Kodiak AI (KDK) Risk Analysis

Our common stock and Public Warrants are listed on Nasdaq under the symbols "KDK" and "KDKRW," respectively. Although we currently meet the continued listing standards set forth in the Nasdaq listing standards, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on Nasdaq in the future. To continue listing our securities on Nasdaq, we must maintain certain financial, distribution and share price levels. Generally, we must maintain a minimum market capitalization (generally $50 million), a minimum market capitalization attributable to publicly held shares (generally $15 million) and a minimum number of holders of our securities (generally 400 public holders). If Nasdaq delists our securities from trading on its exchange and we are not able to list our securities on another stock exchange, we expect our securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including: -     a limited availability of market quotations for our securities;-     reduced liquidity for our securities;-     a determination that our securities are a "penny stock" which will require brokers trading in our securities to adhere to more stringent rules and possibly result in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our securities;-     a limited amount of news and analyst coverage; and -     a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future.

Although we list our common stock and Public Warrants on Nasdaq under the ticker symbols "KDK" and "KDKRW," respectively, an active trading market for such securities may never develop or be sustained. A public trading market having the desirable characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends upon the existence of willing buyers and sellers at any given time, such existence being dependent upon the individual decisions of buyers and sellers over which neither we nor any market maker has control. The failure of an active and liquid trading market to develop and continue would likely have a material adverse effect on the value of our common stock and Public Warrants. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by issuing our common stock and Public Warrants.

Our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws and the DGCL contain provisions that could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying, or preventing an acquisition deemed undesirable by our Board and therefore depress the trading price of our common stock. These provisions could also make it difficult for stockholders to take certain actions, including electing directors who are not nominated by the then-current members of our Board or taking other corporate actions, including effecting changes in management. Among other things, our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws include provisions regarding: -     the ability of our Board to issue shares of our preferred stock, known as "blank check" preferred stock, and to fix by resolution or resolutions the designations, powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, of any series of our preferred stock, without stockholder approval, which could be used to significantly dilute the ownership of a hostile acquirer;-     the limitation of the liability of, and the indemnification of, our directors and officers;-     the right, subject to the rights of holders of our preferred stock to elect directors under specific circumstances, of our Board to appoint a director to fill a vacancy or unfilled seat created by the expansion of our Board or the resignation, death or removal of a director, which prevents stockholders from being able to fill vacancies or other unfilled seats on our Board;-     the requirement, so long as our Board is classified, that directors may only be removed from our Board for cause and upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least the majority of the total voting power of our issued and outstanding common stock entitled to vote in the election of directors, voting as a single class;-     the requirement that, subject to the terms of any series of our preferred stock, a special meeting of stockholders may be called only by: (i) our Board acting pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the directors then serving on our Board; (ii) the chairperson of our Board; or (iii) our Chief Executive Officer or president and the explicit prohibition on stockholders calling a special meeting, which could delay the ability of stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or to take action, including the removal of directors;-     controlling the procedures for the conduct and scheduling of our Board and stockholder meetings;-     the requirement for the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of all of our then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, to amend or modify certain provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation which could preclude stockholders from bringing matters before annual or special meetings of stockholders and delay changes in our Board and also may inhibit the ability of an acquirer to effect such amendments to facilitate an unsolicited takeover attempt;-     the ability of our Board to alter or amend our Bylaws, which may allow our Board to take additional actions to prevent an unsolicited takeover and inhibit the ability of an acquirer to amend our Bylaws to facilitate an unsolicited takeover attempt; and -     advance notice procedures with which our stockholders must comply to nominate candidates to our Board or to propose matters to be acted upon at a stockholders' meeting, which could preclude stockholders from bringing matters before annual or special meetings of stockholders and delay changes in our Board and also may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer's own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain our control. These provisions, alone or together, could delay or prevent hostile takeovers and changes in control or changes in our Board or management. As a Delaware corporation, we are generally subject to provisions of Delaware law, including the DGCL. Any provision of our Certificate of Incorporation, Bylaws or Delaware law that has the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control could limit the opportunity for stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

Ares Acquisition Holdings II LP (the "SPAC Sponsor"), certain affiliates or funds associated with the SPAC Sponsor and our non-employee directors and their respective affiliates engage in a broad spectrum of activities, including investments in similar business activities or lines of business in which we now engage or propose to engage. In the ordinary course of their business activities, the SPAC Sponsor, certain affiliates or funds associated with the SPAC Sponsor and our non-employee directors and their respective affiliates may engage in activities in which their interests conflict with our interests or those of our stockholders. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, none of the SPAC Sponsor, certain affiliates or funds associated with the SPAC Sponsor, our non-employee directors or any of their respective affiliates (including any non-employee director who serves as our officer in such person's director and officer capacities) has any duty to refrain from engaging, directly or indirectly, in the same business activities or similar business activities or lines of business in which we engage or propose to engage or otherwise competing with us, our stockholders, or any of our affiliates. Further, to the fullest extent permitted by law, in the event that any of the SPAC Sponsor, certain affiliates or funds associated with the SPAC Sponsor and our non-employee directors and their respective affiliates acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or other business opportunity which may be a corporate opportunity for itself, herself or himself and us or any of our affiliates, they will have no duty to communicate or offer such transaction or other business opportunity to us or any of our affiliates and will not be liable to us or our stockholders or to any of our affiliates for breach of any fiduciary duty as a stockholder, director or officer of ours solely by reason of the fact that they pursue or acquire such corporate opportunity for themselves, offer or direct such corporate opportunity to another Person, or do not communicate information regarding such corporate opportunity to us or any of our affiliates. The SPAC Sponsor, certain affiliates or funds associated with the SPAC Sponsor and their respective directors and officers may pursue, in their capacities other than as directors of our Board, acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. The SPAC Sponsor, certain affiliates or funds associated with the SPAC Sponsor and their respective directors and officers may have an interest in pursuing acquisitions, divestitures and other transactions that, in its judgment, could enhance its investment, even though such transactions might involve risks to you.

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company's securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Stockholder activism, which could take many forms or arise in a variety of situations, has been increasing recently. Volatility in the stock price of our common stock or other reasons may in the future cause it to become the target of securities litigation or stockholder activism. Securities litigation and stockholder activism, including potential proxy contests, could result in substantial costs and divert management's and our Board's attention and resources from our business, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, such securities litigation and stockholder activism could give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future, adversely affect its relationships with service providers and make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel. We may also be required to incur significant legal fees and other expenses related to any securities litigation and activist stockholder matters. Further, our stock price could be subject to significant fluctuation or otherwise be adversely affected by the events, risks and uncertainties of any securities litigation and stockholder activism.

The Public Warrants are issued under a Warrant Agreement (the "Warrant Agreement"). The Warrant Agreement provides that the terms of the Public Warrants may be amended with the approval of the holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding Public Warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of Public Warrants. Accordingly, we may amend the terms of the Public Warrants in a manner adverse to a holder if holders of at least 50% of the then-outstanding Public Warrants approve of such amendment and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the Private Placement Warrants or any provision of the purchase agreement with respect to the Private Placement Warrants, 50% of the number of the then-outstanding Private Placement Warrants. Examples of such amendments could be to increase the exercise price of the Warrants, convert the Warrants into cash, shorten the exercise period or decrease the number of common stock purchasable upon exercise of a Warrant.

Subject to applicable law, the Warrant Agreement provides that: (i) any action, proceeding, claim or dispute against us arising out of or relating in any way to the Warrant Agreement, including under the Securities Act, will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York; and (ii) that we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction shall be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. We will waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction and that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. However, with respect to any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce this provision, because Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for state and federal courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, these provisions of the Warrant Agreement will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the U.S. are the sole and exclusive forum. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in any of the Public Warrants shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the forum provisions in the Warrant Agreement. If any action, the subject matter of which is within the scope the forum provisions of the Warrant Agreement, is filed in a court other than a court of the State of New York or the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (a "foreign action") in the name of any holder of the Public Warrants, such holder shall be deemed to have consented to: (i) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in the State of New York in connection with any action brought in any such court to enforce the forum provisions (an "enforcement action"), and (ii) having service of process made upon such warrant holder in any such enforcement action by service upon such warrant holder's counsel in the foreign action as agent for such warrant holder. This choice-of-forum provision may limit a warrant holder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us, which may discourage such lawsuits. Alternatively, if a court were to find this provision of the Warrant Agreement inapplicable or unenforceable with respect to one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations and result in a diversion of the time and resources of our management and members of our Board.

We may redeem outstanding Public Warrants at any time after they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, at a price of $0.01 per warrant, if the closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $14.53 per share (as adjusted for adjustments to the number of shares issuable upon exercise or the exercise price of a warrant) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders, and if certain other conditions are met. If and when the Public Warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem Public Warrants even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants. Redemption of the outstanding Public Warrants could force you to: (i) exercise your Public Warrants and pay the exercise price therefor at a time when it may be disadvantageous for you to do so; (ii) sell your Public Warrants at the then- current market price when you might otherwise wish to hold your Public Warrants; or (iii) accept the nominal redemption price which, at the time the outstanding warrants are called for redemption, is likely to be substantially less than the market value of your Public Warrants.

The Warrant Agreement provides that in the following circumstances holders of Public Warrants who seek to exercise their Public Warrants will not be permitted to do for cash and will, instead, be required to do so on a cashless basis in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act: (i) if the shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of the Public Warrants are not registered under the Securities Act in accordance with the terms of the Warrant Agreement; (ii) if we have so elected and the shares of our common stock are at the time of any exercise of a Public Warrant not listed on a Stock Exchange such that they satisfy the definition of "covered securities" under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act; and (iii) if we have so elected and we call the Public Warrants for redemption. If you exercise your Public Warrants on a cashless basis, you would pay the warrant exercise price by surrendering the Public Warrants for that number of shares of our common stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing: (i) the product of the number of shares of our common stock underlying the Public Warrants, multiplied by the excess of the "fair market value" of shares of our common stock (as defined in the next sentence) over the exercise price of the Public Warrants by (ii) the fair market value. The "fair market value" is the average reported closing price of the shares of our common stock for the ten trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of exercise is received by the warrant agent or on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of Public Warrants, as applicable. As a result, you would receive fewer shares of our common stock from such exercise than if you were to exercise such Public Warrants for cash. Our ability to require holders of our Public Warrants to exercise such Public Warrants on a cashless basis after we call the Public Warrants for redemption will cause holders to receive fewer shares of our common stock upon exercise than they would have received had they been able to pay the exercise price of their Public Warrants in cash. If we call the Public Warrants for redemption, we may require all holders that wish to exercise Public Warrants to do so on a cashless basis. If we elect to require holders to exercise their Public Warrants on a cashless basis or if holders elect to do so when there is no effective registration statement, the number of shares of our common stock received by a holder upon exercise will be less than if such holder exercised his or her Public Warrant for cash. For example, if the holder is exercising 1,000 Public Warrants at $10.00 per share through a cashless exercise when our common stock has a fair market value of $20.00 per share, then upon the cashless exercise the holder will receive 500 shares of our common stock. The holder would have received 1,000 shares of our common stock if the exercise price was paid in cash. This will have the effect of reducing the potential "upside" of the holder's investment in us because the warrant holder will hold a smaller number of shares of our common stock upon a cashless exercise of the Public Warrants.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public markets may occur at any time. Any future sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, may reduce the market price of our common stock. Despite such a decline in the public trading price, certain stockholders may still experience a positive rate of return on the securities they purchased due to the lower price at which they purchased their shares compared to other public investors and be incentivized to sell its securities when others are not. Under our Bylaws, all shares held by the SPAC Sponsor immediately prior to the Closing and all shares of our common stock issued or issuable as consideration under the Business Combination Agreement to Legacy Kodiak Securityholders are subject to lockup restrictions, subject to certain customary and other exceptions, until September 24, 2026 (the "Lockup Period"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the closing price of our common stock equals or exceeds $12.00 for 20 of 30 consecutive trading days commencing on or after February 21, 2026, then the Lockup Period will terminate. In addition, in connection with the Closing, our Board waived the lockup restrictions with respect to (i) shares of our common stock issued upon the conversion of our second lien loans, other than those shares of our common stock to be issued to AAC II Holdings II LP, an affiliate of the SPAC Sponsor (the "SPAC Sponsor Affiliate Investor") with respect to the initial second lien loans provided by the SPAC Sponsor Affiliate Investor and to an entity affiliated with one of our directors and (ii) 226 shares of our common stock for each Legacy Kodiak securityholder that was not an affiliate of Legacy Kodiak. Following the expiration of the Lockup Period, the applicable stockholders will not be restricted from selling shares of our common stock held by them, other than by applicable securities laws. As such, sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market may occur at such time. As restrictions on resale end and registration statements are available for use, the sale or possibility of sale of these shares may have the effect of increasing the volatility in our share price or the market price of our securities may decline if the holders of currently restricted shares sell them or are perceived by the market as intending to sell them. Further, a significant number of shares of our common stock are subject to issuance upon exercise of the Warrants, and the number of shares covered by the Warrants may increase. For example, the 2025 PIPE Warrants and NRA Warrants contain anti-dilution adjustments, including with respect to certain issuances or sales of common stock at prices less than the exercise price then in effect. In connection with the consummation of the PIPE Transaction, the exercise price of the 2025 PIPE Warrants and NRA Warrants was adjusted to $6.00 per share. Further, future adjustments to the exercise price of the Warrants may result in substantial additional dilution to existing stockholders and may depress the market price of our common stock. For example, pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, the exercise price per share of the Private Placement Warrants and the Public Warrants were adjusted from $11.50 to $9.28 after trading closed on October 20, 2025. The issuance of the shares of common stock underlying these Warrants or any adjustments to the exercise price of such Warrants will have a dilutive impact on other stockholders and may reduce the market price of our common stock. In addition, each share of our Series A Preferred Stock is convertible into common stock at any time at the option of the holder at a rate equal to the Accrued Value, divided by the then-applicable conversion price, plus any accrued but unpaid dividends on such share. In the event we elect to pay dividends in kind, the Accrued Value will increase, thereby increasing the number of shares of our common stock into which each share of our Series A Preferred Stock is convertible and the related voting power of the Series A Preferred Stock, which will be dilutive to other stockholders. For example, we have elected to pay all accrued dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock since issuance in kind, which resulted in the Accrued Value of the Series A Preferred Stock increasing from $1,200.00 to $1,283.61. The conversion price was initially $12.00, but is subject to adjustments for stock dividends, splits, combinations and similar events and customary anti-dilution adjustments, including with respect to certain future issuances or sales of common stock at prices less than the conversion price then in effect. In connection with the consummation of the PIPE Transaction, the conversion price was adjusted to $6.00 per share. The conversion of our Series A Preferred Stock to such shares of common stock or any adjustments to the conversion price will have a dilutive impact on other stockholders and may reduce the market price of our common stock. Additionally, we have filed a registration statement to register shares reserved for future issuance under our 2025 Plan and the ESPP. Subject to the satisfaction of applicable vesting restrictions and the expiration or waiver of the lock-up restrictions discussed above applicable to certain of the shares, the shares issued thereunder will be available for immediate resale in the public market. These sales, any future sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, may reduce the market price of our common stock.

The stock markets, including Nasdaq, have from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. Even if an active, liquid and orderly trading market develops and is sustained for our common stock, the market price of our common stock may be volatile and may decline significantly. In addition, the trading volume in our common stock may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. If the market price of our common stock declines significantly, you may be unable to resell your shares at an attractive price, or at all. We cannot assure you that the market price of our common stock will not fluctuate widely or decline significantly in the future in response to a number of factors, including, among others, the following: -     the realization of any of the risk factors presented in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q;-     changes in the industries in which we and our customers operate;-     developments involving our competitors;-     changes in laws and regulations affecting our business;-     actual or anticipated differences in our estimates, or in the estimates of analysts, for our revenues, results of operations, level of indebtedness, liquidity or financial condition;-     additions and departures of key personnel;-     failure to comply with the requirements of the listing exchange;-     failure to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act or other laws or regulations;-     future issuances, sales, resales or repurchases or anticipated issuances, sales, resales or repurchases, of our securities;-     publication of research reports by securities analysts about us or our competitors or our industry;-     the public's reaction to our press releases, other public announcements and filings with the SEC;-     actions by stockholders, including sales of the securities;-     the performance and market valuations of other similar companies;-     commencement of, or involvement in, litigation involving us;-     broad disruptions in the financial markets, including sudden disruptions in the credit markets;-     speculation in the press or investment community;-     actual, potential or perceived control, accounting or reporting problems;-     changes in accounting principles, policies and guidelines; and -     other events or factors, including those resulting from infectious diseases, health epidemics and pandemics, natural disasters, war, acts of terrorism or responses to these events. In the past, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their shares. This type of litigation may result in substantial costs and divert our management's attention and resources, which may have a material adverse effect on us.

The trading market for our securities will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, market or competitors. If any of the analysts who cover or may in the future cover us change their recommendation regarding our shares of common stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our common stock may likely decline. If any analyst who covers or may in the future cover us were to cease our coverage of us or fail to regularly publish reports on it, we may lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn may cause our share price or trading volume to decline.