EX-3.1 2 ea175363ex3-1_nearintell.htm CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF NEAR INTELLIGENCE, INC., DATED AS OF MARCH 23, 2023

Exhibit 3.1

AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
KLUDEIN I ACQUISITION CORP.

 

March 23, 2023

 

The present name of the corporation is KludeIn I Acquisition Corp. The corporation was incorporated under the name “KludeIn I Acquisition Corp.” by the filing of its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on September 24, 2020, which Certificate of Incorporation was amended and restated in its entirety on January 6, 2021 (as so amended and restated, the “Existing Certificate”). This Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation, which restates and integrates and also further amends the provisions of the Existing Certificate, was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and by the written consent of its sole stockholder in accordance with Section 228 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”). The Existing Certificate, as amended and restated, is hereby amended, integrated and restated to read in its entirety as follows (as so amended and restated, the “Restated Certificate”):

 

ARTICLE I
NAME

 

The name of the corporation is Near Intelligence, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

 

ARTICLE II
PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL.

 

ARTICLE III
REGISTERED AGENT

 

The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is 251 Little Falls Drive, in the City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, State of Delaware, 19808, and the name of the Corporation’s registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.

 

ARTICLE IV
CAPITALIZATION

 

Section 4.1 Authorized Capital Stock. The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock, each with a par value of $0.0001 per share, which the Corporation is authorized to issue is 350,000,000 shares, comprised of (a) 300,000,000 shares of common stock (the “Common Stock”), and (ii) 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock (the “Preferred Stock”).

 

Immediately upon the effectiveness of the filing of this Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware (the “Reclassification Effective Time”), each share of the Corporation’s Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share, issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Reclassification Effective Time (the “Old Class A Common Stock”) will be reclassified as one (1) share of Common Stock (the “Reclassification”). Each person registered on the Corporation’s books as the owner of any share or shares of Old Class A Common Stock will be registered on the Corporation’s books as the owner of the share or shares of Common Stock issued upon reclassification thereof. Each stock certificate that immediately prior to the Reclassification Effective Time represented a number of shares of Old Class A Common Stock will, from and after the Reclassification Effective Time, be deemed to represent an equivalent number of shares of Common Stock, without the need for surrender or exchange thereof; provided, however, that each person holding of record a stock certificate or certificates that represented shares of Old Class A Common Stock will be entitled to receive, upon surrender of such certificate or certificates, or appropriate evidence of loss thereof as will be reasonably required by the Corporation, a new certificate or certificates evidencing and representing the number of shares of Common Stock to which such person is entitled.

 

 

 

 

Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, the number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock or Common 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 in voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation 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 Common Stock or Preferred Stock voting separately as a class shall be required therefor.

 

Section 4.2 Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) is hereby expressly authorized to provide out of the unissued shares of the Preferred Stock for one or more series of Preferred Stock and to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series and to fix the voting rights, if any, designations, powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional, special and other rights, if any, of each such series and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, as shall be stated in the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board providing for the issuance of such series and included in a certificate of designation (a “Preferred Stock Designation”) filed pursuant to the DGCL, and the Board is hereby expressly vested with the authority to the full extent provided by law, now or hereafter, to adopt any such resolution or resolutions. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of any series of Preferred Stock shall be entitled only to such voting rights, if any, and shall expressly be granted by this Restated Certificate of Incorporation (including any Preferred Stock Designation).

 

Section 4.3 Common Stock.

 

(a) Voting.

 

(i) Except as otherwise required by law or this Restated Certificate (including any Preferred Stock Designation), the holders of the Common Stock shall exclusively possess all voting power of the stockholders of the Corporation.

 

(ii) Except as otherwise required by law or this Restated Certificate (including any Preferred Stock Designation), the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to one vote for each such share on each matter properly submitted to the stockholders of the Corporation on which the holders the Common Stock are entitled to vote; provided, however, that except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Restated Certificate (including any amendment to any Preferred Stock Designation) that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock or other series of Common Stock if the holders of such affected series of Preferred Stock or Common Stock, as applicable, are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Restated Certificate (including any Preferred Stock Designation) or pursuant to the DGCL.

 

(b) Dividends. Subject to applicable law, the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of the Preferred Stock, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive such dividends and other distributions (payable in cash, property or capital stock of the Corporation) when, as and if declared thereon by the Board from time to time out of any assets or funds of the Corporation legally available therefor and shall share equally on a per share basis in such dividends and distributions.

 

(c) Liquidation. Subject to the rights of the holders of any outstanding series of the Preferred Stock, in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, after payment or provision for payment of the debts and other liabilities of the Corporation, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive all the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders, ratably in proportion to the number of shares of Common Stock held by each such holder.

 

ARTICLE V
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

Section 5.1 Board Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by, or under the direction of, the Board. In addition to the powers and authority expressly conferred upon the Board by statute, this Restated Certificate or the By-Laws of the Corporation (“By-Laws”), the Board is 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 Restated Certificate, and any By-Laws adopted by the stockholders of the Corporation; provided, however, that no By-Laws hereafter adopted by the stockholders of the Corporation shall invalidate any prior act of the Board that would have been valid if such By-Laws had not been adopted.

 

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Section 5.2 Number, Election and Term.

 

(a) The number of directors of the Corporation, other than those who may be elected by the holders of one or more series of the Preferred Stock voting separately by class or series, shall be fixed from time to time exclusively by the Board pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the directors present at any meeting at which there is a quorum.

 

(b) Subject to Section 5.5 hereof, the Board shall be divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible and designated Class I, Class II and Class III. The term of the initial Class I Directors shall expire at the first annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation following date that the Board of Directors was first classified (the “Classification Date”); the term of the initial Class II Directors shall expire at the second annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation following the Classification Date; and the term of the initial Class III Directors shall expire at the third annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation following the Classification Date. At each succeeding annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, beginning with the first annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation following the Classification Date, successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that annual meeting shall be elected for a three-year term or until the election and qualification of their respective successors in office, subject to their earlier death, resignation or removal. Subject to Section 5.5 hereof, if the number of directors is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned by the Board among the classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, but in no case shall a decrease in the number of directors shorten the term of any incumbent director. Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast at an annual meeting of stockholders by holders of the Common Stock. The Board is hereby expressly authorized, by resolution or resolutions thereof, to assign members of the Board already in office to the aforesaid classes at the Classification Date in accordance with the DGCL

 

(c) Unless and except to the extent that the By-Laws shall so require, the election of directors need not be by written ballot.

 

Section 5.3 Newly Created Directorships and Vacancies. Subject to Section 5.5 hereof, except as otherwise provided by law, newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the number of directors and any vacancies on the Board resulting from death, resignation, retirement, disqualification, removal or other cause shall be filled solely and exclusively by the affirmative vote of the majority of the directors then in office (other than any directors elected by the separate vote of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock), even if less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director, and any director so chosen shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors to which the new directorship was added or in which the vacancy occurred and until his or her successor has been elected and qualified, subject, however, to such director’s earlier death, resignation, retirement, disqualification or removal.

 

Section 5.4 Removal. Subject to Section 5.5 hereof, any or all of the directors may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the voting power of all then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.

 

Section 5.5 Preferred Stock — Directors. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Article V, and except as otherwise required by law, whenever the holders of one or more series of the Preferred Stock shall have the right, voting separately by class or series, to elect one or more directors, the term of office, the filling of vacancies, the removal from office and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of such series of the Preferred Stock as set forth in this Restated Certificate (including any Preferred Stock Designation). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article V, the number of directors that may be elected by the holders of any such series of Preferred Stock shall be in addition to the number fixed pursuant to Section 5.2(a) of this Article V, and the total number of directors constituting the whole Board of Directors shall be automatically adjusted accordingly. Except as otherwise provided in the Preferred Stock Designation in respect of one or more series of Preferred Stock, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such Preferred Stock Designation, the terms of office of all such directors elected by the holders of such series of Preferred Stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate (in which case each such director thereupon shall cease to be qualified as, and shall cease to be, a director) and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be reduced accordingly.

 

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ARTICLE VI
BYLAWS

 

In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by statute, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to adopt, amend or repeal the By-Laws, subject to the power of the stockholders of the Corporation entitled to vote with respect thereto to adopt, amend or repeal the By-Laws. The stockholders of the Corporation shall also have the power to adopt, amend or repeal the By-Laws; provided, that in addition to any vote of the holders of any class or series of stock of the Corporation or as required by applicable law or by this Restated Certificate (including any Preferred Stock Designation) or the By-Laws , the adoption, amendment or repeal of the By-Laws by the stockholders of the Corporation shall require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon; provided, further, that if two-thirds (2/3) of the Board has approved such adoption, amendment or repeal of any provisions of the By-Laws, then only the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding 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 adopt, amend or repeal any provision of the By-Laws.

 

ARTICLE VII
SPECIAL MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS; ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT

 

Section 7.1 Special Meetings. Subject to the rights, of the holders of one or more outstanding series of the Preferred Stock, and to the requirements of applicable law, special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called for any purpose or purposes, at any time only by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, or the Board in each case in accordance with the By-Laws, and shall not me called by any other person or persons. Any such special meeting so called may be postponed, rescheduled or cancelled by the Board or other person calling the meeting.

 

Section 7.2 Advance Notice. Advance notice of stockholder nominations for the election of directors and of other proposed business to be brought by stockholders before any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be given in the manner provided in the By-Laws. Any business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to matters relating to the purpose or purposes identified in the notice of meeting

 

Section 7.3 Action by Written Consent. Except as may be otherwise provided for or fixed pursuant to this Restated Certificate (including any Preferred Stock Designation) relating to the rights of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock, any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be effected at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation and shall not be taken by written consent. of the stockholders in lieu of a meeting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action required or permitted to be taken by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more other such series, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, to the extent expressly so provided by the applicable Certificate of Designation relating to such series of Preferred Stock, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by the holders of outstanding shares of the relevant series of Preferred Stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the applicable provisions of the DGCL.

 

ARTICLE VIII
LIMITED LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION

 

Section 8.1 Limitation of Director and Officer Liability. No director or officer of the Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty as a director, or officer, as applicable, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the DGCL as the same exists or may hereafter be amended. Any amendment, modification or repeal of the foregoing sentence shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation hereunder in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment, modification or repeal. If the DGCL is amended after approval by the stockholders of this Article VIII to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors or officers, then the liability of a director or officer of the Corporation shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended.

 

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Section 8.2 Indemnification and Advancement of Expenses.

 

(a) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, the Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless each person who is or was made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “proceeding”) by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or, while a director or officer of the Corporation, 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, other enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan (an “indemnitee”), whether the basis of such proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent, or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, employee or agent, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes and penalties and amounts paid in settlement) reasonably incurred by such indemnitee in connection with such proceeding. 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 such director’s heirs, executors and personal and legal representatives; provided, however, except for proceedings to enforce rights to indemnification, the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any director or officer (or the director’s 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. The Corporation shall to the fullest extent not prohibited by applicable law pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an indemnitee in defending or otherwise participating in any proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that, to the extent required by applicable law, such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking, by or on behalf of the indemnitee, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined that the indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified under this Section 8.2 or otherwise. The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred by this Section 8.2 shall be contract rights and such rights shall continue as to an indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators.

 

(b) The rights to indemnification and advancement of expenses conferred on any indemnitee by this Section 8.2 shall not be exclusive of any other rights that any indemnitee may have or hereafter acquire under law, this Restated Certificate, the By-Laws, an agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.

 

(c) Any repeal or amendment of this Section 8.2 by the stockholders of the Corporation or by changes in law, or the adoption of any other provision of this Restated Certificate inconsistent with this Section 8.2, shall, unless otherwise required by law, be prospective only (except to the extent such amendment or change in law permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights on a retroactive basis than permitted prior thereto), and shall not in any way diminish or adversely affect any right or protection existing at the time of such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision in respect of any proceeding (regardless of when such proceeding is first threatened, commenced or completed) arising out of, or related to, any act or omission occurring prior to such repeal or amendment or adoption of such inconsistent provision.

 

(d) This Section 8.2 shall not limit the right of the Corporation, to the extent and in the manner authorized or permitted by law, to indemnify and to advance expenses to persons other than indemnitees.

 

(e) To the extent an indemnitee has rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance provided by a third party, (i) the Corporation shall be the indemnitor of first resort (i.e., that its obligations to an indemnitee are primary and any obligation of such third party to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by an indemnitee are secondary), (ii) the Corporation shall be required to advance the full amount of expenses incurred by an indemnitee and shall be liable for the full amount of all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs and expenses (including amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromises and settlements, as fines and penalties and legal or other costs and reasonable expenses of investigating or defending against any claim or alleged claim) to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms of this Restated Certificate of Incorporation, the By-Laws and the agreements to which the Corporation is a party, without regard to any rights an indemnitee may have against such third party and (iii) the Corporation irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases such third party from any and all claims against them for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. No advancement or payment by such third party on behalf of an indemnitee with respect to any claim for which an indemnitee has sought indemnification from the Corporation shall affect the foregoing, and such third party shall have a right of contribution and be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of an indemnitee against the Corporation.

 

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ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENT OF RESTATED CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

 

The Corporation reserves the right at any time and from time to time to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Restated Certificate (including any Preferred Stock Designation), and other provisions authorized by the laws of the State of Delaware at the time in force that may be added or inserted, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by this Restated Certificate and the DGCL; and, except as set forth in Article VIII, all rights, preferences and privileges of whatever nature herein conferred upon stockholders, directors or any other persons by and pursuant to this Restated Certificate in its present form or as hereafter amended are granted subject to the right reserved in this Article IX.

 

ARTICLE X
EXCLUSIVE FORUM FOR CERTAIN LAWSUITS

 

Section 10.1 Forum. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) and any appellate court thereof, shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for any stockholder (including a beneficial owner) to bring (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 current or former director, officer or stockholder of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its current or former directors, officers or employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or this Restated Certificate or the By-Laws, (iv) any action as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (v) any action asserting a claim against the Corporation, its directors, officers or employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine, and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to service of process on such stockholder’s counsel except any action (A) as to which the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery within ten days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than the Court of Chancery, or (C) for which the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of Section 10.1 of this Article X shall not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts of the United States have exclusive jurisdiction.

 

Section 10.2 Securities Act. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act.

 

Section 10.3 Notice. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any security of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this Article X.

 

ARTICLE XI
SEVERABILITY

 

If any provision or provisions (or any part thereof) of this Restated Certificate shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any person or entity or circumstance for any reason whatsoever, then, to the fullest extent permitted by law, (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Restated Certificate (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Restated Certificate containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) and the application of such provision to other persons or entities and circumstances shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, and (ii) the provisions of this Restated Certificate (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Restated Certificate 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.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, KludeIn I Acquisition Corp. has caused this Restated Certificate to be duly executed and acknowledged in its name and on its behalf by an authorized officer as of the date first set forth above.

 

  KLUDEIN I ACQUSITION CORP.
   
  By: /s/ Narayan Ramachandran
  Name:  Narayan Ramachandran
  Title: Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer

 

[Signature Page to Restated Certificate of Incorporation]

 

 

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