SUGAR LAND, Texas, Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. AAOI (" AOI ," " we ," " us " or " our ") announced today that it has closed its exchange with holders (the " Noteholders ") of its 5.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (the " 2026 Notes ") of approximately $76.7 million principal amount of the 2026 Notes for (i) $125 million aggregate principal amount of 2.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2030 (the " 2030 Notes "), (ii) 1,487,874 shares of our common stock (the " Exchange Shares ") and (iii) approximately $89.6 thousand in cash representing accrued interest on the 2026 Notes and the value of fractional shares (such transactions, collectively, the " Exchanges "). The 2030 Notes are our senior, unsecured obligations and are equal in right of payment with our existing and future senior, unsecured indebtedness, senior in right of payment to our existing and future indebtedness that is expressly subordinated to the 2030 Notes and effectively subordinated to our existing and future secured indebtedness, to the extent of the value of the collateral securing that indebtedness. The 2030 Notes bear interest at a rate of 2.75% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on July 15, 2025. The 2030 Notes will mature on January 15, 2030, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. The 2030 Notes are convertible at the option of holders of the 2030 Notes under certain specified circumstances, as set forth in the indenture governing the 2030 Notes. We will settle conversions by paying or delivering, as applicable, cash, shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our election, based on the applicable conversion rate. The initial conversion rate is approximately 23.0884 shares of our common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2030 Notes, representing an initial conversion price of approximately $43.31 per share of our common stock, an approximately 27.50% premium to the closing price of our common stock on December 18, 2024. If a Make-Whole Fundamental Change (as defined in the indenture governing the 2030 Notes) occurs, and in connection with certain other conversions, we will in certain circumstances increase the conversion rate for a specified period of time. Except in connection with the completion of the Specified Divestiture (as described below), we may not redeem the 2030 Notes prior to January 15, 2027. On or after January 15, 2027, and on or before the 40 th scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date, we may redeem all or part of the 2030 Notes for cash if the last reported sale price per share of our common stock exceeds 130% of the conversion price on (i) each of at least 20 trading days, whether or not consecutive, during the 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the trading day immediately before the date we send the related redemption notice; and (ii) the trading day immediately before the date we send such redemption notice, at a cash redemption price equal to the principal amount of the 2030 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. Holders may require us to repurchase their 2030 Notes upon the occurrence of a Fundamental Change (as defined in the indenture governing the 2030 Notes) at a cash purchase price equal to the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. In addition, the 2030 Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, at our option at any time, and from time to time, on or before the 40 th scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date, at a cash redemption price equal to the principal amount of the 2030 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date, if the "Specified Divestiture" (as defined in the indenture governing the 2030 Notes) is completed. If the Specified Divestiture is completed, each holder will have the right to require us to repurchase its 2030 Notes for cash at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of such 2030 Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the repurchase date. The issuance of the 2030 Notes, the Exchange Shares and the shares of our common stock issuable upon conversion of the 2030 Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the " Securities Act "), and the 2030 Notes, the Exchange Shares and such shares issuable upon conversion of the 2030 Notes may not be offered or sold without registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state or other jurisdictions' securities laws, or in transactions not subject to those registration requirements. Concurrently with the Exchanges, AOI issued an aggregate of 1,036,458 shares of common stock, at a purchase price of $33.97 per share, in a registered direct offering (the " Registered Direct Offering "). Estimated net proceeds from the Registered Direct Offering are approximately $33.7 million after deducting placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses incurred by us. We intend to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, capital expenditures and working capital. We may also use such proceeds to fund acquisitions of businesses, technologies or product lines that complement our current business; however, we have no present plans, agreements or commitments with respect to any potential acquisition. Stefan Murry, AOI's Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, stated that "AOI expects to benefit from the convertible debt exchange transactions and the concurrent registered direct offering by, among other things, extending our convertible debt from 2026 to 2030, reducing our existing interest expense and strengthening the cash position of our balance sheet by approximately $30.2 million through the registered direct offering. In addition, the convertible debt exchange transactions increase our financial flexibility by removing certain existing restrictive covenants in our 2026 Notes. We were able to execute these transactions with minimal additional dilution of approximately 0.5%, compared to the implied dilution of the shares underlying the 2026 Notes." The Registered Direct Offering was made pursuant to an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3ASR (Registration File No. 333-283905), which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the " SEC ") on December 18, 2024, and became effective immediately upon filing, including the prospectus contained therein, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated December 18, 2024 filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act on December 20, 2024. The prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the Registered Direct Offering are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . Raymond James & Associates, Inc. acted as AOI's exclusive financial advisor in connection with the Exchanges and acted as the sole placement agent in connection with the Registered Direct Offering. Haynes Boone LLP acted as legal advisor to AOI and Mayer Brown LLP acted as legal advisor to Raymond James & Associates, Inc., in connection with the Exchanges and the Registered Direct Offering. This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor will there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "could," "would," "target," "seek," "aim," "predicts," "think," "objectives," "optimistic," "new," "goal," "strategy," "potential," "is likely," "will," "expect," "plan" "project," "permit" or by other similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Such forward-looking statements reflect the views of management at the time such statements are made. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions and current expectations, which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: reduction in the size or quantity of customer orders; change in demand for our products due to industry conditions; changes in manufacturing operations; volatility in manufacturing costs; delays in shipments of products; disruptions in the supply chain; change in the rate of design wins or the rate of customer acceptance of new products; our reliance on a small number of customers for a substantial portion of its revenues; potential pricing pressure; a decline in demand for our customers' products or their rate of deployment of their products; general conditions in the internet datacenter, cable television (CATV) broadband, telecom, or fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) markets; changes in the world economy (particularly in the United States and China); changes in the regulation and taxation of international trade, including the imposition of tariffs; changes in currency exchange rates; the negative effects of seasonality; the impact of any pandemics or similar events on our business and financial results; and other risks and uncertainties described more fully in our documents filed with or furnished to the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2024, June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024. More information about these and other risks that may impact our business are set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of our quarterly and annual reports on file with the SEC. You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to us as of the date hereof, and qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this press release to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations. About Applied Optoelectronics Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical products, including components, modules and equipment. AOI's products are the building blocks for broadband fiber access networks around the world, where they are used in the CATV broadband, internet datacenter, telecom and FTTH markets. AOI supplies optical networking lasers, components and equipment to tier-1 customers in all four of these markets. In addition to its corporate headquarters, wafer fab and advanced engineering and production facilities in Sugar Land, TX, AOI has engineering and manufacturing facilities in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. Investor Relations Contacts: The Blueshirt Group, Investor Relations Monica Gould +1-212-871-3927 ir@ao-inc.com Cassidy Fuller +1-415-217-4968 ir@ao-inc.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Nonejili slot jackpot super ace 。

Arista Networks Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors

Life-sized nutcrackers clad in red, blue and golden yellow diligently standing watch. A cardboard cutout of wide-eyed Hermey the Elf from the 1964 classic, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Blow-up molds of “Despicable Me” minions. Naperville lawns are as festive as ever this holiday season, boasting displays that give the North Pole a run for its candy canes. Don’t want to miss a moment of yuletide? One Naperville household has a list — yes, they’ve checked it twice — of the must-see merriment around town. Thanks to Deborah Nilles, Kevin Knoth and their daughter Megan, Naperville homes dressed up for the holidays are easy to find through a holly jolly-tailored Google map. A tool of local tidings years in the making, the map is now more than 100 addresses strong. Given that the 2024 iteration has only a few days left before it’s relegated to holiday history books, grab your gloves and your hot cocoa because there’s no time like the present for a winter wonderland stroll. “(There are) dozens and dozens of spectacular, beautiful properties,” Deborah Nilles said. “People with these big hearts that share their love for Christmas and the holidays with the community.” Map-registered displays are, aptly, delineated by way of little gingerbread men symbols. Clicking the sugary icons takes visitors to a small blurb about the menu of local decor, including addresses and pictures. For years, Deborah Nilles, Kevin Knoth and their daughter Megan Knoth have decked out their house at 630 Vicksburg Court for the holidays. Their display is known as “The Believe House.” (Deborah Nilles) This year’s holiday map is an ode to both longstanding inclusions and those that are just starting to move into the spotlight, Nilles said. One burgeoning display, for instance, is the Dog House of Naperville, which says happy howlidays with decorations paying homage to man’s best friend. Located at 408 E. 11th Ave., the Dog House made the Nilles’ holiday map for the first time last year. It was small to start, composed of just a few puppy dog pieces, she said. But for 2024, the Dog House upped the ante and returned with twice the number of canine furnishings. “I’m a sucker for a theme,” Nilles said. There’s also the Scott family’s acclaimed “Swiftmas” house at 1228 Atlas Lane, which for the second year in a row decked their Naperville home in a Taylor Swift-inspired lights display. For the second year in a row, longtime Naperville residents Amy and Brian Scott have decorated their house near Atlas Lane and Tupelo Avenue with a Taylor Swift-inspired holiday lights display. (Tess Kenny/Naperville Sun) And there are the oldies but goodies. Those displays, the ones that have lit up Naperville neighborhoods for decades, are Nilles’ favorites, she said. “My heart belongs to the people that have been doing this for 20, 30, 40 years,” she said. Nilles pointed to the Hennessy family, who convert their lawn at 326 S. Sleight St. into a vintage Christmas display every year. Or the Zavoral family at 2320 Remington Drive, who have a longtime practice of handing out free candy canes to light display viewers. The tradition of it all is something that resonates with Nilles and her family. It’s what inspired them to start compiling a holiday Google map for their neighbors in the first place. In fact, the whole endeavor began with the family establishing a decorating tradition of their own. Nilles, who is originally from Chicago’s North Side but moved to Naperville in the late 1980s, caught the Christmas bug about 15 years ago when the holidays got her family through a difficult time, she said. As they faced “personal struggles,” diving head first into decorating for the season became a way to “cheer us up,” she said. They started with a few key pieces. Chief among them was a large red sign that read, “Believe,” a mainstay adornment that still stands today and earned the family’s display the name, “The Believe House.” Over the years, their display, located at 630 Vicksburg Court, has blossomed into a full-lawn spectacle. The Believe House, pictured here, is a Naperville holiday lights display located at 630 Vicksburg Court. Those behind the display — Deborah Nilles, her husband Kevin Knoth and their daughter Megan Knoth — compile a list of houses across Naperville that also go all-out for the holidays. (Deborah Nilles) Meanwhile, along the way, the family’s decoration fervor started to stretch beyond their own porch with the creation of their local holiday lights map. Born about a decade ago, it was inspired by a similar catalog of local displays that the Naperville Sun used to publish annually, Nilles said. Like their own display, the family’s map — both in breadth and notoriety — has grown in time. Today, a Facebook page for the Believe House is up to 29,000 followers. And by the end of this season, Nilles expects their 2024 online directory to hit about four million views. As for compiling the map, it’s a mutlistep process that ramps up around Thanksgiving each year, she said. It involves Nilles doing a drive-by of previously listed displays as well as putting out a call over social media for new additions. When Nilles’ daughter, now 20 and attending Purdue University, was younger, they used to compose the map together. This year though, with Megan only back from college for a short winter break, Nilles assembled the map with the help of a special guest: her mother-in-law. “That was a treat,” she said. “With my (daughter) and my husband, they’ve seen all this, you know? ... But my mother-in-law was seeing most of (the displays) for the very first time. It was just dynamite. It was almost like seeing it through a child’s eyes. It was fabulous. She loved it. I loved it.” This holiday lights display is located at 357 S. Sleight St. in Naperville. (Deborah Nilles) Other moments that have made this year one for the books are new baubles added to their lawn, Nilles said. Namely, a blow mold of Santa Claus that traveled miles — and state borders — to find a home at the Believe House. That’s right, the display now boasts a Kris Kringle hailing from none other than Florida. The family drove out to the Sunshine state to retrieve the vintage figurine earlier this fall. “We had to go get Santa. We needed to rescue him from Florida,” Nilles quipped. “He was melting.” What hasn’t changed this year is the family’s commitment to imbuing fun with philanthropy. The Believe House is an official Salvation Army Red Kettle location. Since she was little, donating to the Salvation Army around the holidays has been as much a part of her family Christmases as stockings and presents, Nilles said. It was a no-brainer to continue the tradition with the Believe House, she said. Just as it was a no-brainer to draw up a holiday map for her community. “I think it’s worth sharing the love,” she said. “The effort that so many of these homeowners put into creating just these really magical displays around town that help bring a feeling of joy to the community. I know there’s a certain kind of peace that goes with Christmas and for me, going to see Christmas lights really epitomizes that.” tkenny@chicagotribune.comIn a calendar rarity, Hanukkah starts this year on Christmas Day

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NEW YORK , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI") is clarifying the float-adjusted liquidity ratio (FALR) eligibility criteria used in the S&P U.S. Indices and Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Indices Methodologies. No constituent changes for any U.S. companies currently in the S&P Composite 1500 indices or Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market indices will occur, as this simply clarifies and provides more transparency to the existing FALR rule. Current Updated A float-adjusted liquidity ratio (FALR), defined as the annual dollar value traded divided by the float-adjusted market capitalization (FMC), is used to measure liquidity. Using composite pricing and U.S. consolidated volume (excluding dark pools), annual dollar value traded is defined as the average closing price multiplied by the historical volume over the 365 calendar days prior to the evaluation date. A float-adjusted liquidity ratio (FALR), defined as the annual dollar value traded divided by the float-adjusted market capitalization (FMC), is used to measure liquidity. Using composite pricing and all publicly reported U.S. consolidated volume (excluding dark pools) , annual dollar value traded is defined as the average closing price multiplied by the historical volume over the 365 calendar days prior to the evaluation date. The below excerpt is the full U.S. Liquidity criteria language, including the clarification: Liquidity. A float-adjusted liquidity ratio (FALR), defined as the annual dollar value traded divided by the float-adjusted market capitalization (FMC), is used to measure liquidity. Using composite pricing and all publicly reported U.S. consolidated volume, annual dollar value traded is defined as the average closing price multiplied by the historical volume over the 365 calendar days prior to the evaluation date. This is reduced to the available trading period for IPOs, spin-offs or public companies considered to be U.S. domiciled for index purposes that do not have 365 calendar days of trading history on a U.S. exchange. In these cases, the dollar value traded available as of the evaluation date is annualized. Eligibility differs depending on the index: IMPACTED INDICES Index Name Index Codes S&P Composite 1500 Index 1500 S&P 500 500 S&P 400 400 S&P 600 600 Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Index DWCF IMPLEMENTATION TIMING The clarification is effective today, Monday, December 9, 2024 . Please note that the S&P U.S. Indices Methodology and Dow Jones U.S. Total Stock Market Indices Methodology on S&P DJI's website are updated with the clarified language. For more information about S&P Dow Jones Indices, please visit www.spglobal.com/spdji . ABOUT S&P DOW JONES INDICES S&P Dow Jones Indices is the largest global resource for essential index-based concepts, data and research, and home to iconic financial market indicators, such as the S&P 500® and the Dow Jones Industrial Average®. More assets are invested in products based on our indices than products based on indices from any other provider in the world. Since Charles Dow invented the first index in 1884, S&P DJI has been innovating and developing indices across the spectrum of asset classes helping to define the way investors measure and trade the markets. S&P Dow Jones Indices is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies, and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji . FOR MORE INFORMATION: S&P Dow Jones Indices index_services@spglobal.com Media Inquiries spdji.comms@spglobal.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sp-dow-jones-indices-float-adjusted-liquidity-ratio-clarification-for-certain-us-indices-302326759.html SOURCE S&P Dow Jones IndicesMinister Harjit Sajjan skipped the Taylor Swift concert following the fracas over free tickets

Global Grain Cleaner Market Set For 6.0% Growth, Reaching $25.23 Billion By 2028

Oscar-nominated Don’t Look Up director Adam McKay has said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Wicked banned in America given the country’s current political trajectory. McKay, 56, made the bold assumption on X/Twitter on Monday (December 23), calling Part 1 of Jon M. Chu’s blockbuster smash, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande , “one of the most radical big studio Hollywood movies ever made.” “I know Part 2 swings back to the center a bit,” he said of the second half of the musical epic coming to theaters on November 21, 2025, “but Part 1 is nakedly about radicalization in the face of careerism, fascism, propaganda.” Responding to a surprised commenter who said they hadn’t seen Wicked yet because they thought it looked more like “American fantasy, franchise-wringing and CGI fare,” McKay said: “I think you’ll be shocked. If America keeps going on the track it is I wouldn’t be surprised to see the movie banned in 3-5 years.” He went on to compare Wicked to a handful of 20th-century classics, including The Sound of Music , Citizen Kane , Bridge on the River Kwai and The Searchers , as well as newer fare such as The Hunger Games , which he labeled “incredibly left wing.” “What’s really striking about Wicked Part 1 is that it’s coming out NOW when America has never been more right wing and propagandized,” he added. “And yes, I know the theatrical production and the book are much older so part of the timing is a coincidence but still...” Replying to one critic who shared a picture of a hand touching grass, The Big Short director retorted: “Yeah, I’m so crazy for thinking films, books or music could ever get banned in the U.S.” He included a link to an article outlining every Texas school district book ban. “They banned dozens of songs after 9/11 including ‘Imagine’ by one of the Beatles,” McKay noted. In a separate response to a user mocking him for suggesting that the movie would be banned nationwide, the Step Brother director said: “Jesus dude. You really think I’m 100% saying the movie will for sure be banned to the point where no one can ever see it? The idea of shutting down non profits at the President’s discretion is in motion. Things r changing fast.” Earlier this month, Chu’s record-breaking adaptation of the Broadway hit about two witches who forge an unlikely bond was briefly pulled from Kuwait cinemas, with a number of local outlets speculating the ban was due to the film’s LGBTQ+ casting. McKay is well-known for directing political movies. His latest picture was the 2021 star-studded doomsday satire Don’t Look Up , which followed two astronomers who embark on a media campaign to warn mankind of an incoming meteor set to destroy Earth. He also directed the 2018 political satire Vice about former U.S. president Dick Cheney.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Clarke Reed , a Mississippi businessman who developed the Republican Party in his home state and across the South starting in the 1960s, died Sunday at his home in Greenville, Mississippi. He was 96. Reed was chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party from 1966 to 1976, beginning at a time when Democrats still dominated in the region. During the 1976 Republican National Convention, delegates were closely divided between President Gerald Ford and former California Gov. Ronald Reagan. Reed united the Mississippi delegation behind Ford — a move that created a decadeslong feud with William D. “Billy” Mounger, another wealthy businessman who was prominent in the Mississippi Republican Party. Reed recalled in a 2016 interview with The Associated Press that delegates faced considerable pressure. Movie stars visited Mississippi's 30 delegates to push for Reagan, and Betty Ford called on behalf of her husband. Reagan met twice with the Mississippi delegation — once with his proposed running mate, Pennsylvania Sen. Richard Schweiker — and once without, according Haley Barbour, who was executive director of the Mississippi Republican Party in 1976 and served as the state's governor from 2004 to 2012. “Everybody was coming to see us," Reed said. “These poor people had never seen this before, the average delegate.” Mississippi delegates were showing the stress at a meeting away from the convention floor in Kansas City, Reed said. “I looked out, and about half of them were crying," he said. Reed initially supported Reagan, but said he moved into the Ford camp because he thought Reagan made “a hell of a mistake” by choosing a more liberal northeastern running mate in a gambit to win support of the unpledged Pennsylvania delegation. “In my opinion, Reagan was the best president of my lifetime. I didn’t know that then,” Reed said in 2016. “And had he been elected with Schweiker, he might’ve gotten a bullet one inch over and Schweiker would’ve been president.” Ford won the party nomination during the convention, then lost the general election to Jimmy Carter, the Democratic former governor of Georgia. Reed was born in Alliance, Ohio, in 1928, and his family moved to Caruthersville, Missouri, when he was about six months old. He earned a business degree from the University of Missouri in 1950. He and Barthell Joseph, a friend he had met at a high school boarding school, founded an agriculture equipment business called Reed-Joseph International, which used technology to scare birds away from farms and airports. Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi said Monday that Reed was “a mentor, supporter and advisor to me for over 56 years." Wicker said he was 21 when Reed put him on the Republican Platform Committee in 1972. “There is no more significant figure in the development of the modern day Mississippi Republican Party than Clarke Reed,” Wicker wrote on social media. “Our state has lost a giant."

Trump has flip-flopped on abortion policy. His appointees may offer clues to what happens next

TORONTO, Dec. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blockmate Ventures Inc. (TSX.V: MATE) (OTCQB: MATEF) (FSE: 8MH1) (" Blockmate ” or the " Company ”) is pleased to announce that it has closed its strategic investment (the " Offering ”) involving a group of strategic investors led by Antanas Guoga (Tony G) for gross proceeds of $1,400,000. This strategic funding supports Blockmate's pursuit of industry leadership in blockchain innovation and underscores our commitment to sustainable and transformative technology. In connection with completion of the Offering, the Company has issued 14,000,000 units (each, a " Unit ”) at a price of $0.10 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share, and one common share purchase warrant exercisable to acquire a further common share at a price of $0.50 until December 23, 2027. All securities issued in connection with the Offering are subject to statutory restrictions on resale until April 24, 2025, in accordance with applicable securities laws. In addition, Tony G has voluntarily agreed to restrict resale of the 10,000,000 Units he acquired in the Offering until December 23, 2025. No finders' fees or commissions were paid by the Company in connection with completion of the Offering. Incentive Grant The Company also announces that it has granted 5,275,000 incentive stock options (the " Options ”), 1,200,000 restricted share units (the " RSUs ”) and 5,000,000 deferred share units (the " DSUs ”) in accordance with its omnibus incentive plan (the " Incentive Plan ”) adopted by shareholders at the annual general and special meeting held on November 23, 2023. 625,000 of the Options vest immediately and are exercisable at a price of $0.21 for a period of thirty-six months. The remaining 5,000,000 Options vest quarterly over a twenty-four month period, and are exercisable at a price of $0.21 for a period of forty-eight months. The RSUs vest and will be settled in common shares of the Company after twelve months. The DSUs vest after twelve months but will only be settled in common shares of the Company upon the departure of the holder from the Company. 2,725,000 of the Options and all of the DSUs exceed the available room under the Incentive Plan. The Company intends to seek approval of shareholders to increase the size of the Incentive Plan at the next annual general meeting and will at that time seek ratification from shareholders for the additional Options and the DSUs. Until such time as shareholder ratification has been received, the additional Options and DSUs will not vest and will not be eligible for exercise or settlement. In the event shareholders elect not to ratify the grant, and room within the Incentive Plan is not available at the time, the additional Options and DSUs will be cancelled. Early Warning Disclosure In connection with the incentive grant, Domenic Carosa, a director of the Company, has been issued 5,000,000 Options and 5,000,000 DSUs. Prior to the grant, Mr. Carosa controlled 17,252,400 common shares, 1,500,000 incentive stock options, and 3,000,000 common share purchase warrants, of the Company, all of which are held by Carosa Corporation B.V., a holding company controlled by Domenic Carosa. The common shares controlled by Mr. Carosa prior to the grant represent approximately 15.1% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. Following the grant, Mr. Carosa has control and direction over 17,252,400 common shares, 6,500,000 Options, 3,000,000 common share purchase warrants and 5,000,000 DSUs of the Company. Assuming the exercise and conversion of all of the Options, share purchase warrants and DSUs controlled by Mr. Carosa, he would have control and direction over 31,752,400 common shares of the Company representing approximately 19.8% of the then outstanding common shares of the Company. Mr. Carosa has acquired the securities for investment purposes and in connection with his compensation as a director of the Company and, as disclosed in the accompanying Early Warning Report, may in the future acquire or dispose of securities of the Company, through the market, privately or otherwise, as circumstances or market conditions warrant. A copy of the Early Warning Report filed with the applicable securities regulators regarding the above acquisition will be available under the profile for the Company on SEDAR+ ( www.sedarplus.ca ). About Blockmate Ventures Inc. Blockmate is a venture creator focussing on building fast-growing technology businesses relating to cutting edge sectors such as blockchain and renewable energy. Working with prospective founders, projects in incubation can benefit from the Blockmate ecosystem that offers tech, services, integrations and advice to accelerate the incubation of projects towards monetization. Recent projects include Hivello (download our free passive income app at www.hivello.com ) and Sunified, digitising solar energy. The leadership team at Blockmate have successfully founded successful tech companies from the Dotcom era through to the social media era. Learn more about being a Blockmate at: www.blockmate.com/ . Blockmate welcomes investors to join the Company's mailing list for the latest updates and industry research by subscribing at https://www.blockmate.com/subscribe . ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Justin Rosenberg, Chief Executive Officer Blockmate Ventures Inc. [email protected] (+1-580-262-6130) Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking statements” or "forward-looking information” (collectively, "forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on the assumptions, expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements contained herein. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Raindrop disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.