UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment
No. )
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Definitive
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Definitive
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Soliciting
Material Under §240.14a-12 |
HEALTHCARE
TRIANGLE, INC.
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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HEALTHCARE
TRIANGLE, INC.
7901
STONERIDGE DRIVE
SUITE
# 220
PLEASANTON,
CALIFORNIA 94588
November
9, 2023
Dear
Healthcare Triangle Stockholder:
I
am pleased to invite you to attend the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual
Meeting”)
of Healthcare Triangle, Inc. (the “Company”)
to be held on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. We have adopted a virtual format for our Annual Meeting to provide
a consistent and convenient experience to all stockholders regardless of location.
At
this year’s virtual Annual Meeting, our stockholders will be asked to: (1) elect the five (5) nominees for director who are
named in the Proxy Statement; (2) approve of an amendment to the Company’s 2020 Stock Incentive Plan (“Plan”)
to provide for the automatic increase in the number of shares under the Plan on the first day of each fiscal year beginning with the
2024 fiscal year, in an amount equal to the least of (a) 1,200,000 shares, (b) a number of shares equal to twenty percent (20%) of the
total number of shares of all classes of common stock of the Company outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal
year, or (c) such number of shares determined by the Administrator of the Plan no later than the last day of the immediately preceding
fiscal year; (3) ratify the appointment of BF Borgers, CPAS as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year
ending December 31, 2023; and transact any other business that properly comes before the Annual Meeting (including adjournments and postponements
thereof). The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the election of the director nominees, FOR the
approval of amendment to the Plan and FOR the ratification of the appointment of BF Borgers, CPAS.
Under
Securities and Exchange Commission rules, the Company is providing access to the proxy materials for the Annual Meeting to stockholders
via the Internet. Instructions for accessing the proxy materials and voting are described below and in the Notice of Annual Meeting that
you received in the mail. The Notice also contains instructions on how to request a paper copy of our proxy materials and our Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. This process allows us to provide our stockholders with the information
they need on a more timely basis, while reducing the environmental impact and lowering the costs of printing and distributing our proxy
materials.
Your
vote is very important. Whether or not you plan to attend the virtual meeting, please carefully review the proxy materials and then cast
your vote, regardless of the number of shares you hold. If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote over the internet, by telephone,
or, if you request to receive a printed set of the proxy materials, by completing, signing, dating and mailing the accompanying proxy
card in the return envelope. Submitting your vote via the internet or by telephone or proxy card will not affect your right to vote during
the meeting if you decide to attend the virtual Annual Meeting. If your shares are held in street name (held for your account by a broker
or other nominee), you will receive instructions from your broker or other nominee explaining how to vote your shares, and you will have
the option to cast your vote by telephone or over the internet if your voting instruction form from your broker or nominee includes instructions
and a toll-free telephone number or internet website to do so. In any event, to be sure that your vote will be received in time, please
cast your vote by your choice of available means at your earliest convenience.
Thank
you for your ongoing support of and continued interest in Healthcare Triangle.
Sincerely,
Dave
Rosa
Chairman
of the Board of Directors
HEALTHCARE
TRIANGLE, INC.
7901
STONERIDGE DRIVE
SUITE
# 220
PLEASANTON,
CALIFORNIA 94588
NOTICE
OF THE 2023 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To
Be Held on Wednesday,
December 13, 2023
Notice
is hereby given that Healthcare Triangle, Inc. will hold its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual
Meeting”)
on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. We have adopted a virtual format for our Annual Meeting to provide a consistent
and convenient experience to all stockholders regardless of location. Stockholders may attend the virtual Annual Meeting by visiting
https://www.viewproxy.com/Healthcaretriangle/2023/htype.asp and register to attend the meeting. You must register prior to the
registration deadline of December 11, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Annual Meeting will be held to accomplish the following purposes:
• | | elect
five (5) directors to hold office until the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders and until
his successor is duly elected and qualified, subject to his or her earlier resignation or
removal; |
• | | approve
an amendment to the Company’s 2020 Stock Incentive Plan (“Plan”) to provide
for the automatic increase in the number of shares under the Plan on the first day of each
fiscal year beginning with the 2024 fiscal year, in an amount equal to the least of (a) 1,200,000
shares, (b) a number of shares equal to twenty percent (20%) of the total number of shares
of all classes of common stock of the Company outstanding on the last day of the immediately
preceding fiscal year, or (c) such number of shares determined by the Administrator of the
Plan no later than the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year; |
• | | ratify
the appointment of BF Borgers, CPAS as our independent registered public accounting firm
for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023; and |
• | | transact
any other business that properly comes before the Annual Meeting (including adjournments
and postponements thereof). |
The
Annual Meeting will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Only stockholders of record at the close of business on November 9, 2023,
are entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Meeting as set forth in the Proxy Statement. You are entitled to attend the Annual
Meeting only if you were a stockholder as of the close of business on November 9, 2023, or hold a valid proxy for the Annual Meeting.
In order to attend, you must register in advance. Upon completing your registration, you will receive further instructions via email,
including your unique links that will allow you access to the meeting and will permit you to submit questions. You will not be able
to attend the 2023 Annual Meeting in person.
We
are pleased to take advantage of Securities and Exchange Commission rules that allow companies to furnish their proxy materials over
the Internet. We are mailing to many of our stockholders a notice of Internet availability of proxy materials instead of a paper copy
of our proxy materials and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. The notice contains instructions on how
to access those documents and to cast your vote via the Internet. The notice also contains instructions on how to request a paper copy
of our proxy materials and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. All stockholders who do not receive a
notice will receive a paper copy of the proxy materials and the Annual Report by mail. This process allows us to provide our stockholders
with the information they need on a more timely basis, while reducing the environmental impact and lowering the costs of printing and
distributing our proxy materials.
Your
vote is important. Whether
or not you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, I encourage you to read the Proxy Statement and submit your proxy or voting instructions
as soon as possible. Please review the instructions on the proxy card regarding your voting options. You may vote at the virtual Annual
Meeting, by submitting your proxy via the Internet, by mail or by telephone.
By
Order of the Board of Directors:
Dave
Rosa
Chairman
of the Board of Directors
November
9, 2023
Pleasanton,
California
Important
Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Healthcare Triangle 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to Be Held on Wednesday,
December 13, 2023: The Notice of 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, proxy statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2022 are available at www.healthcaretriangle.com/sec-filings/. In order to attend the virtual annual
meeting, you must register in advance at https://www.viewproxy.com/Healthcaretriangle/2023/htype.asp prior to the registration
deadline of December 11, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. You will not be able to attend the 2023 Annual Meeting in person.
HEALTHCARE
TRIANGLE, INC.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
| |
Page |
PROXY STATEMENT | |
| | |
GENERAL INFORMATION | |
| 5 | |
PROPOSAL ONE: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | |
| 6 | |
Number of Directors; Board Structure | |
| 6 | |
Identifying and Evaluating Director Nominees; Board Diversity | |
| 7 | |
Nominees For Election for a One Year Term Ending at the 2024 Annual Meeting | |
| 8 | |
Biographies of Nominees For Director | |
| 8 | |
Recommendation of the Board of Directors | |
| 9 | |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | |
| 10 | |
Meetings of the Board of Directors | |
| 10 | |
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics | |
| 10 | |
Independence of the Board of Directors | |
| 10 | |
Minimum Qualifications | |
| 10 | |
Procedures For Submitting Stockholder Proposals | |
| 11 | |
Securityholder and Interested Party Communications | |
| 11 | |
Board Leadership Structure and Board’s Role in Risk Oversight | |
| 12 | |
Risks Related to Compensation Policies and Practices | |
| 12 | |
Board Committees | |
| 12 | |
Board and Committee Evaluations | |
| 12 | |
Director Attendance at Annual Meeting of Stockholders | |
| 12 | |
Audit Committee | |
| 13 | |
Report of The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors | |
| 14 | |
Compensation Committee | |
| 14 | |
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | |
| 15 | |
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT | |
| 15 | |
PROPOSAL TWO: PROPOSAL FOR THE AUTOMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SHARES SUBJECT TO THE 2020 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN | |
| 16 | |
PROPOSAL THREE: RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM | |
| 18 | |
Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm | |
| 18 | |
TRANSACTION OF OTHER BUSINESS | |
| 19 | |
OTHER INFORMATION | |
| 19 | |
Availability of Bylaws | |
| 19 | |
2022 Annual Report | |
| 19 | |
HEALTHCARE
TRIANGLE, INC.
PROXY
STATEMENT
FOR
THE 2023 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
TO
BE HELD DECEMBER 13, 2023
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Our
Board of Directors has made this Proxy Statement and related materials available to you on the Internet, or at your request has delivered
printed versions to you by mail, in connection with the Board of Directors’ solicitation of proxies for our 2023 Annual Meeting
of Stockholders (the “Annual
Meeting”),
and any adjournment of the Annual Meeting. If you requested printed versions of these materials by mail, they will also include a proxy
card for the Annual Meeting.
The
Annual Meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. The Annual Meeting will be a virtual stockholders
meeting held at https://www.viewproxy.com/Healthcaretriangle/2023.
We made this Proxy Statement available to stockholders beginning on November 9, 2023.
Pursuant
to rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”),
we are providing access to our proxy materials over the Internet. Accordingly, we are sending a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy
Materials (the “Notice”)
to our stockholders of record and beneficial owners as of the record date identified below. The mailing of the Notice to our stockholders
is scheduled to begin on or about November 9, 2023.
IMPORTANT
NOTICE REGARDING THE INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS MEETING TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 13, 2023: This
proxy statement, the accompanying proxy card or voting instruction card and our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K are available at https://www.viewproxy.com/Healthcaretriangle/2023.
In
this Proxy Statement the terms the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Healthcare
Triangle, Inc. The mailing address of our principal executive offices is Healthcare Triangle, Inc., 7901 Stoneridge Drive, Suite # 220,
Pleasanton, California 94588.
Record
Date: |
November
9, 2023 |
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Quorum: |
A
majority of the shares of outstanding stock entitled to vote on the record date must be present in person, by remote communication,
if applicable or represented by proxy duly authorized to constitute a quorum. |
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Shares
Outstanding: |
4,277,572
shares of common stock, par value of $0.00001 per share (“common
stock”),
that has one (1) vote per share, and 6,000 shares of Series A Super Voting Preferred Stock, par value of $0.00001 per share (“preferred
stock”),
the holders of which having 1,000 votes per share, outstanding as of November 9, 2023. |
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Voting: |
There
are four ways a stockholder of record can vote: |
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(1)
By Proxy over the Internet: You may vote over the Internet by following the instructions provided in the Notice or, if you requested
to receive your proxy materials by U.S. mail, by following the instructions on the proxy card. |
|
(2)
By Telephone: If you requested to receive your proxy materials by U.S. mail, you may vote by telephone by following the instructions
on the proxy card. |
|
(3)
By Mail: If you requested to receive your proxy materials by U.S. mail, you may complete, sign and return the accompanying proxy
card in the postage-paid envelope provided. |
|
(4)
During the Meeting: If you are a stockholder as of the record date, you may vote during the virtual Annual Meeting by following the
instructions available at http://www.viewproxy.com/Healthcaretriangle/2023.
Submitting a proxy will not prevent stockholders from attending the virtual Annual Meeting, revoking their earlier-submitted proxy,
and voting during the meeting. |
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In
order to be counted, proxies submitted by telephone or Internet must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 11, 2023.
Proxies submitted by U.S. mail must be received before the start of the Annual Meeting. |
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If
you hold your shares through a bank or broker, please follow their instructions. |
|
|
Revoking
Your Proxy |
Stockholders
of record may revoke their proxies by attending the virtual Annual Meeting and voting in person, by filing an instrument in writing
revoking the proxy or by filing another duly executed proxy bearing a later date with our Corporate Secretary before the vote is
counted or by voting again using the telephone or Internet before the cutoff time (your latest telephone or Internet proxy is the
one that will be counted). If you hold shares through a bank or broker, you may revoke any prior voting instructions by contacting
that firm. |
|
|
Votes
Required to Adopt Proposals |
Each
share of our common stock outstanding on the record date is entitled to one vote and each share of our preferred stock outstanding
on the record date is entitled to 1,000 votes per share on any proposal presented at the virtual Annual Meeting: |
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|
For
Proposal One, the election of directors, the nominees receiving the highest number of affirmative votes entitled to vote and cast
will be elected as directors. |
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|
|
For
Proposal Two, an affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person, by remote communication (if applicable) or represented
by proxy duly authorized at the meeting and entitled to vote generally on the subject matter is required to approve the automatic
increase in the number of shares of common stock to be issued under the Plan. |
|
|
|
For
Proposal Three, an affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present in person, by remote communication (if applicable) or represented
by proxy duly authorized at the meeting and entitled to vote generally on the subject matter is required to ratify the appointment
of BF Borgers, CPAS as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. |
|
|
Effect
of Abstentions and Broker Non-Votes |
Abstentions
and “broker nonvotes” (i.e., where a broker has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner and for which
the broker does not have discretionary power to vote on a particular matter) are counted as present for purposes of determining the
presence of a quorum.
Shares
voting “withheld” have no effect on the election of directors.
Abstentions
have the effect of a vote against the proposal to automatically increase the number of shares of common stock that would be issuable
under our Plan and the ratification of the appointment of BF Borgers, CPAS as our independent registered public accounting firm for
the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
Under
the rules that govern brokers holding shares for their customers, brokers who do not receive voting instructions from their customers
have the discretion to vote uninstructed shares on routine matters, but do not have discretion to vote such uninstructed shares on
non-routine matters. Only Proposal Three, the ratification of the appointment of BF Borgers, CPAS, is considered a routine matter
where brokers are permitted to vote shares held by them without instruction. If your shares are held through a broker, those shares
will not be voted in the election of directors, or on the proposal to automatically increase the number of shares subject to the
Plan unless you affirmatively provide the broker instructions on how to vote. |
|
|
Voting
Instructions |
If
you complete and submit your proxy voting instructions, the persons named as proxies will follow your instructions. If you submit
proxy voting instructions but do not direct how your shares should be voted on each item, the persons named as proxies will vote
in accordance with the recommendations of our Board of Directors as described herein: FOR
the
election of the nominees for director, FOR
the
approval of amendment to the Company’s 2020 Stock Incentive Plan and FOR
the
ratification of the appointment of BF Borgers, CPAS as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2023. The persons named as proxies will vote on any other matters properly presented at the Annual Meeting in accordance
with their best judgment, although we have not received timely notice of any other matters that may be properly presented for voting
at the Annual Meeting. |
|
|
Voting
Results |
We
will announce preliminary results at the Annual Meeting. We will report final results by filing a Form 8-K within four business days
after the Annual Meeting. If final results are not available at that time, we will provide preliminary voting results in the Form
8-K and will provide the final results in an amendment to the Form 8-K as soon as they become available. |
|
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Additional
Solicitation/Costs |
We
are paying for the distribution of the proxy materials, solicitation of the proxies and the platform for the holding of our virtual
meeting. As part of this process, we reimburse brokerage houses and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for their reasonable
out-of-pocket expenses for forwarding proxy and solicitation materials to our stockholders. Proxy solicitation expenses that we will
pay include those for preparation, mailing, returning and tabulating the proxies. Our directors, officers, and employees may also
solicit proxies on our behalf in person, by telephone, email or facsimile, but they do not receive additional compensation for providing
those services. |
|
|
Emerging
Growth Company |
We
are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and, as such, have elected
to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements. These reduced reporting requirements include reduced disclosure
about our executive compensation arrangements and no non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation. We will remain an emerging
growth company until the earlier of (x) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the completion of
our initial public offering, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.235 billion, or (c) in which we are deemed
to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million
as of the prior June 30, and (y) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior
three-year period. |
|
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Householding |
Some
banks, brokers, and other nominee record holders may be participating in the practice of “householding” proxy statements
and annual reports. This means that only one copy of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, Proxy Statement, and
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as applicable, is being delivered to multiple stockholders sharing
an address unless we have received contrary instructions. We will promptly deliver a separate copy of any of these documents to you
if you write to us at Healthcare Triangle, Inc., 7901 Stoneridge Drive, Suite # 220, Pleasanton, California 94588, Attn: Investor
Relations, or call 925-270-4812, or email IR@healthcaretriangle.com.
If
you want to receive separate copies of the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, Proxy Statement, or Annual Report
on Form 10-K in the future, or if you are receiving multiple copies and would like to receive only one copy for your household, you
should contact your bank, broker, or other nominee record holder, or you may contact us at the above address or telephone number. |
PROPOSAL
ONE - ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Number
of Directors; Board Structure
Our
amended certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that the number of our directors shall be fixed from time to time by a resolution
of our Board of Directors or of the stockholders. Our Board of Directors currently consists of five (5) members, three (3) of whom qualify
as “independent” under the listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”).
Directors serve until the next annual meeting and until their successors are elected and qualified or until they die, retire or are removed.
All of our current directors’ terms expire at this Annual Meeting. Directors who are elected at this Annual Meeting will have terms
that will expire at our 2024 Annual Meeting.
The
following presents our current directors and their Board positions as of November 9, 2023:
Committee |
Dave
Rosa |
Lakshmanan
Kannappan |
Shibu
Kizhakevilayil |
Ronald
McClurg |
Jainal
Bhuiyan |
Position |
Chairman
of the Bo ard of Directors, and Independent Director |
Business
Head and Director |
Head
of M&A and Director |
Independent
Director |
Audit
Committee |
✓ |
|
|
C |
✓ |
Compensation
Committee |
C |
|
|
✓ |
✓ |
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee |
|
|
|
✓ |
C |
The
✓;
represents
that the director is a member of the respective committee and the “C” represents that the director is the chairman of the
respective committee .
All
of our directors bring to our Board a wealth of executive leadership experience, particularly at public companies and companies with
healthcare and/or information technology operations. The following chart summarizes each director’s key experience, qualifications,
age and other attributes and summariz the demographic diversity of our Board.
Experience
and Attributes |
Dave
Rosa |
Lakshmanan
Kannappan |
Shibu
Kizhakevilayil |
Ronald
McClurg |
Jainal
Bhuiyan |
Accounting
Expertise |
|
|
|
✓ |
|
Compensation |
✓ |
|
|
✓ |
✓ |
Financial
Expertise |
✓ |
|
|
✓ |
|
Capital
Market Experience |
✓ |
|
|
✓ |
✓ |
Public
Company Executive |
✓ |
|
|
✓ |
|
Cybersecurity
/ IT |
|
✓ |
✓ |
|
|
Independence |
✓ |
|
|
✓ |
✓ |
Risk
Management / Compliance |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Regulatory
/ Public Policy |
✓ |
|
|
|
|
Audit
Committee Financial Expert |
|
|
|
✓ |
✓ |
M&A
/ Strategy |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
International |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
|
Female |
|
|
|
|
|
Racially
and/or Ethnically Diverse |
|
✓ |
✓ |
|
✓ |
Tenure
(Years) |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
Age
(Years) |
59 |
55 |
50 |
63 |
41 |
Identifying
and Evaluating Director Nominees; Board Diversity
The
Board of Directors is responsible for selecting its own members. The Board of Directors delegates the selection and nomination process
to the nominating and corporate governance committee, with the expectation that other members of the Board of Directors, and management,
will be requested to take part in the process as appropriate.
Generally,
the nominating and corporate governance committee identifies candidates for director nominees in consultation with management, through
the use of search firms or other advisors, through the recommendations submitted by stockholders or through such other methods as the
nominating and corporate governance committee deems to be helpful to identify candidates. Once candidates have been identified, the nominating
and corporate governance committee confirms that the candidates meet all of the minimum qualifications for director nominees established
by the nominating and corporate governance committee. The nominating and corporate governance committee may gather information about
the candidates in connection with its evaluation of a director candidate, including through candidate interviews, inquiry of the person
or persons making the recommendation or nomination, engagement of an outside search firm, or reliance on the knowledge of the members
of the nominating and corporate governance committee, the Board of Directors or management. The nominating and corporate governance committee
then meets as a group to discuss and evaluate the qualities and skills of each candidate, both on an individual basis and taking into
account the overall composition and needs of the Board of Directors. Based on the results of the evaluation process, the nominating and
corporate governance committee recommends candidates for the Board of Directors’ approval as director nominees for election to
the Board of Directors.
We
do not have a formal policy concerning the diversity of the Board of Directors. Our priority in selection of board members is identification
of members who will further the interests of our stockholders through their established records of professional accomplishment, their
ability to contribute positively to the collaborative culture among board members, and their knowledge of our business and understanding
of the competitive landscape in which we operate and adherence to high ethical standards. Although the nominating and corporate governance
committee does not have a formal diversity policy and does not follow any ratio or formula with respect to diversity in order to determine
the appropriate composition of the Board of Directors, the nominating and corporate governance committee and the full Board of Directors
are committed to creating a Board of Directors that promotes our strategic objectives and fulfills its responsibilities to our stockholders,
and considers diversity of gender, race, national origin, education, professional experience, and differences in viewpoints and skills
when evaluating proposed director candidates.
We
currently do not comply with Nasdaq Rule 5605 which require us to have at least two members of our Board of Directors as being “Diverse,”
including (i) at least one director who self-identifies as Female; and (ii) at least one director who self-identifies as an Underrepresented
Minority or LGBTQ+. As required by Nasdaq Rule 5606 as approved by the SEC in August 2021, we are providing additional information about
the gender and demographic diversity of our directors in the format required by such rule. The information in the matrix below is based
solely on information provided by our directors about their gender and demographic self-identification.
Board
Diversity Matrix (As of November 9, 2023) |
Total
Number of Directors |
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Female |
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Male |
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Non-Binary |
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Did Not Disclose Gender |
Part
I: Gender Identity |
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Directors |
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5 |
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Part
II: Demographic Background |
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African
American or Black |
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Alaskan
Native or Native American |
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Asian |
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3 |
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Hispanic
or Latinx |
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Native
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander |
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White |
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2 |
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Two
or More Races or Ethnicities |
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LGBTQ+ |
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Did
Not Disclose Demographic Background |
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Nominees
for Election for a One Year Term Ending at the 2024 Annual Meeting
Based
on the recommendation of the nominating and corporate governance committee of our Board of Directors, our Board of Directors has nominated
Dave Rosa, Shibu Kizhakevilayil, Lakshmanan Kannappan, Ronald McClurg, Jainal Bhuiyan for election as directors to serve for a one-year
term ending at the 2024 Annual Meeting or until his or her successor is elected and qualified. Each nominee is a current member of our
Board of Directors and each of the nominees has consented to serve if elected.
Unless
you direct otherwise through your proxy voting instructions, the persons named as proxies will vote all proxies received “FOR”
the
election of the nominees. If a nominees are unable or unwilling to serve at the time of the Annual Meeting, the persons named as proxies
may vote for a substitute nominee or nominees chosen by the present Board of Directors. In the alternative, the proxies may not vote
for a substitute nominee or nominees and instead leave a vacancy on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may fill such vacancy
at a later date or reduce the size of the Board of Directors. We have no reason to believe that the nominees will be unwilling or unable
to serve if elected as a director.
Biographies
of Nominees For Director
The
biographies of the nominees and continuing directors below contain information regarding each such person’s service as a director,
business experience, director positions held currently or at any time during the last five years and the experiences, qualifications,
attributes or skills that caused the nominating and corporate governance committee to determine that the person should serve as a director
of the Company. In addition to the information presented below regarding each such person’s specific experience, qualifications,
attributes and skills that led the Board of Directors and its nominating and corporate governance committee to the conclusion that he
or she should serve as a director, we also believe that each of our directors has a reputation for integrity, honesty and adherence to
high ethical standards. Each of our directors has demonstrated business acumen and an ability to exercise sound judgment, as well as
a commitment of service to our company and our Board of Directors. Finally, we value our directors’ experience in relevant areas
of business management and on other boards of directors and board committees.
Our
corporate governance guidelines also dictate that a majority of the Board of Directors be comprised of independent directors whom the
Board of Directors has determined have no material relationship with the Company and who are otherwise “independent” directors
under the published listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”).
The Company has determined that, with the exception of Mr. Lakshmanan Kannappan our Business Head and Director, and Mr. Shibu Kizhakevilayil,
our Head of M&A and Director, all of our other directors qualify as “independent” directors.
Dave
Rosa.
Mr. Rosa has served as a member of our Board of Directors since August 2021. Since 2016, Mr. Rosa has been and currently is President
and CEO of NeuroOne Medical Technologies (NMTC: Nasdaq), a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq. He also serves on the boards of Biotricity
(BTCY: OTC), a publicly traded company on the Over the Counter (OTC) platform, where he currently serves as compensation committee chairman
and Neuro Event Labs, a privately held company in Finland, where he currently serves as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Rosa has over
25 years of experience holding a variety of senior management roles representing several medical device markets. His recent experience
includes developing early-stage companies to commercialization and Nasdaq listing. Mr. Rosa holds a Master of Business Administration
degree from Duquesne University and Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University. We believe that Mr.
Rosa is well qualified to serve as a Director on our Board with his entrepreneurial, leadership, operational and capital markets experience.
Lakshmanan
Kannappan.
Mr. Kannappan has served as a Business Head and a member of our Board since October 2019. He has been the Chief Operating Officer and
Head of Cloud, Identity, and Access Management business for SecureKloud Technologies, Inc., since 2013. Mr. Kannappan is a visionary
leader who directs the business/ technology operations, product management, and strategic partnerships for SecureKloud. He founded FuGen
Solutions acquired by SecureKloud in 2013, is a serial entrepreneur with 25+ years of software industry experience, and also supports
investments and M&A activities for SecureKloud. He is also one of the original founders of SAML 2.0 protocol and Federated Identity
Management model for the industry while at Orange-France Telecom, which changed the way Identity Information is shared between Service
Providers and enabled the huge success of SaaS, Cloud and Social Networking. Mr. Kannappan has played senior technical, business, and
managerial roles in various segments including B2B, healthcare, eCommerce, Telecom, Digital Identity Management systems, Cyber Security,
and Cloud. He is a regular invited speaker in industry-related events. Mr. Kannappan holds Master’s in Electrical Engineering from
Anna University, India and Bachelor’s in Electronics and Instrumentation from Annamalai University, India. He sits on the University
of Chicago’s California Advisory Council since 2015. We believe that Mr. Kannappan is qualified to serve as a member of our Board
based on his experience in technology, business, and managerial capabilities.
Shibu
Kizhakevilayil.
Mr. Kizhakevilayil has served as Head of M&A and a member of our Board since October 2019. In his role as Global healthcare President,
he was leading the healthcare division of SecureKloud Technologies, Inc., from 2015 to 2020 and was also instrumental in identifying,
acquiring, and integrating healthcare IT companies. Mr. Kizhakevilayil had successfully built and sold 3 IT consulting companies specializing
in enterprise content management, data warehousing, and business intelligence solutions in his earlier career. He has over 20 years of
experience in the IT industry with expertise in the healthcare domain. He serves as a member of the Board of several private companies.
Mr. Kizhakevilayil holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from College of Engineering Trivandrum, India.
Ronald
McClurg.
Mr. McClurg has over 30 years of financial leadership experience with public and private companies. Mr. McClurg has served as Chief
Financial Officer of NeuroOne Medical Technologies Corp. (Nasdaq: NMTC) since January 2021. Prior to joining NeuroOne, from October 2003
to June 2019, Mr. McClurg served as VP – Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer of Incisive Surgical, Inc., a privately-held
medical device manufacturer. Prior to 2003, Mr. McClurg served as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Wavecrest Corporation, a privately-held
manufacturer of electronic test instruments for the semiconductor industry, and served as Chief Financial Officer for several publicly-held
companies, including Video Sentry Corporation, Insignia Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISIG), and Orthomet, Inc. Currently, he serves on the
board of governors of Biomagnetic Sciences, LLC and serves as a director and audit committee chair for Biotricity, Inc. (Nasdaq: BTCY).
Mr. McClurg holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin — Eau Claire.
Jainal
Bhuiyan.
Mr. Jainal is currently a Senior Managing Director in investment banking at Paulson Investment Company. Prior to Paulson he was a partner
at HRA Capital, a boutique investment bank he co-founded in 2012. Over the course of his 18 years of healthcare investment banking and
capital markets experience, he has advised private and public healthcare companies from start-ups to commercially mature enterprises,
totaling more than $3B in transactions. He holds FINRA Series 7, Series 63 and Series 79 licenses.
Recommendation
of the Board of Directors
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES.
______________________________________________________________
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE
Meetings
of the Board of Directors
Our
Board of Directors held 6 regular meetings in 2022 and acted by written consent zero times. During their respective terms of service,
each director attended at least 75% of all meetings of the Board of Directors during 2022. Under our corporate governance guidelines,
directors are expected to be active and engaged in discharging their duties and to keep themselves informed about our business and operations.
Directors are also expected to try to attend our annual meeting of stockholders, all meetings of the Board of Directors and all meetings
of the committees on which they serve.
Code
of Business Conduct and Ethics
We
are committed to the highest standards of integrity and ethics in the way we conduct our business. Our Board of Directors has adopted
a code of business conduct and ethics, which applies to our directors, officers and employees, including our chief executive officer,
our chief financial officer, and our other executive and senior officers. Our code of business conduct and ethics establishes our policies
and expectations with respect to a wide range of business conduct, including the preparation and maintenance of our financial and accounting
information, our compliance with laws, and possible conflicts of interest.
Under
our code of business conduct and ethics, each of our directors and employees is required to report suspected or actual violations to
the extent permitted by law. In addition, we have adopted separate procedures concerning the receipt and investigations of complaints
relating to accounting or audit matters. These procedures have been adopted by the Board of Directors and are administered by our audit
committee.
A
current copy of our code of business conduct and ethics is posted on the Governance section of our website, which is located at https://www.healthcaretriangle.com/investors/governence/policies
..
Policy
on Trading, Pledging and Hedging of Company Stock
Certain
transactions in our securities (such as purchases and sales of publicly traded put and call options, and short sales) create a heightened
compliance risk or could create the appearance of misalignment between management and stockholders. In addition, securities held in a
margin account or pledged as collateral may be sold without consent if the owner fails to meet a margin call or defaults on the loan,
thus creating the risk that a sale may occur at a time when an officer or director is aware of material, non-public information or otherwise
is not permitted to trade in Company securities. Our insider trading policy expressly prohibits short term trading (within six months),
short sales and, without prior approval, purchases or sales of puts, calls or other derivative securities of the or other hedging transactions.
In addition, our insider trading policy expressly requires prior approval from our compliance officer if any of our executive officers,
directors and specified other employees and their respective affiliates wish to borrow against company securities held in a margin account,
or, pledging our securities as collateral for a loan.
Independence
of the Board of Directors
Our
Board of Directors has determined that Messrs. McClurg, Rosa, and Bhuiyan satisfy the requirement for independence set out in Nasdaq
Rule 5605(b)(1) and that each of these directors has no material relationship with us (other than being a director and/or a stockholder).
In making its independence determinations, the Board of Directors sought to identify and analyze all of the facts and circumstances relating
to any relationship between a director, his or her immediate family or affiliates and our company and our affiliates and did not rely
on categorical standards other than those contained in the Nasdaq rule referenced above. A majority of the members of our Board of Directors
are independent under Nasdaq rule.
Minimum
Qualifications
The
nominating and corporate governance committee will consider, among other things, the following qualifications, skills and attributes
when recommending candidates for the Board of Directors’ selection as nominees for the Board of Directors and as candidates for
appointment to the Board of Directors’ committees. The nominee shall have high standards of personal and professional ethics and
integrity, shall have proven achievement and competence in the nominee’s field and the ability to exercise sound business judgment,
shall have skills that are complementary to those of the existing Board of Directors, shall have the ability to assist and support management
and make significant contributions to the Company’s success and shall have an understanding of the fiduciary responsibilities that
is required of a member of the Board of Directors and the commitment of time and energy necessary to diligently carry out those responsibilities.
In
evaluating proposed director candidates, the nominating and corporate governance committee will consider, in addition to the minimum
qualifications and other criteria for Board of Directors membership approved by the Board of Directors from time to time, the current
size and composition of the board and the needs of the Board of Directors and the respective committees of the Board of Directors, such
factors as character, integrity, judgment, diversity, independence, skills, education, expertise, business acumen, business experience,
length of service, understanding of the Company’s business and industry, other commitments and the like and any other factors that
the nominating and corporate governance committee may consider appropriate. When the nominating and corporate governance committee considers
diversity, it will consider diversity of experience, skills, viewpoints, race and gender, as it deems appropriate.
Family
Relationships
There
are no family relationships among the officers and directors, nor are there any arrangements or understanding between any of the directors
or officers of our Company or any other person pursuant to which any officer or director was or is to be selected as an officer or director.
Procedures
for Submitting Stockholder Proposals
Requirements
for Stockholder Proposals to be Brought Before the Annual Meeting. Stockholders may submit recommendations for director candidates
to the nominating and corporate governance committee by sending the individual’s name and qualifications to our Corporate Secretary
at Healthcare Triangle, Inc., 7901 Stoneridge Drive, Suite # 220, Pleasanton, California 94588 who will forward all recommendations to
the nominating and corporate governance committee. The nominating and corporate governance committee will evaluate any candidates recommended
by stockholders against the same criteria and pursuant to the same policies and procedures applicable to the evaluation of candidates
proposed by directors or management.
Any
stockholder who wishes to submit a proposal for inclusion in our proxy materials must comply with Rule 14a-8 promulgated under the Exchange
Act. For such proposals to be included in our proxy materials relating to our 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, all applicable requirements
of Rule 14a-8 must be satisfied, and we must receive such proposals no later than June 21, 2023. Such proposals must be delivered to
our Corporate Secretary at Healthcare Triangle, Inc., 7901 Stoneridge Drive, Suite # 220, Pleasanton, California 94588.
Securityholder
and Interested Party Communications
The
Board of Directors provides to every securityholder and interested party the ability to communicate with the Board of Directors, as a
whole, and with individual directors on the Board of Directors through an established process for securityholder and interested party
communication. For a communication directed to the Board of Directors as a whole, securityholders and interested parties may send such
communication to the attention of the Chairman of the Board of Directors via U.S. Mail or Expedited Delivery Service to: Healthcare Triangle,
Inc., 7901 Stoneridge Drive, Suite # 220, Pleasanton, California 94588, Attn: Mr. Dave Rosa, Chairman of the Board of Directors.
For
a communication directed to an individual director in his capacity as a member of the Board of Directors, securityholders and interested
parties may send such communication to the attention of the individual director via U.S. Mail or Expedited Delivery Service to: Healthcare
Triangle, Inc., 7901 Stoneridge Drive, Suite # 220, Pleasanton, California 94588, Attn: [Insert the name of the director to whom you
wish to communicate.]
We
will forward by U.S. Mail any such communication to each director, and the Chairman of the Board in his capacity as a representative
of the Board of Directors, to whom such communication is addressed to the address specified by each such director and the Chairman of
the Board, unless there are safety or security concerns that mitigate against further transmission.
Board
Leadership Structure and Board’s Role in Risk Oversight
Our
Board of Directors currently believes that our company is best served by our Chairman of the Board, Mr Dave Rosa. Our Board of Directors
believes that Mr. Rosa is one of the most significantly engaged and long-standing director(s) of the Company, and most familiar with
our business and industry and most capable of effectively identifying strategic priorities and leading discussion and execution of strategy.
Our independent directors bring experience, oversight and expertise from outside our company. The Board of Directors recognizes, however,
that no single leadership model is right for all companies at all times. Accordingly, the Board of Directors periodically reviews its
leadership structure.
Our
Board of Directors oversees the management of risks inherent in the operation of our business and the implementation of our business
strategies. Our Board of Directors performs this oversight role by using several different levels of review. In connection with its reviews
of the operations and corporate functions of our Company, our Board of Directors addresses the primary risks associated with those operations
and corporate functions. In addition, our Board of Directors reviews the risks associated with our Company’s business strategies
periodically throughout the year as part of its consideration of undertaking any such business strategies.
Each
of our board committees also oversees the management of our Company’s risk that falls within the committee’s areas of responsibility.
In performing this function, each committee has full access to management, as well as the ability to engage advisors. Our chief financial
officer provides reports to the audit committee and is responsible for identifying, evaluating and implementing risk management controls
and methodologies to address any identified risks. In connection with its risk management role, our audit committee meets privately with
representatives from our independent registered public accounting firm and our chief financial officer. The audit committee oversees
the operation of our risk management program, including the identification of the primary risks associated with our business and periodic
updates to such risks, and reports to our Board of Directors regarding these activities.
Risk
is inherent with every business, and how well a business manages risk can ultimately determine its success. We face a number of risks,
including risks relating to our financial condition, development and commercialization activities, operations, strategic direction and
intellectual property as more fully discussed under “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. Management is responsible
for the day-to-day management of risks we face, while our Board of Directors, as a whole and through its committees, has responsibility
for the oversight of risk management. In its risk oversight role, our Board of Directors has the responsibility to satisfy itself that
the risk management processes designed and implemented by management are adequate and functioning as designed.
Risks
Related to Compensation Policies and Practices
In
establishing and reviewing our compensation philosophy and programs, we consider whether such programs encourage unnecessary or excessive
risk taking. We believe that our executive compensation program does not encourage excessive or unnecessary risk taking. This is primarily
due to the fact that our compensation programs are designed to encourage our executive officers and other employees to remain focused
on both short-term and long-term strategic goals. As a result, we do not believe that our compensation programs are reasonably likely
to have a material adverse effect on us.
Board
Committees
Our
Board of Directors has established three standing committees: audit, leadership and compensation, and nominating and corporate governance.
We have appointed persons to the Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors as required to meet the corporate governance
requirements of the Nasdaq. The audit committee, compensation committee and nominating and corporate governance committee all operate
under charters approved by our Board of Directors (copies of which can be found on our website by visiting https://www.healthcaretriangle.com/investors/governence/policies.
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, the audit committee met 4 times, the compensation committee met 2 times, and the nominating
and corporate governance committee met 1 times. During their respective terms of service, each director attended at least 75% of all
meetings of the committees on which they then served, which were held during 2022.
The
following table sets forth the current membership of the Board of Directors and each committee of the Board and includes the number of
meetings that the Board and each committee held during 2022:
Director |
Board |
Audit |
Compensation |
Nominating
and Corporate Governance |
Dave
Rosa |
C |
✓ |
C |
|
Lakshmanan
Kannappan |
✓ |
|
|
|
Shibu
Kizhakevilayil |
✓ |
|
|
|
Ronald
McClurg |
✓ |
C |
✓ |
✓ |
|
|
|
|
|
Jainal
Bhuiyan |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
C |
Number
of 2022 Meetings |
6 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
C=
Chairperson
✓=Member
Our
Board of Directors may from time to time establish other committees.
Board
and Committee Evaluations
The
nominating and corporate governance committee intends to establish the Board and committee evaluation process and may determine to use
an independent third-party evaluation process from time to time in the future. No board or committee evaluations were undertaken in 2022.
Director
Attendance at Annual Meeting of Stockholders
Directors
are encouraged to attend the annual meeting of stockholders to the extent practicable. We held an annual meeting of stockholders in 2022
as we were a public company.
Audit
Committee
We
have a separately designated standing audit committee of our Board of Directors, as defined in Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange
Act”).
The audit committee is currently comprised of three independent directors: Ronald McClurg, Jainal Bhuiyan, Dave Rosa. Mr. McClurg is
the Chair of our audit committee. Our Board of Directors have determined that each of the members of our audit committee is “independent”
within the meaning of the rules of the Nasdaq and the SEC, including for audit committee purposes, and that each of the members of our
audit committee is financially literate and has accounting or related financial management expertise, as such qualifications are defined
under the rules of the Nasdaq. In addition, our Board of Directors has determined that Mr. McClurg is an “audit committee financial
expert” as defined by the SEC. Our audit committee operates under a written charter. Our audit committee assists our Board of Directors
in its oversight of our accounting and financial reporting process and the audits of our financial statements. Our audit committee’s
responsibilities include:
• | | reviewing
and discussing with management and the independent auditor the annual audited financial statements,
and recommending to the board whether the audited financial statements should be included
in our annual disclosure report; |
• | | discussing
with management and the independent auditor significant financial reporting issues and judgments
made in connection with the preparation of our financial statements; |
• | | discussing
with management major risk assessment and risk management policies; |
• | | monitoring
the independence of the independent auditor; |
• | | verifying
the rotation of the lead (or coordinating) audit partner having primary responsibility for
the audit and the audit partner responsible for reviewing the audit as required by law; |
• | | reviewing
and approving all related-party transactions; |
• | | inquiring
and discussing with management our compliance with applicable laws and regulations; |
• | | pre-approving
all audit services and permitted non-audit services to be performed by our independent auditor,
including the fees and terms of the services to be performed; |
• | | appointing
or replacing the independent auditor; |
• | | determining
the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent auditor (including resolution
of disagreements between management and the independent auditor regarding financial reporting)
for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work; |
• | | establishing
procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding
accounting, internal accounting controls or reports which raise material issues regarding
our financial statements or accounting policies; and |
• | | approving
reimbursement of expenses incurred by our management team in identifying potential target
businesses. |
Report
Of The Audit Committee Of The Board Of Directors
This
report is submitted by the audit committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”)
of Healthcare Triangle, Inc. (the “Company”).
The audit committee consists of the three directors whose names appear below. None of the members of the audit committee is an officer
or employee of the Company, and the Board has determined that each member of the audit committee is “independent” for audit
committee purposes as that term is defined under Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act, and the applicable rules of the Nasdaq. Each member
of the audit committee meets the requirements for financial literacy under the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC and the Nasdaq.
The Board has designated Mr. McClurg as an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined under the applicable rules of the
SEC. The audit committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board.
The
audit committee’s general role is to assist the Board in monitoring our financial reporting process and related matters. Its specific
responsibilities are set forth in its charter.
The
audit committee has reviewed the Company’s consolidated financial statements for 2022 and met with management, as well as with
representatives of BF Borgers, CPAS , the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, to discuss the financial statements.
The audit committee also discussed with members of BF Borgers, CPAS the matters required to be discussed by the Auditing Standard No. 1301,
“Communication with Audit Committees,” as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
In
addition, the audit committee received the written disclosures and the letter from BF Borgers, CPAS required by applicable requirements
of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the audit committee
concerning independence and discussed with members of BF Borgers, CPAS its independence.
Based
on these discussions, the financial statement review, and other matters it deemed relevant, the audit committee recommended to the Board
that the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements for 2022 be included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2022.
The
information contained in this audit committee report shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material,” “filed”
or incorporated by reference into any past or future filing under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the Securities Act of 1933 unless
and only to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference.
Signed
by the Audit Committee:
Ronald
McClurg (Chairperson)
Jainal
Bhuiyan
Dave
Rosa
Compensation
Committee
The
members of the compensation committee are Dave Rosa, Ronald McClurg, and Jainal Bhuiyan. Mr. Rosa is the Chair of the compensation
committee. Our Board of Directors has determined that each of the members of the compensation committee is “independent”
within the meaning of the rules of the Nasdaq. Our compensation committee assists our Board of Directors in the discharge of its responsibilities
relating to the compensation of our executive officers. Our compensation committee operates under a written charter. The compensation
committee’s responsibilities include:
• | | reviews,
approves and determines, or makes recommendations to our Board of Directors regarding, the
compensation of our executive officers; |
• | | administers
our equity compensation plans; |
• | | reviews
and approves, or makes recommendations to our Board of Directors, regarding incentive compensation
and equity compensation plans; and |
• | | establishes
and reviews general policies relating to compensation and benefits of our employees. |
None
of the members of our compensation committee has at any time during the prior three years been one of our officers or employees. None
of our executive officers currently serves, or in the past fiscal year has served, as a member of the Board of Directors or compensation
committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving on our Board of Directors or compensation committee.
Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee
The
members of the nominating and corporate governance committee are Ronald
McClurg and Jainal Bhuiyan.
Mr Bhuiyan is the Chair of the nominating and corporate governance committee. Our Board of Directors has determined that each of the
members of the nominating and corporate governance committee is “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the Nasdaq.
Our nominating and corporate governance committee operates under a written charter. The nominating and corporate governance committee’s
responsibilities include:
• | | identifying,
reviewing and evaluating candidates to serve on our Board of Directors consistent with criteria
approved by our Board of Directors; |
• | | evaluating
director performance on our Board of Directors and applicable committees of our Board of
Directors and determining whether continued service on our Board of Directors is appropriate |
• | | evaluating
nominations by stockholders of candidates for election to our Board of Directors; and |
• | | corporate
governance matters. |
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The
following table sets forth certain information, as of November 9, 2023, with respect to the holdings of (1) each person who is the beneficial
owner of more than 5% of Company voting stock, (2) each of our directors, (3) each executive officer, and (4) all of our current directors
and executive officers as a group.
Beneficial
ownership of the voting stock is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes any shares of Company voting stock over
which a person exercises sole or shared voting or investment power, or of which a person has a right to acquire ownership at any time
within 60 days of November 9, 2023. Except as otherwise indicated, we believe that the persons named in this table have sole voting and
investment power with respect to all shares of voting stock held by them. Applicable percentage ownership in the following table is based
on 4,277,572 shares of our common stock and 6,000 shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding on November 9, 2023. As of November
9, 2023, there were 47 holders of our common stock and one holder of our preferred stock.
To
the best of our knowledge, except as otherwise indicated, each of the persons named in the table has sole voting and investment power
with respect to the shares of our common stock beneficially owned by such person, except to the extent such power may be shared with
a spouse. To our knowledge, none of the shares listed below are held under a voting trust or similar agreement, except as noted. To our
knowledge, there is no arrangement, including any pledge by any person of securities of the Company, the operation of which may at a
subsequent date result in a change in control of the Company.
| |
Number
of Shares Beneficially Owned | |
Beneficial
Ownership Percentages |
Name
and Address of Beneficial Owner(1) | |
Title | |
Common Stock | |
Series
A Super Voting Preferred Stock(2) | |
Percent
of Common Stock | |
Percent
of Series A Super Voting Preferred Stock | |
Percent
of Voting Stock(3) |
Officers
and Directors | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Thyagarajan
Ramachandran | |
Chief
Financial Officer | |
| 10,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 0.2 | % | |
| | | |
| — | | |
| | | |
0.1% |
Anand
Kumar | |
SVP
Sales | |
| 15,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 0.4 | % | |
| | | |
| — | | |
| | | |
0.1% |
Lakshmanan
Kannappan | |
Director | |
| 20,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 0.5 | % | |
| | | |
| — | | |
| | | |
0.2% |
Shibu
Kizhakevilayil | |
Director | |
| 20,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 0.5 | % | |
| | | |
| — | | |
| | | |
0.2% |
Ronald
McClurg | |
Director | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| | | |
| * | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
* |
Paige
Heaphy | |
Director | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| * | | |
| | | |
| — | | |
| | | |
* |
Dave
Rosa | |
Director | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| * | | |
| | | |
| — | | |
| | | |
* |
Jainal
Bhuiyan | |
Director | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| * | | |
| | | |
| — | | |
| | | |
* |
Officers
and Directors as a Group | |
| |
| 65,000 | | |
| | | |
| 1.6 | % | |
| | | |
| N/A | | |
| | | |
0.6% |
| |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
5%
Stockholders | |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
SecureKloud
Technologies, Inc.(4) | |
| |
| 2,550,000 | | |
| — | | |
| 59.6 | % | |
| | | |
| N/A | | |
| | | |
24.8% |
Suresh
Venkatachari | |
| |
| 75,000 | | |
| 6,000 | | |
| 1.8 | % | |
| | | |
| 100 | | |
| | | |
59.1% |
*Less
than 1%.
(1) | | The
principal address of the named officers, directors and 5% stockholders of the Company is
c/o Healthcare Triangle, Inc, 7901, Stoneridge Dr, Suite # 220, Pleasanton, California 94588. |
(2) | | Entitles
the holder to 1,000 votes per share and votes with the common stock as a single class. |
(3) | | Represents
total ownership percentage with respect to all shares of common stock and Series A Super
Voting Preferred Stock, as a single class. |
(4) | | SecureKloud
Technologies, Inc. is 60.71% owned by SecureKloud Technologies Limited which is a publicly
traded company in India. |
PROPOSAL
TWO
PROPOSAL
TO AMEND THE 2020 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN TO PROVIDE FOR AUTOMATIC INCREASES IN THE NUMBER OF SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
We
are proposing that our stockholders approve the amendment (the “Plan Amendment”) of the Healthcare Triangle, Inc. 2020 Stock
Incentive Plan (“Plan”) to provide for the automatic increase in the number of shares under the Plan on the first day of
each fiscal year beginning with the 2024 fiscal year, in an amount equal to the least of: (a) 1,200,000 shares, (b) a number of shares
equal to twenty percent (20%) of the total number of shares of all classes of common stock of the Company outstanding on the last day
of the immediately preceding fiscal year, or (c) such number of shares determined by the Administrator of the Plan no later than the
last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year. The Plan Amendment will terminate with the termination of the Plan on December 31,
2030.
Our
Board of Directors believes that our continued growth and success depends, in large part, on our ability to maintain a competitive position
by attracting, retaining, and motivating key employees, directors and consultants with experience and ability, which is vital to our
future success, and to align our employees’, directors’ and consultants’ compensation with building shareholder value.
Our Plan is an integral part of this strategy. An increase in shares available under the Plan is necessary not only to retain current
employees, directors, and consultants but also to attract new talent as we grow. Our Board of Directors believes that the shares currently
available under our Plan will be insufficient to meet our future needs, thus potentially impairing our ability to attract and retain
key employees through the grant of stock-based awards. The Plan is designed to attract, motivate, and retain employees, directors and
consultants of the Company and to further the growth and financial success of the Company by aligning the interests of such persons through
ownership of our common stock with the interests of our stockholders.
The
Plan currently authorizes the grant of stock options to employees, directors and consultants of the Company and its subsidiaries. You
may read the Plan in its current form here: Healthcare Triangle, Inc. 2020 Stock Incentive Plan. Or you may view it on the website
of the Securities and Exchange Commission, www.sec.gov, by searching for Healthcare Triangle, Inc.’s Amendment No. 2 to
its Form S-1 Registration Statement (File No. 333259180) as filed with the SEC on September 27, 2021. The Plan is Exhibit 10.6 to that
Registration Statement.
At
present, the first sentence of Section 3 of the Plan states that: “Subject to the provisions of Section 10 below, the maximum aggregate
number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan is 600,000 all of which may be issued under the Plan pursuant to Incentive Stock Options.”
Section 10 of the Plan provides for the adjustment of the number of shares of common stock subject to the Plan as a result of changes
in capitalization, mergers or other transactions. There are no provisions in the Plan for any increase over the 600,000 shares of common
stock currently reserved for the Plan.
On
November 9, 2023, the Board of Directors approved the Plan Amendment, subject to stockholder approval. The Plan will be amended as follows:
The
first sentence of Section 3 of the Plan shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following sentence:
“Subject
to the provisions of Section 10, the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan will be increased on the first day of each
fiscal year beginning with the 2024 fiscal year, in an amount equal to the least of (a) 1,200,000 Shares, (b) a number of Shares equal
to twenty percent (20%) of the total number of shares of all classes of common stock of the Company outstanding on the last day of the
immediately preceding fiscal year, or (c) such number of Shares determined by the Administrator no later than the last day of the immediately
preceding fiscal year.”
Our
Board of Directors believes that the proposed Plan Amendment is in the best interests of, and will provide long-term advantages to, us
and our stockholders and recommends the approval by our stockholders of the Plan Amendment. Stock options are granted by the Board of
Directors to the employees, directors and consultants of our Company upon whose judgment, initiative and efforts we largely depend for
the successful conduct of our business. These incentives provide our employees with a proprietary interest in our Company, thereby stimulating
their commitment on our behalf and strengthening their desire to remain with us. Our Board of Directors anticipates that this direct
stake in the future success of our Company also assures a closer alignment of the interests of employees with those of our stockholders.
Our Board of Directors believes that the number of shares of common stock currently available for issuance under our Plan is insufficient
in view of our anticipated growth, compensation structure, business strategy and our plans to issue additional shares of common stock
in the future to increase our capitalization to permit investment in our future growth.
Under
the current Plan, in order to increase the number of shares of common stock available for the Plan, we would need to obtain stockholder
approval each time an increase was deemed necessary. Stockholder approval requires that the board wait until the time for our annual
meeting, which could result in the loss of important members of our team or call a special meeting of stockholders which would result
in some distraction to management from its focus on our business and substantial additional expense, the funds of which could be better
used for non-administrative matters.
If
we cannot increase the amount of shares of common stock available for issuance pursuant to the Plan Amendment, it could have a negative
impact on our ability to retain and attract key employees. Accordingly, we are seeking stockholder approval of the Plan Amendment. In
the event that the Plan Amendment is not approved by stockholders, the Plan will continue in effect without the amendment described above.
Any
increase in the number of shares of common stock reserved under the Plan has the potential to dilute the ownership of our current stockholders.
Dilution will decrease such stockholders’ voting power, will decrease their proportionate share of any dividends we may declare
and may make it more difficult for a stockholder to increase his/her percentage ownership in the Company. Moreover, an automatic increase
in the number of shares subject to the Plan eliminates the ability of our stockholders to have control over this form of compensation
to our directors and management. These reasons and others are why certain advisory firms recommend against such provisions in a company’s
equity incentive plan.
As
of November 9, 2023: (i) 271,336 shares of our common stock remained available for future awards under our Plan; and (ii) 306,050 shares
of our common stock were subject to outstanding options under our Plan with the outstanding options having a weighted average exercise
price of $3.76 per share and a weighted average term to scheduled expiration of 1.94 years. During the fiscal year ended December
31, 2022, our Board of Directors approved the grant of options to purchase 51,500 shares of common stock (as adjusted for the reverse
split) under our Plan.
Based
solely on the closing price of our common stock as reported on The Nasdaq Capital Market on November 9, 2023, the maximum aggregate market
value of the 600,000 additional shares that could potentially be issued under the Plan, assuming the Plan Amendment is approved, is approximately
$2,400,000. The shares available for issuance by us under the Plan will be authorized but unissued or reacquired shares.
Recommendation
of the Board of Directors
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” APPROVAL OF THE PLAN AMENDMENT.
PROPOSAL
THREE
RATIFICATION
OF THE APPOINTMENT OF
OUR
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We
have appointed BF Borgers, CPAS as our independent registered public accounting firm to perform the audit of our consolidated financial
statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, and we are asking you and other stockholders to ratify this appointment. BF
Borgers, CPAS has audited our financial statements since January 2023.
The
audit committee annually reviews the independent registered public accounting firm’s independence, including reviewing all relationships
between the independent registered public accounting firm and us and any disclosed relationships or services that may impact the objectivity
and independence of the independent registered public accounting firm, and the independent registered public accounting firm’s
performance. As a matter of good corporate governance, the Board of Directors determined to submit to stockholders for ratification the
appointment of Ram Associates CPAS. A majority of the votes present in person, by remote communication (if applicable) or represented
by proxy duly authorized at the meeting and entitled to vote generally on the subject matter is required in order to ratify the appointment
of BF Borgers, CPAS . In the event that the required majority do not ratify this appointment of BF Borgers, CPAS, we will review our
future appointment of BF Borgers, CPAS.
We
expect that a representative of BF Borgers, CPAS will attend the virtual Annual Meeting and the representative will have an opportunity
to make a statement if he or she so chooses. The representative will also be available to respond to appropriate questions from stockholders.
Policy
on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We
have adopted a policy under which the audit committee must pre-approve all audit and permissible non-audit services to be provided by
the independent registered public accounting firm. These services may include audit services, audit-related services, tax services and
other services.
In
addition, in the event time constraints require pre-approval prior to the audit committee’s next scheduled meeting, the audit committee
has authorized its chairman to pre-approve services. Engagements so pre-approved are to be reported to the audit committee at its next
scheduled meeting.
Recommendation
of the Board of Directors
THE
BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF BF BORGERS, CPAS AS OUR INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTING FIRM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2023.
TRANSACTION
OF OTHER BUSINESS
The
Board of Directors knows of no other matters that will be presented for consideration at the Annual Meeting. If any other matters are
properly brought before the Annual Meeting, the persons appointed in the accompanying proxy intend to vote the shares represented thereby
in accordance with their best judgment on such matters, under applicable laws.
OTHER
INFORMATION
Availability
of bylaws
A
copy of our amended bylaws may be obtained by accessing our filings on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also contact
our corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices for a copy of the relevant bylaw provisions regarding the requirements for
making stockholder proposals and nominating director candidates.
2022
Annual Report
Our
financial statements for our fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 are included in our annual report, which we will make available
to stockholders at the same time as this proxy statement. Our proxy materials and our annual report are posted on our website at https://www.healthcaretriangle.com/sec-filings/
and are available from the SEC at its website at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain a copy of our annual report, free of charge,
by sending a written request to Healthcare Triangle, Inc., 7901 Stoneridge Drive, Suite # 220, Pleasanton, California 94588, Attention:
Secretary.
Information
contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not intended to be incorporated by reference into this proxy statement,
and references to our website address in this proxy statement are inactive textual references only.
By
Order of the Board of Directors:
/s/
Dave Rosa
Dave
Rosa
Chairman
of the Board of Directors
YOUR
VOTE IS IMPORTANT! PLEASE VOTE BY:
HEALTHCARE
TRIANGLE, INC.
7901
STONERIDGE DRIVE
SUITE
#220
PLEASANTON,
CALIFORNIA 94588 |
|
INTERNET
Go
to: https://fcrvote.com/HCTI
•
Cast your vote online
•
Have
your Proxy Card ready
•
Follow the simple instructions to record your vote |
|
|
|
|
|
PHONE
Call
1-866-402-3905
•
Use any touch-tone telephone
•
Have
your Proxy Card ready
•
Follow the simple recorded instructions |
|
|
|
|
|
MAIL
•
Mark, sign and date your Proxy Card
•
Fold and return your Proxy Card in the postage-paid envelop provided |
|
|
|
|
|
Go
Green! To receive documents via e-mail, simply go to: httpw://wwww.viewproxy.com/Healthcaretriangle/2023 |
HEALTHCARE
TRIANGLE, INC.
Annual
Meeting of Stockholders
For
Stockholders as of record on November 9, 2023
TIME:
Wednesday,
December 13, 2023 10:00 AM, Pacific Time
PLACE:
Annual
Meeting to be held live via internet - please visit https://www.viewproxy.com/Healthcaretriangle/2023
for
more details.
This
proxy is being solicited on behalf of the Board of Directors
The
undersigned hereby appoints Shibu Kizhakevilayil and Thyagarajan Ramachandran, and each or either of them, as the true and lawful attorneys
of the undersigned, with full power of substitution and revocation, and authorizes them, and each of them, to vote all the shares of
capital stock of HEALTHCARE TRIANGLE, INC which the undersigned is entitled to vote at said meeting and any adjournment thereof upon
the matters specified and upon such other matters as may be properly brought before the meeting or any adjournment thereof, conferring
authority upon such true and lawful attorneys to vote in their discretion on such other matters as may properly come before the meeting
and revoking any proxy heretofore given.
THE
SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED OR, IF NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN, SHARES WILL BE VOTED IDENTICAL TO THE BOARD
OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDATION. This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein. In their discretion, the
Named Proxies are authorized to vote upon such other matters that may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement
thereof.
You
are encouraged to specify your choice by marking the appropriate box (SEE REVERSE SIDE) but you need not mark any box if you wish to
vote in accordance with the Board of Directors’ recommendation. The Named Proxies cannot vote your shares unless you sign (on the
reverse side) and return this card.
PLEASE
BE SURE TO SIGN AND DATE THIS PROXY CARD AND MARK ON THE REVERSE SIDE.
(Reverse
Side)
HEALTHCARE
TRIANGLE, INC
Annual
Meeting of Stockholders
Please
make your marks like this: ☒ Use dark black pencil or pen only
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE:
FOR
ON PROPOSALS 1, 2 AND 3.
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS |
PROPOSAL: |
YOUR
VOTE |
RECOMMENDS |
|
|
|
|
|
1.
To elect five (5) directors named below to hold office until the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. |
|
|
|
|
|
FOR |
WITHHOLD |
|
|
1.01
Dave Rosa |
☐ |
☐ |
|
FOR |
|
|
|
|
|
1.02
Lakshmanan Kannappan |
☐ |
☐ |
|
FOR |
|
|
|
|
|
1.03
Shibu Kizhakevilayil |
☐ |
☐ |
|
FOR |
|
|
|
|
|
1.04
Ronald McClurg |
☐ |
☐ |
|
FOR |
|
|
|
|
|
1.05
Jainal Bhuiyan |
☐ |
☐ |
|
FOR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FOR |
AGAINST |
ABSTAIN |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2. To
approve the Plan Amendment as described in the accompanying Proxy Statement. |
☐ |
☐ |
☐ |
FOR |
3. To
ratify the appointment of BF Borgers, CPAS as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31,
2023. |
☐ |
☐ |
☐ |
FOR |
To
transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting as determined in the discretion of the proxies. |
|
|
|
|
You
must register to attend the meeting online and/or participate at https://www.viewproxy.com/Healthcaretriangle/2023/htype.asp.
Authorized
Signatures - Must be completed for your instructions to be executed.
Please
sign exactly as your name(s) appears on your account. If held in joint tenancy, all persons should sign. Trustees, administrators, etc.,
should include title and authority. Corporations should provide full name of corporation and title of authorized officer signing the
Proxy/Vote Form.
|
|
|
Signature
(and Title, if applicable) Date |
|
Signature
(and Title, if applicable) Date |
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