an opinion. Should the Company’s legal counsel fail for any reason other than that the requirements of said exemption are unavailable in the reasonable opinion of counsel to issue the Legal Counsel Opinion, the Buyer may, at the Company’s cost, secure another legal counsel to issue the Legal Counsel Opinion, and the Company will instruct its transfer agent to accept such opinion. The Company hereby agrees that it may never take the position that it is a “shell company” in connection with its obligations under this Agreement or otherwise.

 

l. Most-Favored Nation. So long as any of the Securities are outstanding, upon any issuance by the Company or any of its subsidiaries of any new security, with any term that the Buyer reasonably believes is more favorable to the holder of such security or with a term in favor of the holder of such security that the Buyer reasonably believes was not similarly provided to the Buyer in the Note, or under this Agreement, then (i) the Company shall notify the Buyer of such additional or more favorable term within one (1) business day of the issuance or amendment (as applicable) of the respective security, and (ii) such term, at Buyer’s option, shall become a part of the transaction documents with the Buyer (regardless of whether the Company complied with the notification provision of this Section). The types of terms contained in another security that may be more favorable to the holder of such security include, but are not limited to, terms addressing conversion discounts, prepayment rate, conversion lookback periods, interest rates, and original issue discounts. If Buyer elects to have the term become a part of the transaction documents with the Buyer, then the Company shall immediately deliver acknowledgment of such adjustment in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Buyer (the “Acknowledgment”) within one (1) business day of Company’s receipt of request from Buyer (the “Adjustment Deadline”), provided that Company’s failure to timely provide the Acknowledgement shall not affect the automatic amendments contemplated hereby.

 

 

m. Non-Public Information. The Company covenants and agrees that neither it, nor any other person acting on its behalf will provide the Buyer or its agents or counsel with any information that constitutes, or the Company reasonably believes constitutes, material non-public information, unless prior thereto the Buyer shall have consented to the receipt of such information and agreed with the Company to keep such information confidential. The Company understands and confirms that the Buyer shall be relying on the foregoing covenant in effecting transactions in securities of the Company. To the extent that the Company delivers any material, non-public information to the Buyer without such Buyer’s consent, the Company hereby covenants and agrees that such Buyer shall not have any duty of confidentiality to the Company, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of their respective officers, directors, agents, employees or affiliates, not to trade on the basis of, such material, non-public information, provided that the Buyer shall remain subject to applicable law. To the extent that any notice provided, information provided, or any other communications made by the Company, to the Buyer, constitutes or contains material non-public information regarding the Company or any Subsidiaries, the Company shall simultaneously file such notice or other material information with the SEC pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K. In addition to any other remedies provided by this Agreement or the related transaction documents, if the Company provides any material non-public information to the Buyer without their prior written consent, and it fails to immediately (no later than that business day) file a Form 8-K disclosing this material non-public information, it shall pay the Buyer as partial liquidated damages and not as a penalty a sum equal to $3,000 per day beginning with the day the information is disclosed to the Buyer and ending and including the day the Form 8-K disclosing this information is filed.

 

n. Right of Participation/Refusal in Subsequent Offerings.

 

i. From the date first written above until eighteen (18) months thereafter, the Company will not, (i) directly or indirectly, offer, sell, grant any option to purchase, or otherwise dispose of (or announce any offer, sale, grant or any option to purchase or other disposition of) any of its or its Subsidiaries’ debt, equity or equity equivalent securities, including without limitation any debt, preferred shares or other instrument or security that is, at any time during its life and under any circumstances, convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Common Stock (any such offer, sale, grant, disposition or announcement being referred to as a “Subsequent Placement”); or (ii) enter into any definitive agreement with regard to the foregoing, in each case unless the Company shall have first complied with this Section 4.

 

ii. The Company shall deliver to the Buyer an irrevocable written notice (the “Offer Notice”) of any proposed or intended issuance or sale or exchange (the “Offer”) of the securities being offered (the “Offered Securities”) in a Subsequent Placement, which Offer Notice shall (w) identify and describe the Offered Securities, (x) describe the price and other terms upon which they are to be issued, sold or exchanged, and the number or amount of the Offered Securities to be issued, sold or exchanged, (y) identify the persons or entities (if known) to which or with which the Offered Securities are to be offered, issued, sold or exchanged and (z) offer to issue and sell to or exchange with the Buyer the greater of (i) at least one hundred percent (100%) of the Offered Securities (the “Subscription Amount”); or (ii) the principal amount of the Note issued hereunder.

 

iii. To accept an Offer, in whole or in part, the Buyer must deliver a written notice to the Company prior to the end of the next business day after the Buyer’s receipt of the Offer Notice (the “Offer Period”), setting forth the portion of the Subscription Amount that the Buyer elects to purchase (the “Notice of Acceptance”). The Company shall have ten (10) business days from the expiration of the Offer Period to complete the Subsequent Placement and in connection therewith to issue and sell the Subscription Amount to the Buyer but only upon terms and conditions (including, without limitation, unit prices and interest rates) that are not more favorable to the Buyer or less favorable to the Company than those set forth in the Offer Notice. Following such ten (10) business day period, the Company shall publicly announce either (A) the consummation of the Subsequent Placement or (B) the termination of the Subsequent Placement.

 

 

iv. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if the Company desires to modify or amend the terms and conditions of the Offer prior to the expiration of the Offer Period, the Company shall deliver to the Buyer a new Offer Notice and the Offer Period shall expire on the next business day after the Buyer’s receipt of such new Offer Notice.

 

v. If by the fifteenth (15^th) business day following delivery of the Offer Notice no public disclosure regarding a transaction with respect to the Offered Securities has been made, and no notice regarding the abandonment of such transaction has been received by the Buyer, such transaction shall be deemed to have been abandoned and the Buyer shall not be deemed to be in possession of any material, non-public information with respect to the Company.

 

As used in this Agreement, the term “business day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which commercial banks in the city of New York, New York are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed.

 

5. Transfer Agent Instructions. The Company shall issue irrevocable instructions to the Company’s transfer agent to issue certificates, registered in the name of the Buyer or its nominee, upon conversion of the Note, the Conversion Shares, in such amounts as specified from time to time by the Buyer to the Company in accordance with the terms thereof (the “Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions”). In the event that the Company proposes to replace its transfer agent, the Company shall provide, prior to the effective date of such replacement, a fully executed Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions in a form as initially delivered pursuant to this Agreement (including but not limited to the provision to irrevocably reserved shares of Common Stock in the Reserved Amount (as defined in the Note)) signed by the successor transfer agent to the Company and the Company. Prior to registration of the Conversion Shares under the 1933 Act or the date on which the Conversion Shares may be sold pursuant to any applicable exemption without any restriction as to the number of Securities as of a particular date that can then be immediately sold, all such certificates shall bear the restrictive legend as specified in this Agreement. The Company warrants that: (i) no instruction other than the Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions referred to in this Section 5 will be given by the Company to its transfer agent and that the Securities shall otherwise be freely transferable on the books and records of the Company as and to the extent provided in this Agreement and the Note; (ii) it will not direct its transfer agent not to transfer or delay, impair, or hinder its transfer agent in transferring (or issuing electronically or in certificated form) any certificate for Securities to be issued to the Buyer upon conversion of or otherwise pursuant to the Note as and when required by the Note and this Agreement; (iii) it will not fail to remove (or directs its transfer agent not to remove or impairs, delays, or hinders its transfer agent from removing) any restrictive legend (or to withdraw any stop transfer instructions in respect thereof) on any certificate for any Securities issued to the Buyer upon conversion of or otherwise pursuant to the Note as and when required by the Note and this Agreement; and (iv) it will provide any required corporate resolutions and issuance approvals to its transfer agent within six (6) hours of each conversion of the Note. Nothing in this Section shall affect in any way the Buyer’s obligations and agreement set forth herein to comply with all applicable prospectus delivery requirements, if any, upon resale of the Securities. If the Buyer provides the Company, at the cost of the Company, with (A) an opinion of counsel in form, substance and scope customary for opinions in comparable transactions, to the effect that a public sale or transfer of such Securities may be made without registration under the 1933 Act and such sale or transfer is effected, or (B) the Buyer provides reasonable assurances that the Securities can be sold pursuant to any applicable exemption, the Company shall permit the transfer, and, in the case of the Securities, promptly instruct its transfer agent to issue one or more certificates, free from restrictive legend, in such name and in such denominations as specified by the Buyer. The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to the Buyer, by vitiating the intent and purpose of the transactions contemplated hereby. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that the remedy at law for a breach of its obligations under this Section 5 may be inadequate and agrees, in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Company of the provisions of this Section, that the Buyer shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies, to an injunction restraining any breach and requiring immediate transfer, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required.

 

 

6. Conditions to the Company’s Obligation to Sell. The obligation of the Company hereunder to issue and sell the Securities to the Buyer at the Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions thereto, provided that these conditions are for the Company’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Company at any time in its sole discretion:

 

a. The Buyer shall have executed this Agreement and delivered the same to the Company.

 

b. The Buyer shall have delivered the Purchase Price in accordance with the terms herein.

 

c. The representations and warranties of the Buyer shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date when made and as of the Closing Date, as though made at that time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date), and the Buyer shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Buyer at or prior to the Closing Date.

 

d. No litigation, statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by or in any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby which prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

7. Conditions to The Buyer’s Obligation to Purchase. The obligation of the Buyer hereunder to purchase the Securities, on the Closing Date, is subject to the satisfaction, at or before the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions, provided that these conditions are for the Buyer’s sole benefit and may be waived by the Buyer at any time in its sole discretion:

 

a. The Company shall have executed this Agreement and delivered the same to the Buyer.

 

b. The Company shall have delivered to the Buyer the duly executed Note in such denominations as the Buyer shall request and in accordance with Section 1 above.

 

c. Irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions in form and substance satisfactory to the Buyer, shall have been delivered to and acknowledged in writing by the Company’s Transfer Agent.

 

d. The representations and warranties of the Company shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the date when made and as of Closing Date, as though made at such time (except for representations and warranties that speak as of a specific date) and the Company shall have performed, satisfied and complied in all material respects with the covenants, agreements and conditions required by this Agreement to be performed, satisfied or complied with by the Company at or prior to the Closing Date.

 

 

e. No litigation, statute, rule, regulation, executive order, decree, ruling or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or endorsed by or in any court or governmental authority of competent jurisdiction or any self-regulatory organization having authority over the matters contemplated hereby which prohibits the consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

f. No event shall have occurred which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect on the Company including but not limited to a change in the 1934 Act reporting status of the Company or the failure of the Company to be timely in its 1934 Act reporting obligations.

 

g. The Company shall have delivered to the Buyer (i) a certificate evidencing the formation and good standing of the Company and each of its Subsidiaries in such entity’s jurisdiction of formation issued by the Secretary of State (or comparable office) of such jurisdiction, as of a date within ten (10) days of the Closing Date, and (ii) resolutions adopted by the Company’s Board of Directors at a duly called meeting or by unanimous written consent authorizing this Agreement and all other documents, instruments and transactions contemplated hereby.

 

8. Governing Law; Miscellaneous.

 

a. Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to principles of conflicts of laws. Any action brought by either party against the other concerning the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, the Note, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby shall be brought only in the state courts of Delaware or in the federal courts located in the state of Delaware. The parties to this Agreement hereby irrevocably waive any objection to jurisdiction and venue of any action instituted hereunder and shall not assert any defense based on lack of jurisdiction or venue or based upon forum non conveniens. EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE, AND AGREES NOT TO REQUEST, A JURY TRIAL FOR THE ADJUDICATION OF ANY DISPUTE HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY. The prevailing party shall be entitled to recover from the other party its reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any suit, action or proceeding in connection with this Agreement, the Note, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Agreement and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

 

b. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which shall constitute one and the same agreement and shall become effective when counterparts have been signed by each party and delivered to the other party. A facsimile or .pdf signature shall be considered due execution and shall be binding upon the signatory thereto with the same force and effect as if the signature were an original, not a facsimile or .pdf signature. Delivery of a counterpart signature hereto by facsimile or email/.pdf transmission shall be deemed validly delivery thereof.

 

c. Construction; Headings. This Agreement shall be deemed to be jointly drafted by the Company and the Buyer and shall not be construed against any person as the drafter hereof. The headings of this Agreement are for convenience of reference only and shall not form part of, or affect the interpretation of, this Agreement.

 

 

d. Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement, the Note, or any other agreement or instrument delivered in connection herewith is invalid or unenforceable under any applicable statute or rule of law, then such provision shall be deemed inoperative to the extent that it may conflict therewith and shall be deemed modified to conform with such statute or rule of law. Any such provision which may prove invalid or unenforceable under any law shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement, the Note, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

e. Entire Agreement; Amendments. This Agreement, the Note, and the instruments referenced herein contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the matters covered herein and therein and, except as specifically set forth herein or therein, neither the Company nor the Buyer makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to such matters. No provision of this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby may be waived or amended other than by an instrument in writing signed by the Buyer.

 

f. Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents, approvals, and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be (i) personally served; (ii) deposited in the mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested, postage prepaid; (iii) delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid; or (iv) transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, e-mail or facsimile, addressed as set forth below or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be deemed effective (a) upon hand delivery or delivery by e-mail or facsimile, with accurate confirmation generated by the transmitting facsimile machine, at the address or number designated below (if delivered on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or the first business day following such delivery (if delivered other than on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or (b) on the second business day following the date of mailing by express courier service, fully prepaid, addressed to such address, or upon actual receipt of such mailing, whichever shall first occur. The addresses for such communications shall be:

 

If to the Company, to:

 

BLUE STAR FOODS CORP.

3000 NW 109th Avenue

Miami, FL 33172

Attention: John Keeler

e-mail:

 

If to the Buyer:

 

FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND LLC

1040 First Avenue, Suite 190

New York, NY 10022

Attention: Eli Fireman

e-mail: ***@***

 

g. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and assigns. Neither the Company nor the Buyer shall assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other. Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to the provisions hereof, the Buyer may assign its rights hereunder to any person that purchases Securities in a private transaction from the Buyer or to any of its “affiliates,” as that term is defined under the 1934 Act, without the consent of the Company.

 

 

h. Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is intended for the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective permitted successors and assigns, and is not for the benefit of, nor may any provision hereof be enforced by, any other person.

 

i. Survival. The representations and warranties of the Company and the agreements and covenants set forth in this Agreement shall survive the closing hereunder notwithstanding any due diligence investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Buyer. The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Buyer and all their officers, directors, employees and agents for loss or damage arising as a result of or related to any breach or alleged breach by the Company of any of its representations, warranties and covenants set forth in this Agreement or any of its covenants and obligations under this Agreement, including advancement of expenses as they are incurred.

 

j. Publicity. The Company, and the Buyer shall have the right to review a reasonable period of time before issuance of any press releases, SEC, Principal Market or FINRA filings, or any other public statements with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby; provided, however, that the Company shall be entitled, without the prior approval of the Buyer, to make any press release or SEC, Principal Market (or other applicable trading market) or FINRA filings with respect to such transactions as is required by applicable law and regulations (although the Buyer shall be consulted by the Company in connection with any such press release prior to its release and shall be provided with a copy thereof and be given an opportunity to comment thereon).

 

k. Expense Reimbursement; Further Assurances. At the Closing to occur as of the Closing Date, the Company shall pay on behalf of the Buyer or reimburse the Buyer for its legal fees and expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement, pursuant to the disbursement authorization signed by the Company of even date. Each party shall do and perform, or cause to be done and performed, all such further acts and things, and shall execute and deliver all such other agreements, certificates, instruments and documents, as the other party may reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and accomplish the purposes of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

l. No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party.

 

m. Indemnification. In consideration of the Buyer’s execution and delivery of this Agreement and acquiring the Securities hereunder, and in addition to all of the Company’s other obligations under this Agreement or the Note, the Company shall defend, protect, indemnify and hold harmless the Buyer and its stockholders, partners, members, officers, directors, employees and direct or indirect investors and any of the foregoing persons’ agents or other representatives (including, without limitation, those retained in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement) (collectively, the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all third party actions, causes of action, suits, claims, losses, costs, penalties, fees, liabilities and damages, and expenses in connection therewith (irrespective of whether any such Indemnitee is a party to the action for which indemnification hereunder is sought), and including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements (the “Indemnified Liabilities”), incurred by any Indemnitee as a result of, or arising out of, or relating to (a) any misrepresentation or breach of any representation or warranty made by the Company in this Agreement, the Note, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby, (b) any breach of any covenant, agreement or obligation of the Company contained in this Agreement, the Note, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby or (c) any cause of action, suit or claim brought or made against such Indemnitee by a third party (including for these purposes a derivative action brought on behalf of the Company) and arising out of or resulting from (i) the execution, delivery, performance or enforcement of this Agreement, the Note, or any other agreement, certificate, instrument or document contemplated hereby or thereby; (ii) any transaction financed or to be financed in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, with the proceeds of the issuance of the Securities; or (iii) the status of the Buyer or holder of the Securities as an investor in the Company pursuant to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. To the extent that the foregoing undertaking by the Company may be unenforceable for any reason, the Company shall make the maximum contribution to the payment and satisfaction of each of the Indemnified Liabilities that is permissible under applicable law.

 

 

n. Remedies. The Company acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to the Buyer by vitiating the intent and purpose of the transaction contemplated hereby. Accordingly, the Company acknowledges that the remedy at law for a breach of its obligations under this Agreement or the Note will be inadequate and agrees, in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Company of the provisions of this Agreement or the Note that the Buyer shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies at law or in equity, and in addition to the penalties assessable herein, to an injunction or injunctions restraining, preventing or curing any breach of this Agreement or the Note and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions hereof, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required.

 

o. Payment Set Aside. To the extent that the Company makes a payment or payments to the Buyer hereunder or pursuant to the Note, or the Buyer enforces or exercises its rights hereunder or thereunder, and such payment or payments or the proceeds of such enforcement or exercise or any part thereof are subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, recovered from, disgorged by or are required to be refunded, repaid or otherwise restored to the Company, a trustee, receiver or any other person or entity under any law (including, without limitation, any bankruptcy law, foreign, state or federal law, common law or equitable cause of action), then to the extent of any such restoration the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or setoff had not occurred.

 

p. Failure or Indulgence Not Waiver. No failure or delay on the part of the Buyer in the exercise of any power, right or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power, right or privilege preclude other or further exercise thereof or of any other right, power or privileges. All rights and remedies of the Buyer existing hereunder are cumulative to, and not exclusive of, any rights or remedies otherwise available.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned Buyer and the Company have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

BLUE STAR FOODS CORP.
By:	/s/ John Keeler
Name:	John Keeler
Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC

 

By:

FirstFire Capital Management, LLC

 

By:	/s/ Eli Fireman
	Eli Fireman, Manager

 

SUBSCRIPTION AMOUNT:

 

Principal Amount of Note: $240,000.00

Purchase Price of Note: $200,000.00*

 

*The purchase price of $200,000.00 shall be paid promptly after the full execution of the Note and related transaction documents.

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

FORM OF NOTE

 

[attached hereto]

 

 

THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENEDED, OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BBE OFFERED FOR SALE, SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR ASSIGNED IN THE ABSENCE OF (A) AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR THE SECURITIES UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1922, AS AMNDED, OR (B) AN OPINION OF COUNSEL (WHICH COUNSEL SHALL BE SELECTED BY THE HOLDER) IN A GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE FORM, THAT REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED UNDER SAID ACT.

 

THE ISSUE PRICE OF THIS NOTE IS $240,000.00

THE ORIGINIAL ISSUE DISCOUNT IS $35,000.00

 

Principal Amount: $240,000.00	Issue Date: May 17, 2024
Purchase Price: $200,000.00

 

PROMISSORY NOTE

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, BLUE STAR FOODS CORP., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter called the “Borrower”), hereby promises to pay to the order of FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or registered assigns (the “Holder”), the sum of $240,000.00 together with any interest as set forth herein, on April 17, 2025 (the “Maturity Date”), and to pay interest on the unpaid principal balance hereof from the date hereof (the “Issue Date”) as set forth herein. This Note may not be prepaid in whole or in part except as otherwise explicitly set forth herein. Any amount of principal or interest on this Note which is not paid when due shall bear interest at the rate of twenty two percent (22%) per annum from the due date thereof until the same is paid (“Default Interest”). All payments due hereunder (to the extent not converted into common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”) in accordance with the terms hereof) shall be made in lawful money of the United States of America. All payments shall be made at such address as the Holder shall hereafter give to the Borrower b written notice made in accordance with the provisions of this Note. Each capitalized term used herein, and not otherwise defined, shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in that certain Securities Purchase Agreement dated the date hereof, pursuant to which this Note was originally issued (the “Purchase Agreement”).

 

This Note is free from all taxes, liens, claims, and encumbrances with respect to the issue thereof and shall not be subject to preemptive rights or other similar rights of shareholders of the Borrower and will not impose personal liability upon the holder thereof.

 

The following terms shall apply to this Note:

 

ARTICLE I. GENERAL TERMS

 

1.1 Interest. A one-time interest charge of nineteen percent (19%) (the “interest Rate”) shall be applied on the Issuance Date to the principal amount ($240,000.00 * nineteen percent (19%) = $45,600). Interest hereunder shall be paid as set forth herein to the Holder or its assignee in whose name this Note is registered on the records of the Company regarding registration and transfers of Notes in cash or, in the Event of Default, at the Option of the Holder, converted into share of Common Stock as set forth herein.

 

 

1.2 Mandatory Monthly Payments. Accrued, unpaid interest and outstanding principal subject to adjustment, shall be paid in eight (8) payments as follows (a total payback of $285,600.00):

 

Payment Date		Payment Amount
August 17, 2024		$	185,600.00
September 17, 2024		$	22,000.00
October 17, 2024		$	22,000.00
November 17, 2024		$	22,000.00
December 17, 2024		$	22,000.00
January 17, 2025		$	3,000.00
February 17, 2025		$	3,000.00
March 17, 2025		$	3,000.00
April 17, 2025		$	3,000.00

 

The Company shall have a five (5) day grace period with respect to each payment. The Company has the right to prepay in full at any time with no prepayment penalty. All payments shall be made by bank wire transfer to the Holder’s wire instructions, attached hereto as Exhibit A. For the avoidance of doubt, a missed payment shall be considered an Event of Default.

 

ARTICLE II. RANKING AND CERTAIN COVENANTS

 

2.1 Sale of Assets. So long as the borrower shall have any obligation under this Note, the Borrower shall not, without the Holder’s written consent, sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any significant portion of its assets outside the ordinary course of business. Any consent to the disposition of any assets may be conditioned on a specified use of the proceeds of disposition subject to any requirements by the Borrower’s senior secured lender.

 

2.2 Repayment from Proceeds. If, at any time prior to the full repayment or full conversion of all amounts owed under this Note, the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries receives cash proceeds from, the issuance of securities pursuant to an Equity Line of Credit (as defined in this Note) of the Company, the Company shall, within one (1) business day of Company’s or the Subsidiaries’ receipt of such proceeds, inform the Holder of or publicly disclose such receipt, following which the Holder shall have the right in its sole discretion to require the Company or the Subsidiaries to immediately apply up to 10% of such proceeds to repay all or any portion of the outstanding Principal Amount and interest (including any Default Interest) then due under this Note. Failure of the Company to comply with this provision within 5 business days of the event, shall constitute an Event of Default. “Equity Line of Credit” shall mean any transaction involving a written agreement between the Company and an investor or underwriter whereby the Company has the right to “put” its Ordinary Shares to the investor or underwriter over an agreed period of time and at an agreed price or price formula (such Ordinary Shares must be registered pursuant to a registration statement of the Company for the investor’s or underwriter’s resale).

 

ARTICLE III. EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

If any of the following events of default (each, an “Event of Default”) shall occur.

 

3.1 Failure to Pay Principal and Interest. The Borrower fails to pay the principal hereof or interest thereon when due on this Note, whether at maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise and such breach continues for a period of five (5) days after written notice from the Holder.

 

3.2 Breach of Covenants. The Borrower breaches any material covenant or other material term, or condition contained in this Note and any collateral documents including but not limited to the Purchase Agreement and such breach continues for a period of twenty (20) days after written notice thereof to the borrower from the holder.

 

 

3.3 Breach of Representations and Warranties. Any representation or warranty of the Borrower made herein or in any agreement, statement or certificate given in writing pursuant hereto or in connection herewith (including, without limitation, the Purchase Agreement), shall be false or misleading in any material respect when made and the breach of which has (or with the passage of time will have) a material adverse effect on the rights of the Holder with respect to this Note or the Purchase Agreement.

 

3.4 Receiver or Trustee. The Borrower or any subsidiary of the Borrower shall make an assignment for the benefit of creditors or apply for or consent to the appointment of a receiver or trustee for it or for a substantial part of its property or business, or such a receiver or trustee shall otherwise be appointed.

 

3.5 Bankruptcy. Bankruptcy insolvency, reorganization or liquidation proceedings or other proceedings, voluntary or involuntary, for relief under any bankruptcy law or any law for the relief of debtors shall be instituted by or against the Borrower or any subsidiary of the Borrower on or after the Issue Date.

 

3.6 Delisting of Common Stock. The Borrower shall fail to maintain the listing of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market, the Nasdaq SmallCap Market, the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE American Stock Exchange (collectively, the “Exchanges”).

 

3.7 Failure to Comply with the Exchange Act. The Borrower shall fail to materially comply with the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act; and/or the Borrower shall cease to be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

3.8 Liquidation. Any dissolution, liquidation, or winding up of Borrower or any substantial portion of its business.

 

3.9 Cessation of Operations. Any cessation of operations by Borrower or Borrower admits it is otherwise generally unable to pay its debts as such debts become due, provided, however, that any disclosure of the Borrower’s ability to continue as a “going concern” shall not be an admission that the Borrower cannot pay its debts as they become due.

 

3.10 Financial Statement Restatement. The restatement of any financial statements filed by the Borrower with the SEC at any time 180 days after the Issuance Date for any date or period until this Note is no longer outstanding. If the result of such restatement would, by comparison to the un-restated financial statement, have constituted a material adverse effect on the rights of the Holder with respect to this Note or the Purchase Agreement.

 

3.11 Replacement of Transfer Agent. In the event that the Borrower proposes to replace its transfer agent, the Borrower fails to provide, prior to the effective date of such replacement, a fully executed irrevocable Transfer Agent Instructions in a form as initially delivered pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (including but not limited to the provision to irrevocably reserve shares of Common Stock in the Reserved Amount) signed by the successor transfer agent to Borrower and the Borrower.

 

3.12 Shareholder Approval. The Company fails to cause such Shareholder Approval (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) to become effective pursuant to Rule 14c-2 promulgated under the 1934 Act within 180 calendar days after the Issue Date.

 

Upon the occurrence and during the continuation of any Event of Default, the Note shall become immediately due and payable, and the Borrower shall pay to the Holder, in full satisfaction of its obligations hereunder, an amount equal to 150% times the sum of (w) the then outstanding principal amount of this Note plus (x) accrued and unpaid interest on the unpaid principal amount of this Note to the date of payment (the “Mandatory Prepayment Date”) plus (y) Default Interest, if any, on the amounts referred to in the clauses (w) and/or (x) plus (z) any amounts owed to the Holder pursuant to Article IV hereof (the then outstanding principal amount of this Note to the date of payment plus the amounts referred to in clauses (x), (y) and (z) shall collectively be known as the “Default Amount”) and all other amounts payable hereunder shall immediately become due and payable, all without demand, presentment or notice all of which hereby are expressly waived, together with all costs, including, without limitation, legal fees and expenses, of collection, and the Holder shall be entitled to exercise all other rights and remedies available at law or in equity.

 

 

ARTICLE IV. CONVERSION RIGHTS

 

4.1 Conversion right. After the occurrence of an Event of default, at any time, the Holder shall have the right, to convert all or any part of the outstanding and unpaid amount of this Note into fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock, as such Common Stock exists on the issue Date, or any shares of capital stock or other securities of the Borrower into which such Common Stock shall hereafter be changed or reclassified at the conversion price determined as provided herein (a “Conversion”); provided, however, that in no event shall the Holder be entitled to convert any portion of this Note in excess of that portion of this Note upon conversion of which the sum of (1) the number of Shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Holder and its affiliates (other than shares of Common Stock which may be deemed beneficially owned through the ownership of the unconverted portion of the Notes or the unexercised or unconverted portion of any other security of the Borrower subject to a limitation on conversion or exercise analogous to the limitations contained herein) and (2) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion of the portion of this Note with respect to which the determination of this proviso is being made, would result in beneficial ownership by the Holder and its affiliates of more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. For purposes of the proviso to the immediately preceding sentence, beneficial ownership shall be determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Regulations 13D-G thereunder, except as otherwise provided in clause (1) of such proviso. The beneficial ownership limitations on conversion as set forth in the section may NOT be waived by the Holder. The number of shares of Common Stock to be issue upon each conversion of this Note shall be determined by dividing the Conversion Amount (as defined below) by the applicable Conversion Price then in effect on the date specified in the notice of conversion, in the form attached hereto a Exhibit B (the “Notice of Conversion”), delivered to the Borrower by the Holder in accordance with Section 4.4 below; provided that the Notice of Conversion is submitted by facsimile or e-mail (or by other means resulting in, or reasonable expected to result in, notice) to the Borrower before 6:00 p.m., New York, New York time on such conversion date (the “Conversion Date”); however, if the Notice of Conversion is sent after 6:00pm, New York, New York time the Conversion Date shall be the next business day. The term “Conversion Amount” means, with respect to any conversion of this Note, the sum of (1) the principal amount of this Note to be converted in such conversion plus (2) at the Holder’s option, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on such principal amount at the interest rates provided in this Note to the Conversion Date, plus (3) at the Holder’s option Default Interest, if any, on the amounts referred to in the immediately preceding clauses(1) and/or (2) plus (4) at the Holder’s option any amounts owed to the Holder pursuant to Sections 4.4 hereof. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, and in addition to the limitations set forth herein, if the Borrower has not obtained Shareholder Approval, the Borrower shall not issue a number of shares of Common Stock under this Agreement, which when aggregated with all other securities that are required to be aggregated for the purposes of Rule 5635(d), would exceed 19.99% of the shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the date of definitive agreement with respect to the first of such aggregated transactions (the “Conversion Limitation”). For purposes of this section, “Shareholder Approval” means such approval as may be required by the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (or any successor entity) from the shareholders of the Company with respect to the issuance of the shares under this Agreement that, when taken together with any other securities that are required to be aggregated with the issuance of the shares issued under this Agreement for the purposes of Rule 5635(d) of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Rule 5635(d)”), would exceed 19.99% of the issued and outstanding common stock as of the date of definitive agreement with respect to the first of such aggregated transactions. “Principal Market” means the Exchanges the quotation platforms maintained by the OTC Markets Group or an equivalent replacement exchange, and all rules and regulations relating to such exchange. Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default pursuant to Section 3.6 hereof, the Conversion Limitation shall no longer apply to limit the issuance of shares in conversion of this note.

 

 

4.2 Conversion Price. The conversion Price shall mean 61% multiplied by the Market Price (as defined herein) (representing a discount rate of 39%), (subject to equitable adjustments for stock splits stock dividends or rights offerings by the Borrower relating to the Borrower’s securities or the securities of any subsidiary of the Borrower, combinations, recapitalization, reclassifications, extraordinary distributions, and similar events). “Market Price” means the lowest Trading Price (as defined below) for the Common stock during the twenty (20) Trading Day period ending on the latest complete Trading Day prior to the Conversion Date. “Trading Price” means, for any security as of any date, the closing bid price on the or applicable exchange or trading market (the “Trading Market”) as reported by a reliable reporting service (“Reporting Service”) designated by the Holder (i.e. Bloomberg) or, if the Trading Market is not the principal trading market for such security, the closing bid price of such security on the principal securities exchange or trading market where such security is listed or traded or, if no closing bid price of such security is available in any of the foregoing manners, the average of the closing bid prices of any market makers for such security that are listed in the “pink sheets”. If the Trading Price cannot be calculated for such security on such date in the manner provided above, the Trading Price shall be the fair market value as mutually determined by the Borrower and the holders of a majority in interest of the Notes being converted for which the calculation of the Trading Price is required in order to determine the Conversion Price of such Notes. “Trading Day” shall mean any day on which the Common Stock is tradable for any period on the Trading Market, or on the principal securities exchange or other securities market on which the Common Stock is then being traded.

 

4.3 Authorized Shares. The Borrower covenants that during the period that the Note is outstanding, the Borrower will reserve from its authorized and unissued Common Stock a sufficient number of shares, free from preemptive rights, to provide for the issuance of Common Stock upon the full conversion of this note issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. The Borrower is required at all times to have authorized and reserved four times the number of shares that is actually issuable upon full conversion of the Note (based on the Conversion Price of the Note in effect from time to time initially 2,000,000 shares) (the “Reserved Amount”)., said shares will be converted to a future reverse stock split. Example: if 40/1 the reserved will be adjusted to 50,000 shares The reserved Amount shall be increased (or decreased) from time to time (and in the case of each payment received by the Holder hereunder) in accordance with the Borrower’s obligations hereunder. The Borrower represents that upon issuance, such shares will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. In addition, if the Borrower shall issue any securities or make any change to its capital structure which would change the number of shares of Common Stock into which the Notes shall be convertible at the then current Conversion Price, the Borrower shall at the time make proper provision so that thereafter there shall be sufficient number of shares of Common Stock authorized and reserved, free from preemptive rights, for conversion of the outstanding Note. The Borrower (i) acknowledges that it has irrevocably instructed its transfer agent to issue certificates for the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note, and (ii) agrees that its issuance of this Note shall constitute full authority to its officers and agents who are charged with the duty of executing stock certificates to execute and issue the necessary certificates for shares of Common Stock in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Note.

 

If at any time the Borrower does not maintain the Reserved Amount, it will be considered an Event of Default under this Note.

 

4.4 Method of Conversion.

 

(a) Mechanics of Conversion. As set forth in Section 4.1 hereof, at any time following an Even of Default, and during the continuation thereof, the balance due pursuant to this Note may be converted by the Holder in whole or in part at any time from time to time after the Issue Date, by (A) submitting to the Borrower a Notice of Conversion (by facsimile, e-mail or other reasonable means of communication dispatched on the Conversion Date prior to 6:00 p.m., New York, New York time) and (B) subject to Section 4.4(b), surrendering this Note at the principal office of the Borrower (upon payment in full of any amounts owed hereunder).

 

 

(b) Surrender of Note Upon Conversion. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, upon conversion of this Note in accordance with the terms hereof, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Note to the Borrower unless the entire unpaid Principal Amount is so converted. The Holder and the Borrower shall maintain records showing the Principal Amount so converted and the dates of such conversions or shall use such other method, reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and the Borrower, so as not to require physical surrender of this Note upon each such conversion.

 

(c) Delivery of Common Stock Upon Conversion. Upon receipt by the borrower from the holder of a facsimile transmission or e-mail (or other reasonable means of communication) of a notice of Conversion meeting the requirements for conversion as provided in this Section 4.4, the Borrower shall issue and deliver or cause to be issued and delivered to or upon the order of the holder certificates for the Common Stock issuable upon such conversion within three (3) business days after such receipt subject to the terms hereof and applicable rules of the Principal Market (as defined hereinbelow) (the “Deadline”) (and, solely in the case of conversion of the entire unpaid principal amount hereof, surrender of this Note) in accordance with the terms hereof and the Purchase Agreement,. Upon receipt by the Borrower of a Notice of Conversion, the Holder shall be deemed to be the holder of record of the Common Stock issuable upon such conversion, the outstanding principal amount and the amount of accrued and unpaid interest on this Note shall be reduced to reflect such conversion, and unless the Borrower defaults on its obligations hereunder all rights with respect to the portion of this Note being so converted shall forthwith terminate except the right to receive the Common Stock or other securities cash or other assets as herein provided on such conversion. If the Holder shall have given a Notice of Conversion as provided herein, the Borrower’s obligation to issue and deliver the certificates for Common Stock shall be absolute and unconditional, irrespective of the absence of any action by the Holder to enforce the same, any waiver or consent with respect to any provision thereof, the recovery of any judgment against any person or any action to enforce the same, any failure or delay in the enforcement of any other obligation of the Borrower to the holder of record, or any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, limitation or termination, or any breach or alleged breach by the Holder of any obligation to the Borrower, and irrespective of any other circumstance which might otherwise limit such obligation of the Borrower to the Holder in connection with such conversion.

 

(d) Delivery of Common Stock by Electronic Transfer. In lieu of delivering physical certificates representing the Common Stock issuable upon conversion, provided the Borrower is participating in the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) Fast Automated Securities Transfer (“FAST”) program, upon request of the Holder and its compliance with the provisions set forth herein, the Borrower shall use its best efforts to cause its transfer agent to electronically transmit the Common Stock issuable upon conversion to the Holder by crediting the account of Holder’s Prime Broker with DTC through its Deposit and Withdrawal at Custodian (“DWAC”) system.

 

(e) Failure to Deliver Common Stock Prior to Deadline. Without in any way limiting the Holder’s right to pursue other remedies, including actual damages and/or equitable relief, the parties agree that if delivery of the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note is not delivered by the Deadline due to action and /or inaction of the Borrower, the Borrower shall pay to the Holder $2,000 per day in cash, for each day beyond the Deadline that the Borrower fails to deliver such Common Stock (the “Fail to Deliver Fee”); provided; however that the Fail to Deliver Fee shall not be due if the failure is a result of a third party (i.e., transfer agent; and not the result of any failure to pay such transfer agent) despite the best efforts of the Borrower to effect deliver of such Common Stock. Such case amount shall be paid to Holder by the fifth day of the month following the month in which it has accrued or, at the option of the Holder (by written notice to the Borrower by the first day of the month following the month in which it has accrued), shall be added to the principal amount of this Note, in which even interest shall accrue thereon in accordance with the terms of this Note and such additional principal amount shall be convertible into Common Stock in accordance with the terms of this Note. The Borrower agrees that the right to convert is a valuable right to the Holder. The damages resulting from a failure attempt to frustrate, interference with such conversion right is difficult if not impossible to quality. Accordingly, the parties acknowledge that the liquidated damages provision contained in this Section 4.4(e) is justified.

 

 

4.5 Concerning the Shares. The shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note may not be sold or transferred unless: (i) such shares are sold pursuant to tan effective registration statement under the Act or (ii) the Borrower or its transfer agent shall have been furnished with an opinion of counsel (which opinion shall be in form, substance and scope customary for opinions of counsel in comparable transactions) to the effect that the shares to be sold or transferred may be sold or transferred pursuant to an exemption from such registration (such as Rule 144 or a successor rule) (“Rule 144”); or (iii) such shares are transferred to an “affiliate” (as defined in Rule 144) of the Borrower who agrees to sell or otherwise transfer the shares only in accordance with this Section 4.5 and who is an Accredited Investor (as defined in the Purchase Agreement).

 

Any restrictive legend on certificates representing shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note shall be removed and the Borrower shall issue to the Holder a new certificate therefore free of any transfer legend if the Borrower or its transfer agent shall have received an opinion of counsel from Holder’s counsel, in form, substance and scope customary for opinions of counsel in comparable transactions, to the effect that (i) a public sale or transfer of such Common Stock may be made without registration under the Act, which opinion shall be accepted by the Company so that the sale or transfer is effected; or (ii) in the case of the Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note, such security is registered for sale by the Holder under an effective registration statement filed under the Act; or otherwise may be sold pursuant to an exemption from registration. In the event that the Company does not reasonable accept the opinion of counsel provided by the Holder with respect to the transfer of Securities pursuant to an exemption from registration (such as Rule 144), it will be considered an Event of Default pursuant to this Note.

 

4.6 Effect of Default under this Note.

 

(a) Effect of Merger, Consolidation, Etc. At the option of the Holder, the sale, conveyance, or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Borrower, the effectuation by the Borrower of a transaction or series of related transactions in which more than 50% of the voting power of the Borrower is disposed of , or the consolidation, merger or other business combination of the Borrower with or into any other Person (as defined below) or Persons when the Borrower is not the survivor shall be deemed to be an Event of Default (as defined in Article III). “Person” shall mean any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, trust, or other entity or organization.

 

(b) Adjustment Due to Merger, Consolidation, Etc. If, at any time when this Note is issued and outstanding and prior to conversion of all of the note, there shall be any merger consolidation, exchange of shares, recapitalization, reorganization, or other similar even, as result of which shares of Common Stock of the Borrower shall be changed into the same or a different number of shares of another class or classes of stock or securities of the Borrower or another entity, or in case of any sale or conveyance of all or substantially all of the assets of the Borrower other than in connection with a plan of complete liquidation of the Borrower, then the Holder of this Note shall thereafter have the right to receive upon conversion of this Note, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified herein and in lieu of the shares of Common Stock immediately theretofore issuable upon conversion, such stock, securities or assets which the Holder would have been entitled to receive in such transaction had this Note been converted in full immediately prior to such transaction (without regard to any limitations on conversion set forth herein), and in any such case appropriate provisions shall be made with respect to the rights and interests of the Holder of this note to the end that the provisions hereof (including , without limitation, provisions for adjustment of the conversion Price and the number of shares issuable upon conversion of the Note) shall thereafter be applicable, as nearly as may be practicable in relation to any securities or assets thereafter deliverable upon the conversion hereof. The Borrower shall not affect any transaction described in this Section 4.6(b) unless (a) it first fives, to the extent practicable, ten (10) days prior written notice (but in any event at least five (5) days prior written notice) of the record date of the special meeting of shareholders to approve, or if there is no such record date, the consummation of, such merger, consolidation, exchange of shares, recapitalization, reorganization or other similar even or sale of assets (during which time the Holder shall be entitled to convert this Note) and (b) the resulting successor or acquiring entity (if not the Borrower) assumes by written instrument the obligations of this Note. The above provisions shall similarly apply to successive consolidations, mergers, sales, transfers or share exchanges.

 

 

(c) Adjustment Due to Distribution. If the Borrower shall declare of make any distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of Common Stock as dividend, stock repurchase, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including any dividend or distribution to the Borrower’s shareholders in cash or shares (or rights to acquire shares) of capital stock of subsidiary (i.e. a spin-off) (a “Distribution”), then the Holder of this Note shall be entitled , upon any conversion of this Note after the date of record for determining shareholders entitled to such Distribution, to receive the amount of such assets which would have been payable to the Holder with respect to the shares of Common Stock issuable upon such conversion had such Holder been the holder of such shares of Common Stock on the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to such Distribution.

 

ARTICLE V. MISCELLANEOUS

 

5.1 Failure or Indulgence Not Waiver. No failure or delay on the part of the Holder in the exercise of any power, right or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power, right or privilege preclude other or further exercise thereof or of any other right power or privileges. All rights and remedies existing hereunder are cumulative to, and not exclusive of, any rights or remedies otherwise available.

 

5.2 Notices. All notices, demands, requests, consents approvals, and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and, unless otherwise specified herein, shall be (i) personally served, (ii) deposited in the mail, registered or certified, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, (ii) delivered by reputable air courier service with charges prepaid, or (iv) transmitted by hand delivery, telegram, or facsimile, addressed as set forth below or to such other address as such party shall have specified most recently by written notice. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be deemed effective (a) upon hand delivery or delivery by facsimile, with accurate confirmation generated by the transmitting facsimile machine, at the address or number designated below (if delivered on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received), or the first business day following such delivery (if delivered other than on a business day during normal business hours where such notice is to be received) or (b) on the second business day following the date of mailing by express courier service, fully prepaid, addressed to such address, or upon actual receipt of such mailing, whichever shall first occur. The addresses for such communications shall be:

 

If to the Borrower, to:

 

BLUE STAR FOODS CORP.

3000 NW 109^th Avenue

Miami, Florida 33172

Attn: John R. Keeler, Chief Executive Officer

Email: ***@***

 

If to the Holder:

 

FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC

1040 First Avenue, STE 190

New York, NY 10022

Attn: Eli Fireman

Email: ***@***

 

 

5.3 Amendments. This Note and any provision hereof may only be amended by an instrument in writing signed by the Borrower and the Holder. The term “Note” and all reference thereto, as used throughout this instrument, shall mean this instrument (and the other Notes issued pursuant to the Purchase Agreement) as originally executed, or if later amended or supplemented, then as so amended or supplemented.

 

5.4 Assignability. This Note shall be binding upon the Borrower and its successors and assigns and shall inure to be the benefit of the Holder and its successors and assigns. Each transferee of this Note must be an “accredited investor” (as defined in Rule 501(a) of the Securities and Exchange Commission). Notwithstanding anything in this Note to the contrary, this Note may be pledged as collateral in connection with a bona fide margin account or other lending arrangement; and may be assigned by the Holder without the consent of the Borrower.

 

5.5 Cost of Collection. If default is made in the payment of this Note, the Borrower shall pay the Holder hereof costs of collection, including reasonable attorneys’ fees.

 

5.6 Governing Law. This Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Delaware without regard to principles of conflicts of laws. Any action brought by either party against the other concerning the transactions contemplated by this Note shall be brought only in the state courts of Delaware or in the federal courts located in the state of Delaware. The parties to this Note hereby irrevocable waive any objection to jurisdiction and venue of any action instituted hereunder and shall not assert any objection or defense based on lack of jurisdiction or venue or based upon forum non conveniens. The Borrower and Holder waive trial by jury. The Holder shall be entitled to recover from the Borrower its reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred in connection with or related to any Event of Default by the Company, as defined in Article III hereof. In the event that any provision of this Note or any other agreement delivered in connection herewith is invalid or unenforceable under any applicable statute or rule of law, then such provision shall be deemed inoperative to the extent that it may conflict therewith and shall be deemed modified to conform with such statute or rule of law. Any such provision which may prove invalid or unenforceable under any law shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision hereof or any agreement delivered in connection herewith. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any suit, action or proceeding in connection with this Note, and agreement or any other document delivered in connection with this Note by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Note and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained therein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

 

5.7 Purchase Agreement. By its acceptance of this Note, each party agrees to be bound by the applicable terms of the Purchase Agreement.

 

5.5 Remedies. The Borrower acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable harm to the Holder, by vitiating the intent and purpose of the transaction contemplated hereby. Accordingly, the Borrower acknowledges that the remedy at law for a breach of its obligations under this Note will be inadequate and agrees in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Borrower of the provisions of this Note, that the Holder shall be entitled, in addition to all other available remedies at law or in equity and in addition to the penalties assessable herein, to an injunction or injunctions restraining, preventing or curing any breach of this Note and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions thereof, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Borrower has caused this Note to be signed in its name by its duly authorized officer on May 17, 2024.

 

BLUE STAR FOODS CORP.
By:	/s/ John R. Keeler
Name:	John R. Keeler
Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

 

EXHIBIT A – WIRE INSTRUCTIONS

 

Bank Name:
Bank Address:
Routing Number:
Beneficiary Account Number:
Beneficiary:	FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC
Mailing Address:

 

 

NOTICE OF CONVERSION

 

The undersigned hereby elects to convert $____________ principal amount of the Note (defined below) into that number of shares of Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the conversion of the Note (“Common Stock”) as set forth below of BLUE STAR FOODS CORP., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”) according to the conditions of the convertible note of the Borrower dated as of May 17, 2024 (the “Note”), as of the date written below. No fee will be charged to the Holder for any conversion, except for transfer taxes, if any.

 

Box Checked as to applicable instructions:

 

	[ ]	The Borrower shall electronically transmit the Common Stock issuable pursuant to this Notice of Conversion to the account of the undersigned or its nominee with DTC through Its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission system (“DWAC Transfer”).
		Name of DTC Prime Broker:
		Account Number:
	[ ]	The undersigned hereby requests that the Borrower issue a certificate or certificates for The number of shares of Common Stock set forth below (which numbers are based on The Holder’s calculation attached hereto) in the name(s) specified immediately below or, if additional space is necessary, on an attachment hereto:

 

Date of Conversion:
Applicable Conversion Price:		$
Number of Shares of common stock to be issued pursuant to conversion of the Notes:
Amount of Principal Balance due remaining under the Note after this conversion:

 

FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC

 

By:
Name:	Eli Fireman
Title:	Manager
Date:

 

 

DISBURSEMENT AUTHORIZATION

 

TO:	FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC (the “Investor”)
FROM:	BLUE STAR FOODS CORP. (the “Company”)
DATE:	May 17, 2024
RE:	Disbursement of Funds

 

In connection with the issuance of that certain 19% convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $240,000.00 (the “Note”), pursuant to that certain securities purchase agreement dated as of May 17, 2024, the Investor is hereby directed to disburse the initial tranche purchase price of $200,000.00 as follows:

 

	1.	$195,00.00 to the Company, in accordance with the wire transfer instructions attached as Schedule A hereto; and
	2.	$5,000.00 to Securities Law Solutions, PLLC dba JDT Legal, for the Investor’s legal fees, in accordance with the wire transfer instructions attached as Schedule B hereto.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

	BLUE STAR FOODS CORP.
	By:	/s/ John Keeler
	Name:	John Keeler
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE TO DISBURSEMENT AUTHORIZATION]

 

 

Schedule A

 

Account Name:

 

ABA Routing Number:

 

Account Number:

 

Bank Name:

 

 

Schedule B

 

Account Name:

 

ABA Routing Number:

 

Account Number:

 

Bank Name:

 

 

OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE

 

The undersigned, John Keeler, Chief Executive Officer of BLUE STAR FOODS CORP., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the authorization and issuance of the 19% convertible promissory note in the aggregate principal amount of $240,000.00 in accordance with the securities purchase agreement dated May 17, 2024 (the “Purchase Agreement”), by and among the Company and FirstFire Global Opportunities Fund, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, hereby certifies that:

 

1. I am the duly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

 

2. The representations and warranties made by the Company in the Purchase Agreement are true and correct in all material respects as of the date of this Officer’s Certificate. The capitalization of the Company described in the Purchase Agreement has not changed as of the date hereof.

 

3. As of the date hereof, the Company has satisfied and duly performed all of the conditions and obligations specified the Purchase Agreement to be satisfied on or prior to the Closing Date (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) or such conditions and obligations have been waived expressly in writing signed by the purchaser.

 

4. The Company has complied with or, if compliance prior to Closing (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) is not required, promptly following the Closing the Company will comply with, the filing requirements in respect of this transaction under (a) Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”) (and applicable Blue-Sky regulations) and (b) the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

5. There has been no adverse change in the business, affairs, prospects, operations, properties, assets or condition of the Company since the date of the Company’s most recent financial statements filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, other than losses and matters which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Purchase Agreement).

 

6. The Company is qualified as a foreign corporation in all jurisdictions in which the Company owns or leases properties, or conducts any business except where failure of the Company to be so qualified would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

7. To the best of my knowledge and belief, no officer, director, owner of ten percent (10%) or more of the common stock, or other affiliate of the Company has been convicted within the previous ten (10) years of any felony in connection with the purchase or sale of any security, nor been subject to a United States Postal Service false representation order within the past ten (10) years.

 

8. The Company is an operating company, and is not a shell company. If the Company has previously been a shell company, it has since filed Form 10 information (supporting the claim that it is no longer a shell company), reported that it is no longer a shell company, filed all required reports for at least twelve consecutive months after the filing of the respective Form 10 information, and has therefore complied with Rule 144(i)(2).

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Officer’s Certificate as of May 17, 2024.

 

	/s/ John Keeler
	Name:	John Keeler
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE TO OFFICER’S CERTIFICATE]

 

 

BLUE STAR FOODS CORP.

 

IRREVOCABLE TRANSFER AGENT INSTRUCTIONS

 

May 17, 2024

 

VStock Transfer LLC

18 Lafayette Place

Woodmere, NY 11598

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

BLUE STAR FOODS CORP., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) and FIRSTFIRE GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FUND, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (collectively with its affiliates, successors and assigns, the “Lender”), have entered into a securities purchase agreement dated as of May 17, 2024 (the “Agreement”) providing for the issuance of a 19% convertible promissory note in the principal amount as of the date hereof of $240,000.00 (the “Note”). A copy of the Note is attached hereto. VStock Transfer LLC, as the registrar and transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”) for the Company’s common stock (the “Common Stock”), the Company requests that you familiarize yourself with your issuance and delivery obligations contained in the Note. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this instruction letter shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Note. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the instructions herein shall also apply to the issuance of, and removal of restrictive legend from, any shares of the Company’s common stock related to any amendment or settlement entered into between the Company and the Lender with respect to the Note.

 

You are hereby irrevocably authorized, directed and instructed to reserve a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock, to provide for the issuance of a number of shares of Common Stock into which the Note is convertible into (the “Conversion Shares”) (initially 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock) (the “Reserved Amount”), subject to reverse stock split calculation such that the Reserved Amount shall reset based upon the finalized split ratio (anticipated to be 1:50 reverse). Pursuant to the terms of the Note, the Reserved Amount shall be recalculated and adjusted, and in addition the Reserved Amount may be increased, from time to time, by written instructions of the Lender. Any shares reserved hereunder may be utilized by the Lender to satisfy the Company’s obligations under the Agreement or Note, and the transfer agent must issue such shares within three (3) business days of request from Lender, without the need for any action or confirmation by the Company.

 

The ability of the Lender to convert the Note into Conversion Shares in a timely manner is a material obligation of the Company pursuant to the Note. You are therefore irrevocably authorized, directed, and instructed to issue the Conversion Shares to the Lender as provided herein (without any restrictive legend, either in certificated form or through the facilities of the Depository Trust Company as requested by the Lender) upon the presentation by the Lender of customary documentation as described below without any further action or confirmation by the Company. The transfer agent shall issue the Conversion Shares within three (3) business days of your receipt from the Lender of: (A) a notice of conversion of the Note (a “Conversion Notice”) executed by the Lender; and (B) an opinion of counsel to the Company or the Lender, in form, substance and scope customary for opinions of counsel in comparable transactions, to the effect that the Conversion Shares issued to the Lender pursuant to the Conversion Notice are not “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144 or other applicable exemption and should be issued to the Lender without any restrictive legend. The transfer agent must issue the shares of common stock to the Lender, pursuant to this letter, despite any threatened or ongoing dispute between the Company and Lender, unless the Company provides a certified copy of a valid court order prohibiting such issuance prior to the issuance deadline for the respective conversion. The Transfer Agent will not be responsible for any of the numbers or calculations provided in the Notice of Conversion.

 

In the event that the Reserved Amount is insufficient to accommodate the number of Conversion Shares to be issued pursuant to a Conversion Notice, the Company agrees and directs that you issue the Conversion Shares that may be in excess of the Reserved Amount using all then available authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock.

 

 

The Company hereby requests and directs that your firm act immediately, without delay and without the need for any action or confirmation by the Company with respect to the issuance of Conversion Shares pursuant to any Conversion Notice received from the Lender. You are directed to not delay in processing any Conversion Notice owing to the fact that the Company is in arrears of its fees and other monies owed to your firm, and you acknowledge that you will not so delay any Conversion Notice processing. If at the time a Conversion Notice is delivered to your firm the Company is then in arrears to your firm, or has been placed on credit hold, Lender shall have the right as a condition to such processing to pre-pay the full cost of processing the Conversion Notice.

 

The Transfer Agent is hereby authorized and directed to promptly disclose to the Lender without any additional confirmation from the Company, after Lender’s request from time to time, the total number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding, cost basis on any issuance of the Company’s common stock, total number of shares of common stock in the float, total number of shares of common stock that are authorized but unissued and unreserved, and number of shares of the Company’s common stock held in reserve for the Lender. The Transfer Agent is also authorized to, without any additional confirmation from the Company, release any information you deem necessary towards the processing, clearing and settlement of the shares arising from this reservation, as well as effectuate a transfer of all or a portion of the shares of common stock reserved hereunder to any 3P^rdP party if directed to do so by Lender.

 

The Company shall indemnify you and your officers, directors, principals, partners, agents and representatives, and hold each of them harmless from and against any and all loss, liability, damage, claim, or expense (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of its attorneys) incurred by or asserted against you or any of them arising out of or in connection with the instructions set forth herein, the performance of your duties hereunder and otherwise in respect hereof, including the costs and expenses of defending yourself or themselves against any claim or liability hereunder, except that the Company shall not be liable hereunder as to matters in respect of which it is determined that you have acted with gross negligence or in bad faith (which gross negligence or bad faith must be determined by a final, non-appealable order, judgment, decree or ruling of a court of competent jurisdiction). You shall have no liability to the Company in respect to any action taken or any failure to act in respect of this if such action was taken or omitted to be taken in good faith, and you shall be entitled to rely in this regard on the advice of counsel.

 

The Board of Directors of the Company has approved the foregoing irrevocable instructions. The Company agrees that in the event that you resign or are terminated or removed as the Company’s transfer agent, the Company shall engage a suitable replacement transfer agent that will agree to serve as transfer agent for the Company and be bound by the terms and conditions of these irrevocable instructions within five (5) days of such event. The Company shall not terminate the Transfer Agent as the Company’s transfer agent without a signed consent from the Lender. The Lender is intended to be and is a third-party beneficiary hereof, and no amendment or modification to the instructions set forth herein may be made without the signed written consent of the Lender. Except from and after the date that you resign or are terminated or removed as the Company’s transfer agent, these irrevocable instructions may not be repealed, withdrawn or countermanded by the Company without the prior written consent of the Lender.

 

The Company acknowledges that the Lender is relying on the representations and covenants made by the Company in this agreement and that the representations and covenants contained in this agreement constitute a material inducement to the Lender purchasing the Note. The Company further acknowledges that without such representations and covenants of the Company, the Lender would not have purchased the Note.

 

The Lender is an intended third-party beneficiary of this agreement. The parties hereto specifically acknowledge and agree that in the event of a breach or threatened breach by a party hereto of any provision hereof, the Lender will be irreparably damaged, and that damages at law would be an inadequate remedy if this Letter were not specifically enforced. Therefore, in the event of a breach or threatened breach of this agreement, the Lender shall be entitled, in addition to all other rights or remedies, to an injunction restraining such breach, without being required to show any actual damage or to post any bond or other security, or to a decree for a specific performance of the provisions of this letter.

 

The parties hereto hereby expressly and irrevocably agree that any suit or proceeding arising directly or indirectly pursuant to or under this agreement shall be brought solely in a federal or state court located in the State of New York. By its execution hereof, the parties hereto covenant and irrevocably submit to the in personam jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located in the State of New York and agree that any process in any such action may be served upon any of them personally, or by certified mail or registered mail upon them or their agent, return receipt requested, with the same full force and effect as if personally served upon them in New York. The parties hereto expressly and irrevocably waive any claim that any such jurisdiction is not a convenient forum for any such suit or proceeding and any defense or lack of in personam jurisdiction with respect thereto.

 

[Signature page to follow]

 

 

	Very truly yours,
	BLUE STAR FOODS CORP.
	Signed:	/s/ John R. Keeler
	By:	John R. Keeler
	Title:	Chief Executive Officer

 

Acknowledged and Agreed as of the date first written above:

 

VStock Transfer LLC

 

Signed:
By:
Title:

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE TO TRANSFER AGENT LETTER]

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

(Note)

 

[EXHIBIT A TO TRANSFER AGENT LETTER]