Stock-Based Compensation | Stock-Based Compensation In 2019, the Board adopted the Semrush Holdings, Inc. 2019 Stock Option and Grant Plan (the “2019 Plan”), which provides for the grant of qualified incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options or other awards, including restricted stock unit awards, to the Company’s employees, officers, directors, advisors, and outside consultants for the purchase of up to 8,682,600 shares of the Company’s common stock. In July 2020, the 2019 Plan was amended to provide for the grant of qualified incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options or other awards to the Company’s employees, officers, directors, advisors, and outside consultants for the purchase of up to 10,163,772 shares of the Company’s common stock. Stock options generally vest over a 4-year period and expire 10 years from the date of grant. Certain options provide for accelerated vesting if there is a change in control (as defined in the 2019 Plan). The Semrush Holdings, Inc. 2021 Stock Option and Incentive Plan was adopted by the Board on March 3, 2021 and approved by stockholders on March 15, 2021 and became effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Company’s registration statement in connection with its IPO. The 2021 Plan replaced the 2019 Plan as the Board determined not to make additional awards under the 2019 Plan following the pricing of the Company’s IPO. The 2021 Plan allows the compensation committee of the Board to make equity-based and cash-based incentive awards to the Company’s officers, employees, directors and other key persons (including consultants). The Company initially reserved 13,503,001 shares of Class A common stock for the issuance of awards under the 2021 Plan. The 2021 Plan provides that the number of shares reserved and available for issuance under the plan will automatically increase each January 1, beginning on January 1, 2022, by the lesser of 5% of the outstanding number of shares of Class A and Class B common stock on the immediately preceding December 31, or such lesser number of shares as determined by the compensation committee. This number is subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split, stock dividend or other change in the Company’s capitalization. Effective January 1, 2023, the number of shares of Class A common stock reserved for the issuance of awards under the 2021 Plan was increased by 3,500,000 shares to 17,003,001 shares in accordance with the provisions of the 2021 Plan. The Company has recorded stock-based compensation expense of $2,796 and $932 during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The following table shows stock-based compensation expense by where the stock-based compensation expense is recorded in the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations: Three Months Ended 2023 2022 Cost of revenue $ 17 $ 11 Sales and marketing 528 133 Research and development 343 149 General and administrative 1,908 639 Total stock-based compensation $ 2,796 $ 932 As of March 31, 2023, there was $13,575 and $1,119 of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested common stock option arrangements granted under the 2021 Plan and 2019 Plan, respectively, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.23 and 1.53 years, respectively. As of March 31, 2023, there was $15,334 of unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted stock unit awards granted under the 2021 Plan, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.17 years. For unvested performance stock units, these awards were granted with four-year vesting terms for which the probability of vesting achievement is assessed at each reporting period. The fair value of each option award was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. As there was no public market for its common stock prior to March 25, 2021, which was the first day of trading, and as the trading history of the Company’s common stock is limited, the Company determined the expected volatility for options granted based on an analysis of reported data for a peer group of companies that issued options with substantially similar terms. The expected volatility of options granted has been determined using an average of the historical volatility measures of this peer group of companies. The expected life of options granted to employees was calculated using the simplified method, which represents the average of the contractual term of the option and the weighted-average vesting period of the option. The Company uses the simplified method because it does not have sufficient historical option exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate expected term. The risk-free interest rate is based on a treasury instrument whose term is consistent with the expected life of the share option. The Company has not paid, nor anticipates paying, cash dividends on its ordinary shares; therefore, the expected dividend yield is assumed to be zero. The weighted-average assumptions utilized to determine the fair value of options granted to employees are presented in the following table: Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 2022 Expected volatility 63.6 % 52.3 % Weighted-average risk-free interest rate 4.22 % 1.60 % Expected dividend yield — — Expected life – in years 6 6 A summary of the Company’s option activity as of March 31, 2023, which all occurred under the 2019 Plan and the 2021 Plan, and changes during the three months then ended are as follows: Number of Options Weighted-Average Exercise Price (per share) Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years) Outstanding at December 31, 2022 6,865,265 $ 4.82 7.68 Granted 750,727 7.93 Exercised (88,957) 0.75 Forfeited (24,043) 8.01 Outstanding at March 31, 2023 7,502,992 5.14 7.68 Options exercisable at March 31, 2023 4,384,998 1.82 6.79 The weighted-average grant-date fair value of options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 was $4.93 and $6.32 per share, respectively. No tax benefits were realized from options during the three months ended March 31, 2023 or 2022. The aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was $42,633 and $32,721, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value for options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 was $708 and $2,154, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value for options exercisable as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 was $37,161 and $27,919, respectively. The aggregate intrinsic value was calculated based on the positive difference, if any, between the estimated fair value of the Company’s common stock on March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively, or the date of exercise, as appropriate, and the exercise price of the underlying options. On July 28, 2020, the Company issued 156,852 shares of its restricted common stock (“Restricted Stock Issuance”) to the founders of Prowly for a total fair value of $291 under the 2019 Plan. This Restricted Stock Issuance vests over a three-year service period, applicable to both founders. As of March 31, 2023, 103,521 shares have vested in connection with this Restricted Stock Issuance. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company granted to employees restricted stock unit (“RSU”) awards for 523,294 and 937,506 shares of Class A common stock under the 2021 Plan, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded stock-based compensation expense related to the RSU grants of $1,191 and $315, respectively. A summary of RSU activity under the Company’s 2021 Plan for the three months ended March 31, 2023 is as follows: Number of Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Aggregate Fair Value Unvested balance at January 1, 2023 1,269,743 $ 11.97 $ 15,194 Granted 523,294 8.05 4,213 Vested (71,557) 13.13 940 Forfeited (9,715) 14.67 143 Unvested balance as of March 31, 2023 1,711,765 $ 10.69 $ 18,299 During the three months ended March 31, 2023, the Company did not grant employees performance stock units (“PSU”) awards. During the three months ended March 31, 2022, the Company granted to employees PSU awards for 500,887 shares of Class A common stock under the 2021 Plan. The Company records stock-based compensation expense related to the PSU grants when it is probable that the underlying performance conditions will be recognized. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company granted two sets of PSU grants; executives and acquisition-related. The acquisition-related PSUs contained a market component. These awards were deemed probable of partial achievement by the Company as of March 31, 2023. The executive grants were not probable of achievement as of March 31, 2023. During the three months ended March 31, 2023, $24 of expense has been recognized in connection with a portion of the acquisition-related PSU awards, however, the remaining acquisition-related PSU awards were not probable of achievement as of March 31, 2023. For PSU grants that have only service and performance conditions, the Company measures these awards at the fair value of its Class A common stock on the grant dates. For PSU grants that incorporate a market condition, only the market condition is reflected in the estimated fair value on the grant dates. The Company determined the fair value of the acquisition-related PSU awards using a binomial valuation method. A summary of PSU activity under the Company’s 2021 Plan for the three months ended March 31, 2023 is as follows: Number of Shares Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Aggregate Fair Value Unvested balance at January 1, 2023 1,283,620 $ 11.22 $ 14,402 Granted — — — Vested — — — Forfeited (100,334) 11.96 1,200 Unvested balance at March 31, 2023 1,183,286 $ 11.63 $ 13,762 Compensation expense is based on the estimated value of the awards on the grant date, and is recognized over the period from the grant date through the expected vest dates of each vesting condition. The compensation expense attributable to the acquisition-based PSU awards was estimated based on a Monte Carlo simulation model, which applied the following key assumptions: Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 Risk-free interest rate 2.07 % Volatility 70.00 % Dividend Yield — % Term (years) 4.13 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan The Semrush Holdings, Inc. 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”) was adopted by the Board on March 3, 2021 and approved by stockholders on March 15, 2021 and became effective immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Company’s registration statement in connection with its IPO. The ESPP initially reserves and authorizes the issuance of up to a total of 3,000,667 shares of Class A common stock to participating employees. The ESPP provides that the number of shares reserved and available for issuance will automatically increase each January 1, beginning on January 1, 2022 and each January 1 thereafter through January 1, 2031, by the least of (i) 1% of the outstanding number of shares of Class A and Class B common stock on the immediately preceding December 31; (ii) 3,000,667 shares or (iii) such lesser number of shares of Class A common stock as determined by the ESPP administrator. The number of shares reserved under the ESPP is subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split, stock dividend or other change in the Company’s capitalization. The first service period of the ESPP began on September 1, 2021, the second service period of the ESPP began on March 1, 2022, and the third service period of the ESPP began on September 1, 2022. The Company recognized $33 and $81 in stock-based compensation expense related to these service periods for the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. On February 28, 2023, the Company issued 38,879 shares of its Class A common stock to its employees under its ESPP for the service period then ended. The ESPP program was discontinued after the last purchase on February 28, 2023. |