EX-10.16




 Exhibit 10.16 

MariaDB Corporation Ab Offer Letter 
 OFFER
LETTER 
 Dear Franz Aman, 
 On behalf of MariaDB Corporation
Ab, a Finnish corporation (the “Company”), I am pleased to offer you the position of CMO (Chief Marketing Officer). You will be employed by the Company’s US subsidiary, MariaDB USA, Inc. and, should you accept this offer
(“Offer”), your employment shall be governed by the following terms and conditions. 
 1. Duties and Scope of Employment. 

(a) Position. The Company shall employ you in the position of CMO, reporting to the CEO. You will perform the duties and have the responsibilities and
authority customarily performed and held by an employee in your position or as otherwise may be assigned or delegated to you by your manager. Subject to mutual agreement between you and the Company, your primary place of work will be the MariaDB
USA, Inc. Bay Area office, your home or other suitable offsite location with Internet and telephone access. The Company will provide you with equipment for your home office pursuant to the Company’s policies and procedures. 

(b) Obligations to the Company. During your Employment, you shall devote your full business efforts and time to the Company. Notwithstanding the
foregoing restriction, you may serve on civic or charitable boards or committees, deliver lectures, fulfill speaking engagements, teach at educational institutions, or manage personal investments without such advance written consent, provided that
such activities do not individually or in the aggregate interfere with the performance of your duties. You shall also comply with the Company’s policies and procedures, as they may be in effect from time to time during your Employment. 

(c) No Conflicting Obligations. You represent and warrant to the Company that you are under no obligations or commitments, whether contractual or
otherwise, that are inconsistent with your work obligations. In connection with your Employment, you shall not use or disclose any trade secrets or other proprietary information or intellectual property in which you or any other person has any
right, title or interest and your Employment will not infringe or violate the rights of any other person. You represent and warrant to the Company that you have returned all property and confidential information belonging to any prior employer. 

(d) Commencement Date. You shall commence full-time employment on February 12, 2018 (“Commencement Date”). 

(e) Non-Competition. During your Employment, you shall not engage in or in any other way participate in or
promote activity that competes with the Company directly. During your Employment, you shall refrain from working for, advising or being a member of any board of directors of any other company regardless of whether it competes with the Company or not
save for as approved by the Board of Directors. 
 (f) Non-Solicitation. Following the termination of your
Employment, you are prohibited from soliciting other Company employees for the purpose of hiring them away from the Company on your own behalf or for any other entity, either as consultants or employees, for a period of one (1) year. 












 MariaDB Corporation Ab Offer Letter 

 

 2. Cash and Incentive Compensation. 

(a) Salary. The Company shall pay you as compensation for your services a pro-rated initial base annual salary
at a gross rate of $280,000, payable in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll practices. The annual compensation specified in this subsection (a), together with any modifications in such compensation that the Company may make from time
to time, is referred to in this Offer as “Base Salary.” Your Base Salary shall be reviewed on an annual basis, but with no guarantee for an increase thereof. The base salary is paid bi- monthly on
the 15th and the last day of each month. 
 (b) Bonus. You will be eligible for a management
performance bonus plan during the term of your employment based upon the achievement of certain mutually agreed personal and/or company objectives. The target amount for any such annual incentive bonus will be up to $100,000, and higher if you
overachieve against the agreed upon objectives. This brings your annual on-target earnings to §380,000. The objectives are defined, measured and paid on a quarterly basis and will be prorated during the
first quarter of your employment. Regardless of achievement your performance bonus will be paid at 100% from your start date and through CY18Q2. The bonus will be paid within 60 days of the end of each quarter. You shall not earn an incentive bonus
unless you are employed by the Company on the date when such bonus is payable. 
 (c) Stock Options. Subject to the approval of the Board, the
Company shall grant you a stock option representing 1% of the Company’s fully diluted Common Stock (the “Option”) at the date of issuing this offer. The Option shall be granted as soon as reasonably practicable after the date you
commence fulltime Employment. The purchase price per share will be the fair market value as determined by the Board when the Option is awarded in good faith compliance with applicable guidance in order to avoid having the Option be treated as
deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. There is no guarantee that the Internal Revenue Service will agree with this value. So long as your service status is continuous the Options shall vest
as follows: 25% of the Option shall vest on the first anniversary of the date of the Board’s approval of the Option, and 1/16 of the Option shares shall vest in equal quarterly instalments thereafter. You should consult with your own tax
advisor concerning the tax risks associated with accepting an option to purchase the Company’s Common Stock. The Option shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plan documents, grant notice, and option agreement between
you and the Company. You shall also be eligible to receive periodic grants of options or shares at the discretion of the Company in recognition of your performance or the overall performance of the Company. 

(d) Acceleration Benefit In the event of a Change in Control, then 50% of your unvested options become vested immediately. In order to be eligible for
such acceleration of vesting benefit, you must execute (and not revoke) the Company’s standard form of release of all claims agreement. 
 3.
Vacation/PTO and Employee Benefits. 
 During the term of your Employment, you will also be entitled to Personal Time Off (“PTO”), and other
benefits made available by the Company to its employees subject to applicable eligibility requirements. The Company’s current PTO policy combines both PTO and sick time at a rate of five (5) weeks per year (or about 2.08 days per month) of
employment. Employees will also be given public holidays in accordance with Company policy. Such paid PTO shall not accrue in excess of that allowable under the Company policy. 

During your Employment you shall be permitted, to the extent you are eligible, to participate in the company sponsored 401(k), group medical, dental, life
insurance and disability insurance plans, to the extent that those or similar benefit plans are made available to the Company’s employees. The Company may modify benefits as it deems necessary and such changes shall become effective upon
notice. Upon termination of your Employment for any reason, any rights you may have under the Company benefit plans shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of those plans. 












 MariaDB Corporation Ab Offer Letter 

 

 4. Business Expenses. 

The Company will reimburse you for your necessary and reasonable business expenses incurred in connection with your work for the Company upon presentation of
an itemized account and appropriate supporting documentation, all in accordance with the Company’s generally applicable policies. 
 5. Termination.

 (a) Employment at Will. Your Employment shall be “at will,” meaning that either you or the Company shall be entitled to terminate
your Employment at any time and for any reason, with or without Cause with two (2) weeks’ notice. Any contrary representations that may have been made to you are hereby superseded. 

(b) Rights upon Termination. Upon the termination of your Employment, you shall only be entitled to the compensation and benefits earned and the
reimbursements described in this Agreement for the period preceding the effective date of the termination (“Termination Date”). 
 6.
Termination Benefits. 
 (a) General Release. You shall not be entitled to any of the severance benefits described in this Section unless and
until (i) you have executed (and do not revoke) a full and complete general release of all claims against the Company, and (ii) you have returned all Company property in your possession, custody or control. 

(b) Severance Pay. If the Company terminates your Employment for any reason other than “Cause” (as defined below), death or “Permanent
Disability” (as defined below), then, in addition to the amounts payable in accordance with Section 5(b), you shall be entitled to a lump sum payment of the amount equal to 25% of your annual Base salary, paid within fifteen
(15) business days of such event. 
 (c) Severance Pay upon Change of Control In the event that at any time within twelve months of the closing
of a Change in Control, (i) your employment is involuntarily terminated by MariaDB or its Successor other than for “Cause” (as defined below) or (ii) you receive and choose not to accept materially diminished role, you shall be
entitled to a lump sum payment of the amount equal to 25% of your annual Base salary, paid within fifteen (15) business days of such triggering event. 

(d) Definition of “Cause.” For all purposes during your Employment with the Company, “Cause” shall mean: (i) any material breach by
you of any written agreement between you and the Company, if such breach causes material harm to the Company; (ii) any material failure by you to comply with the Company’s written policies or rules, as they may be in effect from time to
time during your employment, if such failure causes material harm to the Company; (iii) your repeated failure to follow reasonable and lawful instructions from the Company; (iv) commission, conviction of, or a plea of “guilty” or
“no contest” to, a felony under the laws of the United States or any State by you if such felony is work-related, materially impairs your ability to perform services for the Company, or results in a material loss to the Company or material
damage to the reputation of the Company; (v) your misappropriation of funds or property of the Company; (vi) serious and repeated violations of company policies or standards of conduct; or (vii) any gross or willful misconduct by you
resulting in a material loss to the Company or material damage to the reputation of the Company. 












 MariaDB Corporation Ab Offer Letter 

 

 (e) Definition of “Permanent Disability.” For all purposes during your Employment with the
Company, “Permanent Disability” shall mean your inability to perform the essential functions of your position with or without reasonable accommodation for a period of ninety (90) consecutive days because of your physical or mental
impairment. 
 7. Pre-Employment Conditions. 

(a) Confidentiality Agreement. Your Employment with the Company is contingent upon the execution, and delivery to an officer of the Company, of the
Company’s Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreement, a copy of which shall be provided to you for your review and execution (the “Confidentiality Agreement”) prior to or on the Commencement Date. 

(b) Right to Work. For purposes of federal immigration law, you will be required to provide to the Company documentary evidence of your identity and
eligibility for employment in the United States. Such documentation must be provided to us within three (3) business days of the Commencement Date. 

(c) Verification of Information. Your Employment with the Company is also contingent upon the successful verification of the information you provided
to the Company during your application process, as well as a general background check performed by the Company to confirm your suitability for employment. By accepting the Company’s offer of employment, you warrant that all information provided
by you is true and correct to the best of your knowledge, you agree to execute any and all documentation necessary for the Company to conduct a background check, and you expressly release the Company from any claim or cause of action arising out of
the Company’s verification of such information. 
 8. Successors. 

(a) Company’s Successors. The terms and conditions under this Offer letter and any subsequent Agreement shall be binding upon any successor
(whether direct or indirect and whether by purchase, lease, merger, consolidation, liquidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the Company’s business and/or assets. The term “Company” shall include any successor to the
Company’s business or assets that become bound by this Offer or any subsequent Agreement. 
 (b) Your Successors. Any rights you have under this
Offer or any subsequent Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, your personal or legal representatives, executors, administrators, successors, heirs, distributees, devisees and legatees. 

9. Miscellaneous Provisions. 
 (a) Notice. Notices
and all other communications contemplated by this Offer shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when personally delivered or when sent to your corporate email address. In the case of the Company, mailed notices shall be
addressed to its corporate headquarters, and all notices shall be directed to the attention of its head of Human Resources. 
 (b) Modifications and
Waivers. No provision of this Offer shall be modified, waived or discharged unless the modification, waiver or discharge is agreed to in writing and signed by you and by an authorized officer of the Company (other than you). No waiver by either
party of any breach of, or of compliance with, any condition or provision of this Offer by the other party shall be considered a waiver of any other condition or provision or of the same condition or provision at another time. 












 MariaDB Corporation Ab Offer Letter 

 

 (c) Whole Offer. No other agreements, representations or understandings (whether oral or written and
whether express or implied) which are not expressly set forth in this Offer have been made or entered into by either party with respect to the subject matter hereof. This Offer, any subsequent Agreement and the Confidentiality Agreement contain the
entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. 
 (d) Withholding Taxes. All payments made under this Offer shall be
subject to reduction to reflect taxes or other charges required to be withheld by law. 
 (e) No Assignment. This Offer and all of your rights and
obligations hereunder are personal to you and may not be transferred or assigned by you at any time. The Company may assign its rights under this Offer to any entity that assumes the Company’s obligations hereunder in connection with any sale
or transfer of all or a substantial portion of the Company’s assets to such entity. 
 (f) Counterparts. This Offer may be executed in two or
more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. 
 We are pleased to
be able to extend this offer and look forward to working with you. To indicate your acceptance of the Company’s Offer, please sign and date this letter in the space provided below and return it to me, along with a signed and dated copy of the
Confidentiality Agreement, on or before February 11, 2018. Please indicate the date on which you expect to begin work in the space provided below (the “Commencement Date”). 

Sincerely, 
  

							
	MariaDB Corporation Ab	 		 	Accepted and Agreed
			
	/s/ Boel Larsen	 		 	/s/ Franz Aman
	 Boel Larsen
 VP Human Rsources
	 		 	 Franz Aman
 Date:
February 12, 2018