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Exhibit 3.1

 

 

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
FTC SOLAR, INC.

 

 

Pursuant to Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the
Delaware General Corporation Law

 

 

FTC Solar, Inc. (the “Corporation”), a corporation organized and existing under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), does hereby certify as follows:

 

1.             The name of the Corporation is FTC Solar, Inc.  The original certificate of incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 3, 2017.

 

2.             This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) and by the stockholders of the Corporation in accordance with Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the DGCL.

 

3.             This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation restates and integrates and further amends the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, as heretofore amended or supplemented.

 

4.             Effective as of the date of its filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, the text of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended and restated in its entirety as follows:

 

FIRST:  The name of the Corporation is FTC Solar, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

 

SECOND:  The address of the registered office of the Corporation in the State of Delaware is 1013 Centre Road, Suite 403-B, Wilmington, DE, 19805, County of New Castle.  The name of its registered agent at that address is Vcorp Services, LLC.

 

THIRD:  The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which a corporation may be organized under the DGCL as set forth in Title 8 of the Delaware Code.

 

FOURTH:

 

A.            Authorized Capital Stock.  The total number of shares of all classes of stock that the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 860,000,000 shares of stock, consisting of (i) 850,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”) and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Preferred Stock”). The number of authorized shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the shares entitled to vote thereon irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL (or any successor provision thereto), and no vote of the holders of any of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock voting separately as a class shall be required therefor, unless a vote of any such holder is required pursuant to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation. 

 

 

B.            Common Stock.  The powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations and restrictions, of the Common Stock are as follows:

 

(a)           General.  The voting, dividend and liquidation rights of the holders of the Common Stock are subject to and qualified by the rights of the holders of the Preferred Stock of any series as may be designated by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board of Directors”) upon any issuance of the Preferred Stock of any series.

 

(b)           Voting.  The holders of the Common Stock shall have voting rights at all meetings of stockholders, each such holder being entitled to one vote for each share thereof held by such holder; provided, however, that, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (which, as used herein, shall mean the certificate of incorporation of the Corporation, as amended from time to time, including the terms of any certificate of designations of any series of Preferred Stock) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately or together as a class with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the DGCL.

 

(c)           No Cumulative Voting.  Holders of shares of Common Stock shall not have cumulative voting rights.

 

(d)           Dividends; Stock Splits.  Subject to the rights of the holders of Preferred Stock, and subject to any other provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as it may be amended from time to time, holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive such dividends and other distributions in cash, stock or property of the Corporation when, as and if declared thereon by the Board of Directors from time to time out of assets or funds of the Corporation legally available therefor.

 

(e)           Liquidation, Dissolution, etc.  In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up (either voluntary or involuntary) of the Corporation, after payments to creditors of the Corporation that may at the time be outstanding, and subject to the rights of any holders of Preferred Stock that may then be outstanding, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive the assets and funds of the Corporation available for distribution after payments to creditors and to the holders of any Preferred Stock of the Corporation that may at the time be outstanding, in proportion to the number of shares held by them.

 

(f)            No Preemptive or Subscription Rights.  No holder of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to preemptive or subscription rights.

 

C.            Preferred Stock.  The Board of Directors is expressly authorized to provide, out of the unissued shares of Preferred Stock, for the issuance of all or any shares of the Preferred Stock in one or more classes or series, and to fix for each such class or series such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such distinctive designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights and such qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as shall be stated and expressed in the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors providing for the issuance of such class or series and as may be permitted by the DGCL, including, without limitation, the authority to provide that any such class or series may be (i) subject to redemption at such time or times and at such price or prices; (ii) entitled to receive dividends (which may be cumulative or non-cumulative) at such rates, on such conditions, and at such times, and payable in preference to, or in such relation to, the dividends payable on any other class or classes or any other series; (iii) entitled to such rights upon the dissolution of, or upon any distribution of the assets of, the Corporation; or (iv) convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of any other class or classes of stock, or of any other series of the same or any other class or classes of stock, of the Corporation at such price or prices or at such rates of exchange and with such adjustments; all as may be stated in such resolution or resolutions.

 

D.            Power to Sell and Purchase Shares.  Subject to the requirements of applicable law, the Corporation shall have the power to issue and sell all or any part of any shares of any class of stock herein or hereafter authorized to such persons, and for such consideration, as the Board of Directors shall from time to time, in its discretion, determine, whether or not greater consideration could be received upon the issue or sale of the same number of shares of another class, and as otherwise permitted by law.  Subject to the requirements of applicable law, the Corporation shall have the power to purchase any shares of any class of stock herein or hereafter authorized from such persons, and for such consideration, as the Board of Directors shall from time to time, in its discretion, determine, whether or not less consideration could be paid upon the purchase of the same number of shares of another class, and as otherwise permitted by law.

 

 

E.            Stock Split.  Immediately upon the filing and effectiveness of this Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Effective Time”), a  stock split of the Common Stock shall become effective, pursuant to which each share of Common Stock outstanding and held of record by each stockholder of the Corporation or held by the Corporation in treasury immediately prior to the Effective Time shall automatically and without further action on the part of the Corporation or any holder thereof be reclassified and changed into 8.25 validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (the “Stock Split”).  Each stock certificate representing shares of Common Stock that was issued prior to the Effective Time shall, after the Effective Time, automatically and without the necessity of presenting the same for exchange, be deemed to represent the number of shares of Common Stock, into which such shares were reclassified pursuant to the Stock Split, and the holders of record thereof shall be entitled to receive, upon surrender of such certificate to the Corporation, a new certificate evidencing and representing the applicable number of shares of Common Stock resulting from the Stock Split.

 

FIFTH:  The following provisions are inserted for the management of the business and the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and for further definition, limitation and regulation of the powers of the Corporation and of its directors and stockholders:

 

A.            The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors.

 

B.            In accordance with Article TENTH, the directors shall have concurrent power with the stockholders to make, alter, amend, change, add to, or repeal the By-Laws of the Corporation.

 

C.            The Board of Directors shall consist of not less than three or more than fifteen members, the exact number of which shall be fixed from time to time exclusively by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors.  Election of directors need not be by written ballot unless the By-Laws so provide.

 

D.            The directors (other than those directors elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series or together with one or more other such series, as the case may be) shall be divided into three classes designated Class I, Class II and Class III. Each class shall consist, as nearly as possible, of one-third (1/3) of the total number of such directors. The initial division of the Board of Directors into classes shall be made by the decision of the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors. Class I directors shall initially serve for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the closing of the initial public offering of the Common Stock (the “IPO Date”), Class II directors shall initially serve for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the IPO Date and Class III directors shall initially serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the IPO Date or, in each case, upon such director’s earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal from office. Any director may resign at any time in accordance with the By-Laws. At each succeeding annual meeting of stockholders commencing with the first annual meeting of stockholders following the IPO Date, successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that annual meeting shall be elected for a three (3)-year term and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. If the total number of such directors is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned among the classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, and any such additional director of any class elected to fill a newly created directorship resulting from an increase in such class or from the removal from office, death, disability, retirement, resignation or disqualification of a director or other cause shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class, but in no case shall a decrease in the total number of directors have the effect of removing or shortening the term of any incumbent director. Any such director shall hold office until the annual meeting at which his or her term expires and until his or her successor shall be elected and qualified, or his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal from office.            

E.            Subject to the terms of any one or more classes or series of Preferred Stock, any vacancy on the Board of Directors that results from an increase in the number of directors may be filled only by a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, provided that a quorum is present, and any other vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors may be filled only by a majority of the Board of Directors then in office, even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.  Any director elected to fill a vacancy resulting from an increase in the number of directors shall hold office until the next election of the class for which such director shall have been chosen and until his or her successor shall be elected and qualified, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal from office.  Any director elected to fill a vacancy not resulting from an increase in the number of directors shall have the same remaining term as that of his predecessor.  Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding, any or all of the directors of the Corporation may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause at a meeting of stockholders at which a quorum is present and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the voting power of the Corporation’s then outstanding capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the holders of any one or more classes or series of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation shall have the right, voting separately by class or series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, filling of vacancies and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation applicable thereto, and such directors so elected shall not be divided into classes pursuant to this Article FIFTH.

F.            In addition to the powers and authority hereinbefore or by statute expressly conferred upon them, the directors are hereby empowered to exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things as may be exercised or done by the Corporation, subject, nevertheless, to the provisions of the DGCL, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, and any By-Laws adopted by the stockholders; provided, however, that no By-Laws hereafter adopted by the stockholders shall invalidate any prior act of the directors which would have been valid if such By-Laws had not been adopted.

 

SIXTH:  No director shall be personally liable to the Corporation or any of its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director; provided, however, that to the extent required by the provisions of Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL or any successor statute, or any other laws of the State of Delaware, this provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. If the DGCL is amended after the date of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation, in addition to the limitation on personal liability provided in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.  Any repeal or modification of this Article SIXTH by the stockholders of the Corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification.

 

SEVENTH:  A.  Any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, and the ability of the stockholders to consent in writing to the taking of any action is hereby specifically denied.

 

B.            Except as otherwise required by law, special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called by (i) the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or (ii) the Board of Directors. The ability of the stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders is hereby specifically denied.

 

EIGHTH:  The Corporation shall indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent authorized or permitted by law, as now or hereafter in effect, and such right to indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director or officer of the Corporation and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives; provided, however, that, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification, the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director or officer (or his or her heirs, executors or personal or legal representatives) in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless such proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized or consented to by the Board of Directors.  The right to indemnification conferred by this Article EIGHTH shall include the right to be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding in advance of its final disposition upon receipt by the Corporation of an undertaking by or on behalf of the director or officer receiving advancement to repay the amount advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that such person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation under this Article EIGHTH.

 

 

The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors, provide rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses to employees and agents of the Corporation similar to those conferred in this Article EIGHTH to directors and officers of the Corporation. 

 

The rights to indemnification and to the advance of expenses conferred in this Article EIGHTH shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the By-Laws of the Corporation, any statute, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

Any repeal or modification of this Article EIGHTH shall not adversely affect any rights to indemnification and to the advancement of expenses of a director or officer of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification with respect to any acts or omissions occurring prior to such repeal or modification.

 

NINTH:  Meetings of stockholders may be held within or outside the State of Delaware, as the By-Laws may provide.  The books of the Corporation may be kept (subject to any provision contained in the DGCL) outside the State of Delaware at such place or places as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors or in the By-Laws of the Corporation.

 

TENTH:  In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred upon it by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors shall have the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Corporation’s By-Laws.  The affirmative vote of at least a majority of the entire Board of Directors shall be required to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Corporation’s By-Laws.  Alternatively, the Corporation’s By-Laws also may be adopted, amended, altered or repealed by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 ⅔%) of the voting power of the shares entitled to vote at an election of directors.

 

ELEVENTH:  The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed in this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the Corporation’s By-Laws or the DGCL, and all rights herein conferred upon stockholders are granted subject to such reservation; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (and in addition to any other vote that may be required by law), the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of the voting power of the shares entitled to vote at an election of directors shall be required to amend, alter, change or repeal, or to adopt any provision as part of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation inconsistent with the purpose and intent of Articles FIFTH, SEVENTH and EIGHTH of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or this Article ELEVENTH.

 

TWELFTH: If any provision or provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (ii) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the provisions of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including, without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service to or for the benefit of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

 

THIRTEENTH: Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any (i) derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, stockholder or employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director, officer or employee of the Corporation arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the By-laws (as each may be amended and/or restated from time to time), or as to which the DGCL confers exclusive jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery, (iv) action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation or the By-laws (as each may be amended and/or restated from time to time), (v) action asserting a claim against the Corporation or any director, officer or employee of the Corporation governed by the internal affairs doctrine, or (vi) action asserting an “internal corporate claim” as defined in Section 115 of the DGCL, provided, however, that, in the event that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware lacks subject matter jurisdiction over any such action or proceeding, the sole and exclusive forum for such action or proceeding shall be another state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, in each such case, unless the Court of Chancery (or such other state or federal court located within the State of Delaware, as applicable) has dismissed a prior action by the same plaintiff asserting the same claims because such court lacked personal jurisdiction over an indispensable party named as a defendant therein; provided, further, that, the exclusive forum provisions will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act, or to any claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts are the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act, subject to a final adjudication in the State of Delaware of the enforceability of such exclusive forum provision. To the fullest extent permitted by law, any person purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article THIRTEENTH. 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be executed on its behalf this 28^th day of April, 2021. 

 

	FTC SOLAR, INC.
	By:	/s/ Anthony P. Etnyre
		Name: Anthony P. Etnyre
		Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

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