TELA Bio (TELA) S-3 Shelf registration

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 13, 2023

Registration No. 333-      ​

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

TELA Bio, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware (State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization) 45-5320061 (I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
(484) 320-2930

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Antony Koblish
President and Chief Executive Officer
TELA Bio, Inc.
1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24
Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355
(484) 320-2930

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Rachael M. Bushey, Esq.
Justin S. Platt, Esq.
Goodwin Procter LLP
One Commerce Square
2005 Market St, 32nd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(445) 207-7800

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ☐

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. ☒

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ☐

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

Large accelerated filer ☐	Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒	Smaller reporting company ☒
​	Emerging growth company ☒

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this registration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

Explanatory Note

This registration statement contains two prospectuses:

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a base prospectus which covers the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to $150,000,000 in the aggregate of the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings; and

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a sales agreement prospectus covering the offering, issuance and sale by us of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $50,000,000 of our common stock that may be issued and sold under an equity distribution agreement, or the Equity Distribution Agreement, with Piper Sandler & Co., or Piper Sandler.

The base prospectus immediately follows this explanatory note. The specific terms of any securities to be offered pursuant to the base prospectus will be specified in a prospectus supplement to the base prospectus.

The sales agreement prospectus immediately follows the base prospectus. The $50,000,000 of common stock that may be offered, issued and sold under the sales agreement prospectus is included in the $150,000,000 of securities that may be offered, issued and sold by us under the base prospectus. Upon termination of the Equity Distribution Agreement with Piper Sandler, any portion of the $50,000,000 included in the sales agreement prospectus that is not sold pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement will be available for sale in other offerings pursuant to the base prospectus, and if no shares are sold under the Equity Distribution Agreement, the full $150,000,000 of securities may be sold in other offerings pursuant to the base prospectus and a corresponding prospectus supplement.

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion, dated November 13, 2023.

PROSPECTUS

$150,000,000

Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
Subscription Rights

We may offer and sell up to $150,000,000 in the aggregate of any combination of the securities identified above from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities.

Each time we offer and sell securities, we will provide a supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the offering and the amounts, prices and terms of the securities. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. The supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. You should carefully read this prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus, as well as any documents incorporated by reference, before you invest in any of our securities.

We may offer and sell the securities described in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and agents, or directly to purchasers, or through a combination of these methods. If any underwriters, dealers or agents are involved in the sale of any of the securities, their names and any applicable purchase price, fee, commission or discount arrangement between or among them will be set forth, or will be calculable from the information set forth, in the applicable prospectus supplement. See the sections of this prospectus entitled “About this Prospectus” and “Plan of Distribution” for more information. No securities may be sold without delivery of this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE THE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 7 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND ANY SIMILAR SECTION CONTAINED OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THE APPLICABLE PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT CONCERNING FACTORS

YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BEFORE INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES.

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “TELA.” On November 9, 2023, the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq was $5.73 per share.

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                 , 2023.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS	1
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION	2
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE	2
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS	4
ABOUT THE COMPANY	6
RISK FACTORS	7
USE OF PROCEEDS	8
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK	9
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES	12
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS	20
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS	22
DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS	23
GLOBAL SECURITIES	24
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION	28
LEGAL MATTERS	30
EXPERTS	31

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. By using a shelf registration statement, we may sell securities from time to time and in one or more offerings up to a total dollar amount of $150,000,000 as described in this prospectus.

This prospectus provides you only with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time that we offer and sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement to this prospectus that contains specific information about the securities being offered and sold and the specific terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. The prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus with respect to that offering. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, you should rely on the prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, as applicable. Before purchasing any securities, you should carefully read both this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement (and any applicable free writing prospectuses), together with the additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”

We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in, or incorporated by reference in, this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We will not make an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on its respective cover, that the information appearing in any applicable free writing prospectus is accurate only as of the date of that free writing prospectus, and that any information incorporated by reference herein and therein is accurate only as of the date of the document incorporated by reference, unless we indicate otherwise. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

When we refer to “TELA,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus, we mean TELA Bio, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the potential holders of the applicable series of securities.

“TELA,” the TELA logo, TELA Bio®, OviTex® and other trademarks, trade names or service marks of TELA Bio, Inc. appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus are the property of TELA Bio, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus may be referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and tradenames.

We may from time to time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the general business environment, and the markets for certain diseases, including estimates regarding the potential size of those markets and the estimated incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events, circumstances or numbers, including actual disease prevalence rates and market size, may differ materially from the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business information, market data, prevalence information and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data, and similar sources, in some cases applying our own assumptions and analysis that may, in the future, prove not to have been accurate.

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

This prospectus is part of the registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the reference may not be complete and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement or the exhibits to the reports or other documents incorporated herein by reference for a copy of such contract, agreement or other document.

We are currently subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and in accordance therewith file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to you on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and in the “Investors” section of our website at www.telabio.com. Our website and the information contained on that site, or connected to that site, are not incorporated into and are not a part of this prospectus.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC:

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Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on March 23, 2023;

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The information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed with the SEC on April 17, 2023;

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Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2023, for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on August 10, 2023, and for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on November 13, 2023;

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Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 9, 2023, February 21, 2023, March 23, 2023, April 20, 2023, June 2, 2023, August 16, 2023, September 28, 2023 and October 20, 2023 (in each case other than any portions thereof deemed furnished and not filed); and

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The description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-39130) filed with the SEC on November 7, 2019, under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description, including Exhibit 4.2 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

We also incorporate by reference any future filings (other than any filings or portions of such reports that are not deemed “filed” under the Exchange Act in accordance with the Exchange Act and applicable SEC rules, including current reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that are related to such items unless such Form 8-K expressly provides to the contrary) made with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, including those made after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement, until we file a post-effective amendment that indicates the termination of the offering of the securities made by this prospectus and will become a part of this prospectus from the date that such documents are filed with the SEC. Information in such future filings updates and supplements the information provided in this prospectus. Any statements in any such future filings will automatically be deemed to modify and supersede any information in any document we previously filed with the SEC that is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated herein by reference to the extent that statements in the later filed document modify or replace such earlier statements.

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We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including exhibits to these documents. Written or oral requests for copies should be directed to TELA Bio, Inc., Attn: Corporate Secretary, 1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355, telephone number (484) 320-2930.

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and the documents incorporated by reference may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, about us and our subsidiary. These forward-looking statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “projects,” “plans,” “goal,” “targets,” “potential,” “estimates,” “seeks,” “intends” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning:

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the ongoing and possible future effects arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, or other pandemics, epidemics or outbreaks of a contagious illness, and associated economic disruptions, including the frequency of surgical procedures using our products, labor and hospital staffing shortages, supply chain integrity, and inflation, impacting our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows;

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estimates regarding future results of operations, financial position, research and development costs, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing;

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the commercial success and degree of market acceptance of our products;

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the introduction of new products or product enhancements by us or others in our industry, including new products which may be perceived to negatively impact the demand for our products now or in the future;

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our ability to expand, manage and maintain our direct sales and marketing organization and to market and sell our products in the U.S. and Europe;

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the performance of our exclusive contract manufacturer for our OviTex portfolio products, Aroa Biosurgery Ltd., in connection with the supply of product and in the development of additional products and product configurations within these product lines;

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our ability to maintain our supply chain integrity and expand our supply chain to manage increased demand for our products;

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our ability to compete successfully with larger competitors in our highly competitive industry;

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our ability to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for our current products and any future products we may seek to commercialize;

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our ability to enhance our products, expand our indications and develop and commercialize additional products;

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the development, regulatory approval, efficacy and commercialization of competing products;

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our business model and strategic plans for our products, technologies and business, including our implementation thereof;

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the size of the markets for our current and future products;

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our ability to recruit and retain senior management and other highly qualified personnel;

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our ability to obtain additional capital to finance our planned operations;

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our ability to maintain regulatory approval for our products;

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our ability to commercialize or obtain regulatory approvals for our future products, or the effect of delays in commercializing or obtaining regulatory approvals;

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decreasing selling prices and pricing pressures;

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regulatory developments in the U.S. and European markets;

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the potential impact of healthcare reform in the U.S., including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and measures being taken worldwide designed to reduce healthcare costs;

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the volatility of capital markets and other adverse macroeconomic factors, including due to inflationary pressures, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations, economic slowdown or recession, banking instability, geopolitical tensions or the outbreak of hostilities or war, including from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the evolving events in Israel and Gaza;

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our ability to develop and maintain our corporate infrastructure, including our internal controls;

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our ability to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for our products, as well as our ability to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others;

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our expectations regarding the use of proceeds from recent and any future financings, if any;

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the occurrence of adverse safety events, restrictions on use with our products or product liability claims; and

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other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein.

You should read this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement, and the documents incorporated by reference completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we currently expect. Our business and operations are and will be subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Consequently, actual results and experience may materially differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and experience to differ from those projected include, but are not limited to, the risk factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or related free writing prospectus and any document incorporated herein by reference is accurate as of its date only. Because the risk factors referred to above could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Unless legally required, we do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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ABOUT THE COMPANY

We are a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on providing innovative soft-tissue reconstruction solutions that optimize clinical outcomes by prioritizing the preservation and restoration of the patient’s own anatomy. Our growing product portfolio is purposefully designed to leverage the patient’s natural healing response while minimizing long-term exposure to permanent synthetic materials. We are committed to delivering our advanced technologies with a strong economic value proposition to assist surgeons and institutions in providing next-generation soft-tissue repair solutions to more patients worldwide.

Our first portfolio of products, the OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix, or OviTex, which we first commercialized in the U.S. in July 2016, addresses unmet needs in hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction by combining the benefits of biologic matrices and polymer materials while minimizing their shortcomings, at a cost-effective price. Our OviTex products have received 510(k) clearances from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, which clearances were obtained and are currently held by our exclusive contract manufacturer of these products, Aroa Biosurgery Ltd., or Aroa. Our second portfolio of products, the OviTex PRS Reinforced Tissue Matrix, or OviTex PRS, which we first commercialized in the U.S. in May 2019, addresses unmet needs in plastic and reconstructive surgery. In April 2019, our first OviTex PRS products received 510(k) clearance from the FDA, which clearance was initially obtained by Aroa and is currently held by us. In March 2023, we received an additional 510(k) clearance, which expands the OviTex PRS portfolio to include OviTex PRS Long-Term Resorbable.

Our OviTex portfolio consists of multiple product configurations intended to address various surgical procedures within hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction, including ventral, inguinal, and hiatal hernia repair. In addition, we have also designed an OviTex product specifically for use in laparoscopic and robotic-assisted hernia repair, which we market as OviTex LPR and began commercializing this product in November 2018. In February 2023, we launched two new, larger configurations of OviTex LPR, designed for ventral and incisional hernias.

We were incorporated on April 17, 2012. Our primary executive offices are located at 1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 and our telephone number is (484) 320-2930. Our website address is www.telabio.com. The information contained on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making a decision to invest in our securities, in addition to carefully considering the other information contained in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement and incorporated by reference herein or therein, you should carefully consider the risks described under the caption “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus, and the risks discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” contained in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and in any of our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q since our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as well as any amendments thereto, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement, the documents incorporated by reference, and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize for use in connection with a specific offering. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information; Incorporation of Certain Information by Reference.”

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as set forth in any accompanying prospectus supplement, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities offered under this prospectus for general corporate purposes unless the applicable prospectus supplement provides otherwise. General corporate purposes may include, and are not limited to sales and marketing, research and development costs, manufacturing costs, repayment of debt, the acquisition or licensing of other businesses, products or product candidates, working capital and capital expenditures.

We may temporarily invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments including money market funds, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the U.S. government, or may hold such proceeds as cash, until they are used for their stated purpose. We have not determined the amount of net proceeds to be used specifically for such purposes. As a result, management will retain broad discretion over the allocation of net proceeds.

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our capital stock is not complete and may not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our capital stock. This description is summarized from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our certificate of incorporation, which has been publicly filed with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find More Information.” For a complete description, you should refer to our Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, or Certificate of Incorporation, and Third Amended and Restated Bylaws, or Bylaws, copies of which are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

General

Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. All of our outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.

Common Stock

Voting Rights

Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the voting shares are able to elect all of the directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of holders of 66 2∕3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding voting stock is required to take certain actions, including amending certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, such as the provisions relating to amending our Bylaws, procedures for our stockholder meetings, the classified board, director liability, and exclusive forum for proceedings.

Dividends

Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds.

Liquidation

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock.

Rights and Preferences

Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate in the future.

Listing

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “TELA.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors is authorized to direct us to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the discretion to determine the rights,

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preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.

The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions, future financings and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third-party to acquire, or could discourage a third-party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock.

Warrants

We have warrants to purchase an aggregate of 88,556 shares of our common stock outstanding with an exercise price of  $28.65 per share. These warrants may be exercised at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part.

Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and Our Charter Documents

Our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws contain provisions that could make the following transactions more difficult: acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions that might result in a premium over the market price for our shares.

These provisions, summarized below, are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law

We are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the DGCL, which prohibits persons deemed “interested stockholders” from engaging in a “business combination” with a publicly-held Delaware corporation for three years following the date these persons become interested stockholders unless the business combination is, or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder was, approved in a prescribed manner or another prescribed exception applies. Generally, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. The existence of this provision may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors, such as discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of our common stock.

Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that all stockholder actions must be effected at a duly called meeting of stockholders and not by consent in writing. A special meeting of stockholders may be called only by a majority of our board of directors, the chair of our board of directors, or our chief executive officer.

Undesignated Preferred Stock

The ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.

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Amendment of Charter Provisions

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2∕3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock, voting as a single class, are required to amend certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, including provisions relating to the size of the board, removal of directors, special meetings, actions by written consent and cumulative voting. The affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2∕3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock, voting as a single class, are required to amend or repeal our Bylaws, although our Bylaws may be amended by a simple majority vote of our board of directors.

Classified Board; Election and Removal of Directors

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our board of directors is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with each class serving staggered terms, and gives our board of directors the exclusive right to expand the size of our board of directors and to elect directors to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the board of directors or the resignation, death or removal of a director.

Choice of Forum

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless our board of directors consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware) is the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees or agents to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except, in each case, (A) any claim as to which such court determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of such court (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of such court within 10 days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than such court, or (C) for which such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction.

Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or any other claim for which the federal and state courts have concurrent jurisdiction.

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The following description, together with the additional information we include in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, 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 issue 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 named in the applicable indenture, as trustee. 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 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.

As used in this section only, “TELA,” “TELA Bio,” “we,” “our” or “us” refer to TELA Bio, Inc., excluding its wholly owned subsidiary, unless expressly stated or the context otherwise requires.

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;

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any limit on 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 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;

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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 in 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 dates on which and the price or prices at which we will repurchase debt securities at the option of the holders of debt securities and other detailed terms and provisions of these repurchase obligations;

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the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;

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whether the debt securities will be issued in the form of certificated debt securities or global debt securities;

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the portion of principal amount of the debt securities payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity date, if other than the principal amount;

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the currency of denomination of the debt securities, which may be United States Dollars or any foreign currency, and if such currency of denomination is a composite currency, the agency or organization, if any, responsible for overseeing such composite currency;

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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;

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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;

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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;

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any provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities;

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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;

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any addition to, deletion of or change in the covenants described in this prospectus or in the indenture with respect to the debt securities;

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any depositaries, interest rate calculation agents, exchange rate calculation agents or other agents with respect to the debt securities;

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the provisions, if any, relating to conversion or exchange of any debt securities of such series, including if applicable, the conversion or exchange price and period, provisions as to whether conversion or exchange will be mandatory, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion or exchange price and provisions affecting conversion or exchange;

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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

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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 issue 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

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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 The Depository Trust Company, or the Depositary, or a nominee of the Depositary (we will refer to any debt security represented 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 under the heading “Global Debt Securities and Book-Entry System” below, 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. Please see “Global Securities.”

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 (a “successor person”) unless:

•

we are the surviving corporation or the successor person (if other than TELA) 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.

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Events of Default

“Event of Default” means with respect to any series of debt securities, any of the following:

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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);

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default in the payment of principal of any security of that series at its maturity;

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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 TELA 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 TELA; and

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any other Event of Default provided with respect to debt securities of that series that is described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

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.

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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:

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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

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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 mail 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:

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to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;

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to comply with covenants in the indenture described above under the heading “Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets”;

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to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to or in place of certificated securities;

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to add guarantees with respect to debt securities of any series or secure debt securities of any series;

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to surrender any of our rights or powers under the indenture;

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to add covenants or events of default for the benefit of the holders of debt securities of any series;

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to comply with the applicable procedures of the applicable depositary;

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to make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder of debt securities;

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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;

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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

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to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

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:

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•

reduce the amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;

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reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest (including default interest) on any debt security;

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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;

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reduce the principal amount of discount securities payable upon acceleration of maturity;

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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);

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make the principal of or premium or interest on any debt security payable in currency other than that stated in the debt security;

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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

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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 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.

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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:

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we may omit to comply with the covenant described under the heading “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 (“covenant defeasance”).

The conditions include:

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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; 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 and beneficial owners 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 Securityholders

None of our past, present or future directors, officers, employees or securityholders, 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 debt 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.

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

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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.

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock or preferred stock or of debt securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with other securities, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from any offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and the investors or a warrant agent. The following summary of material provisions of the warrants and warrant agreements are subject to, and qualified in their entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the warrant agreement and warrant certificate applicable to a particular series of warrants. The terms of any warrants offered under a prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. We urge you to read the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, as well as the complete warrant agreements and warrant certificates that contain the terms of the warrants.

The particular terms of any issue of warrants will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to the issue. Those terms may include:

•

the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon the exercise of warrants to purchase such shares and the price at which such number of shares may be purchased upon such exercise;

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the designation, stated value and terms (including, without limitation, liquidation, dividend, conversion and voting rights) of the series of preferred stock purchasable upon exercise of warrants to purchase preferred stock;

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the principal amount of debt securities that may be purchased upon exercise of a debt warrant and the exercise price for the warrants, which may be payable in cash, securities or other property;

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the date, if any, on and after which the warrants and the related debt securities, preferred stock or common stock will be separately transferable;

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the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants;

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the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire;

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United States federal income tax consequences applicable to the warrants; and

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any additional terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures, and limitations relating to the exchange, exercise and settlement of the warrants.

Holders of equity warrants will not be entitled to:

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vote, consent or receive dividends;

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receive notice as stockholders with respect to any meeting of stockholders for the election of our directors or any other matter; or

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exercise any rights as our stockholders.

Each warrant will entitle its holder to purchase the principal amount of debt securities or the number of shares of preferred stock or common stock at the exercise price set forth in, or calculable as set forth in, the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.

A holder of warrant certificates may exchange them for new warrant certificates of different denominations, present them for registration of transfer and exercise them at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Until any warrants to purchase debt securities are exercised, the holder of the warrants will not have any rights of holders of the debt securities that can be purchased upon exercise, including any rights to receive payments of principal, premium or interest on the underlying debt securities or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture. Until any warrants to purchase common stock or preferred stock are exercised, the holders of the warrants

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will not have any rights of holders of the underlying common stock or preferred stock, including any rights to receive dividends or payments upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up on the common stock or preferred stock, if any.

We have outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 88,556 shares of our common stock outstanding with an exercise price of $28.65 per share. These warrants may be exercised at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part.

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DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may issue units consisting of any combination of the other types of securities offered under this prospectus in one or more series. We may evidence each series of units by unit certificates that we will issue under a separate agreement. We may enter into unit agreements with a unit agent. Each unit agent will be a bank or trust company that we select. We will indicate the name and address of the unit agent in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of units.

The following description, together with the additional information included in any applicable prospectus supplement, summarizes the general features of the units that we may offer under this prospectus. You should read any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you related to the series of units being offered, as well as the complete unit agreements that contain the terms of the units. Specific unit agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and we will file as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or will incorporate by reference from another report that we file with the SEC, the form of each unit agreement relating to units offered under this prospectus.

If we offer any units, certain terms of that series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the following, as applicable:

•

the title of the series of units;

•

identification and description of the separate constituent securities comprising the units;

•

the price or prices at which the units will be issued;

•

the date, if any, on and after which the constituent securities comprising the units will be separately transferable;

•

a discussion of certain United States federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and

•

any other terms of the units and their constituent securities.

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DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

We may issue subscription rights to purchase our common stock, preferred stock or debt 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 stockholder 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 or debt securities upon the exercise of the subscription rights;

•

the number of subscription rights to be issued to each stockholder;

•

the number and terms of our common stock, preferred stock or debt 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 description in the applicable prospectus supplement of any subscription rights we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable subscription rights certificate, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer subscription rights. We urge you to read the applicable subscription rights certificate and any applicable prospectus supplement in their entirety.

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GLOBAL SECURITIES

Book-Entry, Delivery and Form

Unless we indicate differently in any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, the securities initially will be issued in book-entry form and represented by one or more global notes or global securities, or, collectively, global securities. The global securities will be deposited with, or on behalf of, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, as depositary, or DTC, and registered in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of DTC. Unless and until it is exchanged for individual certificates evidencing securities under the limited circumstances described below, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary to its nominee or by the nominee to the depositary, or by the depositary or its nominee to a successor depositary or to a nominee of the successor depositary.

DTC has advised us that it is:

•

a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York Banking Law;

•

a “banking organization” within the meaning of the New York Banking Law;

•

a member of the Federal Reserve System;

•

a “clearing corporation” within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code; and

•

a “clearing agency” registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

DTC holds securities that its participants deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the settlement among its participants of securities transactions, such as transfers and pledges, in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry changes in participants’ accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. “Direct participants” in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, including underwriters, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, or DTCC. DTCC is the holding company for DTC, National Securities Clearing Corporation and Fixed Income Clearing Corporation, all of which are registered clearing agencies. DTCC is owned by the users of its regulated subsidiaries. Access to the DTC system is also available to others, which we sometimes refer to as indirect participants, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct participant, either directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on file with the SEC.

Purchases of securities under the DTC system must be made by or through direct participants, which will receive a credit for the securities on DTC’s records. The ownership interest of the actual purchaser of a security, which we sometimes refer to as a beneficial owner, is in turn recorded on the direct and indirect participants’ records. Beneficial owners of securities will not receive written confirmation from DTC of their purchases. However, beneficial owners are expected to receive written confirmations providing details of their transactions, as well as periodic statements of their holdings, from the direct or indirect participants through which they purchased securities. Transfers of ownership interests in global securities are to be accomplished by entries made on the books of participants acting on behalf of beneficial owners. Beneficial owners will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in the global securities, except under the limited circumstances described below.

To facilitate subsequent transfers, all global securities deposited by direct participants with DTC will be registered in the name of DTC’s partnership nominee, Cede & Co., or such other name as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. The deposit of securities with DTC and their registration in the name of Cede & Co. or such other nominee will not change the beneficial ownership of the securities. DTC has no knowledge of the actual beneficial owners of the securities. DTC’s records reflect only the identity of the direct participants to whose accounts the securities are credited, which may or may not be the beneficial owners. The participants are responsible for keeping account of their holdings on behalf of their customers.

So long as the securities are in book-entry form, you will receive payments and may transfer securities only through the facilities of the depositary and its direct and indirect participants. We will maintain an office or agency in the location specified in the prospectus supplement for the applicable securities, where

24

notices and demands in respect of the securities and the indenture may be delivered to us and where certificated securities may be surrendered for payment, registration of transfer or exchange.

Conveyance of notices and other communications by DTC to direct participants, by direct participants to indirect participants and by direct participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners will be governed by arrangements among them, subject to any legal requirements in effect from time to time.

Redemption notices will be sent to DTC. If less than all of the securities of a particular series are being redeemed, DTC’s practice is to determine by lot the amount of the interest of each direct participant in the securities of such series to be redeemed.

Neither DTC nor Cede & Co. (or such other DTC nominee) will consent or vote with respect to the securities. Under its usual procedures, DTC will mail an omnibus proxy to us as soon as possible after the record date. The omnibus proxy assigns the consenting or voting rights of Cede & Co. to those direct participants to whose accounts the securities of such series are credited on the record date, identified in a listing attached to the omnibus proxy.

So long as securities are in book-entry form, we will make payments on those securities to the depositary or its nominee, as the registered owner of such securities, by wire transfer of immediately available funds. If securities are issued in definitive certificated form under the limited circumstances described below and unless if otherwise provided in the description of the applicable securities herein or in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will have the option of making payments by check mailed to the addresses of the persons entitled to payment or by wire transfer to bank accounts in the United States designated in writing to the applicable trustee or other designated party at least 15 days before the applicable payment date by the persons entitled to payment, unless a shorter period is satisfactory to the applicable trustee or other designated party.

Redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments on the securities will be made to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC. DTC’s practice is to credit direct participants’ accounts upon DTC’s receipt of funds and corresponding detail information from us on the payment date in accordance with their respective holdings shown on DTC records. Payments by participants to beneficial owners will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is the case with securities held for the account of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name.” Those payments will be the responsibility of participants and not of DTC or us, subject to any statutory or regulatory requirements in effect from time to time. Payment of redemption proceeds, distributions and dividend payments to Cede & Co., or such other nominee as may be requested by an authorized representative of DTC, is our responsibility, disbursement of payments to direct participants is the responsibility of DTC, and disbursement of payments to the beneficial owners is the responsibility of direct and indirect participants.

Except under the limited circumstances described below, purchasers of securities will not be entitled to have securities registered in their names and will not receive physical delivery of securities. Accordingly, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and its participants to exercise any rights under the securities and the indenture.

The laws of some jurisdictions may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of securities in definitive form. Those laws may impair the ability to transfer or pledge beneficial interests in securities.

DTC may discontinue providing its services as securities depositary with respect to the securities at any time by giving reasonable notice to us. Under such circumstances, in the event that a successor depositary is not obtained, securities certificates are required to be printed and delivered.

As noted above, beneficial owners of a particular series of securities generally will not receive certificates representing their ownership interests in those securities. However, if:

•

DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a depositary for the global security or securities representing such series of securities or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act at a time when it is required to be registered and a successor depositary is not appointed within 90 days of the notification to us or of our becoming aware of DTC’s ceasing to be so registered, as the case may be;

25

•

we determine, in our sole discretion, not to have such securities represented by one or more global securities; or

•

an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing with respect to such series of securities,

we will prepare and deliver certificates for such securities in exchange for beneficial interests in the global securities. Any beneficial interest in a global security that is exchangeable under the circumstances described in the preceding sentence will be exchangeable for securities in definitive certificated form registered in the names that the depositary directs. It is expected that these directions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from its participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the global securities.

We have obtained the information in this section and elsewhere in this prospectus concerning DTC and DTC’s book-entry system from sources that are believed to be reliable, but we take no responsibility for the accuracy of this information.

Euroclear and Clearstream

If so provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, you may hold interests in a global security through Clearstream Banking, S.A., which we refer to as “Clearstream,” or Euroclear Bank SA/NV, as operator of the Euroclear System, which we refer to as “Euroclear,” either directly if you are a participant in Clearstream or Euroclear or indirectly through organizations which are participants in Clearstream or Euroclear. Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests on behalf of their respective participants through customers’ securities accounts in the names of Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, on the books of their respective U.S. depositaries, which in turn will hold such interests in customers’ securities accounts in such depositaries’ names on DTC’s books.

Clearstream and Euroclear are securities clearance systems in Europe. Clearstream and Euroclear hold securities for their respective participating organizations and facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between those participants through electronic book-entry changes in their accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates.

Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to beneficial interests in global securities owned through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and other participants in DTC, on the other hand, are also subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.

Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers and other transactions involving any beneficial interests in global securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.

Cross-market transfers between participants in DTC, on the one hand, and participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on the other hand, will be effected through DTC in accordance with the DTC’s rules on behalf of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by their respective U.S. depositaries; however, such cross-market transactions will require delivery of instructions to Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, by the counterparty in such system in accordance with the rules and procedures and within the established deadlines (European time) of such system. Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, will, if the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to its U.S. depositary to take action to effect final settlement on its behalf by delivering or receiving interests in the global securities through DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day fund settlement. Participants in Euroclear or Clearstream may not deliver instructions directly to their respective U.S. depositaries.

Due to time zone differences, the securities accounts of a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream purchasing an interest in a global security from a direct participant in DTC will be credited, and any such crediting will be reported to the relevant participant in Euroclear or Clearstream, during the securities settlement processing day (which must be a business day for Euroclear or Clearstream) immediately following the settlement date of DTC. Cash received in Euroclear or Clearstream as a result of sales of interests in a global security by or through a participant in Euroclear or Clearstream to a direct participant in DTC will be

26

received with value on the settlement date of DTC but will be available in the relevant Euroclear or Clearstream cash account only as of the business day for Euroclear or Clearstream following DTC’s settlement date.

Other

The information in this section of this prospectus concerning DTC, Clearstream, Euroclear and their respective book-entry systems has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we do not take responsibility for this information. This information has been provided solely as a matter of convenience. The rules and procedures of DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear are solely within the control of those organizations and could change at any time. Neither we nor the trustee nor any agent of ours or of the trustee has any control over those entities and none of us takes any responsibility for their activities. You are urged to contact DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants directly to discuss those matters. In addition, although we expect that DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear will perform the foregoing procedures, none of them is under any obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures and such procedures may be discontinued at any time. Neither we nor any agent of ours will have any responsibility for the performance or nonperformance by DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear or their respective participants of these or any other rules or procedures governing their respective operations.

27

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities from time to time pursuant to underwritten public offerings, “at-the-market offerings,” negotiated transactions, block trades or a combination of these methods or through underwriters or dealers, through agents and/or directly to one or more purchasers. The securities may be distributed from time to time in one or more transactions:

•

at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

•

at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

•

at prices related to such prevailing market prices;

•

in “at-the-market offerings” ​(as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act);

•

at negotiated prices; or

•

through any method permitted by applicable law and described in a prospectus supplement.

Each time that we sell securities covered by this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement or supplements that will describe the method of distribution and set forth the terms and conditions of the offering of such securities, including the offering price of the securities and the proceeds to us, if applicable.

Offers to purchase the securities being offered by this prospectus may be solicited directly. Agents may also be designated to solicit offers to purchase the securities from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of our securities will be identified in a prospectus supplement.

If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, the securities will be sold to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.

If an underwriter is utilized in the sale of the securities being offered by this prospectus, an underwriting agreement will be executed with the underwriter at the time of sale and the name of any underwriter will be provided in the prospectus supplement that the underwriter will use to make resales of the securities to the public. In connection with the sale of the securities, we or the purchasers of securities for whom the underwriter may act as agent, may compensate the underwriter in the form of underwriting discounts or commissions. The underwriter may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for which they may act as agent. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, an agent will be acting on a best efforts basis and a dealer will purchase securities as a principal, and may then resell the securities at varying prices to be determined by the dealer.

Any compensation paid to underwriters, dealers or agents in connection with the offering of the securities, and any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and any discounts and commissions received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions. We may enter into agreements to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments they may be required to make in respect thereof and to reimburse those persons for certain expenses.

Any common stock or preferred stock will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, but any other securities may or may not be listed on a national securities exchange.

To facilitate the offering of securities, and to the extent permitted by and in accordance with Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involve the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than were sold to them. In these circumstances, these persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option, if any. In addition, these persons may stabilize

28

or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.

To the extent permitted by and in accordance with Regulation M under the Exchange Act, any underwriters who are qualified market makers on Nasdaq may engage in passive market making transactions in the securities on Nasdaq during the business day prior to the pricing of an offering, before the commencement of offers or sales of the securities. Passive market makers must comply with applicable volume and price limitations and must be identified as passive market makers. In general, a passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid for such security; if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, however, the passive market maker’s bid must then be lowered when certain purchase limits are exceeded.

If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, underwriters or other persons acting as agents may be authorized to solicit offers by institutions or other suitable purchasers to purchase the securities at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement, pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date or dates stated in the prospectus supplement. These purchasers may include, among others, commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable institutions. Delayed delivery contracts will be subject to the condition that the purchase of the securities covered by the delayed delivery contracts will not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction in the United States to which the purchaser is subject. The underwriters and agents will not have any responsibility with respect to the validity or performance of these contracts.

We may engage in “at-the-market offerings” into an existing trading market in accordance with Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act. In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, or perform services for us, in the ordinary course of business for which they receive compensation.

No securities may be sold under this prospectus without delivery, in paper format or in electronic format, or both, of the applicable prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering.

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LEGAL MATTERS

Goodwin Procter LLP will pass upon certain legal matters relating to the issuance and sale of the securities offered hereby on behalf of TELA Bio, Inc. Additional legal matters may be passed upon for us or any underwriters, dealers or agents by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.

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EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of TELA Bio, Inc. as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

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$150,000,000

Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Debt Securities
Warrants
Units
Subscription Rights

Prospectus

           , 2023

We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to give any information or represent anything not contained in this prospectus. You must not rely on any unauthorized information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus does not offer to sell any securities in any jurisdiction where it is unlawful. Neither the delivery of this prospectus, nor any sale made hereunder, shall create any implication that the information in this prospectus is correct after the date hereof.

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

Subject to Completion, dated November 13, 2023.

PROSPECTUS

$50,000,000

Common Stock

We have entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement, or the Equity Distribution Agreement, with Piper Sandler & Co., or Piper Sandler, as our sales agent, relating to the sale of shares of our common stock, $0.001 par value per share, offered by this prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, under this prospectus, we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 from time to time through Piper Sandler.

Our common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “TELA.” On November 9, 2023, the last sale price of the common stock reported on Nasdaq was $5.73 per share.

Sales of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus may be made in sales deemed to be in negotiated transactions or transactions that are deemed “at-the-market offerings” as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, including sales made directly on Nasdaq or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. Piper Sandler is not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of our common stock, but will act as a sales agent using commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, on mutually agreed terms between Piper Sandler and us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in any escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

The compensation to Piper Sandler for sales of common stock sold pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement will be an amount of up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds of any shares of common stock sold thereunder. In connection with the sale of the common stock on our behalf, Piper Sandler will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation of Piper Sandler will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have also agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to Piper Sandler with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. The net proceeds we receive from any sales under this prospectus will be used as described under “Use of Proceeds” in this prospectus.

WE ARE AN EMERGING GROWTH COMPANY AND A SMALLER REPORTING COMPANY AS DEFINED UNDER FEDERAL SECURITIES LAWS AND, AS SUCH, MAY ELECT TO COMPLY WITH CERTAIN REDUCED PUBLIC COMPANY REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR FUTURE FILINGS.

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. SEE THE “RISK FACTORS” BEGINNING ON PAGE S-8 OF THIS PROSPECTUS AND IN THE DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE INTO THIS PROSPECTUS.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Piper Sandler

The date of this prospectus is          , 2023.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS	S-1
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION	S-3
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE	S-3
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY	S-5
THE OFFERING	S-7
RISK FACTORS	S-8
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS	S-11
USE OF PROCEEDS	S-13
DILUTION	S-14
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK	S-16
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION	S-19
LEGAL MATTERS	S-21
EXPERTS	S-22

S-i

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000 under this prospectus at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering.

To the extent that any statement we make in this prospectus is inconsistent with statements made in any documents incorporated by reference herein that was filed with the SEC before the date of this prospectus, the statements made in this prospectus will be deemed to modify or supersede those made in the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein. However, if any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date-for example, a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus-the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement as our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since the earlier dates. You should read this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus, including the information incorporated by reference herein and therein before deciding to invest in our common stock.

You should rely only on the information that we have included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not, and Piper Sandler has not, authorized any dealer, salesman or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor does this prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction.

You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document or that any information we have incorporated by reference herein or therein is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus is delivered, or securities are sold, on a later date.

When we refer to “TELA,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “Company” in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus, we mean TELA Bio, Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary unless otherwise specified. When we refer to “you,” we mean the potential holders of the applicable series of securities.

“TELA,” the TELA logo, TELA Bio®, OviTex® and other trademarks, trade names or service marks of TELA Bio, Inc. appearing in this prospectus are the property of TELA Bio, Inc. All other trademarks, trade names and service marks appearing in this prospectus are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this prospectus may be referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but those references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights, or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and tradenames.

This prospectus contains or incorporates by reference summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described herein, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been or will be filed or have been or will be incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described in this prospectus under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

We may from time to time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the general business environment, and the markets for certain diseases, including estimates regarding the potential size of those markets and the estimated incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events, circumstances or numbers, including actual disease prevalence rates and market size, may differ materially from the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus

S-1

and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business information, market data, prevalence information and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data, and similar sources, in some cases applying our own assumptions and analysis that may, in the future, prove not to have been accurate.

S-2

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

This prospectus forms part of a registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC under the Securities Act. This prospectus does not contain all 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, 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 or incorporated by reference herein or therein. 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 is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of the securities offered hereby.

We are currently subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and in accordance therewith file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to you on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov and in the “Investors” section of our website at www.telabio.com. Our website and the information contained on that site, or connected to that site, are not incorporated into and are not a part of this prospectus.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION BY REFERENCE

This prospectus is part of a registration statement filed with the SEC. The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information in this prospectus supersedes information incorporated by reference that we filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus, while information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part the information or documents listed below that we have filed with the SEC:

•

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 filed with the SEC on March 23, 2023;

•

The information specifically incorporated by reference into our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 17, 2023;

•

Our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on May 11, 2023, for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on August 10, 2023, and for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, filed with the SEC on November 13, 2023;

•

Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 9, 2023, February 21, 2023, March 23, 2023, April 20, 2023, June 2, 2023, August 16, 2023, September 28, 2023 and October 20, 2023 (in each case other than any portions thereof deemed furnished and not filed); and

•

The description of our common stock contained in our registration statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-39130) filed with the SEC on November 7, 2019, under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description, including Exhibit 4.2 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

In addition, all documents that we file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the initial registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to the effectiveness of such registration statement and all such documents that we file with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and before the termination of the offering of our securities shall be deemed incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be a part of this prospectus from the respective dates of filing such documents.

Any statement contained in a document incorporated by reference in this prospectus shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this

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prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

We will furnish without charge to you, on written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including exhibits to these documents. Written or oral requests for copies should be directed to TELA Bio, Inc., Attn: Corporate Secretary, 1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355, telephone number (484) 320-2930.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary description about us, our business and this offering highlights selected information contained elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated in this prospectus by reference. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before deciding to invest in our common stock. You should carefully read this entire prospectus and any free writing prospectus with respect to this offering filed by us with the SEC, including each of the documents incorporated herein or therein by reference, before making an investment decision. Investors should carefully consider the information set forth under “Risk Factors” on page S-8 and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

The Company

We are a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on providing innovative soft-tissue reconstruction solutions that optimize clinical outcomes by prioritizing the preservation and restoration of the patient’s own anatomy. Our growing product portfolio is purposefully designed to leverage the patient’s natural healing response while minimizing long-term exposure to permanent synthetic materials. We are committed to delivering our advanced technologies with a strong economic value proposition to assist surgeons and institutions in providing next-generation soft-tissue repair solutions to more patients worldwide.

Our first portfolio of products, the OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix, or OviTex, which we first commercialized in the U.S. in July 2016, addresses unmet needs in hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction by combining the benefits of biologic matrices and polymer materials while minimizing their shortcomings, at a cost-effective price. Our OviTex products have received 510(k) clearances from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, which clearances were obtained and are currently held by our exclusive contract manufacturer of these products, Aroa Biosurgery Ltd., or Aroa. Our second portfolio of products, the OviTex PRS Reinforced Tissue Matrix, or OviTex PRS, which we first commercialized in the U.S. in May 2019, addresses unmet needs in plastic and reconstructive surgery. In April 2019, our first OviTex PRS products received 510(k) clearance from the FDA, which clearance was initially obtained by Aroa and is currently held by us. In March 2023, we received an additional 510(k) clearance, which expands the OviTex PRS portfolio to include OviTex PRS Long-Term Resorbable.

Our OviTex portfolio consists of multiple product configurations intended to address various surgical procedures within hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction, including ventral, inguinal, and hiatal hernia repair. In addition, we have also designed an OviTex product specifically for use in laparoscopic and robotic-assisted hernia repair, which we market as OviTex LPR and began commercializing this product in November 2018. In February 2023, we launched two new, larger configurations of OviTex LPR, designed for ventral and incisional hernias.

Corporate Information

We were incorporated on April 17, 2012. Our primary executive offices are located at 1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 and our telephone number is (484) 320-2930. Our website address is www.telabio.com. The information contained on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider any information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website as part of this prospectus or in deciding whether to purchase our common stock.

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of: the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.235 billion in annual revenue; the date we qualify as a “large accelerated filer,” with at least $700.0 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates; the issuance, in any three-year period, by us of more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and December 31, 2024, the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering. We refer to the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 herein as the “JOBS Act,” and any reference herein to “emerging growth company” has the meaning ascribed to it in the JOBS Act.

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An emerging growth company may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:

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not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended;

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reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, proxy statements and registration statements; and

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exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved.

We have elected to take advantage of certain of the reduced disclosure obligations in this prospectus and our other filings with the SEC. The JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We have elected to avail ourselves of this exemption. As a result of these elections, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different than you might receive from other public reporting companies in which you hold equity interests.

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THE OFFERING

Common stock to be offered by us

Shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $50,000,000.

Common stock to be outstanding after this offering

Up to 33,213,581 shares, assuming a sales price of $5.73 per share, which was the closing price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on November 9, 2023. The actual number of shares issued will vary depending on the sales price under this offering.

Plan of Distribution

“At-the-market offering” that may be made from time to time through our sales agent, Piper Sandler. See “Plan of Distribution” on page S-19 of this prospectus.

Use of Proceeds

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, including but not limited to research and development costs, manufacturing costs, repayment of debt, the acquisition or licensing of other businesses, products or product candidates, working capital and capital expenditures. See “Use of Proceeds” on page S-13 of this prospectus.

Risk Factors

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-8 of this prospectus and other information included in this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock.

Nasdaq Global Market symbol

“TELA”

The number of shares of common stock that will be outstanding after this offering is based on 24,487,578 shares of common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2023, and excludes the following:

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2,202,264 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of September 30, 2023, at a weighted-average exercise price of  $11.46 per share;

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864,427 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of restricted stock units outstanding as of September 30, 2023;

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88,556 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2023, at an exercise price of  $28.65 per share;

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660,643 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2019 Plan, as of September 30, 2023 as well as any annual increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to the 2019 Plan; and

•

410,463 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the ESPP, as well as any annual increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to the ESPP.

Unless otherwise indicated, all information in this prospectus assumes no exercise of the outstanding options or warrants described above.

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RISK FACTORS

Investment in any securities offered pursuant to this prospectus involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and any subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K we file after the date of this prospectus, and all other information contained or incorporated by reference into this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in any applicable free writing prospectus before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities.

Risks Related to This Offering

Management will have broad discretion over the use of the proceeds from this offering, and may not use the proceeds effectively.

Because we have not designated the amount of net proceeds from this offering to be used for any particular purpose, our management will have broad discretion as to the application of the net proceeds from this offering and could use them for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of the offering. Our management may use the net proceeds for corporate purposes that may not improve our financial condition or market value. Pending use, we may invest any net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or loses value. Please see the section entitled “Use of Proceeds” on page S-13 of this prospectus for further information.

You may experience immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value per share of the common stock you purchase.

The price per share of our common stock being offered may be higher than the net tangible book value per share of our common stock outstanding prior to this offering. Assuming that an aggregate of 8,726,003 shares are sold at a price of $5.73 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq, on November 9, 2023, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $50,000,000 in this offering, and after deducting commissions and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of $3.42 per share, representing the difference between the assumed offering price and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock as of September 30, 2023 after giving effect to this offering at the assumed offering price. Please see the section entitled “Dilution” on page S-14 of this prospectus for a more detailed illustration of the dilution you would incur if you participate in this offering.

Issuances of shares of common stock, including upon the settlement of restricted stock units, or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of common stock following this offering, as well as the exercise of options and warrants, will dilute your ownership interests and may adversely affect the future market price of our common stock.

We will need additional capital to fund the development, production and marketing of our products. We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financings, strategic partnerships and alliances and licensing arrangements, which may cause your ownership interest to be diluted. In addition, as of September 30, 2023, there were options to purchase 2,202,264 shares of our common stock outstanding at a weighted-average exercise price of $11.46, 864,427 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of restricted stock units outstanding and 88,556 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2023, with a weighted-average exercise price of  $28.65 per share. If these securities are exercised or settled, you may incur further dilution. Moreover, to the extent that we issue additional restricted stock units or options to purchase, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for, shares of our common stock in the future and those restricted stock units, options or other securities are settled, exercised, converted or exchanged, stockholders may experience further dilution.

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It is not possible to predict the actual number of shares we will sell under the Equity Distribution Agreement, or the gross proceeds resulting from those sales.

Subject to certain limitations in the Equity Distribution Agreement and compliance with applicable laws, we have the discretion to deliver a placement notice to Piper Sandler at any time throughout the term of the sales agreement. The number of shares that are sold through Piper Sandler after delivering a placement notice will fluctuate based on a number of factors, including the market price of our common stock during the term of the sales agreement, the limits we set with Piper Sandler in any applicable placement notice, and the demand for our common stock during the term of the Equity Distribution Agreement. Because the price per share of each share sold will fluctuate during the term of the sales agreement, it is not currently possible to predict the number of shares that will be sold or the gross proceeds to be raised in connection with the sale of shares of common stock offered under this prospectus.

The market price and trading volume of our stock may be volatile.

The price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile. Even though our common stock is now listed on Nasdaq, an active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained. The lack of an active trading market may impair the value of your shares and your ability to sell your shares at the time you wish to sell them. An inactive trading market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock and enter into strategic partnerships or acquire other complementary products, technologies or businesses by using shares of our common stock as consideration. Furthermore, there can be no guarantee that we will continue to satisfy the continued listing standards of Nasdaq. If we fail to satisfy the continued listing standards, we could be de-listed, which would have a negative effect on the price of our common stock.

We cannot predict the prices at which our shares of common stock may trade. The market price of our common stock is likely to be highly volatile and may fluctuate substantially due to many factors, including:

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the volume and timing of sales of our products;

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the introduction of new products or product enhancements by us or others in our industry, including new products which may be perceived to negatively impact the demand for our products now or in the future;

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disputes or other developments with respect to our or others’ intellectual property rights;

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our ability to develop, obtain regulatory clearance for, and market new and enhanced products on a timely basis;

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product liability claims or other litigation;

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quarterly variations in our results of operations or those of others in our industry;

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media exposure of our products or of those of others in our industry;

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changes in governmental regulations or in reimbursement;

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changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by securities analysts; and

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general economic and industry conditions and other factors, including factors unrelated to our operating performance or the operating performance of our competitors, including any economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, or other pandemics, epidemics or outbreaks of a contagious illness, and other macroeconomic factors, including due to inflationary pressures, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations, banking instability, geopolitical tensions or the outbreak of hostilities or war, including from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the evolving events in Israel and Gaza.

In recent years, the stock markets generally have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. Broad market and industry factors may significantly affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.

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In addition, in the past, class action litigation has often been instituted against companies whose securities have experienced periods of volatility in market price. Securities litigation brought against us following volatility in our stock price, regardless of the merit or ultimate results of such litigation, could result in substantial costs, which would hurt our financial condition and operating results and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.

The common stock offered hereby will be sold in “at-the-market offerings” and investors who buy shares at different times will likely pay different prices.

Investors who purchase shares in this offering at different times will likely pay different prices, and accordingly may experience different levels of dilution and different outcomes in their investment results. We will have discretion, subject to market demand, to vary the timing, prices and number of shares sold in this offering. In addition, subject to the final determination by our board of directors or any restrictions we may place in any applicable placement notice, there is no minimum or maximum sales price for shares to be sold in this offering. Investors may experience a decline in the value of the shares they purchase in this offering as a result of sales made at prices lower than the prices they paid.

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act, about us and our subsidiary. These forward-looking statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “projects,” “plans,” “goal,” “targets,” “potential,” “estimates,” “seeks,” “intends” or “anticipates” or the negative thereof or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning:

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the ongoing and possible future effects arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, or other pandemics, epidemics or outbreaks of a contagious illness, and associated economic disruptions, including the frequency of surgical procedures using our products, labor and hospital staffing shortages, supply chain integrity, and inflation, impacting our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows;

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estimates regarding future results of operations, financial position, research and development costs, capital requirements and our needs for additional financing;

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the commercial success and degree of market acceptance of our products;

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the introduction of new products or product enhancements by us or others in our industry, including new products which may be perceived to negatively impact the demand for our products now or in the future;

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our ability to expand, manage and maintain our direct sales and marketing organization and to market and sell our products in the U.S. and Europe;

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the performance of our exclusive contract manufacturer for our OviTex portfolio products, Aroa Biosurgery Ltd., in connection with the supply of product and in the development of additional products and product configurations within these product lines;

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our ability to maintain our supply chain integrity and expand our supply chain to manage increased demand for our products;

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our ability to compete successfully with larger competitors in our highly competitive industry;

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our ability to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for our current products and any future products we may seek to commercialize;

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our ability to enhance our products, expand our indications and develop and commercialize additional products;

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the development, regulatory approval, efficacy and commercialization of competing products;

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our business model and strategic plans for our products, technologies and business, including our implementation thereof;

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the size of the markets for our current and future products;

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our ability to recruit and retain senior management and other highly qualified personnel;

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our ability to obtain additional capital to finance our planned operations;

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our ability to maintain regulatory approval for our products;

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our ability to commercialize or obtain regulatory approvals for our future products, or the effect of delays in commercializing or obtaining regulatory approvals;

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decreasing selling prices and pricing pressures;

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regulatory developments in the U.S. and European markets;

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the potential impact of healthcare reform in the U.S., including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and measures being taken worldwide designed to reduce healthcare costs;

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the volatility of capital markets and other adverse macroeconomic factors, including due to inflationary pressures, interest rate and currency rate fluctuations, economic slowdown or recession, banking instability, geopolitical tensions or the outbreak of hostilities or war, including from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the evolving events in Israel and Gaza;

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our ability to develop and maintain our corporate infrastructure, including our internal controls;

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our ability to establish and maintain intellectual property protection for our products, as well as our ability to operate our business without infringing the intellectual property rights of others;

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our expectations regarding the use of proceeds from recent and any future financings, if any;

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the occurrence of adverse safety events, restrictions on use with our products or product liability claims; and

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other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption “Risk Factors” in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein.

You should read this prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we currently expect. Our business and operations are and will be subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. Consequently, actual results and experience may materially differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and experience to differ from those projected include, but are not limited to, the risk factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in this prospectus and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus or related free writing prospectus and any document incorporated herein by reference is accurate as of its date only. Because the risk factors referred to above could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Unless legally required, we do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this prospectus or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We may issue and sell shares of our common stock having aggregate sales proceeds of up to $50,000,000 from time to time. Because there is no minimum offering amount required in this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. There can be no assurance that we will sell any shares under or fully utilize the sales agreement with Piper Sandler as a source of financing.

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of the common stock offered by us hereunder, if any, for working capital and general corporate purposes, including but not limited to research and development costs, manufacturing costs, repayment of debt, the acquisition or licensing of other businesses, products or product candidates, working capital and capital expenditures. We do not currently have specific plans or commitments with respect to the net proceeds from this offering and, accordingly, we are unable to quantify the allocations of such proceeds among the various potential uses. Our management will have broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from this offering, and our investors will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the application of the net proceeds of this offering.

Pending the use of the net proceeds from this offering as described above, we intend to invest the net proceeds in a variety of capital preservation instruments including money market funds, certificates of deposit or direct or guaranteed obligations of the United States government.

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DILUTION

If you invest in our common stock in this offering, your ownership interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share of our common stock and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of our common stock after this offering. As of September 30, 2023, our net tangible book value was $28.3 million, or $1.16 per share. Net tangible book value per share represents our total tangible assets (excluding deferred issuance costs) less our total liabilities, divided by the number of shares outstanding.

After giving effect to the assumed sale of 8,726,003 shares of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $50,000,000 in this offering at an assumed offering price of $5.73 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on November 9, 2023, and after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of September 30, 2023 would have been $76.6 million, or $2.31 per share. This amount would represent an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $1.15 per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $3.42 per share to new investors purchasing common stock in this offering. We determine dilution by subtracting the assumed as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering from the assumed price per share paid by an investor in this offering.

The following table illustrates this dilution:

Assumed public offering price per share	​	​	$	5.73
Net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2023	$	1.16	​	​
Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors purchasing shares in this offering	​	1.15	​	​
As adjusted net tangible book value per share as of September 30, 2023 after giving effect to this offering	​	​	​	2.31
Dilution per share to new investors in this offering	​	​	$	3.42

The table above assumes, for illustrative purposes, that an aggregate of 8,726,003 shares of our common stock are sold at a price of $5.73 per share, the last reported sale price of our common stock on Nasdaq on November 9, 2023, for aggregate gross proceeds of $50,000,000. The shares sold in this offering, if any, will be sold from time to time at various prices. An increase of $1.00 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $5.73 per share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $50,000,000 is sold at that price, would increase our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering to $2.40 per share and would result in an increase in the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering of $0.91 per share to $4.33 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. A decrease of $1.00 per share in the price at which the shares are sold from the assumed offering price of $5.73 per share shown in the table above, assuming all of our common stock in the aggregate amount of $50,000,000 is sold at that price, would decrease our as adjusted net tangible book value per share after the offering to $2.18 per share and would result in a decrease in the dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors in this offering of $0.87 per share to $2.55 per share, after deducting commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

The foregoing table and calculations are based on 24,487,578 shares of our common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2023, and exclude:

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2,202,264 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding as of September 30, 2023, at a weighted-average exercise price of $11.46 per share;

•

864,427 shares of our common stock issuable upon the vesting and settlement of restricted stock units outstanding as of September 30, 2023;

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88,556 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants outstanding as of September 30, 2023, at an exercise price of  $28.65 per share;

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660,643 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, or the 2019 Plan, as of September 30, 2023 as well as any annual increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to the 2019 Plan; and

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410,463 shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under our 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, or the ESPP, as well as any annual increases in the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance pursuant to the ESPP.

To the extent that outstanding options are exercised, investors purchasing shares in this offering could experience further dilution. In addition, we may choose to raise additional capital due to market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans. To the extent that additional capital is raised through the sale of equity or equity-based securities, the issuance of these securities could result in further dilution to our stockholders.

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our capital stock is not complete and may not contain all the information you should consider before investing in our capital stock. This description is summarized from, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, our certificate of incorporation, which has been publicly filed with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find More Information.” For a complete description, you should refer to our Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, or Certificate of Incorporation, and Third Amended and Restated Bylaws, or Bylaws, copies of which are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

General

Our authorized capital stock consists of 200,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share. All of our outstanding shares of common stock are fully paid and nonassessable.

Common Stock

Voting Rights

Each holder of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders, including the election of directors. Our stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors. Accordingly, holders of a majority of the voting shares are able to elect all of the directors. In addition, the affirmative vote of holders of 66 2∕3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding voting stock is required to take certain actions, including amending certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, such as the provisions relating to amending our Bylaws, procedures for our stockholder meetings, the classified board, director liability, and exclusive forum for proceedings.

Dividends

Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding preferred stock, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds.

Liquidation

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, holders of our common stock will be entitled to share ratably in the net assets legally available for distribution to stockholders after the payment of all of our debts and other liabilities and the satisfaction of any liquidation preference granted to the holders of any then outstanding shares of preferred stock.

Rights and Preferences

Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion, subscription or other rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock. The rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of our common stock are subject to and may be adversely affected by the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate in the future.

Listing

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “TELA.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors is authorized to direct us to issue shares of preferred stock in one or more series without stockholder approval. Our board of directors has the discretion to determine the rights,

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preferences, privileges and restrictions, including voting rights, dividend rights, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, of each series of preferred stock.

The purpose of authorizing our board of directors to issue preferred stock and determine its rights and preferences is to eliminate delays associated with a stockholder vote on specific issuances. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions, future financings and other corporate purposes, could have the effect of making it more difficult for a third-party to acquire, or could discourage a third-party from seeking to acquire, a majority of our outstanding voting stock.

Warrants

We have warrants to purchase an aggregate of 88,556 shares of our common stock outstanding with an exercise price of  $28.65 per share. These warrants may be exercised at any time and from time to time, in whole or in part.

Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law and Our Charter Documents

Our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws contain provisions that could make the following transactions more difficult: acquisition of us by means of a tender offer; acquisition of us by means of a proxy contest or otherwise; or removal of our incumbent officers and directors. It is possible that these provisions could make it more difficult to accomplish or could deter transactions that stockholders may otherwise consider to be in their best interest or in our best interests, including transactions that might result in a premium over the market price for our shares.

These provisions, summarized below, are expected to discourage coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first negotiate with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of increased protection of our potential ability to negotiate with the proponent of an unfriendly or unsolicited proposal to acquire or restructure us outweigh the disadvantages of discouraging these proposals because negotiation of these proposals could result in an improvement of their terms.

Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law

We are subject to Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or the DGCL, which prohibits persons deemed “interested stockholders” from engaging in a “business combination” with a publicly-held Delaware corporation for three years following the date these persons become interested stockholders unless the business combination is, or the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder was, approved in a prescribed manner or another prescribed exception applies. Generally, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior to the determination of interested stockholder status did own, 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. Generally, a “business combination” includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. The existence of this provision may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by the board of directors, such as discouraging takeover attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of our common stock.

Elimination of Stockholder Action by Written Consent

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that all stockholder actions must be effected at a duly called meeting of stockholders and not by consent in writing. A special meeting of stockholders may be called only by a majority of our board of directors, the chair of our board of directors, or our chief executive officer.

Undesignated Preferred Stock

The ability to authorize undesignated preferred stock makes it possible for our board of directors to issue preferred stock with voting or other rights or preferences that could impede the success of any attempt to change control of us. These and other provisions may have the effect of deterring hostile takeovers or delaying changes in control or management of our company.

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Amendment of Charter Provisions

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2∕3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock, voting as a single class, are required to amend certain provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, including provisions relating to the size of the board, removal of directors, special meetings, actions by written consent and cumulative voting. The affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2∕3% of the voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of voting stock, voting as a single class, are required to amend or repeal our Bylaws, although our Bylaws may be amended by a simple majority vote of our board of directors.

Classified Board; Election and Removal of Directors

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our board of directors is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with each class serving staggered terms, and gives our board of directors the exclusive right to expand the size of our board of directors and to elect directors to fill a vacancy created by the expansion of the board of directors or the resignation, death or removal of a director.

Choice of Forum

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that, unless our board of directors consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Delaware) is the sole and exclusive forum for: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees or agents to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine, except, in each case, (A) any claim as to which such court determines that there is an indispensable party not subject to the jurisdiction of such court (and the indispensable party does not consent to the personal jurisdiction of such court within 10 days following such determination), (B) which is vested in the exclusive jurisdiction of a court or forum other than such court, or (C) for which such court does not have subject matter jurisdiction.

Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or any other claim for which the federal and state courts have concurrent jurisdiction.

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We have entered into the Equity Distribution Agreement with Piper Sandler, under which we may issue and sell shares of our common stock from time to time through Piper Sandler, as our sales agent. Pursuant to this prospectus, we may issue and sell up to $50,000,000 of shares of our common stock. We will be required to file another prospectus or prospectus supplement in the event we want to offer more than $50,000,000 in shares of our common stock in accordance with the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement. Each time we wish to issue and sell our shares of common stock under the Equity Distribution Agreement, we will notify Piper Sandler of the number of shares to be issued, the time period during which such sales are requested to be made, any limitation on the number of shares to be sold in any one day and any minimum price below which sales may not be made. Once we have so instructed Piper Sandler, unless Piper Sandler declines to accept the terms of such notice, Piper Sandler has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all shares of our common stock requested to be sold by us, consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, under the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Equity Distribution Agreement. The obligations of Piper Sandler under the Equity Distribution Agreement to sell our shares of common stock are subject to a number of conditions that we must meet. We or Piper Sandler may suspend the offering of our common stock upon proper notice and subject to other conditions, as further described in the Equity Distribution Agreement.

Piper Sandler may sell our common stock by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at-the-market offering” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on or through Nasdaq or on any other existing trading market for our common stock. Piper Sandler will provide written confirmation to us no later than the opening of trading on Nasdaq on the day following each day in which our common stock is sold under the Equity Distribution Agreement. Each such confirmation will include the number of shares of our common stock sold on such day, the volume-weighted average price of the shares sold and the net proceeds to us.

We will pay Piper Sandler commissions for its services in acting as sales agent in the sale of our common stock. Piper Sandler will be entitled to compensation in an amount up to 3.0% of the gross sales price of all common stock sold through it as sales agent under the Equity Distribution Agreement. Because there is no minimum offering amount required as a condition to close this offering, the actual total public offering amount, commissions and proceeds to us, if any, are not determinable at this time. We have also agreed to reimburse Piper Sandler for the out-of-pocket reasonable fees and disbursements of its legal counsel, payable upon execution of the Equity Distribution Agreement, including an amount not to exceed (a) $75,000 in connection with the filing of this registration statement, and (b) thereafter, $15,000 for each quarter subsequent to the quarter in which this registration statement is filed, but only to the extent that we activate the offering for such quarter. We estimate that the total expenses for this offering, excluding any commissions or expense reimbursement payable to Piper Sandler under the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, will be approximately $267,140. The remaining sale proceeds, after deducting any other transaction fees, will equal our net proceeds from the sale of such shares.

Settlement for sales of our common stock will occur on the second business day following the date on which any such sales are made, or on some other date that is agreed upon by us and Piper Sandler in connection with a particular transaction, in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. Sales of our common stock as contemplated in this prospectus will be settled through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company or by such other means as we and Piper Sandler may agree upon. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

We will report at least quarterly the number of shares of our common stock sold through Piper Sandler, as sales agent, under the Equity Distribution Agreement, and the net proceeds to us in connection with such sales.

Piper Sandler and its affiliates have from time to time provided, and may in the future provide, various investment banking, commercial banking, fiduciary and advisory services for us for which they have received, and may in the future receive, customary fees and expenses. Piper Sandler and its affiliates may from time to time engage in other transactions with and perform services for us in the ordinary course of their business.

In connection with the sale of our common stock on our behalf, Piper Sandler will be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation paid by us to Piper Sandler

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will be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to indemnify Piper Sandler against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. We have also agreed to contribute to payments that Piper Sandler may be required to make because of such liabilities.

The offering of our common stock pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of  (1) the sale of all common stock subject to the Equity Distribution Agreement or (2) termination of the Equity Distribution Agreement. The Equity Distribution Agreement may be terminated by Piper Sandler or us at any time upon specified prior written notice.

This summary of the material provisions of the Equity Distribution Agreement does not purport to be a complete statement of its terms and conditions. A copy of the Equity Distribution Agreement is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

As sales agent, Piper Sandler will not engage in any transactions that stabilize the price of the common shares. No underwriter or dealer involved in this offering, no affiliate of such an underwriter or dealer, and no person or company acting jointly or in concert with such an underwriter or dealer has overallotted, or will over-allot, common shares in connection with this offering or effect any other transactions that are intended to stabilize or maintain the market price of the common shares.

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the issuance of the common stock offered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Certain matters will be passed upon for Piper Sandler by Latham & Watkins LLP, New York, New York.

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EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of TELA Bio, Inc. as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2022, have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

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Up to $50,000,000

Common Stock

PROSPECTUS

Piper Sandler

                 , 2023

PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following is an estimate of the expenses (all of which are to be paid by the registrant) that we may incur in connection with the securities being registered hereby, other than the SEC registration fee.

SEC registration fee	$	22,140
The Nasdaq Global Market supplemental listing fee	$	(1)
Fees and expenses of the trustee	$	(1)
Printing expenses	$	(1)
Legal fees and expenses	$	(1)
Accounting fees and expenses	$	(1)
Blue Sky, qualification fees and expenses	$	(1)
Transfer agent fees and expenses	$	(1)
Miscellaneous	$	(1)
Total	$	(1)

(1)

These fees are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances and accordingly cannot be estimated at this time.

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

The registrant is governed by the DGCL. Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may indemnify any person, including an officer or director, who was or is, or is threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending or completed legal action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of such corporation), by reason of the fact that such person was or is an officer, director, employee or agent of such corporation or is or was serving at the request of such corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation or enterprise. The indemnity may include expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, provided such officer, director, employee or agent acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the corporation’s best interest and, for criminal actions or proceedings, had no reasonable cause to believe that such person’s conduct was unlawful. A Delaware corporation may indemnify any person, including an officer or director, who was or is, or is threatened to be made, a party to any threatened, pending or contemplated action or suit by or in the right of such corporation, under the same conditions, except that such indemnification is limited to expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person, and except that no indemnification is permitted without judicial approval if such person is adjudged to be liable to such corporation. Where an officer or director of a corporation is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any action, suit or proceeding referred to above, or any claim, issue or matter therein, the corporation must indemnify that person against the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) which such officer or director actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith.

The registrant’s Bylaws authorize the indemnification of its officers and directors, consistent with Section 145 of the DGCL.

Reference is made to Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, which enables a corporation in its original certificate of incorporation or an amendment thereto to eliminate or limit the personal liability of a director for violations of the director’s fiduciary duty, except (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, which provides for

II-1

liability of directors for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock purchase or redemptions or (iv) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal benefit.

We have entered or intend to enter into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and officers. These indemnification agreements may require us, among other things, to indemnify our directors and officers for some expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by a director or officer in any action or proceeding arising out of his or her service as one of our directors or officers, or our subsidiary or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request.

We maintain a general liability insurance policy that covers certain liabilities of directors and officers of our corporation arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.

In any underwriting agreement we enter into in connection with the sale of securities being registered hereby, the underwriters will agree to indemnify, under certain conditions, us, our directors, our officers and persons who control us within the meaning of the Securities Act against certain liabilities.

Item 16. Exhibits.

(a)

Exhibits

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibit
1.1*	Form of Underwriting Agreement.
1.2	Equity Distribution Agreement, dated as of November 13, 2023, by and between TELA Bio, Inc. and Piper Sandler & Co. (filed herewith).
3.1	Fourth Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of TELA Bio, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-39130) filed on November 19, 2019).
3.2	Third Amended and Restated Bylaws of TELA Bio, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-39130) filed on November 13, 2023).
4.1	Specimen Common Stock Certificate of TELA Bio, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-234217), dated November 7, 2019).
4.2	Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-234217), dated November 7, 2019).
4.3	First Amendment and Joinder to Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-234217), dated November 7, 2019).
4.4	Form of Indenture (filed herewith).
4.5*	Form of Debt Security.
4.6*	Form of Warrant.
4.7*	Form of Unit Agreement.
4.8*	Form of Subscription Rights Agreement.
5.1	Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP (filed herewith).
5.2	Opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP relating to sales agreement prospectus (filed herewith).
23.1	Consent of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm (filed herewith).
23.2	Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
23.3	Consent of Goodwin Procter LLP (included in Exhibit 5.2).

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Exhibit Number	Description of Exhibit
24.1	Powers of Attorney (incorporated by reference to the signature page hereto).
25.1‡	Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, of the trustee, as trustee under the indenture filed herewith.
107	Filing Fee Table (filed herewith).

*

To be filed by amendment or incorporated by reference in connection with the offering of the securities.

‡

To be filed in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(25) of Regulation S-K.

Item 17. Undertakings.

(a)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

(1)

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i)

To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii)

To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in the volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii)

To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3)

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

(5)

That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

(i)

Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii)

Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness

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or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(6)

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i)

Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii)

Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii)

The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv)

Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(h)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(j)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act (the “Act”) in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by the SEC under section 305(b)(2) of the Act.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the Borough of Malvern, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 13th day of November, 2023.

TELA Bio, Inc.

By:

/s/ Antony Koblish

Name:

Antony Koblish

Title:

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned officers and directors of TELA Bio, Inc., hereby severally constitute and appoint each of Antony Koblish and Roberto Cuca, our true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution in her or him for her or him and in her or his name, place and stead, and in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as full to all intents and purposes as she or he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or her or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Antony Koblish Antony Koblish	President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer)	November 13, 2023
/s/ Roberto Cuca Roberto Cuca	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)	November 13, 2023
/s/ Megan Smeykal Megan Smeykal	Chief Accounting Officer and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer)	November 13, 2023
/s/ Doug Evans Doug Evans	Chairman, Board of Directors	November 13, 2023
/s/ Kurt Azarbarzin Kurt Azarbarzin	Director	November 13, 2023
/s/ Vince Burgess Vince Burgess	Director	November 13, 2023

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Lisa Colleran Lisa Colleran	Director	November 13, 2023
/s/ Federica O’Brien Federica O’Brien	Director	November 13, 2023