BNAI 8-K
Brand Engagement Network Inc. (BNAI)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date
of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Commission File Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code:
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) | |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging
growth company
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Item 3.01 Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.
On December 30, 2024, Brand Engagement Network Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”) received a letter (the “Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department (the “Staff”) of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that, for the previous 30 consecutive business days, the closing bid price for the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), had been below the minimum $1.00 per share required for continued listing on The Nasdaq Global Market under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) (the “Bid Price Requirement”). The Notice has no effect at this time on the Common Stock, which continues to trade on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “BNAI”.
In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has been provided an initial period of 180 calendar days, or until June 28, 2025 (the “Compliance Date”), to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. If, at any time before the Compliance Date, the bid price for the Common Stock closes at $1.00 or more for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, the Staff will provide written notification to the Company that it has regained compliance with the Bid Price Requirement (unless the Staff exercises its discretion to extend the 10-day period).
If the Company is not in compliance with the Bid Price Requirement by the Compliance Date, the Company may qualify for a second 180 calendar day period to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement. To qualify for an additional compliance period, the Company will be required to meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for The Nasdaq Capital Market, except for the Bid Price Requirement, and will need to provide written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period, by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. If the Company does not qualify for or fails to regain compliance during the second compliance period, then the Staff will provide written notification to the Company that its Common Stock will be subject to delisting. At that time, the Company may appeal the Staff’s delisting determination to the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel. However, there can be no assurance that, if the Company receives a delisting notice and appeals the delisting determination, that such an appeal would be successful.
The Company intends to monitor the closing bid price of its Common Stock and is evaluating available options, including seeking to effect a reverse stock split, to resolve the noncompliance matters described herein and intends to take appropriate steps to maintain its listing on Nasdaq. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain disclosures in this report include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s intent or ability to regain compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement, the Company’s ability to remain listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market during the pendency of the compliance period and other statements that are not statements of historical fact. When used in this discussion, the words “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “budget,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “future” and the negative of these or similar terms and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking statements in this report. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s current expectations regarding future events, results or outcomes. These expectations may or may not be realized. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company can give you no assurance these expectations will prove to have been correct. Some of these expectations may be based upon assumptions, data or judgments that prove to be incorrect. Actual events, results and outcomes may differ materially from the Company’s expectations due to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Although it is not possible to identify all of these risks and factors, they include, among others, (i) our ability to cure any deficiencies in compliance with the Bid Price Requirement or maintain compliance with other Nasdaq Listing Rules; (ii) our eligibility for additional compliance periods, if necessary, in which to seek to regain compliance with the Bid Price Requirement; (iii) our ability to ultimately obtain relief or extended periods to regain compliance from Nasdaq, if necessary, or to meet applicable Nasdaq requirements for any such relief or extension; and (iv) risks related to the substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources due to these matters. Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the SEC and in the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Any one of these factors or a combination of these factors could materially affect the Company’s financial condition or future results of operations and could influence whether any forward-looking statements contained in this report ultimately prove to be accurate. The Company’s forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and you should not place undue reliance on them. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| BRAND ENGAGEMENT NETWORK INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Paul Chang | |
| Name: | Paul Chang | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
| Dated: January 6, 2025 | ||