Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-268282
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus dated November 18, 2022)
Up to $50,000,000
Common Stock
This prospectus supplement relates to the issuance and sale of up to $50,000,000 in shares of our common stock (the “Purchase Shares”) to Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“Lincoln Park”), from time to time, in one or more transactions in amounts, at prices, and on terms that will be determined at the time these securities are offered pursuant to the purchase agreement dated as of September 11, 2023 (the “Purchase Agreement”), that we have entered into with Lincoln Park, whereby Lincoln Park has committed to purchase up to $50,000,000 of our common stock, and we have agreed to issue a commitment fee to Lincoln Park in the aggregate of $1,000,000 U.S. dollars.
See “Lincoln Park Transaction” for a description of the Purchase Agreement. Lincoln Park is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
Our common stock is currently listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “MMAT”. On September 8, 2023, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $0.2134 per share.
We will pay the expenses incurred in registering the shares, including legal and accounting fees. See “Plan of Distribution”.
As of September 8, 2023, we had 1,000,000,000 authorized but unissued shares of common stock (after deducting the number of shares issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of our outstanding securities or otherwise reserved for future issuance). Based on 1,000,000,000 authorized shares of common stock available for issuance and an assumed offering price per share of $0.2134, which was the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on September 8, 2023, we would be able to issue and sell shares under the Purchase Agreement for a maximum of $20,379,172 notwithstanding the $50,000,000 maximum aggregate offering amount set forth in this prospectus. In no event will we sell, pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part, more shares than we have available and authorized for issuance.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, please read the information under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-3 of this prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is September 11, 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prospectus Supplement
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT | | S -ii | | |
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS | | S -iii | | |
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY | | S -1 | | |
THE OFFERING | | S -2 | | |
RISK FACTORS | | S -3 | | |
USE OF PROCEEDS | | S -6 | | |
DILUTION | | S -7 | | |
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION | | S -11 | | |
LEGAL MATTERS | | S -13 | | |
EXPERTS | | S -13 | | |
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | | S -13 | | |
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE | | S -14 | | |
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Prospectus
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS | | | ii | |
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY | | | 1 | |
RISK FACTORS | | | 3 | |
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS | | | 3 | |
USE OF PROCEEDS | | | 3 | |
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK | | | 4 | |
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES | | | 4 | |
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES | | | 10 | |
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS | | | 12 | |
DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS | | | 13 | |
DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS | | | 13 | |
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS | | | 14 | |
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION | | | 15 | |
LEGAL MATTERS | | | 16 | |
EXPERTS | | | 16 | |
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION | | | 17 | |
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE | | | 18 | |
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
This document is in two parts. The first part is the prospectus supplement, including the documents incorporated by reference, which describes the specific terms of this offering. The second part, the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference, provides more general information. Before you invest, you should carefully read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, all information incorporated by reference herein and therein, and any free writing prospectus we may authorize for use in connection with this offering, as well as the additional information described under “Where You Can Find Additional Information” on page S-13 of this prospectus supplement. These documents contain information you should consider when making your investment decision. This prospectus supplement may add, update or change information contained in the accompanying prospectus. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the one hand, and the information contained in the accompanying prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein filed prior to the date of this prospectus supplement, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date — for example, a document filed after the date of this prospectus supplement and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus — the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.
This prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission using a “shelf” registration process. Under the shelf registration process, we may from time to time offer and sell any combination of the securities described in the accompanying prospectus up to a total dollar amount of $250 million. The $50 million of common stock that may be offered, issued and sold under this prospectus supplement is included in the $250 million of securities that may be offered, issued and sold by us pursuant to our shelf registration statement.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and in any free writing prospectuses we may authorize for use in connection with this offering. We have not, and Lincoln Park has not, authorized any other person to provide you with any information that is different. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We and Lincoln Park take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. Additionally, you should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, and in any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with this offering, is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, shares of our common stock only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. The distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the offering of the common stock in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons outside the United States who come into possession of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus must inform themselves about, and observe any restrictions relating to, the offering of the common stock and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus outside the United States. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus by any person in any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful for such person to make such an offer or solicitation.
We further note that the representations, warranties and covenants made by us in any agreement that is filed as an exhibit to any document that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus were made solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, including, in some cases, for the purpose of allocating risk among the parties to such agreements, and should not be deemed to be a representation, warranty or covenant to you. Moreover, such representations, warranties or covenants were accurate only as of the date when made. Accordingly, such representations, warranties and covenants should not be relied on as accurately representing the current state of our affairs.
This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated herein and therein by reference include trademarks, servicemarks and tradenames owned by us or other companies. All trademarks, servicemarks and tradenames included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus are the property of their respective owners.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and our SEC filings that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and our SEC filings that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus include statements about:
•our ability to achieve expected savings and benefits in association with the Realignment and Consolidation plan,
•our strategy for protecting our intellectual property,
•our ability to obtain necessary funding on favorable terms or at all,
•our ability to retain and increase sales to existing customers,
•our plan and ability to secure revenues,
•the risk of competitors entering the market,
•our ability to expand operations, facilities and hire and retain skilled staff,
•our ability to obtain financing to fund future expenditures and capital requirements,
•our plans with respect to new facilities and the scaling of our manufacturing capabilities,
•the impact of adoption of new accounting standards,
•statements relating to the acquisition of Plasma App Ltd., or PAL, including but not limited to the effect the acquisition will have on significantly accelerating line speed and increasing our annual capacity for NANOWEB® films as well as KolourOptik® security films,
•statements relating to the acquisition of Optodot Corporation, including but not limited to the effect that the acquisition will have on improving the performance of our medical products for signal to noise improvement in MRI scanning and offering simpler, faster, lower-cost assembly processes compatible with current and future battery chemistries,
•expectations regarding vehicle electrification,
•the capabilities of our technology, including but not limited to expectations regarding NANOWEB® capacity,
•our ability to maintain an adequate rate of revenue growth and our future financial performance, including our expectations regarding our revenue, gross profit or gross margin and operating expenses
•our ability to expand our business, including to expand globally and into other markets,
•the sufficiency of our present cash and cash equivalents balances and cash flows,
•the effect of foreign currency fluctuation, and
•the effect of a global chip shortage.
Forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events, are based on assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. We cannot guarantee that we actually will achieve the plans, intentions or expectations expressed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on these statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements. These important factors include those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained or incorporated in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus we may authorize for use in connection with this offering. These factors and the other cautionary statements made in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus should be read as being applicable to all related forward-looking statements whenever they appear in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Except as required by law, we do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY
This summary highlights selected information about us, this offering and information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus supplement and in the documents we incorporate herein by reference. This summary is not complete and does not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our common stock pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Before making an investment decision, to fully understand this offering and its consequences to you, you should carefully read this entire prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-3 of this prospectus supplement and the financial statements and related notes and the other information that we incorporated by reference herein, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any other filings that we file with the SEC from time to time. Unless the context indicates otherwise, references in this prospectus to “Meta Materials Inc.,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer, collectively, to Meta Materials Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.
Company Overview
We are a developer of high-performance functional materials and nanocomposites.
We have generated a portfolio of intellectual property and is now moving toward commercializing products at a performance and price point combination that has the potential to be disruptive in multiple market verticals. Our platform technology includes holography, lithography, and medical wireless sensing. The underlying approach that powers our platform technologies comprises advanced materials, metamaterials and functional surfaces. These materials include structures that are patterned in ways that manipulate light, heat, and electromagnetic waves in unusual ways. Our advanced structural design technologies and scalable manufacturing methods provide a path to broad commercial opportunities in aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, healthcare, consumer electronics, and data transmission.
Controlling light, heat, electricity, and radio waves have played key roles in technological advancements throughout history. Advances in electrical and electromagnetic technologies, wireless communications, lasers, and computers have all been made possible by challenging the understanding of how light and other types of energy naturally behave, and how it is possible to manipulate them.
Over the past 20 years, techniques for producing nanostructures have matured, resulting in a wide range of groundbreaking solutions that can control light, heat, and electromagnetic waves at very small scales. Some of the areas of advancement that have contributed to these techniques are photonic crystals, nanolithography, plasmonic phenomena and nanoparticle manipulation. From these advances, a new branch of material science has emerged – metamaterials. Metamaterials are composite structures, consisting of conventional materials such as metals and plastics, which are engineered by scientists to exhibit new or enhanced properties relating to reflection, refraction, diffraction, filtering, conductance and other properties that have the potential for multiple commercial applications.
A metamaterial typically consists of a multitude of structured unit nano-cells that are comprised of multiple individual elements. These are referred to as meta-atoms. The individual elements are usually arranged in periodic patterns that, together, can manipulate light, heat, or electromagnetic waves. Development strategies for metamaterials and functional surfaces focus on structures that produce unusual and exotic electromagnetic properties by manipulating light and other forms of energy in ways that have never been naturally possible. They gain their properties not as much from their composition as from their exactingly designed structures. The precise shape, geometry, size, orientation, and arrangement of these nanostructures affect the light and other electromagnetic waves to create material properties that are not easily achievable with conventional materials.
We have many product concepts currently in various stages of development with multiple potential customers in diverse market verticals. Our business model is to co-develop innovative products or applications with industry leaders that add value. This approach enables us to understand market dynamics and ensure the relevance and need for its products.
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Merger with Torchlight
On December 14, 2020, we (formerly known as “Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc.” or “Torchlight”) and our subsidiaries, Metamaterial Exchangeco Inc. (formerly named 2798832 Ontario Inc.) and 2798831 Ontario Inc. (“Callco”), entered into an Arrangement Agreement (the “Arrangement Agreement”) with Metamaterial Inc. (“MMI”), an Ontario corporation headquartered in Nova Scotia, Canada, to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of MMI by way of a statutory plan of arrangement (the “Arrangement”) under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), on and subject to the terms and conditions of the Arrangement Agreement (the “Torchlight RTO”). On June 25, 2021, we implemented a reverse stock split, changed our name from “Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc.” to “Meta Materials Inc.” and changed our trading symbol from “TRCH” to “MMAT”. On June 28, 2021, following the satisfaction of the closing conditions set forth in the Arrangement Agreement, the Arrangement was completed.
On June 28, 2021, and pursuant to the completion of the Arrangement Agreement, we began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “MMAT” while MMI common stock was delisted from the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”). At the same time, Metamaterial Exchangeco Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ours, started trading under the symbol “MMAX” on the CSE. Certain previous shareholders of MMI elected to convert their common stock of MMI into exchangeable shares in Metamaterial Exchangeco Inc. These exchangeable shares, which can be converted into common stock of ours at the option of the holder, are similar in substance to our common stock and have been included in the determination of our outstanding common stock.
Corporate Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 60 Highfield Park Drive, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3A 4R9 and our telephone number is (902) 482-5729. Our corporate website address is www.metamaterial.com. Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. You should not rely on any such information in making your decision whether to purchase our common stock. We make available free of charge through our website our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.
Recent Developments
On August 29, 2023, we announced that that we had been awarded a new purchase order for our authentication nano-optic security business, which provides anti-counterfeiting features for currencies and government documents and authentication for brands. We have been executing on a multi-year frame agreement with a maximum value of $41.5 million over a period of up to five years with a confidential G10 central bank customer. The new purchase order represents an additional $2.1 million, bringing the total orders received by us to approximately $16.5 million for continued work under the agreement.
THE OFFERING
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Issuer | Meta Materials Inc. |
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Common stock offered by us | Up to $50,000,000 of shares of our common stock we may sell to Lincoln Park from time to time until the expiration of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part or the earlier termination of the Purchase Agreement. |
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Common stock to be outstanding after this offering | 572,985,165 shares, assuming the sale of 95,497,527 Purchase Shares (based upon the provision in the Purchase Agreement that may cap the number of shares that may be issued under the Purchase Agreement equal to 19.99% of the shares of common stock outstanding on the date of the Purchase Agreement). The actual number of shares issued will vary depending on the sales prices in this offering. |
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Use of proceeds | We intend to use the net proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes, which include, but are not limited to, on-going development of our existing and future products, including NANOWEB®, NPORE®, NCORE™, VLEPSIS®, PLASMAfusion®, and KolourOptik® expansion of our |
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| manufacturing facility in Thurso, Quebec, and capital equipment purchases, as well as general and administrative expenses. Please see “Use of Proceeds” on page S-6. |
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Risk factors | This investment involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-3 of this prospectus supplement, as well as the other information included in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, for a discussion of risks you should carefully consider before investing in our securities. |
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Nasdaq Capital Market symbol | MMAT |
The number of shares of our common stock that will be outstanding after this offering is based on 471,881,955 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2023 and excludes as of that date:
•31,228,544 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”), at a weighted-average exercise price of $0.8200 per share;
•4,687,557 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting of restricted stock units under our 2021 Plan;
•4,435,396 shares of our common stock issuable upon the redemption of deferred stock units under our 2021 Plan;
•123,254,153 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants, at a weighted-average exercise price of $1.5600 per share; and 10,365,468 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under the 2021 Plan.
Unless otherwise noted, the information in this prospectus supplement reflects and assumes no exercise of outstanding options or warrants subsequent to June 30, 2023.
RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk and uncertainty. In addition to the other information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, you should carefully consider the risks described below, before making an investment decision with respect to the securities. We expect to update these Risk Factors from time to time in the periodic and current reports that we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus supplement. These updated Risk Factors will be incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Please refer to these subsequent reports for additional information relating to the risks associated with investing in our common stock. If any of such risks and uncertainties actually occurs, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be severely harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements made throughout this prospectus supplement or the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus as a result of different factors, including the risks we face described below.
Risks Related to this Offering
The sale or issuance of our common stock to Lincoln Park may cause dilution and the sale of the shares of common stock acquired by Lincoln Park, or the perception that such sales may occur, could cause the price of our common stock to fall.
On September 11, 2023, we entered into the Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park, pursuant to which Lincoln Park has committed to purchase up to $50,000,000 of shares of our common stock at our discretion from time to time over a 30-month period commencing after the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement. The purchase price for the shares that we may sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement will fluctuate based on the price of our common stock. Depending on market liquidity at the time, sales of such shares may cause the trading price of our common stock to fall.
We have the right to control the timing and amount of any sales of our shares to Lincoln Park in our sole discretion, subject to certain limits on the amount of shares that can be sold on a given date. Sales of shares of our common stock, if any, to Lincoln Park will depend upon market conditions and other factors to be determined by us. Therefore, Lincoln Park may ultimately purchase all, some or none of the shares of our common stock that may be sold pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and, after it has acquired shares, Lincoln Park may sell all, some or none of those shares. Sales to Lincoln Park by us could result in substantial dilution to the interests of other holders of our common stock. Additionally, the sale of a substantial number of shares of our common stock to Lincoln Park, or the
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anticipation of such sales, could make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish to effect sales, which could have a materially adverse effect on our business and operations.
You may experience future dilution as a result of future equity offerings or the exercise of stock options.
To raise additional capital, we may in the future offer additional shares of our common stock at prices that may not be the same as the price per share in this offering. The price per share at which we sell additional shares of our common stock in future transactions may be higher or lower than the price per share paid by investors in this offering. To the extent that outstanding stock options may be exercised, or other shares issued, you may experience further dilution.
We may require additional financing to sustain our operations, without which we may not be able to continue operations, and the terms of subsequent financings may adversely impact our stockholders.
We may direct Lincoln Park to purchase up to $50,000,000 worth of shares of our common stock under our agreement over a 30-month period, in amounts up to between 500,000 and up to 2,000,000 shares of our common stock, depending on market prices at the time of each sale and subject to a maximum limit of $2,000,000 per each Regular Purchase (as defined below and in the Purchase Agreement), on any single business day, though such number of shares may be increased upon the mutual agreement of Lincoln Park and the Company.
Our ability to sell shares to Lincoln Park and obtain funds under the Purchase Agreement is limited by the terms and conditions in the Purchase Agreement, including restrictions on the amounts we may sell to Lincoln Park at any one time, and a limitation on our ability to sell shares to Lincoln Park to the extent that it would cause Lincoln Park to beneficially own more than 4.99% of our outstanding shares of common stock. Additionally, we will only be able to sell or issue to Lincoln Park 95,497,527 shares in total under the Purchase Agreement, which is equal to 19.99% of the shares of common stock outstanding on the date of the Purchase Agreement, unless we obtain stockholder approval or the average price of such sales exceeds the price of $0.2134 per share, a price equal to the lower of (i) the Nasdaq Official Closing Price immediately preceding the execution of the Purchase Agreement or (ii) the arithmetic average of the five (5) Nasdaq Official Closing Prices for the Common Stock immediately preceding the execution of the Purchase Agreement, as determined under Nasdaq rules. Therefore, we may not in the future have access to the full amount available to us under the Purchase Agreement, depending on the price of our common stock. In addition, any amounts we sell under the Purchase Agreement may not satisfy all of our funding needs, even if we are able and choose to sell and issue all of our common stock currently registered.
The extent we rely on Lincoln Park as a source of funding will depend on a number of factors including the prevailing market price of our common stock and the extent to which we are able to secure working capital from other sources. If obtaining sufficient funding from Lincoln Park were to prove unavailable or prohibitively dilutive, we will need to secure another source of funding in order to satisfy our working capital needs. Even if we sell all $50,000,000 of common stock under the Purchase Agreement to Lincoln Park, we may still need additional capital to finance our future plans and working capital needs, and we may have to raise funds through the issuance of equity or debt securities. Depending on the type and the terms of any financing we pursue, stockholders’ rights and the value of their investment in our common stock could be reduced. A financing could involve one or more types of securities including common stock, convertible debt or warrants to acquire common stock. These securities could be issued at or below the then prevailing market price for our common stock. In addition, the holders of our outstanding debt would have a claim to our assets that would be prior to the rights of stockholders until the debt is paid. Interest on our outstanding debt would increase costs and negatively impact operating results. If the issuance of new securities results in diminished rights to holders of our common stock, the market price of our common stock could be negatively impacted. Should the financing we require to sustain our working capital needs be unavailable or prohibitively expensive when we require it, the consequences could be a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects
Our management might apply the net proceeds from this offering in ways with which you do not agree and in ways that may impair the value of your investment.
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from this offering primarily for working capital and general corporate purposes. Our management has broad discretion as to the use of such proceeds and you will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of these proceeds. Our management might apply these proceeds in ways with which you do not agree, or in ways that ultimately do not yield a favorable return. If our management applies such proceeds in a manner that does not yield a significant return, if any, on our investment of such net proceeds, it could compromise our ability to pursue our growth strategy and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
The actual number of shares we will issue to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement, at any one time or in total, is uncertain.
Subject to certain limitations set forth by the Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park and compliance with applicable law, we have the discretion to deliver purchase notices to Lincoln Park at any time throughout the term of the Purchase Agreement. The number of
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shares that are bought by Lincoln Park after delivering a purchase notice will fluctuate based on the market price of shares during the sales period and limits we set with Lincoln Park.
Risks Related to Our Securities
If we fail to maintain compliance with the Nasdaq minimum listing requirements, our common stock will be subject to delisting. Our ability to publicly or privately sell equity securities and the liquidity of our common stock could be adversely affected if our common stock is delisted.
The continued listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market require, among other things, that the minimum price of a listed company’s stock be at or above $1.00, or the Bid Price Requirement. If the minimum bid price is below $1.00 for a period of more than 30 consecutive trading days, the listed company will fail to be in compliance with Nasdaq Capital Market’s listing rules and, if it does not regain compliance within the 180-day grace period, will be subject to delisting.
In order to regain compliance, the bid price of our common stock must close at a price of at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive trading days within the 180 day grace period. If we fail to regain compliance, our common stock will be subject to delisting. Delisting from the Nasdaq Capital Market could adversely affect our ability to raise additional financing through the public or private sale of equity securities, would significantly affect the ability of investors to trade our securities and would negatively affect the value and liquidity of our common stock. Delisting could also have other negative results, including the potential loss of confidence by employees, the loss of institutional investor interest and fewer business development opportunities.
Unless our common stock continues to be listed on a national securities exchange it will become subject to the so-called “penny stock” rules that impose restrictive sales practice requirements.
If we are unable to maintain the listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market or another national securities exchange, our common stock could become subject to the so-called “penny stock” rules if the shares have a market value of less than $5.00 per share. The SEC has adopted regulations that define a penny stock to include any stock that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to certain exceptions, including an exception for stock traded on a national securities exchange. The SEC regulations impose restrictive sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell penny stocks to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. For transactions covered by this rule, the broker-dealer must make a special suitability determination for the purchaser and must have received the purchaser’s written consent to the transaction prior to sale. This means that if we are unable maintain the listing of our common stock on a national securities exchange, the ability of stockholders to sell their common stock in the secondary market could be adversely affected. If a transaction involving a penny stock is not exempt from the SEC’s rule, a broker-dealer must deliver a disclosure schedule relating to the penny stock market to each investor prior to a transaction. The broker-dealer also must disclose the commissions payable to both the broker-dealer and its registered representative, current quotations for the penny stock, and, if the broker-dealer is the sole market-maker, the broker-dealer must disclose this fact and the broker-dealer’s presumed control over the market. Finally, monthly statements must be sent disclosing recent price information for the penny stock held in the customer’s account and information on the limited market in penny stocks.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We may receive up to $50,000,000 in aggregate gross proceeds under the Purchase Agreement from any sales we make to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement after the date of this prospectus supplement. We may sell fewer than all of the shares offered by this prospectus supplement, in which case our offering proceeds will be less. Because we are not obligated to sell any shares of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement, the actual total offering amount and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time.
We currently expect to use the net proceeds that we receive from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include, but are not limited to, on-going development of our existing and future products including NANOWEB®, NPORE®, NCORE™, VLEPSIS®, PLASMAfusion®, and KolourOptik®, expansion of our manufacturing facility in Thurso, Quebec, and capital equipment purchases, as well as general and administrative expenses. The expected use of net proceeds of this offering represents our current intentions based on our present plans and business conditions. We cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received in this offering. Pending the use of the net proceeds, we intend to invest the net proceeds in short-term, interest-bearing, investment-grade securities.
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock at any time in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings for use in the operation of our business and do not anticipate paying any dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other factors, our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions, the terms of any future credit agreements and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.
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DILUTION
The sale of our common stock to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement will have a dilutive impact on our stockholders. In addition, the lower our stock price is at the time we exercise our right to sell shares to Lincoln Park, the more shares of our common stock we will have to issue to Lincoln Park pursuant to the Purchase Agreement and our existing stockholders would experience greater dilution. We calculate net tangible book value per share by dividing the net tangible book value, which is tangible assets less total liabilities, by the number of outstanding shares of common stock. Dilution represents the difference between the portion of the amount per share paid by purchasers of shares in this offering and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock immediately after giving effect to this offering. Our net tangible book value as of June 30, 2023 was approximately $46.3 million, or $0.0982 per share.
After giving effect to the sale of common stock pursuant to this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus at an assumed offering price of $0.2134 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on September 8, 2023, and after deducting estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, our net tangible book value as of June 30, 2023 would have been $67.2 million, or $0.1184 per share of common stock. This represents an immediate increase in the net tangible book value of $0.0202 per share to our existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $0.0950 per share to new investors. The following table illustrates this per share dilution:
| | | | | | | | |
Assumed offering price per share | | | | | $ | 0.2134 | |
Net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2023 | | $ | 0.0982 | | | | |
Increase per share attributable to this offering | | $ | 0.0202 | | | | |
As-adjusted net tangible book value per share as of June 30, 2023, after giving effect to this offering | | | | | $ | 0.1184 | |
Dilution per share to new investors participating in this offering | | | | | $ | 0.0950 | |
| | | | | | |
The table above assumes for illustrative purposes that an aggregate of 95,497,527 shares of our common stock (which is equal to 19.99% of the shares of common stock outstanding on the date of the Purchase Agreement) are sold pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus at a price of $0.2134 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market on September 8, 2023, for aggregate gross proceeds of $20,379,172 million. The shares sold in this offering, if any, will be sold from time to time at various prices.
The table and discussion above are based on 471,881,955 shares of common stock issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2023 and excludes as of that date:
•31,228,544 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options under our 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”), at a weighted-average exercise price of $0.8200 per share;
•4,687,557 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting of restricted stock units under our 2021 Plan;
•4,435,396 shares of our common stock issuable upon the redemption of deferred stock units under our 2021 Plan;
•123,254,153 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants, at a weighted-average exercise price of $1.5600 per share; and
•10,365,468 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under the 2021 Plan.
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LINCOLN PARK TRANSACTION
On September 11, 2023, we entered into the Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park. In connection with the Purchase Agreement, on September 11, 2023, we also entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) with Lincoln Park, pursuant to which we agreed to take specified actions to maintain the registration of the shares of our common stock subject to the offering described in this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, Lincoln Park has agreed to purchase from us up to $50,000,000 of shares of our common stock (subject to certain limitations) from time to time during the term of the Purchase Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement, we have filed with the SEC this prospectus supplement regarding the sale under the Securities Act of the shares issuable to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, on the date of the execution of the Purchase Agreement we agreed to pay Lincoln Park $500,000 following the Commencement Date, as defined in the Purchase Agreement. On or before the 90th day after the Commencement Date, we will pay Lincoln Park an additional $500,000.
We may, from time to time and at our sole discretion, direct Lincoln Park to purchase shares of our common stock upon the satisfaction of certain conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement at a purchase price per share based on the market price of our common stock at the time of sale as discussed below. Lincoln Park may not assign or transfer its rights and obligations under the Purchase Agreement.
Under applicable rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market, in no event may we issue or sell to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement shares of our common stock in excess of 95,497,527, which represents 19.99% of the shares of our common stock outstanding immediately prior to the execution of the Purchase Agreement (the “Exchange Cap”) unless (i) we obtain stockholder approval to issue shares of our common stock in excess of the Exchange Cap or (ii) to the extent we desire to issue shares in excess of the Exchange Cap, the average price of all such sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park must equal or exceed $0.2134 per share (which represents the lower of (A) the official closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq immediately preceding the execution of the Purchase Agreement and (B) the average official closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq for the five consecutive trading days immediately preceding the execution of the Purchase Agreement) adjusted such that the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement are exempt from the Exchange Cap limitation under applicable Nasdaq rules. In any event, the Purchase Agreement specifically provides that we may not issue or sell any shares of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement if such issuance or sale would breach any applicable rules or regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market.
The Purchase Agreement also prohibits us from directing Lincoln Park to purchase any shares of our common stock if those shares, when aggregated with all other shares of our common stock then beneficially owned by Lincoln Park, would result in Lincoln Park and its affiliates exceeding a cap equal to 4.99% (the “Beneficial Ownership Cap”) of our then issued and outstanding shares of common stock.
Purchase of Shares Under the Purchase Agreement
Regular Purchases
Under the Purchase Agreement, provided that the closing sale price of our common stock is not below $0.10 per share on any business day selected by us, we may, from time to time until 30 months after the Commencement Date, in our sole discretion and subject to certain conditions outside of Lincoln Park’s control, direct Lincoln Park to purchase up to 500,000 shares (the “Regular Purchase Share Limit”) of our common stock on such business day (or the purchase date) ( a “Regular Purchase”) provided, however, that the Regular Purchase Share Limit will be increased to 1,000,000 shares, if the closing sale price of our common stock on the applicable purchase date is not below $0.20, and to 1,500,000 shares, if the closing sale price of our common stock on the applicable purchase date is not below $0.30 and to 2,000,000 shares, if the closing sale price of our common stock on the applicable purchase date is not below $0.40. We may direct Lincoln Park to purchase shares in Regular Purchases as often as every business day, provided that we have not failed to deliver shares for the most recent prior Regular Purchase. The foregoing share amounts and per share prices will be adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction occurring after the date of the Purchase Agreement.
The purchase price per share for each such Regular Purchase will be equal to the 97% of the lesser of:
| | | |
| • | | the lowest sale price for our common stock on the purchase date of such shares; or |
| | | |
| • | | the arithmetic average of the three lowest closing sale prices for our common stock during the ten consecutive business days ending on the business day immediately preceding the purchase date of such shares. |
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Accelerated Purchases
In addition to Regular Purchases as described above, we may also direct Lincoln Park, on any business day on which we have properly submitted a Regular Purchase notice for the maximum amount allowed for such Regular Purchase to purchase an additional amount of our common stock (an “Accelerated Purchase”) of up to the lesser of:
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| • | | 300% of the number of shares to be purchased pursuant to such Regular Purchase; and |
| | | |
| • | | 30% of the aggregate shares of our common stock traded on Nasdaq during all or, if certain trading volume or market price thresholds specified in the Purchase Agreement are crossed on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date, the portion of the normal trading hours on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date prior to such time that any one of such thresholds is crossed, which period of time on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date (the "Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period"). |
The purchase price per share for each such Accelerated Purchase will be equal to 97% of the lesser of:
| | | |
| • | | the volume weighted average price during (i) the entire trading day on the purchase date, if the volume of shares of our common stock traded on the purchase date has not exceeded a volume maximum calculated in accordance with the Purchase Agreement, or (ii) the portion of the trading day of the purchase date (calculated starting at the beginning of normal trading hours) until such time at which the volume of shares of our common stock traded has exceeded such volume maximum; or |
| | | |
| • | | the closing sale price of our common stock on the applicable purchase date. |
The parties may mutually agree to increase the number of shares to be purchased by Lincoln Park pursuant to any Accelerated Purchase.
Additional Accelerated Purchases
We also have the right to direct Lincoln Park on any business day on which an Accelerated Purchase has been completed and all of the shares to be purchased thereunder have been properly delivered to Lincoln Park in accordance with the Purchase Agreement to purchase an additional amount of our common stock (an “Additional Accelerated Purchase”) of up to the lesser of:
| | | |
| • | | 300% of the number of shares to be purchased pursuant to such Regular Purchase; and |
| | | |
| • | | 30% of the aggregate shares of our common stock traded on Nasdaq during all or, if certain trading volume or market price thresholds specified in the Purchase Agreement are crossed on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date, the portion of the normal trading hours on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date prior to such time that any one of such thresholds is crossed, which period of time on the applicable Accelerated Purchase date (the "Accelerated Purchase Measurement Period"). |
We may, in our sole discretion, submit multiple Additional Accelerated Purchase notices to Lincoln Park on a single Accelerated Purchase date, provided that all prior Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases (including those that have occurred earlier on the same day) have been completed and all of the shares to be purchased thereunder have been properly delivered to Lincoln Park in accordance with the Purchase Agreement.
The purchase price per share for each such Additional Accelerated Purchase will be equal to 97% of the lower of:
| | | |
| • | | the volume weighted average price during (i) the entire trading day on the purchase date, if the volume of shares of our common stock traded on the purchase date has not exceeded a volume maximum calculated in accordance with the Purchase Agreement, or (ii) the portion of the trading day of the purchase date (calculated starting at the beginning of normal trading hours) until such time at which the volume of shares of our common stock traded has exceeded such volume maximum; or |
| | | |
| • | | the closing sale price of our common stock on the applicable purchase date. |
In the case of Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases, the purchase price per share will be adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split or other similar transaction as set forth in the Purchase Agreement. Other than as set forth above, there are no trading volume requirements or restrictions under the Purchase Agreement, and we will control the timing and amount of any sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park.
Suspension Events
Suspension Events under the Purchase Agreement include the following:
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| • | | the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus form a part lapses for any reason (including, without limitation, the issuance of a stop order by the SEC), or any required prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are unavailable for the resale by Lincoln Park of our common stock offered hereby, and such lapse or unavailability continues for a period of 10 consecutive business days or for more than an aggregate of 60 business days in any 365-day period, but excluding a lapse or unavailability where (i) we terminate a registration statement after Lincoln Park has confirmed in writing that all of the shares of our common stock covered thereby have been resold or (ii) we supersede one registration statement with another registration statement, including (without limitation) by terminating a prior registration statement when it is effectively replaced with a new registration statement covering the shares of our common stock covered by the Purchase Agreement (provided in the case of this clause (ii) that all of the shares of our common stock covered by the superseded (or terminated) registration statement that have not theretofore been resold are included in the superseding (or new) registration statement); |
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| • | | suspension by the principal market listing our common stock from trading for a period of one business day; |
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| • | | the delisting of our common stock from the Nasdaq Capital Market; provided, however, that the common stock is not immediately thereafter trading on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the NYSE American, the NYSE Arca or the OTC Bulletin Board, OTCQX or OTCQB operated by the OTC Markets Group, Inc. (or nationally recognized successor to any of the foregoing); |
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| • | | the failure for any reason by our transfer agent to issue shares to Lincoln Park within two business days after any purchase date, Accelerated Purchase date or Additional Accelerated Purchase date, as applicable, on which Lincoln Park is entitled to receive such shares; |
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| • | | any breach by us of the representations, warranties, covenants or other terms or conditions contained in the Purchase Agreement or Registration Rights Agreement that has or could have a Material Adverse Effect (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) and, in the case of a breach of a covenant that is reasonably curable, a breach of a covenant that is not cured within a period of at least five business days; |
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| • | | any voluntary or involuntary participation or threatened participation in insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings by or against us; |
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| • | | our common stock ceases to be DTC authorized and ceases to participate in the DWAC/FAST systems or if we fail to maintain the service of our transfer agent (or a successor transfer agent) with respect to the issuance of Purchase Shares under the Purchase Agreement; or |
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| • | | if at any time the Exchange Cap is reached and our stockholders have not approved the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Global Market, to the extent applicable. |
Lincoln Park does not have the right to terminate the Purchase Agreement upon any of the Suspension Events set forth above; however, the Purchase Agreement will automatically terminate upon initiation of insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings by or against us. During a Suspension Event, all of which are outside of Lincoln Park’s control, we are not permitted to direct Lincoln Park to purchase any shares of our common stock under the Purchase Agreement.
Our Termination Rights
We have the unconditional right, at any time, for any reason and without any payment or liability to us, to give notice to Lincoln Park to terminate the Purchase Agreement. In the event of bankruptcy proceedings by or against us, the Purchase Agreement will automatically terminate without action of any party.
No Short-Selling or Hedging by Lincoln Park
Lincoln Park has agreed that neither it nor any of its affiliates shall engage in any direct or indirect short-selling or hedging of our common stock during any time prior to the termination of the Purchase Agreement.
Prohibitions on Similar Financing Transactions
Subject to specified exceptions included in the Purchase Agreement, we are limited in our ability to enter into similar financing transactions until the thirty-month anniversary of the date of the Purchase Agreement. Such transactions include any new agreement to effect any issuance by us or any of our subsidiaries of common stock involving an “equity line of credit” or any transaction whereby an investor is irrevocably bound to purchase securities over a period of time from us at a price based on the market price of our common stock at the time of each such purchase.
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Effect of Performance of the Purchase Agreement on our Stockholders
All shares registered in this offering that have been or may be issued or sold by us to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement are expected to be freely tradable. Shares registered in this offering may be sold over a period of up to approximately 30 months commencing on the date of this prospectus supplement. The sale by Lincoln Park of a significant number of shares registered in this offering at any given time could cause the market price of our common stock to decline and to be highly volatile. Sales of our common stock to Lincoln Park, if any, will depend upon market conditions and other factors to be determined by us, in our sole discretion. We may ultimately decide to sell to Lincoln Park all, some or none of the additional shares of our common stock that may be available for us to sell pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. If and when we do sell shares to Lincoln Park, after Lincoln Park has acquired the shares, Lincoln Park may resell all, some or none of those shares at any time or from time to time in its discretion. Therefore, sales to Lincoln Park by us under the Purchase Agreement may result in substantial dilution to the interests of other holders of our common stock. In addition, if we sell a substantial number of shares to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement, or if investors expect that we will do so, the actual sales of shares or the mere existence of our arrangement with Lincoln Park may make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish to effect such sales. However, we have the right to control the timing and amount of any additional sales of our shares to Lincoln Park and the Purchase Agreement may be terminated by us at any time at our discretion without any cost to us.
Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, we have the right, but not the obligation, to direct Lincoln Park to purchase up to $50,000,000 of our common stock. The Purchase Agreement generally prohibits us from issuing or selling to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement (i) shares of our common stock in excess of the Exchange Cap, unless we obtain stockholder approval to issue shares in excess of the Exchange Cap or the shares we desire to sell in excess of the Exchange Cap must be sold for an average price that equals or exceeds $0.2134 per share, such that the transactions contemplated by the Purchase Agreement are exempt from the Exchange Cap limitation under applicable Nasdaq rules and (ii) any shares of our common stock if those shares, when aggregated with all other shares of our common stock then beneficially owned by Lincoln Park, would exceed the Beneficial Ownership Cap of 4.99% of our then issued and outstanding shares of common stock.
The following table sets forth the amount of gross proceeds we would receive from Lincoln Park from our sale of shares to Lincoln Park under the Purchase Agreement at varying purchase prices:
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Percentage of | | Proceeds from | |
| | | | | | Outstanding Shares | | the Sale of Shares | |
Assumed Average | | | Number of Registered | | | After Giving Effect to | | Under the Purchase Agreement | |
Purchase Price Per | | | Shares to be Issued if | | | the Issuance to | | Registered | |
Share | | | Full Purchase (1) | | | Lincoln Park (2) | | in this Offering | |
| | | | | | | | | |
$ | 0.1000 | | | | 95,497,527 | | | 16.83% | | | 9,549,753 | |
$ | 0.2134 | | (3) | | 95,497,527 | | | 16.83% | | | 20,379,172 | |
$ | 0.7500 | | | | 66,666,667 | | | 12.38% | | | 50,000,000 | |
$ | 1.0000 | | | | 50,000,000 | | | 9.58% | | | 50,000,000 | |
| |
(1) | Includes the total number of Purchase Shares that we would have sold under the Purchase Agreement at the corresponding assumed purchase price set forth in the adjacent column, up to the additional aggregate purchase price of $50,000,000. Shares issued do not exceed the exchange cap in the Purchase Agreement of 95,497,527 shares, which is equal to 19.99% of the shares of common stock outstanding on the date of the Purchase Agreement. |
(2) | The denominator is based on 471,881,955 shares outstanding as of June 30, 2023, which is inclusive of the number of shares set forth in the adjacent column which we would have sold to Lincoln Park at the applicable assumed average purchase price per share. The numerator is based on the number of shares issuable under the Purchase Agreement at the corresponding assumed average purchase price set forth in the first column. |
(3) | The closing price of our common stock on September 8, 2023. |
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus include the issuance and sale of up to $50,000,000 of shares of our common stock that we may issue to Lincoln Park from time to time under the Purchase Agreement.
We entered into the Purchase Agreement with Lincoln Park on September 11, 2023. The Purchase Agreement provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein, Lincoln Park is committed to purchase an aggregate of up to $50 million of shares of our common stock over the 30-month term of the Purchase Agreement. In consideration for entering into the Purchase Agreement, we will pay Lincoln Park an aggregate of $1,000,000 as a commitment fee. See the Section herein entitled “Lincoln Park Transaction.”
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Lincoln Park is an “underwriter” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. Lincoln Park has informed us that it will use an unaffiliated broker-dealer to effectuate all sales, if any, of the common stock that it may purchase from us pursuant to the Purchase Agreement. Such sales will be made on the Nasdaq Capital Market at prices and at terms then prevailing or at prices related to the then current market price. Each such unaffiliated broker-dealer will be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act. Lincoln Park has informed us that each such broker-dealer will receive commissions from Lincoln Park that will not exceed customary brokerage commissions.
We know of no existing arrangements between Lincoln Park and any other stockholder, broker, dealer, underwriter, or agent relating to the sale or distribution of the shares offered by this Prospectus. At the time a particular offer of shares is made, a prospectus supplement, if required, will be distributed that will set forth the names of any agents, underwriters, or dealers and any compensation from the selling stockholder, and any other required information.
We will pay all of the expenses incident to the registration, offering, and sale of the shares to Lincoln Park.
We have agreed to indemnify Lincoln Park and certain other persons against certain liabilities in connection with the offering of shares of common stock offered hereby, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act or, if such indemnity is unavailable, to contribute amounts required to be paid in respect of such liabilities.
Lincoln Park represented to us that at no time prior to the date of the Purchase Agreement has Lincoln Park or its agents, representatives or affiliates engaged in or effected, in any manner whatsoever, directly or indirectly, any short sale (as such term is defined in Rule 200 of Regulation SHO of the Exchange Act) of our common stock or any hedging transaction. Lincoln Park agreed that during the term of the Purchase Agreement, it, its agents, representatives or affiliates will not enter into or effect, directly or indirectly, any of the foregoing transactions.
We have advised Lincoln Park that it is required to comply with Regulation M promulgated under the Exchange Act. With certain exceptions, Regulation M precludes Lincoln Park, any affiliated purchasers, and any broker-dealer or other person who participates in the distribution from bidding for or purchasing, or attempting to induce any person to bid for or purchase any security which is the subject of the distribution until the entire distribution is complete. Regulation M also prohibits any bids or purchases made in order to stabilize the price of a security in connection with the distribution of that security. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the shares offered by this prospectus supplement
Equiniti Trust Co is transfer agent and registrar for our common stock. Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “MMAT”.
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LEGAL MATTERS
Certain legal matters in connection with the shares of common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Ballard Spahr LLP.
EXPERTS
The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, have been audited by KPMG LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement and the exhibits to the registration statement or the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein. For further information with respect to us and the securities that we are offering under this prospectus supplement, we refer you to the registration statement and the exhibits and schedules filed as a part of the registration statement and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein. You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus or incorporated by reference herein or therein or in any free writing prospectus we may authorize for use in connection with this offering. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus supplement, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or any sale of the securities offered hereby.
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.
We make available, free of charge, through our investor relations website, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, statements of changes in beneficial ownership of securities and amendments to those reports and statements as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with the SEC. The address for our website is www.metamaterial.com. The contents on our website are not part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, and the reference to our website does not constitute incorporation by reference into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus of the information contained at that site.
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INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus supplement the information we file with the SEC. This means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained herein, or in any subsequently filed document, which also is incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes such earlier statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement.
We hereby incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement the following documents (other than the portions of these documents deemed to be “furnished” or not deemed to be “filed,” including the portions of these documents that are furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of a Current Report on Form 8-K, including any exhibits included with such Items):
•our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 23, 2023 as amended by Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on March 24, 2023, as further amended by Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on May 1, 2023, as further amended by Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on September 6, 2023;
•our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on October 26, 2022;
•our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2023 and June 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on June 1, 2023 and August 9, 2023, respectively;
•our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 4, 2023, April 14, 2023, April 18, 2023, April 25, 2023, June 12, 2023, June 20, 2023, June 27, 2023, June 29, 2023, July 10, 2023, and July 25, 2023; and
•the description of our common stock contained in the Description of Securities, filed on Exhibit 4.6 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC on September 6, 2023, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.
All documents that we file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than current reports on Form 8-K, or portions thereof, furnished under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of Form 8-K) (i) after the initial filing date of the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part and prior to the effectiveness of such registration statement and (ii) after the date of this prospectus supplement and prior to the termination of this offering shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement from the date of filing of the documents, unless we specifically provide otherwise. Information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and may replace information previously filed with the SEC. To the extent that any information contained in any current report on Form 8-K or any exhibit thereto, was or is furnished to, rather than filed with the SEC, such information or exhibit is specifically not incorporated by reference.
Upon written or oral request made to us at the address or telephone number below, we will, at no cost to the requester, provide to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this prospectus supplement is delivered, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement (other than an exhibit to a filing, unless that exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference into that filing), but not delivered with this prospectus supplement. You may also access this information on our website at www.metamaterial.com by viewing the “Financials & Filings” subsection of the “Investors” menu. No additional information on our website is deemed to be part of or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement. We have included our website address in this prospectus supplement solely as an inactive textual reference.
Meta Materials Inc.
60 Highfield Park Drive
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3A 4R9
Attn: Investor Relations
(902) 482-5729
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Prospectus
$250,000,000
Meta Materials Inc.
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Depositary Shares
Warrants
Subscription Rights
Purchase Contracts
Units
We may issue securities from time to time in one or more offerings, in amounts, at prices and on terms determined at the time of offering. This prospectus describes the general terms of these securities and the general manner in which these securities will be offered. We will provide the specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus, which will also describe the specific manner in which these securities will be offered and may also supplement, update or amend information contained in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement before you invest. The aggregate offering price of the securities we sell pursuant to this prospectus will not exceed $250,000,000.
The securities may be sold directly to you, through agents or through underwriters and dealers. If agents, underwriters or dealers are used to sell the securities, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement. The price to the public of those securities and the net proceeds we expect to receive from that sale will also be set forth in a prospectus supplement.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “MMAT.” Each prospectus supplement will indicate whether the securities offered thereby will be listed on any securities exchange.
Investing in these securities involves risks. Please carefully read the information under the headings “Risk Factors ” beginning on page 3 of this prospectus and “Item 1A—Risk Factors” of our most recent report on Form 10-K or 10-Q (including any amendment thereto) that is incorporated by reference in this prospectus before you invest in our securities.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is November 18, 2022.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
About this Prospectus
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may from time to time sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings for an aggregate offering price up to $250,000,000.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that may be offered. Each time we sell securities, we will provide one or more prospectus supplements that will contain specific information about the terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Before you invest in our securities, you should read both this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement together with the additional information described in the sections titled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation by Reference.”
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different from that contained, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference and any related free writing prospectus is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed materially since those dates.
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Prospectus Summary
This summary highlights selected information that is presented in greater detail elsewhere, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus. It does not contain all of the information that may be important to you and your investment decision. Before investing in our securities, you should carefully read this entire prospectus, including the matters set forth in the section titled “Risk Factors” and the financial statements and related notes and other information that we incorporate by reference herein, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any amendments thereto. Unless the context indicates otherwise, references in this prospectus to “Meta Materials Inc.,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer, collectively, to Meta Materials Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.
Company Overview
We are a developer of high-performance functional materials and nanocomposites. We have generated a portfolio of intellectual property and are moving toward commercializing products at a performance and price point combination that has the potential to be disruptive in multiple market verticals. Our platform technology includes holography, lithography and medical wireless sensing. The underlying approach that powers our platform technologies comprises advanced materials, metamaterials and functional surfaces. These materials include structures that are patterned in ways that manipulate light, heat and electromagnetic waves in unusual ways. Our advanced structural design technologies and scalable manufacturing methods provide a path to broad commercial opportunities in aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, healthcare, consumer electronics and data transmission.
We have many product concepts currently in various stages of development with multiple potential customers in diverse market verticals. Our business model is to co-develop innovative products or applications with industry leaders that add value. This approach enables us to understand market dynamics and ensure the relevance and need for our products.
Corporate Information
On June 28, 2021, we (formerly known as Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc., a Nevada corporation) completed a statutory plan of arrangement, or the Arrangement, under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) pursuant to which we acquired all of the outstanding common stock of Metamaterial Inc., an Ontario corporation headquartered in Nova Scotia, Canada. Following the Arrangement, we changed our name from Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc. to Meta Materials Inc. and changed our trading symbol from “TRCH” to “MMAT.”
We are incorporated in Nevada and our principal executive offices are located at 1 Research Drive, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4M9. Our telephone number is (902) 482-5729 and our corporate website address is www.metamaterial.com. Our website and the information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the website will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not considered part of, this filing.
The Securities That May Be Offered
We may offer or sell common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, debt securities, warrants, subscription rights, purchase contracts and units in one or more offerings and in any combination. The aggregate offering price of the securities we sell pursuant to this prospectus will not exceed $250,000,000. Each time securities are offered with this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will describe the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities being offered and the net proceeds we expect to receive from that sale.
The securities may be sold to or through underwriters, dealers or agents or directly to purchasers or as otherwise set forth in the section titled “Plan of Distribution.” Each prospectus supplement will set forth the names of any underwriters, dealers, agents or other entities involved in the sale of securities described in that prospectus supplement and any applicable fee, commission or discount arrangements with them.
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Common Stock
We may offer shares of our common stock, par value $0.001 per share, either alone or underlying other registered securities convertible into our common stock. Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends, subject to rights, if any, of preferred shareholders. We have not paid dividends in the past and have no current plans to pay dividends. Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote per share. The holders of common stock have no preemptive rights.
Preferred Stock
Our board of directors has the authority, subject to limitations prescribed by Nevada law, to issue preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series, and to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations or restrictions, in each case without further vote or action by our shareholders. Each series of preferred stock offered by us will be more fully described in the particular prospectus supplement that will accompany this prospectus, including redemption provisions, rights in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, voting rights and rights to convert into common stock.
Depositary Shares
We may offer depositary shares evidenced by depositary receipts, with each depositary share representing a fractional interest in a share of a particular series of preferred stock issued and deposited with a depositary to be designated by us. Each series of depositary shares or depositary receipts offered by us will be more fully described in the particular prospectus supplement that will accompany this prospectus, including redemption provisions, rights in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, voting rights and rights to convert into common stock.
Debt Securities
We may offer secured or unsecured obligations in the form of one or more series of senior or subordinated debt. The senior debt securities and the subordinated debt securities are together referred to in this prospectus as the “debt securities.” The subordinated debt securities generally will be entitled to payment only after payment of our senior debt. Senior debt generally includes all debt for money borrowed by us, except debt that is stated in the instrument governing the terms of that debt to be not senior to, or to have the same rank in right of payment as, or to be expressly junior to, the subordinated debt securities. We may offer debt securities that are convertible into shares of our common stock.
The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee to be identified in an accompanying prospectus supplement. We have summarized the general features of the debt securities to be governed by the indenture in this prospectus and the form of indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. We encourage you to read the indenture.
Warrants
We may offer warrants for the purchase of common stock, preferred stock, debt securities or depositary shares. We may offer warrants independently or together with other securities.
Subscription Rights
We may offer subscription rights to purchase our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depositary shares, warrants or units consisting of some or all of these securities. These subscription rights may be offered independently or together with any other security offered hereby and may or may not be transferable by the shareholder receiving the subscription rights in such offering.
Purchase Contracts
We may offer purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders or us to purchase from the other a specific or variable number of securities at a future date or dates.
Units
We may offer units comprised of one or more of the other classes of securities described in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit.
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Risk Factors
An investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. The prospectus supplement applicable to each offering of our securities will contain a discussion of the risks applicable to an investment in our securities. Prior to making a decision about investing in our securities, you should carefully consider the specific risk factors discussed in the section of the applicable prospectus supplement titled “Risk Factors,” together with all of the other information contained or incorporated by reference in the prospectus supplement or appearing or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under “Part I—Item 1A—Risk Factors” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in “Part II—Item 1A—Risk Factors” in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed subsequent to such Form 10-K that are incorporated herein by reference, as may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future. The risks and uncertainties we have described are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our operations.
Forward-Looking Statements
This prospectus, each prospectus supplement and the information incorporated by reference in this prospectus and each prospectus supplement contain certain statements that constitute “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. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “potentially,” “likely,” and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Those statements appear in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated herein and therein by reference, particularly in the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of our management that are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions. You are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.
Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and the rules and regulations of the SEC, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein after we distribute this prospectus, whether as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this prospectus, and although we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted a thorough inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus may contain market data that we obtain from industry sources. These sources do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information. Although we believe that our industry sources are reliable, we do not independently verify the information. The market data may include projections that are based on a number of other projections. While we believe these assumptions to be reasonable and sound as of the date of this prospectus, actual results may differ from the projections.
Use of Proceeds
We will retain broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds to us from the sale of our securities under this prospectus. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we currently expect to use the net proceeds that we receive from this offering for working capital and other general corporate purposes. We may also use a portion of the net proceeds to acquire, license or invest in complementary products, technologies or businesses; however, we currently have no agreements or commitments to complete any such transaction. The expected use of net proceeds of this offering represents our current intentions based on our present plans and business conditions. We cannot specify with certainty all of the particular uses for the net proceeds to be received upon the closing of this offering. Pending these uses, we may invest the net proceeds of this offering in short- and intermediate-term, interest-bearing obligations, investment-grade instruments, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government.
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Description of Capital Stock
The description of our capital stock is incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 2, 2022.
Description of Debt Securities
The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities that we may offer under this prospectus. When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. We will also indicate in the supplement to what extent the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.
We may offer debt securities either separately, or together with, or upon the conversion or exercise of or in exchange for, other securities described in this prospectus. Debt securities may be our senior, senior subordinated or subordinated obligations and, unless otherwise specified in a supplement to this prospectus, the debt securities will be our direct, unsecured obligations and may be issued in one or more series.
The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee to be identified in an accompanying prospectus supplement. We have summarized select portions of the indenture below. The summary is not complete. The form of the indenture has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and you should read the indenture for provisions that may be important to you. In the summary below, we have included references to the section numbers of the indenture so that you can easily locate these provisions. Capitalized terms used in the summary and not defined herein have the meanings specified in the indenture.
General
The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our board of directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in a resolution of our board of directors, in an officer’s certificate or by a supplemental indenture. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series (including any pricing supplement or term sheet).
We can issue an unlimited amount of debt securities under the indenture that may be in one or more series with the same or various maturities, at par, at a premium, or at a discount. We will set forth in a prospectus supplement (including any pricing supplement or term sheet) relating to any series of debt securities being offered the aggregate principal amount and the following terms of the debt securities, if applicable:
• the title and ranking of the debt securities (including the terms of any subordination provisions);
• the price or prices (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount) at which we will sell the debt securities, including the portion of the principal amount of such debt securities that is convertible into another security or the method by which any such portion will be determined;
• any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities;
• the date or dates on which the principal of the securities of the series is payable;
• the rate or rates (which may be fixed or variable) per annum or the method used to determine the rate or rates (including any commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index) at which the debt securities will bear interest, the date or dates from which interest will accrue, the date or dates on which interest will commence and be payable and any regular record date for the interest payable on any interest payment date;
• the right, if any, to defer payments of interest and the maximum length of such deferral period;
• the place or places where principal of, and interest, if any, on the debt securities will be payable (and the method of such payment), where the securities of such series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices and demands to us in respect of the debt securities may be delivered;
• the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities, in whole or in part, at our option, and the manner in which any election by us to redeem the debt securities will be evidenced;
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• any obligation we have to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provisions or at the option of a holder of debt securities and the period or periods within which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which securities of the series shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation;
• the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of such series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price, the conversion or exchange period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, at the option of the holders thereof or at our option, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange if such series of debt securities are redeemed;
• the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;
• whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities (including the terms pertaining to the exchange of any such securities);
• the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount;
• the designation of the currency, currencies or currency units in which payment of principal of, premium and interest on the debt securities will be made;
• if payments of principal of, premium or interest on the debt securities will be made in one or more currencies or currency units other than that or those in which the debt securities are denominated, the manner in which the exchange rate with respect to these payments will be determined;
• the manner in which the amounts of payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the debt securities will be determined, if these amounts may be determined by reference to an index based on a currency or currencies or by reference to a commodity, commodity index, stock exchange index or financial index;
• any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities;
• any addition to, deletion of or change in the Events of Default described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities and any change in the acceleration provisions described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
• any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;
• any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities;
• if there is more than one trustee or a different trustee, the identity of the trustee and, if not the trustee, the identity of each security registrar, paying agent or authenticating agent with respect to such debt securities;
• any other terms of the debt securities, which may supplement, modify or delete any provision of the indenture as it applies to that series, including any terms that may be required under applicable law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the securities; and
• whether any of our direct or indirect subsidiaries will guarantee the debt securities of that series, including the terms of subordination, if any, of such guarantees.
We may offer debt securities that provide for an amount less than their stated principal amount to be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of their maturity pursuant to the terms of the indenture. We will provide you with information on the federal income tax considerations and other special considerations applicable to any of these debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement.
If we denominate the purchase price of any of the debt securities in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, or if the principal of and any premium and interest on any series of debt securities is payable in a foreign currency or currencies or a foreign currency unit or units, we will provide you with information on the restrictions, elections, general tax considerations, specific terms and other information with respect to that issue of debt securities and such foreign currency or currencies or foreign currency unit or units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Transfer and Exchange
Each debt security will be represented by either one or more global securities registered in the name of a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, which we refer to as the depositary, or a nominee of the depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented
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by a global debt security as a “book-entry debt security”), or a certificate issued in definitive registered form (we will refer to any debt security represented by a certificated security as a “certificated debt security”) as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Except as set forth in the section titled “—Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System,” book-entry debt securities will not be issuable in certificated form.
Certificated Debt Securities
You may transfer or exchange certificated debt securities at any office we maintain for this purpose in accordance with the terms of the indenture. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of certificated debt securities, but we may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with a transfer or exchange.
You may effect the transfer of certificated debt securities and the right to receive the principal of, premium and interest on certificated debt securities only by surrendering the certificate representing those certificated debt securities and either reissuance by us or the trustee of the certificate to the new holder or the issuance by us or the trustee of a new certificate to the new holder.
Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System
Each global debt security representing book-entry debt securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the depositary, and registered in the name of the depositary or a nominee of the depositary.
Covenants
We will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement any restrictive covenants applicable to any issue of debt securities.
No Protection in the Event of a Change of Control
Unless we state otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions which may afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event we have a change in control or in the event of a highly leveraged transaction (whether or not such transaction results in a change in control) which could adversely affect holders of debt securities.
Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets
We may not consolidate with or merge with or into, or convey, transfer or lease all or substantially all of our properties and assets to any person, which we refer to as a successor person, unless:
• we are the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than us) is a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of any U.S. domestic jurisdiction and expressly assumes our obligations on the debt securities and under the indenture; and
• immediately after giving effect to the transaction, no Default or Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing.
Notwithstanding the above, any of our subsidiaries may consolidate with, merge into or transfer all or part of its properties to us.
Events of Default
“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:
• default in the payment of any interest upon any debt security of that series when it becomes due and payable, and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days (unless the entire amount of the payment is deposited by us with the trustee or with a paying agent prior to the expiration of the 30-day period);
• default in the payment of principal of any security of that series at its maturity;
• default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty by us in the indenture (other than a covenant or warranty that has been included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than that series), which default continues uncured for a period of 60 days after we receive written notice from the trustee, or we and the trustee receive written notice from the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series as provided in the indenture;
• certain voluntary or involuntary events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of us; and
• any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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No Event of Default with respect to a particular series of debt securities (except as to certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization) necessarily constitutes an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The occurrence of certain Events of Default or an acceleration under the indenture may constitute an event of default under certain indebtedness of ours or our subsidiaries outstanding from time to time.
We will provide the trustee written notice of any Default or Event of Default within 30 days of becoming aware of the occurrence of such Default or Event of Default, which notice will describe in reasonable detail the status of such Default or Event of Default and what action we are taking or propose to take in respect thereof.
If an Event of Default with respect to debt securities of any series at the time outstanding occurs and is continuing, then the trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, by a notice in writing to us (and to the trustee if given by the holders), declare to be due and payable immediately the principal of (or, if the debt securities of that series are discount securities, that portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms of that series) and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all debt securities of that series. In the case of an Event of Default resulting from certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal (or such specified amount) of and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on all outstanding debt securities will become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder of outstanding debt securities. At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to debt securities of any series has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may rescind and annul the acceleration if all Events of Default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and interest, if any, with respect to debt securities of that series, have been cured or waived as provided in the indenture. We refer you to the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that are discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of a portion of the principal amount of such discount securities upon the occurrence of an Event of Default.
The indenture provides that the trustee may refuse to perform any duty or exercise any of its rights or powers under the indenture unless the trustee receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any cost, liability or expense which might be incurred by it in performing such duty or exercising such right or power. Subject to certain rights of the trustee, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of that series.
No holder of any debt security of any series will have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to the indenture or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any remedy under the indenture, unless:
• that holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default with respect to debt securities of that series; and
• the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made written request, and offered indemnity or security satisfactory to the trustee, to the trustee to institute the proceeding as trustee, and the trustee has not received from the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series a direction inconsistent with that request and has failed to institute the proceeding within 60 days.
Notwithstanding any other provision in the indenture, the holder of any debt security will have an absolute and unconditional right to receive payment of the principal of, premium and any interest on that debt security on or after the due dates expressed in that debt security and to institute suit for the enforcement of payment.
The indenture requires us, within 120 days after the end of our fiscal year, to furnish to the trustee a statement as to compliance with the indenture. If a Default or Event of Default occurs and is continuing with respect to the securities of any series and if it is known to a responsible officer of the trustee, the trustee shall send to each securityholder of the securities of that series notice of a Default or Event of Default within 90 days after it occurs or, if later, after a responsible officer of the trustee has knowledge of such Default or Event of Default. The indenture provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of debt securities of any series of any Default or Event of Default (except in payment on any debt securities of that series) with respect to debt securities of that series if the trustee determines in good faith that withholding notice is in the interest of the holders of those debt securities.
Modification and Waiver
We and the trustee may modify, amend or supplement the indenture or the debt securities of any series without the consent of any holder of any debt security:
• to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;
• to comply with covenants in the indenture described in the section titled “—Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets”;
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• to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities;
• to add guarantees with respect to debt securities of any series or secure debt securities of any series;
• to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture;
• to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of debt securities of any series;
• to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary;
• to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities;
• to provide for the issuance of and establish the form and terms and conditions of debt securities of any series as permitted by the indenture;
• to effect the appointment of a successor trustee with respect to the debt securities of any series and to add to or change any of the provisions of the indenture to provide for or facilitate administration by more than one trustee; or
• to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.
We may also modify and amend the indenture with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the modifications or amendments. We may not make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holders of each affected debt security then outstanding if that amendment will:
• reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
• reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security;
• reduce the principal of or premium on or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or reduce the amount of, or postpone the date fixed for, the payment of any sinking fund or analogous obligation with respect to any series of debt securities;
• reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity;
• waive a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or interest on any debt security (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities of any series by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities of that series and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration);
• make the principal of or premium or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security;
• make any change to certain provisions of the indenture relating to, among other things, the right of holders of debt securities to receive payment of the principal of, premium and interest on those debt securities and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment and to waivers or amendments; or
• waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security.
Except for certain specified provisions, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series waive our compliance with provisions of the indenture. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may on behalf of the holders of all the debt securities of such series waive any past default under the indenture with respect to that series and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of, premium or any interest on any debt security of that series; provided, however, that the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind an acceleration and its consequences, including any related payment default that resulted from the acceleration.
Defeasance of Debt Securities and Certain Covenants in Certain Circumstances
Legal Defeasance
The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, we may be discharged from any and all obligations in respect of the debt securities of any series (subject to certain exceptions). We will be so discharged upon the irrevocable deposit with the trustee, in trust, of money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money or U.S. government obligations in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments
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in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities.
This discharge may occur only if, among other things, we have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge had not occurred.
Defeasance of Certain Covenants
The indenture provides that, unless otherwise provided by the terms of the applicable series of debt securities, upon compliance with certain conditions:
• we may omit to comply with the covenant described in the section titled “—Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets” and certain other covenants set forth in the indenture, as well as any additional covenants which may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement; and
• any omission to comply with those covenants will not constitute a Default or an Event of Default with respect to the debt securities of that series.
We refer to this as covenant defeasance. The conditions include:
• depositing with the trustee money and/or U.S. government obligations or, in the case of debt securities denominated in a single currency other than U.S. dollars, government obligations of the government that issued or caused to be issued such currency, that, through the payment of interest and principal in accordance with their terms, will provide money in an amount sufficient in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants or investment bank to pay and discharge each installment of principal of, premium and interest on and any mandatory sinking fund payments in respect of the debt securities of that series on the stated maturity of those payments in accordance with the terms of the indenture and those debt securities;
• such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under the indenture or any other agreement to which we are a party;
• no Default or Event of Default with respect to the applicable series of debt securities shall have occurred or is continuing on the date of such deposit; and
• delivering to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that we have received from, or there has been published by, the United States Internal Revenue Service a ruling or, since the date of execution of the indenture, there has been a change in the applicable United States federal income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon such opinion shall confirm that, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and related covenant defeasance and will be subject to United States federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if the deposit and related covenant defeasance had not occurred.
No Personal Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees or Shareholders
None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or shareholders, as such, will have any liability for any of our obligations under the debt securities or the indenture or for any claim based on, or in respect or by reason of, such obligations or their creation. By accepting a debt security, each holder waives and releases all such liability. This waiver and release is part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities. However, this waiver and release may not be effective to waive liabilities under U.S. federal securities laws, and it is the view of the SEC that such a waiver is against public policy.
Governing Law
The indenture and the debt securities, including any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to the indenture or the securities, will be governed by the laws of the State of New York.
The indenture will provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to the indenture, the debt securities or the transactions contemplated thereby.
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The indenture will provide that any legal suit, action or proceeding arising out of or based upon the indenture or the transactions contemplated thereby may be instituted in the federal courts of the United States of America located in the City of New York or the courts of the State of New York in each case located in the City of New York, and we, the trustee and the holder of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action or proceeding. The indenture will further provide that service of any process, summons, notice or document by mail (to the extent allowed under any applicable statute or rule of court) to such party’s address set forth in the indenture will be effective service of process for any suit, action or other proceeding brought in any such court. The indenture will further provide that we, the trustee and the holders of the debt securities (by their acceptance of the debt securities) irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to the laying of venue of any suit, action or other proceeding in the courts specified above and irrevocably and unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim any such suit, action or other proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum.
Description of Depositary Shares
General
We may offer depositary shares representing a fractional interest in a share of a particular series of preferred stock. Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement, each owner of a depositary share will be entitled, in proportion to the applicable fractional interest in a share of preferred stock represented by the depositary share, to all the rights and preferences of the preferred stock represented by the depositary share. Those rights include dividend, voting, redemption, conversion and liquidation rights.
The shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares will be deposited with a bank or trust company selected by us to act as depositary under a deposit agreement between us, the depositary and the holders of the depositary receipts. The depositary will be the transfer agent, registrar and dividend disbursing agent for the depositary shares.
The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the deposit agreement. Holders of depositary receipts agree to be bound by the deposit agreement, which requires holders to take certain actions such as filing proof of residence and paying certain charges.
The summary of terms of the depositary shares contained in this prospectus is not complete. You should refer to the form of the deposit agreement, our articles of incorporation and the articles of amendment for the applicable series of preferred stock that are, or will be, filed with the SEC.
Dividends and Other Distributions
The depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash distributions, if any, received in respect of the preferred stock underlying the depositary shares to the record holders of depositary shares in proportion to the numbers of depositary shares owned by those holders on the relevant record date. The relevant record date for depositary shares will be the same date as the record date for the underlying preferred stock.
If there is a distribution other than in cash, the depositary will distribute property (including securities) received by it to the record holders of depositary shares, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make the distribution. If this occurs, the depositary may, with our approval, adopt another method for the distribution, including selling the property and distributing the net proceeds from the sale to the holders.
Liquidation Preference
If a series of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares has a liquidation preference, in the event of the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of us, holders of depositary shares will be entitled to receive the fraction of the liquidation preference accorded each share of the applicable series of preferred stock, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Withdrawal of Stock
Unless the related depositary shares have been previously called for redemption, upon surrender of the depositary receipts at the office of the depositary, the holder of the depositary shares will be entitled to delivery, at the office of the depositary to or upon his or her order, of the number of whole shares of the preferred stock and any money or other property represented by the depositary shares. If the depositary receipts delivered by the holder evidence a number of depositary shares in excess of the number of depositary shares representing the number of whole shares of preferred stock to be withdrawn, the depositary will deliver to the holder at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing the excess number of depositary shares. In no event will the depositary deliver fractional shares of
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preferred stock upon surrender of depositary receipts. Holders of preferred stock thus withdrawn may not thereafter deposit those shares under the deposit agreement or receive depositary receipts evidencing depositary shares therefor.
Redemption of Depositary Shares
Whenever we redeem shares of preferred stock held by the depositary, the depositary will redeem as of the same redemption date the number of depositary shares representing shares of the preferred stock so redeemed, so long as we have paid in full to the depositary the redemption price of the preferred stock to be redeemed plus an amount equal to any accumulated and unpaid dividends on the preferred stock to the date fixed for redemption. The redemption price per depositary share will be equal to the redemption price and any other amounts per share payable on the preferred stock multiplied by the fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by one depositary share. If less than all the depositary shares are to be redeemed, the depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected by lot or pro rata or by any other equitable method as may be determined by the depositary.
After the date fixed for redemption, depositary shares called for redemption will no longer be deemed to be outstanding and all rights of the holders of depositary shares will cease, except the right to receive the monies payable upon redemption and any money or other property to which the holders of the depositary shares were entitled upon redemption upon surrender to the depositary of the depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares.
Voting the Preferred Stock
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of the preferred stock are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail the information contained in the notice of meeting to the record holders of the depositary receipts relating to that preferred stock. The record date for the depositary receipts relating to the preferred stock will be the same date as the record date for the preferred stock. Each record holder of the depositary shares on the record date will be entitled to instruct the depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights pertaining to the number of shares of preferred stock represented by that holder’s depositary shares. The depositary will endeavor, insofar as practicable, to vote the number of shares of preferred stock represented by the depositary shares in accordance with those instructions, and we will agree to take all action that may be deemed necessary by the depositary in order to enable the depositary to do so. The depositary will not vote any shares of preferred stock except to the extent that it receives specific instructions from the holders of depositary shares representing that number of shares of preferred stock.
Charges of the Depositary
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary arrangements. We will pay charges of the depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the preferred stock and any redemption of the preferred stock. Holders of depositary receipts will pay transfer, income and other taxes and governmental charges and such other charges (including those in connection with the receipt and distribution of dividends, the sale or exercise of rights, the withdrawal of the preferred stock and the transferring, splitting or grouping of depositary receipts) as are expressly provided in the deposit agreement to be for their accounts. If these charges have not been paid by the holders of depositary receipts, the depositary may refuse to transfer depositary shares, withhold dividends and distributions and sell the depositary shares evidenced by the depositary receipt.
Amendment and Termination of the Deposit Agreement
The form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares and any provision of the deposit agreement may be amended by agreement between us and the depositary. However, any amendment that materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of depositary shares, other than fee changes, will not be effective unless the amendment has been approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding depositary shares. The deposit agreement may be terminated by the depositary or us only if:
• all outstanding depositary shares have been redeemed; or
• there has been a final distribution of the preferred stock in connection with our dissolution and such distribution has been made to all the holders of depositary shares.
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
The depositary may resign at any time by delivering to us notice of its election to do so, and we may remove the depositary at any time. Any resignation or removal of the depositary will take effect upon our appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment. The successor depositary must be appointed within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and must be a bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and having the requisite combined capital and surplus as set forth in the applicable agreement.
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Notices
The depositary will forward to holders of depositary receipts all notices, reports and other communications, including proxy solicitation materials received from us, that are delivered to the depositary and that we are required to furnish to the holders of the preferred stock. In addition, the depositary will make available for inspection by holders of depositary receipts at the principal office of the depositary, and at such other places as it may from time to time deem advisable, any reports and communications we deliver to the depositary as the holder of preferred stock.
Limitation of Liability
Neither we nor the depositary will be liable if either is prevented or delayed by law or any circumstance beyond its control in performing its obligations. Our obligations and those of the depositary will be limited to performance in good faith of our and its duties thereunder. We and the depositary will not be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding in respect of any depositary shares or preferred stock unless satisfactory indemnity is furnished. We and the depositary may rely upon written advice of counsel or accountants, on information provided by persons presenting preferred stock for deposit, holders of depositary receipts or other persons believed to be competent to give such information and on documents believed to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.
Description of Warrants
We may offer warrants to purchase debt securities, preferred stock, depositary shares or common stock. We may offer warrants separately or together with one or more additional warrants, debt securities, preferred stock, depositary shares or common stock, or any combination of those securities in the form of units, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we issue warrants as part of a unit, the applicable prospectus supplement will specify whether those warrants may be separated from the other securities in the unit prior to the expiration date of the warrants. The applicable prospectus supplement will also describe the following terms of any warrants:
• the specific designation and aggregate number of, and the offering price at which we will issue, the warrants;
• the currency or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and the exercise price are payable;
• the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will begin and the date on which that right will expire or, if you may not continuously exercise the warrants throughout that period, the specific date or dates on which you may exercise the warrants;
• whether the warrants are to be sold separately or with other securities as parts of units;
• whether the warrants will be issued in definitive or global form or in any combination of these forms, although, in any case, the form of a warrant included in a unit will correspond to the form of the unit and of any security included in that unit;
• any applicable material U.S. federal income tax consequences;
• the identity of the warrant agent for the warrants and of any other depositaries, execution or paying agents, transfer agents, registrars or other agents;
• the proposed listing, if any, of the warrants or any securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants on any securities exchange;
• the designation and terms of any equity securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants;
• the designation, aggregate principal amount, currency and terms of any debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of the warrants;
• if applicable, the designation and terms of the debt securities, preferred stock, depositary shares or common stock with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each security;
• if applicable, the date from and after which any warrants issued as part of a unit and the related debt securities, preferred stock, depositary shares or common stock will be separately transferable;
• the number of shares of preferred stock, the number of depositary shares or the number of shares of common stock purchasable upon exercise of a warrant and the price at which those shares may be purchased;
• if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants that may be exercised at any one time;
• information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;
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• the antidilution provisions, and other provisions for changes to or adjustment in the exercise price, of the warrants, if any;
• any redemption or call provisions; and
• any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange or exercise of the warrants.
Description of Subscription Rights
We may offer subscription rights to purchase our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depositary shares, warrants or units consisting of some or all of these securities. These subscription rights may be offered independently or together with any other security offered hereby and may or may not be transferable by the shareholder receiving the subscription rights in such offering. In connection with any offering of subscription rights, we may enter into a standby arrangement with one or more underwriters or other purchasers pursuant to which the underwriters or other purchasers may be required to purchase any securities remaining unsubscribed for after such offering.
The prospectus supplement relating to any subscription rights we offer, if any, will, to the extent applicable, include specific terms relating to the offering, including some or all of the following:
• the price, if any, for the subscription rights;
• the exercise price payable for our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depositary shares, warrants or units consisting of some or all of these securities upon the exercise of the subscription rights;
• the number of subscription rights to be issued to each shareholder;
• the number and terms of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, depositary shares, warrants or units consisting of some or all of these securities which may be purchased per each subscription right;
• the extent to which the subscription rights are transferable;
• any other terms of the subscription rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the subscription rights;
• the date on which the right to exercise the subscription rights shall commence, and the date on which the subscription rights shall expire;
• the extent to which the subscription rights may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities or an over-allotment privilege to the extent the securities are fully subscribed; and
• if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement which may be entered into by us in connection with the offering of subscription rights.
The descriptions of the subscription rights in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement are summaries of the material provisions of the applicable subscription right agreements. These descriptions do not restate those subscription right agreements in their entirety and may not contain all the information that you may find useful. We urge you to read the applicable subscription right agreements because they, and not the summaries, define your rights as holders of the subscription rights. For more information, please review the forms of the relevant subscription right agreements, which will be filed with the SEC promptly after the offering of subscription rights and will be available as described in the section titled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
Description of Purchase Contracts
The following description summarizes the general features of the purchase contracts that we may offer under this prospectus. Although the features we have summarized below will generally apply to any future purchase contracts we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any purchase contracts that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. The specific terms of any purchase contracts may differ from the description provided below as a result of negotiations with third parties in connection with the issuance of those purchase contracts, as well as for other reasons. Because the terms of any purchase contracts we offer under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms we describe below, you should rely solely on information in the applicable prospectus supplement if that summary is different from the summary in this prospectus.
We will incorporate by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the form of any purchase contract that we may offer under this prospectus before the sale of the related purchase contract. We urge you to read any applicable prospectus supplement related to specific purchase contracts being offered, as well as the complete instruments that contain the terms of the
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securities that are subject to those purchase contracts. Certain of those instruments, or forms of those instruments, have been filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and supplements to those instruments or forms may be incorporated by reference into the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part from reports we file with the SEC.
We may offer purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and for us to sell to holders, a specific or variable number of our securities at a future date or dates. Alternatively, the purchase contracts may obligate us to purchase from holders, and obligate holders to sell to us, a specific or varying number of our securities.
If we offer any purchase contracts, certain terms of that series of purchase contracts will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following:
• the price of the securities or other property subject to the purchase contracts (which may be determined by reference to a specific formula described in the purchase contracts);
• whether the purchase contracts are issued separately, or as a part of units each consisting of a purchase contract and one or more of our other securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, securing the holder’s obligations under the purchase contract;
• any requirement for us to make periodic payments to holders or vice versa, and whether the payments are unsecured or pre-funded;
• any provisions relating to any security provided for the purchase contracts;
• whether the purchase contracts obligate the holder or us to purchase or sell, or both purchase and sell, the securities subject to purchase under the purchase contract, and the nature and amount of each of those securities, or the method of determining those amounts;
• whether the purchase contracts are to be prepaid or not;
• whether the purchase contracts are to be settled by delivery, or by reference or linkage to the value, performance or level of the securities subject to purchase under the purchase contract;
• any acceleration, cancellation, termination or other provisions relating to the settlement of the purchase contracts;
• a discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the purchase contracts;
• whether the purchase contracts will be issued in fully registered or global form; and
• any other terms of the purchase contracts and any securities subject to such purchase contracts.
Description of Units
We may offer units comprising two or more securities described in this prospectus in any combination. For example, we might issue units consisting of a combination of debt securities and warrants to purchase common stock. The following description sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the units that we may offer pursuant to this prospectus. The particular terms of the units and the extent, if any, to which the general terms and provisions may apply to the units so offered will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit also is the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. Units will be issued pursuant to the terms of a unit agreement, which may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time or at any time before a specified date. A copy of the forms of the unit agreement and the unit certificate relating to any particular issue of units will be filed with the SEC each time we issue units, and you should read those documents for provisions that may be important to you. For more information on how you can obtain copies of the forms of the unit agreement and the related unit certificate, see the section titled “Where You Can Find More Information.”
The prospectus supplement relating to any particular issuance of units will describe the terms of those units, including, to the extent applicable, the following:
• the designation and terms of the units and the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;
• any provision for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and
• whether the units will be issued in fully registered or global form.
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Plan of Distribution
We may sell securities:
• through underwriters;
• through dealers;
• through agents;
• directly to purchasers; or
• through a combination of any of these methods of sale.
In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution or in a subscription rights offering to our existing securityholders.
We may directly solicit offers to purchase securities or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. We will, in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering, name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act and describe any commissions that we must pay. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis. This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of our securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions:
• at a fixed price or prices that may be changed from time to time;
• at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;
• at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or
• at negotiated prices.
Each prospectus supplement will describe the method of distribution of the securities and any applicable restrictions.
The prospectus supplement with respect to the securities of a particular series will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including the following:
• the name of the agent or any underwriters;
• the public offering or purchase price;
• if applicable, the names of any selling securityholders;
• any discounts and commissions to be allowed or paid to the agent or underwriters;
• all other items constituting underwriting compensation;
• any discounts and commissions to be allowed or paid to dealers; and
• any exchanges on which the securities will be listed.
If any underwriters or agents are utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we will enter into an underwriting agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.
If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which the prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.
If we offer securities in a subscription rights offering to our existing securityholders, we may enter into a standby underwriting agreement with dealers, acting as standby underwriters. We may pay the standby underwriters a commitment fee for the securities they commit to purchase on a standby basis. If we do not enter into a standby underwriting arrangement, we may retain a dealer-manager to manage a subscription rights offering for us.
Agents, underwriters, dealers and other persons may be entitled under agreements that they may enter into with us to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
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If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase securities from us pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date stated in the prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate amount of securities sold pursuant to such contracts shall not be less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom the contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and other institutions, but shall in all cases be subject to our approval. Delayed delivery contracts will not be subject to any conditions except that:
• the purchase by an institution of the securities covered under that contract shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which that institution is subject; and
• if the securities are also being sold to underwriters acting as principals for their own account, the underwriters shall have purchased such securities not sold for delayed delivery.
The underwriters and other persons acting as agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of delayed delivery contracts.
Certain agents, underwriters and dealers, and their associates and affiliates may be customers of, have borrowing relationships with, engage in other transactions with, and/or perform services, including investment banking services, for us or one or more of our respective affiliates in the ordinary course of business.
In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may over-allot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover over-allotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.
Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. The applicable prospectus supplement may provide that the original issue date for your securities may be more than two scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities. Accordingly, in such a case, if you wish to trade securities on any date prior to the third business day before the original issue date for your securities, you will be required, by virtue of the fact that your securities initially are expected to settle in more than three scheduled business days after the trade date for your securities, to make alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.
The securities may be new issues of securities and may have no established trading market. The securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange. We can make no assurance as to the liquidity of or the existence of trading markets for any of the securities.
Legal Matters
The validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Ballard Spahr LLP, Las Vegas, Nevada. Additional legal matters may be passed on for us, or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Experts
The financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, have been audited by KPMG LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their report thereon and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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Where You Can Find More Information
We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of certain information filed by us with the SEC are also available on our website at www.metamaterial.com. Information accessible on or through our website is not a part of this prospectus.
This prospectus and any prospectus supplement is part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC and do not contain all of the information in the registration statement. You should review the information and exhibits in the registration statement for further information on us and our consolidated subsidiaries and the securities that we are offering. Forms of any indenture or other documents establishing the terms of the offered securities are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part or under cover of a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated in this prospectus by reference. Statements in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement about these documents are summaries and each statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You should read the actual documents for a more complete description of the relevant matters.
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Incorporation by Reference
The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference much of the information that we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those publicly available documents. The information that we incorporate by reference in this prospectus is considered to be part of this prospectus. Because we are incorporating by reference future filings with the SEC, this prospectus is continually updated and those future filings may modify or supersede some of the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. This means that you must look at all of the SEC filings that we incorporate by reference to determine if any of the statements in this prospectus or in any document previously incorporated by reference have been modified or superseded. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (in each case, other than those documents or the portions of those documents furnished pursuant to Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K and, except as may be noted in any such Form 8-K, exhibits filed on such form that are related to such information), until the offering of the securities under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part is terminated or completed:
• our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 2, 2022 and as amended on May 2, 2022;
• our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on October 26, 2022;
• our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2022, June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 10, 2022 (as amended on June 1, 2022), August 9, 2022 and November 9, 2022, respectively;
• our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on April 6, 2022, June 17, 2022, June 27, 2022, August 18, 2022 (as amended on August 19, 2022), August 31, 2022 and November 9, 2022; and
• the description of our common stock contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, filed with the SEC on December 13, 2013, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description (including Exhibit 4.6 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 2, 2022).
You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address and telephone number:
Meta Materials Inc.
1 Research Drive
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4M9
Attn: Investor Relations
(902) 482-5729
Up to $50,000,000
Common Stock
September 11, 2023
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