Exhibit 97
MARKFORGED HOLDING CORPORATION
COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY
Adopted as of May 10, 2023
Markforged Holding Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), has adopted a Compensation Recovery Policy (this “Policy”) as described below.
1. Overview
The Policy sets forth the circumstances and procedures under which the Company shall recover Erroneously Awarded Compensation from current and former Executive Officers and other employees of the Company in accordance with rules issued by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) and the New York Stock Exchange. Please refer to Section 3 below for definitions of capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein.
2. Compensation Recovery Requirement
In the event the Company is required to prepare a Material Financial Restatement, the Company shall reasonably promptly recover all Erroneously Awarded Compensation with respect to such Material Financial Restatement, and each Covered Person shall be required to take all actions necessary to enable such recovery.
3. Definitions
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4. Exception to Compensation Recovery Requirement
The Company may elect not to recover Erroneously Awarded Compensation pursuant to this Policy if the Committee determines that recovery would be impracticable, and one or more of the following conditions, together with any further requirements set forth in the Applicable Rules, are met: (i) the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing this Policy would exceed the amount to be recovered, and the Company has made a reasonable attempt to recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation; or (ii) recovery would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan to fail to be so qualified under applicable regulations.
5. Recovery from Participating Employees. In addition to (and without limiting) the provisions of paragraph 2 above, in the event the Company is required to prepare a Material Financial Restatement after the adoption of this Policy, the Company will use reasonable efforts to recover from any current or former employee of the Company who is not a Covered Person but who is described in the proviso below and who received Incentive-Based Compensation from the Company during the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date on which the Board has determined that the Company is required to prepare a Material Financial Restatement (each a “Participating Employee”), the amount that exceeds what would have been paid to the Participating Employee under the Material Financial Restatement; provided that, this paragraph 5 will apply only to the extent the Board (or a duly established committee thereof), in its sole discretion, determines that the Participating Employee committed any act or omission that materially contributed to the circumstances requiring the restatement and which involved any of the following: (i) misconduct, wrongdoing or a violation of any of the Company’s rules or of any applicable legal or regulatory requirements in the course of the Participating Employee’s employment by, or otherwise in connection with, the Company; or (ii) a breach of a fiduciary duty to the Company or its stockholders by the Participating Employee.
6. Recovery Where Intentional Misconduct. In addition to (and without limiting) the provisions of paragraph 2 and 5 above, in the event that the Board (or a duly established committee
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thereof), in its sole discretion, determines that a Covered Person’s or a Participating Employee’s act or omission that contributed to the circumstances requiring the Material Financial Restatement involved any of the following: (i) willful, knowing or intentional misconduct or a willful, knowing or intentional violation of any of the Company’s rules or any applicable legal or regulatory requirements in the course of the Covered Person’s or the Participating Employee’s employment by, or otherwise in connection with, the Company or (ii) fraud in the course of the Covered Person’s or the Participating Employee’s employment by, or otherwise in connection with, the Company, then in each such case, the Company will use reasonable efforts to recover from such Covered Person or Participating Employee, up to 100% (as determined by the Board or a duly established committee thereof in its sole discretion as appropriate based on the conduct involved) of the Incentive-Based Compensation received by such Covered Person or Participating Employee from the Company during the three fiscal years preceding the date on which the Company determined that it is required to prepare a Material Financial Restatement, and not just the excess of what would have been paid to the Covered Person or the Participating Employee under the Material Financial Restatement.
7. Tax Considerations
To the extent that, pursuant to this Policy, the Company is entitled to recover any Erroneously Awarded Compensation that is received by a Covered Person, the gross amount received (i.e., the amount the Covered Person received, or was entitled to receive, before any deductions for tax withholding or other payments) shall be returned by the Covered Person.
8. Method of Compensation Recovery
The Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion, the method for recovering Erroneously Awarded Compensation hereunder, which may include, without limitation, any one or more of the following:
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Covered Person will be deemed to have satisfied such person’s obligation to return Erroneously Awarded Compensation to the Company if such Erroneously Awarded Compensation is returned in the exact same form in which it was received; provided that equity withheld to satisfy tax obligations will be deemed to have been received in cash in an amount equal to the tax withholding payment made.
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9. Policy Interpretation
This Policy shall be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with the Applicable Rules and any other applicable law and shall otherwise be interpreted (including in the determination of amounts recoverable) in the business judgment of the Committee. The Committee shall take into consideration any applicable interpretations and guidance of the SEC in interpreting this Policy, including, for example, in determining whether a financial restatement qualifies as a Material Financial Restatement hereunder. To the extent the Applicable Rules require recovery of Incentive-Based Compensation in additional circumstances besides those specified above, nothing in this Policy shall be deemed to limit or restrict the right or obligation of the Company to recover Incentive-Based Compensation to the fullest extent required by the Applicable Rules. This Policy shall be deemed to be automatically amended, as of the date the Applicable Rules become effective with respect to the Company, to the extent required for this Policy to comply with the Applicable Rules.
10. Policy Administration
This Policy shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee shall have such powers and authorities related to the administration of this Policy as are consistent with the governing documents of the Company and applicable law. The Committee shall have full power and authority to take, or direct the taking of, all actions and to make all determinations required or provided for under this Policy and shall have full power and authority to take, or direct the taking of, all such other actions and make all such other determinations not inconsistent with the specific terms and provisions of this Policy that the Committee deems to be necessary or appropriate to the administration of this Policy. The interpretation and construction by the Committee of any provision of this Policy and all determinations made by the Committee under this policy shall be final, binding and conclusive.
11. Compensation Recovery Repayments not Subject to Indemnification
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in any agreement with, or the organizational documents of, the Company or any of its subsidiaries, Covered Persons are not entitled to indemnification for Erroneously Awarded Compensation recovered under this Policy and, to the extent any such agreement or organizational document purports to provide otherwise, Covered Persons hereby irrevocably agree to forego such indemnification.
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Exhibit 97
Schedule A
Designated Persons