Valion Bio, Inc 10-K for FY2023
Valion Bio, Inc. (VBIO)
About this 10-K
Valion Bio, Inc filed this 10-K on March 25, 2024, covering the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 (FY2023).
Headline figures
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as reported in this filing, compared with the same period a year earlier where the filing states it.
- Revenue
- $1.18M
- down 36.1% from $1.84M a year earlier
- Net loss
- $8.24M
- compared with a net loss of $10.1M a year earlier
- Diluted EPS
- -$10.40
- compared with -$104.32 a year earlier
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM
For the fiscal year ended
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As of March 20, 2024,
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
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Table of Contents
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Report”) contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which represent our expectations or beliefs statements concerning, without limitation, our operations, economic performance, financial condition, growth and acquisition strategies, investments, and future operational plans. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intent,” “could,” “estimate,” “might,” “plan,” “predict” or “continue” or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements, by their nature, involve substantial risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond our control, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors, including uncertainty related to acquisitions, governmental regulation, managing and maintaining growth, the operations of the Company, volatility of stock price, commercial viability of our product candidates and any other factors discussed in this and other registrant filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”).
These risks and uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to those set forth under “Risk Factors” of this Report. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or the risk factors described in this Report or in the documents and/or information that we incorporate by reference, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or any other reason after the date of this Report.
This Report contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding, among other things:
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In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Report, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
Actual events or results may differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, without limitation, the risks outlined under “Risk Factors” and matters described in this Report generally. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained in this Report will in fact occur. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. In addition to the information expressly required to be included in this Report, we will provide such further material information, if any, as may be necessary to make the required statements, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.
You should read this Report and the documents that we reference in this Report and have filed as exhibits to this Report, completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of the forward-looking statements in this Report by these cautionary statements.
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PART I
Item 1 – Business
As used in this Report, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “Company,” and “Tivic Health” refer to Tivic Health Systems, Inc.
Business Overview
Tivic Health is a health tech company focused on bioelectronic medicine. Bioelectronic medicine is a branch of the global neuromodulation market that treats disease and conditions by modulating the electrical signals carried along various nerve pathways. The field grew out of the neuromodulation industry and relied, historically, on implantable devices (e.g., pacemakers, spinal implants, deep brain stimulators). IDTechEx has identified several fast-growing areas in the bioelectronic medicine field, including peripheral nerve stimulation, which it has indicated is forecasted to grow at a 35% CAGR from 2019 through 2029. Tivic currently has two non-invasive bioelectronic platforms designed to deliver therapeutic benefits via manipulation of such signals without the use of traditional implanted technology.
Commercial Platforms
Tivic has developed two complementary platforms. Tivic’s first commercial platform is a handheld design that interfaces non-invasively with the trigeminal, sympathetic, and other facial and cranial nerve structures. This platform is the basis for Tivic’s existing product, currently marketed with FDA approval as ClearUP Sinus Pain Relief for the treatment of sinus pain and congestion.
The second platform is a research-stage platform directed to vagus nerve stimulation, which is currently undergoing clinical evaluation.
First Commercial Product
Tivic Health currently markets one commercial product under the brand name “ClearUP Sinus Pain Relief.” ClearUP is built on our patented, handheld neuromodulation design and was developed by Tivic Health for the treatment of sinus and allergy-related conditions. It uses ultra-low current electrical waves to relieve sinus pain and congestion symptoms that are prevalent in nasal allergies, sinus infections, chronic sinusitus, cold and flu and other disease conditions. ClearUP had U.S. FDA approval for the treatment of sinus pain and congestion, and is the first FDA-approved bioelectronic treatment of the foregoing indications. Additionally, ClearUP has E.U. CE Mark approval for the treatment of sinus pain, pressure and congestion.
The FDA initially provided clearance to our ClearUP product under a 510(k) as an allergy treatment in January 2019. The FDA granted ClearUP a subsequent De Novo clearance in March 2021, which expanded ClearUP’s label, enabling marketing of ClearUP for allergies, sinusitis, cold, flu, and any inflammatory condition involving congestion.
A 2023 study with over 2,000 representative consumers conducted by Intellego Insights (commissioned by Tivic Health) identified that approximately 85 million U.S. adults experience inflammation-related symptoms related to allergies, congestion, head pain, and sinus issues. Of the consumers that participated in the study, 58% of sufferers try to avoid medication, if at all possible.
Customers can purchase ClearUP products directly from Tivic via our own website and through major online stores, including Amazon, Walmart, BestBuy, FSAStore and HSA Store. The Company has also entered distribution agreements with McKesson, Cardinal Health and Amerisource Bergen.
A sham-controlled clinical trial is in progress with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, to extend the use of Tivic’s handheld monopolar platform to the management of pain resulting from functional endoscopic sinus surgery and other facial surgeries. If successful, the Company may develop additional products addressing this clinical use case, which would require new regulatory clearances for a novel indication.
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We have also previously evaluated the market opportunity for use of ClearUP as part of a migraine treatment toolkit. While we believe that both clinical and market rationale are positive for such use, we have, for the time being, determined to down-prioritize any clinical studies of migraine-related indications based on the aggressive competition among entrenched incumbents and limited uptake, to date, of existing devices for the treatment and/or prevention of migraine.
Expanding Our Technology Portfolio
Tivic has also developed a proprietary non-invasive approach to precision vagus nerve stimulation ("VNS") based on our experience building evidence-based bioelectronic therapies. The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and the longest autonomic nerve in the body. The vagus nerve is responsible for regulating several bodily functions including digestion, heart rate, breathing, cardiovascular activity, and visceral reflexes. Since the vagus nerve regulates many organ systems associated with chronic disease, modulating activity in this nerve pathway is of significant interest in academic research and in industry.
Electrical VNS is currently indicated for treatment-resistant epilepsy and depression, cluster headache, migraine headache, and stroke rehabilitation and is being studied for other neurological, cardiac, and immune conditions. Currently, there are both invasive implantable VNS devices and non-invasive VNS devices in market. There is room for meaningful improvement in how VNS devices can be used to more precisely target and stimulate the vagus nerve to achieve intended biological and clinical outcomes.
Our approach to non-invasive VNS aims to leverage improvements in engineering, circuitry, and stimulation parameters to augment efficacy and reliability compared to the current state of the art. We have conducted proof of principle experiments demonstrating effects on the autonomic nervous system and have initiated a clinical research program with the Feinstein Institute for the Bioelectronic Medicine at Northwell Health to further characterize the autonomic, cardiovascular, and neurological effects of our intervention.
Given our deep expertise and relationships in the field of bioelectronic medicine and adjacent diagnostic fields, we are continuously monitoring and evaluating options to add complementary product opportunities into our product portfolio.
Market Opportunity
In December 2021, Precedence Research noted that the burden of various chronic diseases and infections is growing and so have people’s healthcare expenditures. In 2018, the per capita healthcare expenditure in the U.S. was over $10,500. U.S. health care spending grew 4.1 percent in 2022, reaching $4.5 trillion, or $13,493 per person.
Grand View Research projects that the non-invasive electroceutical devices segment will witness the highest growth through 2030. This is due to technological advancements and rising investments in research and development by companies for innovative product development.
Additionally, according to Mintel Group Ltd., over-the-counter allergy, cough, cold and flu treatments were projected to be an $11.1 billion market by 2025 in the U.S. alone.
The FDA provided clearance to our ClearUP product under a 510(k) for the temporary relief of sinus pain associated with allergic rhinitis in January 2019. As a treatment for allergy-related sinus pain, we believe that the available market for ClearUP is approximately 45 million U.S. adults.
The FDA then granted ClearUP a subsequent De Novo clearance in March 2021 for the temporary relief of moderate to severe congestion, expanding ClearUP’s label and enabling marketing of ClearUP for allergies, sinusitis, cold, flu, and any inflammatory condition involving congestion. As a treatment for moderate to severe congestion, we believe the available target market for ClearUP is approximately 85 million U.S. adults.
We have also received a CE Mark for international marketing of ClearUP. The CE Mark for ClearUP covers a broad set of conditions related to sinonasal inflammation with the symptoms pain, pressure and congestion. The CE Mark
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allows sales in European Union Member states and certain other countries that recognize the CE Mark for regulatory governance. We believe that there are international opportunities for the sale of ClearUP.
In clinical research studies pertaining to ClearUP:
In 2023, we completed, with Intellego Intelligence, a 2000-person market segmentation study that identified the following additional addressable markets in the United States, based on the Company's current pricing structure for ClearUP:
Sales and Marketing
ClearUP is sold directly to consumers through our own website, Amazon, and Walmart. We also sell to major online retailers, such as BestBuy and FSAStore. In 2023, we also entered into distribution agreements with Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen, and subsequently, in 2024, established a relationship with McKesson-affiliate Simply Medical. Expansion of our ClearUP sales channels has been gradual and measured to maintain pricing integrity, cultivate consumer acceptance and establish strong channel relationships.
Our marketing strategy is built around customer segments, whose buying decisions may be driven by differentiated messages. We reach and convert our customers for ClearUP through a combination of press releases, advertising, retargeting and emails.
In Q4 of 2023, we also partnered with In-Step on a trial physician education program, reaching 2,500 physicians over four months with information about bioelectronic medicine, the clinical efficacy of ClearUP, and patient education materials.
Core Technology
Our technology combines proprietary algorithms, programmable stimulation parameters, and a patented delivery mechanisms to modulate nerve signals. We are researching the utility of this stimulation approach for other clinical conditions.
Tivic currently has two non-invasive bioelectronic platforms designed to deliver therapeutic benefits via manipulation of such signals without the use of traditional implanted technology, one of which has been commercialized to date.
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Key elements of our current commercial platform include:
This combination creates a platform for non-invasively influencing peripheral activity in the facial region with an ultra-low current level.
Numerous inflammatory conditions are associated with trigeminal and peripheral nerve activity of the face, including:
Each of these applications would involve regulation of pain and inflammation-related mediators like those seen in sinus and nasal inflammation.
Our second platform is a research-stage platform directed to vagus nerve stimulation, which is currently undergoing clinical evaluation in partnership with Northwell Health, The Feinstein Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine. Multiple acute and chronic conditions could be the target for our non-invasive vagus nerve treatment platform, including:
We believe that this non-invasive, low-risk nature of Tivic's approach to bioelectronic medicine has the potential to accelerate new product development by: (i) extending the device platforms to other clinical areas, thereby reducing research and development time, and (ii) continuing to benefit from low-risk non-invasive device designations and regulatory pathways by the FDA, which typically result in shorter time to approval when compared with invasive devices or new drugs. Although it is our intention to bring new products to market, medical device development is inherently uncertain and there is no guarantee that our research and development efforts will lead to approved products for other clinical indications.
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Competitive Landscape
Pharmaceutical Treatments
Sinus pain, pressure and congestion can be caused by allergic rhinitis (allergies), rhinosinusitis, sinus infections, cold and flu and are most often treated with over-the-counter products targeted symptomatically.
Examples of companies developing drugs for pain and congestion include GlaxoSmithKline, Bayer, and Johnson & Johnson.
Limitations on Use of Pharmaceutical Treatments
Due to the side effect profiles of pharmaceuticals, many of the above-mentioned treatments carry warnings to discontinue use after two weeks or less according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Additionally, some carry warnings regarding use with certain medications or diseases such as high blood pressure.
In the Fall of 2023, a panel of U.S. health experts found that many widely used products containing phenylephrine are ineffective. According to a Yale School of Medicine news article, an FDA advisory committee unanimously concluded that phenylephrine, an ingredient found in popular nasal decongestants sold under such brand names as Sudafed and Dayquil, works no better than a placebo in treating cold and allergy symptoms.
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Non-pharmaceutical Treatments
According to our 2023 Intellego Insight study, many consumers are seeking natural, non-pharmaceutical treatment options. Alternative options currently include, without limitation:
Examples of companies developing non-drug products for sinus pain and congestion include NeilMed, Rhinosystems Inc., and Vapore LLC.
ClearUP is a novel product offering in the non-drug category, an emerging bioelectronic medicine segment, and currently has small market share compared to the existing establishments, most of which offer pharmaceutical options.
Clinical Research on ClearUP
Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory disease driven by IgE-mediated reactions to inhaled indoor or seasonal outdoor allergens. The resulting sinus and nasal inflammation may cause symptoms including sinus pain and pressure, nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and nasal itching. Allergic rhinitis affects a significant number of U.S. adults, of which a vast majority experience sinus pain, pressure and congestion as a result of inflammation of the nasal and sinus mucosa.
Key Technical Features
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Two separate clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of ClearUP Sinus Relief in treating sinus pain from allergic rhinitis and moderate to severe congestion.
Pivotal Study: randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial
In July 2018, the Stanford University Sinus Center conducted a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial using the ClearUP bioelectronic device. 71 subjects suffering from sinus pain and congestion used either ClearUP or a sham device. The sham device was identical to ClearUP in every way except that it used a continuous DC output instead of the pulsed AC stimulation used by ClearUP.
Each subject used the real or sham device for a single five-minute treatment. Before and ten minutes after treatment, subjects completed questionnaires to quantify their symptoms. Subjects treated with ClearUP reported a rapid and clinically meaningful reduction in sinus pain (-29.6%) and congestion (-35%) at ten minutes after treatment.
This magnitude of change was significantly greater than that observed in sham device-treated subjects.
PUBLICATION: Maul, X. A., Borchard, N. A., Hwang, P. H., & Nayak, J. V. (2019, April). Microcurrent technology for rapid relief of sinus pain: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial. In International forum of allergy & rhinology (Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 352-356).
Open-label Prospective Trial
The Allergy and Asthma Associates of Santa Clara Valley Research Center conducted a 30-person study on the use of ClearUP over four weeks. Subjects with sinus pain and congestion used the ClearUP device for five minutes during the study visit and then took the device home with them with instructions to use the device one to four times daily for five minutes per treatment as needed for four weeks. Subjects rated their symptoms weekly using a questionnaire. After the first five-minute treatment with ClearUP, subjects reported reduced sinus pain that remained six hours later, the longest time interval tested in the study. Additionally, subjects reported that after four weeks of use, they experienced an average of 43% reduction in sinus pain and 44% reduction in congestion. This magnitude of change was equivalent to efficacy seen in studies of fluticasone propionate after two-weeks of use.
PUBLICATION: Goldsobel, A. B., Prabhakar, N., & Gurfein, B. T. (2019). Prospective trial examining safety and efficacy of microcurrent stimulation for the treatment of sinus pain and congestion. Bioelectronic medicine, 5(1), 1-9.
Safety
In the clinical studies and post-market surveillance, there have been no reports of any significant side effects and very few reports of minor side effects. Minor side effects have included reddening of skin (<0.02%), eyelid twitch (<0.01%), and headache (<0.01%), all of which resolved without intervention.
Research Initiatives: New Product Candidates
We combine proprietary algorithms, programmable stimulation parameters, and a patented monopolar delivery mechanism to modulate the nerve signals that control inflammation-driven symptoms like pain and congestion. This design has proven effective in treating sinus and nasal inflammatory conditions and we are researching the clinical utility of this stimulation approach for other clinical conditions. This platform has the potential to accelerate new product development by: (i) extending the existing device platform to other clinical areas, thereby reducing research and development time, and (ii) continuing to benefit from low-risk, non-invasive device designations and regulatory pathways by the FDA, which typically result in shorter time to approval when compared with invasive devices or new drugs.
Numerous inflammatory conditions are associated with peripheral nerve activity of the face, including:
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Each of these applications would involve regulation of pain and inflammation-related mediators like those seen in sinus and nasal inflammation. Firmware programming of ClearUP allows various stimulation protocols to be used for different disease and neural targets, providing accelerated opportunities for new product candidates at varying price points.
Activities are ongoing for two product candidates: (i) npdPP, an at home-use device for treating postoperative pain after sinus surgery, and (ii) npdMI, an at home-use device for treating migraine headaches. These product candidates are still in early stages of research and development and will require additional studies and regulatory clearances prior to bringing them to market.
npdPP: We completed a ten-person pilot study with the U.S. Institute for Advanced Sinus Care and Research (Cleveland, OH) to evaluate a new device for the treatment of postoperative pain after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (“FESS”). The pilot study was conducted to establish clinical feasibility and we subsequently began a double-blind randomized controlled trial with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to further test this application.
npdMI: We are in the process of investigating the area of migraine headaches, which impacts approximately 1 billion people worldwide and 39 million people in the U.S. As part of our research and development activities for migraine, we have been in communication with the FDA to determine the next steps and an appropriate regulatory pathway for expanding our indications. We have completed a market and technology assessment of a potential migraine indication. While we believe that both clinical and market rationale are positive for such use, we have, for the time being, determined to down-prioritize any clinical studies of migraine-related indications based on the aggressive competition among entrenched incumbents and limited uptake, to date, of existing devices for the treatment and/or prevention of migraine.
We believe our commitment to non-invasive bioelectronic medicine simplifies clinical trial approaches, improves the safety profile important in regulatory matters, and lowers barriers to adoption once in the market. These factors could afford us a unique opportunity for a rapid pace of innovation relative to other therapeutic companies. While it is our intention to bring new products to market, therapeutic development is inherently uncertain and there is no guarantee that our research and development efforts will lead to approved products for other clinical indications.
Component Sourcing and Manufacturing
The ClearUP device is comprised of conventional, off-the-shelf electronic components.
Certain of our electronic components are sourced primarily from China. To increase predictability in sourcing and pricing of electronic components used in our products, we maintain an agreement with Future Electronics, Inc., one of the largest global electronic component distributors. The contract has an initial term of 12 months that automatically renews for additional 12-month periods, subject to annual review, and provides for extended payment terms. Future Electronics may terminate the agreement upon 30 days prior written notice if it determines, in its sole discretion, that we are not meeting our minimum purchase requirement or we are otherwise not performing our obligations under the agreement.
Packaging production is divided between North America and China. The plastic enclosure components and sub-assemblies are produced in China. Materials for both packaging and plastics are commonly available and can be sourced from multiple vendors. Lead times may vary due to supply availability, customs and port management issues.
Electronic components are assembled, tested, warehoused at, and distributed from North America.
The Company has ISO 13485 certification (70488) required to validate the internal processes being compliant with the FDA 21 CFR Part 820. The Company was re-certified in 2023, with certificates extended until the fourth quarter of 2026.
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Intellectual Property / Barriers to Entry
Intellectual Property
Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain proprietary protection for our product candidates and other discoveries, inventions, trade secrets and know-how that are critical to our business operations. Our success also depends in part on our ability to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of others, and in part, on our ability to prevent others from infringing our proprietary rights. A comprehensive discussion on risks relating to intellectual property is provided under the section of this Report titled “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property.”
We rely primarily on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret laws, as well as contractual provisions with employees and third parties, to establish and protect our intellectual property rights. Our patent strategy is to pursue broad protection for key technologies, supplemented by additional patent filings covering conceptual methods, specific aspects of current and proposed products, and forward-looking applications and technological developments. We also engage in strategic analysis of our owned patent assets, and pursue additional patent claims from our existing portfolio that may provide us with market advantages. We do not rely heavily on trade secret protection, but do maintain a certain amount of in-house know-how that is not disclosed publicly.
Our intellectual property portfolio currently consists of:
Our intellectual property portfolio includes a large number of disclosures that cover enhanced cost and manufacturability, performance, ergonomics, comfort, ease of use, system expansion, and treatments performed. Identity is protected by way of trademarks. Various aspects of design and function that cannot be readily reverse engineered are held as trade secrets.
In most jurisdictions in which we file, the patent term is 20 years from the earliest date of filing of a non-provisional patent application. However, the term of U.S. patents may be extended for delays incurred due to compliance with FDA requirements or by delays encountered during prosecution that are caused by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). We intend to seek patent term extensions in any jurisdiction where these are available and where we also have a patent that may be eligible; however, there is no guarantee that the applicable authorities will agree with our assessment of whether such extensions should be granted, and even if granted, the length of such extensions.
Other Barriers to Entry
We have published high-quality clinical research in high-impact peer reviewed journals, establishing Tivic Health as an evidence-based company. Our first-to-market position has secured a high volume and proportion of positive reviews on our websites and other ecommerce channels. We believe that each of these assets, in addition to our intellectual property and regulatory clearances, will create barriers to entry for competitors.
Government Regulation
ClearUP is a U.S. FDA Class II and EU Class IIa medical device that has received three regulatory clearances: (US FDA 510(k) number K182025, US FDA De Novo number DEN200006 and EU CE Mark Certificate number CE (704687). Our EU CE Mark Certificate expires in June 2024 and we are in the process of applying for a new EU CE Mark Certificate under the new EU Medical Device Regulations (MDR) 2017/745. We expect to be compliant with the new regulations prior to the EU CE Mark Certificate expiry date.
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Regulation by the FDA
In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FD&C Act”), as well as FDA regulations and other federal and state statutes and regulations, govern medical device design and development, preclinical and clinical testing, device safety, premarket clearance, grant, and approval, establishment registration and device listing, manufacturing, labeling, storage, record-keeping, advertising and promotion, sales and distribution, export and import, recalls and field safety corrective actions, and post-market surveillance, including complaint handling and medical device reporting of adverse events.
The FDA classifies medical devices into three classes (Class I, II or III) based on the degree of risk associated with a device and the level of regulatory control deemed necessary to ensure its safety and effectiveness. Class I devices are those for which safety and effectiveness can be assured by adherence to the FDA’s general controls for medical devices. Class II devices are subject to the FDA’s general controls and any other special controls the FDA deems necessary to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device. Class III devices are those that support or sustain human life, are of substantial importance in preventing impairment of human health, or which present a potential, unreasonable risk of illness or injury.
De Novo classification is a risk-based classification process. The De Novo process provides a pathway to classify novel medical devices for which general controls alone, or general and special controls, provide reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness for the intended use, but for which there is no legally marketed predicate device. De Novo classified devices fall either into Class I or Class II and may be marketed and used as predicates for future premarket notification 510(k) submissions.
In 2019, the FDA issued guidance stating that it does not intend to examine low risk general wellness products to determine whether they are devices within the meaning of the FD&C Act or, if they are devices, whether they comply with the premarket review and post-market regulatory requirements for devices under the FD&C Act and implementing regulations. For purposes of its guidance, the FDA defined general wellness products as "products that meet the following two factors: (1) are intended for only general wellness use, as defined in this guidance, and (2) present a low risk to the safety of users and other persons.” Although the FDA classifies our peripheral nerve stimulation platform as a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (“TENS”) regulated as a Class II medical device, we also intend to pursue development and marketing of general wellness claims and assess if our products fall within the general wellness FDA guidelines.
ClearUP Sinus Relief was cleared under 510(k) number K182025 based on clinical data supporting its safety and efficacy for the temporary relief of sinus pain associated with allergic rhinitis. We were subsequently granted the rights to market ClearUP for the temporary relief of moderate to severe congestion under De Novo number DEN200006.
Labeling
All medical devices commercially distributed in the U.S. must comply with specific FDA labeling requirements. These requirements address the labeling (e.g., device label, Instruction for Use, package label, etc.) that must be affixed to the device or packaging and, in the case of devices used by the consumer, provided to all users of the device. Our ClearUP labeling has been reviewed by the FDA as part of our regulatory clearances and our quality management system provides for control of documents to prevent changes that might invalidate FDA’s review.
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Quality System Regulation
The devices that we commercially distribute in the U.S. are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA and certain state agencies. This includes product listing and establishment registration requirements, which facilitate FDA inspections and other regulatory actions. We adhere to applicable current good manufacturing practice, or cGMP, requirements, as set forth in the 21 CFR 820 QSR, which require manufacturers, including third-party manufacturers, to follow stringent design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during all phases of the design and manufacturing process. We are also required to verify that our suppliers maintain facilities, procedures and operations that comply with applicable quality and regulatory requirements. The FDA enforces the QSR through periodic announced or unannounced inspections of medical device manufacturing facilities, which may include the facilities of contractors. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from the QSR and impose reporting and documentation requirements upon us and our third-party manufacturers.
Post-market surveillance
We must also comply with post-market surveillance regulations, including medical device reporting (“MDR”), requirements which require that we review and report to the FDA any incident in which our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury, and any incident in which our device has malfunctioned if that malfunction would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if it were to recur. We must also comply with medical device correction and removal reporting regulations, which require manufacturers to report to the FDA corrections and removals if undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the FD&C Act that may present a risk to health. Although we may undertake recall actions voluntarily, we must submit detailed information on any recall action to the FDA, and the FDA can order a medical device recall in certain circumstances. To date, we have not been made aware of any reportable incidents that would require us to submit a medical device report to the FDA or any competent authority globally.
In addition to post-market quality and safety actions, labeling and promotional activities are subject to scrutiny by the FDA and, in certain circumstances, by the FTC. Medical devices approved, cleared, or granted by the FDA may not be promoted for outside their respective Indication for Use, otherwise known as “off-label” promotion.
Other healthcare laws and regulations
The healthcare industry is also subject to federal and state fraud and abuse laws, including anti-kickback, self-referral, false claims and physician payment transparency laws, as well as patient data privacy and security and consumer protection and unfair competition laws and regulations. Our operations are also subject to certain state and local laws, including manufacturing license, sales and marketing practices, interactions with consumers, consumer incentive and other promotional programs, and state corporate practice and fee-splitting prohibitions.
Currently, ClearUP is not reimbursed by any government or private healthcare program, limiting our exposure under certain laws such as the Sunshine Act.
CE Mark – European Union and other jurisdictions that recognize the CE Mark
In 2020 we secured the CE Mark CE 704687 allowing sales and marketing of ClearUP in the European Union and in any country that recognizes CE Mark certificate for relief of sinus pain, pressure and congestion, without regard to the cause of pain, pressure and congestion. Sales in such jurisdictions will expose our operations to additional regulations.
To the extent that any of our products are sold in a foreign country, we may become subject to foreign laws, which may include, for example, applicable post-marketing requirements, including post-market clinical follow up, safety surveillance, anti-fraud and abuse laws and implementation of corporate compliance programs and reporting of payments or transfers of value to healthcare professionals. We must operate our business within the requirements of these laws.
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Coverage and reimbursement
Our current product is purchased on a cash-pay basis and is not covered by government healthcare programs and/or other third-party payors. However, we monitor federal and state legislation and regulatory changes that could affect our results of operations.
Privacy and security
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”), and their implementing regulations, imposes privacy, security and breach reporting obligations with respect to individually identifiable health information upon “covered entities” (health care providers, health plans and health care clearinghouses), and their respective business associates, individuals or entities that create, received, maintain or transmit protected health information in connection with providing a service for or on behalf of a covered entity.
Even when HIPAA does not apply, according to the FTC, failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure constitutes unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The FTC expects a company’s data security measures to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the sensitivity and volume of consumer information it holds, the size and complexity of its business, and the cost of available tools to improve security and reduce vulnerabilities. Individually identifiable health information is considered sensitive data that merits stronger safeguards.
In addition, certain states and non-U.S. laws, such as the GDPR, govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, some of which are more stringent than HIPAA and many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts. Failure to comply with these laws, where applicable, can result in the imposition of significant civil and/or criminal penalties and private litigation. For example, California recently enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and was amended and expanded by the California Privacy Rights Act, or CPRA, which took effect on January 1, 2023. The CCPA, as amended by the CPRA, among other things, creates new data privacy obligations for covered companies and provides new privacy rights to California residents, including the right to opt out of certain disclosures of their information and the right to access information about how their data is being used.
Environmental Matters
Our operations, properties and products are subject to a variety of U.S. and foreign environmental laws and regulations governing, among other things, use of manufacturing components containing substances below established threshold, air emissions, wastewater discharges, management and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous materials and waste and remediation of releases of hazardous materials. We believe, based on current information that we are in material compliance with environmental laws and regulations applicable to us and rely heavily on our outsourced design and manufacturing partners to assist in maintaining compliance.
Facilities
Our principal executive office is located at 25821 Industrial Blvd., Suite 100, Hayward, California 94545. On November 17, 2021, we entered into a sublease agreement for approximately 9,091 square feet of office and warehouse space. The term of the sublease will expire on October 31, 2025.
Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023, we had 9 full-time employees and four contractors. None of our employees are represented by a labor union, and we consider our employee relations to be good. Our human capital resources objectives include, as applicable, identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and additional employees. The principal purposes of our equity incentive plans are to attract, retain and motivate selected employees, consultants and directors through the granting of stock-based compensation awards and cash-based performance bonus awards.
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Legal Proceedings
We are not currently a party to any material legal proceedings. We may, however, in the ordinary course of business face various claims brought by third parties, and we may, from time to time, make claims or take legal actions to assert our rights, including intellectual property rights as well as claims relating to employment matters and the safety or efficacy of our products. Any of these claims could subject us to costly litigation. If this were to happen, the payment of any such awards could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, any such claims, whether or not successful, could damage our reputation and business.
Corporate Information
The Company was incorporated in California in September 2016 and reincorporated as a Delaware corporation in June 2021. Our principal executive offices are located at 25821 Industrial Blvd., Suite 100, Hayward, California 94545. Our telephone number is (888) 276-6888. Our website address is www.tivichealth.com. Information contained on, or that can be accessible through, our website is not a part of this Report and the inclusion of our website address in this Report is an inactive textual reference only.
Item 1A – Risk Factors
You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this Report, including our financial statements and the related notes and the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” before investing in our publicly traded securities. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could harm our business, financial condition, operating results, and/or growth prospects. The risks described below are not the only ones facing us. Our business is also subject to the risks that affect many other companies, such as competition, labor relations, general economic conditions, geopolitical changes, and international operations. We operate in a rapidly changing environment that involves a number of risks, some of which are beyond our control. Additional risks not currently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial also may impair our business operations and our liquidity. The risks described below could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements we have made in this Report, the information incorporated herein by reference, and those forward-looking statements we may make from time to time. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, you should not consider the following to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties.
Risk Factor Summary
Below is a summary of the principal factors that make an investment in our securities speculative or risky. This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Additional discussion of the risks summarized in this risk factor summary, and other risks that we face, can be found below and should be carefully considered, together with other information included in this Report.
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Risks Related to Our Financial Condition and Business Model
We have a relatively limited operating history and may not be able to execute on our business strategy.
We were originally incorporated in 2016 and began selling our first product in 2019. Accordingly, we have a limited operating history, which makes an evaluation of our future prospects and execution ability difficult. Our revenue and income-producing potential is unproven, and our business model and strategy may continue to evolve. Future revenues are contingent upon several factors, including, without limitation, our ability to successfully develop and scale-up sales of the ClearUP line and future products, our ability to develop relationships with channel partners and customers, as well as the clinical and market acceptance of our technology. We may need to make business decisions that could adversely affect our operating results, such as modifications to our pricing strategy, business structure or operations.
Our operating results will likely be volatile and may not be a reliable indicator of our future performance.
Our future expenses, revenues and operating results may vary significantly from quarter to quarter due to a number of factors, including, without limitation:
We expect that our revenues may be volatile as we develop new technology and obtain new customers in the future. The volume and timing of commercial outcomes are difficult to estimate, as the adoption of bioelectronic treatments is immature, and the sales cycle may vary substantially from forecasts.
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If we fail to manage our growth effectively, our business could be materially and adversely affected.
We will not be successful unless we are able to generate additional revenues and grow our business, which will likely require us to hire additional employees and expand our technology, product, development and sales and marketing teams in order to achieve our business plan. Our management systems are emergent. The continued growth of our business may place demands on our management, financial, operational, technological and other resources, and we expect that our growth will require us to continue developing and improving our operational, financial and other internal controls. We may not be able to address these challenges in a cost-effective manner, or at all. If we do not effectively manage our growth, we may not be able to execute on our business plan, respond to competitive pressures, take advantage of market opportunities, satisfy customer requirements or maintain high-quality product offerings, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have a history of net losses and we may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future.
We have incurred net losses since inception. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we incurred net losses of $8.2 million and $10.1 million, respectively, and at December 31, 2023, we had working capital of $3.3 million and an accumulated deficit of $37.9 million. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we used $8.5 million and $8.9 million of cash, respectively, for operating activities. The net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and may increase as a result of macroeconomic factors. Additionally, future costs relating to product development and operating activities may be significantly higher than our historical costs.
Management expects to incur substantial additional operating losses for the foreseeable future to expand our markets, complete development of new products, obtain regulatory approvals, launch and commercialize our products and continue research and development programs.
Our future capital requirements will depend upon many factors, including, without limitation, progress with developing, manufacturing and marketing our technologies; the time and costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining and enforcing patent claims and other proprietary rights; our ability to successfully execute our acquisition strategy, including the closing of potential acquisitions and integrating new business into our own; our ability to establish collaborative arrangements; marketing activities; and competing technological and market developments. Our ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability requires us to successfully market and secure purchase orders for our products and services from customers currently identified in our sales pipeline as well as new customers. We will also be required to efficiently manufacture and deliver equipment on those purchase orders. These activities, including our planned research and development efforts, will require significant uses of working capital. There can be no assurance that we will generate revenue and cash as expected in our current business plan. We expect that we will need to raise additional capital to continue operating our business and fund our planned operations, including to execute on our acquisition strategy, research and development, clinical trials and, if regulatory approval is obtained, commercialization of future product candidates. We may seek additional funds through equity or debt offerings and/or borrowings under notes payable, lines of credit or other sources. We do not know whether additional financing will be available on commercially acceptable terms, or at all, when needed. If adequate funds are not available or are not available on commercially acceptable terms, our ability to fund our operations, support the growth of our business or otherwise respond to competitive pressures could be significantly delayed or limited, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial conditions, or results of operations.
Our long-term success is dependent upon our ability to successfully develop, commercialize and market our products, earn revenue, obtain additional capital when needed and, ultimately, to achieve profitable operations. We will need to generate significant additional revenue to achieve profitability. Future products may require substantially higher levels of investment than initial products, including investments in research, development, regulatory and/or marketing and sales. It is possible that we will not achieve profitability or that, even if we do achieve profitability, we may not maintain or increase profitability in the future. Our failure to achieve or maintain profitability could negatively impact the value of our common stock.
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There is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern.
Because we have incurred operating losses since inception, and based on our current cash levels and burn rate, amongst other things, we believe our cash and financial resources may be insufficient to meet our anticipated needs for the next twelve months, which raises substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern within one year from the issuance date of the financial statements included elsewhere in this Report. These losses are expected to continue for at least a period of time. The financial statements included elsewhere in this Report have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business. The financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of asset amounts or the classification of liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued.
Our ability to obtain additional financing will depend on a number of factors, including, among others, the condition of the capital markets and the other risks described in these risk factors. If any one of these factors is unfavorable, we may not be able to obtain additional funding, in which case, our business could be jeopardized and we may not be able to continue our operations or pursue our strategic plans. If we are forced to scale down, limit or cease operations, our shareholders could lose all or part of their investment in our Company.
We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting.
In connection with the audit of our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a 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. In 2022, we remediated deficiencies related to inventory cost accounting procedures, and to the extent possible, the segregation of duties. In addition, we completed our internal control design and formalized various internal control processes and procedures as of December 31, 2022. However, due to the small size of our accounting and financial reporting team, as well as recent staff turnover even with processes and procedures in place to mitigate the risk of a material misstatement, we believe that there is still a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim financial statements may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. If we are unable to remedy our material weakness, or if we generally fail to establish and maintain effective internal controls appropriate for a public company, we may be unable to produce timely and accurate financial statements, and we may continue to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective, which could adversely impact our investors’ confidence and our stock price.
We expect that we will need additional capital, which, if obtainable, could dilute the ownership interest of investors.
We anticipate we will need additional capital to market our products, develop additional products and fund our operations, which we may raise through the sale and issuance of equity, equity-related or convertible debt, or other securities. Our future capital requirements depend on many factors including our need to market our products, acquire or develop additional products and fund our operations. We cannot be certain that additional financing will be available to us on acceptable terms when required, or at all.
If we issue additional equity securities or securities convertible into equity securities, our existing stockholders will be subject to dilution. Additionally, sales of substantial amounts of our equity securities could have an adverse effect on the value of our equity and our ability to raise additional capital through future capital increases.
Our business plan depends heavily on revenues from our initial products, the clinical and consumer acceptance of which is unproven at this time.
Our future growth depends on the commercial success of our technology and initial products. It is not certain that our target customers will choose our technology for technical, cost, support or commercial reasons. If our target customers do not widely adopt and purchase our technology, our future growth will be limited. Further, our resources and investments may not be adequate to achieve the targeted level of manufacturing and sales set out in our business plan.
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We are currently operating in a period of economic uncertainty and capital markets disruption, which has been significantly impacted by geopolitical instability, the ongoing military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas, and record inflation. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any negative impact on the global economy and capital markets resulting from the conflict in Ukraine and the Middle East, geopolitical tensions or record inflation.
U.S. and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption and the global economy has been, and may continue to be, negatively impacted by Russia’s ongoing military conflict with Ukraine. As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S., the European Union, the United Kingdom, other G7 countries, as well as various other countries, have imposed substantial financial and economic sanctions on certain industry sectors and parties in Russia. Broad restrictions on exports to Russia have also been imposed. These measures include: (i) comprehensive financial sanctions against major Russian banks; (ii) additional designations of Russian individuals with significant business interests and government connections; (iii) designations of individuals and entities involved in Russian military activities; and (iv) enhanced export controls and trade sanctions limiting Russia’s ability to import various goods. Russian military actions and the resulting sanctions could continue to adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets, potentially making it more difficult for us to obtain additional funds.
Addition, in October 2023, Hamas militants and members of certain other organizations infiltrated Israel’s southern border from the Gaza Strip and conducted a series of attacks on civilian and military targets. Shortly thereafter, Israel’s security cabinet declared war against Hamas and launched an aerial bombardment of various targets within the Gaza Strip. It is possible that other countries and/or regional organizations will join the hostilities as well, including without limitation Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Palestinian military organizations in the West Bank, resulting in further expansion of the conflict. The conflict between Israel and Hamas is ongoing, and the length and impact of the ongoing military conflict is highly unpredictable.
There are also current geopolitical tensions with China. Recently, the Biden administration has signed multiple executive orders regarding China, including certain executive orders that may impact the pharmaceutical industry and other similar industries in the U.S. Moreover, both the U.S. and China have recently imposed sanctions upon certain companies and individuals based in the other country, and have also imposed certain import and export restrictions and tariffs on products originating from the other country. Any additional executive action, legislative action or potential sanctions with China could materially impact our current manufacturing partners and our agreements with them.
Although our business has not been materially impacted by the ongoing military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine or Israel and Hamas, geopolitical tensions, or record inflation to date, it is impossible to predict the extent to which our operations, or those of our 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 conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, geopolitical tensions, record inflation, sanctions and resulting market disruptions are impossible to predict, but could be substantial. Any such disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described herein.
Cybersecurity risks and cyber incidents, as well as other significant disruptions of our information technology networks and related systems and resources, could adversely affect our business, disrupt operations and expose us to liabilities to employees, customers, governmental regulators, and other third parties.
We use information technology and other computer resources to carry out important operational activities and to maintain our business records. As part of our normal business activities, we permit certain employees to perform some or all of their business activities remotely, we collect and store certain personal identifying and/or confidential information relating to our employees, customers, vendors and suppliers, and we maintain operational and financial information related to our business. Furthermore, we rely on products and services provided by third-party suppliers to operate certain critical business systems, including without limitation, cloud-based infrastructure, encryption and authentication technology, email, and other functions, which exposes us to supply-chain attacks or other business disruptions.
We face risks associated with security breaches through cyber-attacks or cyber-intrusions, malware, computer viruses and malicious codes, ransomware, attachments to e-mail, unauthorized access attempts, denial of service attacks,
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phishing, social engineering, persons with access to systems inside our organization, and other significant disruptions of our information technology networks and related systems. The risk of a security breach has generally increased as the frequency, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Even the most well protected information, networks, systems and facilities remain potentially vulnerable because the techniques, tools and tactics used in such attempted security breaches evolve and generally are not recognized until launched against a target, and in some cases are designed to not be detected and, in fact, may not be detected. Accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate security barriers, disaster recovery or other preventative or corrective measures, and thus it is impossible for us to entirely counteract this risk or fully mitigate the harms after such an attack.
We have implemented certain systems and processes intended to address ongoing and evolving cybersecurity risks, secure our information technology, applications and computer systems, and prevent unauthorized access to or loss of sensitive, confidential and personal data. Although we and our service providers employ what we believe are adequate security, disaster recovery and other preventative and corrective measures, our security measures, taken as a whole, may not be sufficient for all possible situations and may be vulnerable to, among other things, fraud, hacking, employee error, system error, and faulty password management. Additionally, we rely on third-parties for virtually all of our operating infrastructure, who may themselves have standards of materiality of cybersecurity risks that differ from the materiality standards of Tivic itself.
Our ability to conduct our business may be impaired if our or our services providers’ information technology networks, systems or resources, including our and their websites or e-mail systems, are compromised, degraded, damaged or fail, whether due to a virus or other harmful circumstance, fraud, intentional penetration or disruption of our or their information technology resources by:
A significant and extended disruption could damage our business or reputation and cause, amongst other things, loss of revenues or customer relationships, unintended and/or unauthorized public disclosure or the misappropriation of proprietary, personal identifying and confidential information, and us to incur significant expenses to address and remediate or otherwise resolve these kinds of issues. Our disaster recovery procedures and contingency planning rely heavily on third-party providers and may prove insufficient to fully protect Tivic operations and business interests
The release of confidential information may also lead to litigation or other proceedings against us by affected individuals, business partners and/or regulators, and the outcome of such proceedings, which could include losses, penalties, fines, injunctions, expenses and charges recorded against our earnings and cause us reputational harm and/or could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial position or results of operations.
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We rely on third parties to supply and manufacture our devices, which could cause supply shortages, and we expect to continue to rely on third parties to manufacture and supply our devices.
We encountered disruptions in our supply of various materials and components, and electronic components during 2022 due to the well-documented shortages and constraints in the global supply chain. This was exacerbated by the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in certain parts of China, which resulted in the temporary closure of manufacturing facilities, including those that make electronic parts like those that we included in our products, in certain parts of China. If we experience similar constraints in the future, the supply or manufacture of our devices could be stopped, delayed or made less profitable if any of these third parties fail to provide us with sufficient quantities at acceptable quality levels or prices, or fail to maintain or achieve satisfactory regulatory compliance.
We rely on, and expect to continue to rely on, third-party providers for the supply and manufacturing of our devices, including components and electronic parts. Lead times for ordered components may vary significantly, and some components used to manufacture our products are provided by a limited number of sources.
We are continuously evaluating alternative and secondary source suppliers in order to ensure that we are able to source sufficient components and materials to manufacture our products. In the event that we are unable source sufficient components and materials from our current suppliers, or to develop relationships with additional suppliers, to manufacture enough of our products to satisfy demand, we may have to cease or slow down production of our products. To the extent our current manufacturers or suppliers, or any manufacturers and suppliers that we engage in the future, are unable to meet our requirements in a timely and cost-effective manner, we may not be able to obtain an adequate supply of electronic parts or components for our products. Any shortage of materials caused by any disruption or unavailability of supply or an increase in the demand for our products, could harm our ability to satisfy customer demand, delay deliveries of our products to customers, lead to customer cancellations and returns, delay the development and launch of new products, or increase our costs and decrease our revenue. Any such impacts or delays could adversely affect our sales, customer satisfaction, profitability, cash flows and financial condition. and our business may be adversely affected. Our efforts to mitigate supply chain weaknesses may not be successful or may have unfavorable effects.
We do not control the operational processes of the contract manufacturing organizations with whom we contract and are dependent on these third parties for the production of our devices in accordance with relevant regulations, which include, among other things, quality control, quality assurance and the maintenance of records and documentation.
We may be adversely affected by the effects of inflation.
Inflation has the potential to adversely affect our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations by increasing our overall cost structure, particularly if we are unable to achieve commensurate increases in the prices we charge our customers. The existence of inflation in the economy has resulted in, and may continue to result in, higher interest rates and capital costs, shipping costs, supply shortages, increased costs of labor, weakening exchange rates and other similar effects. As a result of inflation, we have experienced and may continue to experience, cost increases. Although we may take measures to mitigate the impact of this inflation, if these measures are not effective our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity could be materially adversely affected. Even if such measures are effective, there could be a difference between the timing of when these beneficial actions impact our results of operations and when the cost inflation is incurred.
We depend on our senior management team and the loss of one or more key personnel or an inability to attract and retain highly skilled personnel may impair our ability to grow our business.
Our future success depends heavily upon the continued services of our executive officers and key personnel. The Company is headquartered in California, which is an at will employment state. Accordingly, the employment agreements that we have entered into with our executive officers and other key personnel do not require them to continue to work for us for any specified period and, therefore, they may terminate employment with us at any time, for any reason and with no advance notice. The replacement of members of our senior management team or other key personnel would likely involve significant time and costs, and the loss of these employees may significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our business objectives.
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In addition, our ability to recruit and retain talent in all areas of the business, including but not limited to skilled hires in marketing, product development, regulatory, clinical, quality, logistics, and finance, faces significant competition. We may not be able to hire or retain the type and number of managerial, sales and technical personnel necessary for future success. We will need to devote considerable resources to ensure that we retain our employees in the face of a highly competitive market for talented personnel. If we fail to attract and retain the skilled employees required, this could harm our business and hamper future expansion of our business operations.
We rely on third parties for sales, marketing, manufacturing, distribution, and other business operations.
For us to be successful, third parties providing us with sales, marketing, manufacturing, distribution and other business operations services must be able to provide us with such services in compliance with regulatory requirements, in accordance with agreed upon specifications, at acceptable costs, and on a timely basis. While our service providers have generally met our expectations in the past, their ability and willingness to continue to do so going forward, and the ability and willingness of any new service provider to meet our expectations in the future, may be limited for several reasons, including our relative importance as a customer. Additionally, we rely on third-party online retailers such as Amazon, BestBuy, Walmart, FSAStore and other specialty online retailers, as well as the parties that we have entered into distribution agreements with, to sell our products. We do not have long-term agreements in place with certain of these third parties and there is no guarantee that such third parties will continue to allow us to sell our products through their platforms or channels. Accordingly, we may be exposed to disruptions or reduced qualify of services, including access to distribution channels, due to factors beyond our direct control, which may impact our ability to operate successfully.
We may not be able to successfully identify, consummate or integrate acquisitions or to successfully manage the impacts of such transactions on our operations.
Part of our business strategy includes investigating growth through acquisitions. We may expand our business by making strategic acquisitions and seeking suitable acquisition targets to enhance our growth. Material acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic transactions involve a number of risks, including: (i) the potential disruption of our ongoing business; (ii) the distraction of management away from the ongoing oversight of our existing business activities; (iii) incurring additional indebtedness; (iv) the anticipated benefits and cost savings of those transactions not being realized fully, or at all, or taking longer to realize than anticipated; (v) an increase in the scope and complexity of our operations; (vi) exposure to unknown liabilities, and (vii) the loss or reduction of control over certain of our assets.
The pursuit of acquisitions may pose certain risks to us. We may not be able to identify acquisition candidates that fit our criteria for growth and profitability. Even if we are able to identify such candidates, we may not be able to acquire them on terms or financing satisfactory to us. We may incur expenses and dedicate attention and resources associated with the review of acquisition opportunities, whether or not we consummate such acquisitions, which may divert management’s attention from our day-to-day business.
Additionally, even if we are able to acquire suitable targets on agreeable terms, we may not be able to successfully integrate their operations with ours. Achieving the anticipated benefits of any acquisition will depend in significant part upon whether we integrate such acquired businesses in an efficient and effective manner. We may not be able to achieve the anticipated operating and cost synergies or long-term strategic benefits of our acquisitions within the anticipated timing, or at all. The benefits from any acquisition will be offset by the costs incurred in integrating the businesses and operations. We may also assume liabilities in connection with acquisitions to which we would not otherwise be exposed. An inability to realize any or all of the anticipated synergies or other benefits of an acquisition as well as any delays that may be encountered in the integration process, which may delay the timing of such synergies or other benefits, could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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The guarantees and warranties we provide on our products could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We provide product guarantees to our customers, pursuant to which we allow for the return of products from customers within 60 days after the original sale. We also provide a one-year warranty for any defective product. Existing and future product guarantees and warranties place us at the risk of incurring future returns and repair and/or replacement costs. While we engage in product quality programs and processes, including monitoring and evaluating the quality of our components sourced from our suppliers, our guaranty and warranty obligation is affected by actual product defect rates, parts and equipment costs and service labor costs incurred in correcting a product defect. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we accrued return reserves equal to approximately 12% and 10%, respectively, of gross revenues. We believe our reserve as of December 31, 2023 is adequate. However, our reserves set aside to cover warranty returns and customer returns may be inadequate due to an unanticipated number of customer returns, undetected product defects, unanticipated component failures or changes in estimates for material, labor and other costs we may incur to replace projected product defects. As a result, if actual customer returns, product defect rates, parts and equipment costs or service labor costs exceed our estimates, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Business and Markets
Our ability to compete in the sinus, cold and allergy market is unproven.
We currently compete in the sinus, cold and allergy market segment, a segment with large, entrenched players. We expect to experience competition from current and potential new competitors, some of which may be better established and have significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and distribution resources. We encounter competition from larger, well-established and well-financed entities that may continue to acquire, invest in, or form joint ventures with producers of alternate sinus care technologies.
Our competitors may be able to respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements than we can. Our market position could erode rapidly as a result of the development of new, superior products and technology by competitors. In addition, current and potential competitors may have greater name recognition, broader physician reach and more extensive customer bases. Increased competition could result in price reductions, lower volume sales, and reduced gross margins. There can be no assurance that we will be able to compete successfully against our current or future competitors or that competitive pressures will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our markets are undergoing continuous change, and our future success will depend on our ability to meet the changing needs of our customers.
For our business to survive and grow, we must continue to enhance and improve our products and technology to address a broader range of customers’ needs. If customer behavior or new industry standards or practices emerge, our existing technology may become obsolete. Our future success will depend upon, among other things, our ability to:
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Developing medical technology entails significant technical, regulatory and business risks.
We may fail to adapt our technology to user requirements or emerging treatment standards. Microcurrent and other neuromodulation therapies are not currently considered standard of care for inflammation and may not ever be considered standard of care. Treatment standards may not evolve to incorporate our product. New industry standards for the development, manufacture and marketing of medical devices may evolve and we may not be able to conform to the changes, meet new standards in a timely fashion or maintain a competitive position in the market. In particular, regulatory standards for bioelectronic treatments of medical conditions are evolving. If we face material delays in introducing our products and new technology, we may fail to attract new customers.
Customer or third-party complaints or negative reviews or publicity about our company or our products could harm our reputation and brand.
We are heavily dependent on customers who use our ClearUP device to provide good reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations to contribute to our growth. Customers who are dissatisfied with their experiences with our products or services may post negative reviews. We may also be the subject of blog, forum or other media postings that include inaccurate statements and/or create negative publicity. In addition, any negative news regarding bioelectronic medicine may adversely impact our business. Any negative reviews or publicity, whether real or perceived, disseminated by word-of-mouth, by the general media, by electronic or social networking means or by other methods, could harm our reputation and brand and could severely diminish consumer confidence in our products.
We may face risks associated with expanding to international markets.
We may pursue marketing and selling our products internationally, which would likely be primarily done through e-commerce accelerators, distribution arrangements and regional licensing. We have limited experience operating outside the United States, and we will likely need to rely heavily on distributors and licensees in the event that we expand internationally. Expansion into international markets may expose us to, among other things, the following additional risks:
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The size and expected growth of our available market has not been established with precision and may be smaller than we estimate.
Our data on the available market for our current products and future products is based on a number of internal and third-party research reports, estimates and assumptions. While we believe that such research, our assumptions and the data underlying our estimates are reasonable, these assumptions and estimates may not be correct. In addition, the statements in this Report relating to, among other things, the expected growth in the market for our ClearUP device are based on a number of internal and third-party data, estimates and assumptions, and may prove to be inaccurate. If the actual number of consumers who would benefit from our products, the price at which we can sell future products or the available market for our products is smaller than we estimate, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our insurance may not adequately cover our operating risk or litigation exposure.
We have insurance to protect our assets, operations and employees. While we believe our insurance coverage addresses the material risks to which we are exposed and is adequate and customary in our current state of operations, such insurance is subject to coverage limits and exclusions and may not be available for the risks and hazards to which we are exposed. Also, our insurance may be insufficient to cover the costs of any securities-related or other lawsuits or litigation, regardless of the merits of any such lawsuits or litigation. In addition, no assurance can be given that such insurance will be adequate to cover our liabilities or will be generally available in the future or, if available, that premiums will be commercially justifiable or affordable. If we were to incur substantial liability and such damages were not covered by insurance or were in excess of policy limits, or if we were to incur such liability at a time when we are not able to obtain liability insurance, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Our business could be disrupted by catastrophic occurrences and similar events.
Our headquarters are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we are vulnerable to interruption from catastrophic occurrences, such as earthquakes, floods, fires, power loss, telecommunication failures, terrorist attacks, criminal acts, sabotage, other intentional acts of vandalism and misconduct, geopolitical events, disease, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and similar events. The San Francisco Bay Area is a region known for seismic activity. Despite any precautions we may take, the occurrence of a natural disaster or other unanticipated problems at our facilities or the facilities of our suppliers and vendors could result in disruptions and other performance and quality problems. If we are unable to develop adequate plans to ensure that our business functions continue to operate during and after a disaster and/or to execute successfully on those plans in the event of a disaster or emergency, our business would be seriously harmed.
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Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Matters
Changes in the regulatory landscape for our products could render our business model contrary to applicable regulatory requirements, and we may be required to seek additional clearance or approval for our products.
Our ClearUP device is a US FDA Class II device with FDA clearance for over-the-counter purchase. We continue to expand our product offerings within the ClearUP brand based on the architecture used in the ClearUP product line. Such expansions may include design modifications of the ClearUP device. Given that current improvements to the ClearUP product line are a line extension of the ClearUP device, and based on the approval by our designated EU Notified Body and our assessment of relevant FDA guidance (Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff “Deciding When to Submit a 510(k) for a Change to and Existing Device” October 25, 2017), we have determined that such current expansions of the ClearUP product line are covered under the same regulatory clearances as ClearUP. If the FDA were to determine that our products or product candidates do not properly satisfy the conditions for FDA clearance as Class II devices, or that our ClearUP product line expansion is not covered by the same regulatory clearances as our existing ClearUP device, we could be required to cease distribution of our products until we obtain regulatory clearance or approval, abandon new product launch plans, and/or we could be subject to additional enforcement action by the FDA. All existing FDA clearances, including those covering our ClearUP device, could be subject to change based on subsequent FDA review or changes in FDA regulations. In addition, many states have laws regarding the provision of medical devices, and if we are found to be in violation of the laws of any state in which our devices are sold, we could be subject to further sanctions at the state level.
The laws and regulations applicable to the industries in which we operate are continuously evolving. Changes in our regulatory and legal landscape could substantially increase the costs of compliance, increase the time and resources required to bring new products to market, or otherwise negatively impact our business. There can be no assurance that new legislation or regulations will not impose significant additional costs or burdens on our business or subject us to additional liabilities. We may be or become subject to claims that our operations violate these laws or regulations.
Our business is subject to risks arising from epidemic diseases, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
The occurrence of regional epidemics or a global pandemic such as COVID-19 may adversely affect our operations, financial condition, and results of operations. The COVID-19 pandemic had widespread, rapidly evolving, and unpredictable impacts on global society, economies, financial markets, and business practices from 2020 into 2023. The extent to which global pandemics, including as a result of the lingering effects of COVID-19 on the global economy, impact our business going forward will depend on various factors such as the duration and scope of the pandemic; governmental, business, and individuals’ actions in response to the pandemic; and the impact on economic activity including the possibility of recession or financial market instability.
Measures taken by the governments of countries affected by future pandemics could adversely impact our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Potential disruptions may include, without limitations, delays in processing registrations or approvals by applicable state or federal regulatory bodies, delays in product development efforts and/or clinical trials, and additional government requirements or other incremental mitigation efforts that may further impact our capacity to manufacture, sell and support the use of our ClearUP device or other products.
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We are subject to consumer protection laws that regulate our marketing practices and prohibit unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could harm our business, and changes in such regulations or laws could require us to modify our products or marketing or advertising efforts.
In connection with the marketing or advertisement of our products, we could be the target of claims relating to false, misleading, deceptive or otherwise noncompliant advertising or marketing practices, including under the auspices of the FTC and state consumer protection statutes. If we rely on third parties to provide any marketing and advertising of our products, we could be liable for, or face reputational harm as a result of, their marketing practices if, for example, they fail to comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
If we are found to have breached any consumer protection, advertising, unfair competition or other laws or regulations, we may be subject to enforcement actions that require us to change our marketing and business practices in a manner that may negatively impact us. This could also result in litigation, fines, penalties and adverse publicity that could cause reputational harm and loss of customer trust, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our reliance on vendors in foreign countries, including China, subjects us to risks and uncertainties relating to foreign laws and regulations and changes in relations between the United States and such foreign countries.
Electronic components for our ClearUP devices are sourced primarily from China, and we may in the future source components from vendors located in other foreign countries. Under its current leadership, the government of China has been pursuing economic reform policies, including by encouraging foreign trade and investment. However, there is no assurance that the Chinese government will continue to pursue such policies, that such policies will be successfully implemented, that such policies will not be significantly altered, or that such policies will be beneficial to our partnerships in China. China’s system of laws, as well as the laws of other foreign countries where we may source components, can be unpredictable, especially with respect to foreign investment and foreign trade.
The United States government has called for substantial changes to foreign trade policy with China and has raised, and has proposed to further raise in the future, tariffs on several Chinese goods. China has retaliated with increased tariffs on United States goods. Moreover, China’s legislature has adopted a national security law to substantially change the way Hong Kong has been governed since the territory was handed over by the United Kingdom to China in 1997. This law increases the power of the central government in Beijing over Hong Kong, limits the civil liberties of residents of Hong Kong and could restrict the ability of businesses in Hong Kong to continue to conduct business or to continue to with business as previously conducted. The U.S. State Department has indicated that the U.S. no longer considers Hong Kong to have significant autonomy from China. The U.S. State Department previously enacted sanctions related to China’s governing of Hong Kong, and the U.S. may impose the same tariffs and other trade restrictions on exports from Hong Kong that it places on goods from mainland China. Any further changes in United States trade policy could trigger retaliatory actions by affected countries, including China, resulting in trade wars.
Changes to Chinese regulations affecting the manufacture of electronic components may also be unpredictable. For example, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act bans imports from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region unless it can be shown that the goods were not produced using forced labor and this legislation may have an adverse effect on global supply chains which could adversely impact our business and results of operations. Additionally, China has recently implemented significant restrictions on the export of gallium and germanium, both of which are used for the manufacture of computer chips. Changes to regulations in China and/or any other country where we may source components in the future may also be unpredictable and could affect the manufacture of electronic components in such countries and our ability to purchase components on a cost-effective basis. Any regulatory changes and changes in United States and China relations, or changes in relations with the United States any other country where we may source components in the future, may have a material adverse effect on our vendors in China and other such countries which could materially harm our business and financial condition.
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International trade disputes could result in tariffs and other protectionist measures that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Tariffs could increase the cost of our products and raw materials that go into making them. These increased costs could adversely impact the gross margin that we earn on our products. Tariffs could also make our products more expensive for customers, which could make our products less competitive and reduce consumer demand. Countries may also adopt other protectionist measures that could limit our ability to offer our products. Political uncertainty surrounding international trade disputes and protectionist measures could also have a negative effect on consumer confidence and spending, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may in the future become subject to the requirements of the Sunshine Act.
We are not currently subject to the Physician Payment Sunshine Act (“Sunshine Act”), which was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act. However, if we begin selling our products directly to governmental entities or our products become reimbursable by Medicare or Medicaid, then we may become subject to the Sunshine Act, which will require us to report annually to the Secretary of Health and Human Services: (i) payments or other transfers of value made by us, or by a third-party as directed by us, to physicians and teaching hospitals or to third parties on behalf of physicians or teaching hospitals; and (ii) physician ownership and investment interests in our company. The payments required to be reported include the cost of meals provided to a physician, travel reimbursements and other transfers of value, including those provided as part of contracted services such as speaker programs, advisory boards, consultation services and clinical trial services. Failure to comply with the reporting requirements can result in significant civil monetary penalties ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for each payment or other transfer of value that is not reported (up to a maximum per annual report of $150,000) and from $10,000 to $100,000 for each knowing failure to report (up to a maximum per annual report of $1.0 million). Additionally, becoming subject to the Sunshine Act and the information we disclose could lead to greater scrutiny, which could result in modifications to established practices and additional costs. Additionally, similar reporting requirements have also been enacted on the state level domestically, and an increasing number of countries worldwide have either adopted or are considering adopting similar laws requiring transparency of interactions with healthcare professionals.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
We are highly dependent on our IP, and our methods of protecting our IP may not be adequate or could be costly.
We rely on a combination of patent and trademark laws, trade secrets, confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect our IP rights. We are building our IP portfolio, and may not be able to secure sufficient protection to prevent competition from entering the market or from creating competing products.
We cannot be certain that we will be able to obtain patent protection on the key components of our technology or that we will be able to obtain patents in key jurisdictions, such as the United States, Europe and Asia. We cannot give assurances that we will develop new products or technologies that are patentable or (to the extent applicable) that any new products will be covered by existing patents, that any issued patent will provide us with any competitive advantages or will not be challenged by third parties, or that the patents of others will not impair our ability to do business.
We cannot guarantee that the applicable governmental authorities will approve any of our future trademark applications. Even if the applications are approved, third parties may seek to oppose or challenge these registrations. A failure to obtain trademark registrations in key jurisdictions could limit our ability to use our trademarks and impede our marketing efforts in those jurisdictions.
Despite our efforts to protect our IP, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy or obtain and use our technology. Policing the unauthorized use of our technology on a global basis is difficult, and there can be no assurance that the steps taken by us will prevent misappropriation of our technology.
We cannot give assurances that our measures for preserving the secrecy of our trade secrets and confidential information will be sufficient to prevent others from obtaining our trade secrets.
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We generally require our employees, consultants and corporate partners to sign confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements prohibiting them from disclosing any of our trade secrets. Our employment agreements and consulting agreements also contain confidentiality undertakings, as well as non-compete provisions, which prohibit employees, advisors and consultants from acting contrary to our interests during the period of their relationship with us.
Despite our efforts to preserve the secrecy of our trade secrets and confidential information, we may not have adequate remedies to preserve our trade secrets or to compensate us fully for our loss if employees, consultants or corporate partners breach confidentiality agreements with us. We cannot give assurances that our trade secrets will provide any competitive advantage, as they may become known to, or be independently developed by, competitors, regardless of the success of any measures we may take to try to preserve their confidentiality.
Any failure or inability to protect any of our IP or confidential information, or to enforce our rights against any infringement or misappropriation of our IP or confidential information, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, we may be forced to litigate to enforce or defend our IP, to protect our trade secrets or to determine the validity and scope of other parties’ proprietary rights. Any such litigation could be very costly and could distract our management from focusing on operating our business. The existence and/or outcome of any such litigation could harm our business.
We may face risks of claims for IP infringement.
Our competitors or other persons may have already obtained or may in the future obtain patents or other rights relating to one or more aspects of our technology. Because we have not conducted a formal freedom to operate analysis for patents related to our technology, we may not be aware of issued patents that a third party might assert are infringed by our current or any future technology, which could materially impair our ability to commercialize our current or any future technology. Even if we diligently search third-party patents for potential infringement by our current or any future technology, we may not successfully find patents that our current or any future technology may infringe. If we are unable to secure and maintain freedom to operate, others could preclude us from commercializing our current or future technology. We may in the future become party to, or be threatened with, adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our current and any future technology, whether or not we are actually infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the rights of third parties. If we are sued for patent or other intellectual property right infringement, we may be forced to incur substantial costs in defending our self.
If litigation were to result in a judgment that we infringed a valid and enforceable patent or other intellectual property right, a court may order us to pay substantial damages to the owner of the patent or other intellectual property right and to stop using any infringing technology or products. This could cause a significant disruption in our business and force us to incur substantial costs to develop and implement alternative, non-infringing technology or products, or to obtain a license from the patent or other intellectual property right owner.
We cannot give assurance that we would be able to develop non-infringing alternatives at a reasonable cost that would be commercially acceptable, or that we would be able to obtain a license from any patent or other intellectual property right owner on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.
We may be unable to enforce our IP rights throughout the world.
The laws of some foreign countries do not protect IP rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. The area of bioelectronic medicine, specifically, is a nascent and emerging industry. To the extent we demonstrate novel means to manage physiological functions, the nature and degree of IP protection we can obtain throughout the world may vary. Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending IP rights in certain foreign jurisdictions. This could make it difficult for us to stop infringement of our foreign patents, if obtained, or the misappropriation of our other IP rights. For example, some foreign countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner must grant licenses to third parties. In addition, some countries limit the enforceability of patents against certain third parties, including government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, patents may provide limited or no benefit. Patent protection must ultimately be sought on a country-by-country basis, which is an expensive and time-consuming process with uncertain outcomes. Accordingly, we may choose not to seek patent protection in certain countries, and we will not have the benefit of patent protection in such countries.
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Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business. Accordingly, our efforts to protect our IP rights in such countries may be inadequate. In addition, changes in the law and legal decisions by courts in the United States and foreign countries may affect our ability to obtain adequate protection for our technology and the enforcement of our IP.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
We expect that our stock price may fluctuate significantly, and investors may not be able to resell their shares at or above the price at which they purchased them. An active trading market for our common stock may never develop.
Prior to our initial public offering, you could not buy or sell our common stock publicly. Even though our common stock is now listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, an active trading market for our shares may not develop or be sustained following our initial public offering. If an active market for our common stock does not develop or is not maintained, it may be difficult for you to sell your shares depressing the market price for the shares, or at all. An inactive trading market may also impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling additional shares of our common stock and may impair our ability to acquire other companies or technologies by using shares of our common stock as consideration.
The market price of shares of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to many risk factors listed in this section, and others beyond our control, including:
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These and other market and industry factors may cause the market price and demand for our common stock to fluctuate substantially, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, the stock market in general, and medical device companies in particular, have experienced price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. In the past, when the market price of a stock has been volatile, holders of that stock have on occasion instituted securities class action litigation against the company that issued the stock. If any of our stockholders were to bring a lawsuit against us, the defense and disposition of the lawsuit could be costly and divert the time and attention of our management and harm our operating results.
We do not expect to pay any cash dividends for the foreseeable future.
We do not expect to pay dividends to our stockholders at any time in the foreseeable future. Anyone considering investing in our stock should not rely on such investment to provide dividend income. Instead, we plan to retain any earnings to establish, maintain and expand our operations and product offerings. In addition, any future debt financing arrangement may contain terms prohibiting or limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our stock. Accordingly, investors must rely on sales of their shares after price appreciation, which may never occur, as the only way to realize any return on their investment.
Future issuances of stock or other securities could dilute the holdings of stockholders and could materially affect the price of the shares of our common stock.
In the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold an aggregate of 1,369,230 shares of our common stock to certain investors through registered public offerings, which resulted in aggregate net proceeds of approximately $8.5 million. We anticipate that we will issue additional shares of capital stock in conjunction with future funding requirements. Any issuance of shares of our common stock, or securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of our common stock, for the purpose of securing capital will result in the dilution of the ownership interests of our existing stockholders.
We have used and intend to continue to use equity incentives for employees, advisors, directors, key consultants and select affiliates. Any issuance of stock upon the conversion of options and/or incentive rights will result in the dilution of the ownership interests of our existing stockholders.
In addition, we may in the future decide to offer additional stock or other securities in order to finance new capital-intensive projects, in connection with unanticipated liabilities or expenses or for any other purposes. There is no assurance that we will not decide to conduct offerings of securities in the future. Depending on the structure of any future offering, certain existing stockholders may not have the ability to purchase additional equity securities. If we raise additional funds by issuing additional equity securities, the holdings and voting interests of existing stockholders could be diluted.
We are an “emerging growth company” and a “smaller reporting company,” and the reduced public company reporting and disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We qualify as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (“JOBS Act”). For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and plan to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to: being permitted to have only two years of audited financial statements and only two years of management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations disclosure; an exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended (“Sarbanes-Oxley Act”); not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements; reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation arrangements in our periodic reports, registration statements and proxy statements; and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, the JOBS Act permits emerging growth companies to take advantage of an extended transition period to comply with new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies. We intend to take advantage of certain of the exemptions discussed above.
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In addition, we are currently a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), and have elected to take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies. To the extent that we continue to qualify as a “smaller reporting company” as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, after we cease to qualify as an emerging growth company, certain of the exemptions available to us as an “emerging growth company” may continue to be available to us as a “smaller reporting company,” including exemption from compliance with the auditor attestation requirements pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and reduced disclosure about our executive compensation arrangements. We will continue to be a “smaller reporting company” until we have more than $250 million in public float (based on our common stock) measured as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter or, in the event we have no public float (based on our common stock), annual revenues of more than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year.
As a result, the information we provide will be different than the information that is available with respect to other public companies. In this Report, we have not included all of the executive compensation-related information that would be required if we were not an emerging growth company. We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and the market price of our common stock may be more volatile.
If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock may decline.
As a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. In addition, we are required to furnish a report by management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. As of December 31, 2023, based on an analysis completed by management, our internal controls were not effective due to the existence of a material weakness. The process of designing, implementing and testing the internal control over financial reporting required to comply with this obligation is time consuming, costly and complicated. If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting (as we have for the period covered by this Report), if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, or if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock could decline, and we could also become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the Commission or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.
If our operating and financial performance in any given period does not meet any guidance that we provide to the public, the market price of our common stock may decline.
We may, but are not obligated to, provide public guidance on our expected operating and financial results for future periods. Any such guidance will be comprised of forward-looking statements subject to the risks and uncertainties described in this Report and in our other public filings and public statements. Our actual results may not always be in line with or exceed any guidance we have provided, especially in times of economic uncertainty. If, in the future, our operating or financial results for a particular period do not meet any guidance we provide or the expectations of investment analysts, or if we reduce our guidance for future periods, the market price of our common stock may decline. Even if we do issue public guidance, there can be no assurance that we will continue to do so in the future.
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Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents, and under Delaware law, could make an acquisition of our company more difficult, limit attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management and limit the market price of our common stock.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended ("Certificate of Incorporation"), and amended and restated bylaws, as amended ("Bylaws"), may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control or changes in our management. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws include provisions that:
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which generally, subject to certain exceptions, 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. Any of the foregoing provisions could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, and they could deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that you would receive a premium for your shares of our common stock in an acquisition.
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Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the federal district court for the District of Delaware will be the exclusive forum for certain disputes between us and our stockholders, which could result in increased costs for our stockholders to bring a claim and could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws provide that, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Court of Chancery does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state courts of the State of Delaware) is the exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of fiduciary duty owed by, or other wrongdoing by, any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company to the Company or our stockholders, creditors or other constituents; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law, 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) or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided that, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Securities Act, Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction; and provided further that, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware dismisses any such action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, or the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, such action may be brought in another state or federal court sitting in the State of Delaware. Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws also provide that the federal district courts of the United States of America will be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action against us or any of our directors, officers, employees or agents and arising under the Securities Act or Exchange Act. Nothing in our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws preclude stockholders that assert claims under the Exchange Act from bringing such claims in state or federal court, subject to applicable law.
We believe these provisions may benefit us by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law and federal securities laws by chancellors and judges, as applicable, particularly experienced in resolving corporate disputes, efficient administration of cases on a more expedited schedule relative to other forums and protection against the burdens of multi-forum litigation. However, this choice of forum provision could result in increased costs for our stockholders to bring a claim and could may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or any of our directors, officers, other employees or stockholders, which may discourage lawsuits with respect to such claims, although our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Furthermore, the enforceability of similar choice of forum provisions in other companies’ certificates of incorporation has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find these types of provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions, and there can be no assurance that such provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions. If a court were to find the choice of forum provision that will be contained in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
General Risk Factors
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish unfavorable or inaccurate research about our business, the market price and trading volume of our common stock could decline.
The market price and trading volume of our common stock is heavily influenced by the way analysts interpret our financial information and other disclosures. We do not have control over these analysts. If few securities analysts commence coverage of us, or if industry analysts cease coverage of us, our stock price would be negatively affected. If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, downgrade our common stock, or publish negative reports about our business, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common stock could decrease, which might cause our stock price to decline and could decrease the trading volume of our common stock.
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We have and will continue to incur increased costs and are subject to heightened regulations and requirements as a result of becoming a public company, which could lower our profits or make it more difficult to run our business.
As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company, including costs associated with public company reporting requirements. We also have incurred and will continue to incur costs associated with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and related rules implemented by the Commission, and the Nasdaq Capital Market. The expenses generally incurred by public companies for reporting and corporate governance purposes have been increasing. These rules and regulations have increased and will continue to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costlier, although we are currently unable to estimate these costs with any degree of certainty. These laws and regulations also make it more difficult or costly for us to obtain certain types of insurance, including director and officer liability insurance, and we may be forced to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. These laws and regulations may also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified persons to serve on our board of directors, on our board committees or as our executive officers. Furthermore, if we are unable to satisfy our ongoing obligations as a public company, we could be subject to delisting of our common stock, fines, sanctions, other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation.
Actual or perceived failures to comply with applicable data privacy and security laws, regulations, policies, standards, contractual obligations and other requirements related to data privacy and security and changes to such laws, regulations, standards, policies and contractual obligations could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The global data protection landscape is rapidly evolving, and there has been an increasing focus on privacy and data protection issues with the potential to affect our business. We are subject to numerous state, federal and foreign laws, requirements and regulations governing the collection, transmission, use, disclosure, storage, retention and security of personal and personally-identifying information, such as information that we may collect in connection with conducting our business in the United States and abroad. Implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future, and we cannot yet determine the impact future laws, regulations, standards or perception of their requirements may have on our business. This evolution may create uncertainty in our business; affect our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions; or to collect, store, transfer use and share personal information; necessitate the acceptance of more onerous obligations in our contracts; result in liability or impose additional costs on us. The cost of compliance with these laws, regulations and standards is high and is likely to increase in the future. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with federal, state or foreign laws or regulation, our internal policies and procedures, or our contracts governing our processing of personal information could result in negative publicity, government investigations and enforcement actions, fines, imprisonment of company officials and public censure, claims by third parties, damage to our reputation and loss of goodwill, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could significantly affect our financial results.
U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and related pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide variety of matters that are relevant to our business, such as, but not limited to, revenue recognition, stock-based compensation, trade promotions and income taxes are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by our management. Changes to these rules or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or judgments by our management could significantly change our reported results.
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We are subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, and similar laws, and non-compliance with such laws could subject us to criminal or civil liability and harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We are subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended (“FCPA”), U.S. domestic bribery laws, the UK Bribery Act 2010, and other anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws in the countries in which we conduct business. Anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws have been enforced aggressively in recent years and are interpreted broadly to generally prohibit companies, their employees, and their third-party intermediaries from authorizing, offering, or providing, directly or indirectly, improper payments or benefits to recipients in the public or private sector. As we increase our international sales and business and sales to the public sector, we may engage with business partners and third-party intermediaries to market our products and to obtain necessary permits, licenses, and other regulatory approvals. In addition, we or our third-party intermediaries may have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies or state-owned or affiliated entities. We can be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of these third-party intermediaries, our employees, representatives, contractors, partners, and agents, even if we do not explicitly authorize such activities. While we have policies and procedures to address compliance with such laws, there is a risk that our employees and agents will take actions in violation of our policies and applicable law, for which we may be ultimately held responsible. As we expand internationally, our risks under these laws may increase.
Detecting, investigating, and resolving actual or alleged violations of anti-corruption laws can require a significant diversion of time, resources, and attention from senior management. In addition, noncompliance with anti-corruption, anti-bribery, or anti-money laundering laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, enforcement actions, fines, damages, other civil or criminal penalties or injunctions, suspension or debarment from contracting with certain persons, reputational harm, adverse media coverage, and other collateral consequences. If any subpoenas or investigations are launched, or governmental or other sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal proceeding, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be harmed.
Item 1B – Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C – Cybersecurity
Risk management and strategy
Due to the size of our company, we have not yet developed robust policies and processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material risk from cybersecurity threats. We have implemented access controls with respect to our systems, which we monitor regularly and audit annually. We currently rely heavily on products and services provided by third-party suppliers to operate certain critical business systems, including without limitation, cloud-based infrastructure, encryption and authentication technology, email, and other functions. We rely on third party providers and outsourced IT services to monitor and address cybersecurity related risks, including installing software for threat protection and malware. Such third party providers are tasked with notifying management of any material risks or cybersecurity concerns that they identify, which management then assesses and may bring to our board of directors to discuss if deemed necessary or appropriate. Based on the results of our risk assessments, if deemed necessary or appropriate, we take steps to re-design, implement, and maintain reasonable safeguards to minimize identified risks; reasonably address any identified gaps in existing safeguards; and regularly monitor the effectiveness of our safeguards.
We intend to work with outside counsel and third party service providers in the near term to further develop our expertise, processes and procedures with respect to cybersecurity protection and our response plan.
To date, we have not (to our knowledge) encountered cybersecurity challenges that have materially impaired our operations or financial standing. For additional information regarding risks from cybersecurity threats, please refer to Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in this Report.
39
Governance
Our management team is primarily responsible for assessing and managing our strategic risk exposures, including material risks from cybersecurity threats, with assistance from third-party service providers. Management oversees our cybersecurity process on a day-to-day basis, including those described in “Risk Management and Strategy” above.
Our audit and risk committee is tasked with general oversight of our risk management process, including risks from cybersecurity threats. Members of management provide periodic briefings to the audit and risk committee of our board of directors regarding our cybersecurity risks and activities, including any recent cybersecurity incidents and related responses, cybersecurity systems testing, activities of third parties, and the like. In furtherance thereof, the committee is responsible for monitoring and assessing strategic risk exposure. Our audit and risk committee provides regular updates to the board of directors on such reports.
Item 2 – Properties
Our principal executive office is located at 25821 Industrial Blvd., Suite 100, Hayward, California 94545. On November 17, 2021, we entered into a sublease agreement for approximately 9,091 square feet of office and warehouse space. The term of the sublease will expire on October 31, 2025. Monthly rent for the premises is currently $13,020 per month (which will be subject to 3% escalations annually), plus the Company’s pro rata share of operating expenses, which are currently approximately $4,500 per month.
Item 3 – Legal Proceedings
We are not currently a party to any material legal proceedings. We may, however, in the ordinary course of business face various claims brought by third parties, and we may, from time to time, make claims or take legal actions to assert our rights, including intellectual property rights as well as claims relating to employment matters and the safety or efficacy of our products. Any of these claims could subject us to costly litigation. If this were to happen, the payment of any such awards could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, any such claims, whether or not successful, could damage our reputation and business.
Item 4 – Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
40
PART II
Item 5 – Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Information
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “TIVC.”
Our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, has been publicly traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “TIVC” since our initial public offering on November 11, 2021. Prior to our initial public offering, there was no public market for our common stock.
Holders
As of March 20, 2024, there were approximately 99 shareholders of record of our common stock. A substantially greater number of holders of our common stock are “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares are held by banks, brokers, and other financial institutions.
Dividends
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings for use in the operation of our business and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We may enter into credit agreements or other borrowing arrangements in the future that will restrict our ability to declare or pay cash dividends on our common stock. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities
During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, there were no unregistered sales of our securities that were not reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K or our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
Repurchases
None.
Item 6 – [Reserved]
41
Item 7 – 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 operating results together with our financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Report. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements based upon current beliefs, plans and expectations that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Risk Factors” or in other parts of this Report.
Overview
Tivic is a bioelectronic medicine company developing and commercializing drug-free treatments for various diseases and conditions. Bioelectronic medicine, also referred to as electroceuticals or neuromodulation, is the treatment of disease and conditions by preferentially activating electrical functions of the body to modify central or peripheral nerve activity. ClearUP is our first commercial product, and is FDA-approved for the treatment of sinus pain and congestion. It has also been granted a CE-Mark as a medical device for the treatment of sinus pain, pressure and congestion. ClearUP is currently sold in the U.S. directly to consumers on various platforms and through reseller channels. The Company has also recently announced the expansion of its IP portfolio and research programs related to vagus nerve stimulation to expand its applications in non-invasive bioelectronic medicine.
Business Overview
Bioelectronic medicine is an emerging market. Since our formation in September 2016, we have devoted substantially all of our efforts to the development and marketing of our proprietary technology platform to provide noninvasive, drug-free treatments and treatment candidates for various diseases and conditions. In 2019, we launched ClearUP in the U.S. market. ClearUP is approved by the FDA for sale in the U.S. for the two FDA-approved indications noted above and has a CE Mark (which covers a third indication of sinus pressure and gives us commercial access to European Union Member states and certain other countries). We currently sell ClearUP directly to consumers online through our own website, Amazon, and Walmart in addition to wholesale via major and specialty retailers, such as BestBuy, FSAStore, and others.
Recent Events
In the first quarter of 2024:
Business Activities
Reverse Stock Split - 2023
Effective August 23, 2023, the Company implemented a reverse stock split of the Company's issued and outstanding shares of common stock at a ratio of 1-for-100. As a result of the reverse stock split, the total number of shares of Common Stock held by each stockholder of the Company were converted automatically into the number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock held by each such stockholder immediately prior to completion of the reverse stock split divided by 100. The Company issued one whole share of the post reverse stock split common stock to any stockholder who otherwise would have been entitled to receive a fractional share as a result of the reverse stock split. As a result, no fractional shares were issued in connection with the reverse stock split and no cash or other consideration was paid in connection with any fractional shares that would otherwise have resulted from the reverse stock split. Also, all options, warrants and other convertible securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior to the reverse stock split were adjusted by dividing the number of shares of common stock into which such options, warrants and other convertible securities were exercisable or convertible by 100 and multiplied the exercise or conversion price thereof by 100, all in accordance with the terms of the plans, agreements or arrangements governing such options, warrants and other convertible securities and subject to rounding
42
pursuant to such terms. There was no change to the par value, or authorized shares, of either the common stock or preferred stock, as a result of the reverse stock split. All share and per share amounts for the Company’s common stock, as well as the options and warrants outstanding and exercise prices thereof, from dates prior to completion of the reverse stock split that are included in this Report, including the financial statements and footnotes thereto included herein, have been retroactively restated to give effect to the reverse stock split.
2023 Capital Raises
On February 13, 2023, we sold an aggregate of 200,000 shares of our common stock to certain investors at a public offering price of $25.00 per share (less underwriting discounts and commissions) in a firm commitment underwritten public offering. This offering resulted in aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $5.0 million. Aggregate net proceeds to the Company, after deducting the underwriting discount and commissions and offering expenses paid by the Company, was approximately $3.6 million. ThinkEquity LLC served as underwriter for the offering. The securities issued in connection with the offering were registered pursuant to the registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-268010), which was initially filed with the Commission on October 26, 2022, and amended on December 09, 2022, December 20, 2022, January 6, 2023, February 1, 2023, and February 9, 2023, which the Commission declared effective on February 8, 2023.
From July 11, 2023 to August 9, 2023, we sold an aggregate of 1,169,230 shares of common stock to certain investors at prices ranging from $4.00 to $5.50 per share in a series of registered public offerings, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $5.2 million. Aggregate net proceeds to the Company, after deducting placement agent fees and offering expenses paid by the Company, was approximately $4.3 million. Maxim served as the placement agent, on a “reasonable best efforts basis,” in connection with each of the offerings. The shares of common stock sold in the offerings were offered pursuant to final prospectus supplements, filed with the SEC, to the Company’s effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269494), which was initially filed with the Commission on February 1, 2023 and was declared effective on February 8, 2023. See footnote No, 9 "Common Stock" and No. 10 "Common Stock Warrants" in the accompanying financial statements for additional information regarding each of the offerings.
Operational Updates
Fiscal 2023
In 2023, we invested in our marketing, product design, distribution relationships, and quality systems as follows:
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In 2023, we also invested in our product innovation and development programs as follows:
As a result of these programs, the Company was named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2023 in the Medical Device category. Additionally, in 2022, Global Health & Pharma named Tivic Health the Most Pioneering Bioelectronic Medicine Company of 2022.
We have continued to intentionally maintain a small core team at this stage of the Company, including decreasing our headcount to reduce operating expenses. We have relied, and continue to rely, heavily on third-party service providers, including marketing agencies, contract manufacturing organizations, software-as-a-service platforms, clinical research organizations, academic research partnerships, finance and accounting support, and legal support to carry out our operations.
Components of Results of Operations
Revenue
Revenue is generated by the sale of our ClearUP and ancillary products, including accessories and accelerated shipping charges, and is net of return reserves. We currently sell directly to consumers through our own website, Amazon and Walmart. We also sell to major and specialty distributors and online retailers, such as FSAStore and Best Buy. Noninvasive bioelectronic medicine is an emerging market space that provides consumers with non-drug treatments for various diseases and ClearUP is the first FDA-approved bioelectronic treatment for sinus pain and congestion.
Cost of Sales
Cost of sales consists primarily of the materials and services to manufacture our products, the internal personnel costs to oversee manufacturing and supply chain functions, and the shipment of goods to customers. A significant portion of our cost of sales is currently in fixed and semi-fixed expenses associated with the management of manufacturing and supply chain. Cost of sales is expected to increase on an absolute basis as sales volume increases. Cost of sales is expected to decrease as a proportion of revenue with (i) the continued optimization of our supply chain, and (ii) the allocation of fixed and semi-fixed expenses over increasing unit sales volume over time.
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Gross Margin
Gross margin has been and will continue to be affected by, and is likely to fluctuate on a quarterly basis due to, a variety of factors, including sales volumes, product and channel mix, pricing strategies, costs of finished goods, and product return rates, new product launches and potential new manufacturing partners and suppliers. We expect our gross margin to improve with optimization of our product design and supply-chain, and increasing sales volume over which fixed and semi-fixed costs are allocated.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred to conduct research, including the discovery, development and validation of product candidates. Research and development expenses include personnel costs, including stock-based compensation expense, third-party contractor services, including development and testing of prototype devices, and maintenance of limited in-house research facilities. We expense research and development costs as they are incurred. We expect research and development expenses to increase with the discovery and validation of new product candidates.
Sales and Marketing Expenses
Sales and marketing expenses include personnel costs and expenses for advertising and other marketing services. Personnel costs consist of salaries, bonuses, benefits and stock-based compensation expense. We expect sales and marketing expenses to increase modestly as we continue to expand our markets and distribution channels.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses include D&O insurance, personnel costs, expenses for outside professional services and other expenses. Personnel costs consist of salaries, bonuses, benefits and stock-based compensation expense. Outside professional services consist of legal, finance, accounting and audit services, and other consulting fees. We expect general and administrative expenses to remain relatively flat.
Other Income / Expense, Net
Other income and expense include interest expense, change in fair value of derivative liabilities, loss on extinguishment of debt, and other income.
45
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
The following table summarizes our results of operations (in thousands):
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
|
||||||
Statement of operations data: |
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
|||
Revenue |
|
$ |
1,176 |
|
|
$ |
1,840 |
|
|
$ |
(664 |
) |
Cost of sales |
|
|
889 |
|
|
|
1,541 |
|
|
|
(652 |
) |
Gross profit |
|
|
287 |
|
|
|
299 |
|
|
|
(12 |
) |
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Research and development |
|
|
1,655 |
|
|
|
1,730 |
|
|
|
(75 |
) |
Sales and marketing |
|
|
2,125 |
|
|
|
2,792 |
|
|
|
(667 |
) |
General and administrative |
|
|
4,752 |
|
|
|
5,875 |
|
|
|
(1,123 |
) |
Total operating expenses |
|
|
8,532 |
|
|
|
10,397 |
|
|
|
(1,865 |
) |
Loss from operations |
|
|
(8,245 |
) |
|
|
(10,098 |
) |
|
|
1,853 |
|
Other income: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Interest income |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
(1 |
) |
Total other income |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
(1 |
) |
Net loss before income taxes |
|
$ |
(8,244 |
) |
|
$ |
(10,096 |
) |
|
$ |
1,852 |
|
Revenue
Revenue (net of returns) decreased $664 thousand, or -36%, to $1.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 from $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, which decrease was primarily attributable to decreased unit sales of -52%. Unit sales were approximately 7,400 for the year ended December 31, 2023 and were approximately 15,400 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Ancillary revenues were less than 1.5% of total revenue for both of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|
|
|
||||||
Statement of operations data (in thousands): |
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
Change |
|
|||
Product Revenue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Direct-to-consumer |
|
$ |
1,079 |
|
|
$ |
1,635 |
|
|
$ |
(556 |
) |
Reseller |
|
|
261 |
|
|
|
416 |
|
|
|
(155 |
) |
Returns |
|
|
(164 |
) |
|
|
(211 |
) |
|
|
47 |
|
Revenue |
|
$ |
1,176 |
|
|
$ |
1,840 |
|
|
$ |
(664 |
) |
Direct-to-consumer product revenue decreased $556 thousand ,or -34%, to $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 from $1.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, which was due to decreased unit sales of -53%, offset by an average direct-to-consumer price increase of 46% over the prior year. Direct-to-consumer unit sales were approximately 5,400 for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to approximately 11,400 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in unit sales was due to the price increases in 2023 as well as the reduction of unprofitable marketing spend.
Reseller channel product revenue decreased $155 thousand, or -37%, to $261 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2023 from $416 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2022, attributable to decreased unit sales of -50%. Reseller channel unit sales were approximately 2,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023 and were approximately 4,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. Average reseller channel selling prices increased 21% in 2023 compared to 2022. The decrease in unit sales and the increase in average selling price were primarily due to the termination of less profitable reseller channels in 2023.
Returns as a percentage of product revenue was approximately 12% for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 10% for the year ended December 31, 2022.
46
Cost of Sales
Cost of sales for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $889 thousand compared to $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, a decrease of $652 thousand, or -42%. The decrease was primarily attributable to the -52% decrease in overall unit sales, offset by an increases of $140 thousand of costs related to scrapped inventory and $32 thousand for a reserve against inventory. The costs for scrap and inventory reserves were primarily related to inventory components included in our ClearUP 1.0 unit. With the launch of ClearUP 2.0 in the fourth quarter of 2023, we do not expect to incur similar costs in 2024.
Variable cost of goods sold includes product costs, fulfillment, shipping and purchase price variances and other inventory adjustments. Variable cost of goods sold was $641 thousand, or $86.61 per unit, for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $1.3 million, or $87.04 per unit, for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in variable costs of goods sold was primarily due to reduction in variable costs associated with new supply chain partners, offset by inventory obsolescence associated with the transition in sales to ClearUP 2.0 at year-end.
Fixed cost of goods sold includes third-party product support and logistic fees and allocated overhead costs. Fixed cost of goods sold increased to $248 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $203 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to increased product support costs in 2023, which in turn was primarily associated with certain hourly service charges and periodic minimum spend obligations included Tivic's contracts with its supply chain partners.
Gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $287 thousand compared to a gross profit of $299 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses decreased by $75 thousand to $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 from $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to reduced compensation costs related to decreased headcount. The emphasis of research and development activities in 2023 was primarily related to our work with The Feinstein Institutes. Activities in 2022 were primarily focused on product research and design in the migraine therapeutic area, initiation of a double-blind randomized controlled trial for post-operative pain relief following sinus surgery, and enhancement of our intellectual property protection.
We expect to incur additional research and development expenses related to extending the indications for our product(s) in the near term.
Sales and Marketing Expenses
Sales and marketing expenses decreased to $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease of $925 thousand in advertising and agency costs, offset by increases of $327 thousand related to the expansion of our internal marketing team and $76 thousand in public relations costs.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses decreased to $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $5.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to decreased legal and professional fees of $919 thousand and a net decrease in other corporate expenses of $221 thousand as a result of the Company’s efforts to reduce costs.
Other Income
Other income was immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, and consists of interest income from money market accounts.
47
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
Since our formation in September 2016, we have devoted substantially all of our efforts to research and development, to regulatory clearance and to early market development and testing for our first product, released September 2019 in the United States. We are not profitable and have incurred net losses and negative cash flows from our operations in each year since our inception. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we generated revenue of $1.2 million and $1.8 million, respectively. Additionally, during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we incurred net losses of $8.2 million and $10.1 million, respectively, and used $8.5 million and $8.9 million of cash for operations, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, we had cash and cash equivalents of $3.4 million, working capital of $3.3 million and an accumulated deficit of $37.9 million.
We have financed our operations to date primarily through issuances of SAFE instruments, convertible notes and convertible preferred stock and the proceeds from registered offerings of our securities. In 2021, we completed our IPO, generating net proceeds to the Company of approximately $14.9 million, and we borrowed $2.6 million by issuing convertible notes payable, the outstanding balance of all of which converted into shares of our common stock in connection with our IPO. On February 13, 2023, we completed the sale of 200,000 shares of our common stock in a firm commitment, fully underwritten registered public offering, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $3.6 million. From July 11, 2023 to August 9, 2023, we sold an aggregate of 1,169,230 shares of our common stock to certain investors in a series of registered public offerings, resulting in aggregate net proceeds to the Company of approximately $4.3 million.
Although we have taken measures to decrease our operating expenses, we expect that our operating expenses may increase significantly as we discover, acquire, validate and develop additional product candidates; seek regulatory approval and, if approved, proceed to commercialization of new products; obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property portfolio; and hire additional personnel. Furthermore, we have incurred and will continue to incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company that we did not experience as a private company. Management expects to incur substantial additional operating losses for the foreseeable future to expand our markets, complete development or acquisition of new product lines, obtain regulatory approvals, launch and commercialize our products and continue research and development programs. Based on the Company’s current cash levels and burn rate, amongst other things, the Company believes its cash and financial resources may be insufficient to meet the Company’s anticipated needs for the twelve months following the date of issuance of the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, included elsewhere in this Report, which raises substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year from the issuance date of the financial statements.
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Plan of Operation and Future Funding Requirements
We have used our capital resources primarily, to date, to fund marketing and advertising for ClearUP, development of both our trigeminal and our vagus nerve platforms and product candidates, evaluating and diligencing potential licensing and acquisition candidates, and the establishment of public company operating infrastructure and general operations. Although we have taken measures to decrease our operating expenses, we expect that our operating expenses may increase as we advance our vagus nerve platform, as well as discover, acquire, validate or develop additional product candidates; seek regulatory approval and, if approved, proceed to commercialization of new products; obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property portfolio; hire additional personnel; and maintain compliance with material government (in addition to environmental) regulations. We plan to increase our research and development investments in our vagus nerve platform and clinical applications thereof in 2024. Furthermore, we have incurred, and will continue to incur, costs associated with operating as a public company that we did not experience as a private company. We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. At this time, due to the inherently unpredictable nature of research and new product adoption as well as other macroeconomic factors, we cannot reasonably estimate the costs we will incur and the timelines that will be required to complete development, obtain marketing approval and commercialize future product candidates, if at all. For the same reasons, we are also unable to predict how quickly we will generate significant revenue from ClearUP product sales or whether, or when, if ever, we may achieve profitability from the sales of one or more products. Clinical and preclinical development timelines, the probability of success, and costs can differ materially from expectations. In addition, we cannot forecast which product candidates may be best developed and/or monetized through future collaborations, when such arrangements will be secured, if at all, and to what degree such arrangements would affect our development plans and capital requirements.
As previously disclosed, we encountered disruptions in our supply of various materials and components in 2022 due to the well-documented shortages and constraints in the global supply chain. Although we currently do not anticipate a supply shortage, unforeseen shortages may continue to pose a material risk for the Company in the near term or future. We regularly evaluate alternative and secondary source suppliers in order to ensure that we are able to source sufficient components and materials to manufacture our products. Global supply chain shortages (especially when coupled with the increase in inflation and other economic factors) could result in an increase in the cost of the components used in our products, which could result in a decrease of our gross margins or in us having to increase the price at which we sell our products until supply chain constraints are resolved. Additionally, in the event that we are unable to source sufficient components and materials from our current suppliers, or to develop relationships with additional suppliers, to manufacture enough of our products to satisfy demand, we may have to cease or slow down production and our business operations and financial condition may be materially harmed and we may need to alter our plan of operation.
In addition to the foregoing, we may, from time to time, consider opportunities for strategic acquisitions that we believe will align with our growth plan, complement our product offerings and be in the best interest of the Company and our shareholders. If an acquisition is identified and pursued, a substantial portion of our cash reserves may be required to complete such acquisition. If we identify an attractive acquisition that would require more cash to complete than we are willing or able to use from our cash reserves, we will consider financing options to complete the acquisition, including through equity and/or debt financings.
We have generated operating losses in each period since inception. We have incurred an accumulated deficit of $37.9 million through December 31, 2023. We expect to incur additional losses in the future as we expand both our research and development activities. Based on our current cash levels and burn rate, amongst other things, we believe our cash and financial resources may be insufficient to meet our anticipated needs for the next twelve months. As a result, we expect that we will need to raise additional capital to continue operating our business and fund our planned operations, including research and development, clinical trials and, if regulatory approval is obtained, commercialization of future product candidates.
49
We currently generate sales revenue direct-to-consumer though our own websites, Amazon.com and Walmart.com. We also sell to major and specialty U.S. online retailers such as BestBuy and FSAStore and through distributors including McKesson's affiliate Simply Medical, Cardinal Health and Amerisource Bergen. Our ability to grow sales revenue will depend on successfully executing a comprehensive marketing campaign to drive additional sales through existing and new channels. Long-term growth will be commensurate with our ability to successfully identify, develop, and secure regulatory approval of one or more additional product candidates beyond ClearUP. Until such time as we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through private or public equity or debt financings, collaborative or other arrangements with corporate, foundation or government funding sources, or through other sources of financing. We do not know whether additional financing will be available on commercially acceptable terms, or at all, when needed. If adequate funds are not available or are not available on commercially acceptable terms, our ability to fund our operations, support the growth of our business or otherwise respond to competitive pressures could be significantly delayed or limited, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial conditions or results of operations, and we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development and commercialization of our products and/or future product candidates.
The timing and amount of our operating expenditures will depend largely on:
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Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial revenue from product sales, we expect to fund our operations and capital funding needs through equity and/or debt financings. We may also consider entering into collaboration arrangements or selectively partnering with third parties for clinical development and commercialization. The sale of additional equity would result in additional dilution to our stockholders. The incurrence of additional debt would result in debt service obligations, and the instruments governing such debt could provide for operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations or our ability to incur additional indebtedness or pay dividends, among other items. If we raise additional funds through governmental funding, collaborations, strategic partnerships and alliances or marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are not able to secure adequate additional funding, we may be forced to make reductions in spending, extend payment terms with suppliers, liquidate assets where possible, and/or suspend or curtail planned programs. Any of these actions could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the period indicated (in thousands):
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
||
Cash used in operating activities |
|
$ |
(8,511 |
) |
|
$ |
(8,919 |
) |
Cash used in investing activities |
|
$ |
(118 |
) |
|
$ |
(11 |
) |
Cash provided by (used in) financing activities |
|
|
8,507 |
|
|
|
(528 |
) |
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
(122 |
) |
|
$ |
(9,458 |
) |
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $8.5 million, which consisted primarily of net loss of $8.2 million decreased by non-cash charges of $485 thousand and increased by a net change of $752 thousand in our net operating assets and liabilities. The non-cash charges primarily consisted of stock-based compensation of $271 thousand and amortization of right-of-use assets of $174 thousand. The change in our net operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to a decrease in accounts payable of $610 thousand, an increase in prepaid and other current assets of $92 thousand, a decrease in lease liabilities of $161 thousand and an increase in accrued expenses of $103 thousand.
Net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $8.9 million, which consisted primarily of net loss of $10.1 million decreased by non-cash charges of $572 thousand and further decreased by a net change of $605 thousand in our net operating assets and liabilities. The non-cash charges primarily consisted of stock-based compensation of $398 thousand and amortization of right-of-use assets of $164 thousand. The change in our net operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to an increase in accounts payable of $534 thousand and a decrease in prepaid and other current assets of $558 thousand, offset by an increase in inventory of $434 thousand and a decrease in lease liabilities of $178 thousand.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was related to the purchases of equipment and product development.
Financing Activities
Our financing activities provided $8.5 million of cash during the year ended December 31, 2023, which consisted primarily of proceeds from the sale of an aggregate of 1,369,230 shares of our common stock, net of offering discounts and other costs.
Our financing activities used $528 thousand of cash during the year ended December 31, 2022, which consisted of $584 thousand of deferred offering costs in connection with the sale of our common stock which closed subsequent to December 31, 2022, offset by $56 thousand of proceeds from the exercise of stock options.
51
Known Trends or Uncertainties
As discussed elsewhere in this Report, the world has continued to be been affected by the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the more recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, economic uncertainty in human capital management (“HCM”) and certain other macroeconomic factors. Inflation has risen, Federal Reserve interest rates have increased over the last year, and the general consensus among economists continues to suggest that we should expect a higher recession risk to continue for the near term. Climate change continues to be an intense topic of public discussion and is adding additional challenges and financial burden due to impending preparations and changes in the customer mindset. These factors, amongst other things, could result in further economic uncertainty and volatility in the capital markets in the near term, and could negatively affect our operations. Effects of the pandemic and recent economic volatility have negatively impacted our business in various ways over the last three years, including as a result of global supply chain constraints at least partially attributable to the pandemic. We will continue to monitor material impacts on our HCM strategies, including potential of employee attrition, amongst other things.
We encountered disruptions in our supply of various materials and components in 2022 due to the well-documented shortages and constraints in the global supply chain. We experienced increased pricing, longer lead-times, unavailability of product and limited supplies, protracted delivery dates, and shortages of certain parts and supplies that were necessary components for our products. As a result, we carried increased inventory balances in 2023 to ensure availability of necessary products and to secure pricing. Although we currently do not anticipate a supply shortage will continue to pose a material risk for the Company in the near term, we are continuing to evaluate alternative and secondary source suppliers in order to ensure that we are able to source sufficient components and materials to manufacture our products. Global supply chain shortages (especially when coupled with the increase in inflation and other economic factors) could result in an increase in the cost of the components used in our products, which could result in a decrease of our gross margins or in us having to increase the price at which we sell our products until supply chain constraints are resolved. Additionally, in the event that the price of our components increases significantly or we are unable to source sufficient components and materials from our current suppliers, or to develop relationships with additional suppliers, to manufacture enough of our products to satisfy demand, we may have to cease or slow down production and our business operations and financial condition may be materially harmed and we may need to alter our plan of operation.
The United States has recently implemented tariffs on certain imported goods, including on certain items imported from China. In addition, China has imposed tariffs on a wide range of American products and placed restrictions on the export of certain items, including gallium and germanium, in retaliation for these American tariffs. As a result, there is a concern that the imposition of additional tariffs by the United States could result in the adoption of additional tariffs or export restrictions by China and/or other countries. Any resulting trade war could negatively impact our business. The imposition of tariffs on items imported by us from China or other countries could increase our costs and could result in lowering our gross margin on products sold.
Additionally, U.S. and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption following the escalation of geopolitical tensions and the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and more recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. Although the length and impact of the ongoing military conflicts is highly unpredictable, the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel/Palestine could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as further supply chain interruptions. Additionally, the recent military conflict in Ukraine has led to sanctions and other penalties being levied by the United States, European Union and other countries against Russia. Additional potential sanctions and penalties have also been proposed and/or threatened. Russian military actions and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets, potentially making it more difficult for us to obtain additional funds.
Although our business has not been materially impacted by the ongoing military conflict between Russian and Ukraine or the conflict between to date, it is impossible to predict the extent to which our operations, or those of our 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 substantial. We are continuing to monitor the situation in Ukraine and globally and assessing its potential impact on our business.
52
As a result of these global issues and other macroeconomic factors, it has been difficult to accurately forecast our revenues or financial results, especially given the near and long term impact of the pandemic, and geopolitical issues, inflation, the Federal Reserve interest rate increases and the potential for a recession. In addition, while the potential impact and duration of these issues on the economy and our business may be difficult to assess or predict, these world events have resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant disruption of global financial markets, and may reduce our ability to access additional capital, which could negatively affect our liquidity in the future. Our results of operations could be materially below our forecasts as well, which could adversely affect our results of operations, disappoint analysts and investors, or cause our stock price to decline. Furthermore, a decrease in orders in a given period could negatively affect our revenues in future periods.
These global issues and events may also have the effect of heightening many risks associated with our customers and supply chain. We may take further actions that alter our operations as may be required by federal, state, or local authorities from time to time, or which we determine are in our best interests. In addition, we may decide to postpone or abandon planned investments in our business in response to changes in our business, which may impact our ability to attract and retain customers and our rate of innovation, either of which could harm our business.
Inflation
Inflation has increased recently and future rates are unknown. Inflationary factors, such as increases in the cost of our products (and components thereof), interest rates, overhead costs and transportation costs may adversely affect our operating results. Although we do not believe that inflation has had a material impact on our financial position or results of operations to date, we may experience some effect in the near future (especially if inflation rates continue to rise) due to supply chain constraints, consequences associated with the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, employee availability and wage increases, trade tariffs imposed on certain products from China and increased component and services pricing.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We have not entered into any off-balance sheet arrangements.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Office Lease
The Company executed a noncancelable operating lease for approximately 9,091 square feet of office space in Hayward, California in November 2021 as its headquarters. There lease expires in October 2025 and there is no option to renew for an additional term. The Company is obligated to pay, on a pro-rata basis, real estate taxes and operating costs related to the premises.
Lease costs recorded during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $222 thousand and $223 thousand, respectively.
We enter into contracts in the normal course of business with our contract manufacturer and other vendors to assist in the manufacturing of our products and performance of our research and development activities and other services for operating purposes. These contracts generally provide for termination for convenience after expiration of an advance notice period ranging from 0 to 60 days, and therefore are cancelable contracts and not included in the table of contractual obligations and commitments.
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates
The preparation of our financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the amounts reported in those financial statements and accompanying notes. Although we believe that the estimates we use are reasonable, due to the inherent uncertainty involved in making those estimates, actual results reported in future periods could differ from those estimates.
We believe that the accounting policies described below involve a high degree of judgment and complexity. Accordingly, these are the policies we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our financial condition and results of our operations.
53
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue from product sales in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”). The standard applies to all contracts with customers, except contracts that are within scope of other standards, such as leases, insurance, collaboration arrangements and financial instruments.
Under Topic 606, an entity recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration that the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that an entity determines are in within the scope of Topic 606, the entity performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inceptions, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of Topic 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determines those that are performance obligations and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.
The Company sells its products direct-to-consumer and third-party online resellers. Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods is transferred to the customers or retailer, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods and services. Revenue associated with products holding rights of return are recognized when the Company concludes there is not a risk of significant revenue reversal in the future periods for the expected consideration in the transaction.
The Company may receive payments at the onset of the contract and before goods have been delivered. In such instances, the Company records a deferred revenue liability. The Company recognizes these contract liabilities as sales after the revenue criteria are met.
The Company relies on third parties to have procedures in place to detect and prevent credit card fraud, as the Company has exposure to losses from fraudulent charges. The Company records the losses related to chargebacks as incurred.
The Company has also elected to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price sales taxes remitted to governmental authorities.
Stock-Based Compensation
We measure all stock options and other stock-based awards granted to our employees, directors, consultants and other non-employee service providers based on the fair value on the date of the grant. Compensation expense related to awards to employees and directors with service-based vesting conditions is recognized on a straight-line basis based on the grant date fair value over the associated service period of the award, which is typically the vesting term. Compensation expense related to awards to employees with performance-based vesting conditions is recognized based on grant date fair value over the requisite service period using the accelerated attribution method to the extent achievement of the performance condition is probable. Non-employee option awards are measured at the earlier of the commitment date for performance by the counterparty or the date when the performance is complete, and compensation expense is recognized in the same manner as if we had paid cash for goods or services.
We classify stock-based compensation expense in our statement of operations in the same way the award recipient’s payroll costs are classified or in which the award recipients’ service payments are classified.
54
We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock options on the date of grant. Using the Black-Scholes option pricing model requires management to make significant assumptions and judgments. We determined these assumptions for the Black-Scholes option-pricing model as discussed below.
As of December 31, 2023, the total compensation cost related to nonvested service-based awards not yet recognized is $440 thousand. The weighted-average period over which the nonvested awards is expected to be recognized is 2.04 years. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options outstanding as of December 31, 2023 was zero for both vested and unvested options.
Common Stock Valuations
The fair value of the shares of common stock underlying our stock-based awards prior to our IPO was determined by our board of directors with input from management and contemporaneous third-party valuations. We believe that our board of directors had the relevant experience and expertise to determine the fair value of our common stock prior to our IPO. Given the absence of a public trading market of our common stock, and in accordance with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Practice Aid, Valuation of Privately-Held Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation, our board of directors exercised reasonable judgment and considered numerous and subjective factors to determine the best estimate of the fair value of our common stock at each grant date. These factors include:
55
In valuing our common stock, our board of directors determined the equity value of our business using the hybrid method with input from management and contemporaneous third-party valuations. The hybrid method is based upon the probability-weighted value across two scenarios, being (i) successfully consummating an initial public offering and (ii) alternative scenarios in which an initial public offering is not consummated. The hybrid method can be a useful alternative to explicitly modeling all probability-weighted expected return scenarios in situations when the company has transparency into one or more near term exits but is unsure about what will occur if current plans do not materialize. In the first scenario, the potential exit date, the probability exit value and the likelihood of interim financings were considered. In the second scenario, which was assigned the residual probability, the potential exit date, the equity volatility, the assumed interest rate, the dividend yield and equity inflection points at which the allocation of proceeds changes were considered. The valuation method considers the total number of shares authorized and outstanding, as well as recent issuances of both preferred and common stock.
Application of these approaches involves the use of estimates, judgment and assumptions that are highly complex and subjective, such as those regarding the time to the liquidation event and volatility. Changes in these estimates and assumptions or the relationships between these assumptions impact our valuations as of each valuation date and may have a material impact on the valuation of common stock.
Following our IPO, the fair value of each share of underlying common stock will be based on the closing price of our common stock as reported by the Nasdaq Capital Market, or such other national securities exchange that our common stock is listed on, on the date of grant or as otherwise provided in the proposed 2021 Equity Incentive Plan. Future expense amounts for any particular period could be affected by changes in our assumptions or market conditions.
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, and may remain an emerging growth company until December 31, 2026. For so long as we remain an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include:
56
We have taken advantage of reduced reporting requirements in this Report and may continue to do so until such time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of (a) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of $1.235 billion or more, (b) December 31, 2026, the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the completion of our IPO, (c) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years or (d) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC. Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We have irrevocably elected not to avail ourselves of this extended transition period and, as a result, we will adopt new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for other public companies.
In addition, we are also a smaller reporting company as defined in the Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an emerging growth company. We may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled disclosures for so long as (i) our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter or (ii) our annual revenue is less than $100.0 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700.0 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
For a description of recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 2 of the notes to our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, included elsewhere in this Report.
Item 7A – Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Not applicable.
Item 8 - Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
See the financial statements included elsewhere in this Report beginning at page F-1, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9 – Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A - Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our Chief Executive Officer and our Interim Chief Financial Officer, after evaluating our “disclosure controls and procedures” (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) as of the end of the period covered by this Report (the “Evaluation Date”), have concluded that as of the Evaluation Date, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms, and to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in such reports is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, where appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
57
Management Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Management assessed our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, the end of our fiscal year. Management based its assessment on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Management’s assessment included evaluation of elements such as the design and operating effectiveness of key financial reporting controls, process documentation, accounting policies, and our overall control environment.
In connection with this assessment, management determined that there was a material weakness in the Company's internal controls over financial reporting due to the small size of our accounting and financial reporting team. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a 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. Due to the material weakness, management concluded that as of December 31, 2023, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was not effective. Management reviewed the results of management’s assessment with the Audit and Risk Committee of our Board of Directors.
In order to address and resolve the weakness, the Company is evaluating the optimal accounting and finance personnel level/resources, to the extent feasible based upon the company's financial position, and continue to enhance its relevant processes and procedures.
As a result of the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, and the resulting amendment of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as a smaller reporting company, the Company is not required to provide an attestation report by our independent registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 or thereafter, until such time as we are no longer eligible for the exemption for smaller issuers set forth within the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Inherent Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls
Our management, including our Interim Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting will prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well-designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. The design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Further, because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. The design of any system of controls is based in part on certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of controls to future periods are subject to risks. Over time, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance with policies or procedures.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no material changes in our internal controls over financial reporting during the year ended December 31, 2023, that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s goal is to continue to improve upon our internal control environment as we refine our processes and procedures to address our growing business and operations in other geographies. As we continue to evaluate and take actions to improve our internal control over financial reporting, we may determine to take additional actions to address control deficiencies or determine to modify certain of the remediation measurements that we are anticipating to make, which may include, without limitation, retaining a third party to assist with the implementation of any such remediations. The retention of third-party service providers for purposes of remediation may involve us incurring material costs in the future.
58
Item 9B - Other Information
As previously disclosed, November 25, 2022, the Company entered into a Fulfillment Services Agreement (the “ALOM Agreement”), with ALOM, pursuant to which ALOM provides, on a non-exclusive basis, certain assembly, procurement, storage, returns, and fulfillment services to the Company's end customers and retailers within the United States. The consideration payable by the Company to ALOM for services rendered under the ALOM Agreement is calculated and invoiced based on fixed hourly rates and fixed unit pricing, as applicable, subject to certain exceptions; provided that, commencing April 1, 2023, the Company became subject to a $25 thousand minimum monthly purchase requirement.
On March 5, 2024, the Company and ALOM entered into an amendment to the ALOM Agreement, pursuant to which ALOM agreed to waive the hourly account management charges and minimum monthly purchase requirements set forth in the ALOM Agreement for the period from January 2024 through June 2024, and the parties further agreed to extend the initial term of the agreement to December 31, 2024. The Company is currently evaluating alternative providers for the services provided by ALOM as an effort to continue to further reduce both direct and indirect costs associated with product manufacturing and distribution.
Item 9C – Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
59
PART III
Item 10 – Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance
Directors
The following table sets forth the names, ages, and positions of our directors as of March 20, 2024. There are no arrangements or understandings between any director and any other person pursuant to which any director was or is to be selected as a director.
Name |
|
Age |
|
Position |
Jennifer Ernst |
|
55 |
|
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
Sheryle Bolton |
|
77 |
|
Chair of the Board |
Karen Drexler |
|
64 |
|
Director |
Dean Zikria |
|
56 |
|
Director |
Jennifer Ernst is a co-founder and has served as our Chief Executive Officer and as a director since September 2016; she also served as our Chief Financial Officer from September 2016 to July 2021. Previously, Ms. Ernst served as the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. subsidiary of Thin Film Electronics ASA from April 2011 to December 2015. Ms. Ernst also served as the Chief Strategy Officer of Thin Film Electronics ASA from January 2014 to December 2015, where she established and guided the strategic planning process across all business functions and four separate product lines. Ms. Ernst also worked for Xerox PARC for over 20 years, where she held multiple go-to-market roles, including as the Director of Business Development. Ms. Ernst previously served as a director of FlexTech Alliance, the U.S. national consortium for flexible and printed electronics, for four years, including one year as the Chair. Ms. Ernst earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Santa Clara University.
Sheryle Bolton has served as a director on our board since July 16, 2019, and as Chair of the board since August 18, 2021. She is an experienced serial technology entrepreneur, public company chief executive officer, corporate executive, speaker, board member, and investor. Ms. Bolton has been a corporate executive in financial services, media, and health care and has served on the boards of private and public corporations, ranging from large groups of mutual funds to technology and finance companies, as well as non-profits, including an NGO, where she served as Chair of the audit committee, focused on financing small businesses in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa and Berry College, a private college with an internationally known work-study program. Ms. Bolton worked in private equity investing as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets, as Director of Strategy at Home Box Office and in asset management at Rockefeller & Co. In her roles as Chief Executive Officer, she raised significant funding for several start-ups from angels, venture capital, and the public and institutional markets. She previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Scientific Learning Corporation, a health care and educational technology company, where she led the company from pre-product to IPO with venture funding from Warburg Pincus. She also served as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the public company after completion of their IPO. She has served as a board member for more than forty Scudder-Kemper mutual funds. From 2015 to 2021, Ms. Bolton was an adjunct Professor of Practice at Hult International Business School, where she taught entrepreneurship and finance courses in graduate and undergraduate programs. She has also been an invited speaker on business and entrepreneurship in the U.S., Asia, the Pacific Rim, Latin America, and Europe. Harvard Business School recognized Ms. Bolton as one of its most influential female graduates in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. She was a recipient of the first Springboard All-Women’s IPO Class award, formerly served as Chair of Watermark, the largest organization in Silicon Valley for female executives and entrepreneurs, and is a recipient of the “A Woman Who Made Her Mark” award, among many other honors and recognition. Ms. Bolton started her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts. and a Master of Arts in Linguistics from the University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
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Karen Drexler has served as a director on our board since July 16, 2019. Ms. Drexler is a serial entrepreneur with expertise in the fields of digital health, medical devices and diagnostics. From September 2014 to June 2020 she served as board member of, and from June 2016 until June 2020, she was the Chief Executive Officer of, Sandstone Diagnostics, Inc., a private company developing instruments and consumables for point-of-care medical testing. Ms. Drexler also serves on the boards of ResMed (NYSE: RSMD), OutSet Medical (NASDAQ: OM), EBR Systems (ASX: EBR), VIDA Health, a leading company in Al-powered lung intelligence solutions and analytics, and Huma.ai, a medical intelligence company. From 2011 to 2017, she served as Chair of the board of Hygieia, Inc., a digital insulin therapy company, where she remains involved as an advisor to the chief executive officer. She also acts as a senior strategic advisor for other early-stage companies and spent 11 years on the board of the Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education at Princeton University. Ms. Drexler has served on numerous private company boards in the fields of diagnostics, medical devices, and digital health. She is an active mentor and advisor with Astia, a global nonprofit that supports high-potential female founders. She is a founding member of Astia Angels, a network of individual investors who fund such founders, and a lead mentor with StartX, the Stanford University incubator. She is also on the Life Science and Women’s Health Councils for Springboard, an accelerator for women-led technology-oriented companies. Through her work with Astia, Springboard, and StartX, she interacts with many promising young medtech companies. Ms. Drexler was a founder, president, and Chief Executive Officer of Amira Medical Inc., a private company focused on minimally invasive glucose monitoring technology, from 1996 until it was sold to Roche Holding AG in 2001. Before joining Amira Medical, she held management roles at LifeScan and played a key role in its sale to Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ). Ms. Drexler graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and earned a Master of Business Administration with honors from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Dean Zikria has served as a director on our board since July 10, 2019. Mr. Zikria brings deep industry experience in allergy and asthma as well as other chronic diseases to the board. Since August 2019, Dean has been the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Mind Machine LLC, a Silicon Valley based marketing/advertising agency - focused on the MedTech industry. From June 1, 2021 until January 2023, he served as the Chief Commercial Officer at Intuity Medical Inc., a Silicon Valley MedTech company launching a highly disruptive glucose meter in the diabetes industry. In addition, he has served as Chairman of DZ Advisors, LLC, a company founded by Mr. Zikria in 2017 that provides consulting and advisory services to the medtech, biotech, digital health and pharmaceutical industries; since inception, where he also served as President from December 2017 until May 31, 2021. Mr. Zikria also sits on the boards of the following privately held companies: AsthmaTek, Inc., a startup digital health company in the asthma space; Brev.Dev, Inc., a technology company developing a disruptive platform to aid developers. Dean previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Spirosure Inc., a FeNO detection company for asthma diagnostics, from 2014 to 2017. Additionally, he previously served as head of global marketing for Johnson & Johnson’s Animas Corporation within their medical device & diagnostics division. He was head of strategy for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals U.S. Cardiovascular Unit, a division with approximately $7 billion in annual revenues. Mr. Zikria brings experience in strategic planning, scenario planning and analysis, and mergers and acquisitions, including sourcing, transactions and integration.
Board Classification
In accordance with the terms of our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, our board of directors (“Board”) is divided into three staggered classes, and each of our directors is assigned to one of the three classes, Class I, Class II and Class III. Each class of directors is elected for a three-year term, provided that the first term for each class of directors will expire as set forth below. Currently, our directors are divided among the three classes as follows:
|
• |
|
the Class I director is Karen Drexler, and her current term will expire at our 2025 annual meeting of stockholders; |
|
• |
|
the Class II director is Dean Zikria, and his current term will expire at our 2026 annual meeting; and |
|
• |
|
the Class III directors are Sheryle Bolton and Jennifer Ernst, and their initial terms will expire at our 2024 annual meeting of stockholders. |
61
Board Committees
The Board has three standing committees, the Audit and Risk Committee, the Compensation Committee, and the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee, to assist it with the performance of its responsibilities. The Board designates the members of these committees and the committee chairs based on the recommendation of the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee. The Board has adopted written charters for each of these committees, all of which can be found on our corporate website at https://tivichealth.com/investor/. The chair of each committee develops the agenda for that committee and determines the frequency and length of committee meetings.
Audit and Risk Committee
Our Board has established an Audit and Risk Committee which consists of three independent directors, Dean Zikria, Sheryle Bolton and Karen Drexler, with Sheryle Bolton serving as the Chairperson. The Board has determined that each member of the Audit and Risk Committee meets the independence requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act, and the applicable rules of Nasdaq, and has sufficient knowledge in financial and auditing matters to serve on the Audit and Risk Committee. The committee’s primary duties include:
The Board has determined that Sheryle Bolton is an “audit committee financial expert,” as that term is defined in the rules promulgated by the Commission pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Board has further determined that each of the members of the Audit and Risk Committee is financially literate and that at least one member of the committee has accounting or related financial management expertise, as such terms are interpreted by the Board in its business judgment.
62
Compensation Committee
Our Board has established a Compensation Committee which consists of three independent directors (as defined under the general independence standards of Nasdaq and our Corporate Governance Guidelines): Dean Zikria, Sheryle Bolton and Karen Drexler are each a “non-employee director” (within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act). Karen Drexler serves as Chairperson of the Compensation Committee. The committee’s primary duties include:
Our Compensation Committee determines and approves elements of executive officer compensation, except that compensation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer will be subject to review and approval by the Board. It also provides recommendations to the Board with respect to non-employee director compensation. The Compensation Committee may not delegate its authority to any other person, other than to a subcommittee.
Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee
Our Board has also established a Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee which consists of Dean Zikria, Sheryle Bolton and Karen Drexler, with Karen Drexler serving as Chairperson. The committee’s primary duties include:
Nomination of Directors
Our Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee is charged with making recommendations to our Board regarding qualified candidates to serve as members of the Board. The Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee’s goal is to assemble a board of directors with the skills and characteristics that, taken as a whole, will assure a strong board of directors with experience and expertise in all aspects of corporate governance. Accordingly, the committee believes that candidates for director should have certain minimum qualifications, including personal integrity, strength of character, an inquiring and independent mind, practical wisdom, and mature judgment. In evaluating director nominees, the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee considers the following factors:
63
Other than the foregoing, there are no stated minimum criteria for director nominees, although the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee may also consider such other factors as it deems to be in the Company’s and its stockholders’ best interests, including diversity. Although the Company does not have a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying director nominees, the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee is committed to complying with the diversity requirements of Nasdaq. The Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee does, however, believe it appropriate for at least one member of the Board to meet the criteria for an “audit committee financial expert,” as defined by Commission rules, and for a majority of the members of the Board to meet the definition of an “independent director” under Nasdaq listing standards. The Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee also believes it is appropriate for our chief executive officer to serve on our Board.
The Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee identifies nominees by first evaluating the current members of the relevant class of our Board that are willing to continue in service. Current members of our Board with skills and experience that are relevant to our business and who are willing to continue in service are considered for re-nomination, but the committee at all times seeks to balance the value of continuity of service by existing members of the Board with that of obtaining a new perspective. If any member of the relevant class of our Board does not wish to continue in service at the time that their term is scheduled to expire, the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee’s policy is to not re-nominate that member for re-election. The Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee identifies the desired skills and experience of a new nominee, and then uses its network and external resources to solicit and compile a list of eligible candidates.
We do not have a formal policy concerning stockholder recommendations of nominees for director to the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee as, to-date, we have not received any recommendations from stockholders requesting the Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee to consider a candidate for inclusion among the Company’s slate of nominees in our proxy statements. However, the absence of such a policy does not mean that such recommendations will not be considered. Notwithstanding the foregoing, stockholders wishing to recommend a candidate for election must follow the process outlined in Section 2.5 of our Bylaws and comply with the rules established by the Commission, including Rule 14a-19(b) of the Exchange Act, as applicable.
Executive Officers
The following table sets forth the names, ages, and positions of our executive officers as of March 20, 2024. There are no arrangements or understandings between any executive officer and any other person pursuant to which any executive officer was selected to serve in such role.
Name |
|
Age |
|
Position |
Jennifer Ernst |
|
55 |
|
Chief Executive Officer and Director |
Kimberly Bambach |
|
52 |
|
Interim Chief Financial Officer |
Blake Gurfein, PhD |
|
40 |
|
Chief Scientific Officer |
Jennifer Ernst. Please see Ms. Ernst’s biography under the section entitled “Directors,” above.
64
Kimberly Bambach currently serves as Tivic's Interim Chief Financial Officer since May 2023, with 30+ years of financial leadership experience in both public and private companies. Her background includes financial leadership in medical and retail markets, manufacturing, wholesale distribution, licensing, digital media, and broadcasting. Ms. Bambach specializes in scaling finance organizations in early development stage to post commercial, large international corporations and IPOs assisting with the navigation through transitions between the different phases of business and fundraising efforts. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Bambach served as the Chief Financial Officer at Jushi Holdings, Inc., where she played a pivotal role in the company's rapid growth, reverse merger, multi-state acquisitions, equity/debt raises as well as the associated regulatory filings in both IFRS & US GAAP. She received Bachelors of Science Degrees in Finance from SUNY Brockport, and an MBA in Strategic Planning from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University in New York City.
Blake Gurfein, PhD serves as our Chief Scientific Officer, a role that he has held since March 2019, prior to which he served as our Vice President of Research commencing in January 2018. Dr. Gurfein leads our clinical and scientific research. In addition to his full-time role with the Company, he has also served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco since 2012. Dr. Gurfein is an expert in neuromodulation device development and has served as a research executive and consultant for several medical device and pharma companies, including as Chief Scientific Officer of Rio Grande Neurosciences from 2014 to 2017 and as a Medical Writer for EMD Serono/Pfizer in 2012. Dr. Gurfein’s prior research in neuroscience and immunology was funded by the National Institutes of Health and philanthropic donors, yielding high-impact journal publications. Dr. Gurfein has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an Sc.B. in Neuroscience from Brown University.
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships among any of our directors and executive officers.
Legal Proceedings
To our knowledge, (i) no director or executive officer has been a director or executive officer of any business that has filed a bankruptcy petition or had a bankruptcy petition filed against it during the past ten years; (ii) no director or executive officer has been convicted of a criminal offense or is the subject of a pending criminal proceeding during the past ten years; (iii) no director or executive officer has been the subject of any order, judgment or decree of any court permanently or temporarily enjoining, barring, suspending or otherwise limiting his involvement in any type of business, securities or banking activities during the past ten years; and (iv) no director or officer has been found by a court to have violated a federal or state securities or commodities law during the past ten years.
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our employees, officers and directors, including those officers responsible for financial reporting. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is available on our corporate website at https://tivichealth.com/investor/. We intend to disclose any amendments to the code, or any waivers of its requirements, on our corporate website or in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Compensation Recovery Policy
In November 2023, we adopted a compensation recovery policy (the “Compensation Recovery Policy”) that is designed to comply with, and will be interpreted in a manner consistent with, Section 10D and Rule 10D-1 of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, including any interpretive guidance provided by Nasdaq. Under our Compensation Recovery Policy, in the event of an accounting restatement due to the Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under the securities laws, including any required accounting restatement to correct a material error in previously issued financial statements, or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period, the Company must recover erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation previously paid to the Company’s executive officers in accordance with the terms of such Compensation Recovery Policy. Furthermore, under the Compensation Recovery Policy, the Company is prohibited from indemnifying any executive officer or former
65
executive officer against the loss of erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation and from paying or reimbursing an executive officer for purchasing insurance to cover any such loss.
A copy of our Compensation Recovery Policy is attached as Exhibit 97.1 to this Annual Report.
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s directors and executive officers and persons who beneficially own more than ten percent of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities to file with the Commission initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of Common Stock and other equity securities of the Company. Officers, directors and greater than ten percent beneficial stockholders are required by Commission regulations to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. To the best of the Company’s knowledge based solely on a review of Forms 3, 4, and 5 (and any amendments thereof) received by us during or with respect to the year ended December 31, 2023 and written representations that no other reports were required, Kimberly Bambach inadvertently failed to timely file a Form 3 in connection with her appointment as Interim Chief Financial Officer in April 2023; there were no other late Section 16 filings during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Item 11 – Executive Compensation
Overview
This section discusses the material components of the executive compensation program for our named executive officers who are named in the “Summary Compensation Table,” below. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023, our “named executive officers” and their positions were as follows:
This discussion may contain forward-looking statements that are based on our current plans, considerations, expectations and determinations regarding future compensation programs. Actual compensation programs that we adopt in the future may differ materially from the currently planned programs summarized in this discussion.
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth, for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the dollar value of all cash and noncash compensation earned by our named executive officers, as set forth above.
Name and Principal Position |
|
Year |
|
|
Salary |
|
|
Bonus |
|
|
Option |
|
|
All Other |
|
|
Totals |
|
||||||
Jennifer Ernst, |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
|
275,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
15,393 |
|
|
|
38,947 |
|
|
|
329,340 |
|
CEO and Director |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
|
275,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
123,320 |
|
|
|
20,901 |
|
|
|
419,221 |
|
Blake Gurfein, PhD |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
|
303,409 |
|
|
|
40,625 |
|
|
|
12,315 |
|
|
|
48,672 |
|
|
|
405,021 |
|
Chief Scientific Officer |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
|
275,000 |
|
|
|
50,938 |
|
|
|
29,038 |
|
|
|
29,926 |
|
|
|
384,902 |
|
Ryan Sabia (3) |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
|
229,167 |
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
|
|
12,315 |
|
|
|
33,759 |
|
|
|
285,241 |
|
Chief Operating Officer |
|
|
2022 |
|
|
|
254,205 |
|
|
|
24,750 |
|
|
|
41,484 |
|
|
|
16,994 |
|
|
|
337,433 |
|
66
Narrative to the summary compensation table
Employment Agreements/Arrangements
As of the year ended December 31, 2023, we had executive offer letters in place with Jennifer Ernst, our Chief Executive Officer; Blake Gurfein, our Chief Science Officer; and Ryan Sabia, our Chief Operating Officer, as well as a consulting agreement with Kimberly Bambach, our Interim Chief Financial Officer. A summary of the terms is set forth below.
Currently, the annual compensation of each of our executive officers is determined by the Board. The named executive officers are also entitled to participate in the Company’s benefit plans, which benefits are generally available to all full-time employees.
Executive Offer Letter with Jennifer Ernst
On July 31, 2021, we entered into an executive offer letter with Jennifer Ernst. Pursuant to her executive offer letter, effective July 31, 2021, Ms. Ernst is entitled to a base salary of $275 thousand and, commencing with the 2022 calendar year (payable in the first quarter of 2023), will be eligible to receive, at the sole discretion of the Board, an annual end-of-year incentive bonus in an amount up to 40% of her base salary. The annual end-of-year incentive bonus, if earned, will be determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, and will be dependent upon the achievement of certain Company milestones and profitability, and such other milestones as the Board deems appropriate.
Ms. Ernst’s employment is “at will,” meaning that either she or the Company are entitled to terminate Ms. Ernst’s employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause. In the event that her employment with the Company is terminated for any reason before December 31 of any given year, she will not be entitled to receive an annual end-of-year bonus. In the event that (i) Ms. Ernst elects to terminate her employment with the Company other than for good reason, (ii) the Company terminates her employment for cause, or (iii) her employment is terminated as a result of her death of complete disability, then Ms. Ernst will not be entitled to receive any separation benefits. In the event that Ms. Ernst terminates her employment for good reason or the Company terminates her employment without cause, Ms. Ernst shall be entitled to receive 1/12 of her base salary for a period of six months after termination.
Executive Offer Letter with Blake Gurfein
In January 2018, we entered into a standard at will offer with Blake Gurfein, which was amended in part in February 2019. Pursuant to his offer letter, Mr. Gurfein is entitled to a base salary of $350 thousand per annum and, will be eligible to receive, at the sole discretion of the Board, an annual end-of-year incentive bonus in an amount up to 25% of his base salary. The annual end-of-year incentive bonus, if earned, will be determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, and will be based on subjective or objective criteria, as approved by the Board.
Mr. Gurfein’s employment is “at will,” meaning that either he or the Company are entitled to terminate Mr. Gurfein’s employment at any time and for any reason, with or without cause. In the event that his employment with the Company is terminated for any reason before December 31 of any given year, he will not be entitled to receive an annual end-of-year bonus. In the event that Mr. Gurfein’s employment terminates as a result of an involuntary Separation of Service (as defined in the regulations interpreting Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code), other than for cause, Mr. Gurfein will be eligible to receive his full base salary for a period of six months after termination, as well as reimbursement for COBRA premiums him and his covered dependents for six months after termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such severance benefits shall be waived in the event that a Separation of Services occurs within 12 months of a change of control that results in proceeds to Mr. Gurfein of $2,000,000 or more.
67
Executive Offer Letter with Ryan Sabia
On April 1, 2022, we entered into an executive offer letter with Ryan Sabia. Pursuant to his executive offer letter, and prior to his termination in January 2024, Mr. Sabia was entitled to a base salary of $250 thousand per annum (subject to review and adjustment in accordance with the Company’s normal performance review practices) and, commencing with the 2022 calendar year (payable in the first quarter of 2023), was eligible to receive, at the sole discretion of the Board, an annual end-of-year incentive bonus in an amount up to 25% of base salary. The annual end-of-year incentive bonus, if earned, was to be determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, and was to be dependent upon the achievement of certain Company milestones and profitability, and such other milestones as the Board deems appropriate.
Mr. Sabia was terminated as an employee and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. Mr. Sabia received salary and benefits earned by him through his termination date, and was not entitled to, and did not receive, any separation benefits in connection with his termination. Additionally, all outstanding options to purchase Company common stock held by Mr. Sabia as of his termination date terminated.
Agreement with Kimberly Bambach
Kimberly Bambach was appointed as the Company’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective April 28, 2023, and was retained to provide such services as a non-employee consultant pursuant to a consulting agreement. Pursuant to such agreement, Ms. Bambach is entitled to receive $200 per hour for services provided in her capacity as Interim Chief Financial Officer. The agreement shall remain effective until such time as it is terminated by either party.
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End 2023
The following table provides information regarding the outstanding equity awards held by our named executive officers as of December 31, 2023. See “Equity Incentive Plan Information,” below, for additional information regarding our equity incentive plans.
|
|
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Option Awards |
|
Stock Awards |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name |
|
Number of |
|
|
Number of |
|
Equity |
|
|
Option |
|
|
Option |
|
Number |
|
Market |
|
|
Equity |
|
|
Equity |
|
||||||||||||
Jennifer Ernst |
|
|
575 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
13.20 |
|
|
4/1/2028 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
917 |
|
|
|
1,083 |
|
(1) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
183.00 |
|
|
2/4/2027 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
1,250 |
|
(2) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
13.00 |
|
|
5/8/2033 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Blake Gurfein |
|
|
413 |
|
|
|
412 |
|
(3) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
459.00 |
|
|
12/14/2031 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
79 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
12.00 |
|
|
4/3/2028 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
53 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
12.00 |
|
|
6/27/2028 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
162 |
|
|
|
188 |
|
(4) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
167.00 |
|
|
2/4/2032 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
1,000 |
|
(2) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
13.00 |
|
|
5/8/2033 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Ryan Sabia(6) |
|
|
345 |
|
|
|
155 |
|
(5) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
160.00 |
|
|
6/17/2031 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
126 |
|
|
|
124 |
|
(3) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
459.00 |
|
|
12/14/2031 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
230 |
|
|
|
270 |
|
(1) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
167.00 |
|
|
2/4/2032 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
1,000 |
|
(2) |
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
13.00 |
|
|
5/8/2033 |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
68
2017 Equity Incentive Plan
The Board adopted the 2017 Plan on April 13, 2017. The principal purpose of the 2017 Plan was to attract, retain and motivate selected employees, consultants and directors through the granting of stock-based compensation awards and cash-based performance bonus awards. The material terms of the 2017 Plan are summarized below. In August 2021, the Board adopted and our stockholders approved the 2021 Plan, which became effective upon the completion of our IPO. Upon the effectiveness of the 2021 Plan, it replaced the 2017 Plan, except with respect to awards outstanding under the 2017 Plan, and no further awards are available for grant under the 2017 Plan.
Share reserve. Under the 2017 Plan, 9,813 shares of our common stock were reserved for issuance pursuant to a variety of stock-based compensation awards, including stock options, restricted stock awards, and other stock-based awards. With respect to the share reserve under the 2017 Plan:
As noted above, upon the effectiveness of the 2021 Plan, it replaced the 2017 Plan, except with respect to awards outstanding under the 2017 Plan, and no further awards are available for grant under the 2017 Plan.
Administration. Following completion of our IPO, the Compensation Committee of the Board began administering the 2017 Plan. Prior to that, the 2017 Plan was administered by the Board.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the 2017 Plan, the administrator has the authority to select the persons to whom awards are to be made, to determine the number of shares to be subject to awards and the terms and conditions of awards, and to make all other determinations and to take all other actions necessary or advisable for the administration of the 2017 Plan. The administrator is also authorized to adopt, amend or rescind rules relating to administration of the 2017 Plan. The Board may at any time remove the Compensation Committee as the administrator and revest in itself the authority to administer the 2017 Plan.
Eligibility. Options, restricted stock and all other stock-based and cash-based awards under the 2017 Plan may be granted to individuals who are then our officers, employees or consultants or are the officers, employees or consultants of certain of our subsidiaries. Such awards also may be granted to our directors. Only employees of our company may be granted incentive stock options (“ISOs”).
69
Awards. The 2017 Plan provides that the administrator may grant or issue stock options, restricted stock, other stock- or cash-based awards and dividend equivalents, or any combination thereof; provided, however, that as noted above, no additional awards may be issued under the 2017 Plan. Each award will be set forth in a separate agreement with the person receiving the award, which will indicate the type, terms and conditions of the award.
Other stock-based awards may be granted to participants and may also be available as a payment form in the settlement of other awards, as standalone payments and as payment in lieu of base salary, bonus, fees or other cash compensation otherwise payable to any individual who is eligible to receive awards. The plan administrator will determine the terms and conditions of other stock-based awards, which may include vesting conditions based on continued service, performance and/or other conditions.
Any award may be granted as a performance award, meaning that the award will be subject to vesting and/or payment based on the attainment of specified performance goals.
Change in control. In the event of a change in control, to the extent that an award (i) is vested, (ii) the terms of an award provide for acceleration of vesting upon a change in control, or (iii) the administrator elects to accelerate the vesting of the award in connection with the change in control, the plan administrator may elect to provide for the purchase or exchange of an award for cash or other property in an amount equal to the difference between (x) the value of cash or other property the optionee would receive in connection with such change in control if the optionee exercised the award, and (y) the aggregate exercise price of the vested portion of the award. If the award is not purchased or exchanged as provided above, then the award will be terminated and cease to be exercisable unless the award is expressly assumed or substituted by the acquirer.
70
Adjustments of awards. In the event of any stock dividend or other distribution, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, combinations or exchange of share, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin off, recapitalization, repurchase or any other corporate event affecting the number of outstanding shares of our common stock or the share price of our common stock that would require adjustments to the 2017 Plan or any awards under the 2017 Plan in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the potential benefits intended to be made available thereunder, the administrator will make appropriate, proportionate adjustments to: (i) the aggregate number and type of shares subject to the 2017 Plan; (ii) the number and kind of shares subject to outstanding awards and terms and conditions of outstanding awards (including, without limitation, any applicable performance targets or criteria with respect to such awards); and (iii) the grant or exercise price per share of any outstanding awards under the 2017 Plan. In connection with the 1-for-4 reverse stock split of our issued and outstanding shares of common stock that was effected on August 31, 2021, the terms of certain awards granted under our 2017 Plan were equitably adjusted in accordance with the provisions thereof.
Amendment and termination. The administrator may terminate, amend or modify the 2017 Plan at any time and from time to time. However, we must generally obtain stockholder approval to amend or modify the 2017 Plan to the extent required by applicable law, rule or regulation (including any applicable stock exchange rule). Notwithstanding the foregoing, an option may be amended to reduce the per share exercise price below the per share exercise price of such option on the grant date and options may be granted in exchange for, or in connection with, the cancellation or surrender of options having a higher per share exercise price without receiving additional stockholder approval.
No ISOs may be granted pursuant to the 2017 Plan after the tenth anniversary of the effective date of the 2017 Plan. Any award that is outstanding on the termination date of the 2017 Plan will remain in force according to the terms of the 2017 Plan and the applicable award agreement.
2021 Equity Incentive Plan
In August 2021, the Board adopted and our stockholders approved the 2021 Plan, which became effective upon the completion of our IPO. Upon the effectiveness of the 2021 Plan, it replaced the 2017 Plan, except with respect to awards outstanding under the 2017 Plan, and no further awards may be made under the 2017 Plan. Additionally, any awards that are canceled or expire under the 2017 Plan will not be reissued. The principal purpose of the 2021 Plan is to attract, retain and incentivize the Company’s employees and other service providers through the granting of certain stock-based awards, including performance-based awards. The material terms of the 2021 Plan, as it is currently contemplated, are summarized below.
Share reserve. Under the 2021 Plan, 9,375 shares of our common stock were initially reserved for issuance pursuant to a variety of stock-based compensation awards, including stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, stock bonus awards and performance-based awards as of the date of its adoption by the Company. With respect to the share reserve under the 2021 Plan:
71
In addition, the 2021 Plan provides that additional shares will automatically be added to the shares authorized for issuance under the 2021 Plan on January 1 of each year. The number of shares added each year will be equal to the lesser of: (i) 5.0% of the outstanding on December 31st of the preceding calendar year or (ii) such number of shares determined by the Board, in its discretion. In accordance with this provision, on January 1, 2022, the number of shares of our common stock authorized for issuance under the 2021 Plan automatically increased from 9,375 shares to 14,233 shares (an increase equal to 5% of the number of our outstanding shares of common stock as of December 31, 2021). Additionally, on January 1, 2023, the number of shares of our common stock authorized for issuance under the 2021 Plan automatically increased from 14,233 shares to 19,072 shares (an increase equal to 5% of the number of our outstanding shares of common stock as of December 31, 2022). Additionally, on January 1, 2024, the number of shares of our common stock authorized for issuance under the 2021 Plan automatically increased from 19,072 shares to 92,376 shares (an increase equal to 5% of the number of our outstanding shares of common stock as of December 31, 2023).
Share Counting. For purposes of counting the number of shares available for the grant of stock awards under the 2021 Plan, all shares covered by any stock award shall be counted against shares available under the 2021 Plan on a “one for one” basis. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) awards that may be settled only in cash shall not be so counted, and (ii) while any performance-based award is outstanding, the maximum number of shares issuable under such award shall be counted against available shares under the 2021 Plan, and upon final settlement of such performance-based award, any shares not issued to the holder due to failure to achieve any related performance goal(s) shall again be available for grant and issuance under the 2021 Plan.
Administration. The Compensation Committee of the Board is authorized to administer the 2021 Plan unless the Board subsequently assumes authority for administration. The Compensation Committee must consist of at least two members of the Board, each of whom is intended to qualify as a “non-employee director” for purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and an “independent director” within the meaning of the rules of the applicable stock exchange, or other principal securities market on which shares of our common stock are traded. The term Administrator refers to either the Board or the Compensation Committee, as applicable.
Additionally, the Board or Compensation Committee may delegate certain functions under the 2021 Plan to designate employees who are not Officers to be recipients of awards under the 2021 Plan, and to determine the number of shares subject to awards granted to such employees.
Subject to the terms and conditions of the 2021 Plan, the Administrator has the authority to construe and interpret the 2021 Plan and awards granted under it and to determine the persons to whom and the dates on which awards will be granted, the number of shares of common stock to be subject to each award, the time or times during the term of each award within which all or a portion of such award may be exercised, the exercise price, the type of consideration and other terms of the award. All decisions, determinations and interpretations by the Administrator regarding the 2021 Plan shall be final and binding on all participants or other persons claiming rights under the 2021 Plan or any award.
Awards. The 2021 Plan provides that the Administrator may grant or issue stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, other stock-based awards and dividend equivalents, or any combination thereof. Each award will be set forth in a separate agreement with the person receiving the award and will indicate the type, terms and conditions of the award.
72
Eligibility. Options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and all other stock-based awards under the 2021 Plan may be granted to individuals who are then our officers, employees, directors or consultants or are the officers, employees or consultants of certain of our subsidiaries. Only employees of our company or certain of our subsidiaries may be granted incentive stock options, or ISOs. No ISO may be granted under the 2021 Plan to any person who, at the time of the grant, owns (or is deemed to own) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of the Company or any affiliate of the Company, unless the exercise price is at least 110% of the fair market value of the stock subject to the option on the date of grant and the term of the option does not exceed five years from the date of grant. In addition, the aggregate fair market value, determined at the time of grant, of the shares of common stock with respect to which ISOs are exercisable for the first time by a participant during any calendar year (under the 2021 Plan and all other such plans of the Company and its affiliates) may not exceed $100,000. ISOs are not transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, provided that a participant may designate a beneficiary who may exercise an option following the participant’s death.
To the extent provided by the terms of an option, a participant may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise of such option by a cash payment upon exercise, by authorizing the Company to withhold a portion of the stock otherwise issuable to the participant, or by such other method as may be set forth in the option agreement. The maximum term of options under the 2021 Plan is 10 years, except that in certain cases (see Eligibility) the maximum term of certain incentive stock options is five years. Options under the 2021 Plan generally terminate sixty (60) days after termination of the participant’s service unless (i) such termination is due to the participant’s disability, in which case the option may, but need not, provide that it may be exercised at any time within 6 months of such termination; (ii) the participant dies before the participant’s service has terminated, or within three months after termination of such service, in which case the option may, but need not, provide that it may be exercised within 12 months of the participant’s death by the person or persons to whom the rights to such option pass by will or by the laws of descent and distribution; or (iii) the option by its terms specifically provides otherwise. If an optionee’s service with the Company, or any affiliate of the Company, ceases with cause, the option will terminate at the time the optionee’s service ceases. In no event may an option be exercised after its expiration date.
73
Certain Corporate Transactions. In the event of a merger, sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or other change of control transaction, unless otherwise determined by the Board, all outstanding awards will be subject to the agreement governing such merger, asset sale or other change of control transaction. Such agreement need not treat all such awards in an identical manner, and it will provide for one or more of the following with respect to each award: (i) the continuation of the award, (ii) the assumption of the award, (iii) the substitution of the award, or (iv) the payment of the excess of the fair market value of the shares subject to the award over the exercise price or purchase price of such shares. In the event the successor corporation refuses to either continue, assume or substitute the shares subject to the award pursuant to the terms of the 2021 Plan, or pay the excess of the fair market value of the shares subject to the award over the exercise price or purchase price of such shares, then outstanding awards shall vest and become exercisable as to 100% of the shares subject thereto contingent upon the consummation of such change of control transaction.
Adjustments Provisions. Transactions not involving receipt of consideration by the Company, such as a merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, reclassification, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, stock split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, or a change in corporate structure may change the type(s), class(es) and number of shares of common stock subject to the 2021 Plan and outstanding awards. In that event, the 2021 Plan will be appropriately adjusted as to the type(s), class(es) and the maximum number of shares of common stock subject to the 2021 Plan, and outstanding awards will be adjusted as to the type(s), class(es), number of shares and price per share of common stock subject to such awards.
Amendment and termination. The administrator may terminate, amend or modify the 2021 Plan at any time and from time to time. However, we must generally obtain stockholder approval to amend or modify the 2021 Plan to the extent required by applicable law, rule or regulation (including any applicable stock exchange rule). Notwithstanding the foregoing, an option may be amended to reduce the per share exercise price below the per share exercise price of such option on the grant date and options may be granted in exchange for, or in connection with, the cancellation or surrender of options having a higher per share exercise price without receiving additional stockholder approval.
74
Director Compensation
The following table sets forth information regarding the compensation awarded to, earned by, or paid to our non-employee directors who served on our Board for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Name |
|
Fees |
|
|
Stock |
|
|
Option |
|
|
Non-equity |
|
|
Nonqualified |
|
|
All other |
|
|
Total ($) |
|
|||||||
Sheryle Bolton |
|
|
63,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2,121 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
65,121 |
|
Karen Drexler |
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2,121 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
52,121 |
|
Dean Zikria |
|
|
35,000 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2,121 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
37,121 |
|
Director |
|
Number of Shares Subject to Option Awards |
|
|
Number of Shares Subject to Stock Awards |
|
||
Sheryle Bolton |
|
|
893 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Karen Drexler |
|
|
956 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Dean Zikria |
|
|
893 |
|
|
|
— |
|
On December 16, 2021, our Board, upon recommendation of the Compensation Committee, approved an annual compensation plan for our Board (the “Board Compensation Plan”), which Board Compensation Plan is still in effect. In accordance with the Board Compensation Plan, directors of the Company will be entitled to receive the following annual compensation, which amounts will be paid in equal quarterly installments in accordance with our policies:
Item 12 - Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of our outstanding common stock as of March 20, 2024 by: (i) each of our directors, (ii) each of our named executive officers (as defined by Item 402(a)(3) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act), and (iii) all of our directors and named executive officers as a group. As of March 20, 2024, there are no persons known to us to beneficially own more than 5% of each class of our outstanding common stock. As of March 20, 2024, there were 1,466,092 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding.
75
Beneficial ownership has been determined in accordance with Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act. The percentages in the table have been calculated on the basis of treating as outstanding for a particular person, all shares of our common stock outstanding on that date and all shares of our common stock issuable to that holder in the event of exercise of outstanding options, warrants, rights or conversion privileges owned by that person at that date which are exercisable within 60 days of that date. Except as otherwise indicated, the persons listed below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of our common stock owned by them, except to the extent that power may be shared with a spouse. The Company does not know of any arrangements the operation of which may at a subsequent date result in a change of control of the Company.
Beneficial owner (1) |
|
Amount |
|
|
Percent |
|
||
Directors and Named Executive Officers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Jennifer Ernst(2) |
|
|
14,012 |
|
|
* |
|
|
Blake Gurfein, PhD(3) |
|
|
2,199 |
|
|
* |
|
|
Dean Zikria(4) |
|
|
443 |
|
|
* |
|
|
Sheryle Bolton(5) |
|
|
443 |
|
|
* |
|
|
Karen Drexler(6) |
|
|
687 |
|
|
* |
|
|
All directors and executive officers as a group (5 persons) |
|
|
17,784 |
|
|
|
1.2 |
% |
* Less than 1%
Equity Incentive Plan Information
The following table provides information as of December 31, 2023, regarding our equity compensation plans:
76
Plan Category |
|
Number of |
|
|
Weighted-average |
|
|
Number of |
|
|||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (1) |
|
|
14,661 |
|
|
$ |
144.41 |
|
|
|
7,190 |
|
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total |
|
|
14,661 |
|
|
$ |
144.41 |
|
|
|
7,190 |
|
Item 13 – Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
There have not been any transactions or any series of similar transactions, since January 1, 2022, nor are we aware of any such pending transactions, to which we were a party or will be a party, in which:
Policies and Procedures Regarding Related Party Transactions
Our Board has adopted a written related person transaction policy setting forth the policies and procedures for the review and approval or ratification of related person transactions. This policy covers, with certain exceptions set forth in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, any transaction, arrangement or relationship, or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships in which we were or are to be a participant, where the amount involved exceeds $120 thousand and a related person had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, including, without limitation, purchases of goods or services by or from the related person or entities in which the related person has a material interest, indebtedness, guarantees of indebtedness and employment by us of a related person. In reviewing and approving any such transactions, our Audit and Risk Committee is tasked to consider all relevant facts and circumstances, including, but not limited to, whether the transaction is on terms comparable to those that could be obtained in an arm’s length transaction and the extent of the related person’s interest in the transaction. The related person transactions disclosed in this Proxy Statement were each approved by the full Board or Audit and Risk Committee, as applicable.
Director Independence
The Nasdaq rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominations committees be independent, or, if a listed company has no nominations committee, that director nominees be selected or recommended for the board’s selection by independent directors constituting a majority of the board’s independent directors. The Nasdaq rules further require that audit committee members satisfy independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and that compensation committee members satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10C-1 under the Exchange Act.
77
Our Board has undertaken a review of the independence of our directors and considered whether any director has a material relationship with us that could compromise that director’s ability to exercise independent judgment in carrying out that director’s responsibilities. Our Board has affirmatively determined that each of Dean Zikria, Sheryle Bolton and Karen Drexler qualify as an independent director, as defined under the applicable corporate governance standards of Nasdaq. These rules require that our Audit and Risk Committee be composed of at least three directors, all of whom must be independent members.
Item 14 – Principal Accounting Fees and Services
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Fee Information
The following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed by Rosenberg Rich Baker Berman, P.A. (“RRBB”), independent registered public accounting firm, for the services indicated for each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Audit fees (1) |
|
$ |
143,075 |
|
|
$ |
114,085 |
|
Audit related fees |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Tax fees |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
All other fees |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total |
|
$ |
143,075 |
|
|
$ |
114,085 |
|
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
Our Audit and Risk Committee pre-approves all auditing services and the terms of non-audit services provided by our independent registered public accounting firm, but only to the extent that the non-audit services are not prohibited under applicable law and the committee determines that the non-audit services do not impair the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm. Under our Audit and Risk Committees pre-approval policies and procedures, the Audit and Risk Committee generally preapproves specified services in defined categories up to specified amounts. Pre-approval may also be given as part of the Audit and Risk Committee’s approval of the scope of the engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm or on a case-by-case basis for specific tasks before engagement. Our Audit and Risk Committee has considered and determined that the provision of the non-audit services described is compatible with maintaining the independence of our registered public accounting firm.
78
PART IV
Item 15 – Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit |
|
Exhibit description |
|
Incorporated by Reference (Form Type) |
|
Filing Date |
|
Filed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, dated November 12, 2021. |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, dated July 5, 2023. |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Warrant to Purchase Common Stock issued to Hannover International, Inc., dated July 1, 2021. |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.8 |
|
Placement Agent Warrant, dated August 9, 2023. |
|
8-K |
|
8/9/2023 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2017 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, dated April 13, 2017. |
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
79
80
|
|
|
|
|
|
* |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
101 INS |
|
Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. |
|
|
|
|
|
** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
101 SCH |
|
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema with Embedded Linkbase Documents |
|
|
|
|
|
** |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
104 |
|
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101 attachments) |
|
|
|
|
|
** |
# Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.
† Portions of the exhibit, marked by brackets, have been omitted because the omitted information (i) is not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm if publicly disclosed.
* Furnished herewith.
** The XBRL related information in Exhibit 101 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to liability of that section and shall not be incorporated by reference into any filing or other document pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing or document.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
81
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
March 25, 2024
|
TIVIC HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC. |
|
|
|
|
|
By: |
/s/ Jennifer Ernst |
|
|
Jennifer Ernst |
|
|
Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
NAME |
|
TITLE |
|
DATE |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Jennifer Ernst |
|
Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
|
March 25, 2024 |
Jennifer Ernst |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Kimberly Bambach |
|
Interim Chief Financial Officer |
|
March 25, 2024 |
Kimberly Bambach |
|
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Sheryle Bolton |
|
Chair of the Board of Directors |
|
March 25, 2024 |
Sheryle Bolton |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Karen Drexler |
|
Director |
|
March 25, 2024 |
Karen Drexler |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Dean Zikria |
|
Director |
|
March 25, 2024 |
Dean Zikria |
|
|
|
|
82
TIVIC HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID # |
F-2 |
|
|
F-3 |
|
|
|
F-4 |
|
|
|
F-5 |
|
|
|
F-6 |
|
|
|
F-7 |
F-1
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and
Stockholders of Tivic Health Systems, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Tivic Health Systems, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Going Concern
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company has incurred recurring losses and negative cash flows from operations and is dependent on additional financing to fund operations. These conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. Management’s plans in regard to these matters are also described in Note 2. The financial statements do not include any adjustment that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2020
March 25, 2024
F-2
Tivic Health Systems, Inc.
Balance Sheets
December 31, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
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December 31, |
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December 31, |
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ASSETS |
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Current assets |
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Cash and cash equivalents |
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$ |
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$ |
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Accounts receivable, net |
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Inventory, net |
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Deferred offering costs |
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— |
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Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
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Total current assets |
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Property and equipment, net |
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Right-of-use assets, operating lease |
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Other assets |
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Total assets |
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$ |
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$ |
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LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY |
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Current liabilities |
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Accounts payable |
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$ |
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$ |
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Other accrued expenses |
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Operating lease liability, current |
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Total current liabilities |
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Operating lease liability |
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Total liabilities |
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Stockholders’ equity |
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Preferred stock, $ |
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— |
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— |
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Common stock, $ |
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Additional paid in capital |
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Accumulated deficit |
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( |
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Total stockholders’ equity |
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Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
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$ |
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$ |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-3
Tivic Health Systems, Inc.
Statements of Operations
Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
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Years Ended December 31, |
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2023 |
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2022 |
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Revenue |
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$ |
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$ |
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Cost of sales |
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Gross profit |
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Operating expenses: |
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Research and development |
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Sales and marketing |
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General and administrative |
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Total operating expenses |
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Loss from operations |
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( |
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Other income: |
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Interest income |
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Total other income |
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Net loss before income taxes |
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$ |
( |
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$ |
( |
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Net loss per share - basic and diluted |
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$ |
( |
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$ |
( |
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Weighted-average number of shares - basic and diluted |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-4
Tivic Health Systems, Inc.
Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands except share and per share data)
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Additional |
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Total |
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Preferred Stock |
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Common Stock |
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Paid-in |
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Accumulated |
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Stockholders' |
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Shares |
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Amount |
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Shares |
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Amount |
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Capital |
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Deficit |
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Equity |
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Balances at January 1, 2022 |
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— |
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$ |
— |
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$ |
— |
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$ |
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$ |
( |
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$ |
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Exercise of stock options |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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Repurchase of restricted common stock |
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— |
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— |
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( |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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Stock-based compensation expense |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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Net loss |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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( |
) |
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( |
) |
Balances at December 31, 2022 |
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— |
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$ |
— |
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$ |
— |
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$ |
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$ |
( |
) |
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$ |
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Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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Issuance of warrants |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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Issuance of common stock in lieu of fractional shares for stock split |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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Stock-based compensation expense |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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Net loss |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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— |
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( |
) |
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( |
) |
Balances at December 31, 2023 |
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— |
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$ |
— |
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$ |
— |
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$ |
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$ |
( |
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$ |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-5
Tivic Health Systems, Inc.
Statements of Cash Flows
Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
(in thousands)
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Years Ended December 31, |
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2023 |
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2022 |
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Cash flows from operating activities |
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Net loss |
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$ |
( |
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$ |
( |
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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 |
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Amortization of right-of-use asset |
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Reserve for inventory obsolescence |
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— |
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Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
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Accounts receivable |
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( |
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Inventory |
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( |
) |
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Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
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( |
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Accounts payable |
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( |
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Accrued expenses |
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Lease liabilities |
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( |
) |
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( |
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Other assets |
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— |
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Net cash used in operating activities |
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( |
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( |
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Cash flows from investing activities |
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Acquisition of property and equipment |
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( |
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( |
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Net cash used in investing activities |
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( |
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( |
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Cash flows from financing activities |
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Proceeds from exercise of stock options |
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— |
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Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs |
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— |
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Offering costs in advance of sale of common stock |
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— |
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( |
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Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities |
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( |
) |
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Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents |
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( |
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( |
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Cash and cash equivalents |
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Beginning of period |
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End of period |
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$ |
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$ |
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Supplemental disclosure on noncash financing activities |
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Issuance of common stock warrant |
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$ |
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$ |
— |
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Deferred offering costs charged to additional paid-in-capital |
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$ |
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$ |
— |
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
F-6
Tivic Health Systems, Inc.
Notes to Financial Statements
December 31, 2023 and 2022
(amounts are as indicated)
Tivic Health Systems, Inc. (the “Company”), was incorporated in the state of California on September 22, 2016 for the purpose of developing and commercializing non-invasive bioelectronic medicine. In June 2021, the Company was reincorporated as a Delaware corporation. The Company's first commercial product, ClearUP, is an FDA approved medical device for the treatment of sinus pain, pressure and nasal congestion. The Company is headquartered in Hayward, California.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”). The accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The accompanying financial statements do not include any adjustment that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern. Certain reclassifications have been made to the prior year's balance sheet, statement of operations and statement of cash flows to conform to the current year presentation.
F-7
Going Concern Uncertainty
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared as if the Company will continue as a going concern. As noted above, the Company has experienced losses and negative cash flows from operations; incurred a net loss of $
Future capital requirements will depend upon many factors, including, without limitation, progress with developing, manufacturing and marketing our technologies; the time and costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining and enforcing patent claims and other proprietary rights; our ability to establish collaborative arrangements; completion of any acquisitions or other strategic transactions; marketing activities and competing technological and market developments, including regulatory changes and overall economic conditions in our target markets. Our ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability requires us to successfully market and secure purchase orders for our products and services from existing as well as new customers. We also will be required to efficiently manufacture and deliver on those purchase orders. These activities, including our planned research and development efforts, may require significant uses of working capital. There can be no assurance that we will generate revenue and cash as expected in our current business plan.
The Company recognizes it will need to raise additional capital to continue research and development and to fund its planned operations, clinical trials and, if regulatory approval is obtained, commercialization of future products. We may seek additional funds through equity or debt offerings and/or borrowings under notes payable, lines of credit or other sources. We do not know whether additional financing will be available on commercially acceptable terms, or at all, when needed. If adequate funds are not available or are not available on commercially acceptable terms, our ability to fund our operations, support the growth of our business or otherwise respond to competitive pressures could be significantly delayed or limited, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial conditions, or results of operations.
Reverse Stock Split
In August 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors and stockholders approved an amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation to effect a
F-8
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. The Company evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors and adjusts those estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company discloses and recognizes the fair value of its assets and liabilities using a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the reporting date. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to valuations based upon unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 measurements) and the lowest priority to valuations based upon unobservable inputs that are significant to the valuation (Level 3 measurements). The guidance establishes three levels of the fair value hierarchy as follows:
Level 1 Inputs that reflect unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date;
Level 2 Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly, including inputs in markets that are not considered to be active;
Level 3 Inputs are unobservable in which there is little or no market data available, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions that are unobservable.
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires management to make judgments and consider factors specific to the asset or liability.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, cash equivalents were $
Accounts Receivable
Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount, net of allowances for doubtful accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts is based on our assessment of the collectability of accounts. Management regularly reviews the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts by considering the age of each outstanding invoice, each customer’s expected ability to pay, and the collection history with each customer, when applicable, to determine whether a specific allowance is appropriate. Accounts receivable deemed uncollectible are charged against the allowance for doubtful accounts when identified. As of each December 31, 2023 and 2022, the allowance for doubtful accounts was
Inventory
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out ("FIFO") basis. Inventories are reviewed periodically to identify slow-moving inventory based on anticipated sales activity. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the reserve for obsolescence was $
Deferred Offering Costs
F-9
Deferred offering costs are comprised of costs incurred in connection with financing arrangements that have not closed as of the end of the period. As of December 31, 2022, deferred offering costs of $
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are recorded at cost net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed on a straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, to
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
The Company evaluates its long-lived assets, including property and equipment, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of these asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of these assets is measured by comparison of the carrying amount of each asset to the future undiscounted cash flows the asset is expected to generate over its remaining life. When indications of impairment are present and the estimated undiscounted future cash flows from the use of these assets is less than the assets’ carrying value, the related assets will be written down to fair value. There were
Commitments and Contingencies
Liabilities for loss contingencies arising from claims, assessments, litigation, fines, and penalties and other sources are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Legal costs incurred in connection with loss contingencies are expensed as incurred.
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue from product sales in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”). The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements. The standard applies to all contracts with customers, except contracts that are within scope of other standards, such as leases, insurance, collaboration arrangements and financial instruments.
Under Topic 606, an entity recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration that the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that an entity determines are in within the scope of Topic 606, the entity performs the following five steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable the entity will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inceptions, once the contract is determined to be within the scope of Topic 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determines those that are performance obligations and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation when (or as) the performance obligation is satisfied.
F-10
The Company sells its products through direct sales and reseller. Revenue is recognized when control of the promised goods is transferred to the customers or the resellers, upon shipment of the product, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods. Revenue associated with products holding rights of return are recognized when the Company concludes there is not a risk of significant revenue reversal in the future periods for the expected consideration in the transaction.
The Company may receive payments at the onset of the contract and before goods have been delivered. In such instances, the Company records a deferred revenue liability. The Company recognizes these contract liabilities as sales after the revenue criteria are met. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the contract liability related to the Company’s deferred revenues approximated $
The Company relies on a third party to have procedures in place to detect and prevent credit card fraud as the Company has exposure to losses from fraudulent charges. The Company records the losses related to chargebacks as incurred.
The Company has also elected to exclude from the measurement of the transaction price sales taxes remitted to governmental authorities.
The table below presents revenue by channel for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):
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Year Ended December 31, |
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Product Revenue by Sales Channel |
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2023 |
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2022 |
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Product Revenue |
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Direct-to-consumer |
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$ |
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$ |
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Reseller |
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Returns |
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( |
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( |
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Revenue |
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$ |
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$ |
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Sales Tax
Sales tax collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities is accounted for on a net basis and therefore, is excluded from net sales.
Shipping and Handling
Shipping and handling fees paid by customers are recorded within net sales, with the related expenses recorded in cost of sales. Shipping and handling fees paid by customers in each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $
Product Warranty
The Company generally offers a
Returns
The Company estimates a reserve for future product returns based several factors, including historical returns as a percentage of revenue, an understanding of the reasons for past returns and any other known factors that indicate a return is imminent. Reserves for sales returns are estimated and recorded in the same period as the underlying revenue recognition as a deduction to arrive at net product sales and as a liability classified as Other accrued expenses on the balance sheet. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the reserve for sales returns was $
F-11
Sales and Marketing Expenses
Sales and marketing expenses are expensed as incurred and consist primarily of merchandising, customer service and targeted online marketing costs, such as display advertising, keyword search campaigns, search engine optimization and social media and offline marketing costs such as television, radio and print advertising. Sales and marketing expenses also include payroll costs and stock-based compensation expense for employees involved in marketing activities. Sales and marketing expenses are primarily related to growing and retaining the customer base. Advertising and other promotional costs to market the Company’s products and services amounted to $
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses include costs directly attributable to the conduct of research and development programs, including the cost of salaries, payroll taxes, employee benefits, materials, supplies, depreciation on and maintenance of research equipment, the cost of services provided by outside contractors, and the allocable portions of facility costs, such as rent, utilities, insurance, repairs and maintenance, depreciation, and general support services. All costs associated with research and development are expensed as incurred.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation arrangements with employees and non-employee consultants using a fair value method which requires the recognition of compensation expense for costs related to all stock-based payments, including stock options. The fair value method requires the Company to estimate the fair value of stock-based payment awards to employees and non-employees on the date of grant using an option pricing model.
Stock-based compensation costs are based on the fair value of the underlying option calculated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model and recognized as expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period. The Company measures equity-based compensation awards granted to non-employees at fair value as the awards vest and recognizes the resulting value as compensation expense at each financial reporting period.
Determining the appropriate fair value model and related assumptions requires judgment, including estimating stock price volatility, expected dividend yield, expected term, risk-free rate of return, and the estimated fair value of the underlying common stock. Due to the lack of company-specific historical and implied volatility data, the Company has based its estimate of expected volatility on the historical volatility of a group of similar companies that are publicly traded. The historical volatility is calculated based on a period of time commensurate with the expected term assumption. The group of representative companies have characteristics similar to the Company, including stage of product development and focus on the life science industry. The Company uses the simplified method, which is the average of the final vesting tranche date and the contractual term, to calculate the expected term for options granted to employees as it does not have sufficient historical exercise data to provide a reasonable basis upon which to estimate the expected term. The risk-free interest rate is based on a treasury instrument whose term is consistent with the expected term of the stock options. The Company uses an assumed dividend yield of
Segment Reporting
Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise for which separate discrete financial information is available for evaluation by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer to make decisions with respect to resource allocation and assessment of performance. To date, the Company has viewed its operations and manages its business as
F-12
Net Loss per Common Share
The Company computes net loss per share of common stock in conformity with the two-class method required for participating securities. Diluted net loss per share is computed similar to basic net loss per share except that the denominator is increased to include the number of additional shares for the potential dilutive effects of warrants, convertible preferred stock and stock options outstanding during the period calculated in accordance with the treasury stock method, or the two-class method, whichever is more dilutive. For all periods presented, basic and diluted net loss per share is the same, as inclusion of any additional share equivalents would be anti-dilutive.
Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carry forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred taxes to the amounts expected to be realized.
The Company recognizes benefits of uncertain tax positions if it is more likely than not that such positions will be sustained upon examination based solely on their technical merit, as the largest amount of benefit that is more likely than not to be realized upon the ultimate settlement. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to the underpayment of income taxes as a component of income tax expense or benefit. To date, there have been
Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. Cash and cash equivalents include a checking account and a money market account held at one national financial institution in the United States. At times, such deposits may be in excess of insured limits. Despite recent concerns regarding the stability of certain banking institutions in the United States, management believes that the financial institution at which the Company holds its deposits is financially sound, and accordingly, minimal credit risk exists with respect to the financial institution. The Company has not experienced any losses on its deposits of cash and cash equivalents. As of each December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents balances exceeding FDIC insured limits by $
The Company extends credit to customers in the normal course of business and performs credit evaluations of its customers. Concentrations of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable exist to the full extent of amounts presented in the financial statements.
During 2023, the majority, or
For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company had
F-13
The world has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, economic uncertainty in human capital management and certain other macroeconomic factors including climate change, inflation, and rising interest rates. Additionally, events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. For example, in March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were closed and taken over by the FDIC, which created significant market disruption and uncertainty for those who bank with those institutions, and which raised significant concern regarding the stability of the banking system in the United States, and in particular with respect to regional banks. These factors, amongst other things, could result in further economic uncertainty and volatility in the capital markets in the near term, and could negatively affect our operations. We will continue to monitor material impacts on our business strategies and operating results.
Leases
At the inception of an arrangement, the Company determines whether the arrangement is or contains a lease based on the circumstances present. The Company accounts for a contract as a lease when it has the right to control the asset for a period of time while obtaining substantially all of the asset’s economic benefits. The Company determines the initial classification and measurement of its operating right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and operating lease liabilities at the lease commencement date, and thereafter if modified. The lease term includes any renewal options that the Company is reasonably assured to exercise. The Company’s policy is to not record leases with a lease term of 12 months or less on its balance sheets. The Company’s only existing lease is for office space.
The ROU asset represents the right to use the leased asset for the lease term. The lease liability represents the present value of the lease payments under the lease. The present value of lease payments is determined by using the interest rate implicit in the lease, if that rate is readily determinable; otherwise, the Company uses its estimated secured incremental borrowing rate for that lease term.
Lease expense for operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the reasonably assured lease term based on the total lease payments and is included in operating expense in the statement of operations.
The Company's facility lease contracts often include lease and non-lease components. The Company has elected the practical expedient offered by the standard to not separate lease from non-lease components and accounts for them as a single lease component.
The Company has elected, for all classes of underlying assets, not to recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities for leases with a term of twelve months or less. Lease cost for short-term leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
F-14
Recently issued accounting pronouncement - Not yet adopted:
In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280) - Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. The guidance, which becomes effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023 and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, requires public entities that are required to report segment information in accordance with Topic 280, Segment Reporting, to improve reportable segment disclosures about significant segment expenses. We do not believe that ASU 2023-07 will have a material impact on our reporting as we operate in one reportable segment.
In December 2023, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740)- Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The guidance applies to all entities that are subject to Topic 740, Income taxes and becomes effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. The guidance requires enhanced disclosures related to income taxes including: additional information in the rate reconciliation; further breakdown of income taxes paid; and other disclosures that may help investors to better understand the entities tax landscape. We do not believe that ASU 2023-09 will have a material impact on our financial reporting.
The Company’s financial instruments consist of money market funds. The following tables show the Company’s cash equivalent's carrying value and fair value at December 31, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):
|
|
As of December 31, 2023 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
Carrying |
|
|
Fair |
|
|
Quoted |
|
|
Significant other |
|
|
Significant |
|
|||||
Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Money market funds |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|||
Total assets |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
As of December 31, 2022 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|
Carrying |
|
|
Fair |
|
|
Quoted |
|
|
Significant other |
|
|
Significant |
|
|||||
Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Money market funds |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|||
Total assets |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|||
Cash equivalents – Cash equivalents of $
Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.
F-15
There have been no changes to the valuation methods utilized by the Company during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company evaluates transfers between levels at the end of each reporting period. There were
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Raw materials |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Work in process |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
Finished goods |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Inventory at cost |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Less reserve for obsolescence |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
— |
|
Inventory |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Computers and equipment |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Manufacturing tools and dies |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Total property and equipment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Less accumulated depreciation |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
( |
) |
Property and equipment, net |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Depreciation expense was $
Lease
The Company executed a noncancelable operating lease for approximately
The lease costs for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are as follows (in thousands):
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Operating lease cost |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Short term lease cost |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Total lease cost |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
F-16
Amounts reported in the balance sheet for leases where the Company is the lessee as of December 31, 2023 are as follows (in thousands):
Right-of-use assets, operating lease |
|
$ |
|
|
Operating lease liabilities, current |
|
$ |
|
|
Operating lease liabilities, non-current |
|
|
|
|
Total operating lease liabilities |
|
$ |
|
|
Remaining lease term (in years) |
|
|
|
|
Discount rate |
|
|
% |
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities were $
Future minimum lease payments remaining as of December 31, 2023 under the operating lease by fiscal year are as follows (in thousands):
Fiscal Year |
|
|
|
|
2024 |
|
|
|
|
2025 |
|
|
|
|
Total minimum lease payments |
|
|
|
|
Less imputed interest |
|
|
( |
) |
Present value of lease payments |
|
$ |
|
|
ALOM Fulfillment Service Agreement
On November 25, 2022, the Company entered into a Fulfillment Services Agreement (the “ALOM Agreement”), with ALOM Technologies Corporation (“ALOM”). Pursuant to the ALOM Agreement, commencing on November 28, 2022, ALOM began providing, on a non-exclusive basis, certain assembly, procurement, storage, returns, and fulfillment services to our end customers and retailers within the United States. During the term of the ALOM Agreement, ALOM shall provide the services in accordance with purchase orders issued by us from time to time. The consideration payable by us to ALOM for services rendered under the ALOM Agreement will be calculated and invoiced based on fixed hourly rates and fixed unit pricing, as applicable, subject to certain exceptions; provided that, commencing
Contingencies
From time to time, the Company may have certain contingent liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities. The Company accrues a liability for such matters when future expenditures are probable and such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. The Company recorded
F-17
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Accrued payroll and related |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Accrued secondary offering costs |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
Delaware franchise tax |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
Other |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Total other accrued expenses |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
There were no series of preferred stock designated and
The Company’s board of directors is authorized, without action by its stockholders, to designate and issue up to
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were
On April 1, 2022, the Company exercised its right and repurchased
On February 13, 2023, the Company sold
On
On
F-18
the Company, after deducting placement agent fees and offering expenses paid by the Company, was approximately $
On
Effective August 23, 2023, the Company's board of directors approved a reverse stock split of the Company's issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par value $
Common stockholders are entitled to dividends if and when declared by the Board of Directors subject to the rights of the preferred stockholders.
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
||
Warrants to purchase common stock |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Options issued and outstanding |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Shares available for future stock option grants |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
F-19
Historically, the Company has entered into warrant agreements in connection with certain consulting agreements and equity offerings. In August 2023, the Company implemented a
In July 2021, the Company entered into a consulting agreement, pursuant to which
In November 2021, the Company issued warrants to purchase
In February 2023, the Company issued warrants to purchase
In July and August 2023, the Company issued a total of
The Company estimated the value of the warrants in 2023 using the
The fair value of the warrants issued in 2023 was estimated on the date of grant using the following assumptions:
|
|
2023 |
|
|||||
|
|
Minimum |
|
|
Maximum |
|
||
Expected life (in years) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Expected volatility |
|
|
|
|
||||
Risk-free interest rate |
|
|
% |
|
|
% |
||
Dividend yield |
|
|
% |
|
|
% |
||
F-20
A summary of the Company’s outstanding warrants as of December 31, 2023 is as follows:
Class of Shares |
|
Number of |
|
|
Exercise Price |
|
|
Expiration Date |
||
Common Stock |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|||
Common Stock |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|||
Common Stock |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|||
Common Stock |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|||
Common Stock |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|||
Common Stock |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|||
Common Stock |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|||
In 2017, the Company adopted the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”).
On November 10, 2021, the 2017 Plan terminated and was replaced by the 2021 Plan (defined below), and future issuances of incentive instruments will be governed by the 2021 Plan. To the extent that outstanding awards under the 2017 Plan are forfeited or lapse unexercised, the shares of common stock subject to such awards will no longer be available for future issuance.
2021 Equity Incentive Plan
In 2021, the Company adopted the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”). Options granted under the 2021 Plan may be Incentive Stock Options or Non-statutory Stock Options, as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Company’s board of directors, who is responsible for administering the 2021 Plan. Stock Purchase Rights may also be granted under the 2021 Plan. The term shall be no more than
In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, (i) granted to an employee who, at the time of grant of such option, owns stock representing more than
The options may include provisions permitting exercise of the option prior to full vesting. Any unvested shares upon termination shall be subject to repurchase by the Company at the original exercise price of the option. Stock options granted under the Company’s equity incentive plans generally vest over
F-21
As of December 31, 2023, there were
The following table summarizes the option activity for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Options Outstanding |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted- |
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
Shares |
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted |
|
|
Weighted- |
|
|
Average |
|
|
Aggregate |
|
||||||
|
|
Available |
|
|
|
|
|
Average |
|
|
Average |
|
|
Remaining |
|
|
Intrinsic |
|
||||||
|
|
For |
|
|
Number of |
|
|
Exercise |
|
|
Grant Date |
|
|
Contractual Life |
|
|
Value |
|
||||||
|
|
Grant |
|
|
Options |
|
|
Price |
|
|
Fair Value |
|
|
(in years) |
|
|
(in thousands) |
|
||||||
Balances, January 1, 2022 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
||||||
Shares reserved for issuance |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Reserved shares cancelled |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Options granted |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Options forfeited / cancelled |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
( |
) |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Options expired |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Options exercised |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
( |
) |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Balances, December 31, 2022 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
||||||
Shares reserved for issuance |
|
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Reserved shares cancelled |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Options granted |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Options forfeited / cancelled |
|
|
|
|
|
( |
) |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Options expired |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Options exercised |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Balances, December 31, 2023 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
At December 31, 2023 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
Vested and exercisable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|||||
The weighted-average grant date fair value per share of stock options granted in 2023 and 2022 was $
The following table sets forth the status of the Company’s non-vested restricted common stock awards issued to employees:
|
|
Number of |
|
|
Weighted- |
|
||
Non-vested as of January 1, 2022 |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
||
Vested |
|
|
( |
) |
|
$ |
|
|
Cancelled |
|
|
( |
) |
|
$ |
|
|
Non-vested as of December 31, 2022 |
|
|
|
|
$ |
|
||
The fair value of restricted stock awards vested during the year ended December 31, 2022 was $
Stock-Based Compensation
Options generally vest over
F-22
Prior to the IPO, the grant date fair market value of the shares of common stock underlying stock options had historically been determined by the Company’s Board of Directors. Because there had been no public market for the Company’s common stock, the Board of Directors exercised reasonable judgment and considered a number of objective and subjective factors to determine the best estimate of the fair market value, which included valuations performed by an independent third-party, important developments in the Company's operations, sales of the Company’s convertible preferred stock, actual operating results, financial performance, the conditions in the life sciences industry, the economy in general, the stock price performance and volatility of comparable public companies, and the lack of liquidity of the Company's common stock. For 2022 and 2023, the Company has used a comparative peer group for determining the expected volatility rate used in the calculation of fair value. Since the Company's stock has not been publicly traded for a sufficiently long period of time, the expected volatility rate is based on a review of the historical volatilities, over a period of time equivalent to the expected life of the instrument being valued, of similarly positioned public companies within the Company's industry.
The Company estimated the fair value of share-based payment awards using the
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
||
Expected life (in years) |
|
|
|
|
||||
Expected volatility |
|
|
|
|
||||
Risk-free interest rate |
|
|
|
|
||||
Dividend yield |
|
|
% |
|
|
% |
||
Expected Term: The Company uses the simplified method to calculate expected term described in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 107, which takes into account vesting term and expiration date of the options.
Volatility: Volatility is based on an average of the historical volatilities of comparable publicly traded companies for the expected term.
Risk Free Interest Rate: The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yields in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected term of the option.
Dividend Yield: The Company has never declared or paid any cash dividends and does not plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future, and therefore, used an expected dividend yield of zero in the valuation model.
Total Stock-Based Compensation
Total stock-based compensation expense recorded related to share-based payment awards was allocated to research and development, sales and marketing, and general and administrative expense as follows (in thousands):
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
||
Research and development |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Sales and marketing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
General and administrative |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Total stock-based compensation |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
F-23
The provision for income taxes differs from the amount which would result by applying the federal statutory income tax rate to pre-tax loss for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
A reconciliation of the provision computed at the federal statutory rate to the provision for income taxes included in the accompanying statements of operations for the Company is as follows.
|
|
For the Years Ended |
|
|||||
|
|
December 31, 2023 |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Income tax provision at statutory rate |
|
|
% |
|
|
% |
||
State income taxes, net of federal benefit |
|
|
( |
)% |
|
|
% |
|
Research and development credits |
|
|
( |
)% |
|
|
% |
|
Change in valuation allowance |
|
|
( |
)% |
|
|
( |
)% |
Effective income tax rate |
|
|
% |
|
|
% |
||
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company’s effective tax rate is below the federal statutory income tax rate of
The tax effects of temporary differences and carryforwards that give rise to significant portions of the net deferred tax assets are presented below (in thousands):
|
|
For the Years Ended |
|
|||||
|
|
December 31, 2023 |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Deferred tax assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net operating loss carryforwards |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Research and development credits |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Research and development costs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Lease liability |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Other temporary differences |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Total deferred tax assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Valuation allowance |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
( |
) |
Deferred tax assets recognized |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Deferred tax liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Right-of-use assets |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
( |
) |
Total deferred tax liabilities |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
( |
) |
Net deferred tax assets |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
The Company has recorded a valuation allowance for its deferred tax assets that it does not believe will be realizable at a more likely than not level based on analysis of all available sources of taxable income. The valuation allowance increased by $
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $
F-24
Federal and state tax laws impose substantial restrictions on the utilization of net operating loss and credit carryforwards in the event of an “ownership change” for tax purposes, as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue code. Accordingly, the Company’s ability to utilize these carryforwards may be limited as a result of such ownership changes. Such a limitation could result in limitation in the use of net operating losses in future years and possibly a reduction of the net operating losses available. The Company has not performed a 382 study to determine if any ownership changes have occurred which could potentially limit the utilization of the tax attribute carryforwards.
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of gross unrecognized tax positions is as follows (in thousands):
|
|
For the Years Ended |
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|||||
|
|
December 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning of year |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
Additions related to current year tax positions |
|
|
( |
) |
|
|
|
|
Net deferred tax assets |
|
$ |
|
|
$ |
|
||
During the year ended December 31, 2023 the amount of unrecognized tax benefits decreased by $
The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in the provision for income taxes line item in the statements of operations. As of December 31, 2023, and 2022, the Company had
The Company files tax returns in U.S. Federal and state jurisdictions. The tax periods from
The following outstanding potentially dilutive common stock equivalents have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the periods presented due to their antidilutive effect:
|
|
For the Years Ended December 31, |
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|||||
|
|
2023 |
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2022 |
|
||
Common stock warrants |
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|
|
|
||
Common stock options issued and outstanding |
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|
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||
Total |
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|
|
|
|
|
||
F-25
|
|
For the Years Ended December 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2023 |
|
|
2022 |
|
||
Net loss |
|
$ |
( |
) |
|
$ |
( |
) |
Weighted-average number of shares - basic and diluted |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net loss per share - basic and diluted |
|
$ |
( |
) |
|
$ |
( |
) |
In December 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with a significant shareholder for certain product development consultation services. During the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company incurred $
On March 5, 2024, the Company and ALOM entered into an amendment to the ALOM Agreement, pursuant to which ALOM agreed to waive the hourly account management charges and minimum monthly purchase requirements set forth in the ALOM Agreement for the period from January 2024 through June 2024, and the parties further agreed to extend the initial term of the agreement to
F-26
Exhibit 10.16
AMENDMENT #1
TO
FULFILLMENT SERVICES AGREEMENT QT-4066-5
By and Between
Tivic Health Systems, Inc. (“Tivic Health”),
and ALOM Technologies Corporation, a California
Effective Date: November 28, 2022
This Amendment #1 ("Amendment") to the Fulfilment Services Agreement by and between Tivic Health as Customer, and ALOM Technologies Corporation, as ALOM, Effective Date: November 28, 2022 (“Agreement”), is effective this 5th day of March, 2024 (“Amendment Effective Date”) whereby, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows. Capitalized terms are defined in the Agreement unless defined in this Amendment.
1. Minimum Monthly Charge. Customer agreed to pay Minimum Monthly Charge of $25,000 for each calendar month during the Term. ALOM agrees to continue to waive the Monthly Minimum Payment of $25,000 per month, through the month of June, 2024. The Minimum Monthly Payment will be due and payable beginning July 1, 2024, through the Term. “Term” means the initial term which started on November 28, 2022, is extended by this Amendment through December 31, 2024, automatically renewing thereafter in annual increments until a party provides written notice of termination to the other party in accordance with Section 22 of the Agreement.
2. Account Management Fees. From January 1, 2024, ALOM agrees to waive all hourly Account Management Fees through the month of June 2024. The hourly Account Management fees will be reinstated from July 1, 2024. This is offered under the assumption that there will be no additional Account Management support required over and above what was provided monthly in 2023 (~100 hours). ALOM will continue to track the number of hours being spent by Account Management each month and provide to Customer.
3. Entire Agreement. Except as stated in this Amendment, the Agreement remains in full force and effect and supersedes any conflict with the Agreement. This Amendment may not be modified or amended except in a writing signed by a duly authorized representative of each party.
ACKNOWLEDGED AND AGREED as of the Amendment Effective Date.
Tivic Health Systems, Inc. ALOM Technologies Corporation
By: /s/ Jennifer Ernst By: /s/ Fiona Lowbridge
(Authorized Signature) (Authorized Signature)
Name: Jennifer Ernst Name: Fiona Lowbridge
Title: Chief Executive Title: Chief Commercial Officer
1
Exhibit 19.1
TIVIC HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.
INSIDER TRADING POLICY
Effective as of November 15, 2021
Last Updated: November 6, 2023
This Insider Trading Policy (this “Policy”) provides the standards of Tivic Health Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) on trading and causing the trading of the Company’s securities or securities of other publicly-traded companies while in possession of confidential information. This Policy is divided into two parts: the first part prohibits trading in certain circumstances and applies to all directors, officers and employees of the Company, as well as independent contractors or consultants who have access to material non-public information of the Company, and the second part imposes special additional trading restrictions and applies to all (i) directors of the Company, (ii) executive officers of the Company, and (iii) the employees listed on Appendix A (collectively, “Covered Persons”).
One of the principal purposes of the federal securities laws is to prohibit so-called “insider trading.” Simply stated, insider trading occurs when a person uses material non-public information obtained through involvement with the Company to make decisions to purchase, sell, give away or otherwise trade the Company’s securities or to provide that information to others outside the Company. The prohibitions against insider trading apply to trades, tips and recommendations by virtually any person, including all persons associated with the Company, if the information involved is “material” and “non-public.” These terms are defined in this Policy under Part I, Section 3, below. The prohibitions would apply to any director, officer or employee who buys or sells Company stock on the basis of material non-public information that he or she obtained about the Company, its customers, suppliers, or other companies with which the Company has contractual relationships or may be negotiating transactions.
PART I
This Policy applies to all transactions in the Company’s securities, including common stock, options and any other securities that the Company may issue, such as preferred stock, notes, bonds and convertible securities, as well as to derivative securities relating to any of the Company’s securities, whether or not issued by the Company.
This Policy applies to all employees of the Company and its subsidiaries (if applicable), all officers of the Company and its subsidiaries (if applicable) and all members of the Company’s Board of Directors. This Policy also applies to all independent contractors or consultants who have access to material non-public information of the Company (each, a “Material IC”).
1 v1.1
Information dealing with the following subjects is reasonably likely to be found material in particular situations:
(i) significant changes in the Company’s business, prospects or business strategy;
(ii) significant write-downs in assets or increases in reserves;
(iii) developments regarding significant litigation or government agency investigations;
(iv) liquidity problems;
2 v1.1
Material information is not limited to historical facts, but may also include projections and forecasts. With respect to a future event, such as a merger, acquisition or introduction of a new product, the point at which negotiations or product development are determined to be material is determined by balancing the probability that the event will occur against the magnitude of the effect the event would have on a company’s operations or stock price should it occur. Thus, information concerning an event that would have a large effect on stock price, such as a merger or acquisition, may be material even if the possibility that the event will occur is relatively small. When in doubt about whether particular non-public information is material, presume it is material. If you are unsure whether information is material, you should consult the Compliance Officer before making any decision to disclose such information (other than to persons who need to know it for lawful purposes) or to trade in or recommend securities to which that information relates.
Non-public information may include:
As with questions of materiality, if you are not sure whether information is considered public, you should either consult with the Compliance Officer or assume that the information is “non-public” and treat it as confidential.
(iv) pre-clearing all trading in securities of the Company by Covered Persons in accordance with the procedures set forth in Part II, Section 3, below; and
(iv) providing approval of any transactions under Part II, Section 4, below.
Penalties for trading on or communicating material non-public information can be severe, both for individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and their employers and supervisors, and may include jail
3 v1.1
terms, criminal fines, civil penalties and civil enforcement injunctions. Given the severity of the potential penalties, compliance with this Policy is absolutely mandatory.
In addition, a person who tips others may also be liable for transactions by the tippees to whom he or she has disclosed material non-public information. Tippers can be subject to the same penalties and sanctions as the tippees, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has imposed large penalties even when the tipper did not profit from the transaction.
The SEC can also seek substantial penalties from any person who, at the time of an insider trading violation, “directly or indirectly controlled the person who committed such violation,” which would apply to the Company and/or management and supervisory personnel. These control persons may be held liable for up to the greater of $1 million or three times the amount of the profits gained or losses avoided. Even for violations that result in a small or no profit, the SEC can seek a minimum of $1 million from a company and/or management and supervisory personnel as control persons.
PART II
4 v1.1
All Covered Persons are prohibited from trading in the Company’s securities during blackout periods.
5 v1.1
Covered Persons are permitted to trade in the Company’s securities when no blackout period is in effect. Generally, this means that Covered Persons can trade during the period beginning on the day that the blackout period under Part II, Section 1(a) ends and ending on the day that the next blackout period under Part II, Section 1(a) begins. However, even during this trading window, a Covered Person who is in possession of any material non-public information may not trade in the Company’s securities until the information has been made publicly available or is no longer material. In addition, the Company may close this trading window if a special blackout period under Part II, Section 1(b) above is imposed and will re-open the trading window once the special blackout period has ended.
6 v1.1
7 v1.1
The following are certain limited exceptions to the restrictions imposed by the Company under this Policy. Please be aware that even if a transaction is subject to an exception to this Policy, you will need to separately assess whether the transaction complies with applicable law. For example, even if a transaction is indicated as exempt from this Policy, you may need to comply with the “short-swing” trading restrictions under Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to the extent applicable. You are responsible for complying with applicable law at all times.
8 v1.1
All Covered Persons are required to sign the attached acknowledgment and certification.
9 v1.1
ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND CERTIFICATION
The undersigned does hereby acknowledge receipt of the Company’s Insider Trading Policy. The undersigned has read and understands (or has had explained) such Policy and agrees to be governed by such Policy at all times in connection with the purchase and sale of securities and the confidentiality of non-public information.
(Signature)
10 v1.1
Date:
11 v1.1
(Please print name)
12 v1.1
APPENDIX A
All Directors and Officers
All Employees
Material Independent Contractors or Consultants
Insiders List on File
13 v1.1
APPENDIX B
RULE 10B5-1 TRADING PLANS
General
Rule 10b5-1 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), can protect directors and officers of Tivic Health Systems, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively, the “Company,” “we” or “us”) and other individuals from insider trading liability for transactions under a previously established contract, plan or instruction. This rule presents an opportunity for insiders to establish arrangements to sell, gift or purchase our securities without the sometimes arbitrary restrictions imposed by closed trading periods – even when material nonpublic information exists. The arrangements may include blind trusts, other trusts, pre-scheduled stock option exercises and sales, pre-arranged trading instructions, and other brokerage and third-party arrangements.
The rule only provides an “affirmative defense” (which must be proven) if there is an insider trading lawsuit. It does not prevent anyone from bringing a lawsuit, nor does it prevent the media from writing about the sales. The plan must be documented, bona fide, and previously established (at a time when the insider did not possess any material nonpublic information); must include certain representations, as required by Rule 10b5-1; must specify the price, amount, and date of trades or provide a formula or mechanism to be followed related thereto; and the applicable Cooling-off Period (as defined below) must be satisfied before any transactions may be entered into pursuant to such plan.
Establishment of a 10b5-1 Plan
In order to ensure compliance with the Company’s policies, reduce the risk of litigation or adverse press, ensure that the Company has access to relevant information that it needs in order to satisfy its disclosure obligations under the Exchange Act and/or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), as applicable, and to confirm all tax reporting information is captured correctly and timely, if you would like to establish and use such a trading plan:
Amending a 10b5-1 Plan
Under Rule 10b5-1, adoption of certain material amendments to a 10b5-1 plan will be treated by the SEC as though you have adopted a new plan. If you have already adopted a 10b5-1 plan, and such plan is in effect, a material amendment to such plan may trigger certain additional obligations, including inclusion of certain additional provisions in your amended plan and waiting a period of time before you may enter into any transactions thereunder (see the section entitled “Cooling off-Period,” below). Additionally, you may not materially amend your plan while in possession of material
14 v1.1
non-public information.
Amendments that will trigger a new cooling off period and that will be treated as adoption of a new plan include, without limitation, changes to:
You must provide the Compliance Officer with prior notice of your intent to amend an effective 10b5-1 trading plan, as well a as a copy of any such amendment, prior to amending your plan. You should consult the Compliance Officer as well as your own tax and legal advisers before amending an effective 10b5-1 plan to determine whether such amendment(s) will trigger a new cooling off period and/or subject you to any other obligations.
Cooling-off Period
Once you have adopted a new 10b5-1 trading plan, including adopting certain material amendments to an effective 10b5-1 trading plan, Rule 10b5-1 requires that you wait a requisite period of time, commencing on the date that the plan (or material amendment thereto) was adopted, to begin trading under the plan (such waiting period, the “Cooling-off Period”). The applicable Cooling-off Period is as follows:
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event will the applicable Cooling-off Period exceed 120 days following adoption of the plan (or a material amendment thereto).
Mandatory 10b5-1 Plan Provisions
Pursuant to Rule 10b5-1, directors and officers of the Company that adopt a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan will be required to include the following provisions in a 10b5-1 plan adopted by such individuals:
15 v1.1
Certain Limitations
Subject to limited exceptions, an individual may only have one 10b5-1 trading plan in effect at any given time. If you have already adopted a 10b5-1 plan that is in effect, you may not qualify for the affirmative defenses under Rule 10b5-1 if you establish a subsequent plan for the purchase or sale of any class of securities of the Company on the open market during the same period.
Additionally, the affirmative defense available under Rule 10b5-1 will only be available for one single-trade plan during any consecutive 12-month period. For this purpose, a “single-trade plan” includes any plan adopted under rule 10b5-1 that is designed to effect the purchase or sale of Company securities as a single transaction and which has the practical effect of requiring such a result. Plans that may result in multiple transactions, or which allow for the agent’s future acts to depend on events or data not known at the time the plan is entered into, generally will not be deemed single-trade plans.
The foregoing limitations are subject to certain exceptions. You should consult the Compliance Officer, including in order to obtain pre-approval of any 10b5-1 plan you intend to adopt, as well as your own tax and legal advisers before establishing more than one trading plan under Rule 10b5-1.
Termination of 10b5-1 Plans
In order to ensure that the Company has access to relevant information that it needs in order to satisfy its disclosure obligations under the Exchange Act and/or Securities Act, as applicable, you must notify the Compliance Officer promptly if you have terminated an effective 10b5-1 plan.
SEC Filings
Establishing a trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 is likely to implicate other laws, rules and/or regulations, such as Section 16 of the Exchange Act and Rule 144 under the Securities Act. The Company is also required to include certain disclosures regarding 10b5-1 trading plans adopted by its officers and directors in its periodic reports filed with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act, as discussed in further detail below.
Under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, generally a report on Form 4 must be filed with the SEC by the second business day following the execution date of a transaction under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan and the applicable box must be checked to disclose to the public that the transaction reported in the Form 4 was completed pursuant to a 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person. A transaction under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan could also be subject to short-swing profit recovery.
Additionally, sales of our securities under Rule 144 may require the filing of a Form 144 with the SEC, which must be properly tailored to address sales under such a plan. Therefore, if you establish such a plan, we will need to establish a procedure with whomever is handling your transactions to ensure:
16 v1.1
Additionally, Forms 4 and 5 require disclosure of whether a reported transaction was made pursuant to a plan that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c).
* * *
As mentioned above, Rule 10b5-1 is an SEC rule. There will be ongoing interpretations of what can and cannot be done under this rule. Needless to say, some brokers, investment bankers and advisers may approach you suggesting a variety of arrangements. You must consult the Compliance Officer, and should consult with your own tax and legal advisers, before establishing a trading plan under Rule 10b5-1.
Your notice to us, and pre-approval by the Compliance Officer, are essential before establishing a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. If you have any questions, please contact the Compliance Officer.
17 v1.1
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (File No. 333-261044) and the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-269494) of Tivic Health Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) of our report dated March 25, 2024 (which includes an explanatory paragraph relating to Tivic Health Systems, Inc.’s ability to continue as a going concern), relating to the Company’s financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.
|
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/s/ Rosenberg Rich Baker Berman, P.A. |
|
|
Rosenberg Rich Baker Berman, P.A. |
|
|
|
Somerset, New Jersey |
|
|
March 25, 2024 |
|
|
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO
RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Jennifer Ernst, certify that:
Date: March 25, 2024 |
By: |
/s/ Jennifer Ernst |
|
|
Jennifer Ernst |
|
|
Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO
RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Kimberly Bambach, certify that:
Date: March 25, 2024 |
By: |
/s/ Kimberly Bambach |
|
|
Kimberly Bambach |
|
|
Interim Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Tivic Health Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), Jennifer Ernst, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Kimberly Bambach, Interim Chief Financial Officer of the Company, do each hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
Date: March 25, 2024 |
By: |
/s/ Jennifer Ernst |
|
|
Jennifer Ernst |
|
|
Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Date: March 25, 2024 |
By: |
/s/ Kimberly Bambach |
|
|
Kimberly Bambach |
|
|
Interim Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit 97.1
Tivic Health Systems, Inc.
Compensation Recovery Policy
Adopted: November 6, 2023
Tivic Health Systems, Inc. (the “Company”) is committed to creating and maintaining strong corporate governance practices. As part of this commitment, and in order to comply with applicable rules and regulations, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) has adopted this Compensation Recovery Policy (this “Policy”). The purpose of this Policy is to provide for the recoupment of certain Incentive-based Compensation from Covered Persons in the event of an Accounting Restatement in accordance with the terms herein. This Policy is designed to comply with, and will be interpreted in a manner consistent with, Section 10D and Rule 10D-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the applicable rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”), including any interpretive guidance provided by Nasdaq.
All capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in Section 3, below.
This Policy shall apply to all Incentive-based Compensation Received by Covered Persons on or after October 2, 2023, in accordance with Rule 10d-1 of the Exchange Act (“Rule 10d-1”).
The following terms shall have the meanings set forth below for purposes of this Policy:
In the event of an Accounting Restatement, the Company will require any Covered Person to repay to the Company, reasonably promptly after the occurrence of the Accounting Restatement, any part of the Recoverable Incentive Compensation received by a Covered Person during the Clawback Period in accordance with the rules of Nasdaq and Rule 10D-1. The Compensation Committee of the Company’s Board (the “Committee”) shall determine the amount of any Recoverable Incentive Compensation for each Covered Person, as applicable, and shall promptly provide written notice of such Covered Person of the amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation that they are required to return or repay to the Company. The Committee retains the discretion to define what would constitute “reasonably promptly” so as to achieve the appropriate balance of cost and speed in determining the most appropriate means to seek recovery.
The amount of the Recoverable Incentive Compensation to be recovered will be calculated on a gross (not after-tax) basis. For Incentive-based Compensation based on (or derived from) the Company’s stock price or total stockholder return, where the amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in the applicable Accounting Restatement, the amount to be repaid or returned shall be determined by the Committee based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Accounting Restatement on the Company’s stock price or total stockholder return upon which the Incentive-based Compensation was received. The Company shall maintain records of the calculations of such reasonable estimate and documentation related thereto, as required by Nasdaq rules.
The Company will recover reasonably promptly the amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation erroneously awarded unless the Committee determines that it is impracticable to do so, in accordance with Rule 10D-1. Examples of such impracticability include instances where the direct costs to be paid to a third party to assist in enforcing recovery would exceed the erroneously awarded Recoverable Incentive Compensation; if pursuing such recovery would be in violation of applicable law; or if recovery of the erroneously awarded Recoverable Incentive Compensation would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly
available to employees of the Company, to fail to meet the requirements of Section 401(a)(13) or Section 411(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and regulations thereunder.
To the extent that a Covered Person fails to repay all Recoverable Incentive Compensation to the Company within a reasonable period, the Company may take all actions it deems to be reasonable and appropriate, in its discretion, to recover such Recoverable Incentive Compensation from the applicable Covered Person. The applicable Covered Person shall be required to reimburse the Company for any and all expenses reasonably incurred (including legal fees) by the Company in recovering such Recoverable Incentive Compensation in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence.
Subject to compliance with applicable law, the Committee will determine, in its sole discretion, the form and method for recovering Recoverable Incentive Compensation hereunder, which may include, without limitation: (i) requiring reimbursement of cash Recoverable Incentive Compensation previously paid; (ii) seeking recovery of any gain realized on the vesting, exercise, settlement, transfer or other disposition of any equity-based awards; (iii) offsetting the recovered amount from any compensation otherwise owed by the Company to the Covered Person; (iv) cancelling outstanding vested or unvested equity awards; or (v) taking any other remedial and recovery action permitted by law, as determined by the Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may the Committee accept an amount that is less than the amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation in satisfaction of a Covered Person’s obligations hereunder. The method of recovery selected by the Committee will in all instances be designed to effectuate the purpose of preventing Covered Persons from retaining compensation that they received and to which they were not entitled under the Company’s restated financial results.
In the reasonable exercise of its business judgment under this Policy, the Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine whether and to what extent additional action is appropriate to address the circumstances surrounding a Restatement to minimize the likelihood of any recurrence and to impose such other discipline as it deems appropriate.
Any right of recovery under this Policy is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedies or rights of recovery or recoupment that may be available to the Company pursuant to the terms of any similar policy in any employment agreement, severance or change in control agreement, equity award agreement or similar agreement and any other legal or equitable remedies available to the Company. Further, the exercise by the Committee of any rights pursuant to this Policy will not
impact any other rights that the Company or any of its affiliates may have with respect to any person subject to this Policy.
The Company shall file all disclosures with respect to this Policy required by applicable Commission rules.
The application of this Policy to Covered Persons is not discretionary, except to the limited extent provided above, and applies without regard to whether a Covered Person was at fault.
This Policy shall be administered by the Committee, and any determinations of the Committee shall be final and binding on all affected individuals.
The Committee is authorized to interpret and construe this Policy and to make all determinations necessary, appropriate, or advisable for the administration of this Policy and for the Company’s compliance with the applicable rules of Nasdaq, Section 10D of the Exchange Act, Rule 10D-1 and any other applicable law, regulation, rule or interpretation of the Commission or Nasdaq promulgated or issued in connection therewith.
Notwithstanding the terms of any other policy, program, agreement or arrangement, in no event shall the Company be permitted to reimburse any Covered Person for or, insure or indemnify any Covered Person against, (i) the loss of any Recoverable Incentive Compensation that is repaid, returned or recovered pursuant to the terms of this Policy, or (ii) any claims relating to the Company’s enforcement of its rights under this Policy. Further, the Company shall not enter into any agreement that exempts any Incentive-based Compensation that is granted, paid or awarded to a Covered Person from the application of this Policy or that waives the Company’s right to recovery of any Recoverable Incentive Compensation, and this Policy shall supersede any such agreement (whether entered into before, on or after the Effective Date of this Policy).
The Committee may amend this Policy from time to time, in its discretion, and shall amend this Policy as it deems necessary and advisable. Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, no amendment or termination of this Policy shall be effective if such amendment or termination would (after taking into account any actions taken by the Company contemporaneously with such amendment or termination) cause the Company to violate any federal securities laws, Commission rule or Nasdaq rule.
Subject to applicable law, this Policy will terminate and no longer be enforceable if or when the Company ceases to be a listed issuer within the meaning of Section 10D of the Exchange Act.
This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Persons and their beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives.
Each Covered Person shall read this Policy and return the Attestation and Acknowledgement of the Compensation Recovery Policy, attached as Exhibit A hereto, to the Company, provided that the failure to return such acknowledgement will have no impact on the applicability or enforceability of this Policy. After the Effective Date, the Company must be in receipt of a Covered Person’s acknowledgement as a condition to such Covered Person’s eligibility to receive Incentive Compensation.
Exhibit A
ATTESTATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY
By my signature below, I acknowledge and agree that:
Signature: ________________________
Printed Name: ____________________
Date: ____________________________