Company: AAOI
Filing Date: 2025-02-28
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-019126
Chunk: 1

Company: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-02-28
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 1
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 under the plan (“Proposal No. 1”); and (ii) a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting if there are insufficient votes at the Special Meeting to approve Proposal No. 1.

Please read the Proxy Statement, which presents important information about the Company and each of the items being presented for stockholder vote. Whether or not you intend to be present in person at the meeting, your vote is very important. Please submit your proxy or vote promptly by telephone or internet or by marking, signing and returning your proxy card (if you have received one), so that your shares will be represented at the meeting. If you attend the meeting, you will have the right to revoke the proxy and vote your shares in person. If you hold your shares through an account with a bank, brokerage firm or other nominee, please follow the instructions you receive from your bank, brokerage firm or other nominee to vote your shares.

We hope that you will be able to attend the meeting in person. We look forward to seeing you there.

Sincerely yours,

Chih-Hsiang (Thompson) Lin 
 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

TABLE OF CONTENTS

#### PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT —

#### SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED FEBRUARY 28, 2025

### NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

#### To Be Held On [      ], 2025
A special meeting of stockholders (including any adjournments or postponements thereof, the “Special Meeting”) of Applied Optoelectronics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), will be held on

#### [ ], 2025
, at

#### [ ] a.m.
Central Time, at our principal offices at 13139 Jess Pirtle Blvd., Sugar Land, TX 77478, for the following purposes:

1. To approve an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Amended and Restated 2021 Plan”) to increase the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the plan by 2,000,000 shares and to increase certain annual limits on the value of awards that may be granted under the plan, which we refer to as Proposal No. 1; and

2. To approve the adjournment of the Special Meeting if there are insufficient votes at the Special Meeting to approve Proposal No. 1, which