EX-5.1 2 ex5-1.htm

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

 

Our ref      CHX/787490-000011/39510030v2

 

Roadzen Inc.

Kingston Chambers
PO Box 173
Road Town
Tortola, VG1110
British Virgin Islands

 

1 April 2025

 

Roadzen Inc.

 

We have acted as counsel as to British Virgin Islands law to Roadzen Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3, including all amendments or supplements thereto, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”) (including its exhibits, the “Registration Statement”) for the purposes of, registering with the Commission under the Act, the offering and sale of:

 

(a)junior convertible notes with an aggregate principal value of US$2,300,000 and convertible into ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 each in the Company (each a “Note” and together the “Notes”);

 

(b)ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 each in the Company from time to time on conversion of the Notes (the “Ordinary Shares”).

 

This opinion letter is given in accordance with the terms of the Legal Matters section of the Registration Statement.

 

1Documents Reviewed

 

We have reviewed originals, copies, drafts or conformed copies of the following documents:

 

1.1The public records of the Company on file and available for public inspection at the Registry of Corporate Affairs in the British Virgin Islands (the “Registry of Corporate Affairs”) on 31 March 2025, including the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation and the memorandum and articles of association registered on 20 September 2023 (the “Memorandum and Articles”).

 

1.2A list of the Company’s directors provided by the Registry of Corporate Affairs dated 28 March 2025 (the “Registry List of Directors”).

 

1.3The records of proceedings available from a search of the electronic records maintained on the Judicial Enforcement Management System and the E-Litigation Portal from 1 January 2000 and available for inspection on 31 March 2025 at the British Virgin Islands High Court Registry (the “High Court Registry”).

 

 

 

  

 

 

1.4The written resolutions of the board of directors of the Company dated 1 November 2024 and 28 March 2025 (the “Resolutions”).

 

1.5A Certificate of Incumbency dated 28 March 2025, issued by Maples Corporate Services (BVI) Limited, the Company’s registered agent (the “Registered Agent’s Certificate”).

 

1.6A certificate of good standing with respect to the Company issued by the Registrar of Corporate Affairs dated 1 April 2025 (the “Certificate of Good Standing”).

 

1.7A certificate from a director of the Company a copy of which is attached to this opinion (the “Director’s Certificate”).

 

1.8The Registration Statement.

 

1.9A securities purchase agreement dated 31 March 2025 entered into between the Company and certain buyers in respect of the Notes (the “Securities Purchase Agreement”).

 

1.10A US$2,300,000 Note dated 1 April 2025.

 

The documents listed in paragraphs 1.9 to 1.10 inclusive above shall be referred to collectively herein as the “Documents”.

 

2Assumptions

 

The following opinions are given only as to, and based on, circumstances and matters of fact existing and known to us on the date of this opinion letter. These opinions only relate to the laws of the British Virgin Islands which are in force on the date of this opinion letter. In giving the following opinions we have relied (without further verification) upon the completeness and accuracy, as at the date of this opinion letter, of the Registry List of Directors, the Registered Agent’s Certificate, the Director’s Certificate and the Certificate of Good Standing. We have also relied upon the following assumptions, which we have not independently verified:

 

2.1The Documents have been or will be authorised and duly executed and unconditionally delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the British Virgin Islands).

 

2.2The Documents are, or will be, legal, valid, binding and enforceable against all relevant parties in accordance with their terms under the laws of the State of New York (the “Relevant Law”) and all other relevant laws (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws of the British Virgin Islands).

 

2.3The choice of the Relevant Law as the governing law of the Documents has been made in good faith and would be regarded as a valid and binding selection which will be upheld by the courts of the State of New York and any other relevant jurisdiction (other than the British Virgin Islands) as a matter of the Relevant Law and all other relevant laws (other than the laws of the British Virgin Islands).

 

2.4Copies of documents, conformed copies or drafts of documents provided to us are true and complete copies of, or in the final forms of, the originals.

 

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2.5All signatures, initials and seals are genuine.

 

2.6The capacity, power, authority and legal right of all parties under all relevant laws and regulations (other than, with respect to the Company, the laws and regulations of the British Virgin Islands) to enter into, execute, unconditionally deliver and perform their respective obligations under the Documents.

 

2.7That all public records of the Company which we have examined are accurate and that the information disclosed by the searches which we conducted against the Company at the Registry of Corporate Affairs and the High Court Registry is true and complete and that such information has not since then been altered and that such searches did not fail to disclose any such information which had been delivered for registration but did not appear on the public records at the date of our searches.

 

2.8No invitation has been or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the British Virgin Islands to subscribe for any of the Ordinary Shares.

 

2.9There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under British Virgin Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations under the Documents and the Registration Statement.

 

2.10No monies paid to or for the account of any party under the Documents or any property received or disposed of by any party to the Documents in each case in connection with the Documents or the consummation of the transactions contemplated thereby represent or will represent proceeds of criminal conduct or criminal property or terrorist property (as defined in the Proceeds of Criminal Conduct Act (As Revised)).

 

2.11There is nothing contained in the minute book or corporate records of the Company (which we have not inspected) which would or might affect the opinions set out below.

 

2.12There is nothing under any law (other than the laws of the British Virgin Islands) which would or might affect the opinions set out below. Specifically, we have made no independent investigation of the Relevant Law.

 

2.13The Company will have sufficient authorised and unissued shares under the Memorandum and Articles at the time any Ordinary Shares were or are issued.

 

2.14The Company will receive or has received, cash consideration or non-cash consideration in consideration for the issue of the Ordinary Shares and none of the Ordinary Shares were, or will be, issued for less than par value.

 

2.15The Ordinary Shares that will be issued pursuant to the Documents will be duly registered, and will continue to be registered, in the Company’s register of members.

 

2.16The Notes are, or will be, issued and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of a duly authorised, executed and delivered Securities Purchase Agreement.

 

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2.17At the time of the conversion of the Notes into Ordinary Shares in accordance with the terms and provisions of the applicable Documents and the Registration Statement (the “Conversion”):

 

(a)the laws of the British Virgin Islands (including the Act (as defined below)) will not have changed in such way as to materially impact the Conversion;

 

(b)the Company will have sufficient authorised but unissued Ordinary Shares to effect the Conversion in accordance with the Documents and the Memorandum and Articles and the Act;

 

(c)the Company will not have been struck off or placed in liquidation;

 

(d)the issue price for each Ordinary Share issued upon Conversion will not be less than the par value of such share; and

 

(e)the terms and provisions of the Documents relating to the Conversion and the terms of the Memorandum and Articles will not have been altered, amended or restated or subject to any adjustment.

 

Save as aforesaid we have not been instructed to undertake and have not undertaken any further enquiry or due diligence in relation to the transaction the subject of this opinion letter.

 

3Opinions

 

Based upon, and subject to, the foregoing assumptions and the qualifications set out below, and having regard to such legal considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:

 

3.1The Company is a company limited by shares incorporated with limited liability under the BVI Business Companies Act (As Revised) (the “Act”), is in good standing at the Registry of Corporate Affairs and is validly existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands.

 

3.2With respect to the Notes to be issued pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, when (a) the board of directors of the Company has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; and (b) such Notes issued thereunder have been duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and authenticated in the manner set forth in the relevant Securities Purchase Agreement relating to such issue of Notes and delivered against due payment therefor pursuant to, and in accordance with, the terms of the Registration Statement and any relevant prospectus supplement, such Notes issued pursuant to the relevant Securities Purchase Agreement will have been duly executed, issued and delivered

 

3.3With respect to the Ordinary Shares to be offered and issued by the Company upon conversion of the Notes as contemplated by the Documents and the Registration Statement when: (a) the board of directors of the Company has taken all necessary corporate action to approve the issue thereof, the terms of the offering thereof and related matters; (b) the issue of such Ordinary Shares have been recorded in the Company’s register of members; and (c) the subscription price of such Ordinary Shares have been fully paid in cash or other consideration approved by the board of directors of the Company, the Ordinary Shares will be duly authorised, validly issued, fully-paid and non-assessable. As a matter of British Virgin Islands law, a share is only issued when it has been entered in the register of members.

 

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4Qualifications

 

The opinions expressed above are subject to the following qualifications:

 

4.1The obligations assumed by the Company under the Documents will not necessarily be enforceable in all circumstances in accordance with their terms. In particular:

 

(a)enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, reorganisation, readjustment of debts or moratorium or other laws of general application relating to or affecting the rights of creditors;

 

(b)enforcement may be limited by general principles of equity. For example, equitable remedies such as specific performance may not be available, inter alia, where damages are considered to be an adequate remedy;

 

(c)where obligations are to be performed in a jurisdiction outside the British Virgin Islands, they may not be enforceable in the British Virgin Islands to the extent that performance would be illegal under the laws of that jurisdiction; and

 

(d)some claims may become barred under relevant statutes of limitation or may be or become subject to defences of set off, counterclaim, estoppel and similar defences.

 

4.2To maintain the Company in good standing with the Registrar of Corporate Affairs under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, annual filing fees must be paid and returns made to the Registrar of Corporate Affairs within the time frame prescribed by law.

 

4.3Under British Virgin Islands law, the register of members is prima facie evidence of title to shares and this register would not record a third party interest in such shares. However, there are certain limited circumstances where an application may be made to a British Virgin Islands court for a determination on whether the register of members reflects the correct legal position. Further, the British Virgin Islands court has the power to order that the register of members maintained by a company should be rectified where it considers that the register of members does not reflect the correct legal position. For the purposes of the opinion given in paragraphs 3.2 and 3.3, there are no circumstances or matters of fact known to us on the date of this opinion letter which would properly form the basis for an application for an order for rectification of the register of members of the Company, but if such an application were made in respect of the Ordinary Shares, then the validity of such shares may be subject to re-examination by a British Virgin Islands court.

 

4.4In this opinion letter, the phrase “non-assessable” means, with respect to the issuance of shares, that a shareholder shall not, in respect of the relevant shares and in the absence of a contractual arrangement, or an obligation pursuant to the memorandum and articles of association, to the contrary, have any obligation to make further contributions to the Company’s assets (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).

 

4.5The search of records of proceedings available at the High Court Registry would not reveal any proceeding which has been placed under seal or anonymised (whether by order of the Court or pursuant to the practice of the High Court Registry).

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as an exhibit to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K being filed on the date hereof and incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement and to the references to our firm under the headings “Legal Matters” in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement. In providing our consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under section 7 of the Act or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

We express no view as to the commercial terms of the Documents or whether such terms represent the intentions of the parties and make no comment with regard to warranties or representations that may be made by the Company.

 

The opinions in this opinion letter are strictly limited to the matters contained in the opinions section above and do not extend to any other matters. We have not been asked to review and we therefore have not reviewed any of the ancillary documents relating to the Documents and express no opinion or observation upon the terms of any such document.

 

This opinion letter is addressed to you and may be relied upon by you, your counsel and purchasers of Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement. This opinion letter is limited to the matters detailed herein and is not to be read as an opinion with respect to any other matter.

 

Yours faithfully

 

Maples and Calder

 

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Appendix A

 

Director’s Certificate

 

To: Maples and Calder

5th Floor, Ritter House

PO Box 173

Road Town

Tortola

British Virgin Islands

 

1 April 2025

 

Roadzen Inc. (the “Company”)

 

I, the undersigned, being a director of the Company, am aware that you are being asked to provide an opinion letter (the “Opinion”) in relation to certain aspects of British Virgin Islands law. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalised terms used in this certificate have the respective meanings given to them in the Opinion. I hereby certify that:

 

1 The Memorandum and Articles remain in full force and effect and are unamended.
   
2 The director resolutions dated 28 March 2025 (the “Resolutions”) were duly passed in the manner prescribed in the Memorandum and Articles (including, without limitation, with respect to the disclosure of interests (if any) by directors of the Company). The Resolutions have not been amended, varied or revoked in any respect and the directors of the Company have not restricted or limited the powers of any future directors of the Company in any way.
   
3 Immediately prior to the issue of the Ordinary Shares, the Company had or will have sufficient authorised but unissued shares in order for Ordinary Shares to be issued as contemplated by the Registration Statement.
   
4 All shares of the Company in issue immediately prior to the offering of Ordinary Shares have been duly authorised and are validly issued as fully paid and non-assessable.
   
5 The members of the Company (the “Members”) have not restricted or limited the powers of the directors of the Company in any way.
   
6 The directors of the Company at the date of the Resolutions and at the date of this certificate were and are as follows: Steven Jack Carlson, Saurav Adhikari, Diane B. Glossman, Ajay Bhupendra Shah, Zoe Jane Ashcroft, Rohan Malhotra and Supurna VedBrat.
   
7 The members of the Committee at the date of the Committee Resolutions and at the date of this certificate were and are as follows: Steven Jack Carlson, Rohan Malhotra and Supurna VedBrat.
   
8 The minute book and corporate records of the Company as maintained at its registered office in the British Virgin Islands and on which the Registered Agent’s Certificate were prepared are complete and accurate in all material respects, and all minutes and resolutions filed therein represent a complete and accurate record of all meetings of the members and directors (or any committee thereof) (duly convened in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles) and all resolutions passed at the meetings, or passed by written resolution or consent, as the case may be.
   
9 The Company has not created any charges over any of its property or assets other than those entered in the Company’s register of charges maintained at its registered office.
   
10 Prior to, at the time of, and immediately following the approval of the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Company was, or will be, able to pay its debts as they fell, or fall, due and the transactions to which the Registration Statement relate will not cause the Company to become unable to pay its debts as they fall due. The Company has entered, or will enter, into the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement for proper value and not with an intention to defraud or wilfully defeat an obligation owed to any creditor and the transactions contemplated thereby do not and will not give any creditor an unfair preference.
   
11 Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries (if any) has an interest in any land in the British Virgin Islands.
   
12 Each director of the Company considers the transactions contemplated by the Registration Statement to be of commercial benefit to the Company and has acted in good faith in the best interests of the Company, and for a proper purpose of the Company, in relation to the transactions which are the subject of the Opinion.
   
13 To the best of my knowledge and belief, having made due inquiry, the Company is not the subject of legal, arbitral, administrative or other proceedings in any jurisdiction. Nor have the Directors and/or the Member taken any steps to have the Company struck off or placed in liquidation, nor have any steps been taken to wind up the Company. Nor has any receiver been appointed over any of the Company’s property or assets.
   
14 The Company has at no time had employees.
   
15 To the best of my knowledge and belief, having made due inquiry, there are no circumstances or matters of fact existing which may properly form the basis for an application for an order for rectification of the register of members of the Company.
   
16 The Registration Statement has been, or will be, authorised and duly executed and delivered by or on behalf of all relevant parties in accordance with all relevant laws.
   
17 No invitation has been made or will be made by or on behalf of the Company to the public in the British Virgin Islands to subscribe for any of the Ordinary Shares.
   
18 The Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to the Registration Statement have been, or will be, duly registered, and will continue to be registered, in the Company’s register of members.
   
19 The Company is not a central bank, monetary authority or other sovereign entity of any state and is not a subsidiary, direct or indirect, of any sovereign entity or state.
   
20 There is no contractual or other prohibition or restriction (other than as arising under British Virgin Islands law) binding on the Company prohibiting or restricting it from entering into and performing its obligations under the Documents.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

 

 

 

I confirm that you may continue to rely on this certificate as being true and correct on the day that you issue the Opinion unless I shall have previously notified you in writing personally to the contrary.

 

Signature:    
Name: Rohan Malhotra  
Title: Director