Lidar Leader’s Stock to be Included in Annual Reconstitution of Major Index

AEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIDR), a global leader in adaptive, high-performance lidar solutions, is set to join the broad-market Russell 3000^® Index at the conclusion of the 2022 Russell indexes annual reconstitution, effective after the US market opens on June 27, according to a preliminary list of additions posted June 3.

Annual Russell indexes reconstitution captures the 4,000 largest US stocks as of May 6, ranking them by total market capitalization. Membership in the US all-cap Russell 3000^® Index, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the large-cap Russell 1000^® Index or small-cap Russell 2000^® Index as well as the appropriate growth and value style indexes. FTSE Russell determines membership for its Russell indexes primarily by objective, market-capitalization rankings, and style attributes.

"Inclusion in the Russell indexes marks an important milestone for AEye and demonstrates the progress we have made as a public company,” said Bob Brown, CFO of AEye Inc. "We also believe that inclusion in the Russell indexes will broaden awareness of AEye within the institutional investor community and open up a large new category of potential investors. We welcome the increased visibility as we are confident that our unique business model and lidar-based intelligent sensing platform are market-leading differentiators that will drive significant value for our shareholders.”

Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. Approximately $12 trillion in assets are benchmarked against Russell’s US indexes. Russell indexes are part of FTSE Russell, a leading global index provider.

For more information on the Russell 3000^® Index and the Russell indexes reconstitution, go to the “Russell Reconstitution” section on the FTSE Russell website.

About AEye

AEye’s unique software-defined lidar solution enables advanced driver-assistance, vehicle autonomy, smart infrastructure, logistics and off-highway applications that save lives and propel the future of transportation and mobility. AEye’s 4Sight™ Intelligent Sensing Platform, with its adaptive sensor-based operating system, focuses on what matters most: delivering faster, more accurate, and reliable information. AEye’s 4Sight™ products, built on this platform, are ideal for dynamic applications which require precise measurement imaging to ensure safety and performance. AEye has a global presence through its offices in Germany, Japan, Korea and the United States.

About FTSE Russell:

FTSE Russell is a global index leader that provides innovative benchmarking, analytics and data solutions for investors worldwide. FTSE Russell calculates thousands of indexes that measure and benchmark markets and asset classes in more than 70 countries, covering 98% of the investable market globally.

FTSE Russell index expertise and products are used extensively by institutional and retail investors globally. Approximately $20 trillion is currently benchmarked to FTSE Russell indexes. For over 30 years, leading asset owners, asset managers, ETF providers and investment banks have chosen FTSE Russell indexes to benchmark their investment performance and create ETFs, structured products and index-based derivatives.

A core set of universal principles guides FTSE Russell index design and management: a transparent rules-based methodology is informed by independent committees of leading market participants. FTSE Russell is focused on applying the highest industry standards in index design and governance and embraces the IOSCO Principles. FTSE Russell is also focused on index innovation and customer partnerships as it seeks to enhance the breadth, depth and reach of its offering.

FTSE Russell is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group.

For more information, visit www.ftserussell.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are sometimes accompanied by words such as “believe,” “continue,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “predict,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “potential,” “seem,” “seek,” “outlook,” and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends, or that are not statements of historical matters. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements included in this press release include statements about AEye’s inclusion in the Russell 3000® Index following the conclusion of the annual reconstitution and preliminary market capitalization ranges and the potential inclusion in the other indexes listed above. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by an investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are very difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from the assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of AEye. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the inclusion list published on June 3, that includes AEye, is preliminary and subject to change, including, without limitation, the removal of AEye from inclusion in the Russell 3000^® Index for 2022; (ii) the risks that AEye, if included in the Russell 3000^® Index for 2022, will not be eligible for membership in subsequent years; (iii) the risks that AEye’s inclusion in the Russell 3000^® Index, or any other index, will not broaden awareness with the institutional investor community at the level anticipated, or at all; (iv) the risks that inclusion of AEye in the Russell 3000 Index will open up a large or new category of potential investors at the level anticipated, or at all; (v) the risks that AEye’s unique business model and lidar-based intelligent sensing platform will create marketing-leading differentiators at the level anticipated, or at all; (vi) the risks that AEye will be able to successfully launch products into the market; (vii) the risks that lidar adoption occurs slower than anticipated or fails to occur at all; (viii) the risks that laws and regulations are adopted impacting the use of lidar that AEye is unable to comply with, in whole or in part, changes in competitive and regulated industries in which AEye operates, variations in operating performance across competitors, and changes in laws and regulations affecting our business; (ix) the risks that AEye is unable to adequately implement our business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities; and (x) the risks of downturns and a changing regulatory landscape in the highly competitive and evolving industry in which AEye operates. These risks and uncertainties may be amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Delta, Omicron, Deltacron, and future variants and subvariants, which has caused significant economic uncertainty. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that AEye has most recently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and other documents filed by us or that will be filed by us from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.

Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements; AEye assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. AEye gives no assurance that AEye will achieve any of its expectations.

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