Starling Oncology Institute (STLN) Risk Analysis

Our Common Stock and Warrants are traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market. The sale of substantial amounts of shares of our Common Stock or Warrants in the public market, or the perception that such sales could occur, could harm the prevailing market price of shares of our Common Stock and Warrants. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. In addition, the shares of our Common Stock reserved for future issuance under The Oncology Institute, Inc. 2021 Incentive Award Plan (the "2021 Plan") will become eligible for sale in the public market once those shares are issued, subject to provisions relating to various vesting agreements, lock-up provisions and, in some cases, limitations on volume and manner of sale applicable to affiliates under Rule 144, as applicable. As of December 31, 2025, we have 11,097,511 shares available for issuance under the 2021 Plan, which amount will automatically increase on January 1 of each successive year through and including January 1, 2031 in amount equal to 4% of the fully diluted shares outstanding as of the preceding December 31 or such lesser amount as is determined by the Board. We have filed multiple registration statements on Form S-8 under the Securities Act to register shares of our Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our Common Stock issued pursuant to our equity incentive plans. Such Form S-8 registration statements automatically become effective upon filing. Accordingly, shares registered under such registration statements are available for sale in the open market.

Our organizational documents are governed by Delaware law. Certain provisions of Delaware law and of our Charter and Bylaws could discourage, delay, defer or prevent a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or other change of control transaction that a stockholder might consider in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares of Common Stock. These provisions include the ability of our Board to designate the terms of and issue new series of preference shares, which may make more difficult the removal of management and may discourage transactions that otherwise could involve payment of a premium over prevailing market prices for our securities. These anti-takeover provisions as well as certain provisions of Delaware law could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if the third party's offer may be considered beneficial by many of our stockholders. As a result, stockholders of the Company may be limited in their ability to obtain a premium for their shares. If prospective takeovers are not consummated for any reason, we may experience negative reactions from the financial markets, including negative impacts on the price of our Common Stock and Warrants. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for stockholders of the Company to elect directors of their choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions that stockholders of the Company desire.

Our Common Stock and Warrants are listed for trading on Nasdaq. To maintain this listing, we must satisfy Nasdaq's continued listing requirements, including, among other things, a minimum closing bid price requirement of $1.00 per share, among others. If we fail to maintain to meet all applicable continued listing requirements for Nasdaq, Nasdaq could delist our securities. Delisting could harm our ability to raise capital through alternative financing sources on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and may result in the potential loss of confidence by investors, employees, and business development opportunities. Such a delisting likely would impair investor's ability to sell or purchase our common stock when investors wish to do so. Further, if we were to be delisted from Nasdaq, our common stock may no longer be recognized as a "covered security" and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities. Thus, delisting from Nasdaq could adversely affect our ability to raise additional financing through the public or private sale of equity securities, would significantly impact the ability of investors to trade our securities, and would negatively impact the value and liquidity of our common stock. In addition, our Facility Agreement contains various covenants, including a requirement that the Company remain a reporting company and maintain the listing of our shares of common stock on an eligible market such as Nasdaq. Should our common stock be delisted, we would be in breach of the eligible market covenant in the Facility Agreement. If we breach this covenant and are unable to obtain a waiver or amendment under the Facility Agreement, the lenders may, among other things, accelerate our outstanding indebtedness and exercise rights with respect to collateral securing our outstanding indebtedness, each of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our Charter and Bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the (a) Court of Chancery (the "Chancery Court") of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action, suit or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a breach of fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer, stockholder or employee of the company to the company or its stockholders; (iii) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against the Company arising under the DGCL, its certificate of incorporation or its bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware; (iv) any action, suit or proceeding as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or (v) any action, suit or proceeding asserting a claim against the Company or any current or former director, officer or stockholder governed by the internal affairs doctrine, and, if brought outside of Delaware, the stockholder bringing the suit will be deemed to have consented to (A) the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts within Delaware and (B) service of process on such stockholder's counsel. The provision of the Charter described in the immediately preceding sentence does not apply to (i) suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction and (ii) any action arising under the Securities Act, as to which the federal district court for the United States of America shall have exclusive jurisdiction. The choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Additionally, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As noted above, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws provide that the federal district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction over any action arising under the Securities Act. Accordingly, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provision. Our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

The market price of our Common Stock is likely to be volatile. The stock market recently has experienced extreme volatility. This volatility often has been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. You may not be able to resell your shares at an attractive price due to a number of factors such as those listed in this section and the following: - the impact of a pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of an infectious disease in the United States or worldwide on our financial condition and the results of operations;- our operating and financial performance and prospects;- our quarterly or annual earnings or those of other companies in our industry compared to market expectations;- conditions that impact demand for our products;- future announcements concerning our business, our customers' businesses or our competitors' businesses;- the public's reaction to our press releases, other public announcements and filings with the SEC;- the size of our public float;- coverage by or changes in financial estimates by securities analysts or failure to meet their expectations;- market and industry perception of our success, or lack thereof, in pursuing our growth strategy;- strategic actions by us or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings;- changes in laws or regulations that adversely affect our industry or us;- changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations or principles;- changes in senior management or key personnel;- issuances, exchanges or sales, or expected issuances, exchanges or sales, of our capital stock;- changes in our dividend policy;- adverse resolution of new or pending litigation against us; and - changes in general market, economic and political conditions in the United States and global economies or financial markets, including those resulting from natural disasters, terrorist attacks, acts of war and responses to such events. These broad market and industry factors may materially reduce the market price of our Common Stock and Warrants, regardless of our operating performance. In addition, price volatility may be greater if the public float and trading volume of our Common Stock is low. As a result, you may suffer a loss on your investment. Currently, global markets are also experiencing volatility and uncertainty connected to the Iran war. Following the February and March 2026 missile strikes in Iran, there has been increased instability, including airspace closures in the Middle East, damage to airports and the de facto closure of Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that transports approximately 20% of the world's petroleum. The duration and impact of this ongoing armed conflict, and the potential of this conflict spreading to more regions is uncertain and could adversely affect the global economy, financial markets, our patients and in turn us. Any such disruptions may also heighten the impacts of other risks described in this Annual Report. In the past, following periods of market volatility, stockholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If we were involved in securities litigation, it could have a substantial cost and divert resources and the attention of executive management from our business regardless of the outcome of such litigation.

The trading market for our Common Stock depends, in part, on the research and reports that third-party securities analysts publish about us and the industries in which we operate. We may be unable or slow to attract research coverage, and if one or more analysts cease coverage of us, the price and trading volume of our securities would likely be negatively impacted. If any of the analysts that may cover us change their recommendation regarding our Common Stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our Common Stock would likely decline. If any analyst that may cover us ceases covering us or fails to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price or trading volume of our Common Stock to decline. Moreover, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrades our Common Stock, or if our reporting results do not meet their expectations, the market price of our Common Stock could decline.

Simultaneously with the closing of its IPO, DFP Healthcare Acquisitions Corp., issued in a private placement an aggregate of 4,333,333 private placement warrants, each exercisable to purchase one share of Common Stock at $11.50 per share through November 2026. In addition, as of December 31, 2025, there were 2,187,283 private placement warrants from the Business Combination outstanding and there were 8,216,918 Common Warrants outstanding from the Company's 2025 Private Placement. To the extent such warrants are exercised, additional shares of our Common Stock will be issued, which will result in dilution to our stockholders and increase the number of shares of Common Stock eligible for resale in the public market. Sales of substantial numbers of such shares in the public market or the fact that such warrants may be exercised could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.