Nuburu Inc
For the period ended Mar 31, 2024. Filed May 15, 2024.
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Mar 31, 2024 · Filed May 15, 2024
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Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
(Unaudited)
NOTE 1. BACKGROUND AND ORGANIZATION
Nuburu, Inc. (“Nuburu” or the “Company”) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Nuburu Subsidiary, Inc., is a leading innovator in high-power, high-brightness blue laser technology that is focused on bringing breakthrough improvements to a broad range of high-value applications including welding and 3D printing.
Nuburu was originally incorporated in Delaware on July 21, 2020 under the name Tailwind Acquisition Corp. (“Tailwind”) as a special purpose acquisition company, formed for the purpose of effecting an initial business combination with one or more target businesses. On September 9, 2020 (the “IPO Closing Date”), we consummated our initial public offering (the “IPO”). On January 31, 2023, we consummated a business combination with Nuburu Subsidiary, Inc. f/k/a Nuburu, Inc. (“Legacy Nuburu”), a privately held operating company which merged into our subsidiary Compass Merger Sub, Inc. (the “Business Combination”) and changed our name to “Nuburu, Inc.,” and we became the owner, directly or indirectly, of all of the equity interests of Nuburu Subsidiary, Inc. and its subsidiaries. In light of the fact that the Business Combination has closed and our ongoing business will be the business formerly operated by Legacy Nuburu, this business section primarily includes information regarding Legacy Nuburu’s business.
Throughout the notes to the condensed consolidated financial statements, unless otherwise noted, the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” and similar terms refer to Legacy Nuburu prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, and Nuburu and its subsidiaries after the consummation of the Business Combination.
Going Concern and Liquidity
The Company devotes its efforts to business planning, research and development, and raising capital. The Company is an emerging growth company that has not yet achieved full commercialization and is expected to incur losses until it does.
From inception through March 31, 2024, the Company has incurred operating losses and negative cash flows from operating activities. For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company has incurred operating losses, including net losses of$5,700,653 and$4,767,517, respectively, and the Company has an accumulated deficit of$87,599,345 as of March 31, 2024. The Company anticipates that it will incur net losses for the foreseeable future and, even if it increases revenue, there is no guarantee that it will ever become profitable. All of the aforementioned factors raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The Company expects to continue to expand its operations, including by investing in manufacturing, sales and marketing, research and development and infrastructure to support its growth.
Until the Company can generate sufficient revenue to cover its operating expenses, working capital, and capital expenditures, it will rely on private and public capital raising efforts.
The Company plans to finance its operations with proceeds from the issuance and sale of equity securities or debt; however, there is no assurance that management's plans to obtain additional debt or equity financing will be successfully implemented or implemented on terms favorable to the Company.
Certain Significant Risks and Uncertainties
The Company’s current business activities consist of business planning, research and development efforts to design and develop high-power, high-brightness blue laser technology, and capital raising to finance the Company through full commercialization. The Company is subject to the risks associated with such activities, including the need to further develop its technology and its marketing and distribution channels; further develop its supply chain and manufacturing; and hire additional management and other key personnel. Successful completion of the Company’s development program and, ultimately, the attainment of profitable operations, are dependent upon future events, including its ability to access potential markets and secure long-term financing.
The Company’s future results of operations involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results and cause actual results to vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, rapid technological change, competition from substitute products and larger companies, protection of proprietary technology, ability to maintain distributor relationships and dependence on key individuals.
NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 8 of Regulation S-X of the SEC. Certain information or footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes necessary for a complete presentation of financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of a normal recurring nature, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, operating results, and cash flows for the periods presented.
The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2024 or any future period. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and their notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on April 15, 2024, and as subsequently amended by the Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on April 29, 2024.
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Reclassification
Certain prior period balances in the consolidated statements of cash flows have been combined or reclassified to conform to current period presentation pursuant to Rule 10-01(a)(2) of Regulation S-X of the SEC. Such reclassifications had no impact on net income, cash flows or shareholders' equity previously reported.
Emerging Growth Company
The Company is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Securities Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”), and it may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the independent registered public accounting firm attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in its periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.
Further, Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such election to opt out is irrevocable. The Company has elected not to opt out of such extended transition period which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, the Company, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of the Company’s financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
Significant Accounting Policies
The significant accounting policies used in preparation of these condensed consolidated financial statements are disclosed in the notes to consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 filed with the SEC on April 15, 2024, and as subsequently amended by the Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on April 29, 2024. Other than as noted below, the significant accounting policies have not changed significantly since that filing.
Lessor Accounting
Beginning in 2024, the Company has begun to lease certain of its constructed lasers to its customers, which the Company accounts for under the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (the "FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 842 -Leases("ASC 842"). The Company typically transfers legal ownership of the lasers to its customers at the end of the lease.
The sales and cost of sales are recognized at the inception of the lease, which is when control is transferred to the lessee. The Company accounts for the transfer of control as a sales type lease in accordance with ASC 842-10-25-2. The underlying asset is derecognized, and revenue is recorded when collection of payments is probable. This is in accordance with the revenue recognition principle in FASB ASC 606 -Revenue from contracts with customers. The investment in a sales-type leases consists of the sum of the minimum lease payments receivable less any unearned interest income and estimated executory costs. Minimum lease payments are part of the lease agreement between the Company (as the lessor) and the customer (as the lessee). The discount rate implicit in the lease is used to calculate the present value of minimum lease payments. The minimum lease payments consist of the gross lease payments net of executory costs and contingent rentals, if any. Unearned interest is amortized to income over the lease term to produce a constant periodic rate of return on the net investment in the lease. While revenue is recognized at the inception of the lease, the cash flow from the sales-type lease occurs over the course of the lease, which results in interest income and reduction of receivables.
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company recognized $76,744 in revenue at the commencement of the lease for sales-type leases, which is included in revenue in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company recognized $398 in interest income for its sales-type leases, which is included in interest income in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. As of March 31, 2024, the Company's net investment in sales-type leases is $53,742, which is included in accounts receivable on the consolidated balance sheets.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09 —Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The ASU requires that an entity disclose specific categories in the effective tax rate reconciliation as well as reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold. Further, the ASU requires additional disclosures on income tax expense and taxes paid, net of refunds received, by jurisdiction. The new standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024 on a prospective basis with the option to apply it retrospectively. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will result in the Company being required to include enhanced income tax related disclosures. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.
NOTE 3. REVERSE RECAPITALIZATION
On January 31, 2023, upon the consummation of the Business Combination, all holders of 10,782,091 issued and outstanding shares of Legacy Nuburu common stock and 40,392,723 issued and outstanding shares of Legacy Nuburu preferred stock received shares of Nuburu common stock at a deemed value of $10.00 per share after giving effect to the exchange ratios set forth below (the “Exchange Ratios”):
| Legacy Nuburu Class / Series | Exchange Ratio | |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy Nuburu Common Stock | | 0.515 |
| Legacy Nuburu Series A Preferred Stock | | 0.566 |
| Legacy Nuburu Series A-1 Preferred Stock | 0.599 | |
| Legacy Nuburu Series B Preferred Stock | 0.831 | |
| Legacy Nuburu Series B-1 Preferred Stock | 0.515 | |
| Legacy Nuburu Series C Preferred Stock | | 1.146 |
This resulted in 31,323,904 shares of Nuburu Common Stock issued and outstanding as of the Closing and all holders of 7,132,467 issued and outstanding Legacy Nuburu equity awards received Nuburu equity awards covering 3,675,976 shares of Nuburu Common Stock at a deemed value of $10.00 per share after giving effect to the Exchange Ratios, based on the following events contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement:
the cancellation and conversion of all 40,392,723 issued and outstanding shares of Legacy Nuburu preferred stock into 23,237,703 shares of Nuburu Common Stock at the conversion rate as calculated pursuant to Legacy Nuburu's Certificate of Incorporation, multiplied by the Exchange Ratios at the date and time the Business Combination became effective (“Effective Time”);
the cancellation and conversion of all 10,782,091 issued and outstanding shares of Legacy Nuburu common stock into 5,556,857 shares of Nuburu Common Stock as adjusted by the Exchange Ratios;
the net exercise of all 4,000,000 outstanding warrants to purchase shares of Legacy Nuburu common stock immediately prior to the Effective Time in accordance with its terms and subsequent conversion into 1,167,557 shares of Nuburu Common Stock at the Effective Time;
the cancellation and conversion of all Legacy Nuburu Company Notes into shares of Legacy Nuburu common stock in accordance with its terms as of immediately prior to the Effective Time, which 2,642,239 shares were then outstanding as Legacy Nuburu common stock as of immediately prior to the Effective Time and subsequently converted into 1,361,787 shares of Nuburu Common Stock and 1,361,787 shares of Nuburu Series A preferred stock at the Effective Time; and
the cancellation and exchange of all 6,079,467 granted and outstanding vested and unvested Legacy Nuburu options, which became 3,133,270 Nuburu options exercisable for shares of Nuburu Common Stock with the same terms and vesting conditions except for a number of shares exercisable and the exercise price, each of which was adjusted by the Exchange Ratio; and
the cancellation and exchange of all 1,053,000 granted and outstanding vested and unvested Legacy Nuburu RSUs, which became 542,706 Nuburu RSUs for shares of Nuburu Common Stock with the same terms and vesting conditions except for the number of shares, which was adjusted by the Legacy Nuburu common stock Exchange Ratio.
The other related events that occurred in connection with the Closing are summarized below:
Tailwind and the Tailwind Sponsor entered into a letter agreement (the “Sponsor Support and Forfeiture Agreement”), dated as of August 5, 2022 (as amended by the Amended and Restated Sponsor Support and Forfeiture Agreement, dated January 31, 2023). In connection with the Business Combination, the 8,355,393 Tailwind Sponsor Class B shares were forfeited other than 1,150,000 shares of Common Stock (of which,150,000 shares were transferred to Nautilus Maser Fund, L.P. and 50,000 shares were transferred to Cohen & Company Capital Markets at Closing) and
650,000 shares of Series A preferred stock. Additionally, upon the Closing, the Sponsor cancelled the 9,700,000 Private Placement Warrants that were held by the Sponsor.
Tailwind, Legacy Nuburu and Lincoln Park entered into a purchase agreement pursuant to which Nuburu may direct Lincoln Park to purchase up to $100 million of Common Stock from time to time over a 48-month period, subject to certain limitations contained in the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement. At the Closing, Nuburu issued 200,000 shares of Nuburu Common Stock to Lincoln Park.
Legacy Nuburu entered into an engagement letter with Anzu Partners on August 30, 2022 (the “Services Agreement”) relating to this arrangement pursuant to which Legacy Nuburu, in recognition of past Services, (i) agreed to pay $500,000 to Anzu Partners upon the closing of the Business Combination and (ii) issued a warrant with a strike price of $0.01 per share to Anzu Partners for 500,000 shares of Preferred Stock (the “Anzu Partners Warrant”). This warrant was exercised by Anzu Partners in connection with the Closing.
After giving effect to the Business Combination as described above, the number of shares of Common Stock and Series A preferred stock issued and outstanding immediately following the consummation of the Business Combination was as follows:
| Common Shares · Series APreferred Shares | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tailwind public shares | 316,188 | — | ||
| Tailwind Sponsor Class B shares | 8,355,393 | — | ||
| Total shares of Tailwind common stock outstanding immediately prior to the Business Combination | 8,671,581 | — | ||
| Less: forfeiture of the Tailwind Sponsor Class B Common Stock other than 1,150,000 shares of Common Stock and 650,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock | (7,205,393) | — | ||
| Tailwind Sponsor Series A Preferred Stock | — | 650,000 | ||
| Tailwind public shares issuance of Series A Preferred Stock | — | 316,188 | ||
| Legacy Nuburu shares | 31,323,904 | 1,377,265 | ||
| Lincoln Park Commitment Shares | 200,000 | — | ||
| Anzu Warrant Shares | — | 500,000 | ||
| Total shares of Nuburu Common Stock outstanding immediately after the Business Combination(1)(2) | | 32,990,092 | | 2,843,453 |
(1) Excludes 3,675,976 shares of Common Stock as of the Closing of the Business Combination to be reserved for potential future issuance upon the exercise of Nuburu options or settlement of Nuburu RSUs.
(2) Excludes 16,710,785 Public Warrants issued and outstanding as of the Closing of the Business Combination.
The Business Combination is accounted for as a reverse recapitalization in accordance with GAAP because Legacy Nuburu has been determined to be the accounting acquirer. Under this method of accounting, Tailwind, which is the legal acquirer, is treated as the accounting acquiree for financial reporting purposes and Legacy Nuburu, which is the legal acquiree, is treated as the accounting acquirer. Accordingly, the consolidated assets, liabilities and results of operations of Legacy Nuburu have become the historical financial statements of Nuburu, and Tailwind’s assets, liabilities and results of operations have been consolidated with Legacy Nuburu’s beginning on the acquisition date. For accounting purposes, the financial statements of Nuburu represent a continuation of the financial statements of Legacy Nuburu with the Business Combination being treated as the equivalent of Legacy Nuburu issuing stock for the net assets of Tailwind, accompanied by a recapitalization. The net assets of Tailwind are stated at historical costs and no goodwill or other intangible assets have been recorded. Operations prior to the Business Combination will be presented as those of Legacy Nuburu in future reports of Nuburu.
Legacy Nuburu was determined to be the accounting acquirer based on evaluation of the following facts and circumstances:
Legacy Nuburu stockholders comprise a majority of the voting power of Nuburu;
The Nuburu board of directors consists only of members of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors or nominees selected by Legacy Nuburu;
Legacy Nuburu’s operations prior to the acquisition comprise the only ongoing operations of Nuburu;
Legacy Nuburu’s senior management comprises the senior management of Nuburu;
Nuburu has assumed the Legacy Nuburu name; and
Legacy Nuburu’s headquarters have become Nuburu’s headquarters.
All periods prior to the Business Combination have been retrospectively adjusted using the Exchange Ratios for the equivalent number of shares outstanding immediately after the Closing to effect the reverse recapitalization.
In connection with the Closing of the Business Combination, the Company received net proceeds from the Business Combination totaling $3.2 million, prior to deducting transaction and issuance costs. Legacy Nuburu’s total transaction expenses were approximately $3.2 million and Tailwind’s total transaction expenses were approximately $2.5 million after taking into account waivers of costs incurred by Legacy Nuburu and Tailwind.
NOTE 4. BALANCE SHEET COMPONENTS
Inventories, Net
Inventories, net as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 consisted of the following:
| · March 31,2024 · December 31,2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw materials and supplies | $2,115,054 | $1,973,634 | |
| Work-in-process | 169,273 | | 158,346 |
| Finished goods | 490,241 | | 457,752 |
| Inventories, gross | 2,774,568 | | 2,589,732 |
| Less: inventory reserve | (1,161,469) | (1,133,457) | |
| Inventories, net | $1,613,099 | | $1,456,275 |
During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded netlower of cost or net realizable value charges of $28,012 and $231,320, respectively.
Property and Equipment, Net
Property and equipment, net as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 consisted of the following:
| · March 31,2024 · December 31,2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Machinery and equipment | $7,225,153 | $7,179,629 | |
| Leasehold improvements | 897,948 | | 897,948 |
| Furniture and office equipment | 205,897 | | 205,897 |
| Computer equipment and software | 197,386 | | 197,386 |
| Property and equipment, gross | 8,526,384 | | 8,480,860 |
| Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization | (3,121,572) | (2,829,884) | |
| Property and equipment, net | $5,404,812 | | $5,650,976 |
Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment was $256,895 and $126,115 during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
Prepaid expenses and other current assets as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 consisted of the following:
| · March 31,2024 · December 31,2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepaid insurance | $— | $61,342 | |
| Other prepaid assets | 58,814 | 94,653 | |
| Other current assets | 146 | | 260 |
| Total prepaid expenses and other current assets | $58,960 | | $156,255 |
Accrued Liabilities
Accrued liabilities as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 consisted of the following:
| · March 31,2024 · December 31,2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Accrued payroll and related benefits | $447,488 | $754,904 | |
| Accrued legal, accounting and professional fees | 1,419,647 | | 838,865 |
| Accrued transaction costs related to the reverse recapitalization | 503,600 | 503,600 | |
| Accrued taxes payable | 116,215 | 89,346 | |
| Accrued interest | 498,908 | 337,913 | |
| Other | 262,989 | | 225,677 |
| Total accrued expenses | $3,248,847 | | $2,750,305 |
NOTE 5. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on a recurring basis in the balance sheets are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair values. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The standard describes a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs, of which the first two are considered observable and the last unobservable, as follows:
Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical assets and liabilities in active markets.
Level 2: Valuations based on observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3: Valuations based on unobservable inputs reflecting our own assumptions, consistent with reasonably available assumptions made by other market participants. These valuations require significant judgment.
The assets’ or liabilities’ fair value measurement level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.
The Company’s financial instruments that are carried at fair value consist of Level 1 and Level 3 assets and liabilities. Level 1 assets include highly liquid bank deposits and money market funds, which were not material as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023. Level 1 liabilities include the Public Warrants and are classified as Level 1 due to the use of an observable market quote in an active market. The Company measured the fair value of the Public Warrants on the date of the Closing of the Business Combination based on the close price of the Public Warrant price. Level 3 liabilities include the Junior Note Warrants (as defined in Note 8) and are classified as Level 3 due to the use of unobservable inputs in the valuation of the liability, as further described in Note 10. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, no warrants were exercised.
The gains and losses from re-measurement of Level 1 and Level 3 financial liabilities are recorded as part of other (expense) income, net in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded gains of $3,311 and $501,324, respectively, related to the change in fair value of the Public Warrants and the Junior Note Warrants for the periods presented. There were no transfers between Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 in any periods presented.
The following tables set forth the fair value of the Company’s financial liabilities by level within the fair value hierarchy as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023:
| | At March 31, 2024 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · Level 1 · Level 2 · Level 3 · Total | ||||||
| Public Warrants(1) | $— | $— | | $— | | $— |
| Junior Note Warrants | — | — | 2,235,208 | 2,235,208 | ||
| | At December 31, 2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| · Level 1 · Level 2 · Level 3 · Total | ||||||
| Public Warrants(1) | $— | $— | | $— | | $— |
| Junior Note Warrants | — | — | 2,238,519 | 2,238,519 | ||
(1) The Public Warrants are a Level 1 fair value measurement, as noted further below and in Note 10 of these consolidated financial statements.
Level 1 Financial Liabilities
The following table sets forth a summary of the changes in fair value of the Company’s Level 1 financial liabilities:
| | | Three Months Ended March 31, | | Three Months Ended March 31, |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 · 2023 | ||||
| Fair value, beginning of period | | $— | | $— |
| Recognition of Public Warrants upon the reverse recapitalization | — | 1,336,863 | ||
| Change in fair value | | — | | (501,324) |
| Fair value, end of period | | $— | | $835,539 |
On December 12, 2023, the New York Stock Exchange American (“NYSE American”) notified the Company, and publicly announced, that the NYSE American had determined to (a) commence proceedings to delist the Company’s Public Warrants, each whole warrant exercisable to purchase one share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, at a price of $11.50 per share, and listed to trade on the NYSE American under the symbol “BURU.WS”, and (b) immediately suspend trading in the Public Warrants due to “abnormally low” trading price levels. As such, the Public Warrants were determined to haveno value as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
Level 3 Financial Liabilities
The following table sets forth a summary of the changes in fair value of the Company's Level 3 financial liabilities:
| Three Months Ended March 31, · Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 · 2023 | ||||
| Fair value, beginning of period | | $2,238,519 | | $— |
| Change in fair value | | (3,311) | | — |
| Fair value, end of period | | $2,235,208 | | $— |
NOTE 6. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Operating Lease
The Company leases office space in Centennial, Colorado under a noncancelable operating lease agreement. The Company leases and occupies approximately 27,900 square feet of office space. The original term of the lease was set to expire in December 2024, however, in November 2023, the Company elected to extend the lease through June 2025. In recognition of the ROU asset and the related lease liability as of March 31, 2024, any further options to extend the lease term have not been included as the Company was not reasonably certain to exercise any such option.
As of March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023, the weighted-average remaining lease term was 1.3 years and 1.8 years, respectively, and the weighted-average discount rate used was 7.0% and 5.5%, respectively.
During thethree months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized the following lease costs arising from the lease transaction:
| · · Three months ended March 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · 2024 · 2023 | ||||
| Operating lease cost | | $102,938 | | $85,036 |
The Company recognized the following cash flow transactions arising from lease transactions:
| · · Three months ended March 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · 2024 · 2023 | ||||
| Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities | | $95,846 | | $93,053 |
| Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities | — | | — | |
On March 31, 2024, the future payments and interest expense for the operating leases are as follows:
| Year Ending December 31, | | Future Payments |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | | $287,537 |
| 2025 | | 240,834 |
| Total undiscounted cash flows | 528,371 | |
| Less: imputed interest | (22,152) | |
| Present value of lease liabilities | | $506,219 |
Legal Proceedings
In the normal course of business, the Company may become involved in legal proceedings. The Company will accrue a liability for legal proceedings when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Significant judgment is required to determine both probability and the estimated amount. When only a range of possible loss can be established, the most probable amount in the range is accrued. If no amount within this range is a better estimate than any other amount within the range, the minimum amount in the range is accrued. At March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company was not involved in any material legal proceedings.
Purchase Commitments
As of March 31, 2024, the Company had approximately$455,000 in outstanding firm purchase commitments to acquire inventory and research and development parts from suppliers for the Company's ongoing operations.
NOTE 7. REVENUE
The Company’s primary revenue-generating activity involves sales of high-powered lasers and related installation services. The Company has sales to customers throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia. All sales are settled in U.S. dollars.
The following table presents revenue disaggregated by geography:
| · · Three months ended March 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| · 2024 · 2023 | |||
| United States | | $15,000 | $240,000 |
| Asia | 1,546 | 115,500 | |
| Europe | | 77,003 | 114,489 |
| Total | | $93,549 | $469,989 |
Revenue from contracts with customers are disaggregated as follows:
| · · Three months ended March 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · 2024 · 2023 | ||||
| Revenue recognized at a point in time | | $78,549 | | $464,989 |
| Revenue recognized over time | | 15,000 | | 5,000 |
| Total | | $93,549 | | $469,989 |
Contract liabilities consist of customer deposits that are applied to invoices as the performance obligation is performed. Accounts receivable and contract liabilities as of the periods presented were as follows:
| | Accounts Receivable | | Contract Liabilities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2023 | | $327,200 | | $178,750 |
| December 31, 2023 | 482,279 | 30,400 | ||
| March 31, 2024 | | 132,622 | | 7,000 |
During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized $23,400 and $5,000 of revenue that was included in the contract liabilities balance at the beginning of the reporting period, respectively.
NOTE 8. NOTES AND CONVERTIBLE NOTES PAYABLE
As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company's outstanding debt consisted of the following. Please refer to the remainder of this footnote for more information on the debt issued during the periods presented.
| · March 31,2024 · December 31,2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Notes Issued November 2023 | $5,500,000 | $5,500,000 | |
| Unamortized debt discount | (1,961,661) | | (2,751,533) |
| Unamortized deferred financing costs | (451,144) | | (600,475) |
| Current portion of notes payable | 3,087,195 | | 2,147,992 |
| Senior Convertible Notes Issued June 2023 | 6,713,241 | 6,713,241 | |
| Convertible notes payable, long-term | 6,713,241 | | 6,713,241 |
| Total debt | $9,800,436 | $8,861,233 | |
Junior Notes Issued November 2023
On November 13, 2023, the Company entered into Note and Warrant Purchase Agreements (the "Junior Note Purchase Agreements") with the lenders identified therein (the "Lenders") providing for (i) zero-interest promissory notes, issued with a 10% original issue discount, in the aggregate principal amount of $5,500,000 (the "Junior Notes"), and (ii) warrants ("Junior Note Warrants," refer to Note 10, Warrants), exercisable for an amount of the Company's common stock equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Junior Notes (limited to an aggregate of 19.9% of the Company's outstanding common stock until such time as the transaction is approved by the Company's stockholders), which will be exercisable for $0.25 per share of the Company's common stock (subject to adjustments noted in the Junior Note Purchase Agreements).
The Junior Notes are junior and secured by the Company's patent portfolio pursuant to a security agreement among the parties (the "Security Agreement"). The Junior Notes will mature on the earlier of: (i) the Company closing a credit facility in principal amount of at least $20 million, (ii) a Sale Event (as defined in the Junior Note Purchase Agreements), or (iii)twelve months after issuance. The Junior Notes contain customary events of default. If the Junior Notes have not been repaid within six or nine months after issuance, the Junior Notes will begin to bear interest at the SOFR rate plus 9% and at the SOFR rate plus 12%, respectively, and an additional 25% warrant coverage will be provided at each such date, with a per share exercise price equal to 120% of the trading price of the Company's common stock at the time of issuance and a redemption right in favor of the Company when the trading price of the common stock is greater than 200% of the applicable exercise price for 20 out of any 30 consecutive trading days. Shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Junior Note Warrants will be limited to an aggregate of 19.9% of the Company's outstanding common stock until such time as the transaction is approved by the Company's stockholders.
Refer to Note 10 for the Company's accounting for the Junior Note Warrants. As a result of that accounting, the Notes contain the original issue discount of $500,000 as well as the discount associated with the Junior Note Warrant liability of$2,668,169. The total discount is amortized over the term of the Junior Notes in accordance with FASB ASC 835 -Interest.
The table below summarizes the issuance of the Junior Notes and Junior Note Warrants to related parties:
| Noteholder | | Principal Amount of Legacy Convertible Notes |
|---|---|---|
| W-G Investments LLC(1) | | $1,000,000 |
| David Seldin(2) | | 1,000,000 |
| Ron Nicol(3) | 1,000,000 | |
| CST Global LLC(4) | 200,000 | |
| Curtis N Maas Revocable Trust(5) | 150,000 | |
| Ake Almgren(6) | 100,000 |
(1)David Seldin was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors and at the time of the issuance was the sole manager of Anzu Nuburu LLC, Anzu Nuburu II LLC, Anzu Nuburu III LLC and Anzu Nuburu V LLC (the "Anzu SPVs"), which at that time owned more than 5% of Legacy Nuburu’s capital stock.
(2) Ron Nicol, manager of Eunomia, LP, is the Executive Chairman of the Company’s board of directors.
(3) David Michael, an affiliate of CST Global LLC, was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors.
Senior Convertible Notes Issued June 2023
On June 12, 2023 and June 16, 2023, the Company entered into Note and Warrant Purchase Agreements (the “Senior Convertible Note Purchase Agreements”) with certain investors (each, an “Investor”) for the sale of (i) convertible promissory notes (“Senior Convertible Notes”) in the aggregate principal amount of $9,225,000, and (ii) warrants (“Senior Note Warrants," refer to Note 10, Warrants) topurchase up to 11,518,895 shares of the Company’s common stock from the June 12, 2023 Purchase Agreement and up to 1,889,535 shares of Common Stock from the June 16, 2023 Purchase Agreement.
The Senior Convertible Notes are senior, secured obligations of the Company, which became secured by the Company's patent portfolio per the Security Agreement as of November 2023, bear interest at the rate of 7.0% per annum, and are payable on the earlier of June 23, 2026 or the occurrence of an Event of Default, as defined in the Senior Convertible Notes. The Senior Convertible Notes are senior to the Junior Notes pursuant to an intercreditor agreement between the parties. The Senior Convertible Notes may be converted at any time following June 23, 2023 and prior to the payment in full of the principal amount of the Senior Convertible Notes at the Investor’s option. In the event of the Sale of the Company (as defined in the Senior Convertible Notes), the outstanding principal amount of each Senior Convertible Note, plus all accrued and unpaid interest not otherwise converted into equity securities pursuant to the terms of the Senior Convertible Notes, shall (i) if the Investor so elects, be converted into equity securities pursuant to the terms of the Senior Convertible Notes at a price equal to $0.688 per share (subject to appropriate adjustment from time to time for any stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification or other similar event), or (ii) be due and payable immediately prior to the closing of such Sale of the Company, together with a premium equal to 150% of the principal amount to be prepaid.
The table below summarizes the sale of the Senior Convertible Notes and Senior Note Warrants to related parties:
| Investor | | Principal Amount of Convertible Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson-Garling 2023 Family Trust(1) | | $5,000,000 |
| David Seldin(2) | | 1,200,000 |
| Eunomia, LP(3) | 1,000,000 | |
| CST Global LLC(4) | 100,000 | |
| Curtis N Maas Revocable Trust(5) | 100,000 |
(1)Thomas J. Wilson, an affiliate of Wilson-Garling 2023 Family Trust, was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors.
(2)David Seldin was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors and at the time of the issuance was the sole manager of Anzu Nuburu LLC, Anzu Nuburu II LLC, Anzu Nuburu III LLC and Anzu Nuburu V LLC (the "Anzu SPVs"), which at that time owned more than 5% of Legacy Nuburu’s capital stock.
(3)Ron Nicol, manager of Eunomia, LP, is the Chairman of the Company’s board of directors.
(4)David Michael, an affiliate of CST Global LLC, was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors.
(5)Curtis Maas, an affiliate of the Curtis N Maas Revocable Trust, was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors.
Legacy Nuburu Convertible Notes
Over the course of multiple closings in March, August and December 2022 and January 2023, Legacy Nuburu issued and sold Company Notes payable to various investors with aggregate gross proceeds of $11,400,000. The Company Notes accrued interest at a rate of 8% per annum. The outstanding principal amount and all accrued and unpaid interest on the Company Notes (the “Conversion Amount”), immediately prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, automatically converted into 2,642,239 shares of Legacy Nuburu common stock that, upon consummation of the Business Combination, entitled the holders of the Company Notes to receive 1,361,787 shares of Common Stock, which was equal to (x) the Conversion Amount divided by (y) $8.50.
The table below summarizes the sale of the Company Notes to related parties.
| Noteholder | | Principal Amount of Legacy Convertible Notes |
|---|---|---|
| W-G Investments LLC(1) | | $1,000,000 |
| David Seldin(2) | | 1,000,000 |
| Ron Nicol(3) | 1,000,000 | |
| CST Global LLC(4) | 200,000 | |
| Curtis N Maas Revocable Trust(5) | 150,000 | |
| Ake Almgren(6) | 100,000 |
(1)Thomas J. Wilson, an affiliate of W-G Investments LLC, was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors.
(2)David Seldin was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors and at the time of the issuance was the sole manager of the Anzu SPVs, which at that time owned more than 5% of Legacy Nuburu’s capital stock.
(3)Ron Nicol is the Chairman of the Company’s board of directors and was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors.
(4)David Michael, an affiliate of CST Global LLC, was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors.
(5)Curtis Maas, an affiliate of the Curtis N Maas Revocable Trust, was a member of the Legacy Nuburu board of directors.
(6)Ake Almgren resigned as a member of the Company's board of directors effective as of May 19, 2023.
NOTE 9. CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK
Legacy Nuburu Preferred Stock Financing
In multiple closings in December 2021 and January 2022, Legacy Nuburu sold an aggregate of 1,166,372 shares of Legacy Nuburu Series C Preferred Stock, at a purchase price of $5.00 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $5.8 million.
Series A Preferred Stock
Ranking
The Company’s Preferred Stock ranks senior to the Company’s Common Stock with respect to rights on the distribution of assets on any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Company.
Dividends
Holders of the Company’s Preferred Stock participate, on an as-converted basis (without regard to any conversion limitations) in all dividends paid to the holders of the Company’s Common Stock.
Conversion Rights
The Preferred Stock is convertible at any time into Common Stock at a conversion rate equal to $10.00 (subject to equitable adjustment in the event of a stock split, stock consolidation, subdivision or certain other events of a similar nature that increase or decrease the number of shares of Preferred Stock outstanding (the “Original Issuance Price”)) divided by the lesser of (i) $11.50 and (ii) the greater of (x)115% of the lowest volume-weighted average price per share of the Company’s Common Stock as displayed under the heading Bloomberg VWAP (the “VWAP”) for any consecutive ninety-trading day period prior to the calculation of such VWAP and (y) $5.00, in each case subject to adjustment as set forth in the Certificate of Designations (the “Conversion Price”).
Any conversion will be settled only in shares of Common Stock; provided, that, upon any conversion that would result in the holders beneficially owning greater than 9.99% of the Company’s voting stock outstanding as of the conversion date or any individual holder beneficially owning Common Stock in excess of the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that could be issued to the holder without triggering a change of control under the applicable stock exchange listing rules, the excess, if any, of the conversion consideration otherwise payable upon such conversion shall be paid in cash, based on an amount per share of Common Stock equal to the last reported price per share of the Common Stock on the trading day immediately preceding the conversion date.
Mandatory Conversion
If the VWAP is greater than 200% of the Conversion Price for any 20 trading days in a 30-day trading day period, the Company may elect to convert all, but not less than all, of the Preferred Stock then outstanding into the Company’s Common Stock at a conversion rate with respect to each share of Preferred Stock equal to the Original Issuance Price as of the date of such conversion divided by the then applicable Conversion Price.
Voting Rights
The holders of Preferred Stock are not entitled to vote at or receive notice of any meeting of stockholders, except the holders of Preferred Stock are entitled to certain consent rights on matters related to (i) the creation or authorization of the creation of any equity or debt securities of the Company that rank senior or equal to certain rights of the Preferred Stock and (ii) the authorization of any adverse change to the powers, preferences, or special rights of the Preferred Stock set forth in the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, and shall have voting rights as required by law.
Redemption
On the second anniversary of the Closing Date, or January 31, 2025 (the “Test Date”), the Company is obligated to redeem the maximum portion of the Preferred Stock permitted by law in cash at an amount equal to the Original Issuance Price as of such date if the Conversion Price exceeds the VWAP. If, on the Test Date, the Conversion Price is equal to or less than the VWAP, the Company must convert all shares of Preferred Stock then outstanding into shares of the Company’s Common Stock at the then applicable Conversion Price. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall not be required to redeem any shares of Preferred Stock to the extent the Company does not have legally available funds to effect such redemption. The mandatory redemption and conversion provisions described herein are further subject to certain limitations detailed in the Certificate of Designations.
Series A Preferred Stock Issuances
The Company is authorized to issue 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock with a par value of $0.0001 per share with such designation, rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Company’s board of directors. As of both March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there were 2,388,905 shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.
Upon the Closing of the Business Combination, all 23,237,703 shares of issued and outstanding convertible preferred stock were cancelled and converted into 23,237,703 shares of Legacy Nuburu common stock based upon the conversion rate as calculated pursuant to Legacy Nuburu's Certificate of Incorporation, multiplied by the Exchange Ratios at the Effective Time.
Additionally, upon the Closing of the Business Combination, the cancellation and conversion of all Legacy Nuburu Company Notes into shares of Legacy Nuburu common stock in accordance with its terms as of immediately prior to the Effective Time resulted in the issuance of 2,642,239 shares which were then outstanding as Legacy Nuburu common stock as of immediately prior to the Effective Time and subsequently converted into 1,361,787 shares of Nuburu Common Stock and 1,361,787 shares of Nuburu Series A preferred stock at the Effective Time.
As of the Closing, each Legacy Nuburu stockholder waived its right to participate in the Preferred Stock Issuance (for clarity, excluding any shares received as a result of the conversion of any Legacy Company Notes prior to the Closing, which were entitled to participate in the Preferred Stock Issuance). Legacy Nuburu stockholders were entitled to receive approximately 99% of the Common Stock issued as merger consideration pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement agreed to waive such right by entering into the Stockholder Support Agreement (for clarity, excluding any shares received as a result of the conversion of any Legacy Company Notes). Those Legacy Nuburu stockholders who did not waive their right to participate resulted in the issuance of 15,478 shares of Nuburu Series A preferred stock at the Effective Time.
Each Tailwind stockholder who did not redeem their shares received a share of Nuburu Series A preferred stock. This resulted in the issuance of 316,188 shares of Nuburu Series A preferred stock to those non-redeeming stockholders.
Tailwind and the Tailwind Sponsor entered into the Sponsor Support and Forfeiture Agreement. In connection with the Business Combination, the 8,355,393 Founder Shares were forfeited other than 1,150,000 shares of Common Stock (of which,150,000 shares were transferred to Nautilus Maser Fund, L.P. and 50,000 shares were transferred to Cohen & Company Capital Markets at Closing) and 650,000 shares of Series A preferred stock.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation (“WSGR”) was engaged by Legacy Nuburu to act as its counsel for the Business Combination. As partial compensation for the services provided by WSGR to Legacy Nuburu in connection with the Business Combination, the Company agreed to issue to WSGR 195,452 shares of Common Stock and 195,452 shares of Preferred Stock pursuant to the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement entered into by and between the Company and WSGR on March 10, 2023. The foregoing issuance was made in a transaction not involving a public offering pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in reliance upon Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act or Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act.
Legacy Nuburu entered into an engagement letter with Anzu Partners on August 30, 2022 pursuant to which Legacy Nuburu, in recognition of past Services, (i) agreed to pay $500,000 to Anzu Partners upon the closing of the Business Combination and (ii) issued a warrant with a strike price of $0.01 per share to Anzu Partners for 500,000 shares of Preferred Stock (the “Anzu Partners Warrant”). This warrant was exercised by Anzu Partners in connection with the Closing and the $500,000 payment was made during 2023.
Conversions
In November 2023, a holder of Series A Preferred Stock converted 650,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock to 1,300,000 shares of Common Stock under the terms described under "Conversion Rights" above.
NOTE 10. WARRANTS
Liability Classified Public Warrants
November 2023 Junior Note Warrants
In connection with the Junior Notes discussed in Note 8 -Notes and Convertible Notes Payable the Company issued the Junior Note Warrants to purchase up to 22,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock. The Junior Note Warrants currently outstanding have an exercise price equal to $0.25 per share (subject to adjustment per the Junior Note Purchase Agreements) and expire on December 6, 2028. The Junior Note Purchase Agreements also provide for additional warrants to be issued if the Junior Notes remain outstanding for certain periods of time: (i) if the Junior Notes have not been repaid six months after issuance, additional warrants will be issued to each Lender in an amount equal to the principal amount of the Note multiplied by 25%, and such quotient divided by a per share cash exercise price equal to 120% of the Volume Weighted Average Price ("VWAP") of the Company's Common Stock during theten trading days immediately prior to issuance and (ii) if the Junior Notes have not been repaid nine months after issuance, additional warrants will be issued to each Lender in an amount equal to the principal amount of the Note multiplied by 25%, and such quotient divided by a per share cash exercise price equal to 120% of the VWAP of the Company's Common Stock during theten trading days immediately prior to issuance.
Based on the terms of the Junior Note Purchase Agreements, the Junior Note Warrants were evaluated under FASB ASC 815-40 -Derivatives and Hedging-Contracts in Entity's Own Equity ("ASC 815-40") and the Company concluded they did not initially meet the criteria to be classified in stockholders' equity (deficit). Specifically, there were contingent exercise provisions and settlement provisions that existed, as described above, where the number of shares available under the Junior Note Warrants may be adjusted. Because the number of outstanding common shares was not a fair value input to a fixed-for-fixed model, the Junior Note Warrants are treated as liabilities and are remeasured at each reporting date. The proceeds of $5,500,000 were allocated first to the Junior Note Warrant liability at fair value and then to the Junior Notes. The Company further determined that the Junior Warrant liability meets the criteria to be accounted for as a bifurcated derivative due to the significant discount it creates on the Junior Notes. The aggregate fair value of the Junior Note Warrants was estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation based approach, a Level 3 valuation. The significant inputs to the calculation of the fair value of the Junior Note Warrant liability were as follows:
| | Upon Issuance | As of December 31, 2023 | As of March 31, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Stock Warrants: | | | |
| Stock price | $0.18 | $0.15 | $0.14 |
| Expected term (in years) | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.7 |
| Expected volatility | 66.3% | 66.3% | 69.8% |
| Risk-free interest rate | 4.1% | 3.8% | 4.2% |
| Expected dividend yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Public Warrants
In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, Nuburu assumed the 16,710,785 Public Warrants outstanding on the date of Closing. As of March 31, 2024, all 16,710,785 Public Warrants remain outstanding. However, on December 12, 2023, the NYSE American notified the Company and publicly announced that the NYSE American had determined to (a) commence proceedings to delist the Company’s Public Warrants, each whole Public Warrant exercisable to purchase one share of Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share, and listed to trade on the NYSE American under the symbol “BURU WS”, and (b) immediately suspend trading in the Public Warrants due to “abnormally low” trading price levels. As such, the Public Warrants were determined to have no value in the financial statements as of March 31, 2024.
Each whole Public Warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, at any time commencing 30 days after the completion of the Business Combination. Pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its Public Warrants only for a whole number of shares of Common Stock. The Public Warrants will expire five years after the completion of the Business Combination, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
Redemptions of Public Warrants when the price of Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00 — Once the Public Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the Public Warrants:
in whole and not in part;
at a price of $0.01 per warrant;
upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption to each warrant holder; and
if, and only if, the closing price of the Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending three trading days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders.
If and when the Public Warrants become redeemable by the Company, it may exercise its redemption right even if the Company is unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws.
Redemption of Public Warrants when the price per share of Common Stock equals or exceeds $10.00 — Once the Public Warrants become exercisable, the Company may redeem the Public Warrants:
in whole and not in part;
at $0.10 per warrant upon a minimum of 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption provided that holders will be able to exercise their warrants on a cashless basis prior to redemption and receive that number of shares based on the redemption date and the fair market value of the Common Stock;
if, and only if, the last reported sale price of the Common Stock equals or exceeds $10.00 per share (as adjusted per stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, reclassifications, recapitalizations and the like) for any 20 trading days within the 30-trading day period ending three trading days before the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders; and
if the closing price of the Common Stock for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the Company sends the notice of redemption to the warrant holders is less than $18.00 per share, the Private Placement Warrants must also be concurrently called for redemption on the same terms as the outstanding Public Warrants, as described above.
Equity Classified Common Stock Warrants
June 2023 Senior Note Warrants
In connection with the issuance of the Senior Convertible Notes discussed in Note 8 -Notes and Convertible Notes Payable, the Company issued the Senior Note Warrants to purchase up to 11,518,895 shares of the Company's Common Stock pursuant to the June 12, 2023 Purchase Agreement and 1,889,535 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the June 16, 2023 Purchase Agreement. The Senior Note Warrants have an exercise price equal to $1.03 per share and expire on June 23, 2028.
As the Senior Note Warrants were part of a bundled transaction, the gross proceeds from the issuance of $9,225,000 were allocated to the Senior Convertible Notes and Senior Note Warrants based on their respective relative fair value upon issuance. The aggregate fair value of the Senior Note Warrants of $3,401,366 was estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:
| | Upon Issuance |
|---|---|
| Common Stock Warrants: | |
| Expected term (in years) | 5.0 |
| Expected volatility | 47.9% |
| Risk-free interest rate | 4.0% |
| Expected dividend yield | 0.0% |
The allocated proceeds from the Senior Note Warrants of $2,511,759 were recorded in additional paid-in capital in the condensed consolidated balance sheets upon issuance of the Senior Note Warrants.
NOTE 11. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
As of March 31, 2024, the Company had an active stock-based incentive compensation plan and an employee stock purchase plan: the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”) and the 2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). All new equity compensation grants are issued under these two plans; however, outstanding awards previously issued under inactive plans will continue to vest and remain exercisable in accordance with the terms of the respective plans.
The 2022 Plan provides for the grant of stock and stock-based awards including stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance awards, and stock appreciation rights. As of March 31, 2024, there are approximately 1.5 million shares available for grant under the 2022 Plan and 0.4 million shares available for grant under the ESPP.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
Total stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss is classified as follows:
| · · Three months ended March 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| · 2024 · 2023 | |||
| Cost of revenue | | $125,632 | $128,743 |
| Research and development | 139,050 | 136,765 | |
| Selling and marketing | 80,925 | 11,687 | |
| General and administrative | | 268,508 | 186,783 |
| Total stock-based compensation expense | | $614,115 | $463,978 |
The Company’s stock-based compensation expense is based on the value of the portion of stock-based payment awards that are ultimately expected to vest. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, stock-based compensation relating to stock-based awards granted to consultants was $69,800 and $117,089, respectively.
Restricted Stock Units
The Company grants Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") to its employees for their services with a liquidity event requirement. The RSUs granted to employees vest over a period of time from the grant date and are subject to the participants continuing service to the Company over the period.
| · · RSUs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| · Number of Shares · Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value | |||
| Unvested at December 31, 2023 | 888,373 | | $5.22 |
| RSUs granted | — | $— | |
| RSUs vested | (17,235) | $4.86 | |
| RSUs forfeited | — | $— | |
| Unvested at March 31, 2024 | 871,138 | $5.22 | |
The total grant date fair value of RSUs vested was $240,090 and $849,870 during thethree months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
As of March 31, 2024, total unrecognized stock-based compensation costs related to RSUs were $2,302,353, which are expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted average period of 1.1 years. As of March 31, 2024, all of the outstanding RSUs are expected to vest.
Stock Options
The Company's outstanding stock options generally expire 10 years from the date of grant and are exercisable when the options vest, generally over four years, the majority of which vest at a rate of 25% on the first anniversary of the grant date, with the remainder vesting ratably each month over the next three years. A summary of stock option activity is as follows:
| · Number of Stock Options Outstanding · Weighted-Average Exercise Price · Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years) · Aggregate Intrinsic Value | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Options outstanding at December 31, 2023 | | 7,547,750 | | $1.86 | | 7.9 | | $— |
| Options granted | 165,835 | $0.17 | ||||||
| Options exercised | — | $— | ||||||
| Options cancelled or forfeited | (866,794) | $4.39 | ||||||
| Options outstanding at March 31, 2024 | 6,846,791 | $1.50 | 8.6 | $— | ||||
| Options exercisable at March 31, 2024 | 2,777,478 | $2.17 | 7.8 | $— | ||||
| Options vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2024 | 6,846,791 | | $1.50 | 8.6 | | $— | ||
The weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted to employees and consultants was $0.17 andnil per share for thethree months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Aggregate intrinsic value represents the difference between the estimated fair value of the underlying Common Stock and the exercise price of outstanding, in-the-money options. The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised wasnil for thethree months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023.
As of March 31, 2024, total unrecognized stock-based compensation cost related to stock options was $1,600,504, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.2 years.
Determining the appropriate fair value of stock based awards requires the input of subjective assumptions including the fair value of the Company’s Common Stock, the expected life of the option, and expected stock price volatility. The Company used the Black Scholes option pricing model to value its stock option awards.
The Company estimates the fair value of the options utilizing the Black-Scholes option pricing model, which is dependent upon several variables, including expected option term, expected volatility of the Company’s share price over the expected term, expected risk-free interest rate over the expected option term, and expected dividend yield rate over the expected option term, and actual forfeiture rates. A summary of the weighted-average assumptions the Company utilized for option grants during thethree months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, are as follows:
| · · Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · 2024 · 2023 | ||||
| Expected term (in years) | | 4.0 | | 5.0 |
| Expected volatility | 47.8% | 36.0% | ||
| Risk-free interest rate | 4.0% | 2.2% | ||
| Expected dividend yield | 0.0% | | 0.0% | |
NOTE 12. INCOME TAX
Due to its current operating losses, the Company recorded zero income tax expense during thethree months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. During these periods, the Company’s activities were limited to U.S. federal and state tax jurisdictions, as it does not have any significant foreign operations.
Due to the Company’s history of cumulative losses and after considering all the available objective evidence, management concluded that it is not more likely than not that all of the Company’s net deferred tax assets will be realized in the future. Accordingly, the Company’s deferred tax assets, which include net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards and tax credits related primarily to research and development, continue to be subject to a valuation allowance as of March 31, 2024. The Company expects to continue to maintain a full valuation allowance until there is sufficient evidence to support recoverability of its deferred tax assets.
Utilization of the NOL carryforwards and credits may be subject to a substantial annual limitation due to the ownership change limitations provided by Section 382 and Section 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and similar state provisions. Generally, in addition to certain entity reorganizations, the limitation applies when one or more "5-percent stockholders" increase their ownership, in the aggregate, by more than 50 percentage points over a 36-month time period testing period, or beginning the day after the most recent ownership change, if shorter. The Company has determined that a Section 382 change in ownership occurred during 2023. As a result of this change in ownership, we expect that certain of the Company's NOLs may not be utilized in the future to offset future taxable income or tax liabilities. The amount of the annual limitation is determined based on the value of the Company immediately prior to the ownership change. However, due to the full valuation allowance recorded as of March 31, 2024, the limitation does not affect the Company's results of operations for the periods presented.
NOTE 13. NET LOSS PER SHARE
Diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) includes the dilutive effect of Common Stock equivalents and is computed using the weighted-average number of Common Stock and Common Stock equivalents outstanding during the reporting period. Diluted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 excluded Common Stock equivalents because the effect of their inclusion would be anti-dilutive or would decrease the reported loss per share. The following table sets forth securities outstanding that could potentially dilute the calculation of diluted earnings per share:
| · · For the Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · 2024 · 2023 | ||||
| Stock options outstanding | | 6,846,791 | | 3,099,770 |
| Warrants to purchase Common Stock - liability classified | 38,710,785 | 16,710,785 | ||
| Warrants to purchase Common Stock - equity classified | 13,408,430 | — | ||
| Unvested restricted stock units | 871,138 | 403,611 | ||
| If-converted Common Stock from Series A Preferred Stock(1) | 6,077,810 | 6,077,810 | ||
| If-converted Common Stock from convertible notes | 13,426,430 | — | ||
| Total | 79,341,384 | | 26,291,976 | |
(1)Assumes that all shares of Series A Preferred Stock are converted into Common Stock at a conversion rate equal to $10.00 divided by $5.00, representing the maximum number of shares issuable to holders of Series A Preferred Stock.
NOTE 14. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Special Shareholder Meeting
On February 22, 2024, the Company held a Special Meeting of Stockholders where stockholders of record as of January 22, 2024 approved proposals to authorize the Company to: (i)effect a reverse stock split of the Company's issued and outstanding Common Stock within a range from 1-for 30 to 1-for-75, with the exact ratio of the reverse stock split to be determined by the Company's board of directors, and (ii) issue up to $50.0 million of securities in one or more non-public offerings, where the maximum discount at which securities may be offered may be equivalent to a discount of up to 30% below the market price of the Company's Common Stock. As of the date of this report, the Company has not effected the reverse stock split.
Securities Purchase Agreement
On April 3, 2024, the Company entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “SPA”) with certain accredited investors pursuant to which such investors agreed to purchase from the Company $3,000,000 of newly issued shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock, at a per Share purchase price of $0.125 per Share, or 24,000,000 shares.
Pursuant to the SPA, the Company issued to such investors warrants exercisable for an amount of Common Stock equal to 100% of the Shares, which will be exercisable for $0.1625 per share of Common Stock and have a 5-year term. The investors also have the right to nominatetwo directors for election to the Company’s board of directors.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.