10-K/A
1
e5171_10-ka.htm
FORM 10-K/A
United
states
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K/A
Amendment No. 1
☒ ANNUAL
report under section 13 Or 15( d ) of the securities exchange act of 1934
For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023
☐ TRANSITION
report under section 13 Or 15( d ) of the securities exchange act of 1934
For the transition period from
Commission file number 001-38758
RENOVARO
BIOSCIENCES INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
45-2259340
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
2080 Century
Park East
Suite 906
Los Angeles, CA
90067-2012
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
+1(305) 918-1980
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area
code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of
the Act:
Title of Each Class
Trading Symbol
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share
RENB
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Securities registered
pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. ☐ Yes ☒
No
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. ☐ Yes
☒ No
Indicat e
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during
the last 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule
405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,”
“smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
☐
Accelerated filer
☐
Non-accelerated filer
☒
Smaller reporting company
☒
Emerging growth company
☐
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). ☐ Yes ☒ No
On
December 31, 2022, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates was $45,415,777.
As
of October 24, 2023, the number of shares outstanding of the registrant’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common
Stock”), was 66,698,144.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED
BY REFERENCE
None.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Renovaro BioSciences, Inc. (the “Registrant,”
and together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, Renovaro Biopharma, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Renovaro Biopharma”),
Renovaro Biosciences Denmark ApS, a Danish limited company (“Renovaro Denmark”) and Renovaro Technologies, Inc. a Nevada
corporation (“Renovaro Technologies”), the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”)
is filing this Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (this “Amendment”) to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
June 30, 2023 (the “Original Filing”), which was originally filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)
on October 2, 2023, solely to include the information required in Part III (Items 10 through 14) of Form 10-K. In addition, we are amending
Item 15 of Part IV, (i) to include Exhibit 10.23, the Registrant’s 2023 Equity Incentive Plan and Exhibit 21.1 Subsidiaries, which
were inadvertently omitted from the Original Filing as a result of administrative error and (ii) to include new certifications by our
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer as required by Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, in accordance
with Rule 12b-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Except as specifically described
above, no other changes have been made to the Original Filing. In order to preserve the nature and character of the disclosures in the
Original Filing, except as specifically discussed in this Amendment, no attempt has been made to modify or update such disclosures for
events which occurred subsequent to the Original Filing. Accordingly, this Amendment should be read in conjunction with the Company’s
subsequent filings with the SEC. Among other things, forward-looking statements made in the Original Filing have not been revised to
reflect events that occurred or facts that became known to us after the filing of the Original Filing, and such forward-looking statements
should be read in their historical context.
Page
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
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Item 11. Executive Compensation
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Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
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Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence
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Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
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Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
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PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate
Governance
Identification of Directors
The following is a description
of the business experience, qualifications, skills, and educational background of each of our directors, including each director’s
relevant business experience:
Mr. Renè Sindlev .
Mr. Sindlev, age 62, has served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors since June 2017. Mr. Sindlev has been successfully
self-employed since 1985 from the age of 23. He has been an investor and entrepreneur since 1997 through his holding companies, including
RS Group ApS, RS Arving ApS, RS Family ApS, RS Aviation ApS, and RS Bio ApS. In January 2014, Mr. Sindlev established
Dr. Smood Group of companies in both Denmark and the United States—a retail chain of USDA Certified Organic health
restaurants, an online e-commerce platform, and several beverage companies. Since 2014, he has served as its chairman. Mr. Sindlev has
previously founded, owned, developed, and sold more than 28 companies in the jewelry, aviation charter, real estate, and biosciences
businesses, such as World of Watches, Pandora A/S, RS Aviation ApS, MyFamily Office ApS, Renovaro Biosciences Inc among many
others. In 2002, Mr. Sindlev co-founded Pandora A/S and served as its President & Board Member, and as an advisor to the
board before and after its IPO on Nasdaq Copenhagen in 2010. Mr. Sindlev co-founded Renovaro Biosciences Inc. in February 2018
as an early biotech investor in DanDrit Biotech, Inc. We believe Mr. Sindlev’s experience as an entrepreneur
in successfully building start-up companies from the ground up qualifies him to serve as a director and Chairman of the Board
Dr. Mark Dybul . Dr.
Dybul, age 60, was appointed our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and principal
executive officer, effective July 1, 2021. Prior to the appointment, he served as Executive Vice Chair of the Board since January 2019
and as a director since February 2018. Dr. Dybul served as a Professor in the Department of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical
Center as of July 2017 and was the Faculty Co-Director of the Center for Global Health and Quality until he became Renovaro BioSciences’
CEO. Dr. Dybul has worked on HIV and public health for nearly 30 years as a clinician, scientist, teacher, and administrator, most recently
as the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from 2013 through May of 2017. Prior to joining the
Global Fund, he was a principal architect and ultimately the head of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),
the largest international health initiative in history dedicated to a single disease, which achieved historic prevention, care, and treatment
goals on time and on budget. During his tenure, the program’s funding grew from approximately $500 million to $6.5 billion annually.
After serving as Chief Medical Officer, Assistant, Deputy and Acting Director, he was appointed as its leader in 2006, becoming the U.S.
Global AIDS Coordinator, with the rank of Ambassador at the level of an Assistant Secretary of State. He served until early 2009. Earlier
in his career, after graduating from Georgetown Medical School in Washington D.C., Dr. Dybul joined the National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases, as a research fellow under director Dr. Anthony Fauci, where he conducted basic and clinical studies on HIV virology,
immunology, and treatment optimization, including the first randomized, controlled trial with combination antiretroviral therapy in Africa.
Dr. Dybul has written extensively in scientific and policy literature and has received several honorary degrees and awards, including
a Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, from Georgetown University. Dr. Dybul is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. We believe
Dr. Dybul’s extensive experience in HIV and public health, as well as from being an educator and administrator, qualifies him to
serve as director and Chief Executive Officer.
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Carol L. Brosgart, MD .
Dr. Brosgart, age 72, has served as a Director since December of 2019. Dr.
Brosgart serves on the boards of public and privately held biotech companies and public, not-for-profit, domestic, and global health organizations.
She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Galmed Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. (headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel); Abivax, (headquartered
in Paris, France); Merlin (headquartered in Doylestown, PA); and Eradivir (headquartered in West Lafayette, Indiana). She also is the
Chair of Renovaro’s Scientific Advisory Board on HBV Cure and is the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee for Hepion (formerly
ContraVir), a biotechnology company working in the area of HBV Cure, NASH, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Previously, she served as a member
of Tobira Therapeutics’ Board of Directors from September 2009 until Allergan acquired Tobira in November 2016, and, she was formerly
on the following biotechnology Boards: Juvaris, a vaccine company until Bayer Company acquired its assets and on the Board of Mirum Pharmaceuticals.
She is a scientific advisor and consultant to a number of biotechnology companies in the areas of liver disease and infectious diseases
(Dynavax, Hepion, immgenuity, Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Moderna, and Pardes Biosciences). Dr. Brosgart serves as a Board member for the non-profit
organization, Berkeley Community Scholars (headquartered in California). She serves on the Steering Committee of the HBV Cure Group and
is also a member of the Liver Forum, both at the Forum for Collaborative Research at UC Berkeley School of Public Health. She is a member
of the Board of the Hepatitis B Foundation (HBF), serves on the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee of the Hepatitis B Foundation,
and she is the Research Integrity Officer for the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute. Dr. Brosgart also serves
on the National Advisory Committee of Hepatitis B United. She served for many years on the Boards of the SF AIDS Foundation and the Pangaea
Global AIDS Foundation. She is active in the public policy arena for the following professional organizations: AASLD and IDSA/HIVMA. Dr.
Brosgart served as Senior Advisor on Science and Policy to the Division of Viral Hepatitis at the CDC and the Viral Hepatitis Action Coalition
at the CDC Foundation from 2011 to 2014. Dr. Brosgart has also served as a member of the faculty of the School of Medicine at the University
of California, San Francisco, for the past four decades, where she is a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Biostatistics, and Epidemiology
in the Division of Global Health and Infectious Diseases. Previous positions include serving as Chief Medical Officer at biotechnology
company Alios BioPharma, Inc. Prior to Alios, Dr. Brosgart served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Children’s
Hospital & Research Center in Oakland, California, from 2009 until February 2011. Previously, she served for eleven years, from 1998
until 2009, at the biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, Inc., where she held a number of senior management roles, most recently
as Vice President, Public Health and Policy and earlier as Vice President, Clinical Research and Vice President, Medical Affairs and Global
Medical Director, Hepatitis. She led the clinical development and FDA approval of a number of agents at Gilead, including Viread™
and Hepsera™. Prior to Gilead, Dr. Brosgart worked for more than 20 years in clinical care, research, and teaching at several Bay
Area medical centers. She was the founder and Medical Director of the East Bay AIDS Center at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley, California,
from 1987 until 1998 and served as the Medical Director of Central Health Center, Oakland, California, of the Alameda County Health Care
Services Agency from 1978 until 1987. Dr. Brosgart received a B.S. in Community Medicine from the University of California, Berkeley and
received an M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco. Her residency training was in pediatrics, public health, and preventive
medicine at UCSF and UC Berkeley School of Public Health. She has published extensively in the areas of HIV, HBV, CMV, and liver disease.
We believe Dr. Brosgart’s extensive clinical experience in HIV and HBV, her significant clinical research and regulatory experience,
and her service in senior management and on numerous public and private boards in the biotechnology industry qualify her to serve as a
director.
Mr. Gregg Alton . Mr.
Alton, age 57, has served as a director since December 2019. Mr. Alton joined the Board after serving for 20 years at the biopharmaceutical
company Gilead Sciences, Inc. At Gilead, Mr. Alton served as interim Chief Executive Officer, responsible for the company’s strategy,
growth, and operations. As Chief Patient Officer, he led Gilead’s patient outreach and engagement initiatives and the company’s
efforts to facilitate access to its medicines around the world. He oversaw the corporate and medical affairs functions and developing
world access programs, as well as its digital patient solutions and patient-centered outcomes groups and commercial operations in certain
countries. Mr. Alton joined Gilead in 1999 and held a number of positions at the company with experience in legal, medical affairs,
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policy and commercial. He
previously served as general counsel. Prior to joining Gilead, he was an attorney at the law firm of Cooley Godward, LLP, where he specialized
in mergers and acquisitions, corporate partnerships and corporate finance transactions for healthcare and information technology companies.
Mr. Alton is a member of the Board of Directors of Corcept Therapeutics, Brii Biosciences, Novavax, Inc., the Hepatitis Fund, and the
Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland. Mr. Alton serves as a board observer for GARDP. He also serves on the U.S. government’s President’s
Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and the advisory board for the UC Berkeley College of Letters & Science. Mr. Alton received a bachelor’s
degree in legal studies from the University of California at Berkeley and a law degree from Stanford University. We believe Mr. Alton’s
decades of experience in senior management at a large pharmaceutical company, along with his legal and governance experience, qualifies
him to serve as a director.
Mr. James Sapirstein .
Mr. Sapirstein, age 62, has served as a director since March of 2018. Mr. Sapirstein joined the Board after having served over thirty-nine
years in the pharmaceutical industry. He is currently the Chairman, President and CEO of First Wave BioPharma (formerly AzurRx BioPharma)
and has served as the CEO of ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (now Hepion), which is a company specializing in the Hepatitis B space.
After beginning his career in 1984 with Eli Lilly, he accepted a position at Hoffmann-LaRoche in 1987, where he served for almost a decade
as part of its commercial teams in the US and abroad. He held a number of positions at Hoffmann-LaRoche before moving to Bristol Myers
Squibb (BMS) in 1996 as the Director of International Marketing in the Infectious Disease group. While at BMS, he worked on several important
HIV/AIDS projects, including Secure the Future. Later, Mr. Sapirstein started his career in smaller biotech companies when he joined
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) in order to lead the Global Marketing team in its launch of Viread (tenofovir). In 2002, he accepted the
position of Executive Vice President of Metabolic and Endocrinology for Serono Laboratories before becoming the founding CEO of Tobira
Therapeutics in 2006. In 2012, after several years in the infectious diseases space, Mr. Sapirstein became the CEO of Alliqua Therapeutics
at Alliqua, Inc. He is also a Board Director for the Emerging Companies Section Governing group of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization
(BIO) and the Chairman Emeritus of BIO’s New Jersey Chapter (BioNJ). Mr. Sapirstein received his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University
and his B.Pharm. from Rutgers University. We believe Mr. Sapirstein’s extensive experience as a biotechnology executive and as
a board member in the biopharma industry and industry associations qualifies him to serve as a director.
Mr. Henrik Grønfeldt-Sørensen .
Mr. Grønfeldt-Sørensen, age 51, has served as a director since October 2017, has been the Chief Executive Officer of RS
Group ApS, RS Arving ApS, and RS Family ApS since October 2012, and he has served as a director of Dr. Smood Group, Inc. since January
of 2014. RS Group of Companies is a family office in Denmark with global investments within the real estate, charter business, food &
beverage, and biosciences industries. Mr. Grønfeldt-Sørensen has over 10 years experience in different CEO and management
positions; Danske Bank in Denmark, and the Danish Bank Nykredit in France. Mr. Grønfeldt-Sørensen holds an eMBA from University
of Monaco (2011). We believe Mr. Grønfeldt-Sørensen’s significant experience in corporate management and investor
relations qualifies him to serve as a director.
Ms. Jayne McNicol .
Ms. McNicol, age 57, has served as a director and chair of our audit committee since May of 2021. Since May 2017, Ms. McNicol has been
the Chief Financial Officer of the California Life Sciences Association, a nonprofit, membership-based trade association that empowers
the life sciences community to deliver innovative solutions for healthier lives. Previously, from July 2001 to April 2017, Ms. McNicol
was a Partner of Assurance Services at Ernst & Young LLP, serving public and private life sciences companies primarily in the San
Francisco Bay Area. Prior to this, Ms. McNicol served in positions of increasing responsibility at Ernst & Young and its predecessor,
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Arthur Young, initially in
Bristol, England, and later in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ms. McNicol is a Certified Public Accountant with the California Board of
Accountancy and a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She holds a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English from the University of Leeds, England. We believe Ms. McNicol’s significant experience in financial management
within the life sciences industry qualifies her to serve as a director and chair of our audit committee.
Ms. Leni Boerner. Ms.
Boerner, age 59, joined as a director in October 2023. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Boeren has worked in the financial sector for forty
years. From 2000 to 2005, Ms. Boeren worked for Euronext N.V. (Euronext: ENX) where she worked in multiple positions. Ms. Boeren was
a managing director of Information Services, a managing director of the business strategy department, executive director of marketing,
and member of the Executive Committee of Euronext. She was also Managing Director of Euronext Indices B.V. from 2000 to 2005, as well
as Director of Euronext Amsterdam International B.V. and Euronext London Ltd. from 2000 to 2003. From 2005 to 2016, Ms. Boeren worked
at Robeco Groep N.V., an international asset manager offering institutional investors around the globe a wide range of active investments,
from stocks to bonds and from research-driven fundamental to quantitative investment strategies, where she served in several executive
and managerial roles, including Member of the Management Board (2005 to 2014), Vice-Chair of the Management Board (2014 to 2016), and
Chair of the Board (May 2016 to October 2016). From 2014 to 2016, Ms. Boeren also served as CEO of Robeco Institutional Asset Management
B.V. She was also Chair of Board of Directors of Boston Partners Global Investors Inc., an investment firm specialized in equity investing
worldwide from 2007 to 2016. From 2010 to 2016, Ms. Boeren was Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of SAM Sustainable Asset Management
A.G., a company exclusively focusing on sustainability solutions for investors including the S&P/DJ Sustainability Indexes. In 2016,
Ms. Boeren was a member of the Board of Directors of Harbor Capital Advisors, Inc., an asset management company focused on sourcing external
investment team for their products. From 2015 to 2019, Ms. Boeren also served as the Chair of the Supervisory Board and member of the
Remuneration Committee of Transtrend B.V., which provides investment management services through the development and application of systematic
trading strategies. From 2018 to 2020, Ms. Boeren was the CEO of Kempen Capital Management N.V., a unique special asset management company
that was a star player in niche markets such as small caps, real estate, high yield and hedge fund strategies, where she was also a member
of the Executive Committee of Van Lanschot Kempen N.V. (Euronext: VLK.AS), a wealth management company. In 2013, she was a Member of
the Committee Monitoring Talent to the Top, a non-profit company which aims to make the senior management of companies more diverse and
inclusive. From 2007-2014 she was Vice-Chair of the Supervisory Board and Chair of the Audit Committee of Tergooi Hospitals. From 2018
to 2020, she was also a member of the Board of FCLTGlobal, USA, a non-profit organization that develops research and tools to drive a
longer-term focus in business and investment decision-making globally. Ms. Boeren has held non-executive positions with NIBC Holding
N.V. and NIBC Bank since 2021, Air France-KLM S.A. (Euronext:AF.PA) since 2017, Ohpen Expeditions N.V. since 2021, and Mollie Holding
B.V. and Mollie B.V. beginning in 2023. Ms. Boeren has served on the Capital Market Committee of the Dutch regulator, the Authority for
the Financial Markets since 2022. She has also been a member of the Advisory Board of Keyser & Mackay since 2021, and a member of
the Board of Stichting Administratiekantoor Koninklijke Brill since 2020. She now mainly focuses on business and leadership transitions.
We believe her substantial experience in capital markets and asset management qualifies her to serve as a director.
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Mr. Ruud Hendriks. Mr.
Hendriks, age 77, joined as a director in October 2023. Mr. Hendriks has
been working in the fund management industry for over 35 years. In the course of his international career, Mr. Hendriks has held senior
roles at several of the most recognized names in the business. Mr. Hendriks currently works as a Senior Advisor to Pictet Group,
a leading independent investment firm where he has served since 2023 and Van Lanschot Kempen N.V., an independent
wealth manager he has served since 2020. Since 2023, he also serves as an Ambassador to Add Value Fund Management B.V. an investment fund
listed on the Dutch stock exchange. He has served since 2009 as Chairman of the Advisory Board of Financial Assets Executive Search, a
leading Dutch Executive Search & Interim Management agency for board, management, and specialist positions in and around the financial
sector. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of [Kos Technologies Artificial Intelligence Corporation], an innovative technology
firm focused on the use of artificial intelligence in the research for and development of healthcare solutions since May 2022. From 2010
to 2016, Mr. Hendriks worked as a Senior Advisor to KKR & Co. Inc. Previously, he worked for Goldman Sachs Asset
Management, which he joined in 2000 as Managing Director, becoming Co-Head of Sales for Europe (excluding Germany and Austria), Middle
East and Africa in 2006, where he served until 2009. Prior to joining Goldman, Mr. Hendriks was a member of the executive board for Rodamco
N.V. the property fund of Robeco Group, between 1980 and 1996. Mr. Hendriks was also a senior advisor for Citi in the United
Kingdom from April 2012 to October 2013. He was a senior advisor to the Board at Syntrus Achmea, an investment manager for institutional
investors, from 2010 to 2012. He also served as a non-executive director at MAN Group PLC, a stock listed global investor in private markets
specializing in hedge funds, from 2009 to 2011. Mr. Hendriks was also a member of the Board of external advisors at Polaris from 2009
to 2011. He also was a senior advisor to Lombard Odier, an Swiss wealth manager focused on sustainability. He earned his MA in Private
Law from the Free University in Amsterdam in 1972. We believe Mr. Hendrik’s broad experience in the asset management and finance industries
and his familiarity with the overlap between healthcare and artificial intelligence qualifies him to serve as a director.
Mr. Avram Miller. Mr.
Miller, age 78, joined as a director and as an advisor in October 2023. Mr. Miller is a business strategist, venture capitalist, scientist,
technologist, and author. He is best known for his work at Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) from 1984 to 1999. His tenure as Vice President,
Business Development began in 1988, and he was later elected Corporate Vice President by Intel’s Board of Directors. Mr. Miller
co-founded Intel Capital, one of the world’s leading Corporate Venture groups, and led Intel’s successful initiative to create
residential broadband. After leaving Intel, Miller founded the Avram Miller Company, which provides strategic advice to technology companies
worldwide. Forbes Magazine has listed him as one of the 100 most successful technology investors. He has served on a number of company
boards in both high-tech and health care and has advised a number of financial service companies. Mr. Miller also served as Vice Chairman
of the Board of Sommetrics, a company focused on improving health and well-being by optimizing sleep quality, from November 2012 to December
2018. Before his career in high tech, Mr. Miller worked in medical science. He is one of the founders of the Thoraxcenter, Erasmus University
Rotterdam, a prominent cardiovascular and pulmonary medicine center. Presently, he combines his expertise in technology with his interest
in healthcare to advise and invest in early-stage medical technology companies and medical institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic
and Sheba Hospital. He is the author of “The Flight of a Wild Duck,” published in 2021. We believe Mr. Miller’s unique
background in medical science and technology and, in particular, his experience dealing with the opportunities fueled by rapid technological
changes qualifies him to serve as a director.
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Family Relationships
There are no family relationships, as defined in
subparagraph (d) of Item 401 of Regulation S-K among any of our executive officers or directors.
Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
There are no material proceedings to which ay director
or executive officer or any associate of any such director or officer is a party adverse to our Company or has a material interest adverse
to our Company.
The Board and Board Committees
The Board . The
Board met 11 times for meetings during fiscal 2023, and also acts by written consent. Two of such meetings were regularly scheduled meetings
and other special Board meetings and telephonic calls were held as needed. During fiscal year 2023, each incumbent director attended
75% or more of the Board meetings for the periods during which each such director served. Directors are not required to attend annual
meetings of our stockholders.
Audit Committee and
Audit Committee Financial Experts
The Audit Committee has been
structured to comply with the requirements of Rule 10A-3(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”), and the listing standards of NASDAQ, and each member and former member of the Audit Committee complied
with such requirements and standards. The members of the Audit Committee are currently Jayne McNicol (Chair), James Sapirstein, and Gregg
Alton.
The Audit Committee oversees
and reports to our Board on various auditing and accounting-related matters, including, among other things, the maintenance of the integrity
of our financial statements, reporting process, and internal controls; the selection, evaluation, compensation, and retention of our
independent registered public accounting firm; legal and regulatory compliance, including our disclosure controls and procedures; and
oversight over our risk management policies and procedures. The Audit Committee appoints and sets compensation for the independent
registered public accounting firm annually and reviews and evaluates such auditor. This external auditor reports directly to the Audit
Committee. The Audit Committee establishes our hiring policies regarding current and former partners and employees of the external auditor.
In addition, the Audit Committee pre-approves all audit and non-audit services undertaken by the external auditor and any outside consultants
engaged in work related to the Company’s financial reporting. The Audit Committee has direct responsibility for overseeing the
work of the external auditor engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an auditor’s report or performing other audits, review
or attest services, including the resolution of disagreements between the external auditor and management. The Audit Committee meets
at least once per fiscal quarter to fulfill its responsibilities under its charter and in connection with the review of the Company’s
quarterly and annual financial statements.
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The Board has determined that
each member of the Audit Committee has the appropriate level of financial understanding and industry-specific knowledge to be able to
perform the duties of the position, and they are financially literate and have the requisite financial sophistication as required by
the applicable listing standards of NASDAQ. The Board has determined that both Ms. McNicol and Mr. Alton are “audit committee financial
experts” as defined by applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules.
The Audit Committee met 5 times during fiscal 2023, where the committee members
attended 80% or more of the meetings during his or her period of service, and the Committee also acts by written consent. The Audit Committee
operates under a charter that was adopted by our Board and is posted on our website at www.renovarobio.com.
The Audit Committee reviewed
and discussed the audited financial statements for the 2023 fiscal year with management, and with Sadler, Gibb & Associates, LLC
(“Sadler”), the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. Further, the Audit Committee also discussed
with Sadler the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (the
“PCAOB”) and the SEC. The Audit Committee reviewed permitted services under the rules of the SEC as currently in effect and
discussed with Sadler its independence from management and the Company, including the matters in the written disclosures and the letter
from Sadler required by the applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the
Audit Committee concerning independence.
Based on its review of the
financial statements and the aforementioned discussions, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial
statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, for filing with the
SEC.
THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
Jayne McNicol (Chair)
James Sapirstein
Gregg Alton
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The members of our Nominating
and Corporate Governance Committee are currently Carol L. Brosgart, M.D. and Gregg Alton (Chair).
The Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee, as permitted by, and in accordance with, its charter, is responsible for matters related to the selection of directors
for appointment and/or election to the Board. This includes establishing criteria for, identifying, and recommending potential candidates
for nomination to serve on the Board, and establishing criteria to consider recommendations from the stockholders of the Company. The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers and makes recommendations with respect to the independence of all directors.
7
The Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee is also responsible for maintaining compliance with applicable corporate governance requirements under the Exchange
Act and the listing standards of NASDAQ. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee oversees the evaluation of the Board, including
with respect to corporate governance, and develops and recommends to the Board corporate governance guidelines.
The Nominating and Corporate
Governance Committee acted 1 time during fiscal 2023 by written consent. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee operates under
a charter that was adopted by our Board and is posted on our website at www.renovarobio.com.
Compensation Committee
The members of our Compensation
Committee are currently James Sapirstein (Chair) and Carol L. Brosgart, M.D.
The Compensation Committee,
as permitted by, and in accordance with, its charter, is responsible for assisting the Board in fulfilling its responsibilities relating
to matters of human resources and compensation, including equity compensation, and to establish a plan of continuity and development
for our senior management. The Compensation Committee periodically assesses compensation of our executive officers in relation to companies
of comparable size, industry, and complexity, taking the performance of the Company and other companies into consideration. All decisions
with respect to the compensation of our principal executive officer are determined and approved solely by the Compensation Committee.
All decisions with respect to other executive compensation, including incentive compensation and equity-based plans, are first approved
by the Compensation Committee and then submitted, together with the Compensation Committee’s recommendation, to the members of
the Board for final approval. In addition, the Compensation Committee will, as appropriate, review and approve public or regulatory disclosure
relating to compensation, including the Compensation Disclosure and Analysis, and any metrics for performance measurements. The Compensation
Committee has the authority to retain and compensate any outside adviser as it determines necessary to permit it to carry out its duties
and engage such a consultant in connection with the Company’s compensation for the 2023 fiscal year.
The Board has determined that
each member of the Compensation Committee is a “nonemployee director” as that term is defined under Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange
Act and an “outside director” as that term is defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.162-27(e)(3). The Compensation Committee
meets periodically and at least annually in connection with determining the compensation of management for each fiscal year.
The Compensation Committee
met 3 times during fiscal year 2023 and acted by written consent 4 times. The Compensation Committee operates under a charter that was
adopted by our Board and is posted on our website at www.renovarobio.com.
The Compensation Committee
has considered the potential risks arising from the Company’s compensation for all employees and does not believe the risks from
those compensation practices are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company.
8
Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors
Luisa Puche . Ms. Puche, age 60, is our Chief Financial Officer and principal financial officer
since January 2019. Ms. Puche brings over 30 years of strong cross-functional leadership experience in both publicly-traded and privately-held
companies in various industries. Leveraging her broad global audit, advisory, and corporate expertise, she became president of Puche Group,
LLC, where she served as a senior accounting and financial advisor in a variety of advisory capacities including executive outsourcing,
technical accounting consultations; complex technical implementations, M&A transactions; IT Risk assessments; and SOX 404 implementations.
During this period, she led the global implementation of the latest revenue recognition accounting standard for Fresh Del Monte Produce
Inc., a $4B publicly traded global fresh produce company, as well as the global implementation of their SOX-404 program. Previously, Ms.
Puche served in various senior executive roles at Brightstar Corp., a $10B global wireless device services provider, with public reporting
requirements, including as Vice President/Global Controller culminating in Interim Chief Accounting Officer. During her tenure at the
Company she was responsible for the financial reporting of 55 countries, as well as being instrumental in various key transactions including
a $1.6B European acquisition and the sale of Brightstar to SoftBank. Ms. Puche was an executive at Ernst & Young, a big 4 accounting
firm, where she served for approximately 10 years. Ms. Puche holds a Bachelor of Accounting from Florida International University.
François Binette .
On October 18, 2022, the Company appointed Francois Binette PhD, age 60, as Chief Operating Officer of the Company, effective November
1, 2022. Dr. Binette has served as the Company’s Executive VP for Research & Development since April 2022. Dr. Binette has
over 25 years of product development expertise in advanced therapies and regenerative medicine. From 2016 to just prior to joining the
Company, Dr. Binette was at Lineage Cell Therapeutics, Inc (NYSE:LCTX), a leading company in the field of pluripotent stem cell therapy
development with a global footprint focused on ophthalmology, cancer vaccines, and spinal cord injuries, where he served as the Senior
Vice President R&D, Global Head of Product Development and led the CNS franchise as well as general pipeline development, contributing
to one of the largest non-cancer cell therapy corporate partnership deals with Genentech worth over $650 million in upfront and milestone
payments. During his first industry appointment at Genzyme Tissue Repair in Cambridge, he helped pioneer Carticel™ for cartilage
repair, the first FDA BLA-approved cell therapy product for human use. He then led R&D for Biosyntech, a startup biomaterials company
in Montreal applying its proprietary platform for various tissue engineering and drug delivery applications. Dr. Binette then joined
the DePuy Franchise of Johnson and Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), the second largest orthopedic business worldwide where he led several innovative
regenerative medicine combination product development initiatives from discovery to approved clinical trials in US and Europe. Dr. Binette
received his PhD from Laval University in Québec City, followed with post-doctoral training at the Sanford-Burnham institute,
and Harvard Medical School.
9
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires executive officers, directors and persons who own more than 10% of a registered
class of our equity securities to file reports of ownership with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Based
solely on our review of the copies of such forms received by us, we believe that during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, all filing
requirements were timely satisfied, except (i) late Form 4’s were filed for Rene Sindlev on July 18, 2022 and October 25, 2022,
(ii) a late Form 4 was filed for Henrik Gronfeldt-Sorensen on October 26, 2022, (iii) a late Form 4 was filed for Jayne McNicol on June
14, 2023, (iv) a late Form 4 was filed for Carol Brosgart on January 5, 2023, (v) a late Form 4 was filed for Gregg Alton on January
5, 2023, (vi) a late Form 4 was filed for James Sapirstein on April, 4, 2023, (vii) a late Form 4 was filed for Mark Dybul on September
15, 2022, (viii) late Form 4’s were filed for Luisa Puche on July 26, 2022 and October 27, 2022, and (ix) a late Form 3 was filed
for Francois Binette on August, 18, 2022 and a late Form 4 for Francois Binette on October 27, 2022.
Code of Ethics
Our Board has adopted a Code
of Ethics and Conduct (our “Code of Ethics”). Our Code of Ethics sets forth standards of conduct applicable to our employees,
officers and directors to promote honest and ethical conduct, proper disclosure in our periodic filings, and compliance with applicable
laws, rules and regulations. Our Code of Ethics is available to view at our website, www.renovarobio.com by clicking on Investors/Media-Corporate
Governance. We intend to provide disclosure of any amendments or waivers of our Code of Ethics on our website within four business days
following the date of the amendment or waiver.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
Name
and Principal Position
Year
Salary ($)
Bonus
Stock
Awards ($)
Option Awards
($)(1)
Non-equity
incentive
plan
compensation ($)
Other
Compensation
($)
Total
($)
Mark Dybul, M.D. (2)
2023
$ 664,583
$ 100,000
$ —
$ 640,850
$ —
$ —
$ 1,405,433
Chief Executive Officer
2022
$ 850,000
$ 100,000
$ —
$ 9,801,000
$ —
$ —
$ 10,751,000
Francois Binette
2023
$ 389,375
$ 115,000
$ —
$ 377,195
$ —
$ —
$ 881,570
Chief Operating Officer &EVP-R&D
2022
$ —
$ —
$ —
$ —
$ —
$ —
$ —
Luisa Puche
2023
$ 325,000
$ 185,000
$ —
$ 130,000
$ —
$ —
$ 640,000
Chief Financial Officer
2022
$ 293,750
$ 110,000
$ 9,812
$ 375,780
$ —
$ —
$ 789,342
10
(1)
The amounts shown do not reflect compensation actually received by the executive officer. Instead, the amounts
shown are the total grant date valuations of stock option grants awarded during the year as determined pursuant to ASC Topic 718. The
valuations are expensed for financial reporting purposes over the vesting period of the grant. The performance-based options awarded
to Mr. Dybul in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, have been completely forfeited as of June 30, 2023.
(2)
Effective January 1, 2023, Mr. Dybul took a reduction in base salary
from $850,000 to $550,000.
Arrangements with Named Executive Officers
During the fiscal year ended
June 30, 2023, we had agreements in place with Dr. Dybul, Mr. Binette, and Ms. Puche. A description of each agreement is set forth below.
Mark R. Dybul, M.D.
Since January 7, 2019, when Dr. Dybul became our principal executive officer by virtue of his appointment as Executive Vice-Chair
of the Board, Dr. Dybul received compensation as Executive Vice Chair of the Board under his Amended and Restated Director’s Agreement,
as amended on May 1, 2019 (the “Director Agreement”), which called for cash compensation of $430,000 per annum, and the grant
of options to purchase 300,000 shares of common stock, which was granted on November 21, 2018. The Director Agreement did not provide
for any payments or other benefits upon a change in control. Dr. Dybul was given a one-time grant of options to purchase 450,000 shares
of common stock at a strike price of $8.00 per share on June 11, 2020.
On October 30, 2019, the Compensation
Committee approved and presented to the Board an employment agreement whereby Dr. Dybul would serve as the Company’s Chief Executive
Officer (the “Employment Agreement”) which was recommended by the Board for approval by our stockholders. On October 31,
2019, our stockholders approved the Employment Agreement via written consent. Effective July 1, 2021, Dr. Dybul and the Company entered
into the Executive Employment Agreement in connection with his appointment to Chief Executive Officer. The Employment Agreement was subsequently
amended on December 12, 2022, effective January 1, 2023. The following is a summary of the Employment Terms and other material terms
of the Employment Agreement, as amended.
Term . Dr. Dybul
will serve as Chief Executive Officer for a term of three (3) years with automatic yearly renewal terms thereafter unless terminated
at least 90 days before the expiry of a term.
Duties . Dr.
Dybul will perform duties consistent with the position of Chief Executive Officer, as directed by and reporting to the Board, where he
shall remain a director but without further compensation for Board service. Dr. Dybul will devote a substantial majority of his business
time and attention to the performance of his duties with the Company, but he will be able to hold positions with charitable organizations
approved by the Board and serve on boards of up to five non-competitive entities, with prior approval by the Board required for publicly
traded companies.
11
Place of Employment
and Expenses. Dr. Dybul shall work out of the Company’s headquarters in Los Angeles, commuting as needed. Dr. Dybul
shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses for accommodations in Los Angeles and a company car.
Cash Compensation .
Dr. Dybul shall be entitled to a base salary of Five Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($550,000) per year. Dr. Dybul shall be eligible
for a bonus of up to $800,000 per year in the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee and in accordance with any short-term incentive
plan adopted by the Company.
Benefits . Dr.
Dybul shall receive benefits provided to similarly situated employees of the Company and five (5) weeks’ vacation per year.
Termination .
The Employment Agreement may be terminated by the Company for “Cause” or by Dr. Dybul without “Good Reason” (each
as defined therein), in which case Dr. Dybul will only receive accrued compensation and benefits. In the event the Company terminates
the Employment Agreement without Cause or Dr. Dybul terminates the Agreement with Good Reason, Dr. Dybul will receive his base salary
for one (1) year and vesting of one (1) years’ worth of unvested options.
Change in Control .
Upon a change in control, the option grant described below shall immediately vest, and Dr. Dybul shall have the right to terminate the
Employment Agreement for Good Reason.
Restrictive Covenants .
Dr. Dybul shall be subject to restrictive covenants set forth in that certain Confidential and Proprietary Information Agreement attached
to the Employment Agreement, which are independent of the obligations set forth in the Employment Agreement. The restrictive covenants
include non-compete, non-solicitation and non-disparagement obligations for one (1) year, provided that the Company shall continue to
pay his base salary for such one (1) year period.
Description of the Option
Grant. Upon appointment to Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dybul was awarded an option to purchase 3,000,000 shares of the Company’s
common stock at an exercise price equivalent to the closing price per share quoted on the NASDAQ Stock Market on the trading day prior
to the grant date. The option has a ten-year term, subject to continued employment, and 2,000,000 of the shares will vest ratably on
July 1, 2022, July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024. One-third of the remaining 1,000,000 shares are subject to vesting at the end of each of
the three years beginning with the year ending June 30, 2023, based upon the achievement by the Company of certain benchmarks. 333,333
shares that required achievement of certain benchmarks to vest were forfeited as of June 30, 2022, and the remaining balance of 666,667
shares were forfeited as of June 30, 2023.
Francois Binette.
Pursuant to his offer letter from the Company, dated February 22, 2022, Mr. Binette was hired as the Company’s Executive VP for
Research & Development starting April 2022 with an annual base salary of $375,000, and is eligible for a discretionary cash bonus,
with a target of 40% of his base salary. Mr. Binette also received a grant of options to purchase 65,000 shares of Common Stock, vesting
on the first anniversary of the date of hire. On October 18, 2022, Mr. Binette was appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the Company,
effective November 1, 2022, and pursuant to an amendment to his offer letter, received an increase in base salary to $420,000 and 40,000
options, vesting in equal increments over three years.
12
Luisa Puche.
Pursuant to her offer letter from the Company, dated December 28, 2018 (the “Offer Letter”), Ms. Puche received an annual
base salary of $200,000, and is eligible for a discretionary cash bonus, with a target of 40% of her base salary. Ms. Puche also received
a grant of options to purchase 60,000 shares of Common Stock and 15,000 restricted stock units, each vesting in equal increments over
three years. The Offer Letter provides for at will employment; provided however, that upon termination of Ms. Puche’s employment
by the Company without cause, or for a termination of employment by Ms. Puche for good reason, she will receive six months’ salary
and COBRA eligibility. Additionally, if the termination without cause or for good reason occurs within 12 months of a change in control,
Ms. Puche will also be entitled to a pro-rata bonus and immediate vesting of any unvested options or restricted stock units. Ms. Puche
had a base salary of $300,000 for the fiscal year 2022. Effective October 18, 2022, Ms. Puche received an increase in base salary to
$350,000 following the completion of the 2022 fiscal year and 80,000 options, vesting in equal increments over three years.
Outstanding Equity Awards as of June 30, 2023
The following table provides
information concerning outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of June 30, 2023.
Option Awards
Stock Awards
Name
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
Option
Exercise
Price
($)
Option
Expiration
Date
Number of
Shares
or Shares of
Stock That
Have
Not
Vested
(#)
Market
Value of
Shares or
Shares of
Stock
That
Have
Not
Vested
($)
Mark R. Dybul, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer(1)
7,563
—
$
8.00
02/27/2028
—
—
5,226
—
$
5.74
09/18/2028
—
—
300,000
—
$
6.50
11/21/2028
—
—
450,000
—
$
8.00
06/11/2030
—
—
666,666
1,333,334
$
4.57
07/19/2031
—
—
—
350,000
$
2.60
08/25/2032
—
—
Francois Binette, Chief Operating Officer
65,000
—
$
8.40
2/22/2032
—
—
39,000
26,000
$
2.38
07/22/2032
—
—
—
40,000
$
2.15
10/18/2032
—
—
Luisa Puche
Chief Financial Officer
60,000
—
$
6.15
06/06/2029
—
—
20,000
40,000
$
8.58
10/26/2031
—
—
75,000
—
$
2.38
07/22/2032
—
—
—
80,000
$
2.15
10/18/2032
—
—
(1) The
performance-based options awarded to Mr. Dybul in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, have been completely forfeited as of June 30,
2023.
13
Board Compensation
The table below sets forth
the compensation earned by directors, all of whom are non-employees for services during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023:
Name
Fees Earned
or Paid in Cash
($)
Stock Awards ($)
Option Awards
($) (1)
All Other Compensation
($)
Total
($)
René Sindlev
$ 100,000
$ —
$ 53,707
$ —
$ 153,707
James Sapirstein
77,500
—
56,121
—
133,621
Carol Brosgart
69,000
—
55,706
—
124,706
Gregg Alton
77,500
—
55,706
—
133,206
Henrik Grønfeldt-Sørensen
60,000
—
55,091
—
115,091
Jayne McNicol
75,000
—
56,250
—
131,250
Total
$ 459,000
$ —
$ 332,581
$ —
$ 791,581
(1)
The amounts shown are not intended to reflect the value actually
received by the directors. Instead, the amounts shown are the total fair value of option awards granted in fiscal 2023 for financial
statement reporting purposes, as determined pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic
718 or ASC Topic 718. These values are amortized as equity compensation expenses over the vesting period of the grants.
Narrative to Director’s Compensation Table
Our director compensation
program reflects competitive practices for a NASDAQ listed company. The resulting compensation package for our directors and for committee
service (for non-employee members) as of the date hereof is set forth in the table below. In addition, our directors are awarded annual options
to purchase common stock valued at $75,000.
Compensation
Element
Value
Retainer-Board Chair
$ 100,000
Retainer-Board Members
$ 60,000
Audit Committee Chair Fee
$ 15,000
Compensation Committee Chair Fee
$ 10,000
Nominating Committee Chair Fee
$ 10,000
Audit Committee Member Fee
$ 7,500
Compensation Committee Member Fee
$ 5,000
Nominating Committee Member Fee
$ 4,000
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial
Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The
following sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of October 24, 2023 by:
14
●
each person to be known by us to be the beneficial owner of more
than 5% of our common stock;
●
each of our named executive officers;
●
each of our directors; and
●
all of our current executive officers and directors as a group.
Beneficial
ownership of the Common Stock is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and includes any shares of Common Stock over which
a person exercises sole or shared voting or investment power, or of which a person has a right to acquire ownership at any time within
60 days. Except as otherwise indicated, we believe that the persons named in this table have sole voting and investment power with respect
to all shares of Common Stock held by them. Applicable percentage ownership in the following table is based on 66,698,144 shares of Common
Stock outstanding as of October 24, 2023, excluding 6,353,352 shares of Common Stock issuable only upon the exercise of warrants by other
warrant holders plus any securities that the individuals included in this table have the right to acquire within 60 days of October 24,
2023.
To
our knowledge, except as indicated in the footnotes to this table and pursuant to applicable community property laws, the persons named
in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by them. Unless indicated
otherwise, the address for the beneficial holders is c/o Renovaro BioSciences Inc. 2080 Century Park E, Suite 906, Los Angeles,
CA, U.S.A.
Renovaro BioSciences
Inc .
Name of Beneficial Owner
Number of Common Shares
% Common Shares
Ownership
Directors/Officers:
Renè Sindlev, Chairman of
the Board (1)
14,945,971
21.59
%
Mark Dybul, Chief Executive Officer (2)
2,279,271
3.31
%
Luisa Puche, Chief Financial Officer (3)
217,933
*
%
Francois Binette, Chief Operating Officer (4)
143,334
*
%
Carol Brosgart, Director(5)
50,507
*
%
Gregg Alton, Director (6)
50,507
*
%
James Sapirstein, Director (7)
85,895
*
%
Jayne McNicol, Director (8)
43,390
*
%
Henrik Grønfeldt-Sørensen, Director
(9)
136,889
*
%
Leni Boeren, Director
—
*
%
Ruud Hendrick
—
*
%
Avram Miller (10)
1,000,000
1.50
%
Directors/Officers Total (9 persons):
18,953,697
26.29
%
5% Shareholders who are not Directors
or Officers:
RS Bio ApS
14,866,223
21.72
%
Serhat Gümrükcü (11)
12,438,431
18.65
%
Anderson Wittekind (12)
6,467,945
9.70
%
Paseco ApS (13)
11,157,446
15.95
%
*
Indicates less than 1%.
15
(1)
Includes 12,432,338 shares of Common Stock, 70,126 of Series A Convertible
Preferred Stock that are presently convertible into 701,260 shares of Common Stock, and 1,732,625 exercisable warrants owned of record
by RS Bio ApS, a Danish entity, and options to purchase 79,748 shares of Common Stock exercisable within 60 days of October 24, 2023,
owned of record by Mr. Sindlev. Mr. Sindlev, our Chairman of the Board, holds the sole voting and disposition power of the shares
owned by RS Bio ApS.
(2)
Includes 66,481 shares of Common Stock and options to purchase 2,212,790
shares of Common Stock exercisable within 60 days of October 24, 2023.
(3)
Includes 16,266 shares of Common Stock and options to purchase 201,667
shares of Common Stock exercisable within 60 days of October 24, 2023.
(4)
Includes 143,334 options to purchase shares of Common Stock exercisable
within 60 days of October 24, 2023.
(5)
Represents options to purchase 50,507 shares of Common Stock exercisable
within 60 days of October 24, 2023.
(6)
Represents options to purchase 50,507 shares of Common Stock exercisable
within 60 days of October 24, 2023.
(7)
Represents options to purchase 85,895 shares of Common Stock exercisable
within 60 days of October 24, 2023.
(8)
Represents options to purchase 43,390 shares of Common Stock exercisable
within 60 days of October 24, 2023.
(9)
Includes 50,000 shares of Common Stock and options to purchase 86,889
shares of Common Stock exercisable within 60 days of October 24, 2023. Mr. Grønfeldt-Sørensen, our Director, holds
the sole voting and disposition power of the shares owned by Greenfield Holding ApS. Excludes 14,866,223 shares of Common Stock voting
shares owned of record by RS Bio ApS, a Danish entity, of which Mr. Grønfeldt-Sørensen is an officer but over which
he exercises no voting or disposition power. Mr. Sindlev holds the sole voting and disposition power of the shares owned by RS Bio
ApS.
(10)
On October 10, 2023, Mr. Miller entered into an Advisory Agreement,
pursuant to which the Company issued Mr. Miller 1,000,000 shares of restricted stock, 166,667
of which will vest in 2024, 444,444 will vest in 2025, and 388,889 will vest in 2026, subject to Mr. Miller’s continued service
through each applicable vesting date .
(11)
Consists of 12,438,431 shares owned by Gumrukcu.
(12)
Consists of (a) 3,615,757 shares owned by Wittekind; (b) 1,313,499
shares owned by Weird Science LLC (“Weird Science”); (c) 633,921 shares owned by the William Anderson Wittekind 2020
Annuity Trust, a grantor retained annuity trust of which Wittekind is the sole trustee (the “Wittekind 2020 Annuity Trust”);
(d) 450,568 shares owned by the Dybul 2020 Angel Annuity Trust, a grantor retained annuity trust of which Wittekind is the sole trustee
(the “Dybul 2020 Annuity Trust”); (e) 50,000 shares owned by the Ty Mabry 2021 Annuity Trust, a grantor retained annuity
trust of which Wittekind is sole trustee (the “Mabry 2021 Annuity Trust”); (f) 366,079 shares owned by the William
Anderson Wittekind 2021 Annuity Trust, a grantor retained annuity trust of which Wittekind is the sole trustee (the “Wittekind
2021 Annuity Trust”, and, together with the Wittekind 2020 Annuity Trust, the Dybul 2020 Annuity Trust and the Mabry 2021 Annuity
Trust, the “Trusts”); and (g) 88,121 shares owned by Wittekind and Serhat Gumrukcu, Wittekind’s spouse, as joint
tenants with a right of survivorship. In his capacity as the sole manager of Weird Science, Wittekind has sole voting and sole dispositive
power over the shares owned by Weird Science. In his capacity as the sole trustee of the Trusts, Wittekind has sole voting power
and sole dispositive power over the shares owned by the Trusts.
(13)
Includes 4,462,292 shares of Common Stock, (ii) 343,619 shares of
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock convertible into 3,436,190 shares of Common Stock, and (iii) warrants presently exercisable
into 3,258,964 shares of Common Stock.
16
Equity Incentive Plan Information
The
following table provides information, as of June 30, 2023, regarding the number of shares of Company common stock that may be issued
pursuant to our 2014 Equity Incentive Plan and 2019 Equity Incentive Plan.
Plan
Category
Number of securities to be issued
upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights
Weighted average exercise price
of outstanding options, warrants and rights
Number of securities remaining available
for future issuance under equity compensation plans
Equity compensation plans approved by
security holders:
4,751,211
$ 4.62
2,292,515 (1)
Equity compensation plans not approved by security
holders
—
—
—
Total
4,751,211
$ 4.62
2,292,515 (1)
(1)
On February 6, 2014, the Board adopted the Company’s 2014
Equity Incentive Plan (the “2014 Plan”), and the Company had reserved 1,206,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance in
accordance with the terms of the Plan. On October 30, 2019, the Board approved and on October 31, 2019, the Company’s stockholders
adopted the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”), which became effective on December 12, 2019
(the “Effective Date”) and replaced the 2014 Plan. The 2019 Plan included a reserve of (1) 6,000,000 new shares, (2)
the number of shares available under the 2014 Plan for the grant of awards as of the Effective Date, and (3) shares underlying outstanding
awards granted under the 2014 Plan that, after the Effective Date, expire or are terminated, surrendered, or forfeited for any reason
without the issuance of shares. The remaining shares available for grant related to the 2014 Plan was 655,769. As of the Effective
Date, this amount, along with the new 6,000,000 shares, totaled 6,655,769 shares available for grant immediately after the Effective
Date. After June 30, 2023, the Board and the Company’s stockholders approved the Company’s 2023 Equity Incentive Plan.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
and Director Independence
Transactions with Related
Persons
Consulting Agreement s
- On July 9, 2018, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with G-Tech Bio, LLC, a California limited liability company (“G-Tech”)
to assist the Company with the development of the gene therapy and cell therapy modalities for the prevention, treatment,
17
and amelioration of HIV in
humans, and with the development of a genetically enhanced Dendritic Cell for use as a wide spectrum platform for various diseases (including
but not limited to cancers and infectious diseases) (the “ G-Tech Agreement ”). G-Tech was entitled to consulting fees
for 20 months with a monthly consulting fee of not greater than $130,000 per month. Upon the completion of the 20 months, a monthly consulting
fee of $25,000 continued for scientific consulting and knowledge transfer on existing HIV experiments until the services were no longer
being rendered or the G-Tech Agreement is terminated. G Tech is controlled by certain members of Weird Science. For the years ended June
30, 2023, and 2022, zero and $275,000, respectively, was charged to research and development expenses related to this consulting agreement.
As of May 25, 2022, the consultant was no longer able to render services.
On January 31, 2020, the Company
entered into a Statement of Work and License Agreement (the “HBV License Agreement”) by and among the Company, and G-Tech,
and G Health Research Foundation, a not for profit entity organized under the laws of California doing business as Seraph Research Institute
(“SRI”) (collectively the “Licensors”), whereby the Company acquired a perpetual, sublicensable, exclusive license
(the “HBV License”) for a treatment under development (the “Treatment”) aimed to treat Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
infections.
The HBV License Agreement
states that in consideration for the HBV License, the Company shall provide cash funding for research costs and equipment and certain
other in-kind funding related to the Treatment over a 24 month period, and provides for an up-front payment of $1.2 million within 7
days of January 31, 2020, along with additional payments upon the occurrence of certain benchmarks in the development of the technology
set forth in the HBV License Agreement, in each case subject to the terms of the HBV License Agreement. Additionally, the HBV License
Agreement provides for cooperation related to the development of intellectual property related to the Treatment and for a 2% royalty
to G-Tech on any net sales that may occur under the HBV License. On February 6, 2020, the Company paid the $1.2 million up-front payment.
The HBV License Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, and covenants of the parties with respect to the development
of the Treatment and the HBV License.
The cash funding for research
costs pursuant to the HBV License Agreement consisted of monthly payments amounting to $144,500 that covered scientific staffing resources
to complete the project as well as periodic payments for materials and equipment needed to complete the project. There were no payments
made after January 31, 2022. During the years ended June 30, 2023, and 2022, the Company paid a total of zero and $1,011,500, respectively,
for scientific staffing resources, R&D and IND Enabling studies. During the year ended June 30, 2022, the Company paid $1,500,000
in August 2021 for the milestone completion of a Pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) process following receipt of written comments in
accordance the HBV License Agreement. The Company has filed a claim against the Licensors, which includes certain payments it made related
to this license.
On April 18,
2021, the Company entered into a Statement of Work and License Agreement (the “License Agreement”), by and among the Company,
and G Tech and SRI (collectively, the “Licensors”), whereby the Company acquired a perpetual sublicensable, exclusive license
(the “Development License”) to research, develop, and commercialize certain formulations which are aimed at preventing and
treating pan-coronavirus or the potential combination of the pan-coronavirus and pan-influenza, including the SARS-coronavirus that causes
COVID-19 and pan-influenza (the “Prevention and Treatment”).
18
The License Agreement was
entered into pursuant to the existing Framework Agreement between the parties dated November 15, 2019. The License Agreement states that
in consideration for the Development License, the Company shall provide cash funding for research costs and equipment and certain other
in-kind funding related to the Prevention and Treatment over a 24-month period. Additionally, the License Agreement provides for an up-front
payment of $10,000,000 and a $760,000 payment for expenditures to date prior to the effective date related to research towards the Prevention
and Treatment within 60 days of April 18, 2021. The License Agreement provides for additional payments upon the occurrence of certain
benchmarks in the development of the technology set forth in the License Agreement, in each case subject to the terms of the License
Agreement.
The License Agreement provides
for cooperation related to the development of intellectual property related to the Prevention and Treatment and for a 3% royalty to G
Tech on any net sales that may occur under the License Agreement. For the years ended June 30, 2023, and June 30, 2022, the Company paid
zero and $150,000 related to the Prevention and Treatment research. The Company is no longer pursuing any product candidates that relate
to this license. The Company has filed a claim against the Licensors to recover all monies it paid related to this license.
On August 25, 2021, the Company
entered into an ALC Patent License and Research Funding Agreement in the HIV Field (the”ALC License Agreement”) with Dr.
Gümrükcü and SRI (collectively, the “Licensors”) whereby the Licensors granted the Company an exclusive, worldwide,
perpetual, fully paid-up, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, the proprietary technology subject to a U.S. patent application,
to make, use, offer to sell, sell or import products for use solely for the prevention, treatment, amelioration of or therapy exclusively
for HIV in humans, and research and development exclusively relating to HIV in humans; provided the Licensors retained the right to conduct
HIV research in the field. Pursuant to the ALC License Agreement, the Company granted a non-exclusive license back to the Licensors,
under any patents or other intellectual property owned or controlled by the Company, to the extent arising from the ALC License, to make,
use, offer to sell, sell or import products for use in the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, amelioration or therapy of any (i) HIV Comorbidities
and (ii) any other diseases or conditions outside the HIV Field. The Company made an initial payment to SRI of $600,000 and agreed to
fund future HIV research conducted by the Licensors, as mutually agreed to by the parties. On September 10, 2021, pursuant to the ALC
License Agreement, the Company paid the initial payment of $600,000.
G-Tech and SRI are controlled
by Dr. Serhat Gümrükcü and Anderson Wittekind, shareholders of the Company.
Advisory Agreement with Avram Miller
On October 10, 2023, Avram Miller, a director,
entered into an advisory agreement with the Company (the “Advisory Agreement”), pursuant to which Mr. Miller will provide
advice to the Board and the Company on various matters including strategic opportunities, capital allocation, business development, minority
investments, licensing arrangements, among others. As compensation for these services, on October 23, 2023, the Company issued Mr. Miller
1,000,000 shares of restricted stock, 166,667 of which will vest in 2024, 444,444 will vest in 2025, and 388,889 will vest in 2026, subject
to Mr. Miller’s continued service through each applicable vesting date.
19
Compensation of Named Executive Officers
and Directors
For information regarding compensation of named
executive officers and directors, please see “Item 11. Executive Compensation.”
Except as otherwise indicated
herein, there have been no other related party transactions, or any other transactions or relationships required to be disclosed pursuant
to Item 404 and Item 407(a) of Regulation S-K.
Director Independence
The NASDAQ listing standards
provide that an independent director is one who the Board affirmatively determines is free of any relationship that would interfere with
that individual’s exercise of independent judgment. The Board has determined that Mr. Sapirstein, Mr. Alton, Dr. Brosgart, Ms.
McNicol, Ms. Boeren and Mr. Hendriks are each independent as defined in the listing standards of NASDAQ. In making such determinations,
the Board has concluded that none of these directors has an employment, business, family, or other relationship, which, in the opinion
of our Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The following information
sets forth fees billed to us by Sadler, Gibb & Associates, LLC (“Sadler”) during the years ended June 30, 2023, and June
30, 2022, for (i) services rendered for the audit of our annual financial statements and the review of our quarterly financial statements
(“Audit Fees”), (ii) services that were reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements
and that are not reported as Audit Fees (“Audit-Related Fees”), (iii) services rendered in connection with tax compliance,
tax advice and tax planning (“Tax Fees”), and (iv) services rendered by Sadler other than the foregoing (“Other Fees”).
Audit Fees
For the fiscal year ended
June 30, 2023, Sadler billed an aggregate of $170,000 in Audit Fees. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, Sadler billed an aggregate
of $656,749 in Audit Fees.
Audit-Related Fees
For the fiscal year ended
June 30, 2023, Sadler billed an aggregate of $1,500 in Audit-Related Fees. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, Sadler billed an
aggregate of $13,500 in Audit-Related Fees.
Tax and Other Fees
None.
20
Audit Committee’s Pre-Approval Process
The Audit Committee, which
has been in place since March 28, 2018, pre-approves all audit and permissible non-audit services on a case-by-case basis. In its review
of non-audit services, the Audit Committee considers whether the engagement could compromise the independence of our independent registered
public accounting firm, and whether it is in our best interests to engage our independent registered public accounting firm to perform
the services. The Audit Committee does not delegate its responsibilities to pre-approve services performed by our independent registered
public accounting firm to management. The Audit Committee may delegate, and has delegated, pre-approval authority to one or more of its
members. The member or members to whom such authority is delegated must report any pre-approval decisions to the Audit Committee at its
next scheduled meeting.
During the year ended June
30, 2023, all services performed by Sadler were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Exhibit No.
Description
Incorporated
by Reference
2.1
Stock
Purchase Agreement, dated as of September 28, 2023, by and among Renovaro Biosciences Inc., GEDi Cube Intl Ltd., Yalla Yalla Ltd.,
in its capacity as Sellers’ Representative, and the Sellers party thereto
Incorporated
by reference to exhibit 2.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 29, 2023
3.1
Certificate
of Incorporation, as amended
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on October 2, 2023.
3.2
Bylaws
Incorporated
herein by reference to exhibit to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 16, 2019.
4.1
Promissory
Note dated March 30, 2020 issued to Paseco ApS
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2020.
4.2
Amendment
No.2 to Promissory Note, dated May 17, 2022
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 27, 2023.
4.3
Amendment
No.3 to Promissory Note, effective December 30, 2022
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2023.
4.4
Amendment
No. 4 to Promissory Note, effective July 31, 2023
Incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 7, 2023
4.5
Description
of Securities
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on September 30, 2020.
4.6
Form
of Warrant
Incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 3, 2023
4.7
Form
of Warrant
Incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 7, 2023
21
4.8
Form
of 5% Original Issue Discount Convertible Promissory Note
Incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on October 10, 2023
10.1
Form
of License Agreement between Weird Science, LLC and Renovaro Biopharma, Inc.
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on January 17, 2018.
10.2
2019
Equity Incentive Plan
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on February 10, 2020.
10.3
Statement
of Work and License Agreement by and among G-Tech Bio, LLC, the Company and G Health Research Foundation
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 3, 2020.
10.4
Note
Purchase Agreement
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2020.
10.5
General
Office Lease by and between the Registrant and Century City Medical Plaza Land Co., Inc. dated June 19, 2018
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on June 25, 2018.
10.6
Offer
Letter from the Company to Luisa Puche, dated December 28, 2018
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on September 30, 2019.
10.7
Employment
Agreement, dated August 11, 2021, by and between the Company and Dr. Mark Dybul
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit to 10.1 the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K/A, filed with the SEC on August 16, 2021.
10.8
Amendment
to Employment Agreement between Mark Dybul, M.D. and the Company, dated December 12, 2022
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit to 10.1 the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on December 16, 2022.
10.9
Security
Agreement, effective December 30, 2022, by and between the Company and Paseco ApS
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 23, 2023.
10.10
Purchase
Agreement, dated June 20, 2023, by and between the Company and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 27, 2023
10.11
Registration
Rights Agreement, dated June 20, 2023, by and between the Company and Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC
Incorporated
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 27, 2023
22
10.12*
2023 Equity Incentive Plan
21.1*
Subsidiaries of the Registrant
31.1*
Certification of Chief Executive Officer
pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
31.2*
Certification of Chief Financial Officer
pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
32.1**
Certification of Principal Executive
Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
32.2**
Certification of Chief Financial Officer
pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) or Rule 15d-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
101.INS
XBRL Instance Document*
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema*
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase*
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase*
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase*
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase*
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted
as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101) *
*
Provided herewith.
**
Furnished herewith.
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
Not Applicable.
23
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: October 30, 2023
RENOVARO BIOSCIENCES INC.
By:
/s/ Mark Dybul
Mark Dybul
Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
By:
/s/ Luisa Puche
Luisa Puche
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
24
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.