UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

OR

 

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 001-36379

ENERGOUS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

3590 North First Street, Suite 210, San Jose, CA  95134

(Address of principal executive office)        (Zip code)

(408) 963-0200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☑     No ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).  Yes ☑     No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.  

 

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☑  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).     Yes ☐          No ☑

As of November 5, 2018, there were 26,094,600 shares of our Common Stock, par value $0.00001 per share, outstanding.

 

 

 

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ENERGOUS CORPORATION

FORM 10-Q

FOR THE THREE AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

INDEX

 

 

 

 

 

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PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.  Financial Statements

Energous Corporation

BALANCE SHEETS

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

 

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Energous Corporation

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

 

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Energous Corporation

CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

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Energous Corporation

CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed financial statements.

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Note 1 - Business Organization, Nature of Operations

Energous Corporation (the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware on October 30, 2012. The Company has developed its WattUp® technology, consisting of proprietary semiconductor chipsets, software, hardware designs and antennas, that enables radio frequency (“RF”) based charging for electronic devices, providing wire-free contact and non-contact charging solutions, with the potential to enable charging with mobility. Dialog Semiconductor plc (“Dialog”) manufactures and distributes integrated circuit (“IC”) products incorporating the Company’s charging technology, pursuant to a Strategic Alliance Agreement with the Company. Dialog is the exclusive supplier of these IC products for the general market. The Company believes its proprietary WattUp technology can be utilized in consumer electronics such as wearables, hearing aids, earbuds, Bluetooth headsets, Internet of Things (“IoT”) devices, smartphones, tablets, e-book readers, keyboards, mice, remote controls, rechargeable lights, cylindrical batteries, medical devices and other devices with charging requirements that would otherwise require a battery or external power connection.

Note 2 – Liquidity and Management Plans

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded revenue of $228,000 and $458,773, respectively, and during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded revenue of $250,000 and $1,124,874, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded a net loss of $12,645,291 and $38,387,119, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded a net loss of $12,748,248 and $38,140,398, respectively. Net cash used in operating activities was $24,398,264 and $26,887,004 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company is currently meeting its liquidity requirements through an at-the-market (“ATM”) sale of common stock in January 2018, which raised net proceeds of $38,846,815, the sales of shares to a private investor during July 2017, which raised net proceeds of $14,932,547, and payments received under product development projects.

As of September 30, 2018, the Company had cash on hand of $28,551,870. The Company expects that cash on hand as of September 30, 2018, together with anticipated revenues, will be sufficient to fund the Company’s operations into the fourth quarter of 2019.

Research and development of new technologies is by its nature unpredictable. Although the Company will undertake development efforts with commercially reasonable diligence, there can be no assurance that its available resources, including the net proceeds from the Company’s financings to date, will be sufficient to enable it to develop and obtain regulatory approval of its technology to the extent needed to create future revenues sufficient to sustain its operations. The Company may pursue additional financing, which could include follow-on equity offerings, debt financing, co-development agreements or other alternatives, depending upon market conditions. Should the Company choose to pursue additional financing, there is no assurance that such financing would be available on terms that it would find acceptable, or at all.

The market for products using the Company’s technology is broad, but is nascent and unproven, so the Company’s success is sensitive to many factors, including technological feasibility, regulatory approval, customer acceptance, competition and global market fluctuations.

Note 3 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”), and pursuant to the accounting and disclosure rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

These unaudited condensed interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the SEC on March 16, 2018.  The accounting policies used in preparing these unaudited condensed interim financial statements are consistent with those described in the Company’s December 31, 2017 audited financial statements.

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Note 3 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, continued

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements as well as the reported expenses during the reporting periods.  

The Company’s significant estimates and assumptions include the valuation of stock-based compensation instruments, recognition of revenue, the useful lives of long-lived assets, and income tax expense. Some of these judgments can be subjective and complex, and, consequently, actual results may differ from these estimates. Although the Company believes that its estimates and assumptions are reasonable, they are based upon information available at the time the estimates and assumptions were made. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all short-term, highly liquid investments with an original maturity at the date of purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents. The Company maintains cash balances that may be uninsured or in deposit accounts that exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation limits. The Company maintains its cash deposits with major financial institutions.

Revenue Recognition

On January 1, 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (Topic 606), which is described below in Recent Accounting Pronouncements.

In accordance with Topic 606, the Company recognizes revenue using the following five-step approach:

 

The Company records revenue associated with product development projects that it enters into with certain customers. In general, these projects are associated with complex technology development, and as such the Company does not have certainty about its ability to achieve the program milestones. Achievement of the milestone is dependent on the Company’s performance typically requires acceptance by the customer. The payment associated with achieving the milestone is generally commensurate with the Company’s effort or the value of the deliverable and is nonrefundable. The Company records the expenses related to these projects, generally included in research and development expense, in the periods incurred.

The Company records royalty revenue from its manufacturing partner, Dialog, based on the number of shipments from Dialog to its customers.

Research and Development

Research and development expenses are charged to operations as incurred. For internally developed patents, all patent application costs are expensed as incurred as research and development expense. Patent application costs, generally legal costs, are expensed as research and development costs until such time as the future economic benefits of such patents become more certain. The Company incurred research and development costs of $8,442,698 and $8,743,434 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and the Company incurred research and development cost of $24,804,224 and $25,788,621 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for equity instruments issued to employees in accordance with accounting guidance that requires awards to be recorded at their fair value on the date of grant and are amortized over the vesting period of the award. The Company recognizes compensation costs on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, which is typically the vesting term of the equity instrument issued.

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Note 3 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, continued

Under the Energous Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”), employees may purchase a limited number of shares of the Company’s common stock at a 15% discount from the lower of the closing market prices measured on the first and last days of each half-year period. The Company recognizes compensation expense for the fair value of the purchase options, as measured on the grant date.

 

Income Taxes

Tax benefits are recognized only for tax positions that are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. The amount recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely to be realized upon settlement. A liability for “unrecognized tax benefits” is recorded for any tax benefits claimed in the Company’s tax returns that do not meet these recognition and measurement standards. As of September 30, 2018, no liability for unrecognized tax benefits was required to be reported. The guidance also discusses the classification of related interest and penalties on income taxes. The Company’s policy is to record interest and penalties on uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense. No interest or penalties were recorded during the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017.

Net Loss Per Common Share

Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares and, if dilutive, potential common shares outstanding during the period. Potential common shares consist of the incremental common shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options and warrants (using the treasury stock method), the vesting of restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance stock units (“PSUs”) and the enrollment of employees in the ESPP. The computation of diluted loss per share excludes potentially dilutive securities of 6,840,737 and 7,862,420 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and 6,840,737 and 7,862,420 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, because their inclusion would be anti-dilutive.

Potentially dilutive securities outlined in the table below have been excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share because the effect of their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.  

 

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (Topic 606) (“ASU 2014-09”), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASU Topic 605, "Revenue Recognition," and most industry-specific guidance. ASU 2014-09 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. Originally, ASU 2014-09 would be effective

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Note 3 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, continued

 

for the Company starting January 1, 2017 using either of two methods: (i) retrospective to each prior reporting period presented with the option to elect certain practical expedients as defined within ASU 2014-09; or (ii) retrospective with the cumulative effect of initially applying ASU 2014-09 recognized at the date of initial application and providing certain additional disclosures as defined per ASU 2014-09. In July 2015, FASB voted to amend ASU 2014-09 by approving a one-year deferral of the effective date as well as providing the option to early adopt the standard on the original effective date. The Company used the modified retrospective implementation method for all contracts and did not need to record a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the date of initial application.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, “Financial Instruments – Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”. The standard addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. ASU 2016-01 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company has adopted ASU 2016-01 and its adoption had no material impact on it financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842)”. This standard requires that a lessee recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from operating leases. A lessee should recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. In transition, lessees and lessors are required to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified approach. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new standard will have on its financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) – Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments.” ASU No. 2016-15 addresses eight specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of the new standard did not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (230) – Restricted Cash.” ASU No. 2016-18 requires an entity to include amounts described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.

In December 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-20, “Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” ASU No. 2016-20 amends certain aspects of ASU No. 2014-09 and clarifies, rather than changes, the core revenue recognition principles in ASU No. 2014-09. It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations.

In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, “Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718) – Scope of Modification Accounting.” ASU No. 2017-09 provides clarity and reduces complexity when applying the guidance in Topic 718 for changes in terms or conditions of share-based payment awards. It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of the new standard did not have a material impact on our financial statements.

In July 2017, the FASB issued a two-part ASU No. 2017-11, I. Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Down Round Features and II. Replacement of the Indefinite Deferral for Mandatorily Redeemable Financial Instruments of Certain Nonpublic Entities and Certain Mandatorily Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests with a Scope Exception. ASU 2017-11 amends guidance in FASB ASC 260, Earnings Per Share, FASB ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity, and FASB ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging. The amendments in Part I of ASU 2017-11 change the classification analysis of certain equity-linked financial instruments (or embedded features) with down round features. The amendments in Part II of ASU 2017-11 re-characterize the indefinite

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Note 3 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, continued

deferral of certain provisions of Topic 480 that now are presented as pending content in the Codification, to a scope exception. Those amendments do not have an accounting effect. ASU 2017-11 is effective for public business

entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new standard will have on its financial statements.

 

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, “Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-based Payment Accounting.” ASU 2018-07 aligns accounting for share-based payments issued to nonemployees to that of employees under the existing guidance of Topic 718, with certain exceptions. This update supersedes previous guidance for equity-based payments to nonemployees under Subtopic 505-50, “Equity – Equity-based Payments to Nonemployees.” It is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new standard will have on its financial statements.

 

Management’s Evaluation of Subsequent Events

The Company evaluates events that have occurred after the balance sheet date of September 30, 2018, through the date which the financial statements are issued. Based upon the review, the Company did not identify any subsequent events that would have required adjustment or disclosure in the financial statements.

Note 4 – Commitments and Contingencies

Operating Leases

On September 10, 2014, the Company entered into a Lease Agreement with Balzer Family Investments, L.P. (the “Landlord”) related to space located at Northpointe Business Center, 3590 North First Street, San Jose, California. The initial term of the lease is 60 months, with initial monthly base rent of $36,720 and the lease is subject to certain annual escalations as defined in the agreement. On October 1, 2014, the Company relocated its headquarters to this new location. The Company issued to the Landlord 41,563 shares of the Company’s common stock valued at $500,000, of which $400,000 will be applied to reduce the Company’s monthly base rent obligation by $6,732 per month and of which $100,000 was for certain tenant improvements. The Company recorded $400,000 as prepaid rent on its balance sheet, which is being amortized over the term of the lease and recorded $100,000 as leasehold improvements.

On February 26, 2015, the Company entered into a sub-lease agreement for additional space in the San Jose area. The agreement has a term which expires on June 30, 2019 and a current monthly rent of $6,668 per month. On August 25, 2015, the Company entered into an additional amended sub-lease agreement for additional space in San Jose, California. The agreement has a term which expires on June 30, 2019 and a current monthly rent of $4,578 per month. These leases are subject to certain annual escalations as defined in the agreements.

On May 31, 2017, the Company renewed a lease agreement for the Company’s space in Costa Mesa, California. The agreement has a term that expires on September 30, 2019 with initial monthly rent of $9,040, and is subject to certain annual escalations as defined in the agreement.

The future minimum lease payments for leased locations are as follows:

 

Hosted Design Solution Agreement

In June 2015, the Company entered into a three-year agreement to license electronic design automation software in a hosted environment. Pursuant to the agreement, under which services began in July 2015, the Company is required to remit quarterly payments in the amount of approximately $101,000 with the last payment due in March 2018. In December 2015, the agreement was amended to redefine the hardware and software configuration and the quarterly payments increased to approximately $198,000. In July 2018, the Company renewed the three-year agreement, and

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Note 4 – Commitments and Contingencies, continued

the Company is required to remit quarterly payments in the amount of approximately $218,000, with the last payment due in March 2021.

Employee Agreement – Stephen Rizzone

On April 3, 2015, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Executive Employment Agreement with Stephen R. Rizzone, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer (“Employment Agreement”).

The Employment Agreement has an effective date of January 1, 2015 and an initial term of four years (“Initial Employment Period”). The Employment Agreement provides for an annual base salary of $365,000, and Mr. Rizzone is eligible to receive quarterly cash bonuses with a total target amount equal to 100% of his base salary based upon achievement of performance-based objectives established by the Company’s board of directors (“Board”).

 

Pursuant to Mr. Rizzone’s prior employment agreement, on December 12, 2013, Mr. Rizzone was granted a 10-year option to purchase 275,689 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.68 vesting over four years in 48 monthly installments beginning October 1, 2013 (“First Option”). Mr. Rizzone was also granted a second option

award to purchase 496,546 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6.00 (“Second Option”). The Second Option vests over the same vesting schedule as the First Option.

Effective May 21, 2015, with the approval by the Company’s stockholders of its new performance-based equity plan, the Employment Agreement provided and Mr. Rizzone received, a grant of 639,075 PSUs. The PSUs, which represent the right to receive shares of common stock, shall be earned based on the Company’s achievement of market capitalization growth between the effective date of the Employment Agreement and the end of the Initial Employment Period. If the Company’s market capitalization is $100 million or less, no PSUs will be earned. If the Company reaches a market capitalization of $1.1 billion or more, 100% of the PSUs will be earned. For market capitalization between $100 million and $1.1 billion, the percentage of PSUs earned will be determined on a quarterly basis based on straight line interpolation. PSUs earned as of the end of a calendar quarter will be paid 50% immediately and 50% will be deferred until the end of the Initial Employment Period subject to Mr. Rizzone’s continued employment with the Company (See Note 6).

Mr. Rizzone is also eligible to receive all customary and usual benefits generally available to senior executives of the Company.

The Employment Agreement provides that if Mr. Rizzone’s employment is terminated due to his death or disability, if Mr. Rizzone’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or if he resigns for good reason, 25% of the shares subject to the First Option and the Second Option shall immediately vest and become exercisable, he will have a period of one year post-termination to exercise the First Option and the Second Option, and if a Liquidation Event (as defined in the Employment Agreement) shall occur prior to the termination of the First Option and the Second Option, 100% of the shares subject to the First Option and Second Option shall immediately vest and become exercisable effective immediately prior to the consummation of the Liquidation Event. In addition, any outstanding deferred PSUs shall be immediately vested and paid, but any remaining unearned portion of the PSUs shall immediately be canceled and forfeited.

Strategic Alliance Agreement

In November 2016, the Company and Dialog entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement (“Alliance Agreement”) for the manufacture, distribution and commercialization of products incorporating the Company’s wire-free charging technology (“Licensed Products”). Pursuant to the terms of the Strategic Alliance Agreement, the Company agreed to engage Dialog as the exclusive supplier of the Licensed Products for specified fields of use, subject to certain exceptions (“Company Exclusivity Requirement”). Dialog agreed to not distribute, sell or work with any third party to develop any competing products without the Company’s approval (“Dialog Exclusivity Requirement”). In addition, both parties agreed on a revenue sharing arrangement and will collaborate on the commercialization of Licensed Products based on a mutually-agreed upon plan. Each party will retain all of its intellectual property.

The Alliance Agreement has an initial term of seven years and will automatically renew annually thereafter unless terminated by either party upon 180 days’ prior written notice. The Company may terminate the Alliance Agreement at any time after the third anniversary of the Agreement upon 180 days’ prior written notice to Dialog, or if Dialog breaches certain exclusivity obligations. Dialog may terminate the Alliance Agreement if sales of Licensed Products do not meet specified targets. The Company Exclusivity Requirement will terminate upon the earlier of January 1, 2021 or the

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Note 4 – Commitments and Contingencies, continued

occurrence of certain events relating to the Company’s pre-existing exclusivity obligations. The Dialog Exclusivity Requirement will terminate if no Licensed Products have received the necessary Federal Communications Commission approvals within specified timeframes.

Note 5 – Stockholders’ Equity

Authorized Capital

The holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to one vote per share. Holders of common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared by the Board out of legally available funds. Upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, holders of common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets of the Company that are legally available for distribution.

Filing of registration statement

On April 24, 2015, the Company filed a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3, which became effective on April 30, 2015. Prior to its expiration in April 2018, the shelf registration statement allowed the Company from time to time to sell any combination of debt or equity securities described in the registration statement up to aggregate proceeds of $75,000,000.

Pursuant to the shelf registration, in November 2015, the Company consummated an offering of 3,000,005 shares of common stock at $6.90 per share and received from the underwriters’ net proceeds of $19,333,032 (net of underwriters’ discount of $1,242,002 and underwriters’ offering expenses of $125,000). The Company incurred additional offering expenses of $284,576, yielding net proceeds from the offering under shelf registration of $19,048,456.

Pursuant to the shelf registration, in January 2018, the Company raised $38,846,815 (net of $1,153,715 in underwriter’s discount and issuance costs) from the sale of stock to the public in an “at-the-market” equity offering of its common stock.

On August 9, 2018, the Company filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, which became effective on August 17, 2018. This shelf registration statement will allow the Company to sell, from time to time, any combination of debt or equity securities described in the registration statement up to aggregate proceeds of $75,000,000.

Private Placements

On August 9, 2016, the Company entered into a securities purchase agreement with Ascend Legend Master Fund, Ltd. pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell to Ascend Legend Master Fund, Ltd., and its affiliates, 1,618,123 shares of common stock at a price of $12.36 per share and a warrant to purchase up to 1,618,123 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $23.00 per share. The aggregate proceeds from the sale of these shares was $20,000,000.

On November 7, 2016, the Company and Dialog, a related party (see Note 7—Related Party Transactions), entered into a securities purchase agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell to Dialog 763,552 shares of common stock at a price of $13.0967 per share and a warrant to purchase up to 763,552 shares of common stock that may be exercised only on a cashless basis at a price of $17.0257 per share, and may be exercised at any time between the date that is six months and a day after the closing date of the transaction and the three-year anniversary of the closing date. The aggregate proceeds from the sale of these shares was $10,000,011.

On December 30, 2016, the Company and JT Group entered into a securities purchase agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell to JT Group 292,056 shares of common stock at a price of $17.12 per share. The aggregate proceeds from the sale of these shares was $4,999,975.

On June 28, 2017, the Company and Dialog entered into a securities purchase agreement pursuant to which the Company agreed to sell Dialog 976,139 shares of common stock at a price of $15.3666 per share and a warrant to purchase up to 654,013 shares of common stock that may be exercised only on a cashless basis at a price of $19.9766 per share, and may be exercised at any time between the date that is six months and one day after the

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closing date of the transaction and the three-year anniversary of the closing date. The aggregate proceeds from the sale of these shares, which were issued on July 5, 2017, was $14,999,935. 

Note 6 – Stock Based Compensation

Equity Incentive Plans

2013 Equity Incentive Plan

In December 2013, the Company’s Board and stockholders approved the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan, providing for the issuance of equity-based instruments covering up to an initial total of 1,042,167 shares of common stock.

Effective on March 10, 2014, the Company’s Board and stockholders approved the First Amendment to the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan which provided for an increase in the aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan to equal 18% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately following the completion of the IPO (assuming for this purpose the issuance of all shares issuable under the Company’s equity plans, the conversion into common stock of all outstanding securities that are convertible by their terms into common stock and the exercise of all options and warrants exercisable for shares of common stock and including shares and warrants issued to the underwriters for such IPO upon exercise of its over-allotment options).

Effective March 27, 2014, the aggregate total number of shares which may be issued under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan was increased to 2,335,967.

Effective on May 19, 2016, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 2,150,000 shares, bringing the total number of approved shares to 4,485,967 under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan.

Effective on May 16, 2018, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 1,600,000 shares, bringing the total number of approved shares to 6,085,967 under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan.

As of September 30, 2018, 2,079,035 shares of common stock remain available to be issued through equity-based instruments under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan.

2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan

On March 6, 2014, the Company’s Board and stockholders approved the 2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan for the issuance of equity-based instruments covering up to 250,000 shares of common stock to directors and other non-employees.

Effective on May 19, 2016, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 350,000 shares, bringing the total number of approved shares to 600,000 under the 2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan.

Effective on May 16, 2018, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 250,000 shares, bringing the total number of approved shares to 850,000 under the 2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan.

As of September 30, 2018, 366,829 shares of common stock remain available to be issued through equity-based instruments under the 2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan.

2015 Performance Share Unit Plan

On April 10, 2015, the Company’s Board approved the Energous Corporation 2015 Performance Share Unit Plan (“Performance Share Plan”), under which 1,310,104 shares of common stock became available for issuance as PSUs to a select group of employees and directors, subject to approval by the stockholders. On May 21, 2015, the Company’s stockholders approved the Performance Share Plan.

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Note 6 – Stock Based Compensation, continued

Effective on May 16, 2018, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the 2014 Non-employee Compensation Plan to increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 1,400,000 shares, bringing the total number of approved shares to 2,710,104 under the 2015 Performance Share Unit Plan.

 

As of September 30, 2018, 1,431,951 shares of common stock remain available to be issued through equity-based instruments under the Performance Share Unit Plan.

 

 

 

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Note 6 – Stock Based Compensation, continued

 

2017 Equity Inducement Plan

 

On December 28, 2017, the Board approved the 2017 Equity Inducement Plan. Under the plan, the Board reserved 600,000 shares of common stock for the grant of RSUs. These grants will be administered by a committee of the Board or the Board acting as a committee. These awards will be granted to individuals who (a) are being hired as an employee by the Company or any subsidiary and such award is a material inducement to such person being hired; (b) are being rehired as an employee following a bona fide period of interruption of employment with the Company or any subsidiary; or (c) will become an employee of the Company or any subsidiary in connection with a merger or acquisition.

 

As of September 30, 2018, 311,000 shares of common stock remain available to be issued through equity-based instruments under the 2017 Equity Inducement Plan.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

On April 10, 2015, the Company’s Board approved the ESPP, under which shares of common stock were reserved for purchase by the Company’s employees, subject to approval by the stockholders. On May 21, 2015, the Company’s stockholders approved the ESPP. Employees may designate an amount not less than 1% but not more than 10% of their annual compensation, but for not more than 7,500 shares during an offering period. An offering period shall be six months in duration commencing on or about January 1 and July 1 of each year. The exercise price of the option will be the lesser of 85% of the fair market of the common stock on the first business day of the offering period and 85% of the fair market value of the common stock on the applicable exercise date.

As of September 30, 2018, 376,463 shares of common stock remain available to be issued under the ESPP. As of September 30, 2018, employees have contributed $179,583 through payroll withholdings to the ESPP for the current eligibility period. Shares will be deemed delivered on December 31, 2018 for the current eligibility period.

Stock Option Activity

The following is a summary of the Company’s stock option activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2018:

 

 

As of September 30, 2018, the unamortized value of options was $0.     

Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”)                                                           

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Compensation Committee of the Board (“Compensation Committee”) granted various directors and consultants RSUs under which the holders have the right to receive an aggregate 175,826 shares of common stock. These awards were granted under the 2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan. The awards granted vest over terms from one to four years.

 

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Note 6 – Stock Based Compensation, continued

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Compensation Committee granted various employees RSU awards under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan under which the holders have the right to receive an aggregate 459,550 shares of common stock. The majority of these awards granted vest over terms ranging from one to four years.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Compensation Committee granted employees RSU awards under the 2017 Equity Inducement Plan under which the holders have the right to receive 289,000 shares of common stock. The awards vest over four years beginning on the anniversary of the grant date.

The Company accounts for RSUs granted to consultants using the accounting guidance included in ASC 505-50 “Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees”. In accordance with ASC 505-50, the Company estimates the fair value of the unvested portion of the RSU award each reporting period using the closing price of common stock.

As of September 30, 2018, the unamortized value of the RSUs was $27,341,086. The unamortized amount will be expensed over a weighted average period of 2.5 years. A summary of the activity related to RSUs for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 is presented below:

 

 

Performance Share Units (“PSUs”)

Performance share units (“PSUs”) are grants that vest upon the achievement of certain performance goals. The goals are related to the Company’s market capitalization or market share price of the common stock.

The PSUs originally issued during 2015 to certain board members and senior management are earned based on the Company’s achievement of market capitalization growth between the effective date of the employment agreement and the end of the initial employment period. If the Company’s market capitalization is $100 million or less, no PSUs will be earned. If the Company reaches a market capitalization of $1.1 billion or more, 100% of the PSUs will be earned. For market capitalization between $100 million and $1.1 billion, the percentage of PSUs earned will be determined on a quarterly basis based on straight line interpolation.

The Company determined that the PSUs were equity awards with both market and service conditions. The Company utilized a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the fair value of the market condition, as described below. Grantees of PSUs are required to be employed through December 31, 2018 in order to earn the entire award, if and when vested. No PSUs were granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

 

The fair value of the grants of PSUs to purchase a total of 1,342,061 shares of common stock (including 1,278,153 PSUs granted under the 2015 Performance Share Unit Plan and 63,908 granted as an inducement) was determined to be approximately $3,218,000, and is amortized over the service period of May 21, 2015 through December 31, 2018, on a straight-line basis.

On October 24, 2016, the Compensation Committee granted Mr. Rizzone a PSU award under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan under which Mr. Rizzone has the right to receive 150,000 shares of common stock. The shares of this award vest upon the Company’s stock price meeting specific targets.

For this PSU award, a Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine the fair value at each of the five target prices of the Company’s common stock, using a market capitalization of $298,857,000, dividend yield of 0%, expected volatility of 75% and a risk-free interest rate of 0.66%.

The fair value of the PSUs granted to Mr. Rizzone under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan was determined to be $2,332,000, and was amortized over the estimated service period from October 24, 2016 through October 30, 2017.

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Note 6 – Stock Based Compensation, continued

Amortization for all PSU awards was $207,206 and $399,867 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $614,862 and $1,601,160 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

At September 30, 2018, the unamortized value of all PSUs was approximately $204,954. The unamortized amount will be expensed over a weighted average period of 0.3 years. A summary of the activity related to PSUs for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 is presented below:

 

 

 

Deferred Stock Units (“DSUs”)

On January 4, 2016, the Compensation Committee granted to John Gaulding, Director and Chairman of the Board, DSUs under the 2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan for which Mr. Gaulding has the right to receive 14,953 shares of the Company’s common stock. These shares were issued to Mr. Gaulding in lieu of $125,000 of his anticipated compensation for his services on the Board, including $75,000 worth of DSUs and $50,000 of his regular board stipends. The award granted vests fully on the first anniversary of the grant date. There was no amortization for both the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. Amortization was $0 and $1,362 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

As of September 30, 2018, the DSUs were fully amortized and are no longer outstanding.

    

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”)

The recently completed offering period for the ESPP was January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018. During the year ended December 31, 2017, there were two offering periods for the ESPP. The first offering period started on January 1, 2017 and concluded on June 30, 2017. The second offering period started on July 1, 2017 and concluded on December 31, 2017.  

The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the purchase option for each designated share purchased under this plan was approximately $9.72 and $5.88 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, which represents the fair value of the option, consisting of three main components: (i) the value of the discount on the enrollment date, (ii) the proportionate value of the call option for 85% of the stock and (iii) the proportionate value of the put option for 15% of the stock. The Company recognized compensation expense for the plan of $67,174 and $474,920 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively and $79,046 and $266,398 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively.

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Note 6 – Stock Based Compensation, continued

The Company estimated the fair value of options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The fair values of stock options granted were estimated using the following assumptions:

 

 

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Note 6 – Stock Based Compensation, continued

 

Stock-Based Compensation Expense

The following tables summarize total stock-based compensation costs recognized for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017:

 

 

The total amount of stock-based compensation was reflected within the statements of operations as:

 

 

Note 7 – Related Party Transactions

In November 2016, the Company and Dialog entered into an alliance agreement for the manufacture, distribution and commercialization of products incorporating the Company’s wire-free charging technology (See Note 4 – Commitments and Contingencies, Strategic Alliance Agreement). On November 7, 2016 and June 28, 2017, the Company and Dialog entered into securities purchase agreements under which Dialog acquired a total of 1,739,691 shares and received warrants to purchase up to 1,417,565 shares (See Note 5 – Stockholders’ Equity, Private Placements). Dialog presently owns approximately 6.8% of the Company’s outstanding common shares and could potentially own 11.7% of the Company’s outstanding common shares if it exercised all of its warrants for common shares. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company paid $43,700 to Dialog for chip development costs incurred, which is recorded under research and development expense. Pursuant to the Strategic Alliance Agreement in Note 4 – Commitments and Contingencies, we recorded $5,773 in revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

Note 8 – Customer Concentration

 

One customer accounted for approximately 99% and 100% of the Company’s revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The same customer accounted for approximately 98% and 100% of the Company’s revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. The same customer accounted for 96% of the accounts receivable balance as of September 30, 2018. As of December 31, 2017, the Company did not have an accounts receivable balance.

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Item 2.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Forward-Looking Statements

As used in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, unless the context otherwise requires the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” and “Energous” refer to Energous Corporation, a Delaware corporation.  This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the “safe harbor” created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this report regarding our strategies, prospects, financial condition, operations, costs, plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding expectations for revenues, liquidity cash flows and financial performance, the anticipated results of our development efforts and the timing for receipt of required regulatory approvals and product launches. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and generally outside of our control, so actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others: our ability to develop commercially feasible technology; timing of customer implementations of our technology in consumer products; timing of regulatory approvals in the United States and internationally; our ability to find and maintain development partners; our ability to protect our intellectual property; competition; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors and in Management's Discussion and Analysis sections of our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any of our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Overview

We have developed our WattUp® technology, consisting of proprietary semiconductor chipsets, software, hardware designs and antennas, that enables radio frequency (“RF”) based charging for electronic devices, providing wire-free contact and non-contact charging solutions, with the potential to enable charging with mobility. Dialog Semiconductor plc (“Dialog”) manufactures and distributes integrated circuit (“IC”) products incorporating our charging technology, pursuant to a Strategic Alliance Agreement. Dialog is the exclusive supplier of these IC products for the general market. We believe our proprietary WattUp technology can be utilized in consumer electronics such as wearables, hearing aids, earbuds, Bluetooth headsets, Internet of Things (“IoT”) devices, smartphones, tablets, e-book readers, keyboards, mice, remote controls, rechargeable lights, cylindrical batteries, medical devices and other devices with charging requirements that would otherwise require a battery or external power connection.

We believe our technology is novel in its approach, in that we are developing a solution that charges electronic devices by surrounding them with a focused, radio frequency energy pocket. We are engineering solutions that we expect to enable the wire-free transmission of energy for contact-based applications, non-contact charging up to approximately three feet, and potentially charging applications of up to 15 feet. We are also developing our transmitter technology to seamlessly mesh (like a network of Wi-Fi routers) to potentially form a wire-free charging network that will allow users to charge their devices as they move from room-to-room or throughout a large space. To date, we have developed multiple transmitter prototypes in various form factors and power capabilities, and utilizing various frequencies. We have also developed multiple receiver prototypes, including smartphone battery cases, toys, fitness trackers, Bluetooth headsets and tracking devices, as well as stand-alone receivers. We are in pre-production and initial production stages with early adopters of the WattUp technology to bring our contact-based transmitters and compatible receivers to market.

In November 2016, we entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement with Dialog, pursuant to which Dialog manufactures and distributes IC products incorporating our technology. Dialog is our exclusive supplier of these products for the general market. Our WattUp technology will use Dialog’s SmartBond® Bluetooth low energy solution as the out-of-band communications channel between the wireless transmitter and receiver. In most cases, Dialog’s power management technology is used to distribute power from the WattUp receiver IC to the rest of the

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device while Dialog’s AC/DC Rapid Charge™ power conversion technology delivers power to the wireless transmitter.

On December 26, 2017, we announced Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification of our first-generation WattUp Mid-Field transmitter, which powers devices at a distance of up to three feet, while charging multiple devices at once. Our WattUp Mid-Field transmitter underwent rigorous, multi-month testing to verify it met consumer safety and regulatory requirements. We believe this achievement represents the first certification of a Part 18 FCC-approved non-contact wireless charging transmitter, and establishes precedents that will streamline our future U.S. and international regulatory approvals, and regulatory approvals for our customers’ end-products.

We believe our seasoned management team has the experience and industry expertise to develop and execute our operating plan. In addition, we believe our engineering resources in the areas of IC development, antenna development, hardware, software and firmware engineering as well as integration and testing, will enable us to continue to expand our technology and intellectual property support our licensees.

The market for products using our technology is nascent and unproven, so the Company’s success is sensitive to many factors, including technological feasibility, regulatory approval, customer acceptance, competition and global market fluctuations.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Revenue Recognition

On January 1, 2018 the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (Topic 606), which is described in Note 3 of the accompanying financial statements.

In accordance with Topic 606, the Company recognizes revenue using the following five-step approach:

 

The Company records revenue associated with product development projects that it enters into with certain customers.  In general, these projects are associated with complex technology development, and as such the Company does not have certainty about its ability to achieve the program milestones. Achievement of the milestone is dependent on the Company’s performance typically requires acceptance by the customer. The payment associated with achieving the milestone is generally commensurate with the Company’s effort or the value of the deliverable and is nonrefundable. The Company records the expenses related to these projects, generally included in research and development expense, in the periods incurred.

The Company records royalty revenue from its manufacturing partner, Dialog, based on the number of shipments from Dialog to its customers.

Results of Operations

Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 and 2017

Revenues.  During the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, we recorded revenue of $228,000 and $250,000, respectively. The decrease was due to the fact that the milestones completed during the three months ended September 30, 2018 generated less revenue than the milestones completed during the three months ended September 30, 2017.

Operating Expenses and Loss from Operations.  Operating expenses are made up of research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses. Loss from operations for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were $12,651,961 and $12,751,623, respectively.

Research and Development Costs.  Research and development costs, which include costs for developing our technology, were $8,442,698 and $8,743,434, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. The decrease in research and development costs of $300,736 is primarily due to a $909,604 decrease in total compensation costs, including a $506,486 decrease in stock-based compensation and a $291,448 decrease in payroll

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compensation, which is due a lower headcount within the department, a $315,536 decrease in legal patent costs, partially offset by an $841,726 increase in chip design and packaging costs and a $120,791 increase in regulatory testing.

Sales and Marketing Costs.  Sales and marketing costs for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were $1,546,227 and $1,141,852, respectively. The increase in sales and marketing costs of $404,375 is primarily due to a $197,652 increase in total compensation costs, including a $71,423 increase in stock-based compensation, from higher headcount and new equity award grants issued within the department, a $118,928 increase in engineering supplies utilized by the sales and marketing team and an $80,499 increase in promotional, design and website costs.

General and Administrative Expenses.  General and administrative expenses include costs for general and corporate functions, including facility fees, travel, telecommunications, insurance, professional fees, consulting fees and other overhead. General and administrative costs for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were $2,891,036 and $3,116,337, respectively. The decrease in general administrative costs of $225,301 is primarily due to a $280,997 decrease in stock-based compensation and a $60,750 decrease in legal and accounting expense, partially offset by a $96,255 increase in regular compensation costs.

Interest Income. Interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $6,670 as compared to interest income of $3,375 for the three months ended September 30, 2017.

Net Loss. As a result of the above, net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $12,645,291 as compared to $12,748,248 for the three months ended September 30, 2017.

 

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 and 2017

Revenues.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, we recorded revenue of $458,773 and $1,124,874, respectively. The decrease was due to the combination of the number of milestones achieved and the dollar value associated with each milestone.

 

Operating Expenses and Loss from Operations.  Operating expenses are made up of research and development, sales and marketing and general and administrative expenses. Loss from operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were $38,405,490 and $38,149,015, respectively.

Research and Development Costs.  Research and development costs, which include costs for developing our technology, were $24,804,224 and $25,788,621, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017. The decrease in research and development costs of $984,397 is primarily due to a $1,072,053 decrease in chip design, manufacturing, component and engineering supply costs, a $1,032,414 decrease in payroll compensation from a lower headcount within the department, a $421,327 decrease in legal patent costs, partially offset by a $951,115 increase in stock-based compensation as a result of adding new grants issued during the previous 12 months, a $385,709 increase in related regulatory costs and a $174,101 increase in engineering software costs.

 

Sales and Marketing Costs.  Sales and marketing costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were $4,620,760 and $3,924,617, respectively. The increase in sales and marketing costs of $696,143 is primarily due to an increase of $647,729 in total compensation costs, including a $240,466 increase in stock-based compensation, a $116,641 increase in travel cost, a $99,616 increase in promotional, design and website costs, a $64,556 increase in consulting fees, a $60,000 increase in recruiting cost, partially offset by a $321,179 decrease in tradeshow expense.

 

General and Administrative Expenses.  General and administrative expenses include costs for general and corporate functions, including facility fees, travel, telecommunications, insurance, professional fees, consulting fees and other overhead. General and administrative costs for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 were $9,439,279 and $9,560,651, respectively. The decrease in general administrative costs of $121,372 is primarily due to an $859,707 decrease in stock-based compensation and an $89,401 decrease in depreciation expense, partially offset by a $308,399 increase in consulting, recruiting, board member, investor relations and other third party service fees, a $280,931 increase in legal, accounting and annual meeting fees, a $202,476 increase in payroll compensation and a $34,791 increase in insurance costs.

 

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Interest Income. Interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $18,371 as compared to interest income of $9,343 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017.

 

Net Loss. As a result of the above, net loss for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $38,387,119 as compared to $38,140,398 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, we recorded revenue of $458,773 and $1,124,874, respectively. We incurred a net loss of $38,387,119 and $38,140,398 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Net cash used in operating activities was $24,398,264 and $26,887,004 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company is currently meeting its liquidity requirements through an at-the-market (“ATM”) sale of common stock in January 2018, which raised net proceeds of $38,846,815, the sales of shares to a private investor during July 2017, which raised net proceeds of $14,932,547, and payments received under product development projects. As of September 30, 2018, we had cash and cash equivalents of $28,551,870.

We believe our current cash on hand, together with anticipated payments under product development projects entered into with customers, will be sufficient to fund our operations into the fourth quarter of 2019. However, depending on how soon we are able to achieve meaningful revenues, we may require additional financing to fully implement our business plan, the ultimate goal of which is to license our technology to device manufacturers, wireless service providers and other commercial partners to make wire-free charging an affordable, ubiquitous and convenient service for end users. Potential financing sources could include follow-on equity offerings, debt financing, co-development agreements or other alternatives. Depending upon market conditions, we may choose to pursue additional financing to, among other reasons, accelerate our product development efforts, regulatory activities and business development and support functions with a view to capitalizing on the market opportunity we see for our wire-free charging technology. On August 9, 2018, we filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, which became effective on August 17, 2018. This shelf registration statement will allow us to sell, from time to time, any combination of debt or equity securities described in the registration statement up to aggregate proceeds of $75,000,000.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, cash flows used in operating activities were $24,398,264, consisting of a net loss of $38,387,119, less non-cash expenses aggregating $13,686,046 (representing principally stock-based compensation of $12,804,744 and depreciation expense of $820,714), a $497,684 decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets, a $296,668 increase in accrued expenses, partially offset by a $204,722 decrease in accounts payable and a $208,773 increase in accounts receivable.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, cash flows used in operating activities were $26,887,004, consisting of a net loss of $38,140,398, less non-cash expenses aggregating $13,533,580 (representing principally stock-based compensation of $12,472,870 and depreciation expense of $999,396), a $101,000 increase in accounts receivable, a $2,537,833 decrease in accounts payable, a $209,179 decrease in accrued expenses and a $102,823 decrease in deferred revenue, partially offset by a $654,654 decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, cash flows used in investing activities were $561,793 and $515,147, respectively. The cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 primarily consisted of the purchase of software and laboratory equipment. The cash used for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 primarily consisted of the purchase of laboratory equipment and engineering software, offset by $2,800 in proceeds from the sales of property and equipment.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, cash flows provided by financing activities were $40,716,673, which consisted of $38,846,815 in net proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock to the public in an ATM offering, $1,319,461 in proceeds from the exercises of stock options and $550,397 in proceeds from contributions to the ESPP. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, cash flows provided by financing activities were $16,367,373, which consisted of $14,932,547 in net proceeds from the sale of shares to Dialog, $738,552 in proceeds from the exercises of stock options and $696,274 in proceeds from contributions to the ESPP.

Research and development of new technologies is, by its nature, unpredictable. Although we will undertake development efforts with commercially reasonable diligence, there can be no assurance that our available resources

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including the net proceeds from our public offerings will be sufficient to enable us to develop our technology to the extent needed to create future revenues to sustain our operations.  

We cannot assure that our technology will be adopted, that we will ever earn revenues sufficient to support our operations, or that we will ever be profitable. Furthermore, since we have no committed source of financing, there can be no assurance that we will be able to raise capital as and when we need it to continue our operations.

Off Balance Sheet Transactions

As of September 30, 2018, we did not have any off-balance sheet transactions.

Material Changes in Specified Contractual Obligations

A table of our specified contractual obligations was provided in the Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. There were no material changes outside the ordinary course of our business in the specified contractual obligations during the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

Item 3.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk

There has been no material change in our exposure to market risk during the three months ended September 30, 2018. Please refer to "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk" contained in Part II, Item 7A of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 for a discussion of our exposure to market risk.

Item 4.  Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We have established disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to us is made known to the officers who certify our financial reports and the Board.

Based on their evaluation as of September 30, 2018, our principal executive and principal financial and accounting officers have concluded that these disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were effective as of September 30, 2018 to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in reports that we file under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported, within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms and that information required to be disclosed by us in our reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, including our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

For the quarter ended September 30, 2018, there were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.  Legal Proceedings

We are not currently a party to any pending legal proceedings that we believe will have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition. We may, however, be subject to various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business from time to time.

Item 1A.  Risk Factors

In addition to the other information set forth in this report, you should carefully consider the factors discussed under “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2018. These factors could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and capital position, and could cause our actual results to differ materially from our historical results or the results contemplated by any forward-looking statements contained in this report.  

We are subject to many risks that may harm our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. This discussion highlights some of the risks that might adversely affect our future operating results in material ways. We believe these are the risks and uncertainties that are the most important ones we face. We

cannot be certain that we will successfully address these risks, and if we are unable to address them, our business may not grow, our stock price may suffer and you could lose the value of your investment in our company. Other risks and uncertainties that we do not currently recognize as material risks, or that are similar to risks faced by other companies in our industry, may also impair our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. The risks discussed below include forward-looking statements, and our actual results may differ substantially from what is in these forward-looking statements.

Risks Related to Our Business

We have no history of generating meaningful product revenue, and we may never achieve or maintain profitability.

We have a limited operating history upon which investors may rely in evaluating our business and prospects. We have generated limited revenues to date, and as of September 30, 2018, we had an accumulated deficit of approximately $212 million. Our ability to generate revenues more reliably and on a larger scale, and to achieve profitability, will depend on our ability to execute our business plan, complete the development and approval of our technology, incorporate the technology into products that customers wish to buy, and, if necessary, to secure financing to enable us to do all this. If we are unable to generate revenues of significant scale to cover our costs of doing business, our losses will continue and we may not achieve profitability, which could negatively impact the value of your investment in our securities.

Terms of our Development and License Agreement with a tier-one consumer electronics company could inhibit potential licensees from working with us in specific markets.

We have entered into a Development and License Agreement with a tier-one consumer electronics company to embed our WattUp wire-free charging receiver and transmitter technology in various products, including consumer electronics and related accessories. This agreement provides our strategic partner a time-to-market advantage during the development and until one year after the first customer shipment for specified WattUp-enabled consumer products. This may inhibit other potential licensees of our technology from engaging with us on competing consumer products and may cause them to seek solutions offered by other companies, which could have a negative impact on our revenue opportunities and financial results.

We may be unable to demonstrate the feasibility of our technology.

We have developed working prototypes of products using our technology, but additional research and development is required to commercialize our technology for applications that can be successfully integrated into commercial products. Our research and development efforts remain subject to the risks associated with the development of new products that are based on emerging technologies, such as unanticipated technical problems, the inability to identify products utilizing our technology that will be in demand with customers, getting our technology designed in to those products, designing new products for manufacturability, and achieving acceptable price points for final products. Our technology must also satisfy customer expectations and be suitable for them to use in

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consumer applications. Any delays in developing our technology that arise from factors of this sort would aggravate our exposure to the risk of having inadequate capital to fund the research and development needed to complete development of these products. Technical problems causing delays would cause us to incur additional expenses that would increase our operating losses. If we experience significant delays in developing our technology and products based on it for use in potential commercial applications, particularly after incurring significant expenditures, our business may fail, and you could lose the value of your investment in our company. To our knowledge, the technological concepts we are applying have never previously been successfully applied. If we fail to develop practical and economical commercial products based on our technology, our business may fail and you could lose the value of your investment in our stock.

Domestic and international regulators may deny approval for our technology, and future legislative or regulatory changes may impair our business.

Our charging technology involves power transmission using radio frequency (RF) energy, which is subject to regulation by the Federal Communications Commission in the United States and by comparable regulatory agencies worldwide. It may also be subject to regulation by other agencies. Regulatory concerns include whether human exposure to radio frequency emissions are below specified thresholds. Higher levels of exposure require separate approval.  For example, transmitting more power over a certain distance or transmitting power over a greater distance may require separate regulatory approvals. In addition, we design our technology to operate in a RF band that is also used for Wi-Fi routers and other wireless consumer electronics, and we also design it to operate at different frequencies as demanded for some customer applications. Applications at different frequencies may require separate regulatory approvals.  Efforts to obtain regulatory approval for devices using our technology is costly and time consuming, and there can be no assurance that requisite regulatory approvals will be forthcoming. If approvals are not obtained in a timely and cost-efficient manner, our business and operating results could be materially adversely affected. In addition, legal or regulatory developments could impose additional restrictions or costs on us that could require us to redesign our technology or future products, or that are difficult or impracticable to comply with, all of which would adversely affect our revenues and financial results.

We depend upon our strategic relationship with Dialog Semiconductor, a provider of electronics products, and there can be no assurance that we will achieve the expected benefits of this relationship.

We have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Dialog Semiconductor, a provider of electronics products, pursuant to which we licensed our WattUp technology to Dialog and it became the exclusive provider of our technology. We intend to leverage Dialog’s sales and distribution channels and its operational capabilities to accelerate market adoption of our technology, while we focus our resources on research and development of our technology. There can be no assurance that Dialog will promote our technology successfully, or that it will be successful in producing and distributing related products to our customers’ specifications. Dialog may have other priorities or may encounter difficulties in its own business that interfere with the success of our relationship. If this strategic relationship does not work as we intend, then we may be required to seek an arrangement with another strategic partner, or to develop internal capabilities, which will require a commitment of management time and our financial resources to identify a replacement strategic partner, or to develop our own production and distribution capabilities. As a result, we may be unable without undue expense to replace this agreement with one or more new strategic relationships to promote and provide our technology.

The majority of our revenues are associated with a single customer.

One customer currently accounts for the majority of our revenues, and our current business strategy focuses on developing our technology to meet the specific requirements of this customer.  While our technology development efforts are in process, there is no assurance that they will be successful or that any revenues we may receive from this or other customers will offset the expenses associated with our development efforts.  There is also no assurance that our efforts to develop our technology for this customer will result in revenues from other customers.

We may require additional financing in order to achieve our business plans, and there is no guarantee that it will be available on acceptable terms, or at all.

We may not have sufficient funds to fully implement our business plans. We may need to raise additional capital through new financings, even if we begin to generate meaningful commercial revenue. For example, new product development for business partners may require considerable expense in advance of substantial revenue for such products. Such financings could include equity financing, which may be dilutive to stockholders, or debt

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financing, which could restrict our ability to borrow from other sources. In addition, such securities may contain rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of current stockholders. As a result of economic conditions, general global economic uncertainty, political change, and other factors, we do not know whether additional capital will be available when needed, or that, if available, we will be able to obtain additional capital on reasonable terms. If we are unable to raise additional capital due to the volatile global financial markets, general economic uncertainty or other factors, we may be required to curtail development of our technology or reduce operations as a result, or to sell or dispose of assets. Any inability to raise adequate funds on commercially reasonable terms could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, including the possibility that a lack of funds could cause our business to fail and liquidate with little or no return to investors.

Expanding our business operations as we intend will impose new demands on our financial, technical, operational and management resources.

To date we have operated primarily in the research and development phase of our business. If we are successful, we will need to expand our business operations, which will impose new demands on our financial, technical, operational and management resources. If we do not upgrade our technical, administrative, operating and financial control systems, or the unexpected expansion difficulties arise, including issues relating to our research and development activities and retention of experienced scientists, managers and engineers, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and our ability to timely execute our business plan. If we are unable to implement these actions in a timely manner, our results may be adversely affected.

If products incorporating our technology are launched commercially but do not achieve widespread market acceptance, we will not be able to generate the revenue necessary to support our business.

Market acceptance of a wire-free charging system as a preferred method for charging electronic devices will be crucial to our success. The following factors, among others, may affect the level of market acceptance of products in our industry:

If we are unable to achieve or maintain market acceptance of our technology, and if related products do not win widespread market acceptance, our business will be significantly harmed.

If products incorporating our technology are commercially launched, we may experience seasonality or other unevenness in our financial results in consumer markets or a long and variable sales cycle in enterprise markets.

Our strategy depends on the development of successful commercial products and effectively licensing our technology into the consumer, enterprise and commercial markets. We will need to understand procurement and buying cycles to be successful in licensing our technology. We anticipate it is possible that demand for our technology may vary in different consumer electronics markets, such as laptops, tablet, mobile phones, gaming systems, toys, wearables and the like. Such consumer markets are often seasonal, with peaks in and around the December holiday season and the August-September back-to-school season. Enterprises and commercial customers may have annual or other budgeting and buying cycles that could affect us, and, particularly if we are designated as a capital improvement project, we may have a long or unpredictable sales cycle.

We may not be able to achieve all the features we seek to include in our technology.

We have developed working prototypes of commercial products that utilize our technology. Additional features and performance specifications we seek to include in our technology have not yet been developed. For example, some customer applications may require specific combinations of cost, footprint, efficiencies and capabilities at various frequencies, charging power levels and distances. We believe our research and development efforts will yield additional functionality and capabilities over time. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in

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achieving all the features we are targeting and our inability to do so may limit the appeal of our technology to consumers.

Future products based on our technology may require the user to purchase additional products to use with existing devices. To the extent these additional purchases are inconvenient, the adoption of our technology under development or other future products could be slowed, which would harm our business.

For rechargeable devices that utilize our receiver technology, the technology may be embedded in a sleeve, case or other enclosure. For example, products such as remote controls or toys equipped with replaceable AA size or other batteries would need to be outfitted with enhanced batteries and other hardware enabling the devices to be rechargeable by our system. In each case, an end user would be required to retrofit the device with a receiver and may be required to upgrade the battery technology used with the device (unless, for example, compatible battery technology and a receiver are built into the device). These additional steps and expenses may offset the convenience for some users and discourage some users from purchasing our technology under development or other future products. Such factors may inhibit adoption of our technology, which could harm our business. We have not developed an enhanced battery for use in devices with our technology, and our ability to enable use of our technology with devices that require an enhanced battery will depend on our ability to develop a commercial version of such a battery that could be manufactured at a reasonable cost. If we fail to develop or enable a commercially practicable enhanced battery, our business could be harmed, and we may need to change our strategy and target markets.

Laboratory conditions differ from field conditions, which could affect the effectiveness of our technology under development or other future products. Failures to move from laboratory to the field effectively would harm our business.

When used in the field, our technology may not perform as expected based on performance under controlled laboratory conditions. For example, in the laboratory a configuration of obstructions of transmission will be arranged in some fashion, but in the field receivers may be obstructed in many different and unpredictable ways over which we have no control. These conditions may significantly diminish the power received at the receiver or the effective range of the transmitter, because the RF energy from the transmitter may be absorbed by obscuring or blocking material, or may need to be reflected off a surface to reach the receiver, making the transmission distance longer than straight-line distances. The failure of products using our technology to meet the demands of users in the field could harm our business.

Safety concerns and legal action by private parties may affect our business.

We believe that our technology is safe. However, it is possible that we could discover safety issues with our technology or that some people may be concerned with wire-free transmission of power in a manner that has occurred with some other wireless technologies as they were put into residential and commercial use, such as the safety concerns that were raised by some regarding the use of cellular telephones and other devices to transmit data wirelessly in close proximity to the human body. In addition, while we believe our technology is safe, users of our technology under development or other future products who suffer medical ailments may blame the use of products incorporating our technology, as occurred with a small number of users of cellular telephones. A discovery of safety issues relating to our technology could have a material adverse effect on our business and any legal action against us claiming our technology caused harm could be expensive, divert management and adversely affect us or cause our business to fail, whether or not such legal actions were ultimately successful.

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Our industry is subject to intense competition and rapid technological change, which may result in technology that is superior to ours. If we are do not keep pace with changes in the marketplace and the direction of technological innovation and customer demands, our technology and products may become less useful or obsolete and our operating results will suffer.

The consumer electronics industry in general, and the charging segments in particular, are subject to intense and increasing competition and rapidly evolving technologies. Because products incorporating our technology are expected to have long development cycles, we must anticipate changes in the marketplace and the direction of technological innovation and customer demands. To compete successfully, we will need to demonstrate the advantages of our products and technologies over established alternatives, and other emerging methods of power delivery. Traditional wall plug-in recharging remains an inexpensive alternative to our technology. Directly competing technologies such as inductive charging, magnetic resonance charging, conductive charging, ultrasound and other yet unidentified solutions may have greater consumer acceptance than the technology we have developed. Furthermore, some competitors may have greater resources than we have and may be better established in the market than we are. We cannot be certain which other companies may have already decided to or may in the future choose to enter our markets. For example, consumer electronics products companies may invest substantial resources in wireless power or other recharging technologies and may decide to enter our target markets. Successful developments of competitors that result in new approaches for recharging could reduce the attractiveness of our products and technologies or render them obsolete.

Our future success will depend in large part on our ability to establish and maintain a competitive position in current and future technologies. Rapid technological development may render our technology or future products based on our technology obsolete. Many of our competitors have greater corporate, financial, operational, sales and marketing resources than we have, as well as more experience in research and development. We cannot assure you that our competitors will not develop or market technologies that are more effective or commercially attractive than our products or that would render our technologies and products obsolete. We may not have or the financial resources, technical expertise, marketing, distribution or support capabilities to compete successfully in the future. Our success will depend in large part on our ability to maintain a competitive position with our technologies.

Our competitive position also depends on our ability to:

If our technology does not compete well based on these or other factors, our business could be harmed.

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It is difficult and costly to protect our intellectual property and our proprietary technologies, and we may not be able to ensure their protection.

Our success depends significantly on our ability to obtain, maintain and protect our proprietary rights to the technologies used in products incorporating our technologies. Patents and other proprietary rights provide uncertain protections, and we may be unable to protect our intellectual property. For example, we may be unsuccessful in defending our patents and other proprietary rights against third party challenges. If we do not have the resources to defend our intellectual property, the value of our intellectual property and our licensed technology will decline, threatening our potential revenue and results of operations.

We depend upon a combination of patent, trade secrets, copyright and trademark laws to protect our intellectual property and technology.

We rely on a combination of patents, trade secrets, copyright and trademark laws, nondisclosure agreements and other contractual provisions and technical security measures to protect our intellectual property rights. These measures may not be adequate to safeguard our technology. If they do not protect our rights adequately, third parties could use our technology, and our ability to compete in the market would be reduced. Although we are attempting to obtain patent coverage for our technology where available and where we believe appropriate, there are aspects of the technology for which patent coverage may never be sought or received. We may not possess the resources to or may not choose to pursue patent protection outside the United States or any or every country other than the United States where we may eventually decide to sell our future products. Our ability to prevent others from making or selling duplicate or similar technologies will be impaired in those countries in which we have no patent protection. Although we have a number of patent applications on file in the United States, the patents may not issue, may issue only with limited coverage or may issue and be subsequently successfully challenged by others and held invalid or unenforceable.

Similarly, even if patents are issued based on our applications or future applications, any issued patents may not provide us with any competitive advantages. Competitors may be able to design around our patents or develop products that provide outcomes comparable or superior to ours. Our patents may be held invalid or unenforceable as a result of legal challenges by third parties, and others may challenge the inventorship or ownership of our patents and pending patent applications. In addition, if we secure protection in countries outside the United States, the laws of some foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. In the event a competitor infringes upon our patent or other intellectual property rights, enforcing those rights may be difficult and time consuming. Even if successful, litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights or to defend our patents against challenge could be expensive and time consuming and could divert our management’s attention. We may not have sufficient resources to enforce our intellectual property rights or to defend our patents against a challenge.

Our strategy is to deploy our technology into the market by licensing patent and other proprietary rights to third parties and customers. Disputes with our licensors may arise regarding the scope and content of these licenses. Further, our ability to expand into additional fields with our technologies may be restricted by existing licenses or licenses we may grant to third parties in the future.

The policies we use to protect our trade secrets may not be effective in preventing misappropriation of our trade secrets by others. In addition, confidentiality agreements executed by our employees, consultants and advisors may not be enforceable or may not provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets or other proprietary information in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure. Litigating a trade secret claim is expensive and time consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. Moreover, our competitors may independently develop equivalent knowledge methods and know-how. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, we may be unable to prevent competitors from using our own inventions and intellectual property to compete against us, and our business may be harmed.

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We may be subject to patent infringement or other intellectual property lawsuits that could be costly to defend.

Because our industry is characterized by competing intellectual property, we may become involved in litigation based on claims that we have violated the intellectual property rights of others. Determining whether a product infringes a patent involves complex legal and factual issues, and the outcome of patent litigation actions is often uncertain. No assurance can be given that third party patents containing claims covering our products, parts of our products, technology or methods do not exist, have not been filed, or could not be filed or issued. Because of the number of patents issued and patent applications filed in our technical areas or fields (including some pertaining specifically to wireless charging technologies), our competitors or other third parties may assert that our products and technology and the methods we employ in the use of our products and technology are covered by United States or foreign patents held by them. In addition, because patent applications can take many years to issue and because publication schedules for pending applications vary by jurisdiction, there may be applications now pending which may result in issued patents that our technology under development or other future products would infringe. Also, because the claims of published patent applications can change between publication and patent grant, there may be published patent applications that may ultimately issue with claims that we infringe. There could also be existing patents that one or more of our technologies, products or parts may infringe and of which we are unaware. As the number of competitors in the market for wire-free power and alternative recharging solutions increases, and as the number of patents issued in this area grows, the possibility of patent infringement claims against us increases. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our operations.

In the event that we become subject to a patent infringement or other intellectual property lawsuit and if the relevant patents or other intellectual property were upheld as valid and enforceable and we were found to infringe or violate the terms of a license to which we are a party, we could be prevented from selling any infringing products of ours unless we could obtain a license or were able to redesign the product to avoid infringement. If we were unable to obtain a license or successfully redesign, we might be prevented from selling our technology under development or other future products. If there is a determination that we have infringed the intellectual property rights of a competitor or other person, we may be required to pay damages, pay a settlement, or pay ongoing royalties, or be enjoined. In these circumstances, we may be unable to sell our products or license our technology at competitive prices or at all, and our business and operating results could be harmed.

We could become subject to product liability claims, product recalls, and warranty claims that could be expensive, divert management’s attention and harm our business.

Our business exposes us to potential liability risks that are inherent in the marketing and sale of products used by consumers. We may be held liable if our technology under development now or in the future causes injury or death or are found otherwise unsuitable during usage. Our technology under development incorporates sophisticated components and computer software. Complex software can contain errors, particularly when first introduced. In addition, new products or enhancements may contain undetected errors or performance problems that, despite testing, are discovered only after installation. While we believe our technology is safe, users could allege or possibly prove defects (some of which could be alleged or proved to cause harm to users or others) because we design our technology to perform complex functions involving RF energy, possibly in close proximity to users. A product liability claim, regardless of its merit or eventual outcome, could result in significant legal defense costs. The coverage limits of our insurance policies we may choose to purchase to cover related risks may not be adequate to cover future claims. If sales of products incorporating our technology increase or we suffer future product liability claims, we may be unable to maintain product liability insurance in the future at satisfactory rates or with adequate amounts. A product liability claim, any product recalls or excessive warranty claims, whether arising from defects in design or manufacture or otherwise, could negatively affect our sales or require a change in the design or manufacturing process, any of which could harm our reputation and business, harm our relationship with licensors of our products, result in a decline in revenue and harm our business.

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In addition, if a product that we or a strategic partner design is defective, whether due to design or manufacturing defects, improper use of the product or other reasons, we or our strategic partners may be required to notify regulatory authorities and/or to recall the product. A required notification to a regulatory authority or recall could result in an investigation by regulatory authorities of products incorporating our technology, which could in turn result in required recalls, restrictions on the sale of such products or other penalties. The adverse publicity resulting from any of these actions could adversely affect the perception of our customers and potential customers. These investigations or recalls, especially if accompanied by unfavorable publicity, could result in our incurring substantial costs, losing revenues and damaging our reputation, each of which would harm our business.

We are subject to risks associated with our utilization of consultants.

To improve productivity and accelerate our development efforts while we build out our own engineering team, we may use experienced consultants to assist in selected development projects. We take steps to monitor and regulate the performance of these independent third parties. However, arrangements with third party service providers may make our operations vulnerable if these consultants fail to satisfy their obligations to us as a result of their performance, changes in their own operations, financial condition, or other matters outside of our control. Effective management of our consultants is important to our business and strategy. The failure of our consultants to perform as anticipated could result in substantial costs, divert management’s attention from other strategic activities, or create other operational or financial problems for us. Terminating or transitioning arrangements with key consultants could result in additional costs and a risk of operational delays, potential errors and possible control issues as a result of the termination or during the transition.

If we are not able to secure advantageous license agreements for our technology, our business and results of operations will be adversely affected.

We pursue the licensing of our technology as a primary means of revenue generation. We believe there are many companies that would be interested in implementing our technology into their devices. We have entered into one product development and license agreement with a tier-one consumer electronics company that has the potential to yield license revenue. We have also entered into a number of evaluation and joint development agreements with potential strategic partners. However, these agreements do not commit either party to a long-term relationship and any of these parties may disengage with us at any time. Creating a licensing business relationship often takes a substantial effort, as we expect to have to convince the counterparty of the efficacy of our technology, meet design and manufacturing requirements, satisfy marketing and product needs, and comply with selection, review and contracting requirements. There can be no assurance that we will be able to gain access to potential licensing partners, or that they will ultimately decide to integrate our technology with their products. We may not be able to secure license agreements with customers on advantageous terms, and the timing and volume of revenue earned from license agreements will be outside of our control. If the license agreements we enter into do not prove to be advantageous to us, our business and results of operations will be adversely affected.

Our business is subject to data security risks, including security breaches.

We, or our third-party vendors on our behalf, collect, process, store and transmit substantial amounts of information, including information about our customers. We take steps to protect the security and integrity of the information we collect, process, store or transmit, but there is no guarantee that inadvertent or unauthorized use or disclosure will not occur or that third parties will not gain unauthorized access to this information despite such efforts. Security breaches, computer malware, computer hacking attacks and other compromises of information security measures have become more prevalent in the business world and may occur on our systems or those of our vendors in the future. Large Internet companies and websites have from time to time disclosed sophisticated

and targeted attacks on portions of their websites, and an increasing number have reported such attacks resulting in breaches of their information security. We and our third-party vendors are at risk of suffering from similar

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attacks and breaches. Although we take steps to maintain confidential and proprietary information on our information systems, these measures and technology may not adequately prevent security breaches and we rely on our third-party vendors to take appropriate measures to protect the security and integrity of the information on those information systems. Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to or to sabotage information systems change frequently and may not be known until launched against us, we may be unable to anticipate or prevent these attacks. In addition, a party who is able to illicitly obtain a customer’s identification and password credentials may be able to access the customer’s account and certain account data.

Any actual or suspected security breach or other compromise of our security measures or those of our third-party vendors, whether as a result of hacking efforts, denial-of-service attacks, viruses, malicious software, break-ins, phishing attacks, social engineering or otherwise, could harm our reputation and business, damage our brand and make it harder to retain existing customers or acquire new ones, require us to expend significant capital and other resources to address the breach, and result in a violation of applicable laws, regulations or other legal obligations. Our insurance policies may not be adequate to reimburse us for direct losses caused by any such security breach or indirect losses due to resulting customer attrition.

We rely on email and other messaging services to connect with our existing and potential customers. Our customers may be targeted by parties using fraudulent spoofing and phishing emails to misappropriate passwords, payment information or other personal information or to introduce viruses through Trojan horse programs or otherwise through our customers’ computers, smartphones, tablets or other devices. Despite our efforts to mitigate the effectiveness of such malicious email campaigns through product improvements, spoofing and phishing may damage our brand and increase our costs. Any of these events or circumstances could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

We are highly dependent on key members of our executive management team. Our inability to retain these individuals could impede our business plan and growth strategies, which could have a negative impact on our business and the value of your investment.

Our ability to implement our business plan depends, to a critical extent, on the continued efforts and services of a very small number of key executives. If we lose the services of any of these persons, we could be required to expend significant time and money in the pursuit of replacements, which may result in a delay in the implementation of our business plan and plan of operations. If necessary, we can give no assurance that we could find satisfactory replacements for these individuals on terms that would not be unduly expensive or burdensome to us. We do not currently carry a key-man life insurance policy that would assist us in recouping our costs in the event of the death or disability of any of these executives.

Our success and growth depend on our ability to attract, integrate and retain high-level engineering talent.

Because of the highly specialized and complex nature of our business, our success depends on our ability to attract, hire, train, integrate and retain high-level engineering talent. Competition for such personnel is intense because we compete for talent against many large profitable companies and our inability to adequately staff our operations with highly qualified and well-trained engineers could render us less efficient and impede our ability to develop and deliver a commercial product. Such a competitive market could put upward pressure on labor costs for engineering talent. We may incur significant costs to attract and retain highly qualified talent, and we may lose new employees to our competitors or other technology companies before we realize the benefit of our investment in recruiting and training them. Volatility or lack of performance in our stock price may also affect our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel.

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Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock

You may lose all of your investment.

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. As an investor, you may never recoup all, or even part of, your investment and you may never realize any return on your investment. You must be prepared to lose all of your investment.

Our stock price is likely to continue to be volatile.

The market price of the common stock has fluctuated significantly since it was first listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market in 2014. Our common stock has experienced an intra-day trading high of $33.50 per share and a low of $6.91 per share over the last 52 weeks. The price of our common stock is likely to continue to fluctuate significantly in response to many factors that are beyond our control, including:

We are an “emerging growth company,” and can take advantage of reduced disclosure requirements, excluding applicable to emerging growth companies, which could make our common stock less attractive to investors.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, and, for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements, including, but not limited to, not being required to provide auditor attestation of our internal controls, reduced disclosure about executive compensation, and exemption from the requirement to hold a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation. However, we chose not to delay compliance with new or revised financial accounting standards. We will be an emerging growth company until December 31, 2018. If investors find our common stock less attractive as a result of reduced disclosure of this sort, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may decline.

If we are unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy of our financial reports.

As a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we evaluate and determine the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Although our management has

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determined that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2017, we cannot assure you that we not identify a material weakness in our internal control in the future.

If we have a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting in the future, we may not detect errors on a timely basis. If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or if we identify a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting in the future, it could harm our operating results, cause us to fail to meet our SEC reporting obligations or Nasdaq listing requirements, adversely affect our reputation, cause our stock price to decline or result in inaccurate financial reporting or material misstatements in our annual or interim financial statements. Further, if there are material weaknesses or failures in our ability to meet any of the requirements related to the maintenance and reporting of our internal controls such as Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and that could cause the price of our common stock to decline. We could become subject to investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional management attention and which could adversely affect our business.

In addition, our internal control over financial reporting will not prevent or detect all errors and fraud. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud will be detected.

We have not paid dividends in the past and have no immediate plans to pay dividends.

We plan to reinvest all of our earnings, to the extent we have earnings, in order to market our products and technology and to cover operating costs and to otherwise become and remain competitive. We do not plan to pay any cash dividends with respect to our securities in the foreseeable future. We cannot assure you that we would, at any time, generate sufficient surplus cash that would be available for distribution to the holders of our common stock as a dividend.

Concentration of ownership among our existing executive officers, directors and significant stockholders may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.

All decisions with respect to the management of our company are made by our board of directors and our officers, who beneficially own approximately 6.7% of our common stock collectively. In addition, our greater than 5% stockholders such as Dialog Semiconductor plc, Emily and Malcolm Fairbairn, Hood River Capital Management, DvineWave Holdings LLC, and BlackRock Inc. beneficially owned approximately 11.7%, 6.8%, 6.4%, 6.1%, and 5.2%, respectively, of our common stock as of October 31, 2018. As a result, these stockholders will be able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, amendment of our certificate of incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions. This control could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of our company or changes in management and will make the approval of certain transactions difficult or impossible without the support of these stockholders.

We expect to continue to incur significant costs as a result of being a public reporting company and our management will be required to devote substantial time to meet our compliance obligations.

As a public reporting company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses. We are subject to reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and rules subsequently implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) that require us to establish and maintain effective disclosure controls and financial controls, as well as some specific corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel are expected to devote a substantial amount of time to compliance initiatives associated with our public reporting company status.

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We may be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention.

Our stock price has fluctuated in the past, most recently following our announcement of FCC approval of our Mid-Field transmitter technology, and it may be volatile in the future. In the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their securities have been subject to securities class action litigation, and we may be the target of litigation of this sort in the future. Securities litigation is costly and can divert management attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business and the value of your investment in our company.

An active trading market for our common stock may not be maintained.

Our stock is currently traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market, but we can provide no assurance that we will be able to maintain an active trading market on this or any other exchange in the future. If an active market for our common stock is not maintained, it may be difficult for our stockholders to sell or purchase shares. An inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling shares and impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies using our shares as consideration.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or publish negative reports about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. There can be no assurance that analysts will continue to cover us or provide favorable coverage. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our stock or change their opinion of our stock, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

Our ability to use net operating loss carry forwards to reduce future tax payments may be limited if our taxable income does not reach sufficient levels.

          As of December 31, 2017, we had a Federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforward of $84,418,000. Under the U.S. Tax Code, NOL can generally be carried forward to offset future taxable income for a period of 20 years. Our ability to use our NOL during this period will be dependent on our ability to generate taxable income, and the NOL could expire before we generate sufficient taxable income. As of December 31, 2017, based on our history of operating losses it is possible that a portion of our NOL is not fully realizable.

Our charter documents and Delaware law may inhibit a takeover that stockholders consider favorable.

Provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, and applicable Delaware law, may delay or discourage transactions involving an actual or potential change in control or change in our management, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares, or transactions that our stockholders might otherwise deem to be in their best interests. The provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws:

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In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law may limit our ability to engage in any business combination with a person who beneficially owns 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock unless certain conditions are satisfied. This restriction lasts for a period of three years following the share acquisition. These provisions may have the effect of entrenching our management team and may deprive you of the opportunity to sell your shares to potential acquirers at a premium over prevailing prices. This potential inability to obtain a control premium could reduce the price of our common stock.

Item 2.  Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities

Not applicable.

Item 3.  Defaults Upon Senior Securities

Not applicable.

Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

Item 5.  Other Information

 

On November 7, 2018, the Board of Directors of Energous amended Section 2 and Section 8 of the Energous Corporation Performance Share Unit Plan, effective immediately. The amendment expanded the performance metrics under which Performance Share Units will be eligible to become earned during any applicable performance period.

Item 6.  Exhibits

The exhibits required to be filed as a part of this report are listed in the Exhibit Index.  

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

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