Amprius Technologies, Inc S-1, filed Apr 5, 2023
Amprius Technologies, Inc. (AMPX)
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(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
Large accelerated filer |
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Accelerated filer |
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Non-accelerated filer |
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Smaller reporting company |
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Emerging growth company |
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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities, in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
| PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS | Subject to Completion | April 5, 2023 |
22,733,336 Shares of Common Stock
This prospectus relates to the offer by us of up to 22,733,336 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Amprius Technologies, Inc. (the “Common Stock”) issuable upon the exercise of an aggregate of 22,733,336 warrants (the “Associated Warrants”), each of which is exercisable at a price of $11.50 per share, issued as part of units in the Company’s initial public offering (the “IPO” and, the warrants issued in the IPO collectively, the “Public Warrants”).
We will receive proceeds from the exercise of the Associated Warrants if the Associated Warrants are exercised for cash. However, the exercise price of the Associated Warrants is $11.50 per share, which exceeds $8.71, the closing price of our Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) on March 31, 2023. The likelihood that warrant holders will exercise the Associated Warrants and any cash proceeds that we would receive is dependent upon the market price of our Common Stock. If the market price for our Common Stock is less than $11.50 per share, we believe warrant holders will be unlikely to exercise their Associated Warrants. For more information, see the section titled “Use of Proceeds” appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.
Our Common Stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “AMPX,” and our Public Warrants are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “AMPX.W.” On March 31, 2023, the last quoted sale price for our Common Stock as reported on the NYSE was $8.71 per share and the last quoted sale price for our Public Warrants as reported on the NYSE was $0.50 per warrant.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined under the federal securities laws, and, as such, may elect to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements.
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before buying any securities, you should carefully read the discussion of the risks of investing in our securities in the section titled “Risk Factors” beginning on page 6 of this prospectus.
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or amendment hereto. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different information.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is , 2023.
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| Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
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You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS
This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-1 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). This prospectus relates to the issuance by us of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Associated Warrants.
We have not authorized anyone to provide you with any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus or any applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectuses prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We do not take any responsibility for, or provide any assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
We may also provide a prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to the registration statement to add information to, or update or change information contained in, this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or post-effective amendment to the registration statement together with the additional information to which we refer you in the section of this prospectus titled “Where You Can Find Additional Information.”
MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA
We obtained the industry and market data used throughout this prospectus from our own internal estimates and research, as well as from independent market research, industry and general publications and surveys, governmental agencies, publicly available information and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. Internal estimates are derived from publicly available information released by industry analysts and third-party sources, our internal research and our industry experience, and are based on assumptions made by us based on such data and our knowledge of our industry and market, which we believe to be reasonable. In some cases, we do not expressly refer to the sources from which this data is derived. In addition, while we believe the industry and market data included in this prospectus is reliable and based on reasonable assumptions, such data involve material risks and other uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors.” These and other factors could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the estimates made by the independent parties or by us.
TRADEMARKS
Our logo and trademark appearing in this prospectus are our property. This document contains references to trademarks and service marks belonging to other entities. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this prospectus may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that the applicable licensor will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, its rights to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of it by, any other companies.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary highlights information contained in greater detail elsewhere in this prospectus. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information you should consider in making your investment decision. You should read the entire prospectus carefully before making an investment in our Common Stock. You should carefully consider, among other things, our financial statements and the related notes and the sections titled “Risk Factors,” “Business,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Overview
Amprius has developed and, since 2018, been in commercial production of an ultra-high energy density lithium-ion battery for mobility applications leveraging disruptive silicon anodes. Our silicon anode technology enables batteries with higher energy density, higher power density, and extreme fast charging capabilities over a wide range of operating temperatures, which results in our batteries providing superior performance compared to conventional graphite lithium-ion batteries. Our silicon anodes are a direct drop-in replacement of the graphite anode in traditional lithium-ion batteries, and our manufacturing process leverages the manufacturing process for conventional lithium-ion batteries and the related supply chain.
Today, our batteries are primarily used for existing and emerging aviation applications, including unmanned aerial systems (“UAS”), such as drones and high-altitude pseudo satellites (“HAPS”). We believe our proprietary technology has the potential for broad application in electric transportation.
Our batteries and their performance specifications have been tested and validated for application by over 40 customers, including Airbus, AeroVironment, BAE Systems, the U.S. Army and Teledyne FLIR, and we have shipped over 10,000 batteries to date, which have enabled mission critical applications. Our proprietary silicon anode structures, battery cell designs and manufacturing processes are defended by our portfolio of patents, trade secrets and know-how developed over 10 years of research and development.
We currently manufacture batteries on a kWh-scale manufacturing line at our headquarters in Fremont, California, where we believe demand for our batteries exceeds our manufacturing capacity. We are working to meet the expected demand in several rapidly growing addressable markets, including by designing and building a large-scale manufacturing facility that can produce batteries at GWh+ scale.
Our principal executive offices are located at 1180 Page Avenue, Fremont, California 94538, and our telephone number is (800) 425-8803. Our website is www.amprius.com. We make available free of charge through our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish such material to, the SEC. These reports and other information are also available, free of charge, at www.sec.gov. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, the websites referenced in this prospectus are not a part of, and are not incorporated into, this prospectus.
Risk Factors Summary
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in the section titled “Risk Factors” immediately following this prospectus summary. The following is a summary of the principal risks we face:
Risks Related to Our Technology, Products and Manufacturing
| • | If our batteries fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market and sell our batteries would be adversely affected. |
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| • | We may not succeed in developing a new high-volume manufacturing line that meets our requirements for cell quality, yield, throughput and other performance metrics. |
| • | We may not meet our manufacturing cost targets, which would limit the size of our market opportunities. |
| • | Our establishment of a volume manufacturing facility is subject to many risks, including, among others, risks relating to executing a definitive lease agreement, re-zoning, construction, permitting, delays, cost overruns, supply chain constraints, and operating in a new geographic area away from our current headquarters. |
| • | We may not succeed in retaining and attracting key employees, particularly technical talent, needed to operate and build our business successfully. |
| • | We may encounter delays and technical obstacles in developing new battery products such as different cell formats to meet varied market requirements. |
| • | Certain components of our batteries are hazardous and pose safety risks that may cause accidents in our manufacturing facility. |
| • | We may be subject to financial and reputational risks due to product recalls and product liability claims, and we could face substantial liabilities that exceed our resources. |
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
| • | We may not be able to accurately estimate the future supply and demand for our batteries, which could result in a variety of inefficiencies in our business and hinder our ability to generate revenue. If we fail to accurately predict our manufacturing requirements, we could incur additional costs or experience delays. |
| • | The battery market is intensely competitive. Competitors include new entrants and established companies, many of which have significantly greater resources than us. |
| • | Our future sales opportunities depend in part on the growth of markets for battery-powered aviation applications. These applications may develop slower or at a size that is less than expected, to the extent they develop at all. |
| • | Developments in alternative technology or other fossil fuel alternatives may adversely affect the demand for our battery products. |
| • | We have pursued and may continue to pursue development agreements and other strategic alliances, which could have an adverse impact on our business if they are unsuccessful. |
| • | We may require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. |
| • | We are an early stage company with a history of financial losses and expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future. |
| • | We have previously identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we are unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal controls and procedures required by Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our stock price, business and operating results. |
| • | A significant portion of our business depends on sales to the public sector, and our failure to receive and maintain government contracts or changes in the contracting or fiscal policies of the public sector could have a material adverse effect on our business. |
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Risks Related to Intellectual Property
| • | We rely heavily on our intellectual property portfolio. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, our business and competitive position would be harmed. |
| • | We may need to defend ourselves against intellectual property infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and could cause us to incur substantial costs. |
Risks Related to Litigation and Regulatory Compliance
| • | Our operations expose us to litigation, environmental and other legal compliance risks. Compliance with laws and regulations can be expensive, and our failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in monetary damages and fines, adverse publicity and a material adverse effect on our business. |
| • | We are or will be subject to anti-corruption and anti-bribery and anti-money laundering and similar laws, and non-compliance with such laws can subject us to administrative, civil and criminal fines and penalties, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation. |
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
| • | Sales of substantial amounts of our Common Stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could cause the market price of our Common Stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well. |
Risks Related to Our Warrants
| • | There is no guarantee that our warrants will be in the money at the time they become exercisable, and they may expire worthless. |
Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of: the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.235 billion in annual revenues; the date we qualify as a “large accelerated filer,” with at least $700 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates; the issuance, in any three-year period, by us of more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities; and the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of our initial public offering.
Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an emerging growth company can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This may make comparison of our financial statements with certain other public companies difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the
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fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250 million as of the prior June 30 or (ii) our annual revenue exceeded $100 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30.
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THE OFFERING
| Shares of our Common Stock outstanding prior to exercise of the Associated Warrants |
84,971,465 shares |
| Shares of our Common Stock that may be issued upon exercise of the Associated Warrants |
22,733,336 shares |
| Shares of our Common Stock outstanding after the exercise of the Associated Warrants |
107,704,801 shares |
| Use of Proceeds |
We will receive up to an aggregate of approximately $261.4 million, assuming the exercise in full of all of the Associated Warrants for cash. However, the exercise price of the Associated Warrants is $11.50 per share, which exceeds $8.71, the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE on March 31, 2023. The likelihood that warrant holders will exercise the Associated Warrants and any cash proceeds that we would receive is dependent upon the market price of our Common Stock. If the market price for our Common Stock is less than $11.50 per share, we believe warrant holders will be unlikely to exercise their Associated Warrants. We expect to use any net proceeds from the exercise of the Associated Warrants for general corporate purposes. See the section titled “Use of Proceeds” for more information. |
| Risk Factors |
See the section titled “Risk Factors” and other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors that you should consider carefully before deciding to invest in our Common Stock. |
| NYSE Symbol |
“AMPX” |
The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding is as of March 31, 2023 and excludes the following:
| • | 13,971,079 shares of our Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options under the Amprius Technologies, Inc. 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”), with a weighted average exercise price of $1.34 per share; |
| • | 16,400,000 shares of our Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of private warrants, with an exercise price of $11.50 per share (the “Private Warrants”); |
| • | 29,268,336 shares of our Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of Public Warrants, with an exercise price of $11.50 per share; |
| • | 2,052,500 shares of our Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of warrants (the “PIPE Warrants”) issued as part of units in the PIPE (as defined below), with an exercise price of $12.50 per share; |
| • | 13,915,807 shares of our Common Stock reserved for future issuance under the Amprius Technologies, Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”); |
| • | 295,000 shares of our Common Stock issuable upon the vesting of outstanding restricted stock units granted under the 2022 Plan; and |
| • | 1,836,101 shares of our Common Stock reserved for future issuance under the Amprius Technologies, Inc. 2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”). |
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RISK FACTORS
Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this prospectus, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could also be harmed by risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently do not believe are material. If any of the risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected. In that event, the market price of our securities could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment. Unless the context otherwise provides, “Amprius,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refer (i) prior to the Closing Date (as defined below), Legacy Amprius (as defined below) and (ii) after the Closing Date, to Amprius Technologies, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Legacy Amprius. Prior to the Closing Date, Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. IV is referred to herein as “Kensington.”
Risks Related to Our Technology, Products and Manufacturing
If our batteries fail to perform as expected, our ability to develop, market and sell our batteries would be adversely affected.
Our batteries may contain defects in design and manufacture that may cause them to not perform as expected or that may require repairs, recalls and design changes. Our batteries are inherently complex and incorporate technology and components that have not been used for certain applications and that may contain defects and errors, particularly when first introduced to such applications. Although our batteries undergo quality control testing prior to release for shipment, there can be no assurance that we will be able to detect and fix all defects prior to shipment, and nonconformances, defects or errors could occur or be present in batteries that we release for shipment to customers. If our batteries fail to perform as expected, our customers may delay deliveries, our customer may terminate orders or we may initiate product recalls, each of which could adversely affect our sales and brand and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Our battery architecture is different from our peers’ and may behave differently in customer use applications, certain applications of which we have not yet evaluated. This could limit our ability to deliver to certain applications. In addition, our historical data on the performance and reliability of our batteries is limited, and therefore our batteries could fail unexpectedly in the field resulting in significant warranty costs or brand damage in the market. Further, the silicon anode structure of our battery is different from traditional lithium-ion batteries and therefore our batteries could be susceptible to different and unknown failure modes leading our batteries to fail and cause a safety event in the field. Such an event could result in the failure of our end customers’ product as well as the loss of life or property, resulting in severe financial penalties for us, including the loss of revenue, cancellation of supply contracts and the inability to win new business due to reputational damage in the market. In addition, some of our supply agreements require us to bear certain costs relating to recalls and replacements of end products when such recalls and replacements are due to defects of our battery products that are incorporated in such end products.
We may not succeed in developing a new high-volume manufacturing line that meets our requirements for cell quality, yield, throughput and other performance metrics. Additionally, assuming we are able to develop a high-volume manufacturing line, it may be unreliable, require regular and significant maintenance and could be capital and resource intensive to operate.
To date, we have manufactured on a kWh-scale capacity. Our ability to manufacture our batteries at scale depends on the successful development of an automated, high-volume manufacturing line for our silicon anode that meets our requirements for cell quality, throughput, yield, and other performance metrics. Currently, we do
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not have a manufacturing line capable of producing our silicon anode batteries at scale. As part of our manufacturing expansion plans, in addition to designing and building a GWh-scale manufacturing facility, we are in the process of developing an automated, high-volume manufacturing line.
Although we have received our first large-scale anode production machine, we are customizing the machine for our production processes and must then complete tuning and testing before the machine goes online for production purposes. There is no guarantee that the customization, development and implementation of this manufacturing line will be successful. In addition, there is no guarantee that we will be able to correspondingly expand our manufacturing capacity for other battery components following the installation and implementation of such large-scale anode production machine. We and our potential suppliers and other equipment vendors may encounter significant engineering challenges, performance issues, delays, unforeseen development costs and other obstacles in building the high-volume manufacturing line, and if we are not successful, or if we encounter significant delays, our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations would be adversely affected.
In addition, in order for us to produce our batteries at scale and at a cost advantage, we must achieve levels of quality, throughput, and yield demonstrated for mature battery production. As we have not produced our batteries at scale, our ability to achieve such rates is untested and subject to significant constraints and uncertainties. Operational performance and costs can be difficult to predict and are often influenced by factors outside of our control, such as, but not limited to, failures by suppliers to deliver necessary components of our batteries in a timely manner and at prices and volumes acceptable to us, environmental hazards and remediation costs, costs associated with commissioning of machines, difficulty or delays in obtaining governmental permits, damages or defects in electronic systems, industrial accidents, fires, seismic activity and natural disasters, and problems with equipment vendors. Should operational risks materialize, they may result in lower yield, which would negatively affect our revenue growth and profitability.
Additionally, the development of the manufacturing line will require us to make intensive capital expenditures before we are able to benefit from such development. The manufacturing line may also suffer unexpected malfunctions from time to time and will depend on repairs and spare parts to resume operations, which may not be available when needed. Further, unexpected equipment malfunctions may significantly affect the intended operational efficiency, thus materially and adversely affecting our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
We may not meet our manufacturing cost targets, which would limit the size of our market opportunities.
We will require significant capital to develop and grow our business and expect to incur significant expenses, including those relating to the expansion of our manufacturing capacity, development of our high-volume manufacturing line, raw material procurement, leases, sales and distribution as we build our brand and market our batteries, and general and administrative costs. Our profitability will not only depend on our ability to successfully market our batteries, but also our ability to control our costs. Some of the processes in the manufacturing of our silicon anodes require chemical vapor deposition (“CVD”), for which equipment is more costly than those involved in standard anode production techniques. If we are unable to cost efficiently design, manufacture, market, sell and distribute our batteries, our margins, profitability and prospects would be materially and adversely affected. We have not yet commenced high-volume production of our batteries, and any cost advantage for the production of our batteries at scale, compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries, will require us to manufacture at rates of cell quality, throughput, and yield demonstrated for mature batteries and battery material that we have not yet achieved. If we are unable to achieve these targeted rates, our business will be adversely impacted.
We rely on, and will continue to rely on, complex equipment for our operations, and production involves a significant degree of risk and uncertainty in terms of operational performance and costs.
We rely heavily on, and will continue to rely heavily on, complex equipment for our operations and the production of our batteries, which involves a significant degree of uncertainty and risk in terms of operational
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performance and costs. Our manufacturing equipment consists of many components, which may suffer unexpected malfunctions from time to time and may depend on repairs and spare parts to resume operations, which may not be available when needed. Problems with our manufacturing processes could result in the loss of manufacturing equipment, damage to manufacturing facilities, monetary losses, delays, unanticipated fluctuations in production and personal injury to or death of workers. Should these precautions be inadequate or an event be larger than expected, we could have significant equipment or facility damage that would impact our ability to deliver our battery products and require additional cash to recover. In addition, in some cases, operational problems may result in environmental damage, administrative fines, increased insurance costs and potential legal liabilities. Any of these operational problems, or a combination of them could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, business, financial condition, prospects or results of operations.
Furthermore, manufacturing technology may evolve rapidly, and we may decide to update our manufacturing processes more quickly than expected. Moreover, as we scale the commercial production of our batteries, our experience may cause us to discontinue the use of already installed equipment in favor of different or additional equipment. The useful life of any equipment that would be retired early as a result would be shortened, causing the depreciation on such equipment to be accelerated, and our results of operations could be negatively impacted.
Our establishment of a volume manufacturing facility is subject to many risks, including, among others, risks relating to executing a definitive lease agreement, re-zoning, construction, permitting, delays, cost overruns, supply chain constraints, and operating in a new geographic area away from our current headquarters.
We currently operate only at a kWh-scale manufacturing capacity. As part of our manufacturing expansion plans, we are in the process of designing a GWh-scale manufacturing facility for our batteries, concurrently with the development of our high-volume manufacturing line for our silicon anode. We may not be successful in establishing our GWh-scale manufacturing facility. On January 20, 2023, we entered into a nonbinding letter of intent to lease premises consisting of approximately 774,000 square feet of space located in Brighton, Colorado, and we are in the process of designing and building our GWh-scale manufacturing facility on these premises. We have no assurances that we will be able to enter into a lease for this site on acceptable terms or at all and that the execution of such a lease would occur on an acceptable timeline. Additionally, to the extent we are able to execute a lease, the current zoning for this site does not allow for manufacturing our batteries. As such, the landlord is in the process of applying to re-zone the site for our planned development and use. While we expect the re-zoning to be completed by September 2023, the re-zoning application may not be approved and we may not be able to obtain the necessary licenses or permits for the manufacturing facility, which will delay the expected timing for our GWh-scale manufacturing facility. Until the re-zoning is complete, we will not be able to apply for permits required to repurpose the facility for manufacturing. Furthermore, if the re-zoning process is unsuccessful, we expect that we would terminate the lease in accordance with its terms and recommence our search for an alternate location for our expansion efforts, which will delay our operational timeline.
In addition, we will need to operate the manufacturing facility in a new geographic area away from our current headquarters. Our potential suppliers and other equipment vendors may also encounter delays, additional costs, and other obstacles in building our manufacturing line, which are currently unknown. Additionally, although we have tested and validated the performance of our products on one supplier’s platform, there is uncertainty as to whether our planned manufacturing line will be successful. If we fail to complete the construction in an efficient manner, or fail to recruit the required personnel and generally manage our growth effectively, large-scale production of our batteries could be curtailed or delayed.
Achieving capacity at commercial scale of high energy density lithium-ion batteries will require us to make significant and increasing capital expenditures to scale our production capacity and improve our supply chain processes. Further, because our silicon anode process requires different equipment than traditional anode manufacturing, our capital equipment costs are likely to be higher than equipment used for production of graphite anodes. Based on our current expectations, we estimate that our capital equipment expenditures will range
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between $120.0 million and $150.0 million to achieve 1.0 GWh per year of manufacturing capacity. The actual costs and time to complete our silicon anode process may materially exceed such estimates, if we are able to at all. Even if we are successful in the establishment of the new facility, our manufacturing capabilities could be affected by cost-overruns, unexpected delays, equipment failures, supply chain constraints, natural disasters, including earthquakes, fire, floods and typhoons, power failures, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks and numerous other factors that could prevent us from realizing the intended benefits of our manufacturing strategy, or cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware, and have a material adverse effect on our business.
We may not succeed in retaining and attracting key employees, particularly technical talent, needed to operate and build our business successfully.
Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain our executive officers, key employees and other qualified personnel, particularly technical talent, and as a relatively small company with key talent residing in a limited number of employees, our operations may be severely disrupted if we lost their services. In particular, we are highly dependent on the services of Dr. Kang Sun, our Chief Executive Officer, and other senior technical and management personnel, including our executive officers, who would be difficult to replace.
If Dr. Sun or any other key personnel were to depart, we may not be able to successfully attract and retain senior leadership necessary to grow our business. As we build our brand and become better known, there is increased risk that competitors or other companies will seek to hire our personnel. The failure to attract, integrate, train, motivate and retain these personnel could seriously harm our business and prospects.
In addition, designing, building and operating our new manufacturing facility and large-scale production tools will require us to hire highly skilled personnel, including battery factory design and operations experts. There are currently a limited number of people with this experience in the United States. Recruiting and training skilled engineers, workers and other laborers will take significant cost and time, and an inability to do so timely or at all would inhibit the successful design, build-out and operation of the new manufacturing facility, thus negatively affecting our business and our results of operations.
Certain of our officers and members of our board of directors provide services to Amprius, Inc. (“Amprius Holdings”) and other entities formerly affiliated with Amprius Holdings.
Certain of our officers and members of our board of directors (the “Board”) provide services to Amprius Holdings. Also, Dr. Kang Sun, our Chief Executive Officer, serves on the boards of certain entities that were formerly affiliated with Amprius Holdings. As a result, there could be competition for the time and effort of these individuals. If such officers and directors do not devote sufficient attention to the management and operation of our business, our financial results may suffer.
We may encounter delays and technical obstacles in developing new battery products such as different cell formats to meet varied market requirements.
Our customers often require unique battery configurations or custom designs for their products. Once we enter into contracts with customers to produce batteries for their products, we expect to tailor the design of our batteries specifically to the products that these customers manufacture. This development process requires not only substantial lead time between the commencement of design efforts for customized batteries and the commencement of volume shipments of the battery cells to the customer, but also the cooperation and assistance of the customer in order to determine the requirements for each specific application. Technical problems may arise that affect the acceptance of our battery products by the customers. Our ability to tailor our batteries to meet the needs of our customers is affected by whether we can, amongst other things:
| • | receive and maintain necessary intellectual property protections; |
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| • | obtain governmental approvals and registrations; |
| • | comply with governmental regulations; |
| • | further develop and refine our technology; and |
| • | anticipate customer needs and preferences successfully. |
If we are unable to design and develop new battery products that meet our customers’ requirements, we may lose opportunities to obtain purchase orders, and our reputation and prospects may be damaged.
Certain components of our batteries are hazardous and pose safety risks that may cause accidents in our manufacturing facility. We may be subject to financial and reputational risks due to product recalls and product liability claims, and we could face substantial liabilities that exceed our resources.
Due to the high energy density inherent in lithium-ion batteries, our batteries can pose certain safety risks, including the risk of fire. Accidents causing death or personal injury or property damage, can occur, and no high energy density battery will ever be 100% safe. For example, under certain abuse conditions, lithium-ion batteries can go into thermal runaway, which can result in fire. Although we incorporate safety procedures in the research, development, manufacture and transportation of batteries that are designed to minimize safety risks, the manufacture or use of our battery products may still cause accidents. Any accident, whether occurring at our manufacturing facilities or from the use of our battery products, may result in significant production interruption, delays or claims for substantial damages caused by personal injuries or property damage.
In addition, due to the harsh environments in which batteries are used—extremely low temperature and pressure, and combat for military applications—our batteries go through rigorous testing to ensure safe behavior under abuse-case conditions. Although such tests have been successful to date, we cannot assure you such tests will be successful in the future. If we have to make design changes to address any safety issues, we may have to delay or suspend our planned production, which could materially damage our brand, business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Product liability claims, even those without merit or those that do not involve our battery products, could harm our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
A successful product liability claim against us, resulting from safety issues or otherwise, could require us to pay a substantial monetary award. We may not be able to cover any substantial monetary judgment against us. Moreover, a product liability claim against us or our competitors could generate substantial negative publicity about our battery products and could have a material adverse effect on our brand, business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
We may not be able to accurately estimate the future supply and demand for our batteries, which could result in a variety of inefficiencies in our business and hinder our ability to generate revenue. If we fail to accurately predict our manufacturing requirements, we could incur additional costs or experience delays.
We anticipate being required to provide forecasts of our demand to our current and future suppliers prior to the scheduled delivery of products to potential customers. Currently, there is limited historical basis for making judgments on the demand for our batteries and our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver our battery products. Our customers’ final purchase orders may not be consistent with our estimates. If we overestimate our requirements, our suppliers may deliver excess inventory, which indirectly would increase our costs and result in unprofitable sales or write-offs. Given that our batteries are often customized to meet our customers’ specifications, they are susceptible to obsolescence due to their limited shelf life. Because we have no history of large-scale production, we may also be unable to forecast accurately the pace of manufacturing or the take-up of our battery products by our customers.
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If we underestimate our requirements, our suppliers may have inadequate inventory, which could interrupt manufacturing of our battery products and result in delays in shipments and revenues. In addition, lead times for materials and components that our suppliers order may vary significantly and depend on factors such as the specific supplier, contract terms and demand for each component at a given time. If we fail to order sufficient quantities of battery components in a timely manner, the delivery of our batteries to our potential customers could be delayed, which would harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Producing additional battery products to make up for any shortages within a short time frame may be difficult, making us unable to fulfill the purchase orders, especially due to the customized nature of our batteries. In either case, our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations may be adversely affected.
We may not be able to establish supply relationships for necessary materials, components or equipment or may be required to pay more than anticipated for components or equipment, which could negatively impact our business.
We rely on third-party suppliers for components necessary to develop and manufacture our batteries, including key supplies such as our silane gas, substrate foil, electrolytes, separators, and cathode materials. We face risks relating to the availability of these materials and components, including that we will be subject to demand shortages and supply chain challenges and generally may not have sufficient purchasing power to eliminate the risk of price increases for the raw materials and lines we need. For example, we expect to procure the silane gas needed for our manufacturing from one vendor, a global supplier of silane and silicon materials; however, we expect that they may not be able to supply the volume required for highly scaled production. We are also in the process of collaborating with other key suppliers but have not yet entered into agreements for the supply of scaled production quantities of these materials. To the extent that we are unable to enter into commercial agreements with these suppliers on beneficial terms, or these suppliers experience difficulties ramping up their supply of materials to meet our requirements, high-volume production of our batteries will be delayed and we will not be able to meet our production timelines.
Separately, we may be subject to various supply chain requirements regarding, among other things, conflict minerals and labor practices. We may be required to incur substantial costs to comply with these requirements, which may include locating new suppliers to replace existing ones. We may not be able to find any new suppliers for certain raw materials or components required for our operations, or such suppliers may be unwilling or unable to provide us with products.
We expect to incur significant costs related to procuring materials required to manufacture and assemble our batteries. We expect to use various materials in our batteries that will require us to negotiate purchase agreements and delivery lead-times on advantageous terms. We may not be able to control fluctuation in the prices for these materials or negotiate agreements with suppliers on terms that are beneficial to us. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials, or our inability to reduce our raw material costs as we scale, would negatively impact our prospects.
Any disruption in the supply of components or materials could temporarily disrupt research and development activities or production of our batteries until an alternative supplier is able to supply the required material. Changes in business conditions, unforeseen circumstances, governmental changes, and other factors beyond our control or which we do not presently anticipate, could also affect our suppliers’ ability to deliver components to us on a timely basis. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
We are actively monitoring the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continuing to assess its potential to adversely affect our business. Our business has not been directly impacted by this ongoing military conflict, as we have no assets or operations, and we have not purchased materials from, Russia, Belarus or Ukraine. To date, we have not experienced any material disruption in our business. Accordingly, we have not yet taken measures to mitigate potential adverse effects of such conflict. However, the length and outcome of
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is highly unpredictable. The conflict may continue to cause significant market and other disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, supply of components and supply chain interruptions, which could adversely and adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Currency fluctuations, geopolitics, trade barriers, embargoes, tariffs or shortages and other general economic or political conditions may limit our ability to obtain key components for our batteries or significantly increase freight charges, raw material costs and other expenses associated with our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
The battery market is intensely competitive. Competitors include new entrants and established companies, many of which have significantly greater resources than us. Our battery products must compete with advances in new battery chemistries and manufacturing methods as well as continued improvements in conventional batteries and battery anodes.
The battery market in which we compete continues to evolve rapidly and is highly competitive. To date, we have focused our efforts on our silicon anode technology, which is designed to outperform conventional lithium-ion battery technology and other battery technologies. However, lithium-ion battery technology has been widely adopted and our current competitors have, and future competitors may have, greater resources than us and may also be able to devote greater resources to the development of their current and future technologies. These competitors also may have greater access to customers and may be able to establish cooperative or strategic relationships amongst themselves or with third parties that may further enhance their resources and competitive positioning. In addition, lithium-ion battery manufacturers may make improvements in energy density faster than they have historically, continue to reduce cost and expand supply of conventional batteries and therefore reduce our energy density advantage and price premium, which would negatively impact the prospects for our business or negatively impact our ability to sell our battery products at a market-competitive price and with sufficient margins.
There are a number of companies seeking to develop alternative approaches to lithium-ion battery technology. We expect competition in battery technology to intensify. Developments in alternative technologies or improvements in batteries technology made by competitors may materially adversely affect the sales, pricing and gross margins of our batteries. If a competing technology is developed that has superior operational or price performance, our business will be harmed. If we fail to accurately predict and ensure that our battery technology can address customers’ changing needs or emerging technological trends, or if our customers fail to achieve the benefits expected from our silicon anode technology, our business will be harmed.
We expect to commit significant resources to scale our battery manufacturing capacity and maintain a competitive position, and these commitments may be made without knowing whether such investments will result in products potential customers will accept. There is no assurance we will successfully identify new customer requirements, develop and bring our batteries to market on a timely basis, or that products and technologies developed by others will not render our batteries obsolete or noncompetitive, any of which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Customers will be less likely to purchase our batteries if they are not convinced that our business will succeed in the long term. Similarly, suppliers and other third parties will be less likely to invest time and resources in developing business relationships with us if they are not convinced that our business will succeed in the long term. Accordingly, in order to build and maintain our business, we must maintain confidence among current and future partners, customers, suppliers, analysts, ratings agencies and other parties in our long-term financial viability and business prospects. Maintaining such confidence may be particularly complicated by certain factors including those that are largely outside of our control, such as our limited operating history,
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market unfamiliarity with our battery products, any delays in scaling manufacturing, delivery and service operations to meet demand, competition and uncertainty regarding our production and sales performance compared with market expectations.
Our future sales opportunities depend in part on the growth of markets for battery-powered aviation applications. These applications may develop slower or at a size that is less than expected, to the extent they develop at all.
Our growth and future demand for our battery products is dependent in part upon the adoption by consumers of alternative fuel vehicles in general and battery-powered aviation applications in particular. The market for new energy vehicles is still evolving, characterized by changing technologies, competitive pricing and competitive factors, evolving government regulation and industry standards, and changing consumer demands and behaviors.
Market estimates and growth forecasts are also subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may prove to be inaccurate. For example, if the assumptions that we base our market forecasts on, including the continued development and availability of high performance batteries at a competitive price point, OEM investment in aircraft and software, consumer preference and, with respect to electric air transportation, regulatory approval and the requisite infrastructure, are incorrect, this expected growth may occur slower than expected, if it occurs at all. If the market for battery-powered applications in general does not develop as expected, or develops more slowly than expected, our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations could be harmed.
Developments in alternative technology or other fossil fuel alternatives may adversely affect the demand for our battery products.
Significant developments in alternative technologies, such as fuel cell technology, advanced diesel, ethanol or natural gas, or breathing batteries, may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations in ways that we may not currently anticipate. Existing and other battery technologies, fuels or sources of energy may emerge as customers’ preferred alternatives to our battery products. Any failure by us to develop new or enhanced technologies or processes, or to react to changes in existing technologies, could materially delay our development and introduction of new and enhanced alternative products, which could result in decreased revenue and adversely affect our prospects.
Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in alternative fuels or aviation and electric vehicle (“EV”) technology. As technologies evolve, we plan to develop more efficient manufacturing processes, and advanced battery chemistry, which may also negatively impact the adoption of our other battery products. However, we may not compete effectively with alternative systems if we are not able to develop, source and integrate the latest technology into our battery products.
We have pursued and may continue to pursue development agreements and other strategic alliances, which could have an adverse impact on our business if they are unsuccessful.
We have entered into development agreements and master supply agreements with certain of our customers, and may in the future enter into similar arrangements and development agreements with our customers, including with Airbus and the U.S. Army. While offering potential benefits, these strategic alliances with OEMs and others could subject us to a number of risks, including risks associated with sharing proprietary information, non-performance by our partners and costs of establishing and maintaining new strategic alliances, any of which may materially and adversely affect our business. We may have limited ability to monitor or control the actions of our partners and, to the extent any of them suffers negative publicity or harm to their reputation from events relating to their business, we may also suffer negative publicity or harm to our reputation by virtue of our association with them. For example, if we rely on our partners’ manufacturing facilities, those operations would be outside of our control. We could experience delays if our partners do not meet agreed-upon timelines or experience capacity constraints, and in turn, we could lose customers and face reputational harm.
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Our ability to grow will depend, in part, on our ability to contract with aviation and EV OEMs to incorporate our batteries in their products, which will require significant time and expense, and may not come to fruition.
Our success, and our ability to increase revenue and operate profitably, depends in part on our ability to contract with aviation and EV OEMs. This process will require significant time and resources, especially for incorporation into EVs. For example, EV manufacturers frequently require several years of evaluation prior to incorporating new products, like our batteries, into their EVs. This evaluation process includes, among other things, extensive safety and abuse tests, performance tests and cost modeling. We have not begun this process with any EV manufacturers. Thus, our efforts to expand our manufacturing and sales to OEMs may not be successful, and may never result in products that achieve market acceptance, create additional revenue or become profitable, thus harming our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Our research and development efforts strive to create products that are on the cutting edge of technology and meeting the evolving requirements of our customers, but competition in our industry is high. To secure acceptance of our battery products, we must also constantly develop and introduce cost-effective, increasingly more scalable silicon anode batteries with enhanced functionality and performance to meet evolving industry standards. If we are unable to retain and grow our existing customer relationships, or convert early trial deployments into meaningful orders, our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
If existing customers do not make subsequent purchases from us or renew their contracts with us, our revenue could decline, and our results of operations would be adversely impacted.
We derive a significant portion of our revenue from existing customers that expand their relationships with us. Increasing the size and number of the deployments of our existing customers is an important part of our growth strategy. We may not be effective in executing this or any other aspect of our growth strategy.
For our customers who individually represent 10% or more of our revenue, four customers together accounted for 73% of our revenue during the year ended December 31, 2022 and two customers together accounted for 80% of our revenue during the year ended December 31, 2021. Certain of our customers, including customers that represent a significant portion of our business, have in the past reduced their spend with us or terminated their agreements with us, which has reduced our anticipated future cash receipts or revenue from these customers. It is not possible for us to predict the future level of demand from our larger customers for our battery products, and there can be no assurance that our existing customers will continue to purchase from us.
Achieving renewal or expansion of deployments may require us to increasingly engage in sophisticated and costly sales efforts that may not result in additional sales. In addition, our customers’ decisions to expand the use of our battery products depends on a number of factors, including general economic conditions, the functioning of our batteries, and our customers’ satisfaction with our battery products. If our efforts to expand within our existing customer base are not successful, our business may suffer.
We may require additional capital to support business growth, and this capital might not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
We may need additional capital before we commence production at scale, and it may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. For example, our capital budget assumes, among other things, that our development timeline progresses as planned and our corresponding expenditures are consistent with current expectations, both of which are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described herein, and, as needed, that we are able to utilize the Committed Equity Financing (as defined below).
More specifically, we expect our capital expenditures and working capital requirements to increase materially in the near future, as we design our automated, high-volume manufacturing line and scale up production. Through this process, we expect our operating expenses will increase substantially on account of increased headcount and other general and administrative expenses necessary to support a rapidly growing company.
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As a result, we may need to access the debt and equity capital markets, including through the Committed Equity Financing, to obtain additional financing in the future. However, these sources of financing may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Our ability to obtain additional financing will be subject to a number of factors, including:
| • | market conditions; |
| • | the level of success with our current manufacturing capabilities; |
| • | our operating performance; |
| • | investor sentiment; and |
| • | our ability to incur additional debt in compliance with any agreements governing our then-outstanding debt. |
Additionally, the sale of a substantial number of securities under our existing registration statements, or the anticipation of such sales, could make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in the future at a time and at a price that we might otherwise wish to effect sales. See “—Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock—Sales of substantial amounts of our Common Stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could cause the market price of our Common Stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.”
Further, the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has had an adverse impact on the global economy and financial markets. Although our business has not been directly impacted by this ongoing military conflict, as we have no assets or operations, and we have not purchased materials from, Russia, Belarus or Ukraine, it is impossible to predict the extent to which our operations, or those of our customers, suppliers and manufacturers, will be impacted in the short and long term, or the ways in which the conflict may impact our business. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be material.
These factors may make the timing, amount, terms or conditions of additional financings unattractive to us. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity, equity-linked or debt securities, those securities may have rights, references or privileges senior to the rights of our currently issued and outstanding equity or debt, and our existing stockholders may experience dilution. If we are unable to generate sufficient funds from operations or raise additional capital, we may be forced to take actions to reduce our capital or operating expenditures, including by eliminating redundancies, or reducing or delaying our production facility expansions, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
It is not possible to predict the actual number of shares we will sell under the Purchase Agreement to BRPC II, or the actual gross proceeds resulting from those sales.
On September 27, 2022, we entered into a Common Stock Purchase Agreement with BRPC II (“Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which BRPC II committed to purchase up to $200.0 million of shares of our Common Stock, subject to certain limitations and conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement (the “Committed Equity Financing”). The shares of our Common Stock that may be issued under the Purchase Agreement may be sold by us to BRPC II at our discretion from time to time until January 1, 2025.
We generally have the right to control the timing and amount of any sales of our shares of Common Stock to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement. Sales of our Common Stock, if any, to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement will depend upon market conditions and other factors to be determined by us. We may ultimately decide to sell to BRPC II all, some or none of the shares of our Common Stock that may be available for us to sell to BRPC II pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.
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As consideration for BRPC II’s commitment to purchase shares of Common Stock at our direction upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, upon execution of the Purchase Agreement, we issued 84,793 shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Commitment Shares”) to BRPC II. Upon our receipt of total aggregate gross cash proceeds equal to $100.0 million from BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement, we will issue 84,793 additional shares of Common Stock (collectively with the Initial Commitment Shares, the “Commitment Shares”) to BRPC II. Any shares of Common Stock issued in the Committed Equity Financing to BRPC II other than the Commitment Shares will be purchased by BRPC II at current market prices less a 3.0% fixed discount. Because the purchase price per share to be paid by BRPC II for the shares of Common Stock that we may elect to sell to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement, if any, will fluctuate based on the market prices of our Common Stock at the time we elect to sell shares to BRPC II pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, if any, it is not possible for us to predict, prior to any such sales, the number of shares of Common Stock that we will sell to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement, the purchase price per share that BRPC II will pay for shares purchased from us under the Purchase Agreement, or the aggregate gross proceeds that we will receive from those purchases by BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement.
Although the Purchase Agreement provides that we may sell up to an aggregate of $200.0 million of our Common Stock to BRPC II, only 16,825,366 shares of our Common Stock were registered for resale under a registration statement on Form S-1 (the “Committed Equity Registration Statement”) filed with the SEC on September 30, 2022 and declared effective by the SEC on December 27, 2022. If it becomes necessary for us to issue and sell to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement more than the 16,825,366 shares being registered for resale under the Committed Equity Registration Statement in order to receive aggregate gross proceeds equal to $200.0 million under the Purchase Agreement, we must first file with the SEC one or more additional registration statements to register under the Securities Act the resale by BRPC II of any such additional shares of our Common Stock we wish to sell from time to time under the Purchase Agreement, which the SEC must declare effective before we may elect to sell any additional shares of our Common Stock to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement.
Under the applicable rules of the NYSE, in no event may we issue to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement more than 16,825,366 shares of Common Stock, which number of shares is equal to 19.99% of the shares of the Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the execution of the Purchase Agreement (the “Exchange Cap”), unless we obtain stockholder approval to issue shares of Common Stock in excess of the Exchange Cap in accordance with the applicable NYSE rules. The Exchange Cap is not applicable to issuances and sales of Common Stock pursuant to VWAP Purchases (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) and Intraday VWAP Purchases (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) that we may effect pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, to the extent such shares of Common Stock are sold in such VWAP Purchases and Intraday VWAP Purchases (as applicable) at a price equal to or in excess of the applicable “minimum price” (as defined in the applicable listing rules of the NYSE) of the Common Stock, calculated at the time such VWAP Purchases and Intraday VWAP Purchases (as applicable) are effected by us under the Purchase Agreement, if any, as adjusted to take into account our issuance of the Commitment Shares to BRPC II and our reimbursement of a certain amount of BRPC II’s legal fees and expenses. Moreover, we may not issue or sell any shares of Common Stock to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement that, when aggregated with all other shares of Common Stock then beneficially owned by BRPC II and its affiliates (as calculated pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 13d-3 thereunder), would result in BRPC II beneficially owning more than 4.99% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.
Any issuance and sale by us under the Purchase Agreement of a substantial number of shares of Common Stock in addition to the 16,825,366 shares of Common Stock that were registered for resale by BRPC II under the Committed Equity Registration Statement could cause additional substantial dilution to our stockholders. The number of shares of our Common Stock ultimately offered for sale by BRPC II is dependent upon the number of shares of Common Stock, if any, we ultimately elect to sell to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement.
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Our future growth and success depend in part on our ability to grow our customer base and effectively sell to a wide variety of customers.
Our potential customers are manufacturers of products that tend to be large enterprises or governmental agencies. Therefore, our future success will depend on our ability to grow our customer base and effectively sell to a wide variety of customers. Sales to these end-customers involve risks that may not be present (or that are present to a lesser extent) with sales to smaller customers. These risks include, but are not limited to, (i) increased purchasing power and leverage held by large customers in negotiating contractual arrangements with us and (ii) longer sales cycles and the associated risk that substantial time and resources may be spent on a potential end-customer that elects not to purchase our solutions.
Large organizations often undertake a significant evaluation process that results in a lengthy sales cycle. In addition, product purchases by large organizations are frequently subject to budget constraints, multiple approvals and unanticipated administrative, processing and other delays. Finally, large organizations typically have longer implementation cycles, require greater product functionality and scalability, require a broader range of services, demand that vendors take on a larger share of risks, require acceptance provisions that can lead to a delay in revenue recognition and expect greater payment flexibility. All of these factors can add further risk to business conducted with these potential customers.
In addition, if we were unable to maintain or increase our customer retention rates or generate new customers in a cost-effective manner, our business, financial condition and results of operations would likely be adversely affected. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain or grow our customer base in a cost-effective way. If we are unable to develop high quality products at scale, or introduce new products, we may fail to attract new customers or lose our existing customers, which could adversely affect our growth and profitability.
Our business model has yet to be tested and any failure to realize our strategic plans would have an adverse effect on our operating results and business, harm our reputation and could result in substantial liabilities that exceed our resources.
There is additional risk associated with new enterprises like Amprius, that are encountering new challenges and issues for the first time, many of which are beyond our control, including substantial risks and expenses in the course of establishing or entering new markets, organizing operations and undertaking marketing activities. The likelihood of our success must be considered in light of these risks, expenses, complications, delays and the competitive environment in which we operate. There is, therefore, nothing at this time upon which to base an assumption that our business plan will prove successful, and we may not be able to generate significant revenue, raise additional capital or operate profitably. We will continue to encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced by early commercial stage companies, including scaling up our infrastructure and headcount, and may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties or delays in connection with our growth. In addition, as a result of the capital requirements of our business, we can be expected to continue to sustain substantial operating expenses without generating sufficient revenue to cover expenditures. Any investment in our company is therefore highly speculative and could result in the loss of your entire investment.
It is difficult to predict our future revenues and appropriately budget for our expenses, and we have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business. In the event that actual results differ from our estimates or we adjust our estimates in future periods, our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations could be materially affected.
We are an early stage company with a history of financial losses and expect to incur significant expenses and continuing losses for the foreseeable future.
We have incurred significant operating losses since our inception. We incurred net losses of $17.3 million and $9.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We believe that we will continue to incur operating and net losses each quarter until at least the time we begin scaled production of our batteries.
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We expect the rate at which we will incur losses to be significantly higher in future periods as we, among other things: continue to incur significant expenses in connection with building out our high-volume manufacturing facility and manufacturing line; endeavor to hire the experienced scientific, quality-control, and manufacturing personnel needed to operate our scaled manufacturing processes; build up inventories of components for our batteries; increase our sales and marketing activities; develop our distribution infrastructure; and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations. We may find that these efforts are more expensive than we currently anticipate or that these efforts may not result in revenues, which would further increase our losses.
If we fail to effectively manage our future personnel growth, we may not be able to market and sell our batteries successfully.
Our future success depends upon our ability to grow, and if we are unable to manage our personnel growth effectively, we may incur unexpected expenses and be unable to meet our eventual customers’ requirements, all of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations. To manage our current and anticipated future growth effectively, we must continue to maintain and enhance our infrastructure, financial and accounting systems, and controls. We must also attract, train and retain a significant number of scientists, engineers, sales and marketing personnel, technical and manufacturing personnel, and management personnel, and the availability of such personnel may be constrained. For more information, see “—Risks Related to Our Technology, Products and Manufacturing—We may not succeed in retaining and attracting key employees, particularly technical talent, needed to operate and build our business successfully.”
As we continue to grow, including from the integration of employees and businesses acquired in connection with future acquisitions, we may find it difficult to maintain important aspects of our corporate culture, which could negatively affect our profitability and our ability to retain and recruit qualified personnel who are essential for our future success. If we do not effectively manage our growth, we may not be able to execute on our growth plan, respond to competitive pressures, take advantage of market opportunities, satisfy customer requirements or manufacture high-quality battery products. Additionally, we may not be able to expand and upgrade our infrastructure to accommodate future growth.
Failure to effectively manage our growth could also lead us to over-invest or under-invest in development and operations; result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, systems or controls; give rise to operational mistakes, financial losses, loss of productivity or business opportunities; and result in loss of employees and reduced productivity of remaining employees. Our growth is expected to require significant capital expenditures, which may lower our earnings, and may divert financial resources from other projects such as the development of new products and services. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, our expenses may increase more than expected, our revenue may not increase or may grow more slowly than expected and we may be unable to implement our business strategy.
We have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic and/or any other pandemic.
We face various risks related to epidemics, pandemics and other outbreaks, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of COVID-19, including changes in consumer and business behavior, pandemic fears and market downturns, and restrictions on business and individual activities, has created significant volatility in the global economy and led to reduced economic activity. If a significant portion of our workforce is unable to work due to COVID-19 illness, quarantine or other government restrictions in connection with COVID-19, our operations may be negatively impacted. The spread of COVID-19 has also impacted our potential customers and suppliers by disrupting the manufacturing, delivery and overall supply chain of battery and device manufacturers. As a result, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could impact the availability of materials and resources necessary for our operations.
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The pandemic has resulted in government authorities implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus, such as travel bans and restrictions, quarantines, stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders, and business shutdowns. For example, some employees at our headquarters located in Fremont, California were subject to a stay-at-home order from the state government for a period of time. These measures have and may continue to adversely impact our employees and operations and the operations of our suppliers, vendors and business partners, and may negatively impact our sales and marketing activities. In addition, various aspects of our business cannot be conducted remotely. These measures by government authorities may remain in place for a significant period of time and could adversely affect our future manufacturing plans, sales and marketing activities, business and results of operations. We may take further actions as may be required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our employees, suppliers, vendors and business partners.
The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the duration and spread of the pandemic, its severity, the actions to contain the virus or treat its impact, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating activities can resume. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, we may continue to experience an adverse impact to our business as a result of its global economic impact, including any economic recession that has occurred or may occur in the future.
There are no comparable recent events that may provide guidance as to the effect of the spread of COVID-19 and a pandemic, and, as a result, the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or a similar health epidemic is highly uncertain.
Certain members of our management do not have experience in operating a public company.
Certain of our executive officers do not have experience in the management of a publicly traded company. Our management team may not successfully or effectively manage our recent transition to being a public company due to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under federal securities laws and the continuous scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. We may not have adequate personnel with the appropriate level of knowledge, experience and training in the policies, practices or internal controls over financial reporting required of public companies in the United States. As a result, we may be required to pay higher outside legal, accounting or consulting costs than our competitors, and our management team members may have to devote a higher proportion of their time to issues relating to compliance with the laws applicable to public companies, both of which might put us at a disadvantage relative to competitors.
Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to protect us from all business risks.
We may be subject, in the ordinary course of business, to losses resulting from product liability, accidents, acts of God, and other claims against us, for which we may have no insurance coverage. As a general matter, the policies that we do have may include significant deductibles or self-insured retentions, and we cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be sufficient to cover all future losses or claims against us. A loss that is uninsured or which exceeds policy limits may require us to pay substantial amounts, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our cash and cash equivalents could be adversely affected if the financial institutions in which we hold our cash and cash equivalents fail.
We regularly maintain cash balances at third-party financial institutions, including Silicon Valley Bank, in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limit. Silicon Valley Bank’s temporary failure to return certain of our deposits briefly impacted access to our invested cash or cash equivalents, and a similar failure of a depository institution to return these deposits, or if a depository institution is subject to other adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets, could further impact access to our invested cash or cash equivalents and could adversely impact our operating liquidity and financial performance.
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We have previously identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting. If we are unable to develop and maintain an effective system of internal controls and procedures required by Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results in a timely manner, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and materially and adversely affect our stock price, business and operating results.
Effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports in a timely manner. In connection with the audit of our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, we identified two material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting that have not been remediated as of December 31, 2022. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The first material weakness was related to not designing or maintaining an effective control environment specific to the areas of our financial reporting and close process, including ineffective review, analysis and approval of journal entries and ineffective review of monthly financial statements. The second material weakness was related to inadequate segregation of incompatible duties due to the small size of our accounting and finance team.
In order to address these identified material weaknesses, we are in the process of increasing resources within our finance department, including the expansion of our accounting, control and compliance functions to develop and implement continued improvements and enhancements to address the overall deficiencies that led to the material weaknesses. Our management believes that these actions will enable us to address the material weaknesses that were identified in a timely manner and maintain a properly designed and effective system of internal control over financial reporting and provide appropriate segregation of duties. However, these remediation measures may be time consuming and costly and there is no assurance that these initiatives will ultimately have the intended effects.
We plan to continue to assess our internal controls and procedures and intend to take further action as necessary or appropriate to address any other matters we identify. We cannot assure you that the measures we have taken to date and may take in the future, will be sufficient to remediate the control deficiencies that led to our material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting or that it will prevent or avoid potential future material weaknesses. The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting is subject to various inherent limitations, including cost limitations, judgments used in decision making, assumptions about the likelihood of future events, the possibility of human error and the risk of fraud. If we are unable to remediate our current material weaknesses or any material weaknesses in the future, our ability to record, process and report financial information accurately, and to prepare financial statements within the time periods specified by the forms of the SEC, could be adversely affected which, in turn, may adversely affect our reputation and business and the market price of our Common Stock. In addition, any such failures could result in litigation or regulatory actions by the SEC or other regulatory authorities, loss of investor confidence, delisting of our securities and harm to our reputation and financial condition, or diversion of financial and management resources from the operation of our business.
In addition, it is possible that control deficiencies could be identified by our management, by our independent registered public accounting firm in the future or may occur without being identified. Such a failure could result in regulatory scrutiny and cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial condition, lead to a default under future indebtedness and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flow or results of operations.
As a public company, we are required, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting for annual reports on Form 10-K that we file with the SEC. Our design of
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internal control over financial reporting following the Business Combination (as defined below) has required and will require significant time and resources from management and other personnel. Therefore, management was unable, without incurring unreasonable effort and expense, to conduct an assessment of our internal control over financial reporting, and accordingly, in compliance with SEC guidance, we have not included a management report on internal control over financial reporting in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. Future assessments will need to include disclosure of any material weaknesses identified by our management in our internal control over financial reporting. Eventually, it is possible that our independent registered public accounting firm will also be required to audit the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in future annual reports on Form 10-K to be filed with the SEC. We are required to disclose changes made in our internal control over financial reporting on a quarterly basis. Failure to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act could potentially subject us to sanctions or investigations by the SEC, the applicable stock exchange or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources. We have begun the process of compiling the system and processing documentation necessary to perform the evaluation needed to comply with Section 404 in the future, but we may not be able to complete our evaluation, testing and any required remediation in a timely fashion.
Our ability to utilize our net operating losses (“NOLs”), tax credit carryforwards, and certain other tax attributes to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.
In general, under Section 382 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” is subject to limitations on its ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards, or NOLs, to offset future taxable income. The limitations apply if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value) in its equity ownership by certain stockholders over a three-year period. If Legacy Amprius experienced an ownership change at any time since its incorporation, we may already be subject to limitations on our ability to utilize Legacy Amprius’ existing NOLs and other tax attributes to offset taxable income or tax liability. In addition, future changes in our stock ownership, which may be outside of our control, may trigger an ownership change. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit our use of accumulated state tax attributes. As a result, even if we earn net taxable income in the future, our ability to use our or Legacy Amprius’ pre-change NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes to offset such taxable income or tax liability may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future income tax liability to us. Further, because Legacy Amprius and Amprius Holdings were members of a consolidated group for U.S. federal income tax purposes up to the Closing Date, NOLs and other tax attributes of Legacy Amprius are available to be utilized by any member of the consolidated group. Accordingly, our existing NOLs and other tax attributes may not be available to offset future income tax liabilities.
There is also a risk that changes in law or regulatory changes made in response to the need for some jurisdictions to raise additional revenue to help counter the fiscal impact from the COVID-19 pandemic or for other unforeseen reasons, including suspensions on the use of net operating losses, tax credits, and other tax attributes, possibly with retroactive effect, may result in our and Legacy Amprius’ existing net operating losses, tax credits, or other tax attributes expiring or otherwise being unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities. Also, starting in fiscal year 2022, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act requires taxpayers to capitalize research and development expenditures and to amortize domestic expenditures over five years and foreign expenditures over 15 years. If Congress does not modify or repeal this provision, it may result in the acceleration of future taxable income (and associated income tax liabilities) for us, beginning in fiscal year 2022. Any resulting income tax liabilities may reduce our cash flows beginning in fiscal year 2023.
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or other taxing authority could assert income tax liability against us, notwithstanding the provisions of the Tax Sharing Agreement.
Under the Tax Sharing Agreement with Amprius Holdings, Amprius Holdings generally would be required to indemnify us for the U.S. federal income tax liabilities of the U.S. federal consolidated group of which
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Amprius Holdings and Legacy Amprius were members (and any similar consolidated, combined or unitary tax group for state tax purposes) for taxable periods prior to (and including) the Closing Date (a “Consolidated Return Year”). The Tax Sharing Agreement also provides that Amprius Holdings will generally control any tax returns and any tax audits or other proceedings for the taxes addressed by the Tax Sharing Agreement. However, the Tax Sharing Agreement is not binding on the IRS or other state taxing authority, and does not prevent the IRS or other state taxing authority from asserting a tax claim against us or Legacy Amprius for any unpaid income tax liabilities of Legacy Amprius or Amprius Holdings for any Consolidated Return Year. If that were to occur, we would be required to seek indemnification against Amprius Holdings for payment of any amounts on such claims, and Amprius Holdings’ ability to satisfy such claims may depend on whether Amprius Holdings is able to sell sufficient shares of our Common Stock to satisfy the tax liability.
The unavailability, reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
We currently, and expect to continue to, benefit from certain government subsidies and economic incentives including tax credits, rebates and other incentives that support the development and adoption of clean energy technology. For example, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 introduces or extends a number of tax credits to promote clean energy development. We cannot assure you that we will be able to benefit from such programs or that these subsidies and incentive programs will be available to us at the same or comparable levels in the future.
Specifically, in October 2022, we were awarded a $50.0 million cost sharing grant from the United States Department of Energy (the “U.S. DOE”). The cost sharing grant is dependent on the successful negotiation of a final contract, and among the terms to be finalized are the portion of relevant costs that will be covered by the grant. Even if we are able to successfully negotiate a final contract, we may not receive any funding if we are not able to satisfy the terms of the grant, including any matching requirements. In addition, such funding may still be insufficient to complete the project.
In addition, we have received commitments of state and local incentive packages providing approximately $10.0 million in tax incentives relating to our design and buildout of a, GWh-scale facility in Brighton, Colorado. Specifically, the Colorado Economic Development Commission approved up to an approximately $5.5 million in Job Growth Incentive Tax Credits for us, over an eight-year period, which are contingent upon us meeting net new job creation and salary requirements. The City of Brighton also approved incentives with a total estimated value of $0.9 million, including a five-year property tax rebate of 100% and a 50% rebate on the city’s use tax collected on construction materials. In addition, the Adams County Regional Economic Partnership approved incentives in the form of tax abatement with performance-based contingencies. If we are not able to enter into a lease agreement on reasonably acceptable terms, our development timeline is delayed or we are not able to achieve the performance-based goals set for the incentives, we may not receive any funding or benefits from the state and local governments of Colorado.
Any reduction, elimination or discriminatory application of government subsidies and economic incentives because of policy changes, or the reduced need for such subsidies and incentives due to the perceived success of clean and renewable energy products or other reasons, may require us to seek additional financing, which may not be obtainable on commercially attractive terms or at all, and may result in the diminished competitiveness of the battery cell industry generally or our silicon anode battery cells in particular. Any change in the level of subsidies and incentives from which we benefit could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
A significant portion of our business depends on sales to the public sector, and our failure to receive and maintain government contracts or changes in the contracting or fiscal policies of the public sector could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We currently rely on U.S. government contracts (as a prime contractor or subcontractor) for a material portion of our revenue and to partially fund our research and development activities, and we believe that the success and growth of our business will continue to depend on our successful procurement of government contracts.
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Sales to government agencies are subject to a number of challenges and risks. Selling to government agencies can be highly competitive, expensive, and time-consuming, often requiring significant upfront time and expense without any assurance that these efforts will generate a sale. We also must comply with laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration, and performance of contracts, which provide public sector customers rights, many of which are not typically found in commercial contracts.
Accordingly, our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations may be adversely affected by certain events or activities, including, but not limited to:
| • | changes in fiscal or contracting policies or decreases in available government funding; |
| • | changes in government programs or applicable requirements; |
| • | changes in the political environment, including before or after a change to the leadership within the government administration, and any resulting uncertainty or changes in policy or priorities and resultant funding; |
| • | appeals, disputes, or litigation relating to government procurement, including but not limited to bid protests by unsuccessful bidders on potential or actual awards of contracts to us or our partners by the government; |
| • | the adoption of new laws or regulations or changes to existing laws or regulations; |
| • | influence by, or competition from, third parties with respect to pending, new, or existing contracts with government customers; and |
| • | increased or unexpected costs or unanticipated delays caused by other factors outside of our control, such as performance failures of our subcontractors. |
Any such event or activity, among others, could cause governments and governmental agencies to delay or refrain from purchasing our battery products in the future, reduce the size or payment amounts of purchases from existing or new government customers, or otherwise have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Government contracts often also contain provisions and are subject to laws and regulations that provide government customers with additional rights and remedies not typically found in commercial contracts. These rights and remedies allow government customers, among other things, to:
| • | terminate existing contracts for convenience; |
| • | reduce orders under or otherwise modify contracts; |
| • | for contracts subject to the Truth in Negotiations Act, reduce the contract price or cost where it was increased because a contractor or subcontractor furnished cost or pricing data during negotiations that was not complete, accurate, and current; |
| • | for some contracts, (i) demand a refund, make a forward price adjustment, or terminate a contract for default if a contractor provided inaccurate or incomplete data during the contract negotiation process and (ii) reduce the contract price under triggering circumstances, including the revision of price lists or other documents upon which the contract award was predicated; |
| • | decline to exercise an option to renew a multi-year contract; |
| • | claim rights in solutions, systems, or technology produced by us, appropriate such work-product for their continued use without continuing to contract for our services, and disclose such work-product to third parties, including other government agencies and our competitors, which could harm our competitive position; |
| • | prohibit future procurement awards with a particular agency due to a finding of organizational conflicts of interest; |
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| • | suspend or debar us from doing business with the applicable government; and |
| • | control or prohibit the export of our battery products and technology. |
Government contracts are also generally subject to greater scrutiny by the government, which can initiate reviews, audits and investigations regarding our compliance with government contract requirements. Current and new regulations or procurement requirements (including, for example regulations regarding counterfeit and corrupt parts, supply chain diligence, mandatory socioeconomic compliance requirements and cybersecurity) or changes to current requirements could increase our costs and risk of non-compliance. Failure to comply with government contracting laws, regulations and contract requirements, or adverse findings from a government audit or investigation can lead to criminal, civil or administrative proceedings (including pursuant to the False Claims Act), termination of contracts, forfeiture of profits, suspension of payments, adverse media coverage, fines and suspension or debarment from doing business with U.S. government agencies, all of which may have an adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Our technology and our website, systems, and data we maintain may be subject to intentional disruption, security breaches and other security incidents, or alleged violations of laws, regulations, or other obligations relating to data handling that could result in liability and adversely impact our reputation and future sales. We may be required to expend significant resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures to detect, investigate and remediate vulnerabilities to security breaches and incidents. Any actual or alleged failure to comply with applicable cybersecurity or data privacy legislation or regulation could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, results of operations or financial condition.
We expect to face significant challenges with respect to information security and maintaining the security and integrity of our systems and other systems used in our business, as well as with respect to the data stored on or processed by these systems. We also anticipate receiving and storing confidential business information of our partners and customers. Advances in technology, an increased level of sophistication and expertise of hackers, and new discoveries in the field of cryptography can result in a compromise or breach of the systems used in our business or of security measures used in our business to protect confidential information, personal information, and other data. We may be a target for attacks designed to disrupt our operations or to attempt to gain access to our systems or to data that we possess, including proprietary information that we obtain from our partners pursuant to our agreements with them. We also are at risk for interruptions, outages and breaches of our and our outsourced service providers’ operational systems and security systems, our integrated software and technology, and data that we or our third-party service providers process or possess. These may be caused by, among other causes, physical theft, viruses, or other malicious code, denial or degradation of service attacks, ransomware, social engineering schemes, and insider theft or misuse. We have suffered security incidents in the past. In December 2021, we experienced a ransomware incident and notified certain employees of such incident. The security risks we and our outsourced service providers face could also be elevated in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as we and our outsourced service providers are vulnerable to a heightened risk of cyberattacks from or affiliated with nation-state actors, including retaliatory attacks from Chinese or Russian actors against U.S.-based companies.
The availability and effectiveness of our silicon anode technology and our ability to conduct our business and operations depend on the continued operation of information technology and communications systems, some of which we have yet to develop or otherwise obtain the ability to use. Systems we currently use or may use in the future in conducting our business, including data centers and other information technology systems, will be vulnerable to damage or interruption. Such systems could also be subject to break-ins, sabotage and intentional acts of vandalism, as well as disruptions and security breaches and security incidents as a result of non-technical issues, including intentional or inadvertent acts or omissions by employees, service providers, or others. We currently use, and may use in the future, outsourced service providers to help provide certain services, and any such outsourced service providers face similar security and system disruption risks as us. Our ability to monitor our outsourced service providers’ security measures is limited, and, in any event, third parties may be able to circumvent those security measures, resulting in the unauthorized access to, misuse, acquisition, disclosure, loss,
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alteration, or destruction of personal, confidential, or other data, including data relating to individuals. Some of the systems used in our business will not be fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. Any data security incidents or other disruptions to any data centers or other systems used in our business could result in lengthy interruptions in our service and may adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Significant capital and other resources may be required in efforts to protect against information security breaches, security incidents, and system disruptions, or to alleviate problems caused by actual or suspected information security breaches and other data security incidents and system disruptions. The resources required may increase over time as the methods used by hackers and others engaged in online criminal activities and otherwise seeking to obtain unauthorized access to systems or data, and to disrupt systems, are increasingly sophisticated and constantly evolving. In particular, ransomware attacks have become more prevalent in the industrial sector, which could materially and adversely affect our ability to operate and may result in significant expense.
In addition, we may face increased compliance burdens regarding such requirements with regulators and customers regarding our battery products and also incur additional costs for oversight and monitoring of our supply chain. These additional compliance and logistical burdens are attenuated through our international partnerships. We also cannot be certain that these systems, networks, and other infrastructure or technology upon which we rely, including those of our third-party suppliers or service providers, will be effectively implemented, maintained or expanded as planned, or will be free from bugs, defects, errors, vulnerabilities, viruses, ransomware, or other malicious code. We may be required to expend significant resources to make corrections or to remediate issues that are identified or to find alternative sources.
Any failure or perceived failure by us or our service providers to prevent information security breaches or other security incidents or system disruptions, or any compromise of security that results in or is perceived or reported to result in unauthorized access to, or loss, theft, alteration, release or transfer of, our information, or any personal information, confidential information, or other data could result in loss or theft of proprietary or sensitive data and intellectual property, could harm our reputation and competitive position and could expose us to legal claims, regulatory investigations and proceedings, and fines, penalties, and other liability. Any such actual or perceived security breach, security incident or disruption could also divert the efforts of our technical and management personnel and could require us to incur significant costs and operational consequences in connection with investigating, remediating, eliminating and putting in place additional tools, devices, policies, and other measures designed to prevent actual or perceived security breaches and other incidents and system disruptions. Moreover, we could be required or otherwise find it appropriate to expend significant capital and other resources to respond to, notify third parties of, and otherwise address the incident or breach and its root cause, and most jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals, regulatory authorities and others of security breaches involving certain types of data.
Further, we cannot assure that any limitations of liability provisions in our current or future contracts that may be applicable would be enforceable or adequate or would otherwise protect us from any liabilities or damages with respect to any particular claim relating to a security breach or other security-related matter. We also cannot be sure that our existing insurance coverage will continue to be available on acceptable terms or will be available in sufficient amounts to cover claims related to a security breach or incident, or that the insurer will not deny coverage as to any future claim. The successful assertion of claims against us that exceed available insurance coverage, or the occurrence of changes in our insurance policies, including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including our reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.
Additionally, laws, regulations, and other actual and potential obligations relating to privacy, data hosting and other processing of data, data protection, and data security are evolving rapidly, and we expect to potentially be subject to new laws and regulations, or new interpretations of laws and regulations, in the future in various
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jurisdictions. These laws, regulations, and other obligations, and changes in their interpretation, could require us to modify our operations and practices, restrict our activities, and increase our costs. Further, these laws, regulations, and other obligations are complex and evolving rapidly, and we cannot provide assurance that we will not be subject to claims, allegations, or other proceedings related to actual or alleged obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or data security. It is possible that these laws, regulations, and other obligations may be inconsistent with one another or be interpreted or asserted to be inconsistent with our business or practices. We anticipate needing to dedicate substantial resources to comply with laws, regulations, and other obligations relating to privacy and data security in order to comply. Any failure or alleged or perceived failure to comply with any applicable laws, regulations, or other obligations relating to privacy, data protection, or data security could also result in regulatory investigations and proceedings, and misuse of or failure to secure data relating to individuals could also result in claims and proceedings against us by governmental entities or others, penalties and other liability, and damage to our reputation and credibility, and could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
UBS Securities LLC (“UBS”), one of the underwriters in the IPO, was to be compensated, in part, on a deferred basis for already-rendered underwriting services in connection with the IPO, yet UBS gratuitously, and without any consideration from Kensington, waived such compensation. As a result, UBS disclaims any responsibility for the Company’s registration statement on Form S-4 and the related proxy statement/prospectus filed in connection with the Business Combination and will not be associated with the disclosure or underlying business analysis related to the Business Combination.
UBS acted as an underwriter in the IPO. The underwriters in the IPO received an underwriting discount of $0.20 per unit, or $4.6 million in the aggregate, upon the closing of the IPO. Subject to certain limitations, an additional fee of $0.18 per unit, or approximately $4.0 million in the aggregate, was agreed to be paid to the underwriters for deferred underwriting commissions at the consummation of the Business Combination. Prior to the consummation of the Business Combination, on September 6, 2022, UBS sent Kensington a letter stating that it is resigning, and is ceasing and refusing to act, as an underwriter in connection with the Business Combination and the related registration statement on Form S-4. In addition, following the delivery of such resignation letter, UBS gratuitously, and without any consideration from Kensington, waived its claim to the deferred underwriting commission, despite having performed all of its obligations to obtain the fee upon closing of the Business Combination. UBS did not communicate to Kensington its reasons for its resignation or waiving the deferred underwriting commission, and Kensington did not correspond with UBS about the reasons for its resignation or waiver.
The Company does not currently have any ongoing relationship with UBS. UBS was not involved in the preparation of any disclosure included in the Company’s proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC on September 1, 2022 relating to the Business Combination. Further, UBS did not assist in the preparation or review of any materials for Kensington or Legacy Amprius in connection with the Business Combination and did not participate in any other aspect of the Business Combination. As such, the resignation by UBS did not impact Kensington’s evaluation of the Business Combination. However, investors should be aware that a fee waiver for services already rendered is unusual. As a result of such resignation, UBS disclaims any responsibility for the Company’s registration statement on Form S-4 and the related proxy statement/prospectus filed in connection with the Business Combination and will not be associated with the disclosure or underlying business analysis related to the Business Combination. You should not put any reliance on the fact that UBS was previously involved with any aspect of the Business Combination.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
We rely heavily on our intellectual property portfolio. If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights, our business and competitive position would be harmed.
We may not be able to prevent unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position. We rely upon a combination of various intellectual property protections afforded by
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patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws in the United States and other jurisdictions, as well as contractual protections afforded by license agreements and other agreements, to establish, maintain and enforce rights in our proprietary technologies. In addition, we seek to protect our intellectual property rights through nondisclosure and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants, and through non-disclosure agreements with business partners and other third parties. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, third parties may, without proper authorization, attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property or be able to design around our intellectual property. Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly, and the steps we have taken or will take to prevent misappropriation may not be adequate, sufficient, or effective. Any enforcement efforts we undertake, including litigation, could be time-consuming and expensive and could divert management’s attention, which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, certain proprietary technology that is stored on computer systems could be penetrated by intruders and potentially misappropriated. There is no guarantee that our efforts to protect our computer systems will be effective. In addition, existing intellectual property laws and contractual remedies may afford less protection than needed to safeguard our intellectual property portfolio.
Patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws vary significantly throughout the world. A number of foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. Therefore, our intellectual property rights may not be as strong or as easily enforced outside of the United States and efforts to protect against the unauthorized use of our intellectual property rights, technology and other proprietary rights may be more expensive and difficult outside of the United States. Further, we have not established our intellectual property rights in all countries in the world, and competitors may copy our designs and technology and operate in countries in which it has not prosecuted our intellectual property. Failure to adequately protect our intellectual property rights could result in our competitors using our intellectual property to offer products, and competitors’ ability to design around our intellectual property would enable competitors to offer similar or better batteries, in each case potentially resulting in the loss of some of our competitive advantage and a decrease in our revenue which, would adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
We may need to defend ourselves against intellectual property infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and could cause us to incur substantial costs.
Companies, organizations or individuals, including our current and future competitors, may hold or obtain patents, trademarks or other proprietary rights that would prevent, limit or interfere with our ability to make, use, develop, distribute, or sell our battery products, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. From time to time, we may receive inquiries from holders of patents or trademarks inquiring whether we are infringing their proprietary rights and/or seek court declarations that they do not infringe upon our intellectual property rights. Companies holding patents or other intellectual property rights relating to batteries, electric motors or electronic power management systems may bring suits alleging infringement by our battery products of such rights or otherwise asserting their rights and seeking licenses. In addition, if we are determined to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property rights, we may be required to do one or more of the following:
| • | cease selling, incorporating or using products that incorporate the challenged intellectual property; |
| • | pay substantial damages; |
| • | obtain a license from the holder of the infringed intellectual property right, which license may not be available on reasonable terms or at all; or |
| • | redesign our batteries. |
We have in the past experienced infringement claims from non-practicing organizations (sometimes referred to as “patent trolls”) filing lawsuits for patent infringement. For example, in December 2020, we settled a patent infringement case against us and agreed to make licensing payments in connection with such settlement. We may be subject to additional infringement claims in the future, and even if we believe such claims are without merit,
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such claims are time-consuming, expensive to litigate or settle and can divert management’s resources and attention. An adverse determination could require that we pay damages, which could be substantial, or stop using technologies found to be in violation of a third-party’s rights and could prevent us from selling our batteries. In order to avoid these restrictions, we may have to seek a license for the technology. Any such license may not be available on reasonable terms or at all, could require us to pay significant royalties and may significantly increase our operating expenses or otherwise seriously harm our business or operating results.
In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us and our failure or inability to obtain a license to the infringed technology, our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. In addition, any litigation or claims, whether or not valid, could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management’s attention.
We also license patents and other intellectual property from third parties, and we may face claims that our use of this intellectual property infringes the rights of others. In such cases, we may seek indemnification from our licensors under our license contracts with them. However, our rights to indemnification may be unavailable or insufficient to cover our costs and losses, depending on our use of the technology, whether we choose to retain control over conduct of the litigation, and other factors.
Our patent applications may not result in issued patents or our patent rights may be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from interfering with our commercialization of our batteries.
Our patent applications may not result in issued patents, which may have a material adverse effect on our ability to prevent others from commercially exploiting products similar to ours. The status of patents involves complex legal and factual questions and the breadth of claims allowed is uncertain. As a result, we cannot be certain that the patent applications that we file will result in patents being issued, or that our patents and any patents that may be issued to us will afford protection against competitors with similar technology. Numerous patents and pending patent applications owned by others exist in the fields in which we have developed and is and will be developing our technology. In addition to those who may claim priority, any of our existing or pending patents may also be challenged by others on the basis that they are otherwise invalid or unenforceable. Furthermore, patent applications filed in foreign countries are subject to laws, rules and procedures that differ from those of the United States, and thus we cannot be certain that foreign patent applications related to issued U.S. patents will be issued.
Even if our patent applications succeed and we are issued patents in accordance with them, it is still uncertain whether these patents will be contested, circumvented, invalidated or limited in scope in the future. The rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us with meaningful protection or competitive advantages, and some foreign countries provide significantly less effective patent enforcement than what the United States provides. In addition, the claims under any patents that issued to us may not be broad enough to prevent others from developing technologies that are similar or that achieve results similar to ours. The intellectual property rights of others could also bar or limit us from licensing, exploiting, or enforcing any patents issued to us. In addition, patents issued to us may be infringed upon or designed around by others and others may obtain patents that it needs to license or design around, either of which would increase costs and may adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
We may obtain licenses on technology that has not been commercialized or has been commercialized only to a limited extent, and the success of our business may be adversely affected if such technology does not perform as expected.
From time to time, we may license from third parties, technologies that have not been commercialized or which have been commercialized only to a limited extent. These technologies may not perform as expected within our silicon anode battery cells and related products. If the cost, performance characteristics, manufacturing process or other specifications of these licensed technologies fall short of our targets, our expected sales, costs, time to market, competitive advantage, future product pricing and potential operating margins may be adversely affected.
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Risks Related to Litigation and Regulatory Compliance
Our operations expose us to litigation, environmental and other legal compliance risks. Compliance with laws and regulations can be expensive, and our failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in monetary damages and fines, adverse publicity and a material adverse effect on our business.
We are subject to a variety of litigation, environmental, health and safety, investment screening and national security laws, and other legal compliance risks. These risks include, among other things, possible liability relating to product liability matters, personal injuries, intellectual property rights, contract-related claims, health and safety liabilities, employment-related liabilities, environmental matters, investment screening and national security laws, and compliance with U.S. and foreign laws, competition laws and laws governing improper business practices.
Our operations in the United States are subject to numerous environmental laws and regulations, including federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to, among other things: water; natural resources; discharges; emissions; chemicals; solid and hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal; remediation of releases of hazardous materials; and contamination. Compliance with these laws can be difficult and costly. For example, battery life cycle management regulations and regulations governing the transport of batteries may impose substantial requirements on our operations in the United States. Our operations may be required to obtain and comply with environmental permits, many of which may be difficult and expensive to obtain and must be renewed on a periodic basis. A failure to comply with these laws, regulations or permits could result in substantial liabilities, including fines, penalties, the suspension or loss of permits, and possibly orders to cease the non-compliant operations. Our manufacturing process will have hazards such as, but not limited to, hazardous materials, machines with moving parts, and high voltage and/or high current electrical systems typical of large manufacturing equipment and related safety incidents. There may be safety incidents that damage machinery or manufacturing components, slow or stop production, or harm employees. Consequences may include litigation, regulation, fines, increased insurance premiums, mandates to temporarily halt production, workers’ compensation claims, or other actions that impact our brand, finances or ability to operate.
As a business with international reach, we are subject to complex laws and regulations, including investment screening laws, in jurisdictions in which we operate. Those laws and regulations may be interpreted in different ways. They may also change from time to time, as may related interpretations and other guidance. Changes in laws or regulations could result in higher expenses and payments, and uncertainty relating to laws or regulations may also affect how we conduct our operations and structure our investments and could limit our ability to enforce our rights.
Changes in environmental and climate laws or regulations, including laws relating to greenhouse gas emissions, could lead to new or additional investment in manufacturing designs, subject us to additional costs and restrictions, including increased energy and raw materials costs, and could increase environmental compliance expenditures. We are subject to various environmental laws and regulations on air emission, waste water discharge, solid waste, noise and the disposal of hazardous materials. Cobalt and lithium are toxic materials that are important raw materials in our batteries. We also use, generate and discharge other toxic, volatile and hazardous chemicals and wastes in our research, development and manufacturing activities. Under U.S. environmental regulations, we are required to maintain the pollutant emission levels at the facility within the levels prescribed by the relevant governmental authorities and obtain a pollution discharge permit for water and air emissions. Future changes to environmental laws or permit requirements could require us to install new control equipment or otherwise change operations in order to comply with any such change in laws or permit requirements. In addition, certain laws and regulations require enterprises like us that generate hazardous wastes to engage companies which are licensed and qualified to process the hazardous wastes, and to collect, store, dispose of and transfer the hazardous waste.
If we fail to comply with national and local environmental protection laws and regulations, the relevant governmental authorities may impose fines or deadlines to cure instances of noncompliance, and may even order
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us to cease operations if we fail to comply with their requirements. In particular, any breach by us in connection with requirements relating to the handling of hazardous wastes may subject us to monetary damages and fines. In addition, if any third party suffers any loss as a result of our pollutant emission practices, our improper handling of hazardous wastes or our noncompliance with environmental regulations, such third parties may seek damages from us.
We cannot assure you that we will be able to comply with all environmental laws and regulations at all times as the environmental legal regime is evolving and becoming more stringent, especially in the United States. Therefore, if these or other governments where we do business impose more stringent regulations in the future, we will have to incur additional substantial costs and expenses in order to comply with new regulations, which may negatively affect our results of operations. If we fail to comply with any of the present or future environmental regulations in any material aspect or cause any loss to any third parties due to our pollutant emission practices, improper handling of hazardous wastes or other environmental noncompliance, we may suffer from negative publicity and may be required to pay substantial fines, pay damages to such third parties, or suspend or even cease operations, all of which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations. Environmental laws and regulations may become more stringent in the future, which could increase costs of compliance or require us to manufacture with alternative technologies and materials.
We may be subject to review and enforcement actions under domestic and foreign laws that screen investments and to other national-security-related laws and regulations. In certain jurisdictions, these legal and regulatory requirements may be more stringent than in the United States and may impact battery companies more specifically. As a result of these laws and regulations, investments by particular investors may need to be filed with local regulators, which in turn may impose added costs on our business, impact our operations, and/or limit our ability to engage in strategic transactions that might otherwise be beneficial to us and our investors.
We are subject to a variety of laws and regulations related to the safety and transportation of our batteries. Our failure to comply with these laws and regulations may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Many federal, state and local authorities require certification by Underwriters Laboratory, Inc., an independent, not-for-profit corporation engaged in the testing of products for compliance with certain public safety standards, or other safety regulation certification prior to marketing battery cells. Foreign jurisdictions also have regulatory authorities overseeing the safety of consumer products. Our batteries may not meet the specifications required by these authorities. A determination that any of our battery products are not in compliance with these rules and regulations could result in the imposition of fines or an award of damages to private litigants.
In addition, lithium batteries have been identified as a Class 9 dangerous good during transport. To be safely transported (by air, sea, rail or roadways), they must meet various international, national, state and local regulations, including, for example, the provisions laid out in United Nations standard UN 38.3. This standard applies to batteries transported either on their own or installed in a device. UN 38.3 has been adopted by regulators and competent authorities around the world, thus making it a requirement for global market access. Our failure to manage the transportation of our batteries could subject us to increased costs or future liabilities.
Failure to comply with certain health and production safety laws and regulations governing hazardous materials could materially adversely affect our business and results of operations.
In the sourcing of our battery products throughout the world, we process, store, dispose of and otherwise use large amounts of hazardous materials. As a result, we are subject to extensive and evolving health and production safety laws and regulations governing, among other things: the health of our employees and safety production requirements regarding the generation, handling, storage, use and transportation of hazardous materials.
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Compliance with these laws and regulations results in ongoing costs. Failure to comply with these laws or regulations, or to obtain or comply with the relevant permits, could result in fines, criminal charges or other sanctions by regulators. Furthermore, we may be ordered to rectify a noncompliance within a stipulated deadline; and if we fail to do so, we may be ordered to cease operations. Our ongoing compliance with health and safety laws, regulations and permits could require us to incur significant expenses, limit our ability to modify or expand our facilities or continue manufacturing and make other capital improvements. In addition, private parties, including current or former employees, could bring personal injury or other claims against us due to the presence of, or exposure to, hazardous substances used, stored or disposed of by us or contained in our batteries.
We are or will be subject to anti-corruption and anti-bribery and anti-money laundering and similar laws, and non-compliance with such laws can subject us to administrative, civil and criminal fines and penalties, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and reputation.
We are subject to the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, and possibly other anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and anti-money laundering laws in various jurisdictions in which we conduct, or in the future may conduct, activities. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws have been enforced aggressively in recent years and are interpreted broadly to generally prohibit us and our officers, directors, employees, business partners agents, representatives and third-party intermediaries from corruptly offering, promising, authorizing or providing, directly or indirectly anything of value to recipients in the public or private sector.
We may leverage third parties to sell our battery products and conduct our business abroad. We, our officers, directors, employees, business partners agents, representatives and third-party intermediaries may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities and we may be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of these employees, agents, representatives, business partners or third-party intermediaries even if we do not explicitly authorize such activities. We cannot assure you that all of our officers, directors, employees, business partners agents, representatives and third-party intermediaries will not take actions in violation of applicable law, for which we may be ultimately held responsible. As our international activities and sales expand, our risks under these laws may increase.
These laws also require companies to make and keep books, records and accounts that accurately reflect transactions and dispositions of assets and to maintain a system of adequate internal accounting controls and compliance procedures designed to prevent any such actions. While we have certain policies and procedures to address compliance with such laws, we cannot assure you that none of our officers, directors, employees, business partners agents, representatives and third-party intermediaries will take actions in violation of our policies and applicable law, for which we may be ultimately held responsible.
Any allegations or violation of the FCPA or other applicable anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and anti-money laundering laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, settlements, prosecutions, enforcement actions, fines, damages, loss of export privileges, and severe administrative, civil and criminal sanctions, suspension or debarment from government contracts, collateral consequences, remedial measures and legal expenses, all of which could materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations. Responding to any investigation or action will likely result in a materially significant diversion of management’s attention and resources and significant defense costs and other professional fees.
We are subject to governmental export and import controls that could impair our ability to compete in international markets or subject us to liability if we violate these controls.
Our battery products may be subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations including the Export Administration Regulations, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and trade and economic sanctions
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maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. As such, an export license may be required to export, reexport, or transfer our battery products to certain countries, end-users, and end-uses. If we were to fail to comply with such U.S. export controls laws and regulations, U.S. economic sanctions, or other similar laws, we could be subject to both civil and criminal penalties, including substantial fines, possible incarceration for employees and managers for willful violations, and the possible loss of our export or import privileges. Obtaining the necessary export license for a particular sale or offering may not be possible and may be time-consuming and may result in the delay or loss of sales opportunities. Furthermore, U.S. export control laws and economic sanctions prohibit the export of products to certain U.S. embargoed or sanctioned countries, governments, and persons, as well as for prohibited end-uses. Even though we take precautions to ensure that we and our partners comply with all relevant export control laws and regulations, any failure by us or our partners to comply with such laws and regulations could have negative consequences for us, including reputational harm, government investigations and penalties.
Changes in our battery products or changes in export and import regulations in such countries may create delays in the introduction of our products into international markets, prevent our end-customers with international operations from deploying our battery products globally or, in some cases, prevent or delay the export or import of our battery products to certain countries, governments or persons altogether. Any change in export or import laws or regulations, economic sanctions or related legislation, shift in the enforcement or scope of existing export, import or sanctions laws or regulations, or change in the countries, governments, persons, or technologies targeted by such export, import or sanctions laws or regulations, could result in decreased use of our battery products by, or in our decreased ability to export or sell our battery products to, existing or potential end-customers with international operations. Any decreased use of our battery products or limitation on our ability to export to or sell our battery products in international markets could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We may be subject to U.S. foreign investment regulations which may impose conditions on or limit certain investors’ ability to purchase our stock, potentially making the stock less attractive to investors. Our future investments in U.S. companies may also be subject to U.S. foreign investment regulations.
Certain investments that involve the acquisition of, or investment in, a U.S. business by a non-U.S. investor may be subject to review and approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”). Whether CFIUS has jurisdiction to review an acquisition or investment transaction depends on, among other factors, the nature and structure of the transaction, including the level of beneficial ownership interest and the nature of any information or governance rights involved. For example, investments that result in “control” of a U.S. business by a foreign person always are subject to CFIUS jurisdiction. Significant CFIUS reform legislation, which was fully implemented through regulations that became effective on February 13, 2020, expanded the scope of CFIUS’s jurisdiction to investments that do not result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign person but afford certain foreign investors certain information or governance rights in a U.S. business that has a nexus to “critical technologies,” “critical infrastructure” and/or “sensitive personal data.” Based on its export control classification, our battery technology is considered a “critical technology.”
CFIUS could choose to review past or proposed transactions involving new or existing foreign investors in us or in Amprius Holdings even if a filing with CFIUS is or was not required at the time of the transaction. Any review and approval of an investment or transaction by CFIUS may have outsized impacts on transaction certainty, timing, feasibility, and cost, among other things. CFIUS policies and practices are rapidly evolving, and in the event that CFIUS reviews one or more proposed or existing investment by investors, there can be no assurances that such investors will be able to maintain, or proceed with, such investments on terms acceptable to such investors. CFIUS could seek to impose limitations or restrictions on, or prohibit, investments by such investors (including, but not limited to, limits on purchasing our stock, limits on information sharing with such investors, requiring a voting trust, governance modifications, or forced divestiture, among other things).
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Recent and potential tariffs imposed by the U.S. government or a global trade war could increase the cost of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The U.S. government has and continues to make significant changes in U.S. trade policy and has taken certain actions that could negatively impact U.S. trade, including imposing tariffs on certain goods imported into the United States. In retaliation, China has implemented, and continues to evaluate imposing additional tariffs on a wide range of American products. There is also a concern that the imposition of additional tariffs by the United States could result in the adoption of tariffs by other countries as well, leading to a global trade war. More specifically, the U.S. government has from time to time imposed significant tariffs on certain product categories imported from China. Such tariffs, if expanded to other categories, could have a significant impact on our business, particularly the importation of parts of our batteries and certain production equipment that are manufactured in China. If we attempt to renegotiate prices with suppliers or diversify our supply chain in response to tariffs, such efforts may not yield immediate results or may be ineffective. We might also consider increasing prices to the end consumer; however, this could reduce the competitiveness of our products and adversely affect net sales. If we fail to manage these dynamics successfully, gross margins and profitability could be adversely affected. As of the date of this report, tariffs have not had a material impact on our business, but increased tariffs or trade restrictions implemented by the United States or other countries in connection with a global trade war could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot predict what actions may ultimately be taken with respect to tariffs or trade relations between the United States and China or other countries, what products may be subject to such actions, or what actions may be taken by the other countries in retaliation. Any further deterioration in the relations between the United States and China could exacerbate these actions and other governmental intervention. For example, a future event that created additional U.S.-China tensions could potentially increase the risks associated with the business and operations of U.S.-based technology companies in China.
The U.S. or foreign governments may take additional administrative, legislative, or regulatory action that could materially interfere with our ability to sell products in certain countries. Sustained uncertainty about, or worsening of, current global economic conditions and further escalation of trade tensions between the United States and its trading partners, especially China, could result in a global economic slowdown and long-term changes to global trade, including retaliatory trade restrictions that restrict our ability to operate in China. Any alterations to our business strategy or operations made in order to adapt to or comply with any such changes would be time-consuming and expensive, and certain of our competitors may be better suited to withstand or react to these changes.
From time to time, we may be involved in legal proceedings and commercial or contractual disputes, which could have an adverse impact on our profitability and financial position.
We may be involved in legal proceedings and commercial or contractual disputes that, from time to time, are significant. These are typically claims that arise in the normal course of business including, without limitation, commercial or contractual disputes, including warranty claims and other disputes with potential customers and suppliers, intellectual property matters, personal injury claims, environmental issues, tax matters and employment matters.
Furthermore, our predecessor, Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. IV, was a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”). SPACs have been subject to increased regulatory oversight and scrutiny, including from the SEC. Any governmental or regulatory investigation or inquiry related to the Business Combination or otherwise could have a material adverse effect on our business and negatively affect our reputation.
It is difficult to predict the outcome or ultimate financial exposure, if any, represented by these matters, and there can be no assurance that any such exposure will not be material. Such claims may also negatively affect our reputation.
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Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
There can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the continued listing standards of the NYSE.
Our Common Stock and Public Warrants are listed on the NYSE under the symbols “AMPX” and “AMPX.W,” respectively. If the NYSE delists our securities from trading on its exchange for failure to meet the listing standards and we are not able to list such securities on another national securities exchange, we expect such securities could be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, we and our stockholders could face significant material adverse consequences including:
| • | a limited availability of market quotations for our securities; |
| • | reduced liquidity for our securities; |
| • | a determination that our Common Stock is a “penny stock,” which will require brokers trading our Common Stock to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for shares of our Common Stock; |
| • | a limited amount of analyst coverage; and |
| • | a decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future. |
Anti-takeover provisions in our certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could make an acquisition of us more difficult, limit attempts by stockholders to replace or remove our management and limit the market price of our Common Stock.
Our certificate of incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), amended and restated bylaws (the “Bylaws”) and Delaware law contain provisions that could have the effect of rendering more difficult, delaying or preventing an acquisition deemed undesirable by our Board. These provisions include:
| • | authorizing “blank check” preferred stock, which could be issued by our Board without stockholder approval and may contain voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to our Common Stock; |
| • | limiting the liability of, and providing indemnification to, our directors and officers; |
| • | prohibiting cumulative voting in the election of directors; |
| • | providing that vacancies on our Board may be filled only by majority of directors then in office of the Board, even though less than a quorum; |
| • | prohibiting the ability of our stockholders to call special meetings; |
| • | establishing an advance notice procedure for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting, including proposed nominations of persons for election to the Board; |
| • | dividing directorships of our Board into three classes, each to be elected for a term of three years, so that only one class of directorships is up for election at each annual meeting of the stockholders; and |
| • | specifying that special meetings of our stockholders can be called only by a majority of the Board, the chair of the Board, or our Chief Executive Officer. |
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our Board, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, it is governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any “interested” stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an “interested” stockholder.
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Our Bylaws provide, subject to limited exceptions, that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for certain stockholder litigation matters, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a chosen judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or stockholders.
Our Bylaws provide that, unless otherwise consented to by us in writing, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, another State court in Delaware or the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of us; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by, or otherwise wrongdoing by, any of our directors, officers, or other employees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our Certificate of Incorporation or our Bylaws; (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our Certificate of Incorporation or our Bylaws; or (v) any other action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in all cases subject to the court having jurisdiction over indispensable parties named as defendants. This provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the U.S. federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. The Bylaws further provide that, unless otherwise consented to by us in writing, the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act.
Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this provision. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims. There is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such provisions, and the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ charter documents has been challenged in legal proceedings. It is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable, and if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in the Bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
Concentration of ownership among our executive officers, directors and affiliates may prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.
As of March 31, 2023, our executive officers and directors as a group beneficially own approximately 14.9% of the Common Stock outstanding. Additionally, certain of our executive officers and directors own interests in Amprius Holdings, which owns approximately 77.1% of our Common Stock outstanding, and certain of our directors are members of Amprius Holdings’ board of directors. As a result, these stockholders are able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors, any amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation and approval of significant corporate transactions. This control could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or changes in our management and will make the approval of certain transactions difficult or impossible without the support of these stockholders and of their votes.
We will incur significant increased expenses and administrative burdens as a public company, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As a public company, we face increased legal, accounting, insurance, administrative and other costs and expenses that Legacy Amprius did not face as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, including the requirements of Section 404, as well as rules and regulations subsequently implemented by the SEC, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 and the rules and regulations promulgated and to be promulgated thereunder, the PCAOB and the securities exchanges, impose additional reporting and other
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obligations on public companies. The development and implementation of the standards and controls necessary for us to achieve the level of accounting standards required of a public company in the United States may require costs greater than expected. It is likely that we will expand our employee base and hire additional employees to support our operations as a public company, which will increase our operating costs in future periods.
Compliance with public company requirements has increased costs and made certain activities more time-consuming. A number of these requirements require us to carry out activities Legacy Amprius had not done previously. For example, our Board has committees that did not exist on the Legacy Amprius board of directors, and we have adopted new internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. In addition, we are incurring expenses associated with SEC reporting requirements. Furthermore, if any issues in complying with those requirements are identified (for example, if the auditors identify a material weakness or significant deficiency in the internal control over financial reporting), we could incur additional costs rectifying those issues, and the existence of those issues could adversely affect our reputation or investor perceptions of us. As a public company, it is also more expensive to obtain director and officer liability insurance. The additional reporting and other obligations imposed by these rules and regulations have and will continue to increase legal and financial compliance costs and the costs of related legal, accounting and administrative activities. These increased costs will require us to spend money that could otherwise be used on our research and development programs and to achieve strategic objectives. Advocacy efforts by stockholders and third parties may also prompt additional changes in governance and reporting requirements, which could further increase costs.
We do not expect to declare any dividends in the foreseeable future.
We do not anticipate declaring any cash dividends to holders of our Common Stock in the foreseeable future. Consequently, investors may need to rely on sales of their shares after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any future gains on their investment.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business, or our market, or if they change their recommendations regarding our securities adversely, the price and trading volume of our securities could decline.
The trading market for our securities will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, market or competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our Common Stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our Common Stock and warrants would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies or smaller reporting companies, this could make our securities less attractive to investors and may make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.
We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. As such, we are eligible for and intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies for as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, including (i) the exemption from the auditor attestation requirements with respect to internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (ii) the exemptions from say-on-pay, say-on-frequency and say-on-golden parachute voting requirements and (iii) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (i) the last day of the fiscal year in
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which the market value of our Common Stock that are held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of June 30 of that fiscal year, (ii) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of $1.235 billion or more during such fiscal year (as indexed for inflation), (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt in the prior three-year period or (iv) December 31, 2027. In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the exemption from complying with new or revised accounting standards provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act as long as we are an emerging growth company. An emerging growth company can therefore delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period and, therefore, we may not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. Investors may find our Common Stock less attractive because we rely on these exemptions, which may result in a less active trading market for our Common Stock and its price may be more volatile.
Additionally, we qualify as a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We expect to remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250,000,000 as of the prior June 30, or (ii) our annual revenues exceeded $100,000,000 during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700,000,000 as of the prior June 30. To the extent we take advantage of such reduced disclosure obligations, comparison of our financial statements with other public companies may be difficult or impossible.
Sales of substantial amounts of our Common Stock in the public markets, or the perception that such sales could occur, could cause the market price of our Common Stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our securities in the public market could occur at any time. We currently have three registration statements that register the issuance or resale of an aggregate of up to 143,963,252 shares of Common Stock, constituting approximately 96.6% of our issued and outstanding Common Stock as of March 31, 2023 (assuming the exercise in full of all of the warrants associated with such shares of Common Stock), including up to 22,733,336 shares of Common Stock registered under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
These sales, any future sales of a substantial number of shares of our securities in the public market or the perception in the market that the holders of a large number of shares intend to sell shares, could reduce the market price of our securities. Despite such a decline in the public trading price, certain securityholders may still experience a positive rate of return on the securities they purchased due to the lower price that they purchased their shares compared to other public investors and be incentivized to sell securities when others are not.
Additionally, we have filed a registration statement to register shares reserved for future issuance under our equity compensation plans and the 14,216,131 shares issuable upon exercise of the options outstanding under the 2016 Plan. Subject to applicable securities laws, the satisfaction of any vesting restrictions and the expiration or waiver of the lock-up restrictions contained in our Bylaws, the shares issued thereunder will be available for immediate resale in the public market.
As of March 31, 2023, approximately 89.0% of our outstanding shares of Common Stock are subject to lock-up restrictions. Sales of our Common Stock following the expiration of these lock-up restrictions or pursuant to the exercise of registration rights may make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and at a price that we deem appropriate. These sales could also cause the market price of our Common Stock to decline if such equity holders sell or are perceived by the market as intending to sell any such securities, and make it more difficult for you to sell your shares of Common Stock at a time and price that you deem appropriate.
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We may issue additional shares of Common Stock under an employee incentive plan (including the 2022 Plan and the ESPP), or may issue preferred stock. Any such issuances would dilute the interest of our stockholders and likely present other risks.
We may issue a substantial number of additional shares of Common Stock under our employee incentive plan (including the 2022 Plan and the ESPP) or we may issue preferred stock. The issuance of additional securities:
| • | may significantly dilute the equity interests of our investors; |
| • | may subordinate the rights of our stockholders if preferred stock is issued with rights senior to those afforded our Common Stock; |
| • | could cause a change in control if a substantial number of securities are issued, which may affect, among other things, our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards, if any, and could result in the resignation or removal of our present officers and directors; and |
| • | may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our Common Stock and/or warrants. |
Risks Related to Our Warrants
There is no guarantee that our warrants will be in the money at the time they become exercisable, and they may expire worthless.
The likelihood that warrant holders will exercise the warrants and any cash proceeds that we would receive is dependent upon the market price of our Common Stock. If the market price for our Common Stock is less than $11.50 per share, in the case of our Private Warrants and Public Warrants, or $12.50 per share, in the case of our PIPE Warrants, we believe warrant holders will be unlikely to exercise their warrants. There is no guarantee that the warrants will be in the money following the time they become exercisable and prior to their expiration, and as such, the warrants may expire worthless.
The warrants are exercisable for Common Stock, which would increase the number of shares eligible for future resale in the public market and result in dilution to our stockholders.
As of March 31, 2022, outstanding warrants to purchase an aggregate of 47,720,836 shares of Common Stock are exercisable in accordance with the terms of the warrant agreement governing those securities. The exercise price of the Private Warrants and Public Warrants is $11.50 per share, and the exercise price of the PIPE Warrants is $12.50 per share. To the extent the warrants are exercised, additional shares of Common Stock will be issued, which will result in dilution to the holders of Common Stock and increase the number of shares eligible for resale in the public market. Shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the warrants are not subject to lock-up restrictions. As such, once the warrants are exercised, the holder of such shares issuable upon the exercise of the warrants will be able to resell the shares to the market, subject to other applicable laws. Sales of substantial numbers of such shares in the public market or the fact that such warrants may be exercised could adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock. Further, there is no guarantee that the warrants will ever be in the money prior to their expiration, and as such, such warrants may expire worthless.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this prospectus may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this prospectus may include, for example, statements about:
| • | our financial and business performance, including financial and business metrics; |
| • | changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; |
| • | our ability to develop a high-volume manufacturing line and otherwise scale in a cost-effective manner; |
| • | our ability to add manufacturing capacity and the costs and timing to add such capacity; |
| • | the expected addressable market for our products; |
| • | developments relating to our competitors and industry; |
| • | our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection and not infringe on the rights of others; |
| • | our future capital requirements and sources and uses of cash; |
| • | our ability to obtain funding for our operations; |
| • | our business, expansion plans and opportunities; and |
| • | the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings. |
These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this prospectus, and current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include:
| • | our ability to execute our business model, including scaling production and increasing the addressable market for our products and services; |
| • | our ability to raise capital; |
| • | the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against us; |
| • | the ability to maintain the listing of our securities on the NYSE; |
| • | the possibility that we may be adversely affected by other economic, business or competitive factors, including supply chain interruptions, and may not be able to manage other risks and uncertainties; |
| • | changes in applicable laws or regulations; |
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| • | the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and/or the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, or other macroeconomic factors, on our business; |
| • | the possibility that we may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and |
| • | other risks and uncertainties described in this prospectus, including risk factors discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors.” |
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USE OF PROCEEDS
We may receive up to approximately $261.4 million, assuming the exercise in full of all of the Associated Warrants for cash. However, the exercise price of the Associated Warrants is $11.50 per share, which exceeds $8.71, the closing price of our Common Stock on the NYSE on March 31, 2023. The likelihood that warrant holders will exercise the Associated Warrants and any cash proceeds that we would receive is dependent upon the market price of our Common Stock. If the market price for our Common Stock is less than $11.50 per share, we believe warrant holders will be unlikely to exercise their Associated Warrants. We expect to use any net proceeds from the exercise of the Associated Warrants for general corporate purposes.
We will not pay any brokers’ or underwriters’ discounts and commissions in connection with the registration and sale of the Common Stock covered by this prospectus. We will bear all other costs, fees and expenses incurred in effecting the registration of such securities covered by this prospectus, including, without limitation, all registration and filing fees, NYSE listing fees, and fees of our counsel and our independent registered public accountants.
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MARKET PRICE OF AND DIVIDENDS ON THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Market Information and Holders
Our Common Stock and the Public Warrants are currently listed on the NYSE under the symbols “AMPX” and “AMPX.W,” respectively.
As of March 31, 2023, there were 84,971,465 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding held of record by 57 holders and 47,720,836 warrants (consisting of 29,268,336 Public Warrants, 16,400,000 Private Warrants and 2,052,500 PIPE Warrants) issued and outstanding held of record by 87 holders. The actual number of stockholders is greater than this number of record holders and includes stockholders who are beneficial owners but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees.
Dividend Policy
We have not paid any cash dividends on the Common Stock to date. The payment of cash dividends on Common Stock in the future will be dependent upon the revenues and earnings, if any, capital requirements and general financial condition of the Company. In addition, the Company’s ability to pay cash dividends may be limited by covenants of any indebtedness or other contractual limitations of the Company or its subsidiaries. The payment of any cash dividends on Common Stock will be within the discretion of the Board. The Board is not currently contemplating and does not anticipate declaring dividends on Common Stock in the foreseeable future.
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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our audited financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this prospectus, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business and related financing, includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, including those factors set forth in the sections titled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this prospectus, our actual results could differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis. Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this section to the “Company,” “Amprius,” “we,” “us,” “our” and other similar terms refer (i) prior to the Closing Date, to Legacy Amprius and (ii) after the Closing Date, to Amprius Technologies, Inc.
Overview
Amprius has developed and, since 2018, been in commercial production of ultra-high energy density lithium-ion batteries for mobility applications leveraging a disruptive silicon anode. Our silicon anode technology enables batteries with higher energy density, higher power density, and extreme fast charging capabilities over a wide range of operating temperatures, which results in our batteries providing superior performance compared to conventional graphite lithium-ion batteries. Our silicon anode is a direct drop-in replacement of the graphite anode in traditional lithium-ion batteries, and our manufacturing process leverages the manufacturing process for conventional lithium-ion batteries and the related supply chain.
Currently, our batteries are primarily used for existing and emerging aviation applications, including unmanned aerial systems, such as drones and high-altitude pseudo satellites. We believe our proprietary technology has the potential for broad application in electric transportation. Our batteries and their performance specifications have been tested and validated for application by over 40 customers, including Airbus, AeroVironment, BAE Systems, the U.S. Army and Teledyne FLIR, and from inception, we have shipped over 10,000 batteries as of December 31, 2022, which have enabled mission critical applications. Our proprietary silicon anode structures, battery designs and manufacturing processes are defended by our portfolio of patents, trade secrets and know-how developed over 10 years of research and development.
We currently manufacture batteries on a kWh-scale manufacturing line at our headquarters in Fremont, California, where we believe demand for our batteries exceeds our manufacturing capacity. We are working to meet the expected demand in several rapidly growing addressable markets, including by expanding our production capacity in Fremont and by designing and building a large-scale manufacturing facility, which we expect will be in Brighton Colorado and manufacture at a GWh+ scale through an automated, high-volume manufacturing line for our silicon anode.
Business Combination
As further described in the section titled “Business,” we completed the Business Combination on September 14, 2022, which we accounted for as a reverse recapitalization, with Legacy Amprius deemed to be the acquirer and Kensington deemed to be the acquiree for financial statement reporting purposes. As a result, the assets, liabilities and results of operations of Legacy Amprius became the historical financial statements after the Business Combination. Our assets and liabilities continued to be stated at historical cost and there were no goodwill or other intangible assets recorded. Immediately prior to the closing of the Business Combination, a number of investors (the “PIPE Investors”) purchased from us an aggregate of 2,052,000 units at a price of $10.00 per share (such transaction, the “PIPE”), pursuant to separate subscription agreements. Each PIPE unit consisted of (i) one share of Common Stock and (ii) one warrant (each, a “PIPE Warrant”) to purchase one share of Common Stock at
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an exercise price of $12.50 per share. Our net proceeds from the Business Combination and the PIPE were $70.9 million, after deducting transaction and issuance costs.
Committed Equity Financing
As further described in “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry,” we entered into a Committed Equity Financing with BRPC II on September 27, 2022, whereby we have the right, but not the obligation, to sell to BRPC II up to $200.0 million of newly issued shares of Common Stock, subject to certain conditions and limitations, from time to time until January 1, 2025. Under the Purchase Agreement, we may direct BRPC II to purchase a specified maximum number of shares of Common Stock, not to exceed certain limitations.
As consideration for BRPC II’s commitment to purchase shares of Common Stock, we issued 84,793 shares of Common Stock to BRPC II upon execution of the Purchase Agreement and we will issue 84,793 additional shares of Common Stock to BRPC II upon receipt of total aggregate gross cash proceeds equal to $100.0 million. Any shares of Common Stock issued under the Committed Equity Financing to BRPC II other than the Commitment Shares will be purchased by BRPC II at current market prices less a 3.0% fixed discount.
Although the Purchase Agreement provides that we may sell up to an aggregate of $200.0 million of our Common Stock to BRPC II, only 16,825,366 shares of our Common Stock were registered for resale under a registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the SEC. If it becomes necessary for us to issue and sell more than 16,825,366 shares to BRPC II in order to receive aggregate gross proceeds equal to $200.0 million, we must first file with the SEC one or more additional registration statements to register the resale by BRPC II of any such additional shares of our Common Stock.
U.S. Department of Energy Cost Sharing Grant
In October 2022, we were awarded a $50.0 million cost sharing grant from the U.S. DOE under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This cost sharing grant is dependent on the successful negotiation of a final contract, and among the terms to be finalized are the portion of relevant costs that will be covered by the grant.
Known Trends, Demands, Commitments, Events, or Uncertainties Impacting Our Business
We believe that our performance and future success depends on several factors that present significant opportunities for us but also pose risks and challenges, including those discussed below and in the section titled “Risk Factors.”
Establishing Manufacturing Capacity
While we have manufactured on a kWh-scale capacity to date, we have started our phased build out of capacity with parallel paths. In January 2023, we entered into an amendment to the lease agreement of our Fremont headquarters, pursuant to which we will lease approximately 25,000 square feet of additional space located in the same building as our current headquarters. We have received the first large-scale anode production machine from centrotherm at our current facility in Fremont. We are customizing the machine for our production processes and must then complete tuning and testing before the machine goes online for production purposes. We expect this machine to increase our capacity for silicon anode production to approximately 2 MWh by the end of 2023. This is expected to accelerate our development of technological processes for building batteries at a GWh-scale as we prepare, in parallel, for the design and build of our high volume manufacturing facility.
On January 20, 2023, we entered into a nonbinding letter of intent to lease premises consisting of approximately 774,000 square feet of space located in Brighton, Colorado. Execution of the lease agreement remains subject to ongoing negotiations. In order to meet increased demand for our products, we plan to build
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and design our GWh-scale manufacturing facility on these premises. We plan to procure manufacturing equipment that allows for anode and cathode fabrication, battery assembly, and battery testing from equipment suppliers. To achieve capacity at commercial scale, we need to establish supply relationships for necessary materials, components and equipment to mass produce the silicon technology for our prospective markets, which will allow us to develop an automated, high-volume manufacturing line to increase production volume. The capacity and timing of our future manufacturing requirements, and related capital expenditures, remain uncertain and will depend on a variety of factors, including our ability to design and construct new manufacturing sites and develop an automated, high-volume manufacturing line for our silicon anode, to mitigate supply chain constraints and manage a new labor force, to utilize planned capacity in our existing facilities, to obtain the required regulatory and zoning permits and approvals, to realize the benefits of any government incentives, and to operate in new geographic areas apart from our current headquarters. Our potential suppliers and other equipment vendors may also encounter delays, including to our expected initial production capacity of 500 MWh, which is expected to be operational in 2025, additional costs, and other obstacles in building our manufacturing line, which are currently unknown. To the extent we are unable to develop an automated, high-volume manufacturing line for our silicon anode, our ability to grow will be adversely affected. Additionally, although we have tested and validated the performance of our products on one supplier’s platform, there is uncertainty as to whether our planned manufacturing line will be successful. We expect our capital expenditures to increase each as we ramp up our manufacturing capacity and expand operations.
Achieving capacity at commercial scale of high energy density lithium-ion batteries will require us to make significant and increasing capital expenditures to scale our production capacity and improve our supply chain processes. Based on our current expectations, we estimate that our capital equipment expenditures will range between $120.0 million and $150.0 million to achieve 1.0 GWh per year of manufacturing capacity. Because our silicon anode process requires different equipment than traditional anode manufacturing, our capital equipment costs are likely to be higher than equipment used for production of graphite anodes
Reducing Costs of Manufacturing
We believe the focus on reducing the manufacturing costs of our batteries on a $/kWh basis is an important factor to accelerate the demand for our batteries and the expansion of our customer base. As a result, we will continue to work to develop further and validate our manufacturing processes to enable high volume manufacturing and reduce manufacturing costs. The production of our silicon anode requires different equipment than traditional graphite anode manufacturing. Therefore, our capital equipment costs are likely to be initially higher than equipment used for the production of graphite anodes. As we scale, we believe we will benefit from reduced per-unit fixed costs, such as overhead, labor and capital expenditures, tool utilization improvements and volume pricing for equipment and materials. We will also seek to reduce costs by optimizing material utilization, throughput and yield. This is complemented by further intentions to continue to invest in research and development to improve both battery performance and manufacturing processes. However, until we are able to successfully design and implement an automated, high-volume manufacturing line for our silicon anode and manufacture our batteries at scale, we cannot accurately forecast our manufacturing costs, which may adversely affect our ability to achieve reduced costs in our manufacturing processes.
Highly Competitive Market
Our competition includes both established manufacturers and new entrants that are developing new battery technologies and chemistries to address the growing market for electrified transportation solutions. We believe the manufacturers of these batteries will continue to invest funds, time and effort to improve the capabilities of their batteries with the recent developments of silicon anode batteries as a potential alternative to conventional graphite batteries. Currently, we are the only known manufacturer using a 100% silicon anode that is free of any inactive additives. We believe we are the leading company in the market that has a high-performance battery that can meet the requirements of aviation applications. We are not currently producing batteries for electric vehicles
(“EVs”). The EV battery industry has a limited number of commercially available batteries that meet the
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minimum performance specifications. This creates a fast-growing and highly competitive industry for many battery manufacturers to claim market share for commercially acceptable batteries. We believe that there is significant room for improvement in the EV industry in driving range and fast charging capabilities that our silicon technology can address. To compete in the EV industry, we expect that we will need to significantly reduce our manufacturing costs, improve cycle life, increase form factors and increase production quantity. One or more of our competitors and potential future entrants may be better capitalized to expand production capacities, have greater resources to commercialize and have greater access to customers in either or both the aviation and EV markets. As such, we may be at a competitive disadvantage and be unable to retain or grow our market share.
Product Development
We expect to continue investing in the development of battery technology with the goal of enabling commercial production after the completion of our new GWh-scale manufacturing facility. We continue to develop customized battery solutions and deliver standardized samples (i.e., prototypes) of batteries to industry leading manufacturers as well as the federal government. We plan to focus our research and development on the following key areas:
| • | Improving battery life: To continue to meet the specific needs of our customers and drive adoption of our batteries in new areas of electrified transportation, including the EV space. We are working with chemical compounds as potential additives to the silane gas we use to produce our silicon anodes, which have demonstrated the potential to improve cycle life without negatively impacting other performance characteristics such as energy density. |
| • | Further improvements to energy density: We are engaged in ongoing development activities to explore different cathode materials, including a conversion cathode, to further improve the energy density of our batteries. |
| • | Larger cell form factors: The batteries we have developed and are developing for our customers are typically approximately 2-15Ah for small-sized aircraft. As we expand our customer base, we expect to develop larger form factor batteries for broader electrified transportation applications. |
As a result of these efforts, our goal is to fully realize the benefits of our silicon anode technology and develop the highest performing products in the market.
Regulatory Landscape
We operate in an industry that is subject to many established environmental regulations, which have generally become more stringent over time. As we process, store, dispose of, transport, and use large amounts of hazardous materials, we are subject to laws and regulations surrounding battery safety and transportation, as well as health and production safety laws and regulations governing hazardous materials. We expect that environmental regulations under the Biden administration could, if adopted, facilitate market demand and revenue growth, while other potential regulations, if adopted, could result in additional operating costs. If we fail to comply with existing and future laws and regulations, our business and results of operations could be adversely affected, such as the imposition of fines, litigation, criminal charges, sanctions by regulators, or other liabilities. As future regulatory changes are uncertain, we are unable to measure the impact of such changes on our business and our results of operations.
Global Risks
The COVID-19 pandemic (or epidemics) has been unpredictable and unprecedented and may continue to result in significant national and global economic disruption, which may adversely affect our business. The magnitude of its impact on our supply chain, productivity, results of operations and financial position, and its
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disruption to our business and battery development and timeline, will depend in part, on the length and severity of COVID-related restrictions and delays, on our ability to conduct business in the ordinary course and on the phasing out of government support measures.
Additionally, the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has had an adverse impact on the global economy and financial markets. Although our business has not been directly impacted by this ongoing military conflict, as we have no assets or operations, and we have not purchased materials from, Russia, Belarus or Ukraine, it is impossible to predict the extent to which our operations, or those of our customers, suppliers and manufacturers, will be impacted in the short and long term, or the ways in which the conflict may impact our business. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions and inflationary pressures, and the impact of such changes on our business and our results of operations are impossible to predict, but could be material.
Comparability of Financial Information
Our future results of operations and financial position may not be comparable to historical results as a result of the Business Combination. Since the Business Combination close, we have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, higher capital expenditures related to both the design and build out of our new GWh-scale manufacturing facility and the development of an automated, high-volume manufacturing line for our silicon anode, as well as higher costs for continued research and development efforts, compliance with regulatory matters and other general and administrative expenses, including those related to being a public company.
Basis of Presentation
Our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus were prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). We carry on our business through one operating segment. Given that Amprius Holdings, which held approximately 99.6% of the Legacy Amprius common stock prior to the Business Combination, has not historically prepared financial statements for Legacy Amprius, the historical results for Legacy Amprius have been prepared from the financial records of Amprius Holdings on a carve-out basis derived from the accounting records of Amprius Holdings using the historical results of operations and the historical basis of assets and liabilities of our business, adjusted as necessary to conform to U.S. GAAP.
Components of Our Results of Operations
We currently operate a kWh-scale manufacturing line at our headquarters in Fremont, California. To meet the demand for our batteries, we are in the process of designing and then building a GWh-scale manufacturing facility, designing our automated, high-volume manufacturing line, and scaling up production. As a result, we expect our capital expenditures and working capital requirements to increase materially in the near future. Our ability in the future to generate revenue sufficient to achieve profitability will depend largely on our ability to scale production to meet the expected market demand for our products. Accordingly, the drivers of our future financial results, as well as the components of such results, may not be comparable to our historical results of operations.
Revenue
We have historically generated revenue from providing both design services for the development of customized silicon-anode lithium-ion battery technology and selling our batteries to our customers. Our contracts typically contain a single performance obligation. Revenue is recognized at the point in time when a final milestone is met, generally when a final working prototype is delivered that meets required specifications, or when the customer obtains control of the product, which is generally upon shipment. We also generate revenue from U.S. federal government expense reimbursement grants that is recognized in the period in which the qualifying costs have been incurred.
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Cost of Revenue
Cost of revenue, which includes the cost of finished goods sold and the cost of customization development services, consist mainly of the costs of raw materials, labor costs, and the allocation of overhead costs incurred in producing batteries or performing the customization work. Labor costs consist of personnel-related expenses such as salaries, employee benefits and stock-based compensation expense. Overhead costs consist primarily of utilities, rent, depreciation expense and other facilities-related costs. Costs related to batteries and design services are recognized in the same period as the associated revenue. In addition, we expect that our cost of revenue will increase as we ramp up manufacturing in our existing facility and by building a GWh-scale manufacturing facility.
Research and Development (“R&D”) Expense
R&D expenses consist mainly of personnel-related expenses such as salaries, employee benefits and stock-based compensation expense of our R&D personnel, outside contractors, materials, R&D equipment, and allocation of overhead costs, which include utilities, rent, depreciation expense and other facilities-related costs. Our R&D expenses relate to the conceptual formulation and design of preproduction experimental prototypes and models, including the cost of equipment and material for which there is no alternative future use. R&D expenses are expensed as incurred. We expect that our R&D expenses will increase for the foreseeable future as we continue to invest in activities to develop and enhance product capabilities, as well as build and test battery prototypes to meet the expected market demand.
Selling, General and Administrative Expense
Selling, general and administrative expenses consist mainly of personnel-related expenses such as salaries, employee benefits and stock-based compensation expense of our executive and administrative employees, as well as fees for professional and advisory services such as legal, accounting and audit. Selling, general and administrative expenses also include corporate insurance expense including directors and officers insurance costs, and allocation of overhead costs, which include utilities, rent, depreciation expense and other facilities-related costs. We expect that our selling, general and administrative expenses will increase due to the additional costs for compliance-related requirements resulting from being a public company and investment in additional general and administrative personnel to support the growth of our business.
Other Income, Net
Other income, net consists mainly of interest income and the one-time gain on the forgiveness of a PPP loan.
Provision for Income Taxes
Our provision for income tax consists of an estimate for U.S. federal and state income taxes based on enacted rates, as adjusted for allowable credits, deductions, uncertain tax positions, changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities, and changes in tax law. We maintain a valuation allowance against the full value of our U.S. federal and state net deferred tax assets because it is not more likely that our deferred tax assets will be recoverable.
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Results of Operations
Comparison of the Year Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021
The following table summarizes our results of operations during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (in thousands):
| Year ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||||
| Revenue |
$ | 4,409 | $ | 2,772 | $ | 1,637 | 59 | % | ||||||||
| Cost of revenue |
9,848 | 7,101 | 2,747 | 39 | % | |||||||||||
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| Gross loss |
(5,439 | ) | (4,329 | ) | (1,110 | ) | 26 | % | ||||||||
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| Operating expenses: |
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| Research and development |
2,030 | 1,450 | 580 | 40 | % | |||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative |
10,572 | 4,844 | 5,728 | 118 | % | |||||||||||
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| Total operating expenses |
12,602 | 6,294 | 6,308 | 100 | % | |||||||||||
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| Loss from operations |
(18,041 | ) | (10,623 | ) | (7,418 | ) | 70 | % | ||||||||
| Other income, net |
709 | 727 | (18 | ) | (2 | )% | ||||||||||
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| Net loss |
$ | (17,332 | ) | $ | (9,896 | ) | $ | (7,436 | ) | 75 | % | |||||
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Cost of revenue and operating expenses reported above include stock-based compensation as follows (in thousands):
| Year ended December 31, | Change | |||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | $ | % | |||||||||||||
| Cost of revenue |
$ | 516 | $ | 693 | $ | (177 | ) | (26 | )% | |||||||
| Research and development expense |
27 | 233 | (206 | ) | (88 | )% | ||||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative |
2,166 | 1,547 | 619 | 40 | % | |||||||||||
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| Total stock-based compensation |
$ | 2,709 | $ | 2,473 | $ | 236 | 10 | % | ||||||||
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Revenue
Revenue increased by $1.6 million, or 59%, to $4.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 from $2.8 million in the prior year. The increase was primarily due to a $1.2 million increase in sales of batteries resulting from an increase in volume of orders from existing and new customers; a $0.2 million increase due to the completion of customization design services for certain customers; and a $0.2 million increase from a government grant.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues increased by $2.7 million, or 39%, to $9.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 from $7.1 million in the prior year. The increase was primarily due the increase in production of battery cells and service costs, driven by the increase in sales volume and completion of customization design services. Our direct labor costs, which contributed a significant portion of our cost of revenue, increased by $1.8 million due to the hiring of additional personnel, while our cost of materials and other overhead costs increased by $1.0 million.
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Research and Development Expense
Research and development expense increased by $0.6 million, or 40%, to $2.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 from $1.5 million in the prior year. The increase was primarily due to a $0.6 million increase in personnel-related costs due to the hiring of additional personnel involved in research and development activities, offset by a $0.2 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense due to the grant of fully vested stock-based awards in the prior year that did not recur during the current year. Overhead and other costs also increased by $0.2 million due to the overall increase in our research and development activities.
Selling, General and Administrative Expense
Selling, general and administrative expense increased by $5.7 million, or 118%, to $10.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 from $4.8 million in the prior year, primarily due to the transition to being a public company. Drivers of this increase were a $2.3 million increase in personnel-related costs, including stock-based compensation expense, due to the hiring of additional executive and administrative personnel, a $2.2 million increase in professional and consulting fees as we obtained additional assistance before and after we became a public company, a $0.7 million increase in corporate insurance costs, including director and officer insurance costs, and a $0.5 million increase in other general and administrative spend resulting from operating as a public company.
Other Income, Net
The change in other income, net during the year ended December 31, 2022 consisted primarily of a $0.7 million increase in interest income attributed to the funds that we received from the Business Combination and the PIPE, offset by a $0.7 million decrease resulting from a one-time gain on forgiveness of PPP loan which was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Liquidity describes the ability of a company to generate sufficient cash flows to meet the cash requirements of its business operations, including working capital needs, debt service, acquisitions, contractual obligations and other commitments. We assess liquidity in terms of our cash flows from operations and their sufficiency to fund our operating and investing activities. To meet our contractual obligations, we must continually have sufficient liquid assets.
Prior to the Business Combination, we financed our operations primarily through capital contributions from Amprius Holdings and revenue generated from operations. We expect to rely on our cash on hand, which was $69.7 million as of December 31, 2022, and cash flows from operations to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements for a period of at least twelve months. In addition, we may receive additional funds from the following sources: (i) all or a portion of the $200.0 million Committed Equity Financing with BRPC II if we decide to issue shares of Common Stock to BRPC II under the Purchase Agreement, (ii) $50.0 million grant from the U.S. DOE if we successfully finalize a contract and perform under such contract, and (iii) exercise of outstanding stock warrants.
Actual sales, if any, of shares of Common Stock under the Committed Equity Financing will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by us from time to time, including, among other things, market conditions, the trading price of our Common Stock and determinations by us as to appropriate sources of funding for our business and operations. We cannot guarantee the extent to which we may utilize the Committed Equity Financing.
The $50.0 million cost sharing grant from the U.S. DOE is dependent on the successful negotiation of a final contract, and among the terms to be finalized are the portion of relevant costs that will be covered by the grant. The contract was not yet finalized as of December 31, 2022. There can be no assurance that such negotiation will be successful and, if successful, that we will be able to perform under such contract.
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We may receive up to approximately $550.8 million from the exercise in full of all outstanding warrants. The exercise price of our Public Warrants and Private Warrants is $11.50 per share, and the exercise price of the PIPE Warrants is $12.50 per share. As of March 31, 2023, we had an aggregate of 45,668,336 Public Warrants and Private Warrants and 2,052,500 PIPE Warrants outstanding. The likelihood that warrant holders will exercise the warrants and any cash proceeds that we would receive is dependent upon the market price of our Common Stock. If the market price for our Common Stock is less than $11.50 per share, in the case of the Public Warrants or Private Warrants, or $12.50 per share, in the case of the PIPE Warrants, we believe warrant holders will be unlikely to exercise their warrants.
Our ability to become profitable is dependent upon future events, including obtaining adequate financing to fund our business plan, completing the design and build out of our GWh-scale manufacturing facility, obtaining adequate supplier relationships, building our customer base, successfully executing our business and marketing strategy and hiring appropriate personnel.
We expect our capital expenditures and working capital requirements to increase materially in the near future. At our headquarters in Fremont, California, we currently operate a kWh-scale manufacturing line that we are expanding in order to achieve production on a MWh-scale. To meet the demand for our batteries, we are in the process of designing and then building a new GWh-scale manufacturing facility. Based on our current expectations, we estimate that our capital equipment expenditures will range between $120.0 million and $150.0 million to achieve 1.0 GWh per year of manufacturing capacity, with the build-out to be completed over phases. The initial phase of 500 MWh is expected to be operational in 2025.
We have incurred net losses to date. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we incurred a net loss of $17.3 million. We expect to incur additional losses and increased expenses in future periods, including those associated with the design and build out of our GWh-scale manufacturing facility, continued research and development efforts and increased employee headcount.
As of December 31, 2022, our contractual obligations consisted primarily of our noncancellable operating lease agreement for our corporate headquarters in Fremont, California. The total future lease payments under this operating lease was $3.9 million as of December 31, 2022, of which a total of $0.5 million is due in 2023. In January 2023, we amended this lease to include the lease of additional space within the same building and extend the lease term to expire in June 2027, with an option to extend for an additional five-year term. The total future lease payments after amending this lease was approximately $11.7 million, of which a total of $1.0 million is payable in 2023. Additionally, in January 2023, we entered into a nonbinding letter of intent to lease a space for our GWh-scale manufacturing facility in Brighton, Colorado. The execution of the lease agreement remains subject to ongoing negotiations. Under the letter of intent, the expected lease payments over the estimated lease term of 15 years total to approximately $63.0 million. For additional discussion about our leases, refer to Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
To the extent that our resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may need to seek additional equity or debt financing. If the financing is not available, or if the terms of financing are less desirable than we expect, we may be forced to take actions to reduce our capital or operating expenditures, including by reducing or delaying our production facility expansion, which may adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition and prospects. For example, because we expect to expand through a Copy Exact methodology, to the extent we have less cash than expected and additional financing is unavailable on acceptable terms, we expect that we would reduce the initial production capacity of our large-scale facility and thereafter add capacity as appropriate. Any such reduction or delay may have an adverse impact on our business plan and our results of operations.
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Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities for the periods presented (in thousands):
| Year ended December 31, | ||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Net cash used in operating activities |
$ | (13,882 | ) | $ | (8,016 | ) | ||
| Net cash used in investing activities |
(1,481 | ) | (609 | ) | ||||
| Net cash provided by financing activities |
73,626 | 20,112 | ||||||
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| Net increase in cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 58,263 | $ | 11,487 | ||||
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Net Cash Used in Operating Activities
Our primary source of cash provided by operations is revenue from customized design services and sale of batteries. Our uses of cash in our operating activities primarily include payments for personnel-related costs, procurement of materials used to produce batteries and to conduct research, professional fees and other general corporate expenses.
Net cash used in operating activities increased to $13.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 from $8.0 million in the prior year due primarily to an increase in personnel-related costs as we hired additional employees, an increase in professional and consulting fees as we obtained additional assistance before and after we became a public company, and an increase in corporate insurance costs, including directors’ and officers’ insurance costs.
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities
Our primary use of cash in investing activities is for purchases of property, plant and equipment.
Net cash used in investing activities increased to $1.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 from $0.6 million in the prior year due primarily to purchases of pilot production equipment as we continue to expand our manufacturing activities.
Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities
Our primary source of cash provided by financing activities consist of proceeds from issuance of Common Stock, exercise of stock warrants and capital contributions from Amprius Holdings. Our cash usage for our financing activities consists primarily of payments of costs related to the issuance of Common Stock.
Net cash provided by financing activities increased to $73.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 from $20.1 million in the prior year due primarily to the proceeds from the issuance of Common Stock in connection with the Business Combination, the PIPE investment and proceeds from the exercise of stock warrants, reduced by costs paid in connection with the Business Combination and PIPE investment transactions. Our cash provided by financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2021 consisted primarily of capital contributions from Amprius Holdings.
Related Party Transactions
We had a service agreement with Amprius Holdings, which was terminated upon the closing of the Business Combination. Prior to its termination, the service agreement required Amprius Holdings to provide us certain services such as administration, management service, information technology and engineering services to support
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the Company’s operations. The administrative costs, including allocation of stock-based compensation, incurred by Amprius Holdings up to the termination of the service agreement were allocated to us and were treated as capital contributions. We also previously received cash advances and capital contributions from Amprius Holdings to support our working capital requirements. Those cash advances were forgiven and were treated as capital contributions.
Additionally, we purchased raw materials and development materials from two previous related parties that were owned and controlled by Amprius Holdings. We do not have purchase commitments with these previous related parties.
For more information regarding our related party transactions, see Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.
Emerging Growth Company and Smaller Reporting Company Status
We are an emerging growth company as defined in the JOBS Act and may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies. Section 107 of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies are required to comply with those standards. This means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public and nonpublic companies, we have the option to adopt the new or revised standard at the time nonpublic companies adopt the new or revised standard and can do so until such time that we either (i) irrevocably elect to “opt out” of such extended transition period or (ii) no longer qualify as an emerging growth company. We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards unless we otherwise early adopt select standards.
We are also a “smaller reporting company” as defined in Item 10(f)(1) of Regulation S-K. Smaller reporting companies may take advantage of certain reduced disclosure obligations, including, among other things, providing only two years of audited financial statements. We will remain a smaller reporting company until the last day of the fiscal year in which (i) the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $250.0 million as of the prior June 30 or (ii) our annual revenue exceeds $100.0 million during such completed fiscal year and the market value of our Common Stock held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of the prior June 30.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our audited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported revenue generated, and reported expenses incurred during the reporting periods.
Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions and any such differences may be material.
While our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus, we believe that the accounting estimates discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance.
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Revenue Recognition
Our revenue from customers consists mainly of customized design services arrangements and sale of battery products. We account for a contract with a customer when there is a legally enforceable contract, such as a customers’ purchase order, the rights of the parties are identified, payment terms are identified, the contract has commercial substance and collectability of the consideration is probable. Revenue from a contract with a customer is recognized at a point in time when control is transferred to the customer, which is generally upon the completion of the battery design and delivery of the final prototype batteries for customized design services or upon shipment of the batteries. The majority of our contracts have a single performance obligation, which do not require us to do a transaction price allocation. The transaction price set in the contract is fixed, with payment terms for a customized design service contract generally based on the achievement of agreed upon milestones specified in the contract. We do not accept returns unless the batteries are defective as manufactured. We also generate revenue from U.S. federal government expense reimbursement grants that is recognized in the period in which the qualifying costs have been incurred.
Leases
We determine if an arrangement is a lease, or contains a lease, by evaluating whether there is an identified asset and whether the Company controls the use of the identified asset throughout the period of use. We determine the classification of the lease, whether operating or finance lease, at the lease commencement date, which is the date the Company obtains control of the leased asset.
We recognize a right-of-use (“ROU”) asset and a lease liability on the lease commencement date based upon the present value of the fixed lease payments over the non-cancelable lease term using an incremental borrowing rate. We include in the calculation of the present value of the lease payments amounts attributable to the renewal period if we have the option to renew and if, based on present facts and circumstances, we believe that it is reasonably certain that the renewal will be exercised.
We do not recognize an ROU asset on a lease arrangement with a term of 12 months or less. When there are modifications to our lease, we assess the terms of the modification to determine whether incremental differences result in new contract terms, which would be accounted for as a new lease or whether the additional right of use should be included in the original lease and continue to be accounted with the remaining ROU asset.
Stock-Based Compensation
We measure stock-based compensation for stock options at fair value on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which requires the use of the following highly subjective assumptions.
| • | Expected Term—This is the estimated period that the stock options are expected to be outstanding. Since we do not have sufficient historical experience for determining the expected term, we derived the expected term based on the simplified method for awards that qualify as plain-vanilla options. |
| • | Expected Volatility—Prior to the Business Combination, we estimated volatility for stock option grants by evaluating the average historical volatility of a peer group of companies for the period immediately preceding the option grant for a term that is approximately equal to the option grant’s expected term. |
| • | Risk-Free Interest Rate—We base the risk-free interest rate on the implied yield available on the U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues with a remaining term equivalent to the expected term of the option. |
| • | Expected Dividend—We estimate expected dividend yield to be zero because we have not paid dividends in the past and have no plans to pay dividends on our Common Stock. |
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The Black-Scholes option-pricing model also requires us to input the fair value of the underlying Common Stock. Prior to becoming a public company, we estimated the fair value of our Common Stock based on the determination of the board of directors, with input from management and contemporaneous valuations from a third-party. We discuss in further detail below the valuation of our Common Stock prior to becoming a public company.
We recognize stock-based compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the period from the date of the grant to the date the award is fully vested, which is generally over four years. We elected to account for forfeitures as they occur.
Common Stock Valuations
Since there was no public market for Legacy Amprius’ common stock and Amprius Holdings’ common stock prior to the Business Combination, we estimated the fair value of Legacy Amprius’ common stock and Amprius Holdings’ common stock based on the determination of their respective board of directors at the date of the stock option grant, with input from their respective management and third-party valuations.
The third-party valuations were performed in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Accounting and Valuation Guide, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation (the “Practice Aid”). The Practice Aid identifies various available methods for allocating the enterprise value across classes of capital stock in determining the fair value of Legacy Amprius’ common stock at each valuation date. The probability-weighed expected return method (“PWERM”) and the Option Pricing Method (“OPM”) were the most appropriate methods for determining the fair value of Legacy Amprius’ common stock and Amprius Holdings’ common stock based on their respective stage of development and other relevant factors.
In addition to the third-party valuations, the respective board of directors considered various objective and subjective factors to determine the fair value of such common as of each grant date, including:
| • | the rights, preferences, and privileges of Amprius Holdings’ preferred securities as compared to those of Legacy Amprius’ common stock and Amprius Holdings’ common stock, including liquidation preferences of Amprius Holdings’ preferred stock; |
| • | stage of development; |
| • | external market conditions affecting the industry and trends within the industry, including a review of the performance and metrics of guideline public companies; |
| • | the respective company’s financial position, including cash on hand, and historical and forecasted performance and operating results; |
| • | the lack of an active public market for such common stock and Amprius Holdings’ preferred stock; |
| • | the likelihood of achieving a liquidity event, such as a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (“SPAC”) transaction or sale of our company in light of prevailing market conditions; and |
| • | an analysis of initial public offerings and the market performance of similar companies in the industry. |
Valuation of Legacy Amprius’ common stock
| • | Valuation as of March 29, 2022 |
The valuation as of March 29, 2022 was determined by applying the Hybrid Method, whereby the implied equity value was determined using various scenarios based in part on the latest round of financing of Amprius Holdings at that time (i.e., Series E-2 convertible preferred stock). In addition, the following scenarios were also considered at that time:
| • | Two SPAC term sheet values that we received; |
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| • | Backsolve OPM based on Amprius Holdings’ Series E-2 convertible preferred stock financing completed in June 2021; and |
| • | A discounted cash flow analysis as of the March 2022 valuation date. |
The relative probability of each type of future-event scenario was determined based on management’s best estimate as of the date of valuation, including then-current expectations as to the timing and likely prospects of the future event scenarios. The two SPAC scenarios were weighted 12.5% each, the Backsolve analysis based on the Series E-2 financing was weighted 25%, and the discounted cash flow analysis was weighted 50%. The weighted average implied equity value was then used to determine the common stock value based on an OPM.
Valuation of Amprius Holdings’ common stock
| • | Valuation as of June 30, 2021 |
The valuation as of June 30, 2021 was determined based on both a market approach and an income approach, applying weightings to each value to arrive at an equity value estimate. In addition, consideration was given to the implied equity value from the Backsolve analysis based on Amprius Holdings’ Series E-2 financing at that time. The two market approaches were weighted a combined 37.5%, the discounted cash flow analysis was weighted 12.5%, and the Backsolve analysis based on the Series E-2 financing was weighted 50%. The weighted average implied equity value was then used to determine the common stock value based on an OPM.
| • | Valuation as of March 29, 2022 |
Subsequent to Amprius Holdings’ divestiture of its subsidiaries in early 2022, its only assets were the shares of Legacy Amprius common stock it owned and cash. As such, the estimated fair value of Amprius Holdings common stock was adjusted based on the analysis performed for Legacy Amprius, making an adjustment for cash to value the equity based on an asset-based approach. This value was then allocated to the securities in the capital structure based on an OPM, in order to estimate the value of the common stock in Amprius Holdings as of the valuation date. For purposes of determining the fair value of stock option grants in December 2021, Amprius Holdings adjusted the March 29, 2022 in order to derive an interpolated value by taking into consideration that its three subsidiaries had not been divested at that time.
After becoming a public company, our Board determines the fair value of our Common Stock based upon the closing market price as reported on the NYSE.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus for further information about recent accounting pronouncements, the timing of their adoption, and our assessment, to the extent we have made one, of their potential impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
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BUSINESS
Amprius has developed and, since 2018, been in commercial production of an ultra-high energy density lithium-ion battery for mobility applications leveraging disruptive silicon anodes. Our silicon anode technology enables batteries with higher energy density, higher power density, and extreme fast charging capabilities over a wide range of operating temperatures, which results in our batteries providing superior performance compared to conventional graphite lithium-ion batteries. Our silicon anodes are a direct drop-in replacement of the graphite anode in traditional lithium-ion batteries, and our manufacturing process leverages the manufacturing process for conventional lithium-ion batteries and the related supply chain.
Today, our batteries are primarily used for existing and emerging aviation applications, UAS, such as drones and HAPS. We believe our proprietary technology has the potential for broad application in electric transportation.
Our batteries and their performance specifications have been tested and validated for application by over 40 customers, including Airbus, AeroVironment, BAE Systems, the U.S. Army and Teledyne FLIR, and we have shipped over 10,000 batteries to date, which have enabled mission critical applications. Our proprietary silicon anode structures, battery cell designs and manufacturing processes are defended by our portfolio of patents, trade secrets and know-how developed over 10 years of research and development.
We currently manufacture batteries on a kWh-scale manufacturing line at our headquarters in Fremont, California, where we believe demand for our batteries exceeds our manufacturing capacity. We are working to meet the expected demand in several rapidly growing addressable markets, including by designing and building a large-scale manufacturing facility that can produce batteries at GWh+ scale.
Corporate Background and Liquidity
On September 14, 2022 (the “Closing Date”), we completed a business combination pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, dated May 11, 2022 (the “Business Combination Agreement”), by and among Amprius, Kensington Capital Merger Sub Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Amprius (“Merger Sub”), and Amprius Technologies Operating, Inc. (formerly known as Amprius Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation incorporated in March 2015) (“Legacy Amprius”). Pursuant to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement, Amprius changed its jurisdiction of incorporation by domesticating as a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Domestication”), upon which Amprius changed its name to “Amprius Technologies, Inc.,” and a business combination between Amprius and Legacy Amprius was effected through the merger of Merger Sub with and into Legacy Amprius, with Legacy Amprius surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Amprius (together with the Domestication and the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement, the “Business Combination”).
Unless the context otherwise provides, “Amprius,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refer (i) prior to the Closing Date, to Legacy Amprius and (ii) after the Closing Date, to Amprius Technologies, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including Legacy Amprius. Prior to the Business Combination, Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. IV is referred to herein as “Kensington.”
Prior to the Business Combination, we financed our operations primarily through capital contributions from Amprius Holdings, our former parent company and current majority stockholder, and revenue generated from operations. We expect to rely on cash on hand, which was $69.7 million as of December 31, 2022, as well as any proceeds from the Committed Equity Financing (as defined below) and government grants to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements for a period of at least twelve months. However, to the extent that our resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may need to seek additional equity or debt financing. Additional capital may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. Further, the likelihood that our warrant holders will exercise warrants and any cash proceeds that we would receive is dependent upon the
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market price of our Common Stock. To the extent we are unable to raise additional capital and we are unable to install the larger scale manufacturing process, discussed below, our ability to grow will be adversely affected. For more information, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Technology, Products and Manufacturing” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Industry Background
Traditional transportation has been powered by fossil fuel-based engines which have led to significant greenhouse gas emissions. A rising focus on sustainable energy use in transportation is leading to increased investments in technology, government incentives and consumer demand for the electrification of passenger and payload mobility. Among the mobility mediums experiencing a shift to electrification due to these trends are aircraft such as UAS, which includes drones and HAPS, and electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) planes, as well as ground-based EVs. Critical and breakthrough battery technologies can facilitate and, in certain cases, enable the mass adoption of these electric transportation mediums by improving energy density, accelerating fast charging capabilities, extending battery life, and improving safety.
Aviation Industry
Unmanned Aerial Systems: UAS are aircraft that operate with no crew or passengers onboard and are guided by remote control or autonomously. Examples of UAS include drones and HAPS. UAS are the next generation aerial transportation technology utilized for surveillance, assessment, logistics, delivery, communications, and imaging, among other uses. Emerging technologies, such as Amprius’ silicon anode battery, offer lighter weight and/or more energy dense batteries, potentially overcoming current battery technology barriers and enabling faster adoption of UAS. Based on an Insider Intelligence article from April 2022, a Stratistics report from March 2022 and management estimates, the total addressable market for UAS batteries is expected to reach approximately $38.2 billion by 2025.
Drones: Drones are the most common type of UAS that are increasingly being utilized in various industries, including military and defense, agricultural, construction and logistics. One of the key barriers to wider adoption is the existing battery technology, which limits the flight range and payload capacity. Our batteries offer higher energy density, which enables longer range endurance, and, depending on customer specifications, lighter weight, which facilitates higher payload capacity.
High Altitude Pseudo Satellites: HAPS are alternatives for traditional satellites. When deployed, HAPS typically operate at stratospheric altitudes, approximately 12 miles (approximately 65,000 feet) above sea level. HAPS are being increasingly utilized to provide high-quality broadcast features, particularly in remote regions, which have limited terrestrial network coverage. HAPS generally use solar energy and battery storage as the power source to operate for long durations of time. As a result, lightweight, higher energy density batteries with the ability to operate in extreme temperature and pressure conditions are critical enablers. Amprius offers advanced battery technology suitable for application in HAPS, which is currently in use by prominent aerospace companies, like Airbus.
Electric Air Transportation: Population growth and urbanization are key megatrends that are stretching ground transportation infrastructure to its limits and resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions. A potential mitigation strategy is expanding travel into the air, which is offered by eVTOL vehicles, a passenger aircraft that uses electric power to hover, takeoff, and land vertically. Historically, the electrification of passenger and cargo aircraft has lagged the adoption of electric automobiles in part because of the greater technical challenges. However, over the last few years there have been significant advancements in the key enabling technologies for eVTOL aircraft, such as the high energy density and robust performance batteries offered by Amprius. Continued improvements in battery energy density could allow eVTOL aircraft to increase their range, speed and payload, dramatically expanding the range of trips and further accelerating the adoption of electric air mobility. Based on Morgan Stanley’s May 2021 report and management estimates, the total global addressable electric air mobility battery market is forecasted to reach approximately $11.1 billion by 2025.
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EV Industry
The electrification of ground transportation is being accelerated by regulatory pressure to meet sustainability benchmarks and growing consumer preference. Some of the largest global automotive OEMs expect to be 100% EV by 2035. Market and Market’s February 2021 report estimates that the global electric vehicle battery market is expected to reach $67.2 billion by 2025. McKinsey & Company estimated in October 2021 that EV battery requirements will be 3,900 GWh in 2030, of which 2,400 GWh will be needed for passenger cars alone. While multiple battery chemistries exist today that meet current EV specifications, there is room for significant improvement. According to a recent Deloitte survey, two of the key consumer concerns with EV adoption are driving range and lack of charging infrastructure. Our batteries, which have been tested and validated by the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (“USABC”), as further described below, have the potential to help address both these concerns. As such, while our EV capable battery needs to be improved with respect to cycle life, form factor, cost and production quantity for us to compete with existing commercially available EV batteries, we believe that, as we grow and improve, we may be able to compete in the EV battery market.
Battery Requirements for Electric Transportation
Current battery technology creates a barrier in the near-term for the electric transportation market, especially for electric air mobility applications, as battery weight, size and recharging times would need to be improved for these operations to become commercial. The battery system must fulfill several key requirements:
| • | high energy density and specific energy in order to achieve long range endurance while enabling lighter weight; |
| • | high power density to provide sufficient power at a specific instance, such as during aircraft take-off or landing; |
| • | fast charging capabilities to enable high infrastructure throughput; |
| • | operational in wide temperature and pressure ranges; |
| • | safe to operate in a wide variety of conditions; |
| • | a long calendar life and cycle life; and |
| • | acceptable cost, which varies by application. |
Our Solution
Today’s batteries typically utilize graphite as the anode material. Based on management’s estimates, we believe that graphite anodes have reached their theoretical limits for energy storage. We estimate that graphite anodes can only provide up to 355 mAh/g capacity for lithium storage, which can further degrade in extreme environments. We believe additional increases in the energy density for lithium-ion batteries are possible only by using active anode materials that have a higher capacity for lithium storage. Among such active materials, silicon is known to have the highest lithium storage capacity per unit mass or volume over any other element besides lithium itself.
In our batteries, we have replaced the graphite anode with a highly engineered silicon material that has a lithium storage capacity of approximately 3,400 mAh/g—nearly 10 times the highest capacity of known graphite anodes. By replacing graphite with silicon in the anode, we have significantly enhanced performance in batteries across energy density, power, charging time, safety and ability to operate in extreme environments.
Our Competitive Strengths
Performance greatly exceeds conventional lithium-ion batteries commercially available today. The battery cells that we ship to our customers today significantly outperform commercially available conventional graphite
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battery cells. In particular, as shown in the table below, our batteries have approximately double the specific energy and energy density of graphite battery cells, and enable significantly faster charging time. We believe other next-generation battery technologies will require significant additional research, development and investment prior to being commercially viable.
| Performance Metric | Graphite Anode Battery Cells (1) |
(3) | ||
| Anode Capacity (mAh/g) (1)(2) |
335-355 | 1,500-2,500 | ||
| Specific Energy (Wh/kg) |
~215-285 | 360-450 | ||
| Energy Density (Wh/L) |
~530-715 | 890-1,150 | ||
| Charging Time to 80% |
30 minutes | <6 minutes (4) | ||
| Rate Capability/Power |
Up to 10C | Up to 10C | ||
| Cycle Life |
500-1,000 cycles | 200-1,200 cycles | ||
| Operating Temperature |
-20 to 60oC | -30 to 55oC |
| (1) | Other than cycle life, based on a survey of 18650 technical datasheets (ex. Panasonic NCR18650G) and iFixit reports on iPhone and Samsung batteries. For cycle life, based on Shmuel De-Leon: Li-Ion NCA / NMC Cylindrical Hard Case Cells Market 2021. |
| (2) | Anode capacity for Graphite Anode Battery (full cells) uses typical N/P ratio of 1.05 – 1.10. |
| (3) | Includes released Amprius products with energy and power cell designs. |
| (4) | Based on Amprius’ High Power battery cells. |
Unique suitability for aviation markets that require high power, specific energy and energy density. We believe the increased performance of our batteries enable certain electric aviation applications. Specifically, our batteries have high specific energy and energy density, to maximize payload and reduce weight, thereby extending flight radius; high power density, to enable vertical take-off and landing functionality; fast charge, to minimize the time required to recharge a battery; wide operating temperature, for high altitude applications operating in extremely low temperatures; and cycle life parity with graphite batteries, depending on customer specifications.
In March 2023, our new prototype battery cells were verified to deliver energy density >504 WH/kg and >1321 WH/L at 25°C. The performance was verified by a leading testing house offering comprehensive battery regulatory compliance, safety and performance testing. We believe our next-generation cells, when commercially available, will have the potential to expand boundaries for our customers and provide a tailored solution for applications that require heightened discharge times without compromising key features, such as aircraft payload, and without having to increase vehicle weight.
First mover advantage in emerging aviation markets. As a result of our success with Airbus and other tier-one customers, we have become an established market pioneer in providing high performance batteries to the aviation industry. Our reputation and commitment to delivering ultra-high performance batteries have enabled us to enter into several development and master supply arrangements with our customers. Over 40 of our customers have tested and confirmed that our batteries exceed the technical requirements for their applications, and we believe our market leadership in aviation will enable us to continue to grow our customer base.
Proven performance in demanding and abuse-tested environments. Safety is recognized as one of the most important factors of lithium-ion battery technology. Our silicon anodes operate at a voltage that is at least 100 mV higher than that of graphite anodes, which not only enables faster charging but also cell operation at lower temperatures, thereby improving cell safety and mitigating the risk of overcharging. Our batteries are also designed to be ultra-resilient and undergo rigorous abuse testing, including air cargo certification and specific tests for defense applications.
In December 2022, an independent third-party testing lab validated our 390Wh/kg polymer electrolyte cell by successfully passing the nail penetration test per the requirements of section 4.7.4.4. of the MIL-PRF-32383
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(Military Performance Specification). The test is used to determine the feasibility of a specific product in combat scenarios. Cells tested in accordance with 4.7.4.4. shall not burn or explode, and the external temperature of each test sample shall not be greater than 338 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius) when penetrated by sharp objects. When conducting the test, a 0.113-inch diameter stainless steel nail is driven through a fully charged cell at a prescribed speed. The cell is deemed to have passed if there is no smoke or flame following the nail penetration.
Robust IP portfolio and know-how related to our silicon nanowire ecosystem. Our silicon anode technology has been refined and improved upon for over 10 years, and is protected by over 80 issued patents and pending applications. Core aspects of our technologies and processes are also protected by know-how and trade secrets developed by our team for more than 10 years.
Our Products and Customers
As evidenced by customer validation, design wins and recurring orders with Airbus, AeroVironment, Teledyne FLIR, among others, our battery technology is well positioned to address the rapidly growing markets within the aviation industry, specifically UAS and eVTOL. UAS and eVTOL applications have historically used conventional lithium-ion batteries as a means to promote product prototypes, but market participants are seeking advancements in battery technology. We believe that our silicon anode technology can be part of the solution, as we currently offer three product platforms: High Energy, High Power, and Balanced Energy/Power.
High Energy Products. Our High Energy products are designed to maximize specific energy for applications that do not have high power requirements. For applications that have a continuous discharge rate of less than C/2, our High Energy battery cells deliver a specific energy of over 425 Wh/kg, and at C/10, up to 450 Wh/kg. This product has been most frequently used by HAPS, which are frequently designed to carry a payload at high altitudes for extended periods, typically for weeks or months at a time, as they rely on solar power for operations during the day and need to store sufficient energy in the battery to keep the aircraft aloft during the night.
For example, our battery is the energy storage technology aboard the Zephyr S, a HAPS by Airbus. The Zephyr S is a stratospheric vehicle that is designed to fly for months at a time, at an altitude of approximately 70,000 feet. In 2018, after integrating our battery cells into the Zephyr S, Airbus set an endurance and altitude record by flying continuously for over 25 days. We continue to support the Zephyr S program and were presented the 2021 Innovative Supplier of the Year Award by Airbus.
High Power Products. Our High Power products are designed for applications that place a premium on high power capabilities. For conventional high power lithium-ion batteries, specific energy typically ranges between 100-200 Wh/kg at 1C. In comparison, our High Power battery cells offer 350 Wh/kg at 1C and over 300 Wh/kg at 5C. In addition, these High Power cells are capable of fast charging such that they can charge from 0% to 80% in less than 6 minutes without performance degradation to cycle life or energy density. This level of power capability, energy density, and fast charge capability is optimal for the air transportation industry. The air transportation industry consists of either fixed-wing or eVTOL solutions, both of which require high power capabilities to lift the craft from the ground into the air. After the craft has reached “cruising altitude,” the requirements shift from power to energy, which determines the range the aircraft can travel. Once the vehicle has landed, the turnaround time to get the vehicle back into the air becomes critical, which is why we have designed our High Power products with fast charge capabilities.
In 2020, we began design and verification discussions with potential eVTOL customers. In 2021, we began a technical evaluation engagement with a tier-one eVTOL provider to develop an eVTOL-optimized battery system to support the development and commercialization of their eVTOL fleet. In 2022, we expanded our technical engagements with four additional eVTOL OEMs.
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Balanced Energy/Power Products. Our Balanced Energy/Power products are designed for applications that desire a balance between power and energy. Rated for up to 3C continuous discharge, our balanced cell gravimetric energy ranges between 410 Wh/kg at 0.2C discharge rate and 320 Wh/kg at 3C discharge rate. This range of power capability is important to our UAS customers and our products typically meet UAS devices high initial power requirements (between 1-3C for takeoff and landing), as well as operational requirements at C/2 for cruise or hover states.
Since 2021, our Balanced Energy/Power products have been designed into programs at AeroVironment and Teledyne FLIR, with commercial shipments beginning in 2022.
EV-Capable Products in Development. We are currently developing an EV capable cell. Competition in the EV industry is intense, with high production volume requirements, low pricing, and balanced performance criteria, creating a high barrier to entry against the incumbent solutions. Prior to us being able to effectively compete in the EV space, we will need to further improve cycle life, increase cell form factors, increase production quantity and reduce our costs.
Since 2017, we have been sampling our batteries with USABC, which has independently verified that we have met or exceeded the majority of their 2025 EV cell performance goals, including usable energy density, usable specific energy, power density and charge time. In 2022, we were awarded a contract from USABC in collaboration with the U.S. DOE to develop a low-cost, fast-charge silicon anode battery that meets all of their 2025 EV cell characteristic targets. This program is scheduled to conclude in 2024 when we intend to deliver cells with a 99mm x 300mm (W x L) footprint and a capacity of at least 80Ah, having a beginning-of-life specific energy of no less than 400 Wh/kg, energy density of no less than 950 Wh/L, and a cycle life of 1,000 cycles.
Our Technology
Our proprietary silicon anode technologies solve for the inherent limitations of silicon anodes in lithium-ion cells. Silicon has historically been investigated as an anode material due to its intrinsic capability to store larger quantities of lithium per unit mass and volume compared to graphite. The main barrier preventing silicon from becoming more widely adopted across the battery industry is that the silicon material expands during charging as it absorbs lithium ions. For example, silicon particles may expand up to 300% during charging. After multiple charge and discharge cycles, silicon particles will crack, causing anode degradation and device breakdown.
Our proprietary silicon anode technology solves for the material expansion inherent with silicon. Our nanowire anodes start with a metal foil that is layered with a nanowire template and metallurgically attached to the metal foil substrate by a growth process. The nanowire template is coated with a low-density silicon and then encased by a thin layer of high-density silicon.
Our silicon anode generally contains more than 1,000,000 nanowires per square centimeter.
The nano-porosity of the low-density layer of silicon on each nanowire and the micro-porosity between the wires in our technology allows the silicon to expand at nano- and micro- meter levels when the anode is charged, with little to no damage to the anode.
Our anode structure also enables ions and electrons to travel in a straight path between and through the nanowires. In contrast, a particle structure results in ions and electrons traveling in a nonlinear, tortuous path. The straight path of our anode facilitates high electric and ionic conductivity, enabling high power and fast charging. Nanowires are always in electrical contact with the metal foil due to their growth rooted fabrication, while particles have to rely on particle-to-particle contact for electron transfer, which can easily be broken during cycling.
Our silicon anodes are considered 100% silicon based on the actual percentage of silicon of 99.5% to 99.9% which is within the range of acceptable purity levels that are considered 100%.
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Manufacturing and Supply
We invented the proprietary silicon anode and its fabrication process. Our silicon anode is fabricated using CVD technology, and consists of three sequential steps. First, the nanowire template is grown by a thermally activated chemical reaction. Second, a low-density silicon coating is deposited by plasma enhanced CVD. Third, a high-density thin silicon surface layer is deposited by a thermally activated CVD process. These three steps replace all powder processing steps typically used in making graphite anodes, including powder mixing, slurry mixing, slurry coating, electrode drying and electrode calendaring. After fabrication, our product is the fully processed anode. This anode can then be assembled in cells with cathodes produced by manufacturing lines similar to those used in graphite anode cells. This fabrication process has been in commercial operation since 2018 with a kWh-scale manufacturing line at our headquarters in Fremont, California.
To develop the high volume anode fabrication tool needed for a GWh-scale manufacturing line, we have partnered with centrotherm international AG (“centrotherm”), a leading global supplier of tools used to produce wafers for solar cells. In October 2022, we received the first large-scale anode production machine, which is expected to increase our capacity for silicon anode production at our Fremont headquarters to approximately 2 MWh by the end of 2023. We have successfully fabricated silicon anodes with a solar wafer production tool made by centrotherm, but we will need to make certain modifications to the equipment for our needs. One modification is that we will replace wafers with large format foils, which we use in our kWh-scale production. This requires design and development of automated material handling for the foils. This is one of the principal engineering tasks in adapting the solar cell production equipment to our needs and will be undertaken in collaboration with an engineering design firm.
Completing design and development of the tool as well as the automated material handling and high volume production processes requires significant engineering. The ability to do so successfully and the timing of this effort may be subject to unforeseen complexities, component supply delays and other risks. Moreover, our manufacturing costs will depend not only on the cost of the tools but also on throughput, yield, efficiency of silane gas utilization and other factors. For more information, see the risks described under “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Technology, Products and Manufacturing.”
Although our anode processes differ from traditional anode manufacturing, the cathode and the rest of the cell—including electrolytes and separators—use conventional lithium-ion battery manufacturing tools and materials. Our silicon anodes are a direct drop-in replacement of the graphite anode in traditional lithium-ion batteries.
On January 20, 2023, we entered into a nonbinding letter of intent to lease premises consisting of approximately 774,000 square feet of space located in Brighton, Colorado. Subject to finalization of the lease, we plan to build our GWh-scale manufacturing facility at this facility and procure manufacturing equipment for anode and cathode fabrication, cell assembly, and cell testing from established equipment suppliers. We have received commitments of state and local incentive packages providing approximately $10.0 million in tax incentives that are contingent on certain performance goals.
The dominant raw materials for our silicon anode include silane gas, which is used in making the silicon anodes, and electrodeposited nickel foil, which is used for the anode current collector substrate. As we increase manufacturing capacity, we expect to procure the silane gas from a global supplier of silane and silicon materials and will procure nickel foil from global suppliers of electrodeposited metals. Both silane gas and nickel foil are available commodity materials.
Due to its high capacity to store lithium relative to cathode materials, and to further increase the available lithium in the cell, the silicon anode can be prelithiated to a certain level (i.e., 10-20%) of its capacity before cell assembly. Prelithiation can be done electrochemically at low scale and by physical vapor deposition for large manufacturing volume. Equipment vendors have scaled-up or are scaling lithium evaporation equipment to GWh+ manufacturing volumes. We use electrochemical prelithiation in our current production and will integrate lithium evaporation steps in the anode manufacturing line.
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Our Growth Strategy
Our goal is to become the market leader in high performance lithium-ion batteries for the transportation industry. In order to achieve that goal, we are pursuing the following growth strategies:
Complete large-scale manufacturing facility to meet customer demand and optimize costs. We operate a kWh-scale manufacturing line at our headquarters in Fremont, California. In January 2023, we entered into an amendment to the lease agreement of our Fremont headquarters, pursuant to which we will lease approximately 25,000 square feet of additional space located in the same building as our current headquarters, where we are working to achieve production on a MWh-scale. To meet the demand for our batteries, we are also in the process of negotiating a lease for a facility in Brighton, Colorado, where we expect we will build a GWh-scale manufacturing facility. We plan to operate a MWh-scale manufacturing line at our Fremont headquarters as we design and build a GWh-scale manufacturing line in a modular form in Brighton. We expect that the initial phase of the Brighton facility will result in manufacturing capacity of 500 MWh and be operational in 2025. Thereafter, we expect to further expand as needed through a Copy Exact methodology. Our ability to grow depends on the successful establishment of our GWh-scale manufacturing facility, which, in turn, will depend on, among other things, our ability to raise additional capital.
Reduce our costs. We believe our ability to reduce the costs of our batteries on a $/kWh basis will accelerate the adoption of our batteries and allow us to further broaden our customer base. As we scale, we believe we will benefit from reduced per-unit costs, including overhead, labor and capital expenditures, improved tool utilization and volume pricing for equipment and materials. We will also seek to reduce costs by optimizing material utilization, throughput and yield. However, until we are able to complete our optimization process, including designing and implementing our silicon anode production process, we cannot accurately forecast our manufacturing costs. Based on our current expectations, we estimate that our capital equipment expenditures will range between $120.0 million and $150.0 million to achieve 1.0 GWh per year of manufacturing capacity. Because our silicon anode process requires different equipment than traditional anode manufacturing, our capital equipment costs are likely to be higher than equipment used for production of graphite anodes.
Extend first-mover advantage to become the market leader in lithium-ion batteries for aviation. We believe we are the leading company in the market today with a high-performance battery that can meet the requirements of aviation applications. We have built a strong reputation in the industry by delivering ultra-high performance batteries with high safety standards that meet or exceed industry standards and customer requirements. We expect to extend our presence in the aviation market, while also serving other transportation-related markets that require improvements in their electrification solutions. We are engaged with over 80 interested potential customers, 40 of which have tested and validated that our batteries exceed the technical requirements for their applications.
Further improve performance characteristics of our anode and battery cells. We believe we have the highest-performing commercially available batteries in the market. We intend to maintain our performance advantage by continuing to invest in our anode and cathode chemistries. We expect to continue to work to increase the performance characteristics of our batteries, particularly around power, energy density and cycle life. For example, in March 2023, our new prototype battery cells were verified to deliver energy density >504 WH/kg and >1321 WH/L at 25°C. The performance was verified by a leading testing house offering comprehensive battery regulatory compliance, safety and performance testing. We believe our next-generation cells, when commercially available, will have the potential to expand boundaries for our customers and provide a tailored solution for applications that require heightened discharge times without compromising key features, such as aircraft payload, and without having to increase vehicle weight. We will continue to invest in optimizing combinations of these performance characteristics as well as the requisite form factors to meet the specific needs of our customers and drive adoption of our battery cells in other areas of electrified transportation. As a result of these efforts, our goal is to fully realize the benefits of our silicon anode technology and develop the highest performing product in the market.
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Expand our end markets and applications. As we increase our production capabilities, we will be able to supply our batteries in larger volumes to fulfill our customers’ battery prototyping and procurement requirements. Our current customer base consists primarily of aviation and other air transportation companies. We believe the batteries we have developed for the aviation industries can be adapted for larger form factors to meet the energy density and fast-charge requirements of the EV market once we are able to improve the cycle life, increase form factors, reduce cost and improve production quantity for our EV capable battery cells.
Research and Development
Our original silicon anode technology was developed at Stanford University in 2008, and for more than 10 years, we have refined and improved upon the technology for use in commercial applications. We have conducted research and development initiatives focused on improving certain performance characteristics and expanding the applications of our silicon anode battery technology. We expect to continue our research and development efforts in the following areas:
| • | Improving battery life: we are working with chemical compounds as potential additives to the silane gas we use to produce our silicon anodes which have demonstrated the potential to improve cycle life without negatively impacting other performance characteristics such as energy density. |
| • | Further improvements to energy density: we are engaged in ongoing development activities to explore different cathode materials, including a conversion cathode, to further improve the energy density of our batteries. |
| • | Larger cell form factors: the batteries we have developed and are developing for our customers are typically approximately 1.4-15Ah for small-sized aircraft. As we expand our customer base, we are in the process of developing larger form factor batteries for broader aviation applications and for EV customers. |
We utilize our research and development capabilities not only to improve existing products but also to build custom-designed batteries for our customers. We have generated revenue from these design services. However, as we grow our manufacturing capacity, we expect that the relative percentage of our revenue from these activities will decrease.
Intellectual Property
Our proprietary silicon anode technologies, including the related processes, design and manufacturing, are protected by our patent portfolio and know-how and trade secrets. As of March 15, 2023, 64 patents had been issued (30 in the U.S. and 34 in the EU, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and Israel), 20 patents are applications pending (7 in the U.S. and 13 in the EU, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China) and 2 issued U.S. patents are licensed from Stanford University. Our issued patents expire between 2027 and 2040. As of March 15, 2023, we also held 11 registered trademarks (2 in the U.S. and 9 in Europe, Great Britain, Japan, Korea and China). Our patents cover:
| • | silicon structures—rooted nanowire template, tapered morphology, silicon dopants and multi-layered structure; |
| • | materials technologies—solid electrolyte interphase formation, electrolyte formulations and scalable prelithiation; and |
| • | silicon anode manufacturing processes, design and equipment. |
In addition, we rely on non-disclosure agreements with employees, independent contractors, customers and other third parties to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights.
Circumstances outside our control could pose a threat to our intellectual property rights. For more information, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Intellectual Property.”
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Competition
We compete directly and indirectly with current battery manufacturers and with an increasing number of companies that are developing new battery technologies and chemistries to address the growing market for electrified mobility solutions. Specifically, within the aviation markets, we primarily compete with conventional graphite anode batteries and silicon composite anode batteries. Silicon composites are graphite-based anodes that incorporate some silicon, typically in the form of particles of silicon or silicon monoxide.
Graphite anode battery companies include tier-one manufacturers such as Amperex Technology Limited (ATL), Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL), LG Chem Ltd., Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Panasonic Industry Co., Ltd., and Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., which provide higher quality and higher performance solutions, and tier-two manufacturers which provide lower cost solutions. We expect the manufacturers of those batteries will continue to invest in improving the capabilities of their batteries.
While we are currently the only known battery manufacturer making approximately 100% silicon anodes, there are many companies making or developing silicon composite batteries or anode materials and companies seeking to develop 100% silicon anodes. Companies making or developing silicon composite anodes or materials include both large manufacturers as well as many well-funded new technology companies. These include BTR New Energy Material Ltd., Enevate Corporation, Enovix Corporation, Group 14 Technologies, Inc., Nexeon Ltd., Sila Nanotechnologies Inc., Shanshan Corporation, Storedot Ltd., and Berzelius (Nanjing) Co. Ltd. (formerly known as Amprius (Nanjing) Co., Ltd., “Berzelius”), a former subsidiary of Amprius Holdings, among others. Dr. Sun, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board, serves on the board of Berzelius and its holding company. Silicon composite anodes may offer higher energy density and other improvements over conventional graphite anodes, and may be less expensive to manufacture than our silicon anodes.
For aviation applications, we believe that the defining characteristics of our battery cells (e.g., industry-leading specific energy and energy density, high power density, low operating temperature and fast charge capability), in addition to commercial validation, significantly differentiates us from graphite anode and silicon composite anode alternatives, thus making our silicon anode technologies the only battery solutions currently available and suitable for broad aviation adoption. However, we expect additional competitors to enter the market as their battery technologies continue to improve.
The EV battery industry is fast-growing and highly competitive. Unlike the aviation industry, where there are a limited number of commercially available batteries that meet the minimum performance specifications, there are many battery manufacturers in the EV industry that can produce commercially acceptable batteries, and they can produce those batteries at lower cost and higher volumes than we are currently able to. Future entrants may include companies developing different technologies, such as lithium metal anodes, which are not yet in commercial production. In order to compete in the EV industry, we would need to improve cycle life, increase form factors, improve production quantity and reduce our manufacturing costs.
Many of our competitors and potential future entrants, both in the aviation and EV industries, may be better capitalized and have greater resources to commercialize and expand their production capacities. These competitors may have greater access to customers and may be able to establish cooperative or strategic relationships amongst themselves or with third parties that may further enhance their resources and competitive positioning. If there are significant advances in battery chemistries that we cannot adapt, or if competitors are able to scale their production capacities before we are able to, our business may be materially impacted. For more information, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry.”
Government Regulation and Compliance
Our business activities are global and are subject to various federal, state, local, and foreign laws, rules and regulations. For example, there are various government regulations pertaining to battery safety, transportation of batteries, use of batteries in cars, factory safety, and disposal of hazardous materials.
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In many cases, our products are or may in the future be subject to trade and export control laws and regulations in the United States and other jurisdictions where we do business. Such laws may include the Export Administration Regulations, the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, trade and economic sanctions maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control as well as foreign direct investment rules and regulations, tariffs and quotas, and other related regulations in jurisdictions in which we operate. In particular, an export license may be required to export or re-export our products and technology to certain countries or end-users or for certain end-uses or may be prohibited. Additionally, we may be required to register with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls in order to conduct some aspects of our future business activities and we may be required to obtain licenses in order to conduct development activities. Obtaining the necessary export license for a particular sale or offering or business activity may not be possible or may be time-consuming and may result in the delay or loss of sales opportunities. Any failure to adequately address these legal obligations could result in civil fines or suspension or loss of our export privileges, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, our business may be subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption, anti-bribery, and anti-money laundering laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we have offices or do business, both domestic and abroad. Any failure to adequately comply with any of these obligations, or future changes with respect to any of these legal regimes, could cause us to incur significant costs, including the potential for new overhead costs, fines, sanctions, and third-party claims.
As a government contractor and/or subcontractor, we must comply with laws, regulations, and contractual provisions relating to the formation, administration, and performance of government contracts and grants, which affect how we and our partners do business with government agencies. Government contracts often contain provisions and are subject to laws and regulations that provide government customers with additional rights and remedies not typically found in commercial contracts. Ensuring compliance with government contracting laws, regulations, or contractual provisions may impose other added costs on our business, and failure to comply with these or other applicable regulations and requirements could lead to claims for damages, civil or criminal penalties, termination of contracts and/or suspension or debarment from obtaining government contracts and grants. Any such damages, penalties, disruption, or limitation in our ability to do business with a government could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, public perception and growth prospects.
Human Capital
We believe that our success is driven by our team of technology innovators and experienced business leaders. Many on our leadership team have been with Amprius over a decade. We seek to hire and develop employees who are dedicated to our strategic mission. As of December 31, 2022, we employed 58 full time employees, 4 temporary employees and 2 contractors based in our headquarters in Fremont, California and 1 full time employee and 1 contractor working remotely.
Our employees are the foundation of developing and commercializing our silicon anode technology. Ten of our employees are engaged in engineering, research and development and 43 are involved with battery manufacturing and production. Of our technical and operations staff, approximately 20% hold a Ph.D. or advanced degrees across material science, chemical, aerospace, structural and nanoscale engineering as well as physics and chemistry. We are committed to maintaining equitable compensation programs including equity participation. We offer market-competitive salaries and strong equity compensation aimed at attracting and retaining team members capable of making exceptional contributions to our success. Our compensation decisions are guided by the external market, role criticality and the contributions of each team member.
To date, we have not experienced any work stoppages and we consider our relationship with our employees to be good. None of our employees are either represented by a labor union or subject to a collective bargaining agreement.
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Properties
Our corporate headquarters is located in Fremont, California, where we leased approximately 26,000 square feet of space as of December 31, 2022. In January 2023, we expanded our corporate headquarters by leasing approximately 25,000 square feet of additional space in the same building and extending the lease term through June 2027. Our headquarters facility is used for research and development, manufacturing and production, sales and administrative functions.
On January 20, 2023, we entered into a nonbinding letter of intent to lease premises consisting of approximately 774,000 square feet of space located in Brighton, Colorado. Execution of the lease agreement remains subject to ongoing negotiations. In order to meet increased demand for our products, we plan to design and build our GWh-scale manufacturing facility on these premises.
We believe that our facilities are adequate to meet our needs for the immediate future, and that, should it be needed, suitable additional space will be available to accommodate any such expansion of our operations.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we may become involved in litigation or other legal proceedings. We are not currently a party to any litigation or legal proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse effect on our business. Regardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources and other factors.
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MANAGEMENT
Executive Officers and Directors
The following table sets forth the names, ages, and positions of our executive officers and directors as of March 31, 2023:
| Name | Age | Position | ||||
| Dr. Kang Sun |
68 | President, Chief Executive Officer and Class III Director | ||||
| Sandra Wallach |
58 | Chief Financial Officer | ||||
| Jonathan Bornstein |
64 | President of Amprius Lab | ||||
| Dr. Ionel Stefan |
50 | Chief Technology Officer | ||||
| Donald R. Dixon(1)(2) |
75 | Chair and Class III Director | ||||
| Dr. Steven Chu(3) |
75 | Class II Director | ||||
| Dr. Wen Hsieh(1)(2) |
50 | Class I Director | ||||
| Justin Mirro(1)(3) |
54 | Class II Director | ||||
| (1) | Member of the audit committee. |
| (2) | Member of the compensation committee. |
| (3) | Member of the nominating and corporate governance committee. |
Dr. Kang Sun has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a Class III director since September 2022, as Legacy Amprius’ President and Chief Executive Officer since February 2017 and as a director on the Legacy Amprius board of directors since December 2016. Dr. Sun has also served as President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Amprius Holdings since March 2010. He also has served as a director of Berzelius (Nanjing) Co. Ltd. (formerly known as Amprius (Nanjing) Co., Ltd., “Berzelius”) since 2017 and Amprius (Wuxi) Co. Ltd. (“Amprius Wuxi”) since November 2014, both entities of which were spun off from Amprius in 2022. Prior to joining Amprius Holdings, Dr. Sun led two business ventures in the renewable energy space, serving as President and Chief Operating Officer of JA Solar Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of high-performance photovoltaic products, and as chairman and Chief Executive Officer of RayTracker Inc., an advanced solar tracking system company that was acquired by First Solar Inc. Prior to that, he has held senior executive positions in several large business enterprises and technology start-ups, including Vice President and General Manager at Honeywell International Inc. and Vice President of Technology at Canon Production Printing (formerly Oce, N.V.). Dr. Sun holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Brown University, an M.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of Georgia and a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Nanjing University, China.
We believe Dr. Sun is qualified to serve on our Board because of the perspective and experience he brings as Legacy Amprius’ Chief Executive Officer, his leadership experience in the energy industry and his strong scientific knowledge.
Sandra Wallach has served as our Chief Financial Officer since September 2022 and as Legacy Amprius’ Chief Financial Officer since August 2021. Prior to joining Legacy Amprius, Ms. Wallach served as the Chief Financial Officer of Identiv, Inc., a publicly held authentication and security solutions company from February 2017 to August 2021. Prior to that, she served as Vice President of Finance for MiaSole, a thin film solar technology company, from June 2013 to February 2017. Ms. Wallach has also previously served as Chief Financial Officer of UBM Tech, a wholly owned subsidiary of UBM LLC, and Vice President of Finance at Juniper Networks, Inc., and has held different financial management positions with Intuit. Prior to Intuit, Ms. Wallach served as Chief Financial Officer of General Electric’s (GE) Industrial Systems, Drives & Controls division. Ms. Wallach holds a B.A. degree in Economics and Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley.
Jonathan Bornstein has served as our President of Amprius Lab since March 2023, as our Chief Operating Officer from September 2022 to March 2023 and as Legacy Amprius’ Chief Operating Officer since February 2015. Mr. Bornstein previously served as Amprius Holdings’ Senior Director of Engineering from
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March 2013 to February 2015. Prior to joining Amprius Holdings, Mr. Bornstein served as Senior Director of Technology Development and Integration at Ampulse Corporation, where he led the development of a photovoltaic cell on flexible metal foil substrate. Mr. Bornstein has also previously served as a Manager of Process Integration and Development at Intel Corporation and Director of Engineering Operations at Brion Technologies. Mr. Bornstein holds a M.S. degree in Materials Science from Stanford University and a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Antioch College.
Dr. Ionel Stefan has served as our Chief Technology Officer since September 2022 and as Legacy Amprius’ Chief Technology Officer since August 2015. Dr. Stefan is a recognized expert in electrochemistry and energy storage and leads Amprius’ scientific research and development activities for advancing lithium ion cell performance. Prior to that, Dr. Stefan served in roles of increasing responsibility related to battery science and development at Amprius Holdings since 2009. Prior to joining Amprius Holdings, Dr. Stefan was a Scientist Electrochemist at Nanosys Inc. Dr. Stefan holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University, a M.S. degree in Electrochemistry and Analytical Chemistry from Babes-Bolyai University, and a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Babes-Bolyai University.
Donald R. Dixon has served as a Class III director since September 2022 and as the Chair of the Legacy Amprius board of directors since December 2016. Mr. Dixon has also served as a director of Amprius Holdings since June 2009. In 1993, he co-founded, and has since served as Managing Director of, Trident Capital, a venture capital fund, and in 2015, he co-founded, and has since served as the Managing Director of, ForgePoint Capital, an investment firm focused on cybersecurity. Prior to Trident Capital, Don was the Co-President at Partech International, a private equity fund associated with Banque Paribas, a Managing Director at Alex. Brown & Sons, and a Vice President at Morgan Stanley. Mr. Dixon currently serves as a director of IronNet, Inc., a publicly held cybersecurity company, and as a director of several privately held companies. Mr. Dixon has previously served on the boards of directors of the publicly held companies Qualys, Inc. and Top Image Systems Ltd. Mr. Dixon is a member of the Leadership Council of the Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and serves on the Advisory Board of the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership. Mr. Dixon holds a B.S.E. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
We believe Mr. Dixon is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive investment experience in the technology industry and extensive expertise and skills in strategy, finance and management.
Dr. Steven Chu has served as a Class II director since September 2022 and as a director on the Legacy Amprius board of directors since December 2016. Dr. Chu has also served as a director of Amprius Holdings since January 2014. Dr. Chu has served as the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Physics and Professor of Molecular & Cellular Physiology in the Medical School at Stanford University since May 2013. Dr. Chu is a co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to laser cooling and atom trapping and has received numerous other awards. Dr. Chu was the 12th U.S. Secretary of Energy from January 2009 to April 2013. Prior to his cabinet post, he was director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he was active in pursuit of alternative and renewable energy technologies, and Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Stanford University, where he helped launch Bio-X, a multi-disciplinary institute combining the physical and biological sciences with medicine and engineering. Prior to that, he was head of the Quantum Electronics Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Academia Sinica, a foreign member of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Korean Academy of Sciences and Technology and the National Academy of Sciences, Belarus, and the Chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Chu currently serves on the board of directors of Zymergen Inc., a publicly held biotechnology company, and Oatly Group AB, a publicly held oat milk company. Dr. Chu holds an A.B. degree in Mathematics and a B.S. degree in Physics from the University of Rochester, and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley, and has 33 honorary degrees.
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We believe Dr. Chu is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive background in sciences, academia and government.
Dr. Wen Hsieh has served as a Class I director since September 2022 and as a director on the Legacy Amprius board of directors since December 2016. Dr. Hsieh has been a General Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a venture capital firm, where he focuses on hardware-related investments, since February 2006. Prior to joining Kleiner Perkins, Dr. Hsieh was an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company San Francisco and a leader of McKinsey’s Asia semiconductor practice. During his time at McKinsey, Dr. Hsieh focused primarily on serving leading companies across the global semiconductor value chain. Earlier in his career, Dr. Hsieh founded OnChip Technologies, a startup developing MEMS microfluidic biochips. Dr. Hsieh currently serves on the board of directors of public companies Desktop Metal, Inc. and AEye, Inc., and as a director of several privately held companies. Dr. Hsieh holds a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with a Biology Minor from California Institute of Technology.
We believe Dr. Hsieh is qualified to serve on our Board because of his extensive investment experience in the technology industry, extensive expertise and skills in strategy, finance and management and strong scientific knowledge.
Justin Mirro has served as a Class II director since September 2022. Mr. Mirro has over 30 years of operating, M&A and financing experience in the automotive and automotive-related sector. He began his career at General Motors Company as a Tool and Die Manufacturing Engineer, with successive positions at Car and Driver Magazine, Toyota Motor Corporation and Itochu International Inc. prior to transitioning to automotive investment banking at Schroder & Co. Inc./Salomon Smith Barney, Inc./ABN Amro Inc. in 1996. In 1999, Mr. Mirro formed Kensington Capital Partners, LLC, where he has served as President since 2015, to invest in automotive and automotive-related sector businesses. In 2005, Mr. Mirro transitioned to Jefferies & Company, Inc. as Head of Automotive Investment Banking, and later served as the Head of Automotive Investment Banking at Moelis & Company, LLC and RBC Capital Markets, LLC from 2008 to 2011 and 2011 to 2014, respectively. From 2016 to 2019, Mr. Mirro served as Chairman of the board of directors and audit committee of Pure Power Technologies, Inc., one of the largest aftermarket suppliers of diesel fuel injectors, which was later sold to Stanadyne LLC. Mr. Mirro served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. from April 2020 until it consummated its initial business combination with QuantumScape Corp. in November 2020. Mr. Mirro served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II from January 2021 until it consummated its business combination with Wallbox N.V., in October 2021. He has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. V since August 2021. Mr. Mirro has served on the board of QuantumScape from 2020 through April 2022, Cooper-Standard Holdings Inc. from 2015 through May 2022, and Transtar Industries, Inc., from 2017 through January 2021.
We believe Mr. Mirro is qualified to serve on our Board due to his extensive experience in strategy, finance and management.
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships among any of our directors and executive officers.
Board Composition
Our business and affairs are organized under the direction of the Board. Our Board currently consist of five members, with Mr. Dixon serving as chair. Our Board is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class serving a three-year term. The primary responsibilities of our Board are to provide oversight, strategic guidance, counseling and direction to our management. Our Board meets on a regular basis and additionally as required.
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In accordance with the terms of our Bylaws, each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy, will hold office until the expiration of the term for which elected and until such director’s successor is elected and qualified or until such director’s earlier death, resignation or removal.
Any director may be removed from office by the stockholders as provided in Section 141(k) of the DGCL.
Director Independence
Our Board has determined that each of our directors other than Dr. Sun qualifies as an independent director, as defined under the rules of the NYSE, and our Board consists of a majority of “independent directors,” as defined under the rules of the SEC and the NYSE relating to director independence requirements. In addition, we are subject to the rules of the SEC and the NYSE relating to the membership, qualifications, and operations of the audit committee, as discussed below.
Role of the Board in Risk Oversight/Risk Committee
One of the key functions of our Board is informed oversight of our risk management process. Our Board does not have a standing risk management committee, but administers this oversight function directly through our Board as a whole, as well as through various standing committees of our Board that address risks inherent in their respective areas of oversight. In particular, our Board is responsible for monitoring and assessing strategic risk exposure and our audit committee has the responsibility to consider and discuss our major financial risk exposures and the steps our management will take to monitor and control such exposures, including guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken.
Our audit committee also monitors compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Our compensation committee also assesses and monitors whether our compensation plans, policies and programs comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Board Committees
Our Board has three standing committees—an audit committee, a compensation committee, and a nominating and corporate governance committee. Copies of the charters for each committee are available on our investor relations website.
Audit Committee
Our audit committee consists of Mr. Dixon, Dr. Hsieh and Mr. Mirro. Our Board has determined that each of the members of the audit committee satisfies the independence requirements of the NYSE and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and is able to read and understand fundamental financial statements in accordance with the NYSE audit committee requirements. In arriving at this determination, our Board has examined each audit committee member’s scope of experience and the nature of their prior and/or current employment.
Mr. Dixon serves as the chair of the audit committee. Our Board has determined that Mr. Dixon qualifies as an audit committee financial expert within the meaning of SEC regulations and meets the financial sophistication requirements of the NYSE rules. In making this determination, our Board considered formal education and previous experience in financial roles. Our independent registered public accounting firm and management periodically meet privately with our audit committee.
The functions of this committee include, among other things:
| • | evaluating the performance, independence and qualifications of our independent auditors and determining whether to retain our existing independent auditors or engage new independent auditors; |
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| • | reviewing our financial reporting processes and disclosure controls; |
| • | reviewing and approving the engagement of our independent auditors to perform audit services and any permissible non-audit services; |
| • | reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of our internal control policies and procedures, including the responsibilities, budget, staffing and effectiveness of our internal audit function; |
| • | reviewing with the independent auditors the annual audit plan, including the scope of audit activities and all critical accounting policies and practices to be used by the Company; |
| • | obtaining and reviewing at least annually a report by our independent auditors describing the independent auditors’ internal quality control procedures and any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review; |
| • | monitoring the rotation of partners of our independent auditors on our engagement team as required by law; |
| • | prior to engagement of any independent auditor, and at least annually thereafter, reviewing relationships that may reasonably be thought to bear on their independence, and assessing and otherwise taking the appropriate action to oversee the independence of our independent auditor; |
| • | reviewing our annual and quarterly financial statements and reports, including the disclosures contained in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and discussing the statements and reports with our independent auditors and management; |
| • | reviewing with our independent auditors and management significant issues that arise regarding accounting principles and financial statement presentation and matters concerning the scope, adequacy, and effectiveness of our financial controls and critical accounting policies; |
| • | reviewing with management and our auditors any earnings announcements and other public announcements regarding material developments; |
| • | establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by the Company regarding financial controls, accounting, auditing or other matters; |
| • | preparing the report that the SEC requires in our annual proxy statement; |
| • | reviewing and providing oversight of any related party transactions in accordance with our related party transaction policy and reviewing and monitoring compliance with legal and regulatory responsibilities, including our code of ethics; |
| • | reviewing our major financial risk exposures, including the guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and risk management is implemented; and |
| • | reviewing and evaluating on an annual basis the performance of the audit committee and the audit committee charter. |
The composition and function of our audit committee complies with all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and all applicable SEC rules and regulations. We will comply with future requirements to the extent they become applicable to us.
Compensation Committee
Our compensation committee consists of Mr. Dixon and Dr. Hsieh. Dr. Hsieh serves as the chair of our compensation committee. Our Board has determined that each of the members of the compensation committee is a non-employee director, as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act and satisfies the independence requirements of the NYSE. The functions of the committee include, among other things:
| • | reviewing and approving the corporate objectives that pertain to the determination of executive compensation; |
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| • | reviewing and approving the compensation and other terms of employment of our executive officers; |
| • | reviewing and approving performance goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of our executive officers and assessing their performance against these goals and objectives; |
| • | making recommendations to our Board regarding the adoption or amendment of equity and cash incentive plans and approving amendments to such plans to the extent authorized by our Board; |
| • | reviewing and making recommendations to our Board regarding the type and amount of compensation to be paid or awarded to our non-employee board members; |
| • | reviewing and assessing the independence of compensation consultants, legal counsel and other advisors as required by Section 10C of the Exchange Act; |
| • | administering our equity incentive plans, to the extent such authority is delegated by our Board; |
| • | reviewing and approving the terms of any employment agreements, severance arrangements, change in control protections, indemnification agreements and any other material arrangements for our executive officers; |
| • | reviewing with management our disclosures under the caption “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” in our periodic reports or proxy statements to be filed with the SEC, to the extent such caption is included in any such report or proxy statement; |
| • | preparing an annual report on executive compensation that the SEC requires in our annual proxy statement; and |
| • | reviewing and evaluating on an annual basis the performance of the compensation committee and recommending such changes as deemed necessary with our Board. |
The composition and function of its compensation committee will comply with all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and all applicable SEC and the NYSE rules and regulations. We will comply with future requirements to the extent they become applicable to the Company.
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
Our nominating and corporate governance committee consists of Dr. Chu and Mr. Mirro. Our Board has determined that each of the members of our nominating and corporate governance committee satisfies the independence requirements of the NYSE.
Dr. Chu serves as the chair of our nominating and corporate governance committee. The functions of this committee include, among other things:
| • | identifying, reviewing and making recommendations of candidates to serve on the Board; |
| • | evaluating the performance of the Board, committees of the Board and individual directors and determining whether continued service on the Board is appropriate; |
| • | evaluating nominations by stockholders of candidates for election to the Board; |
| • | evaluating the current size, composition and organization of the Board and its committees and making recommendations to the Board for approvals; |
| • | developing a set of corporate governance policies and principles and recommending to the Board any changes to such policies and principles; |
| • | reviewing issues and developments related to corporate governance and identifying and bringing to the attention of the Board current and emerging corporate governance trends; and |
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| • | reviewing periodically the nominating and corporate governance committee charter, structure and membership requirements and recommending any proposed changes to the Board, including undertaking an annual review of its own performance. |
The composition and function of the nominating and corporate governance committee will comply with all applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and all applicable SEC and the NYSE rules and regulations. We will comply with future requirements to the extent they become applicable to the Company.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None of the members of our compensation committee has ever been an executive officer or employee of the Company. None of our executive officers currently serves, or has served during the last completed fiscal year, on the compensation committee or board of directors of any other entity that has one or more executive officers that serve as a member of our Board or compensation committee.
Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Our Certificate of Incorporation limits our directors’ liability to the fullest extent permitted under the DGCL. The DGCL provides that directors of a corporation will not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of their fiduciary duties as directors, except for liability:
| • | for any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit; |
| • | for any act or omission not in good faith or that involves intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law; |
| • | for any unlawful payment of dividends or redemption of shares; or |
| • | for any breach of a director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders. |
If the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of our directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended. The DGCL and the Bylaws provide that we will, in certain situations, indemnify our directors and officers and may indemnify other employees and other agents, to the fullest extent permitted by law. Any indemnified person is also entitled, subject to certain limitations, to advancement, direct payment, or reimbursement of reasonable expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding.
In addition, we have entered into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and officers. These agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify its directors and officers for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, and settlement amounts incurred by a director or officer in any action or proceeding arising out of their services as one of our directors or officers or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at our request.
We maintain a directors’ and officers’ insurance policy pursuant to which our directors and officers are insured against liability for actions taken in their capacities as directors and officers. We believe these provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws and these indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, or control persons, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
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Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Employees, Executive Officers, and Directors
Our Board has adopted a code of business conduct and ethics (the “Code of Conduct”), applicable to all of our employees, executive officers and directors. The Code of Conduct is available on our investor relations website, ir.amprius.com. Information contained on or accessible through our website is not a part of this prospectus, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only. Our Board, or a duly appointed committee thereof, is responsible for overseeing the Code of Conduct and must approve any waivers of the Code of Conduct for employees, executive officers and directors. We expect that any amendments to the Code of Conduct, or any waivers of its requirements, will be disclosed on our website.
Non-Employee Director Compensation
Our Board reviews director compensation periodically to ensure that director compensation remains competitive such that we are able to recruit and retain qualified directors. We have adopted a non-employee director compensation program that is designed to align compensation with our business objectives and the creation of stockholder value, while enabling us to attract, retain, incentivize and reward directors who contribute to the long-term success of the Company.
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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
To achieve our goals, we have designed our compensation and benefits program to attract, retain, incentivize and reward deeply talented and qualified executives who share its philosophy and desire to work towards achieving these goals.
We believe our compensation program should promote the success of the Company and align executive incentives with the long-term interests of our stockholders. Our current compensation programs consist primarily of salary, bonuses and equity awards.
We are considered an emerging growth company for purposes of the SEC’s executive compensation disclosure rules. In accordance with such rules, this section provides an overview of our executive compensation programs, including a narrative description of the material factors necessary to understand the information disclosed in the summary compensation table below. Further, our reporting obligations extend only to the individuals serving as our chief executive officer and our two other most highly compensated executive officers.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, our named executive officers were:
| • | Dr. Kang Sun, President and Chief Executive Officer and director |
| • | Sandra Wallach, Chief Financial Officer |
| • | Jonathan Bornstein, President of Amprius Lab |
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth information concerning the compensation of the named executive officers for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021.
| Name and Principal Position |
Year | Salary ($) | Bonus ($)(1) | Option Awards ($)(2) |
All Other Compensation ($) |
Total ($) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dr. Kang Sun President, Chief Executive Officer and Director |
2022 | 343,902 | (3) | 370,875 | (4) | 1,997,274 | 127 | 2,712,178 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 90,254 | (5) | 40,000 | (5) | 4,199,272 | (6) | — | 4,329,526 | ||||||||||||||||
| Sandra Wallach Chief Financial Officer |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 299,998 | 255,756 | (7) | 232,466 | 600 | 788,820 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 117,126 | 35,507 | 1,283,082 | — | 1,435,715 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Jonathan Bornstein President of Amprius Lab |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 299,998 | 184,946 | 871,732 | 600 | 1,357,276 | |||||||||||||||||||
| (1) | For the year ended December 31, 2021, represents annual bonuses earned during 2021 and paid in 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2022, represents annual bonuses earned during 2022 and paid in 2023. |
| (2) | The amounts in this column represent the aggregate grant-date fair value of awards granted to each named executive officer, calculated in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). Such grant-date fair value does not take into account any estimated forfeitures related to service-vesting conditions. The assumptions used in determining the grant date fair value of the stock options reported are set forth in Notes 2 and 9 to our audited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. |
| (3) | Prior to May 2022, represents the portion of base salary allocated to Legacy Amprius by Amprius Holdings. With respect to January 2022, Legacy Amprius was allocated 25% of Dr. Sun’s salary paid by Amprius Holdings for such period. The amount allocated to Amprius Holdings for such period was $21,096. From February 2022 to May 2022, Legacy Amprius was allocated 100%. From May 2022 through the Closing Date, Dr. Sun’s entire salary and bonus was paid directly by Legacy Amprius. |
| (4) | Excludes the cash bonus payment of approximately $2.31 million made by Amprius Holdings to Dr. Sun in October 2022. The payment of such cash bonus by Amprius Holdings had no effect on our cash or operating results. |
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| (5) | Represents the portion of base salary and bonus allocated to Legacy Amprius by Amprius Holdings. Dr. Sun provided services to both Legacy Amprius and Amprius Holdings. For the year ended December 31, 2021, Dr. Sun’s salary and bonus were paid by Amprius Holdings and the portion allocated to Legacy Amprius was 25%. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the portion of Dr. Sun’s salary and bonus allocated to Amprius Holdings was $270,762 and $120,000, respectively. |
| (6) | Includes 25% of the grant-date fair value of 2,687,350 options to purchase Amprius Holdings common stock that was allocated to Legacy Amprius. |
| (7) | Represents a cash bonus of $100,000 received on September 16, 2022 in connection with the closing of the Business Combination and a 2022 annual bonus of $155,756. |
Narrative Disclosure to Summary Compensation Table
Confirmatory Employment Letters with Amprius’ Named Executive Officers
In connection with the Business Combination, we entered into confirmatory employment letters with each of our named executive officers to confirm the current terms of their employment, as outlined below.
Dr. Kang Sun
In September 2022, the Company entered into a confirmatory employment letter with Dr. Sun (the “Sun Confirmatory Employment Letter”). The Sun Confirmatory Employment Letter has no specific term and provides for an annual base salary, eligibility to receive an annual target bonus, and eligibility to participate in employee benefit plans maintained from time to time by the Company. The Sun Confirmatory Employment Letter supersedes all existing agreements and understandings that Dr. Sun may have entered into concerning his employment relationship with Legacy Amprius. Dr. Sun’s current annual base salary is $624,000 and he is eligible for a target annual cash bonus opportunity of 100% of his base salary.
Sandra Wallach
In September 2022, the Company entered into a confirmatory employment letter with Ms. Wallach (the “Wallach Confirmatory Employment Letter”). The Wallach Confirmatory Employment Letter has no specific term and provides for an annual base salary, eligibility to receive an annual target bonus, and eligibility to participate in employee benefit plans maintained from time to time by the Company. The Wallach Confirmatory Employment Letter supersedes all existing agreements and understandings that Ms. Wallach may have entered into concerning her employment relationship with Legacy Amprius. Ms. Wallach’s current annual base salary is $373,000 and she is eligible for a target annual cash bonus opportunity of 65% of her annual base salary.
Jonathan Bornstein
In September 2022, the Company entered into an amended and restated confirmatory employment letter with Mr. Bornstein (the “Bornstein Confirmatory Employment Letter”). The Bornstein Confirmatory Employment Letter has no specific term and provides for an annual base salary, eligibility to receive an annual target bonus, and eligibility to participate in employee benefit plans maintained from time to time by the Company. The Bornstein Confirmatory Employment Letter supersedes all existing agreements and understandings that Mr. Bornstein may have entered into concerning his employment relationship with Legacy Amprius. Mr. Bornstein’s current annual base salary is $391,000 and he is eligible for a target annual cash bonus opportunity of 83% of his annual base salary.
Annual Bonuses
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the annual bonuses for each named executive officer was determined based on the amount of the bonus the executive officer would have received for the year ended December 31, 2022 if the named executive officer’s current annual base salary and target annual bonus disclosed
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above had become effective on September 16, 2022, plus an amount equal to the base salary the executive officer would have received for the period beginning on September 16, 2022, and ending on December 31, 2022, if the executive officer’s current annual base salary disclosed above had become effective on September 16, 2022.
Annual bonuses are determined by the Board following recommendation by the compensation committee based on the performance of the Company and the named executive officer in accordance with the Company’s Executive Incentive Compensation Plan. The performance goals for executive officers’ annual bonus opportunities for the year ended December 31, 2023 will be developed and approved by the Company’s compensation committee, unless the Board determines otherwise.
Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control
Pursuant to the Sun Confirmatory Employment Letter, if the Company or any successor corporation terminates Dr. Sun’s employment other than for cause (as defined in the Sun Confirmatory Employment Letter), death or disability or Dr. Sun terminates his employment with the Company or any successor corporation for good reason (as defined in the Sun Confirmatory Employment Letter), Dr. Sun will be eligible to receive, subject to executing a release of claims, the following severance benefits: (i) continuing payments of severance pay at a rate equal to his base salary, as then in effect, for a period of six months following the date of such termination, and (ii) the unvested portion of his outstanding stock options to the Company stock that would normally vest over the following six months from the date of termination will immediately vest before such termination and become exercisable, provided that if such termination occurs upon or within six months following the closing of a change in control (as defined in the 2022 Plan), then 100% of his outstanding stock options will immediately vest and become exercisable.
Pursuant to the Wallach Confirmatory Employment Letter, if the Company or any successor corporation terminates Ms. Wallach’s employment other than for cause (as defined in the Wallach Confirmatory Employment Letter), death or disability or Ms. Wallach terminates her employment with the Company or any successor corporation for good reason (as defined in the Wallach Confirmatory Employment Letter), Ms. Wallach will be eligible to receive, subject to executing a release of claims, continuing payments of severance pay at a rate equal to her base salary, as then in effect, for a period of three months following the date of such termination.
Pursuant to the Bornstein Confirmatory Employment Letter, if the Company or any successor corporation terminates Mr. Bornstein’s employment other than for cause (as defined in the Bornstein Confirmatory Employment Letter), death or disability or Mr. Bornstein terminates his employment with the Company or any successor corporation for good reason (as defined in the Bornstein Confirmatory Employment Letter), Mr. Bornstein will be eligible to receive, subject to executing a release of claims, continuing payments of severance pay at a rate equal to his base salary, as then in effect, for a period of three months following the date of such termination.
Amprius Technologies, Inc. 2016 Equity Incentive Plan
In 2017, the Legacy Amprius board of directors adopted and Legacy Amprius stockholders approved the 2016 Plan. The 2016 Plan provided for the grant of incentive stock options, within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, to employees of Legacy Amprius and its parent and subsidiary corporations, and for the grant of nonstatutory stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and stock appreciation rights to employees, directors, and consultants of Legacy Amprius and employees and consultants of Legacy Amprius’ parent and subsidiary corporations. Upon the closing of the Business Combination, the 2016 Plan was terminated as of immediately before the 2022 Plan became effective, and no additional awards will be granted under the 2016 Plan. However, the 2016 Plan continues to govern the terms and conditions of the outstanding awards previously granted under the 2016 Plan.
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As of March 31, 2023, stock options covering 13,971,079 shares of Common Stock were outstanding under the 2016 Plan.
Authorized Shares. Subject to the adjustment provisions contained in the 2016 Plan, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be subject to awards and sold under the 2016 Plan was 11,250,000 (prior to giving effect to the Business Combination). Shares granted under the 2016 Plan may be authorized but unissued, or reacquired shares of Common Stock.
If an award expires or becomes unexercisable without having been exercised in full, is surrendered pursuant to an exchange program described in the following paragraph, or, with respect to restricted stock or restricted stock units is forfeited to or repurchased by us due to failure to vest, the unpurchased shares (or for awards other than stock options or stock appreciation rights, the forfeited or repurchased shares) will become available for future grant or sale under the 2016 Plan (unless the 2016 Plan has terminated). With respect to stock appreciation rights, only the net shares actually issued will cease to be available under the 2016 Plan and all remaining shares under stock appreciation rights will remain available for future grant or sale under the 2016 Plan (unless the 2016 Plan has terminated). Shares used to pay the exercise price of an award or satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to an award will become available for future grant or sale under the 2016 Plan. To the extent an award is paid out in cash rather than shares, such cash payment will not result in a reduction in the number of shares available for issuance under the 2016 Plan.
Plan Administration. The Board or one or more committees appointed by the Board administers the 2016 Plan. Different committees may administer the 2016 Plan with respect to different service providers. Subject to the provisions of the 2016 Plan, the administrator has the power to administer the 2016 Plan and make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for administering the 2016 Plan, including the power to determine the fair market value of Common Stock, select the service providers to whom awards may be granted, determine the number of shares covered by each award, approve forms of award agreements for use under the 2016 Plan, determine the terms and conditions of awards (such as the exercise price, the time or times at which awards may be exercised, any vesting acceleration or waiver or forfeiture restrictions and any restriction or limitation regarding any award or the shares relating to the award), construe and interpret the terms of the 2016 Plan and awards granted under it, prescribe, amend and rescind rules relating to the 2016 Plan (including relating to sub-plans), modify, or amend each award, such as the discretionary authority to extend the post-termination exercisability period of awards and to extend the maximum term of an option, and allow a participant to defer the receipt of payment of cash or the delivery of shares that would otherwise be due to such participant under an award. The administrator also has the authority to institute an exchange program by which outstanding awards may be surrendered or cancelled in exchange for awards of the same type (which may have a higher or lower exercise price and/or different terms), awards of a different type, and/or cash, by which participants would have the opportunity to transfer outstanding awards to a financial institution or other person or entity selected by the administrator, or by which the exercise price of an outstanding award is increased or reduced. The administrator’s decisions, interpretations, and other actions are final and binding on all participants.
Stock Options. The per share exercise price of options granted under the 2016 Plan generally must be at least equal to the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant. The term of an option may not exceed 10 years. With respect to any incentive stock option granted to an employee who owns more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of Amprius’ (or any parent or subsidiary of Amprius) outstanding stock, the term of the incentive stock option must not exceed five years and the per share exercise price of the incentive stock option must equal at least 110% of the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the grant date. The administrator determines the methods of payment of the exercise price of an option, which may include cash, shares, or other property acceptable to the administrator to the extent permitted by applicable law. After termination of a participant’s service, he or she may exercise the vested portion of his or her option for six months following a termination due to death or disability, for 30 days following a termination for any other reason, or for any longer period specified in the applicable option agreement. An option, however, may not be exercised later than the expiration of its term. Subject to the provisions of the 2016 Plan, the administrator determines the other terms of options.
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Non-Transferability of Awards. Unless the administrator provides otherwise, the 2016 Plan generally does not allow for the transfer of awards (other than by will or the laws of descent or distribution), and only the recipient of an award may exercise an award during his or her lifetime.
Certain Adjustments. In the event of certain changes in the Company’s capitalization, to prevent diminution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits available under the 2016 Plan, the administrator will adjust the number and class of shares that may be delivered under the 2016 Plan and/or the number, class, and price of shares covered by each outstanding award.
Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of the Company’s proposed liquidation or dissolution, the administrator will notify participants before the effective date of such transaction, and to the extent not exercised, all awards will terminate immediately before the consummation of such proposed transaction, unless the liquidation or dissolution is part of a restructuring where the Company and its business is being rolled into and acquired by Amprius Holdings (or one of its affiliates), in which case an award may be treated as described in the “Merger or Change in Control of the Company or Amprius Holdings” section below as if the transaction were a merger of the Company with or into Amprius Holdings or one of its affiliates.
Merger or Change in Control of the Company or Amprius Holdings. The 2016 Plan provides that in the event of a merger or change in control of the Company or Amprius Holdings, each as described under the 2016 Plan, each outstanding award will be treated as the administrator determines, without a participant’s consent. The administrator may provide that awards granted under the 2016 Plan will be assumed or substituted by substantially equivalent awards, be terminated immediately before the merger or change in control, become vested and exercisable or payable and be terminated in connection with the merger or change in control, be terminated in exchange for cash or other property, be continued by the Company if it is the surviving company (and, in the case of a merger or change in control of Amprius Holdings, the acquiring or succeeding corporation or its affiliate does not have a class of securities that is publicly traded) subject to the limitations set forth in the 2016 Plan), or any combination of the above. The administrator is not required to treat all awards, all awards held by a participant, or all awards of the same type similarly.
If a successor corporation does not continue, assume or substitute for any outstanding award, then the participant will fully vest in and have the right to exercise all of his or her outstanding options and stock appreciation rights, all restrictions on restricted stock and restricted stock units will lapse, and for awards with performance-based vesting, all performance goals or other vesting criteria will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels and all other terms and conditions met. If an option or stock appreciation right is not assumed or substituted in the event of a change in control, the administrator will notify the participant in writing or electronically that such option or stock appreciation right will be exercisable for a period of time determined by the administrator in its sole discretion and the option or stock appreciation right will terminate upon the expiration of such period.
Amendment; Termination. As noted above, the 2016 Plan was terminated as of immediately before the 2022 Plan becoming effective, and no additional awards will be granted under the 2016 Plan. However, the 2016 Plan continues to govern the terms and conditions of the outstanding awards previously granted under the 2016 Plan.
Amprius Technologies, Inc. 2022 Equity Incentive Plan
The 2022 Plan was adopted in connection with the Business Combination and became effective upon the closing of the Business Combination. The 2022 Plan replaces the 2016 Plan, which expired as to future grants as of the closing of the Business Combination. The 2022 Plan allows us to grant awards of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and performance awards to employees, directors and consultants of ours or any parent or subsidiary corporation of ours, provided that incentive stock options may only be granted to employees of the Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation of ours.
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Authorized Shares
Subject to the adjustment provisions contained in the 2022 Plan and the evergreen provision described below, a total of 9,900,000 shares of Common Stock is reserved for issuance pursuant to the 2022 Plan. In addition, the shares reserved for issuance under the 2022 Plan include any awards assumed in the Business Combination that, on or after the Closing Date, were cancelled, expired or otherwise terminated without having been exercised in full, were tendered to or withheld by the Company for payment of an exercise price or for tax withholding obligations, or were forfeited to or repurchased by the Company due to failure to vest (provided that the maximum number of shares that may be added to the 2022 Plan pursuant to this sentence is 15,000,000 shares). The number of shares available for issuance under the 2022 Plan also include an annual increase, or the evergreen feature, on the first day of each of our fiscal years, beginning with fiscal 2023, equal to the least of:
| • | 30,000,000 shares of our Common Stock; |
| • | a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 5% of the total number of shares of all classes of our Common Stock outstanding as of the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year; or |
| • | such number of shares of our Common Stock as the administrator of the 2022 Plan may determine no later than the last day of our immediately preceding fiscal year. |
Shares issuable under the 2022 Plan may be authorized, but unissued, or reacquired shares of Common Stock. If an award expires or becomes unexercisable without having been exercised in full, is surrendered pursuant to an exchange program (as described below), or, with respect to restricted stock, restricted stock units, or performance awards, is forfeited to or repurchased due to failure to vest, the unpurchased shares (or for awards other than stock options or stock appreciation rights, the forfeited or repurchased shares) will become available for future grant or sale under the 2022 Plan. With respect to stock appreciation rights, only the net shares actually issued will cease to be available under the 2022 Plan and all remaining shares under stock appreciation rights will remain available for future grant or sale under the 2022 Plan. Shares that actually have been issued under the 2022 Plan under any award will not be returned to the 2022 Plan; except if shares issued pursuant to awards of restricted stock, restricted stock units, or performance awards are repurchased or forfeited due to failure to vest, such shares will become available for future grant under the 2022 Plan. Shares used to pay the exercise price of an award or satisfy the tax liabilities or withholding obligations related to an award (which withholdings may be in amounts greater than the minimum statutory amount required to be withheld as determined by the administrator of the 2022 Plan) will become available for future grant or sale under the 2022 Plan. To the extent an award is paid out in cash rather than shares, such cash payment will not result in a reduction in the number of shares available for issuance under the 2022 Plan.
If any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, shares, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, reclassification, repurchase, or exchange of shares or other securities of the Company, or other change in the corporate structure of the Company affecting the shares (other than any ordinary dividends or other ordinary distributions), the administrator of the 2022 Plan, to prevent diminution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the 2022 Plan, will adjust the number and class of shares that may be delivered under the 2022 Plan; the number, class, and price of shares covered by each outstanding award; and the numerical share limits contained in the 2022 Plan.
Plan Administration
Our Board or one or more committees appointed by our Board has authority to administer the 2022 Plan. Our compensation committee will initially administer the 2022 Plan. In addition, to the extent it is desirable to qualify transactions under the 2022 Plan as exempt under Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act, such transactions will be structured to satisfy the requirements for exemption under Rule 16b-3. Subject to the provisions of the 2022 Plan, the administrator has the power to administer the 2022 Plan and make all determinations deemed necessary or advisable for administering the 2022 Plan, including the power to determine the fair market value of our
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Common Stock, select the service providers to whom awards may be granted, determine the number of shares or dollar amounts covered by each award, approve forms of award agreements for use under the 2022 Plan, determine the terms and conditions of awards (including the exercise price, the time or times at which awards may be exercised, any vesting acceleration or waiver or forfeiture restrictions and any restriction or limitation regarding any award or the shares relating thereto), construe and interpret the terms of the 2022 Plan and awards granted under it, prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the 2022 Plan, including creating sub-plans, modify or amend each award, and allow a participant to defer the receipt of payment of cash or the delivery of shares that otherwise would be due to such participant under an award. The administrator also has the authority to allow participants the opportunity under an exchange program to transfer outstanding awards granted under the 2022 Plan to a financial institution or other person or entity selected by the administrator, and to institute an exchange program by which outstanding awards granted under the 2022 Plan may be surrendered or cancelled in exchange for awards of the same type, which may have a higher or lower exercise price and different terms, awards of a different type or cash, or by which the exercise price of an outstanding award granted under the 2022 Plan is increased or reduced. The administrator’s decisions, interpretations and other actions are final and binding on all participants and will be given the maximum deference permitted by applicable law.
Stock Options
Stock options may be granted under the 2022 Plan. The per share exercise price of options granted under the 2022 Plan generally must be equal to at least 100% of the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant. The term of an option may not exceed ten years. With respect to any participant who owns more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of our (or any of our parent’s or subsidiary’s) outstanding stock, the term of an incentive stock option granted to such participant must not exceed five years and the per share exercise price must equal at least 110% of the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the grant date. The administrator will determine the methods of payment of the exercise price of an option, which may include cash, certain shares of Common Stock, cashless exercise, net exercise, as well as other types of consideration permitted by applicable law. After the cessation of service of an employee, director or consultant, he or she may exercise his or her option for the period of time stated in his or her option agreement. In the absence of a specified time in an award agreement, if such cessation is due to death or disability, the option will remain exercisable for six months. In all other cases, in the absence of a specified time in an award agreement, the option will remain exercisable for three months following the cessation of service. An option, however, may not be exercised later than the expiration of its term. Subject to the provisions of the 2022 Plan, the administrator determines the terms of options. Until shares are issued under an option, the participant will not have any right to vote or receive dividends or have any other rights as a stockholder with respect to such shares, and no adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is before the date such shares are issued, except as provided in the 2022 Plan, as summarized further above.
Stock Appreciation Rights
Stock appreciation rights may be granted under the 2022 Plan. Stock appreciation rights allow the recipient to receive the appreciation in the fair market value of Common Stock between the exercise date and the date of grant. The term of a stock appreciation right may not exceed ten years. After the cessation of service of an employee, director or consultant, he or she may exercise his or her stock appreciation right for the period of time stated in his or her stock appreciation rights agreement. In the absence of a specified time in an award agreement, if such cessation is due to death or disability, the stock appreciation rights will remain exercisable for six months following the cessation of service. In all other cases, in the absence of a specified time in an award agreement, the stock appreciation rights will remain exercisable for three months following the cessation of service. However, in no event may a stock appreciation right be exercised later than the expiration of its term. Subject to the provisions of the 2022 Plan, the administrator determines the terms of stock appreciation rights, including when such rights become exercisable and whether to pay any increased appreciation in cash or with shares of Common Stock, or a combination of both, except that the per-share exercise price for the shares to be issued pursuant to the exercise of a stock appreciation right generally will be no less than 100% of the fair market value
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per share on the date of grant. Until shares are issued under a stock appreciation right, the participant will not have any right to vote or receive dividends or have any other rights as a stockholder with respect to such shares, and no adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is before the date such shares are issued, except as provided in the 2022 Plan, as summarized further above.
Restricted Stock
Restricted stock may be granted under the 2022 Plan. Restricted stock awards are grants of shares of Common Stock that may have vesting requirements under any such terms and conditions established by the administrator. The administrator will determine the number of shares of restricted stock granted to any employee, director or consultant and, subject to the provisions of the 2022 Plan, will determine the terms and conditions of such awards. The administrator may impose whatever restrictions on transferability, forfeiture provisions or other restrictions or vesting conditions (if any) it determines to be appropriate (for example, the administrator may set restrictions based on the achievement of specific performance goals or continued service to us). The administrator, in its sole discretion, may accelerate the time at which any restrictions will lapse or be removed. The administrator may determine that an award of restricted stock will not be subject to any period of restriction and consideration for such award is paid for by past services rendered as a service provider. Recipients of restricted stock awards generally will have voting rights and rights to dividends and other distributions with respect to such shares upon grant, unless the administrator provides otherwise. If such dividends or distributions are paid in shares, the shares will be subject to the same restrictions on transferability and forfeitability as the share of restricted stock with respect to which they were paid. Shares of restricted stock that do not vest are subject to the right of repurchase or forfeiture.
Restricted Stock Units
Restricted stock units may be granted under the 2022 Plan. Each restricted stock unit is a bookkeeping entry representing an amount equal to the fair market value of one share of Common Stock. Subject to the provisions of the 2022 Plan, the administrator determines the terms and conditions of restricted stock units, including any vesting criteria and the form and timing of payment. The administrator may set vesting criteria based upon the achievement of company-wide, divisional, business unit, or individual goals (including continued employment or service), applicable federal or state securities laws or any other basis determined by the administrator in its discretion. The administrator, in its sole discretion, may pay earned restricted stock units in the form of cash, shares, or a combination of both. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the administrator, in its sole discretion, may accelerate the time at which any restrictions will lapse or be removed.
Performance Awards
Performance awards may be granted under the 2022 Plan. Performance awards are awards that may be earned in whole or in part on the attainment of performance goals or other vesting criteria that the administrator may determine, and that may be denominated in cash or stock. Each performance award will have an initial value that is determined by the administrator. Subject to the terms and conditions of the 2022 Plan, the administrator determines the terms and conditions of performance awards, including any vesting criteria and form and timing of payment. The administrator may set vesting criteria based upon the achievement of company-wide, divisional, business unit, or individual goals (including continued employment or service), applicable federal or state securities laws or any other basis determined by the administrator in its discretion. The administrator, in its sole discretion, may pay earned performance awards in the form of cash, shares, or a combination of both. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the administrator, in its sole discretion, may accelerate the time at which any restrictions will lapse or be removed.
Non-Employee Directors
All non-employee directors will be eligible to receive all types of awards (except for incentive stock options) under the 2022 Plan. The 2022 Plan provides that in any given fiscal year of the Company, no outside
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director may be granted any equity awards (including equity awards under the 2022 Plan) (the value of which will be based on their grant date fair value) and be provided any other compensation (such as any cash retainers and fees) that in the aggregate exceed $750,000. For the purposes of this maximum limit provision, the grant date fair values of awards granted under the 2022 Plan will be determined according to GAAP. Any awards or other compensation provided to an individual for his or her services as an employee or a consultant (other than an outside director), or before the closing of the Business Combination, will not count toward this limit. This maximum limit provision does not reflect the intended size of any potential grants or a commitment to make grants to the outside directors under the 2022 Plan in the future.
Non-Transferability of Awards
Unless the administrator provides otherwise, the 2022 Plan generally will not allow for the transfer of awards other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and only the recipient of an award may exercise an award during his or her lifetime. If the administrator makes an award transferable, such award will contain such additional terms and conditions as the administrator deems appropriate.
Dissolution or Liquidation
If there is a proposed liquidation or dissolution of the Company, the administrator will notify participants at such time before the effective date of such event as the administrator determines and all awards, to the extent that they have not been previously exercised, will terminate immediately before the consummation of such event.
Merger or Change in Control
The 2022 Plan provides that in the event of the Company’s merger or change in control, as defined in the 2022 Plan, each outstanding award will be treated as the administrator determines, without a participant’s consent. The administrator may provide that awards granted under the 2022 Plan will be assumed or substituted by substantially equivalent awards, be terminated immediately before the merger or change in control, become vested and exercisable or payable and be terminated in connection with the merger or change in control, be terminated in exchange for cash or other property or any combination of the above. The administrator is not required to treat all awards, all awards held by a participant, all portions of awards, or all awards of the same type, similarly.
If a successor corporation does not so assume or substitute a substantially equivalent award for any outstanding award (or a portion of such award), then such award (or its applicable portion) will fully vest, all restrictions on such award (or its applicable portion) will lapse, all performance goals or other vesting criteria applicable to such award (or its applicable portion) will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels and such award (or its applicable portion) will become fully exercisable, if applicable, for a specified period before the transaction, unless specifically provided otherwise under the applicable award agreement or other written agreement with the participant authorized by the administrator. The award (or its applicable portion) will then terminate upon the expiration of the specified period of time. If an option or stock appreciation right is not assumed or substituted, the administrator will notify the participant that such option or stock appreciation right will be exercisable for a period of time determined by the administrator in its sole discretion and the option or stock appreciation right will terminate upon the expiration of such period.
In addition, in the event of a change in control, awards granted to a non-employee director will fully vest, all restrictions on such awards will lapse, all performance goals or other vesting criteria applicable to such awards will be deemed achieved at 100% of target levels and such awards will become fully exercisable, if applicable, unless specifically provided otherwise under the applicable award agreement or other written agreement with the non-employee director authorized by the administrator.
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Forfeiture and Clawback
Awards are subject to any clawback policy that we are required to adopt under the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which our securities are listed or as is otherwise required by applicable laws. The administrator also may specify in an award agreement that the participant’s rights, payments and benefits with respect to an award will be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture, recoupment, reimbursement, or reacquisition upon the occurrence of certain specified events. The administrator may require a participant to forfeit or return to the Company or reimburse the Company for all or a portion of the award and any amounts paid under the award in order to comply with any clawback policy of the Company as described in the first sentence of this paragraph or with applicable laws.
Amendment or Termination
The 2022 Plan will continue in effect until terminated by the administrator. However, no incentive stock options may be granted after the ten-year anniversary of the adoption by the Board of the 2022 Plan, and the evergreen feature of the 2022 Plan will terminate on the ten-year anniversary of the Board approval of the 2022 Plan. In addition, the administrator will have the authority to amend, suspend, or terminate the 2022 Plan or any part of the 2022 Plan, at any time and for any reason, but such action generally may not materially impair the rights of any participant without his or her written consent.
Amprius 2022 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
The ESPP was adopted in connection with the Business Combination and became effective upon the closing of the Business Combination, but the first offering period will commence at a later date determined by the administrator of the ESPP. The ESPP provides eligible employees an opportunity to purchase Common Stock at a discount through accumulated contributions of their earned compensation. The ESPP permits the administrator of the ESPP to grant purchase rights that qualify for preferential tax treatment under Section 423 of the Code. In addition, the ESPP authorizes the grant of purchase rights that do not qualify under Code Section 423 pursuant to rules, procedures or sub-plans adopted by the administrator that are designed to achieve desired tax or other objectives.
Shares Available for Issuance
Subject to the evergreen provision described below, a total of 990,000 shares of Common Stock is reserved for issuance under the ESPP. The number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the ESPP will be increased on the first day of each fiscal year, beginning with fiscal 2023, in an amount equal to the least of (i) 5,000,000 shares of Common Stock, (ii) a number of shares of Common Stock equal to 1% of the total number of shares of all classes of Common Stock outstanding on the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year, or (iii) such number of shares determined by the administrator no later than the last day of the immediately preceding fiscal year. Shares issuable under the ESPP may be authorized, but unissued, or reacquired shares of Common Stock.
The ESPP provides that in the event that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, shares, other securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, reclassification, repurchase or exchange of Common Stock or other securities of the Company or other change in its corporate structure affecting the Common Stock occurs (other than any ordinary dividends or other ordinary distributions), to prevent diminution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be provided under the ESPP, the administrator will make adjustments to the number and class of shares that may be delivered under the ESPP and the purchase price per share and number and class of shares covered by each option granted under the ESPP that has not yet been exercised, and the numerical share limits under the ESPP.
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Administration
Our Board, or a committee appointed by our Board, has authority to administer the ESPP. Unless and until determined otherwise by our Board, the compensation committee of our Board will administer the ESPP. The administrator has full and exclusive discretionary authority to construe, interpret and apply the terms of the ESPP, delegate ministerial duties to any of employees of the Company, designate separate offerings under the ESPP, designate any subsidiaries of the Company as participating in the ESPP, determine eligibility, adjudicate all disputed claims filed under the ESPP and establish procedures that it deems necessary or advisable for the administration of the ESPP, including adopting such procedures, sub-plans and appendices to the enrollment agreement as are necessary or appropriate to permit participation in the ESPP by employees who are non-U.S. nationals or employed outside the U.S. The administrator’s findings, decisions and determinations will be final and binding on all participants to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Eligibility
Generally, any of the Company’s employees are eligible to participate in the ESPP if they are customarily employed by the Company or any of its participating subsidiaries for at least 20 hours per week and more than five months in any calendar year. The administrator, in its discretion, before an enrollment date for all options granted on such enrollment date in an offering, may determine that an employee who (i) has not completed at least two years of service (or a lesser period of time determined by the administrator) since the employee’s last hire date, (ii) customarily works not more than 20 hours per week (or a lesser period of time determined by the administrator), (iii) customarily works not more than five months per calendar year (or a lesser period of time determined by the administrator), (iv) is a highly compensated employee within the meaning of Code Section 414(q) or (v) is a highly compensated employee within the meaning of Code Section 414(q) with compensation above a certain level or who is an officer or subject to disclosure requirements under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, is not eligible to participate in an offering. However, an employee may not be granted an option to purchase stock under the ESPP if the employee (i) immediately after the grant, would own stock and/or hold outstanding options to purchase such stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of capital stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company; or (ii) holds rights to purchase stock under all of employee stock purchase plans of the Company that accrue at a rate that exceeds $25,000 worth of stock for each calendar year during which his or her right to purchase shares is outstanding at any time.
Participants may end their participation at any time during an offering period and will be paid their accrued contributions that have not yet been used to purchase shares of Common Stock. Participation ends automatically upon termination of employment with the Company (or its participating subsidiaries).
Offering Periods and Purchase Periods
The ESPP includes a component (the “423 Component”) that is intended to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Code Section 423, and a component that does not comply with Code Section 423 (the “Non-423 Component).” For purposes of this summary, a reference to the ESPP generally will mean the terms and operations of the 423 Component.
The ESPP provides for offering periods with a duration and start and end dates as determined by the administrator, provided that no offering period will have a duration exceeding 27 months. Unless determined otherwise by the administrator, each offering period will have one purchase period with the same duration as the offering period. The administrator is authorized to change the duration of future offering periods and purchase periods under the ESPP, including the starting and ending dates of offering periods and purchase periods and the number of purchase periods in any offering periods. Unless determined otherwise by the administrator and to the extent an offering period provides for more than one purchase date in such offering period, if the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on a purchase date is less than the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the first trading day of the offering period, participants in that offering period will be withdrawn from that offering period following their purchase of shares on such purchase date and automatically will be enrolled in a new offering period.
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Contributions
The ESPP permits participants to purchase shares of Common Stock through payroll deductions of up to 15% of their eligible compensation, which includes a participant’s base straight time gross earnings but excludes payments for overtime and shift premium, incentive compensation, bonuses, commissions, equity compensation and other similar compensation. The administrator may change the compensation eligible for contribution under the ESPP on a uniform and nondiscriminatory basis for future offering periods.
Exercise of Purchase Right
Amounts deducted and accumulated by a participant under the ESPP are used to purchase shares of Common Stock at the end of each purchase period. The purchase price of the shares will be 85% of the lower of (i) the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the first trading day of the offering period or (ii) the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the exercise date. A participant will be permitted to purchase a maximum of 2,000 shares during each offering period, provided that the administrator may increase or decrease such maximum number of shares for each purchase period or offering period. Until shares of Common Stock are issued (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or the books of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company) to a participant, the participant will have only rights of an unsecured creditor with respect to such shares, and no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a stockholder with respect to such shares.
Termination of Participation
Participation in the ESPP generally will terminate when a participating employee’s employment with the Company or a participating subsidiary of the Company ceases for any reason, the employee withdraws from the ESPP or the Company terminates or amends the ESPP such that the employee no longer is eligible to participate. An employee may withdraw his or her participation in the ESPP at any time in accordance with procedures, and prior to any applicable deadline, specified by the administrator. Upon withdrawal from the ESPP, generally the employee will receive all amounts credited to his or her account without interest (unless otherwise required under applicable law) and his or her payroll withholdings or contributions under the ESPP will cease.
Non-Transferability
A participant is not permitted to transfer the contributions credited to his or her ESPP account or rights granted under the ESPP, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
Dissolution or Liquidation
In the event of the Company’s proposed dissolution or liquidation, any offering period in progress will be shortened by setting a new purchase date and will terminate immediately before the completion of such proposed transaction, unless determined otherwise by the administrator.
Merger or Change in Control
In the event of a merger or change in control of the Company, as defined in the ESPP, a successor corporation may assume or substitute for each outstanding option. If the successor corporation does not assume or substitute for the options, the offering period then in progress under the ESPP will be shortened, and a new exercise date will be set to occur before the date of the proposed merger or change in control. The administrator will notify each participant that the exercise date has been changed and that the participant’s option will be exercised automatically on the new exercise date unless prior to such date the participant has withdrawn from the offering period.
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Amendment; Termination
The ESPP became effective upon the closing of the Business Combination. The administrator has the authority to modify, amend, suspend or terminate the ESPP, except that, subject to certain exceptions described in the ESPP, no such action may adversely affect any outstanding rights to purchase shares of our Common Stock under the ESPP. The ESPP will automatically terminate 20 years after the Closing Date, unless the administrator of the ESPP terminates it earlier.
Executive Incentive Compensation Plan
The Board has approved the Executive Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Incentive Compensation Plan”), which allows the Company to grant incentive awards, generally payable in cash, to employees selected by the administrator of the Incentive Compensation Plan.
Under the Incentive Compensation Plan, the administrator determines the performance goals applicable to any award. As determined by the administrator, the performance goals may be based on generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, or non-GAAP results and any actual results may be adjusted by the administrator for one-time items or unbudgeted or unexpected items and/or payments of actual awards under the Incentive Compensation Plan when determining whether the performance goals have been met. The goals may be on the basis of any factors the administrator determines relevant, such as on an individual, divisional, portfolio, project, business unit, segment or company-wide basis. Any criteria used may be measured on such basis as the administrator determines. The performance goals may differ from participant to participant and from award to award. The administrator also may determine that a target award or a portion thereof will not have a performance goal associated with it but instead will be granted (if at all) in the compensation committee’s sole discretion.
The Incentive Compensation Plan is administered by our Board or a committee appointed by the Board. Until our Board determines otherwise, our compensation committee will administer the Incentive Compensation Plan. The administrator of the Incentive Compensation Plan may, in its sole discretion and at any time before payment of an award, increase, reduce or eliminate a participant’s actual award and/or increase, reduce or eliminate the amount allocated to the bonus pool for a particular performance period. The actual award may be below, at or above a participant’s target award, in the discretion of the administrator. The administrator may determine the amount of any increase, reduction or elimination on the basis of such factors as it deems relevant, and it is not required to establish any allocation or weighting with respect to the factors it considers.
Actual awards generally will be paid in cash (or its equivalent) only after they are earned and approved. Unless otherwise determined by the administrator, to earn an actual award a participant must be employed by the Company through the date the actual award is paid. The administrator will have the right to settle an actual award with a grant of an equity award, which may have such terms and conditions (including vesting) as the administrator determines. Payment of awards occurs after they are earned, but no later than the dates set forth in the Incentive Compensation Plan.
All awards under the Incentive Compensation Plan will be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment in accordance with any clawback policy that the Company is required to adopt pursuant to the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which the securities of the Company are listed or as is otherwise required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or other applicable laws. In addition, the administrator may impose such other clawback, recovery or recoupment provisions with respect to an award under the Incentive Compensation Plan as it determines necessary or appropriate, such as a reacquisition right in respect of previously acquired cash, stock or other property provided with respect to an award. Recovery of compensation under a clawback policy generally will not give the participant the right to resign for “good reason” or “constructive termination” (or similar term) under any agreement with the Company. Additionally, the administrator may specify when providing for an award under the Incentive Compensation Plan that the participant’s rights, payments and benefits with respect to the award will be subject to reduction,
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cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment upon the occurrence of specified events, in addition to any otherwise applicable vesting or performance conditions of the award. In the event of an accounting restatement, the recipient of an award will be required to repay a portion of the proceeds received with respect to an award earned or accrued under certain circumstances.
The administrator will have the authority to amend, suspend or terminate the Incentive Compensation Plan, provided such action does not impair the existing rights of any participant with respect to any earned awards.
Retirement Benefits
The Company maintains a 401(k) retirement savings plan for the benefit of employees of the Company and its participating affiliates who satisfy certain eligibility requirements. Under the 401(k) plan, eligible employees may elect to defer a portion of their compensation, within the limits prescribed by the Code, on a pre-tax or after-tax (Roth) basis, through contributions to the 401(k) plan. The 401(k) plan authorizes discretionary employer matching and/or non-elective contributions. The 401(k) plan is intended to qualify under Sections 401(a) and 501(a) of the Code. As a tax-qualified retirement plan, pre-tax contributions to the 401(k) plan and earnings on those pre-tax contributions are not taxable to the employees until distributed from the 401(k) plan, and earnings on Roth contributions are not taxable when distributed from the 401(k) plan.
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2022 Year End
The following table presents information regarding outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2022.
| Option Awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Name | Grant Date |
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options Exercisable (#) |
Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options Unexercisable (#) |
Option Exercise Price ($)(1) |
Option Expiration Date |
|||||||||||||||
| Dr. Kang Sun |
03/16/2017 | 727,950 | — | 0.05 | 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||
| Dr. Kang Sun(2) |
06/17/2021 | 545,963 | 909,937 | 1.78 | 06/16/2031 | |||||||||||||||
| Dr. Kang Sun(3) |
04/13/2022 | 166,822 | 561,128 | 2.61 | 04/13/2032 | |||||||||||||||
| Dr. Kang Sun(4) |
04/13/2022 | — | 545,962 | 2.61 | 04/13/2032 | |||||||||||||||
| Sandra Wallach(5) |
08/23/2021 | 206,254 | 376,106 | 1.78 | 08/22/2031 | |||||||||||||||
| Sandra Wallach(6) |
04/13/2022 | — | 145,589 | 2.61 | 04/13/2032 | |||||||||||||||
| Jonathan Bornstein |
03/16/2017 | 2,183,851 | — | 0.05 | 03/15/2024 | |||||||||||||||
| Jonathan Bornstein(7) |
4/13/2022 | — | 545,962 | 2.61 | 4/13/2032 | |||||||||||||||
| (1) | This column represents the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the date of the grant, as determined by the Board. |
| (2) | 1/48th of the shares subject to the option began vesting monthly on June 17, 2021, subject to the holder’s continuous service through each vesting date. |
| (3) | 1/48th of the shares began vesting monthly on February 1, 2022, subject to the holder’s continuous service through each vesting date. |
| (4) | 1/48th of the shares began vesting monthly on February 1, 2023, subject to the holder’s continuous service through each vesting date. |
| (5) | 1/4th of the shares subject to the option vests on July 26, 2022, and 1/36th vests monthly thereafter, subject to the holder’s continuous service through each vesting date. |
| (6) | 1/48th of the shares began vesting monthly on February 1, 2023, subject to the holder’s continuous service through each vesting date. |
| (7) | 1/48th of the shares began vesting monthly on February 1, 2023, subject to the holder’s continuous service through each vesting date. |
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Director Compensation
The table below summarizes the compensation of each person serving as a non-employee director for the year ended December 31, 2022. Dr. Kang Sun, our Chief Executive Officer, did not receive any additional compensation for his service as a director in 2022. The compensation of Dr. Sun as a named executive officer is set forth above under “—Summary Compensation Table.”
| Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) |
Stock Options ($)(1)(2) |
Total ($) |
|||||||||
| Donald R. Dixon |
31,549 | 417,849 | 449,398 | |||||||||
| Dr. Wen Hsieh |
19,076 | 417,849 | 436,925 | |||||||||
| Dr. Steven Chu |
14,674 | 417,849 | 432,523 | |||||||||
| Justin Mirro |
13,207 | — | 13,207 | |||||||||
| (1) | The amounts reported represent the aggregate grant-date fair value of the stock options awarded to the directors in fiscal 2022, calculated in accordance ASC 718. Such grant-date fair value does not take into account any estimated forfeitures related to service-vesting conditions. The assumptions used in determining the grant date fair value of the stock options reported are set forth in Notes 2 and 9 to our audited financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. |
| (2) | The following lists all outstanding equity awards held by non-employee directors as of December 31, 2022: |
| Name | Aggregate Number of Shares Underlying Outstanding Options |
|||
| Donald R. Dixon |
270,251 | |||
| Dr. Wen Hsieh |
270,251 | |||
| Dr. Steven Chu |
270,251 | |||
| Justin Mirro |
— | |||
Outside Director Compensation Policy
In 2022, the Legacy Amprius board of directors retained Compensia, a third-party compensation consultant, to provide the Legacy Amprius board of directors with an analysis of publicly available market data regarding practices and compensation levels at comparable companies and assistance in determining compensation to be provided to the Company’s non-employee directors. Based on the discussions with and assistance from the compensation consultant, we have adopted an Outside Director Compensation Policy that provides for certain compensation to our non-employee directors.
Cash Compensation
The Outside Director Compensation Policy provides for the following cash compensation program for our non-employee directors:
| • | $40,000 per year for service as a non-employee director; |
| • | $40,000 per year for service as non-executive chair of the Board; |
| • | $15,000 per year for service as a lead independent director of the Board; |
| • | $20,000 per year for service as chair of our audit committee; |
| • | $10,000 per year for service as a member of our audit committee; |
| • | $15,000 per year for service as chair of our compensation committee; |
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| • | $7,500 per year for service as a member of our compensation committee; |
| • | $10,000 per year for service as chair of our nominating and corporate governance committee; and |
| • | $5,000 per year for service as a member of our nominating and corporate governance committee. |
Each non-employee director who serves as a committee chair of Board will receive the cash retainer fee as the chair of the committee but not the cash retainer fee as a member of that committee, provided that the non-employee director who serves as the non-employee chair of Board will receive the annual retainer fees for such role as well as the annual retainer fee for service as a non-employee director. These fees to our non-employee directors will be paid quarterly in arrears on a prorated basis. The above-listed fees for service as non-employee chair of Board or a chair or member of any committee are payable in addition to the non-employee director retainer. Under the Outside Director Compensation Policy, we also will reimburse its non-employee directors for reasonable travel expenses to attend meetings of the Board and its committees.
Equity Compensation
Initial Award
Pursuant to the Outside Director Compensation Policy, each person who first becomes a non-employee director on or after the effective date of such policy will receive, on the first trading day on or after the date that the person first becomes a non-employee director, an initial equity award of restricted stock units covering shares of Common Stock (the “Initial Award”). The Initial Award will have a value on the date of grant equal to $300,000, with the number of shares subject to the Initial Award rounded to the nearest whole share. Each Initial Award will, vest in equal installments on each of the first 3 anniversaries of the date that a person first becomes a non-employee director, subject to continued service to the Company through the date of vesting. If the person was a member of Board and also an employee, then becoming a non-employee director due to termination of employment will not entitle the person to an Initial Award.
Annual Award
Each non-employee director will receive, on the first trading day after each annual meeting of our stockholders (an “Annual Meeting”) that occurs following the effective date of the Outside Director Compensation Policy, an annual equity award of restricted stock units covering shares of Common Stock (the “Annual Award”). The Annual Award will have an aggregate value on the date of grant equal to $170,000 (provided that if an individual began service as a non-employee director after the date of the Annual Meeting that occurred immediately prior to such Annual Meeting (or if there is no such prior Annual Meeting, then after the Closing Date), then the Annual Award granted to such non-employee director will be prorated based on the number of whole months that the individual served as a non-employee director prior to the Annual Award’s grant date during the 12-month period immediately preceding such Annual Meeting), with the number of shares subject to the Annual Award rounded to the nearest whole share. Each Annual Award will vest on the earlier of (a) the first anniversary of the date the Annual Award is granted, or (b) the day prior to the date of the Annual Meeting next following the date the Annual Award is granted, subject to continued service to the Company through the applicable vesting date.
Other Award Terms
Each Initial Award and Annual Award will be granted under the 2022 Plan (or its successor plan, as applicable) and form of award agreement under such plan.
Change in Control
In the event of the Company’s change in control, as defined in the 2022 Plan, each non-employee director’s then outstanding equity awards covering shares of Common Stock will accelerate vesting in full, provided that he or she remains a non-employee director as of immediately before such change in control.
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Director Compensation Limits
The Outside Director Compensation Policy provides that in any given fiscal year of the Company, no outside director may be granted any equity awards (including equity awards under the 2022 Plan) (the value of which will be based on their grant date fair value) and be provided any other compensation (such as any cash retainers and fees) that in the aggregate exceed $750,000. For the purposes of this maximum limit provision, the grant date fair values of awards granted under the 2022 Plan will be determined according to GAAP. Any awards or other compensation provided to an individual for his or her services as an employee or a consultant (other than an outside director), or before the closing of the Business Combination, will not count toward this limit.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS, RELATED PARTY AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS
Sponsor Support Agreement
Concurrently with the execution of the Business Combination Agreement, the Company, Legacy Amprius and Kensington Capital Sponsor IV LLC (the “Sponsor”) entered into a Sponsor Support Agreement (the “Sponsor Support Agreement”), pursuant to which, among other things, the Sponsor reaffirmed its obligations in existing arrangements to vote in favor of each of the proposals to be voted upon at the extraordinary general meeting of the Company’s shareholders held on September 13, 2022 (the “Special Meeting”), including approval of the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, and agreed to be bound by the terms of the lock-up restrictions in our Bylaws.
Registration Rights Agreement
On the Closing Date, the Company, Amprius Holdings and the Sponsor entered into a registration rights agreement (the “Registration Rights Agreement”). Pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement, we are obligated to file a registration statement to register the resale of certain Company securities held by the parties to the Registration Rights Agreement. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the Registration Rights Agreement and subject to certain requirements and customary conditions, including with regard to the number of demand rights that may be exercised, the parties to the Registration Rights Agreement may demand at any time or from time to time, that we file a registration statement on Form S-3 (or on Form S-1 if Form S-3 is not available) to register the Company securities held by such holders. The Registration Rights Agreement also provides the holders with “piggy-back” registration rights, subject to certain requirements and customary conditions.
PIPE Financing
On the Closing Date, certain former directors and officers of the Company and persons who currently serve on the Board, or their respective affiliates, purchased from the Company an aggregate of 2,052,500 PIPE units at a price of $10.00 per PIPE unit. The PIPE Warrants are substantially identical to the Public Warrants, except that the exercise price of each PIPE Warrant is $12.50 per share (instead of $11.50 per share, which is the exercise price for the Public Warrants), and the average sales price of the Common Stock will need to exceed $20.00 per share (instead of $18.00 per share for the Public Warrants) for the Company to be able to redeem the PIPE Warrants. The PIPE Warrants are not, and will not be, listed on any securities exchange.
Working Capital Warrants
In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, the Sponsor elected to convert $200,000 in working capital loans made to the Company into 400,000 Private Warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock at a price of $0.50 per warrant. On the Closing Date, such Private Warrants were issued equally to Justin Mirro, Kensington’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman prior to the Business Combination and a member of the Board, and Daniel Huber, Kensington’s Chief Financial Officer prior to the Business Combination, who had each advanced one-half of such amount to the Sponsor in order for the loan to be made.
Possible Consolidation with Amprius Holdings
We believe that Amprius Holdings will evaluate its options to facilitate Amprius Holdings’ stockholders holding our Common Stock directly rather than holding it indirectly through Amprius Holdings. Among the options that we believe that Amprius Holdings is considering is a possible transaction whereby Amprius Holdings would be acquired by or merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, whereby Amprius Holdings’ stockholders would receive shares of Common Stock in exchange for their interests in Amprius Holdings. The terms of any such transaction would be subject to negotiation and approval by our Board.
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Pre-Business Combination Related Party Transactions
Legacy Amprius was a majority owned subsidiary of Amprius Holdings, which owned approximately 99.6% of the outstanding Legacy Amprius common stock prior to the Business Combination. Amprius Holdings was formed in 2008 to pursue silicon nanowire anode technology conceived at Stanford. In 2015, Amprius Holdings formed Legacy Amprius to be the entity that focused on development of the silicon nanowire anode. Since its inception, Legacy Amprius’ operating resources such as cash, equipment, facilities, personnel and management had been provided by Amprius Holdings. Certain directors and executive officers of the Company own Amprius Holdings securities or options to purchase Amprius Holdings securities, and all directors of Legacy Amprius prior to the Business Combination are also directors of Amprius Holdings and members of our Board.
At various times Amprius Holdings also formed and invested in subsidiaries to pursue battery-related businesses in China. Because the nature of the different businesses varied widely, ownership of each of these entities was transferred to the Amprius Holdings stockholders in early 2022 so that each could pursue its business separately. One of the former subsidiaries holds a majority interest in Amprius Wuxi, a manufacturing joint venture in Wuxi, China that manufactures conventional batteries for the China market. Another builds battery packs for maritime and other markets. A third, Berzelius, is developing powders for silicon composite anodes. Following the spin-offs, Dr. Sun, our Chief Executive Officer and a member of our Board, has continued to serve on the boards of each of these entities and their respective holding companies. The Company’s silicon anode technology has not been shared with the former subsidiaries, and by February 2023, all intellectual property related to such technology was assigned to the Company.
Intercompany Services Agreement
On February 27, 2017, Legacy Amprius entered into the Intercompany Services Agreement with Amprius Holdings, pursuant to which Amprius Holdings agreed to provide certain services to Legacy Amprius, including financial and external reporting services, tax and general accounting services, engineering services, legal and patent-related services, services related to business development, information technology and human resources and other administrative services. The cost attributable to Legacy Amprius was calculated using a percentage allocation of total cost incurred. For the one month ended January 31, 2022 and the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the fee for Amprius Holdings’ services pursuant to the Intercompany Services Agreement was 25% of total costs incurred by Amprius Holdings in connection with the services provided under the agreement. From February 2022, the fee for Amprius Holdings’ services pursuant to the Intercompany Services Agreement was 100% of total costs incurred by Amprius Holdings in connection with the services provided under the agreement. The Intercompany Services Agreement terminated in connection with the closing of the Business Combination. Service costs allocated to Legacy Amprius under the Intercompany Services Agreement, including costs related to stock-based compensation, were approximately $0.7 million, $1.4 million and $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2010, respectively. The service costs allocated to Legacy Amprius were accounted for as capital contributions by Amprius Holdings to Legacy Amprius.
Capital Contributions
For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, Amprius Holdings made contributions to Legacy Amprius of approximately $20.2 million and $4.5 million, respectively, in addition to the amounts allocated under the Intercompany Services Agreement, to support Legacy Amprius’ operations.
Assignment of Lease
On May 1, 2022, Legacy Amprius and Amprius Holdings entered into the Assignment and Assumption of Lease, pursuant to which Amprius Holdings assigned to Legacy Amprius all its rights, title and interest under the lease agreement for the Company’s headquarters in Fremont, California, and Legacy Amprius assumed all obligations as a lessee under the lease agreement. Under the terms of the lease agreement, rent is payable in
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monthly installments on the first day of every calendar month. The current monthly rent payment under the lease agreement is approximately $44,000 and increases to approximately $46,000 by the end of the lease term. The lease agreement expires on June 30, 2024, and the Company’s has the option to extend the lease term for 60 months.
Transactions with Affiliate Subsidiaries
Legacy Amprius has purchased, and the Company may continue to purchase, raw materials and development materials from Berzelius and Amprius Wuxi. For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, aggregate purchases from Berzelius and Amprius Wuxi totaled approximately $0.1 million, $0.3 million and $0.4 million, respectively. There is no commitment on either party to continue such sales.
Tax Sharing Agreement
Concurrently with the execution of the Business Combination Agreement, Legacy Amprius and Amprius Holdings entered into the Tax Sharing Agreement, a copy of which is included as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The Tax Sharing Agreement generally provides that, with respect to any U.S. federal consolidated group of which Amprius Holdings and Legacy Amprius were members, Amprius Holdings will be responsible for and will indemnify the Company for the tax liability of such group. In addition, Amprius Holdings will be responsible for and will indemnify the Company for taxes of any consolidated, combined or unitary tax return for state tax purposes for a group that included Amprius Holdings and Legacy Amprius. The Tax Sharing Agreement also provides that Amprius Holdings will generally control any tax returns and any tax audits or other proceedings for the taxes addressed by the Tax Sharing Agreement.
Stockholder Support Agreement
Concurrently with the execution of the Business Combination Agreement, the Company and Amprius Holdings entered into the Stockholder Support Agreement pursuant to which, among other things, Amprius Holdings agreed to vote all of its shares of Legacy Amprius common stock in favor of the approval and adoption of the Business Combination within 24 hours after the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed in connection with the Special Meeting was declared effective by the SEC. Additionally, Amprius Holdings agreed not to (a) transfer any of its shares of Legacy Amprius common stock (or enter into any arrangement with respect thereto) or (b) enter into any voting arrangement that was inconsistent with the Stockholder Support Agreement. The Stockholder Support Agreement terminated in accordance with its terms upon the consummation of the Business Combination.
Related Party Transactions with Sponsor
On March 31, 2021, the Sponsor purchased 7,475,000 Class B ordinary shares of the Company for an aggregate purchase price of $25,000. On November 30, 2021, the Company effected a share issue of 2,382,142 shares with respect to the Class B ordinary shares, resulting in the Sponsor holding an aggregate of 9,857,142 Class B ordinary shares. Prior to the initial investment of $25,000 by the Sponsor, the Company had no assets, tangible or intangible. The number of Class B ordinary shares issued was determined based on the expectation that such Class B ordinary shares held by the Sponsor would represent 20% of the outstanding shares upon consummation of the IPO. The Sponsor’s Class B ordinary shares (including the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise thereof) could not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder. In connection with the Domestication, each Class B ordinary share was converted into one share of Common Stock.
The Sponsor purchased an aggregate of 16,000,000 Private Warrants for a purchase price of $0.50 per Private Warrant simultaneously with the consummation of the IPO. As such, the Sponsor’s interest in the IPO was valued at $8,000,000. Each Private Warrant entitled the holder to purchase one Class A ordinary share at
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$11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein. The Private Warrants (including the warrants issued upon conversion of working capital loans and the Class A ordinary shares issuable upon exercise of such warrants) could not, subject to certain limited exceptions, be transferred, assigned or sold by the holder. There are no redemption rights or liquidating distributions with respect to the Class B ordinary shares or Private Warrants. In connection with the Domestication, the Private Warrants were converted into warrants to purchase one share of Common Stock at $11.50 per share.
Other than the payment to an affiliate of Daniel Huber, Kensington’s Chief Financial Officer prior to the Business Combination, of service and administrative fees of $20,000 per month for 18 months (upon completion of the Business Combination, any portion of the amounts due that were not yet paid were accelerated), no compensation of any kind, including finder’s and consulting fees, were paid by the Company to the Sponsor, officers and directors, or any of their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the consummation of the Business Combination. There was no cap or ceiling on the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such persons in connection with activities on the Company’s behalf.
The Sponsor purchased an aggregate of $32,675,000 of units, consisting of one Class A ordinary share, one Class 1 warrant and one Class 2 warrant (the “Original Units”) in the IPO, or approximately 16.3% of the Original Units offered in the IPO.
On March 24, 2021 the Sponsor agreed to loan the Company up to $300,000 to cover the expenses related to the IPO pursuant to a promissory note. This loan was non-interest bearing and payable upon the completion of the IPO; provided that amounts due under the promissory note were, at the option of the Sponsor, convertible into working capital loans. The Company borrowed $200,000 under the promissory note, and the Sponsor elected to convert the promissory note into a working capital loan on March 4, 2022. Prior to the Business Combination, the Sponsor had made working capital loans of $200,000. Such working capital loans could be repaid out of the proceeds of the trust account holding a portion of the proceeds of the IPO and the concurrent sale of the Private Warrants, or converted into warrants of the post-Business Combination entity at a price of $0.50 per warrant, such warrants to be identical to the Private Warrants. At the closing of the Business Combination, the working capital loan was converted into 400,000 Private Warrants, as described above.
Letter Agreement
On March 1, 2022, the Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors entered into a Letter Agreement with the Company, pursuant to which they agreed to waive their redemption rights with respect to any Sponsor Shares (as defined in the Letter Agreement) and any Public Shares (as defined in the Letter Agreement) held by them in connection with the completion of the Company’s initial business combination. Pursuant to the Letter Agreement, the Sponsor and the Company’s officers and directors agreed not to transfer any Class B ordinary shares until the earlier of (i) one year after the completion of the Business Combination and (ii) (x) if the last reported sale price of the Common Stock equals or exceeds $12.00 per share for any 20 trading days within any 30-trading day period commencing at least 150 days after Business Combination or (y) the date on which the Company completes a liquidation, merger, share exchange, reorganization or other similar transaction. Pursuant to the Letter Agreement, the Sponsor and the Company’s officer and directors also agreed not to transfer any Private Warrants until 30 days after the completion of the Business Combination. However, the transfer restrictions on the Sponsor’s Common Stock were superseded by the agreement in the Sponsor Support Agreement to be bound by the terms of the lock-up restrictions in our Bylaws.
Related Person Transactions Policy
We have adopted a written Related Person Transactions Policy that sets forth our policies and procedures regarding the identification, review, consideration and oversight of “related person transactions.” For purposes of the policy only, a “related person transaction” is a transaction, arrangement or relationship (or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which the Company or any of its subsidiaries are participants involving an amount that exceeds $120,000, in which any “related person” has a material interest.
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Transactions involving compensation for services provided to the Company as an employee, consultant or director will not be considered related person transactions under this policy. A related person is any executive officer, director, nominee to become a director or a holder of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities (including Common Stock), including any of their immediate family members and affiliates.
Under the policy, the related person in question or, in the case of transactions with a holder of more than 5% of any class of our voting securities, an officer with knowledge of a proposed transaction, must present information regarding the proposed related person transaction to our audit committee (or, where review by our audit committee would be inappropriate, to another independent body of the Board) for review. To identify related person transactions in advance, we will rely on information supplied by our executive officers, directors and certain significant stockholders. In considering related person transactions, our audit committee will take into account the relevant available facts and circumstances, which may include, but are not limited to:
| • | the risks, costs, and benefits to the Company; |
| • | the impact on a director’s independence in the event the related person is a director, immediate family member of a director or an entity with which a director is affiliated; |
| • | the terms of the transaction; |
| • | the availability of other sources for comparable services or products; and |
| • | the terms available to or from, as the case may be, unrelated third parties. |
Our audit committee will approve only those transactions that it determines are fair to us and in the Company’s best interests. All of the transactions described above were entered into prior to the adoption of such policy.
Indemnification Agreements
We have entered into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers, in addition to the indemnification provided for in the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws. These agreements, among other things, require us to indemnify our directors and executive officers for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by a director or executive officer in any action or proceeding arising out of their services as one of our directors or executive officers or as a director or executive officer of any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at the Company’s request. For more information regarding these indemnification arrangements, see the section titled “Management—Limitation on Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers.” We believe that these charter provisions and indemnification agreements are necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.
The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions in the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. They may also reduce the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though an action, if successful, might benefit us and our stockholders. A stockholder’s investment may decline in value to the extent we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.
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PRINCIPAL SECURITYHOLDERS
The following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of our Common Stock as of March 31, 2023 by:
| • | each person known to the Company to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of outstanding Common Stock; |
| • | each of the Company’s named executive officers and directors; and |
| • | all of the executive officers and directors of the Company as a group. |
Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, which generally provide that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power over that security, including options and warrants that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days. Common Stock issuable upon exercise of options and warrants currently exercisable within 60 days are deemed outstanding solely for purposes of calculating the percentage of total voting power of the beneficial owner thereof.
Unless otherwise indicated, the Company believes that each beneficial owner named in the table below has the sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by such beneficial owner and the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is 1180 Page Avenue, Fremont, California 94538.
| Name of Beneficial Owner | Shares of Common Stock |
% | ||||||
| Five Percent Holders |
||||||||
| Amprius Holdings(1) |
65,515,552 | 77.1 | % | |||||
| Directors and Named Executive Officers |
||||||||
| Dr. Kang Sun(2) |
1,713,715 | 2.0 | % | |||||
| Sandra Wallach(2) |
279,051 | * | ||||||
| Jonathan Bornstein(2) |
2,229,347 | 2.6 | % | |||||
| Donald R. Dixon(3) |
290,083 | * | ||||||
| Dr. Wen Hsieh(2) |
90,083 | * | ||||||
| Dr. Steven Chu(4) |
95,083 | * | ||||||
| Justin Mirro(5) |
8,619,142 | 9.6 | % | |||||
| All Directors and Executive Officers as a Group (8 Individuals) |
14,170,119 | 14.9 | % | |||||
| * | Represents beneficial ownership of less than 1%. |
| (1) | Certain directors and executive officers of the Company own Amprius Holdings securities or options to purchase Amprius Holdings securities, and certain directors of Amprius are also directors of Amprius Holdings, but none of our directors or executive officers are deemed to have or share beneficial ownership with respect to any shares of Common Stock owned by Amprius Holdings. |
| (2) | Consists of shares of Common Stock underlying options that are exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2023. |
| (3) | Consists of (i) 90,083 shares of Common Stock underlying options that are exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2023, (ii) 100,000 shares of Common Stock purchased in the PIPE held by The Dixon Revocable Trust, of which Mr. Dixon is co-trustee, and (iii) 100,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the PIPE Warrants held by The Dixon Revocable Trust. |
| (4) | Consists of (i) 90,083 shares of Common Stock underlying options that are exercisable within 60 days of March 31, 2023, (ii) 2,500 shares of Common Stock purchased in the PIPE and (iii) 2,500 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of PIPE Warrants. |
| (5) | Consists of (i) 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock held by Mr. Mirro as trustee of the Justin E. Mirro Qualified Annuity Trust dated 6/27/20, (ii) 200,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of |
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| Private Warrants held by Mr. Mirro, (iii) 2,608,142 shares of Common Stock, including 111,000 shares of Common Stock purchased in the PIPE, held by Kensington Capital Partners, LLC, (iv) 4,700,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of Private Warrants held by Kensington Capital Partners, LLC and (v) 111,000 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the PIPE Warrants held by Kensington Capital Partners, LLC. Mr. Mirro is the managing member of Kensington Capital Partners, LLC. |
Please see the sections titled “Management,” “Executive Compensation” and “Certain Relationships, Related Party and Other Transactions” for information regarding material relationships with our principal securityholders within the past two years.
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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following summary of the material terms of our securities as of the date of this prospectus as specified in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. Because the following description is only a summary, it does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. For a complete description of matters set forth in this section titled “Description of Capital Stock,” you should refer to the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.
General
The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 1,000,000,000 shares, $0.0001 par value per share, of which:
| • | 950,000,000 shares are designated as Common Stock; and |
| • | 50,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock. |
As of March 31, 2023, we had outstanding 84,971,465 shares of Common Stock and no shares of preferred stock.
Common Stock
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the Common Stock. The material terms of our Common Stock are discussed in greater detail below.
Dividend Rights
Subject to preferences that may apply to any shares of preferred stock outstanding at the time, the holders of Common Stock will be entitled to receive dividends out of funds legally available if the Board, in its discretion, determines to issue dividends and then only at the times and in the amounts that the Board may determine.
Voting Rights
Holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held as of the record date for the determination of the stockholders entitled to vote on such matters, except as otherwise required by law.
Subject to the rights of holders of any series of preferred stock with respect to the election of directors, the number of directors that constitutes our Board will be fixed solely by resolution of our Board. Our Board is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class serving a three-year term. There is no cumulative voting with respect to the election of directors.
Right to Receive Liquidation Distributions
If we become subject to a liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up, the assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders would be distributable ratably among the holders of our Common Stock and any participating series of our preferred stock outstanding at that time, subject to prior satisfaction of all outstanding debt and liabilities and the preferential rights of and the payment of liquidation preferences, if any, on any outstanding shares of preferred stock.
Other Matters
All outstanding shares of our Common Stock will be fully paid and nonassessable. Our Common Stock is not entitled to preemptive rights and is not subject to redemption or sinking fund provisions.
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Preferred Stock
Our Board is authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by the DGCL, to issue preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each series, and to fix the designation, powers, preferences, and rights of the shares of each series and any of its qualifications, limitations, or restrictions, in each case without further vote or action by our stockholders. Our Board is empowered to increase or decrease the number of shares of any series of preferred stock, but not below the number of shares of that series then outstanding, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our Board is able to authorize the issuance of preferred stock with voting or conversion rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of Common Stock. The issuance of preferred stock, while providing flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions and other corporate purposes, could, among other things, have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing a change in control of the Company and might adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Common Stock.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
Certain provisions of Delaware law, our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws, which are summarized below, may have the effect of delaying, deferring, or discouraging another person from acquiring control of the Company. They are also designed, in part, to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of the Company to negotiate first with our Board.
Section 203 of the DGCL
We are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL. In general, Section 203 of the DGCL prohibits a public Delaware corporation from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless:
| • | either the business combination or the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder was approved by the board of directors prior to the time that the stockholder became an interested stockholder; |
| • | upon consummation of the transaction that resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding shares owned by directors who are also officers of the corporation and shares owned by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or |
| • | at or subsequent to the time the stockholder became an interested stockholder, the business combination was approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of the stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder. |
In general, Section 203 defines a “business combination” to include mergers, asset sales, and other transactions resulting in financial benefit to a stockholder and an “interested stockholder” as a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or, within the prior three years, did own, 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock. These provisions may have the effect of delaying, deferring, or preventing changes in control of the Company.
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Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws Provisions
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws include a number of provisions that could deter hostile takeovers or delay or prevent changes in control of the Board or management team, including the following:
| • | Board of Directors vacancies. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws authorize only a majority of the remaining members of our Board, although less than a quorum, to fill vacant directorships, including newly created seats. In addition, subject to the rights of holders of any series of preferred stock, the number of directors constituting our Board will be permitted to be set only by a resolution of our Board. These provisions would prevent a stockholder from increasing the size of our Board and then gaining control of our Board by filling the resulting vacancies with its own nominees. This will make it more difficult to change the composition of our Board and will promote continuity of management. |
| • | Board of Directors divided into three classes. Our Board is divided into three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III, with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class serving for three-year terms. As a result, in most circumstances, a person can gain control of our Board only by successfully engaging in a proxy contest at two or more annual meetings. |
| • | Stockholder action; special meeting of stockholders. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that our stockholders may not take action by written consent but may only take action at annual or special meetings of the stockholders. As a result, a holder controlling a majority of our capital stock would not be able to amend the Bylaws, amend the Certificate of Incorporation or remove directors without holding a meeting of our stockholders called in accordance with the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws. The Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws further provide that special meetings of our stockholders may be called only by a majority of our Board, the chair of our Board, the President of the Company or the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, thus prohibiting stockholder action to call a special meeting. These provisions might delay the ability of our stockholders to force consideration of a proposal or for stockholders controlling a majority of our capital stock to take any action, including the removal of directors. |
| • | Advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and director nominations. The Bylaws provide advance notice procedures for stockholders seeking to bring business before the annual meeting of stockholders or to nominate candidates for election as directors at the annual meeting of stockholders. The Bylaws also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a stockholder’s notice. These provisions might preclude our stockholders from bringing matters before the annual meeting of stockholders or from making nominations for directors at the annual meeting of stockholders if the proper procedures are not followed. These provisions may also discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of directors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the Company. |
| • | No cumulative voting. The DGCL provides that stockholders are not entitled to cumulate votes in the election of directors unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. The Certificate of Incorporation does not provide for cumulative voting. |
| • | Amendment of charter and bylaws provisions. Any amendment of the above provisions in the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws will require approval by holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of our then outstanding capital stock. |
| • | Issuance of preferred stock. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that our Board will have the authority, without further action by our stockholders, to issue up to 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock with rights and preferences, including voting rights, designated from time to time by the Board. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock would enable the Board to render more difficult or to discourage an attempt to obtain control of the Company by means of a tender offer, proxy contest, or other means. |
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| • | Exclusive forum. Our Bylaws provide that, unless otherwise consented to by the Company in writing, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, another State court in Delaware or the federal district court for the District of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law be the sole and exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Company; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by, or otherwise wrongdoing by, any of our directors, officers, or other employees to the Company or its stockholders; (iii) any action arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws; or (iv) any other action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in all cases subject to the court having jurisdiction over indispensable parties named as defendants. This provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the U.S. federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. The Bylaws further provide that, unless otherwise consented to by the Company in writing, the federal district courts of the United States will be the sole and exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in our securities shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this provision. These provisions may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against the Company or its directors and officers. |
Warrants
As of March 31, 2023, we had outstanding 47,720,836 warrants, consisting of 29,268,336 Public Warrants, 16,400,000 Private Warrants and 2,052,500 PIPE Warrants.
Public Warrants
Each whole warrant entitles the registered holder to purchase one share of Common Stock at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as discussed below, except as described below. Pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, a warrant holder may exercise its warrants only for a whole number of shares of Common Stock. The warrants will expire on September 14, 2027, at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, or earlier upon redemption or liquidation.
We will not be obligated to deliver any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of a warrant and will have no obligation to settle such warrant exercise unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Common Stock underlying the warrants is then effective and a prospectus relating thereto is current, subject to our satisfying our obligations described below with respect to registration. No warrant will be exercisable and we will not be obligated to issue shares of Common Stock upon exercise of a warrant unless the Common Stock issuable upon such warrant exercise has been registered, qualified or deemed to be exempt under the securities laws of the state of residence of the registered holder of the warrants. In the event that the conditions in the two immediately preceding sentences are not satisfied with respect to a warrant, the holder of such warrant will not be entitled to exercise such warrant and such warrant may have no value and expire worthless. In no event will we be required to net cash settle any warrant. In the event that a registration statement is not effective for the exercised warrants, the purchaser of a unit containing such warrant will have paid the full purchase price for the unit solely for the share of Common Stock underlying such unit.
We have agreed to use our commercially reasonable efforts to maintain the effectiveness of a registration statement covering the issuance of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants, and a current prospectus relating thereto, until the expiration of the warrants in accordance with the provisions of the Warrant Agreement. During any period when we will have failed to maintain an effective registration statement, warrant holders may exercise warrants on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act or another exemption. Notwithstanding the above, if the Common Stock is at the time of any exercise of a warrant not listed on a national securities exchange such that it satisfies the definition of a “covered security” under Section 18(b)(1) of the Securities Act, we may, at our option, require holders of Public Warrants who
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exercise their warrants to do so on a “cashless basis” in accordance with Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act and, in the event we so elect, we will not be required to file or maintain in effect a registration statement, but we will be required to use our best efforts to register or qualify the shares under applicable blue sky laws to the extent an exemption is not available.
Redemption of warrants when the price per share of Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00. Once the warrants become exercisable, we may redeem the outstanding warrants (except for the Private Warrants):
| • | in whole and not in part; |
| • | at a price of $0.01 per warrant; |
| • | upon not less than 30 days’ prior written notice of redemption (the “30-day redemption period”) to each warrant holder; and |
| • | if, and only if, the last reported sale price of our Common Stock equals or exceeds $18.00 per share (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like and as described under the heading “—Anti-dilution Adjustments” below) for any 20 trading days within a 30-trading day period ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which we send the notice of redemption to the warrant holders. |
We may not redeem the warrants unless a registration statement under the Securities Act covering the issuance of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants is effective and a current prospectus relating to those shares of Common Stock is available throughout the 30-day redemption period, except if the warrants may be exercised on a cashless basis and such cashless exercise is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. If and when the warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right even if we are unable to register or qualify the underlying securities for sale under all applicable state securities laws. As a result, we may redeem the warrants as set forth above even if the holders are otherwise unable to exercise the warrants.
We have established the $18.00 per share (subject to adjustment) redemption criteria discussed above to prevent a redemption call unless there is at the time of the call a significant premium to the warrant exercise price. If the foregoing conditions are satisfied and we issue a notice of redemption of the warrants, each warrant holder will be entitled to exercise its warrant prior to the scheduled redemption date. However, the price of our Common Stock may fall below the $18.00 redemption trigger price (as adjusted for stock splits, stock dividends, reorganizations, recapitalizations and the like) as well as the $11.50 (for whole shares) warrant exercise price after the redemption notice is issued.
If we call the Public Warrants for redemption for cash as described above, our management will have the option to require any holder that wishes to exercise its warrants to do so on a “cashless basis.” In determining whether to require all holders thereof to exercise their warrants on a “cashless basis,” our management will consider, among other factors, our cash position, the number of warrants that are outstanding and the dilutive effect on our stockholders of issuing the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of our warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, all holders of warrants would pay the exercise price by surrendering their warrants for that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing (x) the product of the number of shares of Common Stock underlying the warrants, multiplied by the excess of the “fair market value” over the exercise price of the warrants by (y) the fair market value. The term “fair market value” as used in this paragraph means the average last reported sale price of our Common Stock for the 10 trading days ending on the third trading day prior to the date on which the notice of redemption is sent to the holders of warrants. If our management takes advantage of this option, the notice of redemption will contain the information necessary to calculate the number of shares of Common Stock to be received upon exercise of the warrants, including the “fair market value” in such case. Requiring a cashless exercise in this manner will reduce the number of shares to be issued and thereby lessen the dilutive effect of a warrant redemption. We believe this feature is an attractive option to us if we do not need the cash from the exercise of the warrants.
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None of the Private Warrants will be redeemable by us.
Exercise Limitation. A holder of a warrant may notify us in writing in the event it elects to be subject to a requirement that such holder will not have the right to exercise such warrant, to the extent that after giving effect to such exercise, such person (together with such person’s affiliates), to the warrant agent’s actual knowledge, would beneficially own in excess of 4.8% or 9.8% (or such other amount as a holder may specify) of the shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after giving effect to such exercise.
Anti-Dilution Adjustments. If the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is increased by a stock dividend payable in shares of Common Stock, or by a split-up of shares of Common Stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such stock dividend, split-up or similar event, the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be increased in proportion to such increase in the outstanding shares of Common Stock. A rights offering to holders of Common Stock entitling holders to purchase shares of Common Stock at a price less than the fair market value will be deemed a stock dividend of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the product of (i) the number of shares of Common Stock actually sold in such rights offering (or issuable under any other equity securities sold in such rights offering that are convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock) multiplied by (ii) one (1) minus the quotient of (x) the price per share of Common Stock paid in such rights offering divided by (y) the fair market value. For these purposes (i) if the rights offering is for securities convertible into or exercisable for Common Stock, in determining the price payable for Common Stock, there will be taken into account any consideration received for such rights, as well as any additional amount payable upon exercise or conversion and (ii) the term “fair market value” as used in this paragraph means the volume weighted average price of Common Stock as reported during the ten (10) trading day period ending on the trading day prior to the first date on which the shares of Common Stock trade on the applicable exchange or in the applicable market, regular way, without the right to receive such rights.
In addition, if we, at any time while the warrants are outstanding and unexpired, pay a dividend or make a distribution in cash, securities or other assets to the holders of Common Stock on account of such shares of Common Stock (or other securities into which the warrants are convertible), other than (a) as described above or (b) certain ordinary cash dividends, then the warrant exercise price will be decreased, effective immediately after the effective date of such event, by the amount of cash and/or the fair market value of any securities or other assets paid on each share of Common Stock in respect of such event.
If the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock is decreased by a consolidation, combination, reverse stock split or reclassification of shares of Common Stock or other similar event, then, on the effective date of such consolidation, combination, reverse stock split, reclassification or similar event, the number of shares of Common Stock issuable on exercise of each warrant will be decreased in proportion to such decrease in outstanding shares of Common Stock.
Whenever the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants is adjusted as described above, the warrant exercise price will be adjusted by multiplying the warrant exercise price immediately prior to such adjustment by a fraction (x) the numerator of which will be the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of the warrants immediately prior to such adjustment, and (y) the denominator of which will be the number of shares of Common Stock so purchasable immediately thereafter.
In case of any reclassification or reorganization of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (other than those described above or that solely affects the par value of such shares of Common Stock), or in the case of any merger or consolidation of us with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which we are the continuing corporation and that does not result in any reclassification or reorganization of our outstanding shares of Common Stock), or in the case of any sale or conveyance to another corporation or entity of the assets or other property of us as an entirety or substantially as an entirety in connection with which we are dissolved, the holders of the warrants will thereafter have the right to purchase and receive, upon the basis and upon the terms and conditions specified in the warrants and in lieu of the shares of Common Stock immediately theretofore purchasable and
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receivable upon the exercise of the rights represented thereby, the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or property (including cash) receivable upon such reclassification, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or upon a dissolution following any such sale or transfer, that the holder of the warrants would have received if such holder had exercised their warrants immediately prior to such event. However, (i) if the holders of our Common Stock were entitled to exercise a right of election as to the kind or amount of securities, cash or other assets receivable upon such consolidation or merger, then the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets for which each warrant will become exercisable will be deemed to be the weighted average of the kind and amount received per share by such holders of Common Stock in such consolidation or merger that affirmatively make such election, and (ii) if a tender, exchange or redemption offer has been made to and accepted by such holders under circumstances in which, upon completion of such tender or exchange offer, the maker thereof, together with members of any group (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) of which such maker is a part, and together with any affiliate or associate of such maker (within the meaning of Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) and any members of any such group of which any such affiliate or associate is a part, own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule)) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the holder of a warrant will be entitled to receive the highest amount of cash, securities or other property to which such holder would actually have been entitled as a stockholder if such warrant holder had exercised the warrant prior to the expiration of such tender or exchange offer, accepted such offer and all of the Common Stock held by such holder had been purchased pursuant to such tender or exchange offer, subject to adjustments (from and after the consummation of such tender or exchange offer) as nearly equivalent as possible to the adjustments provided for in the Warrant Agreement. Additionally, if less than 70% of the consideration receivable by the holders of Common Stock in such a transaction is payable in the form of common stock in the successor entity that is listed for trading on a national securities exchange or is quoted in an established over-the-counter market, or is to be so listed for trading or quoted immediately following such event, and if the registered holder of the warrant properly exercises the warrant within thirty days following public disclosure of such transaction, the warrant exercise price will be reduced as specified in the Warrant Agreement based on the Black-Scholes Warrant Value (as defined in the Warrant Agreement) of the warrant. The warrants will be issued in registered form under the Warrant Agreement between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and us. You should review a copy of the Warrant Agreement, a copy of which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for a complete description of the terms and conditions applicable to the warrants. The Warrant Agreement provides that the terms of the warrants may be amended without the consent of any holder to cure any ambiguity or correct any defective provision, but requires the approval by the holders of at least 50% of the then outstanding Public Warrants to make any change that adversely affects the interests of the registered holders of Public Warrants and, solely with respect to any amendment to the terms of the Private Warrants or any provision of the Warrant Agreement with respect to the Private Warrants, 50% of the number of the then outstanding Private Warrants.
The warrant holders do not have the rights or privileges of holders of Common Stock or any voting rights until they exercise their warrants and receive shares of Common Stock. After the issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the warrants, each holder will be entitled to one (1) vote for each share held of record on all matters to be voted on by stockholders.
No fractional shares will be issued upon exercise of the warrants. If, upon exercise of the warrants, a holder would be entitled to receive a fractional interest in a share, we will, upon exercise, round down to the nearest whole number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to the warrant holder.
We have agreed that, subject to applicable law, any action, proceeding or claim against us arising out of or relating in any way to the Warrant Agreement will be brought and enforced in the courts of the State of New York or the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and we irrevocably submit to such jurisdiction, which jurisdiction will be the exclusive forum for any such action, proceeding or claim. This provision applies to claims under the Securities Act but does not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal district courts of the United States of America are the sole and exclusive forum.
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SECURITIES ACT RESTRICTIONS ON RESALE OF SECURITIES
Shares Eligible for Future Sale
Future sales of our Common Stock in the public market, or the availability of such shares for sale in the public market, could adversely affect market prices of our Common Stock prevailing from time to time. Sales of our Common Stock in the public market, or the perception that those sales may occur, could adversely affect the prevailing market price at such time and our ability to raise equity capital in the future.
The registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part registers up to 22,733,336 shares of Common Stock constituting approximately 21.1% of our issued and outstanding Common Stock as of March 31, 2023 (assuming the exercise in full of all of the Associated Warrants). As a result of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, 22,733,336 shares of Common Stock will be freely tradable, subject to compliance with applicable securities law requirements (in addition to the 4,877,273 shares of Common Stock and all of the Associated Warrants, which are already freely tradable).
Rule 144
Pursuant to Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our Common Stock or Warrants for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not deemed to have been one of our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and have filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as we were required to file reports) preceding the sale.
Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares of our Common Stock or warrants for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be subject to additional restrictions, by which such person would be entitled to sell within any three-month period only a number of securities that does not exceed the greater of:
| • | 1% of the total number of shares of such securities then-outstanding; or |
| • | the average weekly reported trading volume of such securities during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale. |
Sales by our affiliates under Rule 144 are also limited by manner of sale provisions and notice requirements and to the availability of current public information about us.
Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies
Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:
| • | the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company; |
| • | the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; |
| • | the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and materials required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials), other than Current Reports on Form 8-K; and |
| • | at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10 type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company. |
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While we were formed as a shell company, since the completion of the business combination, we are no longer a shell company, and so, once the conditions set forth in the exceptions listed above are satisfied, Rule 144 will become available for the resale of the above noted restricted securities.
Lock-up Restrictions
The lock-up provision in our Bylaws provides that, without the prior unanimous consent of our Board and subject to certain customary exceptions, including exceptions that carve out transactions involving securities purchased in the PIPE or in the IPO, each holder of Common Stock issued (i) as consideration pursuant to the Business Combination Agreement, (ii) upon the exercise of warrants or other convertible securities outstanding following the closing of the Business Combination in respect of warrants or convertible securities of Amprius outstanding immediately prior to the closing of the Business Combination (iii) to directors, officers and employees upon the settlement or exercise of stock options, restricted stock units, or other equity awards outstanding as of immediately following the closing of the Business Combination in respect of awards of Amprius outstanding immediately prior to the closing of the Business Combination or (iv) held by the Sponsor and the Insiders (as defined in the Letter Agreement, dated March 1, 2022, by and among the Company, the Sponsor or the other signatories thereto) outstanding immediately following the closing of the Business Combination, will not, through September 13, 2023, directly or indirectly, lend, sell, offer to sell, contract or agree to sell, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option to purchase or otherwise dispose of or agree to dispose of, their shares of Common Stock.
If the closing price per share of Common Stock for any 20 trading days within any 30 consecutive trading day period is at least $12.50, the lock-up restrictions will no longer apply.
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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS TO NON-U.S. HOLDERS
The following is a summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of our Common Stock acquired in this offering to non-U.S. Holders (as defined below), but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all the potential tax considerations relating thereto. This summary is based upon the provisions of the Code, Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, administrative rulings, and judicial decisions, all as of the date hereof. These authorities may be changed, possibly retroactively, so as to result in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those set forth below. We have not sought, and do not intend to seek, any ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, with respect to the statements made and the conclusions reached in the following summary, and there can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will agree with such statements and conclusions.
This summary also does not address the tax considerations arising under the laws of any non-U.S., state, or local jurisdiction, under U.S. federal gift and estate tax rules, or under any applicable tax treaty. In addition, this discussion does not address tax considerations applicable to an investor’s particular circumstances or to investors that may be subject to special tax rules, including, without limitation:
| • | banks, insurance companies, or other financial institutions; |
| • | regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts; |
| • | persons subject to the alternative minimum tax or the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income; |
| • | tax-exempt accounts, organizations, or governmental organizations; |
| • | pension plans and tax-qualified retirement plans; |
| • | controlled foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies, and corporations that accumulate earnings to avoid U.S. federal income tax; |
| • | brokers or dealers in securities or currencies; |
| • | traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings; |
| • | persons that own, or are deemed to own, more than 5% (by vote or value) of our Common Stock (except to the extent specifically set forth below); |
| • | certain former citizens or long-term residents of the United States; |
| • | partnerships (or entities or arrangements classified as such for U.S. federal income tax purposes), other pass-through entities, and investors therein; |
| • | persons who hold our Common Stock as a position in a hedging transaction, “straddle,” “conversion transaction,” or other risk reduction transaction; |
| • | persons who hold or receive our Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of any option or otherwise as compensation; |
| • | persons subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of any item of gross income with respect to our Common Stock being taken into account in an “applicable financial statement” as defined in Section 451(b) of the Code; |
| • | persons who do not hold our Common Stock as a capital asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code (generally, as property held for investment); or |
| • | persons deemed to sell our Common Stock under the constructive sale provisions of the Code. |
In addition, if a partnership (or other entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) or other flow-through entity holds our Common Stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the
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partnership or owner of other such entity generally will depend on the status of the partner or owner and upon the activities of the partnership or other such entity. A partner in a partnership, or owner of other such entity, that will hold our Common Stock should consult his, her, or its own tax advisor regarding the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our Common Stock through the partnership or other such entity, as applicable.
You are urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the application of the U.S. federal income tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our Common Stock arising under the U.S. federal gift or estate tax rules or under the laws of any state, local, non-U.S., or other taxing jurisdiction or under any applicable tax treaty.
For purposes of this discussion, you are a “non-U.S. holder” if you are a beneficial owner of our Common Stock that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is not a partnership (including any entity or arrangement treated as a partnership and the equity holders therein) and is not:
| • | an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| • | a corporation or other entity taxable as a corporation created or organized in the United States or under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof, or otherwise treated as such for U.S. federal income tax purposes; |
| • | an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or |
| • | a trust (1) whose administration is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and that has one or more U.S. persons who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) that has made a valid election under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a “United States person” within the meaning of the Code. |
Distributions
If we make distributions on our Common Stock, those payments will constitute dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent paid from our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. To the extent those distributions exceed both our current and our accumulated earnings and profits, the excess will constitute a return of capital and will first reduce your basis in our Common Stock (determined separately with respect to each share of our Common Stock), but not below zero, and then will be treated as gain from the sale of stock as described below in “—Gain on Disposition of Common Stock.”
Subject to the discussions below on effectively connected income and in “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA),” any dividend paid to you generally will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax either at a rate of 30% of the gross amount of the dividend or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and your country of residence. Under applicable Treasury Regulations, the applicable withholding agent may withhold up to 30% of the gross amount of the entire distribution even if the amount constituting a dividend, as described above, is less than the gross amount. In order to receive a reduced treaty rate, you must provide the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E or other appropriate version of IRS Form W-8 certifying qualification for the reduced rate. If you hold our Common Stock through a financial institution or other agent acting on your behalf, you generally will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the agent, which then may be required to provide certification to us or our paying agent, either directly or through other intermediaries. If you are eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty, you may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by timely filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS. You should consult your tax advisor regarding your entitlement to benefits under any applicable tax treaty.
Dividends received by you that are treated as effectively connected with your conduct of a U.S. trade or business (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by you in the United States) are generally exempt from the 30% U.S. federal withholding
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tax, subject to the discussions below in “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).” In order to obtain this exemption, you must provide the applicable withholding agent with a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI or other applicable IRS Form W-8 properly certifying such exemption. Such effectively connected dividends, although not subject to U.S. federal withholding tax, are taxed at the same rates applicable to U.S. persons, net of certain deductions and credits and subject to an applicable income tax treaty providing otherwise. In addition, if you are a corporate non-U.S. holder, dividends you receive that are effectively connected with your conduct of a U.S. trade or business (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, are attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by you in the United States) may also be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty between the United States and your country of residence. You should consult your tax advisor regarding any applicable tax treaties that may provide for different rules.
Gain on Disposition of Common Stock
Subject to the discussions in “—Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” and “—Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA),” you generally will not be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on any gain realized upon the sale or other disposition of our Common Stock unless:
| • | the gain is effectively connected with your conduct of a U.S. trade or business (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, the gain is attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by you in the United States); |
| • | you are an individual who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year in which the sale or disposition occurs and certain other conditions are met; or |
| • | our Common Stock constitutes a United States real property interest by reason of our status as a “United States real property holding corporation,” or USRPHC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time within the shorter of the five-year period preceding your disposition of our Common Stock or your holding period for our Common Stock, or the applicable testing period. |
If you are a non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet above, you will be required to pay tax on the gain derived from the sale or other disposition of our Common Stock (net of certain deductions and credits) under regular U.S. federal income tax rates, and a corporate non-U.S. holder described in the first bullet above also may be subject to the branch profits tax at a 30% rate, or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty. If you are an individual non-U.S. holder described in the second bullet above, you will be subject to tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the gain derived from the sale or other disposition of our Common Stock, which gain may be offset by U.S. source capital losses for the year, provided you have timely filed U.S. federal income tax returns with respect to such losses. You should consult your tax advisor regarding any applicable income tax or other treaties that may provide for different rules.
We believe that we are not currently and will not become a USRPHC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the remainder of this discussion so assumes. However, because the determination of whether we are a USRPHC depends on the fair market value of our U.S. real property interests relative to the fair market value of our U.S. and worldwide real property interests plus our other business assets, there can be no assurance that we will not become a USRPHC in the future. However, even if we are or become a USRPHC, our Common Stock will not constitute a United States real property interest if our Common Stock is regularly traded on an established securities market and you hold no more than 5% of our outstanding Common Stock, directly, indirectly, or constructively, at all times during the applicable testing period. If we are a USRPHC at any time within the applicable testing period and either our Common Stock are not regularly traded on an established securities market or you hold more than 5% of our outstanding Common Stock directly, indirectly, or constructively, at any time during the applicable testing period, you will generally be taxed on any gain realized
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upon the sale or other disposition of our Common Stock in the same manner as gain that is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business, except that the branch profits tax generally will not apply. If we are a USRPHC at any time within the applicable testing period and our Common Stock are not regularly traded on an established securities market, your proceeds received on the disposition of shares will also generally be subject to withholding at a rate of 15%. You are encouraged to consult your own tax advisors regarding the possible consequences to you if we are, or were to become, a URSPHC.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)
Subject to the following paragraph, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, Treasury Regulations issued thereunder and official IRS guidance with respect thereto, or, collectively, FATCA, generally impose a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% on dividends on and the gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock paid to a “foreign financial institution” (as specially defined under these rules), unless otherwise provided by the Treasury Secretary or such institution (i) enters into an agreement with the U.S. government to, among other things, withhold on certain payments and to collect and provide to the U.S. tax authorities substantial information regarding certain U.S. account holders of such institution (which includes certain equity and debt holders of such institution, as well as certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners) or (ii) otherwise establishes an exemption. Subject to the following paragraph, FATCA also generally imposes a U.S. federal withholding tax of 30% on dividends on and the gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock paid to a “non-financial foreign entity” (as specially defined under these rules), unless otherwise provided by the Treasury Secretary or such entity provides the withholding agent with a certification identifying the substantial direct and indirect U.S. owners of the entity, certifies that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners, or otherwise establishes an exemption. The withholding tax will apply regardless of whether the payment otherwise would be exempt from U.S. nonresident and backup withholding tax, including under the other exemptions described above. Under certain circumstances, a non-U.S. holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country may modify the requirements described in this section. Prospective investors should consult with their own tax advisors regarding the application of FATCA withholding to their investment in, and ownership and disposition of, our Common Stock.
The U.S. Treasury Department has issued proposed Treasury Regulations that, if finalized in their present form, would eliminate withholding under FATCA with respect to payments of gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of our Common Stock. In the preamble to such proposed Treasury Regulations, the Treasury Secretary stated that taxpayers may generally rely on the proposed Treasury Regulations until final regulations are issued.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Generally, we or the applicable agent must report annually to the IRS the amount of dividends paid to you, your name, your address and the amount of tax withheld, if any. A similar report will be sent to you. Pursuant to applicable income tax treaties or other agreements, the IRS may make these reports available to tax authorities in your country of residence.
Payments of dividends on or of proceeds from the disposition of our Common Stock made to you may also be subject to backup withholding (currently at a rate of 24% and additional information reporting unless you establish an exemption, for example, by certifying your non-U.S. status on a properly completed IRS Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E or another appropriate version of IRS Form W-8.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund or credit may generally be obtained from the IRS, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS in a timely manner.
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The preceding discussion of U.S. federal tax considerations is for general information only. It is not tax advice to investors in their particular circumstances. Each prospective investor should consult its own tax advisor regarding the particular U.S. federal, state and local, and non-U.S. tax considerations of purchasing, holding, and disposing of our Common Stock, including the consequences of any proposed change in applicable laws.
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
This prospectus relates to the offer by us of up to 22,733,336 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of an aggregate of 22,733,336 Associated Warrants, each of which is exercisable at a price of $11.50 per share.
We will receive up to an aggregate of approximately $261.4 million assuming the exercise in full of all of the Associated Warrants for cash. The likelihood that warrant holders will exercise the Associated Warrants and any cash proceeds that we would receive is dependent upon the market price of our Common Stock. If the market price for our Common Stock is less than $11.50 per share, we believe warrant holders will be unlikely to exercise their Associated Warrants. We will not pay any brokers’ or underwriters’ discounts and commissions in connection with the registration and sale of the Common Stock covered by this prospectus.
We intend to keep the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part effective until the earlier of the issuance of all shares of Common Stock pursuant to this prospectus and the expiration of the Associated Warrants.
We will bear all costs, fees and expenses incurred in effecting the registration of such securities covered by this prospectus, including, without limitation, all registration and filing fees, NYSE listing fees, and fees of our counsel and our independent registered public accountants.
Our Common Stock is currently listed on the NYSE under the symbols “AMPX.”
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LEGAL MATTERS
The validity of the securities offered hereby has been passed upon for us by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Professional Corporation, Palo Alto, California.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 and for the year then ended included in this prospectus and in the Registration Statement, have been so included in reliance on the report of BDO USA, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, appearing elsewhere herein and in the Registration Statement, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
The financial statements of Amprius as of December 31, 2021 and for the year ended December 31, 2021 have been audited by SingerLewak LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report thereon and included in this prospectus in reliance upon such report and upon the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, including the attached exhibits and schedules, contains additional relevant information about us and our capital stock. The rules and regulations of the SEC allow us to omit from this prospectus certain information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and the securities that are being offered by this prospectus, you should refer to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and the exhibits and schedules filed with the registration statement. With respect to the statements contained in this prospectus regarding the contents of any agreement or any other document, in each instance, the statement is qualified in all respects by the complete text of the agreement or document, a copy of which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement.
We are subject to the informational reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. We file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC under the Exchange Act. Our SEC filings are available over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Our website address is www.amprius.com. We also make available, free of charge, on our investor relations website at ir.amprius.com under “SEC Filings,” our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to these reports as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing or furnishing those reports to the SEC. The information on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this prospectus.
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F-8 |
December 31, |
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| (In thousands, except share and par value data) |
2022 |
2021 |
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| ASSETS |
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| Current assets: |
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| Cash and cash equivalents |
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| Accounts receivable |
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| Deferred costs |
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| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
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| Total current assets |
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| Non-current assets: |
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| Property, plant and equipment, net |
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| Operating lease right-of-use |
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| Deferred costs |
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| Other assets |
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| Total assets |
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| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY |
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| Current liabilities: |
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| Accounts payable |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Accrued and other current liabilities |
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| Deferred revenue |
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| Operating lease liabilities |
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| Total current liabilities |
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| Non-current liabilities: |
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| Deferred revenue |
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| Operating lease liabilities |
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| Total liabilities |
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| Commitments and contingencies (Note 12) |
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| Stockholders’ equity: |
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| Preferred stock; $ |
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| Common stock; $ |
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| Additional paid-in capital |
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| Accumulated deficit |
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| Total stockholders’ equity |
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| Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
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Year ended December 31, |
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2022 |
2021 |
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| Revenue |
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| Cost of revenue |
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| Gross loss |
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| Operating expenses: |
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| Research and development |
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| Selling, general and administrative |
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| Total operating expenses |
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| Loss from operations |
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| Other income (expense), net: |
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| Interest income and other |
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| Gain on forgiveness of PPP loan |
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| Total other income, net |
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| Net loss |
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| Weighted-average common shares outstanding: |
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| Basic and diluted |
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| Net loss per share of common stock: |
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| Basic and diluted |
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Common Stock |
Additional Paid-in Capital |
Accumulated Deficit |
Total Stockholders’ Equity |
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| (In thousands, except share data) |
Shares |
Amount |
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| Balance as of January 1, 2021 |
$ | $ | $ | ( |
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| Retroactive conversion of common stock due to Business Combination |
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| Balance as of January 1, 2021, as adjusted |
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| Capital contribution from Amprius Holdings |
— | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Exercise of stock options |
— | — | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation |
— | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Contribution from Amprius Holdings related to stock-based compensation |
— | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Net loss |
— | — | ( |
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| Balance as of December 31, 2021 |
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| Cumulative effect adjustment from the adoption of ASC 842 |
— | — | — | ( |
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| Issuance of common stock in connection with Business Combination and PIPE investment, net of issuance costs |
— | |||||||||||||||||||
| Issuance of common stock in connection with a stock purchase agreement |
— | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||||
| Capital contribution from Amprius Holdings |
— | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Exercise of stock options, net of repurchased shares |
— | — | ||||||||||||||||||
| Exercise of stock warrants |
— | — | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stock-based compensation |
— | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Contribution from Amprius Holdings related to stock-based compensation |
— | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Net loss |
— | — | — | ( |
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| Balance as of December 31, 2022 |
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Year ended December 31, |
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| (In thousands) |
2022 |
2021 |
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| Cash flows from operating activities: |
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| Net loss |
$ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
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| Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
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| Stock-based compensation |
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| Depreciation and amortization |
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| Amortization of deferred costs |
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| Non-cash operating lease expense |
— | |||||||
| Loss from disposal of property, plant and equipment |
— | |||||||
| Gain on forgiveness of PPP loan |
— | ( |
) | |||||
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
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| Accounts receivable |
( |
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| Inventories |
— | |||||||
| Deferred costs |
( |
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| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
( |
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| Accounts payable |
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| Accrued and other current liabilities |
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| Deferred revenue |
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| Operating lease liabilities |
( |
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| Net cash used in operating activities |
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Cash flows from investing activities: |
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| Purchase of property, plant and equipment |
( |
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| Net cash used in investing activities |
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Cash flows from financing activities: |
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| Proceeds from issuance of common stock in connection with Business Combination and PIPE investment |
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| Payment of transaction and issuance costs in connection with Business Combination and PIPE investment |
( |
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| Payment of financing costs in connection with a stock purchase agreement |
( |
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| Proceeds from exercise of stock options |
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| Proceeds from exercise of warrants |
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| Capital contributions from Amprius Holdings |
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| Net cash provided by financing activities |
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| Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
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| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of year |
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| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year |
$ | $ | ||||||
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| Components of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash: |
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| Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Restricted cash included in other assets |
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| Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
$ | $ | ||||||
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| Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing information: |
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| Operating lease liabilities and right-of-use |
$ | $ | ||||||
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| Unpaid purchases of property, plant and equipment |
$ | $ | ||||||
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| Unpaid financing costs in connection with a stock purchase agreement |
$ | $ | ||||||
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| • | the stockholders of Legacy Amprius owned a majority of the shares of the Company following the Business Combination; |
| • | the board of directors of the Company following the Business Combination was comprised of all of the board members of Legacy Amprius; |
| • | the senior management of the Company following the Business Combination was the senior management of Legacy Amprius; and |
| • | Legacy Amprius is larger than Kensington in terms of existing operations and number of employees. |
| • | Balance sheets include all of the Company’s owned assets, assets assigned or contributed by Amprius Holdings, and liabilities incurred by Amprius Holdings on behalf of the Company. |
| • | Statements of operations reflect all activities directly attributable to the Company, which include an allocation of certain general and administrative expenses of Amprius Holdings. |
| • | Certain general and administrative expenses of Amprius Holdings, such as the payroll-related expenses for |
| • | Prior to the distribution of Amprius Holdings’ other subsidiaries in January 2022 and February 2022, the shared expenses of Amprius Holdings were allocated equally between the Company and Amprius Holdings’ other subsidiaries. After February 2022, those expenses were fully allocated to the Company. |
| Level 1 | – | Inputs that are unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date. | ||
| Level 2 | – | Inputs (other than quoted prices included in Level 1) that are either directly or indirectly observable for the asset or liability through correlation with market data at the measurement date and for the duration of the instrument’s anticipated life. | ||
| Level 3 | – | Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities, and which reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. Consideration is given to the risk inherent in the valuation technique and the risk inherent in the inputs to the model. | ||
| 1. | Identify the contract with the customer |
| 2. | Identify the performance obligations in the contract pre-defined customer specifications along with test results of the delivered batteries. Those promises are generally inputs to a combined output to deliver a single final prototype battery and are accounted for as a single performance obligation. Contracts for standard batteries for commercial sales are generally ready-made with no customization. Within these contracts, each battery is a distinct performance obligation. |
| 3. | Determine the transaction price |
| 4. | Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract |
| 5. | Recognize revenue when, or as, a performance obligation is satisfied follow-on orders and standalone sales of battery products to customers, control generally transfers upon shipment of the product. In some |
| instances, customers may request that the Company bill them for a product but the Company retains physical possession of the product until later delivery, commonly known as “bill-and-hold” “bill-and-hold” |
Pilot production equipment |
||
Lab equipment |
||
Furniture, fixtures and other equipment |
||
Leasehold improvements |
or the term of the lease |
| • | Expected Term — The expected term of stock options represents the period that the Company’s stock-based awards are expected to be outstanding. As the Company does not have sufficient historical experience for determining the expected term, the expected term has been derived based on the simplified method for awards that qualify as plain-vanilla options. |
| • | Expected Volatility — Since the Company did not have trading history for its common stock, the Company estimated volatility for option grants through December 31, 2022 by evaluating the average historical volatility of a peer group of companies for the period immediately preceding the option grant for a term that is approximately equal to the option’s expected term. |
| • | Risk-Free Interest Rate — The Company bases the risk-free interest rate on the implied yield available on the U.S. Treasury zero coupon issues with a remaining term equivalent to the expected term of the option. |
| • | Expected Dividend — The Company has not paid dividends and has no plans to pay dividends on its common stock. Therefore, the Company used an expected dividend yield of zero. |
| • | Operating lease liabilities of $ |
| • | Operating lease ROU assets of $ |
| • | Adjustment to accumulated deficit of $ |
| • | the Company’s certificate of incorporation was amended and restated to, among other things, authorize the issuance of |
| • | all outstanding shares of Legacy Amprius’ common stock were exchanged for a number of the Company’s common stock equal to the number of Legacy Amprius’ shares multiplied by the Exchange Ratio of approximately |
| • | Each option to purchase Legacy Amprius’ common stock (a “Legacy Amprius Option”), whether vested or unvested, was converted into an option to purchase a number of the Company’s common stock (an “Option”), subject to substantially the same terms and conditions as were applicable prior to the merger, equal to the product of the number of shares of Legacy Amprius’ common stock subject to such Legacy Amprius Option immediately prior to the closing and the Exchange Ratio, at an exercise price per share calculated by dividing the exercise price per share of such Legacy Amprius Option immediately prior to the Business Combination by the Exchange Ratio. At Closing Date, the Legacy Amprius Options were converted to Options to receive an aggregate of |
Year ended December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Revenue from contract with customers: |
||||||||
Customized design services |
$ | $ | ||||||
Sale of batteries |
||||||||
Total revenue from contract with customers |
||||||||
Other revenue – |
||||||||
Total revenue |
$ | $ | ||||||
December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Raw material |
$ | $ | ||||||
Work in process |
||||||||
Finished goods |
||||||||
Inventory |
$ | $ | ||||||
December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Pilot production equipment |
$ | $ | ||||||
Lab equipment |
||||||||
Leasehold improvements |
||||||||
Furniture, fixtures and other equipment |
||||||||
Construction in progress |
||||||||
Property, plant and equipment, at cost |
||||||||
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization |
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
Property, plant and equipment, net |
$ | $ | ||||||
December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Accrued compensation and benefits |
$ | $ | ||||||
Accrued professional fees |
||||||||
Accrued financing costs |
||||||||
Accrued tax payable |
||||||||
Deferred rent |
||||||||
Other |
||||||||
Total accrued and other current liabilities |
$ | $ | ||||||
Number of Shares |
Weighted- Average Exercise Price Per Share |
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (in Years) |
Average Intrinsic Value (in Thousands) |
|||||||||||||
Outstanding at January 1, 2022 |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Granted |
$ | |||||||||||||||
Exercised |
( |
) | $ | |||||||||||||
Expired/Forfeited |
( |
) | $ | |||||||||||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2022 |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Vested and exercisable at December 31, 2022 |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2022 |
$ | $ | ||||||||||||||
Year ended December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Dividend yield |
% | % | ||||||
Expected volatility |
% | % | ||||||
Expected term (in years) |
||||||||
Risk-free rate |
% | % | ||||||
Number of Shares |
Weighted- Average Grant Date Fair Value |
|||||||
Outstanding at January 1, 2022 |
||||||||
Granted |
$ | |||||||
Vested |
||||||||
Expired/Forfeited |
||||||||
Outstanding at December 31, 2022 |
$ | |||||||
Number of Warrants |
Exercise Price Per Share |
Expiration Date |
||||||||||
Public warrants |
$ | |||||||||||
Private warrants |
$ | |||||||||||
PIPE warrants |
$ | |||||||||||
Years ended December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Cost of revenue |
$ | $ | ||||||
Research and development |
||||||||
Selling, general and administrative |
||||||||
Total stock-based compensation |
$ | $ | ||||||
Year ended December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Domestic |
$ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | ||
Foreign |
||||||||
Total |
$ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | ||
Year ended December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Expected benefit at U.S. federal statutory tax rate |
$ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | ||
State tax |
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
Change in valuation allowance |
( |
) | ||||||
Deconsolidation adjustment |
||||||||
Other |
( |
) | ||||||
Provision for income taxes |
$ | $ | ||||||
December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Deferred tax assets: |
||||||||
Net operating loss carryforwards |
$ | $ | ||||||
Tax credits |
||||||||
Operating lease liabilities |
||||||||
Stock-based compensation |
||||||||
Accruals, reserves and other |
||||||||
Capitalized research and development |
||||||||
Valuation allowance |
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
Total deferred tax assets |
||||||||
Deferred tax liabilities: |
||||||||
Property, plant and equipment |
( |
) | ||||||
Operating lease right-of-use |
( |
) | ||||||
Total deferred tax liabilities |
( |
) | ( |
) | ||||
Net deferred taxes |
$ | $ | ||||||
Amount (In thousands) |
Expiration Years | |||||
| NOL, federal (after December 31, 2017) |
$ | |||||
| NOL, federal (before January 1, 2018) |
$ | |||||
| NOL, state |
$ | |||||
| Tax credits, federal |
$ | |||||
| Tax credits, state |
$ | |||||
December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
| Balance at beginning of year |
$ | $ | ||||||
| Addition based on tax positions during the current year |
||||||||
| Reduction of tax positions from prior years |
( |
) | ||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Balance at end of year |
$ | $ | ||||||
| |
|
|
|
|||||
| Year ending December 31, |
Amount |
|||
| 2023 |
$ | |||
| 2024 |
||||
| 2025 |
||||
| 2026 |
||||
| 2027 |
||||
| Thereafter |
||||
| |
|
|||
| Gross lease payments |
||||
| Less - Present value adjustments |
( |
) | ||
| |
|
|||
| Total operating lease liabilities |
$ | |||
| |
|
|||
| Remaining lease term |
||||
| Discount rate for operating lease liabilities |
% |
Year ended December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Contributions attributed to stock-based compensation |
$ | $ | ||||||
Capital contributions consisting of: |
||||||||
Allocation of administrative costs |
||||||||
Cash |
||||||||
Total capital contributions |
||||||||
Total contributions from Amprius Holdings |
$ | $ | ||||||
Year ended December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Numerator: |
||||||||
Net loss |
$ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | ||
Denominator: |
||||||||
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding |
||||||||
Basic and diluted net loss per common share |
$ | ( |
) | $ | ( |
) | ||
Year ended December 31, |
||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
|||||||
Stock warrants |
||||||||
Stock options |
||||||||
RSUs |
||||||||
Total |
||||||||
Table of Contents
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| Item 13. | Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution. |
The following table sets forth all expenses to be paid by the registrant, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, in connection with this offering. All amounts shown, other than the SEC registration fee, are estimates.
| SEC registration fee |
$ | 28,810 | ||
| Legal fees and expenses |
$ | 40,000 | ||
| Accounting fees and expenses |
$ | 50,000 | ||
| Financial printing and miscellaneous |
$ | 150,190 | ||
|
|
|
|||
| Total |
$ | 269,000 |
| Item 14. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL allows a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation will not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached the duty of loyalty, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock repurchase in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides for this limitation of liability.
Section 145(a) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party to or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation), because he or she is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.
Section 145(b) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor because the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, except that no indemnification will be made with respect to any claim, issue or matter as to which he or she will have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court determines that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, he or she is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses that the Court of Chancery or other adjudicating court will deem proper.
Section 145(g) of the DGCL provides, in general, that a corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the person against such liability under Section 145 of the DGCL.
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Our Bylaws provide that we must indemnify and advance expenses to our directors and officers to the full extent authorized by the DGCL.
In connection with the business combination, the Company entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers. These indemnification agreements provide the directors and executive officers with certain contractual rights to indemnification and advancement for certain expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by a director or executive officer in any action or proceeding arising out of their services as one of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ directors or executive officers or as a director or executive officer of any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at the request of the Company.
We also maintain a general liability insurance policy, which will cover certain liabilities of our directors and officers arising out of claims based on acts or omissions in their capacities as directors or officers.
| Item 15. | Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities. |
We have sold the securities described below within the past three years that were not registered under the Securities Act. All of the sales listed below were made pursuant to an exemption from registration afforded by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act (and Regulation D thereunder) or Rule 701 promulgated under Section 3(b) of the Securities Act.
Founder Shares
In March 2021, the Sponsor paid $25,000 for certain of the Company’s IPO offering costs in exchange for issuance of 7,475,000 Class B ordinary shares. On November 30, 2021, the Company effected a share issue of its Class B ordinary shares, resulting in an increase in the total number of Class B ordinary shares outstanding from 7,475,000 to 9,857,142. The number of Class B ordinary shares issued was determined based on the expectation that the Class B ordinary shares would represent 30% of the Company’s outstanding ordinary shares upon completion of the IPO. Such securities were issued in connection with our organization pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
Private Warrants
In March 2021, the Sponsor subscribed to purchase from us an aggregate of 16,000,000 Private Warrants at $0.50 per warrant for an aggregate purchase price of $8,000,000. This purchase took place on a private placement basis simultaneously with the completion of the IPO. Such issuances were made pursuant to the exemption from registration contained in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.
PIPE
On the Closing Date, the PIPE Investors purchased an aggregate of 2,052,500 PIPE units, each consisting of one share of Common Stock and one PIPE Warrant, at a price of $10.00 per unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of $20,525,000. Such issuances were made pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
Working Capital Warrants
In connection with the closing of the Business Combination, the Sponsor elected to convert $200,000 in working capital loans made to the Company into 400,000 Private Warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock at a price of $0.50 per warrant.
On the Closing Date, such Private Warrants were issued equally to Justin Mirro, Kensington’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman prior to the Business Combination and a member of the Board, and Daniel Huber, Kensington’s Chief Financial Officer prior to the Business Combination, who had each advanced one-half of such amount to the
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Sponsor in order for the loan to be made. Such issuances were made pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
Initial Commitment Shares
As consideration for BRPC II’s commitment to purchase shares of Common Stock at our direction upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Purchase Agreement, upon execution of the Purchase Agreement, we issued 84,793 Initial Commitment Shares to BRPC II. Such issuances were made pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder.
Legacy Amprius Option and Share Issuances
Since January 1, 2020, Legacy Amprius issued and sold to certain of its employees, directors, consultants and other service providers an aggregate of 73,125 shares of Legacy Amprius common stock upon the exercise of options under its 2016 Plan, at exercise prices per share ranging from $0.07 to $2.58, for a weighted-average exercise price of approximately $0.18. Such shares were issued in reliance upon the exemption provided in Rule 701 under the Securities Act.
Since January 1, 2020, Legacy Amprius granted to certain of its employees, directors, consultants and other service providers options to purchase an aggregate of 5,895,099 shares of Legacy Amprius common stock under its 2016 Plan at exercise prices per share ranging from $2.58 to $4.66, for a weighted-average exercise price of approximately $3.14. Such grants were made in reliance upon the exemption provided in Rule 701 under the Securities Act.
The share numbers and exercise prices included in this “Legacy Amprius Option and Share Issuances” section reflect the historical pre-Business Combination share numbers and exercise prices, and have not been adjusted to reflect the accounting of the Business Combination as a reverse recapitalization.
| Item 16. | Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules. |
(a) Exhibits
Exhibit Index
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Table of Contents
| † | Certain schedules and exhibits have been omitted in accordance with Regulation S-K Item 601(a)(5). A copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit will be finished to the SEC upon request. |
(b) Financial Statement Schedules. All financial statement schedules are omitted because the information called for is not required or is shown either in the financial statements or in the notes thereto.
(c) Calculation of Filing Fees Table. The Calculation of Filing Fees Table is filed as Exhibit 107 to this post-effective amendment and is incorporated herein by reference.
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| Item 17. | Undertakings. |
(a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement; provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:
(i) If the registrant is relying on Rule 430B:
(A) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and
(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement
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will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date; or
(ii) If the registrant is subject to Rule 430C (§ 230.430C of this chapter), each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A (§ 230.430A of this chapter), shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.
(b) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
(c) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Fremont, California, on April 5, 2023.
| AMPRIUS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Dr. Kang Sun | |
| Name: Dr. Kang Sun | ||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | ||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Dr. Kang Sun and Sandra Wallach, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent with full power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration statement (including post-effective amendments or any abbreviated registration statement and any amendments thereto filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, increasing the number of securities for which registration is sought), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact, proxy and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact, proxy and agent, or his or her substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement on Form S-1 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
| Signature |
Title |
Date | ||
| /s/ Dr. Kang Sun Dr. Kang Sun |
Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
April 5, 2023 | ||
| /s/ Sandra Wallach Sandra Wallach |
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
April 5, 2023 | ||
| /s/ Donald R. Dixon Donald R. Dixon |
Director | April 5, 2023 | ||
| /s/ Dr. Steven Chu Dr. Steven Chu |
Director | April 5, 2023 | ||
| /s/ Dr. Wen Hsieh Dr. Wen Hsieh |
Director | April 5, 2023 | ||
| /s/ Justin Mirro Justin Mirro |
Director | April 5, 2023 | ||
II-8
Exhibit 5.1
|
|
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
650 Page Mill Road
O: 650.493.9300 |
April 5, 2023
Amprius Technologies, Inc.
1180 Page Avenue
Fremont, CA 94538
| Re: | Registration Statement on Form S-1 |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (the “Registration Statement”), filed by Amprius Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of up to 22,733,336 shares (the “Warrant Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (“Common Stock”), underlying certain warrants exercisable at a price of $11.50 per share (the “Warrants”).
We are acting as counsel for the Company in connection with the registration of the Warrant Shares offered pursuant to the Registration Statement. As such counsel, we have made such legal and factual examinations and inquiries as we have deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of rendering the opinions set forth below. In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records, certificates of public officials and other instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of rendering this opinion.
In addition, we have reviewed originals or copies of such corporate records of the Company, certificates of public officials, a certificate of an officer of the Company as to factual matters, and such other documents that we consider necessary or advisable for the purpose of rendering the opinions set forth below, including the Warrant Agreement, dated as of March 4, 2022 (the “Warrant Agreement”), between the Company and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 4, 2022 and the form of warrant certificate attached thereto. We have not independently established the facts stated therein.
In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity and completeness of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted to us as copies, the authenticity of the originals of such documents and the legal competence of all signatories to such documents. We have also assumed the authority of such persons signing on behalf of the parties thereto other than the Company and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by the parties thereto other than the Company. We have assumed that the certificates representing the Warrant Shares have been properly authenticated by the signature of an authorized officer of the Company’s transfer agent. We have also assumed the conformity of the documents filed with the Commission via the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”), except for required EDGAR formatting changes, to physical copies submitted for our examination and the absence of any evidence extrinsic to the provisions of the written agreements between the parties that the parties intended a meaning contrary to that expressed by those provisions.
AUSTIN BEIJING BOSTON BOULDER BRUSSELS HONG KONG LONDON LOS ANGELES NEW YORK PALO ALTO
SALT LAKE CITY SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SEATTLE SHANGHAI WASHINGTON, DC WILMINGTON, DE\
Amprius Technologies, Inc.
April 5, 2023
Page 2
We express no opinion as to any matter relating to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the federal laws of the United States of America and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
Based upon and subject to the foregoing qualifications, assumptions and limitations and the further limitations set out below, we are of the opinion that when the Warrant Shares to be offered pursuant to the Registration Statement are issued upon exercise of the Warrants pursuant to the terms of the Warrant Agreement, such Warrant Shares will have been validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
This opinion is furnished to you in connection with the filing of the Registration Statement, and is not to be used, circulated, quoted or otherwise relied upon for any other purpose.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the above-referenced Registration Statement and to the use of our name wherever it appears in the Registration Statement, the prospectus contained therein, any prospectus supplement, and in any amendment or supplement thereto. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.
| Very truly yours, |
| /s/ Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. |
| WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI |
| Professional Corporation |
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Amprius Technologies, Inc. of our report dated June 21, 2022 (except for the reverse recapitalization described in Note 1 as to which the date is November 16, 2022), relating to the financial statements of Amprius Technologies, Inc., appearing in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement.
We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Experts” in such Prospectus.
/s/ SingerLewak LLP
San Jose, California
April 5, 2023
Exhibit 23.2
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Amprius Technologies, Inc.
Fremont, California
We hereby consent to the use in the Prospectus constituting a part of this Registration Statement of our report dated March 30, 2023, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Amprius Technologies, Inc. which is contained in that Prospectus.
We also consent to the reference to us under the caption “Experts” in the Prospectus.
/s/ BDO USA, LLP
Houston, Texas
April 5, 2023