In May 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors adopted, and in June 2022 the Company’s stockholders approved, the MaxCyte, Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”) to provide for the awarding of (i) incentive stock options, (ii) non-qualified stock options, (iii) stock appreciation rights, (iv) restricted stock awards, (v) restricted stock unit awards, (vi) performance awards, and (vii) other awards. Following the approval of the 2022 Plan, no additional awards can be granted under the 2016 Plan or the Inducement Plan, but all outstanding awards will continue to remain subject to the terms of the applicable plan.
Upon the effectiveness of the 2022 Plan, a total of 3,692,397 shares were initially reserved for issuance pursuant to future awards under the 2022 Plan, consisting of 1,928,000 new shares and 1,764,397 shares previously available under the 2016 Plan. If and to the extent that outstanding options under the 2016 Plan or the Inducement Plan are forfeited, the shares underlying such forfeited options will become available for issuance under the 2022 Plan. At the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 22, 2023, the Company’s stockholders voted to reserve an additional 6,069,000 shares of issuance pursuant to future awards under the 2022 Plan.
At September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, there were 6,250,000 and 3,455,700 shares, respectively, available to be issued under the 2022 Plan.
The value of an equity award is recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. At September 30, 2023, total unrecognized compensation expense was $26,784,400, which will be recognized over an estimated weighted average period of 2.34 years.
Stock Options
The weighted-average fair value of the stock options granted during the three months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was estimated to be $1.91 and $4.40, respectively per option share. The weighted-average fair value of the stock options granted during the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022 was estimated to be $2.03 and $3.49 respectively per option share.
Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”)
The weighted-average fair value of the RSUs granted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 was estimated to be $4.18 and $4.29 per RSU. The weighted average fair value of RSUs granted during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $5.39 per RSU.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”)
On May 8, 2023, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company approved the initial offering (the “Initial Offering”) under the Maxcyte, Inc. 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). The Initial Offering began May 19, 2023 and will end on November 18, 2023 (the “Purchase Period”).
The ESPP allows eligible employees to purchase a number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock up to a maximum of 15% of the employee’s earnings during the Purchase Period subject to certain limitations. The purchase price will be the lesser of 85% of the fair market value of shares on the beginning of the Purchase Period or on the Purchase Date (i.e., the last day of the Purchase Period). Participants may decrease their contribution level or withdraw from the ESPP at any time during the Purchase Period subject to certain conditions. The Company’s executives are not eligible to participate in the ESPP.