Kaival Brands Innovations Group Inc

DEF 14A 1 e5665_def14a.htm FORM DEF 14A

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Check the appropriate box:

(Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

N/A

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

https://kaivalbrands.com

May 16, 2024

Dear Fellow Stockholders:

On behalf of your Board of Directors, we cordially invite you to attend the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Kaival Brands Innovations Group, Inc. (the “Annual Meeting”). The Annual Meeting will be held on June 25, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, in a virtual meeting format only and conducted via live audio webcast to enable our stockholders to participate from locations around the world. Stockholders willNOT be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person. The Annual Meeting will be accessible only over the internet. Please see “Attending the Virtual Annual Meeting” in the proxy statement (“Proxy Statement”) accompanying this letter for information on how to obtain the proxy materials, attend, submit questions and vote at the Annual Meeting.

We are making available to you the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders (“Notice”), Proxy Statement and form of proxy card or voting instruction form on or about May 16, 2024. We are pleased to furnish proxy materials to stockholders primarily over the internet. We believe that this process expedites stockholders’ receipt of proxy materials, lowers the costs of our Annual Meeting and conserves natural resources. On or about May 16, 2024, we mailed to our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Internet Availability Notice”) that includes instructions on how to access our Proxy Statement and 2023 Annual Report and how to vote online. The Internet Availability Notice also includes instructions on how you can receive a paper copy of your Annual Meeting materials, including the Notice, Proxy Statement and proxy card or voting instruction form. If you elected to receive your Annual Meeting materials by mail, the Notice, Proxy Statement and proxy card or voting instruction form were enclosed. If you elected to receive your Annual Meeting materials via e-mail, the e-mail contains voting instructions and links to the 2023 Annual Report and the Proxy Statement, both of which are available atwww.proxyvote.com. Additional details regarding admission to, and the business to be conducted at, the Annual Meeting are described in the accompanying Notice and Proxy Statement.

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on May 2, 2024 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.

Your vote is important. Regardless of whether you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we hope that you will vote as soon as possible. You may vote over the internet, by telephone or by mailing in a proxy card. Please review the instructions on the proxy card or voting instruction form regarding each of these voting options. Voting will ensure your representation at the Annual Meeting regardless of whether you attend the Annual Meeting.

Thank you for your on-going support of Kaival Brands Innovations Group, Inc.

Sincerely,

Chief Executive Officer and Chief Science & Regulatory Officer

https://kaivalbrands.com

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held Virtually atwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/KAVL2024 (Eastern Time) on June 25, 2024

Notice is hereby given that the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Kaival Brands Innovations Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Company,” “Kaival,” “we,” “us” and “our”), will be held on June 25, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) via a live webcast on the Internet. You will be able to virtually attend the Annual Meeting online, vote and submit questions during the Annual Meeting by visitingwww.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/KAVL2024 during the meeting. We are holding the Annual Meeting for the following purposes, which are more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement:

These items of business are more fully described in the proxy statement (“Proxy Statement”) accompanying this Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Notice”). We are not aware of any other business to come before the Annual Meeting.

After careful consideration, the Board has determined that each proposal listed above is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders and has approved each proposal.The Board recommends a vote “FOR” the Election of each director nominee (Proposal 1) and “FOR” the ratification of our independent auditor (Proposal 2).

All stockholders are invited to attend the Annual Meeting virtually and no stockholder will be able to attend the Annual Meeting in person. The Annual Meeting will be accessible via the internet in accordance with the instructions contained in the Proxy Statement. Please see “Questions and Answers About the Meeting and Voting—How Do I Vote At The Annual Meeting?” in the Proxy Statement accompanying this Notice for information on how to attend, submit questions and vote at the Annual Meeting.

WHO CAN VOTE?

You can vote at the Annual Meeting if you were a stockholder of record as of the close of business on May 2, 2024 (the “Record Date”). Only stockholders of record on the Record Date are entitled to receive this Notice and to vote at the Annual Meeting or at any postponement(s) or, continuations(s) or adjournment(s) of the Annual Meeting.

ANNUAL REPORT

A copy of our 2023 Annual Report to Stockholders (the “2023 Annual Report”) including our Form 10-K, accompanies the Proxy Statement.

REVIEW THE PROXY MATERIALS AND ANNUAL REPORT ON OUR WEBSITE

You may also read the 2023 Annual Report, this Notice and Proxy Statement on our website atwww.proxyvote.com.

AVAILABLE DATE

This Notice, the Proxy Statement and the form of proxy are first being made available to stockholders on or about May 16, 2024.

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. YOU MAY VOTE OVER THE INTERNET, BY TELEPHONE OR BY MAILING BACK A PROXY CARD. PLEASE REVIEW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE PROXY STATEMENT OR ON THE PROXY CARD OR VOTING INSTRUCTION FORM REGARDING EACH OF THESE VOTING OPTIONS.

We hope you are able to attend the Annual Meeting virtually via the internet. Whether or not you attend, it is important that your stock be represented and voted at the meeting. I urge you to please complete, date and return the proxy card in the enclosed envelope, vote your shares electronically or vote by telephone using the information provided in the attached Proxy Statement prior to the Annual Meeting date. The vote of each stockholder is very important. You may revoke your written proxy at any time before it is voted at the Annual Meeting by giving written notice to the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, by submitting a properly executed paper proxy bearing a later date or by attending the Annual Meeting virtually and voting online during the meeting. Stockholders may also revoke their proxies by entering a new vote over the internet or by telephone.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

Director, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Science & Regulatory Officer

Grant-Valkaria, Florida

May 16, 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROXY STATEMENT

For Annual Meeting of Stockholders to Be Held on June 25, 2024

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Kaival Brands Innovations Group, Inc. (“Kaival,” “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), solicits the enclosed proxy for use at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company (“Annual Meeting”) to be held on June 25, 2024, only via live webcast accessible by following the instructions set forth here at “Questions and Answers About the Meeting And Voting—How Do I Vote at the Annual Meeting?” This proxy statement (“Proxy Statement”) and the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Notice”) and form of proxy are first being made available to stockholders on or about May 16, 2024.

We are furnishing proxy materials to our stockholders primarily via the internet. On or about May 16, 2024, we mailed to our stockholders a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Internet Availability Notice”) containing instructions on how to access our proxy materials, including our Proxy Statement and our 2023 Annual Report to Stockholders (the “2023 Annual Report”). The Internet Availability Notice also provides information on how to access your voting instructions to be able to vote through the internet or by telephone. Other stockholders, in accordance with their prior requests, have received e-mail notification of how to access our proxy materials and vote via the internet, or have been mailed paper copies of our proxy materials and a proxy card or voting instruction form. Internet distribution of our proxy materials helps to expedite receipt by our stockholders, lowers the cost of the Annual Meeting and conserves natural resources. However, if you would prefer to receive printed proxy materials, please follow the instructions included in the Internet Availability Notice. If you have previously elected to receive our proxy materials electronically, you will continue to receive these materials via e-mail unless you elect otherwise.

The executive offices of the Company are located at, and the mailing address of the Company is 4460 Old Dixie Highway, Grant-Valkaria, Florida 32949.

This Proxy Statement contains information about the matters to be voted on at the Annual Meeting and the voting process, as well as information about our directors and executive officers.

Under Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules that allow companies to furnish proxy materials to stockholders over the Internet, we have elected to deliver our proxy materials to the majority of our stockholders over the Internet. This delivery process allows us to provide stockholders with the information they need, while at the same time conserving natural resources and lowering the cost of delivery. On or about May 16, 2024, we will begin sending to our stockholders the Internet Availability Notice containing instructions on how to access our Proxy Statement for our Annual Meeting and our 2023 Annual Report. The Internet Availability Notice also provides instructions on how to vote online or by telephone, how to access the virtual Annual Meeting and how to receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail. The Notice and Proxy Statement are also available atwww.proxyvote.com.