Serve Robotics Inc DE
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
Notes to the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
1. NATURE OF OPERATIONS
Serve Operating Co. (“Serve”) (formerly known as Serve Robotics Inc.) is a corporation formed on January 15, 2021 under the laws of the State of Delaware.
On July 31, 2023, Patricia’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Serve Acquisition Corp., a corporation formed in the State of Delaware on July 10, 2023 (“Acquisition Sub”), merged with and into the Company (as defined below). Pursuant to this transaction (the “Merger”), Serve was the surviving corporation and became Patricia’s wholly owned subsidiary, and all of the outstanding stock of Serve was converted into shares of Patricia’s common stock. All of Serve’s outstanding warrants and options were assumed by Patricia. In addition, on July 31, 2023, the board of directors of Patricia Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation incorporated on November 9, 2020 (“Patricia”) and all of its pre-Merger stockholders approved a restated certificate of incorporation, which was effective upon its filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on July 31, 2023, and through which Patricia changed its name to “Serve Robotics Inc.” Following the consummation of the Merger, Serve changed its name to “Serve Operating Co.”
As a result of the Merger, Patricia acquired the business of Serve and will continue the existing business operations of Serve as a public reporting company under the name Serve Robotics Inc. (the “Company”). The Company is developing autonomous robots for last-mile delivery services. The Company is headquartered in Redwood City, California. In accordance with “reverse merger” or “reverse acquisition” accounting treatment, the Company was determined the accounting acquirer. Patricia’s historical financial statements before the Merger have been replaced with the historical financial statements of Serve before the Merger in filings with the SEC since the Merger unless otherwise noted.
Public Offering
On April 17, 2024, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Aegis Capital Corp. (“Aegis”) in connection with the public offering of 10,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001, at a public offering price of $4.00 per share (the “Offering”). The Company’s net proceeds from the Offering, after deducting the underwriting discount and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, were approximately $35.7 million. As a result of the Offering, the Company’s Common Stock was approved for listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market and commenced trading under the ticker symbol “SERV” beginning on April 18, 2024. See Note 11.
2. GOING CONCERN
The Company has evaluated whether there are certain conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the consolidated financial statements are issued.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company has sustained net losses of $9,037,971 and $5,138,122 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively and has negative cash flow from operations for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. The Company requires additional capital to operate and expects losses to continue for the foreseeable future. These factors raise substantial doubts about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern until it reaches profitability is dependent upon its ability to generate cash from operating activities and to raise additional capital to fund operations. Management plans to raise additional capital to fund operations through debt and/or equity financings. Through the issuance date of the consolidated financial statements, the Company has raised $35.7 million in equity pursuant to our April 2024 Offering (see Note 11). Our failure to raise additional capital could have a negative impact on not only our financial condition but also our ability to execute our business plan. No assurance can be given that the Company will be successful in these efforts. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty. The Company may not be able to obtain financing on acceptable terms, or at all.
3. REVERSE MERGER ACCOUNTING
On July 31, 2023, Acquisition Sub, merged with and into the Company. Pursuant to the Merger, the Company was the surviving corporation and became Patricia’s wholly owned subsidiary, and all of the outstanding stock of Serve was converted into shares of Patricia’s common stock. All of Serve’s outstanding warrants and options were assumed by Patricia. Following the consummation of the Merger, Serve changed its name to “Serve Operating Co.”
The Merger was accounted for as a reverse-merger, and recapitalization in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). Serve Robotics Inc. was the acquirer for financial reporting purposes and Patricia was the acquired company. Consequently, the assets and liabilities and the operations that are reflected in the historical financial statements prior to the merger are those of Serve Robotics Inc. and have been recorded at the historical cost basis of Serve Robotics Inc., and the financial statements after completion of the merger include the assets and liabilities of Patricia and Serve Robotics Inc., historical operations of Serve Robotics Inc. and operations of Patricia from the closing date of the merger. Common stock and the corresponding capital amounts of Patricia pre-merger were retroactively restated as capital stock shares reflecting the exchange ratio in the merger. In conjunction with the merger, the Company received no cash and assumed no liabilities from Patricia Acquisition Corp.
As a result of the Merger, each of Serve’s shares of capital stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the closing of the Merger was converted into the right to receive 0.8035 shares of Patricia’s common stock (the “Common Share Conversion Ratio”). Accordingly, all share and per share amounts for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been adjusted retroactively, where applicable, to reflect the Common Share Conversion Ratio. There was no effect on the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock authorized for issuance under the Company’s certificate of incorporation or the par value of such securities.
4. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Company’s fiscal year end is December 31.
Principles of Consolidation
These consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Serve Operating Co. and Serve Robotics Canada Inc. All inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated on consolidation.
Unaudited Interim Financial Information
The unaudited interim financial statements and related notes have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial information, within the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Certain information and disclosures normally included in the annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The unaudited interim financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent with the audited financial statements and in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented and of the financial condition as of the date of the interim balance sheet. The financial data and the other information disclosed in these notes to the interim financial statements related to the three-month periods are unaudited. Unaudited interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full fiscal year. The accompanying unaudited interim condensed financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited financial statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2023 included in the Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 29, 2024.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in these financial statements include, but are not limited to, the valuations of common stock and options. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience, known trends and other market-specific or other relevant factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates when there are changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Changes in estimates are recorded in the period in which they become known. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Concentrations of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents. The Company generally maintains balances in various operating accounts at financial institutions that management believes to be of high credit quality, in amounts that may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses related to its cash and cash equivalents and does not believe that it is subject to unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, all of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were held at one accredited financial institution.
Concentrations
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, one customer accounted for 90% of the Company’s revenue and accounted for 83% of the Company’s accounts receivable. In the same period in 2023, a different customer accounted for 50% of the Company’s revenue.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.
Fair Value Measurements
Certain assets and liabilities of the Company are carried at fair value under GAAP. 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. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:
| ● | Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. |
| ● | Level 2—Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices), such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. |
| ● | Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques. |
The carrying values of the Company’s accounts receivable, prepaid expenses and accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate their fair values due to the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities.
See Note 5 for fair value disclosures.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable are derived from services delivered to customers and are stated at their net realizable value. The Company accounts for allowance for doubtful accounts under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 310-10-35. Each month, the Company reviews its receivables on a customer-by-customer basis and evaluates whether an allowance for doubtful accounts is necessary based on any known or perceived collection issues. Any balances that are eventually deemed uncollectible are written off against the allowance after all means of collection have been exhausted and the potential for recovery is considered remote. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company determined there was no allowance for doubtful accounts necessary.
Inventory
Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or market value and accounted for using the specific identification cost method. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, inventory primarily consists of robotic component parts purchased from the Company’s suppliers. Management reviews its inventory for obsolescence and impairment periodically and did not record a reserve for obsolete inventory for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation expense is recognized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the asset, which is three (3) to five (5) years for office equipment and two (2) years for the Company’s robot assets. Estimated useful lives are periodically assessed to determine if changes are appropriate. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost of these assets and related accumulated depreciation or amortization are eliminated from the balance sheets and any resulting gains or losses are included in the statement of operations in the period of disposal.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
The Company continually monitors events and changes in circumstances that could indicate carrying amounts of long-lived assets may not be recoverable. When such events or changes in circumstances are present, the Company assesses the recoverability of long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value of such assets will be recovered through undiscounted expected future cash flows. If the total of the future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of those assets, the Company recognizes an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or the fair value less costs to sell.
Deferred Offering Costs
The Company complies with the requirements of ASC 340-10-S99-1 with regards to offering costs. Prior to the completion of an offering, offering costs are capitalized. The deferred offering costs are charged to additional paid-in capital or as a discount to debt, as applicable, upon the completion of an offering or to expense if the offering is not completed. As of March 31, 2024, the Company capitalized $973,491 in deferred offering costs pertaining to the Offering.
Convertible Instruments
GAAP requires companies to bifurcate conversion options from their host instruments and account for them as free-standing derivative financial instruments according to certain criteria. The criteria include circumstances in which (a) the economic characteristics and risks of the embedded derivative instrument are not clearly and closely related to the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract, (b) the hybrid instrument that embodies both the embedded derivative instrument and the host contract is not re-measured at fair value under otherwise applicable generally accepted accounting principles with changes in fair value reported in earnings as they occur and (c) a separate instrument with the same terms as the embedded derivative instrument would be considered a derivative instrument. An exception to this rule is when the host instrument is deemed to be conventional as that term is described under applicable GAAP.
Revenue Recognition
The Company accounts for revenue in accordance with ASC 606 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). The Company determines revenue recognition through the following steps:
| ● | Identification of a contract with a customer; |
| ● | Identification of the performance obligations in the contract; |
| ● | Determination of the transaction price; |
| ● | Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and |
| ● | Recognition of revenue when or as the performance obligations are satisfied. |
Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. As a practical expedient, the Company does not adjust the transaction price for the effects of a significant financing component if, at contract inception, the period between customer payment and the transfer of goods or services is expected to be one year or less.
The Company recognizes revenue on its software services over time. The Company utilizes labor hours as a measure of progress to estimate the percentage of completion of the performance obligation at each reporting period. Service fees that have been invoiced or paid but performance obligations have not been met are recorded as deferred revenue. As of March 31, 2024, the Company had $68,899 in deferred revenue pertaining to software services, which will be recognized in the second quarter of 2024.
For delivery services, the Company satisfies its performance obligation when the delivery is complete, which is the point in time control of the delivered product transfers to the customer. The Company recognizes branding fees over time as performance obligations are completed over the term of the agreement.
Disaggregation of Revenue
The disaggregation of revenue is as follows:
| Three Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, | |||
| 2024 · 2023 | |||
| Software Services | $851,101 | $ | - |
| Delivery services | 51,760 | 25,252 | |
| Branding fees | 43,850 | 15,000 | |
| $946,711 | $40,252 | ||
Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue consists primarily of allocations of depreciation on robot assets used for revenue producing activities, personnel time related to revenue activities, and costs related to data, software and similar costs that allow the robots to function as intended and for the Company to communicate with the robots while in service.
Sales and Marketing
Sales and marketing expenses include personnel costs and public relations expenses. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and included in sales and marketing expenses. Advertising expenses were approximately $16,000 and $184,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Operations
Operations expenses primarily consist of costs for field operations personnel.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily consist of personnel-related expenses for executive management and administrative functions, including finance and accounting, legal, and human resources, as well as general corporate expenses and general insurance. General and administrative expenses also include depreciation on property and equipment as well as amortization of right of use assets. These costs are expensed as incurred.
Research and Development Costs
Costs incurred in the research and development of the Company’s products are expensed as incurred. Research and development costs include product design, hardware and software costs.
Leases
In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2016 02, Leases (ASC 842). This ASU requires a lessee to recognize a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and a lease liability under most operating leases in its balance sheet. The Company adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2022 using the modified retrospective approach. The Company elected the package of practical expedients available for existing contracts, which allowed the Company to carry forward its historical assessments of lease identification, lease classification, and initial direct costs. and did not require retrospective medication. The Company also elected a policy to not apply the recognition requirements of ASC 842 for short-term leases with a term of 12 months or less.
The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease, or includes an embedded lease, at inception for each contract or agreement. A contract is or contains an embedded lease if the contract meets all of the below criteria:
(i) there is an identified asset;
(ii) the Company obtains substantially all of the economic benefits of the asset; and
(iii) the Company has the right to direct the use of the asset.
The Company’s operating lease agreements include office and warehouse space. ROU assets represent the right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the obligation to make payments arising from the lease or embedded lease. Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term. As most leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses an incremental borrowing rate that is based on the estimated rate of interest for a collateralized borrowing of a similar asset, using a similar term as the lease payments at the commencement date. Indirect capital costs are capitalized and included in the ROU assets at commencement.
The operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities include any lease payments made, including any variable amounts that are based on an index or rate, and exclude lease incentives. Variability that is not due to an index or rate, such as payments made based on hourly rates, are excluded from the lease liability. Lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease.
Renewal option periods are included within the lease term and the associated payments are recognized in the measurement of the operating ROU asset and operating lease liability when they are at our discretion and considered reasonably certain of being exercised. Over the lease term, the Company uses the effective interest rate method to account for the lease liability as lease payments are made and the ROU asset is amortized in a manner that results in straight-line expense recognition (See Note 11).
Net Loss per Share
Net earnings or loss per share is computed by dividing net income or loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, excluding shares subject to redemption or forfeiture. The Company presents basic and diluted net earnings or loss per share. Diluted net earnings or loss per share reflect the actual weighted average of common shares issued and outstanding during the period, adjusted for potentially dilutive securities outstanding. Potentially dilutive securities are excluded from the computation of the diluted net loss per share if their inclusion would be anti-dilutive. As all potentially dilutive securities are anti-dilutive as of March 31, 2024 and 2023, diluted net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share for each period. Potentially dilutive items outstanding as of March 31, 2024 and 2023 is as follows:
| March 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 · 2023 | |||
| Convertible notes payable | 2,104,562 | * | - |
| Series Seed preferred stock (convertible to common stock) | - | 3,091,672 | |
| Series Seed-1 preferred stock (convertible to common stock) | - | 2,440,411 | |
| Series Seed-2 preferred stock (convertible to common stock) | - | 2,088,696 | |
| Series Seed-3 preferred stock (convertible to common stock) | - | 357,836 | |
| Common stock warrants | 3,110,272 | 54,203 | |
| Preferred stock warrants | - | 128,820 | |
| Stock options | 1,501,341 | 1,080,532 | |
| Unvested restricted common stock | 324,019 | 332,481 | |
| Total potentially dilutive shares | 7,040,194 | 9,574,651 | |
| * | Represents the number of common shares that the convertible notes, including principal and accrued interest, converted into upon the closing of the Offering in April 2024. |
|---|
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
Management does not believe that any other recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards could have a material effect on the accompanying consolidated financial statements. As new accounting pronouncements are issued, the Company will adopt those that are applicable under the circumstances.
5. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The Company’s financial assets and liabilities subject to fair value measurements on a recurring basis and the level of inputs used for such measurements were as follows:
| Fair Value Measurements as of March 31, 2024 Using: | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 · Level 2 · Level 3 · Total | ||||||
| Liabilities | $ | - | $ | - | $1,489,000 | $1,489,000 |
| Derivative liability | $ | - | $ | - | $1,489,000 | $1,489,000 |
There were no Level 1, 2or 3 assets or liabilities as of December 31, 2023.** **
Derivative Liability
In connection with the Company’s convertible notes, the Company recorded a derivative liability (see Note 7). The estimated fair value of the derivative liability is recorded using significant unobservable measures and other fair value inputs and is therefore classified as a Level 3 financial instrument.
The fair value of the derivative liability is valued using a probability-weighted scenario analysis utilizing the terms of the notes under the with-or-without method. The Company determined a 100% probability of conversion into equity as the notes were converted into shares of common stock upon the Offering in April 2024 (see Note 11).
The following table presents changes in Level 3 liabilities measured at fair value for the three months ended March 31, 2024:
| Embedded | |
|---|---|
| Derivative | |
| Liability | |
| Outstanding as of December 31, 2023 · $ · - | |
| Issuance of embedded derivative liability | 1,489,000 |
| Change in fair value | - |
| Outstanding as of March 31, 2024 | $1,489,000 |
6. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET
The following is a summary of property and equipment, net:
| March 31, | December 31, | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Office equipment | $254,001 | $250,661 |
| Robot assets | 2,092,293 | 2,092,293 |
| Total | 2,346,294 | 2,342,954 |
| Less: accumulated depreciation | (2,312,455) | (2,294,532) |
| Property and equipment, net | $33,839 | $48,422 |
Depreciation expense was $17,923 and $465,640 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
7. NOTE PAYABLE
Silicon Valley Bank
As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, note payable, net of unamortized discount of $14,984 and $19,067, was $985,016 and $1,230,933, all respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company made repayments of $250,000 and $250,000, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, amortization of debt discount was $1,212,836 and $4,000, respectively.
Note Payable – Related Party
In December 2023, the Company issued a senior secured promissory note to its Chief Executive Officer for which Serve received $70,000 in proceeds. The note bore interest at 7.67% per annum. The note was fully repaid on January 3, 2024.
Convertible Note Payable
At various dates in January 2024, the Company issued to certain accredited investors convertible promissory notes of $5,014,500, for which the Company received $4,844,625 in net proceeds (the “January Notes”). As a result, the Company incurred fees of $169,875 which was recorded as a debt discount. The January Notes bear interest at a rate of 6.00% per year, compounded annually, and are due and payable upon request by each investor on or after the 12-month anniversary of the original issuance date of each note. The Company may not prepay or repay the January Notes in cash without the consent of the investors. The January Notes convert upon a qualified offering into common stock at the lesser of the price paid per share multiplied by 75% or the quotient resulting from dividing $80,000,000 by the outstanding shares of common stock on a fully diluted basis prior to the financing (the “Conversion Price”). If the Company consummates a financing that does not constitute a qualified financing, the holders can elect to treat such as a qualified financing and convert at the same terms as if such was a qualified financing. The holders may also elect to convert, at any time, at a quotient by dividing $80,000,000 by the outstanding shares of common stock on a fully diluted basis.
The Company evaluated the terms of the conversion features of the January Notes as noted above in accordance with ASC Topic No. 815 - 40,Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Stock, and determined they are not indexed to the Company’s common stock and that the conversion feature, which is akin to a redemption feature, meets the definition of a liability. The January Notes contain an indeterminate number of shares to settle with conversion options outside of the Company’s control. Therefore, the Company bifurcated the conversion feature and accounted for it as a separate derivative liability. Upon issuance of the January Notes, the Company recognized a derivative liability at a fair value of $1,489,000, which is recorded as a debt discount and was amortized over the life of the January Notes. There was no change in fair value to the derivative liability as of March 31, 2024.
As a result of the January Notes, the Company recognized an aggregate debt discount of $1,658,875. Through March 31, 2024, $1,193,770 of the debt discount was amortized to interest expense. At March 31, 2024, the outstanding balance of the January Notes, less unamortized discount of $465,105, was $4,549,395.
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company incurred $62,681 in interest expense pertaining to the January Notes, all of which were unpaid as of March 31, 2024.
Upon the closing of the Offering in April 2024, the outstanding principal and accrued interest of the January Notes converted into 2,104,562 shares of common stock. Accordingly, the related derivative liability was recorded into additional paid-in capital. See Note 11.
In connection with the issuance of the January Notes, the Company granted the placement agent warrants to purchase (the “Convertible Promissory Notes Offering Warrants”) to purchase common stock equal to 10% of the number of shares of common stock into which the January Notes sold to investors introduced by the placement agent are initially convertible. The Convertible Promissory Notes Offering Warrants will be exercisable at the same price as the Conversion Price. As the issuance of the Convertible Promissory Notes Offering Warrants were contingent on the closing of the Offering and terms were not known until the contingency was resolved, they were not considered granted until April 17, 2024 (see Note 11) and no value was recognized in the consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2024.
8. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Each share of common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s stockholders. Common stockholders are not entitled to receive dividends, unless declared by the Company’s board of directors.
Upon closing of the Merger, there were 10,000,000 and 300,000,000 shares of preferred and common stock, respectively, par value $0.0001 per share, authorized for issuance.
In February 2024,125,000 common stock warrants were exercised for proceeds of $5,832.
Restricted Stock
During 2022, the Company issued 338,121 shares of restricted common stock for recourse notes totaling $164,116. The shares were issued with a corresponding note receivable, a recourse loan that was collateralized by the underlying shares. The Company plans to enforce the recourse terms for the holders. As such, in accordance with ASC 505-10-45-2, the Company recognized a subscription receivable of $165,719, inclusive of interest on the note, which is included as a contra-equity on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company recorded a corresponding restricted stock award liability of $162,747 for the potential settlement if the call right for the shares of restricted common stock is exercised and unvested shares repurchased. The Company reduced the liability and increased additional paid-in capital for the value of the note associated with vested shares no longer subject to the call right. As of March 31, 2024, the subscription receivable balance was $165,629 and the corresponding restricted stock award liability was $154,630.
During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded stock-based compensation pertaining to vesting of restricted common stock of $41,303 and $71,362, respectively.
During the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company repurchased restricted stock awards of 0 and 238,625 shares of common stock, respectively, for nominal value.
Warrants
The following is a summary of warrants for the three months ended March 31, 2024:
| Warrants | Weighted Average Exercise Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding as of December 31, 2023 | 1,090,272 | $2.67 |
| Granted | 2,145,000 | 0.01 |
| Exercised | (125,000) | 0.00 |
| Forfeited | - | - |
| Outstanding as of March 31, 2024 | 3,110,272 | $0.94 |
| Exercisable as of March 31, 2024 | 965,272 | $3.02 |
The weighted-average remaining term of the warrants outstanding was 7.74 years as of March 31, 2024.
In February 2024,125,000 placement agent warrants were exercised for shares of common stock for proceeds of $5,832.
Magna Warrant
On February 1, 2024, Serve entered into a Master Services Agreement (the “MSA”) with Magna New Mobility USA, Inc. (“Magna”), retroactively effective as of January 15, 2024 (the “Effective Date”).
In connection with the strategic partnership with Magna, on February 7, 2024, the Company issued to Magna a warrant (the “Magna Warrant”) to purchase up to 2,145,000 shares of its common stock (the “Magna Warrant Shares”), subject to at an exercise price of $0.01 per share. The warrants were issued pursuant to a production agreement executed in connection with the MSA between the parties in April 2024 whereby Magna will assist the Company in assembly of robotic delivery vehicles.
The Magna Warrant will be exercisable in two equal tranches: (i) the first tranche will become exercisable no later than May 15, 2024, subject to certain conditions; and (ii) the second tranche will become exercisable upon Magna’s achievement of a certain manufacturing milestone as set forth in a production and purchase agreement to be entered into with respect to the contract manufacturing of our autonomous delivery robots by Magna or its affiliates. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Magna Warrant Shares will vest and become exercisable upon any “change of control” (as defined in the Magna Warrant).
The fair value of the Magna Warrant was $8,566,184, which was valued using the Black-Scholes pricing model using the range of inputs as indicated below:
| Risk-free interest rate | 4.09% |
|---|---|
| Expected term (in years) | 10.0 |
| Expected volatility | 75.0% |
| Expected dividend yield | 0% |
The Company recognized $4,182,543 in stock-based compensation expense pertaining to these warrants during the three months ended March 31, 2024 based on the vesting conditions noted above and the Company’s estimations of when the services will be completed. The Company recorded the expense to research and development expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
9. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
2023 Equity Incentive Plan
The 2023 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2023 Plan”) permits the grant of incentive stock options, nonstatutory stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and stock bonus awards (all such types of awards, collectively, “stock awards”).
Subject to adjustments as set forth in the 2023 Plan, the maximum aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2023 Plan will not exceed 1,594,800 shares.
Serve Robotics 2021 Equity Incentive Plan
The Company has adopted the Serve Robotics 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”), as amended and restated, which provides for the grant of shares of stock options and stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) and restricted common shares to employees, non-employee directors, and non-employee consultants. The number of shares authorized by the 2021 Plan was 4,870,663 shares as of March 31, 2024. As of March 31, 2024, there were 52,627 shares available for grant under the 2021 Plan. Stock options granted under the 2021 Plan typically vest over a four-year period, with a one-year cliff as well as via specified milestones.
A summary of information related to stock options for the three months ended March 31, 2024 is as follows:
| Options | Weighted Average Exercise Price | Intrinsic Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding as of December 31, 2023 | 1,515,386 | $0.61 | $5,111,928 |
| Granted | - | - | |
| Exercised | - | - | |
| Forfeited | (14,045) | 0.50 | |
| Outstanding as of March 31, 2024 | 1,501,341 | $0.61 | $5,062,741 |
| Exercisable as of March 31, 2024 | 853,478 | $0.61 | $2,865,304 |
| Exercisable and expected to vest at March 31, 2024 | 1,501,341 | $0.61 | $5,062,741 |
As of March 31, 2024, the weighted average duration to expiration of outstanding options was 8.24 years.
Stock-based compensation expense for stock options of $29,266 and $22,581 was recognized under ASC 718 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested stock option awards amounted to approximately $335,000 as of March 31, 2024, which will be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.25 years.
Classification
Stock-based compensation expense for stock options, restricted common stock (Note 8) and the Magna Warrant (Note 8) was classified in the statements of operations as follows:
| Three Months Ended | ||
|---|---|---|
| March 31, | ||
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| General and administrative | $6,596 | $9,980 |
| Operations | 6,511 | 8,428 |
| Research and development | 4,239,748 | 72,271 |
| Sales and marketing | 2,577 | 3,264 |
| $4,255,432 | $93,943 | |
10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Leases – Right of Use Asset and Liability
The Company’s operating lease agreements include office and warehouse space. ROU assets represent the right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the obligation to make payments arising from the lease or embedded lease. Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term. As most leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses an incremental borrowing rate that is based on the estimated rate of interest for a collateralized borrowing of a similar asset, using a similar term as the lease payments at the commencement date. Indirect capital costs are capitalized and included in the ROU assets at commencement.
The components of lease costs are as follows:
| Three Months Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, | |||
| Type | Financial Statement Line Item | 2024 | 2023 |
| Operating lease | General and administrative | $8,863 | $209,386 |
| Operating lease | Operations | 59,645 | - |
| Operating lease | Research and development | 32,231 | - |
| Total lease costs | $100,739 | $209,386 | |
Supplemental cash flow information related to leases are as follows:
| Three Months Ended | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, | ||||
| 2024 · 2023 | ||||
| Operating cash flows paid for operating leases | $139,077 | $136,266 | ||
| Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations | $ | - | $ | - |
Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases are as follows:
| March 31, | December 31, | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |
| Weighted-average remaining lease term (in years) | 1.05 | 1.30 |
| Weighted-average discount rate | 7.25% | 7.25% |
Finance Lease – Failed Sales-Leaseback
In November 2022, the Company entered into a lease agreement with Farnam Capital for its robot assets. As per ASC 842-40-25-1, the transaction was considered a failed sales-leaseback and therefore the lease was accounted for as a financing agreement. The outstanding liability at March 31, 2024 was $2,335,796. The Company has the option to purchase the assets at the end of the lease for 45% of the original equipment cost.
Commitments
On December 31, 2021, the Company entered into a strategic supply agreement with a manufacturer of component parts used for the Company’s robot assets. The agreement originally called for the Company to make a minimum of $2.30 million in purchases over a two-year period ending December 2023. At the end of the two-year period, the manufacturer was permitted to invoice the Company for any shortfall in orders. This agreement was extended in January 2024, pursuant to which half of the required $2.30 million is to be purchased in 2024 and the other half by December 31, 2025. The Company has minimum spend agreements related to simulation software and storage services. The purchase commitments extend for a period oftwo tothree years.
Contingencies
The Company may be subject to pending legal proceedings and regulatory actions in the ordinary course of business. The results of such proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, but the Company does not anticipate that the final outcome, if any, arising out of any such matters will have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations.
11. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
On April 17, 2024, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement with Aegis Capital Corp. in connection with the Offering. The Company’s net proceeds from the Offering, after deducting the underwriting discount and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company, were approximately $35.7 million. As a result of the Offering, the Company’s Common Stock became listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market and now trades under the ticker symbol “SERV”.
Pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, at the closing of the Offering on April 22, 2024, the Company issued to Aegis a warrant to purchase 500,000 shares of Common Stock (the “Representative’s Warrant”). The Representative’s Warrant is exercisable at a per share exercise price equal to $5.00 and is exercisable at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part, commencing October 14, 2024. The Representative’s Warrant expires on April 17, 2029.
Concurrently with the closing of Offering, the January Notes converted into 2,104,562 shares of common stock based upon a conversion price of $2.42 per share. Furthermore, the Company granted 63,479 Convertible Promissory Notes Offering Warrants to purchase common stock in connection with the January Notes at an exercise price of $2.42 per share.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.