Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures.
Evaluation
of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Under
the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, we conducted
an evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e)
and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act. Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that as of December 31, 2024, our disclosure
controls and procedures were effective.
Management’s
Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined
in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management
recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving
the desired control objectives, and management necessarily is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship
of possible controls. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our chief executive officer and chief
financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the framework
in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013 Framework) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway
Commission. Based on the evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of
December 31, 2024.
Changes
in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There
were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024 that have materially affected,
or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B.
Other Information.
None
of the Company’s directors or officers adopted , modified or terminated a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement or a non-Rule 10b5-1 trading
arrangement during the Company’s fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2024, as such terms are defined under Item 408(a) of Regulation
S-K.
Item 9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections.
Not
Applicable.
41
Part III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
The names of our directors and certain information
about each of them are set forth below.
Name
Age
Position(s) with the Company
Ronald Glibbery
63
Chief Executive Officer and Director
Daniel Lewis
75
Director
Ian McWalter(1)(2)
73
Director
Andreas Melder(1)(2)
66
Director
Robert Y. Newell(1)(2)
76
Director
(1)
Member of Audit Committee
(2)
Member of Compensation Committee
The principal occupations
and positions for at least the past five years of our directors are described below. There are no family relationships among any of our
directors or executive officers.
Ronald Glibbery. Mr.
Glibbery was appointed as our chief executive officer and to our board of directors in December 2021. He founded Peraso Technologies Inc.
(Peraso Tech) in 2008 and served as its chief executive officer. In June 2020, Peraso Tech applied for and obtained an order under the
Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (the CCAA), providing certain relief. Pursuant to the Initial Order issued by the Ontario Superior
Court of Justice (Commercial List) (the Court), Ernst & Young Inc. was appointed as the Monitor of Peraso Tech. In addition, the Monitor,
in its capacity as Foreign Representative, filed a voluntary petition in the United States under Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code,
seeking recognition of the CCAA proceeding. In October 2020, the Court granted an order authorizing the termination of Peraso Tech’s
CCAA proceedings upon the completion of certain defined steps. In December 2020, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District
of New York issued an Order that: (i) recognized and gave full force and effect in the United States to the Court’s order approving
the Settlement Agreement; and (ii) terminated the Chapter 15 Proceedings. Mr. Glibbery has over 25 years of experience in the semiconductor
industry. Prior to co-founding Peraso Tech, Mr. Glibbery held executive positions at Kleer Semiconductor, a fabless semiconductor company
focused on wireless audio technology and Intellon Corporation (Intellon), a pioneer and leader in the development of semiconductor devices
used for powerline communications. He has held other executive roles at Cogency Semiconductor, LSI Logic Canada, Inc. and LSI Logic Corporation.
Mr. Glibbery holds a B.E.Sc. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Western Ontario.
We believe that Mr. Glibbery’s
qualifications to serve on the board of directors include his service as an officer of ours and his extensive general management and technical
expertise in the semiconductor industry, as well as his experience as a chief executive officer.
Daniel Lewis. Mr. Lewis,
who is currently retired, has served as a member of the board of directors since September 2017. He served as our Vice President, General
Manager of Memory Products from April 2022 until his retirement in December 2022. Mr. Lewis previously served as our President from August
2018 until April 2022 and chief executive officer from August 2018 until the business combination with Peraso Tech in December 2021. Before
joining MoSys, Mr. Lewis served as the managing member and an owner of GMS Manufacturing Solution LLC, a firm focused on providing engineering
services to manufacturing companies. He previously held various executive and leadership roles at View Box Group, Xicor, Integrated Device
Technology, Accelerant Networks, Intel Corporation, Zilog and Digital Equipment Corporation. Mr. Lewis holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering
from the University of Michigan. We believe that Mr. Lewis’s qualifications to serve on the board of directors include his service
as an officer of ours and his extensive business experience, having held senior management positions at several companies in the semiconductor,
computer and networking industries, which brings strategic and operational insight to the board of directors.
42
Ian McWalter. Dr. McWalter, who is currently retired, was appointed to our board
of directors in December 2021. From 2006 to 2024, h e served as a member of the board of directors
for Evertz Technologies Limited, a TSX-listed manufacturer of video and audio infrastructure solutions for television, telecom and new-media
industries. From 2010 to 2023, Dr. McWalter served as chairman of the board of directors of GaN Systems, a developer of power semiconductors,
which was acquired by Infineon Technologies AG in 2023. Dr. McWalter served as the president and chief executive officer of CMC Microsystems
from 2007 until 2018. Prior to this role, Dr. McWalter was chief executive officer of Toumaz Technology. Before joining Toumaz, Dr. McWalter
spent 15 years at Gennum Corporation, including five years as president and chief executive officer from 2000 to 2005. Previously, he
held management and technical positions at Bell Northern Research Ltd., the research and development arm of Northern Telecom and Bell
Canada, and Plessey Semiconductors. Dr. McWalter was awarded a B.Sc. in physics and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Imperial
College of Science and Technology in London, England. We believe that Dr. McWalter’s qualifications to serve on the board of directors
include his extensive general management and technical expertise in the semiconductor industry, as well as his experience as a chief executive
officer and his experience serving as a director on public-company boards of directors.
Andreas Melder. Mr. Melder was appointed to our board of directors in December 2021.
He is a veteran technology executive in the semiconductor, communications and consumer electronics industries. In January 2022, Mr. Melder
co-founded Cercle.ai, an AI technology company focused on advancing healthcare for women,and currently serves on its board of directors.
Previously, he served as vice president of business development at Gigle Networks, which was acquired in 2011 by Broadcom, where he continued
to serve in executive marketing roles. Prior to Broadcom, Mr. Melder served as senior vice president of sales, marketing and business
development for Intellon, which was acquired by Atheros Communications, Inc., which was subsequently acquired by Qualcomm Inc. (Qualcomm),
and held similar positions with Atheros and Qualcomm. Previously, he was founder and vice president of marketing and business development
for Microtune, a designer of RF integrated circuits and subsystem modules, which was acquired by Zoran Semiconductor, and vice president
of sales and marketing for Tripath, an audio controller company acquired by Etelos. Additionally, Mr. Melder was a senior executive for
companies that were acquired by Broadcom, Cirrus Logic and RFMD. Mr. Melder earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering/Business from Carnegie-Mellon
University and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Operations Research from Southern Methodist University. We believe that Mr. Melder’s
qualifications to serve on the board of directors include his extensive business experience, having held senior management positions at
several companies in the semiconductor, computer and networking industries. Additionally, he brings additional operational, and fund-raising
expertise, and business development, mergers and acquisitions and public markets experience.
Robert Y. Newell. Mr.
Newell has served as a member of our board of directors since October 2018 and is currently a consultant and advisor to emerging technology
and healthcare companies. He has held financial management positions for companies in Silicon Valley for over 25 years. From 2003 to 2018,
Mr. Newell was chief financial officer of Dextera Surgical, Inc. (Dextera) a developer of advanced surgical stapling and medical devices.
In December 2017, after entering into an agreement to sell substantially all of its assets, Dextera filed a voluntary petition for reorganization
under Chapter 11 of Title 11 of the United States Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. He served on
the board of directors of ARI Network Services, a leading publicly traded supplier of SaaS and data as a service solutions. Previously,
Mr. Newell served as chief financial officer of Omnicell, an automated medication and hospital supply management company, and prior to
2000, he held executive positions with the Beta Group and Cardiometrics. Prior to his business career, he was a pilot in the United States
Air Force. Mr. Newell holds a B.A. in mathematics from the College of William & Mary and an MBA from Harvard Business School. We believe
that Mr. Newell’s qualifications to serve on the board of directors include his substantial financial and public-company experience,
as he has served as chief financial officer at multiple medical device and other technology companies. He also has previous experience
serving as a director on public-company boards of directors.
The names of our executive
officers and certain information about them are set forth either above or below, as the case may be:
Name
Age
Position(s) with the Company
Ronald Glibbery
63
Chief Executive Officer and Director
James Sullivan
56
Chief Financial Officer
Bradley Lynch
52
Chief Operating Officer
Mark Lunsford
67
Chief Revenue Officer
Alexander Tomkins
41
Chief Technology Officer
James Sullivan. Mr.
Sullivan has served as our chief financial officer since January 2008. From July 2006 until January 2008, Mr. Sullivan served as Vice
President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Apptera, Inc., a venture-backed company providing software for mobile advertising,
search and commerce. From July 2002 until June 2006, Mr. Sullivan was the chief financial officer at 8x8, Inc., a publicly-traded SAAS
provider of VoIP and unified communication solutions. Mr. Sullivan’s prior experience includes various positions at 8x8, Inc. and
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from New York University and is a certified public
accountant.
43
Bradley Lynch . Mr.
Lynch has served as chief operating officer since December 2021. He co-founded Peraso Tech in 2009 and served as executive vice president
of engineering and operations. In June 2020, Peraso Tech applied for and obtained an order under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement
Act (the CCAA), providing certain relief. Pursuant to the Initial Order issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List)
(the Court), Ernst & Young Inc. was appointed as the Monitor of Peraso Tech. In addition, the Monitor, in its capacity as Foreign
Representative, filed a voluntary petition in the United States under Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, seeking recognition of the
CCAA proceeding. In October 2020, the Court granted an order authorizing the termination of Peraso Tech’s CCAA proceedings upon
the completion of certain defined steps. In December 2020, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York issued
an Order that: (i) recognized and gave full force and effect in the United States to the Court’s order approving the Settlement
Agreement; and (ii) terminated the Chapter 15 Proceedings. Prior to founding Peraso Tech, Mr. Lynch worked as a system architect at Kleer
Semiconductor, a fabless company focused on wireless audio technology. Before Kleer, he was director of software engineering at Intellon
Corporation, a pioneer and leader in the development of semiconductor devices used for powerline communications. Previously, Mr. Lynch
held various technical roles at Cogency Semiconductor and Power Trunk. Mr. Lynch holds a B.A.Sc in Computer Engineering from the University
of Waterloo.
Mark Lunsford. Mr.
Lunsford was appointed as our chief revenue officer in October 2022. Prior to joining Peraso, Mr. Lunsford held numerous positions of
responsibility with companies in the semiconductor industry. From 1988 to 1999, he worked for Asia Pacific at Monolithic Memories, where
he served in multiple roles, including vice president of sales for the Americas and director of marketing. From 1999 to 2001, Mr. Lunsford
was the vice president of worldwide sales and director of business development at Pivotal Technologies. In 2001, and for a period of eight
years, he served as vice president of worldwide sales at Micrel Semiconductor. From 2009 to 2013, he worked at NXP, where he served as
vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas. In 2013, and for a period of six years, he served as the executive vice president
of worldwide sales at SiTime Inc., a provider of MEMS-based timing devices. From January 2019 until April 2020, he provided consulting
services for a range of high-technology businesses. Finally, he served as the vice president of global sales at Chasm Advanced Materials,
a provider of carbon nano tube based product solutions, from November 2020 until April 2022. Mr. Lunsford holds a degree in Mechanical
Engineering from the University of California at Davis.
Alexander Tomkins .
Mr. Tomkins has served as our chief technology officer since December 2021. He co-founded Peraso Tech in 2009 and served as its chief
technology officer. In June 2020, Peraso Tech applied for and obtained an order under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (the
CCAA), providing certain relief. Pursuant to the Initial Order issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List), Ernst
& Young Inc. was appointed as the Monitor of Peraso Tech. In addition, the Monitor, in its capacity as Foreign Representative, filed
a voluntary petition in the United States under Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, seeking recognition of the CCAA proceeding. In
October 2020, the Court granted an order authorizing the termination of Peraso Tech’s CCAA proceedings upon the completion of certain
defined steps. In December 2020, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York issued an Order that: (i) recognized
and gave full force and effect in the United States to the Court’s order approving the Settlement Agreement; and (ii) terminated
the Chapter 15 Proceedings. Mr. Tomkins holds a Masters of Applied Science from the University of Toronto and a B.S. in Engineering Physics
from Carleton University. He also attended the University of Toronto as a doctoral candidate in Applied Science.
Audit Committee
Our board of directors established
the Audit Committee for the purpose of overseeing the accounting and financial reporting processes and audits of our financial statements.
The Audit Committee also is charged with reviewing reports regarding violations of our code of ethics and complaints with respect thereto,
and internal control violations under our whistleblower policy are directed to the members of the Audit Committee. The responsibilities
of our Audit Committee are described in the Audit Committee Charter adopted by our board of directors, a current copy of which can be
found on the investors section of our website, www.perasoinc.com.
44
Ian McWalter, Andreas Melder
and Robert Y. Newell are the current members of the Audit Committee. All are independent, as determined in accordance with Rule 5605(a)(2)
of the Nasdaq listing rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act. Mr. Newell serves as the chair and has been designated by the board of
directors as the “audit committee financial expert,” as defined by Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act
and the Exchange Act. That status does not impose duties, liabilities or obligations that are greater than the duties, liabilities or
obligations otherwise imposed on him as a member of the Audit Committee and the board of directors, however. The Audit Committee has delegated
authority to Mr. Newell for review and pre-approval of services proposed to be provided by our independent registered public accounting
firm.
Compensation Committee
Ian McWalter, Andreas Melder
and Robert Y. Newell are the current members of the Compensation Committee, and Dr. McWalter serves as the chair. The Compensation Committee
is responsible for reviewing, recommending and approving our compensation policies and benefits, including the compensation of all of
our executive officers and directors. Our Compensation Committee also has the principal responsibility for the administration of our equity
plans. The responsibilities of our Compensation Committee are described in the Compensation Committee Charter adopted by our board of
directors, a current copy of which can be found on the investors section of our website, www.perasoinc.com.
Nominations Process
We do not have a nominating
committee, as we are a small company and currently only have five directors. Instead of having such a committee, historically, our board
of directors has appointed all of the independent directors on our board to search for and evaluate qualified individuals to become nominees
for director and board committee members. The independent directors recommend candidates for nomination for election or reelection at
each annual meeting of stockholders and, as necessary, to fill vacancies and newly created directorships, and evaluate candidates for
appointment to and removal from committees. The independent directors operate in this capacity under authority granted by resolution of
the board of directors, rather than by charter.
When new candidates for our
board of directors are sought, the independent directors evaluate each candidate for nomination as a director within the context of the
needs and the composition of the board of directors as a whole. The independent directors conduct any appropriate and necessary inquiries
into the backgrounds and qualifications of candidates. When evaluating director nominees, our board of directors generally seeks to identify
individuals with diverse, yet complementary business backgrounds. Although we have no formal policy regarding diversity, our directors
consider both the personal characteristics and experience of director nominees, including each nominee’s independence, diversity,
age, skills, expertise, time availability and industry background in the context of the needs of the board of directors and the Company.
The board of directors believes that director nominees should exhibit proven leadership capabilities and experience at a high level of
responsibility within their chosen fields and must have the experience and ability to analyze the complex business issues facing us, and
specifically, the issues inherent in the semiconductor industry. In addition to business expertise, the board of directors requires that
director nominees have the highest personal and professional ethics, integrity and values and, above all, are committed to representing
the long-term interests of our stockholders and other stakeholders. To date, we have not paid any fee to a third party to assist in the
process of identifying or evaluating director candidates. Our independent directors will consider candidates for nomination as director
who are recommended by a stockholder and will not evaluate any candidate for nomination for director differently because the candidate
was recommended by a stockholder. To date, we have not received or rejected any suggestions for a director candidate recommended by any
stockholder or group of stockholders owning more than 5% of our common stock. The recommendation must include the information specified
in our bylaws for stockholder nominees to be considered at an annual meeting, including the following:
●
The stockholder’s name and address and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is proposed;
●
The stockholder’s reason for making the nomination at the annual meeting, and the signed consent of the nominee to serve if elected;
45
●
The number of shares owned by, and any material interest of, the record owner and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the record owner is proposing the nominee;
●
A description of any arrangements or understandings between the stockholder, the nominee and any other person regarding the nomination; and
●
Information regarding the nominee that would be required to be included in our proxy statement by the rules of the SEC, including the nominee’s age, business experience for the past five years and any other directorships held by the nominee.
The information listed above
is not a complete list of the information required by our bylaws. The secretary will forward any timely recommendations containing the
required information to our independent directors for consideration.
Board of Directors Leadership Structure
Our bylaws provide the board
of directors with flexibility to combine or separate the positions of chair of the board of directors and chief executive officer in accordance
with its determination that utilizing one or the other structure is in the best interests of our company. Currently, the board of directors
has not appointed a chair or lead independent director. From time to time, each of the independent directors works with our chief executive
officer to perform a variety of functions related to our corporate governance, including coordinating activities of the board of directors,
setting the agenda for meetings (in consultation with our chief executive officer, as necessary or appropriate) and ensuring adequate
communication between the board of directors and management. Our Audit Committee oversees critical matters such as our relationship with
our auditors, our financial reporting practices, system of disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting.
Our Compensation Committee oversees our executive compensation program. Each of these committees consists entirely of independent directors.
Risk Oversight
The board of directors is
actively involved in the oversight of risks — including strategic, credit, liquidity, operational and other risks — which
could affect our business. The board of directors does not have a standing risk management committee and administers this oversight function
directly through the board of directors as a whole and through its committees, which oversee risks relevant to their respective functions.
For example, in addition to the oversight matters described in the preceding paragraph, the Audit Committee also assists the board of
directors in its risk oversight function by reviewing and discussing with management our compliance with accounting principles and the
treasury function, including management of our cash and investments. The Compensation Committee assists the board of directors in its
risk oversight function by considering risks relating to the design of our executive compensation programs and arrangements and employee
benefit plans. The full board of directors considers strategic risks and opportunities and receives reports from the committees regarding
risk oversight in their areas of responsibility as necessary. The board of directors and each committee administers its respective risk
oversight function by evaluating management’s monitoring, assessment and management of risks, including steps taken to limit our
exposure to known risks, through regular interaction with our senior management and in board and committee deliberations that are closed
to members of management. The interaction with management occurs not only at formal board and committee meetings but also periodically
through other written and oral communications.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider
Participation
During 2024, none of our executive
officers served as a member of the board of directors or Compensation Committee of any entity that had one or more of its executive officers
serving as a member of our board of directors or Compensation Committee. Dr. McWalter and Messrs. Melder and Newell, the members
of the Compensation Committee, were not officers or employees of ours during 2024 or at any other time.
46
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section 16(a) of the Exchange
Act requires our directors, executive officers and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities to file
with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of common stock and other equity securities of ours. Directors,
executive officers and greater than 10% holders are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) reports
they file. Based solely on our review of Forms 3 and 4 filed during 2024 (and any written representations to us by such persons), we believe
that all directors, executive officers and 10% stockholders complied with all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements during 2024,
except that Alexander Tomkins failed to timely file a Form 4 in June 2024 to report an open-market purchase of our common stock.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a code of
ethics that applies to all of our employees and directors. The code of ethics is designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote, among other
things, honest and ethical conduct, full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosures in reports and documents submitted to
the SEC and other public communications, compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations, the prompt internal reporting
of violations of the code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the code and accountability for adherence to such code.
The code of ethics is available
on our website, www.perasoinc.com. If we make any substantive amendments to the code of ethics or grant any waiver, including any implicit
waiver, from a provision of the code to our chief executive officer or chief financial officer, or persons performing similar functions,
where such amendment or waiver is required to be disclosed under applicable SEC rules, we intend to disclose the nature of such amendment
or waiver on our website.
Insider Trading Policy, Employee, Officer,
and Director Hedging
We have adopted an insider
trading policy that governs the purchase, sale, and other dispositions of our securities by directors, officers, employees and other covered
persons, which policy is reasonably designed to promote compliance with insider trading laws, rules and regulations, and the Nasdaq listing
standards applicable to us. As part of this policy, we prohibit all directors, officers or other employees from engaging in any short
sales of our securities, transactions in puts, calls or other derivative securities on an exchange or in any other organized market and
hedging transactions. A copy of our insider trading policy is filed as Exhibit 19.1 to this Annual Report.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Overview of Compensation Program
The Compensation Committee
of the board of directors has responsibility for establishing, implementing and monitoring adherence to our compensation philosophy. The
board of directors has delegated to the Compensation Committee the responsibility for determining our compensation policies and procedures
for senior management, including the named executive officers, periodically reviewing these policies and procedures, and making recommendations
concerning executive compensation to be considered by the full board of directors, when such approval is required under any of our plans
or policies or by applicable laws.
The compensation received by our named executive officers is set forth
in the Summary Compensation Table, below. For 2024, our named executive officers included Ronald Glibbery, our chief executive officer,
James Sullivan, our chief financial officer and secretary, Bradley Lynch, our chief operating officer, and Mark Lunsford, our chief revenue
officer.
Compensation Philosophy
In general, our executive
compensation policies are designed to recruit, retain and motivate qualified executives by providing them with a competitive total compensation
package based in large part on the executive’s contribution to our financial and operational success, the executive’s personal
performance and increases in stockholder value, as measured by the price of our common stock. We believe that the total compensation paid
to our executives should be fair, reasonable and competitive.
47
We seek to have a balanced
approach to executive compensation with each primary element of compensation (base salary, variable compensation and equity incentives)
designed to play a specific role. Overall, we design our compensation programs to allow for the recruitment, retention and motivation
of the key executives and high-level talent required in order for us to:
●
supply high-value and high-quality integrated circuit solutions to our current and prospective customer base;
●
achieve or exceed our annual financial plan and be profitable;
●
make continuous progression towards achieving our long-term strategic objectives to be a high-growth company with growing profitability; and
●
increase our share price to provide greater value to our stockholders.
Role of Executive Officers in Compensation
Decisions
The chief executive officer
(the “CEO”) makes recommendations for equity and non-equity compensation for executives to be approved by the Compensation
Committee. The Compensation Committee reviews these guidelines annually. The CEO annually reviews the performance of our executives (other
than himself) and presents his recommendations for proposed salary adjustments, bonuses and equity awards to the Compensation Committee
once a year. In its discretion, the Compensation Committee may accept, modify or reject the CEO’s recommendations. The Compensation
Committee evaluates the compensation of the CEO on its own without the participation or involvement of the CEO. Only the Compensation
Committee and the board of directors are authorized to approve the compensation for any named executive officer. Compensation of new executives
is based on hiring negotiations between the individuals and our CEO and/or Compensation Committee.
Elements of Compensation
Consistent with our compensation
philosophy and objectives, we offer executive compensation packages consisting of the following three components:
●
base salary;
●
annual incentive compensation; and
●
equity awards.
In each fiscal year, the Compensation
Committee determines the amount and relative weighting of each component for all executives, including the named executive officers. Base
salaries are paid in fixed amounts and thus do not encourage risk taking. Our widespread use of long-term compensation, consisting of
stock options and restricted stock units (the “RSUs”), focuses recipients on the achievement of our longer-term goals and
conserves cash for other operating expenses. For example, the RSUs granted to our executives generally vest in increments over 36 months,
while stock options granted to our executives generally vest over 36 months from the date of grant. The Compensation Committee does not
believe that these awards encourage unnecessary or excessive risk taking because the ultimate value of the awards is tied to our stock
price, and the use of multi-year vesting schedules helps to align our employees’ interests even more closely with those of our long-term
investors.
48
Base Salary
Because our compensation philosophy
stresses performance-based awards, base salary is intended to be a smaller portion of total executive compensation relative to long-term
equity. The Compensation Committee takes into account the executive’s scope of responsibility and significance to the execution
of our long-term strategy, past accomplishments, experience and personal performance and compares each executive’s base salary with
those of the other members of senior management. The Compensation Committee may give different weighting to each of these factors for
each executive, as it deems appropriate. The Compensation Committee did not retain a compensation consultant or determine a compensation
peer group for 2024.
There were no changes to the
annual base salaries of our executive officers in 2024.
Annual Incentive Compensation
There were no changes to the
incentive compensation targets for our named executive officers in 2024.
Equity Awards
Although we do not have a
mandated policy regarding the ownership of shares of common stock by officers and directors, we believe that granting equity awards to
executives and other key employees on an ongoing basis gives them a strong incentive to maximize stockholder value and aligns their interests
with those of our other stockholders on a long-term basis. Our Amended and Restated Peraso Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended
(the “2019 Plan”), which was approved by our stockholders and became effective in August 2019, enables us to grant equity
awards, as well as other types of stock-based compensation, to our executive officers and other employees. The Compensation Committee
reviews and approves all equity awards granted under the 2019 Plan to the named executive officers. We grant equity awards to achieve
retention and motivation:
●
upon the hiring of key executives and other personnel;
●
annually, when we review progress against corporate and personal goals; and
●
when we believe that competitive forces or economic conditions threaten to cause our key executives to lose their motivation and/or where retention of these key executives is in jeopardy.
With the Compensation Committee’s
approval, we grant equity awards to acquire shares of common stock when we initially hire executives and other employees, as a long-term
performance incentive. The Compensation Committee has determined the size of the initial equity awards to newly hired executives with
reference to equity awards held by existing executives, the percentage that such award represents of our total shares outstanding and
hiring negotiations with the individual. In addition, the Compensation Committee would consider other relevant information regarding the
size and type of compensation package considered necessary to enable us to recruit, retain and motivate the executive.
Typically, when we hire an executive, the equity awards vest over a
three-year period. The options granted to executives in connection with annual performance reviews typically vest monthly over a three-year
period, and RSUs granted typically vest over a period of three years, as the Compensation Committee may decide. As matters of policy and
practice, we grant stock options with an exercise price equal to fair market value, although the 2019 Plan allows us to use a different
exercise price. In determining fair market value, we use the closing price of the common stock on the Nasdaq on the grant date.
Historically, no executive
has been eligible for an annual performance grant until the employee has been employed for at least six months. Annual performance reviews
are generally conducted in the first half of each fiscal year. Our CEO conducts the performance review of all other executives, and he
makes his recommendations to the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee also reviews the CEO’s annual performance and
determines whether he should receive additional equity awards. Aside from equity award grants in connection with annual performance reviews,
we do not have a policy of granting additional awards to executives during the year. The board of directors and Compensation Committee
have not adopted a policy with respect to setting the dates of award grants relative to the timing of the release of material non-public
information. Our policy with respect to prohibiting insider trading restricts sales of shares during specified black-out periods, including
at all times that our insiders are considered to possess material non-public information.
49
In determining the size of
equity awards in connection with the annual performance reviews of our executives, the Compensation Committee takes into account the executive’s
current position with and responsibilities to us, and current and past equity awards to the executive.
During 2024, we did not grant
equity awards to any of our named executive officers.
Going forward, we intend to
continue to evaluate and consider equity grants to our executives on an annual basis. We expect to consider potential equity awards for
executives at the same time as we annually review our employees’ performance and determine whether to award grants for all employees.
Accounting and Tax Considerations
Our Compensation Committee
has reviewed the impact of tax and accounting treatment on the various components of our executive compensation program. Section 162(m)
of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the “Code”), generally disallows a tax deduction to publicly-held companies for
compensation paid to “covered” executive officers, to the extent that compensation paid to such an officer exceeds $1 million
during the taxable year. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act repealed the performance-based exception to the deduction limit for remuneration that
is deductible in tax years commencing after December 31, 2017. However, certain remuneration is specifically exempt from the deduction
limit under a transition rule to the extent that it is “performance-based,” as defined in Section 162(m) of the Code, and
subject to a “written binding contract” in effect as of November 2, 2017 that is not later modified in any material respect.
We endeavor to award compensation that will be deductible for income tax purposes, though other factors will also be considered. None
of the compensation paid to our covered executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2024 that would be taken into account for purposes
of Section 162(m) exceeded the $1 million limitation. Because of ambiguities and uncertainties as to the application and interpretation
of Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder, including the uncertain scope of the transition relief under the
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, no assurance can be given that compensation intended to satisfy the requirements for exemption from Section 162(m)
of the Code in fact will satisfy such requirements. Our Compensation Committee may authorize compensation payments that do not comply
with the exemptions to Section 162(m) when we believe that such payments are appropriate to attract and retain executive talent.
Say-on-Pay and Say-on-Frequency
We gave our stockholders an
opportunity to provide feedback on our executive compensation through an advisory vote at our 2023 annual stockholder meeting (the “2023
Meeting”), which was held on December 15, 2023. Stockholders were asked to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation paid
to our named executive officers. A majority of stockholders indicated approval of the compensation of the named executive officers, with
approximately 81% of the shares that voted on such matter voting in favor of the proposal. Additionally, at the 2023 Meeting, stockholders
were asked to approve, on an advisory basis, in favor of having a stockholder vote to approve the compensation of our named executive
officers every three years. A majority of stockholders indicated approval of having a stockholder vote to approve the compensation of
our named executive officers every three years, with approximately 71% of the shares that voted on such matter voting in favor of the
proposal. Based on these results and consistent with the previous recommendation and determination of our board of directors, we will
hold non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation every three years until the next vote on the frequency of the stockholder advisory
vote on executive compensation.
In light of the results of
the advisory vote, the Compensation Committee intends to continue to apply principles that were substantially similar to those applied
historically in determining compensation policies and decisions with respect to 2024 executive compensation.
50
SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
The following table sets forth compensation information
for fiscal years 2024 and 2023 for each of our named executive officers.
Name and principal position
Year
Salary
($)
Stock
Option
Awards
($)
Restricted
Stock
Awards
($)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
Total
($)
Ronald Glibbery
2024
400,000
—
—
—
400,000
Chief Executive Officer
2023
400,000
—
—
—
400,000
James Sullivan
2024
305,000
—
—
—
305,000
Chief Financial Officer
2023
305,000
—
—
—
305,000
Bradley Lynch
2024
275,000
—
—
—
275,000
Chief Operating Officer
2023
275,000
—
—
—
275,000
Mark Lunsford
2024
275,000
—
—
—
275,000
Chief Revenue Officer
2023
275,000
—
—
—
275,000
GRANTS OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS
We did not grant plan-based awards in 2024 to any
of our named executive officers.
OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR-END
The following table and accompanying
footnotes set forth information regarding the outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2024.
Option Awards
Stock Awards
Name
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Unexercisable
Equity
Incentive
Plan Awards:
Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Unearned
Options (#)
Option
Exercise
Price($)
Option
Expiration
Date(1)
Number of
Units That
Have Not
Vested (#)
Market
Value of
Units That
Have Not
Vested ($)
Ron Glibbery
453 (2)
—
—
103.60
12/29/2025
—
—
6,973 (2)
—
—
103.60
9/17/2030
—
—
2,740 (2)
—
—
103.60
12/16/2031
—
—
James Sullivan
8 (3)
—
—
16,400.00
3/30/2025
—
—
20 (4)
—
—
5,760.00
8/23/2026
—
—
138 (5)
—
—
156.80
2/6/2029
—
—
500 (6)
—
—
62.80
11/20/2029
—
—
Bradley Lynch
227 (2)
—
—
103.60
9/17/2030
—
—
4,365 (2)
—
—
103.60
9/17/2030
—
—
1,644 (2)
—
—
103.60
12/16/2031
—
—
Mark Lunsford
—
—
—
—
—
959 (7)
1,112 (8)
(1)
The standard option term is generally ten years, but all of the options expire automatically unless exercised within 90 days after the cessation of service as an employee, director or consultant.
(2)
The stock options were acquired on December 17, 2021 as consideration for the person’s securities of Peraso Technologies Inc., which we acquired by way of a reverse takeover.
(3)
The stock option was granted on March 30, 2015, and the shares subject to this option vested monthly over 48 months subject to continued service as an employee, director or consultant.
51
(4)
The stock option was granted on August 23, 2016, and the shares subject to this option vested monthly over 48 months subject to continued service as an employee, director or consultant.
(5)
The stock option was granted on February 6, 2019, and the shares subject to this option vested monthly over three years subject to continued service as an employee, director or consultant.
(6)
The stock option was granted on November 20, 2019, and the shares subject to this option vested monthly over three years subject to continued service as an employee, director or consultant.
(7) The restricted stock unit
award was granted on October 24, 2022, and the shares subject to this award vested one-third of the shares on October 15, 2023 and
the remaining two-thirds vest on each semi-annual anniversary over a two-year period from the one-year anniversary of October 15,
2023, subject to continued employment.
(8) The amount is calculated
using the Company’s closing price on the Nasdaq of $1.16 per share of common stock on December 31, 2024.
OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED
The following table sets forth
the number of shares acquired and aggregate dollar amount realized pursuant to the exercise of options and vesting of stock awards by
our named executive officers during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Name
Number of
Shares
Acquired on
Exercise(#)
Value
Realized on
Exercise($)
Number of
Shares
Acquired on
Vesting(#)
Value
Realized on
Vesting($)(1)
Ronald Glibbery
—
—
1,668
2,177
James Sullivan
—
—
834
1,088
Bradley Lynch
—
—
625
816
Mark Lunsford
—
—
958
1,356
(1)
The aggregate dollar value realized upon vesting represents the closing price of a share of common stock on the Nasdaq at the date of vesting, multiplied by the total number of shares vested.
Employment and Change-in-Control Arrangements and Agreements
Our Executive Change-in-Control
and Severance Policy (the “Policy”) provides benefits that are intended to encourage the continued dedication of our executive
officers and to mitigate potential disincentives to the consideration of a transaction that would result in a change in control, particularly
where the services of our named executive officers may not be required by a potential acquirer. The Policy provides for benefits for our
named executive officers in the event of a “Change-in-Control,” which is generally defined as:
●
an acquisition of 45% or more of our common stock or voting securities by any “person,” as defined under the Exchange Act; or
●
consummation of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or a merger, consolidation, reorganization or sale of all or substantially all of our assets (collectively, a “Business Combination”) other than a Business Combination in which (A) our stockholders receive 50% or more of the stock of the corporation resulting from the Business Combination and (B) at least a majority of the board of directors of such resulting corporation were our incumbent directors immediately prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, and (C) after which no individual, entity or group (excluding any corporation or other entity resulting from the Business Combination or any employee benefit plan of such corporation or of ours) who did not own 45% or more of the stock of the resulting corporation or other entity immediately before the Business Combination owns 45% or more of the stock of such resulting corporation or other entity.
Under the Policy, the following
compensation and benefits are to be provided to our chief executive officer upon the occurrence of a Change-in-Control, and in the case
of our other named executive officers, upon a Change-in-Control combined with a termination of the named executive officer’s employment
without cause, or due to disability or resignation for good reason (as defined in the Policy) in connection with the Change-in-Control
or within 24 months after it:
●
any base salary earned but not yet paid through the date of termination;
52
●
any annual or discretionary bonus earned but not yet paid to him for any calendar year prior to the year in which his termination occurs;
●
any compensation under any deferred compensation plan of ours or deferred compensation agreement with us then in effect;
●
a single lump sum payment equal to the sum of (a) one year of his or her then-current base salary plus (b) the average of his or her annual bonus payments in the preceding three years or such shorter time as he or she has been employed by us (with prorated weighting assigned to any bonus earned for a partial year of employment), which payment will be made within 60 days following the Change-in-Control (in the case of the chief executive officer), or 60 days following the date of employment termination (in the case of all other named executive officers).
●
vesting in 100% of all outstanding equity awards as of the date of the Change-in-Control for the chief executive officer, or as of the date of termination of employment for all other named executive officers;
●
reimbursement of any business expenses incurred by him through the date of termination but not yet paid;
●
reimbursement of the cost of continuation of medical benefits for a period of 12 months; and
●
outstanding equity awards that are structured as stock options, stock appreciation rights or similar awards shall be amended effective as of the date of termination to provide that such awards will remain outstanding and exercisable until the earlier of (a) 12 months following the date of the Change-in-Control for the chief executive officer, or the termination of employment for the other named executive officers, and (b) the expiration of the award’s initial term.
Under the Policy, “cause”
means the executive’s:
●
willful failure to attend to the executive’s duties that is not cured by the executive within 30 days of receiving written notice from the CEO (or, in the case of the CEO, from the board of directors) specifying such failure;
●
material breach of the executive’s then-current employment agreement (if any) that is not cured by the executive within 30 days of receiving written notice from the CEO (or, in the case of the CEO, from the board of directors) specifying such breach;
●
conviction of (or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to) any felony or any misdemeanor involving theft or embezzlement; or
●
misconduct resulting in material harm to our business or reputation, including fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation of funds or a material violation of the executive’s employment, confidential information, non-disclosure, invention assignment and arbitration agreement.
Under the Policy, “good
reason” means the occurrence of any of the following conditions without the executive’s consent, but only if such condition
is reported by the executive within 90 days of the executive’s knowledge of such condition and remains uncured 30 days
after written notice from the executive to the board of directors of said condition:
●
a material reduction in the executive’s then-current base salary or annual target bonus (expressed as a percentage of Executive’s then-current base salary), except for a reduction proportionate to reductions concurrently imposed on all other members of the Company’s executive management;
●
a material reduction in the executive’s then-current employee benefits package, taken as a whole, except for a reduction proportionate to reductions concurrently imposed on all other members of executive management;
53
●
a material reduction in the executive’s responsibilities with respect to our overall operations, such that continuity of responsibilities with respect to business operations existing prior to a corporate transaction will serve as a material reduction in responsibilities if such business operations represent only a subsidiary or business unit of the larger enterprise after the corporate transaction;
●
a material reduction in the responsibilities of the executive’s direct reports, including a requirement for the chief executive officer to report to another officer as opposed to our board of directors or a requirement for any other executive to report to any officer other than our chief executive officer;
●
a material breach by us of any material provision of the executive’s then-current employment agreement (if any);
●
a requirement that the executive relocate to a location more than 35 miles from the executive’s then-current office location, unless such office relocation results in the distance between the new office and Executive’s home being closer or equal to the distance between the prior office and the executive’s home;
●
a failure of a successor or transferee to assume our obligations under this Policy; or
●
a failure to nominate the executive for election as a board of directors director, if, at the proper time for nomination, the executive is a member of the board of directors.
Notwithstanding the above,
in lieu of the payments and benefits payable under the Policy to Mr. Glibbery as the Company’s chief executive officer, Mr. Glibbery
will receive change-in control payments and benefits in accordance with the terms and conditions of his employment agreement. The table
below summarizes the payments Mr. Glibbery would be entitled to depending on the respective type of termination of his employment.
Termination Type
Payments
and Benefits
Termination for Cause or Voluntary Resignation
(i)
accrued and unpaid base salary and any other payments required by law, including those in connection with accrued vacation; and
(ii)
reimbursement for business expenses.
Termination Without Cause, for Good Reason, upon Change of Control, Death or Disability
(i)
accrued and unpaid base salary and any other payments required by law including those in connection with accrued vacation;
(ii)
reimbursement for business expenses;
(iii)
the payment of the greater of (A) the sum of: (x) pay in lieu of notice of termination, in the amount required pursuant to the ESA (as defined in Mr. Glibbery’s employment agreement), and (y) statutory severance pay (if applicable) in the amount required to be provided pursuant to the ESA; or (B) twenty-four (24) months of base salary in lieu of notice, calculated solely by reference to the base salary except and only to the extent as otherwise minimally required by the ESA, to be paid in the form of a lump sum;
(iv)
any bonus awarded but not yet paid in respect of the fiscal year preceding the termination date;
(v)
bonus for the year in which the employment terminates, prorated pursuant to the employment agreement;
(vi)
all benefits (as existed on the date notice of termination is provided) for the duration of the Severance Period (as defined in the employment agreement);
(vii)
any unvested equity and equity-related compensation that has been issued pursuant to the Plan will be immediately accelerated and vested as of the termination date;
(viii)
any vested equity and equity-related compensation that has been issued under the Plan will remain exercisable until 24 months following such termination; and
(ix)
any other benefits and/or perquisites shall continue until the end of the ESA Notice Period (as defined in the employment agreement).
54
The information below describes the severance benefits payable to (i) Mr. Glibbery
under his employment agreement and (ii) Messrs. Sullivan, Lynch and Lunsford under the Policy, as if such arrangements had been
in effect and a Change-in-Control occurred on December 31, 2024, and the employment of each of our named executive officers was terminated
without cause immediately following the Change-in-Control.
Name
Base Salary($)(1)
Incentive Plans($)(2)
Continuation of Benefits($)(3)
Stock Option Vesting($)(4)
Stock Award Vesting($)(5)
Total($)
Ronald Glibbery
800,000
300,000
11,840
—
—
1,111,840
James Sullivan
305,000
183,000
13,941
—
—
501,941
Bradley Lynch
275,000
137,500
5,920
—
—
418,420
Mark Lunsford
275,000
10,000
—
—
1,112
286,112
(1)
Represents cash severance payments based on the executive’s salary
at December 31, 2024, in an amount equal to two years of base salary for Mr. Glibbery and one year of base salary for each of Messrs.
Sullivan, Lynch and Lunsford.
(2)
For Mr. Glibbery, the amount represents payment of his annual target
bonus amount. For Messrs. Sullivan and Lynch, the amounts represent each executive’s salary times 60% and 50%, respectively. For
Mr. Lunsford, the amount represents the average of his annual performance incentive payments in the preceding three years.
(3)
Represents the aggregate amount of all premiums payable for the continuation of the executive’s health benefits for one or two years, as applicable, based on the amounts of such premiums at December 31, 2024.
(4)
The value is calculated as the intrinsic value per share, multiplied by the number of shares that would become fully vested upon the Change-in-Control. The intrinsic value per share would be calculated as the excess of the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq of $1.16 on December 31, 2024 over the exercise price of the option. If the value is less than zero, it is deemed to be zero for the purposes of these calculations.
(5)
The value is calculated as the intrinsic value per share, multiplied by the number of shares that would become fully vested upon the Change-in-Control. The intrinsic value per share is considered as the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq of $1.16 on December 31, 2024.
If a Change-in-Control occurred
on December 31, 2024, under the Policy, the following numbers of option and award shares would have vested immediately as a result of
acceleration on December 31, 2024:
Name
Number of Accelerated Option and Award Shares
Ronald Glibbery
680
James Sullivan
—
Bradley Lynch
414
Mark Lunsford
959
Employment Agreements
In addition to the agreements
containing the Change-in-Control provisions summarized above, we have entered into our standard form of employment, confidential information,
invention assignment and arbitration agreement with each of the named executive officers.
We also have entered into
agreements to indemnify our current and former directors and certain executive officers, in addition to the indemnification provided for
in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. These agreements, among other things, provide for indemnification of our directors and
certain executive officers for many expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by any
such person in any action or proceeding, including any action by or in the right of the Company, arising out of such person’s services
as a director or executive officer of the Company, any subsidiary of the Company or any other company or enterprise to which the person
provided services at our request.
55
Director Compensation
The following table summarizes
the compensation earned by our non-employee directors in the year ended December 31, 2024:
Name
Fee
Compensation
($)
Restricted Stock
Awards
($)(1)
All Other
Compensation ($)
Total
($)
Robert Y. Newell
45,000
775
—
45,775
Ian McWalter
44,000
775
—
44,775
Andreas Melder
40,000
775
—
40,775
Daniel Lewis
35,000
775
—
35,775
(1)
Messrs. Newell, McWalter, Melder and Lewis were
each granted 500 restricted stock units on February 27, 2024. Award amounts reflect the aggregate grant date fair value as determined
pursuant to FASB ASC Topic 718. For these restricted stock unit awards, the fair value is equal to the underlying value of the stock and
is calculated using the closing price of our common stock on the award date. The actual value realized by a non-employee director related
to restricted stock unit awards will depend on the market value of our common stock on the date the underlying stock is sold following
vesting of the awards.
Director Fee Compensation
As a small company, it can
be challenging for us to attract new non-employee directors. Nasdaq and SEC regulations require that a majority of the directors on our
board of directors and its committees be independent, non-employee directors, as defined by each entity. In December 2021, we amended
our director compensation structure and adopted our Outside Director Compensation Plan (the “Director Plan”). Under the Director
Plan, we pay the following annual cash retainer fees, payable in quarterly installments, to our non-employee directors for their service
on our board of directors and, as applicable, for service on committees of our board of directors:
●
$35,000 for service on the board of directors;
●
$8,000 for service as chairperson of the Audit Committee;
●
$3,000 for service as a member of the Audit Committee;
●
$6,000 for service as chairperson of the Compensation Committee; and
●
$2,000 for service as a member of the Compensation Committee.
Director Equity Compensation
Under the Director Plan, upon
initial appointment to our board of directors, each non-employee director will receive a stock option with a value of $100,000, calculated
by dividing the $100,000 by the closing trading price of our common stock on the date of grant. The initial stock option will have an
exercise price equal to the closing price of our common stock on the date of grant and will vest as to one-third of the shares on the
first annual anniversary of the grant and the remaining shares quarterly over the subsequent two years, provided the non-employee director
continues to serve on the board of directors. In the event of a merger, sale of substantially all of our assets or similar transaction,
vesting of all director options would accelerate as to 100% of the unvested shares subject to the award.
56
Non-employee directors will
also receive an annual equity award of restricted stock units of common stock equal to $50,000 of value per non-employee director. The
restricted stock unit award will be made upon initial appointment to our board of directors and then subsequently at the first scheduled
meeting of the board of directors following our annual meeting of stockholders. The number of restricted stock units will be calculated
by dividing $50,000 by the closing trading price of our common stock on the date of the award, provided, however, that such annual equity
award for each non-employee director cannot exceed 500 shares per year in accordance with the 2019 Plan. The restricted stock unit award
will vest in full on the earlier to occur of the next annual meeting of stockholders or the one-year anniversary of the award. All equity
awards granted under the Director Plan will be made from the 2019 Plan.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management
and Related Stockholder Matters.
The table below sets forth
certain information as of March 1, 2025 concerning the ownership of our common stock by:
●
each stockholder known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock (currently our only class of voting securities);
●
each of our directors;
●
each of our executive officers; and
●
all directors and executive officers as a group.
Beneficial ownership is determined
in accordance with Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act and includes all shares over which the beneficial owner exercises voting or investment
power. Shares that are issuable upon the exercise of options, warrants and other rights to acquire common stock that are presently exercisable
or exercisable within 60 days of March 1, 2025 are reflected in a separate column in the table below. These shares are taken into account
in the calculation of the total number of shares beneficially owned by a particular holder and the total number of shares outstanding
for the purpose of calculating percentage ownership of the particular holder. We have relied on information supplied by our officers,
directors and certain stockholders and on information contained in filings with the SEC. Except as otherwise indicated, and subject to
community property laws where applicable, we believe, based on information provided by these persons, that the persons named in the table
have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock shown as beneficially owned by them. The percentage of
beneficial ownership is based on 4,902,103 shares of our common stock and exchangeable shares outstanding as of March 1, 2025.
Unless otherwise stated, the
business address of each of our directors and executive officers listed in the table is 2033 Gateway Place, Suite 500, San Jose, California
95110.
57
Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership
Name and Principal Position
Number of Shares Beneficially Owned (Excluding Outstanding Options)(1)
Number of Shares Issuable on Exercise of Outstanding Options or Convertible Securities(2)
Percent of Class
Iroquois Capital Management, LLC
- (3)
544,072 (3)
9.99 %
Ionic Ventures, LLC
- (4)
544,072 (4)
9.99 %
Directors and Officers:
Ronald Glibbery
4,308
15,213
*
Daniel Lewis
3,792
1,875
*
Robert Y. Newell
3,447
494
*
Ian McWalter
104,497
494
2.1 %
Andreas Melder
1,351
494
*
James Sullivan
1,893
6,223
*
Bradley Lynch
1,573
11,480
*
Alexander Tomkins
6,083
11,395
*
Mark Lunsford
1,217
6,514
*
All current directors and executive officers as a group (9 persons)
128,161
54,182
3.7 %
*
Represents holdings of less than one percent.
(1)
Excludes shares subject to outstanding options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to acquire common stock that are exercisable within 60 days of March 1, 2025.
(2)
Represents the number of shares subject to outstanding options, restricted stock units, convertible securities or other rights to acquire common stock that are exercisable within 60 days of March 1, 2025.
(3)
Based on information reported on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 14, 2025 by Iroquois Capital Management LLC (“Iroquois Capital”), Richard Abbe and Kimberly Page. The filing reflects that (i) Iroquois Capital, Mr. Abbe and Ms. Page share voting and dispositive power over 619,041 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants that are directly held by Iroquois Master Fund Ltd. (“Iroquois Master Fund”), and (ii) Mr. Abbe has sole voting and dispositive power over 1,761,910 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants directly held by Iroquois Capital Investment Group LLC (“ICIG”). The table above excludes 1,836,879 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants because the warrants are subject to a 9.99% beneficial ownership blocker. Mr. Abbe shares authority and responsibility for the investments made on behalf of Iroquois Master Fund with Ms. Kimberly Page, each of whom is a director of the Iroquois Master Fund. As such, Mr. Abbe and Ms. Page may each be deemed to be the beneficial owner of all shares of common stock held by and underlying the warrants held by, Iroquois Master Fund. Iroquois Capital is the investment advisor for Iroquois Master Fund and Mr. Abbe is the President of Iroquois Capital. Mr. Abbe has the sole authority and responsibility for the investments made on behalf of ICIG. As such, Mr. Abbe may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of all shares of common stock held by and underlying the warrants held by, Iroquois Master Fund and ICIG. The principal business address for Iroquois Capital, Mr. Abbe and Ms. Page is 2 Overhill Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
(4)
Based on information available to the Company and information reported on a Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on November 14, 2024 by Ionic Ventures, LLC (“Ionic”), Ionic Management, LLC (“Ionic Management”), Brendan O’Neil and Keith Coulston, which each report shared voting and dispositive power with respect to the shares. The table above excludes 408,308 shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of Series A warrants because the warrants are subject to a 9.99% beneficial ownership blocker. Ionic has the power to dispose of and the power to vote the shares beneficially owned by it, which power may be exercised by its manager, Ionic Management. Each of the managers of Ionic Management, Mr. O’Neil and Mr. Coulston, has shared power to vote and/or dispose of the shares beneficially owned by Ionic and Ionic Management. The principal business address of Ionic, Ionic Management, Mr. O’Neil and Mr. Coulston is 3053 Fillmore St, Suite 256, San Francisco, CA 94123.
58
Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table provides
information as of December 31, 2024 regarding equity compensation plans approved by our security holders. As of December 31, 2024, we
had no awards outstanding under equity compensation plans that have not been approved by our security holders.
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 (excluding
Securities reflected
in Column (a))(1)
(a)
(b)
(c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
32,709
(2)
$ 130.14
1,544,181
(1)
Consists of shares of common stock available for future issuance under the 2019 Plan.
(2)
Consists of 921 shares of common stock subject to outstanding equity awards under the 2010 Plan, 5,906 shares of common stock subject to outstanding equity awards under the 2019 Plan and 25,882 of common stock subject to outstanding options assumed by us in connection with the business combination with Peraso Technologies Inc. that was completed in December 2021.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director
Independence.
Related Party Transactions
Below we describe any transactions
to which we have been a participant, in which the amount involved in the transaction exceeds or will exceed the lesser of $120,000 or
one percent of the average of our total assets at year end for each of the last two completed fiscal years and in which any of our directors,
director nominees, executive officers, or holders of more than 5% of our capital stock, or any immediate family member of, or person sharing
the household with, any of these individuals, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest since January 1, 2023.
A family member of one of
our executive officers is employed by us. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we paid approximately $113,800 and $111,400,
respectively, to the employee.
Policies and Procedures for Review and Approval
of Related Party Transactions
Pursuant to its charter,
our Audit Committee has the responsibility to review and approve any transactions with a related party. In considering whether to approve
any such transaction, the Audit Committee considers such factors as it deems appropriate, and generally focuses on whether the terms of
the transaction are at least as favorable to us as terms we would receive on an arm’s-length basis from an unaffiliated third party
and whether any such transaction might impair the independence of a director or present a conflict of interest for a director or executive
officer. Each of the transactions described above that was required to be reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee in accordance with
its charter was so reviewed and approved.
Director Independence
Our board of directors has
determined that each of the current directors, with the exception of Daniel Lewis and Ronald Glibbery, is “independent,” as
defined by the listing rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market, or Nasdaq, and the rules and regulations of the SEC. Our board of directors has
standing Audit and Compensation Committees, each of which is comprised solely of independent directors in accordance with the Nasdaq listing
rules. No director qualifies as independent unless the board of directors affirmatively determines that he has no direct or indirect relationship
with us that would impair his independence. We independently review the relationship of the Company to any entity employing a director
or on whose board of directors he is serving currently.
59
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
Weinberg & Co., P.A. (“Weinberg”)
was our independent registered public accounting firm for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. The following table shows the fees
billed (in thousands of dollars) to us by Weinberg for the financial statement audits and other services provided for fiscal 2024 and
2023.
2024
2023
Audit Fees(1)
$ 205
$ 224
Audit-Related Fees(2)
94
12
Total(3)
$ 299
$ 236
(1)
Audit fees consisted of fees for professional services rendered for the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements, review of our quarterly financial statements and services normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings.
(2)
Audit-related fees consisted of fees related to
the issuance of SEC registration statements and sales of our
securities under registration statements.
(3)
Weinberg did not provide any non-audit or other services other than those reported under “Audit Fees” and “Audit-Related Fees.”
The Audit Committee meets
with our independent registered public accounting firm at least four times a year. At such times, the Audit Committee reviews both audit
and non-audit services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm, as well as the fees charged for such services.
The Audit Committee is responsible for pre-approving all auditing services and non-auditing services (other than non-audit services falling
within the de minimis exception set forth in Section 10A(i)(1)(B) of the Exchange Act and non-audit services that independent auditors
are prohibited from providing to us) in accordance with the following guidelines: (1) pre-approval policies and procedures must be detailed
as to the particular services provided; (2) the Audit Committee must be informed about each service; and (3) the Audit Committee may delegate
pre-approval authority to one or more of its members, who shall report to the full committee, but shall not delegate its pre-approval
authority to management. Among other things, the Audit Committee examines the effect that performance of non-audit services may have upon
the independence of the auditors.
60
Part
IV
Item 15.
Exhibits.
(a) (1)
Consolidated Financial Statements:
The
following documents are filed as part of this Report:
Consolidated
Financial Statements and Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, all of which are set forth on pages F-1 through F-34
of this Report.
(2)
Financial Statement Schedules:
Financial
statement schedules are omitted because they are not required, not applicable or because the required information is shown in the consolidated
financial statements or notes thereto.
(3)
Exhibits:
Required
exhibits are incorporated by reference or are filed with this Report.
Reference
Exhibit
No.
Exhibit
Description
Form
File
No.
Form
Exhibit
Filing
Date
Filed
or
Furnished
Herewith
2.1**
Arrangement Agreement with Peraso Technologies Inc.
8-K
000-32929
2.1
September
15, 2021
2.2
First Amending Agreement dated October 21, 2021
8-K
000-32929
2.1
October
22, 2021
3.1
Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company
8-K
000-32929
3.6
November
12, 2010
3.1.1
Certificate of Amendment to Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company
8-K
000-32929
3.1
February
14, 2017
3.1.2
Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on August 27, 2019
8-K
000-32929
3.1
August
27, 2019
3.1.3
Certificate of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (Name Change)
8-K
000-32929
3.1
December
20, 2021
3.1.4
Certificate of Designation of Series A Special Voting Preferred Stock
8-K
000-32929
3.2
December
20, 2021
3.1.5
Certificate of Amendment to Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 15, 2023
8-K
000-32929
3.1
December
19, 2023
3.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company
8-K
000-32929
3.1
November
23, 2021
4.1
Specimen Common Stock Certificate
S-1/A
333-43122
4.1
September
14, 2000
4.2
Description of the Registrant’s Securities
X
4.3*
Amended and Restated Peraso Inc. 2010 Equity Incentive Plan
S-8
333-229728
4.8
February
15, 2019
4.4*
Peraso Inc. Amended and Restated 2019 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended
S-8
333-285241
4.4
February
26, 2025
4.5*
Form of Agreement for Stock Option Grant pursuant to the Peraso Inc. Amended and Restated 2010 Equity Incentive Plan
S-8
333-168358
4.10
July
28, 2010
4.6*
Form of Notice of Grant of Stock Option Award and Agreement pursuant to the Peraso Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan
S-8
333-234675
4.10
November
13, 2019
4.7*
Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock Unit Award and Agreement under the Peraso Inc. 2019 Stock Incentive Plan
S-8
333-234675
4.13
November
13, 2019
4.8*
Amended Peraso Technologies Inc. 2009 Share Option Plan
S-8
333-262062
4.5
January
7, 2022
4.9
Form of Common Stock Purchase Warrant
8-K
000-32929
4.2
November
30, 2022
4.10
Form of Purchase Warrant
8-K
000-32929
4.2
June
2, 2023
4.11
Form of Placement Agent Warrant
8-K
000-32929
4.3
June
2, 2023
4.12
Form of Series A Warrant
S-1/A
333-276247
4.15
February
5, 2024
4.13
Form of Series B Warrant
S-1/A
333-276247
4.16
February
5, 2024
4.14
Form of Pre-Funded Warrant
S-1
333-276247
4.16
January
23, 2024
4.15
Form of Representative Warrant
S-1/A
333-276247
4.17
January
23, 2024
4.16
Form of Series C Warrant
8-K
000-32929
4.1
November
5, 2024
61
4.17
Form of Series D Warrant
8-K
000-32929
4.2
November
5, 2024
4.18
Form of Placement Agent Warrant
8-K
000-32929
4.3
November
5, 2024
10.1*
Employment Offer Letter Agreement between the Company and James Sullivan dated December 21, 2007
10-K
000-32929
10.26
March
17, 2008
10.2*
Change-in-control Agreement between the Company and James Sullivan dated January 18, 2008
10-K
000-32929
10.27
March
17, 2008
10.3*
Form of New Employee Inducement Grant Stock Option Agreement (revised February 2012)
10-K
000-32929
10.19
March
15, 2012
10.4
Form of Indemnification Agreement used from June 2012 to present
10-Q
000-32929
10.22
August
9, 2012
10.5*
Executive Change-in-Control and Severance Policy
SC
TO-I
005-78033
99.(D)(7)
July
26, 2016
10.6
Intercompany Services Agreement
8-K
000-32929
10.2
December
20, 2021
10.7*
Employment Agreement (Ronald Glibbery)
8-K
000-32929
10.3
December
20, 2021
10.8*
Employment offer letter agreement between the Company and Mark Lunsford dated October 4, 2022
10-K
000-32929
10.17
March
29, 2023
10.9*
Employment Agreement (Brad Lynch)
10-K
000-32929
10.18
March
29, 2023
10.10*
Employment Agreement (Alexander Tomkins)
10-K
000-32929
10.19
March
29, 2023
10.11*
Amendment to offer of employment between the Company and James Sullivan dated April 15, 2022
10-Q
000-32929
10.2
August
15, 2022
10.12*
Amendment to employment agreement between Peraso Technologies Inc. and Brad Lynch dated April 15, 2022
10-Q
000-32929
10.3
August
15, 2022
10.13*
Amendment to offer of employment between the Company and Alex Tomkins dated April 19, 2023
S-1
333-272729
10.21
June
16, 2023
10.14*
Amendment to offer of employment between the Company and Ronald Glibbery dated April 19, 2023
S-1
333-272729
10.22
June
16, 2023
10.15*
Second Amendment to offer of employment between the Company and Brad Lynch dated April 19, 2023
S-1
333-272729
10.23
June
16, 2023
10.16*
Technology License and Patent Assignment Agreement By and Between Intel Corporation and the Company dated August 5, 2022
10-Q
000-32929
10.1
November
14, 2022
10.17**
Form of Securities Purchase Agreement
8-K
000-32929
10.1
November
30, 2022
10.18**
Form of Registration Rights Agreement
8-K
000-32929
10.2
November
30, 2022
10.19
Form of Securities Purchase Agreement
8-K
000-32929
10.1
June
2, 2023
10.20**
Form of Registration Rights Agreement
8-K
000-32929
10.2
June
2, 2023
10.21
First Amendment to Executive Change-in-Control and Severance Policy
10-Q
000-32929
10.23
May
13, 2021
10.22*
Amendment No. 1 to Peraso Inc. Common Stock Purchase Warrant
8-K
000-32929
10.3
June
2, 2023
10.23
Underwriting Agreement, dated February 6, 2024, by and between the Company and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.
8-K
000-32929
1.1
February
9, 2024
10.24
Form of Lock-Up Agreement
S-1
333-276247
10.30
January
23, 2024
10.25
Warrant Agency Agreement, dated February 8, 2024, by and between the Company and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC
8-K
000-32929
10.2
February
9, 2024
62
10.26
Stock Purchase Agreement dated as of June 11, 2024
8-K
000-32929
10.1
June
13, 2024
10.27
Amendment to the Warrant Agency Agreement dated February 8, 2024 by and between Peraso Inc. and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, as Warrant Agent, dated August 6, 2024
8-K
000-32929
10.1
August
7, 2024
10.28
At The Market Offering Agreement, dated August 30, 2024, by and between Peraso Inc. and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.
8-K
000-32929
10.1
August
30, 2024
10.29
Amendment #2 to the Warrant Agency Agreement dated February 8, 2024 by and between Peraso Inc. and Equiniti Trust Company, LLC, as Warrant Agent, dated October 3, 2024
8-K
000-32929
10.1
October
4, 2024
10.30
Form of Inducement Letter
8-K
000-32929
10.1
November
5, 2024
19.1
Insider Trading Policy
X
21.1
List of Subsidiaries
10-K
000-32929
21.1
March
29, 2023
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm-Weinberg & Co., P.A.
X
24.1
Power of Attorney (see signature page)
X
31.1
Rule 13a-14 Certification
X
31.2
Rule 13a-14 Certification
X
32
Section 1350 Certification
X
97.1
Company Clawback Policy
10-K
000-32929
97.1
March
29, 2024
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance
Document
X
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy
Extension Schema Document
X
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy
Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
X
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy
Extension Definition Linkbase Document
X
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy
Extension Labels Linkbase Document
X
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy
Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
X
104
Cover Page Interactive
Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
X
*
Management
contract, compensatory plan or arrangement.
**
Certain
schedules, exhibits and similar attachments have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Company hereby undertakes
to furnish copies of such omitted materials supplementally upon request by the SEC.
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
Not
applicable.
63
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,
on the 28th day of March 2025.
PERASO
INC.
By:
/s/
Ronald Glibbery
Ronald
Glibbery
Chief
Executive Officer
POWER
OF ATTORNEY
KNOW
ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Ronald Glibbery and James Sullivan
as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits
thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact
and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith,
as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in- fact
and agents, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
Date
/s/
Ronald Glibbery
Chief
Executive Officer and Director
March
28, 2025
Ronald
Glibbery
(principal
executive officer)
/s/
James Sullivan
Chief
Financial Officer
James
Sullivan
(principal
financial and accounting officer)
March
28, 2025
/s/
Daniel Lewis
Director
March 28, 2025
Daniel
Lewis
/s/
Ian McWalter
Director
March
28, 2025
Ian
McWalter
/s/
Andreas Melder
Director
March
28, 2025
Andreas
Melder
/s/
Robert Y. Newell
Director
March
28, 2025
Robert
Y. Newell
64
PERASO
INC.
INDEX
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID 572 ) F-2
Consolidated Balance Sheets F-4
Consolidated Statements of Operations F-5
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity F-6
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows F-7
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements F-8 - F-34
F- 1
Report
of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Board
of Directors and Stockholders
Peraso
Inc.
San
Jose, California
Opinion
on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We
have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Peraso Inc. (the “Company”) and subsidiaries as of December
31, 2024 and 2023, the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for the years ended
December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company
and its subsidiaries as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the years then ended , in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Going
Concern
The
accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note
1 to the financial statements, during the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company incurred a net loss and utilized cash in operations.
These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans to
alleviate these conditions are also described in Note 1. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from
the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis
for Opinion
These
consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion
on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company
in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
and the PCAOB.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part
of our audit we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing
an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our
audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether
due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence
regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles
used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
F- 2
Critical
Audit Matters
The
critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated
or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial
statements and (2) involved especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does
not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical
audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Issuance
of warrants during the period
As
described in Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements, during the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company issued certain pre-funded
warrants and common stock warrants in various financing transactions. The warrants were evaluated under both ASC 815, Derivatives and
Hedging (“ASC 815”) and ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (“ASC 480”), to determine whether such
instruments should be classified within equity or as liabilities.
We
identified the accounting for the issuance of the Pre-Funded Warrants and Common Stock Warrants as a critical audit matter because of
the complexity in applying the accounting framework and the significant judgements made by management in the determination of the classification
of these instruments. This required especially challenging and complex auditor’s judgment due to the nature and extent of the effort
required to address these matters, including the extent of specialized skills and knowledge needed.
The
primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included:
● Inspecting
the agreements related to the Pre-Funded and Common Stock Warrants to identify relevant terms
and conditions that affect whether the warrants required liability accounting treatment.
● Obtaining
and assessing the Company’s technical accounting analysis to evaluate whether the Company
had considered those key terms and conditions and whether management’s conclusions
related to the accounting treatment of these warrants were reasonable.
● Utilizing
personnel with specialized knowledge and skill in the relevant technical accounting guidance
to evaluate the appropriateness of the Company’s application of the relevant technical
accounting guidance in determining whether the Pre-Funded and Common Stock Warrants require
liability accounting treatment.
We
have served as the Company’s auditor since 2020.
/s/
Weinberg & Company
Los
Angeles, California
March 28, 2025
F- 3
PART I—FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
Item 1.
Financial Statements
PERASO INC.
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(In
thousands, except par value)
December 31,
2024
2023
ASSETS
Current
assets
Cash
and cash equivalents
$ 3,344
$ 1,583
Accounts
receivable, net
682
731
Inventories,
net
2,079
2,606
Prepaid
expenses and other
188
620
Total
current assets
6,293
5,540
Property
and equipment, net
512
1,156
Right-of-use
lease assets
267
615
Intangible
assets, net
13
3,280
Other
121
123
Total
assets
$ 7,206
$ 10,714
LIABILITIES
AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current
liabilities
Accounts
payable
$ 1,036
$ 2,448
Accrued
expenses and other
1,987
611
Deferred
revenue
341
1,105
Short-term
lease liabilities
139
370
Total
current liabilities
3,503
4,534
Long-term
lease liabilities
182
349
Warrant
liabilities
55
1,748
Total
liabilities
3,740
6,631
Commitments
and contingencies (Note 5)
Stockholders’
equity
Preferred stock, $ 0.01 par value; 20,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding
—
—
Series A, special voting preferred stock, $ 0.01 par value; one share authorized, issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023
—
—
Common stock, $ 0.001 par value; 120,000 shares authorized; 4,474 shares and 673 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively
3
1
Exchangeable shares, no par value; unlimited shares authorized; 60 shares and 95 shares outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively
—
—
Issuable shares, 917 shares at December 31, 2024
1,193
—
Additional
paid-in capital
179,390
170,474
Accumulated
deficit
( 177,120 )
( 166,392 )
Total
stockholders’ equity
3,466
4,083
Total
liabilities and stockholders’ equity
$ 7,206
$ 10,714
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 4
PERASO
INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In
thousands, except per share data)
Year
Ended
December 31,
2024
2023
Net
revenue
Product
$ 14,248
$ 12,853
Royalty
and other
325
896
Total
net revenue
14,573
13,749
Cost
of net revenue
7,040
11,877
Gross
profit
7,533
1,872
Operating
expenses
Research
and development
9,232
14,398
Selling,
general and administrative
8,673
8,505
Severance
and software license obligations
2,063
—
Gain
on license and asset sale
—
( 406 )
Total
operating expenses
19,968
22,497
Loss
from operations
( 12,435 )
( 20,625 )
Interest
expense
( 10 )
( 21 )
Change
in fair value of warrant liabilities
1,693
3,493
Other
income, net
24
358
Net
loss
$ ( 10,728 )
$ ( 16,795 )
Net
loss per share
Basic
and diluted
$ ( 3.57 )
$ ( 26.00 )
Shares
used in computing net loss per share
Basic
and diluted
3,002
646
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 5
PERASO INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
( In
thousands )
Series
A Special
Voting
Additional
Accumulated
Other
Total
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Issuable
Shares
Exchangeable
Shares
Paid-In
Comprehensive
Accumulated
Stockholders’
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Shares
Amount
Capital
Loss
Deficit
Equity
Balance
as of December 31, 2022
—
$ —
357
$ —
—
$ —
228
$ —
$ 164,879
$ ( 25 )
$ ( 149,597 )
$ 15,257
Exchange
of exchangeable shares
—
—
133
1
—
—
( 133 )
—
( 1 )
—
—
—
Issuance
of common stock under stock plans, net of taxes paid related to net share settlements of restricted stock units
—
—
12
—
—
—
—
—
( 49 )
—
—
( 49 )
Sale
of common stock and warrants
—
—
56
—
—
—
—
—
3,548
—
—
3,548
Issuance
of common stock upon exercise of warrants
—
—
115
—
—
—
—
—
46
—
—
46
Initial
recognition of fair value of warrant liability
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 3,162 )
—
—
( 3,162 )
Unrealized
gain on available-for-sale securities
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
25
—
25
Stock-based
compensation
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
5,213
—
—
5,213
Net
loss
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 16,795 )
( 16,795 )
Balance
as of December 31, 2023
—
—
673
1
—
—
95
—
170,474
—
( 166,392 )
4,083
Shares
issued for reverse stock split
—
—
51
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Exchange
of exchangeable shares
—
—
35
—
—
—
( 35 )
—
—
—
—
—
Issuance
of common stock under stock plans, net of taxes paid related to net share settlements of restricted stock units
—
—
7
—
—
—
—
—
( 6 )
—
—
( 6 )
Sale
of common stock and warrants, net
—
—
562
—
—
—
—
—
3,431
—
—
3,431
Issuance
of common stock and warrants from warrant inducement offering, net
—
—
1,329
—
917
1,193
—
—
1,389
—
—
2,582
Sale
of common stock
—
—
100
—
—
—
—
—
127
—
—
127
Issuance
of common stock upon exercise of pre-funded warrants
—
—
1,425
2
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2
At-the
market sales of stock, net
—
—
252
—
—
—
—
—
333
—
—
333
Shares
issued for services
—
—
40
—
—
—
—
—
54
—
—
54
Stock-based
compensation
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
3,588
—
—
3,588
Net
loss
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 10,728 )
( 10,728 )
Balance
as of December 31, 2024
—
$ —
4,474
$ 3
917
$ 1,193
60
$ —
$ 179,390
$ —
$ ( 177,120 )
$ 3,466
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 6
PERASO INC.
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In
thousands)
Year
Ended
December 31,
2024
2023
Cash
flows from operating activities:
Net
loss
$ ( 10,728 )
$ ( 16,795 )
Adjustments
to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation
and amortization
3,911
3,811
Stock-based
compensation
3,588
5,213
Change
in fair value of warrant liabilities
( 1,693 )
( 3,493 )
Inventory
write-down
359
3,558
Shares
issued for services
54
—
Allowance
for bad debt
( 2 )
( 154 )
Accrued
interest on debt obligation
( 10 )
( 22 )
Impairment
of intangible assets and property and equipment
—
349
Other
3
3
Changes
in assets and liabilities
Accounts
receivable
51
2,667
Inventories
168
( 816 )
Prepaid
expenses and other assets
432
595
Accounts
payable
( 1,412 )
604
Right-of-use
assets
348
670
Lease
liabilities - operating
( 260 )
( 447 )
Accrued
expenses and other
1,376
( 1,206 )
Deferred
revenue
( 764 )
773
Net
cash used in operating activities
( 4,579 )
( 4,690 )
Cash
flows from investing activities:
Purchases
of property and equipment
—
( 94 )
Proceeds
from maturities of marketable securities
—
1,100
Net
cash provided by investing activities
—
1,006
Cash
flows from financing activities:
Proceeds
from at-the-market sales of stock, net
333
—
Proceeds
from warrant inducement, net
2,582
—
Proceeds
from sale of common stock and warrants, net
3,559
3,595
Repayment
of financing lease
( 128 )
( 107 )
Taxes
paid to net share settle equity awards
( 6 )
( 49 )
Net
cash provided by financing activities
6,340
3,439
Net
decrease in cash and cash equivalents
1,761
( 245 )
Cash
and cash equivalents at beginning of year
1,583
1,828
Cash
and cash equivalents at end of year
$ 3,344
$ 1,583
Supplemental
disclosure:
Noncash
investing and financing activities:
Initial
recognition of warrant liability
$ —
$ 3,162
Recognition
of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities
$ —
$ 138
Unrealized
loss on available-for-sale securities
$ —
$ ( 26 )
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 7
PERASO INC.
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1.
The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Peraso
Inc., formerly known as MoSys, Inc. (the Company), was incorporated in
California in 1991 and reincorporated in 2000 in Delaware. The Company is a fabless semiconductor company specializing in the development
of millimeter wave (mmWave), which is generally described as the frequency band from 24 Gigahertz (GHz) to 300GHz, wireless technology.
The Company derives revenue from selling its semiconductor devices and modules and performance of non-recurring engineering services.
The Company also manufactures and sells high-performance memory semiconductor devices for a wide range of markets and receives royalties
from licensees of its memory technology.
On
September 14, 2021, the Company and its subsidiaries, 2864552 Ontario Inc. (Callco) and 2864555 Ontario Inc. (Canco), entered into an
Arrangement Agreement (the Arrangement Agreement) with Peraso Technologies Inc. (Peraso Tech), a corporation existing under the laws
of the province of Ontario, to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Peraso Tech (the Peraso Shares), including
those Peraso Shares to be issued in connection with the conversion or exchange of secured convertible debentures and common share purchase
warrants of Peraso Tech, as applicable, by way of a statutory plan of arrangement (the Arrangement) under the Business Corporations Act
(Ontario). On December 17, 2021, following the satisfaction of the closing
conditions set forth in the Arrangement Agreement, the Arrangement was completed and , the
Company changed its name to “Peraso Inc.” and began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market (the Nasdaq) under the symbol “PRSO.”
Liquidity
and Going Concern
The
Company incurred net losses of approximately $ 10.7 million and $ 16.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively,
and had an accumulated deficit of approximately $ 177.1 million as of December 31, 2024. These and prior year losses have resulted in
significant negative cash flows and have required the Company to raise substantial amounts of additional capital. To date, the Company
has primarily financed its operations through multiple offerings of common stock and issuance of convertible notes and loans to investors
and affiliates. As disclosed in Note 9, in February 2024, the Company completed a public offering of its common stock and warrants for
net proceeds of $ 3.4 million, and, in November 2024, the Company entered into a warrant inducement offering for net proceeds of approximately
$ 2.6 million.
The
Company expects to continue to incur operating losses for the foreseeable future as it secures additional customers and continues to
invest in the commercialization of its products. The Company will need to increase revenues substantially beyond levels that it has attained
in the past in order to generate sustainable operating profit and sufficient cash flows to continue doing business without raising additional
capital from time to time. As a result of the Company’s expected operating losses and cash burn for the foreseeable future, as
well as recurring losses from operations, if the Company is unable to raise sufficient capital through additional debt or equity arrangements,
there will be uncertainty regarding the Company’s ability to maintain liquidity sufficient to operate its business effectively,
which raises substantial doubt as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year from the date of issuance
of these consolidated financial statements. These consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result
from this uncertainty. There can be no assurance that such additional capital, whether in the form of debt or equity financing, will
be sufficient or available and, if available, that such capital will be offered on terms and conditions acceptable to the Company. The
Company’s primary focus is producing and selling its products. If the Company is unsuccessful in these efforts, it will need to
implement additional cost reduction strategies, which could further affect its near- and long-term business plan. These efforts may include,
but are not limited to, reducing headcount and curtailing business activities.
F- 8
Basis
of Presentation
The
consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany
transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31 of each calendar
year. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current-period presentation. These reclassifications
had no effect on the reported results of operations or cash flows.
Reverse
Stock Split
On
December 15, 2023, the Company filed a certificate of amendment to its amended and restated certificate of incorporation with the Secretary
of State of the State of Delaware to effect a 1-for-40 reverse stock split of the Company’s shares of common stock. Further, on
January 2, 2024, Canco filed a certificate of amendment to its amended and restated certificate of incorporation under the Ontario Business
Corporations Act to effect a 1-for-40 reverse stock split of the outstanding exchangeable shares. Such amendments and ratio were previously
approved by the Company’s stockholders and board of directors.
As
a result of the reverse stock split, which was effective for trading purposes on January 3, 2024, every 40 shares of the Company’s
pre-reverse split outstanding common stock and exchangeable shares were combined and reclassified into one share of common stock. Proportionate
voting rights and other rights of holders of common stock and exchangeable shares were not affected by the reverse stock split. Any fractional
shares of common stock and exchangeable shares resulting from the reverse stock split were rounded up to the nearest whole share. All
stock options and restricted stock units outstanding and common stock reserved for issuance under the Company’s equity incentive
plans and warrants outstanding immediately prior to the reverse stock split were adjusted by dividing the number of affected shares of
common stock by 40 and, as applicable, multiplying the exercise price by 40, as a result of the reverse stock split. All share and per-share
amounts in these consolidated financial statements have been restated to reflect the reverse stock split as if it had occurred at the
beginning of the earliest period presented.
Risks
and Uncertainties
The
Company is subject to risks from, among other things, competition associated with the industry in general, other risks associated with
financing, liquidity requirements, rapidly changing customer requirements, limited operating history and the volatility of public markets.
Use
of Estimates
The
preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported
amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the
reported amounts of revenues and expenses recognized during the reported period. Material estimates may include assumptions made in determining
reserves for uncollectible receivables, inventory write-downs, impairment of long-term assets, purchase price allocations, valuation
allowance on deferred tax assets, accruals for potential liabilities and assumptions made in valuing equity instruments and warrant liabilities.
Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash
Equivalents and Investments
The
Company has invested its excess cash in money market accounts, certificates of deposit, corporate debt, government-sponsored enterprise
bonds and municipal bonds and considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less
to be cash equivalents. Investments with original maturities greater than three months and remaining maturities less than one year are
classified as short-term investments. Investments with remaining maturities greater than one year are classified as long-term investments.
Management generally determines the appropriate classification of securities at the time of purchase. All securities are classified as
available-for-sale. The Company’s available-for-sale short-term and long-term investments are carried at fair value, with the unrealized
holding gains and losses reported in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). Realized gains and losses and declines in the value
judged to be other-than-temporary are included in the other income, net line item in the consolidated statements of operations. The cost
of securities sold is based on the specific identification method.
F- 9
Fair
Value Measurements
The
Company measures the fair value of financial instruments using a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques
used to measure fair value into three broad levels:
Level 1
—Inputs used to measure fair value are unadjusted quoted prices that are available in active markets for the identical assets or
liabilities as of the reporting date.
Level 2
—Pricing is provided by third party sources of market information obtained through the Company’s investment advisors, rather
than models. The Company does not adjust for, or apply, any additional assumptions or estimates to the pricing information it receives
from advisors. The Company’s Level 2 securities include cash equivalents and available-for-sale securities, which consisted
primarily of certificates of deposit, corporate debt, and government agency and municipal debt securities from issuers with high-quality
credit ratings. The Company’s investment advisors obtain pricing data from independent sources, such as Standard & Poor’s,
Bloomberg and Interactive Data Corporation, and rely on comparable pricing of other securities because the Level 2 securities are
not actively traded and have fewer observable transactions. The Company considers this the most reliable information available for the
valuation of the securities.
Level 3
—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and reflect the use of significant management judgment
are used to measure fair value. These values are generally determined using pricing models for which the assumptions utilize management’s
estimates of market participant assumptions. The determination of fair value for Level 3 investments and other financial instruments
involves the most management judgment and subjectivity.
The
carrying amounts of financial assets and liabilities, such as cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and other
payables, approximate their fair values because of the short maturity of these instruments. The carrying values of lease obligations
and long-term financing obligations approximate their fair values because interest rates on these obligations are based on prevailing
market interest rates. The Company measures the fair value of its warrant liabilities using Level 3 inputs.
Derivatives
and Liability-Classified Instruments
The
Company accounts for common stock warrants as either equity-classified or liability-classified instruments based on an assessment of
the specific terms of the warrants and the guidance provided by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in ASC 480 , Distinguishing
Liabilities from Equity (ASC 480) and ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging (ASC 815) . The assessment considers whether the warrants
are freestanding financial instruments pursuant to ASC 480, meet the definition of a liability pursuant to ASC 480, and meet all of the
requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, including whether the warrants are indexed to the Company’s own stock and
whether the holders of the warrants could potentially require net cash settlement in a circumstance outside of the Company’s control,
among other conditions for equity classification. This assessment, which requires the use of professional judgment, is conducted at the
time of warrant issuance and as of each subsequent quarterly period end date while the warrants are outstanding.
Allowance
for Doubtful Accounts
The
Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts to ensure that its trade receivables balances are not overstated due to uncollectibility.
The Company performs ongoing customer credit evaluations within the context of the industry in which it operates and generally does not
require collateral from its customers. A specific allowance of up to 100% of the invoice value is provided for any problematic customer
balances. Delinquent account balances are written off after management has determined that the likelihood of collection is remote. The
Company grants credit only to customers deemed creditworthy in the judgment of management.
F- 10
Inventories
The
Company values its inventories at the lower of cost, which approximates actual cost on a first-in, first-out basis, or net realizable
value. Costs of inventories primarily consisted of material and third party assembly costs. The Company records write-downs for estimated
obsolescence or unmarketable inventories based upon assumptions about future demand and market conditions. If actual market conditions
are less favorable than those expected by management, additional adjustments to inventory valuation may be required. Charges for obsolete
and slow-moving inventories are recorded based upon an analysis of specific identification of obsolete inventory items and quantification
of slow moving inventory items. The Company recorded write-downs of inventory of approximately $ 359,000 and $ 3,558,000 during the years
ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Property
and Equipment
Property
and equipment are originally recorded at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives
of the assets, generally three to six years . Depreciation is recorded in cost of sales and operating expenses in the consolidated statements
of operations. Leasehold improvements and assets acquired through capital leases are amortized over the shorter of their estimated useful
life or the lease term, and related amortization is recorded in operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
Intangible
and Long-lived Assets
Intangible
assets are recorded at cost and amortized on a straight-line method over their estimated useful lives of three to ten years . Amortization
of developed technology and other intangibles directly related to the Company’s products is included in cost of net revenue, while
amortization of customer relationships and other intangibles not associated with the Company’s products is included in selling,
general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
The
Company regularly reviews the carrying value and estimated lives of its long-lived assets and finite-lived intangible assets to determine
whether indicators of impairment may exist which warrant adjustments to carrying values or estimated useful lives. The determinants used
for this evaluation include management’s estimate of the asset’s ability to generate positive income from operations and
positive cash flow in future periods as well as the strategic significance of the assets to the Company’s business objective. Should
an impairment exist, the impairment loss would be measured based on the excess of the carrying amount of the long-lived asset group over
the asset’s fair value.
F- 11
Purchased Intangible Assets
Intangible assets acquired
in business combinations are accounted for based on the fair value of assets purchased and are amortized over the period in which economic
benefit is estimated to be received. Intangible assets subject to amortization, including those acquired in business combinations were
as follows (amounts in thousands):
December 31, 2024
Gross
Net
Carrying
Accumulated
Other
Carrying
Amount
Amortization
Impairment
Amount
Developed technology
$ 5,726
$ ( 5,726 )
$ —
$ —
Customer relationships
2,556
( 2,556 )
—
—
Other
186
( 67 )
( 106 )
13
Total
$ 8,468
$ ( 8,349 )
$ ( 106 )
$ 13
December 31, 2023
Gross
Net
Carrying
Accumulated
Other
Carrying
Amount
Amortization
Impairment
Amount
Developed technology
$ 5,726
$ ( 3,471 )
$ —
$ 2,255
Customer relationships
2,556
( 1,550 )
—
1,006
Other
186
( 61 )
( 106 )
19
Total
$ 8,468
$ ( 5,082 )
$ ( 106 )
$ 3,280
Developed technology primarily
consisted of MoSys’ products that had reached technological feasibility and primarily related to its memory semiconductor products
and technology. The value of the developed technology was determined by discounting estimated net future cash flows of these products.
Amortization related to developed technology of $ 2.3 million and $ 2.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively,
was included in cost of net revenue in the consolidated statements of operations.
Customer relationships relate
to the Company’s ability to sell existing and future versions of its products to MoSys’ customers existing at the time of
the arrangement. The fair value of the customer relationships was determined by discounting estimated net future cash flows from the customer
relationships. Amortization related to customer relationships of $ 1.0 million and $ 0.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and
2023, respectively, was included in selling, general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations.
During 2023, the Company revised
the remaining estimated life for its developed technology and customer relationship intangible assets to 18 months as a result of the
end-of-life of its memory products (see Note 14).
Other amortization expense
was approximately $ 6,000 and $ 28,000 for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
As of December 31, 2024, estimated
future amortization expense related to intangible assets is expected to be (in thousands):
Year ending December 31,
2025
$ 6
2026
6
2027
1
$ 13
Leases
ASC 842, Leases (ASC
842), requires an entity to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with terms longer than 12 months.
The Company adopted ASC 842 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method. The Company elected the practical expedient afforded
in ASC 842 in which the Company did not reassess whether any contracts that existed prior to adoption have or contain leases or the classification
of its existing leases.
F- 12
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue
in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and its amendments (ASC 606). As described below, the
analysis of contracts under ASC 606 supports the recognition of revenue at a point in time, resulting in revenue recognition timing that
is materially consistent with the Company’s historical practice of recognizing product revenue when title and risk of loss pass
to the customer.
The Company generates revenue
primarily from sales of integrated circuits and module products, performance of engineering services and licensing of its intellectual
property. Revenues are recognized when control is transferred to customers in amounts that reflect the consideration the Company expects
to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods. Revenue recognition is evaluated through the following five steps: (i) identification
of the contract, or contracts, with a customer; (ii) identification of the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determination
of the transaction price; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognition
of revenue when or as a performance obligation is satisfied.
Product revenue
Revenue is recognized when
performance obligations under the terms of a contract with a customer are satisfied. The majority of the Company’s contracts have
a single performance obligation to transfer products. Accordingly, the Company recognizes revenue when title and risk of loss have been
transferred to the customer, generally at the time of shipment of products. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company
expects to receive in exchange for transferring products and is generally based upon a negotiated, formula, list or fixed price. The Company
sells its products both directly to customers and through distributors generally under agreements with payment terms typically 60 days
or less.
The Company may record an
estimated allowance, at the time of shipment, for future returns and other charges against revenue consistent with the terms of sale.
Royalty and other
The Company’s licensing
contracts typically provide for royalties based on the licensee’s use of the Company’s memory technology in its currently
shipping commercial products. The Company estimates its royalty revenue in the calendar quarter in which the licensee uses the licensed
technology. Payments are received in the subsequent quarter. The Company also generates revenue from licensing its technology. The Company
recognizes license fees as revenue at the point of time when the control of the license has been transferred and the Company has no continuing
performance obligations to the customer.
Engineering services revenue
Engineering and development
contracts with customers generally contain a single performance obligation that is delivered over time. Revenue is recognized using an
output method that is consistent with the satisfaction of the performance obligation as a measure of progress.
Deferred cost of net revenue
During the year ended December
31, 2022, the Company had $ 1.1 million of product shipments for which the revenue recognition criteria under ASC 606 had not been met.
Accordingly, the cost of net revenue of approximately $ 0.6 million associated with these shipments was deferred and presented as deferred
cost of net revenue in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2022. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company
recognized the associated revenue and cost of net revenue.
F- 13
Contract liabilities – deferred
revenue
The Company’s contract
liabilities consist of advance customer payments and deferred revenue. The Company classifies advance customer payments and deferred revenue
as current or non-current based on the timing of when the Company expects to recognize revenue. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, contract
liabilities were in a current position and included in deferred revenue.
During the year ended December
31, 2024, the Company recognized approximately $ 1,040,000 of revenue that had been included in deferred revenue as of December 31, 2023.
See Note 7 for disaggregation
of revenue by geography.
The Company does not have
significant financing components, as payments from customers are typically due within 60 days of invoicing, and the Company has elected
the practical expedient to not value financing components that are less than one year. Shipping and handling costs are generally incurred
by the customer, and, therefore, are not recorded as revenue.
Cost of Net Revenue
Cost of net revenue consists
primarily of direct and indirect costs of product sales, including amortization of intangible assets and depreciation of production-related
fixed assets.
Advertising Costs
Advertising costs are expensed
as incurred. Advertising costs were not significant for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Research and Development
Engineering costs are recorded
as research and development expense in the period incurred.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company periodically issues
stock options and restricted stock awards to employees and non-employees. The Company accounts for such grants based on ASC No. 718, whereby
the value of the award is measured on the date of grant and recognized as compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting
period. The fair value of the Company’s stock options is estimated using the Black-Scholes-Merton Option Pricing (Black Scholes)
model, which uses certain assumptions related to risk-free interest rates, expected volatility, expected life of the options, and future
dividends. Compensation expense is recorded based upon the value derived from the Black Scholes model. The assumptions used in the Black
Scholes model could materially affect compensation expense recorded in future periods. The fair value of restricted stock awards, restricted
stock units, and performance-based restricted stock units is based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date
of grant.
Foreign Currency Transactions
The functional currency of
the Company is the U.S. dollar. All foreign currency transactions are initially measured and recorded in an entity’s functional
currency using the exchange rate on the date of the transaction. All monetary assets and liabilities are remeasured at the end of each
reporting period using the exchange rate at that date. All non-monetary assets and related expense, depreciation or amortization are not
subsequently remeasured and are measured using the historical exchange rate. An average exchange rate may be used to recognize income
and expense items earned or incurred evenly over a period. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions
are recognized in the statement of operations, except for the gains and losses arising from the conversion of the carrying amount of the
foreign currency denominated convertible preferred shares into the functional currency that are presented as adjustment to the net loss
to arrive at net loss attributable to common stockholders.
F- 14
Per-Share Amounts
Basic net loss per share is
computed by dividing net loss for the period by the weighted-average number of exchangeable shares and shares of common stock outstanding
during the period. Diluted net loss per share gives effect to all potentially dilutive exchangeable and common shares outstanding during
the period. Potentially dilutive common shares consist of incremental exchangeable shares and shares of common stock issuable upon the
achievement of escrow terms, exercise of stock options, vesting of stock awards and exercise of warrants.
The following table sets forth
securities outstanding that were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share as their inclusion would be anti-dilutive
(in thousands):
December 31,
2024
2023
Escrow shares - exchangeable shares
33
33
Escrow shares - common stock
13
13
Options to purchase common stock
30
36
Unvested restricted common stock units
3
15
Warrants classified as equity
8,770
—
Warrants classified as liabilities
235
242
Total
9,084
339
Income Taxes
The Company determines deferred
tax assets and liabilities based upon the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of the Company’s assets and
liabilities using tax rates in effect for the year in which the Company expects the differences to affect taxable income. A valuation
allowance is established for any deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets
will not be realized.
The Company files U.S. federal
and state and foreign income tax returns in jurisdictions with varying statutes of limitations. The 2018 through 2023 tax years generally
remain subject to examination by U.S. federal and state tax authorities, and the 2020 through 2023 tax years generally remain subject
to examination by foreign tax authorities.
At December 31, 2024, the
Company did not have any material unrecognized tax benefits nor expect its unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly over the
next 12 months. The Company recognizes interest related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense and penalties related to unrecognized
tax benefits as other income and expense. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company did not recognize any interest
or penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits.
Comprehensive loss
Comprehensive loss represents
the changes in equity of an enterprise, other than those resulting from stockholder transactions. Accordingly, comprehensive loss may
include certain changes in equity that are excluded from net loss. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company’s
comprehensive loss was the same as its net loss.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In November
2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment
Disclosures , which requires disclosure of incremental segment information on an annual and interim basis. ASU No. 2023-07 is effective
for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, and it
requires retrospective application to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company adopted ASU 2023-07 as of December
31, 2024. The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, but it
has resulted in additional disclosures within the footnotes to the consolidated financial statements (see Note 7).
F- 15
In December
2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures , which expands disclosures
in an entity’s income tax rate reconciliation table and disclosures regarding cash taxes paid both in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions.
The update will be effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU No.
2023-09 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In November
2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income – Expense Disaggregation Disclosures
(Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses . The new standard requires disclosures about specific types of expenses
included in the expense captions presented on the face of the income statement as well as disclosures about selling expenses. The standard
is effective for the Company for annual periods beginning January 1, 2027 and interim periods beginning January 1, 2028, with early adoption
permitted. The standard may be applied either prospectively to financial statements issued for reporting periods after the effective date
or retrospectively to any or all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is evaluating the impact that this ASU
will have on the presentation of its consolidated financial statements.
Other recent
authoritative guidance issued by the FASB (including technical corrections to the ASCs), the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants,
and the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) did not, or is not expected to, have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated
financial statements and related disclosures.
Note 2: Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The following table represents
the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2024 and 2023 and
the basis for that measurement (in thousands):
December 31, 2024
Fair Value
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Assets:
Money market funds (1)
$ 1
$ —
$ —
$ —
Liabilities:
Warrant liability
$ 55
$ —
$ —
$ 55
December 31, 2023
Fair Value
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Assets:
Money market funds (1)
$ 1
$ —
$ —
$ —
Liabilities:
Warrant liability
$ 1,748
$ —
$ —
$ 1,748
(1) Included
in cash and cash equivalents
F- 16
The following table represents the Company’s
determination of fair value for its financial assets (cash equivalents and investments) (in thousands):
December 31, 2024
Unrealized
Unrealized
Fair
Cost
Gains
Losses
Value
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 3,344
$ —
$ —
$ 3,344
December 31, 2023
Unrealized
Unrealized
Fair
Cost
Gains
Losses
Value
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 1,583
$ —
$ —
$ 1,583
Note 3. Balance Sheet Detail
December 31,
2024
2023
(in thousands)
Inventories:
Raw materials
$ 627
$ 209
Work-in-process
473
1,517
Finished goods
979
880
$ 2,079
$ 2,606
Prepaid expenses and other:
Prepaid inventory and production costs
$ 9
$ 452
Prepaid insurance
41
37
Prepaid software
39
67
Other
99
64
$ 188
$ 620
Property and equipment, net:
Machinery and equipment
$ 4,848
$ 4,848
Computer equipment and software
377
377
Furniture and fixtures
93
93
Leasehold improvements
428
428
Total property and equipment
5,746
5,746
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization
( 5,234 )
( 4,590 )
$ 512
$ 1,156
F- 17
During the year ended December
31, 2023, the Company wrote off assets with a book value of approximately $ 243,000 to depreciation expense as a loss on disposal. The
net book value of assets written off was allocated between cost of net revenue of $ 116,000 and the remaining book value of $ 127,000 was
charged to operating expenses.
December 31,
2024
2023
(in thousands)
Accrued Expenses & Other:
Accrued wages and employee benefits
$ 457
$ 405
Professional fees, legal and consulting
223
158
Software license obligations
1,118
—
Severance benefits
118
—
Warranty accrual
34
37
Other
37
11
$ 1,987
$ 611
Note 4. Severance and Software License Obligations
In November 2023, the Company
implemented an employee lay-off and terminated certain consulting positions (the Reductions) to reduce operating expenses and cash burn,
as the Company prioritized business activities and projects that it believes will have a higher return on investment. As part of the Reductions,
the Company implemented a temporary lay-off that impacted 16 employees (the Employees) of Peraso Tech. During the six months ended June
30, 2024, the Company determined that it would not recall any of the 11 Employees that remained on the Company’s payroll and commenced
notifying the remaining Employees that their employment would be terminated. As a result of the termination of the Employees’ employment,
the Company recorded severance charges of approximately $ 446,000 during the six months ended June 30, 2024. As of December 31, 2024, there
were remaining severance liabilities of approximately $ 118,000 , which are expected to be paid through October 2025.
As a result of the decision
to not recall the Employees, the Company determined that it was probable that a number of its non-cancelable licenses for computer-aided
design software would not be utilized during the remaining license terms. During the three months ended June 30, 2024, the Company accrued
the value of the remaining contractual liabilities of approximately $ 1,617,000 , which are expected to be paid through September 30, 2025.
As of December 31, 2024, the remaining contractual liabilities of approximately $ 0.8 million and $ 0.2 million are included in accrued
expenses and other and accounts payable, respectively.
Note 5. Commitments and Contingencies
Leases
The Company has operating leases for its corporate
headquarters facility in San Jose, California and facilities in Toronto and Markham, Ontario, Canada and recognizes lease expense on a
straight-line basis over the respective lease terms.
In November 2023, the Company renewed the San
Jose facility lease for a one-year term, which commenced January 15, 2024 (the Renewal Term), and, effective with the commencement of
the Renewal Term, the Company ceased accounting for the lease under ASC 842. The Company did not renew the lease upon the expiration of
the Renewal Term.
In December 2023, the Company renewed the Toronto
office lease for a reduced amount of square footage for a one-year term, which commenced January 1, 2024. Upon the renewal of the Toronto
lease in December 2023, the Company recognized a right-of-use asset of approximately $ 137,700 . The discount rate used to measure the lease
assets and liabilities for the renewal was 8 %. In December 2024, the Company renewed the Toronto office lease for a one-year term, which
commenced January 1, 2025, and the Company ceased accounting for the lease under ASC 842.
F- 18
In May 2022, the Company entered into a lease
for the facility in Markham with a 60-month term, which commenced June 21, 2022. The initial right-of-use asset and corresponding liability
of approximately CAD$ 1.0 million for the Markham facility lease were measured at the present value of the future minimum lease payments.
The discount rate used to measure the lease assets and liabilities was 8 %. The Markham landlord also provided a lease incentive of approximately
CAD$ 286,200 (the Incentive). In 2023, the Company received payment of CAD$ 143,100 from the Markham landlord of the first installment of
the Incentive. The remaining balance of the Incentive is paid to the Company in the form of an adjustment to rent during the last three
months of each year during the remaining lease term. During 2023, a credit of CAD$ 35,775 was made against the rent during the three months
ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2024, the pending Incentive to be received was CAD$ 71,510 .
On March 1, 2022, the Company entered into a 36-month
finance lease agreement for the lease of equipment resulting in the recognition of a right-of-use asset and lease liability of approximately
$ 274,000 .
On November 1, 2022, the Company entered into
a 36-month finance lease agreement for the lease of equipment resulting in the recognition of a right-of-use asset of approximately $ 124,000
and lease liability of approximately $ 117,000 .
The following table provides
the details of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities as of December 31, 2024 (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023
Right-of-use assets:
Operating leases $ 213 $ 422
Finance leases 54 193
Total right-of-use assets $ 267 $ 615
Lease liabilities:
Operating leases $ 266 $ 525
Finance leases 55 194
Total lease liabilities $ 321 $ 719
Future minimum payments under
the leases at December 31, 2024 are listed in the table below (in thousands):
Year ending December 31,
2025
$ 158
2026
101
2027
94
Total future lease payments
353
Less: imputed interest
( 32 )
Present value of lease liabilities
$ 321
The following table provides the details of supplemental
cash flow information (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows for leases $ 487 $ 674
Rent expense was approximately
$ 0.7 million and $ 0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. In addition to the minimum lease payments,
the Company is responsible for property taxes, insurance and certain other operating costs related to the leased facilities and equipment.
F- 19
Indemnification
In the ordinary course of
business, the Company enters into contractual arrangements under which it may agree to indemnify the counterparties from any losses incurred
relating to breach of representations and warranties, failure to perform certain covenants, or claims and losses arising from certain
events as outlined within the particular contract, which may include, for example, losses arising from litigation or claims relating to
past performance. Such indemnification clauses may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. The Company has also entered into indemnification
agreements with its officers and directors. No material amounts were reflected in the Company’s consolidated financial statements
for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 related to these indemnifications.
The Company has not estimated
the maximum potential amount of indemnification liability under these agreements due to the limited history of prior claims and the unique
facts and circumstances applicable to each particular agreement. To date, the Company has not made any payments related to these indemnification
agreements.
Product Warranties
The Company warrants certain
of its products to be free of defects generally for a period of three years. The Company estimates its warranty costs based on historical
warranty claim experience and includes such costs in cost of net revenues. Warranty costs were not material for the years ended December
31, 2024 and 2023.
Legal Matters
The Company is not a party
to any legal proceeding that the Company believes is likely to have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial position or
results of operations. From time to time the Company may be subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business.
These claims, even if not meritorious, could result in the expenditure of significant financial resources and diversion of management
efforts.
Purchase Obligations
The Company’s primary
purchase obligations include non-cancelable purchase orders for inventory. At December 31, 2024, the Company had outstanding non-cancelable
purchase orders for inventory, primarily wafers and substrates, and related expenditures of approximately $ 3.1 million.
Note 6: Retirement Savings
Plan
Effective January 1997, the
Company adopted the Peraso 401(k) Plan (the Savings Plan), which qualifies as a thrift plan under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue
Code. Full-time and part-time employees who are at least 21 years of age are eligible to participate in the Savings Plan at the time of
hire. Participants may contribute up to 15 % of their earnings to the Savings Plan. No matching contributions were made by the Company
during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
Note 7. Business Segments, Concentration
of Credit Risk and Significant Customers
Segment Information
The Company determines its
reporting units in accordance with ASC No. 280, Segment Reporting (ASC 280), as amended by ASU No. 2023-07. Management evaluates
a reporting unit by first identifying its operating segments under ASC 280. The Company then evaluates each operating segment to determine
if it includes one or more components that constitute a business. If there are components within an operating segment that meet the definition
of a business, the Company evaluates those components to determine if they must be aggregated into one or more reporting units. If applicable,
when determining if it is appropriate to aggregate different operating segments, the Company determines if the segments are economically
similar and, if so, the operating segments are aggregated.
F- 20
The Company’s chief
executive officer is the chief operating decision maker (CODM) and evaluates performance and makes operating decisions about allocating
resources based on financial data presented on a consolidated basis. Because the CODM evaluates financial performance on a consolidated
basis, the Company has determined that it operates as a single reportable segment composed of the consolidated financial results of the
Company (see Note 7).
The Company’s reporting
segment meets the definition of an operating segment and does not include the aggregation of multiple operating segments.
The Company operates and manages
its business as one reportable and operating segment as a fabless semiconductor company focused on the development and sale of millimeter
wavelength wireless technology, or mmWave, semiconductor devices and antenna modules and performance of non-recurring engineering, or
NRE, services and licensing of intellectual property, or IP. The measure of segment assets is reported on the balance sheet as total consolidated
assets. In addition, the Company manages the business activities on a consolidated basis.
The Company’s CODM reviews
financial information presented on a consolidated basis and decides how to allocate resources based on net income (loss). Consolidated
net income (loss) is used for evaluating financial performance.
Significant segment expenses
include research and development expenditures, salaries and benefits, stock-based compensation, software license obligations. Operating
expenses include all remaining costs necessary to operate the Company’s business, which primarily include facilities, external professional
services and other administrative expenses. The following table presents the significant segment expenses and other segment items regularly
reviewed by our CODM:
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
Total net revenue
$ 14,573
$ 13,749
Less:
Cost of net revenue
7,040
11,877
Research and development
3,303
5,002
Salaries
6,138
8,447
Stock-based compensation
3,588
5,213
Severance and software license obligations
2,063
—
Other operating expenses
4,876
3,835
Other income
( 1,707 )
( 3,830 )
Net loss
$ ( 10,728 )
$ ( 16,795 )
Concentrations
The Company recognized revenue
from shipments of product, licensing of its technologies and performance of services to customers by geographical location as follows
(in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2024
2023
North America
$ 12,478
$ 8,786
Hong Kong
474
689
Taiwan
238
2,633
Rest of world
1,383
1,641
Total net revenue
$ 14,573
$ 13,749
F- 21
The following is a breakdown of product revenue
by category (in thousands):
(amounts in thousands)
Years Ended December 31,
Year-Over-Year
Product category
2024
2023
change
Memory ICs
$ 12,914
$ 8,446
4,468
mmWave ICs
302
2,726
( 2,424 )
mmWave modules
1,007
1,677
( 670 )
mmWave other products
25
4
21
$ 14,248
$ 12,853
$ 1,395
The following table lists significant customers
that represented more than 10% of the Company’s total revenue during each respective period:
Year
Ended December 31,
2024
2023
Customer A
61 %
22 %
Customer B
25 %
35 %
Customer C
*
18 %
The following table lists
significant customers that represented more than 10% of the Company’s net accounts receivable balance at each respective balance
sheet date:
Accounts Receivable
As of December 31,
2024
2023
Customer A
58 %
33 %
Customer B
15 %
*
Customer C
*
36 %
Customer D
18 %
*
Customer E
*
14 %
The following table lists
significant vendors that represented more than 10% of the Company’s total accounts payable balance at each respective balance sheet
date:
Accounts Payable
As of December 31,
2024
2023
Vendor A
16 %
*
Vendor B
15 %
12 %
Vendor C
*
47 %
* Represents
less than 10%
F- 22
Note 8. Income Tax Provision
The income tax provision consisted
of the following (in thousands):
Year
Ended December 31,
2024
2023
Current portion:
Federal and state
$ —
$ —
Deferred portion:
Federal
( 381 )
( 2,545 )
State
83
( 1,392 )
( 298 )
( 3,937 )
Change in valuation allowance
298
3,937
Provision for income taxes
$ —
$ —
Deferred income taxes reflect
the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and
the amounts used for income tax purposes.
Significant components of
the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities were (in thousands):
Year
Ended December 31,
2024
2023
Deferred tax assets:
Federal and state loss carryforwards
$ 4,732
$ 4,847
Reserves, accruals and other
322
328
Depreciation and amortization
1,792
1,329
Deferred stock-based compensation
2,450
2,429
Capitalized research and development costs
595
660
Research and development credit carryforwards
6,744
6,744
Total deferred tax assets
16,635
16,337
Less: Valuation allowance
( 16,635 )
( 16,337 )
Net deferred tax assets, net
$ —
$ —
Utilization of the Company’s
net operating losses (NOLs) and tax credit carryforwards is subject to a substantial annual limitation due to the ownership change limitations
provided by the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and similar state provisions. Section 382 of the IRC (Section 382) imposes limitations
on a corporation’s ability to utilize its NOL and tax credit carryforwards, if it experiences an “ownership change.”
In general terms, an ownership change may result from transactions increasing the ownership percentage of certain stockholders in the
stock of the corporation by more than 50 % over a three-year period. In the event of an ownership change, utilization of the NOLs would
be subject to an annual limitation under Section 382 determined by multiplying the value of the Company’s stock at the time of the
ownership change by the applicable long-term tax-exempt rate. While a formal study has not been performed, the Company believes that
Section 382 ownership changes occurred as a result of financing transaction in 2018 and the Arrangement. The Company believes the Section
382 limitations will result in approximately 91 % of the federal and state NOLs expiring before they can be utilized, and approximately
94 % of the federal tax credit carryforwards expiring before they can be utilized.
F- 23
As of December 31, 2024, the
Company had NOLs of approximately $ 212.1 million for federal income tax purposes and approximately $ 131.1 million for state income tax
purposes. Only approximately $ 18.1 million of the federal NOLs and $ 13.3 million of the state NOLs are expected to be available before
expiration due to the Section 382 limitation. These NOLs are available to reduce future taxable income and will expire at various times
from 2025 through 2044, except federal NOLs from 2018 and later which have no expiration date. As of December 31, 2024, the Company also
had federal research and development tax credit carryforwards of approximately $ 8.2 million that will expire at various times through
2044, and California research and development credits of approximately $ 8.5 million, which do not have an expiration date.
A reconciliation of income taxes provided at the
federal statutory rate to the actual income tax provision is as follows (in thousands):
Year
Ended December 31,
2024
2023
Income tax benefit computed at U.S. statutory rate
$ 359
$ 277
Stock-based compensation
—
9
Amortization of intangible assets
( 60 )
( 60 )
Change in fair value of warrant liabilities
( 356 )
( 734 )
Valuation allowance changes affecting tax provision
62
506
Other
( 5 )
2
Income tax provision
$ —
$ —
Note 9. Stockholders’ Equity
Exchangeable Shares and Preferred Stock
As discussed in Note 1, on
December 17, 2021, following the satisfaction of the closing conditions set forth in the Arrangement Agreement, the Arrangement was completed.
Pursuant to the completion of the Arrangement, each Peraso Share that was issued and outstanding immediately prior to December 17, 2021
was converted into either newly issued shares of common stock of the Company or shares of Canco, which are exchangeable for shares of
the Company’s common stock (Exchangeable Shares), at the election of each former Peraso Tech stockholder. Of the shares issued to
the holders of Peraso Tech Shares, pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company held in escrow an aggregate of 32,822 Exchangeable
Shares and 12,564 shares of common stock (collectively, the Escrow Shares). The Escrow Shares are escrowed pursuant to the terms of an
escrow agreement on a pro rata basis from the aggregate consideration received by the holders of Peraso Shares, subject to the offset
by the Company for any losses in accordance with the Agreement. Such Escrow Shares shall be released, subject to any offset claim, upon
the satisfaction of the earlier of: (a) any date following the first anniversary of December 17, 2021 and prior to December 17, 2024 where
the volume weighted average price of the common stock for any 20 trading days within a period of 30 consecutive trading days is at least
$ 342.80 per share, subject to further adjustment for stock splits or other similar transactions; (b) the date of any sale of all or substantially
all of the assets or shares of the Company; or (c) the date of any bankruptcy, insolvency, restructuring, receivership, administration,
wind-up, liquidation, dissolution, or similar event involving the Company. All and any voting rights and other stockholder rights, other
than with respect to dividends and distributions, with respect to the Escrow Shares are suspended until the Escrow Shares are released
from escrow.
F- 24
The Exchangeable Share structure
is commonly used for cross-border transactions of this nature so as to provide non-tax-exempt Canadian shareholders with the same economic
rights and benefits as holders of the Company’s shares into which the Exchangeable Shares are exchangeable, while allowing those
Canadian shareholders to benefit from the tax-rollover available on the issuance of the Exchangeable Shares. In general terms, by choosing
to acquire Exchangeable Shares from Canco, such a former Peraso Tech shareholder was able to rely on a rollover rule in the Income Tax
Act (Canada) in order to defer any capital gain that he/she/it would have otherwise realized.
Callco was incorporated to
exercise the call rights, while Canco was incorporated to acquire the shares of Peraso Tech from Canadian shareholders that wished to
receive Exchangeable Shares as consideration, so it was a tax deferred transaction for such Canadian shareholders. The use of a separate
entity, Callco, helps maximize cross border paid-up capital, which represents the amount that can generally be distributed free of Canadian
withholding tax. The call rights also allow Callco to “purchase” the Exchangeable Shares rather than having them redeemed
by Canco on a redemption or retraction or in connection with a liquidity event, thus avoiding the adverse deemed dividend tax consequences
to shareholders that may arise from a redemption or retraction of Exchangeable Shares.
Holders of Exchangeable Shares
have the right at any time (the Retraction Right) to retract or redeem any or all of the Exchangeable Shares owned by them for an amount
per share equal to the market price of a share of the Company’s common stock plus the full amount of all declared and unpaid dividends
on such Exchangeable Share (the Exchangeable Share Purchase Price). The Exchangeable Share Purchase Price is payable only by the Company
delivering or causing to be delivered to the relevant holder one share of the Company’s common stock for each Exchangeable Share
purchased plus a cash amount equal to the amount of any accrued and unpaid dividends on such Exchangeable Share. The Company and Callco
each have an overriding right, in the event that a holder of Exchangeable Shares exercises its Retraction Right, to redeem from such holder
all, but not less than all, of the Exchangeable Shares tendered for redemption.
The Exchangeable Shares are
subject to redemption by the Company, Callco and Canco at the Exchangeable Share Purchase Price, on the “Redemption Date,”
which date shall be no earlier than the seventh anniversary of the date on which Exchangeable Shares are first issued, unless: (a) less
than 10 % of the aggregate number of Exchangeable Shares issued remain outstanding; (b) there is a change in control of the Company (defined
generally as (i) any merger, amalgamation, arrangement, takeover bid or tender offer, material sale of shares or rights or interests that
results in the holders of outstanding voting securities of the Company directly or indirectly owning, or exercising control or direction
over, voting securities representing less than 50 % of the total voting power of all of the voting securities of the surviving entity;
or (ii) any sale or disposition of all or substantially of the Company’s assets), and (c) upon the occurrence of certain other events.
The Exchangeable Share Purchase Price is payable only by the Company delivering or causing to be delivered to the relevant holder one
share of the Company’s common stock for each Exchangeable Share purchased plus a cash amount equal to the amount of any accrued
and unpaid dividends on such Exchangeable Share.
In the event of the liquidation,
dissolution or winding-up of Canco, holders of Exchangeable Shares have the right to receive in respect of each Exchangeable Share held
by such holder, an amount per share equal to the Exchangeable Share Purchase Price, which shall be satisfied in full by Canco by delivering
to such holder one Company Share, plus an amount equal to the Dividend Amount. The Company and Callco each have an overriding right to
purchase from all holders all but not less than all of the Exchangeable Shares upon the occurrence of such events.
F- 25
In addition, the Company and
Callco have the right to purchase all outstanding Exchangeable Shares at the Exchangeable Share Purchase Price if there is a change of
law that permits holders of Exchangeable Shares to exchange their Exchangeable Shares for shares of common stock on a basis that will
not require holders to recognize any gain or loss or any actual or deemed dividend for Canadian tax purposes.
The holders of Exchangeable
Shares have an “automatic exchange right” in the event of any insolvency, liquidation, dissolution or winding-up or in general,
related proceedings, of the Company for an amount per share equal to the Exchangeable Share Purchase Price.
It is expected that Callco
will exercise its call rights, as that is more beneficial to the holders of the Exchangeable Shares. Once Callco acquires the Exchangeable
Shares from a holder, it (Callco and the Company) is obligated to deliver the Company shares to the holder. Callco discharges this obligation
by arranging for the Company to issue and deliver those shares to the holders on behalf of Callco. As consideration for satisfying the
delivery obligation, Callco would issue its own shares to the Company.
There are no cash redemption
features, as all redemption and exchange scenarios are payable in a share of the Company’s common stock. Neither Canco, Callco,
or the Company assume any tax liabilities of a former Peraso Tech shareholder who acquired Exchangeable Shares under the plan of arrangement.
The purchase price computed upon the exercise of rights pertaining to retraction, redemption, or liquidation, or otherwise giving rise
to a purchase or cancellation of an Exchangeable Share, will, in all cases, consist of a 1:1 exchange involving the Company’s common
stock, regardless of the market price of a share of the Company’s common stock.
In connection with the Arrangement,
on December 15, 2021, the Company filed the Certificate of Designation of Series A Special Voting Preferred Stock (the Certificate) with
the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to designate Series A Special Voting Preferred Stock (the Special Voting Share) in accordance
with the terms of the Arrangement Agreement in order to enable the holders of Exchangeable Shares to exercise their voting rights. The
Special Voting Share was issued to a third-party administrative agent (the Agent) solely to facilitate the exercise of rights by holders
of Exchangeable Shares. The rights of the Agent, as holder of the Special Voting Share, are limited to effecting the rights of the holders
of the Exchangeable Shares; the Special Voting Share does not confer any independent rights to the Agent. Under the Certificate, when
all of the Exchangeable Shares have been converted into shares of the Company’s common stock, the Special Voting Share shall be
automatically cancelled and shall not be reissued. Each Exchangeable Share is exchangeable for one share of common stock of the Company
and while outstanding, the Special Voting Share enables holders of Exchangeable Shares to cast votes on matters for which holders of the
common stock are entitled to vote, and by virtue of the share terms relating to the Exchangeable Shares, enable the Exchangeable Shares
to receive dividends that are economically equivalent to any dividends declared with respect to the shares of common stock. As the Special
Voting Share does not participate in dividends (only the Exchangeable Shares participate in dividends) and is not entitled to participate
in the residual interest of the Company, it is not classified as an equity instrument in the Company’s financial statements.
The Exchangeable Shares, which
can be converted into common stock at the option of the holder and have the same voting and dividend rights as common stock, are similar
in substance to shares of common stock. Further, Canco and Callco are non-substantive entities, which are looked through with the Exchangeable
Shares being, in substance, common stock of the Company. Therefore, the Exchangeable Shares have been included in the determination of
outstanding common stock. The Special Voting Share was issued to a third-party administrative agent (the Agent) solely to facilitate the
exercise of rights by holders of Exchangeable Shares. The rights of the Agent, as holder of the Special Voting Share, are limited to effecting
the rights of the holders of the Exchangeable Shares; the Special Voting Share does not confer any independent rights to the Agent. Under
the Certificate, when all of the Exchangeable Shares have been converted into shares of the Company’s common stock, the Special
Voting Share shall be automatically cancelled and shall not be reissued.
During the years ended December
31, 2024 and 2023, 35 and 133 exchangeable shares were exchanged into an equivalent number of shares of common stock.
F- 26
Reverse
Stock Split
As
disclosed in Note 1, effective January 2, 2024, the Company effected a 1-for-40 reverse stock split of its outstanding common stock.
February
2024 Public Offering
On February 6, 2024, the Company
entered into an underwriting agreement (the Underwriting Agreement) with Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. (Ladenburg), as the sole underwriter,
relating to the issuance and sale in a public offering (the Offering) of: (i) 480,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, (ii)
pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 1,424,760 shares of common stock, (iii) Series A warrants to purchase up to 3,809,520 shares of
common stock, (iv) Series B warrants (the Series B Warrants) to purchase up to 3,809,520 shares of common stock, and (v) up to 285,714
additional shares of common stock, Series A warrants to purchase up to 571,428 shares of common stock and Series B Warrants to purchase
up to 571,428 shares of common stock that may be purchased pursuant to a 45-day option to purchase additional securities granted to Ladenburg
by the Company. Ladenburg partially exercised this option on February 7, 2024 for 82,500 shares of common stock, Series A warrants to
purchase up to 165,000 shares of common stock and Series B Warrants to purchase up to 165,000 shares of common stock. The combined public
offering price of each share of common stock, together with the accompanying Series A warrants and Series B Warrants, was $ 2.10 , less
underwriting discounts and commissions. The combined public offering price of each pre-funded warrant, together with the accompanying
Series A warrants and Series B Warrants, was $ 2.099 , less underwriting discounts and commissions. The Offering, including the additional
shares of common stock, Series A warrants and Series B Warrants sold pursuant to the partial exercise of Ladenburg’s option, closed
on February 8, 2024.
The
net proceeds from the Offering, including the additional shares of common stock, Series A warrants and Series B Warrants sold pursuant
to the partial exercise of Ladenburg’s option, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated Offering
expenses payable by the Company and excluding any net proceeds from the exercise of the Series A warrants, Series B Warrants and pre-funded
warrants, were approximately $ 3.4 million.
The
Series A warrants have an exercise price of $ 2.25 , were immediately exercisable upon issuance, and expire on February 8, 2029. The Series
B Warrants had an original exercise price of $ 2.25 per share, were immediately exercisable upon issuance, and expired on November 8, 2024.
The Series B warrants had an initial expiration date of August 8, 2024, which was extended to November 8, 2024 pursuant to amendments
to the Warrant Agency Agreement dated as of February 8, 2024 by and between the Company and the warrant agent, Equiniti Trust Company,
LLC (the Warrant Agency Agreement) (see Note 10). The pre-funded warrants have an exercise price of $ 0.001 per share, were exercisable
immediately and may be exercised at any time until all of the pre-funded warrants are exercised in full. As of December 31, 2024, the
holders exercised pre-funded warrants for 1,424,760 shares of common stock. The exercise price and number of shares of common stock issuable
upon exercise of the warrants is subject to appropriate adjustment in the event of stock dividends, stock splits, reorganizations or similar
events affecting the common stock and the exercise price. Subject to limited exceptions, a holder may not exercise any portion of its
warrants to the extent that the holder would beneficially own more than 9.99% or 4.99% (at the election of the holder) of the Company’s
outstanding common stock after exercise.
On February 8, 2024, pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, the Company
paid Ladenburg a cash fee of 9 % of the gross proceeds received from the Offering and issued warrants to Ladenburg to purchase up to 139,108
shares of common stock at an exercise price of $ 2.625 , subject to adjustments, which were exercisable immediately and have substantially
similar terms to the Series A warrants.
June 2024 Private Sale
In June 2024, the Company
entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (the Purchase Agreement) with a member of the Company’s board of directors, pursuant to
which the Company sold and the board member purchased 100,000 shares (the Shares) of common stock resulting in net proceeds of $ 127,000 .
The Shares sold pursuant to the Purchase Agreement were issued as restricted securities, as defined in Rule 144 of the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended.
F- 27
Shares Issued for Services
In August 2024, the Company
issued 40,000 unregistered shares of common stock with a fair value of approximately $ 54,400 to a service provider.
ATM Offering
On August 30, 2024, the Company entered into an At The Market Offering
Agreement (the Sales Agreement) with Ladenburg with respect to an “at the market”
offering program, under which the Company may, from time to time, in its sole discretion, issue and sell through Ladenburg, acting as
agent or principal, shares of the Company’s common stock initially having an aggregate offering price of up to $ 1,425,000 . After
selling $ 169,215 of shares pursuant to the Sales Agreement, on December 10, 2024, the Company increased the maximum aggregate offering
amount of common stock issuable pursuant to the Sales Agreement to $ 2,693,527 . The Sales Agreement provides that Ladenburg will be entitled
to compensation for its services equal to 3.0 % of the gross proceeds from sales of any shares of common stock pursuant to the Sales
Agreement in addition to the reimbursement of certain expenses. The Company has no obligation to sell any shares pursuant to the Sales
Agreement and either the Company or Ladenburg may terminate the Sales Agreement in accordance with its terms. During the year ended December
31, 2024, the Company sold 251,621 shares of common stock for net proceeds of approximately $ 336,000 pursuant to the Sales Agreement.
June 2023 Registered Direct Offering
On May 31, 2023, the Company
entered into a securities purchase agreement (the SPA) with an institutional investor (the Investor), pursuant to which the Company sold
to the Investor, in a registered direct offering that closed on June 2, 2023, an aggregate of 56,250 shares of common stock at a purchase
price of $ 28.00 per share. Net proceeds to the Company from the registered direct offering, after offering costs, were approximately $ 3.6
million. The Company also offered and sold to the Investor pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 86,608 shares of common stock (the 2023
PF Warrants). Each pre-funded warrant was exercisable for one share of common stock. The purchase price of each pre-funded warrant was
$ 27.60 , and the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant was $ 0.40 per share. The 2023 PF Warrants were exercised in full during 2023.
In connection with the execution of the SPA, the Company and the Investor entered into an amendment (the Amendment) to the 2022 Purchase
Warrant. Pursuant to the terms of the Amendment, the 2022 Purchase Warrant (as defined below) was amended to reduce the exercise price
per share from $ 54.40 to $ 40.00 , effective as of June 2, 2023.
In a concurrent private placement
that closed on June 2, 2023, the Company also sold to the Investor a warrant to purchase up to 142,858 shares of common stock (the 2023
Purchase Warrant). The 2023 Purchase Warrant was immediately exercisable at an exercise price of $ 28.00 per share with a five-year term.
As discussed below, the 2023 Purchase Warrant is accounted for as a liability. The fair value of the warrant at the date of issuance of
approximately $ 3,162,000 was accounted for as a cost of the offering.
November 2022 Registered Direct Offering
On
November 28, 2022, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with the Investor, pursuant to which the Company sold to the
Investor, in a registered direct offering that closed on November 30, 2022, an aggregate of 32,500 shares of common stock at
a negotiated purchase price of $ 40.00 per share. The Company also offered and sold to the investor pre-funded warrants to purchase
up to 28,750 shares of common stock. Each pre-funded warrant was exercisable for one share of common stock. The purchase price
of each pre-funded warrant was $ 39.60 , and the exercise price of each pre-funded warrant was $ 0.40 per share. The pre-funded warrants
were exercised in full by the Investor in April 2023. Net proceeds to the Company from the registered direct offering, after offering
costs, were approximately $ 2.1 million.
F- 28
In
a concurrent private placement, the Company also sold to the Investor a warrant to purchase up to 91,875 shares of common stock
(the 2022 Purchase Warrant). The 2022 Purchase Warrant became exercisable on May 29, 2023 at an initial exercise price of $ 54.40 per
share, which was subsequently reduced to $ 40.00 per share per the Amendment, and expires on May 29, 2028. As discussed below, the
2022 Purchase Warrant is accounted for as a liability.
Note 10. Warrants
Warrant Inducement Offering
On August 6, 2024, the Company
extended the expiration date of the Series B warrants issued in the Offering (the Series B Warrants) to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time)
on October 7, 2024, by entering into an amendment to the Warrant Agency Agreement dated as of February 8, 2024 by and between the Company
and the warrant agent, Equiniti Trust Company, LLC. On October 3, 2024, the Company extended the expiration date of the Series B
Warrants to November 8, 2024, by entering into a further amendment to the Warrant Agency Agreement. The Series B warrants would otherwise
have expired on October 7, 2024.
On November 5, 2024, the Company
entered into inducement offer letter agreements (the Inducement Letters) with certain holders (the Holders) of existing Series B Warrants
(the Existing Warrants) to purchase up to an aggregate of 2,246,030 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to the Inducement
Letters, the Holders agreed to exercise for cash their Existing Warrants at a reduced exercise price of $ 1.30 per share (the Reduced Exercised
Price) in consideration for the Company’s agreement to issue in a private placement (i) new Series C common stock purchase warrants
(the Series C Warrants) to purchase an aggregate of 2,246,030 shares of common stock and (ii) new Series D common stock purchase warrants
(the Series D Warrants) to purchase an aggregate of 2,246,030 shares of common stock. The Series C Warrants have an exercise price of
$ 1.61 per share, were exercisable upon issuance and expire on the six-month anniversary of the date of issuance. The Series D Warrants
have an exercise price of $ 1.61 per share, were exercisable upon issuance and expire on the five-year anniversary of the date of issuance.
Upon exercise of the Existing
Warrants, the Company issued 1,328,650 shares of its common stock while the remaining 917,380 shares (Issuable Shares) remained under
abeyance, pending issuance instructions from the Holders, pursuant to the terms of the Inducement Letters. The Company accounted for the
issuance of the: i) 1,328,650 shares of its common stock, ii) the Series C warrants to purchase 2,246,030 shares of the Company’s
stock, iii) the Series D warrants to purchase 2,246,030 shares of the Company’s stock, and iv) the remaining 917,380 Issuable Shares
as a single equity transaction for gross proceeds of approximately $ 2.92 million at the reduced exercise price of $ 1.30 per share. As
of December 31, 2024, the fair value of the unissued 917,380 Issuable Shares of approximately $ 1.2 million has been presented separately
as issuable shares on the consolidated balance sheets and statements of stockholders’ equity.
In relation to the above warrant inducement offering, the Company engaged
Ladenburg as placement agent and paid cash compensation of 9 % of the gross proceeds. In addition, the Company issued warrants to Ladenburg
to purchase up to 157,223 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $ 1.625 , which were exercisable upon issuance, expire on the five-year
anniversary of the date of issuance, and have substantially similar terms to the Series C Warrants.
Warrants Classified as Liabilities
The securities purchase agreements
governing the 2023 Purchase Warrant and the 2022 Purchase Warrant (collectively, the Purchase Warrants) provide for a value calculation
for such warrants using the Black Scholes model in the event of certain fundamental transactions. The fair value calculation provides
for a floor on the volatility amount utilized in the value calculation at 100 % or greater. The Company has determined this provision introduces
leverage to the holders of the Purchase Warrants that could result in a value that would be greater than the settlement amount of a fixed-for-fixed
option on the Company’s own equity shares. Therefore, pursuant to ASC 815, the Company has classified the Purchase Warrants as liabilities
in its consolidated balance sheet. The classification of the Purchase Warrants, including whether the Purchase Warrants should be recorded
as liabilities or as equity, is evaluated at the end of each reporting period with changes in the fair value reported in other income
(expense) in the consolidated statements of operations.
F- 29
As of December 31, 2024, the
Company had the following liability-classified warrants outstanding (amounts in thousands):
Number of
warrants
on
common shares
Amount
Balance as of December 31, 2022
92
$ 2,079
Recognition of warrant liabilities
143
3,162
Change in fair value of warrants
—
( 3,493 )
Balance as of December 31, 2023
235
1,748
Change in fair value of warrants
—
( 1,693 )
Balance as of December 31, 2024
235
$ 55
The outstanding liability-classified warrants had
no intrinsic value at December 31, 2024.
The fair value of the Purchase
Warrants at December 31, 2024 was determined using the Black Scholes model with the assumptions in the following table. The table also
includes the total fair value determined at valuation date based on these assumptions.
2022 Purchase Warrant
2023 Purchase Warrant
Expected term based on contractual term
3.4
years
3.4
years
Interest rate (risk-free rate):
4.38 %
4.38 %
Expected volatility
115 %
117 %
Expected dividend
—
—
Fair value of warrants (in thousands)
$ 25
$ 30
The fair value of the Purchase
Warrants at December 31, 2023 was determined using the Black Scholes model with the assumptions in the following table. The table also
includes the total fair value determined at valuation date based on these assumptions.
2022 Purchase Warrant
2023 Purchase Warrant
Expected term based on contractual term
4.4
years
4.4
years
Interest rate (risk-free rate):
3.84 %
3.84 %
Expected volatility
116 %
116 %
Expected dividend
—
—
Fair value of warrants (in thousands)
$ 653
$ 1,095
F- 30
Warrants Classified as Equity
As of December 31, 2024, the
Company had the following equity-classified warrants outstanding (share amounts in thousands):
Warrant Type Number of Shares Exercise Price Expiration
Balance as of December 31, 2023 7 $ 28.00 June 2, 2028
Pre-funded warrants issued 1,425 $ 0.001 —
Pre-funded warrants exercised ( 1,425 ) $ 0.001 —
Series A warrants issued 3,975 $ 2.250 February 8, 2029
Series A warrants issued 139 $ 2.625 February 8, 2029
Series B warrants issued 3,974 $ 2.250 November 8, 2024
Series B warrants exercised ( 2,246 ) $ 1.310 —
Series B warrants expired ( 1,728 ) $ 1.310 November 8, 2024
Series C warrants issued 2,246 $ 1.610 May 5, 2025
Series C warrants issued 157 $ 1.625 November 5, 2029
Series D warrants issued 2,246 $ 1.610 November 5, 2029
Balance as of December 31, 2024 8,770
The outstanding equity-classified warrants had
no intrinsic value at December 31, 2024.
Note 11. Stock-Based Compensation
Common Stock Equity Plans
In 2010, the Company adopted
the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan and later amended it in 2014, 2017 and 2018 (the Amended 2010 Plan). The Amended 2010 Plan was terminated
in August 2019 and remains in effect as to outstanding equity awards granted prior to the date of expiration. No new awards may be made
under the Amended 2010 Plan.
In August 2019, the Company’s
stockholders approved the Amended and Restated 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the 2019 Plan) to replace the Amended 2010 Plan. The 2019 Plan
authorizes the board of directors or the compensation committee of the board of directors to grant a broad range of awards including stock
options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, performance-based awards, and restricted stock units. Under the 2019 Plan, 4,563
shares were initially reserved for issuance. In November 2021 and December 2024, the Company’s stockholders approved amendments
increasing the number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2019 Plan by 77,674 and 1,500,000 shares, respectively.
Under the 2019 Plan, the term
of all incentive stock options granted to a person who, at the time of grant, owns stock representing more than 10 % of the voting power
of all classes of the Company’s stock may not exceed five years . The exercise price of stock options granted under the 2019 Plan
must be at least equal to the fair market value of the shares on the date of grant. Generally, awards under the 2019 Plan will vest over
a three to four-year period, and options will have a term of 10 years from the date of grant. In addition, the 2019 Plan provides for
automatic acceleration of vesting for options granted to non-employee directors upon a change of control of the Company.
In connection with the Arrangement,
the Company assumed the Peraso Technologies Inc. 2009 Share Option Plan (the 2009 Plan) and all outstanding options granted pursuant to
the terms of the 2009 Plan. Each outstanding, unexercised and unexpired option under the 2009 Plan, whether vested or unvested, was assumed
by the Company and converted into options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock and became exercisable by the holder
of such option in accordance with its terms, with (i) the number of shares of common stock subject to each option multiplied by the Exchange
Ratio and (ii) the per share exercise price upon the exercise of each option divided by the Exchange Ratio. In connection with the Arrangement,
no further awards will be made under the 2009 Plan.
F- 31
The 2009 Plan, the Amended
2010 Plan and the 2019 Plan are referred to collectively as the “Plans.”
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
The Company recorded compensation
costs of $ 2.8 million and $ 4.2 million related to the vesting of stock options during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
At December 31, 2024, the unamortized compensation cost was approximately $ 0.2 million related to stock options and is expected to be
recognized as expense over a weighted average period of approximately one year . The Company recorded compensation costs of $ 0.8 million
and $ 1.0 million related to the vesting of restricted stock units during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The
unamortized compensation cost at December 31, 2024 was $ 0.1 million related to restricted stock units and is expected to be recognized
as expense over a weighted average period of approximately one year .
Common Stock Options and Restricted Stock
The term of all incentive
stock options granted to a person who, at the time of grant, owns stock representing more than 10 % of the voting power of all classes
of the Company’s stock may not exceed five years. The exercise price of stock options granted under the 2019 Plan must be at least
equal to the fair market value of the shares on the date of grant. Generally, options granted under the 2019 Plan will vest over a three
to four-year period and have a term of 10 years from the date of grant. In addition, the 2019 Plan provides for automatic acceleration
of vesting for options granted to non-employee directors upon a change of control (as defined in the 2019 Plan) of the Company.
The following table summarizes
the activity in the shares available for grant under the Plans during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 and options outstanding
as of December 31, 2024 and 2023. (in thousands, except exercise price):
Options Outstanding
Weighted
Shares
Average
Available
Number of
Exercise
for Grant
Shares
Prices
Balance as of December 31, 2022
39
37
$ 132.80
RSUs granted
( 5 )
—
—
RSUs cancelled and returned to the 2019 Plan
5
—
—
Options cancelled
—
( 1 )
$ 321.30
Balance as of December 31, 2023
39
36
$ 127.00
Additional shares authorized under the 2019 Plan
1,500
—
—
RSUs granted
( 2 )
—
—
RSUs cancelled and returned to the 2019 Plan
7
—
—
Options cancelled
—
( 6 )
$ 110.88
Balance as of December 31, 2024
1,544
30
$ 130.14
F- 32
The following table summarizes significant ranges
of outstanding and exercisable options as of December 31, 2024 (in thousands, except contractual life and exercise price):
Options Outstanding Options Exercisable
Weighted
Average
Remaining Weighted Weighted
Contractual Average Average Aggregate
Number Life Exercise Number Exercise Intrinsic
Range of Exercise Price Outstanding (in Years) Price Exercisable Price value
$ 0.00 - $ 62.80 2 4.89 $ 62.80 2 $ 62.80 $ —
$ 62.81 - $ 599.60 28 5.99 $ 110.31 27 $ 110.71 $ —
$ 0.00 - $ 599.60 30 5.90 $ 130.14 29 $ 131.60 $ —
A summary of RSU activity
under the Plans is presented below (in thousands, except for fair value):
Weighted
Average
Number of
Grant-Date
Shares
Fair Value
Non-vested shares as of December 31, 2022
27
$ 82.46
Granted
4
$ 24.62
Vested
( 14 )
$ 75.72
Effect of business combination
( 2 )
$ 82.90
Non-vested shares as of December 31, 2023
15
$ 69.63
Granted
2
$ 1.55
Vested
( 12 )
$ 1.24
Cancelled
( 3 )
$ 63.10
Non-vested shares as of December 31, 2024
2
$ 37.69
Note 12. Related Party Transactions
A family member of one of
the Company’s executive officers is an employee of the Company. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company paid
approximately $ 113,800 and $ 111,400 , respectively, to the employee.
Note 13. License and Asset Sale Transaction
On August 5, 2022, the Company
entered into a Technology License and Patent Assignment Agreement (the Intel Agreement) with Intel Corporation (Intel), pursuant to which
Intel: (i) licensed from the Company, on an exclusive basis, certain software and technology assets related to the Company’s Stellar
packet classification intellectual property, including its graph memory engine technology, and any roadmap variant, in the form existing
as of the date of the Agreement (the Licensed Technology); (ii) acquired from the Company certain patent applications and patents owned
by the Company; and (iii) assumed a professional services agreement, dated March 24, 2020, between Fabulous Inventions AB (Fabulous) and
the Company, pursuant to which, among other things, the Company licensed from Fabulous certain technology incorporated into the Licensed
Technology.
As consideration for the Company
to enter into the Agreement, Intel paid the Company $ 3,062,500 in August 2022 and $ 437,500 (the Holdback) in January 2023 upon the satisfaction
by the Company of certain release criteria set forth in the Intel Agreement regarding the Licensed Technology.
F- 33
The Company determined that
the license and asset sale did not qualify as a sale of a business, but as a sale of a non-financial asset, with the resultant gain recorded
as income from operations in accordance with ASC 610-20, Other Income - Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets .
In January 2023, upon receipt of the Holdback, the Company recognized a gain, net of transaction costs, which was recorded as a reduction
of operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.
Note 14. Memory IC Product End-of-Life
Taiwan
Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (TSMC) is the sole foundry that manufactures the wafers used to produce the Company’s memory
IC products. TSMC informed the Company that TSMC is discontinuing the foundry process used to produce wafers, in turn, necessary to manufacture
the Company’s memory ICs. As a result, in May 2023, the Company initiated an end-of-life (EOL) of its memory IC products. The Company
commenced shipments of EOL orders in 2023. Based on customer purchase orders in the Company’s backlog at December 31, 2024, the
Company expects to ship final EOL orders of approximately $ 2.3 million during the three months ending March 31, 2025.
Note 15. Subsequent events
Issuance
of Common Stock under ATM Offering Program
During
January 2025, the Company sold 327,943 shares of common stock for net proceeds of approximately $ 431,900 pursuant to the Sales Agreement
(see Note 9).
F-34