On April 21, 2021, our shareholders approved the disapplication of preemptive rights for a period of five years from the date of approval by way of a special resolution of our shareholders. This included the disapplication of preemption rights in relation to the allotment of our ordinary shares in connection with the IPO. This disapplication will need to be renewed upon expiration (i.e., at least every five years) to remain effective, but may be sought more frequently for additional five-year terms (or any shorter period).
7. Series A and Series B shares
On March 15, 2021, the Company issued 28,957 Series B preferred shares (“Series B Shares”) amounting to $125,239 thousand and incurred transaction cost of $3,402 thousand.
On March 31, 2021, Vaccitech Plc subdivided each of the Series A shares and Series B shares (including the Series B shares issued on conversion of the convertible loan notes) into one share of the same class and 1 deferred A share with a nominal value of £1.00 per share.
On May 4, 2021 prior to the closing of the Company’s initial public offering and pursuant to the terms of its articles of association, all of the Series A Shares and Series B Shares were converted into 19,603,887 ordinary shares, 570,987 deferred B shares and 19,603,887 deferred C shares.
8. Convertible loan notes
The Company recognized interest expense of $2,650 thousand and a change in fair value of $5,994 thousand in relation to the conversion and redemption features embedded in the convertible loan notes in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the period ended June 30, 2021.
The Series B funding on March 15, 2021 constituted a qualified equity financing in accordance with the terms of the convertible loan notes. As a result, the convertible loan notes were converted on March 15, 2021 into 12,421 Series B Shares with the conversion price being 0.8 times the Series B Shares issue price.
The conversion was accounted for as an extinguishment of the convertible loan notes. As a result, the 12,421 Series B preferred shares issued on conversion was recognized at the settlement-date fair value of the Series B shares ($53,721 thousands) and a loss of $13,789 thousand for the six month period was recognized in earnings for the difference between (1) the fair value of those shares and (2) the sum of the carrying amounts of the convertible loan notes ($25,557 thousand) and the bifurcated conversion and redemption feature liability ($14,375 thousand).
9. Deferred Shares
All deferred shares rank pari passu as a single class. The deferred shares do not have rights to dividends or to participate in profits on a return of assets on liquidation, the deferred shares confer on the holders thereof an entitlement to receive out of the assets of the Company available for distribution amongst the shareholders (subject to the rights of any new class of shares with preferred rights) the amount credited as paid up on the deferred shares held by them respectively after (but only after) payment shall have been made to the holders of the ordinary shares of the amounts paid up or credited as paid up on such shares and the sum of £1,000 thousand ($1,373 thousand) in respect of each ordinary share held by them respectively. The deferred shares shall confer on the holders thereof no further right to participate in the assets of the Company.
10. Fair value
The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other liabilities. As of June 30, 2021, and December 31, 2020, the carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other liabilities approximated their respective fair value due to the short-term nature and maturity of these instruments.