UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended November 30, 20142015

OR

For the Transition Period from_________ to _________

Commission File Number: 001-35421

Ceres, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

1535 Rancho Conejo Boulevard

Thousand Oaks, CA 91320

(Address of principal executive offices)

Telephone: (805) 376-6500

(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. YesxNo¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files). YesxNo¨

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

Under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, Ceres, Inc. qualifies as an “emerging growth company,” as defined under the JOBS Act.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I: FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(In thousands, except share amounts and par value)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)

See accompanying notes to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

1) The Company

Ceres, Inc. (Company) is an agricultural biotechnology company that develops and markets seeds and traits to produce crops for bioenergyfeed, forages, sugar and other markets that utilize plant biomass.markets. The Company uses a combination of advanced plant breeding, biotechnology and biotechnologybioinformatics to develop seed products.products and biotechnology traits to address many of the current limitations and future challenges facing agriculture. These technology platforms, which can increase crop productivity, improve quality, reduce crop inputs and improve cultivation on marginal land, have broad application across multiple crops,end markets, including food, feed, fiber and fuel crops.fuel.

In January 2010, the Company formed a subsidiary, Ceres Sementes do Brasil Ltda. The Company’s ownership in this subsidiary is 99.9% and the Company’s Chief Executive OfficerCeres Agrotechnologies Intl LLC (referred to hereinafter) owns the remaining interest. In May 2014, the Company formed a wholly owned subsidiary, Ceres Agrotechnologies Intl LLC. In May 2014, the Company also formed a subsidiary, CS Semillas de Mexico, S.de L. de C.V. The Company’s ownership in this subsidiary is 99.9% and Ceres Agrotechnologies Intl LLC owns the remaining interest.

On April 8, 2015, the Company filed an amendment to its amended and restated certificate of incorporation which effected a 1 for 8 reverse stock split of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock. The par value of the common stock was not adjusted as a result of the reverse stock split. All issued and outstanding shares of common stock, warrants, and stock options and per share amounts contained in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been retroactively adjusted to reflect this reverse stock split for all periods presented.

The Company has incurred substantial net losses from operations since its inception and its accumulated deficit as of November 30, 20142015 was $309,878.$335,480. The Company expects to incur additional losses related to the continued development and expansion of its business, including research and development, seed production and operations, and sales and marketing.

During the first quarterAs of fiscal 2014, management commenced the implementation of a plan (Plan) intended to further align expenditures with the Company’s near-term commercial opportunity in Brazil, shift Northern Hemisphere sorghum breeding activities from College Station, Texas to a more appropriate location, de-emphasize research and development for U.S. cellulosic feedstocks, reduce costs and conserve cash. The actions taken under the Plan, which included, among others, a workforce reduction that impacted 16 positions in the U.S, were completed at August 31, 2014.

On March 10, 2014,November 30, 2015 the Company completedhad cash and cash equivalents of $3,438. On December 17, 2015 the Company raised net proceeds of approximately $6,400 from a registered public offering of 23,000,000 shares of its common stock (including 3,000,000 shares purchased by the underwriter upon the exercise in full of their right to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 shares to cover over-allotments) at a price to the public of $1.00 per share. The Company received approximately $20.8 million of proceeds from the offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses.

offering. The Company plans to finance its operations for the next 12eight months with cash and marketable securities on hand, and with cash inflows from collaboration and grant funding and from product sales. The Company intends to seek additional funds through collaborations, licensing arrangements, public or private debt or equity financings, orcollaborations, licensing arrangements, government programs and may also seek to reduce expenses related to our operations.the sale of intellectual property, technology or other assets. The Company cannot assure youprovide any assurances that such additional funds from collaborations, licensing arrangements, public or private debt or equity financings or government programssources of funding will be available or that theon terms would be acceptable to the Company. ThereCompany or at all, or that it will be successful in entering into collaborations or license agreements, receiving funds under government grants or selling intellectual property, technology or other assets. If the Company is also no assurance thatunable to raise additional funds, the Company will achieve profitablenot have adequate liquidity to fund its operations and will be forced to significantly curtail or if achieved, that it can sustain them on a continued basis.cease its operations.

(2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and with the instructions for Form 10-Q and Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required for complete financial statements. These interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained in the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 20142015 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 20, 2014.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)23, 2015.

The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures are unaudited, have been prepared on the same basis as the annual consolidated financial statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include only normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations for the periods presented. The condensed consolidated results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or for any other future year or interim period.

Principles of Consolidation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

In preparing the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, management makes estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the valuation of property and equipment, common stock and stock options. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value in the condensed consolidated financial statements are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their fair value. Hierarchical levels that are directly related to the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to the valuation of these assets or liabilities are as follows:

The following tables present the Company’s financial assets that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of November 30, 20142015 and August 31, 20142015 by level within the fair value hierarchy:

All of the money market funds and $60 of the certificates of deposit are included in cash and cash equivalents on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

All of the money market funds and $60 of the certificates of deposit are included in cash and cash equivalents on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Financial Liabilities

Certain common stock warrants have been classified as liabilities due to some features which could enable the holder to receive cash. The Company utilizes an option pricing valuation model to determine the fair value of its outstanding common stock warrant liabilities. The inputs to the model include fair value of the stock related to the warrant, exercise price of the warrant, expected term, expected volatility, risk-free interest rate and dividend yield. As several significant inputs are not observable, the overall fair value measurement of the common stock warrants are classified as Level 3. The fair value of the Company’s common stock warrant liabilities were $1,239 and $1,631 at November 30, 2015 and August 31, 2015, respectively.

The fair value of the common stock warrant liabilities at November 30, 2015 and August 31, 2015 were estimated using the following weighted-average assumptions:

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable represents amounts owed to the Company from product sales and collaborative research and government grants.services. The Company had no amounts reserved for doubtful accounts at November 30, 20142015 and August 31, 20142015 as the Company expects full collection of the accounts receivable balances.

Inventories

At November 30, 2014, inventory consisted of finished seed inventory and unharvested biomass in Brazil. The costs for finished seed inventory are related to sorghum seeds. The costs for unharvested biomass are related to the Company’s biomass contracts. At August 31, 2014, seed inventory consisted of work–in–process costs and finished goods for costs related to the Company’s sorghum seeds in Brazil.

When inventory costs exceed expected market value due to obsolescence or lack of demand, inventory write-downs are recorded for the difference between the cost and the market value in the period based on the Company’s evaluation of such inventory.inventory with any excess cost recognized during the period within cost of product sales.

All inventory at November 30, 2014 and August 31, 2015, respectively, was recorded at net realizable value of $0.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation is provided using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives or the remaining life of the lease. Depreciation periods for the Company’s property and equipment are as follows:

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. To the extent that an impairment indicator has occurred, recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. For the reporting periods presented herein there was no impairment.

Restructuring

At August 31, 2015, there was approximately $700 of accrued liability related to workforce reductions in connection with fiscal 2015 restructurings. As of November 30, 2015, these accrued liabilities were substantially paid.

Foreign Currency Translation

The Brazilian Real is the functional currency of the Company’s subsidiary in Brazil. Accordingly, assets and liabilities of those operations are translated into United States dollars using the current exchange rate in effect at the balance sheet date and equity accounts are translated into United States dollars using historical rates. Revenues and expenses are translated at the weighted average rate of exchange during the reporting period. Gains and losses from foreign currency translation adjustments are represented as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss within the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

Accumulated Other ComprehensiveLoss

The Company’s unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities and foreign currency translation adjustments represents the components of comprehensive loss and have been disclosed in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The following summarizes the changes in the balances of each component of accumulated other comprehensive loss during the three months ended November 30, 2014:2015:

Basic and Diluted Net Loss Per Share

Basic net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares and dilutive potential common share equivalents then outstanding, to the extent they are dilutive. Potential common shares consist of shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options and warrants (using the treasury stock method). Dilutive net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share for all periods presented because the effects of potentially dilutive items were anti-dilutive.

The following potentially dilutive, common share equivalents were excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per common share because their effect was antidilutive for each of the periods presented:

(3) Marketable Securities

Marketable securities classified as available for sale consisted of the following:

(5) Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are summarized as follows:

(6)(4) Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

Accounts payable and accrued expenses consisted of the following:

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

(7) Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt is summarized as follows:

(8)(5) Stock-Based Compensation

Stock Option and Stock Issuance Plans

The Company has established three equity plans: the Ceres, Inc. 2000 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan (2000 Plan), the Ceres, Inc. 2010 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan (2010 Plan) and the Amended and Restated Ceres, Inc. 2011 Equity Incentive Plan (2011 Plan, and collectively with the 2000 Plan and the 2010 Plan, Equity Plans). The Equity Plans provide for grants of Incentive Stock Options (ISOs) to employees and Nonqualified Stock Options (NSOs), stock and restricted stock to employees, directors, and consultants. In addition, the 2011 Plan provides for the grant of other equity based awards such as restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights and deferred stock to employees, directors and consultants. The option term, as determined by the Company’s Board of Directors, may not exceed ten years. Vesting, also determined by the Company’s Board of Directors, generally occurs ratably over four to five years. ISOs and NSOs may be granted at a price per share not less than the fair market value at the date of grant.

Stock-based compensation expense included in operating expenses are as follows:

There were no stock options exercised during the three months ended November 30, 20142015 and 2013.2014.

Stock Option Activity

The following table summarizes the stock option transactions under the Equity Plans during the three months ended November 30, 2014:2015:

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

No tax benefits have been recorded on compensation costs recognized for options exercised. As of November 30, 2014,2015, there was $2,481 of$751of total unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average of 1.941.31 years. The Company’s policy is to issue new shares for options exercised.

Restricted Stock Activity

The following summarizes the restricted stock transactions under the Equity Plans during the three months ended November 30, 2014:2015:

As of November 30, 2014,2015, there was $379$18 of total unrecognized compensation cost related to restricted stock awards. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average of 1.142.04 years.

Stock Activity

There were no stock grants duringDuring the three months ended November 30, 2014. During the fiscal year 2014,2015, the Company granted 18,3002,511 shares of common stock under the 2011 Plan with a fair market value of $0.91$1.11 per share. The Company recorded $16.7$2.8 of expense related to this stock grant. There were no shares of common stock issued during the three months ended November 30, 2014.

(9)(6) Stockholders’ Equity

Common Stock

On March 7, 2014, the Company held its 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (Annual Meeting). At the Annual Meeting, the stockholders approved an amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation which decreased the total number of shares of common stock of the Company from 490,000,000 to 240,000,000. Holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to dividends as and when declared by the Board of Directors, subject to rights and holders of all classes of stock outstanding having priority rights to dividends. There have been no dividends declared to date. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote.

Preferred Stock

Pursuant to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the Company is authorized to issue 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. The Board of Directors has the authority, without action by the Company’s stockholders, to designate and issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

Warrants issued in connection with Noble Agreementthe July 30, 2015 registered public offering and concurrent private placement.

In May 2006, the Company entered into a collaboration agreement with The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (Noble) (Noble Agreement) to establish a research program (see Note (12)). In connection with this collaboration, the Company granted Noble a warrant to purchase 133,333 shares of the Company’s common stock for an exercise price of $30.00 per share. The original terms were as follows: the warrant vests in equal installments of 33,333 shares on May 19, 2009, May 19, 2011, May 19, 2013, and May 19,On July 30, 2015 respectively, and shall remain exercisable for a period of two years from the respective vesting dates. These warrants are accounted for at fair value and remeasured until vested. The fair value, including the resulting change in value as a result of remeasurement is being recognized as research and development expense. The inception to date expense recognized with respect to this warrant totals $624.4 as of November 30, 2014. At November 30, 2014, 99,999 warrants had vested under this arrangement. The fair value of the warrants not yet vested at November 30, 2014, was $0 using a risk-free rate of 0.68% based on the respective exercise periods of each installment, expected volatility of 68.9%, expected term of 2.47 years based on the respective exercise periods of each installment, which is also the remaining contractual term, and 0% dividend yield.

In June 2011, the Company and Noble agreed to modify the warrants issued to Noble as follows: the warrant vests in equal installments of 33,333 shares on May 19, 2013 and May 19, 2015, respectively and shall remain exercisable until the earliest of a period of five years from the respective vesting dates and May 18, 2017.

Warrants issued in connection with TAMU Agreement

In August 2007, the Company entered into a sponsored research and intellectual property rights agreement with The Texas A&M University System (TAMU) to establish a research program (see Note (12)). In connection with this collaboration, the Company granted TAMU a warrant to purchase 66,666 shares of the Company’s common stock for an exercise price of $30.00 per share. The warrant vests based on certain research and commercialization milestones being met and shall remain exercisable until August 28, 2017. This warrant is accounted for at fair value and remeasured until the vesting targets are met. The fair value, including the resulting change in value as a result of remeasurement is being recognized as research and development expense. The inception to date expense recognized with respect to this warrant totals $0 as of November 30, 2014. The fair value of the warrants at November 30, 2014 was $0, using a risk-free rate of 0.88%, expected volatility of 68.8%, expected term of 2.74years and 0% dividend yield. No warrants have vested under this arrangement as of November 30, 2014.

In December 2011, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Intellectual Property Rights Agreement (IP Rights Agreement) (see Note (12)), the Company issued warrants to TAMU to purchase 66,666exercisable for one share of Common Stock for each share purchased in the July 30, 2015 offering for an aggregate of 1,200,000 shares of common stockCommon Stock at an exercise price of $14.30$1.62 per share. The warrants expire on September 24, 2026 and, subject to certain conditions, vest in equal installments on the fifth, tenth and fifteenth anniversary of the IP Rights Agreement. The inception to date expense recognized with respect to this warrant totals $3.1 as of November 30, 2014. The fair value of the warrants at November 30, 2014, was $8.2, using a risk-free rate of 2.18%, expected volatility of 84.1%, expected term of 11.81 years and 0% dividend yield. No warrants have vested under this arrangement as of November 30, 2014.

Warrants issued in connection with March 10, 2014 registered public offering

On March 10, 2014 the Company issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 480,000 shares of common stock to certain affiliated designees of the underwriter as part of the underwriter’s compensation related to the registered public offering. The warrants are exercisable at any time andor from time to time, in whole or in part, beginning on March 4, 2015January 30, 2016 and expire on March 4, 2019. The exercise price is $1.50 per share of common stock.January 30, 2021. The fair value of these warrants upon issuanceat November 30, 2015 was $305 using$569.3 based on a risk freerisk-free rate of 1.64%1.65%, expected volatility 84.2%of 70.2%, expected term of 55.16 years and 0% dividend yield and was treatedyield.

The Company also issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 24,000 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.944 per share to the placement agent as an issuance costpart of the common stock.placement agent’s compensation. The warrants issued to the placement agent are exercisable at any time or from time to time, in whole or in part, beginning on July 30, 2016 and expire on July 30, 2020. The fair value of these warrants at November 30, 2015 was $10.0 based on a risk-free rate of 1.65%, volatility of 71.6%, expected term of 4.7 years and 0% dividend yield.

(10)Warrants issued in connection with the August 26, 2015 registered public offering and concurrent private placement.

On August 26, 2015, the Company issued warrants exercisable for 0.75 shares of Common Stock for each share purchased in the August 26, 2015 offering for an aggregate of 1,198,859 shares of Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.22 per share. The warrants are exercisable at any time or from time to time, in whole or in part, beginning on February 26, 2016 and expire on February 26, 2021. The fair value of these warrants at November 30, 2015 was $645.9 based on a risk-free rate of 1.65%, volatility of 70.2%, expected term of 5.2 years and 0% dividend yield.

The Company also issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 31,970 shares of our Common Stock at an exercise price of $1.83 per share to the placement agent as part of the placement agent’s compensation. The warrants issued to the placement agent are exercisable at any time or from time to time, in whole or in part, beginning on August 26, 2016 and expire on August 26, 2020. The fair value of these warrants at November 30, 2015 was $13.5 based on a risk-free rate of 1.65%, volatility of 70.2%, expected term of 4.7 years and 0% dividend yield.

In connections with the change in the fair value of liability classified warrants, the Company recorded a gain of $392 for the three months ended November 30, 2015, included in other income on the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of operations.

(7) Income Taxes

No provision for U.S. income taxes has been made, net of the valuation allowance, with the exception of minimum statutory amounts, because the Company has incurred losses since its inception. The Company has deferred tax assets consisting primarily of net operating loss carryforwards that have been fully offset by a valuation allowance.

(11)(8) Commitments and Contingencies

The Company leases certain of its facilities and equipment under various noncancelable operating leases expiring through 2023. The leases on the facilities contains provisions for future rent increases. The Company records monthly rent expense equal to the total of the payments due over the lease term, divided by the number of months of the lease term. The difference between rent expense recorded and the amount paid is credited or charged to deferred rent, which is included in other current liabilities and other non-current liabilities in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets as of November 30, 2014,2015, and August 31, 2014.

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)2015.

In connection with one of its facilities leases, the Company received a reimbursement for leasehold improvements of $270. This reimbursement is a lease incentive which has been recognized as a liability in deferred rent and is being amortized to rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Total rental expense recognized was $134$42 and $66$134 for the three months ended November 30, 2015 and 2014, and 2013, respectively.

Future minimum payments under noncancelable operating leases as of November 30, 20142015 are as follows:

(12)Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may be involved in litigation relating to claims arising out of our operations. Except as set forth in the immediately following two paragraphs, we are not currently a party to any material litigation or other material legal proceedings. We may, however, be involved in other material legal proceedings in the future. Such matters are subject to uncertainty and there can be no assurance that such legal proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial position or cash flows.

A claim was filed against the Company on December 2, 2015 in the Labor Court of Itumbiara, Goias, Brazil by the estate of a deceased employee of the Company’s Brazilian subsidiary alleging that the employee’s death in an accident while driving a Company vehicle resulted from a lack of proper maintenance of such vehicle and the plaintiff is requesting damages of approximately 3.8 million reais (approximately $1 million). The Company intends to vigorously defend the claim.

A lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Ventura County on December 3, 2015 by a former employee of the Company, asserting a number of claims. The lawsuit raises a number of allegations, including, among other things, disability discrimination, failure to provide reasonable accommodation, failure to engage in the interactive process, retaliation under California state laws, wrongful termination and several claims of violations under California wage-hour laws, including alleged failure to pay required minimum wage, overtime, meal and rest break payments and failure to provide accurate itemized wage statements. Ceres at this point in time believes that it has substantial defenses to each claim, intends to fully and appropriately investigate those claims and further intends to vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit. The Company has secured Employment Practices Liability Insurance (“EPLI”) which it believes will cover most if not all allegations set forth in the lawsuit and has tendered the matter to its EPLI carrier.

The Company has determined that there is no probable, estimable liability related to the two cases disclosed above. Accordingly, the Company has not accrued any liability related to these cases.

(9) Research Collaboration Agreements

The Company has a number of research agreements with academic collaborators, including among others, TAMU, Noble, and the Institute of Crop Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. In connection with these agreements, the Company receives certain exclusive options or licensing rights to technology and intellectual property developed under these agreements. The Company expenses amounts under these agreements to research and development expense in the period in which the services are rendered. The Company also licenses technology from third parties. InitialWhere required, initial payments under these license agreements are capitalized and expensed on a straight-line basis over the license term.

Noble Agreement

In May 2006, the Company entered into a collaboration agreement with Noble to establish a research program. Under the Noble Agreement, the Company agreed to fund certain research activities undertaken by Noble in an amount up to $3,800 through July 31, 2012 and granted Noble a warrant to purchase 133,333 shares of the Company’s common stock for an exercise price of $30.00 per share (see Note (9)). Additional projects may be added under the agreement, if agreed to by both parties.

Under the collaboration agreement, in August 2012 the Company agreed to fund certain research activities undertaken by Noble through July 31, 2013 and 2014 of $82.7 and $85.3 per year, respectively.

TAMU Agreement

In August 2007, the Company entered into a Sponsored Research and Intellectual Property Rights agreement with TAMU to establish a research program. Under the agreement, the Company agreed to fund certain research activities undertaken by TAMU in an amount up to $5,100 through 2012 and granted TAMU a warrant to purchase 66,666 shares of the Company’s common stock for an exercise price of $30.00 per share (see Note (9)).

On September 24, 2011, the Company entered into an Amended and Restated Sponsored Research Agreement and the IP Rights Agreement with TAMU which both expire on September 23, 2026. The specific research projects and budgets undertaken pursuant to such agreement will be determined by an Executive Committee comprised of two members from each of TAMU and the Company as set forth in the Amended and Restated Sponsored Research Agreement. In December 2011, pursuant to the IP Rights Agreement, the Company issued warrants to TAMU to purchase 66,666 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $14.30 per share (see Note (9)).

CERES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)

(In thousands, except share and per share data)

Future minimum payments under the Company’s research collaboration agreements as of November 30, 20142015 are as follows:

(13)(10) Subsequent Events

On December 17, 2015, the Company completed a public offering consisting of (1) the issuance of an aggregate of 2,905,000 shares of Common Stock and warrants to acquire 2,905,000 shares of common stock, including the partial exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option of 2,305,000 shares of common stock and warrants to acquire 2,305,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, at an offering price of $0.40 per share, and (2) the issuance of (i) 6,460 shares of preferred stock at an offering price of $1,000 per preferred share convertible into 16,150,000 shares of common stock and (ii) the issuance of warrants to purchase 16,150,000 shares of common stock. The warrants to purchase common stock will be classified as liabilities and the Company estimates the value of the warrants to be approximately $5,200. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $6,400, after deducting the placement agent fee and related offering expenses.

On January 12, 2014,2016 the Company’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution approving a proposal to be presented to the shareholders at the next annual meeting to effect a reverse split of all of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock by a ratio in the range of 1-for-81-for-10 and 1-for-111-for-20 with the exact rangeratio to be determined by the Board. The proposal provides that the Company’s Board of Directors shall have sole discretion pursuant to Section 242(c) of the Delaware General Corporation Law to elect, as it determines to be in the Company’s best interest, whether or not to effect the reverse stock split before April 27, 2015, such date as the Company is required to comply with the minimum bid price requirements of NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2)5, 2017 or to abandon it. If after approval of the proposal by the shareholders, the Company’s Board determines that effecting the reverse stock split is in the Company’s best interest, the reverse stock split will become effective upon filing of an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

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

Forward-Looking Statements

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the other financial information appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the information under the heading “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 20, 2014.23, 2015. This discussion contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. All statements, other than statements of historical facts contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including statements regarding our efforts to develop and commercialize our products, anticipated yields and product performance, our short-term and long-term business strategies, market and industry expectations and future results of operations and financial position, including anticipated cost savings and projected cash expenditures from our restructuring plan to align expenditures,and liquidity, are forward-looking statements. In many cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “could”, “intend”, “target”, “project”, “contemplate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “potential”, “continue” or other similar words. We based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events or trends that we believe may affect our business and financial performance. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We have described in the “Risk Factors” section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 20, 201423, 2015 and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the material risks and uncertainties that we believe could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which we cannot predict or quantify, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as guarantees of future results, performance or achievements. The forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q represent our views as of the date of the filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to update publicly, except to the extent required by law, any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date we file this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q with the SEC to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations.

Overview

We are an agricultural biotechnology company that develops and markets seeds and traits to produce crops for bioenergyfeed, forages, sugar and other markets that utilize plant biomass.markets. We use a combination of advanced plant breeding, biotechnology and bioinformatics to develop seed products that we believeand biotechnology traits to address many of the current limitations of first-generation bioenergy feedstocks, such as corn and sugarcane.future challenges facing agriculture. These technology platforms, which can increase crop productivity, improve quality, reduce crop inputs and improve cultivation on marginal land, have broad application across multiple crops,end markets, including food, feed, fiber and fuel crops.fuel.

We are pursuing multiple marketsIn 2014, we began realigning our business to focus on food and forage opportunities and biotechnology traits for our sorghum products. We market our sweet sorghum hybrids as a ‘‘drop-in’’ feedstock to complement existing feedstock supplies and extend the operating season of Brazilian sugarcane-to-ethanol mills. We also market our high biomass sorghum products to millssugarcane and other agri-industrial facilities for usecrops. Previously, we prioritized our working capital in generating electricity, heatBrazil, where, since 2010 we focused on the large-scale evaluation and steam. Biomass feedstocks grown from our seeds can also be used for the productionadoption of second-generation biofuels and bio-based chemicals. Due to the similarities among crops developedsorghum for bioenergy and those developed for livestock consumption, we believe that certain of our seed products may have application in the hay and forage feed market. Our upstream position in the value chain allows us to be largely independent of the success of any particular conversion technology or end use. The seed industry has historically required very little capital to produce, condition and package seeds, and seeds have typically been priced based on a share of the value they create and thus have generated high gross margins. As a producer of proprietary seeds, we believe we are in one of the most attractive segments of crop production and bioenergy value chain.

We believe crops such as corn, rice and sugarcane can benefit from many of the traits and genetic technologies we are developing for bioenergy crops, such as traits that provide drought tolerance. We have also generated many biotech traits specifically for cereal crops, such as rice, that increase grain yields and provide greater yield stability across different environments. To date, our field evaluations have largely confirmed earlier results obtained in greenhouse and laboratory settings, and we believe that based on these multiple confirmations, we have an industry leading biotech trait technology pipeline, with applications in food, feed, fiber and fuel crops.

We market and sell our seed products under our Blade brand. In certain crops, including corn, rice and sugarbeet, we have out-licensed a portion of our traits and gene technology to existing market participants and continue to pursue opportunities to out-license these technologies, among other go-to-market strategies. We also market our proprietary genome viewer software, known as Persephone, to plant and biomedical researchers.

production. We believe that these changes represent an important step in the strengthtransformation of our business as we refocus on our strengths in agricultural technology has been validatedand redirect our existing seed products and trait pipelines toward food and feed markets being fueled by our receipt of multiple competitive grants as well as collaborations with leading companies in crop science, such as Syngenta Biotechnology and Bayer CropScience. We also have significant intellectual property rights to our technology platforms, traits and seed products.global prosperity growth.

We operate in one segment, and accordingly, our results of operations are presented on a consolidated basis. To date the majority of our revenue and expense has been denominated in U.S. dollars and foreign currency fluctuations have not hadBrazilian Real. In fiscal year 2015 there was a significant impact on our historical results of operations. As we continuebenefit to penetrate the Brazilian market and enter markets outside the United States, we expect our product sales will be made in local currencies and accordingly, that foreign currency fluctuations will have a greater impact on our operating results. expenses related to the impact of expenses incurred in Brazilian Real as a result of the strengthening dollar which was offset by increased costs incurred in Brazil.

We generate revenues from government grants,product sales, research and development collaboration agreements, government grants and from product sales.software and services. We began selling products in 2008 and, while our product sales have been minimal to date, we expect product sales to eventually become the primary source of our revenues. We expect future product revenues to include a combination of seed sales, biomass sales and trait fees, similar to current business models used for food crops incorporating biotech traits. As we continue to develop traits for our products, we expect that a significant portion of our product revenues will be generated from the sale of seeds that include our traits.

We have invested significantly in research, development and technology and applied our proprietary technology platforms to energy crops and expect to continue to invest in research and development focusing on sorghum, as well as traits with significant market potential in other crops, like corn, rice and sugarcane. Our other operating expenses are related to selling, general and administrative expenses incurred to establish and build our market presence and business infrastructure.

Seed inventory costs are computed on a first-in, first-out basis and valued at the lower of cost or market with any excess cost recognized during the period within cost of product sales. When inventory costs exceed expected market value due to obsolescence or lack of demand, inventory write-downs are recorded for the difference between the cost and the market value in the period based on our evaluation of such inventory. The recoverability of our seed inventory is dependent on increased customer adoption and acceptance. At November 30,

We have invested significantly in research, development and technology. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015 and 2014, we alsoinvested $9.7 million and $14.2 million, respectively, in research and development, with the main emphasis on breeding and traits. Our other operating expenses are related to selling, general and administrative expenses incurred additional costs for crop management servicesto establish and support, whichbuild our market presence and business infrastructure.

Our consolidated financial statements have been capitalized to Inventoryprepared assuming that we will continue as unharvested biomass costs, subject to lowera going concern which contemplates the realization of cost or market adjustments.assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. We expect to recover these biomass costs fromincur further losses in the associated revenue generated by biomass sales.operations of our business and have been dependent on funding our operations through the issuance and sale of equity securities. Our accumulated deficit as of November 30, 2015 was $335.5 million. Our cash and cash equivalents of $3.4 million as of November 30, 2015 and net proceeds received of $6.4 million in our public offering on December 17, 2015 is not sufficient to enable us to remain in business beyond July 2016 without raising further capital or significantly curtailing our operations. These circumstances raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.

Our consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern. Therefore, you should not rely on our consolidated financial statements as an indication of the amount of proceeds that would be available to satisfy claims of creditors, and potentially be available for distribution to stockholders, in the event of liquidation.

Historically, we have funded our operations fromwith payments from collaborators and government grants and the proceeds from issuances of common stock, convertible preferred stock, warrants, convertible notes and debt financing. We have experienced significant losses as we invested heavily in research and development and marketing, and those costs have exceeded revenues. We will continue to need capital to fund our research and development projects, to commercialize our products and to provide working capital to fund other aspects of our business. We are evaluating opportunities to secure additional financing, including the issuance of equity or debt, sale or divesture of business units, and additional revenues from grants or collaborations. However there are no assurances that such opportunities will be available or available on terms that are acceptable to the Company. If we fail to raise sufficient funds and continue to incur losses, our ability to fund our operations, take advantage of strategic opportunities, develop and commercialize products or technologies, or otherwise respond to competitive pressures will be significantly limited. If this happens, we may be forced to obtain funds through collaborative and licensing arrangements that may require us to relinquish commercial rights, grant licenses to our technology and sell assets on terms that are not favorable to us or delay or terminate research and development programs or the commercialization of products or significantly curtail or cease our operations.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, we announced the continued realignment of our business to focus on food and forage opportunities and biotechnology traits for sugarcane and other crops. The realignment primarily involved a restructuring of our Brazilian seed operations. The restructuring of our Brazilian seed operations, included, among other actions, a workforce reduction that impacted 33 positions in Brazil primarily related to administration, operations and manufacturing as well as 2 support positions in the United States. As of November 30, 2014, we had an accumulated deficit $309.9 million.2015, these reductions have been substantially completed. We have paid total charges of approximately $1.4 million with respect to these reductions, including $1.2 million of one time severance expenses, and $0.2 million for continuation of salary and benefits until their work was completed. We expect to incur additional losses relatedsave up to approximately $8.0 to $10.0 million in cash in fiscal 2016 as a result of restructuring our operations as described above. After full implementation of the continuedrestructuring plan, our Brazilian operations will be focused on sugarcane trait development and expansion of our business including research and development, seed production and operations, and sales and marketing.activities for the Brazilian sugarcane market. There iscan be no assurance that we will achieve profitable operations, or if achieved, they can be sustained on a continued basis.the cost savings we expect in fiscal 2016 after fully implementing the realignment plan.

In July 2014, our Brazilian subsidiary was selected for a competitive grant and a multi-year credit facility to fund a product development project for sorghum and sugarcane for up to approximately 85 million reais, or 31.6 million U.S. dollars, under the government’sPAISS Agricola program. TheIn light of the restructuring of our Brazilian operations we have decided not to pursue the original project, consists of awhich focused primarily on sorghum, nor accept the non-repayable grant of uptied to approximately 10 million reais, or 3.7 million U.S. dollars,the original project plan. We have approached the Brazilian government to narrow the focus and a government-subsidized credit facility for up to approximately 67.5 million reais, or 25.1 million U.S. dollars. The company is expected to fund up to approximately 7.5 million reais, or 2.8 million U.S. dollars,significantly reduce the size of the project. (Based onWe may still be eligible to utilize the Exchange Rate of the Central Bank of Brazil, on January 8, 2015, one Real was equivalent to .37 U.S. Dollars.) We have completed the required application and have received approval in principle for the grant and credit facility. Subject to the completion of a final project plan review and customary documentation, we expect to draw the first tranche of the non-repayable grant during our second fiscal quarter. We are currently evaluating the terms and requirements of theprogram’s subsidized credit facility to fund certain development and expect to make a decision on the size and timing of the first tranche of the loan by our third fiscal quarter. The credit facility is subject to customary documentation and credit approval, and financial guarantees to be provided by Ceres.

 On October 11, 2013, we commenced the implementation of a plan intended to further align expenditures with our near-term commercial opportunitycommercialization activities in Brazil shift Northern Hemisphere sorghum breeding activities from College Station, Texas to a more appropriate location, de-emphasize research and development for U.S. cellulosic feedstocks, reduce costs and conserve cash.

Commercial Evaluations of Our Sorghum ProductsPublic Offerings

Since 2010, we have completed various field evaluations of our sorghum products in Brazil with approximately 50 ethanol mills, mill suppliers and agri-industrial facilities. During this time, our sorghum seeds were planted and harvested using existing equipment and fermented into ethanol or combusted for electricity generation without retrofitting or altering the existing mills or industrial facilities. We believe these experiences have demonstrated the “drop-in” nature of both our sweet and high-biomass sorghum products, and along with higher yielding products in our pipeline, will serve as the basis for expanded adoption of these product lines as a feedstock for ethanol and power production in Brazil and other markets.

With industrial processing of sorghum feedstock generally well established in Brazil, we believe that field performance — primarily yields of sugars that can be fermented to ethanol — will largely determine the scale and pace at which our current and future sweet sorghum products will be adopted. Based on industry feedback, we believe that minimum average yields in the range of 2,500 to 3,000 liters of ethanol per hectare will be necessary to achieve broad adoption. While we achieved yields in this range in the 2013-2014 growing season in Brazil with multiple products in multiple regions, we expect that the 2014-2015 growing season in Brazil will be necessary to validate results. Additional growing seasons beyond the 2014-2015 season may be required to fully demonstrate this yield performance across numerous geographies and for our products to gain broad adoption. For our high-biomass types, based on industry feedback, we believe that minimum average yields per hectare in the range of 30 to 40 metric tons of biomass, measured at 50% moisture content, will be necessary to achieve broad adoption. Recent water shortages and increasing demand for power in Brazil have led to a spike in electricity prices. We believe these market conditions have made biomass yields as low as approximately 28 metric tons per hectare economically attractive at current electricity prices.

Plantings for the 2014-2015 sorghum growing season in Brazil have been largely completed with more than 50 customers, which include, among others, ethanol mills and multi-mill conglomerates that we estimate are collectively responsible for more than 30% of the sugarcane crushed in Brazil. Total plantings of our sorghum products in Brazil cover more than 4,000 hectares, compared to approximately 1,000 hectares planted the previous season. The increase in planted area is due primarily to increased demand for high biomass sorghum for power generation. Plantings also include small, multi-hybrid evaluations designed to determine yield potential, identify the best performing hybrids for specific regions and demonstrate various crop management practices. Following a dry start to the growing season, which delayed some plantings, growing conditions have been generally favorable to date across most evaluation regions. Overall plantings were lower than our original forecast of 5,000 hectares due to some weather delays at the beginning of the season, which provided less time to plant, and our subsequent decision not to plant outside our recommended timeframe. Harvests are expected to begin inOn March and continue through May.

To meet immediate demand for biomass for power generation and to facilitate the development of a supply chain for sorghum biomass, we are providing agronomy and crop management services for certain customers this season under our sales incentive and promotional programs, which include offtake agreements for sorghum biomass produced under our direction or management. Revenue for these plantings will be based upon yields of biomass per hectare rather than seed sales. We expect to incur increased costs of sales for crop management and agronomy support services provided under the programs, which we expect to recover from the associated revenue generated by biomass sales. However, depending on biomass yields per hectare, the costs of these programs may exceed our revenues. The majority of high biomass sorghum hectares this season were planted under these sales incentive and promotional programs. We expect to recognize the majority of our product revenues for the 2014-2015 season during our fiscal third and fourth quarters.

Forage Sorghum in the U.S. and Brazil

In addition to utilizing our sorghum seed products to grow feedstock for bioenergy, we have initiated sales of our sorghum for use as livestock feed and forage, following successful evaluations in the U.S. and Brazil. The results of evaluations this year in the U.S. and Brazil will help determine the commercial potential of this market for our current and future seed products.

Biotechnology Traits

Biotechnology, also known as genetic engineering, allows us to precisely add traits not readily achievable through conventional breeding methods. In most cases, the same trait can be added to multiple crops with similar effect. Our strategy is to focus on genes that have shown large, step increases in performance, and whose benefits are largely maintained across multiple species. For example, in December10, 2014, we completed a second yearregistered public offering of field evaluations2,875,000 shares of our multi-gene biotech traitscommon stock (including 375,000 shares purchased by the underwriter upon the exercise in corn. These multi-gene combinations demonstratedfull of their right to purchase up to an additional 375,000 shares to cover over-allotments) at a yield advantageprice to the public of $8.00 per share. We received approximately $20.8 million of proceeds from the offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses.

On July 30, 2015, we completed a registered public offering of an aggregate of 1,200,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, at an offering price of $1.296 per share for estimated net proceeds of approximately 25% over controls in many of our research-scale field evaluations. Trials were conducted in two different climatic regions in China through our development collaboration$1.0 million, after deducting the placement agent fee and related offering expenses. In connection with the Chinese Academyoffering, we issued warrants exercisable for one share of Agricultural Sciences.common stock for each share purchased at an exercise price of $1.62 per share. We have selectedalso issued warrants to purchase an aggregate of 24,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.944 per share to the best multi-gene combinations for broader field evaluations in 2015. Favorable results from small-scale evaluations and research settings are not a guaranteeplacement agent as part of future commercial performance, and further evaluations will be necessary to confirm results.the placement agent’s compensation.

We believe that our results, including results from our corn trials in China, representOn August 26, 2015, we completed a registered public offering of an important step forward in crop biotechnology. We have optimizedaggregate of 1,598,478 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the expressionCompany, at an offering price of our genes in a more precise and sophisticated manner than is usually$1.22 per share for estimated net proceeds, together with the case. In addition, we believe that combining genes together, to either create a stronger trait or combine complementary traits, providesconcurrent private placement, of approximately $1.7 million, after deducting the best approach to generate high impact advantages, such as increased grain yield or drought tolerance. We have also developed a new high-throughput, low-cost approach to empirically evaluate large numbers of promising genesplacement agent fee and related control components andoffering expenses. In connection with the offering, we issued warrants exercisable for 0.75 shares of common stock, for an aggregate of 1,198,859 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.22 per share. We also issued warrants to selectpurchase an aggregate of 31,970 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.83 per share to the best combinations for deployment in a crop. We are deploying this multi-gene trait development system internally and believe there may be opportunities to out-licenseplacement agent as part of the system, known as iCODE, to other crop biotechnology companies.agent's compensation.

Persephone Bioinformatics SoftwareOn December 17, 2015, the Company completed a public offering consisting of (1) the issuance of an aggregate of 2,905,000 shares of Common Stock and warrants to acquire 2,905,000 shares of common stock, including the partial exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option of 2,305,000 shares of common stock and warrants to acquire 2,305,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, at an offering price of $0.40 per share, and (2) the issuance of 6,460 shares of preferred stock at an offering price of $1,000 per share convertible into 16,150,000 shares of common stock and (3) the issuance of warrants to purchase 16,150,000 shares of common stock. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $6.4 million, after deducting the placement agent fee and related offering expenses.

We have established our Persephone bioinformatics software as a preeminent genome browser, displacing incumbent solutions at major life science companies. The software includes a number of proprietary data management optimizations to quickly fetch and render very large datasets. This speed enables more dynamic visualizations, intuitive discovery and greater insights into genomics data. We believe that our direct experience using Persephone internally and our ability to continually develop and launch new versions with additional features and functions will enable us to further establish our market position in the plant sciences and expand into new markets, such as biomedical research and diagnostics. We intend to increase the number of customers utilizing our Persephone software as their primary genome browser through both client-server installations at major life science companies as well as a planned Software as a Service (SaaS) edition that targets the larger market of individual researchers. We plan to evaluate a beta version and prepare for the commercial launch of our SaaS edition during our second fiscal quarter.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and related disclosures. We base our estimates and assumptions on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. The results of our analysis form the basis for making assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Our actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

We believe the following critical accounting policies involve significant areas of management’s judgments and estimates in the preparation of our financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

Revenues are recognized when the following criteria are met: (1) persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists; (2) transfer of product or technology has been completed or services have been rendered; (3) the fee is fixed or determinable; and (4) collectability is reasonably assured. To date, our primary source of revenues has been derived from research collaborations and government grants and, to a lesser extent, product sales.

Product Sales

Product sales are derived from sales of seeds, trait fees, crop management services and biomass sales. Product sales are recognized, net of discounts and allowances, once passage of title and risk of loss have occurred and contractually specified acceptance criteria have been met, provided all other revenue recognition criteria have also been met.

Collaborative Research and Government GrantsServices

From time to time, we have entered into research and development collaboration agreements with third parties including a large agriculture supplier, a consumer goods conglomerate and several biofuel producers. In addition, we have received grants from government agencies such as the United States Department of Energy and the United States Department of Agriculture. The research and development collaboration agreements typically provide us with multiple revenue streams, which may include upfront, non-refundable fees for licensing certain of our technologies, fees for research and development activities, and contingent milestone payments upon achievement of contractual criteria.

Technology License Fees. For collaboration agreements in which we have continuing involvement, license fees are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the arrangement. Licensing fees are non-refundable and not subject to future performance.

Government Grants.We receive payments from government entities in the form of government grants. Government grants generally provide us with cost reimbursement for certain types of expenditures in return for research and development activities over a contractually defined period, as well as an allocated portion of our overhead expenses. Revenues from government grants are recognized in the period during which the related costs are incurred, provided that substantially all conditions under which the government grants were provided have been met and we only have perfunctory obligations outstanding.

Research and Development Fees. Generally, fees for research and development activities are recognized as the services are performed over the performance period, as specified in the respective agreements. Certain of our collaboration agreements require us to deliver research data by specific dates and that the collective program plan will result in reaching specific crop characteristics by certain dates. For such arrangements, we recognize revenues based on the approximate proportional performance of services under the agreement, but the revenue recognized cannot exceed the payments that have accrued to us to date under the agreement. The research and development period is estimated at the inception of each agreement and is periodically evaluated.

Milestone Payments.Fees that are contingent upon achievement of substantive performance milestones at inception of the agreement are recognized based on the achievement of the milestone, as defined in the respective agreements.

Software and Services.We provide services related to software arrangements that involve (1) significant production, modification or customizations and (2) Post Contract Customer Support (PCS). The customer has the option, annually, to extend the arrangement or elect to receive only maintenance. We do not have vendor specific objective evidence (“VSOE”) related to these components. In addition, there are substantive acceptance provisions related to the production, modification or customization. We apply the completed contract method to these arrangements. However, only costs related to the production, modification or customization are deferred. Revenue is recognized upon acceptance of the production, modification or customization as that is later than the expiration of the annual PCS period.

Billings in Excess of Costs.We recognize deferred revenuebillings in excess of costs to the extent that cash received under the collaboration agreement issoftware and service arrangements are in excess of the revenues recognized related to the agreementarrangements since the work under the agreement hasarrangements have not yet been performed, or the work has not been fully completed as prescribed in the statement of work at the balance sheet date, which is classified as other current liabilities on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets.

Stock-Based Compensation

We account for stock-based compensation arrangements with employees using fair value methods which require the recognition of compensation expense for costs related to all stock-based payments. The fair value methods require us to estimate the fair value of stock-based payment awards on the date of grant. We use an option pricing model to estimate the fair value of options granted that are expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. The fair value of restricted stock granted to employees is based on the grant date value of the underlying stock. We account for stock options issued to non-employees based on the estimated fair value of the awards using the option pricing model. The measurement of stock-based compensation to non-employees is subject to periodic adjustments as the underlying equity instruments vest, and the resulting change in value, if any, is recognized in our condensed consolidated statements of operations during the period the related services are rendered.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. To the extent that an impairment indicator has occurred, recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated undiscounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. For the reporting periods presented herein there was no impairment.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth our condensed consolidated results of operations for the periods shown (in thousands): 

Comparison of the Three Months Ended November 30, 20142015 and 20132014

Revenues