Note 7 – Convertible Notes Payable
2020 Convertible Promissory Notes
On December 10, 2020 and December 18, 2020, the Company issued unsecured convertible promissory notes to investors in the total principal amount of $5,125, and on February 4, 2021, and March 1, 2021, the Company issued additional unsecured convertible promissory notes to investors in the total principal amount of $4,875, as part of a single financing (collectively, the “2020 Notes”). The 2020 Notes accrued interest at 8 percent per annum. The 2020 Notes were converted into 1,007,965 shares of Legacy Solid Power Series B Preferred Stock, on May 5, 2021, in conjunction with the closing of the Legacy Solid Power Series B Preferred Stock (“Series B Financing”). The outstanding balance on the 2020 Notes, including accrued interest, was $10,228 when the 2020 Notes were converted to Legacy Solid Power Series B Preferred Stock. Interest expense for the 2020 Notes during for three and six months ended June 30, 2021 was $66 and $210, respectively. The principal of the 2020 Notes was included in Additional Paid In Capital and the fair value of the embedded derivative was recorded as a liability on Legacy Solid Power’s balance sheet. The fair value of the embedded derivative was $5,497. This balance was transferred, along with the accrued interest, to mezzanine equity upon conversion of the 2020 Notes to Series B Preferred Stock in conjunction with the Series B Financing.
2020 Convertible Promissory Notes Embedded Derivative
The 2020 Notes contained the following embedded derivatives: (i) a share settled redemption upon Qualified Financing; (ii) share settled redemption upon the closing of the Business Combination; and (iii) share settled redemption at maturity.
Embedded derivatives are separated from the host contract and carried at fair value when: (a) the embedded derivative possesses economic characteristics that are not clearly and closely related to the economic characteristics of the host contract; and (b) a separate, stand-alone instrument with the same terms would qualify as a derivative instrument. The Company has concluded that certain embedded derivatives within the 2020 Notes meet these criteria and, as such, must be valued separate and apart from the 2020 convertible promissory notes as one embedded derivative and recorded at fair value each reporting period.
See Note 8 – Fair Value Measurement for information about the assumptions that the Company used to measure the fair value of the embedded derivative.
2019 Convertible Promissory Notes
On December 4, 2019, the Company issued an unsecured convertible promissory note to an investor in the principal amount of $3,000 (the “2019 Note,” and together with the 2020 Notes, the “Convertible Promissory Notes”). The 2019 Note accrued interest at 5 percent per annum. The 2019 Note converted into 254,899 shares of Legacy Solid Power Series B Preferred Stock, in conjunction with the Series B Financing. Upon this conversion, the 2019 Note converted to Series B Preferred Stock at a 30 percent discount.
See Note 8 – Fair Value Measurement for information about the assumptions that the Company used to measure the fair value of the 2019 Note. At December 31, 2020, the outstanding balance on the 2019 Note was $3,612. For three and six months ended June 30, 2021, interest expense of $16 and $53, respectively, was incurred related to the 2019 Note.
For all debt instruments, including any for which the Company has elected fair value accounting, the Company classifies interest that has been accrued during each period as Interest expense on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Note 8 – Fair Value Measurements
The carrying amounts of certain financial instruments, such as cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, and equipment notes payable approximate fair value due to their short maturities.
The fair value of debt instruments for which the Company has not elected fair value accounting is based on the present value of expected future cash flows and assumptions about the then-current market interest rates as of the reporting period and the creditworthiness of the Company. The book values of the Company’s long-term debt approximate fair value because interest rates charged are similar to other financial instruments with similar terms and maturities and the rates vary in accordance with a market index. Most of the Company’s debt is carried on the condensed consolidated balance sheets on a historical cost basis net of