Form of Placement Unit Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and Mehana Capital LLC

Exhibit 10.3

Pono Capital Three, Inc.

643 Ilalo Street

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

[      ], 2023

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Pono Capital Three, Inc. (the “Company”), a blank check company formed for the purpose of acquiring one or more businesses or entities (a “Business Combination”), intends to register its securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”), in connection with its initial public offering (“IPO”), pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 (“Registration Statement”).

The undersigned hereby commits that it will purchase 511,375 units of the Company (“Private Units”), each Private Unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share of the Company, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Class A Ordinary Share”), and one warrant (the “Warrants”), with each whole warrant entitling its holder to purchase one (1) Ordinary Share, for a purchase price of $5,113,750 (the “Private Unit Purchase Price”).

The undersigned hereby agrees that it will purchase an additional amount of units of the Company (“Over-Allotment Units”), up to a maximum of 54,000 Over-Allotment Units, or a maximum purchase price of $540,000 (“Over-Allotment Unit Purchase Price”, together with the Private Unit Purchase Price, the “Purchase Price”), in the event EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC (“EF Hutton”) exercises its over-allotment option, such that the amount held in the trust account (as described in the Registration Statement) does not fall below $10.25 per share for each Class A Ordinary Shares sold in the IPO.

At least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the effective date of the Registration Statement, the undersigned will cause the Private Unit Purchase Price to be delivered to Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP (“Nelson Mullins”), counsel for the Company, by wire transfer as set forth in the instructions attached as Exhibit A to hold in a non-interest bearing account until the Company consummates the IPO.

The consummation of the purchase and issuance of the Private Units shall occur simultaneously with the consummation of the IPO and the consummation of the purchase and issuance of the Over-Allotment Units shall occur simultaneously with the closing of any exercise of the over-allotment option related to the IPO. Simultaneously with the consummation of the IPO, Nelson Mullins shall deposit the Private Unit Purchase Price, without interest or deduction, into the trust fund (“Trust Fund”) established by the Company for the benefit of the Company’s public shareholders as described in the Registration Statement. If the Company does not complete the IPO within ten (10) days from the date of this letter, the Private Unit Purchase Price (without interest or deduction) will be returned to the undersigned.

Each of the Company, and the undersigned acknowledges and agrees that Nelson Mullins is serving hereunder solely as a convenience to the parties to facilitate the purchase of the Private Units and Nelson Mullins’s sole obligation under this letter agreement is to act with respect to holding and disbursing the Private Unit Purchase Price as described above. Nelson Mullins shall not be liable to the Company, EF Hutton or the undersigned or any other person or entity in respect of any act or failure to act hereunder or otherwise in connection with performing its services hereunder unless Nelson Mullins has acted in a manner constituting gross negligence or willful misconduct. The Company and the undersigned shall indemnify Nelson Mullins against any claim made against it (including reasonable attorney’s fees) by reason of it acting or failing to act in connection with this letter agreement except as a result of its gross negligence or willful misconduct. Nelson Mullins may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any written notice, instruction or request furnished to it hereunder and believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

The Private Units and Over-Allotment Units will be identical to the units to be sold by the Company in the IPO, and the holders of the Private Units and Over-Allotment Units are entitled to registration rights. Additionally, the undersigned agrees:

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the purchaser of the Private Units and Over-Allotment Units will execute agreements in form and substance typical for transactions of this nature necessary to effectuate the foregoing agreements and obligations prior to the consummation of the IPO as are reasonably acceptable to the undersigned, including but not limited to an insider letter.

The undersigned hereby represents and warrants that:

This letter agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the undersigned and the Company with respect to the purchase of the Private Units and Over-Allotment Units, and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations and warranties, both written and oral, with respect to the same.

Exhibit A

Wire Instructions

Bank Name: [redacted]

Bank Address: [redacted]

Account Name: [redacted]

Account Number: [redacted]

Routing/ABA Number (Domestic Wires): [redacted]