Oklo Inc

Current report

The change in fair value of SAFEs increased by $4,083,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was due to the removal of SAFE notes at the time of the Business Combination, resulting in no fair value impact of SAFEs for the three months ended September 30, 2024.

Current report

Comparison of the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024 and 2023

Current report

We recorded a deemed dividend attributable to the Class A common stockholders for the Earnout Shares and Founder Shares, based on the fair value at Closing of the Business Combination as determined by an independent third-party valuation of fair value using a Monte Carlo simulation with key inputs and assumptions, such as the per share stock price at Closing, term, dividend yield, risk-free rate, and volatility. The determination of the fair value involves certain judgments and estimates, primarily due to the volatility of our stock price and the uncertain timing of earnout conditions. The Monte Carlo simulation method requires assumptions that are inherently subjective, including stock price volatility that was estimated based on industry peer data due to our limited trading history, introducing an element of judgment in assessing comparability. The risk-free rate was based on U.S. Treasury rates, selected to match the expected term of the earnout provisions, and a zero-dividend yield was assumed. The expected term was estimated based on management’s assessment of when the Earnout Shares and Founder Shares would likely be issued, factoring in potential market conditions and shareholder behavior. Changes in the significant assumptions and estimates could materially impact the valuation and the amounts recorded in the financial statements, affecting our net loss per share attributable to common stockholders.

Current report

Not applicable to a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of SEC Regulation S-K.

Current report

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Current report

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining a system of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) that is designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by an issuer in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the issuer’s management, including its principal executive officer(s) and principal financial officer(s), or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Current report

In accordance with Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15, an evaluation was completed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report. Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2024 in providing reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms.

Current report

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Current report

In connection with our continued monitoring and maintenance of our control procedures as part of the implementation of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we continue to review, test, and improve the effectiveness of our internal controls. There have not been any changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarter ended September 30, 2024, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Current report

Inherent Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls

Current report

The effectiveness of any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, is subject to inherent limitations, including the exercise of judgment in designing, implementing, operating, and evaluating the controls and procedures, and the inability to eliminate misconduct completely. Accordingly, in designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable, not absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. We intend to continue to monitor and upgrade our internal controls as necessary or appropriate for our business but cannot assure you that such improvements will be sufficient to provide us with effective internal control over financial reporting.

Previous report

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Previous report

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, should be read together with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report and in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2023, included in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4, as amended (File No. 333-274722 ) (the “Form S-4”), which was declared effective on April 26, 2024. The following discussion contains “forward-looking statements” that reflect our future plans, estimates, beliefs and expected performance. Our actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated and expressed in such forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors. We caution that assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions or beliefs about future events may, and often do, vary from actual results and the differences can be material. Please see “Forward-Looking Statements.”

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Overview

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We were founded in 2013 with the goal of revolutionizing the energy landscape by developing clean, reliable, affordable energy solutions at scale. Global demand for reliable, clean energy is growing rapidly, with 63% of Fortune Global companies publicly committing to emissions reductions by 2050 and an expected $2 trillion annual spend on new clean power generation globally by 2030. We are pursuing two complementary tracks to address this demand: providing reliable, commercial-scale energy to customers and selling used nuclear fuel recycling services to the U.S. market.

Previous report

We are developing next-generation fast fission power plants called “powerhouses.” In our differentiated build, own, and operate business model, we plan to sell power in the forms of electricity and heat directly to customers, which we believe can allow for fast-tracked customer adoption. In addition, we are a leader in the nuclear industry in the development of fuel recycling, which can unlock the energy content of used fuel; we also believe this business unit can complement our market position by vertically integrating and securing our fuel supply chain.

Previous report

The fast fission technology we are working to commercialize was demonstrated by the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (“EBR-II”), a fast fission plant that was operated by the U.S. government for 30 years. Our powerhouse product line, called the “Aurora,” builds on this legacy of proven and demonstrated technology. Our Aurora powerhouse product line is designed to be inherently safe, to be able to run on fresh or recycled fuel, and to produce 15-50 megawatts electric (“MWe”) and with the potential to expand powerhouse size to produce 100 MWe of electricity. Because the Aurora powerhouses are designed to operate by harnessing the power of high-energy, or “fast,” neutrons, they are expected to be able to tap into the vast energy reserves remaining in existing used nuclear fuel from conventional nuclear power plants, which is currently considered nuclear waste. We estimate there is enough energy in the form of nuclear waste globally to meet the projected U.S. demand for electricity for 100 years with fast fission power plants.

Previous report

We have achieved several significant deployment and regulatory milestones for deploying our Aurora powerhouses. Notably, we secured a site use permit from the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) for the Idaho National Laboratory (“INL”) site and received a fuel award from INL for a commercial Aurora powerhouse in Idaho. Additionally, we have successfully completed the second phase of the thermal hydraulic testing campaign in collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory (“Argonne”).

Previous report

We announced plans and entered into a land rights agreement for two additional Aurora powerhouses in southern Ohio. Furthermore, we have been tentatively selected to provide power and heat to Eielson Air Force Base. Our robust pipeline of potential customer engagements span a number of industries. We have signed additional non-binding letters of intent with Equinix, Diamondback Energy, and Wyoming Hyperscale which could bring our current total deployment of Aurora powerhouses to over 1,350 MWe in capacity. The early market interest in our solutions exemplifies the potential demand for the size range of the Aurora powerhouse product line and our differentiated business model. Our first Aurora powerhouse is targeted for deployment in 2027.

Previous report

In addition to deployment milestones, we have made significant progress in our recycling efforts and in securing fuel. The DOE has reviewed and approved the Safety Design Strategy (SDS) for the Aurora Fuel Fabrication Facility at INL. We successfully completed the first end-to-end demonstration of the key stages of our advanced fuel recycling process, in collaboration with Argonne and INL. This marks a significant step forward in scaling up fuel recycling capabilities and deploying a commercial-scale recycling facility.

Previous report

Moreover, we have formed a non-binding strategic partnership with Atomic Alchemy Inc. (“Atomic Alchemy”). This partnership aims to combine Oklo’s expertise in building and operating fast reactors and fuel recycling with Atomic Alchemy’s expertise in isotope production. Together, we aim to meet the increasing demands for isotopes in medical, energy, industry, and science applications.

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Our Business Model

Previous report

Our primary product will be the energy produced from our Aurora powerhouses once operational. Our planned business model is to sell the energy to customers via power purchase agreements (“PPAs”), as opposed to selling our powerhouse designs. This business model allows for recurring revenue, the opportunity to capture profitability upon improved operational efficiency, and enables novel project financing structures. This business model sets us apart from the traditional nuclear power industry, other companies in the advanced fission industry, and other larger scale energy types such as natural gas. Selling power via PPAs is a common practice within the renewable energy and utilities sectors and indicates that this business model could be feasible for power plants within the size range targeted by our Aurora product line (i.e., starting with 15 MWe and 50 MWe and ranging upward to anticipated sizes of 100 MWe).

Previous report

The traditional nuclear power industry comprises developers of large (ranging from approximately 600 MWe to over 1,000 MWe) light water reactors that sell or license their reactor designs to large utilities that then construct and operate the nuclear power plant. The developer’s focus on regulatory approval of the design may lock in certain lifecycle regulatory costs that are realized by the owner-operator during construction and operations. As a result, lifecycle cost implications are generally not addressed cohesively between the developer and the owner-operator, and the regulatory strategy does not holistically implement the lifecycle benefits of the technology’s inherent safety characteristics. To date, the advanced fission industry is largely following the historical blueprint of developers seeking design certifications or approvals, and utilities bearing the future burden of licensing. While there are a number of advanced reactor designers developing smaller sized reactors than those traditionally used in the nuclear power industry, most of these developers are generally pursuing regulatory approval of groupings of these smaller reactors as part of singular larger plants, sizes of 200 MWe and up to 1,000 MWe.

Previous report

In contrast, we plan to be the designer, builder, owner, and operator of our powerhouses and plan to focus on small-scale powerhouses (15 MWe, 50 MWe and up to 100 MWe). As a result, we have an incentive to relentlessly focus on the full lifecycle of a safe, well-maintained, cost-effective powerhouse and holistically implement the benefits of an inherently safe, simple design. We expect this approach to enable us to reduce and manage lifecycle regulatory and operating costs in an integrated fashion, as opposed to the historical model used in the nuclear power industry that divides the incentives and responsibilities between the developer and the utility.

Previous report

Selling electricity under PPAs follows an established revenue model in global power markets. While this model is more typically used for renewable energy solutions, we believe it is a compelling model for us because of the relatively small size and the lower expected capital costs of our powerhouses when compared with other nuclear power plants. In addition, our model is designed to generate recurring revenue in a way that the traditional licensing model does not. For example, in the traditional technology licensing model, after the sale of the design, recurring revenue is dependent upon the sale of service contracts, including fuel services, which may result in prices being undercut by intermediaries. We expect our powerhouses to be profitable from the first year of operation due to our anticipated favorable unit economics. We also believe this approach will drive unit growth and allow us to ultimately launch higher output versions of our powerhouses.

Previous report

We believe that our potential customers want to buy power, rather than own or operate power plants, and will prefer affordable solutions that meet their environmental and operational goals. We plan to further accelerate customer adoption by offering minimal to potentially zero upfront costs and quick delivery times. With non-binding letters of intent from potential customers for over 1,350 MWe, we believe our powerhouses are an ideal fit for target markets in decentralized use cases, such as data centers, national defense, factories, industrial customers, off-grid and rural customers and utilities.

Previous report

In addition to selling power under PPAs, we believe we have an embedded opportunity to enhance our mission with our advanced nuclear fuel recycling technology. We are actively developing nuclear fuel recycling capabilities with the goal of deploying a commercial-scale fuel recycling facility in the United States by the 2030s. Used nuclear fuel waste still contains more than 90% of its energy content, and we believe there is enough energy in the form of used nuclear fuel globally to power the expected electrical needs in the United States for 100 years with fast fission power plants. More than 90,000 metric tons of used nuclear fuel waste have been generated since 1950, and an additional 2,000 metric tons are generated every year. Currently, other countries recycle used nuclear fuel waste, but the United States does not, and there is an enormous opportunity to do so. Our reactors are specifically designed to run on either fresh or recycled nuclear fuel, and nuclear fuel recycling could provide future margin uplift for our power sales business, as well as the potential for new revenue streams.

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The Business Combination

Previous report

On May 9, 2024, we consummated a business combination pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization dated July 11, 2023 (as amended, modified, supplemented or waived, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among us, AltC Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“AltC”) and AltC Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of AltC (“Merger Sub”). Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into Oklo Inc., with Oklo Inc. surviving the merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of AltC (following the merger Oklo Inc. changed its name to Oklo Technologies, Inc. and herein after referred to as “Legacy Oklo”) (the “Merger” and, together with the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Business Combination”). Upon consummation of the Business Combination (the “Closing”), AltC changed its name to Oklo Inc.

Previous report

Our Class A common stock commenced trading on the NYSE under the symbol “OKLO” on May 10, 2024.

Previous report

In connection with the Business Combination, we received proceeds of $276,209,768, and after transaction costs and advisor fees, we received net proceeds of $260,859,623.

Previous report

In connection with the Business Combination, the following shares of Class A common stock are outstanding: (i) 1,450,000 private placement shares held by the Sponsor subject to certain provisions under the Sponsor Agreement, (ii) 12,500,000 Founder Shares held by the Sponsor subject to certain vesting conditions under the Sponsor Agreement, and (iii) 15,000,000 shares will be reserved for the potential future issuance of the Earnout Shares, which includes certain shares held by Legacy Oklo vested options holders’ for the contingent right to receive a pro rata share of the Earnout Shares at Closing. Further details related to the Business Combination are provided in Note 3 in our accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

Previous report

Key Factors Affecting Our Performance

Previous report

We believe that our future success and financial performance depend on a number of factors that present significant opportunities for our business, but also pose risks and challenges. As a result, we are subject to continuing risks and uncertainties. For additional information, see the sections titled “Risk Factors” included in the Form S-4 and in this Quarterly Report.

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Product Development Plan

Previous report

We plan to leverage the next-generation fast fission powerhouses that we are developing in order to sell power to a variety of potential customers, including data centers, national defense, factories, industrial customers, off-grid and rural customers and utilities.

Previous report

Commercial deployment of any advanced fission power plant requires obtaining regulatory approvals for design, construction, and operation. Our regulatory strategy has been focused on a custom combined license application (COLA). We submitted an initial custom combined license application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) in March 2020, which was denied without prejudice in 2022, and we are working toward submitting an updated COLA for review. In March 2020, we became the first advanced fission company to submit a custom combined license application, and we remain the only such company to do so. It is uncertain when, if at all, we will obtain regulatory approvals for the design, construction and operation of any of our powerhouses. Our financial condition and results of operation are likely to be materially and adversely affected if we do not obtain such approvals and to the extent this process takes longer or costs more than we expect.

Previous report

Additionally, we plan to be the designer, builder, owner, and operator of our powerhouses and plan to focus on small-scale powerhouses (15 MWe, 50 MWe and up to 100 MWe). As a result, we have an incentive to relentlessly focus on the full lifecycle of a safe, well-maintained, cost-effective powerhouse and holistically implement the benefits of an inherently safe, simple design. We expect this approach to enable us to reduce and manage lifecycle regulatory and operating costs in an integrated fashion, as opposed to the historical model used in the nuclear power industry that divides the incentives and responsibilities between the developer and the utility. However, this model exposes us directly to the costs of building, owning and operating our powerhouses. Our cost projections are heavily dependent upon fuel and raw materials (such as steel), equipment and technical and construction service providers (such as engineering, procurement, construction firms). The global supply chain, on which we will rely, has been significantly impacted in recent years by inflation, increasing and continued elevated interest rates, instability in the banking sector, war and other hostilities, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other economic uncertainties, resulting in potential significant delays and cost fluctuations. Similar developments in the future may impact our performance from both a deployment and cost perspective.

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Plan of Operations

Previous report

To further our target of deploying our first powerhouse in 2027, during 2024, we plan to be engaged in the following key initiatives:

Previous report

For the year ended December 31, 2023 and the six months ended June 30, 2024, our total operating expenses were $18,636,017 and $25,141,366, respectively. We continue to expect our total operating expenses for 2024 to be in the range of $40,000,0000 to $50,000,000.

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Nuclear Energy Industry

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The nuclear energy industry operates in a politically sensitive environment, and the successful execution of our business model is dependent upon public support for nuclear power, in general, in the U.S. and other countries. Recently, the U.S. government has indicated through bipartisan action that it recognizes the importance of nuclear power in meeting the United States’ growing energy needs. We believe the ADVANCE Act of 2023, recently signed into law, brings several key benefits to the nuclear industry and Oklo, including licensing fee reductions, reduced NRC licensing timelines, advanced nuclear reactor awards, new Department of Defense opportunities, brownfield site opportunities, enhanced licensing strategies, and enhanced nuclear fuel cycle and supply chain support. However, the current political environment in the U.S. could change at any time, including in response to events and circumstances over which we exercise no control and the perception of such events and circumstances. Additionally, opposition by third parties could delay the licensing that our business model requires. As a result, our performance will depend in part on factors generally affecting the views and policies regulating nuclear energy industry, which we cannot predict over the long term.

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Key Components of Results of Operations

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Operating Expenses

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Research and development (“R&D”) expenses represent costs incurred to develop our technology. These costs consist of personnel costs, including salaries, employee benefit costs, bonuses and stock-based compensation expenses, software costs, computing costs, hardware and experimental supplies, and expenses for outside engineering contractors for analytical work and consulting costs. We expense all R&D costs in the periods in which they are incurred, however, occasionally the reimbursement would be received in the following period.

Previous report

We have several recycling technology projects awarded as R&D cost-share projects (the “cost-share projects”) through the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (“ARPA-E”) and the DOE Technology Commercialization Fund (“TCF”). The ARPA-E and TCF projects do not involve any funds being reimbursed to us. A budget was initially approved for each of these cost-share projects, and as certain expenses and capital expenditures for equipment are incurred, such expenses or capital expenditures are reported to ARPA-E and then a pre-determined percentage of such expenses or capital expenditures are reimbursed by ARPA-E back to us. The expenses are categorized as R&D expenses, which are then partially reimbursed.

Previous report

Our general and administrative (“G&A”) expenses primarily comprise various components not related to R&D, such as personnel costs, regulatory fees, promotion expenses, costs associated with maintaining and filing intellectual property, meals and entertainment expenses, travel expenses, and other expenditures related to external professional services including legal, engineering, marketing, human resources, audit, and accounting services. Personnel costs include salaries, benefits, and stock-based compensation expenses. As we continue to grow and expand our workforce and operations, and in light of the increased costs associated with operating as a public company, we anticipate that our G&A expenses will rise for the foreseeable future.

Previous report

Other Income (Loss)

Previous report

Other income (loss) consists of interest and dividend income and the remeasurement gains and losses related to simple agreements for future equity (“SAFEs”).

Current report — wording carried from elsewhere

Percentage changes that are considered not meaningful are denoted with “NM.”

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

The loss for change in fair value of SAFEs of $13,126,959 for the three months ended June 30, 2024 represents the remeasurement loss in the fair value related to the SAFEs as compared to the fair value as of March 31, 2024.

Previous report — wording carried elsewhere

The following table sets forth G&A expenses by category: