EX-3.1 2 ex3x1.htm EXHIBIT 3.1
Exhibit 3.1
 
 
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
OPGEN, INC.
OpGen, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “General Corporation Law”)
DOES HEREBY CERTIFY THAT:
1.      The name of this corporation is OpGen, Inc.
2.      The Certificate of Incorporation of this corporation was originally filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 22, 2001 under the name eDNA Genomics, Inc.
3.      The Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation was most recently amended and restated pursuant to a Ninth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on July 10, 2014, as further amended by a Certificate of Amendment filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on February 13, 2015, and is hereby further amended and restated pursuant to Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law.
4.      The Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation shall be amended and restated to read in full as follows:
FIRST:     The name of this corporation is OpGen, Inc. (the “Corporation”).
 
SECOND:      The address of the registered office of the Company in the State of Delaware is 1209 Orange Street, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle 19801.  The name of its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.
 
THIRD:     The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law.
 
FOURTH:     The aggregate number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 210,000,000 shares of capital stock, consisting of 200,000,000 shares designated as Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, and 10,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share.
 
The board of directors of the Corporation may determine the times when, the terms under which and the consideration for which the Corporation shall issue, dispose of or receive subscriptions for its shares, including treasury shares, or acquire its own shares. The consideration for the issuance of the shares shall be paid in full before their issuance and shall not be less than the par value per share. Upon payment of such consideration, such shares shall be deemed to be fully paid and nonassessable by the Corporation.
A description of the different classes and series of the Corporation’s capital stock and a statement of the powers, designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of the shares of each class of and series of capital stock are as follows:
 
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A.      Common Stock. Except as provided in this Article FOURTH (or in any resolution or resolutions adopted by the board of directors pursuant hereto) the holders of the Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power. Each holder of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote for each share held by such holder. There shall be no cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Each share of Common Stock shall have the same relative rights as and be identical in all respects with all shares of Common Stock.
Whenever there shall have been paid, or declared and set aside for payment, to the holders of the outstanding shares of any class of stock having preference over the Common Stock as to the payment of dividends, the full amount of dividends and or sinking fund or other retirement payments, if any, to which such holders are respectively entitled in preference to the Common Stock, then dividends may be paid on the Common Stock and on any class or series of stock entitled to participate therewith as to dividends, out of any assets legally available for the payment of dividends but only when and as declared by the board of directors.
In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, after there shall have been paid to or set aside for the holders of any class having preferences over the Common Stock in the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the full preferential amounts to which they are respectively entitled, the holders of the Common Stock, and of any class or series of stock entitled to participate therewith, in whole or in part, as to distribution of assets, shall be entitled after payment or provision for payment of all debts and liabilities of the Corporation, to receive the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution, in cash or in kind.
B.      Preferred Stock. The board of directors of the Corporation is authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by law and the provisions of this Article FOURTH, to provide by resolution for the issuance of Preferred Stock in series, including convertible Preferred Stock, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, and to fix the designations, powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights of the shares of each such series and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof.
The authority of the board of directors with respect to each series shall include, but not be limited to, determination of the following: (i) the number of shares constituting that series and the distinctive designation of that series; (ii) the dividend rate on the shares of that series, whether dividends shall be cumulative, and, if so, from which date or dates, and the relative rights of priority, if any, of payment of dividends on shares of that series; (iii) whether that series shall have voting rights, in addition to the voting rights provided by law, and, if so, the terms of such rights; (iv) whether that series shall have conversion privileges, and, if so, the terms and conditions of such conversion, including provision for adjustment of the conversion rate in such events as the board of directors shall determine; (v) whether or not the shares of that series shall be redeemable, and, if so, the terms and conditions of such redemption, including the date or dates after which they shall be redeemable, and the amounts per share payable in case of redemption, which amounts may vary under different conditions and at different redemption dates; (vi) whether the series shall have a sinking fund for the redemption or purchase of shares of that series, and, if so, the terms and amounts of such sinking fund; (vii) the rights of the shares of that series in the event of voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation, and the relative rights of priority, if any, of payment of shares of that series; and  (viii) any other relative rights, preferences and limitations of that series.
 
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C.      No Participation Rights.  No holder of any of the shares of any class of the Corporation shall be entitled as of right to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of any class of the Corporation which the Corporation proposes to issue or any rights or options which the Corporation proposes to grant for the purchase of shares of any class of the Corporation or for the purchase of any shares, bonds, securities or obligations of the Corporation which are convertible into or exchangeable for, or which carry any rights, to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any class of the Corporation; and any and all of such shares, bonds, securities or obligations of the Corporation, whether now or hereafter authorized or created, may be issued, or may be reissued or transferred if the same have been reacquired and have treasury status, and any and all of such rights and options may be granted by the board of directors to such persons, firms, corporations and associations, and for such lawful consideration, and on such terms, as the board of directors in its discretion may determine, without first offering the same, or any thereof, to any said holder.
FIFTH:     The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by a board of directors. Subject to the rights of holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors, the number of directors of the Corporation shall be established from time to time by the board of directors.  Election of directors need not be by written ballot, except as and to the extent provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation.  The terms, classifications, qualifications and election of the board of directors and the filling of vacancies thereon shall be as provided in the Bylaws. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for election of directors and other business to be brought by stockholders before a meeting of stockholders shall be given in the manner provided by the Bylaws of the Corporation.
 
SIXTH:    In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred upon it by the General Corporation Law, and subject to the terms of any series of Preferred Stock:
 
A.      The board of directors shall have the power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation.  The stockholders may not adopt, amend, alter or repeal the Bylaws of the Corporation, or adopt any provision inconsistent therewith, unless such action is approved, in addition to any other vote required by this Certificate of Incorporation, 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 outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon.
B.      The books of the Corporation may be kept at such place within or without the State of Delaware as the Bylaws of the Corporation may provide or as may be designated from time to time by the board of directors.
C.      No action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be taken without a meeting and the power of stockholders to consent in writing, without a meeting, to the taking of any action is specifically denied.
D.     Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Chairman of the board of directors or the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation or by a resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the board of directors, and any power of stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders is specifically denied.
E.      Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, from and after the time the Common Stock is first a “covered security” pursuant to Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the General Corporation Law, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of this Article SIXTH, Paragraph E.
 
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SEVENTH:     Notwithstanding the provisions of the General Corporation Law, this Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Corporation, and notwithstanding the fact that a lesser percentage may be specified by law, no amendment of any provision of this Certificate of Incorporation shall be made unless such amendment has been approved both by the board of directors of the Corporation and by the stockholders of the Corporation 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 outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon.
 
EIGHTH:    The following provisions are inserted to limit the liability of directors and officers of the Corporation to the full extent of the law allowable and for the conduct of the affairs of the Corporation, and it is expressly provided that they are intended to be in furtherance and not in limitation or exclusion of the powers conferred by law:
 
A.      Limitation on Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by the General Corporation Law, as the same exists or as may hereafter be amended (including, but not limited to Section 102(b)(7) of the General Corporation Law), a director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. If the General Corporation Law hereafter is amended to further eliminate or limit the liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the Corporation, in addition to the limitation on personal liability provided herein, shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by the amended General Corporation Law. Any repeal or modification of this paragraph by the stockholders of the Corporation shall be prospective only, and shall not adversely affect any limitation on the personal liability of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.
B.      Indemnification. Each person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise (including the heirs, executors, administrators or estate of such person), shall be indemnified and advanced expenses by the Corporation, in accordance with the Bylaws of the Corporation, to the fullest extent authorized by the General Corporation Law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), or any other applicable laws as presently or hereinafter in effect. The right to indemnification and advancement of expenses hereunder shall not be exclusive of any other right that any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the certificate of incorporation or Bylaws of the Corporation, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.
C.      Insurance. The Corporation may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the General Corporation Law.
D.      Repeal and Modification. Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article EIGHTH shall not adversely affect any right or protection existing hereunder immediately prior to such repeal or modification
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The provisions herein shall be applicable to all claims, actions, suits, or proceedings made or commenced after the adoption hereof, whether arising from acts or omissions to act occurring before or after the adoption hereof.
NINTH:    The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.  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 of the capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend in any respect or repeal this Article NINTH, Article FIFTH, or Articles SIXTH, SEVENTH or EIGHTH.
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the corporation has caused this certificate to be signed by its Chief Executive Officer this 7th day of May, 2015.
  OPGEN, INC.  
       
 
By:
/s/ Timothy C. Dec  
   
Timothy C. Dec, Chief Financial Officer
 
     
       

 
 
 
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