UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 


 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):

January 24, 2018

 


 

Avinger, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

 

001-36817

 

20-8873453

(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)

 

(Commission File Number)

 

(IRS Employer
Identification No.)

 

400 Chesapeake Drive

Redwood City, California 94063

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

 

(650) 241-7900

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

 

Emerging growth company   x

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   x

 

 

 



 

Item 1.01.      Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

 

On January 24, 2018, Avinger, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a waiver agreement (the “Waiver”) with CRG Partners III L.P. and certain of its affiliated funds, as lenders (the “Lenders”).  The Waiver provided for the waiver of the $5,000,0000 minimum liquidity financial covenant and reduced it to $2,500,000 for the period beginning January 1, 2018 through February 28, 2018, as contained in Section 10.01 of that certain Term Loan Agreement, dated as of September 22, 2015 (the “Term Loan Agreement”), by and among the Company, certain of its subsidiaries from time to time party thereto as guarantors and the Lenders, and waived any Event of Default resulting from non-compliance with the $5,000,000 minimum liquidity financial covenant.

 

The foregoing description of the Waiver is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such agreement, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1, and which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

 

Item  5.07 .  Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

 

On January 29, 2018, the Company held a special meeting of stockholders (the “Special Meeting”). The primary purpose of the Special Meeting was to consider and vote on (1) a proposal to approve the issuance and sale by the Company of up to $15,000,000 in shares of its Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), to Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC in accordance with NASDAQ Stock Market Rule 5635(d); and (2) a proposal to amend the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) to effect a reverse stock split at a ratio not less than 1-for-20 and not greater than 1-for-40 (the “Reverse Stock Split”), with the exact ratio to be set within that range at the discretion of the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) before the day prior to the 2018 Annual Meeting of stockholders and without further approval or authorization of the Company’s stockholders.

 

Proposals 1 and 2 set forth below were approved by the Company’s stockholders with the requisite vote. In light of the approval of Proposals 1 and 2, Proposal 3 was rendered moot and was not presented at the Special Meeting.

 

The following matters were acted upon at the Special Meeting:

 

Proposal 1: Approval of Issuance of Greater than 19.99% of Outstanding Common Stock Pursuant to the Lincoln Park Transaction.

 

FOR

 

AGAINST

 

ABSTAIN

 

BROKER NON-VOTE

 

4,072,180

 

613,038

 

45,046

 

17,228,653

 

 

The proposal received the necessary votes to be approved.

 

Proposal 2: Reverse Stock Split.

 

FOR

 

AGAINST

 

ABSTAIN

 

16,823,807

 

4,870,345

 

264,765

 

 

The proposal received the necessary votes to be approved.

 

Item 8.01.  Other Events.

 

CRG Debt Conversion

 

On January 23, 2018, the Company executed a non-binding term sheet with CRG that summarized the terms under which CRG has agreed to convert $30 million of the outstanding principal amount of the senior secured term loan (plus the back-end fee and prepayment premium applicable thereto) into a newly authorized series of non-voting convertible preferred stock (the “Preferred Stock”), which would be convertible into the Company’s common stock at a price per share equal to the public offering price of the Company’s common stock sold pursuant to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1, filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on January 12, 2018 (File No. 333-222517).  Such conversion of debt is referred to herein as the “Conversion.”  The Conversion is contingent upon the closing of an underwritten public equity offering of at least $15 million in gross equity proceeds (the “Equity Offering”).

 

Under the terms proposed by the non-binding term sheet, the holders of the Preferred Stock would be entitled to receive annual accruing dividends at a rate of 8%, payable in additional shares of Preferred Stock.  The shares of Preferred Stock would have no voting rights and will rank senior to all other classes and series of the Company’s equity in terms of repayment and certain other rights. The Company would have the right to redeem for cash all or less than all of the Preferred Stock upon not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days prior written notice. The Company may force conversion of the Preferred Stock into the Company’s common stock, provided requisite stockholder approval has been received in advance and the Company’s market capitalization is at least $100 million at the time the Company elects the conversion option and for the Company’s most recent fiscal quarter.  The Preferred Stock and any of the Company’s common stock issued upon conversion of the Preferred Stock would be subject to a lockup agreement for 180 days following the closing of the Equity Offering.

 

2



 

In connection with the Conversion, CRG and the Company would make certain amendments to the Term Loan Agreement.  The cash payments for interest due on the remaining amount of CRG debt under the Term Loan Agreement for the payment dates of March 31, 2018, June 30, 2018, September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2018 could be deferred, and the Company could instead pay  the 12.5% interest in the form of payment in kind (“PIK”) loans.  The interest-only period under the Term Loan Agreement would be extended from June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2021, and the maturity date of the debt under the Term Loan Agreement would be extended from June 30, 2021 to June 30, 2023.

 

The foregoing description of the terms sheet related to the Conversion is qualified in its entirety by the terms and conditions of the definitive documentation, the form of which will be disclosed if and when such documentation is executed.

 

New Transfer Agent

 

On January 29, 2018, the Company transitioned its registrar and transfer agent service provider from Computershare, N.A. to AST.

 

Item 9.01.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d)  Exhibits.

 

Exhibit No.

 

 Description

10.1

 

Waiver between Avinger, Inc. and CRG Partners III L.P. and certain of its affiliated funds, as lenders, dated January 24, 2018.

 

3



 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

AVINGER, INC.

 

 

 

 

Date: January 30 , 2018

By:

/s/ Jeffrey M. Soinski

 

 

Jeffrey M. Soinski

 

 

Chief Executive Officer and President

 

4


Exhibit 10.1

 

Execution Version

 

WAIVER AND CONSENT

 

THIS WAIVER AND CONSENT, dated as of January 24, 2018 (this “ Waiver ”), by and among Avinger, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“ Borrower ”), and the lenders party to the Loan Agreement referred to below.  All capitalized terms used herein without definition shall have the same meanings as set forth in the Loan Agreement.

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, reference is hereby made to the Term Loan Agreement, dated as of September 22, 2015, among Borrower, the Subsidiary Guarantors from time to time party thereto and the lenders from time to time party thereto (as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ Loan Agreement ”);

 

WHEREAS, Borrower has requested that the Lenders waive certain provisions of the Loan Agreement, and the Lenders have agreed to waive certain provisions of the Loan Agreement on the terms and conditions set forth in Section 2 hereof.

 

AGREEMENT

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual agreements, provisions and covenants contained herein, the parties agree as follows:

 

SECTION 1.                                                                          Definitions; Interpretation .

 

(a)                                  Terms Defined in Loan Agreement .  All capitalized terms used in this Waiver (including in the recitals hereof) and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Loan Agreement.

 

(b)                                  Interpretation .  The rules of interpretation set forth in Section 1.03 of the Loan Agreement shall be applicable to this Waiver and are incorporated herein by this reference.

 

SECTION 2.                                                                          Waiver and Consent .

 

(a)                                  In accordance with the provisions of Section 12.04 of the Loan Agreement, Borrower has requested that, subject to the terms hereof, the Majority Lenders reduce the Minimum Liquidity covenant required by Section 10.01 of the Loan Agreement from January 1, 2018 through February 28, 2018.  The Lenders hereby agree that subject to Section 3 of this Waiver, notwithstanding the amount set forth in Section 10.01 of the Loan Agreement, from the date hereof through February 28, 2018, Borrower is required to maintain at all times Liquidity in an amount which shall exceed $2,500,000.  The Lenders further agree that any Default or Event of Default that may have occurred since January 1, 2018  as a result of any non-compliance with the Minimum Liquidity covenant set forth in Section 10.01 of the Loan Agreement or any failure to deliver notice of such non-compliance is hereby waived.

 

SECTION 3.                                                                          Conditions of Effectiveness .  The effectiveness of Section 2 of this Waiver shall be subject to the following conditions precedent:

 



 

(a)                                  Borrower and all of the Lenders shall have duly executed and delivered this Waiver pursuant to Section 12.04 of the Loan Agreement; provided , however , that this Waiver shall have no binding force or effect unless all conditions set forth in this Section 3 have been satisfied;

 

(i)                                      No Default has occurred or is continuing or will result after giving effect to this Waiver.

 

(ii)                                   The representations and warranties made by or with respect to the Borrower in Section 7 of the Loan Agreement are (A) in the case of representations qualified by “materiality,” “Material Adverse Effect” or similar language, true and correct in all respects and (B) in the case of all other representations and warranties, true and correct in all material respects (except that the representation regarding representations and warranties that refer to a specific earlier date are true and correct on the basis set forth above as of such earlier date), in each case taking into account any changes made to schedules updated in accordance with Section 7.21 of the Loan Agreement or attached hereto.

 

(iii)                                There has been no Material Adverse Effect since the date of the Loan Agreement.

 

(b)                                  Borrower shall have paid or reimbursed the Lenders for their reasonable and documented out of pocket costs and expenses (including the reasonable and documented fees and expenses of the Lenders’ legal counsel) incurred in connection with this Waiver pursuant to Section 12.03 of the Loan Agreement to the extent that invoices therefor have been provided by the Lenders to Borrower at least one Business Day in advance of the date hereof.

 

SECTION 4.                                                                          Reaffirmation and Acknowledgement .

 

(a)                                  Borrower hereby ratifies, confirms, reaffirms, and acknowledges its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party and agrees that the Loan Documents remain in full force and effect, undiminished by this Waiver, except as expressly provided herein.  By executing this Waiver, Borrower acknowledges that it has read, consulted with its attorneys regarding, and understands, this Waiver.

 

SECTION 5.                                                                          Governing Law; Submission to Jurisdiction; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL .

 

(a)                                  Governing Law .  This Waiver and the rights and obligations of the parties hereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the law of the State of New York, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws that would result in the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction; provided that Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law shall apply.

 

(b)                                  Submission to Jurisdiction .  Borrower agrees that any suit, action or proceeding with respect to this Waiver or any other Loan Document to which it is a party or any judgment entered by any court in respect thereof may be brought initially in the federal or state courts in Houston, Texas or in the courts of its own corporate domicile and irrevocably submits to the

 

2



 

non-exclusive jurisdiction of each such court for the purpose of any such suit, action, proceeding or judgment.  This Section 5 is for the benefit of the Lenders only and, as a result, none of any Lender shall be prevented from taking proceedings in any other courts with jurisdiction.  To the extent allowed by applicable Laws, the Lenders may take concurrent proceedings in any number of jurisdictions.

 

(c)                                   WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL .  BORROWER AND EACH LENDER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS WAIVER, THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.

 

SECTION 6.                                                                          Miscellaneous .

 

(a)                                  No Waiver .  Except as expressly stated herein, nothing contained herein shall be deemed to constitute a waiver of compliance with any term or condition contained in the Loan Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents or constitute a course of conduct or dealing among the parties.  Except as expressly stated herein, the Lenders reserve all rights, privileges and remedies under the Loan Documents.  Except as amended hereby, the Loan Agreement and other Loan Documents remain unmodified and in full force and effect.  All references in the Loan Documents to the Loan Agreement shall be deemed to be references to the Loan Agreement as amended hereby.

 

(b)                                  Severability .  In case any provision of or obligation under this Waiver shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions or obligations, or of such provision or obligation in any other jurisdiction, shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

(c)                                   Headings .  Headings and captions used in this Waiver (including the Exhibits, Schedules and Annexes hereto, if any) are included for convenience of reference only and shall not be given any substantive effect.

 

(d)                                  Integration .  This Waiver constitutes a Loan Document and, together with the other Loan Documents, incorporates all negotiations of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and is the final expression and agreement of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

(e)                                   Counterparts .  This Waiver may be executed in any number of counterparts, all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument and any of the parties hereto may execute this Waiver by signing any such counterpart.  Executed counterparts delivered by facsimile or other electronic transmission (e.g., “PDF” or “TIF”) shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart.

 

(f)                                    Controlling Provisions .  In the event of any inconsistencies between the provisions of this Waiver and the provisions of any other Loan Document, the provisions of this Waiver shall govern and prevail.  Except as expressly modified by this Waiver, the Loan Documents shall not be modified and shall remain in full force and effect.

 

3



 

SECTION 7.                                                                          RELEASE OF CLAIMS.

 

(a)                                  Borrower hereby absolutely and unconditionally releases and forever discharges each Lender, and any and all participants, parent corporations, subsidiary corporations, affiliated corporations, insurers, indemnitors, successors and assigns thereof, together with all of the present and former directors, officers, agents, attorneys and employees of any of the foregoing (each, a “ Releasee ” and collectively, the “ Releasees ”), from any and all claims, demands or causes of action of any kind, nature or description, whether arising in law or equity or upon contract or tort or under any state or federal law or otherwise (each, a “ Claim ” and collectively, the “ Claims ”), which Borrower has had, now has or has made claim to have against any such person for or by reason of any act, omission, matter, cause or thing whatsoever arising from the beginning of time to and including the date of this Waiver, whether such claims, demands and causes of action are matured or unmatured or known or unknown.  Borrower understands, acknowledges and agrees that the release set forth above may be pleaded as a full and complete defense to any Claim and may be used as a basis for an injunction against any action, suit or other proceeding which may be instituted, prosecuted or attempted in breach of the provisions of such release. Borrower agrees that no fact, event, circumstance, evidence or transaction which could now be asserted or which may hereafter be discovered will affect in any manner the final, absolute and unconditional nature of the release set forth above.

 

(b)                                  In connection with the releases set forth above, Borrower expressly and completely waives and relinquishes any and all rights and benefits that it has or may ever have pursuant to Section 1542 of the Civil Code of the State of California, or any other similar provision of law or principle of equity in any jurisdiction pertaining to the matters released herein.  Section 1542 provides as follows:

 

A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOW KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR.

 

(c)                                   Borrower hereby absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably  covenants and agrees with and in favor of each Releasee that it will not sue (at law, in equity, in any regulatory proceeding or otherwise) any Releasee on the basis of any Claim released, remised and discharged by any Loan Party pursuant to Section 7(a)  above. If Borrower violates the foregoing covenant, Borrower, for itself and its successors and assigns, agrees to pay, in addition to such other damages as any Releasee may sustain as a result of such violation, all attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by any Releasee as a result of such violation.

 

[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]

 

4



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Waiver, as of the date first above written.

 

 

BORROWER:

 

 

 

AVINGER, INC.

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jeffrey M. Soinski

 

Name:

Jeffrey M. Soinski

 

Title:

Chief Executive Officer and President

 

[Signature Page to Waiver Agreement]

 



 

LENDERS:

 

 

 

CRG PARTNERS III L.P .

 

 

 

 

 

By CRG PARTNERS III GP L.P., its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By CRG PARTNERS III GP LLC, its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By :

/s/ Nathan Hukill

 

 

 

 

Name: Nathan Hukill

 

 

 

 

Title: Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

 

 

CRG PARTNERS III — PARALLEL FUND “A” L.P.

 

 

 

 

 

By CRG PARTNERS III — PARALLEL FUND “A” GP L.P., its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By CRG PARTNERS III GP LLC, its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By :

/s/ Nathan Hukill

 

 

 

 

Name: Nathan Hukill

 

 

 

 

Title: Authorized Signatory

 

 

[Signature Page to Waiver Agreement]

 



 

CRG PARTNERS III — PARALLEL FUND “B” (CAYMAN) L.P.

 

 

 

By CRG PARTNERS III (CAYMAN) GP L.P., its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

By CRG PARTNERS III GP LLC, its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By

/s/ Nathan Hukill

 

 

 

 

Name: Nathan Hukill

 

 

 

 

Title: Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WITNESS:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

 

 

 

CRG PARTNERS III (CAYMAN) L.P.

 

 

 

 

 

By CRG PARTNERS III (CAYMAN) GP L.P., its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By CRG PARTNERS III GP LLC, its General Partner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By

/s/ Nathan Hukill

 

 

 

 

Name: Nathan Hukill

 

 

 

 

Title: Authorized Signatory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WITNESS:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

[Signature Page to Waiver Agreement]