EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION | 9. EQUITY-BASED COMPENSATION As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, there was $0 and $991,167, respectively, of unrecognized equity -based Restricted Stock Units On February 24, 2022, the Company entered into a separation agreement with the former Chief Operating Officer (COO). Among other things, the Company agreed to provide the former COO with cash and expense reimbursements totaling $175,000 and an amendment of the COO’s Restricted Stock Agreement to accelerate the vesting of the 251,851 restricted stock units. Due to the modification of the terms of this award, the fair value was remeasured as of the modification date. Total equity -based During the second quarter of 2022, the Company granted 47,800 restricted stock units to employees of the Company, all of which vested and were delivered in the second quarter of 2022. Total equity -based On March 2, 2022, the Company granted 70,000 restricted stock units to members of the Company’s Board of Directors that fully vested on June 18, 2022. Total equity -based On April 24, 2023, the Company granted 319,023 restricted stock units to its Chief Executive Officer. On May 11, 2023, the Company granted 170,958 restricted stock units to its Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing. On May 25, 2023, the Company granted 124,902 restricted stock units to its Chief Financial Officer. These restricted stock units had a vesting period that coincided with the Company filing its Form 10 -K Restricted stock unit activity as of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was as follows Number of Weighted Outstanding at December 31, 2021 377,777 0.45 Granted 117,800 0.33 Forfeited (495,577 ) — Outstanding at December 31, 2022 — — Granted 614,883 0.86 Forfeited (614,883 ) — Outstanding at December 31, 2023 — — Shares of Restricted Stock During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company granted 10,000 shares of restricted stock to an employee upon commencement of employment in May 2022, of which 3,334 shares vested immediately with the remaining 6,666 shares scheduled to vest in two equal installments in May 2023 and May 2024. Restricted stock consists of shares of common stock that are subject to transfer and forfeiture restrictions that lapse upon vesting. Total equity -based During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company hired a new Chief Financial Officer. Pursuant to the employment agreement, the Company granted 100,000 shares of restricted stock. The restricted stock vests in three equal installments with the first third vesting immediately on the grant date of March 30, 2022, and the remaining tranches were scheduled to vest on the one year and two year anniversaries of the grant date subject to continued employment with the Company through the applicable vesting date. Effective June 24, 2022, this employee resigned from the Company and 66,666 unvested shares of restricted stock were forfeited. Total equity -based In January 2023, there was a new grant of 500,000 shares of restricted stock which related to a consulting arrangement entered into in connection with the settlement reached with a previous employee, as further disclosed in Note 12. Total equity -based On April 24, 2023, the Company granted 463,917 shares of restricted stock to its Chief Executive Officer. On May 11, 2023, the Company granted 380,952 shares of restricted stock to its Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing. On May 25, 2023, the Company granted shares of 196,463 restricted stock to its Chief Financial Officer. All shares of restricted stock granted on April 24, 2023, May 11, 2023 and May 25, 2023 were forfeited and canceled during the third quarter of 2023. In April 2023, the Company Board of Directors were granted a total of 100,000 shares of restricted stock. Total equity -based Restricted stock activity for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was as follows: Number of Weighted Outstanding at December 31, 2021 — — Granted 110,000 9.27 Vested or released (36,668 ) — Forfeited (66,667 ) — Outstanding at December 31, 2022 6,666 0.90 Granted 1,641,332 0.57 Vested or released (570,000 ) — Forfeited (1,057,998 ) — Outstanding at December 31, 2023 20,000 0.00 Vendor Stock Awards Vendor stock award activity subject to revenue -related Number of Weighted Outstanding at December 31, 2021 — — Granted 1,030,000 2.25 Vested or released — — Forfeited — — Outstanding at December 31, 2022 1,030,000 2.25 Granted — — Vested or released — — Forfeited — — Outstanding at December 31, 2023 1,030,000 1.25 Stock Options On March 11, 2022, the Company granted the option to purchase 427,001 shares of common stock at $3.47 per share to its Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to the Chief Executive Officer’s employment agreement with the Company. The shares vest in three equal installments on the nine month, one year, and two year anniversaries of the grant date and are exercisable for 10 On March 30, 2022, in addition to the restricted stock granted to the Company’s new Chief Financial Officer, the Company granted the Chief Financial Officer an option to purchase 200,000 shares of common stock at $3.30 per share, pursuant to the employment agreement. The shares vest in three equal installments. The first third vested immediately on the grant date of March 30, 2022, and the remaining tranches were scheduled to vest on the one year and two year anniversaries of the grant date subject to continued employment with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The options are exercisable for 10 Effective September 1, 2022, the Company entered into an Employment Transition and Consulting Agreement with the previous interim Chief Financial Officer. Pursuant to the Transition and Consulting Agreement, the Company granted a stock option to purchase 69,892 shares of the Company’s common stock at a per share exercise price equal to $3.04 (the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant). The stock option vested with respect to 3,584 shares on the last calendar day of September, October and November of 2022, and the balance of the stock option vested in monthly installments as nearly equal as possible (approximately 6,571 shares each) on the last calendar day of each month from December 2022 through August 2023. The total expense recognized for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $125,783 and $41,449, respectively. In November 2021, the Company executed founder option agreements with four Class F members. The terms of the agreements grant each founder the right and option to purchase common stock up to 25% of the total shares in the Founders’ Option Pool upon the consummation of the Company’s IPO. The Founder’s Option Pool is a pool of shares reserved for founding members of the Company and will be comprised of 15% of the total shares of common stock outstanding immediately prior to the initial closing of the IPO. The options will vest in 20% installments. Each installment will vest upon the closing price of common stock reaching certain milestones ranging from 200% to 600% of the IPO price. If the vesting condition is not achieved within three years of the grant date, the options will forfeit. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the options have not reached any of the vesting milestones required and as such, the probability of reaching each milestone has been factored into the value to be recognized over the three -year Equity -based -based Stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was as follows: Number of Weighted Weighted Outstanding at December 31, 2021 1,830,000 $ 9.86 8.18 Granted 701,893 3.37 10.00 Exercised — — — Forfeited (957,001 ) — — Outstanding at December 31, 2022 1,574,892 $ 9.67 8.94 Granted 1,500,000 0.50 5.00 Exercised — — — Forfeited (2,628,333 ) — — Outstanding at December 31, 2023 446,559 $ 8.88 8.08 Exercisable at December 31, 2023 71,559 $ 3.03 8.67 Warrants On December 17, 2021, in connection with the Company’s IPO, the Company granted to the underwriter warrants to purchase up to 110,000 shares of common stock at $12 per share. These warrants vest one year from the date of issuance and are exercisable for four As disclosed in Note 8, 3,143,969 warrants were granted as part of the Rights Offering in March 2023. As of and for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the warrants to purchase common shares of the Company outstanding were as follows: Number of Weighted Weighted Outstanding at December 31, 2021 110,000 $ 12.00 4.96 Granted — — — Vested or released — — — Forfeited — — — Outstanding at December 31, 2022 110,000 $ 12.00 3.71 Granted 3,143,969 1.25 5.00 Vested or released — — — Forfeited — — — Outstanding at December 31, 2023 3,253,969 $ 1.61 4.16 The Company uses the Black -Scholes -pricing -based -Scholes -free 10 |