Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block] | Note 6 Stock Based Compensation Equity Incentive Plans 2013 Equity Incentive Plan In December 2013, the Company’s board and stockholders approved the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan, providing for the issuance of equity-based instruments covering up to an initial total of 1,042,167 Effective on March 10, 2014, the Company’s board of directors and stockholders approved the First Amendment to the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan which provided for an increase in the aggregate number of shares of common stock that may be issued pursuant to the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan to equal 18% of the total number of shares of common stock outstanding immediately following the completion of the IPO (assuming for this purpose the issuance of all shares issuable under the Company’s equity plans, the conversion into common stock of all outstanding securities that are convertible by their terms into common stock and the exercise of all options and warrants exercisable for shares of common stock and including shares and warrants issued to the underwriters for such IPO upon exercise of its over-allotment options). Effective March 27, 2014, the aggregate total number of shares which may be issued under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan was increased to 2,335,967 Effective on May 19, 2016, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 2,150,000 4,485,967 As of June 30, 2017, 925,993 2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan On March 6, 2014, the Company’s board of directors and stockholders approved the 2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan for the issuance of equity-based instruments covering up to 250,000 Effective on May 19, 2016, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the 2014 Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 350,000 600,000 As of June 30, 2017, 292,655 2015 Performance Share Unit Plan On April 10, 2015, the Company’s board of directors approved the Energous Corporation 2015 Performance Share Unit Plan (the “Performance Share Plan”), under which 1,310,104 As of June 30, 2017, 31,951 Employee Stock Purchase Plan On April 10, 2015, the Company’s board of directors approved the ESPP, under which 600,000 As of June 30, 2017, 435,001 471,466 33,620 Stock Option Award Activity Weighted Weighted Average Average Remaining Number of Exercise Life In Intrinsic Options Price Years Value Outstanding at January 1, 2017 1,309,444 $ 4.55 7.1 $ 16,107,929 Granted - - - - Exercised (155,478) 4.68 - - Forfeited - - - - Outstanding at June 30, 2017 1,153,966 $ 4.53 6.7 $ 13,534,936 Exercisable at January 1, 2017 1,057,187 $ 4.55 7.1 $ 12,988,601 Vested 159,134 4.53 - - Exercised (155,478) 4.68 - - Forfeited - - - - Exercisable at June 30, 2017 1,060,843 $ 4.53 6.7 $ 12,440,373 As of June 30, 2017, the unamortized value of options was $ 237,751 0.3 Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) During the first quarter of 2017, the compensation committee of the board of directors (“Compensation Committee”) granted various directors RSUs under which the holders have the right to receive an aggregate of 48,844 2014 During the first quarter of 2017, the Compensation Committee granted employees inducement RSU awards under which the holders have the right to receive an aggregate of 246,000 During the first quarter of 2017, the Compensation Committee granted various employees RSU awards under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan under which the holders have the right to receive an aggregate of 351,080 During the second quarter of 2017, the compensation committee of the board of directors (“Compensation Committee”) granted various consultants RSUs under which the holders have the right to receive an aggregate of 8,400 During the second quarter of 2017, the Compensation Committee granted employees inducement RSU awards under which the holders have the right to receive an aggregate of 120,000 During the second quarter of 2017, the Compensation Committee granted various employees RSU awards under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan under which the holders have the right to receive an aggregate of 308,059 The Company accounts for RSUs granted to consultants using the accounting guidance included in ASC 505-50 “Equity-Based Payments to Non-Employees” (“ASC 505-50”). In accordance with ASC 505-50, the Company estimates the fair value of the unvested portion of the RSU award each reporting period using the closing price of the Company’s common stock. At June 30, 2017, the unamortized value of the RSUs was $ 30,193,264 2.9 Weighted Average Grant Total Date Fair Value Outstanding at January 1, 2017 2,052,223 $ 11.58 RSUs granted 1,082,383 $ 15.42 RSUs forfeited (57,800) $ 12.91 RSUs vested (281,703) $ 10.44 Outstanding at June 30, 2017 2,795,103 $ 13.07 Performance Share Units (“PSUs”) Performance share units (“PSUs”) are grants that vest upon the achievement of certain performance goals. The goals are commonly related to the Company’s market capitalization or market share price of the common stock. The PSUs originally issued during 2015 to certain board members and senior management shall be earned based on the Company’s achievement of market capitalization growth between the effective date of the Employment Agreement and the end of the Initial Employment Period. If the Company’s market capitalization is $ 100 1.1 100 The Company determined that the PSUs were equity awards with both market and service conditions. The Company utilized a Monte Carlo simulation to determine the fair value of the market condition, as described below. Performance Share Units (PSUs) Granted During the Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Market capitalization $ 102,600,000 Dividend yield 0 % Expected volatility 75 % Risk-free interest rate 1.04 % The fair value of the grants of PSUs to purchase a total of 1,342,061 1,278,153 63,908 3,218,000 On October 24, 2016, the Compensation Committee granted Mr. Rizzone a PSU award under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan under which Mr. Rizzone has the right to receive 150,000 For the PSU award grant issued to Stephen Rizzone, Chief Executive Officer, a Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine the fair value at each of the five target prices of the Company’s common stock, using a market capitalization of $ 298,857,000 0 75 0.66 The fair value of the PSUs granted to Mr. Rizzone under the 2013 Equity Incentive Plan was determined to be $ 2,332,000 Amortization for all PSU awards was $ 587,433 228,664 1,201,293 443,129 At June 30, 2017, the unamortized value of all PSUs was approximately $ 1,573,213 1.3 Weighted Average Grant Total Date Fair Value Outstanding at January 1, 2017 1,153,617 $ 3.66 PSUs granted - $ - PSUs forfeited - $ - PSUs vested - $ - Outstanding at June 30, 2017 1,153,617 $ 3.66 Deferred Stock Units (“DSUs”) On January 4, 2016, the Compensation Committee granted to John Gaulding, Director and Chairman of the Board, DSUs under the 2014 Non-Employee Equity Compensation Plan for which Mr. Gaulding has the right to receive 14,953 125,000 75,000 50,000 0 30,996 1,362 60,970 At June 30, 2017, the DSUs were fully amortized. Weighted Average Grant Total Date Fair Value Outstanding at January 1, 2017 14,953 $ 8.36 DSUs granted - $ - DSUs forfeited - $ - DSUs vested 14,953 $ 8.36 Outstanding at June 30, 2017 - $ - Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) The recently completed offering period for the ESPP was January 1, 2017 through June 30, 2017. During the year ended December 31, 2016, there were two offering periods for the ESPP. The first offering period started on January 1, 2016 and concluded on June 30, 2016. The second offering period started on July 1, 2016 and concluded on December 31, 2016. The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the purchase option for each designated share purchased under this plan was approximately $ 5.88 2.57 93,541 187,352 59,779 122,716 The Company estimated the fair value of options granted during the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 Six Months Ended June 30, 2016 Stock price $ 17.59 $ 8.36 Dividend yield 0 % 0 % Expected volatility 66 % 56 % Risk-free interest rate 0.62 % 0.49 % Expected life 6 months 6 months Stock-Based Compensation Expense Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Stock options $ 265,599 $ 123,235 $ 491,982 $ 546,297 RSUs 3,419,390 1,149,003 6,022,165 2,372,099 PSUs 587,433 228,664 1,201,293 443,129 ESPP 93,541 59,779 187,352 122,716 DSUs - 30,996 1,362 60,970 Total $ 4,365,963 $ 1,591,677 $ 7,904,154 $ 3,545,211 Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Research and development $ 2,326,720 $ 757,250 $ 4,084,622 $ 1,668,093 Sales and marketing 279,015 68,452 500,848 124,769 General and administrative 1,760,228 765,975 3,318,684 1,752,349 Total $ 4,365,963 $ 1,591,677 $ 7,904,154 $ 3,545,211 |