EXHIBIT 10.1


 


 


INNODATA INC.


2021 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN


NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AWARD AGREEMENT


 


This NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION
AWARD AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), dated as of _________________ (the “Date of Grant”), is delivered
by Innodata Inc. (the “Company”) to _______________ (the “Participant”).


 


RECITALS


 


The Innodata Inc. 2021 Equity
Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) provides for the grant of stock options to purchase shares of Common Stock. The Committee
has decided to make this nonqualified stock option grant as an inducement for the Participant to promote the best interests of the Company
and its stockholders. The Participant hereby acknowledges the receipt of a copy of the Plan and the official Plan prospectus, each of
which have been provided with this Agreement. Paper copies of the Plan and the official Plan prospectus are available by contacting the
General Counsel of the Company at 201-371-8017 or aagress@innodata.com. This Agreement is made pursuant to the Plan and is subject in
its entirety to all applicable provisions of the Plan. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined will have the meanings
set forth in the Plan.


 


For this Agreement to be valid,
the Participant must, within 30 days of the Date of Grant, or date of receipt of this Agreement if later, sign, date and return a copy
of this Agreement to Amy Agress, SVP and General Counsel, Innodata Inc., email aagress@innodata.com.


 


1.               
Grant of Option. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and in the Plan, the Company hereby grants
to the Participant a nonqualified stock option (the “Option”) to purchase _____ shares of Common Stock (“Shares”)
at an Exercise Price of $___ per Share. The Option shall become exercisable according to Section 2 below.


 


2.               
Exercisability of Option.


 


(a)             
The Option shall become vested and exercisable on the following dates (each, a “Vesting Date”), provided that
the Participant continues to be employed by, or provide service to, the Employer from the Date of Grant until the applicable Vesting Date:


 


	
    Vesting 

    Date
	[Percentage of] Shares for Which the Option is Exercisable as of the Vesting Date
	One-year anniversary from the Date of Grant	[33.33%][or # of shares]
	Two-year anniversary from the Date of Grant	[33.33%][or # of shares]
	Three-year anniversary from the Date of Grant	[33.34%][or # of shares]


 


(b)             
The vesting and exercisability of the Option is cumulative, but shall not exceed 100% of the Shares subject to the Option. If the
foregoing schedule would produce fractional Shares, the number of Shares for which the Option becomes vested and exercisable shall be
rounded down to the nearest whole Share and the fractional Shares will be accumulated so that the resulting whole Shares will be included
in the number of Shares for which the Option becomes vested and exercisable on the last Vesting Date.


 


3.               
Term of Option.


 


(a)             
The Option shall have a term of ten years from the Date of Grant and shall terminate at the expiration of that period, unless it
is terminated at an earlier date pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement or the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event
that on the last business day of the term of the Option, the exercise of the Option is prohibited by applicable law, including a prohibition
on purchases or sales of Common Stock under the Company’s insider trading policy, the term of the Option shall be extended for a
period of 30 days following the end of the legal prohibition, unless the Committee determines otherwise.


 






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(b)             
The Option shall automatically terminate upon the happening of the first of the following events:


 


(i)              
The expiration of the 90-day period after the Participant ceases to be employed by, or provide service to, the Employer, if the
termination is for any reason other than Disability, death or Cause.


 


(ii)            
The expiration of the six-month period after the Participant ceases to be employed by, or provide service to, the Employer on account
of the Participant’s Disability.


 


(iii)           
The expiration of the one-year period after the Participant ceases to be employed by, or provide service to, the Employer, if the
Participant dies while employed by, or providing service to, the Employer or the Participant dies within 90 days after the Participant
ceases to be so employed or to provide services to the Employer for any reason other than Disability, death or Cause.


 


(iv)           
The date on which the Participant ceases to be employed by, or provide service to, the Employer for Cause. In addition, notwithstanding
the prior provisions of this Section 3, if the Participant engages in conduct that constitutes Cause after the Participant’s employment
or service terminates, the Option shall immediately terminate.


 


Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may
the Option be exercised after the date that is immediately before the tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant, except as provided under
Section 3(a) above. Subject to the provisions of Section 12 of the Plan, any portion of the Option that is not exercisable at the time
the Participant ceases to be employed by, or provide service to, the Employer shall immediately terminate.


 


4.               
Exercise Procedures.


 


(a)             
Subject to the provisions of Sections 2 and 3 above, the Participant may exercise part or all of the exercisable Option by giving
the Company written notice of intent to exercise, specifying the number of shares of Common Stock as to which the Option is to be exercised
and such other information as the Company or its delegate may require.


 


At such time as the Committee
shall determine, the Participant shall pay the Exercise Price (i) in cash or by check, (ii) unless the Committee determines otherwise,
by delivering shares of Common Stock owned by the Participant and having a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise at least equal to
the Exercise Price or by attestation (on a form prescribed by the Committee) to ownership of shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market
Value on the date of exercise at least equal to the Exercise Price, (iii) by payment through a broker in accordance with procedures permitted
by Regulation T of the Federal Reserve Board, (iv) [if permitted by the Committee,] by withholding shares of Common Stock subject to the
exercisable Option, which have a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the Exercise Price, or (v) by such other method as
the Committee may approve. The Committee may impose from time to time such limitations as it deems appropriate on the use of shares of
Common Stock to exercise the Option.


 


(b)             
The obligation of the Company to deliver Shares upon exercise of the Option shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and
regulations and such approvals by governmental agencies as may be deemed appropriate by the Committee, including such actions as Company
counsel shall deem necessary or appropriate to comply with relevant securities laws and regulations.


 


(c)             
All obligations of the Company under this Agreement shall be subject to the rights of the Employer as set forth in the Plan to
withhold amounts required to be withheld for any taxes, if applicable. The Participant shall be required to pay to the Employer, or make
other arrangements satisfactory to the Employer to provide for the payment of, any federal, state, local or other taxes that the Employer
is required to withhold with respect to the Option. [If permitted by the Committee,] The Participant may elect to, or the Company may
require that the Participant, satisfy any tax withholding obligation of the Employer with respect to the Option by having Shares withheld
to satisfy the applicable withholding tax rate for federal (including FICA), state, local and other tax liabilities under procedures established
by the Company. Unless the Committee determines otherwise, share withholding for taxes shall not exceed the Participant’s minimum
applicable tax withholding amount.


 






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(d)             
Upon exercise of the Option (or portion thereof), the Option (or portion thereof) will terminate and cease to be outstanding.


 


5.               
Restrictions on Exercise. Except as the Committee may otherwise permit pursuant to the Plan, only the Participant may exercise
the Option during the Participant’s lifetime and, after the Participant’s death, the Option shall be exercisable (subject
to the limitations specified in the Plan) solely by the legal representatives of the Participant, or by the person who acquires the right
to exercise the Option by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, to the extent that the Option is exercisable pursuant to this
Agreement.


 


6.               
Grant Subject to Plan Provisions. This grant is made pursuant to the Plan, the terms of which are incorporated herein by
reference, and in all respects shall be interpreted in accordance with the Plan. The grant and exercise of the Option are subject to the
provisions of the Plan and to interpretations, regulations and determinations concerning the Plan established from time to time by the
Committee in accordance with the provisions of the Plan, including, but not limited to, provisions pertaining to (a) rights and obligations
with respect to withholding and other taxes, (b) the registration, qualification or listing of the Shares, (c) changes in capitalization
of the Company and (d) other requirements of applicable law. The Committee may amend the terms of this Option to the extent permitted
by the Plan. The Committee shall have the authority to interpret and construe the Option pursuant to the terms of the Plan, and its decisions
shall be conclusive as to any questions arising hereunder.


 


7.               
No Employment or Other Rights. The grant of the Option shall not confer upon the Participant any right to be retained by
or in the employ or service of any Employer and shall not interfere in any way with the right of any Employer to terminate the Participant’s
employment or service at any time. The right of any Employer to terminate at will the Participant’s employment or service at any
time for any reason is specifically reserved.


 


8.               
No Stockholder Rights. Neither the Participant, nor any person entitled to exercise the Participant’s rights in the
event of the Participant’s death, shall have any of the rights and privileges of a stockholder with respect to the Shares subject
to the Option, until certificates for Shares have been issued upon the exercise of the Option.


 


9.               
Assignment and Transfers. Except as the Committee may otherwise permit pursuant to the Plan, the rights and interests of
the Participant under this Agreement may not be sold, assigned, encumbered or otherwise transferred except, in the event of the death
of the Participant, by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. In the event of any attempt by the Participant to alienate, assign,
pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise dispose of the Option or any right hereunder, except as provided for in this Agreement, or in the event
of the levy or any attachment, execution or similar process upon the rights or interests hereby conferred, the Company may terminate the
Option by notice to the Participant, and the Option and all rights hereunder shall thereupon become null and void. The rights and protections
of the Company hereunder shall extend to any successors or assigns of the Company and to the Company’s parents, subsidiaries, and
affiliates. This Agreement may be assigned by the Company without the Participant’s consent.


 


10.            
Applicable Law. The validity, construction, interpretation and effect of this Agreement shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the conflicts of laws provisions thereof.


 


11.            
Notice. Any notice to the Company provided for in this instrument shall be addressed to the Company in care of the Office
of the General Counsel at the corporate headquarters of the Company, and any notice to the Participant shall be addressed to such Participant
at the current address shown on the payroll of the Employer, or to such other address as the Participant may designate to the Employer
in writing. Any notice shall be delivered by hand or enclosed in a properly sealed envelope addressed as stated above, registered and
deposited, postage prepaid, in a post office regularly maintained by the United States Postal Service or by electronic mail to legal@innodata.com.


 


12.            
Company Policies. The Participant agrees that the Option shall be subject to any applicable clawback or recoupment policies,
share trading policies and other policies that may be implemented by the Board or imposed under applicable rule or regulation from time
to time.


  



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13.            
Application of Section 409A of the Code. This Agreement is intended to be exempt from section 409A of the Code and to the
extent this Agreement is subject to section 409A of the Code, it will in all respects be administered in accordance with section 409A
of the Code.


 


[Signature Page Follows]


 






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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company
has caused an officer to execute this Agreement, and the Participant has executed this Agreement, effective as of the Date of Grant.


  


	 	INNODATA INC.	 
	 	 	 
	 	 	 
	 	Name: Jack Abuhoff	 
	 	Title: Chief Executive Officer	 






 


I hereby accept the Option described in this Agreement,
and I agree to be bound by the terms of the Plan and this Agreement. I hereby further agree that all decisions and determinations of the
Committee shall be final and binding.


  


	 	Participant:	 	 
	 	Date:	 	 




 



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